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Print Story ddo - it's different than playing with dice and paper.
Wizards and Hobbits
By misslake (Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:58:15 AM EST) hung like barbie, dungeons and dragons, minty fresh vagina (all tags)
on sunday i sat down infront of ni's computer with my brand new headphones and mic, a brandy alexander and logged in.

2 more cocktails and revleations about my skills as a gamer below.



i had played dice and paper games before, not dungeons and dragons, but i figured they were all about the same. GURPS, exaulted, whatever.
i had played a bit of warcraft 3, though not much. i started playing about 3 months after it's release. when i went online with my genuine level 2 skills, i was met with opponents who were level 2 again for the 4th or 5th time, and actually were trying to get through totally undefeated this time.
actually being a fresh player was difficult, but i had fun anyway. i had the skills of 256 and rhooke at my side, and they'd come advise and watch over my shoulder when things got too crazy.
my other online game was puzzle pirates. this was a very social game, we would all play together, the whole house on their own computers, all sailing in our own sloop, all working together. when we were in need of help, LilFlightTest would even come join us.
i was a social gamer, both for rpg and online, i didn't really care that much about the game, but loved teaming up and planning things out and working together.

the potential social aspect was what attracted me to the husi ddo game. new husis to chat with! i imagined everyone talking and laughing together, going on exciting adventures... i'd get my mom's old recipe for "dungeon and dragons squares" the giant cake like pan of snack designed to be sent down into the basement to provide nerdy teenaged boys with sustained nourishment for all-night gaming sessions.

so i fixed myself another brandy alexander. delores was a dwarf ranger.
the day before i had sat down and carefully made my selection.
i wanted someone who wasn't restricted to range weapons, so i could jump right in and smash monsters, and someone who was sturdy and hard to kill since i wasn't going to be very good at first. i played through the tutorial, and did one of the first little quests.
i kept asking ni about it.
"hey i'm talking to some guy and i have 2 options, one where i pledge my aid and am all submissive, and one where i am suspicious and a bit of an asshole. do you think it matters which i pick?"
"think i should take the +2 to hit points charm or the +2 intelligence charm?"
ni kept denying any knowledge of dnd or strategy.
he did point out that i had a finite number of arrows, and help me fix it so i could more easily switch between sword and bow.
it took me a long time to get used to the controls, i spent most of the tutorial accidentally scrolling my view up to the ceiling or down and behind me and up my skirt. (sorry, delores is hung like barbie.) i couldn't seem to keep it level and out in front of me. but i plodded on, smashing at all objects that looked like they might contain treats of some sort, cautiously checking around every corner, looking on top of every crate, and lashing out at innocents with my flaming sword when i meant to just click on them to talk.

sunday came. i had hoped to run another couple of quests before game time, just for practice, but an old friend dropped in. we drank toasts in front of the fire (our furnace is broken) and i didn't get back online till 9:30. i was afraid i would be too late, but i managed to find marvin and others.
i was immediately and obviously way out of my league. i got stuck behind a house trying to get to the tavern where we were meeting. my headset didn't work, so no one could hear me, and i could only hear occasional blips and scuffly noises. so conversation was out. i missed introductions, so i still don't know who i embarrased myself in front of. thanks to marvin and all for letting me play and not making me feel too bad.

it was hopefully funnier than sad, as delores trundled haltingly through the passageways while everyone else ran swiftly, fought all the monsters in time for me to catch up and then have to be reminded that i needed to click on the chest and take my treat before we could move on.

i felt terrible for holding everyone up, and was amazed at how easily they all could navigate and scan the scenes, standing there at the ready right where the monsters were going to come out. after 2 more short quests i left the party, feeling i was more hinderance than help to the group.

if i can get my headset to work, i'll practice more and hopefully be able to join in again in another week or two. hope to see you again in korthos.

< Nook Update | let the peasants rejoice >
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ddo - it's different than playing with dice and paper. | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 hidden)
Hey, we were all newbies at one time by marvin (2.00 / 0) #1 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 12:08:43 PM EST
I still am a newbie, compared to the people who are lvl 20. Some people take it way too seriously, but we didn't have anyone like that playing. We didn't use the voice much because Kellnerin's mic and speakers weren't working either, but the social aspect is what I'm most looking forward to.

For the most part, I tried to let others take the lead, because I have done everything on Korthos 20 times or more. I could do the early game content in my sleep, but zerging isn't fun for a new player. Left, right, kill, left, open door, kill, open chest, finished. I have more fun exploring new content, and don't want to ruin that aspect for others by blasting through.

Stick around with us, get your microphone working, and you will learn way faster with coaching than you will trying to muddle through on your own. Some things took me ages to figure out, and I wish I had known someone who could have helped me out.

PM me and I can meet you on there almost anytime in the next few days if you'd like.

