To tell you the truth, I wouldn't worry much as WotC seems more inclined towards NW atm. I believe it is so because DDO is seven or so years old with old infrastructure. It will not grow but maintain its present state(which will in itself be achievement). Neverwinter will grow from zero up, with all new infrastructure and foundry.
Also, it seems NW was developed more closely with WotC considering the PnP edition of NW and the way it was slated to release together. So NW will have enough lore in official content. And as far as custom content goes, I can promise at least one good to awesome campaign dedicated to Selune from my side
To tell you the truth, I wouldn't worry much as WotC seems more inclined towards NW atm. I believe it is so because DDO is seven or so years old with old infrastructure.
Also, it seems NW was developed more closely with WotC considering the PnP edition of NW and the way it was slated to release together.
Oh no, this isnt true at all Gill. In fact, WotC mentioned several times about DDO's tried and true combat system, at one point I recall them stating DDO as having "one of the best combat systems in MMOs". The game mechanics have slowly been changing, and a major rehaul of the enhancement systems in addition to a newly signed license means DDO will be around for many years to come.
Lastly, and I hate to bring this up, but at the highest resolution, DDO looks better than Neverwinter that I see in the official promo videos. Cryptic NEEDS to cut promos at the HIGHEST RESOLUTION possible, to show us and others what the optimum resolutions look like..
ambisinisterrMember, Neverwinter ModeratorPosts: 10,462Community Moderator
edited October 2012
I would have to say I personally feel like Wizards of the Coast has a much bigger stake in the direction and quality of NW than DDO.
Sure they had praises for DDO years ago but WotC has taken a much more active role in NW's dev compared to DDO's development. From everything I have seen about WotC's and Cryptic/PWE's relationship WotC has had a *huge* impact on NW and clearly view it not only as a licensed product but ultimately as a game they helped to create.
That's not to say DDO will be abandoned by WotC, though! I think ultimately all three parties realize that the game similarities end with D&D and MMO. Other than that they are two completely separate beasts and will each cater to it's own different player base.
While some of the DDO players may decide to switch over to NW many will likely prefer the more traditional take on D&D provided by DDO.
I would certainly assume that, at least for the moment, NW will be refused the ability to create Underdark Content Officially in order to prevent a true conflict of interest between the two companies but with time I am sure any licensing limitations will be relaxed and/or removed.
But of course that is merely my personal agreement with an assumption. The actual terms of DDO's and Cryptic's licensing are and will always remain private a private matter between the three companies.
It is important to remember that while these two MMO's will be competitors it will only be in the most literal of senses. WotC will want both companies to succeed so in a sense they truly are part of a team. I really don't think it's appropriate to label the game's as cut and dry competitors seeking to undermine the other.
But I would say WotC's stance is like, DDO is a stable profit asset but there is no growth. NW with its foundry is future. The recent additions must have been in direction to retain D&D crowd rather than attract new. Turbine is already under pressure to add more content because that is one area where it is criticized a lot (and was criticized for even when I used to play). That causes them to rush in builds causing bugs. I remember such one patch - it caused a lag whenever I was breaking barrels. Another patch froze our whole party at that shavrath quest in which you go taking U turn up the hill and then down in the ramp like place. Such bugs are really annoying and kill all the fun. And only non-fun parts are retained by the memory. If these expansions were aimed at new players, they would have fixed all bugs before releasing them, But buggy release means they are more interested in retaining players.
Also, WotC has closely worked with cryptic team (by design or providence) while such an opportunity was not available to turbine.
Sure they had praises for DDO years ago but WotC has taken a much more active role in NW's dev compared to DDO's development.
Great commentary. I agree with almost all of it, except this one. WotC and Turbine worked hand in 2 hand late 2011/2012 to produce their latest update and has had nothing but high praise for each other. This is a very close relationship with daily contact, in person meetings, discussing all facets of design.
It doesn't seem to make sense that DDO would be able to reinvent itself again, after 8 years. For good and for bad, they're in the process of doing just that, and WotC is smack dab in the thick of it
Now I'm with you that Neverwinter is perceived as the future" but WotC's no fool. Turbine has a large, mostly loyal audience and an engine that's tested. DDO is a cash cow, today.. with all expectations they can survive till at least 2016 without much gamble. It's a good team, important to each other for very similar reasons.
Here's what I think. It's not about which game will last longer or is newer etc etc. I think from WOTC point of view it's more about having TWO successful mmos.
I think NWO got 4e because they wanted one mmo for the 4e crowd and one wanted ddo to stay with the 3.5e crowd. I think they WANT BOTH games to live and prosper so it brings them more peeps.
I think what will end up happening is not every DnDer will like both DDO and NWO but there's way more chances of DnDers liking one OR the other.
All in all I think WOTC will do a Dance to have two different companies bringing DnD to people.
Last thing, I think the games will be targeting different play-styles and thus people so I am sure they will keep supporting both.
Here's what I think. It's not about which game will last longer or is newer etc etc. I think from WOTC point of view it's more about having TWO successful mmos.
I think NWO got 4e because they wanted one mmo for the 4e crowd and one wanted ddo to stay with the 3.5e crowd. I think they WANT BOTH games to live and prosper so it brings them more peeps.
I think what will end up happening is not every DnDer will like both DDO and NWO but there's way more chances of DnDers liking one OR the other.
All in all I think WOTC will do a Dance to have two different companies bringing DnD to people.
Last thing, I think the games will be targeting different play-styles and thus people so I am sure they will keep supporting both.
Well both these MMO:s can exist for sure. The thing is however I tried DDO when it became free to play for a few weeks. I don't know how it is nowadays, but back then if you tried to play it without paying you were at huge disadvantage. The exp progress was likely more slow then Everquest(never played that, but I have heard about it) and the loot was almost none existent.
Neverwinter MMO on the other hand will offer a good playable experience for free. The only thing that I have even remotely heard will cost money is something for those who want to create lots of NWN adventures... something like that and please do not ask me what it is because I am not sure. That will only affect creators and not me since if I would ever bother to create an adventure that would be a rare thing.
The only thing that is more difficult to me with Neverwinter MMO is that I am GURU with DD 3.5 rules, but a newbie with DD4th edition. I have read slightly the Players handbook of DD4th edition, but never played that as pen and paper game. The difference is quite big with 4th edition and I am happy that we will more or less be guided the levelup because 4th edition is not very easy to learn compared to 3.5 rules. There are big changes for example IMO the Ranger seems much more powerful in 4th edition then in 3.5 edition. Basically Ranger in DD4th edition seems like a Hunter from WOW.
