DDO Producer's Letter July 2014

[harry-pancreas]

All updates are good updates, but Orchard is a weird choice.

I appreciate it's way too late, but maybe just adding an epic version of Abbot would have done the job.

People haaate Orchard.

- Mid-Inferno "Does anyone have a wand of ice storm?" isn't cool. Can you please put 2 barrels at the start which, when smashed, give a wand of ice storm and wand of fireball - like in Bargain Bazaar or Two-Toed Tobias' guaranteed bow and arrows drops. Thank you.

- I can see the GoP "I had deathblock on but still got level drained and/or disintegrated" threads re-appearing already. I see no solution to this. Just don't add any annoying as all get out Kludjarglhgtcgs to the beholder encounter and I'm happy. Thank you.

- "Fleshmaker's needs a party and has annoying air elementals". How about no-air-elemental respawn, runes permanently on for epic?
In exchange, every time you light a rune 5 random scrolls are auto-looted right into your backpack as if you'd just looted a scroll-bomb gold pile. Thank you.

- "Vol needs evasion now" (Can you please make the stupid spinny blades trap corridor actually spin visibly again so you can time it?
The gate-drop down mechanism when running the warrens is also just an annoying newb trap. Please remove it and add some Indiana Jones style rolling boulders to the 'easy' corridor at the top instead of the dart traps. Make them killable or dodgable by running into the blade alcoves. Thank you.

I personally still run Inferno, GoP and Vol each life, and hope to pick up a party along the way for Fleshmaker's, but it's not like people are clamoring to run the quests for fun.

Also, epicing explorer areas seems like it would take a lot of development resources, but they're almost as 'one and done' as looking at the new art assets for the ship buffs. Needs unique loot or bust (and not a trillion Kobold Admiral Wheel).

Even most of the weirdo explorer completionists just grab all the messages/explorer points and are done with it. Though, since you're doing it, adding another Wheloon style Shipwrecked Clothes secret vendor would be cool. Maybe Mentos' sweet suspenders outfit.

I don't know. Epicifying old stuff makes sense, but I had figured Necro and Threnal would be bottom of the list. Where's Tempest's Spine in the queue incidentally?

I appreciate this is near-universally negative, but good job on Spellsinger and Warchanter, and I sincerely expect I'll be at least somewhat pleasantly surprised as usual anyway.

-Please don't dumb inferno
-Gop: People will always post silly things.
-Please don't dumb fleshmaker's
- Vol needs no evasion.

[harry-pancreas]

I am actually very excited about epic necro 4. I'm hoping litany will be the new tor for wide range of loot. I am curious as to how the loot is going to be done though. The litany and questing area could definitely use some new items. I hope however that the loot for this new abbot raid upgrades the old items from Ascension Chamber to epic, sort of like how they did reavers to fot. I would usually like a new selection of item but the loot for Ascension Chamber was done incredibly well the first time around. Those items would make amazing epic items. The loot is amazing for heroic leveling and even still in epic play. The quiver, litany, maximize clicky, heighten clicky, and the sp clicky are even still used in end game so having epic versions of these same times of items would be great. There also should be an addition of other items as well of course but anyways ... what are the plans for teh lootz if there are any as of yet.

yes! just epify the items, and epify the upgraded versions. That's all we need!

epic litany (heavy breathing)

[harry-pancreas]

[QUOTE=Xenoraze;5397112]+10% XP bonus for each player in the party above one. So a +50% XP bonus for completing quests with a full party of six players. Hirelings and pets obviously not included. Anyone who has a penalty for joining late is also not included. Players should be encouraged to run the full quest with as many players as possible.

awesome idea

Good moorning! I would like to express some opinions about this game that I play since 2009 and really love! I will write in order of importance!



2 - DDO is a cooperative team game but today we see many players soloing quests, different from the book players can evolve multiclass without any penalty. I have read about the paladin changes and you are thinking about changing Divine Grace. Would not it be more interesting to work with experience penalties for multiclassing?

I agree, but people would think of this as a nerf, and they hate them. I'd suggest adding a little bonus (10% maybe ?) if you have every level in the same class.

[Nodoze]

Just wanted to say thanks for pulling together a cohesive vision including soliciting feedback and communicating...

I love the variety and myriad of combination of characters for DDO which I think adds life to the game and think the Past Life and Epic Destiny systems were great ideas that no other game has...

Not sure how to best communicate this it but I think getting back to the days where things were standardized around the 20 level cap and the majority if content was relevant seems like a good goal to me.

