Producer's Letter - 5/21/15

[Drwaz99]

Greetings!


Update 27 will follow in July. It includes an all-new adventure pack that returns to Shavarath, showcasing the Archons’ side of its endless war. With your help the Gatekeepers have gathered enough Mysterious Remnants to continue their research.

Poor choice to do Warlocks first then endgame content. We need endgame content so much more than a new class. Hope I can stay interested another couple of months.

[PsychoBlonde]

We've gotten quite a bit of "end game content" in the last few updates including Update 25 with ToEE. The Devs can't just put out end game content, that really does not serve the entire user base.

They did state some time ago that the focus is going to be on endgame for a while because they're working to roll out level 30 and don't want to only have a smattering of relevant content at the time of the rollout. They intend 30 to be the long term cap so after that rollout they can once again look into a wider range of options.

[Uska]

Poor choice to do Warlocks first then endgame content. We need endgame content so much more than a new class. Hope I can stay interested another couple of months.

I would disagree a new class should apeal to more people as some couldn't care less about end game unfortunately for me I care even less about warlock since it is a class I actively fought against but it is still better than end game stuff I won't play since I have to do at least one warlock life

[FifthTime]

One of the larger projects that we are working on is a transfer of our game servers and other hardware to a new data center. The new facility will provide both Dungeons and Dragons Online and our friends over at The Lord of the Rings Online with more stability, greater CPU power, and a better networking capability. This will complement our ongoing efforts to reduce lag. It’s a big project and as the year progresses we will be working toward a date where we will migrate to the new datacenter.

So does this mean one mega server is an option?

[Drakos]

Strange response...Greensteel is and has always been the best and most widely used crafting system in game. How could someone not like greensteel? Let me guess, you are a fan of the LoB crafting system?Epic vale might actually get me to keep my VIP status active.

I'm not a fan of greensteal crafting either. I prefer Canith crafting system.

[Cathimon]

Besides, what made you LEAVE ddo? I doubt it was a lack of the warlock class.

Nothing said on these forums, has ever been more accurate!

And yes, merge the servers already. Why don't you answer us on that issue, Severlin?

[Qhualor]

Curious as to why this letter has no real detail compared to the last few? It looks more like an update release schedule. I think this letter will just turn into another gripe thread.

[Grosbeak07]

Poor choice to do Warlocks first then endgame content. We need endgame content so much more than a new class. Hope I can stay interested another couple of months.

I absolutely agree. Move Warlocks to July [keep the discussions going!], get us new content in June. I shudder at the thought of not having anything new to run in the next 2 months.

DDO needs new classes (and races!), but in the end there is only so much variation you get running the same quest over and over.

[cdbd3rd]

"One of the larger projects that we are working on is a transfer of our game servers and other hardware to a new data center."...

I personally am holding my opinion on this tidbit of news. Given the deterioration of LOTRO gameplay in the recent past, I can't see how cramming both games into one swimming pool is gonna help either game.


...and if the rumor I've heard about the new DDO Store being involved with Steam somehow - am gonna be a sadder puppy.

[dunklezhan]

Strange response...
Greensteel is and has always been the best and most widely used crafting system in game. How could someone not like greensteel? Let me guess, you are a fan of the LoB crafting system?

Epic vale might actually get me to keep my VIP status active.

Not really, it's more this:

I'm not a fan of greensteal crafting either. I prefer Canith crafting system.

And also I simply dislike intently the grind per item of greensteal. I know I said I wasn't going to go into it but briefly:

-The general drop rates require bazzillions of runs of the raid (always took me at least 2 x 20th rewards to finish an item), which just doesn't happen anymore, even with a new raid. And frankly, it wasn't fun when it did used to happen (not the raid, just the needing to run it 40+ times per item, per character).

-Rerunning the flagging quests each time,

-The byzantine nature of the system which in and of itself is not a problem then combined with how easy it was and still is to mess up your end item as you move through the tiers, even with the new interface,

-And always and still especially because of the fact that it's impossible to know what order to do things in to get the end result you want without going out of the game to a community driven system.


In particular, that last one should be discoverable in game by now without trial and error.

There's room to tweak all of that and make it better - I'm not saying I hate the results, and I'm not saying the various tools the community has created don't now make it easy to work out. I just dislike it as an overall implementation.