It is not all paradise with 4th edition what I really do not like is that they have done with the Cleric profession in 4th edition. I liked the Cleric 3.5 system where depending on deity you good choose some special powers/spells. That does not exist in DD 4th edition.
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angelxeyeMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild UsersPosts: 1
edited October 2012
I want a game where lvl 2 does not take 5 sec to achieve and the last few take a year.b:angry that is sooo annoying.
I want all levels to be fun to play and not a race to the top.
I want pets that fain originality, not just stock options and not ones that cant fit story line. .. i e like these stupid cutsey bears b:dirty b:chuckle Really! We are not playing Flyff here~
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ambisinisterrMember, Neverwinter ModeratorPosts: 10,462Community Moderator
edited October 2012
The bears are on their way out in time b:victory
As for not wanting level 2 to take five seconds...I can agree with that sentiment but at the same time the first few levels were the most hated by NWN fans IMO. Low level characters tend to be beyond weak and many developers opted to simply give players level 3 or so for free instead of taking the time out to design content which low levels could play.
In a sense I think Cryptic is more concerned with this than the other D&D Games by revamping the leveling system. Levels 1-20 are now represented by level 1-60n which will give players 3 levels per level actual D&D Level. This should reduce the grind of the higher levels while giving players a much needed hand in leveling lower level characters similar to what we see in DDO but from what I've seen I expect the actual reward curve will be steeper compared to DDO which only gives extremely mild rewards between levels.
DDO's system basically kept D&D's leveling rate and added in 10 achievements between levels in order to give mild attack and defensive rewards. For the most part at level 4 players are just as strong as level 4.9.
NW has described and displayed a system which really makes a level 12 character the equivalent to a level 4 D&D character while a level 11 character is the true equivalent of a level 3.6. This is a huge step forward in my opinion.
I would add to that:
1. Powerprogression that takes very long time though it does not need to take forever.
2. 10 people raids in future no need to stress to create them for release.
3. PvP battlegrounds and not simple arena.. I like battleground maps. Yeah no huge system requirements so I would be pleased with 5vs5 and 10 vs 10 PvP maps for example. For those who do not know what Battleground is it is an instance area could have forest etc... Hopefully PvP will support also Capture The Flag and not only deathmatch.
4. Horror monsters and also other shapeshifters then Werewolves... Doppleganger is like a monster from the Thing movie that can kill and eat its victim and then shapeshift into the Victim.
how about a offline mode for those who wish to play by themselves. i know d&d is all about working with others but sometimes playing a game by yourself is just kinda relaxing and also not everyone feels comfortable playing online 24/7 (diablo 3). so how about this for offline mode you allow us to create a completely different character and play through some content with npcs but limit some things that can only be done online. such as raids and pvp. its just my suggestion and you wouldn't have to add this to the game right away maybe later down the line like next year or so, i just think people should have the option to play the game like the the old neverwinter games offered.
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iamtruthseekerMember, Moonstars, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
how about a offline mode for those who wish to play by themselves. i know d&d is all about working with others but sometimes playing a game by yourself is just kinda relaxing and also not everyone feels comfortable playing online 24/7 (diablo 3). so how about this for offline mode you allow us to create a completely different character and play through some content with npcs but limit some things that can only be done online. such as raids and pvp. its just my suggestion and you wouldn't have to add this to the game right away maybe later down the line like next year or so, i just think people should have the option to play the game like the the old neverwinter games offered.
I've posted it before and I'll post it again, but this time in detail why:
The mechanics in creating a game so it works with the interaction for one-on-one like The Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age is completely different than games that have MMO components. Even if you plan "Just a single payer MMO off-line."
All those "simple" things like movement and interaction and AI combat and player advancement even always online vs off-line have to be tooled on the environment you play. You literally need to program completely differently, unless you make a single-player game with multi-player options, and those games never work well for that "solo experience" or fall exceptionally flat with "multi-player support," if planned as an MMO to begin, or fall short like Diablo's earlier games that had multi-player. (People argue Diablo 3 is multi-player only with single player support but that game and its online-only dynamic is a whole other topic so I'll stop here short of providing this link on a good discussion.) I've seen it throughout the years, and have yet to ever hear of an MMO game with "off-line" support make it off the ground, because of the cost of making "two games."
And the "old Neverwinter Games offered" started on AOL. Let me tell you what happened to that game: people got the old game after discontinued from AOL after 1997 as a "single player" game that feels like the old video game from the "gold boxes", but you can never save it ever because of its architecture was made for an online or "MMO" game and literally could not be reworked from its core outward to be "saved" as an off-line game. I can't say if there's any working link for that old game and looking for it can take you to outdated links or false links or even sign up for premium UseNet services (so if anybody wants to provide a copy of a working link for this software make sure it's tested genuine and the running software isn't actually a Trojan horse.)
In conclusion, it's highly to extremely unlikely you'll ever see a game make for online only use (single or multi player) be ported as an off-line game, and a game made for MMO use even if it can be played without other players just can't work without totally redesigning it most of the time.
But if PWE wants to do it and can do it well, by all means, I fully support a "second game" option.
i just think people should have the option to play the game like the the old neverwinter games offered.
I have played Neverwinternights 1,2 and MMO:s like Age of Conan and WOW. This is a MMO and as the moderator above me pointed out it would be big effort and knowing Cryptic they want to create MMO. When I said PvP with battlegrounds and Capture The Flag etc.. I meant that they are voluntary to enter instances for those want to do PvP.
Through Foundry many single player adventures will be created sooner or later. That said Cryptic has said that they want people to join groups and this is a MMO though very storydriven and not a sandbox game like Elder scrolls.
While you might(maybe) get to max level doing solo content you should not be able to get all the max powerful items doing solo content. A dragon defeated by 5 players likely drop better more powerful loot.
I want Neverwinter MMO and not NWN3. It will have good story though and WOTC is a partner to Cryptic.
I would like to see NPC's from the first two games. Neverwinter has always had a good story and good music. I am nervous about it switching to an MMO. Really hope they get Jeremy Soule to compose the music.
I also like the ability to create user content. Some of the modules were fantastic (e.g. Aribeth's Redemption). Hope to see this continue.
