Feedback from returning player

[exarkun]

Hello,

I am just giving my perspective feel free to disagree. It's also possible I am overlooking an option as my knowledge of the game is limited.

I played this game when it originally came out many years ago, and I stopped around the time Amrath came out. I recently started playing again maybe 3 months ago and have enjoyed it. I also want to say what a great community this game has. This is probably the only MMO I have ever played where people don't go into rage mode if you have an underpowered character. I truly enjoy this community. During the last 3 months, I have leveled a sorcerer to 30 twice with the intent of having a single character I could play when I have time. I even bought a few of the expansions and +8 tome with the intent of playing long-term.

Now part of this is my fault for not planning ahead. I will admit that. My first character was a cold Sorcerer(Drow) that I really liked but she was very squishy. My second character was a cold Sorcerer (Dragonborn) who I hated even though stat-wise he was much better and easier to play. Last night I hit 30 for the 2nd time and was going to make my 36-point build and start the leveling process one last time.

When doing that and looking at my options for this character. It seems to come down to Drow, Dragonborn, and Tiefling. I am a huge Drow fan but when I look at the 32-point stats vs 36 Dragonborn/Tiefling it's just not comparable. I am like I want to be Drow but why would I do that? "X" race is much better.

I got discouraged from even starting the character. Drow cant compete with Dragonborn stat-wise, I do not want to make my final character a Dragonborn even though they seem to be the best option. I started to play around with Tiefling because they are comparable to Dragonborn stat-wise. However considering they are built specifically for fire I was like well do I want to pass on playing cold sorc for a race I kinda like? It was at this point I just got discouraged altogether.

Idea:

It would be great if a player could work toward racial parity through racial reincarnation or perhaps in some other way that makes sense. Again my knowledge of the game is limited. If I level a Dragonborn and do a racial reincarnation maybe let me be a drow/human/etc with the Dragonborn stats/abilities. I am probably going to make D&D people lose their minds here because it does not follow the rules so apologies in advance

[spifflove]

Hello,

I am just giving my perspective feel free to disagree. It's also possible I am overlooking an option as my knowledge of the game is limited.

I played this game when it originally came out many years ago, and I stopped around the time Amrath came out. I recently started playing again maybe 3 months ago and have enjoyed it. I also want to say what a great community this game has. This is probably the only MMO I have ever played where people don't go into rage mode if you have an underpowered character. I truly enjoy this community. During the last 3 months, I have leveled a sorcerer to 30 twice with the intent of having a single character I could play when I have time. I even bought a few of the expansions and +8 tome with the intent of playing long-term.

Now part of this is my fault for not planning ahead. I will admit that. My first character was a cold Sorcerer(Drow) that I really liked but she was very squishy. My second character was a cold Sorcerer (Dragonborn) who I hated even though state-wise he was much better and easier to play. Last night I hit 30 for the 2nd time and was going to make my 36-point build and start the leveling process one last time.

When doing that and looking at my options for this character. It seems to come down to Drow, Dragonborn, and Tiefling. I am a huge Drow fan but when I look at the 32-point stats vs 36 Dragonborn/Tiefling it's just not comparable. I am like I want to be Drow but why would I do that? "X" race is much better.

I got discouraged from even starting the character. Drow cant compete with Dragonborn stat-wise, I do not want to make my final character a Dragonborn even though they seem to be the best option. I started to play around with Tiefling because they are comparable to Dragonborn stat-wise. However considering they are built specifically for fire I was like well do I want to pass on playing cold sorc for a race a kinda like? It was at this point I just got discouraged altogether.

Idea:

It would be great if a player could work toward racial parity through racial reincarnation or perhaps in some other way that makes sense. Again my knowledge of the game is limited. If I level a Dragonborn and do a racial reincarnation maybe let me be a drow/human/etc with the Dragonborn stats/abilities. I am probably going to make D&D people lose their minds here because it does not follow the rules

Although blizzard lizards make the most sense Drow actually have equal stats because Elves are magic baby! Take shadow dancer for evasion and viola! Fun and satisfying.

[exarkun]

Although blizzard lizards make the most sense Drow actually have equal stats because Elves are magic baby! Take shadow dancer for evasion and viola! Fun and satisfying.

"Blizzard Lizard" lol thank you for that.

