Dungeons & Dragons Online Comes to the Forgotten Realms

[Andy Chalk]

Dungeons & Dragons Online Comes to the Forgotten Realms

The upcoming Menace of the Underdark expansion means Dungeons & Dragons Online is finally going to Faerun.

The one thing that's put me off of Dungeons & Dragons Online [http://www.ddo.com/] is the setting. The world of Eberron may be canon but it's not "real" D&D, if I may take an ever-so-slightly biased position on the matter. Call me a traditionalist if you will, but I'm a Forgotten Realms man and the steam-infused world of Eberron just never got me excited. And I'm not necessarily out of my mind with excitement now, but the news that DDO players will finally get to visit the continent of Faerun certainly has my attention.

The Drow spider goddess Lolth is once again up to no good, unleashing the forces of the Dark Elves on the kingdom of Cormyr in Menace of the Underdark. And while it's not clear entirely how it will happen, her schemes have somehow brought the heroes of Eberron to the Forgotten Realms, where they will take their place in the final stand against her.

The new expansion will feature three Forgotten Realms adventure packs: The King's Forest, a defense of the village of Eveningstar against invading Drow forces; The Underdark, a journey into the Drow city of Sschindlyryn; and The Demonweb, an adventure in Lolth's home plane, the Demonweb Pits, culminating in a confrontation with the dark goddess herself. Players will be able to advance as high level 25 and enjoy the special enhancements of "epic destinies."

Menace of the Underdark won't go live until June 25 but the lead-up to that launch began today with the release of the underdark.ddo.com [http://www.ddo.com/us/gameinfo/1918].


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[Owlslayer]

Wait, so with this new update, they lifted the max level? Well I`ll be damned...
This kinda makes me want to go back playing the game; it really was fun. However, since I didn´t want to pay a penny for it, it got pretty difficult, and unlocking bigger areas turned into a huge grind. And i don`t have a lot of time to spare while in an Uni. Still, i really did enjoy it. And it is nice to see they added a few free quests.

 

[UnderGlass]

I'm more a Ravenloft or Dark Sun man myself. Despite the great games that have been set there, the overwhelmingly generic FR setting never got my juices flowing. It tries to be too many things to too many people at the same time and wears it's flavourless mediocrity like a badge of honor. Strangely even the very broadly outlined Greyhawk setting held more appeal to me. Perhaps because it was more a world-building template than a specific place.

Hearing that WotC was bringing Dark Sun back actually got me a little excited for D&D 4ED for a little while there.

Then I puked the mescalin out of my system, put down the teacup I'd been eating and went back to the sane part of my life.

 

[JaceArveduin]

If I end up with some spare cash, I'll probably do one of the pre-orders. Since I haven't actually payed for anything, it'll be a great with all the extra packs they toss in.

Oh, and being able to get my own version of Guenwhyvar doesn't hurt.

 

[Artemis923]

If Drizzt isn't in there somewhere, it's wrong.

 

[Rad Party God]

My very first Dungeons and Dragons game, heck, my introduction to the franchise, was DDO and I liked Eberron for what it is. I don't care or give a monkey's shit about the Forgotten Realms, in fact, that's one of the reasons I didn't enjoyed Baldur's Gate, because of it's boring setting.

I'm hihgly interested in making an investment on the Collector's Edition, this, along with LOTRO, are the only MMOs that has the closest thing to a Guild Wars' payment type, I can buy most of the content and still not pay a single monthly dime, just for the occasional expansion pack.

 

[Ieyke]

If they made DDO 2....I almost think it could be amazing....

I dunno how much of Eberron is available in DDO nowadays, but back when it launched the thing that turned me off was that the game took place in what must be the single most boring place in Eberron.
Oh yay....a town built in a bigger town that I can't tell what it looks like cuz I'm not a giant...and we're on an uncivilized island....woooo....
In a world full of trains that run on lightning, flying ships that run off of enslaved elementals, giant half sentient war golems, cities with thousands of towers, flying cities, crazy places with nobility marked by dragons, etc etc....they put be in a ruined city in the jungle and let me explore some sewers? No. I don't think so.

 

[samsonguy920]

So you don't get so much to go to the Dalelands or Cormyr as you more just get to go on a raid there?

Color me unimpressed.

 

[Zen Toombs]

The world of Eberron may be canon but it's not "real" D&D,

Spoiler: Umbrage has been taken!

Spoiler: I challenge you to fisticuffs at dawn!

 

[Loethlin]

I'm not touching it if there's Drizzt in it.
Dalelands are far away from the North, however, so it'd only makes sense if he just stayed there, freezing his ass off instead of showing up over there.
On the other hand... Elminster. Ugh.

I might check it out, actually. Always loved Forgotten Realms.

 

[Scars Unseen]

If Drizzt isn't in there somewhere, it's wrong right.

I never understood why people always insisted on throwing in NPCs that are generally the star of their show wherever they go. Half of the reason a lot of people dislike the Realms comes from that trend. Let the players be the stars.

 

[Artemis923]

If Drizzt isn't in there somewhere, it's wrong right.

I never understood why people always insisted on throwing in NPCs that are generally the star of their show wherever they go. Half of the reason a lot of people dislike the Realms comes from that trend. Let the players be the stars.

Suit yourself, I'd love a questline helping Drizzt FSU. @_@

 

[Andy Chalk]

I'd say the "I like FR" thing has gone pretty much exactly as I predicted.

Yeah, it's generic, but I like my D&D straight up. Greyhawk is good stuff too, but the FR feels a little better realized, I suppose because it's been the focal point of D&D for so long. The Planescape setting also really fascinates me; I've never played in it (aside from Planescape: Torment of course) but I have several sourcebooks courtesy of an old BioWare contest and I love reading them.

 

[Chubbs99]

One thing that wasn't mentioned was in addition to the level cap going up to 25... they are all supposivly going to be giving us the druid class (thats only what 6 years late now?). If it wasn't for the GW2 beta comming soon... i'd try and make more time for DDO... but i have lots of stuff to do still for the Hall of Monuments o_o

 

[Loethlin]

I'd say the "I like FR" thing has gone pretty much exactly as I predicted.

Yeah, it's generic, but I like my D&D straight up. Greyhawk is good stuff too, but the FR feels a little better realized, I suppose because it's been the focal point of D&D for so long. The Planescape setting also really fascinates me; I've never played in it (aside from Planescape: Torment of course) but I have several sourcebooks courtesy of an old BioWare contest and I love reading them.

Planescape is fun, but I always preferred Spelljammer for some reason. Probably this reason was "Star Trek? In MY D&D?!" It's not really Star Trek, but that never stopped me from enjoying how free it is, when Sigil has all these rules upon rules that frustrate me.
I always fancied Dragonlance, too. I mean, up to the Chaos War. After that, resurrected Dragonlance was just crap.
Never got into Greyhawk, so no opinion there.