DDO Reboot

[tralfaz81]

Consider this not suggestions but a hypothetical game. If you could totally recreate the game of DDO from the bottom up - what changes would you make? Playable classes, races, how the XP is handled, the way loot is dropped - whatever comes to mind. Imagine wiping the slate clean, how would you redesign the game?

(Bonus points - keep in mind that it is a business. How would you handle the f2p vs p2p? What perks would you charge for vs giving away for free to balance out the fun while making a profit?)

My own idea's - Most of the changes I'd make would be following a mix of second and third edition rules to find more of a balance in characters/toons.

The setting - The primary setting would be a free to play area based on Greyhawk (or a forgotten realms type setting). It would have more of a rural feel to it. None of the steam punk aspects, more like campaigning in an area that hasn't caught up with the technology. Instead of one central location with the various Houses attached, it would be a series of wildernesses that connected the realms of the elves, humans, dwarfs and so on. You'd have access to some of the crafting places but would have to travel more to get there.

The p2p area would be Eberron. With a subscription you would have access to the warforged race and artificer class. The layout of Stormreach wouldn't change much and it would be more convenient for shopping and crafting - just like it is in a real city. The quest would be more city/sewer based in Stormreach and more outdoor's and cavernous in the rural areas. P2P's would have full access to both but a subscription would be needed to have access to the better technology/crafting.

Races - more or less what we have now. Difference is there would be race restrictions on classes and caps on certain attributes. Humans would have the highest cap on all stats but still have a cap, while the other races would have very restrictive caps on some stats but no cap on other stats and have the benefits of natural abilities and bonuses.

For instance - a human ranger could push all his stats up to 30 (not counting gear bonuses) while an elvin ranger would max out his str at 18, his con at 20 but could push his dex as high as he wanted. He'd trade some stats for unlimited areas of his race. It would give a very different feel for picking race and classes. A elf rouge would play very differently than a human rouge and so on.

Races would lose the option of some classes. A Horc couldn't play a paladin or an artificier. A warforged wouldn't be able to be a cleric, a barbarian, a druid or a ranger. But each playable class would be different by which race you pick. A Horc would start as a basic cleric, but after 5th level it would start a new path specific to Horc's. It wouldn't be a cleric like a human but more of a witch doctor with unique spells for its race/class mix. A Horc would have less healing and more offensive spells than a human and an elvin cleric would probably play more like a FvS.

Classes - characters would start with a basic discipline up until 5th level. You'd start as a basic fighter, thief, magic user and so on. At fifth level you'd be able to pick a more specific path. Fighters would branch out to paladins, cavaliers, or so on. A thief could become a rouge, assassin, acrobat, and so on. Rangers, barbs, and druids would belong to the same basic class before deciding which direction they wanted to go in. Some paths would require more XP to advance to than others (and I'm sure this will be the unpopular part).

In general, the magic user classes would take roughly twice is much XP to advance per level. I'd set it up on the old fantasy settings where a powerful wizard doesn't reach his peak till he's nearly ancient. A powerful wizard shouldn't be easily accessible, he should be a rarity that inspires awe in his mastery of his arts. You should be able to go through 4 or 5 fighter types to have the experience and the strength of a powerful spell caster.

So depending which path you pick would dictate how quickly you could raise through the ranks but also how powerful you are at the end game.

Multi-classes - I'd set it up where you could follow two disciplines at once but it would take 50% more xp to level each side up. You'd be given your XP pool to draw from when leveling and pick which side you wanted to invest it in. You wouldn't have to worry about capping off one side but, like the magic users, multiclassing would be harder to accomplish and earn more respect if you managed to top off both sides.

Quest levels/numbers - At this moment there's far more quest for levels 1-10 than the higher levels. I'd lower the number of lower level quest since you'll go through the lower levels quicker, and put the mass of the dungeons between levels 12-18 since thats where you'll need the XP.

Random Dungeons - all quest would be designed with a random element. There would be a normal setting where, like it is now, the quest could be run with the traps/secret doors/monsters in fixed positions. Hard difficulty would be worth 2X the XP as normal but the locations of the traps and monsters would be random. You wouldn't know where to expect a trap or what type of trap it was so you couldn't be prepared. Since it would be random, there might be a trap down every hallway or none. It would make zerging impossible but provide more XP and better loot.

Elite would both randomly change the locations of the traps/monsters as well as well as how hard they hit. Instead of turning the corner and finding two bugbears like on normal, it might become two (level comparable) beholders. It would be much harder to make it through without a balanced party but you wouldn't be grinding the same thing over and over and elite would give 3X the base XP as well as better loot.

