Compared to WoW?

mblatcher · 03-10-2006, 01:03 PM

God I love D&D pnp! I have been watching the news over time for D&DO. I don't want to pay two monthly fees, but I told myself if it got good reviews I might try it out.

So for those of you that have played WoW, how does it compare? How does D&DO compare to table top D&D? Does it stay true to the rules?

I am disappointed they went Eberron. They should have stayed generic or done Forgotten Realms.

Kossi · 03-10-2006, 01:37 PM

Ive been asking the same things - like i need something to play in my wow downtime - just to keep things fresh.

I need to find a freind that plays this game so i can check it out a little bit.

Mateo · 03-10-2006, 01:45 PM

All right you two, back in the WoW forums. Nothing to see here.

Mongo777 · 03-10-2006, 01:45 PM

I played WoW for 6 months or so, although not in association with TG. I'll let the screenshots speak for the obvious differences in style like graphics, UI, and such. DDO definitely stays as true to the D&D rules as it can with die roles, saves, stats, spells, monsters, etc. If you like cooperative teamplay and dungeon crawling, you will probably like DDO. Soloing is not so much to be found...as in traditional D&D. I always played AD&D rules, so I am not a huge fan of the Warforged race, but that is the only thing that seems kind of out-of-place for me (and who knows, I might even make one some day). Integrated voice chat is nice, and the DM voiceovers and traps, secret doors, and just the way the dungeons are built I guess makes you feel like you are playing the D&D game, or as close as that can come on a PC (at least for me). I've played EQ2, GUild Wars, and WoW, and DDO is by far my favorite, but then again I am sure that I am biased because I grew up on AD&D.

mblatcher · 03-10-2006, 02:22 PM

One concern I have is the team oriented gameplay. Even though WoW requires a group to do certain things, most of the game can be played solo. I like the graphics style of WoW a ton, but the D&DO graphics look real sharp. I love the idea of traditional dungeons, square rooms, long halls, traps, secret doors...drool...

I think I might just have to brake down and get a trial. I am sure there's something out there. What is the pay scale like? Typical $15 per month? Do they have six month payments or anything like that?

P8riot · 03-10-2006, 02:41 PM

I really loved WoW when it came out.. and was still playing until about 7 or 8 months ago. I tried starting over on the TG server with you guys.. but starting from scratch just killed it for me and my play with my other character dissipated shortly thereafter and I began with BF2.

At first I was very unimpressed when I checked it out during the beta.. I felt like it was a washed over, rethemed WoW / EQ drama with a bunch of kiddos on it. But I persisted.. I was going to run it through it's first 30-days.. I beleived I owed Gary Gygax at least that much - since his work occupied so much of my adolescent time way back when.

It didn't take long for me to think I wasn't going to like it.. but then something happened. I started testing the waters here and getting some people organized into a guild to play Apophis gave us some room in the forums and a permanent channel on TS so we weren't hanging out in the 'hallway' of TS doing quests. We got some good feedback from players, our teamwork really came into play and we were working our way through quests together and having a really fun time doing it.

There are some things to work out.. but it is strictly from a guild membership perspective because we don't have enough individual members yet to make up full seperate parties yet - sometimes someone gets left out.. I hate that - but that'll change with time - no doubt about that. After today, I will have more time to pick up on my perceived TGO duties and promote our group a little more to the outside world

I still have a WoW 60 day time card I will use when they get character transfer fixed.. it is a neat world to see evolve. I'll probably always keep a little WoW alive in the future.. but D&DO is where it's at for me.

Oh.. I think I drifted off there.. The gameplay is spectacular and very well thought out.. you can see and feel the thought the designers put into this.. graphics are astonishing. It is harder.. just plain harder.. not harder to understand or complicated (in that respect I think it is simpler).. but leveling doesn't happen everytime you sneeze or giggle (Haha.. 'giggle' thinking of Kossi again.. LOL).. it is a very methodic process. Weather and time of day are dynamic.. that is pretty neat.

Anything else?

P8riot · 03-10-2006, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mblatcher

One concern I have is the team oriented gameplay. Even though WoW requires a group to do certain things, most of the game can be played solo. I like the graphics style of WoW a ton, but the D&DO graphics look real sharp. I love the idea of traditional dungeons, square rooms, long halls, traps, secret doors...drool...

I think I might just have to brake down and get a trial. I am sure there's something out there. What is the pay scale like? Typical $15 per month? Do they have six month payments or anything like that?

