Post/Author/DateTime	Post
gobsow 06-15-05, 02:35 PM	I am just wondering? Why is the new mmorpg placed in eberron instead of the Forgotten Realms? I'm pretty sure the FR fanbase is a little larger. I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this. If not Oops.
Kid SixXx 06-15-05, 03:05 PM	I am just wondering? Why is the new mmorpg placed in eberron instead of the Forgotten Realms? Because the producers decided to put it there... .... and becaue people on this board and the extreme FR faithful will get bent out of shape when a party led by Thundercakez the mage successfully camps Elminster for phat l3wtz. .... and because there is no sense in slapping the FR logo on a computer product which will start even more flame wars concerning "canon" and if events that occur in the MMOG are supposed to be "canon." Happy to see that someone in WOTC knows how to let a dead horse stay dead. Eberron has a captal E, BTW. ;)
Simvail_tgw 06-15-05, 03:47 PM	FR ... don't touch FR on computer ... Remember Eyes of The Beholder... Good game for the time but so frustrating. And Baldur's Gate series ... GRRRRRRRRR and neverwinters night ... Why isn't there any game in Cormyr ?? Simon
Lashan 06-15-05, 04:59 PM	This has been discussed too much in other threads. You can find them if you search for them. Other reasons can be: - They are trying to promote a new game world, so the new product is for that. - There is only 1 or 2 other pc games for DnD that aren't FR, so let someone else have a game for once. - The new game world is built to work well with video games by having mass transport to cut down on travel time on the servers. - Too many people would have a hissy-fit if the FR was done for a game like this. It "just would't be right". If they start with a new game world, then no one can complain about it.
warlockco 06-15-05, 09:03 PM	FR ... don't touch FR on computer ... Remember Eyes of The Beholder... Good game for the time but so frustrating. And Baldur's Gate series ... GRRRRRRRRR and neverwinters night ... Why isn't there any game in Cormyr ?? Simon The old Gold Box games were some of the best games out there in their day.
Monsoon28 06-16-05, 03:17 PM	Lashan has it pretty much covered. Better to do it in a world that doesn't have much history than in a world where your constantly worried about breaking canon. Though personally I hope this is their testing grounds before they give us a Ubėr radical MMORPG for our beloved FR. :D
Faraer 06-16-05, 03:20 PM	Anyone surprised that D&D Online is set in Eberron should look more closely at what the purpose of the Eberron setting is.
Mula 06-16-05, 04:08 PM	The new game world is built to work well with video games by having mass transport to cut down on travel time on the servers. :rofl: I highly doubt that was in Keith Baker's and the rest of the design team's minds when creating the setting. And Faraer... :nonono:
Faraer 06-16-05, 04:21 PM	What?
Kid SixXx 06-17-05, 09:17 AM	What? Just make your point and dispense with the vagaries. I think the point of contention is that your comment could either have a positive or negative connotation. Eberron is being made into a MMOG because: (negative) - It's not a serious attempt at a setting. It's all about the marketing. or (positive) - Eberron has the fluffy, pulp material that should translate well to a MMOG. Your call now. I've given you rope. You can either climb out of the hole, or hang yourself. ;) Either way, it's your opinion and everyone should respect it. You'll either end up saying out loud what some people are thinking and they will agree, or you'll wind up rubbing someone the wrong way and they'll shred your opinion or dismiss it. Then this thread will get locked.... like so many others before it.. Can't please everyone, but you can diplomatically state your case.
GothicDan 06-17-05, 11:45 AM	To me, Eberron 'feels' more like a computer/console game, in terms of mood, theme, and even art. That being said, I hate console/computer games, other than Planescape: Torment. ;)
Faraer 06-17-05, 11:49 AM	I didn't write all those informative, straightforward, footnoted posts for four years just so I can't get away with being mysterious once in a while! OK. It's not an opinion, a case, or an innuendo. A large part of the original motivation for the setting search was for a property to license for video games, movies and TV. I'm not talking about its content at all, in either your negative or positive senses.
Lashan 06-17-05, 12:46 PM	Is true.
Kid SixXx 06-17-05, 02:29 PM	Is true. No disputes here, as it was stated in the contest that all IP would be the property of WoTC to do with as they wished, but it's not like the FR has enjoyed expanded popularity due to novels and computer games as it has from the actual pen & paper stuff. It was nice to see that WoTC showed some backbone and kept the FR from becoming a brainless TV show. They probably learned from the buggy Pool of Radience game that it's important for your IP to strive to be a symbol of quality. In the end, all of the settings are potential sources of marketing and sales in other ventures. The Eberron model appears to be working in reverse in that it seems as though the MMOG, computer games, and the like are geared to draw attention to the setting, rather than the FR, who's logo alone draws money to alternate forms of entertainment.
