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However, Turbine has allowed players a “default” option for each class, which sets their attributes and skills automatically at character creation. Many of these default characters are derived from entry level characters found in the core D&D rulebook. If you’re unfamiliar with the D&D ruleset (the 3.5 edition), make sure you chose the default option at first. There’s nothing like trying to figure out the game with a gimpy character.

Once you’ve gained a feel for how each attribute, skill, or feat enhances your characters abilities, then go back and create the character build that suits your preference. DDO is a game that almost urges players to go back and create new characters, as more powerful starting races and/or character build points can be unlocked through doing favor-enhancing quests.

As perhaps one of the only “grind” aspects of the game, doing favor quests can get repetitive, but the inevitable rewards are fairly extensive. Upon reaching 450 favor, players will then be able to unlock the Dark Elf race that has a whole variety of basic starting abilities not available upon your initial character creation. At 1750 favor, players can create a brand new starting character with four extra build points, allowing for a character that has exceptionally powerful attributes (original character creation only allows for 28 build points).

Turbine has done an exceptional job of creating the detailed weapons and armor that D&D players dream about.

But for those players who enjoy a solid dose of character micromanagement, Dungeons and Dragons Online has it in spades. Along with the various character customization choices, you can choose between a variety of armors, weapons, spells, and trinkets, all of which can ultimately affect your character in some way. Those who excel at micro-managing may have an upper hand in the game, but they may also adversely change their character.

The Technical Stuff

From a visual standpoint, Dungeons and Dragons Online still stands up to many of the games on the market today. Although not as eye-popping as Lord of the Rings Online, DDO certainly has the same feel as its successor and the attention to detail, in some instances, is quite profound.

Armor and weapons, for instance, are extremely well done and are quite unique in appearance and form. Each time you receive an upgraded piece of equipment, you’ll feel that pleasant tingling sensation that follows each in-game reward. Popping open each chest (which are randomly generated through loot tables) is like opening a present on Christmas day – sometimes you get socks, but when that new set of armor drops into your lap, you can’t help but give a little shout of joy.

On the audio side of things, most of the sound effects and music are quite adequate and don’t detract from the experience, although they typically don’t add much to the entire ambience of the game either. However, the voice of the “Dungeon Master,” which is just a fancy word for the narrator of the game’s quests, can be entertaining and annoying all in the same breath. After awhile, most players don’t even listen to the narrator, especially on the third past through a particular quest.

Unfortunate Occurrences

Every game has its bugs when it first hits store shelves. Perhaps the closest thing to a “flawless” launch of an MMOG thus far in the 21st century has been Turbine’s own Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, which seemed nearly bug-free upon launch. This sort of perfection is almost a necessity in the modern marketplace, yet developers continue to launch games prematurely.

Beautiful vistas are something that Turbine takes special pride in creating, even when they're inhabited by huge red dragons.

However, even time can’t always heal things that are broken. With two years of active gameplay under its belt, Dungeons and Dragons Online still has a few very apparent and cosmetically inappropriate bugs that nag at its heels. One of my favorites is the “Matrix trick” that occurs whenever you fire any sort of ammunition at an NPC or a breakable object. Instead of disappearing or falling away, the arrow, dagger, or projectile remains motionless in mid-air just before  the NPC or former box. This is most noticeable when you’re playing through a dungeon and attempt to break boxes with projectiles. Floating ammunition just seems a bit silly.

It seems that other bugs continue to pester the system as well. Oversized boxes, ladder bugs, and even some quest turn-in problems continually pop their heads up in the game. Whether this is due to the different combat and questing systems or caused by something else entirely, it’d be interesting to find out why these sorts of bugs come up and aren’t immediately squashed.

Defeating the Dragon

Yet even with these bugs, Dungeons and Dragons Online still manages to create a truly epic experience. Time and time again, fans of Turbine’s work have commented that the developers at this studio really have a grasp on what it takes to create those beautiful vistas that take your breath away. This element is alive and well in DDO, especially when you first encounter a monster of enormous proportions.

And the developers continue to increase this “epic” feel each time they release a new Module. As we discussed in a recent interview with the DDO devs, they’ll soon be releasing their next module, which hosts a variety of new enemies, including a rampaging devil army. A whole variety of tremendous monsters – dragons, maraliths, and more – are already in the game and waiting for players to encounter them.

If it weren’t for the nagging bugs and the necessities of sticking with the overbearingly intricate D&D ruleset, the sheer potential for Dungeons and Dragons Online remains tremendous. Yet even with some of these nagging problems, DDO shines as one of the more ambitious MMOG projects to ever be released. With a bit of streamlining and bug fixing, DDO could stand among the best of its gaming peers. All of that aside, DDO is a stellar game for the anyone who's ever played Dungeons and Dragons.

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