All the News the Newbs Can Use!

Newb-Friendly Advice for the New
DDO Gamer

 Compiled
by Shayalyn

---

Let's face it; we live in a gaming era ruled by
World of
Warcraft (WoW). No other massively-multiplayer online game (MMOG) can
boast
over 5 million players. And arguably, the secret to WoW's success is
the ease
with which the game is played. But Dungeons & Dragons Online:
Stormreach
(DDO), released today by Turbine, Inc., is not a WoW clone. In fact,
it's not
an anything clone; it is very much its own unique game.

Given that, there will probably be a
bit of a learning curve
for those who venture into Stormreach expecting a garden variety MMOG.
Yes, you'll
still find quest NPCs conveniently marked. Sure, the game has city maps
to help
you get from point A to point B. Of course there's a brief tutorial to
help you
get the hang of wielding a weapon and slinging spells. But, beyond
that, don't
expect DDO to be “easy.” It's a whole new world.

To help introduce you to this new
world, I've assembled a
collection of the articles we've published here at DDO Ten Ton Hammer
that are
geared specifically toward new players. If you'll be stepping into
Stormreach
for the first time once you finish loading your shiny new copy of DDO,
this is
the guide to help smooth your way...assuming you've adhered, at least
somewhat,
to the principle of RTFM (Read the Freakin' Manual).

 

Walk the Walk, Talk
the Talk

 

As you most
likely know, DDO is the online incarnation of
the classic pen and paper (PnP) roleplaying game, Dungeons &
Dragons
(D&D). A good many of the gamers I encountered in the DDO beta and
head
start were D&D enthusiasts who knew the lingo and the intricate
rules that
govern D&D gameplay. Admittedly, I'm not one of those people.
That's why I created a
guide to DDO terminology. This should help demystify some of the terms
you'll
come across in DDO.

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=59">

   

  DDO
  Terminology from A to Z

Be a Character

Your character's class and race are the
first decisions you'll
make in DDO. You'll want to be informed as you set your character's
ability
points, and choose skills, feats, and spells. Our character creation
guides are great resources to help you make informed choices.

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=24">Barbarian

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=25">Bard

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=26">Cleric

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=27">Fighter

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=28">Paladin

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=29">Ranger

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=30">Rogue

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=31">Sorcerer

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=32">Wizard

Naughty or Nice? (Well, Not
too Naughty...)

You
can't be an evil character in DDO for a few of logical reasons: there
is no
player vs. player combat; evil traits are generally reserved for
monsters and
other bad guys; and that's the way it's done in the tabletop game,
D&D. But
even though you can't be truly wicked, you're going to have to select
your
character's alignment as part of the creation process. Stumped as to
what an
alignment is and what it means to your character? We've got that
covered.

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=60">A
  Roleplayer's Guide to Alignments

 

An Order of Newb
Quests to Go, Please!

The only way to gain experience in Dungeons &
Dragons
Online is through completing quests; there are no killing fields where
you can
go slaughter nameless vermin to level up. If that thought seems a
little
daunting, we've got your back, little adventurer! Zed served up this
handy
guide to the port area of Stormreach, complete with information about
the
quests you'll be completing as you make your way into Stormreach proper.

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=64">Guide
  to Stormreach
  Port

Console Gaming on
your PC?

You're going to hear it if you haven't
already, and you're
going to experience it if you haven't played in the DDO beta or head
start, so
I might as well say it--DDO is a game that requires some twitch skills;
good
old fashioned manual dexterity for reactive button mashing. If you're
not
accustomed to playing a twitch-based game on a PC, then you might want
to
consider setting up a gamepad for DDO. Ralsu wrote the book on that.
Well, if
not the book, then at least the article. His recommendations for
configuring a
gamepad will have you twitching away in no time.

• href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=85">
  Taking
  Control: Gamepad Configuration for DDO

There's plenty more to explore on DDO
Ten Ton Hammer, but
these articles should certainly get you off to a good start. And for
more
newb-friendly treatment, you might consider joining our href="LINK:%20http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=index&c=13">Ten
Ton Hammer guild on the Sarlona server, where our motto is much the
same as your kindergarten
teacher's probably was: “There are no stupid questions.” Come join us
and let
the adventure begin!