A letter to our players on Update 7

[Fernando]

Hi everyone-
The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! After many months of development, we are proud and excited to finally release Update 7: Half-Bloods to you, the fans who have made DDO Unlimited a huge hit over the past year.

And what a year it has been!

Update 7 comes just on the heels of our one year anniversary of DDO’s re-launch as a free-to-play game. By introducing our new take on free-to-play, DDO has rocked the MMO scene! We’ve shown that a combination of great game play and giving players a choice in how and when they pay for their MMO gaming is a recipe for success. Accolades, awards, and over 2 million new player sign-ups quickly followed.

We’ve done our part too, releasing 6 major updates to the game which have introduced 6 new adventure packs, reincarnation, guild renown and airships, epic and casual mode, tons of new DDO store items, and a whole lot more. And we are far from slowing down! We are thrilled to be able to continue to grow our investment in the DDO franchise and we remain dedicated to ongoing improvements to the DDO service. But actions speak louder than words, and I can’t think of a better way to show our dedication to the game than to talk about Update 7, our biggest update yet to DDO Unlimited.

No doubt you have already heard about many of the big ticket items in Update 7. First and foremost, we are all eager to create new characters with the new classic D&D races, the brutish half-orc and the gracious half-elf! We are also happy to offer an all new free(!) level 12 adventure pack called “Deception in Stormreach” which introduces an important new faction to the game, the monster kingdom of Droaam. Those players creating new half-orcs, or still playing characters in the early parts of the game, can enjoy a very cool new level 6 raid “The Chronoscope!” The raid is also available in epic mode for our level 20 players and has been added to a revamped Devil Assault adventure pack! The adventure pack has improved gameplay, now also supports epic mode, and more treasure drops (ahem - shroud components)! Meanwhile, the game UI has received some major upgrades, especially with the new keyword search features in the Inventory and Auctions panels. And last but not least, just in time for Halloween, we are also debuting a huge new seasonal event, the Endless Night Festival (check out the preview happening tonight on the live servers!).

Phew! That’s a ton of big things coming to DDO today! But that is far from all there is to today’s release. Update 7 is filled to the brim with a lot more good stuff . For example, did you know that the summon monster spell now has a choice of 3 monsters you can summon at each level? (tip: drag your favorite choice from the spell selection panel to your hotbar for one-click access.) Another small game improvement I am personally excited about is the revisions to the UI and graphics effects you see when you die. The system is more intuitive and it’s easier for you to still see the action even if your character is “waiting for a rez”.

Hirelings have also gotten a lot love. Bard and Favored Soul contracts are back, and also now available at in-game hireling vendors! Hireling contracts (like XP, loot and renown boosts) now have timers that pause in public areas. Hireling casters use more discretion when deciding which spells they cast. The hireling toolbars even load in the same spot you left them last time! Crazy!

There are lots more player-requested polish items and bug fixes in there too! We have more PREs updates for Bards, Wizard and Monks. Our VIP plan is also better than ever with the addition of the new races, content and a new perk that lets VIPs get access to elite difficulty in all quests without needing to play on Hard first. And, we have dealt another mighty blow to the lag-monster! And there is a lot more I don’t have space for here. Check out the release notes to see even more!

Yes, Update 7 is “the big one” for DDO in 2010. Our team has been working on it all year and we hope you have as much fun playing it as we have had bringing it to you. Never satisfied, when we aren’t wandering Stormreach with you, trying to level our new half-elves and half-orcs, the crew at Turbine is hard at work on Update 8 (a release that finishes up our 2010 updates) and is busy making big plans for the new content and features that will be coming your way in 2011 as well. We are excited to keep growing DDO on a similar pace as we did last year, and to expand the service to be a true international service with users in multiple languages playing all around the world. From all of us, we thank you for helping DDO become the leading free-to-play fantasy MMO in North America! Here’s to a great end of 2010 for DDO and a promising future in 2011 and beyond!

See you in Eberron!
-Fernando.

[spyderwolf]

did ya know the update isnt on time ? :P

[systemstate]

It's like Christmas in October! Thanks for all the hard work guys!

[JDCrowell]

did ya know the update isnt on time ? :P

LOL yes...but they sure were prompt with this posting

[Tolero]

did ya know the update isnt on time ? :P

A few last moment spot-checks. Should be open momentarily.

[Blade420]

Better for it to launch 30 minutes late than on time with a bunch of bugs. Who else is watching the clock ???? lol

[Myrdinn]

I can sense eagerness coming from everywhere on the forum :P

[spyderwolf]

A few last moment spot-checks. Should be open momentarily.

yay!

[sirgog]

I'm looking forward to it, and even more to seeing more high level content in future.

It's good that we have a new level 20 raid in this update (even better that it can be run on lowbies too), but some more raids in the 15-20 range would be great.

[Loromir]

AWWW!!!! I think I'm Gonna cry!!!!!

[Luacan]

Just like you Tolero to be stalking such a forum post waiting to give an update the second somebody decides to be a smart ass.
Thanks for the reassurance

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Hireling contracts (like XP, loot and renown boosts) now have timers that pause in public areas

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou

A few last moment spot-checks. Should be open momentarily.

Scotty factor.... For the love of god you need to start applying the Scotty factor to your down time estimates.

Next time if they think it will take to 10, post it as 2pm. Then when it comes up at noon you will be early!

Oh, and on the subject of spot checks...I thought most groups just sent the barb ahead to "spot" the traps as they walk through them

[In_Like_Flynn]

A few last moment spot-checks. Should be open momentarily.

I did notice a few Hyenas with fewer-than-expected spots.

[smatt]

I will say Fernando that overall DDO has grown a lot since the DDO-EU launch. Tehre certainly have been some rough spots, with old habits being hard to vanquish. But as it looks now, Update 7 mght be the big step many of us have been asking for. The interaction of the Dev team with the players has been a much needed fresh approach. And while it does take staff hours, in the end finding that balance of interaction does pay off... It makes for a better game and a better customer experience...

Keep it up!

[GentleSmiles]

Aquiver in anticipation .... and this better be good Mister or I know a few goblinoids that umm... well....

[Morningfrost]

Touching. I celebrate today one year of gaming. Thank you guys.

[Blade420]

I haven't played for as long as most of you guys but this update is well worth the wait, it seems like they added a little something for everyone this time around. I would like to see them add some higher level quests though at some point around lvl 13 my xp always seems to grind to a complete stop.

Thar She Blows . . . . . all hands at the mainsail and stuff

[Senshock]

Dont suppose U8 will see this year as mentioned?

[JDCrowell]

wooot...downloading updates now....

[wolf6312]

YAY!!! ....and thank you!!