Dungeons and Dragons Online Interview at Games Domain

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Games Domain have posted a preview of Turbine's Dungeons and Dragons Online. Here's a snip:

Troop explained: "One of the things we're trying to do is provide a real-time version of the D&D pen-and-paper turn-based system. In D&D, when you level up, you get an attack bonus, and that signifies that you're a more powerful attacker. In our game, that's signified by your combination series of attacks." Translation: the online game will feature multi-click combos, which represent the bonuses that characters gain as they increase in level and power.

So instead of entering a server-designated "combat space," players can attack by simply approaching an enemy and clicking the mouse button, or fire arrows from afar using a standard targeting reticule. Other techniques are also available, such as extensive evasive maneuvers like dodging and rolling. Unlike most MMOs, if the player can physically evade a blow in time, the character won't take damage.

It sounds quite frightening, as if the next thing they're going to say were that the player's manual skills would come into play. I really, really hope all those multi-click combos, dodging and rolling won't make it feel like a console game. Don't you think?

Read the whole thing at Games Domain.

 

Hmm, sounds like a nice change from the usual method of combat in MMORPGs. No joke, I about fell asleep last time I played one. Man, I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to tear my hair out when a character of mine dies in a game because I don't have precise enough control. Of course, since your own reflexes will be involved, to greater or lesser extent (and I hope that my Assassin's Dex will have something to do with it, maybe determine how long it takes for him to respond to commands?), lag will undoubtedly be a greater issue then with most online rpgs.

 

This makes me a bit skeptical. No doubt some players will be much more trained in these matter than others. If a player simply misses something attacking him from behind and doesnt roll aside, what good is Uncanny dodge?
Character'll still get hit, but only because the player was looking elswhere or doing whatever else.

On the other hand it'll surely give a more interesting experience, since you, as a player can actualy make a difference if you're paying close attention and carefuly managing the combat. No more Click-and-relax encounters.


So, as long as they make it easy enough and not too dependant on the player's reflexes, it's fine. Striking the right balance will obviously be the trick here.

 

The very word "roleplaying" precludes the player doing the mouse job for a character that has a specified DEX score. I don't want any fingerjob in a D&D game.

Don't want monkey kids do the dodging for their DEX 6 paladins any more than I want Mensa IQ range people do complex puzzles for their INT 6 fighters.

 

Ah, but that's exactly what they've said they are doing...

That's player, not character.

 

That sucks beyond redemption. What about the DEX score? Players with good fingers will evade blows in place of their DEX 6 characters and clumsy players with DEX 20 characters won't make it. Damn, that isn't roleplaying. That isn't even Action RPG. That's just arcade. I would never have thought WotC could approve of something like that. I seriously think we should all sign a protest against that absurd idea.

What is next? Imagine "Unlike most MMOs, if the player can physically deliver a blow in time, the enemy will take damage.".

 

I wouldn't say it's beyond redemption. In fact, I'd hazard a guess that a similar reaction took place whenever Bioware announced that they were doing a DnD RPG in real time. Gasp, shock, horror, etc!

And, as I said earlier, I'd like to see a system where the player's reflexes or skills or whatever helps. Not does it all, but helps.

Example 1: An 18 DEx Rogue sees an orc swinging at her. The player has her jump straight back. She does so instantly, and avoids the blow.

Example 2: A 6 Dex powergaming paladin (he's not going to use bows, so who needs dex?) sees an orc swinging at him. The player has him jump straight back, just like the rogue. Unfortunately, his low Dex means that there's enough of a delay between the command, and the action, that the pally gets hit. Voila.

Hows that?

 

No matter how convenient or inconvenient this solution would be gameplay-wise, it contradicts the very sense of character stats. If the player's capabilities supersede the character's, the game results are no longer credible.

D&D is not Quake. It's about roleplaying, ie playing roles and not fingerjob. WotC are the last people whom I would have expected to approve of something like that.