I wonder

[Hobgoblin]

I wonder how many people are like me and either really reducing how much they play or not playing at all until the lag is reduced significantly?


would be interesting to see numbers on that.

[KoobTheProud]

It'll be hard to get numbers on why people reduce play over the next few months.

Blizzard is releasing the Classic version of The Burning Crusade in 3 weeks time and I'll guarantee you that is going to take a chunk of players away from DDO (and a lot of other games) for a few months after release.

I will probably not play DDO from mid-May until July at a minimum. Nothing to do with lag or changes, just the chance to re-experience one of the best MMO's I've ever played in all it's glory.

[kanordog]

I wonder how many people are like me and either really reducing how much they play or not playing at all until the lag is reduced significantly?


would be interesting to see numbers on that.


Well, it is the nerfs for me.
I used to play a bit every night after work.
Not anymore, I didn't even play on my last day offs.
Obviously won't pay for something that is not a must and I hardly use.

[Memnir]

I am in that boat, too.

[Justicesfury]

I wonder how many people are like me and either really reducing how much they play or not playing at all until the lag is reduced significantly?


would be interesting to see numbers on that.

Sadly, it feels like SSG has taken for granted a VERY loyal community for just a little too long. Sadly for me it started at the beginning of the year when Sev came on Cordovan's weekly cast with a hat on over his eyes and just looked like he didn't want to be there. Cordovan gleefully urged him to talk about up coming lag fixes. Sev just looked like he didn't want to be there. If the head developer doesn't want to be here why should we?

Confirmed. I play less.

[bracelet]

On my third week, which is three weeks longer than any break I’ve taken in 11 years. Nerfs to my sorcerer and inquisitive is what did it for me. It’s no fun anymore.

[Marshal_Lannes]

Loving DDO since my return to the game. With a robust endgame and more content than ever, it might be better than it's ever been. But hey, I took a break, and if you need one go for it. Your characters will await your return.

[Arkat]

I certainly don't play as much as I used to.

I raid but that's mostly because I like to hang out with the people in my two guilds.

[Ausdoerrt]

Haven't played much in 2021 at all, because SSG doesn't want me using the new DDO Market and the latest expansion is still not in the ingame store.

[salmag]

I, like most, do not play near as much as I used to. Used to be every DAY for a couple of hours; now, it's an hour every couple of weeks.

Lag aside, I do NOT like the direction the devs are taking this game.

[ned_ellis]

On my third week, which is three weeks longer than any break I’ve taken in 11 years. Nerfs to my sorcerer and inquisitive is what did it for me. It’s no fun anymore.

Same; my play time was like Karndog but now it's been three weeks without logging on and counting...
Not so much for the nerfs per se (more for the ranged changes) but the design choices in general have been on a downward spiral for some time; the build diversity aspect has lost a lot, the focus on the maths rather than the fun/fantasy - both in content and systems - and the impossibility to get new players involved has been a bit of a downer of late, so my game time is going elsewhere for the forseeable future...ED revamp will tell if it's forever or not.
To think that my final (greatest?!) accomplishment might have been getting my bank mules in pristine order, kinds of sums it up really :p

[DjangoKeys]

I checked out the latest update to see how badly they screwed over my tempest then noped my way back out to the desktop. I haven’t played since, and won’t even consider it again until they fix that gods-awful mess they intentionally introduced.

What’s more is that I was a regular spender of entirely too much money here. The devs’ utter garbage-like decision making skills managed to flip the same switch in my head that made me quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey almost 10 years ago.

Oh, and I know for a fact that I’m not the only one that’s decided this over that fecal update they dropped on us like goose scat.

[Tyrande]

[...]

What’s more is that I was a regular spender of entirely too much money here. The devs’ utter garbage-like decision making skills managed to flip the same switch in my head that made me quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey almost 10 years ago.
[...]

Isn't quit smoking a good thing?!?

I do not let DDO be/become an addiction.

For me, I have been doing the same, like 4-8 hours per week; mostly on weekends.

[Ghwyn]

I wonder how many people are like me and either really reducing how much they play or not playing at all until the lag is reduced significantly?


would be interesting to see numbers on that.


We will never know. DDO doesn't publish that info, nor would I expect them to. Only a tiny fraction of players actually read the forums and only a part of those actually post. Polls, comments, etc on this forum are pure speculation and should be treated as such.

