More Gaming Amnesia
I wrote back in January 2018 about “gaming amnesia” and how if you step away from a game for a while, then often you can forget not only the basic control layout but the essential mechanics as well. Well I’ve had a couple of further instances of this recently and it got me thinking as to whether there’s a finite amount of game related data you can retain at one time. I suspect the answer is yes and that it all comes down to the old “use it or lose it” maxim. If you’re not playing a complex game regularly, then the knowledge gets superseded by information you have a more pressing need to access. Hence I do not think I’m experiencing the early signs of dementia of anything like that. Nonetheless, it can be quite frustrating and age is also a factor. Our reactions do slow as we get older and quickly recollecting information becomes more of a chore.
I wrote back in January 2018 about “gaming amnesia” and how if you step away from a game for a while, then often you can forget not only the basic control layout but the essential mechanics as well. Well I’ve had a couple of further instances of this recently and it got me thinking as to whether there’s a finite amount of game related data you can retain at one time. I suspect the answer is yes and that it all comes down to the old “use it or lose it” maxim. If you’re not playing a complex game regularly, then the knowledge gets superseded by information you have a more pressing need to access. Hence I do not think I’m experiencing the early signs of dementia of anything like that. Nonetheless, it can be quite frustrating and age is also a factor. Our reactions do slow as we get older and quickly recollecting information becomes more of a chore.
I decided to log into Read Dead Redemption 2 a few days ago. I bought the game last November and played it regularly until early January when I decided to focus on another title. I found my character at the edge of a lake with my trusty steed nearby. There is a very close bond between the main character and his horse in this game and it’s a central theme of the story. So I walked up to my horse Roach (yes I did name him thus) and pressed what I thought was the key to mount up. Instead I delivered a robust right hook to his body. Naturally, my equine chum took a dim view of this and promptly lashed out, kicking with his back legs. I lay twitching in a pool of blood, contemplating that this never happened to Randolph Scott or Audie Murphy. To cut a long story short (as Spandau Ballet would say) I couldn’t recollect any of the key mappings.
Another example I would like to cite is navigating the depth of the Mines of Moria in LOTRO. Now I spent a lot of time back in 2009 learning the quaint and esoteric routes around this sprawling subterranean metropolis. There was a time when I could ride an in-game goat from Durin’s Threshold in Eriador, right the way through to the First Hall and out into Rhovanion. Furthermore, I could do all this from memory, while eating a sandwich and recording a podcast. I recently found myself utterly lost around Zelem-melek, endlessly going round in circles in Khufdul-tharâkh, shouting at no one in particular about how it would be bloody useful to have a GPS system in this bastard game. I eventually started writing down my route and making notes of landmarks, so I wouldn’t keep looping back to the same locations.
Joking aside, there are several good reasons that mitigate my bout of “gaming amnesia”. Read Dead Redemption 2 is a console port and the thing I often find about such games is that they map the keys in a most unusual way. You often find that WASD doesn’t control movement but some other utterly bizarre alternative permutation. And with regard to Moria, I was reminded by a fellow player that the area has been extensively redeveloped since its initial release in 2008. So perhaps I’m not as incompetant as I initially thought. However, I do think that it would be useful if more developers included a tutorial that could be accessed at any point during the proceedings. All too often, your hand is held purely at the beginning of a game and it is assumed that once you’ve learned the basics, you’ll forever have them at your fingertips. Patently that is not the case. I’m also sure that I’ll experience “gaming amnesia” again quite soon.Especially in light of me returning to both Neverwinter and Call of Duty.
Completing the Minas Morgul Expansion
Despite taking a short break out of pure frustration, I decided to grit my teeth and try to finish the Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online over the last few days. As I suspected, once you start questing in Minas Morgul itself, it all becomes very homogenous. The circles of the city are deliberately ponderous to navigate and the quests are padded out with generic filler content that requires you to kill multiple types of mobs. Furthermore, Minas Morgul itself is a “lagfest” and you can often find yourself instantly in combat with a mob lurking immediately outside the door of the Rangers camps. The density of the enemies means that you’re continuously pulling aggro when travelling form A to B. And you often find yourself rubberbanding and stuttering due to the poor build of the city. Completing all of the various tiers of the city is a grueling task and upon completion you’re immediately sent to Thuringwath which has many of the same problems. Although some of the quest stories are well conceived, the realities of completing much of the content in Minas Morgul make it very much an uphill struggle.
Despite taking a short break out of pure frustration, I decided to grit my teeth and try to finish the Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online over the last few days. As I suspected, once you start questing in Minas Morgul itself, it all becomes very homogenous. The circles of the city are deliberately ponderous to navigate and the quests are padded out with generic filler content that requires you to kill multiple types of mobs. Furthermore, Minas Morgul itself is a “lagfest” and you can often find yourself instantly in combat with a mob lurking immediately outside the door of the Rangers camps. The density of the enemies means that you’re continuously pulling aggro when travelling form A to B. And you often find yourself rubberbanding and stuttering due to the poor build of the city. Completing all of the various tiers of the city is a grueling task and upon completion you’re immediately sent to Thuringwath which has many of the same problems. Although some of the quest stories are well conceived, the realities of completing much of the content in Minas Morgul make it very much an uphill struggle.
So far I have completed the Circles of Wrath, Sorrow, Madness and am currently working on the aptly named Circle of Despair. To break up the monotony, I decided to tackle the Epic Story as I wanted to see the conclusion of the Black Book of Mordor. I was suitably impressed by the way the writers tied up all the loose ends, especially the manner in which Gothmog met his fate. The link to Golodir and the lineage of his sword Dúnachar was intriguing. I also liked the way that the author of the Black Book, the Zhelruka Dwarf Voin, turned out to be a benign character and was rather moved in the final scene in which he said goodbye to his wife and son and went off to die. I enjoyed the subtle inference that he may have found Thafar-gathol. Once again the musical score by Bill Champagne was outstanding and greatly enhanced the drama. The final epilogue where you have to decide who gets the Black Book proved interesting and presented three interesting choices. I decided it should be returned to Khîl Tale-spinner as he is a descendant of Voin. But I did flirt with the notion of giving it to Karazgar.
As ever with LOTRO, it is the strength of the stories and characters, along with the realisation of the world itself which are the game’s greatest strengths. Hence these have been the aspects of the Minas Morgul expansion that I’ve enjoyed the most. As I approach the completion of this expansion I am pleased that I have reached level cap with a relatively robust build. The gear I obtained from opening 22 Adventurer's Steel-bound Lootboxes has made a significant difference to my performance. In recent weeks I have added additional tiers to my LI Legacies and have also upgraded most of the settings. I am also levelling my slotted virtue traits, now that the level cap has been increased to 68. Yet despite these positive points, I cannot help but feel that this expansion is very much a product of two very distinct parts. I very much enjoyed the first section set during the Second Age. However, the second part feels notably weaker, with a lot of arbitrary content thrown together in a slapdash fashion. As for the new raids, I have not experienced these as of yet and am not likely to due to my kinship being quiet of late.
Waiting for the New Middle-earth MMO
In late 2018 it was announced that Amazon Game Studios and Leyou were collaborating on massively multiplayer online game for PC and consoles set in Middle-earth. Ongoing development is being handled by Athlon Games, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play console and PC games. The studio is a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited. But beyond the fairly vague press releases that can be found on the Athlon Games website (the last was posted in July 2019), little detail has emerged about the project. There has been unsubstantiated rumours that the project may well tie-in with the forthcoming Amazon Prime TV show that is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth. However, there is little information at present in the public domain to fully substantiate this or any of the other ongoing speculation. Hence, the entire situation raises some interesting questions and I’m sure like me, you have probably pondered some of them. Here are just a few that have crossed my mind.
In late 2018 it was announced that Amazon Game Studios and Leyou were collaborating on massively multiplayer online game for PC and consoles set in Middle-earth. Ongoing development is being handled by Athlon Games, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play console and PC games. The studio is a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited. But beyond the fairly vague press releases that can be found on the Athlon Games website (the last was posted in July 2019), little detail has emerged about the project. There has been unsubstantiated rumours that the project may well tie-in with the forthcoming Amazon Prime TV show that is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth. However, there is little information at present in the public domain to fully substantiate this or any of the other ongoing speculation. Hence, the entire situation raises some interesting questions and I’m sure like me, you have probably pondered some of them. Here are just a few that have crossed my mind.
Will this title be directly competing with Standing Stone Games MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online?
Exactly what sort of MMO will this new LOTR based game be, as the very term MMO is extremely elastic these days.
Will the appropriate licensing body allow two games from the same genre to exist simultaneously?
Exactly what business model will this new MMO have?
What iteration of the franchise will this game be based upon? Will it draw directly from the Peter Jackson movies (like games such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War) or will it create a unique vision of Middle Earth as with SSG’s LOTRO?
Due to the lack of any definitive information, all we can presently do is speculate about the answers to these questions. Firstly, as to “do we need another The Lord of the Rings themed MMO”, I certainly think the market can sustain one. Competition can be a healthy thing and it is nice as a consumer to have choice. Products can co-exist harmoniously if they provide different experiences. I am always interested in seeing different people’s visions of Professor Tolkien's work, such as artists like Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith, so for me a new game would be welcome purely from an creative and aesthetic perspective. There is also a wealth of lore that is available to be developed into new storylines. This is something that Turbine and Standing Stone Games have managed to do successfully over the past thirteen years. Any new game can easily explore an aspect of Tolkien’s work that hasn’t been touched by any previous product. There is no need to simply tread old ground.
Now if this new The Lord of the Rings themed MMO is marketed in direct competition to LOTRO, then I would expect it to be a very different beast, based around the mechanics and systems that are currently popular within the genre. I do not see any benefit in simply creating an MMO that replicates what exactly LOTRO does. I would not be surprised if this new MMO was closer to The Elder Scrolls Online in its systems design. It is also worth considering licensing arrangements. When Star Wars: The Old Republic was released in late 2011, a decision was made to close the older MMO Star Wars Galaxies. Exactly why this happened has never been officially discussed, so we do not know if this was solely about concerns over competition. However, the legal rights for Tolkien’s work are administered by a completely different body, so it doesn’t mean that a similar fate necessarily awaits LOTRO. But it is prudent to at least reflect upon what happened to SWG.
