DDO is out in a few days and I have been playing in the head start event and I have already found a few things that are rubbing me the wrong way. So since I got nothing better to do I though I would share this with you all. First and formost is the fact that you when you respawn you end up in a tavern. I have no idea what there reasoning is but come on there is a house of halfling healers that would have mad a heck of a lot more sense to be respwand in a healing house. Seconded is the warforged wich don't need to eat, sleep, breath, and can not be poisended. So why the heck would turbin make it so that a warforged character surface for air while underwater and can be posined by posined weapons. Next is the fact that when your creating a rogue or bard some of the class skills have a N/A over the button to increase the ranks. This lead me to beleave I could not put rancks in it till some one in the game told me I could. So I had to remake my characters. If anyone out there find anything they don't like post it hear.
I am planning to purchase the game (my first subscription MMORPG...*crosses fingers and hope it isn't a waste of my money*) on Tuesday when it comes out. Hopefully I'll see some of y'all from Paizo in the game.
As far as the tavern thing...I agree, it's odd, but according to an interview I read, it's an "iconic meeting place" for D&D in general. I don't know why you'd resurrect there, but I'm sure someone at Turbine thought it was a good idea.
As far as the other two issues (raising skills) and the warforged question, I'd contact Turbine customer service and inquire further, or check their FAQ. There's a heck of a lot of questions in the FAQ - I'd do a search first.
I'm debating it as well - I am intrigued enough to try it out, at the very least, but I need my computer to be up and running first. =)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/arts/27drag.html?8hpib
It's an interesting article.
DDO is out in a few days and I have been playing in the head start event and I have already found a few things that are rubbing me the wrong way. So since I got nothing better to do I though I would share this with you all. First and formost is the fact that you when you respawn you end up in a tavern. I have no idea what there reasoning is but come on there is a house of halfling healers that would have mad a heck of a lot more sense to be respwand in a healing house. Seconded is the warforged wich don't need to eat, sleep, breath, and can not be poisended. So why the heck would turbin make it so that a warforged character surface for air while underwater and can be posined by posined weapons. Next is the fact that when your creating a rogue or bard some of the class skills have a N/A over the button to increase the ranks. This lead me to beleave I could not put rancks in it till some one in the game told me I could. So I had to remake my characters. If anyone out there find anything they don't like post it hear.
There is no way Turbine can make the game exactly like the pen and paper game. They have to do what they can and make concessions where certain things are not possible or where the game would lose balance.
In the case of the warforged Im sure its more about game balance. Im ok with it.
it's a good thing you don't play Neverwinter Nights.
Does anyone else have plans for a Paizo guild? I'm thinking that going into the scary world of MMORPGs all by my lonesome wouldn't be cool. Maybe the "Paizo Roamers" would be a cool guild name...*plots, plans, plots*
Does anyone else have plans for a Paizo guild? I'm thinking that going into the scary world of MMORPGs all by my lonesome wouldn't be cool. Maybe the "Paizo Roamers" would be a cool guild name...*plots, plans, plots*
Ooooooooh...that would be interesting. Heh. I think I'm going to have to make a warforged bard in my Eberron game named Paizo now...
Lil, when you get DDO, would you mind sending a review my way? I'm leery of MMORPGs, and my computer won't be up and running for a couple of weeks anyway, so I can't demo it just yet. =/
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I don't know if any of you beta'ed DDO. I did. It kind of starts you off on an island that is very... tutorial-rific. It breaks the sense of being in a living, breathing world. Once you get off that island is another story. You get to do a single player mission (grab some beer for the innkeep and find the secret things lurking below his inn). When I ran that mission, I was Very impressed. I was sneaking around in my cruddy armor, trying not to alert the baddies. The game is very pretty, and if you take your time and read everything that is said to you and can somewhat ignore all the regular MMO chatter (in taverns mostly), you'll enjoy it quite a lot. It's the first time in a fantasy MMO I've used sneaking to any great effect, and the first time I've ever seen DnD-style traps everywhere. It's very fun to run around with a party of fellow adventurers smashing kobolds and wraiths and iron defenders (oh my!). To address Psyicman's concerns: yeah, it's kind of wonky that you revive at the tavern. On the other hand, if you were perma-dead every time you bit it, the game would probably not have many takers, and Turbine would be out 3 years of dev work. I agree that the warforged being affected is no fun. They kind of made up for it by making armor-boosting docents pretty commonplace, among other things.
