TURBINE UNVEILS THE DEMON SANDS FOR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE™
[25-Oct-2006]

Enormous Outdoor Landscapes, New Levels and PvP Planned For October

WESTWOOD, MA - October 25, 2006 - Today, Turbine Inc. announced the launch of a massive new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE™ (DDO) module, The Demon Sands. This sprawling module offers players a vast update to the original DDO game with an immense amount of new content and many new features. DDO is based on the world-renowned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® brand franchise from Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS). DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under license to Atari Interactive from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro.

"When the dev team told me that they wanted to build outdoor landscapes, PvP combat, more levels, and auction houses - all in one module - I was surprised to say the least," said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "But they pulled it off and the result is just amazing."

The Demon Sands module is the latest, and biggest, expansion to DDO, increasing content by 40 percent since DDO's launch in February. Players also will be able to face-off against other players in action-packed PvP tournaments and brawls. In the dungeons below the city of Stormreach™, they will battle never-before-seen monsters, traps, and dangers. Fortunately, players will be able to earn more levels to combat these perils while discovering powerful new spells, feats, abilities, weapons, and treasures. After achieving glory, players can visit in-game auction houses to sell their latest plunder and gain new treasures of their very own.

NEW FEATURES:

Gripping PvP Combat DDO's unique active combat control system requires tactical thinking and quick reflexes as much as character abilities and skill. Players can now apply this state-of-the-art combat mechanic to a new tournament-based competition where they can test their wills against other characters. DDO will feature two modes of PvP - Tournament Battles and Tavern Brawls. Players who elect to enter one of the many arenas can enjoy styles of play in thrilling death matches and flag capture scenarios. Gamers can also choose to try PvP by diving into a no-holds barred brawl within special taverns of the DDO world.

Increased Level Cap Featuring More Dangerous Dungeons and Monsters This new module raised the level cap by adding 10 more ranks that provide players of all levels with more content, enhancements, feats and spells. New monsters will make their debut in the new desert area including Efreeti, Genies, Gnolls, and the infamous demons—the Marilith.

New Auction House Players can visit one of the many virtual auction houses located in wards across the city where they can meet with an auctioneer to buy and sell in-game items. Sellers will be able to set an opening bid and an optional buyout price for their items. Buyers will be able to browse through items using the Auction House user interface and place bids on items that they wish to purchase.

More Solo-Based D&D® Gameplay More solo quests have been added for players to hone their skills for the more advanced party-based quests.

The Demon Sands module is only the latest update to the successful MMO since its launch. Recent features added to the original game include the extremely popular favor system and adventure compendium that lets players track their quests and earn rewards from the patrons of Stormreach. In addition, the newest playable race, the Drow, and the exciting solo mode allow adventurers to experience many of the dangerous dungeons and quests in DDO without the aid of their friends -- testing their tactics, skills and wits.

DDO recreates the essence of the classic pen-and-paper roleplaying experience with an emphasis on quests that provide a unique, immersive experience for each player. Authentic features in the game include customizable characters; hand-crafted dungeons filled with devious traps; monsters and stories from the Eberron® campaign setting; an on-screen 20-sided die and a dungeon master. DDO represents a new paradigm for the MMO genre with unique features including solo and party-based quests, integrated voice chat, real-time action combat, PvP and award winning graphics. DDO is a unique experience where players must use their combat skills and wits to survive dangerous dungeons, fiendish traps and foes that punish the foolish. The game seamlessly combines the beautiful world of Eberron, the classic D&D v3.5 rules, and the latest innovations in online technology into a breathtaking gaming experience.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: Stormreach is currently available online and in retail stores for $29.99. Published by Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATAR), DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE has been enthusiastically received by many gaming critics, including The New York Times, PC Gamer, Game Informer and many more. For the latest information on the game, please visit http://www.ddo.com.

PvP Leaderboards in the Demon Sands
[24-Oct-2006]

Hi Everyone!

