Knudge
Active member
Before you say it, DUNGEONCRAWL only helps those who were there for it. There are many more who have joined since that missed that window.
I really want to like this game. I have had fun!! But now I'm level 5 and already frustrated.
- Thread starter Patchup
- Start date
calouscaine
Grouchy Vet
To be honest I am not sure what you're getting at here as a response to my post, it seems more like some jab at me for no reason.
In the shop any adventure pack not currently owned, whether vip subbed or not, is shown in the account/adventures section. This use to be an issue where, when you were subbed, the ones included in the sub weren't shown, thankfully that was fixed.
If you want a general idea of what can and can't be done as a vip, it states it in the vip description before you buy it. It actually tells you what it includes and doesn't. As a general run down, anything that is an actual expansion isn't included, i.e. - under dark, feywild, vecna, and so forth.
No clue what you are going on about with yellow and orange, nor what you're going on about with xp or guild renown. It almost seems like you are trying to say others should pay for people unwilling to foot the bill for their own game, if that's the case then I certain would not agree with you.
People can currently either earn expansions through effort and time, or they can pay cash for them. I see no issue with either.
For the record, I don't care whether a person is a sub or not. If you want to play with me and my guild and you don't zerg then we'll probably do fine. I'm not going to pay for some one else to have access to an expansion unless they're a close friend or family though, and I'm not going to continue trying to help some one if they just want a hand out. I am more than willing to help some one if they need to learn how to grind out favor, it's a bit tedious and some one running the quests with you can make it rather fun rather than a hamster wheel.
Buy the by, I have bought every single dungeon and expansion pack for this game. I've even blown some extra on the collectors bits, even if they weren't worth the money. And I do sub, not that I get much out of it. This doesn't mean I would advocate for new players to dump that kind of money unless they really like playing the game or the the people they are playing with.
T.O.
Well-known member
I have yet to find a game that is truly free to play. The better term is free to try. Then you hit the pay wall. Since it seems you have missed the free code. The best thing right now would be to buy VIP. You will have access to all content packs but not expansions. You will be able to find which packs you like. So take note. Or you could wait and see if SSG will do a code again. As a betting man I would say they will again. As the last one was the 3rd time they have done it.
If they don't though you will be able to figure out which quest pay out the best xp ,loot and most importantly which ones you like to play. Expansions for the most part will be where the best loot and xp. But not 100% true. There is quite a few packs with good loot and xp.
This is completely pay to win but a necessary. Look into purchasing a Tome of Learning. Even a lesser to start out and upgrade later. It will cost the same to do it in steps or just one big purchase. These also go on sale too. There are 2 types Heroic and Epic.
The reason I say this is I recently created a F2P account. I did use the code. However the account is stuck doing normal only. It has been so long since I had actually played like this. Ten years ago. I forgot that the xp isn't that great. Which makes how I know how to level difficult. I like too, as I am sure others do. I run all the quests in my level range. Till I am xp capped for the level. Which you can bank one level of xp. Which is base level of normal +2 for elite i.e. normal level 2 on elite is level 4.
I am sure someone has leveled to 20 purely f2p. If they did they maximized their xp per quest.
If they don't though you will be able to figure out which quest pay out the best xp ,loot and most importantly which ones you like to play. Expansions for the most part will be where the best loot and xp. But not 100% true. There is quite a few packs with good loot and xp.
This is completely pay to win but a necessary. Look into purchasing a Tome of Learning. Even a lesser to start out and upgrade later. It will cost the same to do it in steps or just one big purchase. These also go on sale too. There are 2 types Heroic and Epic.
The reason I say this is I recently created a F2P account. I did use the code. However the account is stuck doing normal only. It has been so long since I had actually played like this. Ten years ago. I forgot that the xp isn't that great. Which makes how I know how to level difficult. I like too, as I am sure others do. I run all the quests in my level range. Till I am xp capped for the level. Which you can bank one level of xp. Which is base level of normal +2 for elite i.e. normal level 2 on elite is level 4.
