Beta...and me

[Ragnar]

Well, got the preorder beta, installed the dvd, the beta disc only comes in dvd while the game comes in dvd or cd. The dvd didn't want to read, took 3 tries, loaded then asked for login and password...which of course I don't have yet and there was no link to get one. So, opened a new browser window, went to ddo.com and found where I needed to go to get set. Then, it asks for the product number. The single page of info that came with the dvd doesn't list a product number. It has a beta code and a preorder code. Already my frustration with poor coordination and programming was starting to rise. Then, once I do figure out which number to use, it goes through all this registration data, like a normal account would...then tells me I have 10 minutes to finish up or I lose my screen name. Not making me happy. I finished in time, which wasn't hard, but that statement that your screen name is only held for 10 minutes is ominous and unneeded.

Well, back to the login screen now that I have got my login and password established, login went fine from there...then the usual updates that were needed. Now, this beta dvd was given to me on the day it came out, installed that day. It took over an hour and a half to do the updates after I had to restart the program to update to the new patcher. Flashbacks to the nightmare that was FFII. Went to work and let it patch itself.

I get home, thankfully it is done. I log in easily enough and start the character creation process. The character creation screen is all blurry and hazy except for some gnomish looking flying machine up at the top center and an odd looking tree on the left side. The screen was very unimpressive and uninspiring. Not a good first impression coming into the game. I bring up the character images and realize that the male elves all look really old, the humans look at least 40, the dwarves are all fat, not stocky, and the halflings look gaunt. The female human and elf graphics are nice. I chose a dwarf as normal...and was rather let down with the hair choices, the beard selection was lame and the actual hair selections look like a very limited WoW selection subset. You have some variations in facial features. Oddly, the dwarf image comes up default with a pair of very lame glasses on. Not what I would normally expect as typical dwarf DnD wear.

Got past all that and then there is the class choices. They have a cool concept with a short movie on each class with a VERY watered down and shortsighted vocal concept of the class...which for no explicable reason continuously loops until you stop it. I picked a fighter to start with to check out the game to evaluate it with best focus on the game mechanics and play instead of on how to cast spells.

I start finally start moving around and find that the preset controls, which I am not sure are recongifurable, are inverted compared to all other MMORPGs in many ways making the interaction that much more difficult and stressful. The layout of the interface if far from quality and looks like a step backward from even the earliest MMORPGs. The icons, such as the quest icon, is lifted straight from WoW and even the layout of the quests screen reminds one of a primitive version of the WoW setup for quests.

All in all, I find little about the game to remind me of DnD. There is no immersion, there is no economy, characters don't really interact with each other, the NPCs are primarily stationary, like posts, zoning is old school, graphics questionable, using the mouse to turn you sometimes 'blink' to a position and have no idea where you will end up facing, mobs 'dance' around while you fight them, sometimes blinking to other locations due to programming errors, even zombies dance around you while you try to fight them and for some odd reason are blunt weapon resistant.

All in all, I am extremely disappointed. I want so much to love this game but it is the weakest MMORPG I have seen yet. Figures as a follow up from the folks that brought you AC2, the only MMORPG to ever be shut down to date.

Try with caution.
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We aim to please...but remember to be nice or bad things just may happen...

[Mr. White]

any other updates on the game, i have heard some other horror stories but also some god point.

[Ragnar]

Now, am I saying the game is bad overall? No. But it has flaws that shouldn't be there at release that were easily handled by other games out already. It is no where near as good as EQ or WoW and since it isn't even close to a reproduction of DnD, it won't pull for that reason, so it doesn't look to have a promising future. It isn't good enough to run with the big dogs especially considering the monthly access fees. There are free games that are just as good out there already.

If you are looking for a DnD game online, this isn't it.

If you are looking for a replacement for WoW or EQ/EQII, this isn't it.

If you are looking for a mediocre game that shoudn't charge monthly fees but does, this is it.
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We aim to please...but remember to be nice or bad things just may happen...