Hanz McBattle's page

I originally had my own pathfinder setting, a continent called Syrix. I tried to start a story based on this world. Any feedback would be welcome, as the beginnings are quite short.

CHAPTER I

Gorrus’ Journal
Tilsmuk 3rd, 5280

It has come to pass that I am imprisoned in the wretched spire of Kodor. For what ill doing am I condemned to rot in this dungeon of malefactors and brutes? O, what great villainy hath been wrought by these feeble hands?! I lament to record that I have been decreed guilty of that offense which political men find so thoroughly toxic: Scholarly crime. My studies of obscure and unpalatable magic have sullied my fortune before, but this I fear is the point of no return.

Yea, men will fight tooth and claw like rabid beasts to quell that which is aberrant or poorly understood. So here I sit, Gorrus the great sorcerer of Rodon, patriarch of the noble family Hallengloom, a beacon of knowledge in a world benighted, festering in bondage for the crime of witchery. My only hope is to take ill and abscond from this barbarous world in haste.

Consigned to his ill fate, the despondent Gorrus Hallengloom curled up in the one relatively dry corner of his cell and tried to his best to weep quietly. Soft, demure sniffles quickly gave way to child-like wailing, his pitiful cries deluging the dusty old tower. Gorrus tried In vain to suppress his lachrymal flailing as the footsteps of an approaching guard became evident.

The man moving towards Gorrus seemed as though torn from a nightmare: The black hood he wore covered all of his face save a pair of focused gray eyes, and his scarred flesh told the tales of a thousand battles. He lumbered methodically forward covered in bulky armor, a crude patchwork of metal, leather and ogre bones. In any other place the young Gorrus’ sorcery could lay waste to the approaching titan in ways too horrible to describe, but the spire of Kodor was coated with a rare and extremely valuable metal- A material called clarien that served to unweave the ethereal flows of magic around it, thus rendering magic users impotent.

“Here it comes”, though Gorrus with abject fright. “Surely this ruffian will breaketh my bones and eat of the sinew that gave them movement! O, misfortune! Gods please make short work of this.”

“On your feet”, growled the rather unpleasant guard as he spat at the filthy floor beneath him. “Now.”

“Gentle sir”, begged the petrified Gorrus. “I implore you, taketh pity upon me! I am but a flimsy little man! There is a hideous rancor in thine eyes, yea. But will my shrill screams bringeth thou any great satisfaction? Will you find mirth in the throws of my agony? Aye, for a time. But then you will weep, for you will realize you’ve hurt me!”

The jailor stared back unmoved.

“You’re free to go”, he grunted. “Lord Thadeus’ decree of guilt has been abolished by a higher power. You are to be released under the condition that you report to the king immediately.
Now take thy feathers and inks and frilly things and get the hell out of here.”

Being anywhere near King Tubbicus Maximus of Rodon was generally a very bad idea. He was sadistic, petty, impulsive and prone to bouts of grandiose rage. By this 8th year of his reign, the king had already disfigured seventeen jesters who failed to amuse him, castrated twenty three noblemen for the crime of handsomeness, and once ordered that a mentally challenged peasant be boiled alive for accidentally calling him King Flubicus. Gorrus knew all this, but he also knew the king personally and considered him as something of a kindred spirit. Tyranny aside, he was a clever, whimsical man renowned for his insatiable appetite for sin and his queer sense of humor. More importantly, the king liked Gorrus (to the extent that he was capable of liking anyone).

And so an elated Gorrus left the dismal prison tower, taking his feathers and inks and frilly things with him on the path to the heart of Rodon. The hot sting of Lord Thadeus’ branding stabbed at his right shoulder, the word WITCH burnt into his sore, weeping flesh. Midway through his short journey, the sorcerer paused to swear an oath to the sullen sky.

“If you fancy me a witch, Thadeus- I will doeth unto ye what witches do.”

Filled with fury and purpose, Gorrus suddenly disappeared from the country side with the wave of an arm and a puff of green smoke.

Chapter II

The court of King Tubbicus was the most lavish and ornate place the great continent of Syrix had ever seen. His throne room was a carnival of sin and excess, full not only of the finest silks and oils and the frilliest things ever crafted by mortal hands, but of the sharpest, spikiest and most perverse contraptions imaginable. Indeed, no pleasure was beyond the pale for Tubbicus, the most warped mind ever to preside over a human kingdom.

