What do you love about DDO?

[Divinitae]

We've had a lot of discussions about things people don't like. I'm not ignoring those threads or wishing they would go away - I think they have their use in the community, and I'll continue to read those. But sometimes I'd rather read something more positive, and I know that there are a lot of others who feel the same. So, I want to ask what you *do* like about the game. What is it that keeps *you* playing?

For me, it's:
* A huge amount of customizability in characters. I like to dream up new builds whether they are just for flavor or (more often) it's the challenge of trying to find new combinations and synergies to squeeze more potential out of my next toon. I like that just knowing what class your toon started as doesn't really tell me much about what kind of a toon it will be in the endgame.
* The variety of content. I like that each quest has it's own narrative. I like that it's not just "kill X number of monsters and bring me proof" or "Go find NPC Bob in another location and deliver this message/package". I like that there are puzzles. I like that there are challenges. I like that there are optional objectives. I like that you can get bonuses for either killing a lot of monsters or for killing very few. I like that some quests are full of traps and others don't have any. I like that some quests are short while others take more time. I like that some NPCs respond differently depending on your toon's dialogue choices and/or social skill levels. I like that a lot of the quests poke fun at themselves or the game or the fantasy genre in general.
* Lots of Quick-Travel options. Having played other games where it can take a long time to get from one end of the world to the other, I really appreciate that I can get from wherever I happen to log in to any other quest in the game in a relatively short amount of time. Airship travel, teleporters, farshifters, spells, scrolls, clickies...
* Cooperative play. I like that the game isn't about beating another player, or improving your ranking, or having a toon that's better than everyone else's, or trying to crush an opposing guild. I like that it's not me against you, but about us working together to accomplish something.

And at the top of my list:
* My guild. It's a family. People I look up to and want to be around. People who go out of their way to help each other and others outside of the guild as well. People I trust.


So, what about you? What is it that *you* love about DDO?

[Keltarrin]

Top of my list, I have a giant black panther to adventure with that I can pretend is my oldest childhood hero! Bagheera!

The game is fun and flexible. I've played about half a decade now and have learned enough (and bought enough) to pick and choose what level of play I want to approach the game at in any given moment. I'm not always in the mood for the same play experience as some are, as my moods change often.

I don't always meet good people here, but the ones I do meet are really awesome. I've gotten into long, rambling chats about this, that, and the other at times. I like to pop into the Marketplace sometimes and just ramble on about nonsense topics like who should be in the Good DnD Movie or whether a level-capped and optimized Pale Master could beat a level-capped and optimized Necromancy Mastermind from City of Heroes (my money's on the Mastermind).

Ultimately what I love is that the game is still fun. And as long as it stays fun, I'll stay playing.

[PermaBanned]

Gotta say, what I love most is the design flexibility. I like making "outside the box" toons. Armored arcane casters, trap monkey everythings, and anything else that comes to mind. While I understand that you can't copy a pnp game directly to the mmo environment, I gotta say they've done a good job when you can have a raid full any single class and still have 12 different characters.

Also really liking the new implementation of cosmetic gear Knowing I would lose the appearance I liked when I out grew the armor is what stopped me from getting cosmetic kits. Now, I'll probably spring for some of Glamored stuff.

On that note, a suggestion for any devs reading this to pass along:

I would absolutely pay good money for a "Glamored blank." Essentially I'm thinking I take my purchased "blank" and pop it into the Stone of Change with any suit of armor - both random and named loot should be eligible - and end up with a cosmetic or "Glamored" skin. Being able to have any look I find and like for my permanent appearance would deffinately open my wallet...

[forummuleonly]

I love that when I am bored with upper level content, I can TR and run everything from start to finish all over again on the same character.

I love that I can toss up an LFM and have no doubt it is going to fill within 1/2 hour. (my Thelanis name has gotten around on the LFM panel, not because I know any quests, but because as leader I don't belittle any people that join and are sub-par, I just treat them like a new player......Something I was once and have a clue how NOT to treat them because of it).

I also love the new augment system.

I love the new upgrades to old low level gear.

I hate the changes to potions such as haste, making an already existing item taking up more of my limited bag space with 3(?) separate levels of potion of haste taking up 3 bag slots instead of 1....Nothing worse than looting a chest and having to go through every item in bags to decide which is the least valuable and needs to be destroyed.

I also love Mice. And hate rats.