As an aside, there's a mission where the party has to face down 200 kobolds in waves of 15-20 and a couple of minotaurs at the end at level 2-3. It's pretty insane, and very, very fun!
Yes I play Neverwinter Nights and injoyed it even if its 3.0 and not 3.5. And yes I understand that a computer game can't recreat a paper based game. But come on a tavern to resarect in. Here is an idea if the tavern is a icon hange out respowning in a healing house and then go to a tavern to hang out. Sounds like a crazy idea right. Turbin could have us intagrated into the Eberron campain setten even more buy just thinking a little more about the small things.
Sorry, not I. I made a vow to never support anything Eberron. Damn my virtue!
FH
*giggles* You sound like my SO - "NEVERRRRRR!!!"
Though I am keen on the Keep on the Borderlands in Fantasy Grounds, mind you!
I've heard things about it that make it sound like it's actually going to stray very far from pen and paper. It may be a great game in an of itself, but if I'm not actually playing D&D, I'd rather be playing WoW or Elder Scrolls (Oblivion comes out this month!!!), which are their own games, not a pale imitation of what I know D&D to truly be.
Although, the prospect of gaming with some of you all online is very tempting. I've picked up on some of the other posters here having WoW accounts. If you wouldn't mind, you could post here and thereby achieve a Paizo guild on that game. Come on, WoW is in need of good roleplayers! I play on Shadow Council server, Naratyr on Alliance side (yes, Orcus' city of the dead; he's a warlock) and Baghtru (yes, he's an orc) on Horde, along with an undead named Araundor (stolen from FRCS).
DragonNerd and I have been looking to join a good roleplaying guild for months now. Come on, let's make one!
I'm torn myself. I enjoy MMORPGs I played Ultima Online for years and years), but the last time Turbine tried this it was a disaster. Plus, I loathe Eberron. I suppose there's something to be said for the fact that I still haven't ruled it out, though.
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Sorry, not I. I made a vow to never support anything Eberron. Damn my virtue!
FH
*giggles* You sound like my SO - "NEVERRRRRR!!!"
Though I am keen on the Keep on the Borderlands in Fantasy Grounds, mind you!
How is Fantasy Grounds looking BTW? Does it look like it will help run an online session well? Should I buy it? Full license or player? Is it easy to get in a game? Should a separate thread be started for this? Why is the sky blue? Why? Why? Why?
FH?
Anyone Canadian here? There is a regular news magazine show on CBC Radio 1 every night (As It Happens). Tonight they interviewed a certain Mr. Gary Gygax (maybe you've heard of him?) They discussed D&D, how to play and also the up-coming release of this new online game. This is some big mainstream media attention our little hobby has attracted.
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Playing DDO as a member of Lilith's Paizo-Guild of Roamers would be too cool!
I would be happy to join...
But presently my computer is only good for writing eMails and checking the messageboards. I plan to buy a new one, though and as soon as I have it, I think DDO is on top of the list (well, number 2 that is, because Oblivion is still No.1).
So yes, if you don't mind, "babylonian WindGhost" ;), it would be great to receive an eMail from you, when you start this guild and would like me to join it!
-Tom
PS Fake Healer: You don't know what you're missing in not suporting ECS ;) Really!!!
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PS Fake Healer: You don't know what you're missing in not suporting ECS ;) Really!!!
