LOTRO: Progressing Through Mordor
It was in May that I last subscribed to LOTRO and attempted to progress through the Mordor expansion. I was under geared and under powered and the initial zone of Udûn was proving to be an up-hill struggle. So, I decided to level elsewhere in the game and managed to get as far as 111 (the current level cap is 115). I still couldn’t improve my gear so there was no point bypassing Mordor and going straight to the Dale-lands which were released in June in Update 22. So, I decided to spend my gaming time elsewhere and left LOTRO. However, the recent Bullroarer preview of Update 23 rekindled my interest in the MMO. Surely Mordor wasn’t the immovable obstacle that I thought? So, I subscribed once again, and returned to the game on Friday evening. Luckily, there were several kinship members online and they generously helped me until I reached the “tipping point” of the Mordor expansion. Two days later and I’ve nearly hit level cap and the game although challenging, it’s no longer the grind that it was a few months ago.
It was in May that I last subscribed to LOTRO and attempted to progress through the Mordor expansion. I was under geared and under powered and the initial zone of Udûn was proving to be an up-hill struggle. So, I decided to level elsewhere in the game and managed to get as far as 111 (the current level cap is 115). I still couldn’t improve my gear so there was no point bypassing Mordor and going straight to the Dale-lands which were released in June in Update 22. So, I decided to spend my gaming time elsewhere and left LOTRO. However, the recent Bullroarer preview of Update 23 rekindled my interest in the MMO. Surely Mordor wasn’t the immovable obstacle that I thought? So, I subscribed once again, and returned to the game on Friday evening. Luckily, there were several kinship members online and they generously helped me until I reached the “tipping point” of the Mordor expansion. Two days later and I’ve nearly hit level cap and the game although challenging, it’s no longer the grind that it was a few months ago.
In a nutshell the key to success in Mordor is gear. Specifically gear that has the “Light of Eärendil” defensive stats. This is designed to counteract a cumulative debuff known as the “Shadow of Mordor”. This is simply a new version of the Radiance stat that was found on Moria and Mirkwood raid sets back in the day. Without “Light of Eärendil” a player is severely gimped. Mordor is essentially a major gear check for LOTRO. You start getting random pieces of new armour by clearing regional quests but it’s all very piecemeal. Hence the initial few levels above 105 are a slog. However, once you get to level 112, you become eligible to buy gear sets via the High-enchanter NPC, using the “Ash of Enchantment” barter currency. Players obtain this currency by deconstructing surplus gear they’ve obtained via quest, loot drops or Gorgoroth Steel-bound Lootboxes. Any item that has the “Light of Eärendil” can be broken down into “Ash of Enchantment” by using “Flame of Ancalamír” crystal.
To cut a long story short, I was given several lootboxes and keys which provided me with enough “Ash of Enchantment” to buy a level appropriate gear set. I chose the “Light Tower Set” which favours DPS builds. Upon equipping the gear, my stats were significantly boosted, thus making questing in Mordor significantly easier. I have subsequently progressed through the Epic Story and some of the regional quests and expect to hit 115 in the next day or so. I have even gone so far as to plan ahead and determine which set I shall buy next. I estimate that to obtain all armour and jewellery for the “Light Expedition's Vanguard Incomparable Set” will cost about 4,800 “Ash of Enchantment”. The irony is however, that I shall only enjoy the benefits of this set for about a month or so, because once Update 23 is released the level cap is increased to 120 and they’ll be new gear.
Now what has become apparent to me as I’ve progressed through Mordor over the weekend is the way that lootboxes have become more significant in LOTRO and I suspect that this may only get worse in future updates. A player can grind quests to get gear to convert to ash, but lootboxes offer a “far quicker solution”. I suspect that we are now finally seeing the consequences of Standing Stone Games “business relationship” with the Daybreak Game Company. However, that is a different blog post entirely. For the meantime, I’m back in LOTRO, making progress and having fun. Now that I’m no longer fixed upon the grind of the game, I must say that the various storylines in the Mordor expansion are very good. I like the way the SSG draws upon characters we’ve seen before in the game. It was a pleasant surprise to see Alti Spider-bane again. So, to those of you who have also fallen victim to the Mordor grind, there is a solution available, although it is not necessarily one that benefits the solo player. Being in a supportive guild and having access to shared resources helps immensely. Good luck.
LOTRO: Mordor and Beyond
Well, I waited till this afternoon before buying the Mordor expansion for LOTRO. Unlike the song, a day really didn’t make that much difference. In true and traditional Standing Stone Games style there were still problems, glitches and hassles to be found twenty-four hours on from the launch. In fact, there’s a hot fix to be deployed tomorrow to iron some of these out. Yet, in spite of all these minor niggles, tonight I found myself officially entering Mordor, ten years after the launch of LOTRO and eight years on from my subscribing to the game. I must admit as the game wrapped up the original story and I said cheer-bye to Frodo and the rest of The Fellowship of the Ring, I did feel a sense of great satisfaction as I reflected on what my character had achieved on behalf of the free peoples of Middle-earth. Why even Gandalf himself thanked me for my courage and effort. And then a message appeared in chat, stating “You’ve earned 5 LOTRO Points”. The irony wasn’t lost and I then went on to ponder exactly why I’ve spent years being a butler to all the NPCs I’ve met in LOTRO.
