Posts from the Dungeons And Dragons Online Category at Massively

Taking the high road with DDO's Update 16

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Interviews, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews

You know how the saying goes: Neither wind nor rain nor hurricane will keep Turbine from its appointed rounds. While the studio lost power due to this past week's Hurricane Sandy, all of its games kept on ticking. Dungeons and Dragons Online Senior Producer Eric Boyer said the studio is generally hurricane-proof. "The servers are in a secret location powered by magic and are not affected by anything," he laughed. "Well, most anything."

We spoke with Boyer on the phone about DDO's second post-expansion update, which is loosely scheduled to hit the game in a couple of weeks. Update 16: The Netherese Legacy will continue the Forgotten Realms storyline that began with Menace of the Underdark and Update 15. It's an update that takes us down a famous path, introduces a new enemy faction, and gives additional love to the fledgling Druid class.

Gallery: DDO Update 16

DDO unearths upgraded Endless Dead festival

by Justin Olivetti (14 days ago)

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Events, in-game, Free-to-play

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DDO unearths upgraded Endless Dead festival

Don't be surprised that the Endless Dead are back in Dungeons and Dragons Online; after all, they're endless. We should be grateful that they bother coming only once a year instead of crashing weddings all summer. Turbine's added several improvements to its Halloween event and is excited to show you a good (and spooky) time.

The festival, which begins tomorrow and runs through November 4th, includes a special instance, cool prizes, and plenty of undead bad guys coming up for another round with your sword-and-shield. The team has increased the size of the monsters, added items like night black coffee (mmm), and dangled the possibility of accessing the Summoning Chamber, a special instance created for the event.

Get a bloody eyeful of the scares to come in the gallery below!

Gallery: DDO Endless Night 2012

Source: Endless Night
More coverage: DDO official site

Choose My Adventure: You decide the MMO and how I play it

by Jeremy Stratton (21 days ago)

Fantasy, Polls, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, Lord of the Rings Online, Wurm Online, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Vanguard, Guild Wars 2, War, Free-to-play, Massively Meta, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, Choose My Adventure, Allods Online, World of Tanks, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous

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Choose My Adventure You decide the MMO and how I play it

It's finally time for my second round of Choose My Adventure. The last time I helmed CMA, Lineage II was top pick, and I had a lot of fun with it. I took tons of screenshots and video to keep you in the loop as to my progress, and you can expect the same, whichever game is chosen this time.

MJ's turn with The Secret World was a lot of fun to read and follow. She even livestreamed some of her shenanigans... I mean, adventures. You can bet I'll be playing with one finger over the PrtScn button and livestreaming some of my adventures as well. I hope to make this a multimedia extravaganza of epic proportions.

Take a look through your choices and vote, vote, vote. And make sure to get those votes in by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday the 21st!

Lawsuit claims patent infringement by Turbine

by Shawn Schuster (25 days ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Legal

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Lawsuit claims patent infringement by Turbine

Ever heard of Treehouse Avatar Technologies? Yeah, neither have we, but a lawsuit filed this week is aiming to get the Canadian-based web services company a little publicity.

After being awarded a patent for the "Method And System For Presenting Data Over A Network Based On Network User Choices And Collecting Real-Time Data Related To Said Choices" on May 15th of this year, Treehouse is going after Turbine for what they consider infringement with both Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online. The lawyer-speak in the suit itself is not for the faint of heart, but a few of the claims include the fact that LotRO and DDO are "character-enabled" and "have character-attribute data linked with one or more character data."

We can't help but be reminded of the Worlds.com vs. NCsoft lawsuit filed a few years ago claiming an infringement on "scalable chat," but it seems a bit far-fetched that a patent suit can be won over games that came out several years before the patent was even issued. But hey, that's why we write about video games and don't swing a gavel around.

Via: GamePolitics.com
Source: Treehouse vs. Turbine

The Perfect Ten: Worst expansion names of all time

by Justin Olivetti (27 days ago)

Anarchy Online, City of Heroes, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XI, Lineage 2, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, Humor, RIFT, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

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The Perfect Ten Worst expansion names of all time

When SOE announced that EverQuest's 19th expansion would be titled Rain of Fear, I instantly found myself tripping over the name. I shouldn't have -- it's a few simple words that are first round picks for spelling contests -- but it defied the traditional naming conventions for MMO expansions. Many people I talked to kept wanting to write "reign" instead because "rain" seemed like a deliberate misspelling by some intern in Smedley's empire.

Homophones aside, Rain of Fear is hardly the worst expansion title I've ever seen. The industry has had its share of bad names, from the confusing to the downright unpronounceable. Sure, we get used to these titles, and perhaps it's nit-picky to lug them out at such a late point in many of their lifespans, but petty is my middle name. My first name is Tom. And these are 10 poorly named expansions. Deal with it.

Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity

by Justin Olivetti (1 month ago)

World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer Online, Guild Wars 2, Free Realms, Champions Online, Hello Kitty Online, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes

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I have two big announcements today. The first is that Jukebox Heroes is switching from a bi-weekly to a weekly schedule, which should delight my 30 readers and cause an epidemic of indifference elsewhere. The second is that we're going to take a week off examining specific soundtracks to have a little fun with how silly MMO studios can get.

If you haven't figured it out already, this column is kind of a not-so-subtle outlet for sharing my MMO music collection with you. I don't have any firm method of collection other than I just acquire tracks that my ear tells me I'd like to hear again. So along the way, I've acquired a few oddball pieces that you probably won't find on any OST but that are notable enough to share.

In some cases, these tracks represent studios' attempts (successful or otherwise) to let down their hair and be humorous. In others, these songs are parodies or one-time special events. So let's take a sidebar to look at the whimsical and odd songs of gaming.

The Perfect Ten: Ways MMOs explain infinite resurrection

by Justin Olivetti (1 month ago)

City of Heroes, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, Fallen Earth, Lord of the Rings Online, The Matrix Online, The Secret World, Humor, RIFT, Allods Online, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

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The Perfect Ten Ways MMOs explain infinite resurrection

Why? Why do we die in MMOs and receive an infinite number of resurrections? Are we in a type of hell defined by endless combat and suffering, doomed to never escape the cycle? Is this a cruel experiment being performed by supreme alien beings from afar? Does that make us the living undead, immortal Highlanders, or something even more significant?

If you're looking at me with that look you have in your eye right now, I'd like to remind you that asking these questions is more in line with the core of RPGs than just mashing the 1-2-3 buttons. The rules that make up and dictate our virtual lives should have both meaning and sense, yet so many of these games expect us to just blithely accept that we can come back from the dead over and over without nary an explanation.

Well, I like explanations. Even if it's just polite nonsense, a thought-out reason as to why our characters are death-proof tells me that the devs treat their game with a higher degree of integrity than others. So here are 10 MMOs in which the endless cycle of death and resurrection gets at least a backhanded explanation instead of "shut up, just accept it."

DDO Update 16 will have 'generous helping of adventures'

by Justin Olivetti (1 month ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries

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DDO Update 16 will have 'generous helping of adventures'

Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 16 is preparing to deliver a "generous helping of Forgotten Realms adventures" this November, according to Producer Fernando Paiz. In a new letter to the community, Paiz looks ahead to the game's next major update, which he says will expand high-level content in the new world setting.

"There will be new monsters to fight, a new story to explore, and castles to plunder (because every good D&D campaign needs castles)!," Paiz writes. He says that Update 16 will also contain an additional Epic Destiny called Primal Avatar.

Turbine is also focusing on whittling down its known issues list with several bug updates and fixes. Paiz says that Update 17 should arrive by the end of the year as well, but it will be a smaller patch with updates to seasonal festivities. He also hints at the studio's plans for DDO in 2013, including updates to both campaign settings and a return to Gianthold.

Source: Producer's letter
More coverage: DDO official site

PAX Prime 2012: DDO has been busy

by Elisabeth Cardy (2 months ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, News items, Free-to-play, Massively Event Coverage

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PAX Prime 2012 Song of Druid's Deep redux

Dungeons and Dragons Online has been keeping its dev team incredibly busy. It wasn't too long ago that the Menace of the Underdark expansion came out, and hot on its heels came update 15, the Song of Druid's Deep. Did you blink? Have you missed some of what's been going on? Luckily for you, we caught up with the Turbine team at PAX and have everything you need to know to get up to speed.

Menace of the Underdark introduced the world of the Forgotten Realms by leading players through the Demonweb, into the Underdark, and out into Faerûn and the town of Eveningstar. The Song of Druid's Deep update sends out the first tendrils of adventure into the wide world around Eveningstar. Players have to deal with a growing corruption -- zombie-like plant beings and infected humans and dryads -- and chase it to its putrid heart. If you want an in-depth look at the update, be sure to read our hands-on article about the Druid's Deep experience.

Update 15 comes not only with new quests and monsters, but the digital version of the time-honored monster manuals. Players with monster manuals can earn rewards, including Turbine points for big achievements and exclusive creature companions for the biggest achievements, while keeping track of all the terrifying foes they've faced. Additionally, there is a variant of the Ruined Keep challenge called the Daybreak Ritual.

The team isn't slowing down. With plans for a few quality of life fixes in the very near future and update 16 in November, Turbine is keeping up its quick pace. Update 16 will bring in five new quests, another wilderness area, and an emphasis on creating real connection between the areas of Faerûn.

Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 31st - September 2nd, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2012. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar, PlanetSide 2, RIFT: Storm Legion, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!

More coverage: Dungeons and Dragons Online official site

A song of trees and fire: A deeper look at DDO's Update 15

by Justin Olivetti (2 months ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Humor

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A song of trees and fire A deeper look at DDO's Update 15

Earlier this week, Turbine released Update 15: Song of Druid's Deep for Dungeons and Dragons Online. Seeing as this was the first post-expansion update and that it took us further into the Forgotten Realms setting, we had to get a closer look at what Update 15 added to the game.