Personally, I would like to see a less linear game with a far more open world environment, dynamic content that is proximity based and the chance to develop charterers that aren't solely based around combat. To be able to lose oneself in a virtual Middle Earth, where you are free to explore, craft, farm, trade or simply aimlessly meander, would be a massive step forward for fans of the IP. But I am fully aware that what delights me may well deter other gamers and that ultimately any game is going to have to find a balance between the new and established systems that are economically viable. The development costs required to create a truly open world version of Middle-earth would be substantial and more importantly, the risk of such an experimental project would potentially be the biggest obstacle. Conversely, just using Tolkien’s world for yet another PVP or Battle Royale game would in my view be a waste of the franchise.
I'm sure that many interested parties will be keeping an eye on Athlon Games over the next year to see how this new MMO pans out. Let us hope that further information is forthcoming regarding its development and its specific nature. However, a quality MMO is not made overnight and so I’m not optimistic that I’ll be playing this new game any time soon. If it is tied to the Amazon Prime TV show, then the games launch may also depend on whether that show gains any traction. Furthermore, the TV show may well be intended to run over numerous seasons and try and emulate the sustained success of Game of Thrones. If that's the case then this new MMO may not appear until the TV show has hit its peak popularity. And if the show is not well received the game could well be cancelled before release. Therefore, it may well be best for Tolkien fans to simply just keep an eye on this project and continue to focus on those games such as LOTRO that do currently exist and provide a specific service.
Old is New
If you keep up with news in the MMORPG community, you’ll be aware that there has been a recent resurgence in “rogue server” offering emulation services for titles that have officially closed. City of Heroes and Star Wars Galaxies continue to sustain a player base and the level of interest clearly indicates that this is not just due to mere nostalgia. Simply put these games maintain an audience because they are good. They’re well designed, engaging and rewarding to play. Similarly, remastered games are proving to be both popular and commercially successful. Resident Evil 2 which was released last year has sold over 5 million copies and received critical acclaim. It currently has a rating of 91% on Metacritic (for those who put stock in such things). Pundits are already predicting that the remake of Final Fantasy VII will enjoy similar success. Again when you analyse the reviews and critiques available online, you find that these remastered titles fare well due to their inherent quality. Is this something newer games are lacking?
If you keep up with news in the MMORPG community, you’ll be aware that there has been a recent resurgence in “rogue server” offering emulation services for titles that have officially closed. City of Heroes and Star Wars Galaxies continue to sustain a player base and the level of interest clearly indicates that this is not just due to mere nostalgia. Simply put these games maintain an audience because they are good. They’re well designed, engaging and rewarding to play. Similarly, remastered games are proving to be both popular and commercially successful. Resident Evil 2 which was released last year has sold over 5 million copies and received critical acclaim. It currently has a rating of 91% on Metacritic (for those who put stock in such things). Pundits are already predicting that the remake of Final Fantasy VII will enjoy similar success. Again when you analyse the reviews and critiques available online, you find that these remastered titles fare well due to their inherent quality. Is this something newer games are lacking?
Games commentator Jim Sterling touches upon this subject in the latest edition of The Jimquisition (09.03.20). He strongly believes that too many contemporary so called “triple A” games are hobbled by microtransactions and content gated behind paywalls. Season passes promise future content thus justifying incomplete titles to be released and that creativity and innovation are sidelined when creating a game as a “live service”. Hence he states it is customer dissatisfaction with current games that makes remastered titles more appealing. They present an opportunity to play through a game with any impediment, interruption or requirement to pay more money to access further content. Furthermore, these are titles that hail from an era where the creative focus was on the gameplay and new ideas were not subordinate to business imperatives. All are cogent points that I broadly agree with, as I’ve experienced all of these over several decades of gaming.
The mainstream video game industry is not known for responding quickly or adapting promptly to new situations. Once a successful trend is established it is frequently slavishly followed. Hence multiple genres have each experienced a brief time in the sun. All too often a couple of games will arrive late to the proverbial party and fail to find an audience and quickly close. Some titles will even get canned while in development, if the marketing tide has turned. However, sooner or later the boardrooms of these multi billion dollar companies have got to notice what is selling and what is not. EA stated a few years ago that single player games were done as a genre and yet Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a conspicuously single player game without live service trappings, has proven very successful. No matter how glacial the rate of change may be, sooner or later major publishers are going to connect the dots and see what is selling and more importantly why it is doing so. At this point will the old become new? Only time will tell.
Making Your Own Fun
I’ve yet to read a cogent definition of the term “emergent gameplay”, so it won’t feature in this post because I’m not sure if I fully grasp the concept. It seems to be a very elastic term. However, what I will say is that sometimes you run out of officially sanctioned tasks to do, when playing an MMO. You find yourself having completed all quests and missions, languishing at level cap with acceptable gear and kicking your virtual heels. It is at this point one of two things happens. You either find a means of keeping yourself engaged with the game, or you logout and find something else to play. Too often have I done the latter. At present, I’m currently at the “what should I do now” stage both in The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. This time rather than just temporarily abandoning these games, I intend to set myself some new goals and effectively make my own fun. It may or may not work. But at the least it will make for a couple of blog posts.
I’ve yet to read a cogent definition of the term “emergent gameplay”, so it won’t feature in this post because I’m not sure if I fully grasp the concept. It seems to be a very elastic term. However, what I will say is that sometimes you run out of officially sanctioned tasks to do, when playing an MMO. You find yourself having completed all quests and missions, languishing at level cap with acceptable gear and kicking your virtual heels. It is at this point one of two things happens. You either find a means of keeping yourself engaged with the game, or you logout and find something else to play. Too often have I done the latter. At present, I’m currently at the “what should I do now” stage both in The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. This time rather than just temporarily abandoning these games, I intend to set myself some new goals and effectively make my own fun. It may or may not work. But at the least it will make for a couple of blog posts.
I still have a hankering for a Tier 6 Constitution Class ship in STO. Specifically one from the TOS era, rather than the Kelvin Timeline or DISCO period. However, to get one I’ve either got to buy the 10th Anniversary Legendary Ship Bundle (which requires selling a kidney) or open a ton of Infinity Promotion Research & Development Packs. You can either buy these for Zen (real money) or Energy Credits (ingame currency) via the Exchange. Occasionally a reward pack containing one of these ships does come up for sale on the Exchange but this is usually between 1.5 and 2 billion Energy Credits. Which leads me neatly on to the subject of earning this in-game currency. Some MMOs are laid back when it comes to generating revenue. STO is not one of them. Something that Cryptic has tried to address over the years. So I thought it would be interesting to see how many Energy Credits I could earn in a fixed period of time. This would then be an interesting litmus test to see if a player could realistically raise the necessary funds to buy one of these ridiculously expensive vessels. So having blown all my in-game cash, I’m going to see how much I can raise over the next 28 days. Watch this space for further details.
Meanwhile in LOTRO, I’m going to grasp the nettle and see what I can do to improve my Legendary Items. There has got to be another way to earn Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment, other than just running the same old Minas Tirith dailies. I shall search through all my festival and rep related barter currencies and see if there’s anything that can be cashed in. This reminds me of yet another promise that Turbine/Standing Stone Games have yet to make good on; a decent currency exchange program or a universal barter currency. And if grinding chores for LI improvement fails to excite me (and I suspect it that it will) there is always completing deeds to raise the level of slotted virtue traits. The level cap has now been raised to 68, so there’s scope for statistical improvement if these are maxed out. And if both these options are a washout, I may just do some buying and selling on the auction house. Playing the markets in an MMO has always been a fun way to enjoy commodities trading without any of the risk of its real world counterpart.
Many of my gamer friends and colleagues make their own fun when playing MMOs. Some will set themselves “iron man” criteria for their ongoing gameplay, playing within fixed builds or specific gear sets. Others confine themselves to specific expansions or just continuously roll new alts. I often find players in my kinship/fleet/guild busy achieving accolades, completing obscure deeds and generally pursuing that game in an unconventional manner. Thankfully the MMO genre lends itself to these kinds of extracurricular activities. There can be pleasure and enjoyment found in many obscure aspects of the virtual worlds we visit. For example, I will sometimes log into LOTRO and just ride around where my fancy takes me, enjoy the aesthetics of the world. If the MMO genre didn’t offer these kind of adaptable freedoms I think a lot of these games would soon lose their audience once they had exhausted traditional content. So here’s to making your own fun and doing things your way. The fact that this annoys certain types of gamers makes it all the more enjoyable.
A Month in Gaming
The problem I find with monthly gaming articles is that they tend to cover ground that I’ve already written about over the last 4 weeks in other blog posts, only in less detail. So here is the brief version of my gaming activities throughout February. I played through the entirety of the Star Trek Online 10th Anniversary event and received the new hybrid Tier 6 ship. I enjoyed the new 2 part feature episode and have managed to maintain a schedule of doing “odds and sods” to keep myself busy. STO is currently my primary game. I’ve ground to a halt in The Lord of the Rings Online, as soon as I start questing in Minas Morgul itself. It is simply too uninspiring and grindy an area. So I’ve focused on completing deeds for virtue experience and daily repeatable quests for Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. Due to constraints upon my schedule, I decided to temporarily stop my subscription to ESO Plus, as I simply do not have the time to invest in The Elder Scrolls Online at present. ESO is a good game and deserves attention when played. Committing to multiple MMOs at once is always a mistake.
The problem I find with monthly gaming articles is that they tend to cover ground that I’ve already written about over the last 4 weeks in other blog posts, only in less detail. So here is the brief version of my gaming activities throughout February. I played through the entirety of the Star Trek Online 10th Anniversary event and received the new hybrid Tier 6 ship. I enjoyed the new 2 part feature episode and have managed to maintain a schedule of doing “odds and sods” to keep myself busy. STO is currently my primary game. I’ve ground to a halt in The Lord of the Rings Online, as soon as I start questing in Minas Morgul itself. It is simply too uninspiring and grindy an area. So I’ve focused on completing deeds for virtue experience and daily repeatable quests for Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. Due to constraints upon my schedule, I decided to temporarily stop my subscription to ESO Plus, as I simply do not have the time to invest in The Elder Scrolls Online at present. ESO is a good game and deserves attention when played. Committing to multiple MMOs at once is always a mistake.
