Star Trek Online: Life After the Balance Changes
There has been a great deal of discussion on the STO subreddit about the recent balance changes. The subject has also been explored on numerous Tube videos over the last four weeks. As with any game, there’s a lot of technical jargon associated with the various systems and mechanics. Players also use a lot of acronyms and bespoke phrases when referencing content. Subsequently, there can be a steep learning curve to min-maxing and pursuing DPS in STO. Despite having regularly played since the Delta Recruit Event of May 2015, I still struggle to absorb all the subtleties of this MMOs. Certainly, the minutiae of the balance change are lost on me. However, I understand the obvious alterations and have no doubt in my mind that Space combat “feels” different.
There has been a great deal of discussion on the STO subreddit about the recent balance changes. The subject has also been explored on numerous Tube videos over the last four weeks. As with any game, there’s a lot of technical jargon associated with the various systems and mechanics. Players also use a lot of acronyms and bespoke phrases when referencing content. Subsequently, there can be a steep learning curve to min-maxing and pursuing DPS in STO. Despite having regularly played since the Delta Recruit Event of May 2015, I still struggle to absorb all the subtleties of this MMOs. Certainly, the minutiae of the balance change are lost on me. However, I understand the obvious alterations and have no doubt in my mind that Space combat “feels” different.
Unlike some players who go to extremes to experiment, I have broadly taken the path of least resistance with my ship builds in STO. I followed the recommended skills point allocation by the DPS league for tactical officers after that system was revised last year. I also stuck to the prevailing meta of Antiproton Beam Arrays when it came to weapons choice. I ensured that I used the most commonly referenced, consoles, traits and Bridge Officer skills. Overall this has served me well and I managed to reach a DPS parse of 34K. However, the recent thirty percent reduction in power of “Fire at Will” and the obsolescence of Embassy Plasma consoles has reduced my DPS by nearly half. Combat takes longer now and forces the player to think more strategically. I can no longer just rely upon brute force and ignorance.
Furthermore, the balance changes have been universal so NPCs are now more robust. Red Alerts can be more challenging, especially the Tholian invasion. On several occasions, I’ve been in a low DPS PUG which has resulted in the countdown timer expiring before the team has cleared all enemy vessels. The current Mirror Invasion Event can also be a bit of a slog, especially if the portals aren’t closed quickly and there’s an excess of Terran ships to dispose of. Due to the drop in DPS, I’ve been swapping out consoles and ship sets to see if I can improve the situation. So far, tactical and Lobi consoles seem to have a positive impact. Basically, anything that can boost damage, critical chance and severity is beneficial. However, on a positive note Beam Overload and Energy Siphon have been boosted. Pets now feel like they’re pulling their weight. I may also return to a torpedo or cannon based build, although success with these is still very much dependent on piloting skills.
In all fairness, I can’t really complain about the balance changes that Cryptic have implemented. STO has endured a set of meta builds for too long, resulting in a substantially overpowered player base. Those with very high DPS records, pursuing minmax excellence, have not been handicapped by this rebalance but instead have been present with an opportunity to explore a wider variety of builds. PVE remains relatively easy, allowing casual players to advance through the story arcs. Furthermore, the rebalance has meant that previously side-lined gear and equipment may well prove viable again. For players such as myself, I can continue with my low-level experimentation or simply wait for some generic builds to become established.
LOTRO: Going Off Map
One of the greatest attractions of LOTRO is the opportunity to explore Middle-Earth. Standing Stone Games have done a very good job of interpreting Tolkien's world, offering a rich and diverse environment. I often like to cross reference the in-game environment against such books as Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey and The Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Whenever a new region becomes available, I always like to see what lore based references I can find there. Overall the Middle-earth featured in LOTRO is remarkably faithful to the source text, given the practical compromises regarding scale that have to be made.
One of the greatest attractions of LOTRO is the opportunity to explore Middle-Earth. Standing Stone Games have done a very good job of interpreting Tolkien's world, offering a rich and diverse environment. I often like to cross reference the in-game environment against such books as Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey and The Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Whenever a new region becomes available, I always like to see what lore based references I can find there. Overall the Middle-earth featured in LOTRO is remarkably faithful to the source text, given the practical compromises regarding scale that have to be made.
Exploring is an integral part of LOTRO. The game itself offers a wealth of deeds rewarding the finding specific locations. In many respects exploration is a sub-game in its own right. Therefore, we should not be surprised that this particular aspect of LOTRO has its enthusiasts, who take their curiosity to the next level. The invisible walls, rivers and mountains ranges that the developers use to enclose regions and zone that are under development, are seen purely as challenges. Nothing more than obstacles to be overcome by some players, so they can access these obscure and off map places. There is always the hope that a secret will be discovered therein.
I wrote a recently about the abandoned graveyard near Bree and how it’s an example of a storyline that was dropped from the final release of Shadows of Angmar. Over its ten-year lifespan, LOTRO has gained several test areas as well as locations for quest lines that have been omitted from the game. Often these are behind obstacles or hidden from direct line of sight. I'm sure many of you may be familiar with the infamous (and now totally inaccessible) hidden hobbit village, west of the Ered Luin gate. There was a time when such places could be reached quite easily but over the years the Devs have taken steps to put them out of reach. Posts on the official forums, referencing going "off map" are closed promptly and such activities are discouraged.
Initially, back in the day of the Isengard test program, participants were encouraged by Turbine to test the maps boundaries and log any faults. This policy was never formally extended to the live servers. However, players being the curious bunch that they are, have naturally continued to do so and a sub culture has built up around it. Thus, there are players who will try and go anywhere, if it is possible, regardless of the complexity. I’ve heard of complex sequences of jumping that can take hours. Yet, the practice of going "off map" is not without consequence. Characters straying into these areas can become permanently stuck. There have also been instances of such incursions affecting the servers and localised roll backs having to be carried out.
Despite the dangers and the risk of incurring the wrath of Standing Stone Games, players still continue to explore the game environment to the full. Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of such activities, it certainly makes for some very interesting screen captures and provides a new insight into the games development. I have collated a small collection of “off map” images. None of these screen captures were taken by myself and due to the controversial nature of such activities, I will not credit the sources. I am simply referencing information that is publicly available on the internet and am not endorsing one way or the other, the practice of going "off map".
Contracting Out Work in LOTRO
I recently decided to focus upon crafting on my new Hunter. I’ve opted for the explorer professions on this character as refining raw material is always a good way of making in-game gold. However, over recent weeks I’ve focused on levelling and have not processed any wood or ore from the various zones that I worked through. Thus, last week I found myself in Eregion and I couldn’t mine any of the ore nodes or gather timber. If I wanted to progress, I had to consider the following options. I could return to the starter zones and farm the resources I needed then process them, unlocking the next levels. Or I could buy what stocks of wood and ore that I required from the auction house and again work through the crafting tiers. The first option didn’t really appeal to me and the second was dependent on stock levels of various resources on Auction House. So, after some thought I decided the best alternative was to contract out the gathering work.
I recently decided to focus upon crafting on my new Hunter. I’ve opted for the explorer professions on this character as refining raw material is always a good way of making in-game gold. However, over recent weeks I’ve focused on levelling and have not processed any wood or ore from the various zones that I worked through. Thus, last week I found myself in Eregion and I couldn’t mine any of the ore nodes or gather timber. If I wanted to progress, I had to consider the following options. I could return to the starter zones and farm the resources I needed then process them, unlocking the next levels. Or I could buy what stocks of wood and ore that I required from the auction house and again work through the crafting tiers. The first option didn’t really appeal to me and the second was dependent on stock levels of various resources on Auction House. So, after some thought I decided the best alternative was to contract out the gathering work.
Laurelin is a busy role-play server with a lot of new players. Many of whom are time rich and gold poor. The hyperinflation you’ll find in a decade old MMO, put’s new players at a disadvantage. As a longtime LOTRO player the one thing I do have is substantial gold reserves. Let it suffice to say that after a quick conversation in the trade channel, I secure three eager players who were happy to go to the various zones and farm ore, wood and hides for me. Within an evening, I had sufficient materials to unlock all processing tiers I required. The cost was 300 gold and a few class specific items that I had been stock piling for exactly such an occasion. The players I contracted went away content as they felt that they had been adequately rewarded and had gained XP while farming for me. All round, it was a “win, win” situation.
