I decided to download and install DDO. I am not going to touch on the microtransactions aspect yet, as I have not played the game long enough. Besides, I’ve already discussed my basic concerns about microtransactions in another post.
Why DDO? I’ve missed playing a lot of traditional MMO’s. While there are other MMO’s, Dungeon’s and Dragons is a game I played growing up. I played a lot of officially licensed AD&D games, so if I was going to take a look at an MMO, I figured I might as well start there.
First impressions are that the game seems polished. However, small things are annoying. Characters should start the dungeons at about the same time. I find myself trying to figure out where I am supposed to be and joining parties that are already questing in progress. This problem was resolved in Alien Swarm. Why not do something similar here?
It’s hard for new players (noobs) like myself to quickly fit in. This seems to frustrate more experienced players. I also sometimes feel like the party does not seem like much of a party but more like a collection of players.
Anyway, I am slowly picking up how the game works. My character is now level 2.
Update: So I’ve been playing DDO some more. In general, the MMO experience can depend a lot on your teammates. Those that “zerg” make the game very difficult for players who are new.
Here, a helpful teammate heals me.
I had a great time with a team that stayed together during a crypt run.
I also spent some time on solo adventures to get more comfortable with the controls.
I even spent a lot of time completing Misery’s Peak. The level is very slow. I am glad I did it solo, because if a team zerged it, I would have missed everything. I hired a cleric and loaded up on the healing potions. I took a lot of fall damage. In general, the level is full of hidden levers that you must find. It reminds one a bit of Tomb Raider actually. The worlds and dungeons are huge with scattered encounters.
Having completed the adventure, it is now sunny in Korthos.
I am constantly aware of the DDO store which makes its presence well known. There are huge differences between the features for the paying players and the free to play crowd. In any event, I will continue to explore DDO. I am level 3.
I’m starting to notice minor problems with the game. The NPC controls seem less than intuitive. A few dumb things have happened. For example, my NPC cleric sank to the bottom of a moat and was unable to use the ladder to climb up.
I like the world, but I’m stuck grinding for now.
