Category Archives: DDO

Idea for binding another game to an MMO

Posted on September 2, 2009 by SynCaine

With CCP announcing Dusk 514, a shooter-based MMO that will interact with EVE Online, Tobold ask’s what other MMOs would work well with a secondary product attached to them. My initial thought was to have player-controlled mobs facing off against … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Random, World of Warcraft | 6 Comments

WoW: Cataclysm, analysis with less snark.

Posted on August 24, 2009 by SynCaine

Leaving the fun and games behind for a minute, it’s time for some ‘serious business’ talk about WoW’s next expansion, and what it really will bring. I’m not talking about the finer details or even the bullet-point list of additions, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Combat Systems, Darkfall Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, MMO design, Patch Notes, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 39 Comments

Dummies like dummy games

Posted on July 13, 2009 by SynCaine

My fiancé currently prefers WAR over DDO because DDO got hard. I prefer DDO over WAR because DDO is an enjoyable challenge rather than the insta-win that is general MMO PvE. I consider myself an MMO gamer; she is the … Continue reading →

Posted in DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 57 Comments

F2P MMOs: The land of ‘just good enough’.

Posted on July 9, 2009 by SynCaine

One of the common complaints against the subscription model is that if you only play that MMO sparingly (whatever that may be for you), you are not really getting your moneys worth compared to those who play more. The perceived … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Atlantica Online, DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, FreeRealms, MMO design, RMT, World of Warcraft | 12 Comments

DDO Hirelings: Nicely done Turbine!

Posted on July 8, 2009 by SynCaine

Last night I tried out the somewhat new hireling system in DDO when my fiancé and I ran into a tough level 3 quest and came away very impressed. It’s not exactly like having a real player, but its close … Continue reading →

Posted in DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, MMO design | 11 Comments

Bring back the gimps!

Posted on July 7, 2009 by SynCaine

At some point during the transition from MMORPG to just MMO, the ability to create a ‘gimped’ character was removed. In UO you could hit the skill cap and have a horrible character. In AC you could spend all your … Continue reading →

Posted in Asheron's Call, DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Ultima Online, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 30 Comments

Some quick love for DDO PvE.

Posted on July 2, 2009 by SynCaine

Short post today, but the more Dungeons and Dragons Online I play, the more amazed I am by its PvE. For everyone bitching about doing the same old ‘kill X’ quests and how PvE in MMOs is boring, try the … Continue reading →

Posted in DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online | 9 Comments

Gamer Bob says: MMOs suck.

Posted on June 30, 2009 by SynCaine

People often credit WoW’s success because, in part, it’s a little bit of everything for everyone (in theory at least), and while that’s a great way to get into the genre, if you really want to focus on any one … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, DDO, EVE Online, FreeRealms, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, PvP, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 45 Comments

Quick reactions to all the latest MMO-related happenings

Posted on June 25, 2009 by SynCaine

Too many MMO-related topics flying around in my head and it’s going to take some time to sort it all out. DarkFall: Aside from feeling like a euro in regards to the whole NA deal, the big ‘expansion’ patch is … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Darkfall Online, DDO, MMO design, RvR, The Casualties Guild, Warhammer Online | 20 Comments

Second year of blogging is in the books!

Posted on June 22, 2009 by SynCaine

Ding, two years of blogging done! I’m going to try and follow the format I used in my previous yearly review in order to make the comparison a bit easier. Like last year, the overall ‘Blog Stats” are up first. … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, DDO, EQ2, EVE Online, iPhone, Mass Media, MMO design, PvP, RMT, RvR, Site update, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 15 Comments