I haven't even done any of the raids since CITW because by the time I was ready to think about it, everyone had run them dry and wasn't posting pugs anymore (unless it was "BYOH know it" type pugs). I don't mind if it takes a month of so running on a 3 day timer to finish an item on average, but if your problem is people finishing raid items too fast, the answer is to not let raid timers work on it, not make the mechanic offputting for people who don't use raid timers.

I know its a business, but I also know Sev doesn't want it to be unfun.

Anyway. I guess that's probably more useful feedback for Sev than any number of lengthier posts I've made on the subject so I'll leave it there!

[cave_diver]

...and if the rumor I've heard about the new DDO Store being involved with Steam somehow - am gonna be a sadder puppy.

Don't think this is a rumor, the failed game of Infinite Crisis (which bleed tons of $$$ & talent away from DDO & LOTO) are now with steam and all cash transactions now must be made through steam. It was part of the maintenance that was done on Monday.

[Marten]

I should not tell players that Ranger will be next once we finish up Warlock in case something causes us to change our plans. Nor can I say that fighter will be some time after that, probably after we work on a new Favored Soul tree. Sadly I cannot confirm any of this information.

Sev~

Sev, any "unconfirmable" information you want to share on the monk? And, can someone PM me when they get to the Monk? I have it set to send me an email

PS: Thanks for spending some time on Quality of Life issues for the game, it is much needed.

[ThomasHunter]

We want Q/A fully engaged with the Warlock release, and our attention fully on Warlock once it goes live because a new class is a big deal for us.

I should not confirm that U26 is an additional release, and that our plan is to still release three more content packs this year since our plans may have to change.

Sev~

Great additional updates on the sly...

[Severlin]

Steam is cool, but we have no plans to force players to use Steam to play DDO or to use the new store. Steam users can keep using Steam, and players who don't use Steam don't have to switch to it to play DDO or use the store when the new store becomes available.

Sev~

[dunklezhan]

I personally am holding my opinion on this tidbit of news. Given the deterioration of LOTRO gameplay in the recent past, I can't see how cramming both games into one swimming pool is gonna help either game.

/darthvoice... Don't underestimate the Power.... of a greenfield network architecture. /darthvoice

The complexity of the set up and of course the mind blowingly complex task of migrating the game and all our accounts... well. That means that power could be used for Good or Evil as far as performance goes if they get it just slightly wrong... but it could make an amazing difference.

[moomooprincess]

I really don't recall a lot of posts or threads about a better store experience.... I rarely interact with the store and have had no problem making purchases.

Warlocks will just be another class I won't play for a few years. I just started to play druids at the end of 2014 and 2015.

I remember a server migration in the past, can you say a few days worth of downtime? Looks like I will be needing to schedule a vacation during this server migration.

[dunklezhan]

I remember a server migration in the past, can you say a few days worth of downtime? Looks like I will be needing to schedule a vacation during this server migration.

thats a good point actually - Sev, how much notice do you think you'll be able to publically give of the planned migration date? Or is that an unreasonable question? (I don't understand corporate law/espionage risks at all. I mean, it could be an unreasonable question, I'm not being passive aggressive or whatever!)

[The_Human_Cypher]

/darthvoice... Don't underestimate the Power.... of a greenfield network architecture. /darthvoice

The complexity of the set up and of course the mind blowingly complex task of migrating the game and all our accounts... well. That means that power could be used for Good or Evil as far as performance goes if they get it just slightly wrong... but it could make an amazing difference.

I think that this involves moving the existing servers and network devices to a new data center for co-location, not migrating the game environment and accounts to new hardware.

[dunklezhan]

I think that this involves moving the existing servers and network devices to a new data center for co-location, not migrating the game environment and accounts to new hardware.

Are you sure about that? That would be... a missed opportunity. I mean, new hardware would very likely be cheaper to maintain, more efficient to run... the 'spend to save' ratio should be quite high.

[cave_diver]

Steam is cool, but we have no plans to force players to use Steam to play DDO or to use the new store. Steam users can keep using Steam, and players who don't use Steam don't have to switch to it to play DDO or use the store when the new store becomes available.

Sev~

Good to know, thanks.