So while you're excited for the impending launch of The Demon Sands, you've probably been thinking "Gee, as awesome as this PvP system sounds, I really hope I can track my progress as compared to my peers and contemporaries. Is Turbine adding some kind of PvP Leaderboard feature?"

The answer, my friends, is a resounding "Yes!"

It's our pleasure to announce the launch of a web-based PvP Leaderboard (and a redesigned website to boot) with the release of The Demon Sands. Gloat over the public display of your complete and utter dominance in the PvP arenas!

How It Works

So how does it work? Well, as you participate in PvP matches, we're keeping track of a lot of data – who was in the match, who won the match, who killed whom, etc. Once a day, we'll be taking this data and sending it over to our web servers, along with a new field representing your total PvP Rating (more on this later).

When you load the Leaderboard, you'll be able to view character rankings and statistics per server and per date (All Time, Current Month, and Last Month), and you'll be able to filter on Class, Race, and Match Type (All, Deathmatch, or Capture the Flag). You'll be able to sort the rankings by Rating (the default), Wins, Kills, Flags Captured, or Flags Returned (these last two aren't options for Deathmatch rankings for obvious reasons).

What's more, you'll be able to type in the name of a character to find them on the Leaderboard, although it's important to note that characters won't be listed until they've participated in at least one match.

Rating Explained

The system DDO uses to calculate PvP Ratings is based on the popular ELO rating system. Everyone starts out with a rating of 1000, and your rating goes up when you win and down when you lose. Your actual performance versus your expected performance determines the exact amount of rating points you gain or lose in a match.

If that last sentence was a little unclear, here's a little more info: When you participate in a PvP match, the system looks at your rating, your team's rating, and the opposing team's rating in order to determine how likely you are to win (expressed as a percentage). If you and your team have a higher rating than your opponents, then the system expects you to win. Conversely, if you and your team have a lower rating than your opponents, then the system expects you to lose. If everyone has the same rating, then both sides have an expected 50% chance of winning.

(If you have a higher rating but your team has a lower rating than your opponents, or vice versa, it gets complicated. But rest assured that we've taken steps to ensure that you don't have to worry about losing a bunch of points because you got stuck with a lower-ranked team.)

When a match concludes, the system compares your team's match result (win, loss, or draw) with the expected result. If the result matches the expectations (e.g., you beat a team with a lower rating), you'll see a smaller rating change, while if the result is against expectations, you'll see a larger rating change.

Other Important Notes

• Kills, Flags Captured, and Flags Returned do not factor into the rating formula. The rating system only cares about Wins, Losses, and Draws.
• A rating of 1000 is the status quo, no matter how many matches you've played. Your Wins, Kills, Flags Captured, and Flags Returned will continue go up over time, but your rating will always be centered around 1000.
• The amount of points you gain or lose scales with your level. Lower level characters will generally gain fewer points when they win but will lose fewer points when they lose.
• The biggest change you can ever expect to see for a match between two high-level teams is a gain (or loss) of about 20 points. If everyone in a high-level match has the same rating, the winners should expect to gain 10 points and the losers should lose 10 points.
• If you go more than a month between matches, and your rating is above 1000, your rating will start to decay at a rate of about 1 per day until it gets back to 1000. Participating in a PvP match stops the decay.
• The system tracks ratings and statistics separately for Deathmatch and Capture the Flag match types. Your composite rating is the average of your Deathmatch and Capture the Flag ratings.
• Due to the complexity of the rating formulas, we may choose to adjust the system after evaluating its real-world performance. We'll let you know in advance of any changes.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, and we look forward to seeing you in The Demon Sands!

Dev Diary: Joe Barry on Developing Dungeons for The Demon Sands
[24-Oct-2006]

Hello all,

I'm jwb and I'm one of the quest designers here on DDO. I just wanted to take some time out of my day to explain to you some of the things we consider when we plan out a dungeon.

