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Ok..So..Maybe It Is DnD ..Cryptic's version of 4 th Edition DnD
thark
Member UncommonPosts: 1,188
As seeing several posts that this is NOT DND etc ..I'd like to point out my view in this..It's DnD ..Cryptic and WotC's version of 4th ed DnD , we can't take that away from them, but I think they are missing a few key cornerstones to the essence of what makes playing a DnD and a roleplaying game really is..
As a DnD player I have certain aspects i'd like to take for granted in a DnD game, things like..
Co-operation , and not just tiny small fractions of it..DnD players should NEED to group up ..You should require a rouge to venture past traps or a healer to prevent imminent death..That's for me the core essence of DnD..Not saying there isn't any such things in the game, but for me it's just to bastardisation from other MMO's today. You should also require the whole group to venture past certain aspects of a dungeon. The dungeons in Neverwinter is pure coridors with zero risk of stumbling into a wrong area or getting any kind of surprises, there is traps , but the traps are so weak that they may aswell not be there, and since dieing isnt all that troublesome, what good are they ?
PvP..What the hell is the point with PvP in a DnD game, DnD has NEVER been about battling each other , Turbine did the same mistake by listening to individuals that has no real clue, there are plenty of fun MMO's with PvP , if you want that. The arenas created in DDO stands empty since the day they were created..(I have never seen a player use them)
CLICKABLES .Whats up with the silly shiny clickables , to click this you need religion or dungeoneering or nature skill, It doesnt reflect opon anything , it's just a clickable that lets you open a box based on the class you chose..and each class has this feature in some way or another so it also balanced so the thief doesnt gain an edge over the wizard that has the arcane skill etc..
This should have been MUCH more, this should give you the idea on what class you are playing , sure It tells you only a certain class can do this, but is it to much to ask for a little more dept ?
Little things that disturbs me is ...
Why all the campfires with endless healing ?
Why not take make of the inns or have players creating there own campfires as a certain wildlife skill or have you sent to a skilled cleric..Is anyone in a hurry ?
Ohh well..:) Was just my thoughts
Comments
Instead of using DnD 4th edition rules to make a tactical MMO (or at least psuedo-tactical one), which the ruleset was designed for, it was turned into a DDO clone - i.e., an instanced action RPG.
I don't begrudge them for doing so, as these types of games are very popular right now, so that's the audience most likely to spend a few $$$ over time and make the F2P profitable.
I do like the idea of foundry, and believe that was the smartest solution they could have implemented to give the game ongoing "legs" without investing the company funds.
I would like to see a proper DnD 4th Ed game released a la a MMO version of NWN with this ruleset.
There are enough core mechanics in place to ensure it is recognisable as 4th edition. I actually like how a lot of it is done, the real problem is shallowness.
Combat is a fairly accurate representation, the way they've implemented the at-will/encounter/daily system works rather well. The tactical choices are there, but the tendancy to zerg instanced content glosses over most of it. Crowd control feels a bit redundant, mostly from a lack of options and the relative ease of content. Tanking is a bit of an odd one, as it really doesn't work the same in 4e as it would in most MMOs. I haven't looked at the fighter yet, but I've seen tanks who can hold entire groups downs and those that can't. You don't force things to attack you, you make it less profitable to attack other people via debuffs and free attacks, which is something I don't think they've attempted to model. It will be interesting to see how they implement some of the more exotic tanking and controller classes.
The non-combat skills are a decent compromise poorly implemented. Resource nodes remove a lot of the roleplaying aspects, which would only appear superficial (Mass Effect anyone?) with a limited choice of replies available in conversations. Traps certainly don't have a big enough impact to warrant including them. By the time you've spotted a trap your party has blundered through them without batting an eyelid. Removing skill kits and offering loot to the group for successfully activating one would encourage more casual grouping outside of dungeons. Skill-based objectives wouldn't be a bad idea either; protecting your wizard as they attempt to close a portal (rather than just smashing crystals), picking complex traps/locks to advance, restricting maps in dungeons to those trained in dungeoneering, etc. As they stand, skills are fairly meaningless but when you're restricting classes to a single option that isn't surprising.
As for the fires, they're your short/extended rests. Sadly the ease of drowning yourself with potions renders this pointless. There should be some form of limit placed upon their use, either by locking your combat abilities for a few seconds, or restricting how many you can carry. You certainly shouldn't be able to faceroll boss fights by spamming them every few seconds.
The real problem with the game in its current state is how shallow it is. A lack of class options, power choices, and paragon paths really kills it for me. Granted they're still in "beta" and these things will come with time, but I believe this is where the game will fall apart (Foundry and content updates aside.) There are glimmers of hope for customising your character as far as feats go, which is where the real variety lies. But without more options you're simply looking at horizontal talent trees.
Time will tell how well it works, it's a bit too early to make judgements yet. They have an enjoyable enough game that could grow into something genuinely interesting. Let's see if they manage to pull it off.