Having played LOTRO for years, although I still find a lot of the game’s arbitrary tasks enjoyable, some can be a little tedious. However, I must admit I had a lot of fun arranging this recent outsourcing of work. It reminded me of the halcyon days of LOTRO when raiding was still a big thing. I used to buy morale and power potions when they were cheap and then sell them high over the weekend when people would play through group content. I always found auction house speculation an amusing mini game and suspect that regular contracting out of gathering tasks may serve a similar purpose. Furthermore, isn’t this a classic example of so-called “emergent content” that stems from player interaction in MMOs? Although there may be a few purists who frown on such activities, I think you have to take your pleasures, where you find them, be it in LOTRO or any other MMO.
Sniper Elite 4
I first discovered the Sniper Elite franchise back in 2014, when Steam gave away free keys for Volume 2 as part of a promotion. I enjoyed the game so much I purchased all the available DLC. Having regularly played both Call of Duty and Battlefield, it was a pleasant change at the time, for a game to be set during World War II. Later that year I bought, Sniper Elite 3, as it offered a far more polished gaming experience, compared to earlier instalments. Furthermore, the story was set in North Africa; a theatre of war that is often neglected in multimedia. Although the plot was somewhat arbitrary, Sniper Elite 3, like its predecessor, still offered an immersive gaming experience with an emphasis on situational awareness and stealth. The franchise has never been about “running and gunning” and favours the patient and methodical player.
I first discovered the Sniper Elite franchise back in 2014, when Steam gave away free keys for Volume 2 as part of a promotion. I enjoyed the game so much I purchased all the available DLC. Having regularly played both Call of Duty and Battlefield, it was a pleasant change at the time, for a game to be set during World War II. Later that year I bought, Sniper Elite 3, as it offered a far more polished gaming experience, compared to earlier instalments. Furthermore, the story was set in North Africa; a theatre of war that is often neglected in multimedia. Although the plot was somewhat arbitrary, Sniper Elite 3, like its predecessor, still offered an immersive gaming experience with an emphasis on situational awareness and stealth. The franchise has never been about “running and gunning” and favours the patient and methodical player.
This spring saw the release of Sniper Elite 4 which offers yet another refined and improved version of the game. The action this time is set in Italy, leading up the Allied Invasion. Like the previous three games, Sniper Elite 4 is based around completing a series of missions through stealth, sniping and guerrilla tactics. The x-ray killcam is still present in all its gory glory, as well as the option to set booby traps. The weapons are authentic and varied. Customisations are unlocked by progress and there’s a rudimentary skills tree. However, developer Rebellion, have made two significant changes. The maps are now much larger and have an open world format. Objectives can be done in any order. Furthermore, climbing now plays a bigger role in the game, allowing a greater use of the environment.
Where Call of Duty goes to great length to offer players a complex narrative in campaign mode, Sniper Elite has always favoured a more simplistic approach. That’s not to say the story driving the game is bad, as it is not. It just not anything special. The character animations are effectively motion captured and the voice acting is adequate. It’s the gameplay experience that generates the excitement and fun. At times Sniper Elite 4 feels like a virtual sixties war movie. The music cues are well timed and certainly increase the tension as you stalk your prey. Conversely, if you make a mistake and blow your cover, the ambient atmosphere really creates a sense of fear. Remember this is a game where the enemy will triangulate your position if you fire more than three shots from the same place. Also, if you kill a stray guard, don’t forget to hide the body. Unless you want to booby trap it.
Although there are only eight missions to the main campaign, they are substantive, varied and replayable. The maps include such diverse locations as a hillside village, a naval base and an underground factory. With a competent graphics card the game does look rather handsome. There are also more in-depth co-op and multiplayer elements to Sniper Elite 4 that address the campfest problems that featured in earlier versions of the game. Another novel feature is the ability to play through the campaign collaboratively, with another player. I would recommend new players to spend some time at the in-game firing range to test each weapon, before committing to a loadout. The rifles all handle differently and it’s important to find one that suits your style and methodology.
Sniper Elite 4 is a refreshing change of scene and pace for games of this genre. If you approach the game with a traditional FPS mentality then you will often fail the missions and not experience the best elements of the game. There are still bugs here and there with some of the gunshot ballistics being over powered. Vehicle and enemy AI is sometimes questionable and you may find yourself raising the difficulty setting to overcome them. However, biding one’s time can still provide great game play experiences. Luring enemies into a booby-trapped chokepoint can be especially satisfying. Plus, the new melee stealth kills are great fun. However, I still get a big kick out of long range rifle shots while masking the gunfire with environmental noise. My best Ghost kill is 239 metres.
Overall Sniper Elite 4 is a superior third person stealth game due to its atmosphere, tactical elements and nominal sandbox approach. This latest instalment is certainly the best version of the game to date. Developers Rebellion have successfully improved both its performance and accessibility, very much like CD Projekt Red have refined The Witcher series. Sniper Elite 4 at times reminds me of Hidden and Dangerous 2, which is a game I hold in high esteem. As I previously mentioned, the game draws heavily from big budget sixties and seventies war movies. Think Where Eagles Dare, Operation Crossbow and The Guns of Navarone. Sniper Elite 4 exudes these sorts of vibes. If you’re feeling quite adventurous, try playing while listening to the soundtrack of a classic war movie as it really adds to the game play.
Games We Cannot Play
I have written in the past about how certain games can be very appealing conceptually but the reality is quite different. Often the fundamental disappointment doesn't lie with the game itself but with our inability to play them. For me the Battlefield franchise is a prime example of this and more recently For Honor. The trailers for these games are frenetic, focusing on action and spectacle. The associated marketing certainly sells the idea of “awesome action”. Sadly, my personal experience of Battlefield has usually been running across an inordinately large map, only to arrive at the hot spot to get one-shotted. As for the planes, helicopters and vehicles; I can't fly them or drive them effectively so team mates tend to abandon me. I can only describe my experience in For Honor as being a flesh piñata for other players. The fun experience depicted in the advertising was as elusive as a good, odd numbered Star Trek movie.
I have written in the past about how certain games can be very appealing conceptually but the reality is quite different. Often the fundamental disappointment doesn't lie with the game itself but with our inability to play them. For me the Battlefield franchise is a prime example of this and more recently For Honor. The trailers for these games are frenetic, focusing on action and spectacle. The associated marketing certainly sells the idea of “awesome action”. Sadly, my personal experience of Battlefield has usually been running across an inordinately large map, only to arrive at the hot spot to get one-shotted. As for the planes, helicopters and vehicles; I can't fly them or drive them effectively so team mates tend to abandon me. I can only describe my experience in For Honor as being a flesh piñata for other players. The fun experience depicted in the advertising was as elusive as a good, odd numbered Star Trek movie.
This is one of the reasons I gave up on EVE Online after a fortnight free trial. I simply could not progress in the game through a lack of skill and a chronic tolerance and patience deficit. With other game genres such as first person shooters or massive online battle arenas, I broadly have the same lack of success. Often with titles such as Overwatch and Guardians of Middle-earth it boils down to twitch gaming. Sadly, this is the prerogative of youth. For someone my age, by the time I’ve adjusted my Pince-nez, taken a sip of Madeira and pondered on the matter in hand, I find that I’ve been defeated. And don’t even get me started on flight simulators. What could possibly be cooler than flying a classic warplane or an iconic commercial airliner? Yet the complexity of such titles is beyond me. Nope, with the best will in the world, these sorts of games are not for me. As Harry Callahan said in Magnum Force, "A man's got to know his limitations".
I think most gamers of sound mind eventually arrive at a similar conclusion. Through trial and error, we establish what we can and cannot play. There are a few alleged renaissance men and women that claim otherwise, although most of these are delusional. As for those who genuinely can succeed with all game genres, well they deserve nothing more than a slap for making the rest of us look bad. Yet despite this reality, as humans we like to occasionally take leave of our senses and buy a game that’s sale that we have no hope in hell of succeeding at. I did this several years ago when I bought Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition for the PC. In my defense one of the first reviews that I skimmed through described it as "Call of Duty takes to the skies". At the time my first play through was a dismal failure and I didn’t reach the end. This weekend, I dusted off Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition for round two.
