LOTRO: Abandoned Game Mechanics and Systems Part 2
In the previous post, I focused upon several major game mechanics that were added to the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online with much pomp and ceremony, only to fall into abeyance shortly afterwards. I cited such examples as mounted combat, epic battles and skirmishes. Their fate may well have been due to player indifference or the fact that the mechanics were complicated to develop and expensive to maintain. In this follow-up article I would like to discuss some additional systems that are somewhat smaller in their scope and relevance, but have similarly been abandoned by the developer’s Turbine/Standing Stone Games over the lifecycle of the game. Some are ancient history within the context of the LOTRO. Others are far more recent and that is a point worth reflecting upon.
In the previous post, I focused upon several major game mechanics that were added to the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online with much pomp and ceremony, only to fall into abeyance shortly afterwards. I cited such examples as mounted combat, epic battles and skirmishes. Their fate may well have been due to player indifference or the fact that the mechanics were complicated to develop and expensive to maintain. In this follow-up article I would like to discuss some additional systems that are somewhat smaller in their scope and relevance, but have similarly been abandoned by the developer’s Turbine/Standing Stone Games over the lifecycle of the game. Some are ancient history within the context of the LOTRO. Others are far more recent and that is a point worth reflecting upon.
Destiny Points. All LOTRO players earn destiny points after they have reached level 10, by progressing through the game’s content. The current award is 200 destiny points per level. The currency can be spent on perks that enhance gameplay and levelling. For example, points can be spent on accelerated experience. Similarly they can be spent on a combat run speed, power and morale regeneration, hope, damage and mitigation buffs. However, only VIP players can spend destiny points on perks and this system has never been extended to free-to-play customers. Destiny points offered tangible benefits between 2007 and 2010 but when LOTRO went F2P, the system was sidelined in favour of store based perks. Furthermore, the revisions made to the games levelling curve also impacted upon their relevance. As the LOTRO level cap has grown, levelling per se has become a lot quicker in earlier parts of the game and destiny points are not really required. However, they are still quite useful if applied wisely, although nowadays the system is buried within the game’s UI.
Episodic Content. This is possibly one of the best ideas Turbine/Standing Stone Games have ever implemented. Continuous player engagement is always an issue for the MMORPG genre. The Ballad of Bingo Boffin addressed this by offering players a weekly episodic story that ran for an entire year. The first instalment was set at level 8 so the episodic content could be used to provide a weekly goal for levelling, if a player so wished. Alternatively players could play all episodes in one session if they wanted to, once they had been released and as long as they had reached the level of the final episode. The story was fun and cleverly revisited a lot of existing zones that players may not have necessarily revisited. The weekly release also generated excitement and reason to log into the game. Yet despite the success of this game mechanic it has not been utilised to a comparable extent since its initial release in 2015. A decision that is somewhat baffling.
Hobbies. Hobbies are a nice concept within the MMO genre. Something I’m sure Simon Quinlank would endorse. The idea of a non-combat based activity that can be progressed and developed over time is very appealing. Sometimes when playing a game such as LOTRO you just want some down time and to bask in the pleasant virtual sunshine. Hence hobbies were introduced to the game in 2008. The first one was fishing and sadly no further activities have been added in the ensuing 14 years. Furthermore fishing has been nerfed. Although it still yields prize fish that can be taken to the taxidermist and turned into trophies, the bait mechanic which improved critical chance has been removed. I miss the Red Wiggler bait.
Pipe-weed. For the Lore-master class in LOTRO, pipe-weed used to be an essential consumable that was required for any group content. Back in the early days of the game, the Lore-master skill Back from the Brink that can revive a downed player, was dependent on having a supply of pipe-weed. Perhaps that’s why the developer’s nerfed it and removed the dependency on actually having pipe-weed. Pipe-weed remains in the game as a farming item. The various varieties yield cosmetic smoke ring emotes but as a functional item it is now obsolete.
Class Trainers. When LOTRO was first released, as a player’s character progressed through the game, class skills were not automatically bestowed and added to the quickslot bar. Instead you received notification to visit a class trainer and you bought the skill that you now qualified for. If you didn’t have sufficient in-game gold, then you couldn’t buy the skill. Hence you had to exercise a degree of fiscal prudence. However, this system has now been removed from the game and skills are bestowed directly to your alt as you level. The class trainer NPCs are now just relics of this system with no real purpose.