Yes I do. "Techno-magic" is not my idea of a good fantasy setting, some like it. Fine. I will not support a setting that usurped Greyhawk's position as the standard D&D setting. Viva la Greyhawk! Oooo Raaa! (that last was for Lilith's SO)
FH
I wish you all safe travels Paizo roamers, I however will not be in attendance.
1 I too dislike eberron
2 I would have better luck getting a handheld can opener to play a video game than my crappy computer.
3 D&D has ruined roleplay games for me. I still enjoy a good button masher (DEVIL MAY CRY 3!) or a srategy but my mind always drifts to D&D. I've tried World of warcract and yeah running around with my troll rouge was fun for a while. But hen I wanted to do other stuff, like tear down a shed and make a raft out of it...... and these shortcommings always drive me back to pen and paper, planning or reading if I can't organize a session.
However If Dragonnerd or Saern get it I will make shure I drop in and say hi every now and again!
Unlike SOOOOO many others, I find the eberron setting interesting and new. second order of business is that DDO will not be good. The fact you cannot be a monk, druid, gnome, or others actually made me not even want to beta test it. I actually thought they might make a good game until I heard many things about it which just made me even angrier I read more on what will be in it. I was just angry with how they made the game. All DDO is bastardized rules of normal D&D. Do yourself a favor, get Oblivion and Neverwinter Nights 2 instead!
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Does anyone else have plans for a Paizo guild? I'm thinking that going into the scary world of MMORPGs all by my lonesome wouldn't be cool. Maybe the "Paizo Roamers" would be a cool guild name...*plots, plans, plots*Sorry, not I. I made a vow to never support anything Eberron. Damn my virtue!
FH
What FH said. Damn his virtue! Otherwise I'd be there with bells on! Of course, that would make it hard to move silently.
Contributor
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I got to play a little DDO at PAX last year. That was enough for me. It's possible they've changed the game to such an extent that it's completely different than it was back in late August, but even then they have multiple barriers to overcome for me to be interested.
The editorial pit here has had multiple discussions about the game, but I'd be surprised if more than half of the editors here end up playing it. Besides, 4/6 of us play WoW and are quite happy with it.
In my perfect, dream world, Turbine will make expansion packs that will expand to include Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Dark Sun, Al-Qadim, Kara-Tur...I could go on. But it won't happen. That would be my perfect MMORPG.
However, I do play Guild Wars and NWN and would love to play with any of y'all here. I'm clock-watching right now until I can get to Best Buy and get DDO (damn work! interfering with my game time).
NWN2 is most definitively on my buy & play list.
However, no matter how many or how good the MMO's out there will try to be, they will never ever ever replace good old pen & paper for me. Nothing can quite capture the feel of the room when the outcome of the game hinges on that d20 spinning around on the tabletop.
EDIT: How does "Paizo Roamers of the Flanaess" sound for a guild name? (I'll try to set this up in Guild Wars as well.)
Chief Technical Officer
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The editorial pit here....
I know what you're thinking—Paizo doesn't really keep the Dungeon and Dragon editors in a pit, right? Well, you know, sure, the excavation costs were high, but it's been well worth the expense given the gain in productivity. And upkeep is minimal—we just toss a goat carcass in every couple of weeks (and some carrots and hay for the vegetarians) and then hose everything down every month or two (if we remember). Next to the shackles, it's one of the best things we ever did.
-Vic.
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I love the fact that paizo editors/employees are on these boards posting and responding to queries. I enjoy the insight and the humor.
It must be a great work environment to be a part of. Of course, Im certain it is stressful at most times.
Hey, like I said, if you play WoW, tell what servers and characters you have and we can form a guild there. Trust me, WoW is every bit as good as DDO is going to be, probably a lot better.
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I love the fact that paizo editors/employees are on these boards posting and responding to queries. I enjoy the insight and the humor.
I'd comment on that, but then Vic would cut back my carrot and hay ration again. :(
It must be a great work environment to be a part of. Of course, Im certain it is stressful at most times.
