DDOcast Episode 121 - our Eberron Unlimited announcement show!

[Mockduck]

Hi everyone! Episode 121 of DDOcast is now ready to go. Here's a LINK to the episode, just left-click to play, right-click and 'save as' to download as an mp3.

This week's show features the DDOcast crew talking about Eberron Unlimited! It's an epic show and DDOcast's longest-ever episode. Good chat! Also want to thank Gov't Mule for joining us on this week's show.

Just want to add that this is our longest show, but I think the chat is really worth a listen. I want to thank Alex Haddox, Rowanheal, Mical the Wise, Ustice from DDOReports, Steiner-Davion, Samius and Gov't Mule for their excellent analysis and hard work! I'm pretty proud of this episode, hope you enjoy it.

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DDOcast Episode 121 (6-13-09)

:15 Introductions
3:14 Overview of Eberron Unlimited
5:05 Getting to the announcement
6:30 The announcement
7:45 Turbine Download Manager
8:50 MMO Business talk, the future of MMO's
24:30 DDO Store talk
25:40 Some FAQ talk/Microtransactions
31:15 Rez Discussion
42:20 Store impact on economy, gameplay
48:08 Players and the Store
48:35 Influx of F2P players
56:00 New class
1:00:22 New Quests
1:01:18 The Delay of Mod 9, why and when....
1:08:20 Mod 9 and its tie to DDO: EU
1:19:30 Beta talk
1:33:00 DDO Europe and EU
1:43:47 The announcement and the press
1:45:40 Announcement sign-ups?
1:49:15 Server Queues
1:55:40 Succubi Porn?
1:58:50 Gen Con?
2:01:00 Neverwinter Nights MMO?
2:04:10 Goodbye Amaurea!
2:05:00 Ask the Devs plan
2:06:17 Final thoughts

End

Total Time: 2:17:43

Jerry

[Mockduck]

FYI - I'm looking into reports that some people are getting partial downloads. I tried downloading the show a few times myself and had some issues. If you experience a problem getting the show, just give me a few hours and try again! Thanks. I bet this is related to the fact that the show also got a bit more attention this week due to the big DDO announcement, so we're probably experiencing heavy traffic.

[Mockduck]

Okay, I've been told that the file has been moved to a different server and should be working okay. I've now downloaded it twice with no problems. Sorry for the delay!

[Phax]

Hey Jerry,

Good podcast, I was only able to listen to the first half today, but I had a few comments on issues brought up by the crew.


On guest passes: Anyone who owns the content, whether VIP or F2P, will be able to purchase them for the content they own.

On items from the store: All items will either be bound the the character, or to the account.

On resurrection items and shrines: They will not be usable in raids.

On LFMs and Pugging: When F2P players are looking at an LFM for a quest they do not own (presuming the party leader has chosen a quest for the LFM) the LFM will appear as ineligable, just as if the player was in the incorrect level range. In addition, a button will appear on the LFM which will take that player directly to the page in the store where they can purchase the apropriate adventure pack to gain access.

On viewing F2P players in game: The cast was correct that there will be no way to look at a F2P player and identify them as such.

Thanks again for the podcast and hopefully I'll be able to finish it tomorrow!

[ArkoHighStar]

Hey Jerry,

Good podcast, I was only able to listen to the first half today, but I had a few comments on issues brought up by the crew.


On guest passes: Anyone who owns the content, whether VIP or F2P, will be able to purchase them for the content they own.

On items from the store: All items will either be bound the the character, or to the account.

On resurrection items and shrines: They will not be usable in raids.

On LFMs and Pugging: When F2P players are looking at an LFM for a quest they do not own (presuming the party leader has chosen a quest for the LFM) the LFM will appear as ineligable, just as if the player was in the incorrect level range. In addition, a button will appear on the LFM which will take that player directly to the page in the store where they can purchase the apropriate adventure pack to gain access.

On viewing F2P players in game: The cast was correct that there will be no way to look at a F2P player and identify them as such.

Thanks again for the podcast and hopefully I'll be able to finish it tomorrow!

very good to hear

[Steiner-Davion]

Hey Jerry,

Good podcast, I was only able to listen to the first half today, but I had a few comments on issues brought up by the crew.


On guest passes: Anyone who owns the content, whether VIP or F2P, will be able to purchase them for the content they own.

On items from the store: All items will either be bound the the character, or to the account.

On resurrection items and shrines: They will not be usable in raids.

On LFMs and Pugging: When F2P players are looking at an LFM for a quest they do not own (presuming the party leader has chosen a quest for the LFM) the LFM will appear as ineligable, just as if the player was in the incorrect level range. In addition, a button will appear on the LFM which will take that player directly to the page in the store where they can purchase the apropriate adventure pack to gain access.

On viewing F2P players in game: The cast was correct that there will be no way to look at a F2P player and identify them as such.

Thanks again for the podcast and hopefully I'll be able to finish it tomorrow!

Thanks for clarifying these hot issues Phax.

Samius I think you and the folks at Turbine might like this song:

Theme Song

Gov't Mule I had meant to point out to you the potential for abuse and inconsistency in Raid arcitecture/design, but we ran out of time, but it appears it is now a moot point.