Personally I don't value an ever increasing level cap as much as I would value an end-game with lots of variety and content.

Ideally if we standardize on 30 and stop there then maybe over time all or at least most the content can have level 30 or near level 30 versions added.

I haven't read all the posts in this thread but one thing that comes to mind is Tiering the Raids like many other games do. There could be sets of armor/weapons tied to Tier 1 raids as well as sets tied to Tier2 or Tier 3..

The difficultly of Tier2s could be made where they were reasonably expected to be able to be completed unless the bulk of the players were geared to at least Tier 1 levels.

Instead of Tiering everything at 30 an alternative would be to tier at the later levels (28,29?) before 30.

I don't know that I would implement an mandatory Gear Score system and requirements for entry to Raids (something to consider very carefully) but think some levels of Tiering/Ranking/Scoring could give a better understanding and sense of Progression and accomplishment for individuals and Guilds.

The above being said I don't want to get on a never ending gear upgrade tread mill as I like the idea of being able to 'finish' one character and them shelve him/her for a bit to work on another but then be able to dust that character off and they be relevant/usable when I want a change of pace. Personally I would like to keep in my "stable" a view different endgame viable DPS playstyle options as well as at least one Tank and a Healer and don't find them getting outdated all the time fun.

Thanks again for all you do and prayers lifted for much more DDO fun for all...

[harry-pancreas]

Just wanted to say thanks for pulling together a cohesive vision including soliciting feedback and communicating...


I haven't read all the posts in this thread but one thing that comes to mind is Tiering the Raids like many other games do. There could be sets of armor/weapons tied to Tier 1 raids as well as sets tied to Tier2 or Tier 3..

The difficultly of Tier2s could be made where they were reasonably expected to be able to be completed unless the bulk of the players were geared to at least Tier 1 levels.

Instead of Tiering everything at 30 an alternative would be to tier at the later levels (28,29?) before 30.

they did it with the N/H/E loot, or at least something simillar.. I.E some loot in FoT can be aquired in EE only. But then people whined about elitism and more carp.

[Nodoze]

they did it with the N/H/E loot, or at least something simillar.. I.E some loot in FoT can be aquired in EE only. But then people whined about elitism and more carp.

I understand the QQ but things like that give folk a reason to gear up for EE. I would have to think about it more but my gut is that additional things like that may be a good idea to give feelings of progression/accomplishment.

[Xerodephex]

Old geezer here (let's say 39...again) and I love DDO. I like the epic levels, but there is something so...comforting...when you return to Korthos or the docks for that next life. I would rather do this than play the epics (maybe that will change after a few more lives!). I know it may not make tons of sense to focus new content there as the quests are generally short, but I think a few updates of old classics would be awesome. I think the tomb quest on Korthos got an update a year or two ago? Maybe a new free quest or two for the early levels? I always buy a HOW to speed things along (and many others do as well), so it isn't a bad ROI for Turbine. Just a different bit of feedback, maybe I am just a sentimental old nut...

[mkmcgw17]

Hello! I’m writing today to tell you more about our plans for DDO in the coming months, and introduce you to a few folks you might not know. We’ve made some adjustments to our “road map” for 2014 that we think you’ll be excited about, and we’ve added a few folks to the team that we want to introduce you to.

For those of you who missed my letter written for DDO’s 8th anniversary, my name is Athena, and I’m DDO’s Franchise Director. I’m the person heading up the DDO team, working with our partners, producers, and teams leads, and making various business decisions that keep the engines running. We’re really pleased to have added Design Manager Severlin to our team in recent months, and I notice that you’ve already been seeing his design leadership in action in the Official Discussion Forums (and in the game!) Severlin comes to DDO from Asheron’s Call, where he served as Producer (and wore many hats) for quite some time. Additionally, we’ve added two other members of the Asheron’s Call team to our staff: NoWorries and Kintani, who are working on items, quests, systems, and more! Of course, it takes a huge amount of creativity to keep DDO going, so I also want to thank the many other developers, quality assurance, production, operations, art, and community people I work with every day for all of their hard work – thank you!