It is indeed a great environment. It's not stressful more than a few days a month, and even then the level of stress is low and easily managed (compared to previous jobs I've held). So yeah, is good. :)
Hey, like I said, if you play WoW, tell what servers and characters you have and we can form a guild there. Trust me, WoW is every bit as good as DDO is going to be, probably a lot better.
I disagree. Blizzard went to great lengths to make that game as simple as possible and, thus, as boring as possible.
I had played Asheron's Call off and on for a few years and even CoH for a few months. I'm never what you would refer to as a hard core player, playing only a few hours a week. However, I didnt play WoW for more than a week and I had a few friends who felt the same about it. With WoW, the tedium set in so much faster than other games.
The editorial pit is definitely a fun place to be, though I hear that some leftist "editors' rights" groups like the ASPCE (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Editors) now protest pit fighting as a valid form of magazine production. Really, though, what other job would let us use our special power attacks? James J's satirical circus music, Jason's superhuman conversion of liquor to volume, or Mike's ability to shoot blood from his eyes like a horned toad if he eats cranberries... these aren't skills you find just everywhere, people. And I, for one, couldn't be happier.
-James
(P.S: Oh yeah, back to the actual thread topic - as one of the two editors who abstain from MMORPGs, I'd like to state that it's not because I don't enjoy them. Rather, I took one look at my roommate playing WoW when the beta was first introduced and said "That looks amazing... and I can't ever sign up, or else I will never sleep again." From everything I've seen, WoW is the quintessential quit-your-job-drop-out-of-school-move-back-in-with-your-parents-and-never-s ee-the-sun-again passtime... and rightfully so. I'd just rather take up a slightly less addictive hobby. Like heroin.)
I'm not sure why it won't let me fix that extra space in "see."
Final thought: I think Blizzard should change its motto to "Tie me off - it's WoW time!"
Rather, I took one look at my roommate playing WoW when the beta was first introduced and said "That looks amazing... and I can't ever sign up, or else I will never sleep again." From everything I've seen, WoW is the quintessential quit-your-job-drop-out-of-school-move-back-in-with-your-parents-and-never-s ee-the-sun-again passtime... and rightfully so. I'd just rather take up a slightly less addictive hobby. Like heroin.)
I'm right there with you. I would love to play MMORPGs, but I know myself well enough that I would never ... stop ... playing ...
It's bad enough that I TT and LARP 3-5 times a week. I always seem to wake up on Monday and wonder where the last week went... Give me something that I have to pay a subscription for, and I'll be there all day, every day, trying to get my money's worth (oh, and levelling. And that awesome drop that will respawn any minute...honey, I know the dishes need to be done...just one more level....)
I have religiously avoided the Final Fantasy online game for the very same reasons mentioned above. I like all the FF game, even the really really bad ones. My mother, bless her soul, picked up the original Final Fantasy game because she thought it looked cool (I've gotten a lot of really neat MtG cards that way, too). I'm convinced that I can make the Warmech using a Warforged Titan as a base....
Anyway, my DDO need is denied for now. Nobody 'round these parts will have it today - I may have to wait another day.
I don't like computer games all that much because crashes, bugs, patches and s&#@ that just doesn't work right off the bat pisses me off to no end and I don't need the aggravation.
Right now I'm playing Battlefield 2 online because it's a nice brainless 1st person shooter where I can blow stuff up....but online RPG's are not likely to be on my horizon anytime soon.
I might buy Civ IV and play it by e-mail against my friends, but my computer game budget annually is less than $75, for sure.
Yay - the "Paizo Roamers of the Flanaess" - the PRF - have been created in Guild Wars. I'm Sasha Wildwind in pre-searing Ascalon - if you see me I'll send you an invite.
Still waiting on DDO, though...*sighs* Have to wait another day.
