Ex-VIP. Only post-shutdown proofing will get me back.

[Tekdrake]

I will pay the most exorbitant prices and VIP plans if the devs:

-Create an offline functioning version of DDO.
--This includes rebalancing and re-designing Raids to be solo-able, but if not, it's not the end of the world.
-Promise to release these files whenever they decide to shut down the servers and development for DDO, whenever that is.
-Failing that, promise to release the source code for free and legal access, so that the community can take over hosting duties.

STOP ONLINE GAMES FROM DYING!
I will never pay for VIP again until devs make a statement that there is a post-shutdown plan for DDO.
There is ZERO reason to allow games to die once developers lose interest or capacity to support them. Creating an offline version is a relatively cheap endeavor and if somehow it's not within budget, you can simply make server software and/or source code available for use.

Supporting DDO for decades is all well and good - I hope they can do that - but there is NO excuse for a lack of post-shutdown plans.

 

[PersonMan]

... you can simply make ...

To my understanding, for legal reasons it generally is not so simple, which sucks the fun out of life.

 

[Dude]

I will pay the most exorbitant prices and VIP plans if the devs:

-Create an offline functioning version of DDO.
--This includes rebalancing and re-designing Raids to be solo-able, but if not, it's not the end of the world.
-Promise to release these files whenever they decide to shut down the servers and development for DDO, whenever that is.
-Failing that, promise to release the source code for free and legal access, so that the community can take over hosting duties.

STOP ONLINE GAMES FROM DYING!
I will never pay for VIP again until devs make a statement that there is a post-shutdown plan for DDO.
There is ZERO reason to allow games to die once developers lose interest or capacity to support them. Creating an offline version is a relatively cheap endeavor and if somehow it's not within budget, you can simply make server software and/or source code available for use.

Supporting DDO for decades is all well and good - I hope they can do that - but there is NO excuse for a lack of post-shutdown plans.

SSG doesn't own the rights to D&D to do any of that.

 

[Drunken.dx]

It amazes me how many people have zero clue how licensing works...

 

[Jummby]

While i still prefer MMOs, I am really starting to like online coop severs.

When you buy a game, you own it. If a server is bad, you just take your character and play on a different server. You can mod games to customize as you see fit. There is so much more freedom. Cost is also more reasonable. Most importantly, you get away from most free to play/play to win situations.

 

[DDO Gaming]

I will pay the most exorbitant prices and VIP plans if the devs:

STOP ONLINE GAMES FROM DYING!
I will never pay for VIP again until devs make a statement that there is a post-shutdown plan for DDO.
There is ZERO reason to allow games to die once developers lose interest or capacity to support them. Creating an offline version is a relatively cheap endeavor and if somehow it's not within budget, you can simply make server software and/or source code available for use.

Supporting DDO for decades is all well and good - I hope they can do that - but there is NO excuse for a lack of post-shutdown plans.

the elixir of the gaming industry is: how to maximize ROI on a gaming system whilst ensuring it remains a viable longterm product?

there is never any easy answer to that HOWEVER kindly recall gamers needed to BUY the gaming system AND pay a monthly subscription fee
(kindly correct me on this please). Of the multitude of MMOs that were released in the early 2000s DDO is still running thus many of the decisions made in the early 2000s regarding its longterm viability remain valid

 

[Kimbere]

While i still prefer MMOs, I am really starting to like online coop severs.

When you buy a game, you own it. If a server is bad, you just take your character and play on a different server. You can mod games to customize as you see fit. There is so much more freedom. Cost is also more reasonable. Most importantly, you get away from most free to play/play to win situations.

Been doing that sort of thing with a friend for many years.

The best part is, with a lot of the newer co-op style games, if you setup a home server that can run VMs and dockers, you can even host your own private worlds/servers for free (minus whatever the electricity to run the server costs). Doing that leaves the game world up 24/7 and lets your friends log in and play even if you're not home.

There are multiple good options for running home servers these days with tons of community guides on how to set things up. For example, Unraid, TrueNAS, ProxMox. These are either free or relatively cheap as far as an OS license goes. Plus, once you get it setup, it can do a lot of things beyond hosting a game world for your friends.

It's easy to throw in some old HDDs and SSDs use it as a NAS for local network storage and backups. There are tons of pre-made docker images for things like running your own media/music server (i.e. Plex, Jelly Fin, etc.), smart home automation, etc.

For example, I run an Unraid server. Here's a sample of the dockers:

 

[Blunt Hackett]

Licensing isn't necessarily the issue. Other games have done it. I don't see WotC allowing the source code release, but implausible doesn't mean impossible.

I could see an offline version of the game or even a fan server being ran. I imagine if this happened it would be like Lamannia (free DDO points, auto leveling, immediate reincarnation, and free loot). I don't see raids being adjusted but I could see the loot available in the dojo.

I play a couple of examples of this happening: Age of Empires Online Project Celeste and Mega Man X DiVE Offline.

Age of Empires Online went down over a decade ago, but Microsoft's licensing rules are extremely lenient towards use of their IP for noncommercial use. Project Celeste runs a server and adds new campaigns, quests, loot, seasonal events, and they even have added two civilizations. They also regularly balance PVP. The project is paid for by player donations.

Mega Man X DiVE offline is a finished offline product available for purchase. It isn't patched or added to. Seasonal events can be toggled on by the player or automatically happen on certain dates. Content that did not fit the offline format or that was not Capcom IP (crossover events) were stripped out. Certain game modes were left playable but don't offer any rewards for completion.

