module-9
Latest
The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online pt. 2
The cons of the whole switchover Item malls that offer players the ability to purchase items or item upgrades degrade the gaming experience. We've been over this before -- letting Mr. Moneybags deck out his character at level 1 so he's 10x more awesome than everybody else is a major downer to people who don't have the money. While I've pored over the text that Turbine is released, it doesn't appear that they will be offering items like weaponry or armor. They will be offering "items of convenience" to the players. My best guess is things like potions, perhaps portals, resurrection scrolls, things such as these. Even though these are low powered items, they can still annoy you when Moneybags can teleport all over the place and you're left walking and taking the slow route. This con is, however, offset by the fact that points can be earned by actually playing the game. It sounds like they are attempting to make the cash shop available for everyone, not just the Moneybags of the world. This will be interesting to watch, as no other developer as truly tried this in the American market. "I could easily see some players offering up items in the auction house above the amount that a free player's wallet could hold." The big con to this is the limited play that free players get. Limited auctions and limited mail are two nasty inconveniences in their own right, but limited gold storage and limited chat seem to be the features that take the cake. How would you like it if you couldn't chat in all of the chat channels, or were restricted to how much you can say in game? Even worse, limited gold storage may mean that you might not be able to purchase the best items from the auction house simply because your wallet just doesn't hold enough. I could easily see some players offering up items in the auction house above the amount that a free player's wallet could hold. This is going to inconvenience the player further because it's going to restrict how the player can interact with the auction house and interact with the vendors in the world. Another two bites out of the pro pile are the fact that free players rank lower than DDO VIP subscription players in the login queue and free players don't get access to customer support. This means that a constant influx of DDO VIP players could easily keep bumping free players back in the login queue, should the server become overpopulated. While I don't exactly see this happening, it could become problem should the lines really get backed up. I know I wouldn't like to see that my place in line as number 27 get jacked backward to 30 or 35 just because a few subscribers chose to log in. Lastly is the fact that free players are stuck with the online knowledge base and the forums as their source of aid should they encounter problems. I can foresee some free players attempting to play the game, getting stuck on some odd technical problem, and then becoming unable to solve it simply because the knowledge base doesn't have their problem on file. You're going to inevitably lose some people over this, just because they don't want to deal with the frustration of attempting to make a free game work. It's a free game, so if it doesn't work, just move onto the next game. The bottom line? The final thoughts for all of this is you should weigh it for yourself. If you want to save some cash and you like Dungeons and Dragons, then this might just be the experience for you. If you're looking for a second quality MMO to have as a side-game, then this might also be what you want to pick up. If you're someone who's easily frustrated by limitations, however, then you might not enjoy this experience. Some of the stuff, like decreased auctions, gold storage, and chatting capabilities might hamper gameplay just enough to turn off some people. But, don't take my word for it. Judge the game for yourself when it hits free to play status later this summer. Turbine has just announced that Dungeons and Dragons Online will be moving to a free-to-play business model, and we have the inside scoop. Be sure to read our complete coverage of the changeover, and look for more info as DDO Unlimited approaches launch.
The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online
Dungeons and Dragons Online going free to play is undoubtedly an awesome announcement. But exactly how awesome of an announcement is it?Yesterday we were all over the announcement, covering the basics of what can be expected with this changeover from subscription based to free to play. But now, I'd like to break that down even further, and really look at the changes in an in-depth manner.Certainly not everything about the new version of DDO has been defined by Turbine, but we're going to take a look at the basics of what this new version offers and compare the ups and downs of what's being offered. By the time we're done looking over the new system, you'll be able to answer that one burning question that's plaguing your mind.Is free to play DDO worth it for you?
The forgotten MMO: Dungeons and Dragons Online
You always hear about the good MMOs and the bad MMOs, but there are certainly some MMOs that just seem to hang in the background. They're always there and omnipresent, they never do exquisitely bad, but somehow they're just forgotten amongst the sea of hyped games and broken promises.That's really the case for Dungeons and Dragons Online, one of the few MMOs to really fly in the face of the traditional MMO model. ZAM.com recently went back and took another look at DDO, giving it the attention that it rightfully deserves regarding its different playstyle and game mechanics.The article points out the game's major triumphs -- such as the unique atmosphere in every dungeon you dive into, the use of puzzles and traps to keep the player on their toes, and the use of the infamous dungeon master that narrates each of the game's quests to keep in like with its tabletop roots. However, the article also points out some of the game's largest issues, such as grouping and population concerns amongst the servers.Overall, it's a nice look at a game that really doesn't jump to the forefront of the MMO market, but stays quietly in the background, chugging away with a loyal fanbase and consistent content updates. (All hail the upcoming module 9 and the new ability to finally hit the D&D cap of 20!) For the full feature article, check it out on ZAM.com.
New DDO screens highlight Module 9's Shavarath
The free Module 9 update is just around the corner for Dungeons and Dragons Online, at least relatively speaking. But since we know that waiting for a big shiny new patch can be daunting at best, here are some screens of the forthcoming Shavarath to help tide you over until that fateful patch day. Module 9 is piling on a number of new features, including a raise for the level cap, chat improvements, new feats and abilities, capstone enhancements, and we're assuming some other yet-to-be announced goodies.For a game that's pushing past three years, Dungeons and Dragons Online is looking quite good. It probably helps that Module 9 is moving DX10 support out of beta and into officially official status. That's twice as official as it was before, for anyone keeping score.As great as these screenshots are, we really think Turbine needs to do their hard work some justice and put out a new trailer showcasing all the new improvements with an emphasis on the animations. It's all the rage nowadays, Turbine!%Gallery-49608%
Dungeons & Dragons Online's new executive producer comments on Module 9
Dungeon's & Dragon's Online players are getting two new things as of late: the free Module 9 update and a new executive producer by the name of Fernando Paiz. The update isn't out just yet, but its preview notes are and they're pretty substantial. Players are getting level 20, which brings tons of new feats and powers, along with DX10 graphics support, combat, UI and many other improvements.If you're wondering who this new guy is, Fernando has actually been with Turbine for over three years and seems rather excited to be working with the team. We don't doubt that it's partially because he's now working with his wife, Kate.Mostly though, Fernando appears to be pretty excited about both Module 9 and what he calls, "an aggressive push to grow the game in 2009" We'll be curious to see exactly what that means. Will players be getting epic levels starting with 21? Seems like the thing to do at this point in the life-cycle of Dungeons and Dragons Online, but we suppose that we'll just have to wait for the official announcement.