When Rowan spoke with you back in December, we outlined a plan for 2014 that we’ve delivered so far (like Epic Three Barrel Cove, Haunted Halls of Eveningstar, etc.) However, we’re making a few changes to our calendar for the rest of the year, and I want to make sure you are up-to-date on our plans. Initially, we were considering creating Anauroch for Update 23, and raising the level cap to 30 in Update 24. Rowan also talked about the concept of “Sentient Weapons” in his letter, although that wasn’t assigned to an update. You can expect all of these things to happen! But, our team has been looking at alternatives, reading your ideas on the forums (and Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Twitch, etc.), discussing our plans with the Players Council, and gathering their feedback on what they’d like us to work on. We’ve been talking amongst the team as well, assessing what it is we’d like to do, and when the right time to do it is. In that context, we’ve shifted our plans slightly.

Update 23 will bring Epic Orchard of the Macabre to DDO, along with a new Epic raid! While the raid will share some locations and similarities to the current Accursed Ascension raid (“Abbot raid”), our team will bring a whole new series of challenges to adventurers brave enough to enter. We’re not simply “adding hit points to the Abbot”, but are rather re-thinking the raid space for an entirely new battle, with a new story line, baddies, loot, and more! One of the things we’re looking to do in the coming year is to provide more high-level questing and raiding to DDO, and we think an Epic Orchard of the Macabre fits nicely with that goal.

Besides newly Epi-fied versions of the quests found in Orchard of the Macabre, we’re also planning to make sure the Orchard itself is ready for high-level adventure with exciting battles against rare enemies, werewolves (yes, in Eberron!), new loot, and more! We’ll be talking a lot more about the Epic Orchard of the Macabre in the coming months, and I can’t wait for you to see what our devious devs have planned.

Update 23 will also feature a series of improvements aimed at making sure heavy armor-wearing adventurers feel powerful and ready to go toe-to-toe with some of DDO’s toughest enemies, updates to improve the Paladin class, and other changes that will give our melee players a boost. We’re also creating new Augments for our Crystal Cove event that higher-level players can slot into their favorite weapons, armor, and items, and expect to bring those new Augments to you when Crystal Cove reopens after the release of Update 23.

Update 24 will round out the year with new quests, new Festivult cookies, and a new event that centers on something we can all agree on: looting chests! We’ll be continuing our work on the Anauroch Desert (in the Forgotten Realms), planning for Sentient Weapons, and developing another Classic Dungeon like the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar. We expect these to be something you’ll see in the first half of 2015. We’re pushing out the level cap for now to make sure we have plenty of questing to support your journey through the highest levels of DDO. Hitting level 30 will be a big milestone for DDO, and we want to put it out when the timing is right, and make sure its design keeps up with the way you, the players want to play DDO.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg that is our whiteboard. We are constantly reviewing our ideas and your suggestions, and making adjustments based on your changing needs and requests as well as our own excitement on new ideas for you to play with, so you may see a few more surprises pop in over the next year as we get closer to releasing our updates.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you about these plans, and anything else you’d like to see happen in DDO! Happy adventuring, and we’ll see you in Dungeons & Dragons Online!

Cheers!
Athena “Vyvyanne” Peters
Franchise Director – Dungeons & Dragons Online

I've been playing ddo for five years and I really like the game. I've been disappointed with the last few updates including this one. I'm an older paper gamer and play dnd on paper still. I have three versions of the players handbook here and there's no mention of prr mrr or weapon power anywhere. Changes like these r over complicating the game and overpowering select classes. There's no epic either but .. It seems like your doing rule changes to create the appearance of progress or as a cost cutting measure. Most of the new update is recycled including graphics and sound effects as well as the general content. The only things new are the raid and the voice overs. I would probably play this game for another five years spending $100 or more per year as I have so far if you released new content and reversed some of the fluff rule changes that benefit the loud minority not the silent majority. Most of the players I game with regularly feel the same. Thanks for taking the time to receive player input.

[farsight]

I've been playing ddo for five years and I really like the game. I've been disappointed with the last few updates including this one. I'm an older paper gamer and play dnd on paper still. I have three versions of the players handbook here and there's no mention of prr mrr or weapon power anywhere. Changes like these r over complicating the game and overpowering select classes. There's no epic either but .. It seems like your doing rule changes to create the appearance of progress or as a cost cutting measure. Most of the new update is recycled including graphics and sound effects as well as the general content. The only things new are the raid and the voice overs. I would probably play this game for another five years spending $100 or more per year as I have so far if you released new content and reversed some of the fluff rule changes that benefit the loud minority not the silent majority. Most of the players I game with regularly feel the same. Thanks for taking the time to receive player input.

