New D&D MMO and it's impact in DDO

[Binn05]

So as we know that a little competition can boost quality in the ones involved, how do you think this ---> http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11...mmo-retooling/ will impact DDO quality?

[Uska]

I think it will have a large temp effect but I think people will not stay with it I think the samething about SWTOR

problem with the new dnd mmo is

1. its 4e
2. cryptic
3. atari
4. its 4e

[Arnhelm]

Interesting... I'll keep an eye on it, see how it develops.

[grodon9999]

I think it will have a large temp effect but I think people will not stay with it I think the samething about SWTOR

problem with the new dnd mmo is

1. its 4e
2. cryptic
3. atari
4. its 4e

it's Forgotten Realms! Many of us could care less about Eberon.

I wouldn't worry about it until it's released to be honest, so much can change. Competition is a good thing.

[Dandonk]

problem with the new dnd mmo is

1. its 4e
2. cryptic
3. atari
4. its 4e

So very much this. As well as:

5. It's Atari
6. It's 4e

[LordPiglet]

Actually, Atari sold off Cryptic.

But it's still Cryptic. I still wonder if the lawsuits are coming now that they're saying it's an MMORPG.

[Vordax]

So very much this. As well as:

5. It's Atari
6. It's 4e

I would add:

7. It's Atari
8. It's forgotten realms.
9. It's Atari

Vordax

[Uska]

it's Forgotten Realms! Many of us could care less about Eberon.

I wouldn't worry about it until it's released to be honest, so much can change. Competition is a good thing.

I woiuld rather play wow than the better they were forgotten realms.

[Truga]

it's Forgotten Realms! Many of us could care less about Eberon.

I wouldn't worry about it until it's released to be honest, so much can change. Competition is a good thing.

Frankly, since coming to DDO, Eberron has grown on me. Maybe even to the point of going beyond FR. The whole arcanepunk environment is pretty darn awesome.

[ArkoHighStar]

Actually, Atari sold off Cryptic.

But it's still Cryptic. I still wonder if the lawsuits are coming now that they're saying it's an MMORPG.

you can bet they will as Turbine has the sole rights to a DnD based mmo. This was the original reason the new game was dubbed an 'copperative RPG' and not an mmo. Cryptic was bought by Perfect World International a Chinese company known for several popular Asian MMo's.

My guess is WB will be firing up the lawsuit machine fairly soon

[grodon9999]

Frankly, since coming to DDO, Eberron has grown on me. Maybe even to the point of going beyond FR. The whole arcanepunk environment is pretty darn awesome.

Some of it has grown on me, but it's too sci-fi for my tastes.

[Vanquishedfo]

While I am not workin for any of the companies involved, any multi MMO gamer/multi edition D&D pnp player is going to be able to hear what I say and probably share some of the logic behind.

It all starts with the pushing of 4th Edition D&D which no few PnP players like myself immediatly made comments of upon first reading, and then experiancing in play, that it felt alot more like an MMO D&D rule set, meant to emulate something abit like good old diablo 2 in the fast hack and slash factor and all classes having similar equality at all level ranges and alot of RP stuff or fun concept stuff got thrown out the window in the name of all classes being useful and almost even needed. Gone seemed the days of the all paladin/ cleric groups questing for thier god, the all stealth parties who never ever charged ahead and so on.

So we now have 4E and I expect like the hobby shops in my area within weeks of 4e they stopped being able to buy any 3.5 books from the direct supplier and scrounge in surplus venues to fill special orders for the now obsolete manuals. Its alot like a company pulling support on outdated software.

No few on the forums here on DDO over the years have questioned the possibility of or even asked for a DDO 2 using 4e rules. Well that wont ever happen because Wizards of the Coast refused them the rights and instead backed another company. This is where the End talk comes in.

WOTC as I said sold the rights for 4E along with the name to one of thier most succesful pc ports of D&D across multiple rule sets, the forgotton realms, specifically Never Winter Nights Online the new 4e MMO is on the way and in likely no small conicidence set to release in either late 2013 or early 2014. 2014 is the year turbines lease on D&D goes up for renewel. I dont believe in coincidence myself.

So who has the rights to this next gen D&D MMO you may ask? Cryptic Studios who was previously under the umbrella of Atari was working on it and then bought by Perfect World who may be among the biggest names in the asian MMO community. And for those who are fans of thier games you wont meet a more rabid, vocal, and fervent group.

Perfect World buying cryptic and the rights to all things D&D starting in 2014 was no small investment with figures whispered in the tens of millions. They have the rights to D&D starting then pure and simple and that means its done for DDO and turbine cant do a thing about it as they have already been pre empted. keep in mind Bioware let go of the franchise a while back and has been pumping most of thier own funds into thier own flagship next gen mmo SWTOR. Its even rumored NWNO will include true plane walking adventure as Cryptics lead designer is none other then Jack Emmerett himself the single name most connected with the praise heaped upon the classic and much loved D&D PC game Planescapes Torment. For those who know that game and name they probably just started drooling. It is also rumored to be built around the player make thier own mods style they have used beta versions of in games like Star Trek Online one of thier current minor titles they used to help make a name for themselves, or the Area Architect used on City Of Heroes another one of cryptics earlier MMOs that is quite popular still after 7 years.

