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Make rogues useful please.

Make rogues useful please.

JESUS SAVES!
all the rest of you take damage

I'm signed up.  The main page says this is an alpha signup.  The graphics seem pretty good for an alpha.

That's why I'm onboard. Make thieves (hey, I'm 1st ed, beyotch) nasty cunning mofos that can run solo adventures Sam FisherGarrett-style. Then I'm onboard for the retail, too. But I'd like to see how they handle it through pre-release either way.

I haven't been able to truely get myself into the Thief franchise...I've always had a distinct dislike for FPS melee. Depth perception can be kind of tough.

I can deal with stealth just fine....but trying to Backstab someone with a longsword, and having them not die, is frustrating.

"You're going to backstab him with a fucking SIEGE WEAPON?"
"Uh-huh."
"...............there's got to be something in the rules against this..."

I haven't been able to truely get myself into the Thief franchise...I've always had a distinct dislike for FPS melee. Depth perception can be kind of tough.

I can deal with stealth just fine....but trying to Backstab someone with a longsword, and having them not die, is frustrating.

For the record, I have the same problem with the Elder Scrolls series.

Can I play the big spider dude?  He seems like he could win that fight.

Can I play the big spider dude?  He seems like he could win that fight.

The rogue is a noobler.. she's going for the front attack instead of flanking for the sneak-attack mod.  Silly rogue.

I thought that 3rd edition wise you could sneak attack from the front - it just has to be unexpected.

Can we get Schild or someone to chum up with the DDO team so we can help out..?

Not unexpected, per-se, but in a situation where you lose your DEX bonus, or the rogue has you flanked.  Opponents on 3 sides MIGHT count, I'm not sure.  Usually it only happens due to spells or being caught 'flat-footed' (unaware)

Being flanked causes the target to lose its Dex bonus against *all* attackers - regardless of which way the spidey is facing, that rogue gets the sneak attack bonus.

If the Rock couldn't pull it off as a scorpion-drider in the Mummy Returns, what chance do you have, even if you get pointly drow ears...

Xilren

Ah, this isn't RAW (rules as written).  Being flanked doesn't cause you to loose your dexterity bonus against anyone, including the flanking entities. See: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35.  Look up Flat-Footed in 'Combat I (Basics)'.  Look up Flanking in 'Combat II (Movement, Modifiers, and Special Actions)'.  This is to be expected since the definition of the rogue's sneak attack ability specifically seperates the conditions under which it can be used into 'target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC' and 'when the rogue flanks her target'.

Not trying to be a hard ass; this is just a common mistake for people who grew up with AD&D and are still learning 3.x rules.

What about those of us who pretend there was only 1 edition of AD&D, the first? :) Only modified by a few house rules and a couple year's worth of Dragon mags.

Weird that the system profiler in the beta signup knows nothing about x64.

/tremble

I can smell the desperation for a good MMG through my monitor.  Last time this game came up we all spent 3 pages of the thread debating the merits of their version of the spell system.  

edit: Stray....a nudge is as good as a wink to a blind bat!

He just keeps on spanking her.

Stop looking.

Seriously, the fun of DnD is/was the crafting of unique encounters.

I like Calandryll and all, but releasing a catassy EQ-wannabe into what is now the Age of WoW?  The "grandaddy of them all" is going to end up a bloody smear beneath the boots of it's unruly descendant.  Oh it'll turn a profit.  If UO, AC, and SB can make enough money to keep creaking along, DDO will certainly keep the bills paid.  But beyond "OMG it's D&D!!" can anyone give me a reason to play this, and not the competition?

... you don't have to share your pizza, beer or pot.

It would be the height of hilarity to spend an hour getting a group together, to wipe out in the first hallway in a giant pit trap, and have everyone walk back from town.  Or teleporter traps that put group members on another continent. 

I'm not quite sure why we're doing this, I think I know, and I'll play, too!

No pvp, no crafting, solo content only at low levels, and death penalty?

In fact nobody did last time it came up but now that there is a beta test people are psyched?  Bah I say to that, where is teh #hate?

EQ wannabe?

Umm..

No. This is Turbine.

Besides that, they're shooting for something more akin to an action RPG, but with more adherence to the D&D rules.

Makers of Asheron's Call, AKA Everquest with shitty graphics.

Tomb of Horrors for the win, biznatch.

Makers of Asheron's Call, AKA Everquest with shitty graphics.


I see classes and levels as per usual, mandatory grouping, and XP loss on death.  Oh, and some meaningless pre-beta blurbage about how it'll be FUN!  Whoopee.

(Yeah, I know D&D invented the whole class/level thing and thus it's expected.  It's still shitty MMO design.)