Lounging in a hot bath of imported salts and scented lathers, the corpulent king shifted his weight about gaily and twinkled his toes, taking in every bit of salty granular pleasure as he cooed with sensual delight. After a long fit of bath time frolicking and giggling and making sounds no man should hear, something awful happened: The king spoke.

“O, gods in heaven! I taketh pity upon them. T’is a dreadful day when one comes to envy his creation! Surely they look upon me with covetous eyes! What sayeth ye, Jonan?”

Archpriest Jonan Alonidae was not appreciative of such heresy, but was at least equally averse to being mutilated, burnt, tortured or fed to ravenous crabs. Nor did he want to be vivisected, infected with leprosy, exploded, imploded, impaled, used as a projectile, used to test projectiles, drowned, bludgeoned, used as a mount for little people or forced to coach the castrati glee club (which despite the name was a rather joyless affair). And so it made sense to the old cleric that if he didn’t like any of these things he should give the insatiable king the praise that was his birthright.

“Pity”, replied Jonan, “can be a heavy burden to carry.”

There was a horrible, uncomfortable silence for a time where the sloshing of hot water echoed through the vastness of the throne room. This kind of thing happened a lot, for the simple act of conversing with this most volatile of monarchs was very, very dangerous.

“But, my king, if you must bare this burden, be not weary. T’is the burden great men must carry.”

Tubbicus looked up inquisitively at the robed figure at the side of his bath. Jonan had seen this look before, and he knew exactly what was meant: Yes, you’ve grabbed me. Excellent thought. Now elaborate!

A call from across the hall spared Jonan the indignity of elaborating.

“Gorrus hath cometh, my king!” proclaimed the royal door man.

“Ah”, proclaimed the nude king, aided out of the tub by two servants. “Bring him in!”

An air of deranged joy pervaded Tubbicus as Gorrus entered the court and knelt before him. He was so overjoyed in fact that he lifted the little spellcaster to his feet and showered him with praise.

“O my dear friend Gorrus, t’is a blessing to see you. I was so terribly bemused to learn of your imprisonment that I dropped my things at once to order you released! You always bring such mirth unto this house- seeing you again hath put me in the most fanciful of humors! How was your stay at the spire, old friend?”

“Dreadful, most dreadful”, replied Gorrus with a dismal sigh. “I’ve seen awful things in my short time in this world. I have risen the dead. I have crafted tumorous golems of pus and gore with souls that yearned for naught but to bludgeon and grind- but my stay...”

Gorrus paused theatrically.

“But that stay at Kodor was the most terrible thing I hath ever endured. A pox upon that thing which men call life. I will never sleep soundly again.”

Gorrus mustered every ounce of his inner strength to hide his frustration as the king burst out into hysterical laughter.

“How I have missed your tales!”, declared the king, smacking at the sorcerer’s left shoulder. “Come with me, there is much to discuss.”

There really was an awful lot to discuss. By royal decree, the self conscious Gorrus disrobed and joined Tubbicus in the bath and the two talked of endless war and strife- not the endless war and strife of their fathers’ time, which made for great banter and was something akin to the national sport of Rodon. This season had seen famine and bloodshed so terrible that the kingdom’s very existence was threatened.

To the west, a fleet of Eelithi war ships had landed on the shores of outer Rodon and pillaged several sacred temples and monasteries, stealing a powerful magical artifact and killing a generation of young clergymen. To the east, a dim witted but tenacious Xorakian warlord led three thousand beastly warriors to victory against the defenders of an important riverside fort town. He and his goons carried out ghastly orders from a Xorakian king, which due to a misunderstanding, resulted in his soldiers raping the crops and salting the women.

To make matters worse, the summer that had recently ended was the warmest in memory. From the months of Ilgmusk (the first month of summer) to Oren (the first month of Autumn), a legendary heat took hold across the entire continent, under which the crops of all kingdoms wilted. The amount of soldiers needed for military conscription could simply not be adequately fed, and so a scantily defended country side was ripe for pillage.

As usual, the scape goat was dark wizard types.

If I were to join or help found a legion of undead users, I wonder if that would necessarily (by the RAW of the game) make my organization and it's members "evil".

By RAW of the pathfinder tabletop rpg, undead raising spells carry the evil descriptor meaning that, if not making the spellcaster evil by casting the spell once or twice, your alignment will definitely slip south with repeated uses.

I wonder if a similar mechanic will be employed in PFO or not.

Maybe necromancy can be a foul means toward a good end. Maybe it can't? I'm wondering if the developers have discussed this at all.