In many respects the CoD analogy is quite accurate. The game has a scaled back control system for the various planes and helicopters and is designed to be used with a game controller. The central campaign storyline is like Modern Warfare in so far as it has a generic World War III narrative filled with caricatures. There's then co-op and multiplayer online missions to be played in various permutations. The thing is, even with the game difficulty dropped to the lowest setting, I still found controlling the planes exceptionally taxing. At one point, I felt I may gain better results if I put a bag over my head and trusted to luck. It took hours before I realised that the on-screen messages that I was berating for blocking my view, were giving me hints. Upon taking the advice there was a significant improvement. However, I still found myself struggling with such things as orientation and situational awareness. For a second time, I have abandoned Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition only half completed.
It's an odd thing, coming to terms with the fact that there are some games that just aren't for you. We quickly learn while growing up that we can't be good at everything in life. Music, art, academia or sport are not for everyone. By and large we get over these things. Well, most of us do. Furthermore, we adapt. If you can't hold a tune, it’s no big deal. If you find yourself in a situation that requires you to sing, just mime. Half your church congregation does this regularly. Not especially good at sports? No worries; you can still enjoy them on TV and your lack of ability certainly is no impediment to being an armchair expert. But the notion that you can't be good at a game is troubling to some. I wonder exactly how many titles fill the average gamer's library that remain uncompleted, abandoned and forgotten; due to the realisation that they were crap at playing them? I’d hazard a guess it’s far more common place than you think.
LOTRO 10th Anniversary: Remembering LOTRO Part 1
On Monday 22nd December 2008, I visited the Game store at Colliers Wood, South West London. I was working at St George’s Hospital in Tooting the time at and the nearby shopping centre was an ideal place to spend the lunch hour. As I perused the shelves in the PC gaming section, I spotted a “compilation pack” that contained not only the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online but it’s recently released expansion pack, Mines of Moria. Although I was aware of the MMO genre at the time, I had never played one beyond a trial of Star Wars: Galaxies. However, as I had recently moved and was living alone, I was in the perfect position to start playing such a game. So, I decided to take the plunge and buy LOTRO for the bargain price of twenty pounds. There was also a sizeable display for World of Warcraft in the shop, which was by far the market leader at the time. Yet because I’ve always been a Tolkien fan, I just naturally gravitated toward buying LOTRO and it never crossed my mind to buy another product.
On Monday 22nd December 2008, I visited the Game store at Colliers Wood, South West London. I was working at St George’s Hospital in Tooting the time at and the nearby shopping centre was an ideal place to spend the lunch hour. As I perused the shelves in the PC gaming section, I spotted a “compilation pack” that contained not only the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online but it’s recently released expansion pack, Mines of Moria. Although I was aware of the MMO genre at the time, I had never played one beyond a trial of Star Wars: Galaxies. However, as I had recently moved and was living alone, I was in the perfect position to start playing such a game. So, I decided to take the plunge and buy LOTRO for the bargain price of twenty pounds. There was also a sizeable display for World of Warcraft in the shop, which was by far the market leader at the time. Yet because I’ve always been a Tolkien fan, I just naturally gravitated toward buying LOTRO and it never crossed my mind to buy another product.
I installed and started playing the game that very night. It should be noted that the European version of LOTRO was distributed and administered under license by Codemasters at the time. So, I set up a subscription and on a whim decided to create my first character on Gilrain server, which met my language and social requirements. Having spent some time reading about the various classes in LOTRO, I can remember now that I was still a little confused by it all. Yet there was something about the Lore-master that just seemed to appeal to me. Perhaps it was the pets, or its semi-magical status. Although I wasn’t that au fait with control classes, I found the explanation of how the Lore-master fought intriguing. “The Lore-master uses his knowledge of ancient wisdom to stave off the advance of the shadow for a time. He can use his knowledge to attack his foes or to treat the wounds and suffering of his companions. He can even communicate with animals and request their aid”.
Let it suffice to say that the tutorial quickly got my orientated in the game. Having been a gamer prior to LOTRO, meant that the learning curve was not so steep. The other advantage I benefitted from by playing LOTRO at this particular time, eighteen months after its launch, was that there was a wealth of online resources for the game already in place. This proved invaluable because things were pretty different in LOTRO back in late 2008. For example, the location of quest objectives were not directly marked on the map. The quest bestowal details usually referred to a specific area which you then had to find and search. Sometimes this would be a very intuitive process but from time to time there would be frustration. Thus, fan sites and blog would often have map coordinates to aid this process. Obtaining a mount was also a challenge. A player didn’t become eligible to purchase a horse until level 35. It also cost a tidy sum of gold and was dependent on a somewhat convoluted quest.
Looking back now at these early days of LOTRO, the most pronounced difference was the fact that much of the game was designed to be completed in a group or fellowship. The Epic storyline frequently had group content as did a percentage of the regional quests. Zone chat was filled with requests for fellowships. Yet because of the volume of players in the game and that fact that Middle-earth had not yet grown to the size that it has now, finding a group was never an issue. There was also a prevailing sense of camaraderie. If a random stranger sent you a tell, you’d more than likely answer it. For the most part, the game was populated by mature Tolkien fans and as a result, things remained mainly civil. Plus, the concept of multiplayer gaming was still novel.
It took me nine months of to reach the then level cap of sixty. That meant playing most evenings and investing a considerable amount of time into LOTRO. There were occasions over weekends where I’d spend a whole day playing. There were also plenty of late nights, although I never did this at the expense of my personal life or work. However, let me be clear, LOTRO at the time became my primary means of entertainment and therefore I was happy to lavish it with attention. As I’m not the sort of player to experiment with multiple alts, this time was exclusively invested into my Lore-master. Lore-master crowd control skills were a key part of group play back then, so I found myself regularly grouping. As a result, friendships were formed and eventually I found the right kinship for me. Eight years on I’m still an active member of it.
Kinships always have been the heart and soul of LOTRO. They come in many shapes and sizes, catering to all types of gameplay. Yet they all have mutual support and friendship in common. What I particularly like about my kinship is its diversity and inherent good humour. It includes people from all over Europe and various walks of life. As a result, interacting with such a cross section of people has been a very positive experience and has certainly broadened my horizons. Then of course there’s the community outside of the game itself. The bloggers, podcasters, streamers and such like. Many are still active today but seven or eight years ago the scene was much bigger and very lively. Because of that community I changed my existing website to a LOTRO blog and instantly it got traction. LOTRO also inspired me to podcast. I can honestly say I’ve not encountered anything similar in all the subsequent MMOs that I’ve experienced.
To be continued.
The Geography of LOTRO: Part 3 Filling in the Gaps
I would like to once again return to the matter of the geography of Middle Earth. David Braben, co-creator of seminal video game Elite, called truly open-ended game design and sandbox gaming environments "The Holy Grail" of modern video gaming. He cited games like Elite and the Grand Theft Auto series as early steps in that direction. For many gamers, the idea of being able to freely roam a virtual world without any deliberate restrictions is a very enticing one. For Tolkien fans, the notion of being given complete freedom of movement throughout Middle Earth would be a dream come true. However, due to the way that LOTRO has been designed, Standing Stone Games vision of Middle Earth, although well-conceived is not such an environment.
I would like to once again return to the matter of the geography of Middle Earth. David Braben, co-creator of seminal video game Elite, called truly open-ended game design and sandbox gaming environments "The Holy Grail" of modern video gaming. He cited games like Elite and the Grand Theft Auto series as early steps in that direction. For many gamers, the idea of being able to freely roam a virtual world without any deliberate restrictions is a very enticing one. For Tolkien fans, the notion of being given complete freedom of movement throughout Middle Earth would be a dream come true. However, due to the way that LOTRO has been designed, Standing Stone Games vision of Middle Earth, although well-conceived is not such an environment.
The latest stable map for LOTRO shows all the various regions that currently feature in the game. Furthermore, the map highlights a significant amount of Middle-earth that does not at present exist within the MMORPG. This includes areas in Eriador such as The Grey Havens, The South Farthing and Tharbad. When looking across the Misty Mountains to Rhovanion, even more noteworthy locations are conspicuously absent. Esgaroth, Mount Gundabad and The Iron Hills spring to mind. Until recently, LOTRO players and Tolkien aficionados have just written off these missing territories. Their omission is due to the realities of developing an MMO, set in a vast Lore filled world. However, more recently new developers Standing Stone Games have indicated that they have a game plan beyond the scope of the book and that there is a possibility of many “blanks” being filled in at a later date.