As for me, I play less because I have many things going on in my life. My business and my racing take up most of my time, and now my son is getting into competitive karting, and will be traveling the country with a pro team.

One of the guilds I am in has seen a huge resurgence of players coming back. So while some leave, others come back.

Lag does not affect how often I play.

[KaVaYo]

Yeah, me too. Since the IPS nerf made my main, a pure arty, felt that it has been restored from a 2 years ago copy, I've not expent an € and I play a couple of hours some weekends. Have to say too, that SSG were awesome in giving away all that content during last year lockdown. I've already had all packs and expansions until then but anyway it was a really nice move from them.

Since I play mostly solo, lag has not affected me so badly as the nerfs have do. Maybe one day me and wife come back with renewed energy but as of today, it is as it is.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

Well, it partly depends on *when* you play, and from which time zone.

I, on the positive side, still feel as if I had just begun the game, and enjoying everything, but it will be AGES until I get to the end game content, which is a bit sad in my eyes. So much was already build specifically for end game content. Basically complete Eveningstar and packs settled there.

On the other hand, I can at least partially feel with those who are returning to an older game they played; this was to me what i did with DDO in late 2019, I think ? and I love this game even more since then.

What I do rule out for me, personally, for games are :

- "eternal war" settings
- factions

both are things I don't like.

Fortunately for me, DDO doesn't have any of them.

It also depends on what kind of player one is. There are several player types, and I'm just the "explorer" and "social interactions" guy / player type.
My guess is, that because of that, I fit very well into DDO.

[DjangoKeys]

Isn't quit smoking a good thing?!?

I do not let DDO be/become an addiction.

For me, I have been doing the same, like 4-8 hours per week; mostly on weekends.

I used to chalk up my spending here as “supporting the game.” With this latest tone-deaf update and the stance they’ve taken even after they dropped that broken mess, I feel that any more expenditures here would be a pointless waste of money, and given to people who are completely undeserving of any financial support whatsoever.

[Amorais]

I have only 2 reasons why I am not playing as much this season

1. Work. SO tired at end of day its hard to concentrate
2. Elite Dangerous : Odyssey alpha

Lag is just always there like the force, it surrounds us penetrates us and binds the universe in one place for several seconds at random...

[Wizard1406]

Blizzard is releasing the Classic version of The Burning Crusade in 3 weeks time and I'll guarantee you that is going to take a chunk of players away from DDO (and a lot of other games) for a few months after release.


Really?

I would think DDO's and WOW's playerbase are a bit different.

DDO has actual quests (not chores disguised as "quests") and more varied content as you don't play the same 7 dungeons and 3 raids over and over since endgame is not only that but also leveling again to get PL feats.

I for one am extremely fed up of fetch / collect quests and back and forth to quest giver, and reputation/daily/weekly grinding at endgame.

But maybe you play WoW classic/ BC for PVP or the open world (which I barely care for in WoW and it's clones) or crafting/life skills, then it's different.

[Bacon_Burger]

I have only 2 reasons why I am not playing as much this season

Same here.

Baldur's Gate 3
Solasta

Both are fantastic turn-based D20 games.

[Amorais]

Ooh not heard of Solasta before...will check that out!

[J-2]

I've pretty much called it quits. My new game is very fun though.
Making me wish I had done it sooner.

[Hobgoblin]

I booted up my old swtor accout, it's been fun. Have a level 55 trooper I'm running

[voxson5]

With this season's HC goals done, I don't play too much.

Been enjoying Outriders & Greedfall.

Also waiting for more updates for BG3 :)

[ned_ellis]

Same here.

Baldur's Gate 3
Solasta

Both are fantastic turn-based D20 games.

I didn't know solasta either, ty.
I found Shadowrun : Dragonfall (and I presume Hong Kong too) to be a good turn-based game, just fyi.
For my D&D hit, me and DDO buddies will be trying Talespire asap...

[LittleLexi]

Solasta is a potential gem. Worth checking out.

I hope the folks at SSG can find more and better fixes for the lag, rather than these pseudo-fixes we've been getting.

I'm sure they mean well, but...Instead of trying to plug a leak with fingers and makeshift tools - a plumber might be required. Perhaps it is time to invest in a significant engine upgrade/overhaul/replacement.