Um, just so you know this is like 100+ years after most games and books from that time, especially Neverwinter Nights.
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zebularMember, Neverwinter Moderator, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 15,270Community Moderator
Um, just so you know this is like 100+ years after most games and books from that time, especially Neverwinter Nights.
Let's see if I can be more specific, since I am some-what of a Time-keeper of Mystryl - or was until the sad departure of Mystra...
circa 1372 DR (to 1374 DR) - the Wailing Death occurred in 1372 and is a part of NWN Gameplay.
1385 DR (Year of Blue Fire) - Spellplague! Well documented.
1409 DR - Gauntlygrym Novel begins in late spring and ends around Summer in 1462 DR
1463 DR - Neverwinter Novel begins sometime around Summer or Autumn
The Grand History of the Realms leaves off at 1374 DR.
The last dated mention in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting says, "A magical malady called the wailing death struck its citizens in 1372 DR, the city not recovering for a decade. Then the Spellplague struck" and is noted with the following excerpt:
THE HISTORY IN DETAIL
The history of the North is longer and more detailed than can be presented here. However, this section presents some of the details most important to a Neverwinter campaign. For a more comprehensive timeline of events in the North, see The Grand History of the Realms. To explore the more recent events occurring in the North, check out the FORGOTTEN REALMS novels-particularly Brimstone Angels by Erin Evans and the books by R. A. Salvatore.
Unfortunately, this is where we enter speculation as the timeline from here on out has not yet been published, as we are awaiting further Novels by R.A. Salvatore to complete the Neverwinter Saga.
Neverwinter Online will take place in or after the 4th Neverwinter Saga book, as the game is based off of these Novels and is directed stated as such in numerous mentions in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. This 4th book is not due to release until 2013 and may coincide with the release of the game itself.
However, we can speculate that Neverwinter will take place around, or at the very least - sometime after 1479 DR for the 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide starts off detailing the "current" Timeline with this sentence: "The continent of Faerun in 1479 DR is not the cosmopolitan grid of trade routes it was of old."
I hope I have been of aid in this confusing and sad time.
So, on that note... something I really would love to see is well documented in game resources that let the player know exactly what Year we are in.
However, we can speculate that Neverwinter will take place around, or at the very least - sometime after 1479 DR for the 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide starts off detailing the "current" Timeline with this sentence: "The continent of Faerun in 1479 DR is not the cosmopolitan grid of trade routes it was of old.".
To me, the changes to Faerun brought about by the spellplague - which seemed custom tailored to bring the setting in line with the 4e design teams "points of light" world building philosophy - did a lot to kill what I considered the primary appeal OF the setting.
If I wanted to play a game of deseperate survival where I'm in one of the small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive against the onslaught of the mysterious unknown and the barbarians at the games, well, there's better worlds for that. Athas immediately springs to mind, as does Dragonlance's old world of Krynn, where every single nation seemed to be a racially minded group of isolationist xenophobes.
Faerun?
You played in Faerun because you wanted to be in a heavily civilized area where multiple power groups had formed and there was commercial, political, and religious intrigue around every corner. More and more fragmented pantheons than any other setting, severaly highly developed nations in direct competition, sprawling networks like the Harpers and the Zhents, obscenely powerful guilds like the Shadow Thieves, all of this blended into a world where everyone was trying to manipulate everyone else into advancing their agenda.
The world of the Forgotten Realms was awesome precisely because there WAS very little unexplored wilderness on the horizon. The adventure there wasn't in discovery and exploration - which is a fine theme, elsewhere - but in navigating a world that's largely been discovered and everyone wants to exploit differently.
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with senses, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use "
-- Galileo Galilei
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zebularMember, Neverwinter Moderator, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 15,270Community Moderator
To me, the changes to Faerun brought about by the spellplague - which seemed custom tailored to bring the setting in line with the 4e design teams "points of light" world building philosophy - did a lot to kill what I considered the primary appeal OF the setting.
If I wanted to play a game of deseperate survival where I'm in one of the small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive against the onslaught of the mysterious unknown and the barbarians at the games, well, there's better worlds for that. Athas immediately springs to mind, as does Dragonlance's old world of Krynn, where every single nation seemed to be a racially minded group of isolationist xenophobes.
Faerun?
You played in Faerun because you wanted to be in a heavily civilized area where multiple power groups had formed and there was commercial, political, and religious intrigue around every corner. More and more fragmented pantheons than any other setting, severaly highly developed nations in direct competition, sprawling networks like the Harpers and the Zhents, obscenely powerful guilds like the Shadow Thieves, all of this blended into a world where everyone was trying to manipulate everyone else into advancing their agenda.
The world of the Forgotten Realms was awesome precisely because there WAS very little unexplored wilderness on the horizon. The adventure there wasn't in discovery and exploration - which is a fine theme, elsewhere - but in navigating a world that's largely been discovered and everyone wants to exploit differently.
It's really not that much less crowded than it was. Just many places are either in ruins or have been rebuilt over the 100+ years. Trade routes have changed, roads have changed but many have remained or been rebuilt. Netheril returned and replaced the Aunoroch Desert where it once stood after the Phaerimm caused it to become a Desert, and so on. With the return of Netheril, the world's population and trade routes woulnd't have fallen by that much. Plus, there is still the whole of the Underdark and Realmspace. Abeir-Toril is roughly the same size as Planet Earth.
Below is a current map of the North-Western part of the Continent which Faerun is in. Keep in mind, there is the whole Kara Tur and Zakhara (Al-Quadim) to the East and South and the Jungles of Chult to the direct South of Faerun, which no longer has a land-bridge (Chult is depicted in 1479 map, Zakhara & Kara-Tur is not). All of these make up both the the massive Continent much of Forgotten Realms is known for. Beyond that, a set of Northern and Southern Continents on the other side of the World known as Maztica as well as the Continent of Osse and several other smaller Island-Continents.
However, to say there was very little left unexplored is a vast understatement. There have always been places in Faerun that, because of their dangers, were widely left unexplored and perilous.
If I wanted to play a game of deseperate survival where I'm in one of the small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive against the onslaught of the mysterious unknown and the barbarians at the games, well, there's better worlds for that.
...
Spellplague has not been that devastating for NW. It has enhanced NW a lot due to increase in quantity of native monsters and races. With merging of Abeir, NW campaigns have become more diverse.