Currencies. MMOs love multiple in-game currencies and LOTRO is no different. As you level your alts through content there are multiple reputations factions offering unique currencies that can be used to barter for level appropriate gear. And therein lies the rub. Once you out level a reputation faction its currency can offer you precious little. Hence it can be very frustrating to have a barter wallet full of useless currency that you’ve worked hard for. It’s a similar story with regard to seasonal festival tokens. At one point Turbine/SSG talked about creating a universal token system and phasing out all the niche currencies. Sadly this never happened and more than likely never will. LOTRO continuously undermines the effort players put into the game.
LOTRO: Abandoned Game Mechanics and Systems Part 1
According to Merlin, played by the great Nicol Williamson in the 1981 film Excalibur, “It is the doom of men that they forget”. A criticism that could be levelled both at me and Turbine/Standing Stone Games. The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online is littered with systems, game mechanics and features that have been introduced to the game, proven unsuccessful, unpopular or too complex to maintain and subsequently abandoned. I can’t help but think that the last reason is possibly the most common factor in determining the fate of a new game system. Cryptic removed The Foundry system of player created content from Star Trek Online because the sole member of staff that curated it left the company, proving this problem isn’t unique to LOTRO. However, as it’s been my main MMO of choice for 14 years, I shall be using it as a point of reference. Here are a few examples.
According to Merlin, played by the great Nicol Williamson in the 1981 film Excalibur, “It is the doom of men that they forget”. A criticism that could be levelled both at me and Turbine/Standing Stone Games. The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online is littered with systems, game mechanics and features that have been introduced to the game, proven unsuccessful, unpopular or too complex to maintain and subsequently abandoned. I can’t help but think that the last reason is possibly the most common factor in determining the fate of a new game system. Cryptic removed The Foundry system of player created content from Star Trek Online because the sole member of staff that curated it left the company, proving this problem isn’t unique to LOTRO. However, as it’s been my main MMO of choice for 14 years, I shall be using it as a point of reference. Here are a few examples.
Mounted combat. This remains the most obvious “experiment” which was introduced to LOTRO in 2012 and persisted only while the story progressed through Rohan. Although there are still plenty of areas in which you can still ride your mount and kill mobs, it is no longer a requirement that is written into the story. Mounted combat remains a clumsy game mechanic, with unwieldy mounts and a huge disparity in its effectiveness depending upon your chosen class. It has proven so unpopular with players that the developers had to integrate additional story missions as an alternative to the mandatory mounted combat quests.
The War Wolf. Effectively this combat pet functions similarly to a skirmish soldier and is equally erratic. However it does have some useful attributes and can be used as an aggro magnet, affording a speedy getaway for the Lore-master that pulls too many mobs. If used wisely (IE by a more competent player than me) it can be quite effective. The War Wolf is unlocked by spending skill points on the yellow talent tree and accessing the "riding companion" ability. Turbine should have done more with this and tried to extend it to all classes. It made mounted combat a little more interesting.
Epic Battles. This is a system that was introduced in the Helm’s Deep expansion in 2013. Although far from popular, the developer’s persisted for another two years adding further epic battles in Gondor. It’s a great idea on paper, just like mounted combat but the reality is quite different. Epic battles only start to get interesting once you have amassed sufficient points to upgrade your Role Traits (Officer, Engineer and Vanguard). You then have skills that can make a difference during the 30 minute long battles. Many players never get that far. When you first start playing the enemy mobs pretty much ignore you and head straight for the ally NPCs. You’re left begging for someone to fight you like Connor MacLeod in the Highlander.
Skirmishes. Skirmishes which were added to LOTRO in 2010. They remain an excellent form of scaling instance with multiple achievements and goals. They can accommodate 1 or upto 6 players. They provide a great alternative means of levelling and the skirmish vendors also had a very robust range of intermediate gear upto level 105. Plus it is fun to have an AI companion. However, skirmishes stopped being added to the game after the Siege of Mirkwood, apart from some simple seasonal variations that accompany festivals. I suspect that Turbine was focused on other content at the time and later found that the staff with the requisite skills had left the company. Missions are now a watered down, poor relation to skirmishes which are far less exciting, only allow 2 players and offer war less of any worth.
Fellowship Manoeuvres. Players who are new to LOTRO may well forget that upon its release in 2007, the game was heavily based around group content. This MMO was meant to be played in balanced teams and much of the content could not be played solo. Also known as conjunctions, fellowship manoeuvres occur randomly, or are triggered by Burglars or Guardians. They require that the target be stunned or knocked down, in any group encounter with a signature or higher enemy. If the conditions are met a menu appears on screen and each player can contribute by selecting one of four skills. Specific combinations offer advantages such as a morale or power buff to the players, an increase in outgoing damage or they can debuff the enemy. They can contribute an invaluable supplement to group healing. However, as LOTRO became more focused upon solo PVE content over the years, this game system ceased to be relevant or even known about anymore.
To be continued.