Some Poetic Fun With DDO

[Ranmaru2]

Pondering Gameplay and Story - A Sad DDO:EU Disconnection

I'd like to draw for a few, if I may
A comparison between two titles of play
Two games, awards both granted
The world in wonder both enchanted
One an RTS from the king of kings
One an MMO from a comparative peasant's bringings
Both contrasting in greatness
Wielding that which the other lacks

Our first guest be Warcraft III
And our second, should all know we
Activision's lovely RTS, lived of a mod
Meanwhile Turbine's MMO lived off of cod
While the RTS sailed a glorious skiff
The MMO drifted, upon a raft, the ocean its limbs frozen stiff
A small raft of gameplay kept it alive
Compared to the RTS' story scooner

But Warcraft III with all its riches
Looked upon DDO:EU hoping it would go to the fishes
Perhaps it could acquire that duality it so lacked
Allowing for its content to finally be completely intact
Conversely DDO:EU looked up wishing it could live so fine
Causing much revenue to allow it to reach MMO status divine
Sadly they both lack each other No meeting can there be
Only a lesson Turbine should take to heart

While the continuation of DDO:EU is what we wish
Trying to rely on a raft of gameplay will only end in death by fish
For it makes no sense that so many should die
Making that same passage nearby the frozen Korthos lie
How many families of sailors do weekly funerals host
In whatever city and mysterious place our voyage left a coast
Until they may figure out
The dragon Aussicarex is ****y as of late

Some concluded story and side plots
Could help our characters connect the prophecy dots
Of Quori and Giants we are purpose sure
Yet Xoriat Invaders, Tieflings, Pirates, and Devils connection is obscure
Loosely connected our Necropolis and Vale of Twilight
Yet no memorable mention of the Path of Light
Versus our higher merchant friend Warcraft III
Full of lore and connective proceedings

Through the full journey are we in Reign of Chaos taken
Of young Arthas and Orc interaction given unmistaken
We see the driving force of scourge
And how it all leads to a deadly demon to purge
Even the path to the Frozen Throne
Leaves not an unturned stone
We're taken on a journey of a wonderful play
Remembering the whole time why we proceed forth

And yet our game of fave
Leaves us with plot points about to massively rave
How be it so easy to storm the city through the sewers
Quickly it seems to be taken through quick maneuvers
Trogs and ogres can setup shop
Kobolds and pirates proceed past the Sentinels without stop
And sent to slay them we all are
Wondering why there's no defenses or wards to be seen

Are not the great houses acting
Together for Stormreach's population collecting?
How does great shadowy Phiarlan miss
Thousands of kobolds descending into the rank abyss?
What about the Silver Flame?
Are they not sworn to the armies of undead to tame?
The other house Jorasco sits full of healers
Yet the other houses continuously lose more and more

To all capable of use they sell
Enough components and scrolls to clear souls from all Hell
So how does the undead prove a problem
When to Jorasco swarm and healing capable people can, to the undead, mob them?
They sit upon a Haunted Library of a Necromancer
Intel Phiarlan should know and acquire to provide an answer to the undead cancer
So here I a fair bard of confusion must ask
When will our raft transform through a seemless unity?

When will thee, many a suggestion take
In order to give us the perfect game full of cake?
Why does the story remain so far off completion
Or live so bogged full of mysterious sewer secretion
So strange the most skilled chemist can ne'er find
The fruit to fill and complete this rind?
Who and why is Xanti'lar, how does House Deneith not cover the sky
Do we help to find useful information in Threnal?

Our avatars exist in a world disconnected
Our actions rarely able to be upon reflected
Sure the Twilight Forge and Lord Goodblade come clear
And of why the Inspired and Dreaming Dark are we to fear
Yet of Hobgoblins and Menechtarun and many a troglodyte
Are we, along with many undead, rarely shed a light
And sent for a Xorian Cipher without much later mention why
Or help with a Duality that the Silver Flame could Turn yet don't

Or perhaps all of the stories are connected
And out of a great library, I the proper tome yet to have dissected
For why to embark on all the adventures and tales we partake
The grander scheme out of a desert of leaves we've yet to rake
Some tales seem at a stall
Why should we worry of Demons in Stormreach at all?
Surely Threnal's Ruins can't all be done
Or the Cult of the Six forget what we on Sorrowdusk against them performed