Rares - I'd keep the normal rares but also introduce rare rares and ultra rares. Rare rares would only spawn once every hundred instances of entering a wilderness and ultra rares would be the thing of legends. They'd only spawn once out of a thousand and be the hardest bosses to beat in the game. They wouldn't spawn in the same exact spot but rather in a more broad area. They would be the type of thing you'd take a screen shot of because you know if you claimed to kill one everyone would say 'no way.'

[Ausdoerrt]

There's already a DDO reboot in the works, it's called "Neverwinter Online" /troll

More seriously, Pathfinder MMO.

As for what I'd like to see, I'd like to see less 4.0 more 3.5, and also less Eberron. Gnome and planetouched races, warlocks and shamans, and preferrably a Greyhawk or Faerun setting. Zuggtmoy would be one fun raid boss I'd also do away with the enhancements system and implement traditional PrCs, many of which encourage and empower multiclass builds. The prestiges would in turn grant special skills that'd make levelling interesting instead of enhancements; maybe there would be a more freeform system that'd allow you to pick specific PrC benefits. Basically, more traditional PnP everything, there are lots of PnP mechanics that didn't get carried over - XP per kill, etc.

A stable engine with clearly recorded code and a change tracking system.

As for the payment mechanics, I'd like to see a straight sub. If they'd like to keep the premium, that's fine - works pretty well as is, IMO - but VIP should be the traditional old-school sub that gets all content, and gets it early. They should still pay for most of the fluff, but the rest has got to be included and grant real perks. If most other MMOs can afford to do that for $15-20/mo, I don't see why DDO can't.

[articwarrior]

There's already a DDO reboot in the works, it's called "Neverwinter Online" /troll

More seriously, Pathfinder MMO.

As for what I'd like to see, I'd like to see less 4.0 more 3.5, and also less Eberron. Gnome and planetouched races, warlocks and shamans, and preferrably a Greyhawk or Faerun setting. Zuggtmoy would be one fun raid boss I'd also do away with the enhancements system and implement traditional PrCs, many of which encourage and empower multiclass builds. The prestiges would in turn grant special skills that'd make levelling interesting instead of enhancements; maybe there would be a more freeform system that'd allow you to pick specific PrC benefits. Basically, more traditional PnP everything, there are lots of PnP mechanics that didn't get carried over - XP per kill, etc.

A stable engine with clearly recorded code and a change tracking system.

As for the payment mechanics, I'd like to see a straight sub. If they'd like to keep the premium, that's fine - works pretty well as is, IMO - but VIP should be the traditional old-school sub that gets all content, and gets it early. They should still pay for most of the fluff, but the rest has got to be included and grant real perks. If most other MMOs can afford to do that for $15-20/mo, I don't see why DDO can't.

ohh Pathfinder, gonna check that out. Loved playing PnP with it so gonna try that!

[Missing_Minds]

A better way to interface with the data base such that we can do racial, sex, stat changes a hell of a lot easier on the fly.

Changes to the accounts such that we are not limited to character unique names in game. It should be possible to make 20 different "John"s run around at the same time. Other MMOs can do this, we should have it here already.

[Hambo]

A way to export Character and Inventory data so that both can be managed and planned offline...

For one, it's extremely difficult to know what your inventory contains when you have 60 shared slots in addition to up to 200 pack/individual bank slots per Alt to search through. An offline list would allow us to plan which items to keep, which to dump, and the item locations.

Secondly, it would be nice to have complete Character histories, including feats, enhancements, tomes, etc. including at which levels they were taken, for the purpose of planning TRs and/or new builds.

[7-day_Trial_Monkey]

I would eliminate all public areas. Everything involving picking up quests, turning in quests, visiting vendors, auction house and crafting would be handled off a series of menus from the character select screen.

This is also where you would access the LFM panel. Once you join a group you would then be giving a "Begin" button that teleports you into the instance. Of course you would still be able to jump into quests or adventure areas without joining a group, again directly from the menus.

This would do away with what I consider to be so much dead time in the game and allow the focus of development to be on the quests and adventure areas.



And gnomes. My 1st char in a D&D game is always a gnome.

[Memnir]

Make alignment a more meaningful aspect of the game beyond gear usage.

[Sarnind]

Yes, I think with this last change ddo becoming a very boring game. Cya in neverwinter night guys!

[FranOhmsford]

Well First of all it would be based on AD&D 2nd Ed.