I tried to return to Red Dead Redemption 2, which I believe I’m currently halfway through. Sadly, again this is a game that you have to apply yourself to if you wish to get the most from it. The quests need to be read and savoured, rather than rushed through. So I’ve put this game on hold as well, although I do intend to finish it as I have a lot to say about its complex and challenging narrative structure. I bought two other games in February. Deathtrap Dungeon and Gang Beasts. The former is a wonderful old school adventure game, told as a narrative story. I’ve written a more comprehensive post already about this title, so if you’re interested at all, I would urge you to read my thoughts there. And I purchased Gang Beasts in a Steam sale. Sadly, I neglected to read a comprehensive breakdown of the game specifications and discovered that there is no single player mode at present. This silly physics driven comedy fighting game is great fun when played competitively with others but I was expecting a single player versus bots mode. This was entirely my own fault and stands as a reminder that you should always to do your research thoroughly first before buying a new game.
I’ve been using GoG Galaxy as a one stop game launcher for a while now and I must admit it saves a lot of hassle and seems to be working well. I have it launch by default upon Windows startup and it allows me to fire up any title I have installed from one location and avoid trawling through multiple launchers to find what I want to play. It’s also very convenient to import all your game libraries into one place, so you actually have a fighting chance of seeing what you’ve purchased over the years. I have dozens of obscure titles from bundles and giveaways that are just gathering virtual dust. If it wasn’t for GoG Galaxy, I wouldn’t even know about half of these. I am hoping to install and play some of them over Easter as part of a new ongoing recurring blog post series. GoG Galaxy also does a pretty good job of collating all my social and friends list so I can see who is online. With further functionality under development, I see no reason at present to stop using this product.
I suspect that March will be more of the same for me, with regard to my gaming activities. I shall continue with one predominant MMO and possible experiment with another single player game. Beyond that I have no immediate gaming goals at present, apart from the fact that it’s better to be playing something rather than nothing. I’ll report back in April.
Star Trek Online: The Admiralty System and Farming Dilithium
Dilithium is one of the major currencies that can be earned in the MMORPG Star Trek Online. It is given as a reward for playing through Story Missions, Task Force Operations (group PVE content), Duty Officer Assignments and other aspects of the game. Dilithium is initially awarded as ore. The player then has to refine it to be able to spend it. Furthermore, there is a cap of 8,000 Dilithium ore refined per day. Once refined, players can use Dilithium to purchase various items and services ranging from new ships, as well as space and ground equipment. Dilithium is also used in upgrading or re-engineering equipment. Another benefit of Dilithium is that it can be exchanged for Zen, STO’s premium currency. Although Zen is primarily bought with real money, Cryptic provides an in-game exchange service in which players can trade surplus Dilithium for Zen. The exchange rate can fluctuate and has steadily risen over the last ten years. Yet despite this, Dilithium continues to be a tangible and much desired resource.
Dilithium is one of the major currencies that can be earned in the MMORPG Star Trek Online. It is given as a reward for playing through Story Missions, Task Force Operations (group PVE content), Duty Officer Assignments and other aspects of the game. Dilithium is initially awarded as ore. The player then has to refine it to be able to spend it. Furthermore, there is a cap of 8,000 Dilithium ore refined per day. Once refined, players can use Dilithium to purchase various items and services ranging from new ships, as well as space and ground equipment. Dilithium is also used in upgrading or re-engineering equipment. Another benefit of Dilithium is that it can be exchanged for Zen, STO’s premium currency. Although Zen is primarily bought with real money, Cryptic provides an in-game exchange service in which players can trade surplus Dilithium for Zen. The exchange rate can fluctuate and has steadily risen over the last ten years. Yet despite this, Dilithium continues to be a tangible and much desired resource.
Due to the value players place upon Dilithium, many create multiple alts so that they can farm it on a daily basis. The easiest means to do this are Duty Officer Assignments and the Admiralty System. Both are card based mini games, involving assigning Duty Officers or Ships with appropriate statistics to a specific mission. These virtual tasks are time based and if completed with a positive outcome, yield a modest supply of Dilithium as a reward. Now with any such undertaking, the merits of the time to cost ratio are subjective. If you have two or three alts, it will take about 5 to 10 minutes to log in and set up the various tasks that will net you the Dilithium you require. However, there are players that farm across dozens of alts, spending up to an hour or more setting up the appropriate missions. A long time favourite has been the Klingon Admiralty campaign as it yields the most Dilithium. Dedicated players can easily gain a 70K plus of Dilithium across a dozen alts. And STO has lots of very dedicated players. Hence, many have built up substantial stock piles of Dilithium over time.
It is this glut of Dilithium that has prompted STO’s developers, Cryptic, to once again take action. In the past cosmetic items have been made available for purchase with Dilithium to try and absorb some of the surplus stock. Then the much coveted Phoenix Prize Pack would from time to time appear, again purchasable for Dilithium only. But the problem persists and for Cryptic it is indeed a problem. As a developer and a business, they would prefer players to buy Zen with real money, rather than stockpiled Dilithium. However, simply removing the Dilithium exchange service would be a PR nightmare, so they have just announced plans to alter the Klingon Admiralty Campaign, so that instead of rewarding players with actual Dilithium ore, it will instead give them a voucher for Dilithium that can be used on Fleet Projects. Essentially, this is a form of Dilithium that cannot be exchanged and can only be used for one specific purpose. Naturally, this “revision” has been met with a somewhat mixed response among the STO community. Casual players such as myself, tend not to farm Dilithium beyond what can be acquired on just one character. I gain enough each time I play to upgrade gear but have never raised sufficient to buy tangible amounts of Zen. But there are a substantial amount of players that run Dilithium farming as a cottage industry and this change will set them back.
Cryptic’s “reset” is not quite as catastrophic as some players would have you believe. It is a nuisance to those who farm and will impact upon how much Dilithium they can obtain a day. But it didn’t take long for some rather comprehensive actions plans to emerge on the official STO subreddit. Knowledgeable players have already suggested alternative means of farming Dilithium. Specific Duty Officer Assignment chains have been recommended, along with trading Duty Officers themselves. Then there is creating new alts, leveling and claiming account wide rewards from previous Delta, Gamma and Temporal events. The bottom line is resourceful players will find a way to continue farming Dilithium. It may even have the positive side effect of seeing players return to previously ignored parts of the game, such as the Ground Battlezone in the Solanae Dyson Sphere. Currency adjustments are always tricky to implement both logistically and “politically”. On this occasion I think Cryptic have managed to find the right path between both.
We Need a New Video Games Lexicon
Some video game related subjects are “hardy perennials”, to coin a gardening term. As are the blog posts, forum thread and subreddits that explore them. I read an article over at Massively Overpowered that posed the question “How essential are hardcore gamers to an MMO’s health?”. It wasn’t the actual main premise that got me thinking, but a minor side dispute that arose about the definition of a specific term. And that term was “hardcore”. It’s a phrase that’s been associated with video game culture for over two decades. Yet there is no single, immutable dictionary definition as to what this term specifically means. Which is odd for a word that is extremely commonplace in video games parlance. Because of its elastic nature it leads a lot of scope for misinterpretation when used, be it deliberately or accidentally. So I made a self indulgent comment on the original post in which I paraphrased some dialogue from the 1986 movie, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
McCoy : How essential are “hardcore” gamers to an MMO’s health?
Spock : It is impossible to discuss the subject without a common frame-of-reference.
Some video game related subjects are “hardy perennials”, to coin a gardening term. As are the blog posts, forum thread and subreddits that explore them. I read an article over at Massively Overpowered that posed the question “How essential are hardcore gamers to an MMO’s health?”. It wasn’t the actual main premise that got me thinking, but a minor side dispute that arose about the definition of a specific term. And that term was “hardcore”. It’s a phrase that’s been associated with video game culture for over two decades. Yet there is no single, immutable dictionary definition as to what this term specifically means. Which is odd for a word that is extremely commonplace in video games parlance. Because of its elastic nature it leads a lot of scope for misinterpretation when used, be it deliberately or accidentally. So I made a self indulgent comment on the original post in which I paraphrased some dialogue from the 1986 movie, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
McCoy : How essential are “hardcore” gamers to an MMO’s health?
Spock : It is impossible to discuss the subject without a common frame-of-reference.
Words, semantics and languages are complex things. None of these things remain static and they all evolve over time. Words and phrases are often co-opted and adapted, leading to a situation where their very meaning varies depending upon who you’re addressing. The mosy obvious example is the word “gay” which has changed a lot in my lifetime. As have such words as “sick” or “pimp”. Slang is a particularly fluid aspect of language. Naturally gaming culture is no different. Which brings me onto the term “hardcore”. Does it mean a passionate player who dedicates a lot of time to a specific game? Or is this about the raiding community and those pursuing achievements and seek to test their skills? Alternatively, does the phrase refer to a player who sees the game and the way in which it is played within a very rigid framework? Or is it simply a player who may not technically achieve much but is a consummate fan and evangelist of the game they love? Frankly the word “hardcore” in the gaming context, could embrace all these meanings.
Which leads me neatly to my final point. The video games industry has changed greatly in the last three decades. Terms that once succinctly defined genres are now vague. Should we still even use such phrases as MMORPG anymore, or would it be better to come up with new terms to describe games that share aspects of the old definition but also have newer attributes. It is important to have a common lexicon so that the gaming community can communicate effectively and clearly. If we all use terms which have a universally accepted definition, then conversations will not get bogged down in ambiguity and unnecessary misunderstandings. Such clarity would also be beneficial for the video games industry when communicating with its customers. Sadly, the cynic in me also thinks that having such obsolete terms still in common use serves a wider business purpose. Vagueness can be used to sell a product based upon an erroneous interpretation. It can also deflect blame and legal culpability.
Gaming Ambassadors
Over four years ago, I wrote a blog post discussing the concept of “Digital Ambassadors” and how they can be an invaluable source of goodwill and promotion that compliments the traditional marketing departments and PR associated with leisure industries. A smart business sees the value of fans and the contribution they make in getting "the message" across. I recently sent in a question to the Massively OP Podcast which specifically raised this issue with regard to the the MMORPG community. There was a time when key bloggers and podcasters became integral to the promotion of specific games and that they became an unofficial form of community management. In my question I also suggested that this has waned due to the rise of Twitch TV and YouTube and that the personalities that arise from these platforms are free agents who tend to follow the latest trends. They are not so tied to one specific community. Justin and Bree kindly addressed my question on the show and it made for a very interesting discussion. Many of the points they raised had crossed my mind as well.