To preface, I'll give you a little background info on myself and what I've done on the project. I've been the quest designer for The Pit, Invasion, Jungle of Khyber, Xorian Cipher, Tear of Dhakaan, Graverobber, Arachnophobia, Scrag's Sewer, Sharpwood's Warehouse, Kobold Island, the Necropolis series, and half a dozen quests coming in Module 3: Demon Sands. As you can see, it's a wide variety of dungeons and quests covering a large level spread and showcasing a variety of playstyles.

For the rest of this dev diary, I'm going to specifically talk a bit about The Pit and then delve into how some of those decisions came forth in Demon Sands.

The notion of the proto-typical MMO 'Player' doesn't really exist. Everybody likes something a little bit different from everyone else. Sure, there are experiences that they have in common and share, but there are many that they don't. Long ago, Richard Bartle wrote about 4 types of MMO players: Killers, Socializers, Explorers, and Achievers. When I initially envision a quest or dungeon idea, I pick one or two of those groups as my target and then craft a dungeon which that type of player would really enjoy and possibly consider one of the best dungeons in game. There's an obvious downside to that: the type of player I haven't designed the dungeon for isn't going to like it.

Fortunately, we build a large amount of content. I've been on the project for just over a year now, and involved with new content development for about 9 months. I can tell you first-hand that we're a very busy content team.

Allow me a moment to breakdown my current quest responsibilities for you:

5 adventures from update 2.2, in polish and bugfix from live feedback phase
6 adventures for The Demon Sands, in the final stages of QA approval and sign-off
6 adventures for update 3.1 in the first stages of QA
5 adventures for update 3.2 in the initial dungeon construction phase
6 adventures for module 4, halfway through the story and spec writing phase
5 adventures for update 4.1, in the initial story and spec writing phase
7 adventures for update 4.2, done the story phase, need to write specs
Module 5 is very fuzzy and far away at the moment.
10 adventure story arc for updates 5.1 and 5.2 that is in the initial story creation phase

As you can see, that's just under 50 quests at various stages of development, from post-launch polish to an idea that I really like that I wrote on the back of a napkin at the bar. What this means is that I'm afforded the luxury of taking chances with the dungeons and quests I make, exploring interesting ideas and mechanics to see how they evolve into exciting game play. Taking an idea like The Pit, which we knew from the start some people weren't ever going to want to play, and giving it a run and creating a memorable game experience is a challenging task, but one with rich rewards that scratches the itch of players who love that style of game play.

We also try to balance our experiences with our releases. Reading the forums, there is an obvious split between people who hate The Pit and love Invasion, and vice-versa. Neither of those people is wrong, they just have different playstyles. Our goal is to try and please everyone, and make experiences that appeal to everyone. This is a nightmarishly difficult problem for a single dungeon, but a very reasonable one for an update containing multiple adventures.

A decision similar to what I'm discussing here came across with The Demon Sands. We have this great big desert with a ton of really cool content in it - the best we've made to date. At the same time as the desert idea was coming together, I was putting the finishing touches on an idea to do a quest where you were defending a caravan, a blend between 'Kobold Assault' and 'Protect the Crate.' In discussions on how players would get to the desert, the caravan quest came up, and we decided that players would have to successfully complete it to gain access.

After a bit of thought and a couple of playtests, we deemed the defense quest was a couple of things. First, while it starts off slow, things get hectic very quickly. Second, it's made for a specific type of player. There are some people who think 'Kobold Assault' is one of the best quests in game, and there are some who hate it. We didn't want to gate Menechtarun to only one type of player, or to someone who would suffer through the adventure, so we modified the mechanic by adding another layer to it.

There is now an NPC on the airship tower who will take you to the desert if you pay a certain amount of money. Great. Now, people who don't want to do the quest won't have to. Problem solved, all players of varying playstyles are ideally happy. But that presented another issue. If you can just pay to get out there, then why do the quest at all? So, another wrinkle was added. If you beat the 'Desert Caravan' quest once, the quest giver will forever allow you to travel directly to the oasis as a reward, but the airship operator charges you every time. This now allowed us to create a quest that a playstyle will really enjoy, not alienate those who won't, and still provide a reasonable reward for those who decide to embark on the quest. By not trying to make everyone happy with a single quest and single decision, and iterating over an idea, adding layers, and analyzing how each layer appealed to each playstyle, we were able to make an experience that has a degree of depth to it and is enjoyable for all.