 

[Owlbear]

Even though I agree DDO should have options for players to continue playing the game and content they bought if one day the servers will shut down. But I don't think you even understand what all your demands mean... :ROFLMAO:
I would love it when games bring back dedicated server options though. So players can host a server themselves.

 

[Dude]

Licensing isn't necessarily the issue. Other games have done it. I don't see WotC allowing the source code release, but implausible doesn't mean impossible.

WotC doesn't own SSG's source code. I mean sure, there is a non-zero chance that WotC could decide they don't care about their IP and at the very same time SSG could decide they don't care about their IP, but it's so close to impossible that it become meaningless to argue it might happen.

 

[Felsyn]

 

[Anuulified]

I will pay the most exorbitant prices and VIP plans if the devs:

-Create an offline functioning version of DDO.
--This includes rebalancing and re-designing Raids to be solo-able, but if not, it's not the end of the world.
-Promise to release these files whenever they decide to shut down the servers and development for DDO, whenever that is.
-Failing that, promise to release the source code for free and legal access, so that the community can take over hosting duties.

STOP ONLINE GAMES FROM DYING!
I will never pay for VIP again until devs make a statement that there is a post-shutdown plan for DDO.
There is ZERO reason to allow games to die once developers lose interest or capacity to support them. Creating an offline version is a relatively cheap endeavor and if somehow it's not within budget, you can simply make server software and/or source code available for use.

Supporting DDO for decades is all well and good - I hope they can do that - but there is NO excuse for a lack of post-shutdown plans.

No. They don't negotiate with terrorists;-)

 

[Blunt Hackett]

WotC doesn't own SSG's source code. I mean sure, there is a non-zero chance that WotC could decide they don't care about their IP and at the very same time SSG could decide they don't care about their IP, but it's so close to impossible that it become meaningless to argue it might happen.

They don't own it. They own the IP associated with it. If the code and their IP were not intertwined, sure. Since it is, they have say just like Nickelodeon has say on how Konami's old Ninja Turtles games can be used despite having nothing at all to do with it except owning the IP.

 

[Dude]

They don't own it. They own the IP associated with it. If the code and their IP were not intertwined, sure. Since it is, they have say just like Nickelodeon has say on how Konami's old Ninja Turtles games can be used despite having nothing at all to do with it except owning the IP.

lol ok

 

[Mindos]

Asheron's Call 2 servers when?

 

[Jummby]

Been doing that sort of thing with a friend for many years.

The best part is, with a lot of the newer co-op style games, if you setup a home server that can run VMs and dockers, you can even host your own private worlds/servers for free (minus whatever the electricity to run the server costs). Doing that leaves the game world up 24/7 and lets your friends log in and play even if you're not home.

There are multiple good options for running home servers these days with tons of community guides on how to set things up. For example, Unraid, TrueNAS, ProxMox. These are either free or relatively cheap as far as an OS license goes. Plus, once you get it setup, it can do a lot of things beyond hosting a game world for your friends.

It's easy to throw in some old HDDs and SSDs use it as a NAS for local network storage and backups. There are tons of pre-made docker images for things like running your own media/music server (i.e. Plex, Jelly Fin, etc.), smart home automation, etc.

For example, I run an Unraid server. Here's a sample of the dockers:

It is the future. Valhiem went on sale recently for 10 bucks US. Smallworld is on sale right now for under 15 bucks US. You own the game you bought. You play the game you buy how, when and with who you want to play it with.

When expansions are released for ddo, you pay between 20 to 140 US$. That gives you 10 quests, either a raid and/or a slayer area.

The 120 to 140 packs are called collector packs. What are people buying or collecting if they don't own thier game? If Daybreak Games unplugs DDO, what exactly did those buyer"s collect?

 

[paddymaxson]

If I'm being honest "I won't pay for your game until you advise me you have plans for me to play it for free when you're bored of running the servers in some nebulous timeframe between now and the heat death of the universe" was not a sentiment I actually expected to read ever, so congrats on an original idea I guess.

it won't happen with DDO though, as other people have said it's a licensing issue and "Other games have done it" doesn't mean a thing because those other games would not have had this licensing issue (the original dev/publisher owns the rights and is lenient). Microsoft letting you have Age of Empires (their IP) is a far cry from SSG letting you have Dungeons and Dragons (an extremely jealously guarded IP).

 

[Vox]

--This includes rebalancing and re-designing Raids to be solo-able, but if not, it's not the end of the world.

Pretty sure that there is only one that cannot be done solo, Vault of night.

Titan needs pets & strahd kinda needs some specific build choices, but everything other than VoN has already been solo'd, and almost all on reaper+ not just normal difficulty.

 

[Blunt Hackett]

If I'm being honest "I won't pay for your game until you advise me you have plans for me to play it for free when you're bored of running the servers in some nebulous timeframe between now and the heat death of the universe" was not a sentiment I actually expected to read ever, so congrats on an original idea I guess.

it won't happen with DDO though, as other people have said it's a licensing issue and "Other games have done it" doesn't mean a thing because those other games would not have had this licensing issue (the original dev/publisher owns the rights and is lenient). Microsoft letting you have Age of Empires (their IP) is a far cry from SSG letting you have Dungeons and Dragons (an extremely jealously guarded IP).

It's being done more and more though. If it were to be done, I think it would be a paid offline finished product like most end up being. But do I think it will actually happen? No. I actually agree with everyone on that, and definitely not according to the OP's demands. I just don't think it is as out of the question as some people are saying.

It would be awesome if they did, and I think enough people would buy it.

 

[Eoin-1]

Asheron's Call 2 servers when?