It is not a desperate survival, but more like a bit of hardship in NW case. It has become never a boring place with so many plots. Spellplague has done nothing more than making NW a truly first cosmopolitan city of D&D.
EDIT:
p.s. Forgot to add - ROBOT FREE TOO!
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zebularMember, Neverwinter Moderator, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 15,270Community Moderator
Spellplague has not been that devastating for NW. It has enhanced NW a lot due to increase in quantity of native monsters and races. With merging of Abeir, NW campaigns have become more diverse.
It is not a desperate survival, but more like a bit of hardship in NW case. It has become never a boring place with so many plots. Spellplague has done nothing more than making NW a truly first cosmopolitan city of D&D.
EDIT:
p.s. Forgot to add - ROBOT FREE TOO!
Partially correct, it was quite devastating to Neverwinter but recovered over time. This was mostly from the eruption of Mt. Hotenow though, which nearly wiped it off the map, and not directly from the Spellplague. Since, it was looted and razed by pirates and monsters. What we see now is an almost complete rebuilding and re-population of the City thanks to the Unmasked Lord of Waterdeep.
Drizzt said it well, here are a few paraphrases, "the volcano roared forth and painted a line of devastation from the mountain all the way to the sea, burying Neverwinter in its devastating run" - "The loss of Never winter in essence severed the North from the more civilized regions along the Sword Coast," - "Some are trying to rebuild, desperate to restore the busy port" - Partial Quotes of Drizzt Do'Urden, from Gauntlgrym by R. A. Salvatore
Indeed, the Crystal Sphere somehow continues to keep out the Warbots, as they are called, yes? No, no, Botforged? Oh, yes, Warforged. Strange sentient automatons from a distant world. Indeed.
The more you talk, the better my day gets Zeb. I've actually missed out on some of this lore. I need to get more books! The Unmasked Lord? Why does that sound familiar. And I thought the Netherese settled over Sembia with both citys? Or was it just Shade Enclave?
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ambisinisterrMember, Neverwinter ModeratorPosts: 10,462Community Moderator
edited October 2012
Zeb is the real life incarnation of Elminster.
I swear he knows more about the lore than some of the Wizards of the Coast Employees...
Once I get going on The Foundry I think he'll start getting annoyed at me using him as my own Personal Forgotten Realms Wiki.
To me, the changes to Faerun brought about by the spellplague - which seemed custom tailored to bring the setting in line with the 4e design teams "points of light" world building philosophy - did a lot to kill what I considered the primary appeal OF the setting.
If I wanted to play a game of deseperate survival where I'm in one of the small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive against the onslaught of the mysterious unknown and the barbarians at the games, well, there's better worlds for that. Athas immediately springs to mind, as does Dragonlance's old world of Krynn, where every single nation seemed to be a racially minded group of isolationist xenophobes.
Faerun?
You played in Faerun because you wanted to be in a heavily civilized area where multiple power groups had formed and there was commercial, political, and religious intrigue around every corner. More and more fragmented pantheons than any other setting, severaly highly developed nations in direct competition, sprawling networks like the Harpers and the Zhents, obscenely powerful guilds like the Shadow Thieves, all of this blended into a world where everyone was trying to manipulate everyone else into advancing their agenda.
The world of the Forgotten Realms was awesome precisely because there WAS very little unexplored wilderness on the horizon. The adventure there wasn't in discovery and exploration - which is a fine theme, elsewhere - but in navigating a world that's largely been discovered and everyone wants to exploit differently.
Not to pile on or anything, but I just see a fellow player/DM who's maybe lost the FR faith a little bit, and I'll always try to dive in and save somebody that might be slipping away from Faerun, even a little. So I'll just try to reinforce what others have said here, with my own perspective on how the Forgotten Realms are in 4E.
As of the (semi) current 4E timeline (1479 DR), the Forgotten Realms as a whole are definitely NOT "small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive". They're pretty far from it. I know they painted the Spellplague like it was the end of the world, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, uber-crazy apocalypse, and it kinda was in some places; but it wasn't that bad. At least not everywhere. Are there places like that in the Realms? Certainly. A few nations here and there that kinda went <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> over tea kettle, and stayed that way. Other than that? eeee--not really. I dunno; not much has changed. NPC's, I guess. That's the big thing. A century has passed, people die. Well, most people die.
On the whole, in 1479 DR; to my mind the Realms are pretty dang close to where they were before the Spellplague (less all the weird after effects of the Spellplague itself). After all, it's been roughly a century since the Spellplague hit. That's a looooong time for people and nations to rebuild. And they have. Mostly. But actually, I kinda feel like alot of them didn't even need to. Certainly everybody took a hit, catastrophic events, loss of life, magic going berserk; but I kinda get the feeling that alot of places kinda got through it relatively unscathed. Most of central Faerun (Cormyr, the Dalelands, the Moonsea area, etc) comes to mind.
Many of the same organizations are still around too: the Harpers (though finally they're actually a secret organization, since most think they're no more), the Cult of the Dragon, the Zhentarim (they kinda got their asses kicked, but they're comin' back!), the drow, etc.
The new players in town are also fun as hell (imo). The Shadovar in particular are really cool, as pretty much the entire continent of Faerun is about to have kittens they're so freaked out by what the Empire of Netheril is going to do next.
All the political intrigue, nations either directly or indirectly at war, organizations making plays for power where they can, that's all still very very much alive and well.
My only gripe was trimming down the gods the way they did. I likes me a huge pantheon(s). More the merrier! Plus they killed off a few of my favorites. But that's remedied easily enough (with a few edits and House Rules).
Let's see if I can be more specific, since I am some-what of a Time-keeper of Mystryl - or was until the sad departure of Mystra...
circa 1372 DR (to 1374 DR) - the Wailing Death occurred in 1372 and is a part of NWN Gameplay.
1385 DR (Year of Blue Fire) - Spellplague! Well documented.
1409 DR - Gauntlygrym Novel begins in late spring and ends around Summer in 1462 DR
1463 DR - Neverwinter Novel begins sometime around Summer or Autumn
The Grand History of the Realms leaves off at 1374 DR.
The last dated mention in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting says, "A magical malady called the wailing death struck its citizens in 1372 DR, the city not recovering for a decade. Then the Spellplague struck" and is noted with the following excerpt:
Unfortunately, this is where we enter speculation as the timeline from here on out has not yet been published, as we are awaiting further Novels by R.A. Salvatore to complete the Neverwinter Saga.
