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I'm just starting DDO. I only have time to play an hour or two a week, which is why I dropped my City of Heroes subscription, and decided to try DDO. I really like this game so far (I'm only level 2, still on the starting island). I'm playing a paladin, and so far the game is pretty easy (playing dungeons at Normal) -- which is very good for me. If there's anything I hate in standard MMO's (including CoH at certain levels) it's having to skulk around avoiding mobs. In DDO I can happily go and fight 5 mobs at a time and win. I did die a couple of times, overextending myself, but it really gives a more heroic feeling, and it doesn't waste my time.
The other thing I like, and makes the gameplay feel heroic, is that it's all missions to rescue people and such. No "bring this love letter to x", "purchase stuff for me", "kill some bears because I need the furs" or even "help the war effort by killing x mobs" (which made me drop out of the Aion beta at the very start). I like to feel that I'm doing missions that make a real difference, and aren't some throwaway or generic errand.
Comments
Yea the great quests are one of the greatest things about DDO! (but also make it harder for them to add new ones)
The game become much harder after leaving the newbie island so you should start lookng for groups then, the good thing is that finding low level groups in DDO is much easier that any other MMO I have tried and even casual players can enjoy the fun of running quests with other people
If WoW = The Beatles
and WAR = Led Zeppelin
Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
I started a few days ago as well and having lots of fun. I'm playing a halfling rogue, and love the feeling of playing a pen and paper rpg online!
"EVE is likely the best MMORPG that you've never really understood or played" - Kyleran
DDO missions while much better than "get me X number of X" make no real difference either. Nothing in the game changes because of a mission you do.
They do change things in the limited context they're in (i.e., within the zone, which I understand is instanced), at least so far. I know that someone else playing the game will see things as if I hadn't done anything, but I don't have a problem with that.
You can get better prices from vendors in an area and dialog changes from NPCs for completing certain quests (Such as Shan-to-kor in the market). That's the only real difference that I can recall at the moment.
Edit: And stopping the snow from falling in Korthos.
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds
-Solid non level based game
-Sharks with lasers attached to their heads