Dungeons And Dragons Online: DDO Dev Chat Log!

Well if you missed the chat, we have the logs!! Thanks to patnodewf for getting a copy up so quick!

[19:06] [Sprite] Welcome to another great Stratics house of commons with the developers of Dungeons & Dragons Online! We'd like to focus on the future of DDO tonight so try to keep your questions around this, however others may be taken.
[19:06] [Sprite] Please send your questions to [QT]Cale by using /msg [QT]Cale My question here. Questions sent to myself or the developers will NOT be answered so please do not send them to us. You only need to send your question one time and only to one QT. Sending it multiple times will not increase the liklihood of it being answered.
[19:06] [Sprite] We'll begin with a brief introduction from our guests and then proceed with the chat. Now would be a good time to send those questions to [QT]Cale!
[19:07] <jwb_DDO> Aloha, I'm jwb, I'm a quest and level designer on DDO
[19:07] <Nereid_DDO> Hi, it's a pleasure to be here. I am Nereid, the Producer on DDO.
[19:07] [Sporkfire] Hi, guys. I'm Victor Wachter, Community Relations Manager for DDO.
[19:07] <Graal_DDO> Howdy, I am Graal, Game Systems Designer in charge of Items, etc
[19:07] <Keeper_DDO> Hiya! I'm Keeper. I make landscapes and other environment art for DDO.
[19:07] <Gubtug_DDO> I'm Gubtug. I'm the Art Director for DDO.
[19:07] [Samera_DDO] Hi. I'm Samera. I'm the Online Community Specialist. Great to see you all!
[19:07] <Eldorudo_DDO> Hello everyone I am Eldorudo, Online Community Representative. Thanks for joining us tonight.
[19:07] <Codog_DDO> Howdy howdy! It's great to be here with you. I'm a Senior Engineer on the project.... and no that doesn't mean I'm old and get a discount at IHOP.
[19:07] <Eckelberry> My name is Dave. I'm probably lying.
[19:07] <GelatinousCube_DDO> I am The Cube. I /engulf things.
[19:07] <Denour_DDO> Evening folks, my name is Andy "Denour" Gillis, I am one of the Game System Engineers (Funky Code-Monkey) on Dungeons & Dragons Online.
[19:08] <Jared_DDO> Hey, I'm a bot. I /write things and design quests.
[19:09] [Sprite] *mattllow* Some action points in the game are so powerful that it is almost game breaking. Fighter action boost for example, so far out performs in melee that it makes other classes like the bard, and rogue, that should be able to melee a bit, almost useless in that role. How do you plan to adjust this as we get new levels?
[19:11] <Eckelberry> Yes, some of the short-term boosts to our characters are more effective than I wish, especially at the highest levels. I'll be reviewing their magnitudes, cooldowns, and duration in a future expansion as we make new enhancements for the level cap increase.
[19:11] [Sprite] *Dashien* What is the status or projection of the Ability to have Random Traps in dungeons?
[19:12] <jwb_DDO> We've worked pretty hard on the twilight forge module and the future content we're moving forward with to add more random elements. Traps, monster spawns, etc. Sometimes you'll go down a hallway and the floor will fall out, sometimes there will be skeletons, sometimes you'll get a free ride. We recognize there is repeat in our gameplay and dungeons and are striving to make each play through a little different and unique.
[19:13] [Sprite] *mattllow* Some classes got love this module, others like the Barbarians and Rangers not so much, What classes or races can we expect some attention to n the next Module?
[19:14] <Codog_DDO> In an upcoming module, we have made a number of changes to the combat system that we are very excited about that will apply.
[19:14] <Codog_DDO> First off, we've made combat feats such as trip, sunder, stunning blow, and smite evil work more cooperatively with your normal attacks. Previously, to do those special abilities you had to stand still and execute a totally different combat swing while not moving. You would not get the added bonuses that you would get later in the combo chain (+0,+0,+5,+10 ) and therefore you were a lot less likely to get a trip or a stunning blow to hit a target. When
[19:15] <Codog_DDO> So if you are moving, you'll get a moving swing (with associated moving penalty unless you have spring attack). If you are on combo swing 2 and hit trip, the next swing will be swing 3 with a trip effect if you hit. What I find particularly exciting about this is that you can walk up to a monster and hit (sunder) (trip) (stunning blow) and it will do combat swing 1, 2, and 3 just as fast and agile as if you were swinging your sword regularly.