Neverwinter Online will take place in or after the 4th Neverwinter Saga book, as the game is based off of these Novels and is directed stated as such in numerous mentions in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. This 4th book is not due to release until 2013 and may coincide with the release of the game itself.
However, we can speculate that Neverwinter will take place around, or at the very least - sometime after 1479 DR for the 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide starts off detailing the "current" Timeline with this sentence: "The continent of Faerun in 1479 DR is not the cosmopolitan grid of trade routes it was of old."
I hope I have been of aid in this confusing and sad time.
So, on that note... something I really would love to see is well documented in game resources that let the player know exactly what Year we are in.
Zeb...dude....you are like a walking wiki of Realms lore/timelines. I have been following the campaign since Greenwood was doing articles on them in Dragon...I couldn't give you much more than a sketchy overview of it all.
Also I do agree with you about the 3rd book and the release of the game, Salvatore more or less slipped out that was the plan at Gencon or so I heard.
...My only gripe was trimming down the gods the way they did. I likes me a huge pantheon(s). More the merrier! Plus they killed off a few of my favorites. But that's remedied easily enough (with a few edits and House Rules).
Me too! Bring back Eilistraee and Mask! Do they realize how many drow they screwed into going with Lolth? I mean, it's terrible! I'd rather not play a drow cleric now, stupid spider queen ruining all my fun. And Mask! HOW can you be a good sneak cleric without Mask? It's not possible, ESPECIALLY since Vhaeraun's gone too!
I would like to see as much character customization as possible, in terms of powers (is that the correct term that the game is using?) and skills.
I imagine multiclassing would create alot of balancing issues - although it doesn't seem to create any more when comparing some of the better classic NWN private servers to WOW.
That supposition seems to open the door to a large debate, so I will add that limiting character build customization forces the dev team to handle balancing, as opposed to putting some of the balancing in the hands of the players, which can be achieved by allowing for more build options, provided there are no run-away abilities like dev crit.
I can't think of anything else I'd like to see that isn't already in the game or at least being discussed. 5 man cap and 1 hour runs are the shazam.
open world pvp where I'm trying to kill a fierce bunny and get ganked by 5 rogues b:cute
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deronokMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 2Arc User
edited October 2012
Well, there's a few things I'd like to see...
1) The ability to allow chat commands within Foundry, like a player saying something specific causing a trigger to happen.
2) Linking events between foundry modules. So that it's possible to make it so events and choices in other modules can be referenced in a later module within a 'series', or even offer other outcomes.
3) I'd love to see guild vs guild pvp. Maybe if they add guild halls, guilds could declare war on each other and attempt to invade each other's guild halls?
4) The ability to sit in a chair. This sounds simple, and works well for role play situations.
Me too! Bring back Eilistraee and Mask! Do they realize how many drow they screwed into going with Lolth? I mean, it's terrible! I'd rather not play a drow cleric now, stupid spider queen ruining all my fun. And Mask! HOW can you be a good sneak cleric without Mask? It's not possible, ESPECIALLY since Vhaeraun's gone too!
I'm almost willing to actually bet that Mask gets a reincarnation of some sort in the future.
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elewyndylMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
open world pvp where I'm trying to kill a fierce bunny and get ganked by 5 rogues b:cute
While WOW supported both PvE and PvP Servers I doubt Neverwinter will do that since it would be an effort and lots of work and it is a free game.
There is likely one Open World(on many servers though) and the same rules applies to all. As only option full open World PvP would never be accepted by the community. Look we all have our wishes there was one poster who wished permanent death rules to characters i.e no load/save options and I explained that while some kind of death penalty is certainly ok a permanent death would never be accepted. This is not NWN1 or NWN2 with lots of persistent player servers instead it it Cryptic(developers) servers.
I am 100% sure that this game will not have permanent death penalty and with all logic players will not be forced to one full PvP Open World. There is a very small chance that Cryptic would support separaterly PvP Open World servers, but I find it unlikely with the budget/effort.
I certainly want PvP of course, but in voluntary to enter Battlegrounds.
I would add to that:
1. Powerprogression that takes very long time though it does not need to take forever.
2. 10 people raids in future no need to stress to create them for release.
3. PvP battlegrounds and not simple arena.. I like battleground maps. Yeah no huge system requirements so I would be pleased with 5vs5 and 10 vs 10 PvP maps for example. For those who do not know what Battleground is it is an instance area could have forest etc... Hopefully PvP will support also Capture The Flag and not only deathmatch.
4. Horror monsters and also other shapeshifters then Werewolves... Doppleganger is like a monster from the Thing movie that can kill and eat its victim and then shapeshift into the Victim.
NOTE! PvP is pretty unknown and I must admit that a large Battleground like Alterac Valley 40 players vs 40 players was pretty fun in WOW! That woud be a dream come true, but I suspect PvP will be more small scale example 5vs5 and 10vs10.
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ambisinisterrMember, Neverwinter ModeratorPosts: 10,462Community Moderator
edited October 2012
While PvP is in the dark we do know we won't be seeing any PvP Servers.
Cryptic uses single server technology as confirmed by stormshade.
There won't be any dedicated PvP or Roleplaying servers. While I can't rule out the possibility of them allowing PvP everywhere and anywhere I'd say that's a highly unlikely situation. PvP is, in all honesty, far from mainstream and almost non-existent in the D&D Community so forcing it upon everybody doesn't sound like a good plan to me.
PvP will almost assuredly be limited to select persistent locations or battlegrounds rather than server wide. However I believe if we try to make theories past that we'd reach the same issue physicians have with black holes:
"You can say Pink Elephants live in the center of black holes and you'd have a valid theory according to the modern laws of physics."
Comments
Also, it seems NW was developed more closely with WotC considering the PnP edition of NW and the way it was slated to release together. So NW will have enough lore in official content. And as far as custom content goes, I can promise at least one good to awesome campaign dedicated to Selune from my side
Oh no, this isnt true at all Gill. In fact, WotC mentioned several times about DDO's tried and true combat system, at one point I recall them stating DDO as having "one of the best combat systems in MMOs". The game mechanics have slowly been changing, and a major rehaul of the enhancement systems in addition to a newly signed license means DDO will be around for many years to come.