Over four years ago, I wrote a blog post discussing the concept of “Digital Ambassadors” and how they can be an invaluable source of goodwill and promotion that compliments the traditional marketing departments and PR associated with leisure industries. A smart business sees the value of fans and the contribution they make in getting "the message" across. I recently sent in a question to the Massively OP Podcast which specifically raised this issue with regard to the the MMORPG community. There was a time when key bloggers and podcasters became integral to the promotion of specific games and that they became an unofficial form of community management. In my question I also suggested that this has waned due to the rise of Twitch TV and YouTube and that the personalities that arise from these platforms are free agents who tend to follow the latest trends. They are not so tied to one specific community. Justin and Bree kindly addressed my question on the show and it made for a very interesting discussion. Many of the points they raised had crossed my mind as well.
I believe there is still a role for “Gaming Ambassadors” although the way that role presents itself has changed. In some ways, the Massively OP Podcast provides the service that some prominent game blogs or shows used to. The only difference is Justin and Bree advocate on behalf of multiple games instead of just one. But the enthusiasm and willingness to help is there and the show is happy to provide a platform for players, devs and pundits alike. There are other shows that are associated with particular games but a lot seem to have become quasi-official. Take the Priority One Podcast for STO for example. Often when gaining access to those that actually create and run a game, there is a degree of editorial compromise required. Hence some content creators find themselves as “poacher turned gamekeeper” to coin an old phrase. Editorial independence is not something to give up lightly but it is often the price of admission such inner circles. This is something that Massively OP Podcast has not done.
Fandom per se, has certainly become more mainstream over the last two decades. Conventions are now seen as lucrative, wide reaching marketing opportunities. They are no longer seen as niche nerd social activities. But I feel that the “commercialisation and commodification” of fandom has also made it more ephemeral. Yes, there still are fan sites dedicated to just one game who invest heavily in their community but the main focus is now on other platforms and “influencers”. The major difference is that contemporary internet personalities that gain traction are usually not exclusively wedded to just one community. A game will be played and its virtuals extolled until it ceases to be popular. When that occurs, it’s onto the next big thing and there’s nothing wrong with this approach. Ultimately, the games that popular YouTubers and Streamers play are secondary to their “personality”, which is often the key to their following.
In my lifetime fandom has evolved. In the seventies, we hand crafted fanzines. We typed the content, cut it out and inserted pictures, then took them to the printers and had as many copies produced for as cheap a price as possible. Then along came the home PC and self publishing became easier and more professional. The internet then put content online and its reach became far bigger. And then along came social media and the focus changed very quickly from blogs and podcasts, to videos, streams and subreddits. And like any other leisure market, its widening reach and increasing diversity has also led to smaller, more insular communities.
I do not doubt that there’s a specific place that’s the community focus of Black Desert Online and that in the months to come, they’ll be a similar space for the MMO New World. But I think that these communal focal points will be far more targeted than those we’ve previously seen and will be more specific to their player base, using more immediate social media platforms. They may also come and go more quickly as gamers consume and then move on. Hence I am beginning to think my nostalgic affection for the LOTRO podcast, A Casual Stroll to Mordor, is just that. The show existed and thrived within the internet and fan context of the time. And times change and that specific era I remember has gone and been replaced with something similar and different. “It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be”. Isaac Asimov.
ESO: The Problem with Update 25
ZeniMax are allegedly addressing some major performance issues with the forthcoming Update 25 for The Elder Scrolls Online. If this latest patch improves loading times, the game’s overall performance and makes updating the client faster, then it will be well received by players. However, Update 25 requires players to reinstall the entire game client due to technical reasons. Furthermore, the patch is not going to be available prior to release on Monday February 24th, so player’s cannot download the necessary files in advance. Unfortunately, as soon as the patch server comes online, all players will have to reinstall the full ESO client and wait accordingly. Considering the disparity between internet connections in the US and Europe, player experience will vary greatly. Some will download the client in hours where others will have to simply leave their PC running and wait all day. Considering the popularity of ESO and the estimated size of its player base, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are queues or connectivity issues.
ZeniMax are allegedly addressing some major performance issues with the forthcoming Update 25 for The Elder Scrolls Online. If this latest patch improves loading times, the game’s overall performance and makes updating the client faster, then it will be well received by players. However, Update 25 requires players to reinstall the entire game client due to technical reasons. Furthermore, the patch is not going to be available prior to release on Monday February 24th, so player’s cannot download the necessary files in advance. Unfortunately, as soon as the patch server comes online, all players will have to reinstall the full ESO client and wait accordingly. Considering the disparity between internet connections in the US and Europe, player experience will vary greatly. Some will download the client in hours where others will have to simply leave their PC running and wait all day. Considering the popularity of ESO and the estimated size of its player base, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are queues or connectivity issues.
At present, the game client for ESO is about 90GB. Hardly surprising, considering how much the game has grown since its launch in 2014. This is a substantial download by anyone's standards and it is worth remembering that there are still many players that have ADSL internet connections which are throttled to a maximum speed and that come with a data cap. Simply put, reinstalling the entire game is a major headache for them. It has to be done and I’m sure most players will doggedly go about installing Update 25, while “grinning and bearing it”, as the expression goes. But for many it may mean several days on not playing while the download is undertaken in stages. There are also bound to be some players who have a particular permutation of hardware, that results in a fully reinstalled client that won’t launch for some obscure reason. And then, for those who manage to install the download without any hitch, there is the entire issue of addons and how they will inevitably be broken.
I therefore think that ZeniMax has potentially failed to grasp what a big deal totally reinstalling the game client is. Players do appreciate that the patch is ultimately beneficial to them but the logistics of installing it come with an element of risk as well as inconvenience. It may take a long time to download and install, there’s the risk of errors and there could even be financial implications if they find themselves exceeding their data cap. Hence offering a free cosmetic pet (in this case it’s a Crimson Torchbug) doesn’t really strike me as the best way to placate paying customers. Perhaps an allocation of crowns would be more tangible. At the very least I would have liked a more empathetic post on the Official ESO website. The existing one acknowledges that reinstalling the game is a pain but still happily goes along with the notion that it isn’t a big deal. Well, sorry to contradict you ZeniMax but it is.
Star Trek Online: Keeping Busy
Although the 10th anniversary event is still ongoing in Star Trek Online, the overall excitement seems to be ebbing. I have played the new two part Feature Episode and it is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable fan service. Cryptic hit exactly the right tone with this story and it has re-invigorated my enthusiasm for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. I have managed to organise things so that I can complete the Omega Molecule Stabilisation anniversary event early each morning. This way I can complete this quick 15 minute task before I leave the house. I’m hoping to be able to claim the new ship early next week. However, overall I have little to do in the game at present. I did some housekeeping and deleted some unused alts, after asset stripping them of anything of note. I also cleaned up my personal bank and either “salvaged” or sold numerous items that weren’t currently being used. I have placed all my Tier 5U ships into Dry Dock and rationalised my active Tier 6 vessels. I am now setting myself some minor goals, as a means of keeping busy, until further new content is released.
Although the 10th anniversary event is still ongoing in Star Trek Online, the overall excitement seems to be ebbing. I have played the new two part Feature Episode and it is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable fan service. Cryptic hit exactly the right tone with this story and it has re-invigorated my enthusiasm for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. I have managed to organise things so that I can complete the Omega Molecule Stabilisation anniversary event early each morning. This way I can complete this quick 15 minute task before I leave the house. I’m hoping to be able to claim the new ship early next week. However, overall I have little to do in the game at present. I did some housekeeping and deleted some unused alts, after asset stripping them of anything of note. I also cleaned up my personal bank and either “salvaged” or sold numerous items that weren’t currently being used. I have placed all my Tier 5U ships into Dry Dock and rationalised my active Tier 6 vessels. I am now setting myself some minor goals, as a means of keeping busy, until further new content is released.
Whilst organising my ships, I noticed that several had not reached full Starship Mastery. This is a simple five tier experience system for each individual T5U/T6 ship. Each level unlocks a trait relevant to that ship and full mastery offers a unique starship trait which can then be slotted regardless of what ship you are using. Some ships have especially desirable top tier traits. So I’ve been rotating through a variety of vessels and taking part in various Task Force Operations and Battlezones to gain the necessary mastery XP. It is worth doing some research beforehand as some of these activities offer more XP than others and there are a few that offer no XP at all. One of the benefits of alternating between a wide variety of vessels in a short period of time, is that you quickly get a feel for their respective strengths and weaknesses. It is also a great way of determining what suits your play style and then deciding what would be your best choice in the long run.
Something else that I’m doing to keep busy, is completing various Duty Officer Assignment Chains, although it is not exactly “enthralling”. I’ve never really been that invested in the entire Duty Officer sub-game in STO and have only done what is immediately available to me. As I’m by default usually hanging out at Earth Spacedock, I have run mainly the assignments that are presented there or at Starfleet Academy. Over time I have achieved Rank 4 in all commendation categories but have ignored the assignment chains associated with Sector Space. Hence, I am currently rotating between the Delta Volanis Cluster, the Eridan Belt and the Khazan Cluster. Once these are complete I’ll just progress through the others assignment nodes in each Sector. It does provide a useful alternative means to earn further Dilithium and bespoke Duty Officers.
After having watched a few YouTube videos, I’ve been replaying selected missions to earn various items that are still deemed to be of benefit. Over the last decade a lot of gear sets have fallen out of favour as the prevailing optimal combat meta has moved on. Several years ago, Antiproton weapons were “king”, but once the Embassy Consoles that enhanced them were nerfed, they were quickly superseded as the go to weapon of choice. I personally always like to use Phaser weapons with my Federation ships, so I tend to just find a practical build that enhances their use. I do not have the best traits and gear as much of these are tied to specific ships that can only be obtained from lootboxes. So I use my common sense and work with what I can obtain from the Reputation System and Fleet Resources. It can be fun to try different permutations of equipment and as I’m between major projects at present, this is a good time for a little experimentation. Hopefully, these relatively low key activities can keep me busy and engaged with STO for the immediate future.
The Problem with Raiding
The subject of raiding in MMOs raised its head once again over at Massively Overpowered. It would appear that ArenaNet have been looking into the current raiding content in Guild Wars 2 and found that it is only undertaken by a relatively small percentage of the playerbase. Hence they are currently looking at producing some sort of intermediary content to encourage “endgamers” who have completed all the PVE material, to work towards raiding. Whether they are successful remains to be seen but it does show once again that raiding is not a universal pastime in the MMO genre. I remember Turbine making a similar statement to this effect, back when they were developing The Lord of the Rings Online. But this post is not intended as a discussion about the validity of raiding or any of the traditional debates associated with it. I think raiding has a place in the genre. What I want to do is state the reasons why it is not something I actively do anymore. I suspect my experience is not unique.
