Concerned about the future of DDO

[jbling]

Over the course of the past 4 years i have been playing ddo probably alot more then i should have.I have been a TR junkie when it was actually difficult <before the red fens, streak, tomes of learning etc>and have been a avid Raider ...even lead a Raiding guild ,but thats not important.I must say when i got my first epic item i was so happy , having to wait on a epic timer and mobs with epic deathward that were much more difficult to kill, gave me a sense of accomplishment.When i got to my 12th life and people were struggling to get their 3rd life done , again i felt as if i have done something extraordainary.I wandered blindly through most epics bartely escaping death more often then not until i learned them, and let me tell you ....epic Chains of flame used to be omg ...and again i felt as if i done something.I taught multiple players <some of which lead their own guilds now> how to play the game.Then came the EASY.First were the sands scrolls trade ins i believe then the streak then the Epic destinies, now you cant throw a rock without hitting a completionist who accomplished this in all of what 3 months?Moncher builds soloing the hardest difficulty RAIDS this game can offer/Juggernaughts/Sharadi Sorcs I mean really?All my old epic items are totally worthless.My accomplishments are for nothing, and still people cry the game is too hard?How ?A 5 year old can solo EE now.Almost all my friends ...most vip btw..have quit and moved on to a new game, and i barely play myself anymore.im sorely dissapointed in the direction that Warner Bros has taken the game and im not ALONE.Plz for the love of the game that you worked so hard to create,STOP WITH THE EASY.Thank you for taking the time to read this post.Feel free to bash my grammar and disagree, but if you agree, just a little , express your concern.

[~Sergeant_Giggles]

A 5 year old can solo EE now.

ONCE AGAIN, we have a person who is completely out of touch with the vast majority of players.

If you have epic gear, a well built toon and lots of experience playing it, yes, the game will be easy because YOU'RE ALREADY WON IT.

By the way, your post hurts to read (so I didn't). The part I quoted was only something I happened to glance.

[~Taeb]

ok i have been playing since 09' and i still cant solo an ee. my toons arent maxed to the heavens, i still don't have the best gear. i think i have one or 2 ed's maxed. So please shut up about the game being easy or whatever. i know so many people who still struggle with the game and they are so far from being considered great by a lot of players. Some still have yet to ever complete the content or still farming gear/whatever else out. never once do i hear them say how easy this game is. i see them constantly die not because they're doing something stupid it just they're not trying to be the best. these players i know are casual. so they like to have fun at the game and they do.

My toons are far from ready from being able to do EE in my eyes. when you start naming builds that can solo stuff good for you. glad that they can do that. Not everyone can though. Some don't want to build a monkarcher or juggernaut or be in shiraldi blah blah blah. Some just like playing their crazy builds. Remember majority of the population of the game is casual. So to them the game is fine. To the hardcore sure they are bored because they rush to the end of the game being the best of whatever they do. So yeah ill stick to the casual style.

[Shorlong]

Over the course of the past 4 years i have been playing ddo probably alot more then i should have.I have been a TR junkie when it was actually difficult <before the red fens, streak, tomes of learning etc>and have been a avid Raider ...even lead a Raiding guild ,but thats not important.I must say when i got my first epic item i was so happy , having to wait on a epic timer and mobs with epic deathward that were much more difficult to kill, gave me a sense of accomplishment.When i got to my 12th life and people were struggling to get their 3rd life done , again i felt as if i have done something extraordainary.I wandered blindly through most epics bartely escaping death more often then not until i learned them, and let me tell you ....epic Chains of flame used to be omg ...and again i felt as if i done something.I taught multiple players <some of which lead their own guilds now> how to play the game.Then came the EASY.First were the sands scrolls trade ins i believe then the streak then the Epic destinies, now you cant throw a rock without hitting a completionist who accomplished this in all of what 3 months?Moncher builds soloing the hardest difficulty RAIDS this game can offer/Juggernaughts/Sharadi Sorcs I mean really?All my old epic items are totally worthless.My accomplishments are for nothing, and still people cry the game is too hard?How ?A 5 year old can solo EE now.Almost all my friends ...most vip btw..have quit and moved on to a new game, and i barely play myself anymore.im sorely dissapointed in the direction that Warner Bros has taken the game and im not ALONE.Plz for the love of the game that you worked so hard to create,STOP WITH THE EASY.Thank you for taking the time to read this post.Feel free to bash my grammar and disagree, but if you agree, just a little , express your concern.

Someone rolled a 1 on their save against a wall of text....the enter key is your friend, paragraphs are totally awesome....

Anyway....

Some of don't find it that easy. I sure as shoot cannot solo EE. I have been playing for four years as well. So far, I have had two characters into epic levels, one of them I TR'ed for the first time in January, I just hit level 10 with him. I almost have my third toon into epic levels, just one more level to go!

