The first word that comes to mind when I delve back into DDO is charming. The dungeon master style narration that accompanies key moments in adventures is a nod to the pen and paper game that's simultaneously silly and endearing. It's an unusual design choice that I can't imagine would have been made if the game was a new release in 2019, and it's actually very good at evoking that authentic D&D feeling. It's also an effective way to add detail to scenes which might otherwise require cutscenes or other expensive cinematic flourishes.
Does Neverwinter still open with a shipwreck? I haven't been back to the game since the tutorial sequence was revamped so I can't say for sure. That both D&D MMOs opened with shipwrecks, caused by dragons, always made me smile. The games are, otherwise, drastically different.
Not that shipwrecks are unique to D&D, since Age of Conan, Path of Exile and New World (and I'm likely forgetting a few others) all ensure that while you're getting your metaphorical feet wet in the game your character is doing the same in the world, albeit more literally.
The game offers the option of skipping Korthos Island altogether, but I don't. The actual tutorial section goes by quite quickly and is followed by a longer sequence of adventures that gradually introduce other concepts – not just the standard key hunts, but features that are familiar from pen and paper or singleplayer rpgs but less common in MMOs – like traps and puzzles.
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