DDO Unlimited gets US launch date News

MMO PC News by Oli Welsh

9 July, 2009

Turbine has announced that the free-to-play version of Dungeons & Dragons Online, DDO Unlimited, will launch in the US on August 4th.

The game's European operator Codemasters has not updated its plans, so the situation remains as it was when DDO Unlimited was announced: Dungeons & Dragons Online remains a subscription-only MMO in Europe "for the time being".

However, European players will get all the new content associated with the game's move to free-to-play in a standard update, Module 9: The Plane of Battle, also on August 4th.

There'll be a new class, the Favored Soul, a healer and spellcaster who's quite handy with weapons; a raised level cap of 20; two new adventuring storylines; and an overhauled combat system, with more feedback and smart targeting.

In addition to all this, American players will have the choice to continue paying a premium subscription to get all content, or switch to free-to-play, using the DDO store to buy items, content and access to features like character classes and storage.

You can find more details on the Module 9 update on the game's European site.

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Eraysor

09/07/09 @ 09:30

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Is this game any good?

George Roper

09/07/09 @ 09:35

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Kremlik

09/07/09 @ 10:28

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If you like the proper DnD roleplay or even the old BG/NWN games you will - it's a proper dugeogon crawler, and no dont think 'WoW raids'..

The cashshop will be the offputting thing of 'the masses' that want to play F2P, the adventure packs are very much like DLC, NWN's own adventure packs or even EQ's depending on what your comming from..Turbine points are currently iirc 500 = $5 and the adventure packs range from 150 points to 750 points, the class/race unlocks your looking at 750 points-ish, but theres quite a bit there on the free side.

Any returning player will notice the differences of the F2P side newcommers wont... Bottom line is tho DDO is still more for the proper roleplayer/casual gamer, the 'hardcore wow raider' wont like this at all

Rubarack

09/07/09 @ 12:16

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Great game, but it's by no means an MMO so the monthly fee seems pretty cheeky. Fingers crossed for that EU release.

Dizzy

09/07/09 @ 12:24

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"Is this game any good? "

Yes it is good but not a pure MMO. More like a 3D Diablo with all instanced runs. If it becomes free certainly worth checking out. Some of the zones look a bit meh now though.... especially since we know how stunning this engine can look (LOTRO).

Edited 1 times, most recently on 09/07/09 @ 13:24

sneetch

09/07/09 @ 14:53

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@Eraysor
Is this game any good?

Yes it is good but it requires full groups for most of the content, if you like to solo occasionally or tend to play these games with friends who don't play as often as you do then it can be frustrating. Although they were offering solo modes in more and more dungeons/quests when I left.

I played for about 6 months at a regular time with a regular group of 6 and it was great, then our rogue had a kid, the cleric started missing sessions, people started showing up late or not at all and the wheels slowly came off. It was a pity.

Didn't feel very MMO-like to me though, I think that was mainly because of the instanced city zones which cut down on the numbers of people you'd run into and also the fact that unlike most MMOs you can't just walk out the city gates and wander around the world.

iokthemonkey

09/07/09 @ 14:58

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Didn't feel very MMO-like to me though, I think that was mainly because of the instanced city zones which cut down on the numbers of people you'd run into and also the fact that unlike most MMOs you can't just walk out the city gates and wander around the world.

---

So it's like AoC then? ;)

sneetch

09/07/09 @ 16:21

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Probably, that's one of the reasons that AoC didn't appeal to me, In a MMORPG I always think that, for example, although the starting quest says that you should turn right and head up to the chapel on the hill to talk to Brother Genericus about his missing sheep you should have the choice of being able to turn left, head to the pub and then catch a boat to the Isle of Instant-Death-For-Low-Level-Characters if you want.

Choice is important to me in these games and I hate being restricted, in DDO for example you can never walk out into the world and stumble onto a goblin camp and later on get a quest for there and so you never have those "ah, I know where that is", instead you take the quest and teleport to the edge of the goblin camp, sure it's fast but not as satisfying.

Sarr

10/07/09 @ 13:26

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sneetch -> that's not true about DDO at all. This game is the best MMO out there in my opinion. I moved to it from WoW, played WAR, AoC and many other "big" titles as well. DDO now joins this "big" league with F2P model. Response is overwhelmingly good from new players in beta - and there are thousands of them.

Join us before the launch:
http://www.ddo.com/beta_signup/index.php...

...and don't believe a word. Even mine if you want. Test it and play it for free, make up your own mind.

Sarr

10/07/09 @ 13:30

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"Didn't feel very MMO-like to me though, I think that was mainly because of the instanced city zones which cut down on the numbers of people you'd run into and also the fact that unlike most MMOs you can't just walk out the city gates and wander around the world. "

You can just walk. And there are quests in the wilderness. This game is not all about dungeons. There's an ever increasing number of Wilderness "open" areas, and often you can find "open air" quests there, not only places to explore and monsters to kill.

Please, don't repeat what's not relevant to the game now :). DDO: Eberron Unlimted is not DDO: Stormreach. There are many changes for better, imho.

levitate

13/07/09 @ 11:19

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Sounds like Guild Wars. Not very "open" or MMO at all.

Sarr

13/07/09 @ 12:01

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levitate -> It's totally different than Guild Wars. Guild Wars doesn't feel like MMO, DDO does. Those are complete opposites of each other.
On of the most striking differences is that Guild Wars is mostly PvP game, and DDO mostly PvE game. But those are only general differences. No MMO to date is so advanced as DDO when it comes to combat, collision detection, movement or character creation. Player skills matter the most, though PvE style makes it a friendly and fun place.

One of new content examples reviewed by Jerry from http://www.ddocast.com/ :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jGfszVBQ4I

And my videos of pre-beta, previous version of the game:
http://www.xfire.com/profile/sarr77/vide...

Edited 1 times, most recently on 13/07/09 @ 13:04

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