You saying that this game is a steamroll is simply explained by the fact that you spent so much time maxxing out everything that you find no challenge in anything. This game is not easy. It has a difficult learning curve, and I would say the majority of the player base is NOT solo'ing EE. With my Pale Master, I was able to solo a lot of EH stuff, but not all, and definitely not EE. Both of my higher level toons had one ED, and that was it.

And of COURSE your old items are now worthless....what would be the point of a long lasting game like this if the best gear in the game was the same best gear from Four years ago? There would be no incentive for a large portion of the player base to run newer, higher level stuff (not including me, I would run the new quests no matter what, even with no loot!)

Point of the matter is this...it sounds a lot like you don't like something different happening (your items are outdated), you feel as if the game is too easy (because you maxxed out everything and the game hasn't caught up in power yet,) and your mad because others can do what you did faster and better.

Either adapt with the game (same as any other game, it changes over 7 years) or you can send me all your uber non-BTC stuff.

[danotmano1998]

<Wall of text snipped>

So.. Since you had to work really really REALLY hard for your epic gear and lives.. and you now see people that can do it in a few months while they are having fun instead of years of painstaking toil and bitter work you are unhappy.

Does that sum up your post adequately?

[jbling]

I think your failing to see the point but i appreciate the feedback none the less. I understand totally about the casual gamer not being fully geared.Oh and yes my grammar isnt perfect...im far from a school teacher:)

[jbling]

So.. Since you had to work really really REALLY hard for your epic gear and lives.. and you now see people that can do it in a few months while they are having fun instead of years of painstaking toil and bitter work you are unhappy.

Does that sum up your post adequately?

Close sir, or maam.I feel no sense of accomplishment for anything i have done ...that sums it up rather nicely:)

[~Grumpycat]

For my toons I play a lot, have TR'd, have twink gear for... This game is very easy. For toons I dont play much or dont really know how to build, the game is extremely hard. If you dont step outside your comfort zone once in a while, it will ALWAYS be too easy.

Yes, tomes, potions and bravery bonus xp makes leveling faster. But faster isnt equal to easier. Try an EE ToR or an EE FoT. Not easy. Double dog dare ya to try those solo. If you're losing interest in the game, go play something else for a while and then come back. I dont spend money on Nostalgia. If I dont like it any more, I dont do it. I still have fun with my atari. I dont have fun with the dreamscape. (or didnt... sold it when I lost interest).

The game will never develop the way any of us thinks it should. It will develop along the lines that make money. Over the course of my tenure at DDO, I have watched the whines in the forums and what I have learned is that all yall are afraid of change. I am SO not looking forward to when the enhancement trees are implemented. At least, not the thousands of rant posts that will come with it.

And the one thing that no one has learned is that no matter how much ranting goes on, nothing ever reverts. Some seriously broken things get fixed(some), but nothing reverts.

[jbling]

For my toons I play a lot, have TR'd, have twink gear for... This game is very easy. For toons I dont play much or dont really know how to build, the game is extremely hard. If you dont step outside your comfort zone once in a while, it will ALWAYS be too easy.

Yes, tomes, potions and bravery bonus xp makes leveling faster. But faster isnt equal to easier. Try an EE ToR or an EE FoT. Not easy. Double dog dare ya to try those solo. If you're losing interest in the game, go play something else for a while and then come back. I dont spend money on Nostalgia. If I dont like it any more, I dont do it. I still have fun with my atari. I dont have fun with the dreamscape. (or didnt... sold it when I lost interest).

The game will never develop the way any of us thinks it should. It will develop along the lines that make money. Over the course of my tenure at DDO, I have watched the whines in the forums and what I have learned is that all yall are afraid of change. I am SO not looking forward to when the enhancement trees are implemented. At least, not the thousands of rant posts that will come with it.

And the one thing that no one has learned is that no matter how much ranting goes on, nothing ever reverts. Some seriously broken things get fixed(some), but nothing reverts.

i have soloed ee tor/ty for the suggestion

[Azarddoze]

ok i have been playing since 09' and i still cant solo an ee. my toons arent maxed to the heavens, i still don't have the best gear. i think i have one or 2 ed's maxed. So please shut up about the game being easy or whatever. i know so many people who still struggle with the game and they are so far from being considered great by a lot of players. Some still have yet to ever complete the content or still farming gear/whatever else out. never once do i hear them say how easy this game is. i see them constantly die not because they're doing something stupid it just they're not trying to be the best. these players i know are casual. so they like to have fun at the game and they do.

