DDO Top 10: Reasons to Play DDO

By Zed

You're looking for a massively-multiplayer online game (MMOG) to play. You're browsing the local games shop and see titles like World of Warcraft (WoW), EverQuest 2 (EQ2), Auto Assault and of course Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach (DDO). Why should you pick up and try DDO? What makes it different from other typical games of the genre?

Well hopefully this top 10 list will give you some ideas of why you should at least try the game.

Turbine released Asheron's Call at the end of 1999. They were arguably the first company to release monthly updates wrapped in a story which actually affected the way the world looked and felt—shadow spires in the skies moving across the land were later destroyed, damaging buildings or creating craters in the landscape around the towns. Turbine is the master at regular content—and good content updates at that. DDO is no exception.

”Guild wars!” cried many. Not really. Since DDO is based on Dungeons & Dragons (more on that shortly), the instanced quests allow players to experience a private playground. Role-play with friends or guilds, or just blast your way through the quest knowing when you get to the end boss it won't be camped by 100 other people. The downside perhaps to instanced play is the lack of areas to explore at your leisure, but then you are catapulted into the excitement immediately.

Each dungeon is created by hand. While this means it's very difficult to add random elements to the game (such as continual spawns or totally random trap placements), it also means that each dungeon is laid out well and looks stunning.

To date, I've not seen a treasure system like DDO's anywhere else. No monster drops loot (so no 2 handed great swords or full plate armour dropping off a 2 foot long rat). Instead, chests are dotted around the instance. Each chest generates a separate treasure haul for each player as he opens the chest. Only that player can take this treasure. No “ninja looting” of treasure for the most part.

6 Races. 9 Classes. Over a dozen skills and 10's of Feats. This adds up to mean no two builds will be identical. The possible combinations give literally thousands of options for building your character, and even today no one really talks about Flavor of the Month builds but rather various options around class concepts (such as, say the Turn Undead cleric) Be what you want to be—not what everyone else wants you to be.


Traps will kill. DDO's traps are lethal traps that, if tackled badly, can seriously damage your character. Yet, most traps throughout the game can be disarmed using the right Skills (more later). Puzzles, too, can be ingenious tests of memory recall—or if you're like the writer, sheer luck by pulling a lever until something glows.

A rogue can really disarm that trap you've just triggered. Or, in many cases, pick the lock on the door you've just found. Jump can help you…well jump higher. Use Magic Device lets your character use items that might be race- or class-restricted, and Swim lets you stay underwater longer. Skills are an important part of the game unlike many other MMOG's on the market.

Gone are the days of needing to purchase or join a Teamspeak or Ventrillo server. Voice chat is built into the game, allowing players to coordinate strategy and issue warnings quickly. It can facilitate role-playing and story telling but generally it allows strategy and tactics.

The fast, interactive combat isn't simply press button1…then 2…then 3…then repeat. Nor is it “hit auto attack and go make coffee, sandwiches or nip out the local McDonald's knowing you will easily kill the monster.” The ability to move out of the way, dodge and block with a shield all make combat much more interactive

Now, many might argue that DDO is nothing like D&D, and true, Turbine made some changes to translate the game to a fast-paced, real time game; yet, DDO is still based on D&D--when you build a wizard is feels like a D&D wizard. DDO also uses monsters from D&D, spells from D&D and Feats and Skills from D&D. And with each new update Turbine more and more core components of D&D.

There are many other reasons to play DDO. There are so many things about DDO that make it fun, like its epic dragon and warforged titan raids (which are not 100 man efforts but 12 man groups that can take a couple of hours) and the short quests (most take an hour or less to complete) The new patron system, the upcoming arena for player vs. player combat—DDO will offer something to many. It might not be as massively subscribed as WoW, but then it doesn't play like WoW. DDO really should be given a chance. Check out the 7-day DDO trial to see just how good it can be!

And, now consider skipping over to read Darkgolem's Top 10 Things Turbien Should Fix!

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