I've always wondered if any MMO would have the cajones to put in something like a permadeath dungeon.  Incredible loot, far better than anything in the game, but one mistake and your character is forever gone.  I'm sure it would be more trouble than its worth (lawsuits over linkdeath, catasses killing themselves irl, canceled subscriptions from the angry idiots who went through the 1000x disclaimers at the entrance and thought they'd be the different special one, etc.) but it would be fun to watch the forums after a few groups were wiped out.

My old idea for death penalties: If you feel a game does not penalize death enough, wire clamps to your nuts and run voltage through them until you feel you've been punished enough for dying in a game. Meanwhile, I'll respawn and keep playing the game, thanks.

Players eager to get their hands on Atari's upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach will have to wait a little bit longer, as the title's release has slipped from November back into the first quarter of 2006.


However, fans of the pen-and-paper fantasy game whose friends scoffed when they rolled a luck of 18 have a chance to get into developer Turbine's public alpha testing of the game, which officially begins today. To qualify, would-be heroes must register at the game's official Web site. Those with message board accounts at the site will receive priority selection.

Stormreach will be built on the 3.5 edition rules of Dungeons and Dragons, but it's definitely taking a new approach to the genre. The game worlds players inahbit will be smaller and less populated in order to foster a closer sense of player community, and so that player actions have larger ramifications. Experience and treasure will also be doled out based on how many quests are accomplished instead of how many enemies are killed.

Turbine is gaining plenty of experience developing massively multiplayer online role-playing games from high profile licenses these days, as its The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is also due early next year. The company's previous work includes the Asheron's Call series of MMORPGs.

However, fans of the pen-and-paper fantasy game whose friends scoffed when they rolled a luck of 18

Makers of Asheron's Call, AKA Everquest with shitty graphics.

In other words, I hope the combat is good.

Shadowbane failed to make the list because every time I typed it in I got an ie.exe.

I've very tempted to resub actually. Either that or AC.

To sum up the industry:

A good NWN PW is the closest you're going to get to a tabletop experence with worldly scope.

Speaking of which when is Bioware going to get off their collective pimply asses and give us a decent MOG-in-a-box.  The business model is already proven.  I want the NWN tools over a Torque-like platform with RunUO's flexibility.

Speaking of which when is Bioware going to get off their collective pimply asses and give us a decent MOG-in-a-box.  The business model is already proven.  I want the NWN tools over a Torque-like platform with RunUO's flexibility.

NWN 2. Sort of. Or Dragon Empires or whatever it is that's their proprietary-world no-license RPG that's coming out around the same.

No one is going to provide MMOG in a box for less than a few thousand (for a license) or absolutely nothing (open source shit).

Congratulations! Your account has been activated for the Dungeons & Dragons® Online: Stormreach Alpha.

Cal, if you're reading this....Umm...Help me and I'll help you?  :|

Cal, if you're reading this....Ill play until I read patch notes... then Ill wax idiotic for a bit as I go back and forth on wether I will play... then I will jump to another game for 2 weeks... rinse repeat  :|

I use Everquest as a generic term for any fantasy MMORPG where you look at your character from that over-and-behind perspective as he runs around killing shit to level up.

Except for pissing people off that are not in the Alpha.

You don't even play games anymore. Ya bastard.

My old idea for death penalties: If you feel a game does not penalize death enough, wire clamps to your nuts and run voltage through them until you feel you've been punished enough for dying in a game. Meanwhile, I'll respawn and keep playing the game, thanks.

Theres a reason that every major commercial MMOG has some form of death penalty - and no, its not that they are all stupid and you alone have the ultimate answer.

This thread has been cleansed. You can find the guitar-related stuff in this thread (http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=4508.0).

However, it shan't be ignored that WoW has probably the lightest death penalty of any of the fee-based MMORPGs, even UO, once people started caring about their gear.

Saw the various videos released, noted how everyone keeps running around all the time, regardless of where their party is, read about how the thief unlocked the chest and got all the loot before anyone else could, and decided it's not going to be DnD after all. 

I never ran everywhere in DnD, and usually the group moved slowly and together most of the time, and cooperated.

Saw the various videos released, noted how everyone keeps running around all the time, regardless of where their party is, read about how the thief unlocked the chest and got all the loot before anyone else could, and decided it's not going to be DnD after all.

Saw the various videos released, noted how everyone keeps running around all the time, regardless of where their party is, read about how the thief unlocked the chest and got all the loot before anyone else could, and decided it's not going to be DnD after all. 

I never ran everywhere in DnD, and usually the group moved slowly and together most of the time, and cooperated.

Good and bad feelings are covered by NDA's now?   :cry:

Someone let me on their account, thanks.

I'm sure the  endeeay allows for that! 

Nobody pays attention to that stuff. You can pretend all you want.

