Yeah I'm using Empower and Maximize and have bought some enhancements to reduce the costs, although I have them "turned off" on my general spellcasting for now, and always on for the SLAs (which I can kill most mobs with quickly: I typically only actually cast spells for bosses and hordes). When I have them both on, and I hit something with Scorching Ray, it's typically WAY overkill (like... most mobs die to the
first of the four rays...). So I'm just wasting power...
I'm having a blast running with acid first and fire second, though most people say you should spec cold primary for the later game (I haven't used my heart of lesser wood, so I could). Just made 12th night before last soloing The Pit, and then I bought Gianthold with some DDO points I had laying around and am enjoying it a lot.
I was finally able to put two points into getting Acid Blast as a SLA (requires 12th level), which is like an acid substituted fireball, and holy crap is that great. I'm doing average of 250+, and frequently critting for 500s, for a very small amount of power points (and I have over 1500 at my maximum). I have noticed that since hitting 12th there are more and more mobs that actually make their saving throws and some which I have a hard time beating the SR on, though. As in PnP D&D, once you hit the mid levels the difference between having a good save (and evasion) and having a bad save start to really become noticeable, and it's pretty easy to tell which monsters are which. Most of my spells allow Reflex saves at this point, so when I run into a bunch of rogue-like monsters with Evasion sometimes the fights take a while longer.
My biggest complaints are how you're basically railroaded in the game, and don't have all the utility/non-combat options that you have in real D&D. For example... there's a portcullis, and I'm a 12th level sorcerer with Dimension Door... except all that spell does in DDO is teleport me back to the beginning of the dungeon. It has no other destination options... So I have to run around all over the fkn place looking for a key... instead of DD'ing through it, blasting it open with my uber-acid attacks, summoning a monster on the other side and having it pull the switch, etc...
Also, invisibility is near useless. I understand that it seemed "unfair" that you could Invis to the end and complete a bunch of the quests without fighting, but come one... I was following an old guide on how to run through one of the adventures and it suggested using Invis to bypass some of the monsters... and they just walked up and started attacking me like I was wearing a giant, neon sign saying "Kill me, please!".
And then there is the total lack of real flight... (although jumping off a cliff and lobbing fire/acid balls as you Featherfall down is pretty awesome
)
