Is Dungeons & Dragons Online Good For Tabletop D&D Fans?
Originally releasing in 2006, Dungeons & Dragons Online (also known as DDO) is a long-running MMORPG. The game has close ties to D&D, but there are a few noticeable differences to how the MMO is played compared to the traditional tabletop RPG. Because of this, interested D&D fans will have to consider if DDO is a good fit for them.
Over the years, Dungeons & Dragons Online has gone through many changes. The locations have gone from Stormreach to Eberron to the Forgotten Realms, and the MMO itself has become (mostly) free-to-play with microtransactions. New content even came to the game earlier this year, and a new limited-time server was created last year for D&D fans who wanted permadeath implemented into the game. With regular updates, there are plenty of reasons to love DDO, especially for people who are D&D fans already.
DDO has plenty of familiar locations that D&D fans should love to explore in a 3D environment, including the new Sharn content from the Eberron setting and Ravenloft. Famous enemies such as Strahd and Lolth, the Spider Queen, can be fought and defeated, which is sure to please a lot of longtime fans. The typical D&D classes like Fighter and Cleric are also available in Dungeons & Dragons Online. However, there are some major differences that tabletop D&D fans should be aware of.
One of the noticeable differences in DDO is leveling. Players gain EXP from finishing quests, which means no EXP is gained from fighting enemies or even taking down hard-t0-kill bosses. Originally, Dungeons & Dragons characters could only go up to Level 10 in DDO, but updates have allowed characters to surpass Level 20 and even get additional specs. The game was originally based off of D&D 3.5e, which means players who started on 4e or 5e will notice general rule differences as well.
Arguably the biggest difference is combat. Since Dungeons & Dragons Online is an MMO, combat is action-oriented and in real-time. It's not turn-based like tabletop D&D, and outside of instanced dungeons and raids, a lot of the gameplay can be experienced solo. The introduction of DDO Points, which are a kind of in-game currency used to purchase high-end items and upgrades, will likely turn off tabletop players who don't want to be bothered with microtransactions.
Overall, the differences between Dungeons & Dragons Online and tabletop D&D comes from the fact that one is an MMORPG, so certain changes were needed to translate the game into this format. There are still enough recognizable locations and iconic monsters and characters to keep most D&D fans interested, even if DDO isn't a perfect video game replica of the tabletop RPG.