Lastly, and I hate to bring this up, but at the highest resolution, DDO looks better than Neverwinter that I see in the official promo videos. Cryptic NEEDS to cut promos at the HIGHEST RESOLUTION possible, to show us and others what the optimum resolutions look like..
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Sure they had praises for DDO years ago but WotC has taken a much more active role in NW's dev compared to DDO's development. From everything I have seen about WotC's and Cryptic/PWE's relationship WotC has had a *huge* impact on NW and clearly view it not only as a licensed product but ultimately as a game they helped to create.
That's not to say DDO will be abandoned by WotC, though! I think ultimately all three parties realize that the game similarities end with D&D and MMO. Other than that they are two completely separate beasts and will each cater to it's own different player base.
While some of the DDO players may decide to switch over to NW many will likely prefer the more traditional take on D&D provided by DDO.
I would certainly assume that, at least for the moment, NW will be refused the ability to create Underdark Content Officially in order to prevent a true conflict of interest between the two companies but with time I am sure any licensing limitations will be relaxed and/or removed.
But of course that is merely my personal agreement with an assumption. The actual terms of DDO's and Cryptic's licensing are and will always remain private a private matter between the three companies.
It is important to remember that while these two MMO's will be competitors it will only be in the most literal of senses. WotC will want both companies to succeed so in a sense they truly are part of a team. I really don't think it's appropriate to label the game's as cut and dry competitors seeking to undermine the other.
But I would say WotC's stance is like, DDO is a stable profit asset but there is no growth. NW with its foundry is future. The recent additions must have been in direction to retain D&D crowd rather than attract new. Turbine is already under pressure to add more content because that is one area where it is criticized a lot (and was criticized for even when I used to play). That causes them to rush in builds causing bugs. I remember such one patch - it caused a lag whenever I was breaking barrels. Another patch froze our whole party at that shavrath quest in which you go taking U turn up the hill and then down in the ramp like place. Such bugs are really annoying and kill all the fun. And only non-fun parts are retained by the memory. If these expansions were aimed at new players, they would have fixed all bugs before releasing them, But buggy release means they are more interested in retaining players.
Also, WotC has closely worked with cryptic team (by design or providence) while such an opportunity was not available to turbine.
Great commentary. I agree with almost all of it, except this one. WotC and Turbine worked hand in 2 hand late 2011/2012 to produce their latest update and has had nothing but high praise for each other. This is a very close relationship with daily contact, in person meetings, discussing all facets of design.
It doesn't seem to make sense that DDO would be able to reinvent itself again, after 8 years. For good and for bad, they're in the process of doing just that, and WotC is smack dab in the thick of it
Now I'm with you that Neverwinter is perceived as the future" but WotC's no fool. Turbine has a large, mostly loyal audience and an engine that's tested. DDO is a cash cow, today.. with all expectations they can survive till at least 2016 without much gamble. It's a good team, important to each other for very similar reasons.
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I think NWO got 4e because they wanted one mmo for the 4e crowd and one wanted ddo to stay with the 3.5e crowd. I think they WANT BOTH games to live and prosper so it brings them more peeps.
I think what will end up happening is not every DnDer will like both DDO and NWO but there's way more chances of DnDers liking one OR the other.
All in all I think WOTC will do a Dance to have two different companies bringing DnD to people.
Last thing, I think the games will be targeting different play-styles and thus people so I am sure they will keep supporting both.
Neverwinter Thieves Guild
Well both these MMO:s can exist for sure. The thing is however I tried DDO when it became free to play for a few weeks. I don't know how it is nowadays, but back then if you tried to play it without paying you were at huge disadvantage. The exp progress was likely more slow then Everquest(never played that, but I have heard about it) and the loot was almost none existent.
Neverwinter MMO on the other hand will offer a good playable experience for free. The only thing that I have even remotely heard will cost money is something for those who want to create lots of NWN adventures... something like that and please do not ask me what it is because I am not sure. That will only affect creators and not me since if I would ever bother to create an adventure that would be a rare thing.
The only thing that is more difficult to me with Neverwinter MMO is that I am GURU with DD 3.5 rules, but a newbie with DD4th edition. I have read slightly the Players handbook of DD4th edition, but never played that as pen and paper game. The difference is quite big with 4th edition and I am happy that we will more or less be guided the levelup because 4th edition is not very easy to learn compared to 3.5 rules. There are big changes for example IMO the Ranger seems much more powerful in 4th edition then in 3.5 edition. Basically Ranger in DD4th edition seems like a Hunter from WOW.
It is not all paradise with 4th edition what I really do not like is that they have done with the Cleric profession in 4th edition. I liked the Cleric 3.5 system where depending on deity you good choose some special powers/spells. That does not exist in DD 4th edition.
I want all levels to be fun to play and not a race to the top.
I want pets that fain originality, not just stock options and not ones that cant fit story line. .. i e like these stupid cutsey bears b:dirty b:chuckle Really! We are not playing Flyff here~
As for not wanting level 2 to take five seconds...I can agree with that sentiment but at the same time the first few levels were the most hated by NWN fans IMO. Low level characters tend to be beyond weak and many developers opted to simply give players level 3 or so for free instead of taking the time out to design content which low levels could play.
In a sense I think Cryptic is more concerned with this than the other D&D Games by revamping the leveling system. Levels 1-20 are now represented by level 1-60n which will give players 3 levels per level actual D&D Level. This should reduce the grind of the higher levels while giving players a much needed hand in leveling lower level characters similar to what we see in DDO but from what I've seen I expect the actual reward curve will be steeper compared to DDO which only gives extremely mild rewards between levels.
DDO's system basically kept D&D's leveling rate and added in 10 achievements between levels in order to give mild attack and defensive rewards. For the most part at level 4 players are just as strong as level 4.9.
NW has described and displayed a system which really makes a level 12 character the equivalent to a level 4 D&D character while a level 11 character is the true equivalent of a level 3.6. This is a huge step forward in my opinion.
On to topic so developers see my wish list:
I've posted it before and I'll post it again, but this time in detail why:
The mechanics in creating a game so it works with the interaction for one-on-one like The Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age is completely different than games that have MMO components. Even if you plan "Just a single payer MMO off-line."