[Huthor]

Being vastly ancient - I can remember when any form of computer game specifically based on D&D just didn't exist. Gradually, they appeared, but they left a lot to be desired until about the time of the Ravenloft games (Strahd's Revenge (?) - something like that, Stone Prophet....may have been a third.) I'd always dreamt of a game where you could play with other people, in real time (I'm ignoring lag here ), and without running out of content (more or less).

The specific thing here that surpassed my long ago dreams however, is attention to DDO specific lore. I've got all the Eberron material put out, and the attention that's been given to putting in as much of it as possible is impressive. Sure, there's lots missing, but I'd imagine we'll see it at some point.

Would have been much easier to do a generic setting with no real rhyme or reason to the world (beyond being D&D), but I think settling on Eberron and keeping it's flavor makes it a far better experience.

I think - and this is just a personal opinion - a lot of other D&D worlds might have got Turbine more popularity (Forgotten Realms comes to mind), but it would have ended up lacking the immersive feel due to FR and Greyhawk having too many common elements.

Nobody need get their hackles up, it's all down to personal beliefs and tastes. I just feel the vastly different atmosphere of Eberron to a typical setting is what makes it more attractive to me.

Should also note - rather than new stuff going in be based on FR - would have loved to have seen other places in the Eberron world: Khoirvaire, Sarlona, Argonessan, etc.

But, if they did it with the intention of adding more worlds beyond FR, it's fine by me as a first step. Would love to see Greyhawk, Planescape, Athas - or prety much any of them thrown in one day.

[Huldrekall]

For me:

1-d&d style with all those options and varieties for characters...i have like 20 different toons
2-weather changing...yesterday i was at ataraxia when storm came...it was amazing, those raindrops falling on my monitor when i looked up
3-difficulty
4-kobolds that still hates me
5-necro spell animations
6-DM voices, most of all that women voice from 1st khotos quest (heytons rest?)
7-my little fleshrender
8-orc maor dance
9-some dungeons atmosphere

[Azarddoze]

In a time where I haven't even logged in for a couple weeks and perhaps months, it is hard to express what I love. Because I guess what I love in general is what keeps me playing and that would be end game content (or just stuff to do when you are done TRing and gear doesn't even matter that much anymore since it's just overkill).

But let's go with what I like and hopefully will get to love again at some point.

1. Diversity in the role. Even more so for casters, the fact that you can go all out/balance DPS, CC, or Instant Kill (at least used to) by making your own choice toward what you personally want to achieve. And even there you can (could) still be extremely helpful and could even find creative way to overcome objectives or quests in general.

2. Quests designs. This game offers one of the most pleasant first time leveling experience if you own the content and are able to navigate your way around (read/ask/think). The follow ups are awesome, so are some of the narration, storyline. Many are well-crafted and offer different challenges. But since "Questing" is a pretty big percentage of the game, it has to be pretty good. I also find it nice that you can skip stuff/run through/kill what you feel necessary.

3. Obviously diversity in the character creation if you're into theory crafting and optimization build-wise that is awesome.

4. Decent fast paced action MMO. I love how a good execution will actually really boost your overall efficiency to an almost infinite level if the situation permits it.

That'll be it for now. Have a good day.

[BruceTheHoon]

1) Combat.
2) Character customization.
3) DM voice-overs.
4) Instances.
5) [some other things]

[Teh_Troll]

- Highly customizable characters. many options, and despite the opinions of stupid people there are many viable options.

- Great combat system. Could be better, but this is the best of a bad lot.

- it's NOT WoW - that's one thing that makes it awesome. Please devs, for the love of all that is holy stop dumbing down the game for the WOWtards.

- 90+% of the quests are awesome. Yeah the raids suck now but that's fixable.

- based on D&D . . . i play this game because it's close, used to be closer, to the game I loved as a kid.

[sebastianosmith]

My favorite part of the game has little to do with the game itself. Since joining almost five years ago, I've managed to bring several of my family members and friends into the game. We get to converse and play in a medium we all enjoy as if we were in the same room despite being separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles. That's what I find most appealing. Oh, and jumping way up high then throwing down a Drifting Lotus hammer right when I hit the ground. Man, that is so fun. I feel like Goku.

[Coyopa]

I like the ability to customize characters. I like the flexibility in creating multi-classed characters and doing something weird (looking at my 12 fighter/7 monk/1 rogue longsword-using whirling dervish who is tons of fun, but is probably going to get nerfed into oblivion come the enhancement pass).

