Filed under: Dungeons and Dragons Online

One Shots: A strange summoning

by Krystalle Voecks Nov 6th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, One Shots

As we visited the lands of Lord of the Rings Online yesterday for a bit of spooky fun, today we thought we'd take a peek in at Dungeons and Dragons Online. While this isn't specifically a Halloween shot, we thought the spooky summons was a nice counterpoint. This image comes to us from Tanek, who writes in to explain: [this] shot was taken during a show in the beta this past summer. I think the show was in the Marketplace, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure I want to know exactly what is being summoned. Whatever it is, it does not seem happy.

If you're playing a game we only see on occasion -- or have never seen -- we want to hear from you! Show us your favorite areas, tell us a bit about the lore, or maybe just tell us why you like it. Email them to oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and the name of the game. We'll post them up and give them a chance to shine.

Gallery: One Shots

The Daily Grind: Are you still playing a September MMO?

by Brooke Pilley Nov 6th 2009 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Aion, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Fallen Earth, New titles, The Daily Grind, Champions Online

September 2009 saw the release of Champions Online, Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron Unlimited (an older MMO going F2P), Fallen Earth, and Aion. This was easily the busiest month for MMOs in recent memory and we're sure many of you at least picked up one of them to try out. We're curious to know if you're still playing a September MMO just over a month later. If so or if not, why?

No MMO in the history of MMOs has experienced a perfectly smooth launch and these September titles were no exception. Did the action-packed combat of CO pull you in or did the lack of content push you away? Were you awed by DDO-EU's polished suite of tools or annoyed by the limitations put on free accounts? Was Fallen Earth's post-apocalyptic setting a breath of fresh air or did you choke on a mouthful of radioactive bugs? Did the beauty and smoothness of Aion make your heart beat faster or did its grind and bot infestation crush your soul? Just how impressed were you with September's crop of new MMOs?

Choose my Adventure: The Marketplace

by Shawn Schuster Nov 4th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Roleplaying, Choose my Adventure

Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of journals and galleries here on the site. Then, as the ultimate goal is reached, we'll do it all over again in a new game!

This week, we've made our way through the rest of the Waterworks quests in Dungeons and Dragons Online and into the Marketplace and the Cerulean Hills. Despite our limited time together, the Critical Mass bunch are really making headway through these quests.

We've finally brought back the polls for this week, as you'll have a chance to not only vote on where we go from here, but also enjoy a revisit to the use of Turbine Points earned so far. Follow along after the jump for Fahryn's in-character journal, my impressions and the return of the polls!

DDO: Unlimited Shan-to-Kor adventure pack trailer

by Kyle Horner Nov 4th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Video, Dungeons and Dragons Online, News items

Turbine has released a video for the Shan-to-Kor adventure pack, which is aimed at level four and above players. The dungeon -- which lies deep beneath the marketplace -- is nothing too grandiose or epic, certainly not on the level of Dol Guldur, but these videos serve as a nice way for interested DDO: Unlimited players to get a preview of content before they commit to buying it in-game through the DDO Store.

We wonder if there's a way for Turbine to incorporate these videos into the actual game itself, or at the very least to offer an external link for easy viewing. That may be asking too much, although since they keep making these it seems pretty logical to us.

Check out the video after the break.

Dungeons and Dragons Online opening new server

by Rubi Bayer Nov 4th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play

We told you recently about the massive population growth that Dungeons and Dragons Online has experienced since going free-to-play last summer, and Turbine is keeping pace with that growth nicely. Players enjoy a solid, extensive game at the free level, as well as a seemingly endless supply of additional content at either a microtransaction or subscription level -- including the first major content update since the free-to-play model launched in June.

Today they're adding something less on the gameplay side and more on the foundation side: a new server to keep up with the increased player base. Turbine announced the addition of new server world Orien (after the Dragonmarked noble house in Eberron) yesterday. It's only open to new characters -- character transfers are unfortunately not available at the time -- but it will certainly help to spread the server load out a bit as more players head in to see what all the fuss is about.

The new server world opens today.