Well, I waited till this afternoon before buying the Mordor expansion for LOTRO. Unlike the song, a day really didn’t make that much difference. In true and traditional Standing Stone Games style there were still problems, glitches and hassles to be found twenty-four hours on from the launch. In fact, there’s a hot fix to be deployed tomorrow to iron some of these out. Yet, in spite of all these minor niggles, tonight I found myself officially entering Mordor, ten years after the launch of LOTRO and eight years on from my subscribing to the game. I must admit as the game wrapped up the original story and I said cheer-bye to Frodo and the rest of The Fellowship of the Ring, I did feel a sense of great satisfaction as I reflected on what my character had achieved on behalf of the free peoples of Middle-earth. Why even Gandalf himself thanked me for my courage and effort. And then a message appeared in chat, stating “You’ve earned 5 LOTRO Points”. The irony wasn’t lost and I then went on to ponder exactly why I’ve spent years being a butler to all the NPCs I’ve met in LOTRO.
Joking aside, I did enjoy the final interlude where you play once again as Gollum. Standing Stone Games did somewhat stretch the lore to accommodate the player being present at Sam and Frodo’s rescue. However, it does bring a sense of closure to the player. The subsequent epilogue in The Field of Cormallen set up the premise for the next Epic Book nicely. Overall, the cutscenes were well conceived and showed sufficient of the end of the story without over egging matters. The destruction of Barad-dûr, the demise of the Ring Wraiths and the rescue of Frodo and Sam by the eagles were functional. Once again, the developers work well within the technical restrictions of a decade old game engine. It’s just a shame that they couldn’t have created a more exciting launch trailer. The hastily cobbled together effort that was created using in-game footage was very lacklustre and was far from the most effective marketing tool.
At the time of writing there are still some technical glitches with the new character animations. There are clipping and tearing issues especially with certain types of hats and hair. It was very noticeable of my primary character. There were also delays to some players receiving the Aria of the Valar level boost. I’m sure these matters will be addressed but once again it would have been preferable if these had been sorted prior to launch. The current gaming culture of early access, releasing unfinished content and fixing on the fly is hardly edifying for the game community. It is a lazy, finance driven concept that doesn’t take in to account such matters as professionalism and public perception. The LOTRO player base has proven its tolerance time and time again over the years. I’m sure they would have accommodated a delay or better still a later launch date, if it meant that they got a more polished product.
I was fortunate enough to have received the Aria of the Valar when I logged in to the game today. Not everyone has been as lucky. I applied this boost to level 105 to my Dwarf Hunter. He was currently languishing at level 50 something and loitering in Lothlorien, having simply run through Moria. As I wasn’t relishing revisiting such areas as Mirkwood and Dunland and have always fancied an alternative character at level cap, it seemed like the sensible thing to do. The boost provides adequate gear, although none of it is designed for essences and three Third Age legendary items. Virtues are also increased but not to cap and you are also given a modest quantity of skills points. These are mainly the ones you would acquire if you played through the Epic Story. All things considered it’s not a bad service and allows you to go directly to Mordor adequately equipped. However, it is no more than that and shouldn’t be considered a “pay to win” item. After using the Aria of the Valar my Dwarf Hunter had a Physical Mastery rating of 70K.
So finally, the wait is over. LOTRO has now reached the end of the accepted canonical story and is now moving in to wholly original territory, narratively speaking. It feels like a very major step in the games overall life. Yet the more I look around at LOTRO, the reality is that nothing has significantly changed. The new Allegiance system is merely an adaptation of the existing reputation mechanic. Similarly, the Light of Earendil/Shadow of Mordor System appears to be a regional buff/debuff mechanic, not to different to from the old Radiance/Gloom system. Although the Mordor expansion offers LOTRO player a lot more content, it is still just “more of the same”. For many this will be an acceptable arrangement but I can’t help but think that it would be to the game’s advantage if they introduced something truly innovative. Sadly, I think the reality is that the game is simply too old to support anything too complex.
Although I have bought the Mordor expansion and am happy to play through the new quests, I will more than likely move on to pastures new, once I’ve hit the new level cap. Then it’s a question of waiting to see what the next update has to offer. For those that stay it is then a question of levelling alts and repeating content. Due to the social nature of the game and its community, it is the player created content and activities that binds people to this virtual Middle-earth. Standing Stone Games provides the theatre and the players craft their own experiences with their friends and kinships. Although this on paper seems like a very equitable arrangement, I can’t help but feel that it excuses Standing Stone Games from pushing themselves. Rather than taking a proactive role in creating new innovative content, they seem more like paternal “groundskeepers” charged with maintaining a fertile environment for others. Although it’s a valid position I wonder if its sustainable now LOTRO moves beyond Mordor. What do players want next and can the developers provide it for them?