[thwart]

Looks like I am in the minority. I LOVE this game and I have been playing it almost from the beginning (back in the days when you had to earn your way into the market). I play the same amount as I did then and I will keep doing that until they decide to turn off the lights.

[shores11]

Sadly, it feels like SSG has taken for granted a VERY loyal community for just a little too long. Sadly for me it started at the beginning of the year when Sev came on Cordovan's weekly cast with a hat on over his eyes and just looked like he didn't want to be there. Cordovan gleefully urged him to talk about up coming lag fixes. Sev just looked like he didn't want to be there. If the head developer doesn't want to be here why should we?

Confirmed. I play less.

That is a very big presumption and/or opinion on your part and you have the right to have. I watched the same weekly cast and enjoyed the interaction very much. In my opinion Severlin was very forth coming in how they wanted to address the lag.

To OP - I haven't curtailed my playing time at all. Do I get lag at times yes, is it extreme at times for me, yes. Overall if I had to put a percentage on it for my experience I get mild lag about 10% of my total playing time and increased to extreme lag maybe 3% of my playing time. I would prefer 0% obviously but at the lower percentages I am experiencing it isn't enough to stop playing.

I love DDO more than the many other MMOs I have ever played and that includes WoW for 2-3 years when it first launched. I also think that if I was to assigned a grade to SSG for the management of the game I would give a B- (B minus) maybe. Lag is included in the score but I would like to see more immersive content in general and within the Forgotten Realms and not just in Eveningstar.

[Bacon_Burger]

I didn't know solasta either, ty.


Solasta is a potential gem. Worth checking out.

Keep in mind, Solasta is still "early release" with a full roll-out May 27th.

It would be SO COOL to have real time combat mixed in with turn-based set-ups for encounters.

BG3 & Solasta are the 2 best turn-based games to date.

So 2021 (for me) will be a mix of the 3 games, while waiting to see if Horizon Walker is the ONE UPDATE to keep me here in spades.

[westudi]

For me, several factors have contributed to diminished playing time or a desire to play less that essentially fall under the following three categories:

- lag, loading screens, etc
- updates that make the game less and less like pen and paper (which is what brought me to the game in the first place)
- horrible customer service experiences

The primary factor keeping me in the game is my guild. If we all found another game to play (some of us have been) then I would have left long ago. Baldur's Gate 3 is very promising, but it's turn-based and only 4 of us can play at once. Still will take a large chunk of my play time when that goes live though. New World is also very promising and isn't turn-based. It's not D&D though.

The bottom line is it sucks breaking up, and leaving a game I have spent years of time and money on feels very much like a break-up at this point.

[Chai]

Really?

I would think DDO's and WOW's playerbase are a bit different.

DDO has actual quests (not chores disguised as "quests") and more varied content as you don't play the same 7 dungeons and 3 raids over and over since endgame is not only that but also leveling again to get PL feats.

I for one am extremely fed up of fetch / collect quests and back and forth to quest giver, and reputation/daily/weekly grinding at endgame.

But maybe you play WoW classic/ BC for PVP or the open world (which I barely care for in WoW and it's clones) or crafting/life skills, then it's different.

There are alot of D&D players that love classic era MMOs. Pre POP EQ sees high population on those servers. BC was a powerhouse era for WOW, a peak sub era in a sub only classic era game.

The "chores disguised as quests" is one way to level and gives a brand new player a quest line to follow if thy are into that. It is by no means the only way to level, or the most efficient.

[dennisck2]

I used to play quite a bit, and by that, I mean I was neckbearding it. And spending about a car payment's worth of money a month. However, I haven't been playing recently for 3 (main) reasons:

1. Lag (this should really be 1-3, but meh)
2. I'm not really happy with the direction the devs are going with nerf-bats and supposed balance issues
3. Customer service

Number 2 I can get past, but the first and last are things that no game this old should be experiencing.
There are still a lot of great things about this game, but just not enough that I want to log in and play/spend money anymore. Stories are great and a few of the Dev's seem to care (Lynn, Cordovan), but other than that, just not worth my time at the moment. I hope these things change, and soon. Time will tell.