I had not even noticed you could not pick a Gnome till I went back and checked. Yet I can't stop playing the game. Its really a good looking game. The thing that gets me is why every class starts out with 20 extra hit points. If I wanted to play a game with hundreds of hit points at any level I would play EverQuest. The game that I will never play. Man its the small things that make or break a game like this and its really hitting me hard how much Turbin can mess up. The game other then some small errors is really well done and I like the quest base experience. All the monsters look better then the monster manual. All I really wanted with this thread is to not say its a bad game because its far from that. I just want to point out some things that could have been intagrated into the game to make it that much more real. Eberron is a world that is rest. It dosent have epic level people walking down the street like in forgoten realms. Its a world were heros can be truly made. A game like DD0 will never replace the paper and books but it would be nice to know that the game was at least not half hazerdly done and stayed true to the books. EverQuest, World of Warcraft, Elder scrolls, and the rest are probably good games but D&D is the only real computer MMO that ever really aplealed to me. Yeah and if anyone starts a Paizo guild in DDO I will so Join!
I've been playing this game for a week.
In no way shape or form will a game like this ever take the place of my weekly pen and paper game, but I'm liking DDO.
I'm an Eberron fan (and as such, take mild issue with Fake Healer's techno-magic complaint of the setting) and have my issues with how Eberron is portrayed in DDO. (Warforged having to breathe and getting poisoned, etc).
I'm kind of a rules lawyer, and see problems and inconsistencies with the 20 extra hit points, the warforged revamp, and the fact that there are only 5 playable races.
All said, I'm having fun with it. In a group with 2 or 3 friends (soloing is pretty much out of the question after the first tutorial missions) as long as you have a good group (highly recommended grouping with real life friends, or finding an online guild you are compatible with) it feels a lot like a good dungeon crawl!
In an MMO, you have the obvious immersion-killer of death and respawn issues, and I understand why they made their decision to allow respawning. I, myself tried to co-run a weekly campaign using Neverwinter Nights and the 'hardcore ruleset' with perma-death implemented a few years ago, and the faster paced nature of it proved really troublesome...
Again, I'm having fun with it. If it sounds like your thing, give it a try.
I'd really like to see a review of Fantasy Grounds, though. That might be just the thing to get my far-away friends to play PnP with me again!
Hoody-hoo! The guild, Paizo Roamers of the Flanaess, has been started in DDO! (I'll be on the Argonessen server.)
Anarxa Sundale, cleric of Pelor, all hail His shining might, has ventured into this strange land after the Pride of Paizo was shipwrecked upon its shores. Such strange sights I have seen so far! The hulls of the vessels at dock glow with strange energies - what sort of magic is this! Walking intelligent golems stride about this town, mingling freely with the common folk, who perhaps glance briefly at them, but then look quickly away. I wonder, perhaps there is something of these golems that I am not aware of? Some commoners had a look of disgust on their faces, others seemed ashamed. The Wavecrest Tavern is where I'm staying currently, a pleasurable place enough, but I still long for my favorite tavern in the Free City.
Bah, such musings do not solve my problems! While I am here, I had best make myself useful - surely in a wild land such as this, a cleric with my skills can find work.
--end rambling
Okay, my first impressions - very shiny, very pretty. The camera and movement controls were a bit different that what I was used to, but I remapped the controls to make them more useful to me. There is no shortage of shortcuts in this game, I believe you can have a total of 100. Character generation is 28 point buy. Spell prep is a bit different than what I'm used to - you have a spell pool rather than spell slots (bane and bless, thank-you-very-much, as well as spontaneous CLW), which I think makes more sense in an online game.
Combat is interesting - there's more potential for actual tactics than a click-fest. Dodging, tumbling, that sort of fun. Climbing, jumping and swimming, as well. When you get smacked, the screen goes fuzzy for an instant (yes, getting hit by the training golem hurts). Casting spells in combat was fairly snappy (at least for the ones I tried) - I didn't spend forever mumbling and waving my arms about (one of my complaints in NWN). Casting bane on a group of kobolds looks pretty darn cool, by the way. Sneaking around a cavern was pretty spiffy - your character crouches down and moves along at a slower rate than normal, but not at an annoying crawl, glancing around for threats.