Massively's DDO developer tour for Update 1

by Rubi Bayer Oct 28th 2009 at 3:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

Dungeons and Dragons Online has been enjoying a huge surge in popularity since their free-to-play model launched last June. Today marks the introduction of their first major content update since the launch, something everyone has been looking forward to for quite a while. We told you Sunday about the letter to the players from Executive Producer Fernando Paiz, and Monday we had the opportunity to get together with some of the guys from Turbine for a look at what's coming today. Between the gorgeous world Turbine has created and the numerous adventure packs for additional play, new DDO players have no shortage of content to explore and enjoy. Now long time players are getting some love with Update 1.

Follow along after the jump for a look at what to expect from today's content patch.

Choose my Adventure: Leave no Kobold unturned

by Shawn Schuster Oct 28th 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Lore, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Roleplaying, Choose my Adventure

Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of journals and galleries here on the site. Then, as the ultimate goal is reached, we'll do it all over again in a new game!

Oh, what a productive week we've had in Dungeons and Dragons Online. After arriving in Stormreach, we made it through the Harbor quests with no problem. And when I say we made it through the Harbor quests, I mean we made it through all of the Harbor quests.

Fahryn is now level 3 and ready for some new challenges, so follow along after the cut for his in-character journal, my impressions of our adventures so far and your chance to let us know where our path should lead us next

Turbine and Xfire think you need a new computer

by Rubi Bayer Oct 26th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Contests, Giveaways

They want to give you one. No, really. At the beginning of last week Xfire and Turbine announced that they were teaming up to offer prizes for joining the Xfire community and playing Dungeons and Dragons Online.

There's still time to get in on the contest. The requirements for entering are pretty easy: join the Dungeons and Dragons Online Official XFire Community and play DDO while signed into Xfire. The prizes are divided into four categories, and your prize category is determined by how many hours you play between now and November 2nd. Playing 50 hours puts you in the drawing for a 24-inch widescreen monitor and a new computer with a generous helping of bells and whistles or a shiny new graphics card. Playing 25 hours puts you in the prize category for a 23-inch widescreen monitor. If you're short on time, one hour of playtime will put you in a drawing for 1500 Turbine Points, and who doesn't love a virtual gift card?

In all 33 people will be chosen to win, so look here for details, here for those pesky rules, and here for the Xfire DDO community. Good luck!

One Shots: Choose your own adventure

by Krystalle Voecks Oct 25th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, One Shots

With an Xfire contest, a video contest, and a pumpkin carving contest, there are tons of things going on in Dungeons and Dragons Online right now. We think it's pretty awesome how people are flocking to this beautiful game. Of course, the free-to-play bit doesn't hurt, either! Still, with lovely areas like the one Tanek has captured and sent in to share with us, it's not really a surprise many are taking a second look. To give us a bit more background on this image, Tanek writes in: In honor of the new Choose My Adventure location, I thought I'd send in [one] of my favorite screenshots from Dungeons and Dragons Online. [This] is a shot of the Cerulean Hills wilderness zone at night. The DDO graphics, in my opinion, still hold their own against the newer games out there today. This has been my login background for a few months now and I'm never tired of seeing that great night sky.

Why not join the fun and send in your own screenshots to be featured here on One Shots? We can always use more to pick from. Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the game its from, and whatever other information you'd like to give us. We'll post it for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

Fernando Paiz talks game updates for Dungeons and Dragons Online

by Eliot Lefebvre Oct 25th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Business models, Patches, Previews, Leveling

Good times seem to be here for Dungeons and Dragons Online -- the game has been enjoying a huge surge in popularity from its new free-to-play model, not to mention making quite a bit of money as a result. The game's executive producer, Fernando Paiz, mentioned the game's surge of popularity in the opening of his recent letter to the game's players, but that was hardly the end of the letter. Most of the letter discusses the upcoming improvements to the game, including the upcoming and aptly-named Update 1 that's scheduled for release on October 28th.

One of the more interesting large-scale bits of information is the differentiation now being made between software updates and simple content additions. the game previously used a "module" numbering system for major patches, but Paiz points out that the changes made to the game have meant that content can be added independent of a full-on game update. Update 1, for example, will coincide with the release of a new adventure pack. It will also feature new options such as Veteran mode (allowing you to create a character starting at Level 4 instead of Level 1) and an Epic difficulty setting, further exploring the strength of the game's instanced dungeons. If you haven't yet tried Dungeons and Dragons Online -- and now that it's free to play, you don't have much of an excuse -- it might be well worth it to take a look at what the game has to offer in the near future.