Today I was thinking about kingdoms and player organizations: If this is a sandbox game, settlements will be inhabited by player characters. This means that the deep seeded prejiduce against elves, orcs, humans and other races is no longer a real, tangible force in the game world.

Likewise in terms of RP, certain proffessions don't belong in certain groups: To use the most extreme example, a gunslinger doesn't belong in a low tech tree hugger faction. A paladin doesn't belong in a guild of assasins.

I'm worried that a need to optimize will lead to an all accepting world where dwarves fight beside half-orcs and necromancers fight beside paladins. If it is always optimal for a military force to include units of each class, each military will and diversity will die.

What I'd like to see is a game where it's practical (and possible) to make forces composed of relatively few "classes", with racial limits

This will allow people to flavor their factions- examples:

A village of half orc savages:
-no paladins, no bards, no monks, no wizards

An order of righteous crusaders:
-Limited to good aligned Paladins, Clerics and fighters.

A band of gray elf raiders
-No paladins, druids, or monks/ no units with medium or heavy armor

I could go on and on, but I just got distracted by a shiny thing.

If you haven't heard of this new game, it came out today.

Let me start out by saying that Chivalry isn't even similar to pfo in concept: It's a non-magical medieval fighting game that pits small teams of warriors with realistic medieval weapons against each other. Still, I feel like there are lessons to be learned from the game:

1) Clicking to attack/block: One big argument among PFO circles revolves around weather attacking should be automatic (like neverwinter nights) or manual (like Dungeons and Dragons Online). In chivalry (being an action game and not an rpg) the hacking is all player controlled and it's done well. to block you have to actually aim at the incoming attack, you can jab slash or budgeon (or something like that) and combat is skill based.

-Chivalry really got down the combat aspect. It's skill based and adrenaline fuled. The lesson here is that

a) click-to-attack can work well

b) don't even bother making attacking manual and skill based unless you can really make it work WELL. In my opinion it's all or nothing- dice based combat is fun. Manual attacking can be good too, but not unless it's of a very high quality.

2) Friendly fire: This has two meanings. For one, if attacking is manual, an arrow or a sword swipe may miss an enemy and hit an ally. Secondly, and this applies regardless, "friendly fire" can occur when a projectile (a pot of hot oil, a wizard's black tentacles spell, etc.)

-Again chivalry hit the nail on the head. Friendly fire is enforced, at least from all the servers I saw. This changes the game in a few ways:

Has anyone played a game like halo where people ran around grenading their feet to kill everyone around them? Or where people shot and grenaded indiscriminately into a pile, ran in circles and blew up everything knowing they would be safe from their own men? Chivalry really cut the crap with that. Because of friendly fire, arrows and hot oil jugs (basically grenades)hurt allies. People have to act reasonably and work together in a logical way to get things done.

This greatly effects how combat looks and feels. For starters, shooting into a melee becomes troublesome: A skilled archer can still do great damage, but hurting your own men is a threat. Furthermore, AOE grenade lobbing becomes... I guess I'll say interesting. I threw a grenade today that killed one ally and five enemies. Sometimes friendly fire is an afterthought for cruel and reckless warriors.

Because in PFO characters have alignments and reputations, friendly fire could be a defining character of a character or army: Perhaps repeat teamkillers can have their alignments shifted towards the chaotic/evil axis, or a character can hold a permanent record of friendly kills that can act as a sort of resume'. No one wants to hire a deliberate team killer.

Er, almost no one.

A good aligned nation of paladins may kick out citizens or remove soldiers who hurt their own consistently, but an evil empire might hire powerful casters who shoot magical AOE spells at the front lines without thinking twice.

TLDR:

1) PFO shouldn't try to use manual attacking over autoattacking unless they are extremely confident that they can do it very well. Auttoattacking isn't boring and is easy to design, but manual attacking needs to be perfect or we're in DD0 territory.

2) Friendly fire is essential for maintaining tactics, and it can be policed through alignment/reputation effects. Keep hurting your allies and no civilized men will work with you- recklessly committing fratricide with aoe spells is fluffy for evil players, and can sometimes be a legitimate means to an end.

I have a dark vision for a character: The incredible gargoyle magus. The plan is something like this:

The spell Monstrous Physique lets you transform into a gargoyle:

A: I don't know if natural attacks can be taken as part of a spell combat attack action, but if so that is awesome.

B: Gargoyles have the freeze ability, which Monstrous Physique II lets you retain: Sit still and gain a +20 to stealth to hide in plain sight to appear as a statue! That sounds useful.