In the past, Turbine have taken a very practical approach to the way they have developed Middle Earth. The areas that have been included are all there to underpin the story. Regional quest hubs facilitate players advancement, then migrate them to new locations via the narrative. The game mechanic is heavily orientated towards playing through certain areas at specific levels. Simply put, any part of Middle Earth that does not have any relevance to the ongoing epic storyline has been somewhat ignored. Although, there are plenty of explorer deeds to be completed in each area, Turbine never really intended to make the game weighted towards players who simply wished to wander through Middle Earth. Due to the levelling mechanic and region phasing, you cannot simply travel from Ered Luin to Mirkwood just exploring.
Despite these restriction, there is still much to see in LOTRO and clearing regional quest is no guarantee of seeing all that Middle Earth has to offer. If you have a curious nature there are still many nooks and crannies to explore and little embellishments that the developers have added through their love of the source text. There are also scattered around Middle Earth, hidden villages that were created in the early devlopement of the game which were then removed from the final release. In the early days of LOTRO these could still be accessed but it would appear that Turbine have sealed these off now. One example was the hidden Hobbit villages, West of the Shire. There was another on the Western bank of Lake Evendim.
With LOTRO’s increased focus on themed festivals such as Winter-home and new events such as the treasure hunt, there is an opportunity to utilise these vacant areas of Middle Earth. Frostbluff for example seems to be located between Northern Ered Luin and Western Forochel. Furthermore the appearance of new locations and settlements can often now be spotted in advance of these areas being made available. Northcottons farms and Stoneheights were both copiously documented and discussed prior to Update 2 going live.
Although I very much enjoy the world that Turbine, now Standing Stone Games has created, I still find it a little saddening that there are some locations in Middle Earth that I cannot get a chance to visit and discover at present. For instance I would very much like to visit the Elf Towers to the West of The Shire. Whenever I am confronted with a barrier, be it a gate, a convenient range of mountains or cliff face, I always try to look beyond it. I am always curious to know how much landmass the developers actually created. I recently travelled to the South Farthing gate and by adjusting the camera perspective tried to see as much as what was beyond it. The view is very tantalising. In a true sandbox environment the road beyond would ultimately wind a path all the way down to Enedwaith.
As a gamer, I would like to see an MMO that allowed a player to choose a non-combat class and to simply be able to travel, explore, trade and move on again. It would be engaging to find quests and deeds specifically created around such characters, out in the wider world. Placing items or information in obscure locations could be an interesting game mechanic. Obviously, with a game such as LOTRO that now has an established methodology, the likelihood of adapting this may well be impossible , even if the developers were in favour of it. However, despite the restrictions that exist Standing Stone Games vision of Middle Earth still lends itself to a degree of exploration. New events can potentially open up the world. Narrative freedom beyond the end of text, offers even further opportunity. I think that in the years to come we may yet see many of these missing areas coming to life.
Review Scores
Two stories caught my attention recently, regarding the merits of review scores and the current fetish for review aggregation services. The first was about film director and producer Brett Ratner’s dislike for review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. He contests that “it’s the destruction of our business” due to the way it condenses nuanced reviews into a simple number. Scores below a certain threshold keep “Middle America” away and thus harm business. The other article was about game critic and pundit, Jim Sterling, who gave The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a review score of 7 out of 10. Once this was added to Metacritic’s number crunching formula, the game in question dropped from an overall score of 98 down to 97. Fans did not care for this “outrage” and a DDoS attack followed as well as the usual comment based flame war.
Two stories caught my attention recently, regarding the merits of review scores and the current fetish for review aggregation services. The first was about film director and producer Brett Ratner’s dislike for review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. He contests that “it’s the destruction of our business” due to the way it condenses nuanced reviews into a simple number. Scores below a certain threshold keep “Middle America” away and thus harm business. The other article was about game critic and pundit, Jim Sterling, who gave The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a review score of 7 out of 10. Once this was added to Metacritic’s number crunching formula, the game in question dropped from an overall score of 98 down to 97. Fans did not care for this “outrage” and a DDoS attack followed as well as the usual comment based flame war.
Both these events got me thinking about difference between long form, detailed criticism and analysis versus the perceived convenience of simple review scores. For me I initially became aware of the difference during the eighties, when reading movie reviews. On one hand, you had old school critics such as Derek Malcolm writing lengthy critiques in the broadsheet newspapers and on the other tabloids that adopted the Siskel and Ebert approach of “two thumbs up”. The former approach to criticism allows for detailed analysis and eschews binary breakdowns. A movie (or a game) is more than just good or bad. The latter style of review, offers readers a simple and quick opinion and thus an opportunity to make a similar choice. Both methodologies have their merits but it would seem that contemporary culture is leaning more towards the review score. It fits the current “spirit”of our digital age.
Personally, I’ve always preferred an in-depth written post that clearly critiques a games merits and flaws. I favour the same approach to movie reviews, as I think that such artistic endeavours cannot adequately be distilled into a numerical breakdown. However, I fully recognise how the review score system has gained traction due to its accessibility and immediacy. Convenience is the buzz word of modern life. Reading an in-depth review takes time and thought. Both are finite commodities these days. Plus, the review score has become an important marketing tool and something that with regard to games, does have an impact upon sales. Sadly, it’s a system that can also be manipulated by the publishers themselves. It is this aspect that tarnishes the review score system and brings score aggregation services into disrepute.
There have been numerous cases in recent years of bogus reviews being used to skew opinion on sites such as Amazon, Trivago and Trip Advisor. You Tube has also become a battle ground of late, with game developers using bogus copyright infringement and other spurious claims to try and take down reviews and criticism that can potentially harm sales. The need to own and control all information regarding a product, has become a common place business aspiration in certain circles. Fans also contribute to this problem, seeing low reviews scores as personal attacks rather than measured criticism. But when you reduce something that is complex to the binary, there is bound to be fallout and dissent. Our societies move away from academia to the fallacy of “all opinions are of equal merit” is also a factor.
Review scores ultimately have an impact upon the way products are made. Movies and games are effectively being conceived and created to meet the criteria of the review score systems, rather than to innovate and push boundaries. Mainstream artistic endeavour has always been tempered with the practicalities of commercial interest but we now seem to be entering an age when new products are genuinely hampered by the need to meet ever increasing marketing requirements. Sooner or later there will be a backlash against the inflexibility of the review score system and potentially a crash within the gaming market. In the meantime, I would encourage all to offset the scores from Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes with lengthier reviews, be they written or video based. Although time is at a premium these days, the old maxim about knowledge being power, still holds true. Therefore it is always to the consumers advantage to know as much about a product as they can.
First Contact Day
Star Trek Online is an MMO that likes an event. They have numerous scheduled over the course of the year. The latest is to celebrate First Contact Day (5th April), when Humans and Vulcans first met on Earth. The event takes place at the Zefram Cochrane Memorial and Historical Museum and participants are tasked with building their own replica Phoenix ship. To build an effective vessel, players have to search the immediate vicinity for engine, hull and stabiliser parts. These vary in quality following the games standard colour coding system. Thus, in theory, purple colour parts will perform better. Once the Phoenix replicas are assembled, they are launched simultaneously, with the winner being the one that reaches the highest altitude.
Star Trek Online is an MMO that likes an event. They have numerous scheduled over the course of the year. The latest is to celebrate First Contact Day (5th April), when Humans and Vulcans first met on Earth. The event takes place at the Zefram Cochrane Memorial and Historical Museum and participants are tasked with building their own replica Phoenix ship. To build an effective vessel, players have to search the immediate vicinity for engine, hull and stabiliser parts. These vary in quality following the games standard colour coding system. Thus, in theory, purple colour parts will perform better. Once the Phoenix replicas are assembled, they are launched simultaneously, with the winner being the one that reaches the highest altitude.
As ever with STO, events run over a fixed period and can be played once every twenty hours. There is a reward at the end that requires a fixed number of vouchers to be handed in. Players receive both a voucher and a choice of rep marks each time the participate. Yet despite the competitive framing of the event and the mechanic involving variable part quality, the outcome is actually random. Phoenix replicas with blue and green parts frequently outperform those with purple parts. Furthermore, your place in the race results table has no impact upon the number of rep marks you receive as a reward. In fact, some players simply elect to join the event and then go AFK during its short duration. I tried this myself today, collecting no parts for my Phoenix. Although I came last I still got the event voucher and full rep marks of my choice, for doing nothing.