The social aspect of it was thought out.. and they tried to make it easy.. but it is also clear that this game was never meant for soloists.. no bones about it. I doubt you will have much trouble hooking up with players that are good.. plus there is always 'us'.

Yes.. approx. $15 and multiple plan durations exist all the way to a yearly @$11~.

joeyjojo74 · 03-10-2006, 06:05 PM

im just going to put in my 2 cents worth , i also have been an avid fan of the pnp version of D&D. i have been awaiting the day that it finally makes the jump to mmo and i have to admit i was a bit skeptical but after playing in beta and and now a week or so after release , im completely hooked.

i never was going to have to worry about getting a party together for i happen to have 4 other friends who have been waiting for this game as well. (dirt013 ) being one you may know and mongo as well,. im glad to say since becoming a member here at TG, and supporting member soon , my expierences have been classic , the guys onlione ive met are nothing short of stellar. im looking fowardf to adventuring with them as well as any of the rest who have yet to make a decision on buying the game . all i can say is i dont think you'll be dissappointed.. hope to see yins all soon

Dirt013 · 03-10-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyjojo74

...hope to see yins all soon

YINS! YINS! Dear Lord cousin...just scream i'm from western PA and a total ignoramus. It's one thing to say it, but to actually write it....LMAO. *shakes head*

joeyjojo74 · 03-10-2006, 07:33 PM

lol.. piss off !!! cant seem to help it .. oh well

Mongo777 · 03-10-2006, 09:36 PM

As long as we are picking on the sasquatch (Joeyjojo)...what is with the 8-bit avatar? Did someone moosh mario and megaman into shapeless turd or what? Seriously, what is that?

Kossi · 03-11-2006, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyjojo74

lol.. piss off !!! cant seem to help it .. oh well

Lol from Pittsburg much???

Hahahahah - i got to school real close to there - i love catching people saying "yins" - it actully totally makes my day...

**going out to say it right now!**

Graeyg · 03-12-2006, 03:08 AM

I can't say much on how DDO compares to WoW, since I've never played WoW, but I can say how it compares to PnP. -Just as aside, when did the world get so abbreviated?-
As far as the core mechanics of play, they've held pretty true to the rules. The only major difference I've seen is the utilization of spell points instead of a spells per day system. It makes it a little easier to be a caster class, but with the faster pace of action, you do kind of need them. In PnP, after a battle, you'd hole up in a room with the door spiked shut and rest and regain spells. In real time, that was about 10 seconds; on paper it was around a day. To translate that to a computer game with semi-real time wouldn't work out too well, I don't think. There'd be too many people saying that resting is a "time sink" and no one would want to be a caster.
It does have some issues to improve upon. The UI seems a bit clunky and descriptions of spells and items could be better, but as a whole, it is a fairly true adaptation of a game I spent a good many years of my life playing.
I was worried that it couldn't possibly live up to my expectations, but the graphics are excellent and there is a storyline behind every quest instead of kill x get y. The dungeons take some thought and planning. It can be very easy to die if you're not careful (or Rori's scouting), and the developers did a great job making you care about and pay attention to your surroundings. You never know where they might have stuck a secret door or a harsh trap.
It is definitely designed as a group game. The developers said as much throughout the whole development and testing stages. There are some quests you can do solo, but not many. (Though I keep trying.) It seems pretty easy to get a group together or join into one. There's the standard LFG flag, as well as a LFM (Looking For More) marker if you only need one or two. There is also a way to specify if you are looking for a certain class or level. Or you can do what I do and hang around the dungeon entrance and wait for a non-full group to come by. With the design based around party exploration, it's pretty easy to get into one and go dungeon delving.
There's a lot of speculation as to why they went with Eberron. Some say because it was a newer world that wasn't fleshed out so no one really knows what's over the next hill, necessarily. Whereas if they went with the Realms, Dirt and I would both point out all the little flaws and how such and such npc couldn't possibly do this and that since he clearly lost all those abilities during the Time of Troubles. (Dirt and I spent way too many years adventuring in the Realms.) I've also heard that Eberron is the first setting that WotC made up after their aquisition and that they are trying to make it just as good as the Realms was, small man syndrome, my world is better than your world, etc. In a way, I like Eberron only because I have no idea what is outside that city gate and I'm excited to find out.
Apologies about the long post, I'm a bit long winded at times.

Graeyg Lightwynd, Combat Medic