The subject of raiding in MMOs raised its head once again over at Massively Overpowered. It would appear that ArenaNet have been looking into the current raiding content in Guild Wars 2 and found that it is only undertaken by a relatively small percentage of the playerbase. Hence they are currently looking at producing some sort of intermediary content to encourage “endgamers” who have completed all the PVE material, to work towards raiding. Whether they are successful remains to be seen but it does show once again that raiding is not a universal pastime in the MMO genre. I remember Turbine making a similar statement to this effect, back when they were developing The Lord of the Rings Online. But this post is not intended as a discussion about the validity of raiding or any of the traditional debates associated with it. I think raiding has a place in the genre. What I want to do is state the reasons why it is not something I actively do anymore. I suspect my experience is not unique.
Time: I have in the past done a degree of raiding in LOTRO. This was during a period of my life when I was living alone, worked from home and had the time necessary to undertake this aspect of MMO gaming. Time is a key aspect of raiding and the MMO genre per se. Raiding requires assembling people online at a specific time. Something that is akin to herding cats, because often your raid team will live across multiple time zones. Some will have been raised in heathen cultures that have no concept of punctuality. Also let us not forget that “real life” can get in the way. Once you have everyone online you next have to ensure that they are good to go. Does everyone have the right consumables? Have they switched to the right builds and brought the right gear? All these things take time because they involve “people”. Then you need to allot the appropriate time to actually play through the content. You may wipe and have to do it again. I can recollect times where we started a raid at 8:45 PM and finished roundabout 1:00 AM. So to summarise, raiding is a major time sink that I can no longer afford.
The Human Factor: If you are a member of a well run Guild, then raiding will often be organised by even tempered, supportive individuals with good communication skills. It is also incumbent upon those participating to do their best, follow any instructions and keep their wits about them. If there are any issues, then calmly raise them as combat in raids can be a fluid situation. But it doesn’t always go this way. Simply put, the human factor can complicate things. People are not all the same. There are a multitude of factors to consider such as egos and different personalities. Hence there is much scope for a group to pull in different directions as there is for them to work together. Plus some people do not perform well in a team dynamic. Extroverts and introverts are not always compatible. Then there are those players who tolerate the group requirement of raiding because they want the achievement or the rewards on offer. I fall into the latter category and have no time for “drama” or players who are high maintenance. I’ve also had my fair share of bad experiences with pick-up groups. Therefore, if a raid is populated by people I do not know and trust, then I’m not likely to participate.
Quid Pro Quo: I do not see raiding as a test of character nor do I see it as a prestige event that if undertaken successfully, confirms status. It is simply a process with complex systems and fail states. These mechanics can be learned, just like any other form of choreography. Undertaking raid content requires preparation, organisation and a degree of skill. Players have to make a considerable investment of time and effort when raiding. Therefore, I see the entire process as a “quid pro quo”. If you successfully complete content you should be given a reward. Rewards should scale according to how many of the raid’s criteria you have met. Drops should not be random, nor should players run the risk of receiving rewards that are of no benefit to them. Raiding should be a clearly defined enterprise. If you do what is required then you get the reward that was advertised. If you partially complete the terms of the raid then you get a lower tier reward, again something that you knew about in advance. You should never leave empty handed if you have succeeded, nor should you be palmed off with junk. Any raid that cannot honour this social contract is poorly conceived.
A Month in Gaming
So much for the New Year. January has now been and gone and 2020 just seems to be barrelling along. As ever, due to my real world commitments, I’ve been pushed for time over the last thirty one days. Therefore, most of my gaming has been targeted “binge” sessions conducted late at night. However, I do find playing through episodic content over several hours to be a very productive means of making progress in MMOs. So overall January has been an enjoyable experience, game wise. Due to my circumstances, I have deferred starting any new single player games and have focused primarily on two titles; The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. Sadly, The Elder Scrolls Online has been relegated to being played just once a week, usually on a Wednesday night when I meet up online with friends. My exploration of Vvardenfell will have to wait until later in the year, as I cannot sustain three MMOs to any great degree.
So much for the New Year. January has now been and gone and 2020 just seems to be barrelling along. As ever, due to my real world commitments, I’ve been pushed for time over the last thirty one days. Therefore, most of my gaming has been targeted “binge” sessions conducted late at night. However, I do find playing through episodic content over several hours to be a very productive means of making progress in MMOs. So overall January has been an enjoyable experience, game wise. Due to my circumstances, I have deferred starting any new single player games and have focused primarily on two titles; The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. Sadly, The Elder Scrolls Online has been relegated to being played just once a week, usually on a Wednesday night when I meet up online with friends. My exploration of Vvardenfell will have to wait until later in the year, as I cannot sustain three MMOs to any great degree.
Currently STO is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. To mark this auspicious occasion, Cryptic have released a two-part feature episode starring Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). The pair find themselves transported to the planet Excalbia, last seen in the TOS episode “The Savage Curtain” and facing further “tests” as the Excalbians explore the human concepts of good and evil. It is a dynamic and action packed story which revisits many classic scenarios from the game. Seven has some killer quips and Burnham is a welcome addition to the ever growing STO family. The anniversary also offers an opportunity to earn a new hybrid Tier 6 ship, which draws upon Federation, Klingon and Romulan design. Naturally the ongoing event has meant that a lot of lapsed players are returning to the game and as a result, the Reddit Alert Fleet (of which I am a member) is exceedingly busy. However, there has been a degree of controversy over the 10 ship Legendary Bundles that is being released on February 13th. As ever the pricing is quite high (about £200) and Cryptic have decided not to sell these desirable vessels individually. However, this issue notwithstanding, it is nice to see the game thriving at present. Ten years is a laudable milestone for any MMO to reach.
I have completed the Vales of Anduin in LOTRO and have diligently applied myself to the new Minas Morgul expansion. I have already shared my thoughts on the first half of the expansion, set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, which I found to be narratively enjoyable but a little too padded with fetch and slayer quests. The same rings true of the other half of the game set in Imlad Morgul. The central story is sound and each of the secondary quest hubs has an additional tale that feeds into the main Epic Quest. But again when visiting each area the player is given a multitude of arbitrary tasks to do. I cannot help but return to my initial conclusion that Minas Morgul is not a genuine expansion in comparison to its predecessors. It feels like something cobbled together from outstanding material and lacks anything additional or bespoke. However, criticisms aside, my recent re-gearing from loot boxes, along with focus upon virtues and increasing my LI legacies, has certainly made my level cap Lore-master a far more robust and even formidable character. I consider this to have been the best gaming achievement of January.
Putting aside what I’ve actually done in-game over the last month, I would like to briefly mention “gaming news”. As someone who considers video games as a major aspect of my leisure time, I have always liked to know what’s going on in the wider gaming community, along with the industry itself. Hence I’ve always read a broad selection of websites and subreddits etc. Sadly, I am finding these outlets are becoming increasingly partisan. The gaming industry seldom covers itself in glory and often the behaviour and attitude of a large percentage of the gamers is far from edifying. Simply put gaming is increasingly becoming yet another aspect of the ongoing Culture War which blights contemporary politics and national dialogue. Rather than feeling I’m part of an international community based on mutual understanding and a shared, common experience, it seems that I’m habitually told to pick a side in some tedious, bi-partisan argument and then just shout at those in so-called opposition. I find this an intellectually bankrupt proposition and am ill disposed towards doing such things. I do not see any evidence at present that 2020 is going to halt and reverse this process.
5 of My Favourite Quality-of-Life Mechanics in MMOs
Over the years I’ve played numerous MMOs (to varying degrees of success). As a genre there are certain game mechanics that are standard and common to most games. Initially during the “golden age” of the MMORPG, there was a focus on collaborative team player. This meant that successfully undertaking group content required a spectrum of players in specific roles. This particular mechanic has diminished over the years but the genre still has numerous common tropes. Quest hubs, reputation factions, gear grinds and vertical levelling are just some that spring to mind. However, many developers in this field attempt to polish and refine these “default” systems, often with interesting results. So I thought I’d cite some specific examples of what I call “quality-of-life mechanics”. Frequently these are bog standard facets common to the MMO genre, that have been polished and refined in a particular game. Small things that just make a game more manageable and provoke a positive reaction as well.
Over the years I’ve played numerous MMOs (to varying degrees of success). As a genre there are certain game mechanics that are standard and common to most games. Initially during the “golden age” of the MMORPG, there was a focus on collaborative team player. This meant that successfully undertaking group content required a spectrum of players in specific roles. This particular mechanic has diminished over the years but the genre still has numerous common tropes. Quest hubs, reputation factions, gear grinds and vertical levelling are just some that spring to mind. However, many developers in this field attempt to polish and refine these “default” systems, often with interesting results. So I thought I’d cite some specific examples of what I call “quality-of-life mechanics”. Frequently these are bog standard facets common to the MMO genre, that have been polished and refined in a particular game. Small things that just make a game more manageable and provoke a positive reaction as well.
Neverwinter: Quest Path.
It frankly annoys me the way some game designers go out of their way to make navigating around their virtual world so damn difficult. Cities are often complex with non-linear road layouts and there are frequently esoteric quirks that you just have to figure out the hard way. I’m sure somewhere there’s a self satisfied dev whose smirking at how clever they’ve been, as you run around a major quest hub in an increasingly frustrated state, looking for a particular NPC or item. However Cryptic have addressed this matter head on with the Quest Path facility in the MMO Neverwinter. If you want a helping hand this game mechanic provides a sparkly trail that takes you directly to your next quest location. It is simple, functional and also purely optional. Purists can learn their way around if they prefer. Where as casual players, those with a poor sense of direction or individuals who prefer to focus on other aspects of the game can opt to avail themselves of this service. I really wish this was available in more MMOs.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Content Scaling.
Many older MMOs suffer from a common problem. Increases in level cap, along with an ever growing catalogue of content, lead to older material becoming redundant. There is no incentive to play older, lower level quests once you have reached level cap nor to revisit completed regions and instances. Furthermore, new players cannot play with veteran friends due to their obvious level differences. This is just poor game design and it also antagonises players. However, two years after its initial release, The Elder Scrolls Online tackled this very issue in late 2016 with the One Tamriel update. This allowed players of any level, in any faction, to travel to any other PvE zone and tackle appropriately-scaled content. Hence a veteran player can now group a newbie and both will equally benefit with regard to XP and loot drops. It is literally a “game changing” achievement that makes the game far more inclusive and open ups a wealth of previously gated content. Should this not be a default system in every MMO?