At the end of the day, my goal is to make the best content possible. If I have a choice between making an adventure that 70% of the population will love and 30% of the population will not want to repeat after the first run - knowing I'm going to make 4 other dungeons that cycle - and a dungeon that doesn't provoke an emotional reaction either way. I'm going to go with the 70/30 every time. My goal is to make the best adventures possible and to create moments and experiences that you love and stick in your mind as great gaming moments. Every time you take that chance, you risk having someone else hate what you made.

So take heed and take heart! Just because we did a dungeon like The Pit once, doesn't mean The Demon Sands is The Pit Jr, The Pit Sr, or The Pit's evil uncle. It was the exploration of an idea and an attempt to target and make a certain playstyle very happy. That's why we bundled it with several other avenues that target other playstyles. So have no fear; we recognize that there are a lot of you, and you have different wants and needs out of your gaming experience, and we're doing our best to make you all as happy as we can.

jwb

Stratics Exclusive: Thrones of Chaos Interview

Thrones of Chaos is upping the ante in player versus player MMO's. Their guild system is hard core with bounty hunting and city capturing. Enjoy finishing moves that other games lack. Find out more about this aggressive MMO in our exclusive interview with Adam McCall.

Sir Lawrence’s Scavenger Hunt - October 20-21
17-Oct-2006

Sir Lawrence D'Deneith is visiting Stormreach again, with another challenge for adventurers!

Located throughout Smuggler’s Rest and Stormreach’s various wards (Harbor, Marketplace, Houses Deneith, Phiarlan, Kundarak and Jorasco as well as the Cemetary), I have hidden rare collectibles in obscure corners, bushes and waters located throughout the city.

My challenge to you, is to find the following:

• 50 Alchemist's Chapbooks collectibles
• 50 Tears of Vulkoor collectibles
• 50 Twelve-Sided Crystals collectibles

Feel free to trade items with friends (or sell if you’re an entrepreneur) to collect every collectible needed to win an exclusive Wayfinder Scepter!

I'll be hiding the items for the duration of two bells, during that time, if you find the necessary amount of collectibles, send me a message and I will trade you for a Wayfinder Scepter!

Good luck, and sally forth!

-Sir Lawrence d’Deneith

The rules:

Over the course of several weeks, we will be hosting a live Scavenger Hunt on several servers each weekend. (There may be a week or two where we will not host the event due so as not to distract you from enjoying The Demon Sands when it is released.) Rest assured, each server will have a chance to participate.

The events will last two (2) hours each on a given server (see list below for current event servers.)

To win, you must find the following:

• 50 Alchemist's Chapbooks collectibles
• 50 Tears of Vulkoor collectibles
• 50 Twelve-Sided Crystals collectibles

The collectibles can be found in obscure areas in the public spaces around Stormreach, we recommend taking the time to carefully search the city for these rare items!

You may trade or sell collectibles if you find extras, however, please understand that cutthroat selling of these items will be frowned upon. Let’s keep it friendly and fun, people! (Sir Lawrence mentioned that selling items for ham is encouraged. He loves ham and thinks you should too.)

Once all items are found, send a /tell to +Sir, and he will offer a trade with you. Give him all the items he is looking for, and upon verification (sorry, while he likes ham, he will not accept it as a replacement for the collectibles) he will trade you for the Wayfinder Sceptre.

The Wayfinder Scepter gives a +1 bonus to your Search skill. (This does not stack with other items that give a bonus to Search.) The scepter is a prize-only exclusive and cannot be obtained through normal gameplay. The scepter does not bind and has no value. No more than one scepter is available to each winning player. If you want more than one, you will need to log in with a different character and find more collectibles.