Lead Content Designer Ricardo Liu and Community Manager Amanda Grove invited us along to a tour of the new content. Liu said that the speed of Update 15's arrival is a sign that Turbine wants to kick up the pace of releases. The update includes a new four-quest adventure pack, the monster manual, and an additional challenge.

With Update 15, many more options are available in the DDO store. Turbine's set the pricing as follows: Menace of the Underdark adventure packs are 2495 Turbine Points for all, account-wide epic destiny unlock is 995 TP, the Eveningstar Challenge Pack is free for VIPs and 695 TP for others, and the Druid class is free for VIPs and 1495 TP for others.

The pricing details out of the way, we got right into the fun of all of Update 15's new adventures. It's a tale that will give the green thumbs among you a plague of nightmares.

DDO Update 15 goes live with new adventure pack

by Justin Olivetti (2 months ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, Patches, Free-to-play

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DDO Update 15 goes live with new adventure pack

Never letting a little thing like releasing an expansion pack slow them down, the developers at Turbine have pumped out the first post-Menace of the Underdark update for Dungeons and Dragons Online.

Update 15: Song of Druid's Deep significantly adds on to the expansion content, including the titular adventure pack for high-level characters. This adventure pack includes four quests and comes in two varieties: level 17 and 23. There's also a new challenge called The Ruined Keep: The Daybreak Ritual which is being included with the Eveningstar challenge pack.

On top of that, the latest update for DDO includes a "monster manual" that can be filled out for extra rewards, the ability to purchase the expansion through the DDO store, and several tweaks for the wet-behind-the-ears Druid class.

Source: Update 15 notes
More coverage: DDO official site

D&D Online's Song of Druid's Deep screenshots released

by Elisabeth Cardy (2 months ago)

Fantasy, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

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Dungeons & Dragons Online screenshots released

It's been a little while since Dungeons & Dragons Online's Menace of the Underdark expansion came out, which means it must be time for a content update. Surely enough, Monday, August 20th, will be playing host to the launch of the game's Update 15: Song of Druid's Deep.

The update will bring in a new Monster Manual and a brand-new adventure pack with new dungeons and exciting monsters. You can get a sneak peek of three of the dungeons -- Outbreak, Overgrowth, and Thorn & Paw -- right here! Check out the gallery below to get a glimpse of what awaits you in the Song of Druid's Deep.

[Source: Turbine press release]

Gallery: D&D; Online update 15: Song of Druid's Deep

Jukebox Heroes Extra: Five exclusive DDO music tracks for your listening pleasure

by Justin Olivetti (3 months ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes

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Jukebox Heroes Extra Five exclusive DDO music tracks for your listening pleasure

I'll be honest: Part of the reason I'm doing this column is to get my grubby mitts (and ears) on as much MMO music as possible. So while it's great to talk with composers about their projects, I'm even more interesting in hearing the finished result.

For a companion piece to my Chance Thomas interview, Turbine sent over five exclusive tracks from Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark. Sound Video Technology Director Steve DiGregorio wrote, performed, and recorded each of these, as both he and Thomas collaborated on Turbine's two expansions. In addition to the tracks and my thoughts on them, DiGregorio provided descriptions of each for illumination.

Are you excited? I know I am, so let's hop to it!

Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions

by Justin Olivetti (3 months ago)

Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Jukebox Heroes

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Jukebox Heroes A chat with Chance Thomas about scoring Turbine's expansions

For many Lord of the Rings Online players, the name Chance Thomas is synonymous with the feel of virtual Middle-earth. From the earliest days in the game, explorers have traversed the Shire, Moria, and beyond listening to Thomas' melodies. So we were excited to hear that Turbine is bringing Thomas back to score not only Riders of Rohan (his first soundtrack for the game since Mines of Moria) but also Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark as well.

Thomas is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer who's been working primarily in the field of video game music since 1998. Being a huge fan of MMO soundtracks, I made it a personal quest to talk with him about these two new scores and how he feels about working in this genre. In the weeks ahead, I'll be reviewing both Rohan and Underdark's soundtracks, but today I wanted to focus on the man behind the music.

Join me, then, as we embark on a voyage to worlds far away, sailing on the wings of a song. Geez, that's cheesy, ain't it?

D&D Online showcases two more Menace of the Underdark dungeons

by MJ Guthrie (3 months ago)

Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons

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Dungeons & Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark screenshot

If you have the urge to hack-and-slash your way through some undead or test your mettle against a new type of demon, Dungeon and Dragons Online's recent expansion Menace of the Underdark has just the two dungeons for you. The Unquiet Graves dungeon features Drow necromancers desecrating a once-peaceful graveyard and constantly reanimating the bodies of the dead. The second dungeon, The Deal and the Demon, pairs players with the notorious mercenaries, the Yugoloth, to get rid of a demon lord deep inside the Demonweb.

Peer into these new dungeons in the gallery below.

[Source: Turbine press release]