One person's perspective on DO

[dummy]

Well, I killed Lord Sertis, and have completed the game. Here is a bit of my experience:

The game is a bLast. It is simple enough to allow for easy play, but the best part of this game is how the game continually challenges you, even as you increase in ability.

I've been playing the priest primarily, and in my opinion, he is the best character (or easiest) to play the intital mod.

What i like about the game is the sheer number and scope of monsters, and magic items. It is not until the ice-caves (available only in the full game) and beyond that you start to see what this game can do.
It isn't until about 10-12th level that the monsters become a real challenge (hard to get to these levels in the demo, and the monsters in the desert and the castle or easy kills)
While the game does need a few minor fixes (like the inventory), there is relitavily very little to be dissatisfied with becuase of the exstensive ability to mod- want to have more magic or less magic items? Just change the numbers in the text files and viola!

The first experience with "darkness" occurs in the ice caves- which means magic items with light attributes are a boon (ignored in the demo)- but having the light spell is even better (coupled with mana regeneration). At higher levels, darkness just becomes secondary since you can get light spells to Last 1-2 minutes by level 10, but at lower levels, the darkness can be troublesome- I can only imagine what characters without spells must go through in the dark caverns.

The baddies die pretty readily (and this is at the tuffest level) but there is usualy 1-4 guys on each map that are invincible (usually occurs once you reach level 10). i have taken to converting the monsters (which is better than summoning in my opinion) that I cannot kill and making them my fighter slaves. A good strategy is to lock these monsters in rooms (they can't open doors). Monsters later in the game also start using spells like heal, summon, storm, etc.
You will rue the day when you first meet a battlemaster with life leech and a steel carapice!

side note, when you return the Crown to the shopkeeper, it automatically ends the game! I hadn't finsihed the ice wand quest, or the Orc King quest, so it was a bit dissappointing- maybe the powers that be might add an option to continue playing after the completion of a game ending quest...

Here is another little experiment for everyone as well:

Play a character with the conVersion spell. Go to town, and convert five to six cows, chickes, horses, whatever. They will follow you out of town. When I tried this, I took them through a portal into the temple- if you wait for the conVersion to wear off, the chickens and cows will attack you. It's funny becuase they can't hit you! They just sit there and keep swinging. Now, if you kill them, I have found that they will leave ITEMS like swords or daggers. Either way, it was a funny thing to try at least once.

Suggestions for improving the game:

Perhaps allow more monsters to regenerate their hitpoints over time, like the player.
ConVersion spell seems a bit strong, maybe tone down the power, or allow more monsters to be immune to the spell (the shopkeepers are)
in no time, we end up with millions of dollars in the game, perhaps allow us to spend that millions by buying overpriced "vials" that permanently improve our characters- I would gladly pay 1 million for another skill point or another stat point.
More inventory space.
Allow us to buy more than one type of key at a time (right now I have to go in and out of town each time I want to buy another set of keys- it is tedious)
The ability to GIVE basic commands to summoned or converted monsters.