I don’t claim to be the most driven MMO player and do not like events or activities with excessive complex criteria. Yet even I balk at this situation that Cryptic has created. An event that allows you to simply sit and wait rather than participate is certainly ill-conceived. Plus, the random nature of the outcome totally contradicts the competitive aspect that the event implies. At least ensure that the quality of the parts that you use does have an actual bearing on race results. First Contact Day is only a six-day event, so it won’t remain a bone of contention for long but as a player of STO I don’t wish to see its flaws perpetuated in any future activities. Perhaps Cryptic will learn from this situation and tweak the event for next year, making it more equitable and removing the AFK flaw.
Labels
Because I play PC games as one of my leisure activities, that apparently makes me a “gamer”. I find this curious because I also like to read books, yet no one seems to be in a hurry to call me a “reader”. So I thought it would be interesting to explore this matter further. For convenience sake let’s just call this post a discussion about labels. It’s a subject I’ve written about before but I wish to return to because I think it is something that is becoming more pervasive in contemporary culture.
Because I play PC games as one of my leisure activities, that apparently makes me a “gamer”. I find this curious because I also like to read books, yet no one seems to be in a hurry to call me a “reader”. So I thought it would be interesting to explore this matter further. For convenience sake let’s just call this post a discussion about labels. It’s a subject I’ve written about before but I wish to return to because I think it is something that is becoming more pervasive in contemporary culture.
We live in a world where everything is quantified and measured. By doing so we can create a frame of reference and strive to understand the world we live in. Therefore I do not find myself at odds with labels such as Humbolt Squid, Tsunami or Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They are functional and serve a clear purpose. Marcus Aurelius perhaps said it best in his book Meditations (Book 8, Meditiation 10). This quote was subsequently paraphrased by Doctor Hannibal Lector in the novel The Silence of the Lambs.
This, what is it in itself, and by itself, according to its proper constitution? What is the substance of it? What is the matter, or proper use? What is the form, or efficient cause? What is it for in this world, and how long will it abide? Thus must thou examine all things that present themselves unto thee.
However there are many other kinds of labelling, some of which are not so transparent or benign. We are continuously pigeon holed by the government, business and the press. We even do it ourselves at a conscious and sub-conscious level. Society is based around defining and quantifying its respective members. Wealth, politics, class, ethnicity, sexual preference, intelligence, faith (or the absence of it) are some of the ways in which we are all categorised. These factors and others shape how we interact with the world, how we pick our friends and who we choose to love.
Now my concern over the use of labels is not just arbitrary. I am not offended because they tend to generalise. You won’t hear me say “You don’t know me, man. I’m more complex than that”. Quite the opposite, I think that my personality can be quite easily distilled, delineated and analysed. Furthermore, I can probably correctly predict the results. No my primary objection to systematic labelling is that its frequently a blunt tool and often used for the wrong reasons. In many respects it is the proverbial sledgehammer to crack a Walnut. As a result its can often be erroneous.
As I like gaming and have been labelled such, many third parties will subsequently assume that I like other “similar” pastimes. Amazon frequently tries to make appropriate recommendations based upon my purchases. Unfortunately, it has no means to determine if I am purchasing for myself or others, which I frequently do. So, if this data is extrapolated, it may well result in a profile that is far from the truth. Plus we currently live in a very binary world were thinking has taken a back seat. If you are labelled one thing, many people are happy to leap to the conclusion that you are a dozen other similar things as well, regardless of whether you are.
Now some folk like labels. A lot of my fellow bloggers, podcasters and such like will happily embrace words like Nerd and Geek. They see them as non-threatening terms which identifies where their passions lie. I’ve personally never liked them as they were originally pejorative terms meant to cause upset and offence. To me they’ve never lost that taint and I’m not sure if they’ve been reclaimed in the way that some like to think. Overall I feel that they are mainly marketing terms. However, the fact remains that some people like that sense of belonging and community that can be associated by certain labels. I guess it doesn’t have to be a negative thing all the time. I just feel if we must deal with such terms of classification, why not define them ourselves?
I still cleave to somewhat old fashioned notions such as a person being defined by their actions. You can label me white, British, middle-aged, gamer, drinker and a host of other terms that are all factually correct. However what do these labels say about me overall? Not a lot really. If you got access to a full psychological profile of me and the list of terms that were used, then that may well provide a fuller picture. However, such data is seldom available, so society tends to fall back on these more nebulous nuggets of information. Most of the time the only details we have at our disposal is superficial and non- contextual. That means that being labelled a “gamer” really doesn’t say much except play to some peoples prejudice.
So there you have it. There’s my beef with non-scientific labelling. More often than not it has no real relevance and the only people who favour it, are either those who want to sell you something, or have an axe to grind. It is the latter group who willoften be most eager to place one round your neck.
Politics and Gaming
I watched an interesting video on You Tube recently, exploring the perennial subject of “politics in gaming”. Produced by the Extra Credit, who specialise in video games studies, it succinctly points out that it is impossible to remove any sort of political input from creative content. However, this is not a universally held point of view. The recent release of Mass Effect: Andromeda has seen a lot of discussion regarding whether politics and political agendas negatively impact upon game development. This has ranged from measured debate about inclusivity and representation to diatribes about how “feminazis” are “ruining gaming”.
I watched an interesting video on You Tube recently, exploring the perennial subject of “politics in gaming”. Produced by the Extra Credits, who specialise in video games studies, it succinctly points out that it is impossible to remove any sort of political input from creative content. However, this is not a universally held point of view. The recent release of Mass Effect: Andromeda has seen a lot of discussion regarding whether politics and political agendas negatively impact upon game development. This has ranged from measured debate about inclusivity and representation to diatribes about how “feminazis” are “ruining gaming”.
Two years ago, John Bain AKA Total Biscuit, British gaming commentator and critic on YouTube, made a series of tweets about the effects that mixing politics and gaming may have. He stated that "injecting politics into fiction is naturally exclusionary and in my view regressive". It was a bold statement if nothing else. He further went on to say “we're going to be inclusive by naturally antagonizing people with different ideas? We'll you're rubbish at being inclusive then”. However, he ignored the obvious fact that you face exactly the same dilemma if you try not to be exclusionary. Wilfully ignoring politics and maintaining a bland status quo will inevitably lead to a minority or fringe group feeling marginalised. It would appear that sitting on the fence doesn’t forestall the problems associated with picking a side.
Introducing overt or even oblique political subtexts into a game is potentially exclusionary but that is not unique to politics per se. There are many other factors associated with game development that can be a stumbling block to some players. Game mechanics such as permadeath, art design and even the business model can all have a similar effect. There is no such thing as a catch-all product that is universally appealing. It is a mythical Holy Grail. Games like music, books and movies are pitched at specific markets. These can be broad or niche but there is seldom any universal consensus. In fact, I’d say the world we inhabit both on and offline is more fragmented than ever before. The reality of the situation is that genres, styles and idioms are exclusionary by their very definition.
The concept of the apolitical game has been a regular and persistent rallying cry over the years. It is founded on the benign notion of keeping games free from real world issues and ideologies. Thus, the gaming environment becomes accommodating to all. However, I do not think this is actually achievable or even desirable. Many academics and thinkers have argued that nothing is truly apolitical. To try and purge such themes from games is itself a political act. I also question the motives of some of those who lobby for apolitical gaming. Is it really about creating a safe neutral zone or simply eliminating the inclusion of ideas and concepts that some do not like?
Some of the world’s finest literature and art is based upon political themes or the critiquing of specific dogma. Consider the works or George Orwell, Sergio Leone, Picasso and Johnny Cash. If you don't care for any of these artists, then replace them with ones that you do. You’ll find that they all nail their colours to the mast at some point and if you find someone who doesn’t, the conscious decision they’ve made to be neutral is in fact an act of political choice. As for argument that we shouldn’t seek to antagonise those with differing views in the name of inclusivity, it really does beggar belief. If that is the case Harper Lee patently wasn't considering the needs of racists when she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. Such a mindset is hardly beneficial for creativity.
So, I personally do not reject the idea of allowing politics, social issues and moral conundrums to bleed through into creative work. I do not particularly enjoy obvious political and social hectoring in gaming, preferring a subtle approach rather than being belaboured with an obvious metaphor or plot device. However, that is more of an issue of poor implementation to the detriment of an idea, rather than the idea being bad per se. Ultimately, I think that refuting the inclusion of politics in creative undertaking is a very naive position. It ignores a fundamental truth that we are essentially tribal by nature. Mass appeal based on an apolitical approach simply leads to homogeneity, which doesn't make for good gaming, movies or music etc. As for mainstream games development, isn’t it problematic enough at present, without making it duller?