All those "simple" things like movement and interaction and AI combat and player advancement even always online vs off-line have to be tooled on the environment you play. You literally need to program completely differently, unless you make a single-player game with multi-player options, and those games never work well for that "solo experience" or fall exceptionally flat with "multi-player support," if planned as an MMO to begin, or fall short like Diablo's earlier games that had multi-player. (People argue Diablo 3 is multi-player only with single player support but that game and its online-only dynamic is a whole other topic so I'll stop here short of providing this link on a good discussion.) I've seen it throughout the years, and have yet to ever hear of an MMO game with "off-line" support make it off the ground, because of the cost of making "two games."
And the "old Neverwinter Games offered" started on AOL. Let me tell you what happened to that game: people got the old game after discontinued from AOL after 1997 as a "single player" game that feels like the old video game from the "gold boxes", but you can never save it ever because of its architecture was made for an online or "MMO" game and literally could not be reworked from its core outward to be "saved" as an off-line game. I can't say if there's any working link for that old game and looking for it can take you to outdated links or false links or even sign up for premium UseNet services (so if anybody wants to provide a copy of a working link for this software make sure it's tested genuine and the running software isn't actually a Trojan horse.)
In conclusion, it's highly to extremely unlikely you'll ever see a game make for online only use (single or multi player) be ported as an off-line game, and a game made for MMO use even if it can be played without other players just can't work without totally redesigning it most of the time.
But if PWE wants to do it and can do it well, by all means, I fully support a "second game" option.
Through Foundry many single player adventures will be created sooner or later. That said Cryptic has said that they want people to join groups and this is a MMO though very storydriven and not a sandbox game like Elder scrolls.
While you might(maybe) get to max level doing solo content you should not be able to get all the max powerful items doing solo content. A dragon defeated by 5 players likely drop better more powerful loot.
I want Neverwinter MMO and not NWN3. It will have good story though and WOTC is a partner to Cryptic.
Um, just so you know this is like 100+ years after most games and books from that time, especially Neverwinter Nights.
Let's see if I can be more specific, since I am some-what of a Time-keeper of Mystryl - or was until the sad departure of Mystra...
circa 1372 DR (to 1374 DR) - the Wailing Death occurred in 1372 and is a part of NWN Gameplay.
1385 DR (Year of Blue Fire) - Spellplague! Well documented.
1409 DR - Gauntlygrym Novel begins in late spring and ends around Summer in 1462 DR
1463 DR - Neverwinter Novel begins sometime around Summer or Autumn
The Grand History of the Realms leaves off at 1374 DR.
The last dated mention in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting says, "A magical malady called the wailing death struck its citizens in 1372 DR, the city not recovering for a decade. Then the Spellplague struck" and is noted with the following excerpt:
Unfortunately, this is where we enter speculation as the timeline from here on out has not yet been published, as we are awaiting further Novels by R.A. Salvatore to complete the Neverwinter Saga.
Neverwinter Online will take place in or after the 4th Neverwinter Saga book, as the game is based off of these Novels and is directed stated as such in numerous mentions in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. This 4th book is not due to release until 2013 and may coincide with the release of the game itself.
However, we can speculate that Neverwinter will take place around, or at the very least - sometime after 1479 DR for the 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide starts off detailing the "current" Timeline with this sentence: "The continent of Faerun in 1479 DR is not the cosmopolitan grid of trade routes it was of old."
I hope I have been of aid in this confusing and sad time.
So, on that note... something I really would love to see is well documented in game resources that let the player know exactly what Year we are in.
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To me, the changes to Faerun brought about by the spellplague - which seemed custom tailored to bring the setting in line with the 4e design teams "points of light" world building philosophy - did a lot to kill what I considered the primary appeal OF the setting.
If I wanted to play a game of deseperate survival where I'm in one of the small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive against the onslaught of the mysterious unknown and the barbarians at the games, well, there's better worlds for that. Athas immediately springs to mind, as does Dragonlance's old world of Krynn, where every single nation seemed to be a racially minded group of isolationist xenophobes.
Faerun?
You played in Faerun because you wanted to be in a heavily civilized area where multiple power groups had formed and there was commercial, political, and religious intrigue around every corner. More and more fragmented pantheons than any other setting, severaly highly developed nations in direct competition, sprawling networks like the Harpers and the Zhents, obscenely powerful guilds like the Shadow Thieves, all of this blended into a world where everyone was trying to manipulate everyone else into advancing their agenda.
The world of the Forgotten Realms was awesome precisely because there WAS very little unexplored wilderness on the horizon. The adventure there wasn't in discovery and exploration - which is a fine theme, elsewhere - but in navigating a world that's largely been discovered and everyone wants to exploit differently.
-- Galileo Galilei
It's really not that much less crowded than it was. Just many places are either in ruins or have been rebuilt over the 100+ years. Trade routes have changed, roads have changed but many have remained or been rebuilt. Netheril returned and replaced the Aunoroch Desert where it once stood after the Phaerimm caused it to become a Desert, and so on. With the return of Netheril, the world's population and trade routes woulnd't have fallen by that much. Plus, there is still the whole of the Underdark and Realmspace. Abeir-Toril is roughly the same size as Planet Earth.
Below is a current map of the North-Western part of the Continent which Faerun is in. Keep in mind, there is the whole Kara Tur and Zakhara (Al-Quadim) to the East and South and the Jungles of Chult to the direct South of Faerun, which no longer has a land-bridge (Chult is depicted in 1479 map, Zakhara & Kara-Tur is not). All of these make up both the the massive Continent much of Forgotten Realms is known for. Beyond that, a set of Northern and Southern Continents on the other side of the World known as Maztica as well as the Continent of Osse and several other smaller Island-Continents.
However, to say there was very little left unexplored is a vast understatement. There have always been places in Faerun that, because of their dangers, were widely left unexplored and perilous.
Map of Faerun, circa 1479 DR
World Map (Scholar's View, Old)
World Map (Old)
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It is not a desperate survival, but more like a bit of hardship in NW case. It has become never a boring place with so many plots. Spellplague has done nothing more than making NW a truly first cosmopolitan city of D&D.
EDIT:
p.s. Forgot to add - ROBOT FREE TOO!
Partially correct, it was quite devastating to Neverwinter but recovered over time. This was mostly from the eruption of Mt. Hotenow though, which nearly wiped it off the map, and not directly from the Spellplague. Since, it was looted and razed by pirates and monsters. What we see now is an almost complete rebuilding and re-population of the City thanks to the Unmasked Lord of Waterdeep.