C: I GOT WINGS!

Is this awesome? Effective?

I need to pitch an idea for a short film (for a screenwriting class). I wanted to ask all the /b tards if this idea is HOT OR NOT. I turn to the Paizo messageboards because i have no where else to go.

A physicist is accidentally transported into the future durring an experiment with teleportation. The world he is taken to is apparently one giant building inhabited by horrific creatures, including predatory linen sheet-covered life forms that hunt him for his warm, sheetless flesh. He traverses a seemingly endless labyrinth of treacherous hallways in search of the sun, only to discover a sentient, telekinetic mushroom hidden inside a janitor’s closet. The mushroom tells the physicist that he is but one of the mother fungus’ many “heads”, and that his roots spread all throughout the earth. He goes on to recount that for a billion years, plants were the earth’s dominant life form, covering the earth in a sheet of greenery. Fungus could not outgrow them without special “fungo-active” compounds: Preservatives, food dyes, plastics, high fructose corn syrup and fine linens. Because these did not exist in nature, fungus created animals- at first inconsequential beasts, but then finally man- and infected them with recipes for their needed compounds. Slowly Incorporated into the fungal collective, man unwittingly served to destroy the “green tumors” of the earth, replacing all land mass with concrete and steel, blocking the sun and destroying all plant life

One way in which I think PFO can improve the world of RPG's is in ensuring that multiclassed characters are not entirely weak. Let me explain with an anecdote:

Back in my neverwinter 1 days, I was a member of a cool server called three towns. I got tired of playing the same wizard or blackguard over and over so I tried to make some different things:

1) The Wizard/Rogue

How I planned it:

Oh gee, I'll have such awesome spells to augment my roguery. Magic weapon/true strike will help my damage and accuracy, cat's grace will buff dex (my rogue attack and stealth stat), invisibility will make me a better sneak, and all sorts of transformation spells will make me a killing machine.

How it worked:

I had low level spells, with relatively low DC's. My base attack bonus was a disaster. My hp made doing "roguish things" suicidal. Sure, I could go invisible or ensure one sneak attack hitting with true strike (with lower sneak attack dice then a full rogue), but the build was garbage.

2) The Wizard/Fighter

How I planned it:

Bull's Strength + shape-shifting spells + magic armor + touch spells, with plenty of abjuration/shielding spells and the odd fireball or control spell here or there.

How it worked:

Again abysmal HP, an arrested Base Attack Bonus, relatively crappy AC and other problems meant that this build was sub par at best. Despite the clear cut vision of a battle mage, the mechanics of the game made this build little more than a pipe dream.

3) The Ranger / Anything else

How I planned it:

I'm going to bond with my beloved animal, and he'll see me through to the end no matter what path I choose!

How it worked:

Actually, pretty well for the most part. For example, a rogue's sneak attack and extra skills combined with the combat style feats made for a brutal and cunning combatant. But, and I consider this a big but, there was no equivalent of the BOON COMPANION feat. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a feat that allows you to level your pet as though you had continued leveling in the pet class. I really hated seeing my little spider buddy gradually fade into uselessness.

4) The Monk/ caster

How I planned it: As a classic "Anti-caster" class, the monk seems at least semi-magical, and the temptation to augment his fighting with clerical or arcane magic was too much to let up.

How it worked: Awful. Just awful.

I'd like to see a game where atypical class combinations can work. Thoughts?

IS there a point to siege weaponry? They seem weak compared to a high leveled guy with a bow, and they don't seem to go up in power.

I'm wondering how magic users will behave on the battlefield: Will they be simple fireball hurlers? Controllers? Will they be attached to squads of martial characters to add buffs or will they function more efficiently in units of their own kind?

Does anyone have any ideas on the matter?

Name: Sword of the Sepulcher
Tax Rate: 50%
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Government: Oligarchy
Membership Policy: Approved

Mission: The sword of the sepulcher exists as a military force for those who practice necromancy without disturbing the dead or bargaining with evil entities. We will track down villains who use the dead to serve them, hunt for magical artifacts and defend ourselves from anyone who defies our cause.

The Sword of the Sepulcher sees necromancy as a means to an end. To our followers, spells that cause disease, peel skin from bone and drain life energy are simply weapons like any other, and for the most part, are not good or evil in and of themselves. However, we differentiate ourselves from other necromancers who see the deceased as a resource to be exploited and militarized.