I am sure someone has leveled to 20 purely f2p. If they did they maximized their xp per quest.
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Knudge
Active member
Fair call, I didn't really make my point clear. All I meant to say is this. As a VIP, or sub as you refer to it, I often find myself helping New Players. All I meant to say, and I agree, I could've said it better. When you, as a sub, are trying to help New Players enjoy the DDO experience, maybe there could be some way to differentiate between F2Play Content and sub stuff. Maybe this doesn't apply to you personally if you don't like to help Newbies. So you don't care what the Newbies do, as long as the subs get what they like. To each their own. I'm not gonna judge. All I was saying is maybe VIP/sub content could be a slightly different tinted icon from Free to Play icons, so when those of us who like to encourage new players are helping bring in new customers, we can avoid Gatekeepers.
T.O.
Well-known member
After looking at the free to play list. A F2p player gets Korthos, Harbor. Then a level 3 brick wall. That isn't a good experience. Sure there is the going back and repeating on a higher difficultly. Also not a good experience.
The catacombs starter pack was a good one. Yeah it cost money in the market but was a deal at least. Though going through and tinting colors for vips and people that own the content is a nice jesture it's not for the new player it would be for the vet player. Seems like a waste of time unless they were going to totally update the new player that starts f2p experience. Even if one were to help new player out that are f2p at some point they will be left behind at the paywall. The vet player might feel bad but it will be a hard truth.
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Knudge
Active member
"To be honest I am not sure what you're getting at here as a response to my post, it seems more like some jab at me for no reason."
Seriously? This is a Forum, by definition, it is an open discussion about shared and debated ideas and opinions. This is NOT Social Media! Never was and never will be about YOU! I responded to A post, not Your post. If you offer thoughtful and insightful ideas, your opinion may be considered. But it should always be your thoughts or opinions, never You. I, and everybody else here, do not know You. We do not engage with You. We only discuss your thoughts and opinions. Don't make this personal. That's how Toxicity forms.
Knudge
Active member
Thank You! All I'm saying is that New Players deserve more than level 3. By Level 3 you may have found your feet, sorted out your UI and thought about your next character, then you hit the paywall.
Knudge
Active member
Imagine how many more would Subscribe to VIP if they discovered Multiclassing? Let's be honest. How many of us were perfectly happy with our first Toon at Level 3?
T.O.
Well-known member
Your posts are very thoughtful to the new player experience. I find your suggestions very thoughtful and great.
This suggestion has been said before that new players need a starter pack. The catacombs one was nice but now a days it would not suffice. They need a deal that includes quite a few older packs with some not so older packs for a fair price.
Knudge
Active member
Thank You for your feedback. My "Posts" are not meant for popularity. I have no interest in being "That One from the DDO Forums!" I don't imagine that would impact much on my day to day life.
Catacombs could be a nice Starter Saga, but it is very Cleric weighted, despite Clerics of that level being somewhat ineffectual. Sharn Syndicate Saga would work better in my opinion. Various Skills rewarded but for the most part, not required.
Knudge
Active member
Yeah. Offer White Bread and Mayo Sandwiches and see how many people line up to buy Bologna. All I am saying is that we could try harder.
Buddha5440
Well-known member
Sorry but
Teh_Troll
has already been taken by someone who is actually beneficial to the forums.
Buddha5440
Well-known member
Who hasn't discovered "Multiclassing"? Find some othe forum to post your junk on.
calouscaine
Grouchy Vet
You should take a step back and breath.
That aside, the pay wall is there for the simple reason that it costs money to run this game, an absurd amount at that, as does any mmo. Asking the company to give you more for free is illogical and ignorant.
There use to be starter packs for cheap once upon a time, not sure where they all went, but they need to make a reappearance. Anyone looking for help when starting out only has to ask in chat, there are many many helpful people in this game. I try to be helpful as well in game, I'll even run people through quests if they ask. But a person needs to ask in chat.