The choice of races is somewhat limiting - I was looking forward to seeing more choices, but eh - I usually end up playing a human anyway. One part I was pleased about was a fairly wide selection of character appearance. Lots of skin and hair color choices, and eye color, as well. The eye and lip color was new for me - minor aspects that are really nice. "Facial Detail" gives you things like piercings, scars, ear cuffs and similar details. Variety of hair styles, as well, long hair, short hair, no hair. There is a fairly wide spectrum of colors for all the choices - a refreshing change from the selection in previous online games I've played. Making a unique character for yourself shouldn't be difficult.
My main complaints about the game so far are the camera controls, especially in combat. They feel a bit chunky, but I'm willing to chalk it up to the fact that I've been playing Guild Wars too much lately and the camera controls are different. Another thing that's an irritant is having to spin around to face your opponent to hit him - make sense, I suppose, especially in light of the tactics-oriented approach Turbine is supposed to be approaching rather than a click-fest. The "face your opponent" and "camera control" together made for some irritating combats.
Something I found intriguing was the "Dungeon Master" narration. I didn't find it as nearly irritating as I thought I would. The DM points out things you hear (if you made your Listen check) as well as describing the environment you're in. Another thing that was interesting was the "dungeon information" - when going into a dungeon area, you're given a little pop-up screen that indicates difficulty and duration (how long to complete dungeon). It's an interesting little gimme, especially for people who aren't ready to join a larger group yet. (I like to get used to the game before I inflict my inadequacies with the controls on a group of people).
Anyway, that's all from Stormreach for now. I'll definitely be logging in some hours this weekend, but can't say for sure when.
Before I forget, the retail version includes a "guest key" that you can give to a friend (or significant other, in my case) and they can try the game out for free for 10 days.
Oh, and a brief rant - is it legal to beat the stupid salesclerk about the head for making the comment "Don't forget, violent video games make for violent reactions in real life!" Yeah, I know, at that point, I'd be living up to the stereotype, but what a freakin' dumb-ass comment...maybe I should continue this line of thought in the rant thread.
I agree with Lilith that the creatures' running around like ADHD kids who didn't take their meds are kinda weird to get used to, but it makes a lot more sense than World of Warcraft's creatures that just stand toe to toe with you and smack and smack until they die.
I may just make a character on that server...I'm currently running a rogue on Khyber.
Hey all, just thought I'd let you know when I'll most likely be on DDO (Argonessen server, Anarxa Sundale).
Sundays & Weeknights, 11:45pm to 12:30pm PST
Saturday, 11:45pm to ...uhh....
Anyway, add me to your "friend" list and keep an eye out for me. Or, send me an email and I'll add you on to my friend list. :-D
Honestly, I can't stand MMORPGs of any shape or form. No problem with you guys liking them or anything, but I tried Everquest (remember Everquest?) for three days and I was honestly bored to tears. There's no plot, there's no point. Walk around, ask yourself: am I tougher than that monster? If yes, walk up to it and hit it a few times. If no, run away from it. If monster dies, loot its stuff. Repeat for hours on end. Your character in the game is not important beyond what your numbers say, what other characters you have killed, etc. Plus, you have morons TYPING IN ALL CAPS AND ABBREVIATING EVERYTHING INTO MMORPG SLANG. OMGLOLBBQ! So, to heck with it all. If Neverwinter Nights 2 turns out to be good, maybe I'll try that, but $50 for the game and then $10 a month just to walk around and hear 14 year olds trash talk? No thanks.
