<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">You misunderstand me Mike. I wasn't talking about the game (even though I would disagree with some of your assertions about WoW itself. It's a 3 quest game with pretty much 0 variety) <DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I'm talking about the customer experience from Turbine versus Blizzard. The latter, frankly, treated me like shit for the whole year that I stupidly let them. Turbine, on the other hand make me feel like they actually care about my gaming experience and improving it. I had nothing but criticism for Blizzard *literally* from day one. I haven't a single bad thing to say about CM and Turbine. They've been top notch.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>As for the content issue, true, since we're not rushing through the amount of content is not an issue for me. But then again, as I say, WoW is hardly a shining example of content. There isn't a single quest in the game (that I can think of) that requires you to use any other skill besides your ability to slash, bash or burn your enemies. Doom (1) with Swords != content... it's just window dressing over an incredibly hollow gaming experience (only made bearable by the company you keep) - For me, once Leigh quit playing (we were like the WoW siamese twins joined at the hip) I realised there was 0 content in that game and without the social side I quit not long after. </DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>I'm sure it would be the same with DDO if you all quit tomorrow, my interest would wane immediately, but the point is that the quests continue to excite us all with their variety and the fact that there is no uber-formula-that-works-every-dungeon means we all get to play different styles and stretch various abilites on a regular basis. Again, something that cannot be said of WoW. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Altogether, having played WoW (compulsively) for a year (over 60 days online time in that period) and DDO now for six months I am convinced that at core, DDO is a better game being run and improved by people who are not (only) driven by the "bottom line" but with a genuine interest in creating a better gaming experience, contrasting strongly by Vivendi....er... sorry I mean Blizzard... who are run totally by french bean-counters now. WoW is soulless commercialism. DDO is at least tempered with an element of pride in their work. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>A nice shiny paint job and fancy chrome do not a great car make (just look at the performance of American "supercars" versus European ones). Slick though it is, WoW is the vapid blonde bimbo of the MMO world. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Me... I'm seduced by the sultry, intelligent brunette that is DDO. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Joe.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>On 10 Oct 2006, at 11:50, Mike Kelly wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">On 10/10/06, <B class="gmail_sendername">Joe Vaughan</B> <<A href="mailto:joev@jarhedz.com">joev@jarhedz.com</A>> wrote:<DIV><SPAN class="gmail_quote"></SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> God almighty the amount and scope of all the changes, along with a very<BR>large new area in the next module.... These guys (Turbine) make me feel<BR>like it's more than worth paying them my monthly fee (if they keep this <BR>up, I'd pay more/month tbh!).... contrasting starkly with Blizzard who I<BR>wish to hell now I had never given a bloody penny to.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR>On this note, I still play WoW and I think it's still well worth paying for, I still have a ball playing the game, I'm really enjoying BWL, I'm looking forward to Naxx soon and I'm really looking forward to the Burning Crusade. Whatever problems you have with the game, it's still a hell of a game. Slick, polished and largely trouble free at this stage. <BR><BR>With DDO Turbine are doing very well however IMO they have a hell of a long way to go (druids and monks are still missing for example). The game suits our style of play (one night a week with a fixed group) however you *need* a group to play, for a awful lot of players the game is far too short (largely because the game released with a level cap of 10), levelling itself is quick and too easy and there's absolutely nothing to do (except possibly grind for loot) once you hit level 10. The system itself rocks but the content has serious problems (mostly of the, "there's too little of it" variety). <BR><BR>Lets be honest here, it's a whole lot of fun but I play it because of the people I play it with (I love you guys! Eh, screw you guys.) if we played DDO the way I/we played WoW we'd have been at level 10 after the first couple of weeks and we'd probably have quit shortly afterwards. <BR><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ddo mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="mailto:ddo@dspsrv.com">ddo@dspsrv.com</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.dspsrv.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ddo">http://www.dspsrv.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ddo</A></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>