Now that x-mas is done with, by mrgoat (2.00 / 0) #2 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 12:23:39 PM EST
I should be able to join you all soon. I'll need to grab a headset too.

We've all been newbies before, I'm looking forward to being one again with DDO.

--top hat--

definitely different by Kellnerin (2.00 / 0) #3 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 12:33:44 PM EST
Number one is the pace, and number two is the fact that the computer is a lot less forgiving than playing with a live DM, where you can instantly do anything you like just by speaking it aloud.

I was Ness, the one non-dwarf in the party, and was sorry you couldn't stick around longer. It's not that everyone is some DDO savant, it's just that they've done those quests many times already. It does take time to get the hang of it -- I'm still learning. As soon as the party got to quests I hadn't done yet I was in pretty much the same boat, trying to keep up as everyone homed in on the spots where they knew the monsters spawned while I gazed around the dungeon like a tourist. My sound didn't work either that night (I think I've got it fixed now, but I'll still have to experiment to see if voice chat works). I personally prefer the thorough exploration style to zooming right through an area (I will open everything even on my tenth or twentieth time through). Hope we can hook up again sometime.

One thing I've discovered is that (at least in snowy Korthos) there don't seem to be many bad choices, at least in terms of dialogue options or quest rewards. There's lots of opportunity for do-overs. (Also, it is some kind of genius on the part of the DDO creators to segregate the n00bs in one part of the world where you can hack at the shopkeepers, trainers, and quest-givers all you want and it's OK because everyone else is too.) As far as character build, it's inevitable that your first attempt will be suboptimal, but it probably doesn't matter. The paths seem to be designed to give you a reasonable character and that's fine until you've played enough to form your own opinions.

Oh, and the wiki is updated with who's who.

--
"Plans aren't check lists, they are loose frameworks for what's going to go wrong." -- technician

I haven't run into any decisions on dialog yet by wumpus (2.00 / 0) #10 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 07:34:11 AM EST
up to about 7th level. There might have been one in the Catacombs (there is a choice between two ways you can end it), but I'm pretty sure you can just run it again the other way.

Choosing your loot is the important part in dealing with NPCs.

And yes, the ability of the rest of the party to run through dungeons rest entirely on if we've done that one before (and how many times). Since there are only 9 in Korthos (and every time you want to try out a new character you need to run almost all of them), we tend to know these dungeons far too well. I may have been the worst culprit, largely due to my mostly solo play (also it's the nature of barbarians to rush after the nearest monster:).

Wumpus

[ Parent ]
I'll sign on soon. by muchagecko (2.00 / 0) #4 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 05:31:07 PM EST
 I've got the RAM now - just been having internet troubles. (If it's not one thing...)

I can't wait to see you all online!


A purpose gives you a reason to wake up every morning.
So a purpose is like a box of powdered donut holes?
Exactly
My Name is Earl
Sounds like fun by Scrymarch (2.00 / 0) #5 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 06:48:53 PM EST
It's Monday morning my time though and I don't think I can goof off quite that much :)

Will sig for food
we're thinking of by Kellnerin (2.00 / 0) #6 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 07:29:31 PM EST
Friday or Saturday nights in North America in the future ... perhaps one of those times would be more congenial?

(I actually used to be able to calculate times in GMT+10 in my head when I was into a game where I was always trying to coordinate with a guy who played from Brisbane ... tricky, but it can be done.)

--
"Plans aren't check lists, they are loose frameworks for what's going to go wrong." -- technician

[ Parent ]
That would work pretty well by Scrymarch (2.00 / 0) #7 Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 07:39:49 PM EST
So long as I can get some babysitting for Sat / Sun morning. So long as the lag was ok.

The conversion to east coast US isn't too bad, it's the daylight savings that always throws me ..

Will sig for food

[ Parent ]
Please say hi by anonimouse (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 04:05:08 AM EST
To Mr Minimouse if you bump into him in a dungeon anytime...

Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL
I am disappointed by anonimouse (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 04:51:00 AM EST
No "hung like barbie" or "minty fresh vagina" content

Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL
I think that's a level 5 Druid spell by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #11 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 08:45:55 AM EST
Vagina of mint


[ Parent ]
Effects by anonimouse (2.00 / 0) #12 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 10:48:55 AM EST
+3 Charisma for the duration of the spell?

Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL
[ Parent ]
i have the mintiest vagina on the internet. by misslake (4.00 / 2) #13 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 12:23:51 PM EST
your smell-o-phone isn't connected properly.

or maybe you have a mac... ismell is a real bitch sometimes. it's all fresh mown hay when it should be a bloodbath.

[ Parent ]
Imagery that doesn't work together by marvin (2.00 / 0) #14 Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 12:27:35 PM EST
I've never experienced a minty fresh vagina in the middle of a bloodbath. How do you do it?

[ Parent ]
ddo - it's different than playing with dice and paper. | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 hidden)

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