I do. :)

I do. :)

I do. :)

Hey if we are gonna have devs busting us for endeay, I want some benefits to balance it out.  I want my Beta invite beyotch!

Proving once again that having Devs over here to discuss the issues of the day has its own set of problems.

Wish I could get in on this.  I'm very keen to find out if its in any way good.

Anyway it is below me to beg for beta invites.  I send in cute furry things to do that for me.

I didn't beg.  I demanded!  A big difference to me.

(http://www.worth1000.com/entries/186000/186119WCEB_w.png)

The fucking kittens can take care of themselves.  Fuzzy little bastards.

Or maybe you just don't like kittens? That is pure crazy talk, though.

I figured Righ was posting from her account.

Proving once again that having Devs over here to discuss the issues of the day has its own set of problems.

Wish I could get in on this.  I'm very keen to find out if its in any way good.

I agree with Soln when he said, "You people are pathetic."

I agree with Soln when he said, "You people are pathetic."

Omg, a spanking avatar.  That's really not what I need to see at ten to nine.

Make rogues useful please.

I tell you... you should be  :-D he chooses to  :heartbreak: his :nda: s  here.  It will make (http://forums.f13.net/Themes/f13/images/f13logo.jpg) popular with the  8-) kids.

I tell you... you should be  :-D he chooses to  :heartbreak: his :nda: s  here.  It will make (http://forums.f13.net/Themes/f13/images/f13logo.jpg) popular with the  8-) kids.

Actually, the  :heartbreak: was well used.

I bet it's  :heartbreak:ing that I spread bad words around that could drive red-named people away.

As for  8-) kids, that's the SWG thread.  :roll: is the "Everyones problems with MMORPGS" thread.

(http://206.14.213.30/emot-suicide.gif)

Truth hurts!

Or you could be Wish, which had no NDA, sucked monkey nuts and got shitcanned a week into beta.

The way I see it, if it's hard to get into a beta, the game is good.  If the game is arse, then I'll get a beta spot.

Or you could be like WoW and have no NDA during Beta and go on to crush your competition. It helps if your game is actually fun before you do that though.

Still I think the point about beta NDA's are a solid one, and I was happy to read something that confirmed what I suspected the whole time, DDO is same old same old and sounds worse then WoW by a mile.

Sooooo... i take it the overall consensus is that it's pretty good, and that Nija was just venting?

 - meg

PRESS RELEASE: TURBINE AND CODEMASTERS TEAM TO DELIVER DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® ONLINE: STORMREACH™ IN EUROPE (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/press_release.php?aid=12782)

...

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach was voted the "Most Anticipated Upcoming MMO" in a recent survey by IGN.* In addition, the game won numerous awards and accolades from its showing at E3 in May, including "Best in Show" from Stratics.com, "Best Persistent World Game" from IGN and "Best of Show" from MMOGChart.com.

I hear he's quite popular actually.

There's a new beta journal thing up at DDO.com...  THis one has a story regarding a classic PnP situation that is often non-existing in MMOs...  It seems that the restrictions in the mission system(only resting at certain locations, little to no hp/mana regen, etc) may actually result in interesting gameplay.

http://www.ddo.com/index.php?page_id=66&pagebuilder[module]=article&pagebuilder[display_item]=141

Alkiera

Don't you have concerns that spoiler sites will ruin some of this dynamic?  What I'm asking: is it possible to implement enough variety that over time the quest experience will still be as fresh to the player as the one described in the journal?  If this is a subscription-based mmog then you're talking about ways to keep the player for the long haul.  I just don't see how quests such as these will exist after the first 2 weeks of the game.  After the first group of people finds a way to complete a task, the news will spread and ruin the experience for those wishing to discover it for themself. 

No matter how I've tried to avoid getting insider information in a game, I'm inevitably bombarded with it to the point that it's difficult to have a fresh experience if I'm not the first one to actually do it... and I don't have the time to be the first!

Interesting.
Calandryll, maybe you should consider the "Runner" phenomenon in GW and what impact it could have on your game.  In GW, many things important thing (character advancement wise) are tied to locations in the worlds.  This has lead to the creation of a service called Running where more advanced players "run" players to these or in some case through whole mission for an in-game fee.

On one hand it creates interesting economy. On the other hand it trivializes content. I could see that being a common thing since your game is objective-oriented. High players completing the objectives while low-level players go afk.

Interesting.
Calandryll, maybe you should consider the "Runner" phenomenon in GW and what impact it could have on your game.  In GW, many things important thing (character advancement wise) are tied to locations in the worlds.  This has lead to the creation of a service called Running where more advanced players "run" players to these or in some case through whole mission for an in-game fee.