[foolishmortal]

The combat and movement system ilets you move, react and plan. You can dodge and use cover. You can block and you can cast and run. For example, there is no strategic movent, you cannot outrun mobs for more than 2 seconds. You cannot cast and move as well.

When you learn how to group mobs and do a jump and cone of cold , it relfects skill. when you can position your artie and take advantage of point blank and archer focus its shows planning. when you can interleave mass heal with another good healer and save mana it shows skill.

You can actually be good at this game. You can learn that ogres who have powered up must be treated differently. Or when someone learned how to tank the boss in Echrono when it used to matter showed skill. Or when you know when to rush or when to wait to rechard wait times in Mindsunder elite. Actual skill matters.

Every other MMO i have played usually devolves into mastering cooldowns and thats it.

[PestWulf]

Definitely character versatility and Theorycrafting. Being able to multiclass and try to pick up some synergies and make some fun nitch style builds either around a concept or a particular piece of gear. Absolutely love it.

Too many game companies *cough* Blizzard *cough* have taken their games in to a "simplified" format and dumped the creativity of builds. Yes it's hell to balance, but the reward is people like me playing this game off and on since it came out. I've left several times, but I keep coming back thanks to the character concepts I can't build anywhere else.

If they take a little more focus off of inventory management, I'd probably never leave again.

[LeadHeros]

The character creation is specific in what you can pick and what it does. It would be better if ALL your parameters were visible though.

You are free to set up the hotbars the way you want. Haven't yet found a key that HAD to be set a certain way that I wanted to change.

You can play, have fun and keep up at a variety of skill, gear and knowledge levels; including self imposed limits.

You can play a long time and go pretty far without committing any money. For what I want to do in DDO, the value is very good.

The world feels like a real place that you are free to explore and pick what you want to do. The quests could be a little less linear, but there would be an easier path that most people would take most of the time so meh.

The combat feels real; fighters can slug it out, rogues dash in for a quick kill; casters jump, hide and cast.

[kgol15001]

I love the fact that I can solo so much. Taking a toon to level 25 alone or with a group is awesome. I also love that i am continuiously finding new and cool things that I didn't even know were part of the game... cool ways to finish quests, chests I had missed the first ten times I ran the quest... and of course the Shroud.... love it especially at level with people who are new to it..... totally hilarous and fun.

[brian14]

* Lots of Quick-Travel options. Having played other games where it can take a long time to get from one end of the world to the other, I really appreciate that I can get from wherever I happen to log in to any other quest in the game in a relatively short amount of time. Airship travel, teleporters, farshifters, spells, scrolls, clickies...

Sorry for being off-topic:

Some of you may have played "Second Life". Some others may have read Neal Stephenson's novel "Snowcrash" with its concept of "metaverse" (more or less what we call today virtual reality). What not many people know is that Second Life was intended to be far more than a game -- it was a conscious attempt to create online world that everyone would be using for real-life purposes: in Philip Rosedale's vision every RL business and organization would have a Second Life presence, with a discrete Second Life building. IOW, had Internet gone the way Rosedale wanted, then in order to check Wikipedia you would have to enter Second Life, then travel to Wikipedia Library Building. Possibly quite a distance from where you started out. (That's how Stephenson's metaverse worked, although Rosedale claims he had the same idea before he read "Snowcrash".) Need I explain why this was NOT a crashing success?

And yes, people who design online worlds nowadays tend to put in a lot of teleporters, and/or other ways to get to where you want to instantly. At least if they are smart...

[Hendrik]

For me it is real easy;

I can login each and every day and have a good time with my friends doing whatever we want.

Yep, it is that simple for me.

But to be more detailed;

* Character Customization.

* Good deal of choices to make in facing a challenge.

* It still feels/plays like D&D.

* Far steadier flow of content then what we once had.

* After some seven years of playing I am still learning.

* It is a monetarily cheap source of entertainment.

[brian14]

* Character Customization.

* Good deal of choices to make in facing a challenge.

* It still feels/plays like D&D.

* Far steadier flow of content then what we once had.

* After some seven years of playing I am still learning.

* It is a monetarily cheap source of entertainment.

All that. Plus, trolls still look like they did in 1st ed AD&D!

[MiniKobold]

I love my guildies!!! They are the real reason why I keep playing DDO because we can always find something to do or something to talk about even when doing xp grinding or favor farming. They are also very friendly and helpful. Being able to play with them in (for the most part) a friendly game environment is what I love most about DDO.


I also love the kobolds. They are like family to me.