A Look at 2024, Year of the Dragon! - Producer's Letter

[Lotoc]

Any chance we can get a hint on the dragon themed archetype? Off the top of my head I can really only think of:
Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer and Way of the Ascending Dragon Monk.

Both of which, while neat, I feel like would ultimately end up stepping on the toes of Draconic Incarnation/Dragonborn.

Red Dragon Disciple, which is kind of a weird one as it's got largely bonuses you'd want for a melee but requires bard or sorc levels.
As an aside, don't really look to 5e stuff for where archetype ideas are coming from, they're mostly derived from 3.5 prestige classes.

 

[Edrein]

Red Dragon Disciple, which is kind of a weird one as it's got largely bonuses you'd want for a melee but requires bard or sorc levels.
As an aside, don't really look to 5e stuff for where archetype ideas are coming from, they're mostly derived from 3.5 prestige classes.

The problem is we've got bleed through on 5e already. Warlocks are practically their 5e version compared to the 3.5e.

 

[droid327]

Any chance we can get a hint on the dragon themed archetype? Off the top of my head I can really only think of:
Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer and Way of the Ascending Dragon Monk.

Both of which, while neat, I feel like would ultimately end up stepping on the toes of Draconic Incarnation/Dragonborn.

Ascendant Dragon would pretty much just be Sacred Fist too...a monk with aoe elemental ki spells

 

[popejubal]

I think we can expect to see Draconic Incarnation getting a heavy hit with the nerf bat. It probably deserves a small hit, but SSG doesn't do moderation. It's going to be catastrophic.

The most important thing to remember is that casters need to be nerfed because offensive casting clears trash so much more efficiently and effectively than those poor single target melee folks that leveling is trivial for AoE folks and that’s obviously unbalanced.

Also, single target DPS really outshines the poor AoE folks because the really difficult end game content is only focused on single target DPS and trash clearing is pretty irrelevant compared to the need to kill those red names. Obviously single target needs to be nerfed because end game content is trivial for single target DPS folks and that’s obviously unbalanced.

 

[Edrein]

Ascendant Dragon would pretty much just be Sacred Fist too...a monk with aoe elemental ki spells

(Red) Dragon Disciple is likely the inspiration for Ascendant Dragon in 5e as well. The only difference being one uses Ki as a secondary resource.

Both of them would effectively make Dragonborn as a race, for its unique abilities Dragon Breath and Memory of Flight, kind of moot.

 

[Monkey_Archer]

Looks good. Excited to see that the EDs are getting looked at, as there is definitely room to improve build options.

I'm a more than bit concerned with the level cap increase though. I think I mentioned last year as well, that increasing the level cap and the resulting power granted from that would lead to a lowering of difficulty/challenge available in DDO's endgame. Considering how trivial endgame questing has become I really hope this gets addressed properly this year.

 

[Wini]

Very excited about Epic Destiny revamp. I hope you can fix the subpar epic strikes (looking at you, Nightmare Lance!) so we can avoid feeling bad for not using Energy Burst, lol

 

[Sophie The Cat Burglar]

Whoa! Thank you for offering the Producer's Letter much earlier than expected.

Epic Destiny Balance Pass = Uh oh

Hmm. Not going to the astral plane after all? So what was the Illithid business about? To invade or not to invade, that is the question.

I am very hopeful for the return of serious adventures. Two adventure packs and an expansion in the same year is potentially awesome.

Year of dragin stabin will make Vexa happy.

 

[saekee]

exciting, thanks for update Tolero

 

[seph1roth5]

Lots of good stuff in the producer's letter. I was surprised to see 3 adventure packs coming. I wonder if they're all good sized or if some are just 2 quests or something. Also not sure if the raid is part of the xpac, related to it, or just completely separate.

I reaaaaaaally hope their vip update is completely different from that last system they previewed. It really seemed like more of a battlepass than VIP. And battlepasses always have a free component every step of the way, and if you have the pass you get more stuff. That's soooo not how DDO works. Now if they wanted to implement daily/monthly rewards, that'd be fine (weekly coupons don't count since 99% are crap). I compiled a list of vip suggestions I'd seen (link in my sig), maybe we'll get lucky and they'll use a few of those?

Little wary of ED rebalance too. I think most rebalances have been far more nerfs than buffs. But again, maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll be more like the recent enhancement tree rebalances.

 

[Oliphant]

I hope they boost the weak EDs and completely avoid nerfs. People would love it. For example, make Magus of the Eclipse be a clear BiS for cold power. Make these EDs that don't get used better. Make the top tier Divine Crusader enjoyers a tad better. Etc. As someone that plays casters and ranged, from my gameplay experience I don't see a need to nerf melee dps.

 

[Gyuma Bei]

"The fun starts during DDO's 18th anniversary on February 28th. As a hint to how this starts, the first surprise will be a dragon themed archetype."

Bruce Lee confirmed!

 

[Pilbie]

If this event thing is taking the place of Hardcore, I hope it will at least be something we can all actually participate in rather than read about others doing it on the forum. That has no appeal for me whatsoever. And why is it taking the place of HC anyway? Why can't we have both? I know many people who only play HC.

 

[Drinkfist]

If this event thing is taking the place of Hardcore, I hope it will at least be something we can all actually participate in rather than read about others doing it on the forum. That has no appeal for me whatsoever. And why is it taking the place of HC anyway? Why can't we have both? I know many people who only play HC.

I only play Hardcore. Its really enjoyable to play DDO like a MMO roguelike. If Hardcore never returns then neither will I. Shame really.

 

[Jack Jarvis Esquire]

This looks good.

Excellent free quests offer - tell yer pals!

Only issue is I won't know when to take my breaks if no hardcore is on!

 

[droid327]

Why can't we have both? I know many people who only play HC.

And lots of people who don't, and since events usually don't run on HC, that means you're splitting your players between two competing events.

 

[Mordenkainen]

Dear Developers,

First of all...

THANK YOU, SSG and Tolero.

I don't understand how you guys do it. You make me more excited every year than the last, you seem to know EXACTLY what buttons to push to get me riled up and back into DDO again.

I want to quit you, I so desperately do, but I can't. I'm manic and get pumped even more with every passing year ARRGGGHH!

I absolutely love love love this year's theme ! And the way you're doing it with gifts and surprises every month! The 50th D&D anniversary! the 18th (I'm an adult now!) Anniversary of the game! AHHHHH!!! It's TOO MUCH !

Anyway, I hope the dragon themed archetype is the MONK which morphs into a dragon as it's final form. If this happens, OH LORDY !

 

[rabidfox]

Hmmm, will the dragon themed archetype be the barbarian arch that's been mentioned by Sev...

 

[mikarddo]

I hope I am reading that roadmap wrong. Just ONE new raid the entire year? We need more like 3 and 5 would be cool.
If we are only getting a single new raid all year - and not till August'ish thats one sad year for raiding.

 

[Mordenkainen]

Hmmm, will the dragon themed archetype be the barbarian arch that's been mentioned by Sev...

I'm checking 3.5 prestige classes and websites that have fan-made stuff... nothing.

If they somehow combined Barbarian with Dragon into some sort of Man-Barb Dragon hybrid, I will personally order everyone at SSG catered food from wherever they like. It would be over, I will quit DDO because I would have attained DDO nirvana. Nothing more needs to be done.