[FengXian]

I'm barely even playing on HC atm, and I used to love it. Too many issues with this update, rather focus on other stuff until they figure out what kind of game they want, and make a decision then.

[Alizar]

Same here.

Baldur's Gate 3
Solasta

Both are fantastic turn-based D20 games.

BG3 isn't a full game yet. Beta I wouldn't play now you will ruin your full game experience.

[superevbully]

Loving DDO since my return to the game. With a robust endgame and more content than ever, it might be better than it's ever been. But hey, I took a break, and if you need one go for it. Your characters will await your return.

But do u pay is the question ........pally for life ?

[Tsutti]

Well, it is the nerfs for me.
I used to play a bit every night after work.
Not anymore, I didn't even play on my last day offs.
Obviously won't pay for something that is not a must and I hardly use.

Ah yes, the necessary nerfs suck because you don't get to be randomly OP for literally no reason whatsoever and solo R10 raids in 2 minutes and that sucks! We must have a game balanced around the idea that there must never be any semblance of balance whatsoever!

[As_The_Bat]

Ah yes, the necessary nerfs suck because you don't get to be randomly OP for literally no reason whatsoever and solo R10 raids in 2 minutes and that sucks! We must have a game balanced around the idea that there must never be any semblance of balance whatsoever!

well... yes it sucks, specially if you never have been randomly OP and never been able to solo more than reaper 2 and you get nerfed anyway.
And btw i dont do solo, only low lvl favor runs that i cannot go reaper. My on level questing is always in group.
So even when I know you didnt direct your sarcasm at me I cannot get off the feeling of "ouch" about it.

[kanordog]

well... yes it sucks, specially if you never have been randomly OP and never been able to solo more than reaper 2 and you get nerfed anyway.
And btw i dont do solo, only low lvl favor runs that i cannot go reaper. My on level questing is always in group.
So even when I know you didnt direct your sarcasm at me I cannot get off the feeling of "ouch" about it.

Blanket nerfs always hit casual players harder as they have no underlying power or replacement gear to make up for the change. Or the meaning to get dragged through quests or the time and expertise to TR out of a ruined build within a weekend.
But obviously criticizing SSG's decisions makes you an elitist OP, exploitative duper cheater:



Ah yes, the necessary nerfs suck because you don't get to be randomly OP for literally no reason whatsoever and solo R10 raids in 2 minutes and that sucks! We must have a game balanced around the idea that there must never be any semblance of balance whatsoever!

Balance lol, You must be playing a different game as I do because there was never balance in DDO.
Do you remember when warlocks were new? I'm sure you had no problem playing one at that time...
Or a Paladin today? They are the new favourite.


ps.: Please point me to the first lifer r10 shurithrower build because I gladly LR the one I had and was ruined by u49. It is a ~7y old toon, maybe I can even TR him the first time if it makes him strong enough to solo epic reaper.

[scipiojedi]

I have no issue with the state of the game, just real life things keep pulling me away. I turned 30 last month and I'm finding more fulfillment through volunteering and finding odd jobs to do rather than spending my life playing a game. Don't get me wrong, I still love to hop on and play and no other MMO pulls me in like DDO.

[westudi]

BG3 isn't a full game yet. Beta I wouldn't play now you will ruin your full game experience.

Have you played the early access? There's nothing there that would ruin the experience. Think of it as playing Korthos and being limited just to that. It also gives you a chance to give actual input to the development team which they listen to both with their AI bug reporting system and actual comments from player experience.

In short, it has made me excited for the full release (that's what she said).

[shores11]

Have you played the early access? There's nothing there that would ruin the experience. Think of it as playing Korthos and being limited just to that. It also gives you a chance to give actual input to the development team which they listen to both with their AI bug reporting system and actual comments from player experience.

In short, it has made me excited for the full release (that's what she said).

I also never play beta versions, I prefer to wait for the full game launch. However I like playing DDO so much that I doubt I would play BG3 or any other game right now.

[Bacon_Burger]

I like playing DDO so much that I doubt I would play BG3 or any other game right now.

Not the same type of game. BG3 and Solasta are the best D20 turn-based games ever made. PERIOD.

2 companies have brought Pen and Paper D&D to a video game like we've never seen before.

Nothing compares to them.

AND NOTHING compares to DDO! The best combat system and character customization of any video game for the fantasy genre.