by M. Pence

Created on: November 20, 2009

If I say 'Dungeons and Dragons,' does your mind instantly conjure up a group of huddled teenage boys and girls over a white board, piles of books and little figurines representing elves and other fantastical beings? Do you hear the plaintive cry, "Roll for initiative!" and cringe away, your mind reeling with numbers and die?

If the sheer numbers, character sheets, books, figures and other D&D paraphernalia have always kept you away from the game itself as well as the issue of paying to play the DDO MMORPG-fear not brave citizen! On the 9th of September of this year (2009) DDO released a major change to their MMORPG based on the beloved pen and paper turned visual MMO game.

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited is the recent, free to play upgrade to the original DDO using the 3.5 D&D rule set. Now you can play a large chunk of content, quests, and classes for the low, low, low price of absolutely free. Think of it akin to an almost limitless trail of a game you may have been hesitant to play before.

The Good, the Bad, and the Beholders-A review of DDO Unlimited

Graphics, Good
- DDO Unlimited graphics are not changed or hindered anyway from those who might decide to pay to play the game. What you see is the same as what others see, only dependant on your computer and how high or low you can adjust your graphics.
- From the standard, expected dungeon crawl, to wide open spaces filled with D&D classic monsters, the areas in DDO Unlimited are dripping with fantasy inspiration. A mix of deep, worn, well weathered wooden buildings and white washed taverns, gorgeous forests with thick trees stretching up to the forest leaving dappled light on the green floors, dark and dank dungeons with twisted evil NPC's fitting-DDO Unlimited graphics is what you should expect from a game with its particular title.
-There are many panoramic view points, interesting environments that mix magic and traditional architecture.
-The armor sets and items is what I truly loved about DDO. The detailing of chain mail & leather, metal studs, head gear as well as weapons were very well done with the current graphics engine DDO is using.
-You should be able to run the game decently with a computer using video cards or components a few years behind the current system requirements newer games need.

Graphics, bad
-Overall, DDO effects remind me of a step or two above WoW, though not at all as cartoonish or brightly colored. DDO offers several anti-alias levels plus

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