Producer letter/September 2004

23-Sep-2004

Ours is not a quiet team. We’re a team of veterans, who know what they think, and aren’t afraid to tell you. Tell you why you’re wrong. Loudly. But I’ve never heard them argue quite so passionately as when it comes to using and adapting the D&D; rules.

See, before our artists, designers and engineers came into the gaming industry, almost all of us played pen and paper D&D.; (Many still do.) So, when we started production on D&D; Online, all of that history, all of that enthusiasm came rushing to the fore.

Through the course of the lively debates, one thing became abundantly clear. This team understands how important it is that this game must be D&D.; Any computer adaptation already has two strikes against it when attempting to achieve that goal. You’re not face to face with your friends. You don’t have your dice in-hand. With the world pictured on-screen, less is left to the imagination of the players. So what can we do?

We can focus on some of the things that make D&D; the experience that it is. We can focus on small-group play, focus on engaging campaign storylines, and focus on dungeon adventures that make use of all of a party’s unique skills.

The D&D; rules are a blessing and a curse – they provide a solid framework on which to build the game and world, but they also carry with them a heavy responsibility – we’re not naive, and we know that nothing can truly replace a living, breathing Dungeon Master. At the same time, I believe this team has the proper balance of innovation and respect to make a great massively multiplayer adaptation of Dungeons and Dragons. Stay tuned as we release more information about the game; I hope you’ll agree.

Judith Hoffman Executive Producer Turbine Entertainment Software