Sadly some of these stories I see are to be left in dust
For their creators are now names on steel gathering rust
A newer age has taken upon their way
With a story from a Dragon's quest to lay
To see it to its final end
While the rest of the stories existence they see not but pretend
And so I end my whimsical ponderings hence
Perhaps a private message explanation I may receive

For now my fair listener, good day or night
From wherever you dwell and delight
Back to adventures and peril must I turn
Hoping my eternal end shall not come so I may return
Perhaps another day for more lyrical fun
The subject next to stir in my head has not yet begun
To much reading and lore I am to learn
Good day and Adieu

Commentary on the writing:

This is mostly something that came about after reading for a school assignment on the clarity of story and the wit used in the execution of the stories in question. This got me thinking about DDO and how, besides the Stormreaver's story, some of the happenings around stormreach and quests we go upon seem at a disconnect from the overall narrative. Other times I find myself scratching my head wondering how it got to where it is in the first place, such as The Tide Turns or all of the sewer adventures we partake. I mean, a guard on the side of the House Deneith tower even says "We've got all our bases covered unless they attack us through the air" and low and behold, Captain Tew comes flying in and sacks the tower. Yet they're surprised

I love the gameplay of this game, but it suffers from being a complete package with some of the stories just leading to moments where you're face palming at what exactly it is you're about to do or you're just wondering why or how did it even get to this point in the first place.

The story is basically the reason I bring up Warcraft III in the beginning, since that game is basically the opposite of DDO. It has an amazing story, but to be frank, the gameplay is horrible. I realize I might be missing something from Warcraft I and II (having never played them) as to the overall story of Warcraft III and what lead to the beginning of WC3, but overall, the narrative of WC3 is pretty well told. All side plots are concluded and tend to help build to the end of the story in Frozen Throne, so why does a game that had such horrible gameplay possess such a great story and yet we have great gameplay and a pretty "meh" type of story?

[Kromize]

I don't currently have the time to read all that, but I'll get to it.

+1

[Svetelana]

I bet it is really good...

[Vynnt]

You are comparing an MMO to Warcraft 3's single player campaign mode?

Although, each adventure pack seems to have completely different storylines, they are mostly all connected.

[Tolero]

A very interesting read you have here
But perhaps some mysteries can be made clear
Regarding the nature of stories you explore
That leave you wondering and asking for more

Remember that Stormreach is not proper "city"
The life style is rough, the people are gritty
It's more of a Tortuga or Bartertown
So shady dealings and chaos are always going down

Also consider the nature of the original game
Where no two modules purchased were the same
Every story could stand on its own
To allow the DM to run it from home

A player who missed out on Under Mountain
Didn't feel lost picking up Al-Qadim
Whispers of the Vampire's Blade could be given a pass
Without fumbling in the adventure about the Emerald Claw's Grasp

We appreciate the comments though, we like to hear more
About players who are interested in Eberron lore
I'll be sure to forward your poem to Purplefooz and crew
And see if there is something more they can do

[Teldurn]

A very interesting read you have here
But perhaps some mysteries can be made clear
Regarding the nature of stories you explore
That leave you wondering and asking for more

Remember that Stormreach is not proper "city"
The life style is rough, the people are gritty
It's more of a Tortuga or Bartertown
So shady dealings and chaos are always going down

Also consider the nature of the original game
Where no two modules purchased were the same
Every story could stand on its own
To allow the DM to run it from home

A player who missed out on Under Mountain
Didn't feel lost picking up Al-Qadim
Whispers of the Vampire's Blade could be given a pass
Without fumbling in the adventure about the Emerald Claw's Grasp

We appreciate the comments though, we like to hear more
About players who are interested in Eberron lore
I'll be sure to forward your poem to Purplefooz and crew
And see if there is something more they can do

I'm speechless. Bravo!

[marcosoneghett]

Tolero is a forum hero
Always present, never absent
Our hero, always to the point
Chooses to answer some threads, which become anointed
So the big question for Tolero,
Is if he has anymore good bit of info about wizards and bards Pres… or if he has zero,
On which case we will be solely disappointed.

[Aexicas]

Tolero is a forum hero
Always present, never absent
Our hero, always to the point
Chooses to answer some threads, which become anointed
So the big question for Tolero,
Is if he has anymore good bit of info about wizards and bards Pres… or if he has zero,
On which case we will be solely disappointed.

