The first D&D Boxed Set
I’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons since…wait for it…1979. That’s right I’m a geek from way back. I played the game up until about 1996 with various groups of friends. So that’s 17 years of tabletop roleplaying and I’ve got every book, module, figure, and die bag I’ve ever owned to prove it. So what happened to the tabletop game? Online gaming.
Ultima Online started the phenomenon, then EverQuest came along followed by a myriad of competitors until Blizzard released World of Warcraft and blew the market away. These games, though fun, were not the Dungeons and Dragons I remembered. However in 2006 Wizards of the Coast released Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach (DDO). I freaked out and bought the game the day it was released. The game looked great, was fun, and a new group of friends played with me. The rule set was recognizable though obviously different, and the atmosphere was impressive. Unfortunately there was so little content I got bored, as did my friends and we left within a month or two. This pissed me off because I wanted my Dungeons and Dragons back.
Flash forward four years. DDO: Stormreach is now DDO: Unlimited. You can now download the client and play for free, to a point. Some content must be purchased via an online store for a small price, or a player can subscribe for $9.00 per month and get everything. I’ll gamble for free so I took another look at the game. The graphics were the same, but honestly they were so good in 2006 they don’t look very dated even today. But more importantly there is so much content I have no idea where to start. There are several new islands, new parts of the continent and so many new underground areas I’m not sure how many there are.
Needless to say I’m recommending DDO: Unlimited. Although I started with the free service they earned my $9 per month with a great game. If you played this before and got fed up I suggest giving it another look. Especially if you are an old geek like me.
