My copies are still in the mail, but I had a chance to read someone else’s. Once I have time to read in-depth, I will have reviews at the book site, but I wanted to post some metagame thoughts. That is, while I have not played 4th Edition, there are many things to be said about the direction the rules have taken and how 4th Edition will work as a product line.
Archive for the 'Dungeons & Dragons Online' Category
Are you ready for this weekend’s D&D 4th Edition release? I have high expectations. Which is to say that I have high standards, with hopes that they will be met. (High standards, hah, look at what we play online.)
My favorite promo is the gnome’s movement to the Monster Manual. He and Francis are adorable. He is very polite to share the stage with that horned upstart. You can see the change in the vision of the gnome. While 3rd Edition and WoW both took Dragonlance’s tinker gnomes and ran with them, 4th is returning to the 2nd Edition forest gnomes and running past them into fey.
Penny Arcade and PvP Online have a podcast series going to introduce you (and them). You get the fun mix of the Wizards of the Coast professional, long-term player, long-ago player, and complete newb. The first podcast focuses on introducing rules and picking names. If you flip to 3:09-3:19, you can hear the prospects of “Jim Darkmagic” and “Chet Awesomelaser.” The module introduction is a bit more narrative than I am used to from DMs. They resisted the urge to say, “I double-click on the NPC to get the quest.”
: Zubon
Champions Online will be almost as similar to Champions as Dungeons and Dragons Online is to Dungeons and Dragons. Which is to say, they are keeping the names and using an entirely different set of mechanics.
To compare this system to others, there is no such thing as a “Dark Blast” or an “Ice Blast” in the HERO System. Mechanically, everything is just an Energy Blast, but with different advantages and even limitations applied. … We are using systems that are essentially the same, but fit the MMORPG genre somewhat better. In Champions Online, we will have Dark Blast, Ice Blast, etc.
: Zubon
I have long pondered the notion of self-funding staff via microcontent. For example, hire more graphics artists for City of Heroes costume designs and then sell their output for a few dollars as an account upgrade. If they sell enough, they stay on. If the model works really well, you can open it up to independent contractors who could make and sell costume pieces, and otherwise replicate a bit of what goes on in Second Life with user-generated content. With the host company taking a percentage. See Julian on fluff for other thoughts.
Yes, I know there are issues there. I liked the idea of putting together Dungeons and Dragons Online dungeons that way, but you would very quickly run into balance issues where dungeons were intentionally too easy or rewarding, because people would buy them for easy xp/loot. See power creep in all the existing D&D books. (After all, why buy the new book if it does not have a prestige class you want to use, and why use one that is weaker than existing ones?) (Yes, I know.)
City of Heroes has kind of pulled this off. Lead developer Positron comments:
Well, the Villain Epic ATs were originally planned for I13, but the brisk sales of the Wedding Pack enabled us to fast track these by getting them budgeted to be done earlier. Every time you see a new tux or wedding dress you can send a thanks to that player for getting everyone VEATs an issue early.
I may be misinterpreting, but it sounds like CoX bought itself more staff time via microcontent. That is the opposite order, but it works as a potential model. Most of my CoX friends bought the microcontent for the jump pack and the Pocket D teleporter.
: Zubon
I received the last issue of Dragon Magazine yesterday. I should be happy that they are moving on and going digital, but mostly I feel like someone died. I have been reading it for most of my life. As if to help underline the end of the world, Wizards of the Coast announced the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons yesterday.
: Zubon
Like many games, D&D Online has crate syndrome. Wizards of the Coast encourages you to bring this to your pen and paper D&D game with the Barrel, Crate, and Sack Generator. Sack up, D&D.
: Zubon
This month’s Dragon Magazine has a brief update on D&D Online. Executive Producer James Jones says:
We’re also very interested in implementing prestige classes, adding the rest of the races and classes from the Player’s Handbook, and we’re looking into adding the Eberron races and classes as well.
Looks like the game should be ready for release sometime next year.
: Zubon
[Dungeons & Dragons Online] Once again solo and only with time for one quest to test my video card changes, I took my paladin into a dungeon called “The Low Road”.
Kill a few easy mobs and keep moving. An ooze (slime? snot?) attacks so I switch to a cheap club and kill it. Switch back to my sword (since my nice mace is pretty damaged and it is a loaner so I need to take care of it).
I arrived at a fork in the hallway. Left or right. There is an open door on the left and a creature on the right (kobold? I forget already). I kill the creature on the right but come back to go left, taking note of a lever right in the middle of the fork.