DDO Mailbag: On the Verge of
Module 3
By Ralsu
In my most recent interview with the folks at Turbine (
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=319">Another
30 Minutes on Module 3), Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) Lead
Game Systems Designer David Eckelberry told me that Module 3 had an
unofficial release date of October 25, 2006. That magic date is fast
approaching, and we will soon be consumed with the fun that is Module
3, or the Demon Sands. Since my first
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=307">30
Minutes on Module 3 interview exposed the shortcomings of
warforged, and the DDO community convinced the DDO design team to
rethink their strategy for warforged by granted the tabletop immunities
at character creation, several readers have approached me to express
gratitude or ask more hard-hitting questions.
Before I dive into the correspondence I have received, I want to say a
few words about my interviews with Eckelberry and friends. First, I
want to make it very clear that the folks at Turbine were never
hesitant to discuss any topic I brought up--even when that topic was
critical of design decisions. Furthermore, I never intended any of my
questions to attack or belittle the efforts of the DDO design team. I
asked questions generated by myself, readers, and the DDO @ Ten Ton
Hammer volunteer staff. I only asked questions for which we truly
wanted to know answers.
Now, let's take a look at your emails, PM, and death threats from the
past month:
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">From
about a dozen emails:
"Thanks so much for tackling the warforged issue. I'm glad somebody
[Turbine would] listen to finally had the guts to make them answer
questions about the way warforged get the shaft."
Thanks to all of you who wrote to praise my first interview with
Eckelberry and Executive Producer James Jones. I had seen far too much
debate on the official forums, our forums here at Ten Ton Hammer, and
in a number of taverns in Stormreach. I've had clerics leave my party
because a warforged was present. Enough was enough. I wanted to ask the
question about what makes warforged balanced. Eckelberry had basically
answered with the fact that they were overpowered in the lower levels.
Subscribers did not find this answer satisfying and let Turbine know on
the official forums. The great thing is that Turbine listened, and now
warforged will be much more viable characters.
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">From
multiple readers:
"Why didn't you ask about the 1750 Favor rewards?" style="font-weight: bold;">
My wife asked the same question of me the night after the interview as
I was typing the responses from Eckelberry and Jones. I have a couple
of reasons I could list, but both boil down to a need for more
information. I first needed to better understand how the solution on
the table at that time (+2 tomes or +4 buy points at character
creation) was still flawed, and I wanted very much to hear a sensible
solution. That's why we ran a
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=325">poll
about the 1750 Favor reward.
Our poll has gotten a couple of articulate responses, but I won't ask
Turbine about this problem without more feedback from the community. I
am adamantly opposed to just griping for the sake of griping; I want to
be able to present the problem and offer a solution. The 6 votes the
poll has so far hardly gives me the ammo I need to tell Eckelberry that
the player base demands a change and has a suggestion.
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">From
M:
"[Weapon Alacrity] allows a fifth attack at the highest BAB. Naturally
this undermines the viability of [Two Weapon Fighting (TWF)] even
further.
I am curious why Turbine doesn't implement TWF in a way that is
consistent with [Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)]. And when I say
that, I mean in allowing TWF to have twice as many attacks as [one
handed fighting] as it does in [D&D]. The obvious answer seems to
be an oversight. They decided that they need to give melee two attacks
at Level 1, but didn't really think about how that affects the
viability of TWF. But they could fix that.
Is it because they gave TWF-style to Rangers for free that they feel
the need to keep it from being as good as its supposed to be? Or, is it
that balancing the TWF would make melee combat too good--[in other
words,] they're balancing melee overall by letting TWF be weaker than
normal to lower the average."
M always writes thoughtful emails and PMs. In the case of this issue,
Weapon Alacrity vs. Two Weapon Fighting, M illustrates a weakness of
mine: a solid understanding of the melee mechanic in DDO. I know
D&D mechanics well, but DDO just doesn't work the same way. I'm
proud to announce that the gaps in melee coverage from DDO @ Ten Ton
Hammer will be
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album15&id=Demon_Sands&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">
alt="Mod3"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album15/Demon_Sands.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 200px; height: 160px;" align="right">
plugged by our newest volunteer, Nuitaran. Nuitaran has already given
us a great
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=326">guide
to Favored Enemy for rangers, and he will be working on most of the
melee classes once Module 3 releases to give you great information on
each class.
In the specific case of Weapon Alacrity further reducing the desire for
TWF, give me a solution M. If I get that last chance prior to the
launch of Module 3 that I was promised, I'll throw it out there. As my
lone melee character is a
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=112">Crowd
Control Captain, I am not a melee mastermind. I just assumed that
all DDO melee worked off of the first (or highest) BAB my character's
D&D counterpart would have. I thought the DDO advantage to TWF was
being able to attack with weapons with different effects, but I did not
think the system combined the attacks into a single round. Once I got
your message and chatted with some experienced melee players, my eyes
were open to a potential problem I didn't even know existed. So keep
educating me. I can only play so many characters at once; I learn a lot
by talking to other players and reading your mail.
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">Also
from M:
"Just thought I'd point something out to you...that 'Batman' build [ style="font-style: italic;">editor's note: this was mentioned by
Eckelberry in the second 30 Minute interview] gets much of its
survivability because the build is technically illegal. Evasion should
not work with Heavy Armor. Evasion combined with paladin saving throws
makes for one helluva spell resistant fighter. Put the armor
restriction on Evasion as it actually states in DDO, and those two
levels of rogue are much less attractive. The 'Batman' goes from being
near invincible to things like Fire Reavers to mincemeat. Batman can
either survive the [are of effect spells] or survive the melee, but not
both."
M, I hate to say anything that could lead to nerfs, but I think the
paladin is overpowered in DDO. Regardless of the armor restrictions on
Evasion, the paladin in DDO is just too
good. I think what makes the paladin most overpowered is the ability to
multi-class paladin so easily in DDO. I think this deficit stems from
the fact that alignment is meaningless in DDO except where equipment is
concerned. I know alignment is a little less restrictive in Eberron,
but paladins are still required to maintain the core of Lawful Good.
DDO has paladins helping smugglers, assassinating people, and stealing.
It just doesn't make a lot of sense.
All of that said, the more I play DDO, the more I learn to stop
comparing it to its tabletop namesake. Good or bad, DDO deviates
greatly from D&D. My assumptions and expectations that have carried
over from D&D have mostly led to disappointment, frustration, or
confusion. The more I play DDO, the more I learn to think of it as a
house rules campaign. It actually helps my outlook and increases my
enjoyment. It also leaves excitedly awaiting the story arc that comes
with Demon Sands.
That does it for this edition of the DDO Mailbag. I'll leave you with
this thought: DDO @ Ten Ton Hammer needs your help. My once large staff
of enthusiastic volunteers has become distracted by real life
obligations (moving to a new city, getting a promotion, new children)
and disenchanted by some of Turbine's game design plans for DDO. For
November, Nuitaran is gathering his data to bring you as many melee
guides as possible. Darkgolem will be collecting Module 3 data for
arcane casters. I will continue to crank out quest guides and
editorials. We're only 3 people, though, and DDO has a dearth of data
we've yet to cover. If you think you can help, look at our
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=321">Help
Wanted page and drop me a line.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited Game Page.