while i agree in principle with this there are some expectations of videogames and in particular mmo's that tabletop games either don't have or are moderated down some. a feeling of progression is one of the differences. while games in general all have this aspect, the expectations on how this is managed vary widely.

yet, i think the prr/mrr additions aren't necessary, and i am normally a fan of complexity of gameplay. but then again, im not crunching database numbers to determine gameplay mechanics and flow like Turbine are probably doing.

seeing the same soul/tree system beginning to take shape that half a dozen other games have is a bit discouraging as for DDO's direction. having a visual layout for between level enhancements is certainly an improvement. i just worry when i begin to see 'trees' forming for abilities.

as for rehashing graphics and sounds, with the limitations it seems Turbine DDO are working under, i think that is simply an aspect to be expected.

also, you mention there being "no epic either". if by this you mean no rules for Epic level characters there is actually an entire 3.5 manual for that.

[Silverleafeon]

Could someone edit DDO WIKI and remove the reference that the level cap will be increased to 30 in December.

It will not be increased till next year, 2015 (at the earliest.)

Bumping thread as we have a lot of people thinking otherwise.

[LXP]

Could someone edit DDO WIKI and remove the reference that the level cap will be increased to 30 in December.

It will not be increased till next year, 2015 (at the earliest.)

Bumping thread as we have a lot of people thinking otherwise.

Done: http://ddowiki.com/page/Level_cap and http://ddowiki.com/page/In_development#Update_24

[Silverleafeon]

Done: http://ddowiki.com/page/Level_cap and http://ddowiki.com/page/In_development#Update_24

Thanks, oh my, looks like someone else reedited it and changed it back....

I realize there is an august post that contradicts this one, however this is official here:

We will not be increasing the level cap with Update 24.

Being on the Player's Council I would know if update 24 has a level cap increase, and it does not.

[Hazelnut]

Old geezer here (let's say 39...again) and I love DDO. I like the epic levels, but there is something so...comforting...when you return to Korthos or the docks for that next life. I would rather do this than play the epics (maybe that will change after a few more lives!). I know it may not make tons of sense to focus new content there as the quests are generally short, but I think a few updates of old classics would be awesome. I think the tomb quest on Korthos got an update a year or two ago? Maybe a new free quest or two for the early levels? I always buy a HOW to speed things along (and many others do as well), so it isn't a bad ROI for Turbine. Just a different bit of feedback, maybe I am just a sentimental old nut...

I would also like to see some new lower level quest options. Although you can take a character through several levels without hitting the same quests. Start on Korthos gets you to level 2 or 3 without repeating anything (I think) and you could just as well hop over to the harbour and run through stuff there from level 1 (maybe a bit challenging since you would be running stuff at a higher level than your character).

Something I thought might be fun, would be to have a different starting story when you TR. For your first TR you could get dropped somewhere else and have to make your way to Stormreach. We have all those refugees from the Cerulean hills, how about a town on the far side somewhere and the town has to break the blockade that the orcs have built. It could also be used to explain who/what has gotten the orcs there so worked up. I think it had something to do with the sharn syndicate storyline but I never did figure it out for sure. This would also, nicely lead to a different set of obvious starting quests in Stormreach if done right.

Having said all that, there are far fewer quest at the higher levels (especially epic), so I do see why Turbine is concentrating there.

[kemetka]

I would also like to see some new lower level quest options. Although you can take a character through several levels without hitting the same quests. Start on Korthos gets you to level 2 or 3 without repeating anything (I think) and you could just as well hop over to the harbour and run through stuff there from level 1 (maybe a bit challenging since you would be running stuff at a higher level than your character).

Something I thought might be fun, would be to have a different starting story when you TR. For your first TR you could get dropped somewhere else and have to make your way to Stormreach. We have all those refugees from the Cerulean hills, how about a town on the far side somewhere and the town has to break the blockade that the orcs have built. It could also be used to explain who/what has gotten the orcs there so worked up. I think it had something to do with the sharn syndicate storyline but I never did figure it out for sure. This would also, nicely lead to a different set of obvious starting quests in Stormreach if done right.

Having said all that, there are far fewer quest at the higher levels (especially epic), so I do see why Turbine is concentrating there.

easy way to play both sides would be to have scaling quests similar to tangleroot where it spans multiple levels
or to have individual scaling quests where the enemies are different based on difficulty and level such as devils assault.

[Silverleafeon]

Done: http://ddowiki.com/page/Level_cap and http://ddowiki.com/page/In_development#Update_24

Thanks, its fixed now, good job.