Dungeons and Dragons Online Review

Dungeons & Dragons Online is ar MMORPG based on the original Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG. Using the D&D 3.5 rule set as its base, DDO puts players into the Eberron story setting onto the land of Xen’drik, where magic drives technology, political factions constantly struggle for power, and where action, adventure, and dangerous creatures lurk around every corner of this wild, untamed land.

Pros: Good character customization, D&D 3.5 based, smooth gameplay.

Cons: Difficult for people unfamiliar with D&D

Storyline: In the world of Eberron, enchantment drives technology, and you’re likely to see strange creations powered by the essence of magic. From transportation to sentient beings and more, the civilizations of Eberron have harnessed the power of magic in many ways, but the sword and the bow still hold an important place in warfare and survival! It is a mixture of the essence of medieval times and the pioneering of the industrial revolution, all surrounded by supernatural and magical phenomenon. Action and adventure are abundant in Eberron! Swashbuckling pirates, deadly cultists, ancient curses, hidden civilizations, and much more can be found – a whole world of exciting escapades await you! Whether you’re traveling alone or joining forces with other players, Eberron is a world you’ll never forget.

Features: D&D 3.5: Dungeons and Dragons was originally a tabletop game with rules inside 3 booklets. A further addition to the rules resulted in D&D 3.5. For complete information on the full 3.5 Edition, visit the Official Dungeons & Dragons Website. Play as a Warforged, Dwarf, Halfing, Elf, or Human or unlock Drow, Half-Elf or Half-Orc races. Dungeons & Dragons Online offers a variety of choices for character class - Wizard, Sorcerer, Rogue, Ranger, Paladin, Monk, Fighter, Artificer, Favored Soul, Cleric, Bard, or Barbarian. One class not enough for you? Try multiclassing! Some classes need to be unlocked. Dungeons & Dragons Online offers a unique and refreshing take when it comes to battle. DDO gives you the ability to feel the action at your fingertips. Combat is no longer relegated to simply pressing your number keys. Take part in strategic, tactical battles using a combination of collision mechanics and real-time combat. Take on the mantle of a well-armored fighter and protect your weaker companions by blocking incoming arrows or obstructing enemies in a narrow hallway. Use DDOs Tumble feature to nimbly roll behind an enemy and attack them in the back before they have the opportunity to respond. Dodge incoming arrows and spells by stepping out of the way. Each click of your mouse allows you to swing your weapon, though you’ll need to make sure you’re close enough to the foe to hit it. Raising your shield deflects enemy blows. Hitting your adversary with an arrow requires aiming and precision, rather than just hitting a button and watching your character do all the work for you.

Quests in DDO are organized by character level, difficulty, length, and patron. Each quest has a base level, and the XP reward decreases if any of the party members are above that level. Characters more than two levels below the "base level" are not allowed to initiate a quest, but they are able to join a quest started by another party member. Characters more than three levels below the highest level character are penalized for being "powerleveled", and get significantly less XP.

The six difficulty levels for quests are Solo, Casual, Normal, Hard, Elite, and Epic. Solo and Epic are only available on a small number of quests. Solo quests must be completed alone, and are rare outside tutorials, while Epic difficulty is offered for select quests as an endgame challenge, once level 20 is reached. All difficulty levels give an XP bonus the first time the quest is run at the given level, but Elite gives a much higher bonus (Epic, being endgame content, does not award XP). Higher difficulty levels provide a much more challenging experience to the players, with monsters making use of more powerful spells and traps doing lethal damage. The quality of the loot (items, equipment, etc.) increases depending on difficulty level. Generally speaking, the highest level quests on the Elite setting offer the best treasure, although that is not always the case.

Casual level offers decreased XP and loot. Some especially powerful items don't appear in Casual at all. Casual is frequently used by newer players to learn the game and by higher-level characters to quickly achieve prerequisites for raids or farm materials used in crafting. Unlike Solo difficulty, Casual can be played with a full party. DDO is a fun and entertaining MMO that has won multiple awards and is a shining example of a unique and clever multiplayer game.