My toons are far from ready from being able to do EE in my eyes. when you start naming builds that can solo stuff good for you. glad that they can do that. Not everyone can though. Some don't want to build a monkarcher or juggernaut or be in shiraldi blah blah blah. Some just like playing their crazy builds. Remember majority of the population of the game is casual. So to them the game is fine. To the hardcore sure they are bored because they rush to the end of the game being the best of whatever they do. So yeah ill stick to the casual style.

This made me realize something. Consider the following not really exactly representing what I think but more of a reflection on the subject.

If EEs would be harder, would it make you feel bad since it is now possibly unreachable to you or wouldn't you care because EH is fun enought for you. Like when you play a single player game, do you ever consider chosing "Hard" or "Extreme" difficulties?

Why I ask this is because some people really do start their first playthrough on hard because a challenge is what they're looking for while some just want entertainment and relaxation out of games. So this leave me with the following question: Would it be so bad if there was a difficulty level so hard that some people could never even dream of it while powergamers or pros could wipe / progress (which has to include better loot depending on difficulty) / simply enjoy a challenge? Or does even the players without any interest at all in the high end content should be restraining the other?

I know my lack of proper language usage might make this hard to read, but I would just like to know if a player like you really hope to run EE at some point or are you just satisfied with EH and don't care at all.

[jbling]

This made me realize something. Consider the following not really exactly representing what I think but more of a reflection on the subject.

If EEs would be harder, would it make you feel bad since it is now possibly unreachable to you or wouldn't you care because EH is fun enought for you. Like when you play a single player game, do you ever consider chosing "Hard" or "Extreme" difficulties?

Why I ask this is because some people really do start their first playthrough on hard because a challenge is what they're looking for while some just want entertainment and relaxation out of games. So this leave me with the following question: Would it be so bad if there was a difficulty level so hard that some people could never even dream of it while powergamers or pros could wipe / progress (which has to include better loot depending on difficulty) / simply enjoy a challenge? Or does even the players without any interest at all in the high end content should be restraining the other?

I know my lack of proper language usage might make this hard to read, but I would just like to know if a player like you really hope to run EE at some point or are you just satisfied with EH and don't care at all.

You sir are my hero!

[~NiborRis]

Realize what you're saying. This game used to be hard for you. Then you played it a lot. A LOT. Now it's a lot easier for you.

That's not really the game's fault - that's human nature. You're better at the game. You can do more with less. And to top it all off, you have more stuff, not less stuff, so you're steamrolling. Congrats!

When a new player hits lvl 20 for the first time - EEs are insanely difficult. They just walk in and die - or at least I did. My first character hit lvl 20 right about when MotU went live. EEs were off the charts. EH was not really doable without being willing to sit there and die and reenter over and over.

Now? EHs are standard for me. My playgroup is working its way through EEing stuff. We shortman older, easily shortmanned raids, like ADQ. I TR'd my 28pt build and he's so much better now it's like night and day.

It's the nature of RPG-style games, that's all.

[~Grumpycat]

i have soloed ee tor/ty for the suggestion

That's what you got from the whole post? >.<

[Khatzhas]

Close sir, or maam.I feel no sense of accomplishment for anything i have done ...that sums it up rather nicely:) Did you have fun while playing as you accomplished this? Did you get satisfaction to know that you achieved all of this before the other perhaps 10% or so of the playerbase did.
Does that not give you a sense of accomplishment?

You are unlikely to get any sort of external acknowledgement for what you have achieved. Others will never know how easy you find the game just by looking at you.
Is this what you are after? Otherwise what?

[danotmano1998]

Close sir, or maam.I feel no sense of accomplishment for anything i have done ...that sums it up rather nicely:)

Well, +1 to you then for being honest about it.
But ask yourself this:
"Why do you allow other people to take away your sense of accomplishment?"

You've won the game, beaten it all solo, and now have the t-shirt.
Might I recommend trying something new?
Permadeath?
Static Group?
Leading and teaching random pugs?
Flavor builds?
No potions?
No AH?

[ForumAccess]

Close sir, or maam.I feel no sense of accomplishment for anything i have done ...that sums it up rather nicely:)

There is no reason for the sense of accomplishment to be gone. You still did these things, the game expanding beyond them has nothing to do with that. Or do you really want DDO to remain entirely stagnant where it was a couple of years ago for the rest of eternity? Because if they had done that I can guarantee that your 'achievements' would be safe, as no one else would be playing any longer.

I agree that there should be ~epic~ challenges in the game. And massive bloats of HP do not really provide that, no matter how much their stats are hyper inflated. All it does is drive the most dedicated players into strange builds designed to deal with the content, such as Shiradi spam.

[Memnir]

Don't like the current state of the game - wait six months or so.
Not kidding or being facetious, either.


Granted, you might not like it more at that point - but there will have been changes.

[~Snowballz]

I must say I agree, DDO has become too easy for the veteran player. There is no longer end game goals built in to the game that are difficult to achieve, although you can still create challenges for yourself.

