Features

Codemasters marked D&D Online's 2nd anniversary this year at Connect 08, and Donna Desborough of MMORPG.com was there to gather the yummy bits of new information on the future of D&D Online; most notably, the upcoming Module 7 update, which will include a new class: the Monk.

Celebrations for the 2nd Anniversary were also had in game, though they were tempered by a somber note, as we all know, Gary Gygax the co-creator of D&D has passed this year. As a tribute to him, the developers have implemented a new item called the Voice of the Master which gives an experience boost while equipped. According to Donna's report there will also be some sort of tribute within one of the graveyards present in the game.

Some details on the monk:

The Monk will mostly be a hand to hand combat character with proficiencies in quarter staff and exotic weapons, such as the shuriken. Attacks will include both single target and area of affect damage. Good news comes in the form of the lack of restrictions. Any race will have the option of playing the Monk, but there may be mandatory alignments. The Monk class is still in the pre-Alpha stages at the moment, so much could change as decisions are made and the class further developed.

You can get the full report here.

This Monday, Jonathan Steinhauer begins a look at a new issue in his bi-weekly column. In "To Be A Hero" asks the fundamental question that we all face when it comes to our time, our darkness and MMOs: why do we play?

Why do we play MMOs (or adventure style games of any sort)? Fundamentally, one would hope, because they are fun. Aside from that, there are a myriad of reasons, but a major one is that it gives us a chance to be heroic in a way we really can't in real life (and if we could, probably wouldn't want to given the massive death rate our avatars suffer). Games give us the chance to be "the hero." Yet how can we truly be the hero in a world where 100% of the world's population are hero-aspirants and each step down the road to renown is identical for everyone?

Read more after the jump.

Ten Ton Hammer is featuring an interview with DDO producer Kate Paiz. The interview focuses on the new D&D 4th Edition Rules and the upcoming Module 7. Here's a teaser:

Ten Ton Hammer: And the level cap is increasing in Module 7?

Kate: Nope! The Monk is going to be the focus, and pretty much all of our character ability folks are dedicated to that task. The level cap will definitely be heading to 18 later in the year, but it won't be in Module 7.

Ten Ton Hammer: Is crafting scheduled for Module 7?

Kate: Yeah, we're going to be doing some more improvements to the crafting system. Basically for Module 7, players will begin to be able to start deconstructing items and collecting ingredients. It's a really, really big system and we don't know how much we're going to be able to get out in Module 7, but there will definitely be more coming in Module 8.

Check out the rest at Ten Ton Hammer.

Turbine released a bunch of screenshots to whet our appetites for Module 6. This is just one of them:

You can see the entire set after the jump!

WarCry's Tim Turner last week checked out the forthcoming update to Dungeons and Dragons Online. Module 6: The Thirteenth Eclipse launches on Wednesday and brings a host of changes to the MMORPG from Turbine. Turner and JR Sutich ran through the updates with them and provide this report:

All of the dungeons work at having new features or improved features and great story line. And based on the "Rainbow in the Dark", I have to say they did a great job of succeeding.

After saving all of the missing members of The Twelve, it was time to put a stop to Arraetrikos evil plans. So into the Shroud we went. The Shroud is the raid portion of the module and I just have to say "Awesome!"

Click below to read about it.

Recently, WarCry took the chance to interview the people behind the Dragonlance animated movie, which comes to DVD on January 15th. The interview gave us the chance to hear from Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, the famed authors and creators of the Dragonlance series. We also heard from the film's Co-Executive Producer John Frank Rosenblum and Paramount Pictures Product Manager Chris Dreyer.

In addition, we also have an exclusive clip from the film that features Sturm Brightblade.

WarCry: You two did not directly write the script, but as the authors of the original works can you talk a bit about how it turned out and why you believe it is a good representation of your work?