If you did The Kobold's Ringleader quest, it will open up 4 quests levels 4-5 in the Harbor known as Waterworks. Also, on the far side of the Marketplace are gates to various houses. All of these areas have free quests starting at level 4. Many of them are found in the taverns as you enter the zone.
Col Kurtz
Well-known member
yup..more than a few free quests are in various taverns.. its more than a little elusive to new players. You need to hunt them down
One of the OP's thoughts were about his character's story... sad to say the stories and NPC dialogue in this game is not very entertaining. Though there's a few gems along the way. The charm of DDO is the friendly part of player base and the d&d feel. It's not like pen n paper but, its as close as we're going to get. FYI >Your 'character' gets the same story no matter your choice of race,class, and alignment.
The Lloth storyline I found by far the most interesting. Other than that, skipping dialogue seems to be preferred to me.
The thing ddo is missing is the npc interaction in public areas that entwines you into the stories like Baldur's Gate did. DDO is still one of the better games for sword n spell character building.
Hope OP is, and keeps having fun! Good Luck
Marshal_Lannes
Well-known member
I'd suggest you buy the Feywild expansion. Why? Well, it looks great and has some amazing minimum level 5 items, a fantastic set bonus, and one of the most fun raids in the game. And, most importantly, people run it all the time. There are a lot of great suggestions in this thread, but if the OP wants to quest with other players, they should focus on content that people like to run. For example, buying Catacombs doesn't make much sense to me. The items are bleh, the XP isn't great, and it's not easy to get a group for it. People are always going to run Feywild. If you're looking for an easy way to run content that gives tons of experience and quests that people will join you for, then buy Three Barrell Cove and Feywild. The two of those will take you to level 10 on a first-level character. At that point, try a different class (you're not gonna really know what you like to play yet) and since Feywild has gear for all types of characters you can experience the game from a different perspective. Once you have two characters around 10 you will then know if you want to invest further in the game. At that point, you might even get the Free Quests code which would make the rest of your decisions easier being which expansions do I want to get.
T.O.
Well-known member
Feywild is great for low level loot. After spending some money one expansion. Where do they go from there? Drop another 50 bucks on another expansion. The up front costs of this game can be a real turn off. There is so much xp in this game that I don't start feywild till level 8. So start it at 5 now what after? lol Don't answer.
Using "It costs money to make the game" as a blanket statement to never allow critiques of the game's monetization is honestly disingenuous. Games like ESO and Guild Wars 2 have infinitely kinder monetization systems and are still very profitable.
I honestly think DDO would make a lot more money if they revamped their monetization to be more player friendly. Because the biggest quit point for this game is when players hit the vaious paywalls (not just the quests ones btw--the paywall of basically needing a shared account for the bajillion random collectibles, the paywall of realizing that on most servers the only way to get decent auctionable items is to participate in the real-money shard exchange, the paywall of realizing that so many modern builds rely on universal enhancement trees, most of which a free player would have no prayer of ever unlocking... and that's not even including the fact that the game shoves the fact that you could have way more advantages if you just bought them in your face every possible moment it can).
If the monetization were more player-friendly, I honestly think the game would have a lot more players, and things like expansion packs would bring them in way more money than them trying to milk its remaining playerbase for all it's worth.
calouscaine
Grouchy Vet
I don't disagree with you at all. I think the way ddo is monetized is absolutely horrid and shows a lack of understanding in business acumen and the mmo industry. But, it does cost money to run the servers.
I have no idea who is in charge of the store/business aspect of the game, and I'll reserve any more judgement from what I've already stated about their store and lack of vip benefits until the store is revamped, but if ssg can't actually do things in a more transparent and less greedy manner they may be on the decline with players more than they have been. I am pretty certain that even an undergrad business student could have done a better job with their store than what is available currently.