It is also interesting what was done with Forgotten Realms. By advancing the time line by 100 years WoTC effectively consolidated their licensing by remaking the realms. I think this may be a step towards FR online. Thoughts?
the marks are not doable according to one computer game designer
As for D&D Online, I'm betting it's just completely screwed.
the marks are not doable according to one computer game designer
Why on earth would the marked condition be difficult to port?
Why on earth would the marked condition be difficult to port?
Not the marked condition itself, but rather the triggering effects and the interaction with the AI. In real time. Note that he said "computer game designer" - not programmer.
For example: Fighter marked critter, while the warlock stands next to both. On the warlock's turn, the warlock eldritch blasts the critter - provoking an OA, which triggers the fighter's combat challenge attack.
Now, tactically, it may or may not be good to withhold these attacks (critter: to avoid being whacked; fighter: to save it for later).
How do you implement all these triggering effects without a) pausing or b) really slow movements, especially as immediate interrupts need to resolve before the triggering action.
Another example: A wizard's shield spell - to be triggered, it has to hit you, but if it's real time, isn't that a bit useless? ;)
You have to implement a good collision control, otherwise a lot of movement effects become pointless. Or re-implement a grid in a MMORPG.
And so on. 4E is really written for round-based grid combat, but current MMORPGs are real time. This clashes, especially for time-critical user decisions. What you could do is a reinterpretation of 4E, where these things are solved differently, but then it's not the 4E rule set any longer.
Cheers, LT.
But Lord Tirian, those are all problems with how immediate actions, opportunity attacks, and the like would work in a real time RPG, not with how marking would work in a real time RPG. Wouldn't marking a target just give that target a penalty of -2 on all attacks that don't include you for the next 6 seconds?
Yes, yes, the basic marking would make no problems, just the additional effects that fighters and swordmages get from them. The paladin's mark effect is also pretty simplistic.
Cheers, LT.
I'd really like the see a Forgotten Realms online personally, since the title of DDO was pretyy much annihilated by Turbine I think WotC will probably want to distance themselves from the title but not so much fans wont recognize a DnD mmo, also since FR seems to be their favorite 4e child so far it's likely it'll be based on FR, just speculation though.
I'd really like the see a Forgotten Realms online personally, since the title of DDO was pretyy much annihilated by Turbine I think WotC will probably want to distance themselves from the title but not so much fans wont recognize a DnD mmo, also since FR seems to be their favorite 4e child so far it's likely it'll be based on FR, just speculation though.
Actually, what would work really well would be a game based on the 4E mechanics (of course modified for real time) and set in Planescape.
Planescape makes MMORPGisms sensible - planar weirdness covers a lot, for example that all players are concentrated in a hub (Sigil), get to exotic locations frequently (gatetowns), allows strange critters... and I reckon even resurrection is very fitting.
Cheers, LT.
I can't wait to see 4E game! (And of course, I hope it gets developed by a competent company like Bioware.)
Games Workshop has the new "Warhammer online: age of Reckoning", why not Birthright online? I suggest a online game with a lot of trade (collectable runic cards? :D ), buildings made by PCs (have you seen age of conan?) and massive epic battles (with castles and assault towers).
I´m sure now a new game of D&D with rules of 4th Ed. is being developed (by Bioware?).
D&D is designed around a turn based system that allows for a great deal of precision and instant results. Games now are almost without fail, and certainly in the case of an MMO, real time. This creates more basic gameplay problems that don't depend on the mechanics.
Case in point: Have you ever tried using Fireball (or any similar area effect) in a real-time D&D game like Neverwinter Nights or Baldur's Gate? It's a mess.
In the D&D game, your turn comes up, you drop your fireball on an area, knowing exactly what it'll hit and the effect resolves now.
In the computer games, you're trying to place your area targeter properly so that it catches the enemies you want without hitting allies, and the battlefield is constantly shifting around as you do this. You may well end up wasting one or more rounds of your actions in the process as you try to get the targeting right.
Even if that doesn't end up creating too many problems, you don't get your Fireball now, no.
Instead, your character stands there waving his arms and chanting for several seconds, followed by a spell effect mote lazily drifting out to the target point (taking even more time). Then the fireball goes off. Of course, by the time all this is over and done with, the battlefield has changed again, generally meaning that you miss most of your enemies or roast half of your own party.
It's things like that that will make a train wreck out of any attempt to port the 4E rules over into a real-time game.
For mark effects, include a behind the scenes "aggro" mechanic for creatures. Damage draws this much attention. Being marked causes X attention. Allow the AI to look at the potential damage from oppertunity attacks and compare it to letting the striker stay alive. Or just make it random.
If anything, I would like to see 4e ported to the DS as a turn baised RPG, along the vein of Final Fantasy Tactics. Give people a 5 person party, include the 10 base classes and offer rules up to 20th level. And give us competitive multiplayer.
That sounds just about perfect.
Any chance that D&D online will upgrade to 4e? I've never been that impressed with D&D online but at least I could "learn" 4e by playing it...
Turbine Developers publicly announced upon hint of 4th ed development that they would not be converting the game's rule-set.
Actually, what would work really well would be a game based on the 4E mechanics (of course modified for real time) and set in Planescape.
Planescape makes MMORPGisms sensible - planar weirdness covers a lot, for example that all players are concentrated in a hub (Sigil), get to exotic locations frequently (gatetowns), allows strange critters... and I reckon even resurrection is very fitting.
Cheers, LT.
I really like this idea. Just because anything can become an entrance to a instance/dungeon/gate or door. Sigil is the city of doors. There would never be any reason to leave the starting area so to speak, you could have multiple factions to join/do quests for. You pick up an item/random drop and it may just lead you to another area. Adding new content would be easy peasy.
I want this.
WotC, do this NOW!
Now I need to play Planecape Torment again. I love that game.
The worry is the unavailability of the classes that are already in the game, and the change in level structure.
They had already combined a lot of the skills and cleaned up some of the fighter stuff, but told me to stay tuned as to what happens next.
There also seemed to be an apprehension about licensing and a wait and see as to what form 4th edition would come about for the gaming world. My impression is that D&D Online would become a hybrid 3.75 that would try to include some of the elements of 4th in upcoming patches, but a true 4th edition game would need to be a brand new enterprise.
My impression is that D&D Online would become a hybrid 3.75
It already is; due to the real-time fixes that improved fighter capabilities, and nerfs to casters (like teleport and DD limitations).