DDO releases Gianthold adventure pack video

by Rubi Bayer Oct 23rd 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Dungeons and Dragons Online, News items, Free-to-play

Since Turbine switched Dungeons and Dragons Online to a free-to-play model, the game has enjoyed a huge surge in popularity. They're keeping up nicely with the large new player base, offering over 20 adventure packs for all different levels in addition to the main game content.

Earlier this week DDO released a video of one of the newest adventure packs, Ruins of Gianthold. "The Stormreaver plots to destroy Stormreach and fulfill an ancient prophecy! Earn the trust of the Gianthold army and confront the Stormreaver and his dragon lieutenants."

This one is a bit more advanced than some others, designed for level 13-14 players, and contains a generous amount of content: 10 adventures, 45 quests and a raid. Like the other adventure packs, you can find it in the DDO Store. Follow along after the jump for a look at the video, or check it out on Turbine's official YouTube channel.

Choose my Adventure: Reaching Stormreach

by Shawn Schuster Oct 21st 2009 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Roleplaying, Choose my Adventure

Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of journals and galleries here on the site. Then, as the ultimate goal is reached, we'll do it all over again in a new game!

Being the first week with Massively readers in Dungeons and Dragons Online, I'd say we were fairly productive. In the first 15 minutes, we formed the guild -- aptly named "Critical Mass" -- and began the butt-kicking.

With last week's comments focusing on our completion of Korthos Island, we made quick work of that, finishing the main quests and arriving in Stormreach on our third night together. Now we patiently wait for our next adventure as you read through my impressions of the game so far, just after the jump!

DDO cracks open The Necropolis and offers deals

by Krystalle Voecks Oct 18th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play

Dungeons and Dragons Online has been gaining more and more players since opening themselves up to a F2P model. With some very interesting and varied mechanics, we couldn't be happier to see people embracing it. As is usual, the team at Turbine are running a series of special offers including 25% off on Favored Souls and Monks, 25% off of runes and more. But what's really exciting to us are these new screenshots from The Necropolis adventure pack. For those not familiar, the pack offers adventures for various levels, with five hand-crafted adventures in four parts for players from low to high levels.

The first part takes players into the Heart Tombs and the Bloody Crypt and is meant for players at levels 5-6. The second part of The Necropolis then beckons, drawing players into the Shadow Tombs and the Shadow Crypt for levels 8-9. Once those have been vanquished, players will proceed to the Restless Tombs and the Cursed Crypt at levels 11-12. Next, players can fight through the final battles of The Necropolis by taking on the monsters in the Orchard of the Macabre and battling through the Black Mausoleum, which also contain an additional 49 wilderness quests and a raid for level 14-17 characters. From the new screenshots we got, we'd say that Dungeons and Dragons Online players are in for some serious eye candy too. Be sure to check the gallery below for the five new screens!

Gallery: DDO Unlimited

Switch to free-to-play working very well for DDO

by Rubi Bayer Oct 16th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Business models, News items

Turbine's MMO Dungeons and Dragons Online has been around since 2006, but recently enjoyed a sudden huge spike in players. Thousands more people are playing, including our own Shawn at our readers behest. This skyrocketing popularity probably isn't a mystery or a surprise to you -- Dungeons and Dragons Online announced back in June that they were going free-to-play, and the response seemed to be overwhelmingly positive.

Executive Producer Fernando Paiz said that subscriptions have gone up 40% since the game went f2p. "All aspects of our business are growing. Hundreds of thousands of new players in the world are playing for free, with a very high percentage using the store." The topic of microtransactions is a hot one, but there is apparently something to be said for an a la carte menu when it comes to gaming. Offering the game free has given quite a few people the chance to check it out when they wouldn't have before, and in the case of DDO people are liking what they see enough to stick around.

Choose my Adventure: Meet Fahryn Brygo

by Shawn Schuster Oct 14th 2009 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Hands-on, Choose my Adventure

It's always so exciting to get started in a new game with this series, and this week we officially kick off our time with Dungeons and Dragons Online. You voted earlier this week for the elements of my character creation, and I am happy to say that my new character is alive and well, and eager to begin his journey.

I've already discovered that this Choose my Adventure will need to be done a bit differently than the previous two, as I am almost completely unfamiliar with this game. What I have played was back during Module 7, and much of the game has changed since then. The voting will be less reliant on polls, and more on comment discussion. So follow along after the jump for a brief introduction to our newest adventurer, and where he will go from here.