Power creep on ED's and items has made things too easy. Yes it can be difficult to run some content on a newer toon but once you get the tasty power creep assets it's quite the opposite.

I would be much more entertained playing my stronger toons if simple things like not being able to re-enter EE's would be implemented much like pre-u14 epics. It's way too easy to do all the EE quests when you can just have the divine recall if he runs out of SP, most quests even have a shrine conveniently placed at the entrance to the quest, if not going to the nearest bar usually only takes a couple minutes. Even a change like this isn't going to impact how easy the most difficult content is since I rarely run out of SP on my divines.

[jbling]

I really appreciate you guys taking the time to reply, postivie feedback or negative.There are so many people i like to quote but maybe you guys are right.I did have alot of fun getting to where i am and now i guess i am stagnant.I just hope in the future i can enjoy new challanges again:)

[Azarddoze]

I really appreciate you guys taking the time to reply, postivie feedback or negative.There are so many people i like to quote but maybe you guys are right.I did have alot of fun getting to where i am and now i guess i am stagnant.I just hope in the future i can enjoy new challanges again:)

It's possible that you've just mastered "MMOs" in general... or video games... If that's the point i'd say that variety is your friend until you fall across a couple of bad games. This might re-straighten your priorities on what actually brings you fun.

[~Dyna-The-Cat]

People have been concerned about ddo's viability for the past 10 years....

I think it's turning in the right direction.

More content, more upgrades, more updates.... mmm.....

It will get more peeps.

Edit: And for those wondering. I said 10 years because I'm sure some people funding and planning ddo had questions about its success even before its development....

[~Adolf_Christ]

STOP WITH THE EASY.

From what I've seen so far, they are addressing this. It's called the enhancement pass, and includes major cuts to character power. Now granted, they may indeed tune up the system prior to it's release and not neuter a characters potential; however history doesn't favor this outcome.

To those of you complaining how it's too easy 'cause your uber toons are over powered, Turbine finally listened.

You should send them a thank you note.

[maddmatt70]

Correct conclusion, but wrong rationale OP. Cheap forums, scaled back enhancement pass years later then promised, and in general money grabbing with not much content. Oh yeah DDO is on the way out. Just get me a new game other then something like Neverwinter Nights.

[jalont]

Over the course of the past 4 years i have been playing ddo probably alot more then i should have.I have been a TR junkie when it was actually difficult <before the red fens, streak, tomes of learning etc>and have been a avid Raider ...even lead a Raiding guild ,but thats not important.I must say when i got my first epic item i was so happy , having to wait on a epic timer and mobs with epic deathward that were much more difficult to kill, gave me a sense of accomplishment.When i got to my 12th life and people were struggling to get their 3rd life done , again i felt as if i have done something extraordainary.I wandered blindly through most epics bartely escaping death more often then not until i learned them, and let me tell you ....epic Chains of flame used to be omg ...and again i felt as if i done something.I taught multiple players <some of which lead their own guilds now> how to play the game.Then came the EASY.First were the sands scrolls trade ins i believe then the streak then the Epic destinies, now you cant throw a rock without hitting a completionist who accomplished this in all of what 3 months?Moncher builds soloing the hardest difficulty RAIDS this game can offer/Juggernaughts/Sharadi Sorcs I mean really?All my old epic items are totally worthless.My accomplishments are for nothing, and still people cry the game is too hard?How ?A 5 year old can solo EE now.Almost all my friends ...most vip btw..have quit and moved on to a new game, and i barely play myself anymore.im sorely dissapointed in the direction that Warner Bros has taken the game and im not ALONE.Plz for the love of the game that you worked so hard to create,STOP WITH THE EASY.Thank you for taking the time to read this post.Feel free to bash my grammar and disagree, but if you agree, just a little , express your concern.

Personally, I think it's time for you to leave the game. It's obvious that you've stumbled upon the truth of DDO, and it is that "skill" in this game is a myth, and "quest memorization" is what really makes people good at the game. You've memorized all the quests, can now complete them easily. Other than quest randomization, there's nothing Turbine can do to correct this. If it bothers you, leave for another game and start the quest memorization grind there. You'll find the difficulty you seek for awhile.

[ForumAccess]

I think it's turning in the right direction.

Seems to me like it is just turning in the direction that all of the other MMOs have gone.

With templated characters; just pick the Enhancement Tree you want to use and then build around that! You don't even have to think too much about what abilities you want to get, since you will have to get the majority of them anyways to unlock the Tree's capstone! No more worries about players without a clue what they are doing gimping themselves!

And with a level of 'challenge' that gives everyone the nice fuzzy reward feeling. Without ever actually challenging them. After all, if the bloated statistics of those monsters are draining too many of your resources you can always just recall out, hit a shrine, and pop back in to pick up where you left off.