Super Mario Run
Super Mario Run is now available for Android smartphones, so I thought I’d show willing and check it out. Despite Nintendo’s shockingly inane business decisions in recent years and their dogged determination to still approach the video games market as if it were still the nineties, I like many others still have a degree of good will towards them due to their franchises. So, I downloaded the game from the Google Play Store to find that, despite it’s free moniker, it is effectively a trial. Players get access World Tour, Toad Rally, and Kingdom Builder modes, with a selection of courses. The full game requires a single in-app purchase of $9.99 after which there are no further micro-transactions.
Super Mario Run is now available for Android smartphones, so I thought I’d show willing and check it out. Despite Nintendo’s shockingly inane business decisions in recent years and their dogged determination to still approach the video games market as if it were still the nineties, I like many others still have a degree of good will towards them due to their franchises. So, I downloaded the game from the Google Play Store to find that, despite it’s free moniker, it is effectively a trial. Players get access World Tour, Toad Rally, and Kingdom Builder modes, with a selection of courses. The full game requires a single in-app purchase of $9.99 after which there are no further micro-transactions.
Essentially, Super Mario Run is an automatic running game that uses simple touch controls to perform various types of aerial acrobatics. You can increase the size Mario's jump, delay the following fall and ricochet off enemies to reach inaccessible areas. The game utilises the screen relatively well, so I didn’t find my view obscured by my own finger and hand. However, the game also hinges on the basic mechanic of Mario’s continuous forward movement. Although it is easy in principle to grasp what needs to be done to successfully navigate the game environment, the skill lies in pulling it off.
Super Mario Run is a moderately fun return to the Mushroom Kingdom, yet it inherently lacks any major new wow factor. We’re still fighting the same trash mobs and bosses in the same old fashion. The levels designs are novel but the game seems to have one foot in the past. Now I know that nostalgia is a driving factor here and that fans expect to see key elements of the franchise but there is still a need to present a mixture of old and new to engage with players. The game overall feels too much like previous Mario outings and doesn’t make sufficient use of the benefits a mobile platform can provide. I was essentially disappointed with Super Mario Run.
And it would seem that I’m not alone in feeling that way. Although the game has had more than 78 million downloads since its December launch on iOS, only 5 percent of players paid to unlock the game. I was part of that niche group and although it is a relatively small sum of money, the game didn’t really live up to my expectations or provide any real long term value. Perhaps that is the problem. Nintendo are simply hamstrung by the nostalgic mindset of their player base and their own inability to fully embrace mobile platforms to the full. Either way, I think I shall certainly be far more cautious before buying another one of their mobile titles. That’s assuming that they still intend to pursue this particular market.
Update 20: Battle of the Black Gate
Finally, ten years after the launch of LOTRO, we find ourselves outside the Black Gates of Mordor. Dagorlad is the latest zone to feature in Update 20, released today and it’s a stark contrast after the lush and verdant hills of North Ithilien. Yet as ever with LOTRO the new area is beautifully realised and filled with lore references. The fact that we’ve finally arrived before the Morannon and will be entering Mordor in the next expansion, compensates to a degree for the years of unnecessary diversion we’ve endured, with prior zones such as Mirkwood, Enedwaith and Dunland. I make no bones about the fact that I never liked these areas and felt the stories they told were somewhat superfluous. However, that is all behind us now and Mordor awaits.
Finally, ten years after the launch of LOTRO, we find ourselves outside the Black Gates of Mordor. Dagorlad is the latest zone to feature in Update 20, released today and it’s a stark contrast after the lush and verdant hills of North Ithilien. Yet as ever with LOTRO the new area is beautifully realised and filled with lore references. The fact that we’ve finally arrived before the Morannon and will be entering Mordor in the next expansion, compensates to a degree for the years of unnecessary diversion we’ve endured, with prior zones such as Mirkwood, Enedwaith and Dunland. I make no bones about the fact that I never liked these areas and felt the stories they told were somewhat superfluous. However, that is all behind us now and Mordor awaits.
The Epic Story is central to my enjoyment of LOTRO. The developers have always managed to create clever narratives that either reference the source text or allow us to visit the Fellowship via session play. Over the years, this game mechanic has allowed us to play as a Dwarf during the Fall of Moria, as one of the Dead Men from Dunharrow and even as a horse. This time the game excels itself as we get to play as Gollum. Unlike the film adaptations which painted a more tragic picture of Frodo’s nemesis, here he is depicted in a far more sinister, as he sneaks off in to the heart of Cirith Ungol to strike a deal with Shealob. This is a great game event that exudes atmosphere. It’s a shame that a minor foible of the game intruded upon my enjoyment.
### Chat Capture: General 03/21 11:41 PM ###
No Other Way
"Up, up, up the stairs, gollum. Gollum. And then... the tunnel, yes... this way, good hobbitses... yes..."
New Quest: Interlude: No Other Way
Entered the Trade channel.
Entered the LFF channel.
Entered the World channel.
Entered the Trade channel.
Entered the LFF channel.
Entered the World channel.
[Trade] Faelox: 'WTB tome of will 5,6 // WTB sturdy steel key x2'
Screenshot [ScreenShot00052.jpg] saved to disk.
[World] Lucwald: 'you may get attacked for wandering around like a mel gibson super fan from the passion haha'
Frodo says, ''Come on, Sam! We're nearly at the top!''
[World] Calanais: 'do you actually know any muslims ilmate?'
Samwise says, ''I have had my fill of stairs, Mr. Frodo.''
[World] Calanais: 'well yes probably but that was hyperbole'
Frodo says, ''Me too, Sam. Me too.''
Samwise says, ''What was it Gollum said was at the top of the stairs?''
[World] Pren: 'Is it the 10 year Anniversairy this year?'
Frodo says, ''A tunnel, he said.''
[World] Ilmate: 'Dude, I already provided several links. Another guy did the same. I said lets close this subject.'
[World] Asabairn: 'mhm'
Samwise says, ''That's right. I don't much care for tunnels.''
Frodo says, ''The stairs, the tunnel... and Mordor.''
[World] Pren: 'Nice cosmetic pets being realeased then!'
Samwise says, ''Who would have thought we'd make it there, Mr. Frodo?''
[World] Ilmate: 'And yeah, I have several muslim friends.'
Frodo says, ''I think we are almost at the top.''
[World] Colherlus: 'There is always evil in people, race or religion doesn't matter. Even in Middle Earth, so no point arguing.'
Samwise says, ''I can't believe it! At last!''
[World] Calanais: 'friends?'
[World] Morellian: 'the dog is adorable <3'
[World] Gonursua: 'Your links were about as reliable as the National Enquirer.'
Frodo says, ''A tower... there is a tower above the pass.''
Samwise says, ''I don't like the look of that at all.''
[World] Calanais: 'oh so they're not all evil christian killers'
Samwise says, ''Your secret way is guarded after all, Gollum!''
Samwise says, ''I suppose you knew that all along! Leading us into a trap, are you?''
Frodo says, ''He is right, Sam. Every way into Mordor will be watched, in some fashion.''
[World] Ilmate: 'Muslims immigrants that assimilate with another's culture and ideals are a rare breed.'
Frodo says, ''Look, we can rest over here, out of the wind.''
It should be noted that when you enter session play, as you’re playing a unique character, all custom settings of your UI reset to their defaults. Thus, World Chat is enabled. Often when I’m playing through new content there is much to see, so I can at time miss the onscreen dialogue from the NPCs. I therefore re-read this text in the chat window. During a key scene during the Gollum session play I suddenly found text from World Chat appearing in between dialogue from the game. It was disconcerting to say the least and more than a little immersion breaking. I managed to capture the text and you can read it below. The lesson of this story is to load your UI customisations as soon as you start session play, if this sort of thing bothers you. Furthermore, I think the chat log makes a perfect case for avoiding this particular chat channel.
As I mentioned, LOTRO excels at including many minor facets of Professor Tolkien’s source text into the MMO. I read a post recently on BioBreak regarding a quest chain in North Ithilien that ends with Gandalf entering the Morgul Vale and destroying the bridge to Minas Morgul. It is a small aspect of the story and not in any way essential to the overall plot. It is however a fine embellishment to the game. I hadn’t done this particular instance myself and when I checked my quest log, found an unfinished series of quests that led to this event. Needless to say, I completed them and got to experience this interesting vignette myself.
