Give Us Some Roleplaying?

[CrescentCalling_5]

Right now here's the most our roleplaying in DDO gets:

1. A tired out DM's voice tells us obvious things that could be said in a much more interesting way (who the heck doesn't notice the tracks in the collaborater? And the spot and wisdom checks in the phiarlan carnival final quest, the ballroom, was just boring!)
2. We can pay Turbine money to change our alignment
3. We can be good, neutral, lawful, and chaotic...

This just isn't enough. D&D is a Roleplaying Game! Role-playing. Turning it into an MMO is a great, but that doesn't mean you should lose out on roleplaying.

I'm no developer, though I do write plotlines and the like for games and MMO's as a hobby :P, but I'll try my best to make a few suggestions instead of just voice my complaints.

1. Revamp the DM, there should be more interesting ways to tell us that a Spot Check let us notice a poisoned drink being slipped to a public official. Make the character talk in a class/race specific voice perhaps, I'd rather hear my character say "hey I found something" rather than a DM say "you feel a weird air, maybe there is a secret door somewhere here" (that's just a suspense killer >> I don't wanna know what I'm finding until I've actually searched!).
Sure we need DM input in some places, who's gonna tell us the plotline of the dungeon we're enterring otherwise. It just needs a little restraint and management.

2. Let-us-be-evil! Honestly, is Ebberon a weak enough campaign that only non-evil players can actually join in the adventure? A good DM can find a way to make a Paladin work with a Chaotic Evil Blackguard, we shouldn't be tethered down to being just goodie goodie heroes in some blind campaign. What's wrong with being a little evil every now and then?

3. More choices in quests and dungeons...and the game in general. We need them, badly. Incorperating more dialogue in some quests and dungeons would be a nice step foreward, though not too much! I don't want to spend 2 hours talking and 1 minute fighting, but spending more than 5 seconds talking in some plot-based dungeons wouldn't be bad at all.


4.We also need some interesting things to do in town, random events where the outcome can let you roleplay as good or evil.

Here's an example of a random event:

*You spot a group of thugs harrassing a young woman, what do you do?
**Rush at the thugs (enter levelled combat)
**Try to talk the thugs out of their deeds (Diplomacy, bluff, etc.)
**Leave them alone (no action)

And if you chose number 1 or 2:

*Thank you, you saved me, how can I repay you?
**Just trying to help, please take this 10 copper pieces (good action)
**No reward is needed (good action)
**Well I am a little strapped for cash...(neutral)
**You can repay me with a handsome reward woman! (evil)
**You can repay me with your life and all your possessions! (combat and really evil :3)


5. We really need an alignment system that isn't based around our wallets. Do you really expect me to pay 395 to change my alignment? That's 5 bucks -.- and it's almost useless. Make some of those actions I suggested in 3-4 affect our alignment either good or bad. Obviously, following the example, killing the woman is an act of chaos and pure evil so a few points shifted towards chaos and evil. Helping her and even giving her money is an act of extreme goodness so a few points towards good (not law though since you aren't really supporting a law by giving away money).

By all means keep the alignment changes in the cash shop but make them more reasonable to fit in with an alignment system. I can guarentee I'd be more willing to spend 100-200 TP to let my chaotic evil sorcerer fit in a few paladin levels since changing my alignment that much would require a lot of roleplay. But why would I bother in this system? I don't even get to roleplay based on my alignment, all that changes is the equipment I can use, there is no difference in a quest if I'm neutral, chaotic, lawful, or good, so why would I waste the TP when I can just make my sorcerer lawful good without giving up anything?


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Comments, Critiques, more ideas? Honestly I'm sure there are a thousand viable ways to make Roleplaying work in something that was based on a roleplaying game >>

Edit
Turbine markets DDO as an MMORPG (it's why I started playing it :P), so I don't think I'm crazy to expect some RPG elements.

[azrael4h]

1 - This is a MMO, not an RPG. Having RPG-like stats and rules does not an RPG make. Even a CRPG.

2 - If you want to role play, then do so. No one is stopping you. Turbine, however, cannot force an RP element into other peoples' game styles.

3 - C is for cookie, that is good enough for me.

4 - Honestly, we commit a number of evil acts, even as Paladins, in this game. Dead Girl's quest (in Deleras Tomb) either gives you nothing, or is an evil act. Slaughtering those peasants of the Sov Host is an evil act. Just ignore your on-paper alignment, and RP whatever you want it to be, at least until Turbine decides to implement evil.

5 - I'd like to see differing quest endings depending on alignment, and some alignment-based choices, but I don't expect that to happen. Why? Because this is a MMO, not a RPG.