Tracy Hickman: Adaptation of a novel into a screenplay is a tough act especially when you're dealing with fans of a well-know work. It isn't a question of simply portraying scenes from the novel - as I think most people assume - but rather of capturing the emotional core of the original work and being able to portray that in a new medium. Both Margaret and I were granted an unprecedented level of input on the script but in the end it was hardly needed: George Strayton's magnificent screenplay captured the essence of our vision beautifully realized in a new medium.

Read it all and check out a short trailer after the jump.

Ah, another fantastic chat in the books! Here's a sample of what went on:

WarCry: arkohighstar: there has been much discussion lately on the death penalty, any update on whether you plan on making major changes to it in the future?
Eladrin: There's been a very active thread on the DDO forums related to XP as a death penalty, and we've been listening to the feedback that we've been getting from there and other sources.
Eladrin: Two of the biggest things we hear about as negative play experiences revolve around permanent item damage as well as XP loss on death.
Eladrin: Both of these are being addressed in Module Six...
Eladrin: First off, bound items will no longer be subject to permanent damage. The permanent damage rate on unbound objects will be halved, and repair costs are reduced across the board.
Eladrin: A simple manner to bind any objects you desire will be available using the Eldritch Devices in some common areas.
Eladrin: Related to the death penalty: We've removed the XP penalty from death entirely, and replaced it with a system that deals some item wear to all equipped, non-stacking objects and applies a short duration debuff after resurrection.

Big thanks to everyone for joining us and to Turbine for taking the time to answer our questions! Be sure to click "Read More" to see the entire log.

We're hosting a dev chat with the developers of DDO next Wednesday:

Come join us for a dev chat this Wednesday, December 12 2007 at 8pm EST.

When: 12/12/2007 8pm EST
Where: irc.chatspike.net 6667 in #ddo
General chat will be available in #warcry

Need a way in? No problem just use our Java Client

So bring you questions on the new level cap, module 6, and the extra tough ones on new quests.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Wizards of the Coast have recently announced 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. While the details are still sketchy, we do know that as part of the release, WOTC is seeking to attract more online players to the old pen and paper games with a new division called Gleemax. Being a huge D&D fan, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sit down and talk to Iija Rotelli, the director of online media at Wizards of the Coast. I am happy to report that if you are a gamer, any type of gamer, regardless if you play WOTC games, you want to check this out!

WarCry: So you are looking to help out the indie game developer? These are video games we are talking about?

Iija Rotelli Absolutely, all sorts of games. There are a lot of great games out there, both pen and paper games, and video games that you could get a lot cheaper than those big titles at games stores. We want to help the indie developer get their games to the gamers who want it.

One of the portals we are opening on Gleemax is for Avalon Hill. So we are starting to take Avalon Hill games and digitizing them for multiplayer online gaming.

Read more after the click.

It's been a few months since we took a peek at DDO and in that time, based on community feedback and the server merges Turbine are doing, we've decided it was time for a second look at Dungeons and Dragons Online. JR Sutich re-reviews the game in this new article.

First off, I stopped using Auto-Attack. I can see where taking a more active role in fighting improves results and makes it more interesting. The next step to making the game more fun was joining a guild. Having others online who are willing to do quests or answer questions made a lot of the difference. Getting run one time through Waterworks on Elite got me Level 3 and I had easy access to The Marketplace.

I had gotten to Level 4 when I noticed something interesting. That total Favor (not Faction, Favor) number that I had been obsessing over wasn't as big a problem as I had believed. Sure, I still think that the whole idea of making Drow and 32-point builds unlockables is a poor one, but I had managed to get 270 out of 400 necessary for the extra race without much trouble at all. I hadn't even completed all of the quests listed for Level 2. The only chain quests I had done were Catacombs and Tangleroot on Normal, and the Waterworks run on Elite. Getting 400 Favor is nothing to worry about. I should have it by the time I hit Level 6 or 7. Now, working on getting 1750 Favor might take a bit more effort, but I no longer see it as a horrible grind. It's still poor design, but not game breaking.

Read more after the click.