DDO goes F2P. - (DDO Unlimited)

[Arthur_Parker]

I'm interested to see how they handle advertising LOTRO to the free DDO players.

[Tarami]

Billboard ads for resorts in Gondor?

[Xilren's Twin]

In talking to some guildies last night, not only will the store have Races, Classes, Levels and Modules... but the aforementioned experience boost potions, healing pots, Rest shrines (portable rest shrines for a group would be cool!), resurrection stuff, plus teleportation and movement stuff, and dress up stuff.

The real question for me is cost; vip accounts get 500 points a month.  What does that equal in terms of microtrans dollars spent, and what can you afford with that?

[Mrbloodworth]

Do we still have to buy the box? I'm a huge D&D fan but DDO didn't seem worth the price of entry. Going f2p might make this worth trying out.

I'm thinking no.

[DLRiley]

I'm interested to see how they handle advertising LOTRO to the free DDO players.

advertising:

LOTRO remained a marginally successful game, DDO didn't, LOTRO is for winners.

[Mrbloodworth]

In talking to some guildies last night, not only will the store have Races, Classes, Levels and Modules... but the aforementioned experience boost potions, healing pots, Rest shrines (portable rest shrines for a group would be cool!), resurrection stuff, plus teleportation and movement stuff, and dress up stuff.

The real question for me is cost; vip accounts get 500 points a month.  What does that equal in terms of microtrans dollars spent, and what can you afford with that?

I don't know, but if it makes you feel any better, the 500 is monthly and stacks/rolls over.

[Lantyssa]

Bets on the new class being Druid or Warlock?

My money is on Warlock.

Will they bungle it as badly as NWN II did?

I don't think that is possible.

[sam, an eggplant]

The real question for me is cost; vip accounts get 500 points a month.  What does that equal in terms of microtrans dollars spent, and what can you afford with that?

How much is 500 points worth? Well, lets say it's july 24th at 8PM ET. July is the seventh month, I believe neptune occludes jupiter, it's still daytime in pacific standard time, the mets won their last home game... umm.... carry the three... got to account for rush hour traffic on route 101... my calculations come out to about three dollars and seventeen cents. Now of course if you decide to subscribe to their points discount service for $5/month (or $14/3months, or $55.99/year) you get to subtract 0.1% of the DOW multiplied by the fig newton constant from each US$20 minimum point pack, so assuming the economy has flattened out and the DJIA is still around 8500pts, 500 points could be purchased for slightly under three bucks online. Of course if you're lucky gamestop may have a coupon, and you could get them for even less.

Hope this clears things up for you!

[Mrbloodworth]

So about treefiddy?

[sam, an eggplant]

Well if you want to round off, sure. Me, I heart precision.

[Morfiend]

The real question for me is cost; vip accounts get 500 points a month.  What does that equal in terms of microtrans dollars spent, and what can you afford with that?

A friend tells me one extra character slot costs 595 points.

[Evildrider]

Bets on the new class being Druid or Warlock?

My money is on Warlock.

The new class is Favored Soul.  Basically what Sorcerer is to Wizard, Favored Soul is to Cleric.

I'm not in the beta so I'm not breaking any NDA.  I made a guess about the class on the forums and my thread was deleted.   

Basically I knew if they were giving us another class it had to be one with little work involved.  lol.

[Mrbloodworth]

The real question for me is cost; vip accounts get 500 points a month.  What does that equal in terms of microtrans dollars spent, and what can you afford with that?

A friend tells me one extra character slot costs 595 points.

Meaning items are 1/3 of that.

[Evildrider]

Remember all the points and stuff are still being scaled as is the amount that VIPs will get on a monthly basis.

[rattran]

Not free for you EU types! No Free Soup in Europe!

Guess Codemasters is playing a 'wait and see if there are moneyhats' game.