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PS Fake Healer: You don't know what you're missing in not suporting ECS ;) Really!!!Yes I do. "Techno-magic" is not my idea of a good fantasy setting, some like it. Fine. I will not support a setting that usurped Greyhawk's position as the standard D&D setting. Viva la Greyhawk! Oooo Raaa! (that last was for Lilith's SO)
FH
I agree. I for one will not be supporting Eberron material. If this steps on your toes I apologize. I really hope you have fun. It's just not my thing.
I agree with Lilith that the creatures' running around like ADHD kids who didn't take their meds are kinda weird to get used to
As an ADHD sufferer, I resent that comment. This is a complex, and in some cases, debilitating mental illness. It is the #1 most commonly hereditary mental disease.
Most people believe that those with ADHD are wild and uncontrollable. In truth, there are at least 11 variations of the disease. It should be called Unfocused Attention Disorder; hyperactivity occurs in only a small portion of the ADHD population.
Most individuals with ADHD are most likely better at video games that the rest of the population. We have an ablility to hyper-focus on activities we have real interest in. This would actually let a ADHD player better involved themselves within their game.
Please don't think that I mean to be a jerk; I just want people to know the reality, not the myths.
The world's big enough for everyone to share their likes and dislikes. And in D&D, we've got a bunch of worlds to choose from! So more world, more room to share, right?
I understand the not-liking-Eberron bit, I'm not a huge fan of it myself. I'm trying to ignore the setting things and play it from the perspective of a shipwrecked cleric from the Flanaess. :-D
To wit...
By Pelor's burning light, who would have thought I would have such difficulty facing kobolds? It seems this town has a problem with these beings - they kidnapped some poor man's daughter right off the street in broad daylight! Absurd! This sort of behavior I will not tolerate, especially when the woman did nothing to aggravate the kobolds.
I seem to have missed a few lessons in my novitiate as I did not remember the kobolds being so good with traps. Fiendish devices, they were - only with Pelor's blessing and a fine potion I traded for were able to get me through such a trap.
It is well that I met a new friend here, Aloceth, an elven bard with a sweet voice and a quick dagger. She had been hired to find a pair of daggers and it was well that she found me! The daggers were located in a tomb - the skeletal guardians found swift death a second time with my mace and my holy powers, may Pelor never find a reason to revoke them.
I agree with Lilith that the creatures' running around like ADHD kids who didn't take their meds are kinda weird to get used to
As an ADHD sufferer who sometimes forgets to take his meds, I resemble that comment.
I really want a computer D&D game world that I can explore in all three dimensions. So I have a couple (few) questions for anyone that's played the game, that I couldn't really get a sense of from the DDO website/boards:
1) Can I have a first person viewpoint?
2) Can I look in any direction I want?
3) Can I climb, or jump, up and down in the world?
3a) Can I get on top of a building, climb in a second story window, or crawl under a parked wagon?
(The lack of 3 and 3a are things that bugged me in NWN, because they're some of the things I really like to do in D&D.)
Eep.
Sorry, Plato's Nephew.
I seriously didn't intend to pick on anyone or spread myths by that comment.
I probably don't know enough about ADD or ADHD, but should know better than to use it as a description of something in a public forum.
Getting introspective on the subject, I know that I have attention issues of my own and shouldn't point a finger. If the medical researchers in my youth had a label like ADD, they may well have slapped it on me, and many other adults I know.
Apology offered?
Anyway, those Kobolds! They sure jump around. A lot!
I agree with Lilith that the creatures' running around like ADHD kids who didn't take their meds are kinda weird to get used toAs an ADHD sufferer, I resent that comment. This is a complex, and in some cases, debilitating mental illness. It is the #1 most commonly hereditary mental disease.
Most people believe that those with ADHD are wild and uncontrollable. In truth, there are at least 11 variations of the disease. It should be called Unfocused Attention Disorder; hyperactivity occurs in only a small portion of the ADHD population.
Most individuals with ADHD are most likely better at video games that the rest of the population. We have an ablility to hyper-focus on activities we have real interest in. This would actually let a ADHD player better involved themselves within their game.
