New website could use more info in the about?

[HippieBallz]

So I am a fan of the new site's look and feel but I think that it's missing a big feature that should have been there in the about section. It does a great job of telling you that you'll enjoy the tabletop-based real-time action RPG but nothing to support it in a stats way I.E. class/skill previews or rundowns. Many games MMO or not now have this as a standard of PR with the player base and potential player base that views the site. I also noticed the watch section is all but empty with 2 vids the ed greenwood and the release trailer for one of the expansions I think. Just an idea but maybe you could collab with a few of the streamers big and small to make class and race TLAS videos just 2min rundowns and teases of end game builds and class/race mechanics at work. I think this would help both sections of the site perform better in informing new players on what to expect when playing a race or class for the first time and reduce player loss from inaccurate expectations of said race or class. I would love to see this game evolve and grow as well as have the player base to help fund further development into more modern levels of visuals and character customization but to do so we need to draw and keep more players this idea might help hit all these points at once. Let me know what you guys as players think and what you'd want to see in a video meant to be a fast info gram for a race or class.

[krimsonrane]

So I am a fan of the new site's look and feel but I think that it's missing a big feature that should have been there in the about section. It does a great job of telling you that you'll enjoy the tabletop-based real-time action RPG but nothing to support it in a stats way I.E. class/skill previews or rundowns. Many games MMO or not now have this as a standard of PR with the player base and potential player base that views the site. I also noticed the watch section is all but empty with 2 vids the ed greenwood and the release trailer for one of the expansions I think. Just an idea but maybe you could collab with a few of the streamers big and small to make class and race TLAS videos just 2min rundowns and teases of end game builds and class/race mechanics at work. I think this would help both sections of the site perform better in informing new players on what to expect when playing a race or class for the first time and reduce player loss from inaccurate expectations of said race or class. I would love to see this game evolve and grow as well as have the player base to help fund further development into more modern levels of visuals and character customization but to do so we need to draw and keep more players this idea might help hit all these points at once. Let me know what you guys as players think and what you'd want to see in a video meant to be a fast info gram for a race or class.

I think all those updates are just clutter and should be consolidated into one or two trees or a page of their own. Collaborating with streamers would be a good idea too. Allow them to help draw with live streams. "How to" and "achievement" videos would be nice. Again, just make a playlist of players YT videos and embed it into the site.

[KraftLorance]

DDO's about section needs to set player's expectations. Obviously SSG are the ones with the numbers, not me, but based on what has been said in some of the Producer Livestream it sounds like a majority of new players to DDO are people coming from 5th edition. (And in general I personally feel like it's more likely that someone who finds DDO did so specifically because they were looking for D&D related content).

1) Onboard Your Audience
There should be something along the lines of "Taking the best mechanics and lore of D&D 4th and 5th editions, and seamlessly weaving them into the unparalleled character customization and depth of play from D&D 3.5 to form a handcrafted homebrew experience that's survived and enticed for 16 years"

And then instead of a static image, ya have an actual video embedded. (As a side note, I actually really like the new websites formatting of header and text centered next to a block of media. It's very aesthetically pleasing. If that was you Cordovan, you did an excellent job. If it was someone else, please give them my complements.)

But anyways, for this part have a short video of someone making a character. Maybe it's Strimtom or Vudoo. Maybe it's a different streamer. Maybe it's an actor with a jawline sharp enough to make the viewer not hear a single word being said. Doesn't matter, get someone to talk and be on screen explaining what's happening in character creation.

But here's the big thing. The video needs to be scripted, NOT off the cuff. Show them creating a fun, unique character that highlights DDO's customizations options. Playable, fun, unique.

Don't take 10 minutes talking about the differences between Melee, Caster, and Specialist. Just have the person spend a moment asking themselves what they want to play, waffle between two options, then select, like, Halfling Barbarian. Have a quick line about how Halflings have some "awesome sustain abilities" to foreshadow the dragonmark feats and the racial enhancement tree.

Don't have them explain what all the stats do! Just have them give a quick outline of what they want to be able to do, and how that stats they're choosing help them achieve it.

Have them hype up the complexity of the skill system. Have them explain why they're choosing the skills they are. Skill points are one of the big points of difference between 5e and DDO. Onboard new players. (And also take Use Magic Device with an explanation of why most players should take UMD)

When you get to feats, read out two or three unique ones and discuss how they can lead to cool build options- then settle on Dragon Mark of Healing, with an explanation why. Show a cool looking Halfling Barbarian on the appearance page.

Then cut to a level or two later, and show the enchantment tree. Have a few points saved up, a discussion about where to spend them, followed by upgrading the dragon mark via the racial tree. And finally, one more cut to an even later level with a discussion about multiclassing into, like, Favored Soul or Rouge. Then show off the multiclassing, and the extra enhancement trees.

