U42 Preview 1: Dungeons

[apep1412]

Wait, what?

On live, the ballistae in Framework are broken. They display this message when used. Since that message wasn't used elsewhere in an existing quest, the assumption was that it was a copy that accidentally modified the original for a quest in Sharn.

[Urklore]

What favor did the four preview dungeons reward? Some of us want our 'Falconer' tree and do not want to pay 1400+ DDO points for cosmetics and the tree

[PsychoBlonde]

I did "A Sharn Welcome". It was very cool, but the end where I fell off the platform crashed the game so hard I couldn't even force-close it, I had to reset my PC! Everything up until then was fine, I found all the notes. I like Wash and Dry, that was cute. Also I'm a big fan of the dinosaur!

[Sam-u-r-eye]

Don't have time to do the quests tonight but OMG just running around the city zone is just breathtaking! Leaping over balconies, looking up at the architecture, peaking into to every nook and cranny allowed. So freaking awesome! Beautiful, just beautiful.

I agree the city looks great!

[Greantun]

Wait, what?

Yep, noticed it this morning. The vent blows you vertical and you become invisible.

[Greantun]

On live, the ballistae in Framework are broken. They display this message when used. Since that message wasn't used elsewhere in an existing quest, the assumption was that it was a copy that accidentally modified the original for a quest in Sharn.

That text is now used in the new Sharn Quest "Just Business" if you fall off a building and land on the clouds.

[Greantun]

From the Cogs:

Security Detail -
All of the metal wall panels can be walked through.
X9 did nothing but follow me, and when I killed it, no death animation

In another quest (which I don't remember the name now at work), there were large vats (like from the RL vines quest) against a wall. With high enough jump you can jump on them, using a boost, and then fall between them and the wall and get stuck.

[FlimsyFirewood]

Smash & Burn, pillar puzzle at beginning is too close to the wall, got stuck, had to /stuck to get out.... also a stuck spot in between the large gears in smelting room.

Pillar puzzle in smelting room had a glitch, reset? Couldn't get door to open after solving, had all items and optionals done, reset client, had same issue twice.

Can you be more specific?
How did it glitch and reset? What exactly happened?

Also a /loc where you got stuck would be helpful.

[FlimsyFirewood]

On live, the ballistae in Framework are broken. They display this message when used. Since that message wasn't used elsewhere in an existing quest, the assumption was that it was a copy that accidentally modified the original for a quest in Sharn.

Thank you for letting us know. Definitely not intended behavior.

Edit: this is fixed in dev, and we're hoping to patch it soon for live servers.

In the meantime, the workaround is to get on the ballista prior to "talking to it" into launching you.

[Dabima]

I've noticed occasionally the pillars in pillar puzzles will occasionally slide a little bit from their initial locations. Nothing drastic like moving across the floor, but slide halfway out of their floor socket to the side

[Aelonwy]

There will be spoilers, you shouldn't even be reading this forum unless you expect them.

Okay so far I have only done the first three:

A Sharn Welcome
Red Rain
Just Business

I did them on LN because I was solo and didn't know what to expect. I have to say despite the quests themselves being beautiful and expansive... I am thoroughly dissatisfied with the storylines. Not that there is anything that can be done this late in the production but I thought it had been made clear during/after MotU that players don't care for Dues Ex Machina plots where no matter what you do the outcome is predetermined and the villain is going to get away again and again and again. If I wanted to experience that I'd waste my life watching soap operas. It is neither thrilling nor heroic to complete a quest and still feel like you failed because the bad guy escaped and the person you were trying to save dies. I mean one quest I could over look but three in a row that make you feel like your just spinning your wheels? Really? I play DnD and by extension DDO to feel like a hero... this does not feel satisfying in that regard.

Alright on to more specific feedback...

A Sharn Welcome:
Memo to Employees was floating in the air in the middle of a room a couple feet? off the floor. Seemed odd. One fountain had its water not aligned properly with the structure of the fountain itself, in or close to the fancier bathing room. On the same floor I broke a glass wall but it didn't seem to affect or accomplish anything. It was right beside an unlockable and unpickable chest. Also it was weird how I couldn't climb into any of the tubs I was just floating over them. After the quest was over I noticed some NPCs that were placed partially inside the set decoration and architecture. Loved the raptor btw. It did seem like the explosive spiders were doing a tad too much damage on LN but I am a semi-casual player so no raid/slavers gear or such either. I get the ending because this is the main villain at least as far as we know currently but by the time you get that last note your ticked and him getting away is a bitter pill.