There's no need to worry about the Experience penalty for reentering. After all, capping out your character's potential is also a non-challenge! 20 hours mindlessly running House of Rusted Blades and you too can have all of your Epic Destinies maxed out, without any risk of actually failing! Everyone can be happy about being the most awesomest now!


DDO is not a large MMO by any means. In fact, it is quite dwarfed by Turbine's other game, LotRO. But it has held onto a sizable player base because it fills a niche market. Moves such as these to please the generic F2P crowd mentality of 'reward me, fast, before I loose interest' only serve to push away many of the loyal long time players. After all, if they wanted to play Generic MMO there are dozens out there with better flash and "oooh, aaah!" than DDO.

[Azarddoze]

Correct conclusion, but wrong rationale OP. Cheap forums, scaled back enhancement pass years later then promised, and in general money grabbing with not much content. Oh yeah DDO is on the way out. Just get me a new game other then something like Neverwinter Nights.

I'd suggest you give Tera Online a try. If you like melee type, you should enjoy the Warrior. Even if it not to stay in long term and maybe not even make it to end game content, I think that it is worth a try since it is now f2p.

Lack in end game but when I reached it (there are still much more than when I left), I was simply WOWed by how engaging it was. Mostly tried end game as a Mystic (healer) and while the leveling was maybe slow and repetitive, I really enjoyed the fact that by being a good player, I could contribute more than some other.

[jalont]

Correct conclusion, but wrong rationale OP. Cheap forums, scaled back enhancement pass years later then promised, and in general money grabbing with not much content. Oh yeah DDO is on the way out. Just get me a new game other then something like Neverwinter Nights.

LOL. It's the exact same forums with a new skin and layout. It cost them MORE money to implement, then if they hadn't. This post is an example of why the forums get a bad reputation by the game's players. They're a magnet for people who make drama filled, grandiose statements. Anything for attention.

[~Adolf_Christ]

It's the exact same forums with a new skin and layout.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree.

As it has the still unexplained reduction in security, it's not the exact same now, is it?

[~MagisterSvid]

Both the people who complain this game is too easy and too difficult are idiots--but especially the former group who think that because others have managed to acquire their status-symbol loot that the loot in question is therefore devalued.

[Memnir]

LOL. It's the exact same forums with a new skin and layout.Ah, so you know where the Dev Tracker is, then? Good, I've been looking for it.

I'd also like it if you could share how you are managing to stay logged in, since that is also something else I seem to have lost the ability to do.


Sorry, but this is not the same forums. Functionality, convenience, graphical appeal, visual comfort, and security have all taken a hit with this change today. I can't call it an upgrade, because it's anything but.

[Azarddoze]

Both the people who complain this game is too easy and too difficult are idiots--but especially the former group who think that because others have managed to acquire their status-symbol loot that the loot in question is therefore devalued.

Sorry but when I say that EEs are too easy FOR ME, it is a reality, not a complain. Ok, you could see it as a complain because I wish it wasn't so because I like the game but there's no stupidity involved. Now when someone says that EEs are too hard then I guess it is, for them, a reality. Again, no stutidity involved. So people aren't idiots for expressing their reality.

It's just based on skills, knowledge and what kind of players you can afford to play with. I'd say it is more idiotic to think that the game is perfect for everyone's taste because I can assure you that atm, it is not.

[~Snowballz]

Both the people who complain this game is too easy and too difficult are idiots--but especially the former group who think that because others have managed to acquire their status-symbol loot that the loot in question is therefore devalued.

I think the hardest difficulties in DDO are too easy, and I can assure you I'm not an idiot. I could care less about people acquiring status-symbol gear. I enjoy challenging content and currently the only challenges I get are by playing gimp toons or first lifers that haven't maxed ed's or acquired very much eveningstar/high road/GH gear.

Have a look in the mirror maybe before making sweeping generalisations based on someone's opinion of how easy a video game is.

[jalont]

Ah, so you know where the Dev Tracker is, then? Good, I've been looking for it.

I'd also like it if you could share how you are managing to stay logged in, since that is also something else I seem to have lost the ability to do.


Sorry, but this is not the same forums. Functionality, convenience, graphical appeal, visual comfort, and security have all taken a hit with this change today. I can't call it an upgrade, because it's anything but.

While there are certainly bugs, that wasn't my point. My point is that this isn't a "cheaper forums". It's the exact same software.

[~Maus154]

[QUOTE=jbling;4992933My accomplishments are for nothing[/QUOTE]

Snipping out my favorite part here because this is really important to recognize. Its a video game. The only reliable accomplishment you will have from playing a video game is that you had fun while doing it. Everything else is 1's and 0's

[Ron]

There was a time, some years ago, when I felt the fun draining out of this game for me. I never walked through EE quests solo (they didn't exist at the time), but the game was getting too easy for me, and I wasn't enjoying it like I used to. Which I felt was a big problem, because I had invested quite a lot into this game.