Star Trek Online: Upgrading Gear and The Exchange.
Cryptic’s MMO ode to the Star Trek franchise is far from perfect. Even after 10 years it still sports numerous bugs and as a game has never really hit its full potential. However, it does get a lot right and exudes an appropriate Trek vibe. It also includes not one but two straightforward systems that improve the game immensely. The first is the opportunity to upgrade gear and even change the statistical modifiers on it. Therefore if you take a liking to a Mark I item at the start of the game, you can retain it and upgrade it as your character progresses through the 65 levels. Yes, this can be quite a costly process with regard to using in-game resources but does means that not every item is doomed to obsolescence. You don’t have to unceremoniously ditch something you’ve worked hard to obtain. And the other thing that I feel STO does very well is its own unique version of “auction house” or The Exchange as it’s known in this case. Firstly STO runs on one shard, so there is a substantial customer base to interact with. Secondly, there are no listing fees at all. Thirdly, the moment an item sells you are notified and the cash (Energy Credits) go straight into your virtual wallet. Although hyperinflation is a thing (as it is in most MMOs), at least you don’t have to worry about selling items quickly and efficiently.
The Lord of the Rings Online: Auto Loot.
I find it ironic that one of the most old school and somewhat dated MMOs around, still manages to have a game system in place that is still lacking from more recent titles. The Lord of the Rings Online added auto loot to the game with the Rise of Isengard expansion back in 2011. Until then, you had to approach a defeated foe and manually collect your loot on a per item basis or as a whole. At the most you could assign this process to a specific key and hoover everything up within a small AoE but it was a pain. Sifting through loot at source always has been and remains so a potential problem. But auto loot changed this and did so in a radical fashion. The moment you now defeat an enemy, all loot is directly placed in your bags. Again for those who wish to sift manually, this setting can be toggled off but for us busy, lesser mortals, we can just blast through an area indulging in mass slaughter, safe in the knowledge that all loot has been collected. The only thing you have to be aware of is your respective bag space, and if you screw that up there’s a very generous overflow system. Again, shouldn’t this be the norm?
So these are five examples of “quality-of-life mechanics in MMOs” that I find invaluable. I’m sure there are plenty of others out there that can be referenced. Feel free to leave comments below of examples that you enjoy and would like to mention.
LOTRO: The Scarcity and Cost of Essential Items
I wrote recently about how I completely re-equipped my Lore-master using lootbox gear and purchasing new items using Ember of Enchantment. This did significantly boost my overall statistics and make an improvement in my combat performance. But something has still felt “off” and it was only a few days ago that I finally figured out exactly what it was. My Legendary Weapons are still wanting. I found myself standing next to another level 130 Lore-master while handing in a quest, so I decided to inspected their build. Luckily they hadn’t opted to remain “private” so I could examine exactly what gear they had and the statistics on their LI (Legendary Items). Although their armour and jewellery was broadly comparable to mine, their LIs were far superior. And it all came down to “Legacies” and what tier they were. Mine are currently level 69 and 70 on my First Age Staff. And on my First Age Lore-master Book, they are level 65 and 66. At present, until I unlock further legacy tiers, my LIs are not earning any XP and that is irksome.
I wrote recently about how I completely re-equipped my Lore-master using lootbox gear and purchasing new items using Ember of Enchantment. This did significantly boost my overall statistics and make an improvement in my combat performance. But something has still felt “off” and it was only a few days ago that I finally figured out exactly what it was. My Legendary Weapons are still wanting. I found myself standing next to another level 130 Lore-master while handing in a quest, so I decided to inspected their build. Luckily they hadn’t opted to remain “private” so I could examine exactly what gear they had and the statistics on their LI (Legendary Items). Although their armour and jewellery was broadly comparable to mine, their LIs were far superior. And it all came down to “Legacies” and what tier they were. Mine are currently level 69 and 70 on my First Age Staff. And on my First Age Lore-master Book, they are level 65 and 66. At present, until I unlock further legacy tiers, my LIs are not earning any XP and that is irksome.
As you can see from the picture below, the main legacy and the secondary legacies on this Lore-master’s LIs are all substantially higher than mine. This player has therefore applied a lot of Anfalas Star-lit Crystals and Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment to them both. These are essential resources that are not casually acquired. If you wish to stockpile such items you need to farm the Minas Tirith repeatable dailies and regularly undertake the featured instance. The various festivals that occur during the year can also provide another useful source. But if you are serious about acquiring a substantial supply of these, then you need to maintain a daily schedule and repeat a lot of content. Once again this is a prime example of how older MMOs reward the continuous participation of the “loyal” players and disincentivise the casual player. The only other alternatives are to try and purchase these items via Auction House (which is impossible due to the hyper inflation that is rampant in the game), or to use the LOTRO Store.
If you want your character to be adequately equipped at level cap then you need to spend as much time and attention on your LIs as you do your gear. Simply put Anfalas Star-lit Crystals and Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment are essential items. It would be nice if LOTRO had mechanics that allowed you to trade in or deconstruct old barter currency or gear into a universal currency, so players who do not have the time (or inclination) to grind for essential items, had an alternative means of obtaining them. But the bottom line is that such a major overhaul is not coming to LOTRO. Standing Stone Games more than likely lack the in-house expertise to retrofit such a system and even if the skills are there, why should they do such a thing when the store provides a lucrative alternative? In the meantime, I’ve trawled through my barter wallet and used what I have to purchase a few more Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. I managed to do all three of the Minas Tirith instances over the weekend and earned a few more but I cannot see myself farming these on a daily basis. Repeating these instances at level 130 it is a dull undertaking. Thinking about this matter has also made me consider how do casual players with multiple alts, address this issue. I suspect they don’t. Which means that there must be many other LOTRO players with lacklustre LIs.
LOTRO: Solving a Gear “Problem” with Money
Before I crack on, I would like to point out that I’ve put the word “problem” in quotes, to reference the fact that this is an opinion and not a universal fact that confronts all players of the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Now that’s out of the way, let me start by saying that the way in which game developers think you should play their products can at times be at odds with how the players like to do things themselves. LOTRO is a classic MMORPG in so far as the player is expected to level their characters playing a variety of PVE content, then play repeatables to obtain intermediate gear, then pursue endgame content such as raiding. Simply put, it means you get the best gear once you’ve arrived at level cap and not while you’re levelling. Usually PVE content is not too problematic if you maintain a relevant build and gear according to level. However, LOTRO does have several zones and expansions that are “wild cards. For example Mounted Combat in Rohan is a nuisance for melee classes. And then there’s the gear check and increase in mob difficulty that occurs in both Mordor and Minas Morgul expansions.
Before I crack on, I would like to point out that I’ve put the word “problem” in quotes, to reference the fact that this is an opinion and not a universal fact that confronts all players of the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Now that’s out of the way, let me start by saying that the way in which game developers think you should play their products can at times be at odds with how the players like to do things themselves. LOTRO is a classic MMORPG in so far as the player is expected to level their characters playing a variety of PVE content, then play repeatables to obtain intermediate gear, then pursue endgame content such as raiding. Simply put, it means you get the best gear once you’ve arrived at level cap and not while you’re levelling. Usually PVE content is not too problematic if you maintain a relevant build and gear according to level. However, LOTRO does have several zones and expansions that are “wild cards. For example Mounted Combat in Rohan is a nuisance for melee classes. And then there’s the gear check and increase in mob difficulty that occurs in both Mordor and Minas Morgul expansions.
Now my approach to MMOs has been consistent since I first started playing the genre in 2008. I am not especially enamoured with end game content and tend to enjoy PVE based levelling the most. I don’t harbour any notions about “challenges” or “testing one’s mettle”. Nope, I run on the sound military principle of ensuring that you are as well equipped as possible at all times. For example, when I was levelling an alt in 2019 I used account bound barter currencies to ensure they had the best gear every 10 levels. I was not content with lacklustre drops and found that investing in good skirmish sets increased my overall performance. The bottom line is when playing an MMO I like to be overpowered. Which brings me nicely to my current situation. I am halfway through the latest LOTRO expansion and I have hit level cap. Questing in the Morgul Vale now lies ahead of me and I suspect that it is going to be a slog. Hence I want to be OP so I can negate the purposely contrived slow pace set by the developers.
After completing the first half of the latest expansion, Mordor Besieged, I acquired a new set of Green quality gear. It was superior to that I had earned through the Vales of Anduin but it still felt underwhelming. It offered survivability but no discernible “edge”. So I decided to conduct an experiment to see if I could get better equipment now, rather than waiting to finish the expansion. Having searched my Barter Wallet I had no currency that I could use that would yield superior gear. So I decided to see what I could get via Adventurer's Steel-bound Lootboxes. So I bought £30 worth of LOTRO points (LP) with some Christmas gift money and then proceeded to buy 22 Black Steel Key. These are purchased from the LOTRO Store for 195 LP each, or 5x for 900 LP. I then opened 22 lootboxes which gave mainly Embers of Enchantment along with buffs, boosts, cosmetic items, essences and the occasional item of gear. I then bought further jewellery and gear with the Embers. I also disenchanted old gear and some of the items I obtained that were duplicates or unwanted cosmetics.
This post is not the time or place for a debate on the subject of “pay to win”. I shall leave that for another day. However, I have included in this article two pictures which show my Lore-masters stats before and after I re-equipped using lootboxes. Broadly, I am happy with the results. I have had my stats boosted across the board with only Critical Rating taking a hit. I can adjust this by replacing an essence or two. After I replaced my gear I ran a skirmish (Thievery and Mischief) and certainly didn’t struggle as I have previously. Defeating the encounter bosses was far quicker than before and I never felt I was in any jeopardy. Light armour classes often feel squishy and now I believe that quality has been mitigated. Mobs don’t take so many hits to die and the pace of combat seems to have returned to a more equitable rhythm. Fights no longer seem like a reactive process but a proactive one. I prefer this.