On one hand it creates interesting economy. On the other hand it trivializes content. I could see that being a common thing since your game is objective-oriented. High players completing the objectives while low-level players go afk.

I continue to have concerns that DDO can keep people subscribed for more than a few months. The gameplay sounds great, don't get me wrong, but content is going to be a real challenge.

It really has me wondering what the motivation is for clinging on to the $15/month price point.

There's a new beta journal thing up at DDO.com...  THis one has a story regarding a classic PnP situation that is often non-existing in MMOs...  It seems that the restrictions in the mission system(only resting at certain locations, little to no hp/mana regen, etc) may actually result in interesting gameplay.

http://www.ddo.com/index.php?page_id=66&pagebuilder[module]=article&pagebuilder[display_item]=141

Alkiera

Same journal from one of the other players PoV:  "sat on my ass while the naked elf pranced around".  Hmm, doesn't sound like much fun :P

Thanks for that journal entry link.  I now have a much better idea of how this game seeks to differentiate itself - and I am interested.

I imagine he has some great stories to tell if nothing else.

He's a moderately intelligent, fat, ugly fuck who just so happens to have a big _____ . That's fascinating?  :|

I saw Ron Jeremy on the season of the Surreal Life he was on (along with Erik Estrada, Vanilla Ice, Tammy Faye Baker and some other now nobodies). He and Estrada were the most down to earth and interesting guys in the whole damn house. He's a funny guy.

Unbunch your panties or go back to Politics.

Murgafurgh!

I saw Ron Jeremy on the season of the Surreal Life he was on (along with Erik Estrada, Vanilla Ice, Tammy Faye Baker and some other now nobodies). He and Estrada were the most down to earth and interesting guys in the whole damn house. He's a funny guy.

Just because they're gone, you will not make me a replacement for Strazos or Geldon.

I miss Strazos.  Where is she?

Gamespy has a little writeup on D&D Online, sounds interesting.

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/dungeons-dragons-online/668411p1.html

At least they are going for something fairly different than the typical MMORPG.

I made jokes asking about why he's fascinating. That he has a big dick and fucks lots of women? That he's hairy, funny, and fat? What? Then I made a joke about Pekar (look him up) being a better candidate for lowest common denominator at the Oxford Union.

Want to get offended about it and insult me? Ok, but don't tell me to get my panties out of a bunch.

I'm talking about Ron Jeremy because :nda:

Shh don't ask hard hitting questions like that before release. You might spark some actual thought and then people won't buy this turd.

Hard hitting questions should be covered by the NDA as well!

I'd much rather my game have a fun part and then an "end" than a grind and then an "endgame", especially since the "endgame" invariably sucks even larger donkey balls than the grind did.

If everyone just finishes and quits, your going to have a dead game within a year wouldn't you say?

Samwise acts like I'm crazy to question the idea of a subscription based MMO that so far seems to have no crafting, the same level of social areas as Guildwars and no player conflict?

It's about having the option of playing with ourselves or playing with other people. You know, like sex.

I was subscribed to EQ1 for about 2 1/2 years. DAoC for about 7 months, Shadowbane for 2 months, CoH for 9 months and WoW (originally) for 1 month. That pattern should scare devs shitless about subscription models.

If a Tony Hawk game came out that allowed you to skate with/against other players online, but no additional gametypes/content would you expect to pay $15/mo for it?

I was subscribed to EQ1 for about 2 1/2 years. DAoC for about 7 months, Shadowbane for 2 months, CoH for 9 months and WoW (originally) for 1 month. That pattern should scare devs shitless about subscription models.

I like HRose. I think he's sweet. I like it especially when he writes posts that look like they might be poetry but they're really just posts about the stuff. I don't know who Swede is but if he's really Swedish, I'm not allowed to like him until every one of my family in Bergen over the age of 70 is dead and buried.

No worries. It won't be long now.

Again I didn't even criticize I just questioned applying the subscription model to a game that has less longevity as far as I can tell then any fps/rts on the market.

If a Tony Hawk game came out that allowed you to skate with/against other players online, but no additional gametypes/content would you expect to pay $15/mo for it?

I like HRose.  I think he's sweet.  I like it especially when he writes posts that look like they might be poetry but they're really just posts about the stuff.  I don't know who Swede is but if he's really Swedish, I'm not allowed to like him until every one of my family in Bergen over the age of 70 is dead and buried.

No worries.  It won't be long now.

Ignorance is bliss.

Though if I can recall, I don't think I've ever read one of HRose's DAoC posts myself. I just kind stare at them for a while.

Always happy to please our northern neighbours. Come visit us during your holidays. We have mountains and stuff.

More than a "is it worth 15 of fun a month" I'm also thinking "if I pay for this, what am I not going to get charged 15 a month to play?"