Rather than moving on to the next MMOG on the list, I decided to do something about it. I think the advice given already is absolutely spot-on. The game has lost it's appeal to you because you've beaten it. You are basically running around in God mode and wondering why all the fun is gone. You have to get out of your comfort zone.

That's a hard thing to do. But if you do it, you will find there is plenty of challenge left in this game. These are the things that I did when I found myself in a similar situation. I did all three of these simultaneously.

1) I joined a PD guild. That was a LOT of fun for me, for a while, though eventually I stopped. But in the meantime it got me another year out of this game.

2) I joined a static group (which has a no-twinking rule). We've been going strong for several years with the same six people. As far as I know, we may be the oldest static group in existence. I consider all five of those people close personal friends now, even though we've never actually met (maybe someday we will get together and have a beer). That group, actually, is a big reason I'm still here.

3) I began a meta quest to find the ultimate soloist character. Under a stringent set of rules (no twinking, no AH, no quest repeats, etc) I went looking for a character that could beat the quests alone which were designed for six players. This is a quest I've been on for several years now (and I think I may have finally found that character with my latest attempt, heh).

All of these were designed to add the challenge back into the game. And it works. I still have fun with it. Had I not done those things, I would have left years ago.

Whatever you need to do, get out of your comfort zone. Otherwise you are just going to get bored and leave.

[Lumi_of_Irian]

Over the course of the past 4 years i have been playing ddo probably alot more then i should have.I have been a TR junkie when it was actually difficult <before the red fens, streak, tomes of learning etc>and have been a avid Raider ...even lead a Raiding guild ,but thats not important.I must say when i got my first epic item i was so happy , having to wait on a epic timer and mobs with epic deathward that were much more difficult to kill, gave me a sense of accomplishment.When i got to my 12th life and people were struggling to get their 3rd life done , again i felt as if i have done something extraordainary.I wandered blindly through most epics bartely escaping death more often then not until i learned them, and let me tell you ....epic Chains of flame used to be omg ...and again i felt as if i done something.I taught multiple players <some of which lead their own guilds now> how to play the game.Then came the EASY.First were the sands scrolls trade ins i believe then the streak then the Epic destinies, now you cant throw a rock without hitting a completionist who accomplished this in all of what 3 months?Moncher builds soloing the hardest difficulty RAIDS this game can offer/Juggernaughts/Sharadi Sorcs I mean really?All my old epic items are totally worthless.My accomplishments are for nothing, and still people cry the game is too hard?How ?A 5 year old can solo EE now.Almost all my friends ...most vip btw..have quit and moved on to a new game, and i barely play myself anymore.im sorely dissapointed in the direction that Warner Bros has taken the game and im not ALONE.Plz for the love of the game that you worked so hard to create,STOP WITH THE EASY.Thank you for taking the time to read this post.Feel free to bash my grammar and disagree, but if you agree, just a little , express your concern.

I got you a present.




It's empty space. You can use it to separate long, rambling sentences.

Next week I'll introduce you to my friend, the comma.

[TrinityTurtle]

Honestly, what concerns me most of about the future of the game aren't the changes, the new content, or even the bugs. It's the simple fact that it's an MMO that is seven years old, and doesn't have millions of subsribers like some of the other big ones (and never did according to the mmo metrics website). Let's say that that is a decently accurate view of the playerbase, and put the number at a generous 500,000. Tha't is a mix of premium, free, and vips. It's not nearly the money being raked in by wow for example. How long CAN it last if it doesn't catch fire with popularity? And how could a game this old really incite a storm of popularity at this point.

[Ron]

Eh, I'll be more concerned about that when they cancel Asheron's Call. That game is far older than DDO, and has a ridiculously low population (like 1,500 peeps or something). And yet is solders on year after year. They would chop that one before they chop us. So as long as they exist, I think we're safe :)

[ForumAccess]

Eh, I'll be more concerned about that when they cancel Asheron's Call.
Yes, but as far as I know AC2 does not make use of IP that has to be licensed. It's only real overhead is that to do with maintaining and running the server.

[My2Cents]

Been playing since '09 - tims of play are rather random due to RL and family commitments and distractions.

I would -love- to be able to solo -ee-, but for now I would settle for my first EE group.

Unless you can be there for preplanned guild groups, or you are very lucky and of a specific class, you can't even find a group for the things.

Too easy? Hardly. I am happy to settle for a lot of EN and the occasional EH, but anyone who thinks that DDO is too easy for any but the most dedicated and supported players?

All I can say is, I could use your help around the house...