Please don't think that I mean to be a jerk; I just want people to know the reality, not the myths.
As an ADHD sufferer, I resent that comment. This is a complex, and in some cases, debilitating mental illness. It is the #1 most commonly hereditary mental disease.
Most people believe that those with ADHD are wild and uncontrollable. In truth, there are at least 11 variations of the disease. It should be called Unfocused Attention Disorder; hyperactivity occurs in only a small portion of the ADHD population.
Most individuals with ADHD are most likely better at video games that the rest of the population. We have an ablility to hyper-focus on activities we have real interest in. This would actually let a ADHD player better involved themselves within their game.
Please don't think that I mean to be a jerk; I just want people to know the reality, not the myths.
Seriously, if you spent less time playing video games you probably wouldnt suffer from "ADHD"
Anyway, the game looks, and plays, nice thus far.
I don't think you can get first person. It's 3rd person, behind the shoulder viewpoint at closest, but you can zoom out to see your entire character if you want.
You sure can look in any direction.
There's a lot of climbing and jumping. There are ladders, upper and lower floors in many quests. The distance and height you can jump is directly tied to how many points you spent in your Jump skill (plus strength bonus, of course). I actually had fun testing that out, using a rogue with a strength bonus and spending four ranks in jump at first level, I was having great fun scrambling over crates and getting up on ledges while my friend playing a wizard with no jump skill and pitiful 8 strength had difficulty keeping up.
As for getting on top of buildings, climbing into windows, or crawling under stuff, not so much so far.
The possibility for doing these things in the game engine is totally there, but I haven't seen it so far in game.
Although, to be fair, everywhere I've tried to go has been pretty much reachable so far (getting up on crates, ledges, etc. for strategic locations during battles). I guess I generally don't look at buildings in games and think to myself "it breaks my immersion that I can't climb that".
1) Can I have a first person viewpoint?
2) Can I look in any direction I want?
3) Can I climb, or jump, up and down in the world?
3a) Can I get on top of a building, climb in a second story window, or crawl under a parked wagon?(The lack of 3 and 3a are things that bugged me in NWN, because they're some of the things I really like to do in D&D.)
I'll try to answer a few of the questions posed:
What's the DDO community like, Lilith?
So far, so good. I think it would be like any group online - you'd have to find the right crowd that you're comfortable with. I haven't done much group quests, as I'm leery unless I've had a chance to chat with them. Did manage to find a couple of good people who were more interested in playing their character and actually "exploring" a dungeon, so there's hope.
The DDO forums, however - beware the trolls. I haven't found much use so far for them, as it's generally full of b#@@@ing, whining and complaining about how it's not like WoW or EQ or Name-your-Game here, or how it's too much like aforementioned games, why is there only 10 levels, why can't a halfling rogue wear full plate armor with no penalties to skills, blah blah blah blah blah. B+@@+ piss moan. Ad nauseum. Lots of b$###ing, no constructive criticism.
1) Can I have a first person viewpoint?
I think so, if you zoom in really really close. Default is a third person view.
2) Can I look in any direction I want?
Yes, though I'm not quite sure what your definition of "any" is.
3) Can I climb, or jump, up and down in the world?
Climbing, yes. Jumping, yes. There's some tutorial areas that require you to. But from what I understand and what I've been able to see so far, it's not free form, meaning, you can't climb or jump anywhere you want to.
3a) Can I get on top of a building, climb in a second story window, or crawl under a parked wagon?
Haven't tried the second story window (hey, I'm a cleric in chain mail, whaddya want, Spiderwoman?). No crawling, but "sneaking" puts you into a crouching sort of walk.
I have gotten to the top of a building by climbing to the top of a stack of crates, then to the top of a wall where there was a walkway, jumped to the rooftop of the house, walking up the sides of the roof and gazed across Stormreach's bay.
I'll post the screenshot of it later. :-D
And the kobolds - hyperactive, very much so.