I will look up what a shadow dancer build is. If I only took Tiefling for the 2 CHA points do you think it would be a decent cold sorc or will it be meh? I realize it wastes the fire buffs on the first line of skills. That is essentially what I did with my first drow. I was 41 cold, 30-something faydark, and just enough in Drow for the 2 points of CHA.

[spifflove]

"Blizzard Lizard" lol thank you for that.

I will look up what a shadow dancer build is. If I only took Tiefling for the 2 CHA points do you think it would be a decent cold sorc or will it be meh? I realize it wastes the fire buffs on the first line of skills. That is essentially what I did with my first drow. I was 41 cold, 30-something faydark, and just enough in Drow for the 2 points of CHA.

Blizzard lizards are ubiquitous and obviously the best in class. Throw a +8 tome in and tiefling fine just not optimal. Drow is going to have the best dex save go 20 char 18 dex 13 points into epic destiny sd for evasion. I assumed you were old school. Dark fire haven’t tried might be a benefit clicky.

[Epicsoul]

"Blizzard Lizard" lol thank you for that.

I will look up what a shadow dancer build is. If I only took Tiefling for the 2 CHA points do you think it would be a decent cold sorc or will it be meh? I realize it wastes the fire buffs on the first line of skills. That is essentially what I did with my first drow. I was 41 cold, 30-something faydark, and just enough in Drow for the 2 points of CHA.

Dragonborn is the best, but all three work just fine. Play what makes you happy. You can build a perfectly capable drow sorcerer in DDO.

[exarkun]

Blizzard lizards are ubiquitous and obviously the best in class. Throw a +8 tome in and tiefling fine just not optimal. Drow is going to have the best dex save go 20 char 18 dex 13 points into epic destiny sd for evasion. I assumed you were old school. Dark fire haven’t tried might be a benefit clicky.

I thought about this a bit, and I think I like the idea of a sorc with evasion so I am going to try it out. I can see Shadow dancer has some synergy. It may be a little rough until I hit lvl 25. I think this build will make better use of the +8 tome as well. I tried to look for a build, but posts get old quickly on the forms. Can anyone link to a sorc build that uses evasion from the shadow dancer tree? I like referencing builds as a template as my knowledge is limited.

Thank you all for the feedback.

[Epicsoul]

Can anyone link to a sorc build that uses evasion from the shadow dancer tree? I like referencing builds as a template as my knowledge is limited.

This is a setup for a DC sorcerer that uses evasion, so you may can glean some insight: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...f7FJJ-hwc/edit

[C-Dog]

I am a huge Drow fan but when I look at the 32-point stats vs 36 Dragonborn/Tiefling it's just not comparable. I am like I want to be Drow but why would I do that? "X" race is much better.

Drow shines brightest at 28 vs. 32 pts, not 32/36.

Drow used to(!) be the race any account could earn at 400 total favor, so a quick goal for F2P/Premium accounts that did not have access to other Premium races. The three +2's in key stats was great for achieving some builds that wanted/needed several of those stats >14. But by the time a toon has 36 build points, that's not an obstacle.

Also, as an "Elf", the Drow racial tree can lower ASF for armor, and is unique for a +Int or +Cha race. And while that's still very useful, before the EK re-work it was huge. Now that you can get that several other ways... not so much.

All that said, "Why would I do that?" is still answered by those reasons, even if they don't carry as much weight as they once did. I still like Drow, and they do their job fine, they are just not The Go To any more.

[KoobTheProud]

Drow are among the best races in overall effect. Dragonborn are better.

This is just how DDO works. If something was released more recently with the intent of conferring power it generally is going to be more powerful.

Female Drow still have the smoothest animations in game. It's really noticeable when you are a mobile melee. I can make a female Drow do things in combat that no other race can do.

[Son_of_the_South]

Having played dozens of Sorc lives, fire Tiefling Sorc is by far the most superior. In heroics you can bypass immunity where needed, and increase fire damage to non-immune, plus the +5% to fire crit and various bits of extra SP here and there. Fire and Air have the best choices for damage spells imho (Chain Lightning and DBFB are one shot room clearers). For epcis (if running an epic life or two as well), swap to air primary and fire secondary. It's an absolute beast (just got to make sure your DC's are decent). Dragonborn may have the edge with caster lvl/max caser lvl bonus and some spell power, breath is nice but redundant after a certain point in heroics. I'd say Tiefling for heroics and DB for epics in terms of potential dps but I do like the ability t bypass immunity on a Sorc. YMMV.