[~THOTH_dha]

anyone who thinks that DDO is too easy for any but the most dedicated and supported players?

All I can say is, I could use your help around the house...
I have to laugh over how many people who can not do something in game have to visualize anyone who is able to do such things as some socially inept mouth breather who does nothing at all aside from play DDO.

It has nothing to do with being 'dedicated', as you have apparently decided to defined it as excluding basic responsibilities in order to play DDO. It has nothing to do with being supported. Even someone who plays a few hours a night, one or two nights a week can walk into and solo (or use a hire) Epic Hard quests, if they have the understanding of game mechanics needed to build a character and have gotten some basic gear and levels for the character. This requires very little in the way of dedication, and absolutely no support from anyone else at all.

Epic Elite is a much higher threshold, but it is really the same thing. I know that there are many who solo them quite trivially. And many others who do not have the build or items to keep up in them. Generally speaking, though, if you have the knowledge of how to master the EH content it is simply a matter of gearing up to the inflated numbers that EE uses. There are obviously some exceptions, such as DC based characters having that game system reach absurd levels in a very few of the new quests, but that is the exception.

I can not speak for everyone, but it is my understanding that when people say "DDO needs harder content" they typically do not in any way mean something that scales even higher than Epic Elite does. What is really want, possibly even need in order to retain people's interest, is some kind of skill threshold for the highest level of play. Not making monsters deal more damage, have more hit points, and higher defenses. But instead making them do something interesting that challenges players, rather than challenging the character that they have built. In The Flesh is a great example of this, with each tier of Normal Hard and Elite adding entirely new elements to the final battle. Ones that require better play and preparation to deal with rather than just more damage output and survivability.


TLDR version; Rather than trying to imply that there is something wrong with anyone doing things that others can not, and making up false assumptions about who they are and how they play, why not look at what they are doing differently and try to learn from it?

[~SithDDO]

Well, +1 to you then for being honest about it.
But ask yourself this:
"Why do you allow other people to take away your sense of accomplishment?"

You've won the game, beaten it all solo, and now have the t-shirt.
Might I recommend trying something new?
Permadeath?
Static Group?
Leading and teaching random pugs?
Flavor builds?
No potions?
No AH?

Let me say this.. this is an old game.. I have seen countless of endgame players (whether they were powergamers or casual endgamers) leave the game after the game lost difficulty.

The grind is gone, the difficulty is gone. Some people may remember the good old days where you could NOT reenter epics, where you HAD to wait many hours before running it again, where you HAD to play with others to complete raids..
The game has gone for more p2w, and one of the biggest powergaming guilds on thelanis has gone from very active to a few playing now and then. Now, we all need breaks from the game but this time I feel it's different. I lost interest in the game, and there are many reasons for this (Grind gone, No difficulty in the game, 2 or 3 types of build work well, p2w orientation, bugs, endgame gone...).

So your idea is to "sustain our interest in the game in whataver way we can" by limiting the use of resources, no use of pots, permadeath, etc.. It's not our "job" to do that... sure there are people who still have a ton of gear to acquire, still lot of TRs to do, still far from soloing EE content, and they probably represent 90% of the gaming community, but when the endgamers start losing interest in the game.. there is an issue.

Let's define "easy" as well.. Easy isn't supposed to be sujective. The game isn't too easy because I can solo every EE quest in the game... and the game isn't too hard because you can't. The simple truth with an objective look is that when people who have acquired experience in the game are able to solo/shortman most quests/raids, the game is too easy.
You see, there ARE difficulty modes for those who think it's hard (because you can't spend many hours in the game, because you don't have gear/experience/PLs or because you simply aren't good enough). There is EC, EN, EH. But for those who think it is too easy? There is no difficulty mode for us. Where is the balance now? I think the main concern for some endgamers is that the game is taking the p2w route with nothing to do in endgame (EE too easy, no grind,...), and we are asking ourselves whether we stay on a game we've loved for years or we move on..

I have personnally not played for a few weeks, and I just don't feel like logging back in.. It's not even because I discovered a new game.. simply lack of interest. Maybe one day.. who knows.

[Khatzhas]

All MMOs lose difficulty. Even the most popular out there have issues with players completing the hardest content within a few days of it becoming available. DDO is unlikely to ever be particularly well-balanced, so there will always be a large gap in what is achievable by a hyperoptimised character compared to a flavour/more casual build. Add to that that some of the more hardcore/skilled/quest memorizing players are the ones that make those min/max builds, and there is a huge balance discrepancy that the quest designers have to accommodate.

A difficulty setting that only a few % of players will ever use is probably not a good use of time and money compared to other new content. Most MMOs tend to cater for the hardcore minority of the playerbase more than the playerbase proportions would seem to justify, since it is the presence of that endgame content and loot that motivates a lot of the more casual players, but they have to put a limit somewhere.