Drizzt said it well, here are a few paraphrases, "the volcano roared forth and painted a line of devastation from the mountain all the way to the sea, burying Neverwinter in its devastating run" - "The loss of Never winter in essence severed the North from the more civilized regions along the Sword Coast," - "Some are trying to rebuild, desperate to restore the busy port" - Partial Quotes of Drizzt Do'Urden, from Gauntlgrym by R. A. Salvatore
Indeed, the Crystal Sphere somehow continues to keep out the Warbots, as they are called, yes? No, no, Botforged? Oh, yes, Warforged. Strange sentient automatons from a distant world. Indeed.
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I swear he knows more about the lore than some of the Wizards of the Coast Employees...
Once I get going on The Foundry I think he'll start getting annoyed at me using him as my own Personal Forgotten Realms Wiki.
Not to pile on or anything, but I just see a fellow player/DM who's maybe lost the FR faith a little bit, and I'll always try to dive in and save somebody that might be slipping away from Faerun, even a little. So I'll just try to reinforce what others have said here, with my own perspective on how the Forgotten Realms are in 4E.
As of the (semi) current 4E timeline (1479 DR), the Forgotten Realms as a whole are definitely NOT "small struggling outposts of civilization trying to survive". They're pretty far from it. I know they painted the Spellplague like it was the end of the world, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, uber-crazy apocalypse, and it kinda was in some places; but it wasn't that bad. At least not everywhere. Are there places like that in the Realms? Certainly. A few nations here and there that kinda went <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> over tea kettle, and stayed that way. Other than that? eeee--not really. I dunno; not much has changed. NPC's, I guess. That's the big thing. A century has passed, people die. Well, most people die.
On the whole, in 1479 DR; to my mind the Realms are pretty dang close to where they were before the Spellplague (less all the weird after effects of the Spellplague itself). After all, it's been roughly a century since the Spellplague hit. That's a looooong time for people and nations to rebuild. And they have. Mostly. But actually, I kinda feel like alot of them didn't even need to. Certainly everybody took a hit, catastrophic events, loss of life, magic going berserk; but I kinda get the feeling that alot of places kinda got through it relatively unscathed. Most of central Faerun (Cormyr, the Dalelands, the Moonsea area, etc) comes to mind.
Many of the same organizations are still around too: the Harpers (though finally they're actually a secret organization, since most think they're no more), the Cult of the Dragon, the Zhentarim (they kinda got their asses kicked, but they're comin' back!), the drow, etc.
The new players in town are also fun as hell (imo). The Shadovar in particular are really cool, as pretty much the entire continent of Faerun is about to have kittens they're so freaked out by what the Empire of Netheril is going to do next.
All the political intrigue, nations either directly or indirectly at war, organizations making plays for power where they can, that's all still very very much alive and well.
My only gripe was trimming down the gods the way they did. I likes me a huge pantheon(s). More the merrier! Plus they killed off a few of my favorites. But that's remedied easily enough (with a few edits and House Rules).
Zeb...dude....you are like a walking wiki of Realms lore/timelines. I have been following the campaign since Greenwood was doing articles on them in Dragon...I couldn't give you much more than a sketchy overview of it all.
Also I do agree with you about the 3rd book and the release of the game, Salvatore more or less slipped out that was the plan at Gencon or so I heard.
Me too! Bring back Eilistraee and Mask! Do they realize how many drow they screwed into going with Lolth? I mean, it's terrible! I'd rather not play a drow cleric now, stupid spider queen ruining all my fun. And Mask! HOW can you be a good sneak cleric without Mask? It's not possible, ESPECIALLY since Vhaeraun's gone too!
I imagine multiclassing would create alot of balancing issues - although it doesn't seem to create any more when comparing some of the better classic NWN private servers to WOW.
That supposition seems to open the door to a large debate, so I will add that limiting character build customization forces the dev team to handle balancing, as opposed to putting some of the balancing in the hands of the players, which can be achieved by allowing for more build options, provided there are no run-away abilities like dev crit.
I can't think of anything else I'd like to see that isn't already in the game or at least being discussed. 5 man cap and 1 hour runs are the shazam.
Oh, paladins. I would like to see paladins.
1) The ability to allow chat commands within Foundry, like a player saying something specific causing a trigger to happen.
2) Linking events between foundry modules. So that it's possible to make it so events and choices in other modules can be referenced in a later module within a 'series', or even offer other outcomes.
3) I'd love to see guild vs guild pvp. Maybe if they add guild halls, guilds could declare war on each other and attempt to invade each other's guild halls?
4) The ability to sit in a chair. This sounds simple, and works well for role play situations.
I'm almost willing to actually bet that Mask gets a reincarnation of some sort in the future.
While WOW supported both PvE and PvP Servers I doubt Neverwinter will do that since it would be an effort and lots of work and it is a free game.
There is likely one Open World(on many servers though) and the same rules applies to all. As only option full open World PvP would never be accepted by the community. Look we all have our wishes there was one poster who wished permanent death rules to characters i.e no load/save options and I explained that while some kind of death penalty is certainly ok a permanent death would never be accepted. This is not NWN1 or NWN2 with lots of persistent player servers instead it it Cryptic(developers) servers.
I am 100% sure that this game will not have permanent death penalty and with all logic players will not be forced to one full PvP Open World. There is a very small chance that Cryptic would support separaterly PvP Open World servers, but I find it unlikely with the budget/effort.
I certainly want PvP of course, but in voluntary to enter Battlegrounds.
NOTE! PvP is pretty unknown and I must admit that a large Battleground like Alterac Valley 40 players vs 40 players was pretty fun in WOW! That woud be a dream come true, but I suspect PvP will be more small scale example 5vs5 and 10vs10.
Cryptic uses single server technology as confirmed by stormshade.
There won't be any dedicated PvP or Roleplaying servers. While I can't rule out the possibility of them allowing PvP everywhere and anywhere I'd say that's a highly unlikely situation. PvP is, in all honesty, far from mainstream and almost non-existent in the D&D Community so forcing it upon everybody doesn't sound like a good plan to me.
PvP will almost assuredly be limited to select persistent locations or battlegrounds rather than server wide. However I believe if we try to make theories past that we'd reach the same issue physicians have with black holes:
"You can say Pink Elephants live in the center of black holes and you'd have a valid theory according to the modern laws of physics."