Its these factors that lead to the much more frequent discussion in groups in DDo these days I find of this topic. Turbine probably cant even talk about it without breaching somekind of clause in thier contract with WOTC.

DDO dies in2014, no way wotc renews turbines lease on the rights to D&D especially since word is in the renegotians with WOTC PWE went for full rights and rumors abound that Jack Emerett is drooling at the idea of starting with a FR core campaign but expanding into planescapes like his early D&D PC success PlaneScapes Torment.

[Arnhelm]

Hmm... Would a company deliberately sabotage their own game, one that is less profitable than desired, to sell rights to another company working on a similar type of game?

...and yes, I'm paranoid. Says so in the official diagnostic codes.

[Binn05]

DDO dies in2014, no way wotc renews turbines lease on the rights to D&D especially since word is in the renegotians with WOTC PWE went for full rights...

I ain't no expert at how rights and leasing works, so my question is:
If WOTC won't renew Turbine lease rights, can Turbine continue publishing DDO?

In a kind of "ok, you guys had the rights for 8 years, now you can continue working on it, but others guys can too" way?
Or is more like "close the servers, you can't go on with this"?

[NecroKovy]

Some of it has grown on me, but it's too sci-fi for my tastes.

Yes, ever since Artificers I just haven't felt the same. I don't care one bit about the new quests, tried one on a guest pass and got killed. The room had floating globes that shot lasers, and stormtrooper looking things that held crossbows (guess they weren't stormtroopers, seeing as they hit me just fine).

I *like* things like Eye of the Titan, but prefer 'not even gunpowder' campaigns.

[Failedlegend]

I think it will have a large temp effect but I think people will not stay with it I think the samething about SWTOR

problem with the new dnd mmo is

1. its 4e
2. cryptic
3. atari
4. its 4e

1. Don't see how thats a bad thing
2. Agreed...Strike 1
3. Agreed...Strike 2
4. Is there an echo in here?
5. Last Minute Genre Change...Strike 3

[Vissarion]

I don't particularly care for FR, and I actually prefer Eberron (heresy, I know), and while I'm not keen on 4E, an MMO platform does seem like a place where it could fit better. So I dunno.

It'll ultimately depend on the combat style. If it's a WoW/TOR/LOTRO hit 1-2-3-1-2-3-7 kinda combat system, then screw it. If it is actually active a la DDO, then I'll definitely try it out.

[Failedlegend]

It'll ultimately depend on the combat style. If it's a WoW/TOR/LOTRO hit 1-2-3-1-2-3-7 kinda combat system, then screw it.

Add SWTOR to that list...In had such high hopes for it. You'd think if anyone could pull off actually making a Unique MMO it would be Bioware & Lucas Arts...but no they went with another copy+paste job of WoW...probably Lucas Arts idea.

[AZgreentea]

Forgotten Realms is so boring... Trying to figure out the lore is like trying to read a long book where every chapter was written by a different author, in a different style, and with a different ending in mind.

I dont mind the way 4E looks on paper, though I haven't played it.

I've settled in to DDO. I have invested money and sunk roots here. I think of Eberron as the way I have always imagined D&D. I'm not going anyplace, and the only people who are leaving are the one who were just looking for a reason. Thats the way it is with any MMO player.

As far as competition, I dont know if you noticed but Turbine created a payment method that nearly a dozen MMO's have copied so far. Turbine has plenty of competition, and these are just the newest batches. The MMO market is not exactly sparse, especially not now that female gamers have begun to arrive in force, and the new generations see the MMO as a standard game platform (and not something your dad let you do with Diablo and the dial up modem when I was a kid).

[Flavilandile]

I ain't no expert at how rights and leasing works, so my question is:
If WOTC won't renew Turbine lease rights, can Turbine continue publishing DDO?

In a kind of "ok, you guys had the rights for 8 years, now you can continue working on it, but others guys can too" way?
Or is more like "close the servers, you can't go on with this"?

Actually I suspect it's more going to depend on who has right to publish a 4E MMO set in the Forgotten Realms and who has right to publish a 3.5E MMO set in Eberron....

Basically is Turbine has the rights over a 3.5E MMO set in Eberron an PWE has the rights over a 4E MMO Set in FR both can be alive at the same time.

In such licensing issue the exact terms of what you are allowed to use and what you're not allowed to use is important. And as we are talking of Hasbro, it wouldn't surprise me that they keep both running at the same time, for a little while, to maximize revenue. ( especially as they know that 4E is a No Way for some people )