Wow! Amazingly, stable sold RPG game! They learned from the rest and made a good stab at the best!
1) What is DDO?
A: DDO is Dungeon & Dragons Online
2) What is the main type of play in DDO?
A: It is quest-based play. No PvP or the like. Everything is geared to to quest-based rpg. No camping occurs since quests are all instance-based and loot is reserved in every chest for each member of the party... it is randomized so you never know what you will get... and it is ALWAYS different then what everyone else got. Further, you can redo quests over again... the pathing is the same, but some aspect like certain monsters will vary. Most importantly, the loot varies even on re-do quests and the experience points are still received.
3) Is there anything in the game that promotes mingling with others?
A: You betcha. You have to heal in taverns (which there are multiple locations and vary with NPCs and quests). You regen your mana and life points in taverns (the only other spot are healing shrines in dungeons, but they can only be used once). The grouping system allows you to flag yourself on a search "report" that allows you to literally advertise that you are looking for a group... you can define specifics and such much like an advertisement. This allows you to instantly have others join your group on the fly... from anywhere in world. The map allows them to locate you and communications (/tells) are very smooth. This part of the game is very slick... probably the most efficient versus any other MMORPG that I have seen.
4) Is there crafting?
A: No. There is talk of it... but nothing is present in the game as of now.
5) How does the economics work in the game?
A: You sell things to NPC vendors. "Things" include all the loot you gather from quests through rewards and discovery (looted off corpses and in boxes/vases/etc.). You can sell/trade between people ingame. The system is very similar to other MMORPG style games... so nothing new there (trade window, etc.).
6) Is the game stable?
A: So far (fingers crossed and knock on wood)... yes! No issues that I have heard ingame or have experience personally on two machines. No one in our guild has stated any issues they have discovered either.
7) How do the graphics and sound compare to SWG or Asheron's Call 2?
A: Different engine for graphics... but they are very clean. The higher you bump your detail... the more you see (like in any game). I was looking at my characters imagine in a mirror the other day... had my detail bumped to high (one below top setting). The graphics are similar to Asheron Call 2, but better detail. Which is better... SWG or DDO? Hard to say... SWG had some very clean graphics... but lots of bugs and landscape issues took away from it. I have not seen any graphic issues in DDO as of yet.
8) How customized can you make your character?
A: This is where DDO shines! You can make an Warforged (Steel char), Elf, Human, Dwarf, or Halfling. You can be male or female. You can easily customize body and facial aspects much like SWG. The difference comes to the detail in skills and feats. You are given 28pts to do with as you please... there are literally hundreds of combinations. Mix in feats and classes (Ranger, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Sorc, Wiz, Paladin) --- employ the rules of D&D... and whammo, you get a very customized character. An example - my Ranger Elf had 28 skill points and an additional 40 skill enhancement points... along with several feats and even a favorite enemy.
9) Does it live up to the hipe?
A: So far yeah. Remember, it is not a PvP game. You cannot attack another player by any means at this time. This game promotes team work and the need for varied classes (i.e. a well balanced group will achieve more success having varied classes to deal with different issues deep in a quest) help promote this goal.
10) Lastly, is it fun?
A: Yes. Eliminate greed to grab the best item (loot in chest are reserved for you - specifically). Eliminate camping (instance-based). Eliminate the need to intimidate others through improper PvP... make teamwork and grouping a necessity on higher lvl quests but provide environments for going it alone too... and you get a really fun game!