Out of my way you filthy troglodytes! I have an interview to get to!

On Wednesday I gave you all the 411 on D&D Online: Eberron Unlimited; one of the very best free-to-play MMO’s out there. Seeing as how I am not an omnipotent gaming god (yet), there were still a couple questions I was dying to have answered; questions inspired by comments from within our community here at SG. Luckily DDO Unlimited Executive Producer Fernando Paiz, and Development Director Ian Currie were kind enough to let me pick their magical brains.

The decision to make an MMO free-to-play can sometimes be seen as the beginning of the end for said game. DDO Unlimited seems to have not only bucked that trend but also reawakened the interest of old players and scores of new players as well.

1. How much influence did the beta players and the pre-existing DDO players have on how DDO Unlimited turned out? On top of the hard work done by the development team, do you think that involvement from the community is what has made DDO Unlimited a success when other MMO’s that went free-to-play were not?

[Fernando] We are very grateful to our loyal DDO players and the beta community who have helped us tremendously to make DDO a better and more polished game!

[Ian] Definitely. Beta was hugely valuable to us. For example with the release of DDO Unlimited, we decided to make certain changes to the game that would reduce the learning curve for new players.  This included everything from UI changes to combat modifications and while we were interested in their effectiveness for new players, we were equally concerned that pre-existing players would not be forced to change the way they enjoyed the game.  We received an incredible amount of helpful feedback from both camps that allowed us to accomplish what we did and in the end meet our goals while giving each player enough options to tailor the game to their play style.

[Fernando] There are a lot of factors that have gone into making the launch of DDO Unlimited a success. One factor is that we were able to implement the business model conversion in a high quality way that emphasized our commitment to the game and DDO’s place as a premium entry that stands out from others in the free-to-play market. Another factor is the lasting appeal of the Dungeons & Dragons IP which has millions of fans, many of who have been looking for a game to play online without a subscription. And certainly, we would not be the game we are without the dedication and support of our beta players and long-time subscribers who stepped up to make our launch a success and have been out there telling all of their friends to join them in DDO!

2. Is there any possibility that some of the more involved classic low level DDO landmark quests like The Seal Of Shan-To-Kor will become free for everyone? What was behind the decision to make some of these popular low level quests available only through the store or VIP status?

[Fernando] One of the big decisions made in the new business model was which content would be available for free and which would be for pay. Overall, I think we have struck a good balance where players are able to play a large number of quests in the early game before they make a decision to buy new content in the DDO Store.

Our implementation of micro-transactions is different from other free-to-play games. The game is quite playable all of the way to level cap without having to rely on any of the items purchased in the DDO store. We know this well because our players have been doing this for 3 years! Given that we did not want to alter the game experience to force people to use the store, we felt that it is important for players to accept the idea of paying for some of the best quest chains in the game and we chose to start that process as characters reach the Marketplace.

Keep in mind that we are talking about players buying things with Turbine Points, not necessarily with US Dollars. Shan-To-Kor and other low level quests are offered at lower prices than the higher level content. If players save up the Turbine Points they earn as they play, these adventure packs should be within reach even of players who are not spending money on the game. Also, these early game adventure packs are often on sale. Player should be sure to check the “Today’s Deals” link in the DDO Store to see if the pack you want is on sale.

3. What would you say is the biggest challenge faced by a development team looking to create an MMO?

[Fernando] Wow, where to start? I guess the biggest challenge is the scope of the project. These games are so big and have so many moving parts that it is difficult for the development teams to focus on the right set of features (not too few, not too many) and then deliver them in a way that holds together as a high-quality, cohesive game play experience.

[Ian] I think there’s a lot of pressure to do something fresh and innovative, which, while compelling, is equally dangerous.  Regardless of any advances in the genre, players are still going to expect the typical set of MMO features, which are numerous and not insignificant from a development perspective.

4. The fact that many of the staples of the Eberron universe (DragonMarks for example) are found in DDO is considered a real high point for a lot of Dungeons and Dragons fans. How much interaction is there at this point between Turbine and Wizards of the Coast?

[Fernando] We have a great relationship with the folks at Wizards of the Coast. They are involved in reviewing our development plans and the final implementation of everything that goes into DDO. As many members of our team have been big fans of D&D for many years, it has been really exciting for us to see some of the places and monsters we’ve developed for DDO make their way back into the official pen and paper source books as well.

Interview continues over the page!

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