[Quanefel]

Hey Jerry,

Good podcast, I was only able to listen to the first half today, but I had a few comments on issues brought up by the crew.


On guest passes: Anyone who owns the content, whether VIP or F2P, will be able to purchase them for the content they own.

On items from the store: All items will either be bound the the character, or to the account.

On resurrection items and shrines: They will not be usable in raids.

On LFMs and Pugging: When F2P players are looking at an LFM for a quest they do not own (presuming the party leader has chosen a quest for the LFM) the LFM will appear as ineligable, just as if the player was in the incorrect level range. In addition, a button will appear on the LFM which will take that player directly to the page in the store where they can purchase the apropriate adventure pack to gain access.

On viewing F2P players in game: The cast was correct that there will be no way to look at a F2P player and identify them as such.

Thanks again for the podcast and hopefully I'll be able to finish it tomorrow!

Thanks!

One question about the LFM's or Pugging. If it is greyed out like you suggest then is it also unclickable so that F2P can avoid the hassle of being turned down once he joins and it is determined he can not tag along? Just something that might create a lot of headaches for people trying forming.

[Missing_Minds]

On LFMs and Pugging: When F2P players are looking at an LFM for a quest they do not own (presuming the party leader has chosen a quest for the LFM) the LFM will appear as ineligable, just as if the player was in the incorrect level range. In addition, a button will appear on the LFM which will take that player directly to the page in the store where they can purchase the apropriate adventure pack to gain access.

Thanks for those answers, Phax. I've been wondering about this one above myself. But, would it be possible for it to have a different background of ineligabllity? That way we can see if it is from content access vs. lvl class? That is going to confuse a lot of people at the start.

Just some way to denote the reason would be great.

[Phax]

Thanks for those answers, Phax. I've been wondering about this one above myself. But, would it be possible for it to have a different background of ineligabllity? That way we can see if it is from content access vs. lvl class? That is going to confuse a lot of people at the start.

Just some way to denote the reason would be great.

There will be a fairly large "Buy Now!" button on the LFM that will be hard to miss .

[JakLee7]

On guest passes: Anyone who owns the content, whether VIP or F2P, will be able to purchase them for the content they own.

On items from the store: All items will either be bound the the character, or to the account.

So kept hearing this & thinking - doesn't that kindof make guest passes pointless?

[Quanefel]

There will be a fairly large "Buy Now!" button on the LFM that will be hard to miss .

More in-game advertisements? Ugh! *Head explodes*

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Hey Jerry,

Great news on these choices, and thanks for the updates!

One small question, do "rest of the eladrin" clickies work in raids?

[Mockduck]

More in-game advertisements? Ugh! *Head explodes*

Well, as Missing Minds brought up here, there needs to be a way to let the F2P player know that the reason they aren't eligible is because they need to buy it. I assume it will be a basic button that takes you to the applicable part of the store, which will actually be a nice convenience for the F2P player. It's not like it's a banner ad or anything.

Now, if they put a small picture of a succubus on the button, THEN I'd have a problem!!!! Actually, no I wouldn't...

[Quanefel]

Well, as Missing Minds brought up here, there needs to be a way to let the F2P player know that the reason they aren't eligible is because they need to buy it. I assume it will be a basic button that takes you to the applicable part of the store, which will actually be a nice convenience for the F2P player. It's not like it's a banner ad or anything.

Now, if they put a small picture of a succubus on the button, THEN I'd have a problem!!!! Actually, no I wouldn't...

Well a dancing Succubus that would be included in the ad is another story! Even I might be ok with ads in-game. Besides, nothing draws more attention like succubi!

[Missing_Minds]

There will be a fairly large "Buy Now!" button on the LFM that will be hard to miss .

*blink blink.. laugh*

Ok, that works.

[Missing_Minds]

Now, if they put a small picture of a succubus on the button, THEN I'd have a problem!!!! Actually, no I wouldn't...

Oh, thanks, Jerry...

Now I've got flash backs to that "slap the monkey" banner from a few years back, stuck in my head... only now its the succubus.

[Missing_Minds]

Well a dancing Succubus that would be included in the ad is another story! Even I might be ok with ads in-game. Besides, nothing draws more attention like succubi!

To be fair, we'd need an incubus as well for the people who want that as well.

[ahpook]

More in-game advertisements? Ugh! *Head explodes*

As a subscriber you won't even see it. Only F2P players that don't have that pack get the buy now button. Kind of hard to complain about this.

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with advertising if it is targetted and not spammy.

[Steiner-Davion]

I was jsut listening to some older episodes of Massively Speaking, Episode 12 to be exact, and they were talking about how Blizzard was seriously considering WOW as a Free-to-Play game. Check it out it is aorund 23:30 into the episode.

[GovtMule]

I was jsut listening to some older episodes of Massively Speaking, Episode 12 to be exact, and they were talking about how Blizzard was seriously considering WOW as a Free-to-Play game. Check it out it is aorund 23:30 into the episode.

HA! That was probably the exact episode that shifted my way of thinking about F2P. I thought it was Logan on PCGamer podcast but I'll have to go back and check now.

But the angle of "who would spend the most money?" and, as his argument comes out, the hardcore guy would be the one to plunk down $20 on a bonebiter really hit home with me.