Have they said anything (again, no pvp = no caring so no I haven't read the FAQ or anything else) that makes you think they will not charge for expansions?  Have they promised three content additions a year at no cost?

Not only do I have no idea what your $2-$10 figure is referring to, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if you get nothing but balance/bug fixes for that $15/mo.  But I could be completely wrong...

Again, I don't care. If I'm that hung up on the cost as opposed to getting free expansion type updates, I'm probably on my way out of the game. If I'm so pleased with DDO that I'm not only willing to continue to pay $14.99 after the first month, I'll also pay another $39.99 for an expansion 6 months later, I'd say I'm coming out on top mainly because nothing has pleased me to that end yet.

If the game truly sucks, they get my box price and I quit before the first month is charged to me. For me that is worth checking things out. Only truly terrible Beta reviews will get me to not buy the box and even then I'll just wait a month to see what happens after the dust settles.

My $2-$10 figure is in response to some of the games out there that charge you for ingame items, etc. Several existing and future games will be using this payment method. The actual costs will most likely vary. They are hypothetical.

Judging by the other alternative packages being offered more and more today, the $15/month translates into, "We won't make you pay for ingame content."

I'd rather pay $15/mo than get dinged for $2-$10 each time I want to do something or get something interesting.  I'll pay the monthly fee right up until they fail to give me my money's worth.  Then I walk.  Same as it every was.

Does this "subscribing" thing imply me giving them... money?

In case some of you missed it, the DDO Stress Test is now open to non-paying Fileplanet subscribers.

www.ddo.com

Is there still an NDA?  I'll try it if I'm allowed to talk about it.

Thnx for the headup..)

anyone know of a mirror that doesnt require 1150 min of waiting just to start downloading?

Well, I'm going to say I don't like DDO.

The install I got through my FilePlanet account had a few corrupted files....

I'm so close to cancelling my account; the service has gone to shit since IGN took over....why am I not suprised?

I don't use BitTorrent, which I am not convinced is worth any hassle.

I don't like waiting.

Between the $5 or so that I pay each month for it, the free stuff I've gotten through it, it's been worthwhile for me. Fuck slow downloads that I have to actually Hunt for.

Screw that, I got Things to Do.

When is the NDA lifted? I'd really like to hear usefully cyncial commentary on this game...

Probably a day or week before release.

The beating a dead horse awards went to Grimwell, Terra Nova, and Escapist Magazine. I'd give the award to f13.net too, if we didn't ignore the dead horse. But we do, and the frontpage is lacking for it. I'm ok with that.

Omfg, barn door left open.

/me waltzes through...

...work?

You can get Cal to convince them to lift the  :nda:.  Threaten him with fruit. 

(http://smiley.onegreatguy.net/banana2.gif)

There are still keys available. The server has been pretty stable despite having a lot of players on it. So we've also decided to run more events to really stress the servers. People can win spots into regular beta during these events too.

www.ddo.com

It only takes one person in a community to actually like the game everyone else hates/has-quit-from to be condemned to horse beating status.

I don't know what is wrong but I cannot pass the initial screen that connects with the login/patch servers. My session hangs at "Analyzing Programs." When I try and go to the Stress Test forums, I get an error message about my login/password. Hardly a crisis, since I expect to eventually see the game before launch, but annoying.

I'm kind of iterested in this game - too bade my current video card is a Voodoo 2.

I'm kind of iterested in this game - too bade my current video card is a Voodoo 2.

Turbine Interview
President and CEO Jeff Anderson on the company that's developing not one but two eagerly awaited online worlds
December 16, 2005 - Projected to go live in the first quarter of 2006, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach takes place within the intriguing Eberron campaign setting. Naturally, it incorporates authentic races, creatures and locations, while adding many other notable elements. A few of these are highly customizable characters, treacherous dungeons containing devious puzzles and challenging traps, rapid group access to private adventures, and eye-catching state of the art visuals. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is aimed to launch later next year. Based on the famed J.R.R. Tolkien works, it will give online gamers the opportunity to explore Middle-earth as members of its Free Peoples, namely Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Hobbits, which will frequently band together in different combinations against fight common enemies and evils. Occasions will even arise to participate in events that help the Fellowship toward its goal.

Among the veritable plethora of massively multiplayer endeavors in development at this time, it could definitely be argued that these two are the most keenly anticipated, at least here in the North America. As such, either one would represent an extremely desirable opportunity for its developer, albeit accompanied by a correspondingly high level of expectations. As most if not all of our regular readers have known for quite some time, the two games are in the hands of Turbine which has studios on opposite sides of the US, in Massachusetts and California. Naturally, we've been keeping track of both as closely as possible, always seeking ways to look beyond standard previews. Consequently, it was very good news when President and CEO Jeff Anderson agreed to answer our questions on a variety of topics related to the company and its projects.