As an organization, SOTS is not above stealing equipment or getting into trouble for the cause and is unconcerned if this is occasionally not considered “good.” Our methods will be as harsh and underhanded as possible, even if our goals are (usually) noble. As such, SOTS has a Chaotic Neutral alignment and welcomes all non-lawful members.

Military Philosophy: We believe in using masses of tough old fashioned infantry while magically crippling opponents with hideous debuffs. Siege equipment is also a very important ingredient in our army. Our military is the reason for our sky high tax rates: We believe that every man should be well armed, and that the cost of military equipment justifies high tax rates.

Religious Philosophy: We worship the gods Desna and Pharasma with equal devotion, revering their roles in magic and death respectively.

I’m not a necromancer. What do I do?: The Sword of the Sepulcher is a military and ideological machine. We have just as much use of non-spell casters as any group, so long our members share the same code of ethics. You can fight for our cause in any way, and we welcome any who are qualified to fight for us. So don’t worry that you’ll be “left out” or that this isn’t the group for you just because you’re not a necromancer.

Banned Classes:

Druid: As avid technology users, tree demolishers and seekers of necromantic spells, druids are unwelcome. Most druids would look down on us anyway.

Monk: There is an alignment conflict, and good riddance. We value sharpened steel over karate chops.

Paladin: Again, there is an alignment conflict. Plenty of paladins would probably want to see us dead anyway.

I recently made a post about chariots and their potential role in PFO, only to realize that chariots became obsolete with the development of cavalry and what-not.

Then, I ran into this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_wagon

War wagons would be incredibly fun vehicles to incorporate into Pathfinder Online. The potential for ranged damage output with mobility and protection on their side is appealing to me, and I think this medieval tank should rear it's head in game.

In addition to quick ranged firepower, war wagons provide a solution to anyone who wants to shuttle infantry about the battlefield relatively quickly. Polarm wielding infantry, for example, are the bane of cavalry and being able to move them around nearly as fast as the cavalry they oppose could be a rich tactical boon.

Squishy black tentacle casting mage unit? Again, the wagon provides a great way to move them about with relative protection. If you have a unit of necromancers, what better way to carry corpses into battle to be raised as skeletons?

Dazzling display requires weapon focus. Can you get away with taking weapon focus touch attack or ranged touch attack? Or does the weapon litterally have to be a weapon?

I'm thinking of making a sorcerer with dazzling display, so that when I'm out of spells I'll be able to hurl frightening rays about the battlefield and scare people with them. I hope this is kosher.

I really want to make an effective character based around using a two bladed sword, but I'm wondering if it's possible. Neither end is a light weapon, so using it will come with stiff TWF penalties. Is it possible that a weapon like this could be worthwhile?

Discuss.

I'm going to my local hobby shop soon to pick up a copy of ultimate equipment, but I just can't wait. I'm really curious about one thing: What new features have been added in terms of animal companions and mounts? Any noteworthy animals? I must hear of their coolness.

I've been hearing about it for a while on the blogs/messageboards, but I can't find a date anywhere.

I was wondering how effective a switch hitter Magus could be. Yes, spell combat is a melee ability and just about every class feature screams close combat- But I think there might be some space for a switch hitter to shine.

Still, the arcane pool can effect any weapon, not just a melee weapon, which means you can use it to beef up anything. Plus when you see the extra feats a magus gets, it seems reasonable that you could spend some on covering the basics of ranged combat: PBS, Rapid shot, etc.

My idea is to make en elven (dex based) magus, with weapon finesse. In melee he might lack a bit of damage compared to the average magus but the ability to shoot should give me some flexibility.

What do you guys think?

This is the beggining to a story I'm writing based off a homebrew pathfinder campaign world. I didn't know where else to turn so I'm looking for criticism. Don't worry, it's very short so far.

Gorrus’ Journal
Tilsmuk 3rd, 5280

It has come to pass that I am imprisoned in the wretched spire of Kodor. For what ill doing am I condemned to rot in this dungeon of malefactors and brutes? O, what great villainy hath been wrought by these feeble hands?! I lament to record that I have been decreed guilty of that offense which political men find so thoroughly toxic: Scholarly crime.

Yea, men will fight tooth and claw like rabid beasts to quell that which is aberrant or poorly understood. So here I sit, Gorrus the great mage of Vandrix, patriarch of the noble family Hallengloom, a beacon of knowledge in a world benighted, festering in bondage for the crime of necromancy. My only hope is to take ill and abscond from this barbarous world in haste.