Now, this simple test is far from scientific and I’m sure a more invested player would have produced far more data on the statistical difference between builds. Then there’s the argument that the current gear progression offered by the new expansion is not a problem per se and my outlook is just down to my personal foibles. Something I wouldn’t argue against. I am simply advocating using whatever resources you have available to ensure you are as optimally geared as possible. I’d rather that process didn’t require the spending of additional money and I’m also not asking for raid gear to be available outside of raids themselves. However, regardless of where you stand on such issues, LOTRO is a game that was developed when prevailing MMO trends were a lot different. The genre has changed a lot in ten plus years. I remember when Turbine (now SSG) introduced the long term project of rebuilding the town of Hytbold in Rohan, as a means of earning top tier gear, outside of raiding. It would be nice to have something comparable now. However, I think the developers have discovered that this gap in the gear market that I have highlighted, can be monetised and that is how it will be treated from now on.
Thoughts on the Minas Morgul Expansion
I was afforded some free time this weekend, so I logged in to The Lord of the Rings Online and blitzed through about half of the Minas Morgul expansion and managed to reach the new level cap of 130 ( I was level 128 when I started). I finished the first two new chapters of The Black Book of Mordor and completed Mordor Besieged; the section of the new expansion that is set in the Second Age on the plateau of Gorgoroth. It’s a curious and initially engaging part of the game. In the past LOTRO aficionados have only been able to briefly access iconic events of the past through session play where they get to be someone else, via a short story driven instance. Mordor Besieged offers a revised area of the existing Mordor map; namely Dor Armath. All though a desolate place in the Second Age, this region is not the wasteland we see in the Third Age. The landscape has several active fortresses held by both sides and The Nazgul roam freely. But there is little of real substance to do here (a point I shall return to) and after a while it gets somewhat repetitive.
I was afforded some free time this weekend, so I logged in to The Lord of the Rings Online and blitzed through about half of the Minas Morgul expansion and managed to reach the new level cap of 130 ( I was level 128 when I started). I finished the first two new chapters of The Black Book of Mordor and completed Mordor Besieged; the section of the new expansion that is set in the Second Age on the plateau of Gorgoroth. It’s a curious and initially engaging part of the game. In the past LOTRO aficionados have only been able to briefly access iconic events of the past through session play where they get to be someone else, via a short story driven instance. Mordor Besieged offers a revised area of the existing Mordor map; namely Dor Armath. All though a desolate place in the Second Age, this region is not the wasteland we see in the Third Age. The landscape has several active fortresses held by both sides and The Nazgul roam freely. But there is little of real substance to do here (a point I shall return to) and after a while it gets somewhat repetitive.
But as ever with LOTRO, the “gold” is in the story that Standing Stone Games have crafted. On this occasion there are several interesting interpretations of the lore. Firstly, there is the battle on the slopes of Mount Doom in which Sauron is defeated. Tolkien says in his text “at the last the siege was so strait that Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil, and they both were slain, and the sword of Elendil broke under him as he fell. But Sauron also was thrown down, and with the hilt-shard of Narsil Isildur cut the Ruling Ring from the hand of Sauron and took it for his own”. This is directly reflected in a cutscene which shows both Gil-galad and Elendil injuring Sauron and then getting burned by the power of the One Ring. However, Sauron himself collapses after expending such power and being wounded twice. Isildur then cuts the ring from a greatly weakened Sauron’s hand. This differs from from Peter Jackson’s adaptation that shows Isildur being the far more proactive in the Dark Lord’s demise.
Secondly, in the Lost Lore of the Last Alliance, if you collect all the pages and read the text in order, it states that Gil-galad uses two of the Elven Rings to destroy the Black Gate by summoning a firestorm. However, wielding two rings nearly kills him and he swears he will not do such a thing again. As dramatic as this may be it contradicts the source text. Tolkien states the following. "But the Elves fled from him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them. Now these were the Three that had last been made. But Sauron could not discover them, for they were given into the hands of the Wise, who concealed them and never again used them openly while Sauron kept the Ruling Ring". Using two Elven rings to force your way into Mordor doesn’t sound much like “concealing” to me. But LOTRO is an adaptation of Tolkien’s work, designed to accommodate the needs of the MMORPG genre. It’s best not to be too picky about lore or as you’ll find that a lot of the game doesn’t hold up to close scrutiny.
Usually in LOTRO, the Epic Story moves events forward and regional quests support or embellish the wider ongoing narrative. In Mordor Besieged, it doesn’t quite feel that way. There’s a lot of “treading water”. Some parts of the Epic are just superfluous exposition and only about half is of any importance. Most of the zone quests are of the “fetch” or “slayer” variety despite some fun lore references (such as the inclusion of Hobbits from the Gladden Fields in The Last Alliance). Overall, the entire first half of this expansion seems to be somewhat drawn out and could have been a free update in its own right. Which begs the question is Minas Morgul really a true expansion. Or is it two updates? Or a hybrid made of material left over from the Mordor expansion from two years ago, that has been retooled and padded out so as to be called an “expansion”? I hope the next half offers more. I have enjoyed my experience so far but on a critical level Minas Morgul has been lacking in depth of content.
LOTRO: Catching Up With Content
I regularly fall behind the latest content release for The Lord of the Rings Online. So it is not uncommon for me to “binge play” in an attempt to catch up with others in my kinship. The November release of the Minas Morgul expansion (which I have now grudgingly purchased) raised the level cap to 130. I managed to gain nearly 5 levels recently by repeating the Yule Festival daily quests and supplementing them with skirmishes. I used a lot of rested XP and bought a lot of progression perks with Destiny Points. However, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was struggling in the skirmishes as I was geared for level 120, so I decided to return to playing PVE content in the Vales of Anduin. As this content is designed for players at level 120, it has proven a more equitable player experience; especially as I was level 125 when I returned to the Wolf-denes. I was able to progress through the zone, focusing on the various quests stories and not having to continuously worry about being underpowered and at risk of defeat. Last night I completed Update 24 and have managed to reach level 128 with my Lore-master. I now feel that I am adequately prepared for the new expansion.
I regularly fall behind the latest content release for The Lord of the Rings Online. So it is not uncommon for me to “binge play” in an attempt to catch up with others in my kinship. The November release of the Minas Morgul expansion (which I have now grudgingly purchased) raised the level cap to 130. I managed to gain nearly 5 levels recently by repeating the Yule Festival daily quests and supplementing them with skirmishes. I used a lot of rested XP and bought a lot of progression perks with Destiny Points. However, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was struggling in the skirmishes as I was geared for level 120, so I decided to return to playing PVE content in the Vales of Anduin. As this content is designed for players at level 120, it has proven a more equitable player experience; especially as I was level 125 when I returned to the Wolf-denes. I was able to progress through the zone, focusing on the various quests stories and not having to continuously worry about being underpowered and at risk of defeat. Last night I completed Update 24 and have managed to reach level 128 with my Lore-master. I now feel that I am adequately prepared for the new expansion.
There are certain advantages to “binge playing” an MMO. First you get a far clearer picture of how your progress through the game impacts upon your character’s abilities. Virtues, reputation and LI progression have all notably increased as I have comprehensively played through the Epic Story and all regional quest hubs. I have maxed out the virtue of Wisdom and have now set Honesty to benefit from the ongoing XP gain. These longer, lengthier play sessions allow you to make specific decisions about your character’s stats and then tangibly see them grow. It does feel different to intermittent game play and gives you a sense that you’re in more control. Plus having spent more time becoming re-acquainted with the subtleties of my main alt, I have subsequently been able to trawl through my vault and make informed decisions about what to keep and what to dispense with. I have numerous essences that are no longer relevant so they have gone to other alts. The ongoing questing has also provided some useful new intermediate gear. I’ll take any statistical boost no matter how big or small. Anything that makes proceeding through Minas Morgul as frictionless as possible is a boon.
The second bonus that I find comes from “binge playing” is that I get to focus far more on the quest narratives. The regional quests often link and underpin the main story line, providing subtle lore references and interesting vignettes. The Vales of Anduin has been exceptionally beneficial in this way. It was a pleasure to return to Goblin Town and I like the concept of the various post fall-of-Mordor power struggles that occur all over Middle-earth. The incursion of Gundabad Orcs into the Misty Mountains was very plausible as well as fun. I also liked the story of Old Mad Ubb and his legend among the Woodmen of the region. His true identity was not too difficult to discern but was a nice canonical reference. The expansion of Radagast’s role in the game was also welcome and I was even prepared to go along with the expansion of the lore to explain the Ungoledain. However, developer’s Standing Stone Games also include a lot of “filler” quests in the zone. For every good story mission, there will be several or more “fetch” or “kill” quests. The Gladden Fields is a prime example of this. Sometimes there’s a fine line between enjoying an area and then feeling that you just want to leave because its has outstayed its welcome, due to the ponderous list of chores you are offered.
So the next step for my Lore-master will be to head off to the Morgul Vale and continue with the Black Book of Mordor story. I have spoken to fellow LOTRO players and my kin mates and have received mixed views and opinions about the latest expansion. The story is supposed to be good but the reality of questing in this zone is a bit of a grind. There are a lot of repetitive journeys to specific areas to carry out the most arbitrary of tasks. Mob density is also quite high, making travel from A to B a chore. Plus it is a dark and dour zone as the lore dictates but that doesn’t always make for a good experience. The memory of Mordor and its “testing” nature still lingers in the back of my mind. I hope that Minas Morgul is not cut from exactly the same cloth. However, if that is the case, I can always focus my attention on other endeavours. I can return to previous zones and finish various deeds to increase my virtues. I can also focus on featured instances and roving threats and see if I can earn sufficient barter currencies for new gear. Or I could even focus on levelling my High Elf Guardian who remains on the slag hills outside the Black Gate. Who knows, we may even get a Producer’s Letter at some point with a road map for LOTRO in 2020. That would be most welcome.
Star Trek Online: Ten Years On
Star Trek Online had a troubled development. Originally the rights to develop an MMORPG based upon the Star Trek franchise were held by Perpetual Entertainment. However, the company ran into financial difficulties and the project subsequently stalled in 2007. The license, as well as any game content were subsequently transferred to Cryptic in early 2008 but this did not include any existing game code. Hence, after gaining little more than some concept art, Cryptic had to create an entirely new game from scratch. Furthermore as part of the deal in acquiring this coveted license, they were tied to the launch date that had been set for the previous developers.Therefore when Star Trek Online was released in early 2010 it was far from perfect. The game was weighted towards Federation characters and the Klingon faction could only be unlocked once you had taken a Starfleet Officer to the then level cap of 40. However, the game at launch did feature voice acting from Zachary Quinto, Chase Masterson and Leonard Nimoy.