Jonric: To give our readers a perspective on the company's background, please outline when and how Turbine first got started.

Jeff Anderson: The start of Turbine is a pretty amazing story actually. I like to describe it as the "stubbornness of a good idea". In early 1994, several students at Brown University had the idea to create a game company focused on online role-playing. Many of our founders come from the Artificial Intelligence Lab at Brown but we attracted people from all over. Some, like Jon Montsarrat, had even been active with MIT's live role-playing Assassins Guild. By the end of the year, the company had incorporated as Cyberspace, which was later changed to Second Nature Interactive, then to Turbine! There wasn't even enough money for a garage, so the team set up shop in a small studio apartment, flat broke. It was a pretty humble beginning.

    Once you become responsible for the entire service, you need to think about the implications for the customer service team, network operations, QA, and many other departments. As I said, it was a critical step for us.

In 1995, the company moved out of the apartment into a small house in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. The employees started in the living room, but soon spread into the family room and the basement. All summer long, everyone worked elbow to elbow without any air conditioning (you can imagine what that was like!) on the first demo. After a lot of hard work, the demo was picked up by Microsoft and eventually became Asheron's Call. Since then, Turbine has been working hard on that franchise as well as Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online.

Jonric: What would you list as the most significant events and milestones during this period of more than a decade?

Jeff Anderson: Turbine has been very fortunate so it's hard to pick out the most significant events! The contracts with Microsoft stand out; Microsoft was an early supporter and taught us a lot about business. Next, signing Dungeons & Dragons Online with Atari. It is a great franchise and, in many ways, the original inspiration for the company. Third, receiving the first round of venture funding from Highland / Polaris. They believed that we could transform ourselves from a contract developer into a worldwide publisher of online games. Lastly, I would say the signing of the contract with Tolkien for the rights to The Lord of the Rings Online. They have been an enormous supporter of Turbine and we are very thankful for their confidence.

Jonric: What's the current status of the Asheron's Call property? Is it likely we'll see any more titles?

Jeff Anderson: Asheron's Call is still entertaining people from around the world. We are thrilled that so many dedicated fans enjoy the product. As for new titles, we haven't made any decision about the future of the franchise at this time.

Jonric: What did you learn from making and later operating the two Asheron's Call titles that helped shape the company and your approach to making and running online games?

Jeff Anderson: Wow, we learned so much. It is hard to summarize that into one interview like this. The transition of the franchise from Microsoft to Turbine (when we took it over) was a fabulously important milestone for the company. We had to become a publisher and not just a developer. That was a critical turning point for us.

Since then, we have had a much better "customer orientation". As a developer it is much harder to understand how your choices impact the overall service. You tend to think about things more one-dimensionally. For example, does this change make the game play better? Once you become responsible for the entire service, you need to think about the implications for the customer service team, network operations, QA, and many other departments. As I said, it was a critical step for us.

Jonric: What are your feelings about shutting down Asheron's Call 2 at the end of this year while the firs game continues to run?

Jeff Anderson: Asheron's Call will always be Turbine's first love. It holds a special place for everyone at the company, so it was a difficult decision to close down AC2. Even though AC2 wasn't a huge success, we still learned a great deal from the project and deeply appreciate the many players who enjoyed it.

    D&D Online looks and plays great... We have completed all of the development work at this point, and are really focused on fixing the last remaining problems.

Jonric: As a developer of online games, what is Turbine's style or philosophy? What do you regard as your distinguishing strengths, and in what areas are you looking to improve?

Jeff Anderson: I don't think anyone has ever asked me that question before. It is a very good one. Turbine is a privately held game studio. This means that we need to do things differently. We need to focus more on early prototyping. We need to be more time sensitive. Some projects seem to stay in development for five to seven years, spending astronomical sums but never seeming to get any better. We just can't run a business that way.

We focus on the core strengths for any project. Take D&D Online for example. The idea from the beginning was to create an online game that focused on real-time action combat and extensible private dungeon encounters. I think the team did a great job defining a clear vision for that early and sticking with it all the way through development.

As for improvements, that could take up pages! We are learning more every day about this business. I suppose if there were one thing, I would look to improve our planning. It is the foundation of every game, but it is surprisingly difficult to stay on top of it. It's because of this realization that we started the Project Management group at Turbine.

Jonric: How did the decision to become a publisher come about? What were the major benefits and the biggest challenges?

Jeff Anderson: The decision was an easy one. The life of a developer is a difficult one at best. Time and budgets are short; creative conflict is always a concern. Moreover, I had seen the power of the publishing model at Electronics Arts when I was the Executive in Charge of Production at Origin and Ultima Online. I could see the value - financially as well as creatively - if a company could make the transition. The risk, of course, is that it is difficult to find the financial capital to make the jump. We were very fortunate with our investors. They understood the vision that we had for the company and believed in the mission.