Races
-----

Human, High Elf, Grey Elf, Sylvan Elf, Dwarf {Hill and Mountain Dwarves have very little differences}, Halfling {Stout, Hairfoot and Tallfellow}, H-Elf, H-Orc. Gnome {Rock and Forest}.

Paid or Unlocked Races
----------------------

Kobold, Goblin, Orc, Lupin {Mystara}, Drow, Gnome {Svirfneblin}, Kender. Unlocked in that order.

Classes
-------

Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Thief, Mage, Psionicist, Druid.

Multiclasses available as in PnP

Necromancer, Invoker, Conjurer, Enchanter etc. as Specialist Mage
Monk available as Cleric.
Ninja also available {Yes there was a Ninja's Handbook}.


Greyhawk, Mystara, Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance with Spelljammer as the link between the four.

Ravenloft to be added in at lvl 10 {No way back - Seperate Server - Permadeath}
Planescape to be added in as an expansion for Lvl 20 and up.

Alignments to be fully implemented - Everyone starts out as one of the Good or Neutral alignments and full alignment rules implemented.

Zero, Zilch, Nada PvP.

[Eighnuss]

Build it on Source Engine

[tralfaz81]

Make alignment a more meaningful aspect of the game beyond gear usage.

I'm with you on that one. I'll be touching on it when I get around to making my wish list.

[350zguy]

Well, one of my biggest complaints with PNP, is you always end up with a run away gamer who power games.

You have to house rule down so many spells if you want anything but wizards to be GODS!

Disjunction? Congo-rats all you gear is destroyed!

So, I would get rid of the stupid launcher (.net, really?)
I would get a decent combat log.

I would have abandon the PNP combat rules long ago...

I've played far too much D&D, I know how to exploit the system.

I would ensure the spell targeting system was consistent, and reliable.

Basically just a polish of the existing system.

-Me

[tralfaz81]

Note to self - crafting. No greater or lesser. Silly having to break them down.

[Silatuyok]

Well, one of my biggest complaints with PNP, is you always end up with a run away gamer who power games.

You have to house rule down so many spells if you want anything but wizards to be GODS!

Disjunction? Congo-rats all you gear is destroyed!

So, I would get rid of the stupid launcher (.net, really?)
I would get a decent combat log.

I would have abandon the PNP combat rules long ago...

I've played far too much D&D, I know how to exploit the system.

I would ensure the spell targeting system was consistent, and reliable.

Basically just a polish of the existing system.

-Me

Chain-trip Fighters, Vow of Poverty Soul Knife, Repost Rouges, Bardic Dancing Arrow Archers, any half thought out Cleric build... if you can't make a half decent not wizard than clearly you are simply not twinking hard enough my friend

That having been said I would make rangers lose access to AA since they don't actually meet the prereq of being able to cast a 1st level arcane spell

[Ryiah]

Build it on Source Engine

Or any third party engine as that should reduce the chances of crazy memory leaks. Based on how stable Rift turned out, GameBryo would be a pretty good choice as well.

[Uska]

Yes, I think with this last change ddo becoming a very boring game. Cya in neverwinter night guys!

Unless your a fan of the garbarge that is 4E and of the idiots at cryptic you wont be playing that turkey long

[Uska]

Well First of all it would be based on AD&D 2nd Ed.

Races
-----

Human, High Elf, Grey Elf, Sylvan Elf, Dwarf {Hill and Mountain Dwarves have very little differences}, Halfling {Stout, Hairfoot and Tallfellow}, H-Elf, H-Orc. Gnome {Rock and Forest}.

Paid or Unlocked Races
----------------------

Kobold, Goblin, Orc, Lupin {Mystara}, Drow, Gnome {Svirfneblin}, Kender. Unlocked in that order.

Classes
-------

Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Thief, Mage, Psionicist, Druid.

Multiclasses available as in PnP

Necromancer, Invoker, Conjurer, Enchanter etc. as Specialist Mage
Monk available as Cleric.
Ninja also available {Yes there was a Ninja's Handbook}.


Greyhawk, Mystara, Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance with Spelljammer as the link between the four.

Ravenloft to be added in at lvl 10 {No way back - Seperate Server - Permadeath}
Planescape to be added in as an expansion for Lvl 20 and up.

Alignments to be fully implemented - Everyone starts out as one of the Good or Neutral alignments and full alignment rules implemented.

Zero, Zilch, Nada PvP.

If your going to an earlier edition why not go to the good one 1st ed. where they had good monks and the best bards.