GothicDan 06-17-05, 02:33 PM	Whose! *Beats self with a salmon*
Paladin3475 06-25-05, 08:55 PM	Personally I am waiting for the showdown between NWN 2 and D&D Online... NWN 2 - FR based. Free to play once you purchase the base game. Large builder community keeping the game alive many years after it's release for NWN 1. Discussion on making it "port" friendly for the NWN 1 material to be converted to NWN 2. D&D Online - Eberron. New World. Pay to play on a monthly basis. Probably will be $14.95 / month. Will have issues with griefers and any other MMORPG problem you can face. I personally did dedicate many years to MMORPGs before I wised up and quit. And to be honest, I am no longer writing flaming posts on the server's website asking for the crucification of the developers. Plus I hated the whole PKiller vs Carebear argument which would ensue... I myself prefer games like NWN. You buy the game once. You play as long as you want. Don't like the server you play on? Quit and go elsewhere or start your own. Make your own world if you want. Buy the expansion and get more stuff... Also on the money front, games like NWN are more successful. Contrary to popular opinion, MMORPGs are money losers. Don't believe me, then look at Ultima Online. Should be the most popular MMORPG since it was the first out. When I finally gave up, the server I played was almost near empty. And that was even after you could buy up your characters, transfer accounts from one server to the next, and basically buy your way to the top. On the flip side, you have no server costs for the game developers with NWN. The costs are all fronted by those which host the servers. Needless to say, I think D&D Online will last a year or two before it gets trampled. On the flip side, I see NWN 2 selling millions of copies and being the cadillac of D&D based online gaming. In either case, WOTC will walk to the bank with they royalty checks... Paladin
Faraer 06-25-05, 09:57 PM	Ultima Online is one of the most successful games in history. It's not surprising it has fewer players now than at its peak, with all the competition that's both flashier and had the opportunity to learn from its mistakes. Other leading MMORPGs, such as EverQuest, are also extremely profitable. The basic dynamic is that computer games cost lots of money to develop and market, and only a few of them are hits. While MMORPGs cost even more to develop, and only a few of them are hits.
Paladin3475 06-25-05, 10:29 PM	Ultima Online is one of the most successful games in history. It's not surprising it has fewer players now than at its peak, with all the competition that's both flashier and had the opportunity to learn from its mistakes. Other leading MMORPGs, such as EverQuest, are also extremely profitable. The basic dynamic is that computer games cost lots of money to develop and market, and only a few of them are hits. While MMORPGs cost even more to develop, and only a few of them are hits. Everquest isn't as profitable as one would think. In fact, I think it is one of the only ones though that actually do turn a profit. We figured out that the best way to make money with a MMORPG once was to get people to pay but not play :) The big costs associated with any MMORPG is bandwidth and infrastructure. Both cost big money. You need to bandwidth otherwise you have players griping about lag. You need to infrastructure because players will push the processors. And as technology improves, you need to upgrade hardware to top of the line. And the resources needed to manage multiple 1,000's of players at peak hours will be expensive. Most companies like EA use MMORPGs not as a profit center, but as a cash flow generator. Accounting wise, they lose money due to writing off technology. However, they do generate much needed cash to funnel into other products for development. It is here where they make the money that covers the "expense" of the MMORPG. Call me cynical, but I really hope that whatever company has enough sense to improve D&D Online with the money generated and not be like EA and sink it into such flops as Space & beyond or Sims Online. I decided to stick to FR based games after ToEE *cringes*. Might pick up one of the few upcoming Eberron CRPGs, but as a whole, I just don't think the player base will be enough to support the long term health of D&D Online. Paladin
Faraer 06-27-05, 07:59 PM	"The number of online video game subscriptions in the US is set to explode. A new report (http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003462) from PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that the number of online video game subscribers will more than quadruple between 2005 and 2009, as will online gaming revenues."
Paladin3475 06-29-05, 08:48 PM	"The number of online video game subscriptions in the US is set to explode. A new report (http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003462) from PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that the number of online video game subscribers will more than quadruple between 2005 and 2009, as will online gaming revenues." I have seen wayyyyy to many ofthese reports. I would like to point out one simple fact though for most: The Software Industry commissions these reports The main reason they do this is to bump up their stock prices and get seed capital for wahtever project they are working on. The major deal breaker for most people is the constant pay to play scenario you need to do for a computer game. Case in point: 1. You spend $50 for the game at the store. 2. You spend $14.95 per month. Total annual cost for this game if you played it for one year is a lil shy of $180 / yr plusthe original cost ofthe game. Also most people are used to paying once for a game and never paying again unless there is an expansion. Still need to break this mentality. Paladin
Xante Flatnose 06-30-05, 03:53 AM	There will always be a newer setting and the others will always get older and older. It is the key to marketting. Not just because of new D&D online is set in Eberron, I starting to get scared. What if when 4th edition is out, Wizards put Forgotten Realms to other worlds forum and do not release a new book. I know that Forgotten Realms is still the best known and they do not possess the power to throw it yet. but what if it is true, that day will come? :weep: And NWN2 will beat it for sure. Online games shines when you first start the game but server downs, backings, and lags, and plenty of bugs and.... it gets boring and boring you get angry at the end. The money you spend in the game enters your nightmares. It takes a long term rehabilitation for getting rid of it.
Paladin3475 06-30-05, 01:06 PM	And NWN2 will beat it for sure. Online games shines when you first start the game but server downs, backings, and lags, and plenty of bugs and.... it gets boring and boring you get angry at the end. The money you spend in the game enters your nightmares. It takes a long term rehabilitation for getting rid of it. This I have no doubt on. EQ, which could be said to be "successful" even is starting to see membership decline. SWG, which everyone but me (wasn't going to pay a premium price for a copy of the game from a computer game retailer) bought on the day it was released is also losing members, mostly due to bugs and nerfing everything. However, none of this really suprises me when you look at the lifecycle of a product. You have the stages of introduction, maturity, and decline. For online games this seems to run a 3 to 5 yr cycle. Paladin