So, for the present, I shall be logging into LOTRO several times a week and slowly working my way through the new content. There’s plenty to do and I am pleased that I prepared for this new zone by upgrading much of the armour and jewellery on my primary character. There are still things that I need to investigate and familiarise myself with, such as the new ore nodes that are available in Dagorlad. They yield some sort of resource that can be converted in to a barter currency. Plus, there is an area of the new map, Dol Acharn, that seems to be inhabited by some sort of wight. Approaching the ruins there causes your character’s morale to deplete very rapidly. I would assume that there is some sort of event associated with this. All these matters can be explored over the weeks to come ensuring that LOTRO continues to be a major part of my leisure time.
Am I a Whale?
Whenever reading about game monetisation, I often come across the term “whale” and their alleged importance to the free-to-play business model. Primarily they seem to be associated with the mobile gaming industry, due to the way the games are constructed. Paying does more than enhance game play, it is required to facilitate it. However, the whale is no stranger to the MMO genre. The proliferation of cash stores, lock boxes and cosmetic customisation means that there’s always something that people want. Furthermore, gaming in many respects can be a more economic form of entertainment compared to others. Therefore, occasional expenditure is often seen as providing value for money. Fans also like to support the developers that create the games that they enjoy, so again spending money is perceived as a positive thing.
Whenever reading about game monetisation, I often come across the term “whale” and their alleged importance to the free-to-play business model. Primarily they seem to be associated with the mobile gaming industry, due to the way the games are constructed. Paying does more than enhance game play, it is required to facilitate it. However, the whale is no stranger to the MMO genre. The proliferation of cash stores, lock boxes and cosmetic customisation means that there’s always something that people want. Furthermore, gaming in many respects can be a more economic form of entertainment compared to others. Therefore, occasional expenditure is often seen as providing value for money. Fans also like to support the developers that create the games that they enjoy, so again spending money is perceived as a positive thing.
I play at present three MMOs. Lord of the Rings Online, The Elder Scrolls Online and Star Trek Online. I subscribe in LOTRO and do not own a life time account. ESO is a buy to play title with an optional sub for access to additional content. At present, I have bought the base game only. STO is the one game in which I bought a life time account. All these titles have in-game stores offering cosmetic or convenience based items. As I’m relatively new to ESO, I’ve yet to determine if the store has anything I desire. In LOTRO, I have bought milestone skills, stat tomes and other items that improve “quality of life”. Beyond these items, I have purchased relatively little, despite receiving a monthly stipend of in-game currency. It is in STO that I have regularly spent the most money, mainly because they sell ships, weapons and equipment.
Over the course of 2016, I spent £143.89 in Star Trek Online buying Zen, one of many in-game currencies. I bought items from the C-Store that I either used, traded or converted into Dilithium. Compared to other games in which I spend very little, this can be seen a large amount. Does this make me a whale? Probably not within the STO community. My primary character in STO is part of the Reddit Alert Fleet and you’ll frequently find other members discussing their relative expenditure in the chat channel. In this fleet you’ll find a lot of high end players who will regularly buy new ships and often in the cross faction bundles. For example, prior to the launch of the Agents of Yesterday expansion, Cryptic marketed the Temporal Agents Pack, featuring a wealth of ships, gear and items. It retailed at the time at £99.99 and I was surprised at how many colleagues bought this.
This picture is tenuously relevant. No clues. You figure it out.
Now regarding my non-whale status in STO, it should be noted that I spent a further £153.83 via the “grey” market. Bringing my total spend over the year to nearly £300. To put that number in to context, that averages out to broadly £6 per week. A comparable cost to coffee, sandwiches or beer. It is also unlikely that I will spend a similar amount of money on STO this year. I have maxed out my primary character and a lot of the items I’ve bought, are available account wide. However, what I think this minor analysis proves is that, if I deem it viable, I will spend money in a game. Therefore, I may well invest in another game at a future date if it suits my needs to do so. Considering that in most F2P games, the majority of the player base spend nothing, maybe I do have Cetacean tendencies after all. According to research 46% of all revenue comes from .22% of player base. If I am part of that group, all I can say is “Thar she blows of the starboard bow!”.
What’s My Name Again?
A few Weeks ago, I created a new Dwarf Hunter in LOTRO and started playing through the game from scratch. Why? Because I wanted to. As ever with MMOs that have been around for a while, all the best names are taken. I spent at least thirty minutes trying various names that I had planned in advance. All were conspicuous by their absence, including Burton, which really irked me. I remember having a similar experience trying to secure a suitable name during the WildStar beta. I wanted Brother Numpsay but it was not available, so I had to settle for Captain Queeg. I guess WildStar players are more conversant with Eddie Murphy than Herman Wouk. But I digress. I ended up calling my new Dwarf Hunter Gryg, as a homage to a character in the film The Last Starfighter.
A few Weeks ago, I created a new Dwarf Hunter in LOTRO and started playing through the game from scratch. Why? Because I wanted to. As ever with MMOs that have been around for a while, all the best names are taken. I spent at least thirty minutes trying various names that I had planned in advance. All were conspicuous by their absence, including Burton, which really irked me. I remember having a similar experience trying to secure a suitable name during the WildStar beta. I wanted Brother Numpsay but it was not available, so I had to settle for Captain Queeg. I guess WildStar players are more conversant with Eddie Murphy than Herman Wouk. But I digress. I ended up calling my new Dwarf Hunter Gryg, as a homage to a character in the film The Last Starfighter.
Well to cut a long story I want to change the name. However, this come with a cost, as you would expect in a MMO with a hybrid free-to-play business model. In this case a rename token is 995 LOTRO points. That works out at a little over £10, which I thought was a little steep for correcting a minor nominative error. So as I had recently received my monthly stipend of 500 points, I foolishly decided to grind out the remaining 495 required to purchase the token. Man alive, was that a mistake. Grinding slayer deeds is exquisitely tiresome and time consuming. I eventually ended up switching to my primary level cap character and mopping up a few residual deeds to speed the process along.
Earlier today, I found that I had earned sufficient LOTRO points that I could go ahead and buy the rename token. Here’s a useful tip. As soon as you purchase the token, it immediately opens a rename window. I was expecting an item in my bag that was manually used. However regardless of this somewhat peremptory message, you do not have to use the rename immediately, especially if you are still considering names. You can cancel the window and access it again at a more convenient time from your Alerts window. So I logged out of the game, to start drafting a new list of prospective names. I also logged back in to make sure nothing screwed up, which it hasn’t. I like to be thorough.
Now as I’m a community orientated and socially inclined individual, I thought I would consider reader suggestions for Gryg’s new name, before making a final choice. So if you have any witty ideas, then feel free to leave a comment here or on Twitter. I’ll wait until the end of the week and see what sort of results we have. If a suitable name is suggested than I’ll use it and take screen captures to verify that it’s been implemented. As we’re all fully rounded grownups I don’t have to stipulate any caveats about offense, religion, racism or sexism, do I? No. Didn’t think so. Good. Then let us all put are thinking caps on and we’ll reconvene in four days’ time.
Star Trek Online: Beyond Endgame
The recent Arena of Sompek Event in STO was immense fun and presented me with an opportunity to fine tune the ground build on my primary character. Furthermore, the current return of the Phoenix Prize Pack has allowed me to spend a lot of my surplus Dilithium. I obtained a Kobali Samsar Cruiser [T6] last night which allowed me to complete the Kobali Space Set. It’s also nice to be able to finally own the iconic Red Matter Converter, which was only previously available in the Collector’s Edition of STO on launch. However, for me the best item available from the Phoenix Prize Pack is the special Phoenix Upgrade Tech (equivalent to multiple Universal Superior Tech Upgrades, with no Dilithium costs). I have used a hundred plus and have now managed to upgrade a lot of my gear to Epic quality. Finally, after months of tweaking and customising, I’ve broken the 30K DPS barrier.