Tolero, watching.
She truly is always there.
But she isn't a "he". ;p

Tolero answers,
But Eladrin is the dev
that you are wanting.

Edit, as a side note, Metaphoric +1 for Tolero; you really do write good poetry =p

[Missing_Minds]

This place, Eberron.
Shadows creep, ruins crumble,
How fast can you run?

New adventurers
Pick up thine sword, wand, or faith,
Join us. Hi Welcome.

Wars long ago fought,
Tides of blood and devils run free,
now... clicky clicky

[Cpw]

New adventurers
Pick up thine sword, wand, or faith,
Join us. Hi Welcome.

I see what you have done there....And its AWESOME!

[Kahath]

Something to think about

We slay devils on their plane
But only for personal gain
Loot and raid as we run along
No one stops to think "Is this wrong?"

Bashing in doors, crates and gates
Leaving orphaned children to their fates
Raiding, killing, running through their lair
Seldom these fights are fair

Rogues wreck their machines and alarms
Barbarians slaying everyone who bears arms
Wizards burn down everything in their path
And some opportunist faces the Paladins wrath

All this chaos and mayhem on our quest
For some simple items in a chest
Which we forcefully took as our own
Looking at all of this you can only frown
When we sell it for little cash
Treating their belongings as vendor trash

[Ranmaru2]

A very interesting read you have here
But perhaps some mysteries can be made clear
Regarding the nature of stories you explore
That leave you wondering and asking for more

Remember that Stormreach is not proper "city"
The life style is rough, the people are gritty
It's more of a Tortuga or Bartertown
So shady dealings and chaos are always going down

Also consider the nature of the original game
Where no two modules purchased were the same
Every story could stand on its own
To allow the DM to run it from home

A player who missed out on Under Mountain
Didn't feel lost picking up Al-Qadim
Whispers of the Vampire's Blade could be given a pass
Without fumbling in the adventure about the Emerald Claw's Grasp

We appreciate the comments though, we like to hear more
About players who are interested in Eberron lore
I'll be sure to forward your poem to Purplefooz and crew
And see if there is something more they can do

Verily Honored am I Tolero
For a ponder turned tip to the crew.
What lead you in exercise forward throw
To fellow company this poem view?
Are story and lore subject of guesses
And in dark chaos of no perceived hue?
A common complaint from leaving masses
Or creatively presented in here
Yet clearly so with comparing phrases?
Should more suggestions be of poem's lyre
Before sent forth for developers glance?
Or too easily causing thy eyes fear?
A fun query this rebuttal form dance
Perhaps lyric will the pitch place enhance?

Many the ways to say the bits from here.
Current looks so lacking of expression,
Far and few the written posts to revere,
To read seems too scary a job burden.
Yet, wonder do I, what gets yay or nay,
More specific, the look of pitch chosen
From random nest to dev's desk reading way?
Sure, feedback we see what Madfloyd prefer,
But what doth the team of suggestion say
of what is liked, and what is just banter?
'Twould be nice to know, so like spice, ideas flow
In form not of a weak rabid blighter
But rather as sweet a flowered meadow
Additions we'd see instead of nerf woe.

OK, I'm going to stop now with further attempts at Terza Rima! Man that is tough! I hope this followed the typical rules of it, though. I had no clue proper English use of Terza Rima is in Iambic Pentameter, as that just made it so much more difficult.

But yeah, Tolero, is this another thing we could get a statement from you (the customer relations people), the developers, or the Executives on? I've always wondered what from the suggestion forum is written in such a way that warrants enough attention that it might get brought up in meetings for when the list of what could be included in the game (ala a future update) and what is just considered gibberish.

[Kahath]

OK, I'm going to stop now with further attempts at Terza Rima! Man that is tough! I hope this followed the typical rules of it, though. I had no clue proper English use of Terza Rima is in Iambic Pentameter, as that just made it so much more difficult.

In between ripped trees and baren land
Wander those that never sleep
Filled with hate, haunting until the end
This hideous place they keep
Its sirens call still lures the brave
Hoping for a share of the treasure heap
Fame, glory and riches they crave
No one prepared, for what they face
To the undead their live they gave
Storming from the hollow haze
Reanimated, they join the walking dead
Eternally falling from their grace
Horrific stories filled with dread
Scarring little children to their bed

good enough?

p.s.: what place am I talking about?