[19:15] <Codog_DDO> Included in this change, I've made it easier for you if you are using autoattack to invoke your special attacks. Previously, it was a bit difficult to get the timing right while using the autoattack feature.
[19:16] <Codog_DDO> Another great change to the combat system is that bow speed will now increase with base attack bonus for bows, crossbows, and thrown weapons. Haste will now affect the speed of ranged combat as well. Included in our ranged combat changes, I've made ranged combat targeting with the targeting reticule much more precise. We have also implemented precise shot and improved precise shot. These feats will make it easier to hit specific targets out of the cro
[19:16] <Codog_DDO> out of the crowd with a ranged weapon.
[19:17] <Codog_DDO> Another change we've implemented relates to the reloading cycle of ranged combat. You can no longer accidentally interrupt reloading by firing too soon! If you click too early, it queues up the next attack after the reload is complete. In addition to this, you can now reload on the run all the time.
[19:17] <Codog_DDO> We've reworked the Shot on the Run feat very much analogous to how movement penalties work in regular melee combat. If you shoot while you are moving, you will take a -4 to hit penalty unless you have Shot on the Run. These changes to bow combat make it feel more smooth and give better tactical options for players.
[19:17] <Codog_DDO> So... everybody is getting lots of love. PHEW!!!!
[19:18] [Sprite] *mattllow* With the announcement that some of the quests for module 2 has been pushed back till next month, Can you give us some insight on what we can look forward too? Giants, Undead, Ogres, more Mind Flayers?
[19:18] <jwb_DDO> August will see the unveiling of the Heretical Path, the first part in the Litany of the Dead storyline. The Litany of the Dead takes place in a graveyard not far from Stormreach. Long ago during the first days of Stormreach's existence as a trading colony, a rogue group of Vol Cultists ventured out into the jungles of Xen'drik.
[19:18] <jwb_DDO> Their leader (the Black Abbot) decided that he was tired of wasting time trying to make Vol a god, and instead wanted to become one himself. He and his group of cultists locked themselves away in an ancient necropolis, and began to write the tomes necessary for his ascension.
[19:18] <jwb_DDO> The magical tomes would take many lifetimes to complete, so the cultist harnessed the powers of death and became a lich. His three most trusted servants became vampires that would complete the books.
[19:19] <jwb_DDO> The powerful warriors of the cult were turned into mummies and given the task of guarding the vampires, ensuring their work was not interrupted. The remainder of the cultists were slaughtered then reanimated to serve as the lich's undead army in the war to come.
[19:19] <jwb_DDO> The time of the Black Abbot's ascension is at hand. The Silver Flame and the Emerald Claw united to fight their common enemy (though each group has its own reasons). The first of the three Black Prophets, Brother Cuore, is about to finish The Heretical Path, the first book in the Litany of the Dead.
[19:19] <jwb_DDO> The gates to the vampire's crypt, and to the tombs of his mummy guardians, will open in August.
[19:19] <jwb_DDO> The Litany of the Dead is a new way of deploying content. The story for this area, and the dungeons involved, will unfold over the course of this year and the next. The area is intended to provide dungeons and adventures for players from levels 5 to 12 when it is completed, and will feature epic encounters with mummies, vampires, and ultimately, the Black Abbot himself.
[19:19] <jwb_DDO> The Litany of the Dead also features a new outdoor adventure area in which the dungeons reside. This landscape also contains all the quest NPC's, representatives from the Silver Flame and Emerald Claw, an outdoor tavern area, a bind NPC, a repair NPC, a basic supplies NPC, and collectors for the custom collectables the area has.
[19:20] <jwb_DDO> The first chapter includes the 5 dungeons, the Bloody Crypt and its accompanying tombs (the Tomb of the Sanguine Heart, the Crimson Heart, the Immortal Heart, and the Sanguine Heart). The second chapter is expected to be released in late fall/early winter. At this point it's too early to speculate on the release timeline beyond the second chapter.

Read the rest of the Chat Log on the DDO Main Boards!