I'm not actually sure of the proportion of players that solo EE content easily. On the one hand, you have a few who are complaining that it is too easy, on the other there are a couple of threads talking about doing it with a Kensei or Barbaria as if that is an unusual achievement.

I'm wondering if what we need is a "challenge build" thread, where people can post flavour/non-optimised/just plain bad builds for the people who think that DDO is just too easy to accept and show that they can be played effectively.

[~LordOfBlades]

If I had a nickel for every one of these...

[Asirin]

Personally I think this is the fate of all who play the easiest cheapest metagame mutt build designed to exploit the game.

Racing to your own boredom.

Mark my words.

[Svartelric]

snip

wow, you're so uber... I'm so envious. leaving the game soon? tell me your server, I'll be sure to have a toon there to collect your stuff :D

[Lumi_of_Irian]

You've spent the last however-many years working so hard to make the uberest ubertoon you can grind out, for the SPECIFIC purpose of making the game easier, and now you have it, you're complaining that the game is too easy?

What the Khyber did you expect to happen?

[~SithDDO]

You've spent the last however-many years working so hard to make the uberest ubertoon you can grind out, for the SPECIFIC purpose of making the game easier, and now you have it, you're complaining that the game is too easy?

What the Khyber did you expect to happen?

Lol. No, we spent time enjoying the game our own way. By being the best we could.

And it's not that we got better and the game seems easier... it's the fact game mechanics were changed to make it a lot easier... Epic destinies granted huge power. Then you could reenter epics at will. Then you didn't have any timers on quests. Then you could buy timer bypasses to run a raid 20 times a night. Then you could trade any post U14 item in the game. Then it just got so easy vets started to get bored. Then they left one by one. (That's where I leave too :D ) Then people started getting concerned about the future of DDO.

[Chai]

Personally I think this is the fate of all who play the easiest cheapest metagame mutt build designed to exploit the game.

Racing to your own boredom.

Mark my words.

It has absolutely nothing to do with build, and more to do with time consumption + p2w usage.

High time consumption + high p2w usage will find the game boring in a matter of days after new content is released. Turbine "solved" the build problem with EDs, so now any unplanned abomination can do high damage. The rest is simple FPS skills combined with adding enough self sufficiency to....oh wait, EDs do that too, nm.

[~ChaosReigns]

Epic destinies granted huge power.
Then you could reenter epics at will.
Then you didn't have any timers on quests.
Then you could buy timer bypasses to run a raid 20 times a night.
Then you could trade any post U14 item in the game.
Then people started getting concerned about the future of DDO.

Compelling

[~SithDDO]

Compelling

Just true.

[Taters214]

If I had a nickel for every one of these...

Yup. I'm so sad to hear another player in the top 1% is leaving. Just breaks. My heart. On the other hand, I'm so glad that turbine is taking positive steps to make the game more enjoyable for the other 99%. All of the things mentioned that have "broken" the game for the uber-elite are the very things that have breathed new life into it for me and many others who play a few hours a day and more on weekends, but don't go to ridiculous lengths to farm the very best gear and grind out multiple past lives.

[Holymunchkin]

bump, because I am the necromancer

What an interesting read.

[Grandern_Marn]

Necro because doooooooommmmm!!!!

[Holymunchkin]

also this: https://erdrique.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/a-possible-glimpse-into-ddos-future/

[Holymunchkin]

I believe the last update we had of high quality was Haunted Halls?

[MeliCat]

Agree with you it's so sad.

I would be great if DDO could stretch - made more friendly and easier for the starting learning curve, and much much harder for end game achievements.

People seem to think you can only do one and not the other. I do not think that is true. I think you can do both if you think creatively about it.

Right now, why even start if the achievements when you do finally learn the game are not worth it?

[Holymunchkin]

Agree with you it's so sad.

I would be great if DDO could stretch - made more friendly and easier for the starting learning curve, and much much harder for end game achievements.

People seem to think you can only do one and not the other. I do not think that is true. I think you can do both if you think creatively about it.

Right now, why even start if the achievements when you do finally learn the game are not worth it?

The light at the end of the tunnel was made to be 3 raids and 2 quests.
If no significant power creep occurred since Shadowfell we wouldn't be in this predicament.
Instead successive class passes, stat inflation, armor up, and melee/ranged power have rendered everything obsolete.

Why should the game get smaller as we advance? I agree it makes me a bit sad that I'll have to move on from this game. Just not enough to do for me

There are a variety of issues recognized by the posters in this this thread that apply today. It's comedic!

[CaptainPurge]

bump, because I am the necromancer

What an interesting read.

/ibtnl

[Memnir]

http://i.imgur.com/7ZTR5Yq.gif

[Cordovan]

Closing as necro.