Red Rain:
The clues with each victim that trigger the center screen yellow DM text seem to have two sets of text but the first disappears from the screen so fast I was only ever able to read the second and even that one disappeared pretty fast meaning I had to resort to my General tab to see what each said. These clues would be Thellin's list of debts, the winnings, Morde's cauldron; as I said clicking on these triggered DM text that just immediately disappeared from the screen and a 2nd set of DM text appears to be read and then it swiftly goes away too. Ending was poor. I don't know how I feel about the goblins... they looked unfinished.

Just Business:
Since the quest giver didn't give me the code word I just guessed, idk if it mattered what you said to Casper. I chose the 3 silver tour, which sounds like a Gilligan's Island reference. The short trip up to the balcony surprised me so I wasn't facing the right way at first and missed the initial conversation lines. After the first gnoll ambush I immediately jumped on one of their sky surf boards and consequently had to come back to Casper to initiate quest continuation. I love the sky-surfing btw. The quest needs some more direction because the path frequently goes up and back down it more often then not feels aimless. The red-name gnoll close to the end was a PITA because as a spellcaster I am forced to suffer through the You are not facing issue of the game repeatedly. I almost died upon approaching Ikir(sp?) at the end because whatever damage he does appears to be irresistible? Don't think I want to solo that portion ever again. At the end it says to explain to Casper what happened to his daughter but if you click on him it only opens up his initial dialogue where you have to choose between the red falcon line, 3 silver tour, Issabet sent me, etc. I cannot stress enough how disappointed and frustrated I was by the outcome of this one. Especially as you can't even offer to pay a cleric to raise her... thanks for that mean-spirited conclusion.

*sigh* I don't know but if it weren't for the eye-candy of the locations themselves the story so far does not appeal to me and I'd just choose a different set of quests given my druthers.

As an aside my Shield Guardian lvl 30 companion was all but useless running these quests because it was too slow to see much of the combat. Especially in Red Rain for some reason it kept getting left behind at doorways and teleporting to me then doing nothing despite being on attack.

Some images:

[Captain_Wizbang]

Can you be more specific?
How did it glitch and reset? What exactly happened?

Also a /loc where you got stuck would be helpful.

Not sure how it reset, but in one jump, 1/2 the pillars went to blue and # 4.

As for stuck, here you go.

[Aelonwy]

So I gritted my teeth and ran the final upper sharn quest and was pleasantly surprised that this one came to a satisfactory conclusion. I had no issues, it was a fun little quest. I rather liked the shopping-center feel to the emporium. I almost hope when the space isn't being used as a quest that this is where we go to buy/sale get our goods. Of course when I turned it into the quest giver it was a bit of a let down for her to say: Quest finished. But I understand most of their dialogue is currently a work-in-progress.

My only nit-pick is in the final room/final fight when you look out the window it looks like this:



Pretty sure the skyline shouldn't look that way.

[Fants]

My only nit-pick is in the final room/final fight when you look out the window it looks like this:

Pretty sure the skyline shouldn't look that way.

I'm still working on the deco, no worries!

[Aelonwy]

I'm still working on the deco, no worries!

Did you do the Drunken Dragon? Because that is awesome. Also the Drunken Dragon has been my go-to PnP tavern name since '98.

[SirShen]

Am i the only one that hates puzzles? because iv done some of the quests and i gave up due to puzzles. Trying 10 mins or so to try and get all the numbers the same is not my idea of fun. Please give some other way besides doing puzzles to get though doors.

[Dabima]

Am i the only one that hates puzzles? because iv done some of the quests and i gave up due to puzzles. Trying 10 mins or so to try and get all the numbers the same is not my idea of fun. Please give some other way besides doing puzzles to get though doors.

I generally like puzzles but the pillar puzzles that had 6+ pillars, I gave up on after wasting about 15 minutes jumping around. I guess I'll never know what's behind those paths. Also hated the huge Mario skills room in the Boromar Smugglers quest.

[Dabima]

In Roll Call, can you please make the final room leavable after the boss is killed? I never did find the optional objective and there is no way to exit the room once you are in

[Cocomajobo]

Am i the only one that hates puzzles? because iv done some of the quests and i gave up due to puzzles. Trying 10 mins or so to try and get all the numbers the same is not my idea of fun. Please give some other way besides doing puzzles to get though doors.

Besides Roll Call (where it’s likely getting changed) none of the quests use the new pillar puzzle on the critical path. They are used to open optionals.

[Lokeal_The_Flame]

I'm still working on the deco, no worries!

Cool, you are the guy doing to decor?

Can you please try to make whatever remains a little more steampunk looking?