D&D v4.0.. Will DDO make the transition?

[Dingo123]

People are going to drown out this post saying I'm just crying "Doom" and what not but I genuinely believe that a large portion of the gamers who play DDO will split once Fourth Edition comes out..

A great many players DO play DDO because it is based on the dungeons and dragons license, I know I do. The actual game, although it has a great deal of potential isn't all that fun a lot of the times, and alot of the times the design is outright backwards (Such as having an xp penalty so you don't farm quests, while simultaneously setting up a mechanic that requires that you farm quests (for scales, or favor, or whatever)).

So, it's a neat little game and hurrah for DDO.

Except Fourth Edition is going to take virtually everything good about Dungeons and Dragons... and let you play it with your buddies online.

Will you get to swing swords and watch lightning bolts zap people? No.

But you will have far and away more new content and you will have, almost certainly, more people to play with and none of the bugs. Hell, you even get the voice chat.


So, what could be DDOs one saving grace?

If they "converted" their system from Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 to Dungeons and Dragons fourth edition.


It might be expensive, it might be impossible, but I think it could be the one thing that would save this game.


For example... they would institute complete character respects, all you'd hold onto would be your cash, your (soon to be converted) items, and your experience (i.e. if you went into the conversion as a level 14 Sorc, you'd come out of the Conversion as a level 14 Character and you would reselect your class, skills, abilities, whichever, from scratch. Each character would be given say 5 total respec tokens, and go from there.

Creature statistics would have to be redone... but really missions need not change THAT MUCH.

One of the hardest parts about an MMO is the animation, the engine, and all the like. This isn't that far of a stretch..

and it might be all that can save this sinking ship.

Because this would mean the folks at Turbine could relaunch DDO, RIGHT this time... and put it back on store shelves.

[Uska]

If you have been following 4.0 you would see that a lot of ddo people think ddo is already close to 4.0 and total respecs are a horrible idea.....there should proably be some sort of respec avail since they did change a few things along the way but not total and certainly not as many as you suggest....and gain its another person saying DDOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!! dnd is one thing really and ddo is another both will be fine and fun and I will be seen in both, as well many others, some will maybe leave for 4.0 but I doubt it will be a large number as they game play is different and in many ways will never be able to feel like it is in ddo. Besides we still have to wait and see what 4.0 really is and what they really plan for us here, lets do that before we call it the end.

[Dingo123]

Glad you do, because I don't. I see D&D's moving onto the online scene as big problems for DDO.

[Ziggy]

People are going to drown out this post saying I'm just crying "Doom" and what not but I genuinely believe that a large portion of the gamers who play DDO will split once Fourth Edition comes out..

It might be expensive, it might be impossible, but I think it could be the one thing that would save this game.

and it might be all that can save this sinking ship.

I wonder why people would think this is a DOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!! post?

We barely know anything about 4th edition. It could be the end of D&D for all we know

and with barely any information you have decided that the game will be better by following these rules that you havent even seen yet?

Yeah this thread isnt a DOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!! Thread. Nope not at all.

[Ziggy]

Glad you do, because I don't. I see D&D's moving onto the online scene as big problems for DDO.

especially since there are over a dozen programs out there already that do this.

[The_Cataclysm]

If you have been following 4.0 you would see that a lot of ddo people think ddo is already close to 4.0 and total respecs are a horrible idea.....there should proably be some sort of respec avail since they did change a few things along the way but not total and certainly not as many as you suggest....and gain its another person saying DDOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!! dnd is one thing really and ddo is another both will be fine and fun and I will be seen in both, as well many others, some will maybe leave for 4.0 but I doubt it will be a large number as they game play is different and in many ways will never be able to feel like it is in ddo. Besides we still have to wait and see what 4.0 really is and what they really plan for us here, lets do that before we call it the end.

I don't think 4th edition will be as close to DDO as people think.

If you look at the character classes for d20 modern and Star Wars Saga Edition, you will see they use quite a different approach from that of the standard 3/3.5 classes. 4th edition is supposed to be using a system similar to the d20 modern/Saga Edition model.

Pretty much they used 2 different approaches to accomplish the same thing. 4th edition will give players more choices about their characters by gutting out classes abilities and replacing it with a choices of feats and traits. DDO gave them more choices by building an enhancement system on top of the abilities classes already get in 3.5

[oronisi]

The only D&D edition I remember flipping my wig over was 2.5. And That was only because it had rules for using chairs and barstools as blugeoning weapons RIGHT THERE IN THE MANUAL. Otherwise alot of D&D players are sentimental and use the 'if it aint broke, dont fix it' mentality, staying with older versions of the books for a while.

I don't see any reason to abandon DDO or require an immediate re-working of the game. However, I do see an opportunity for Turbine to re-do the underlying rules of DDO and correct some glaring mistakes in the foundation that have made the rest of the game difficult to follow PnP rules (i.e. +5 for additional attacks rather than -5).

[Kalanth]

D&D has been on the Online seen for a long time already. Play by Post is one way that people have been doing it since the 90's, and programs like Fantasy Grounds have been allowing nearly identical features to D&D Insider since about 3rd Ed. It certainly didn't hurt the release of DDO, and I don't see why adding one more program would hurt the future of DDO. I will active D&D Insider as well, just to take advantage of PNP D&D online, but in no way will it replace my DDO time. Just like the weekly gaming session I have been going to for years does not replace it.

D&D Insider will do nothing to hurt DDO, because they are two different games with distinct similarities. If anything, DDO is far from D&D ever was and it satisfies the desire of more the Hack and Slash Min/Max community in D&D. The only thing I can see D&D Insider hurting is the people that made programs like Fantasy Grounds.

[Dingo123]

I've never heard of play by post.

You can bet tens of thousands will know about D&D Insider.

[stonecircle]

In no way....no how....should they attempt to do this. They shouldnt even be trying to adhere to the 3.5 rules as it is. DnD and DDO has always been and should be a mixture of all rules, always open to interpretation by the DM, in this case Turbine.

If anything I hope the release of 4.0 will give Turbine the mindset to continue to make the game feel like DnD not emulate rules just for the sake of it.

Interpreting Pen and Paper rules in DDO is and will always be a physical impossiblity do to the lack of friendly fire, an intelligent DM, and the lack of a turn based combat system.