End Journal

Consigned to his ill fate, the despondent Gorrus Hallengloom curled up in the one relatively unsullied corner of his cell and tried to his best to weep quietly. Soft, demure sniffles quickly gave way to child-like wailing, his pitiful cries deluging the dusty old tower. Gorrus tried In vain to suppress his tears as the footsteps of an approaching guard became evident.

The man moving towards Gorrus seemed as though torn from a nightmare: The black hood he wore covered all of his face save a pair of focused gray eyes and his scarred flesh told the tales of a thousand battles. He lumbered methodically forward covered in bulky armor, a crude patchwork of metal, leather and animal teeth. In any other place the young Gorrus’ sorcery could lay waste to the approaching titan in ways too horrible to describe, but the spire of Kodor was coated with a rare and extremely valuable metal- A metal called clarien that naturally served to unweave the ethereal flows of magic around it, thus rendering magic users impotent.

“Here it comes”, though Gorrus with abject fright. “My first beating. Surely this ruffian will breaketh my slim boyish bones!”

“On your feet”, growled the rather unpleasant guard as he spat at the filthy floor beneath him. “Now.”

“Gentle sir”, begged the petrified Gorrus. “I implore you, take pity upon me! I am but a flimsy little man! There is a hideous rancor in thine eyes, yea. But will my shrill screams bringeth thou closer to peace? Will you find mirth in the throws of my agony? Aye, for a time. But then you will weep, for you will realize you’ve hurt me!”

The jailor stared back unmoved.

“You’re free to go”, he grunted. “By royal pardon you are to be released under the condition that you report to the king immediately. Now take your feathers and inks and frilly things and get the hell out of here.”

Being anywhere near King Tubbicus Maximus of Rodon was generally a very bad idea. He was sadistic, impulsive and prone to bouts of grandiose rage. By this 8th year of his reign, the king had already disfigured seventeen jesters who failed to amuse him, castrated twenty three noblemen for the crime of handsomeness, and once ordered that a mentally challenged peasant be boiled alive for accidentally calling him King Flubicus. Gorrus knew all this, but he also knew the king personally and considered him as something of a kindred spirit. Tyranny aside, he was a clever, whimsical man renowned for his insatiable appetite for sin and unique sense of humor. More importantly, the king liked Gorrus (to the extent that he was capable of liking anyone).

And so it came to pass that an elated Gorrus left the dismal prison tower, taking his feathers and inks and frilly things with him on a path to the heart of Rodon.

I downloaded Dungeons and Dragons online a few days ago, and I feel like I got a crash course in how not to design an mmo.

1) There has to be a combat lock system in PFO in my opinion. When you choose to attack someone, you shouldn't be forced to play a dancing game if you payed for an rpg. Chasing after enemies, twirling in circles with them, trying to guess their next move- it really cheapens the experience. This is especially important to me because there will always be those players who are unusually good at dodging and twirling, and there could be an incentive for players to make combat look as unrealistic and wacky as possible.

2) On a related note, physically clicking over and over to perform basic attacks made me feel like I was playing some kind of arcade game. It definitely didn't feel like D&D. I hope combat in the pathfinder MMO isn't such a clickfest- A fighter should know to continue attacking automatically unless a different command is given- RPG players know to expect a different kind of action than players of faster paced games.

3) Instanced dungeons can be boring if they're all the game has to offer. After a while playing DDO, I felt like I was doing one thing: Finding a group in the game's harbor city, and then leaving that city for instanced dungeon material once I found the necessary guys. As I did the same dungeons over and over, I began to feel the futility of what I was doing. Sure, a good dungeon crawl can be fun, but none of the quests took place outside of the instances, and frankly all of the dungeons felt identical.

4) Of all the things that bothered me, one of the worst was when my sorcerer ally started chucking fireballs at a kobold I was attacking. At first I screamed "Nooooooo!", conditioned by games like Neverwinter Nights to think that I too would be caught in the blast. Then I realized I was totally unscathed- and that's when I got angry. In effect I felt like the dangerous power tool that is arcane magic became a pair of safety scissors. One of the key things that serves to balance casters and make them difficult/interesting to play is their target selection issues: Don't cast black tentacles near billy, don't cast meteor shower near jeff.This sounds like nitpicking, but it really isn't. You can't design a tactical game and take out all the um, tactics.

5) Don't penalize non-paying players to the point where they can't play one of the 7 basic races. In DDO, you gotta pay for half-orcs. That made me sad :(