Have the in game footage be edited in a streamlined fashion (probably capture it first), script a video around the footage, pay someone to act the script out, embed it next to description I wrote. One of DDO's biggest strengths is its customization options, hype that up and show it off.

2) Hype Your Content
Have a section that says "Experience classic old school D&D adventures that'll awaken the nostalgia in even the most uninitiated of players"

Again, have a scripted video showing off the best DM voice acting a quest of Salt Marsh, and some gameplay from that quest. And have it show off some of Temple of Elemental Evil.

This helps show what an in quest experience is, and hits better than the current "Immersive Dungeon Master" headline.

Then have a section saying "And experience handcrafted adventures that'll make you rethink other MMO quests". Again, with a video showing off some of the best level design, monster encounters, and voice acting in DDO. (The order of "Handcrafted" and "Classic" is up to the webmaster."

3) Play up the Play to Play
Have a section that talks about being Free to Play. "16 years of content, all unlockable just by playing the game. Start with 11 races, 12 classes, and 108 quest. Earn premium currency while playing to unlock more, or just buy some sweet cosmetics!!!"

4) Unique Progression Systems
You know what rocks? The favor system. It's legit my FAVORITE thing about DDO. And while I think the rewards need an overhaul, it's still one of the most interesting selling points when I'm trying to get friends into the game.

Favor and Reincarnation should have some hype, because they're part of what makes DDO different (and imo better,) than other MMOs

5)The Special Link
Again, I think it's reasonable to conclude that a good chunk of new players are coming to DDO from 5th edition. So, have a link to a page that is specifically about comparing 5th edition to DDO. Have this page show off the cool things that are the same. Have it hype up the differences, because DDO has way more depth then 5e and that's exciting™!

Have a video on this page that's literally, like, a 5e player talking to a DDO player (maybe they're DDO community members, maybe they're paid actors, i don't care. Maybe you get Ginny Di.). Have the 5e player equipped with their character sheet and talk about the things they can do and they like to do in D&D, and have the DDO player talk about how that translated into the video game (intercut, obviously, with footage from the video game).


In general, make it easy to transition into DDO. Set player's expectations... anyway, that's my unrequested two cents. Again, as I mentioned, I honestly really dig the website's formatting

[Weemadarthur]

1) Onboard Your Audience
There should be something along the lines of "Taking the best mechanics and lore of D&D 4th and 5th editions, and seamlessly weaving them into the unparalleled character customization and depth of play from D&D 3.5 to form a handcrafted homebrew experience that's survived and enticed for 16 years"

Dear SSG please hire this guy and put him in charge of your marketing. With 1 line here he has shown that he can effortlessly take the biggest hurdle this game faces (it being 16 years old) and turn it into a strength. The above should be your tag line on any media you promote the game on from this day forth.

+1 for the rest of the post which was all good but for me this line stood out head and shoulders over the rest and is possibly the best and most accurate positive description this game has ever received.

[HippieBallz]

4) Unique Progression Systems
You know what rocks? The favor system. It's legit my FAVORITE thing about DDO. And while I think the rewards need an overhaul, it's still one of the most interesting selling points when I'm trying to get friends into the game.

Favor and Reincarnation should have some hype, because they're part of what makes DDO different (and imo better,) than other MMOs

THIS!!!!! honestly, why I kept playing once I picked up the game near after f2p launch also how I got most of my content in-game from tomes to packs to those sweet sweet cosmetics glowing eyes on pally in black plate mail is scary to see running at you.

[KraftLorance]

Dear SSG please hire this guy and put him in charge of your marketing. With 1 line here he has shown that he can effortlessly take the biggest hurdle this game faces (it being 16 years old) and turn it into a strength. The above should be your tag line on any media you promote the game on from this day forth.

+1 for the rest of the post which was all good but for me this line stood out head and shoulders over the rest and is possibly the best and most accurate positive description this game has ever received.

Thank you, thank you. I accept tips in the form of forum reputation or gummy bears (preferably the clear pineapple flavored ones).

I was actually worried about my post. There's a lot of thoughts in it that just sort of terminate suddenly. Like when I say "someone who finds DDO did so specifically because they were looking for D&D related content" the full thought is "Someone found DDO because they were looking for D&D content. The most popular form of D&D is 5th edition. So by the transitive property, people find DDO because they were looking for 5e D&D content."

And I, like, just left two thirds of that unsaid. Not great for a job application, and I do that way too much throughout. XD. But ya. DDO is amazing. And I personally feel the best thing for DDO to do is be unabashedly itself and play up what makes it unique.

(No, but for real SSG if you want to take his advice and hire me, I have thoughts on the New Player bundle and VIP. As mentioned I will work for Gummy Bears.)