Jonric: How did Turbine manage to acquire the licenses for both the D&D Online and Lord of the Rings Online? What's the impact of having both in development at the same time?

Jeff Anderson: I always say that we got them because of my good looks, but anyone who knows me realizes that isn't very likely! *laugh* Instead, I credit the development teams at Turbine. The pitches for both projects were exceptional. We did a terrific job presenting a vision for both projects that captured the true essence each franchise.

The path to The Lord of the Rings was a different one entirely. It started out as a development project. About halfway through the project, we were able to acquire the rights from Vivendi and Tolkien Enterprises. We have always been huge fans of the property and jumped at the chance to work directly with the Tolkien folks. They really like the work that we do, and we are perfectly ecstatic to be working with them. Again, we are amazingly lucky with our partners. The Tolkien people are incredible to work with.

Production-wise, we have the common advantage of using some of the same underlying core technologies. That has always been a strength of ours. It allows us to develop much more quickly and efficiently than our competitors. I see that every day with both of the projects. The biggest challenge probably has been managing the business. Both of the titles are very important and very demanding on everyone. Keeping a steady balance is very important and quite time-consuming.

Jonric: With D&D Online now in beta and aimed at a Q1 2006 launch, what is the status of development, and what major hurdles remain to be cleared? What caused the date to shift from 2005?

Jeff Anderson: D&D Online looks and plays great. Likewise, it is really gratifying to the team to see how much everyone is enjoying the beta. We have had almost 300,000 people trying to get into it, and more are signing up every day. It is astounding. I personally have never seen anything like it.

The date change is an easy question to answer. We moved the date because we wanted to make a great game.

As for major hurdles, there is just one thing left - BUGS. Gosh, it is amazing how many things need to be fixed and polished all along the way. Slight changes in one thing will mess something else up. It is a constant game of two steps forward and one back, but it's par for the course, and the team is doing an incredible job of clearing out their bugs. We have completed all of the development work at this point, and are really focused on fixing the last remaining problems.

Jonric: What's special about this game, and to what extent do you see it as one that will attract a non-hardcore audience?

Jeff Anderson: There are a lot of special things about Dungeons & Dragons Online. The top ones is the real-time combat system. There has never been anything like it before in an MMO. This combat system allows your character to swing with every mouse click, dodge an incoming fireball, or block each attack. It is an amazing change, and the big reason that everyone says D&D Online feels like a breath of fresh air. I couldn't agree more.

    As an industry, we need to make sure that we are delivering high quality games that appeal to the widest possible audience. That means that we will need to look at every platform and demographic.

Second, we are very excited about the private dungeon experience. There are hundreds of replayable adventures that can last from 15 minutes to many hours. Most exciting, they are entirely handcrafted dungeons crawls that play better than most single-player RPG missions out there. (There's nothing better than watching the floor of the dungeon collapse before your eyes and seeing your wizard and barbarian plunge to their deaths!) The designers spent extra time on the traps and puzzles too, and it shows. They are exceptional.

Those features and D&D's exhaustive character advancement systems make this game something really special. I am especially gratified that the players are seeing it too. As you know, we are on the cover of PC Gamer this month and their title (The MMO that changes everything!) is exactly right. We couldn't have said it any better.

Jonric: Regarding your deal with China's leading online gaming operator, Shanda, to localize and operate your titles there, is it realistic to think such Western-oriented properties will succeed in that market?

Jeff Anderson: I think it is quite realistic. Vivendi has shown that with its title. Western companies just need to be better listeners in my opinion. Shanda is an outstanding partner for us in that regard. They are very patient and incredibly helpful. They are working closely with us, teaching us about the Chinese market and helping us improve the game for their players. There are many obstacles but I believe that, in the end, we will deliver something that is fresh and unique to China. I think players around the world can appreciate that.

Jonric: Looking forward no more than three to five years, how do you see the online gaming industry evolving?

Jeff Anderson: Good question. I would say that there is likely to be the usual - consolidation, increased production expense, tighter distribution and tougher critics. As an industry, we need to make sure that we are delivering high quality games that appeal to the widest possible audience. That means that we will need to look at every platform and demographic.

Jonric: As a final question to wrap things up, is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers at this time?

Jeff Anderson: Okay, how about a self-serving plug?

PREORDER D&D ONLINE!

*chuckle* Honestly, I am very thankful for this opportunity. We work very hard on these projects and it is great when I get to sit down and talk about the things that I love the most!