[Mrbloodworth]

Codemasters are dumb, and not just for this. If you play anything run/managed/or overseen by codemasters, you are a 2nd class citizen in every meaning. It is astounding they are still profitable and that people deal with them.

[Mrbloodworth]

DDO goes F2P: An interview with Turbine

[WayAbvPar]

I will at least download this and poke around. If/when it goes live we should get a Bat Country Dungeon crawl together.

[UnSub]

First few levels DDO is fine to solo.

But you need a consistent team if you are going to last. Even pugging is a bad idea - they tend to be speed runs to the end because the typical people who play DDO have done those early dungeons many, many times.

[Evildrider]

First few levels DDO is fine to solo.

But you need a consistent team if you are going to last. Even pugging is a bad idea - they tend to be speed runs to the end because the typical people who play DDO have done those early dungeons many, many times.

After the new Unlimited thing goes live, dungeons will scale with the amount of people that go into them.  This will not effect Elite difficulty though.

So if you go into a quest solo, the dungeons will be a bit easier.

[PalmTrees]

First few levels DDO is fine to solo.

But you need a consistent team if you are going to last. Even pugging is a bad idea - they tend to be speed runs to the end because the typical people who play DDO have done those early dungeons many, many times.

Yeah, I ran into that when I tried the free trial some time ago. Really felt like a fifth wheel as my twinked out teammates just blazed thru things while I lagged behind. Hm, wonder if my free trial chars would still be there.

[sam, an eggplant]

Hell, when I played DDO in the beta I had the exact same experience. At level 1. Really turned me off the game.

[UnSub]

I can't use my trial character - he was Warforged.

Given that I'd want to play a Warforged Monk in order to test out how things play, I don't think I'll be going back to DDO.

[Furiously]

DDO is pretty idealic as a weekly dungeon crawl with friends. They should have an online party match system and give bonuses for each week you adventure with them.

[Xurtan]

Now that would make me play it. Assuming you could search for groups with like minded individuals. DDO always looked vaguely interesting, but I hate to solo; and it always came across as a game you needed a static group for.

[Righ]

Assuming you could search for groups with like minded individuals.

It's an MMO. Assume "enjoys being rewarded for repeating unchallenging content, socially awkward enough that a party matching system seems like a good idea, eager to tell Chuck Norris 'jokes' in global chat". If that's like-minded, you'll get many matches.

[tazelbain]

Bat Country will do better in DDOU because there will be no need to sub so people can come and go as they please.

[Lantyssa]

It'll still last a month at best.

[Tmon]

The actives will out level the casuals and the casuals will become ever more casual and just drift away.

[tazelbain]

It'll still last a month at best.

WAR BC lasted a mouth.  DDOU BC can do better.
I understand about the casuals, but no sub will help since causal can come and go as they please and not worry about justifying their sub.

[Lantyssa]

I find your lack of cynicism disturbing.

[Morfiend]

I find your lack of cynicism disturbing.

I think its cute. 

[tazelbain]

I just don't think the length of time the BC is active is primary indicator of success. BC in WAR only lasted a month before failure cascade.  But not surprisingly, it coincided with free month ending and the general realization "The grind is bullshit."  I don't see BC failing because some flaw in the community flaw but because WAR sucked ass.  Regardless that one month was pretty sweet.  Running scenarios, taking keeps, running PQs with f13ers was lot fun even if the game itself was deeply fucked up.  Even if BC DDOU online only lasts a couple weeks, it'll be a good couple of weeks.  Unless you already have an established guild playing DDO, what's the harm in hooking up BC?  And it may help a bit with everyone has everything memorized problem since I don't think most of us do.

[Yegolev]

I just don't think the length of time the BC is active is primary indicator of success.

It's not an indicator of the game, rather an indictment of the community.

[tazelbain]

I just don't think the length of time the BC is active is primary indicator of success.

It's not an indicator of the game, rather an indictment of the community.

If people have fun, why does it matter if Bat Country live 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years?