[Kahath]

5 - I'd like to see differing quest endings depending on alignment, and some alignment-based choices, but I don't expect that to happen. Why? Because this is a MMO, not a RPG.

You could always run Litany of the Dead...

[dmgibbons]

I see what the first poster is saying. As for paladin's doing evil acts, they should lose EXP or a level, in pen and paper our DM always made it be exp and after so many you lost your alignment and you lost all paladin' abilities and were basically a gimp fighter. Anyways... As for you saying it is just an MMO, Turbine advertises the game as MMO-RPG... So it is an RPG, just because no one really role plays doesn't make it not be an RPG.. I also find the DM pretty lame at times, they could use a lot better descriptions etc. As for the town idea it sounds good but it would be a pain to incorporate into game set up as DDO is. I do understand what you are saying though, should be more to do in town etc. As I have found out though not everyone who plays pen and paper did a lot in town they just do the quest role play in the quest/dungeon and then call it a night. Personally when I DMed my buddies would always screw around in town for a half hour role playing etc and I gave more exp for those who role played well etc.

I do agree they should have evil characters and give us a choice to be evil. Also rogues should be able to pick pocket other players and npcs. My advice is to try and find a good role playing guild that is of decent level and have a decent active membership. I know they exist check the guild section of forums.

Dustin

I also play on Cannith

[helicalius]

those aspects are not good for mmos because they will disturbe the ballance of the proffecional level of the game. i dont care about the narator i personaly mute him, and all the secret doors and stuff are easly checked on internet. thats what people who played this game for over half a year do, they dont listen to the narator and act as thou its pen and paper dnd style.

try to get into the mmo style its totaly different cant say its better or worse its just different. unfortunatly the aspects of mmo cannot fuse with the aspects of role playing. one game that tried that was fable i remember but i think it was single player.

[Moonivy]

I'd be fine with a few co-op or competive mini-games for the in town interactions. gambling and card/dice games that you'd normally find in a tavern. More descriptive than what is already in the phoenix tavern and friendly to multiple players. or even if it is to just let us sit propperly in chairs.

There are some resourceful role players whom make the best out of the current game for their role playing.

[Templarion]

Evil faction vs good factions

In Cannith Crystal good faction defends the crystal against evil and evil is trying to destroy it.

In Kobold Assault evil faction tries to break the defenses and good factions defends the fortress.

In Acid Wit you help the trogolydytes to break the Tower of Twelve and the foundation of Stormreach and finally the whole town is destroyed. Now that would be fun!

I can hear the whine of players: "Yeah. We cannot play in Argonessen anymore. They broke the whole city and the undead are roaming free in the streets. We need at least 100 lvl 20 paladins to purify the city before we can start rebuilding it."

[helicalius]

I can hear the whine of players: "Yeah. We cannot play in Argonessen anymore. They broke the whole city and the undead are roaming free in the streets. We need at least 100 lvl 20 paladins to purify the city before we can start rebuilding it."

doode thats some imagination you got there, that would change the face of ddo forever.

[CrescentCalling_5]

Turbine markets this game as an MMORPG ^^" so don't blame me for expecting it to have some rpg elements.

[AZgreentea]

4 - Honestly, we commit a number of evil acts, even as Paladins, in this game. Dead Girl's quest (in Deleras Tomb) either gives you nothing, or is an evil act. Slaughtering those peasants of the Sov Host is an evil act. Just ignore your on-paper alignment, and RP whatever you want it to be, at least until Turbine decides to implement evil.

One of the things I love about Eberron is the loose way alignment is treated. To quote the Lore Keepers Lounge:

Alignments are only relative gauges of a character or creature’s worldview and not absolute barometers of affiliation or intent. Put simply, sometimes good people do bad things and even confirmed villains might have a soft spot for puppies. It is possible to encounter an evil metallic dragon or even a good vampire. Traditionally good-aligned creatures might wind up opposed to your heroes, while well-known adherents of darkness might provide timely assistance. In Eberron, nothing is as it seems.

*EDIT had to fix my poor spelling of Eberron...

[Impaqt]

If you are limiting yourself to in-game mechanincs, you not a very good role player.

Role Playing is about Imagination and having fun. If the game doesnt let you do something, Make up a story as to why, go ahead and role play that your character is Evil... what do youthink you could do ingame differently if your alignment WAS indeed evil? Turbine stillisnt going to let folks attack other Player Characters whenever they want.

[Cauthey]

Turbine markets this game as an MMORPG ^^" so don't blame me for expecting it to have some rpg elements.

I was just about to say that...+1 for you, sir.