During the course of the past several years, it has been our pleasure to sit down and talk with Jeff Anderson in person a number of times. On these occasions, we have seen the same kind of enthusiasm for Turbine and its products - if anything, even more so. Accordingly, we are especially thankful that he was willing to make time in his undoubtedly hectic schedule to share his insights on the company he is leading into what looks like a very bright 2006.


[For a more community- and news-oriented approach to Turbine's projects, we cordially invite you to visit our Dungeons & Dragons Vault and Asheron's Call Vault on a regular basis. - Ed.]
-- Richard Aihoshi - 'Jonric'

I saw a post from SirBruce that really made me laugh.

SirBruce's Top Five Sexiest Female NPCs

Scary.

Ok I will try installing that tonight. Thanks.

Having .net 2.0 doesn't mean you don't need .net 1.1.  The runtimes aren't a backwards-compatible model, like, say, Java.  I doubt that Turbine is writing things in 2.0, so it was probably 1.1 you needed.

At least that's how I remember it.  I haven't written much in .net

I expect we'll see him back shortly...the creepy linking posting has been increasing exponentially around here and I'm starting to get a Player2Playerish vibe.  Bruce will be the icing on the cake.

If he does, it'll either be over my dead body, or with me tied up in chains in the back somewhere.

....


You do realize you posted about being tied-up in chains on a Bruce-related topic, right?  Because, man, that gave ME the heebes. I'm amazed you're not frothing at the mouth and twitching.

I kind of miss him.

Back on topic, my smallish casual guild that I have played with for 5 years enjoyed the stress test, but everyone has reservations about paying a monthly subscription for a game that seems best played by appointment.

I reiterate my belief that DDO needs an alternative, innovative pricing scheme for people that want to play together regularly once or twice a week.

I

kind

of

miss

him.

Agreed, 1st edition AD&D with the 1st covers - the cheesy amateur looking pictures and the yellow corner stripe. That's very important.
(http://www.theherofactory.com/PH.jpg)(http://www.theherofactory.com/MM.jpg)(http://www.theherofactory.com/DMG.jpg)

Beta Journal #7

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

In the typical sandwich combat MMO, there’s little point in trying to dodge blows from a monster you’re fighting; it’s programmed to hit you regardless. While you can engage a DDO monster in that manner, real-time reactions will make you a much more efficient fighter (with a lot more hit points left over at the end of a fight). Don’t just stand in front of the enemy and trade blows. Keep those feet moving - to the flanks - adjust your position. Much like boxers and marital artists do, move around to keep your opponent off-balance. Nimble monsters present a challenge, they may move to face you as fast as you move away, so mix your movement by also jumping back and forth as you attack.

The NDA has been lifted.

www.ddo.com

Do gamers really need Players Handbook II and Dungeon Master's Guide II?

The NDA has been lifted.

www.ddo.com

The main thing I've disliked about 2nd and 3rd edition are all the sourcebooks that get churned out with a few pages of useful stuff and then a ton of filler material. 

I just go to the game store, skim the book, make a mental note of anything that looked useful (usually it's something simple enough to be remembered, like a single cool adventure idea), and put it back.  Works very well.

Rifts books have a lot of filler material also, but their filler at least tends to be creative and well written (and consequently their sources books tend to come out months or years later than planned).

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!!!!

HACKcoughcoughHACK!!

Ahem.

I disagree.  Qu-quite strongly, in fact.  But then, production values were pretty low across the whole board back when I got those books, so maybe they're better now, I dunno.

The 2nd Ed Planescape stuff was pure luv.  As is Ravenloft, even the 3E version (in part because WotC's not in charge of it).

Is it telling that the NDA has been lifted and nobody's got anything new to say? ;)

any sourcebook ever written for Forgotten Realms (which was the majority of the 2nd edition stuff), and don't even get me started on shit like those Complete (insert class here) Handbooks.  10 pages maybe of useful rules for your class and 100+ pages of some of the dullest filler written.

That's because 20 minutes after the NDA dropped 860+ posts on the subject magically appeared. If your answer can't be found in there, it can't be found right now. You know how we crucify people for not using the search button.

Using poison is a fairly nasty act. Nice people don't really go around poisoning folks. Assassins are pretty evil people, as they kill people for a living. I don't see where you are going with that.

So Sam Fisher, someone who kills people very frequently and certainly has the same or very similar skillset as an assassin, would be evil.

The ends justify the means is not the path to the happy hunting grounds, it's neutral at best imo.

Using poison is a fairly nasty act. Nice people don't really go around poisoning folks. Assassins are pretty evil people, as they kill people for a living. I don't see where you are going with that.

And just out of sheer perversity I am going to ask, wasn't the Happy Hunting Grounds the Lawful Neutral plane in Deities and Demigods?