Star Trek Online had a troubled development. Originally the rights to develop an MMORPG based upon the Star Trek franchise were held by Perpetual Entertainment. However, the company ran into financial difficulties and the project subsequently stalled in 2007. The license, as well as any game content were subsequently transferred to Cryptic in early 2008 but this did not include any existing game code. Hence, after gaining little more than some concept art, Cryptic had to create an entirely new game from scratch. Furthermore as part of the deal in acquiring this coveted license, they were tied to the launch date that had been set for the previous developers.Therefore when Star Trek Online was released in early 2010 it was far from perfect. The game was weighted towards Federation characters and the Klingon faction could only be unlocked once you had taken a Starfleet Officer to the then level cap of 40. However, the game at launch did feature voice acting from Zachary Quinto, Chase Masterson and Leonard Nimoy.
The following few years were difficult as Cryptic attempted to polish the game in subsequent updates. Throughout 2010 that game was patched for known bugs, new playable species were added, along with Featured Episodes (story based quests that made up a long term, narrative arc). Cryptic also released a set of tools for players to create their own content and the Foundry subsequently became an integral part of the game. Yet despite their hard work, Cryptic found their immediate future in peril when parent company Atari decided to “divest” its various business interests. However, in May 2011, Chinese developer and publisher Perfect World stepped in and acquired Cryptic as a studio, its existing licenses and development team. By summer the game was having a UI overhaul, a revision to ground combat and the Klingon First City on Qo’noS. The new owners investment lead to an expansion of the development team which then produced the Defera Adventure Zone, Duty Officer system and a skill revamp. There was also a shift in business model and so in early 2012 STO went Free-to-play.
The period between 2012 and 2016 was in many ways a boom time for STO. There were regular story content updates, three free of charge expansions (Legacy of Romulus, Delta Rising and Agents of Yesterday) and numerous new game systems. These included Captain Specialisations, an overhaul of sector space to make it less “instanced” and several new Fleet resources. Reputation factions were also added, along with further playable races. STO always had new content in development and scheduled. Furthermore, more and more actors from the various TV shows were returning to voice their characters in game. Despite the gaming public being sceptical of the F2P business model at the time, it subsequently proved to be one of the more equitable examples. The game was ported to consoles by late 2016, something that was originally intended when the STO was conceived. Yet despite the growth and expansion during this period, STO still had to play catch up as a result of the initially rushed development. Bugs have been fixed but many still prevail. Due to the ebb and flow of staff and development priorities, many facets of the game have been abandoned. The Mac client was decommissioned, as was the Star Trek Online Gateway which allowed players to access stats and data, outside of the game.
Since 2017, although there was the release of a fourth, Deep Space Nine themed expansion (which really encapsulated the idiom of the show), much of the new content produced for the game has been co-operative PVE based material, repeatable daily missions and event based projects that reward the player with gear. A lot of this has been linked Star Trek: Discovery. There have been some new traditional story based missions but they have been fewer and far between. Cryptic are still remastering older content and although I must admit they’re doing it well, the pace is somewhat slow. Several iconic missions are still conspicuously absent and the game has had so many overhauls and restructurings, the narrative content is somewhat fragmented and difficult to follow due to plot holes caused by absent material. STO still has an issue with a lot of story and game systems being buried in more esoteric portions of the user interface. And then there is the game economy; the bane of many an MMO. Inflation for high end items and ships is rife.
And so to the present. STO is fast approaching its 10th anniversary. Naturally, Cryptic are making noises about there being major celebrations. No doubt there will be a new Tier 6 ship giveaway and the usual baubles and trinkets one expects with MMOs. But at present there has not been any clarification of the long term “road map” for the game. STO has a healthy and more to the point, loyal core player base. Like The Lord of the Rings Online, the intellectual property attracts fans and keeps them simply because there is no other comparable game. But if you visit the official STO subreddit you will find that players have a wide variety of desires and expectations from the game. Crafting is a neglected area, as it exploration and diplomatic themed content. Cryptic have brought patrols back to the game but considering the number of planetary systems that exist in the game, there are still insufficient numbers. Players are concerned about the lack of variety in builds and how optimal loadouts continue to prevail. STO is also a game that has no imperative to play collaboratively. Task Force Operations require weight of numbers but not players playing specific roles. Notions of the traditional MMO trinity have long since vanished. There is also no meaningful endgame as such. Chasing maximum DPS seems to be the only viable pursuit at level cap. That or a focus on cosmetic appearance, known in-game as “Space Barbie”.
Again, I return to the comparison with fellow MMORPG LOTRO. The reason that the Middle-earth based game has survived over a dozen years is because the developers always focus on the core requirement of its players; namely the regular provision of new narrative content that explores the source material’s lore. Turbine and now Standing Stone Games have added much to the game over the years but they have always ensured, even during lean periods, that there was an additional story driven quests to undertake. People come to STO because it is Star Trek. They want access to a virtual version of Gene Roddenberry’s vision so they can explore the worlds and themes that Star Trek has created over fifty years. Stories that touch upon iconic episodes or reference obscure aspects of canonical lore are always appreciated and warmly welcomed. Yet this sort of content appears to be in decline as Cryptic dither over whether to make the game meet its potential or simply exploit the latest iteration of the show to contribute towards STO just being another “live service”. The 10th anniversary is the perfect opportunity to put STO back on track and for the game to be all it can be. Let us see what happens next.
The Pace of Combat in MMOs
This is going to be a very subjective post because much of what I am about describe isn’t based upon measurable data (although I’m sure there are players who would do so) but more how something feels. Ironically, due to my nature I’m usually more disposed towards fact-based analyses but even I have to recognise that humans are driven by emotions and other esoteric factors. And with regard to this subject matter I hate to say it but how I feel greatly shapes my opinion. So let me begin by referring back to the MMO The Secret World, which has evolved into Secret World Legends. One of the main reasons I stopped playing the original version of the game was because the combat was tedious. By which I mean it took too long. I would use an assault rifle and blast away at a mob, only for it to pursue me as its health meter slowly went down. Hence, I would have to reverse while attacking and slowly back peddle until the mob died. As a method it worked but it was extremely unsatisfactory. The weapon felt under powered and the style of attack lacked grandeur. The revised iteration of the game failed to address this so I didn’t stick with playing that either.
This is going to be a very subjective post because much of what I am about describe isn’t based upon measurable data (although I’m sure there are players who would do so) but more how something feels. Ironically, due to my nature I’m usually more disposed towards fact-based analyses but even I have to recognise that humans are driven by emotions and other esoteric factors. And with regard to this subject matter I hate to say it but how I feel greatly shapes my opinion. So let me begin by referring back to the MMO The Secret World, which has evolved into Secret World Legends. One of the main reasons I stopped playing the original version of the game was because the combat was tedious. By which I mean it took too long. I would use an assault rifle and blast away at a mob, only for it to pursue me as its health meter slowly went down. Hence, I would have to reverse while attacking and slowly back peddle until the mob died. As a method it worked but it was extremely unsatisfactory. The weapon felt under powered and the style of attack lacked grandeur. The revised iteration of the game failed to address this so I didn’t stick with playing that either.
Although combat in MMOs is about damage, control and tactics there are also more nebulous factors involved. These being rhythm, pacing and a sense on being in control of your actions so you can read and adjust to the ebb and flow of the fight. There is a sweet spot somewhere between both the technical facets of combat and the more enigmatic matter of how it “feels”. When a game get’s it right, it often something you discern subconsciously first, rather than by number crunching your combat log. And when a game get’s it wrong fighting crosses the line from being a challenging but enjoyable task to simply being a drag. However, we have to temper this outlook with the fact that no two players share exactly the same view on what “feels” right. Let me further add that I always like to gear my characters in any MMO to be overpowered. I want every single buff, boost and boon I can get because to my mind why would you not want that? I don’t look at combat in this genre of games to be some sort of Marquess of Queensberry rules, even-handed, battle of skill to find out who is the better “chap”. No, I want to be able to crush all before me quickly and efficiently.
Which brings me nicely on to my current situation in The Lord of the Rings Online. I worked my primary character through Update 23: Where Dragons Dwell and came out the other side, well geared and able to hold my own in combat. I continued with Update 24: Vales of Anduin and had no issues making progress. And then along came the Minas Morgul expansion in November 2019 with an increase in level cap to 130 and new gear to grind. If you buy the expansion and follow the Epic story you will be provided with adequate gear from quest rewards to move forward. If however, you have not bought the expansion you will find that doing level 120 plus skirmishes or instances is tricky because you are now behind the gear curve. Also you may find that your Legendary Items are wanting and will need to acquire Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment to unlock additional tiers on your LI legacies. Collectively these factors have conspired and I am now distinctly underpowered and struggling to progress through skirmishes and group content due to being gimped by not purchasing the latest expansion. Combat is now a slog to wear down mobs. For me this goes beyond challenging and strays into the realm of the tedious.
I did some calculations today and I need about 140-150 Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment to keep my LI viable and unlock all possible upgrades. I can either grind these items via the game, buy them on Auction House or purchase from the in-game store. The latter will cost about £150 so that is not an option. Neither is grinding towards a goal. It will take between one and two months and I don’t relish doing the same old quests for that period of time. I do not have the gold required to buy these items from the in-game auction, so the immediate future is one of performing under requirement. This makes combat slow and ponderous which brings me neatly to my original point about once combat ceases to be “fun”, it pretty much kills my interest in a game. This also highlights a problem with a lot of the older MMOs that still exist. To play in an optimal fashion you have to be wedded to the game, play through all content regularly and ensure that you keep on top of all new systems and mechanics. If you in any way take time out and fall behind, then you are potentially disadvantaging yourself. This is not something that occurs in more recent MMOs such as The Elder Scrolls Online.
Despite my grumblings at perceived shortcomings in LOTRO, I have a strong connection to the game as it was my point of entry to this genre. Therefore I shall persevere with the situation and see if I can devise a plan to re-equip my character by the path of least resistance. I am also fortunate to be in a kinship that is very generous and resources are often shared. However, it is interesting that I find myself in exactly the same position as I was when the Mordor expansion launched and I arrived late to that particular party. I believe it proves my theory that LOTRO requires a degree of fidelity and regular participation to be experienced in the best way in terms of gear, jewellery and effective DPS. I see now why many players choose to avoid this “trap” by continuously rolling new alts and restricting their game play to specific content, as to not find themselves in the position of having to continuously chase end content. Of course I could make this problem go away by just buying the latest expansion and playing though it but that flies in the face of the old school MMO philosophy of doing things your own way. Perhaps the reality is that’s just not a thing anymore