Schedule

Friday, October 20, 5PM Eastern - Xoriat
Friday, October 20, 8PM Eastern - Tharashk

Saturday, October 21, 5PM Eastern - Aerenal
Saturday, October 21, 8PM Eastern - Sarlona

[Void in non-participating areas of Eberron. Harmful if swallowed. If swallowed do not induce vomiting. Side effects include excitement and bragging rights.]

Stratics Exclusive: Voyage Century Online Preview

Avast ye mateys! If ye like pirates and treasure, sea battles and distant lands, ye should take a gander at Voyage Century Online. Visit the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Buy low and sell high to make ye wealthier than a merchantman. If these tales catch your fancy, be sure to check out our exclusive preivew.

WoW Stratics Exclusive: Burning Crusade Videos

WoW Stratics brings you a few videos of the Burning Crusade Beta! We captured the character selection screen, so you can decide a head of time what type of build you will have for your Blood Elf/Draenei. See all your choices! Also we have the new jumps and of course each character's dance!

Head on over to our Burning Crusade Beta Coverage section to view all of our information! Don't forget to check back, because we have more to add!

WoW Stratics Exclusive: Burning Crusade Beta Screenshots

We have just started to gather all our Burning Crusade beta information together for you. To start you out though, here are some screenshots we gathered  in order to give you a taste of what you can experience with the Burning Crusade.   This is just the beginning though, so make sure you check back often!

All our beta information will be permanently located in our Burning Crusade Beta Coverage section.

Adventure Area: The Sands of Menechtarun
25-Sep-2006

Module 3: The Demon Sands will introduce The Sands of Menechtarun. A sprawling desert environment that is home to dangerous adventures. Here is a look at some of the points of interest.

Adventure Area: The Sands of Menechtarun

Menechtarun
The Menechtarun is a vast desert that sprawls across the western reaches of Xen'drik. In ancient times, the Menechtarun was ruled by a tyrannical Wizard-King and his demonic servants. Today, these lands are home to rugged settlers, barbaric gnoll tribes and a sect of fanatical drow and scorrow called the Vulkoorim, or the "Chosen of Vulkoor." The Wizard-King himself is long dead, but his ageless servants have flourished, giving rise to another name for this region -- the Demon Sands.

Points of Interest:

Zawabi's Refuge
Zawabi's Refuge is an oasis to the north of the Scavenger Wastes. Named after the djinni who rules the oasis, Zawabi's Refuge is a bastion against gnoll and scorrow raiders that prey on lost travelers and ill-protected caravans. Many refugees come to the Refuge seeking the djinni's protection, as do adventurers, traders, outcasts and other questionable characters from far-off lands. Zawabi is bound to the oasis by a powerful spell and cannot leave his circle, but within the Refuge, his power is supreme.

(click image to see full size screenshot)



The Scavenger Wastes
Hyena packs roam these lands, as do their bipedal cousins, the gnolls. The magically-guarded entrance to Zawabi's Refuge is located here.


(click image to see full size screenshot)


Windlasher Canyon
The harsh desert winds of the Menechtarun carved out this canyon long ago. Now it serves as home for the Windlasher tribe of gnolls, who are marginally less aggressive than the Firebrands but no less deadly in combat.


(click image to see full size screenshot)



(click image to see full size screenshot)



Valley of the False Tombs
This valley is rumored to be the final resting place of Raiyum the Wizard-King and his malefic servants, Kourush and Rahmat. Raiyum's tomb is supposedly rife with traps and decoy tombs, serving to conceal the true burial chamber of the legendary tyrant.

Burning Mountain
The Burning Mountain dominates the territory of the Firebrand gnolls. Few explorers manage to evade the patrols along its dangerous ledges and twisting trails, and even fewer sneak past its guarded gates. These lucky survivors report the existence of a massive fortress-like city within the mountain's volcanic interior, where dozens of slaves toil without hope of release.

Serpent's Pass
Deep in Firebrand territory lies the valley known as Serpent's Pass. The origins of this name are unclear; the Pass may have been named for its serpentine bends, or for its many opportunties for treachery and ambush. The Firebrand gnolls often use this place as a staging area for their raids against the Vulkoorim. Others who enter Serpent's Pass rarely leave alive.

The Scar
A deep fissure in the desert that stretches for miles, the Scar is a natural bulwark separating the gnoll tribes from the Vulkoorim scorrow and their drow worshippers. Several treacherous paths and a pair of stone bridges are the only ways to cross the Scar, and the scorrow keep a close watch on these points of entry. Unwary travelers who venture across the Scar often end up as unwilling guests in the bloody rituals of the Vulkoor Spiral.

The Vulkoor Spiral
A holy shrine for the Vulkoorim and their worshippers, the Vulkoor Spiral is an underground network of caverns that echoes with the screams of the slain. Here, the Vulkoorim offer fervent prayers and bloody sacrifices to all three aspects of the scorpion god Vulkoor, although Vulkoor the Wrathful is the form most revered by this dark and violent cult.

Please join us on Thursday, October 26th, for a House of Commons with the developers of EverQuest II at 4:30 PM Pacific / 7:30 PM Eastern in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

This particular chat will be solely related to the Echoes of Faydwer Expansion, expected for release in early to mid November 2006. No other topics will be discussed.

We hope to see you there!

Title: Another 30 Minutes on Module 3 with Turbine

Author: Ralsu

URL: http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=319

Description: In the wake of Ralsu's first Interview with DDO Lead Game Systems Designer David Eckelberry, the forums were ablaze with concerns about warforged and the changes coming in Module 3: Demon Sands. David visited with Ralsu again, and he had some big news.

Snippet: "You know, we were going to leak this to you today, so we may as well go ahead and tell you now. We're getting ready to upload to our Risia test server some special warforged changes for Module 3. All existing warforged characters and all new warforged will be born with all of the Eberron resistances as part of the racial traits. Players will not need to spend any Feats or Enhancements to acquire these resistances."

If you’re like me and you enjoy that distinctive aroma of charbroiled Bane, you’ll love this exclusive preview! This massive 62MB video will put you right in the thick of battle as our fellow AFS soldiers fight for their lives against some of the worst the Bane has to offer.

Get it HERE!!!

It doesn’t stop there though, with the addition of “TR TV” we’ll be seeing many more videos in the near future. Stick with Stratics and we’ll keep you posted on all you need to know.

ToonTown!

Have you always wanted to play with those Acme cartoon toys?Or maybe you wanted a great laugh like Goofy, and just didn'tknow where to go? What about riding around in those cool carsthat have their own personalities?

Well, welcome to Toon Town! The game that gives you gags tocarry around - including cupcakes to throw at the evil Cogs whoare invading the area. Work with others to defeat the evil robotsin their buildings to earn more laughs! The inhabitants of ToonTown are in no mood for serious play, and the Cogs are soon torealize this as you fire away at them with your flower Squirtgags!

Here at Stratics Central, we are making it our business tokeep you informed on the hottest games out there. We are workinghard to bring the information to you so that you, the MMORPGcommunity, can get the latest news on the titles available in theindustry today.

To that end, we would like to introduce to you ToonTown Stratics!

Toon Town is a cartoon-style adventure developed by Disney forkids and families, with the singular goal of saving the worldfrom humorless robots who want to make a dark, grey metropolis ofToon Town! In this title, your adventures revolve around gaining"laffs" and gags to defeat the evil Cogs. There isquesting and tasks to be completed, and some can be done withfriends, but there is also playtime for your toon! Just visit theGoofy Speedway and build your very own racing kart! It's true...you get to play in high-speed car races with your very owncartoon karts!

We are pleased to bring you Toon TownStratics, providing you with the latest news and reviews onthe game, all of the information on game updates, as well as anarea to discuss your whacky and crazy cartoon adventures! Join usat Toon Town Stratics today!