The recent Arena of Sompek Event in STO was immense fun and presented me with an opportunity to fine tune the ground build on my primary character. Furthermore, the current return of the Phoenix Prize Pack has allowed me to spend a lot of my surplus Dilithium. I obtained a Kobali Samsar Cruiser [T6] last night which allowed me to complete the Kobali Space Set. It’s also nice to be able to finally own the iconic Red Matter Converter, which was only previously available in the Collector’s Edition of STO on launch. However, for me the best item available from the Phoenix Prize Pack is the special Phoenix Upgrade Tech (equivalent to multiple Universal Superior Tech Upgrades, with no Dilithium costs). I have used a hundred plus and have now managed to upgrade a lot of my gear to Epic quality. Finally, after months of tweaking and customising, I’ve broken the 30K DPS barrier.
Once you reach level cap in STO you quickly find that the bulk of the endgame is focused upon experimenting with builds and striving to increase your DPS. Although featured episodes and events are regularly added to the game, there are no traditional dungeons offering fancy gear as rewards. Gear is created through the reputation system and then upgrading it offers the opportunity to add modifiers. Events and PVE queues are effectively used as proving grounds. Once a player reaches a certain level of DPS, it requires a comprehensive program of subtle changes to see any further improvements. It also requires a great deal of in-game resources, such as Dilithium and Energy Credits to facilitate improvements. Success requires multiple alts to farm materials and a liking of spreadsheets and min-maxing.
Eighteen months ago, I wrote a post asking advice about a suitable tactical build for a Guardian Cruiser. I fortunately received none whatsoever, which then forced me to trawl through various subreddits and websites and learn about the mechanics of STO. I’ve now reach a DPS level that is certainly above average and I’m pleased with that achievement. However, I don’t see any reason to pursue any further increase because I suspect it will not be that much fun. So, I’ve decided to take heed of my recent return to LOTRO, where I am currently starting from scratch with a new alt. In the case of STO, rather than create a new character I already have three that remain incomplete. The most prudent one to focus upon is my Agents of Yesterday Federation Tactical Officer. Working my way through all the old content will yield multiple account unlocks that would be very beneficial. I can already craft Ultra Rare Mark XIII gear due on all my alts due to a reputation achievement on the AoY character.
Accolades, duty officer missions and cosmetic customisation are all other potential avenues of interest and fun to pursue in STO. Something else that is always overlooked is the fact that you can play through the various story arcs in the game in a group if you see fit. STO is an MMO yet I’ve spent so little time of the game in groups, apart from STFs and events. Playing through some of the stories with others can put a fresh perspective on them. Certainly, grouping in the Delta Quadrant will definitely give you an advantage and allow you to progress through the zone a lot more quickly. And of course, there is always the potential to role play, if that is your thing. Although, I find some of the activities and chat that goes on in Drozana Station and Risa beyond my ken.
As you can see, the endgame in STO doesn’t have to be DPScentric if you don’t want it to be. Like many MMOs, you get out of the game exactly what you put in. The people you associate with can also improve or kill the game for you. Finding the right fleet helps and there are plenty out there. There nothing wrong with taking your time and trying a few before committing to one. Also rushing to level cap is not essential second or third time round. There is plenty of detail and lore to be experienced along the way in the old content. So, I’m going to broaden my outlook and return to an older character and see where it takes me. If everything else fails I can always fall back upon cosmetic changes and goals for my away team. If you can’t be good be beautiful.
The Average LOTRO Player
Despite my claims to be a casual gamer, I tend to go all-in when a title takes my interest. Therefore, I will make it my business to read and learn about the various mechanics and systems in a game. I also like to be active in the wider community, so I write and podcast about the games I enjoy. Social media is an invaluable way to keep up-to-date with both developers and publishers. Forums and websites also play an integral role in keeping a player informed, by providing guides, press releases and a platform for sharing opinions. In recent years, many games have looked to Reddit as an additional way of communicating with their player base and fostering a community.
Despite my claims to be a casual gamer, I tend to go all-in when a title takes my interest. Therefore, I will make it my business to read and learn about the various mechanics and systems in a game. I also like to be active in the wider community, so I write and podcast about the games I enjoy. Social media is an invaluable way to keep up-to-date with both developers and publishers. Forums and websites also play an integral role in keeping a player informed, by providing guides, press releases and a platform for sharing opinions. In recent years, many games have looked to Reddit as an additional way of communicating with their player base and fostering a community.
When I started playing LOTRO in late 2008 the focal point for information and interaction between players and the development team was the official forums. Then in 2010 there was a brief time where the unofficial forums became essential reading. There were also a great many guides available online providing a wealth of information about armour, crafting and other facets of the MMO. In many respects, at the time of its free to play conversion, LOTRO was one of the most well documented MMOs around. Seven years on, the official forums can still answer most questions a new player may ask. You Tube also provides an alternative repository of information.
When you consider all these options, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the average LOTRO player is well informed. The latest news is even emblazoned on the game launcher. Yet something happened recently in kin chat that made me realise that this is not the case and that the official forum and twitter are more of a haven for active and vocal gamers. They are not really a true cross section of a games player base. The developers have said this many times in the past. The forums, the fansites and other sub-communities are populated by players affiliated to specific niche groups, such as raiders, role players, or ardent solo completionists. Yet my kinship on Laurelin is filled with people who do not fall into these categories.
With regard to the incident I mentioned, someone in kin chat referenced how they were looking forward to High Elves being added to the game. A point that was met with surprise by many other kinship members who were logged in. Needless to say, an interesting discussion followed. To cut a long story short, I would estimate that about two thirds of our kin are oblivious to the finer points of the last producers letter. Furthermore, most of them never go to either forums, read the developer diaries or do any sort of proactive research into the game. Fan blogs and guides are effectively ignored. The Bullroarer test server is also an unknown quantity to many that I talk to. Overall I believe the majority of our kinship on Laurelin, just play the game and have no major interest in everything else.
I’m of the opinion that there is nothing unique about our kinship and its approach to LOTRO. I’m persuaded to think that a lot of LOTRO players are of a similar mindset. Therefore, this beggars the question is there such a thing as an average LOTRO player? This is not a term that I mean in a pejorative way. It’s just that for all the ardent raiders and high achievement players, there are many others that are just content to play through the game in their own way and at their own pace. They work things out as they go along and take their pleasure along the way. So, I’ve been trying to collate ideas regarding the average LOTRO player to try to form a sort of profile, based around common attributes and habits. Here are a few bullet points of some that I’ve considered.
- LOTRO players are not always gamers per se. Most of my kinmates only play LOTRO and are simply not interested in any other games. They do not own high end gaming PCs or have fast broadband connections.
- By far the biggest selling point of LOTRO for such players is the IP. They are first and foremost Tolkien fans. The most common refrain I hear is that the game provides an opportunity to play as a Hobbit, Elf or Dwarf in Middle-earth. There is no alternative MMO or game that offers the same experience.
- Many of the players in our kinship, or those I have spoken to outside of it, have never participated in a raid of any kind, despite the opportunities to do so. The idea either does not interest them, they simply do not have the time or they are not disposed towards the perceived social pressures of such activities.
- For every member of my kin who has multiple alts at level cap, there is another who has a list of alts that have been abandoned or who are still work in progress. Again, this is mainly due to time commitments or the fact that some folk just like to roll new alts for fun, rather than to pursue a structured levelling path.
- The officers in kinships I’ve been involved with tend to be those who play a lot and to the highest level. It is these people who are often the most informed about the game and the kin looks to them for the dissemination of news. In our kin, if you want to know anything about anything, you ask a handful of senior players.
I spend a lot of time talking to other LOTRO players, both in and out of the game. From what I have discerned a large amount of the player base are satisfied with what the game has to offer. Infact they always have been. Despite the calls from the raiding and PVP communities for more content that favours their needs, many players are happy to play casually and just "potter" about LOTRO. They’re not fussed about statistical changes, the Flora barter system, grinding for essences or the complexities of imbuing your legendary items. The game as it stands provides them with exactly what they want. A Middle-earth themed environment for them to explore and hangout in. This seems especially true of the RP players. Bree appears to serves all their needs.
Furthermore, many players are not in any way aggrieved by the alleged “iniquities” of the LOTRO store. When the total cost of everything they have ever spent on LOTRO is averaged out, many still feel that it is an extremely cheap form of entertainment, compared to other real world activities such as going to the movies, or out for a meal. Overall LOTRO is looked upon as a pleasant means of relaxation, in a virtual environment that most find agreeable. It is common for players in my kin to come home from work, cook some food and then spend time in LOTRO unwinding from the pressures of the day and enjoying the company of their fellow kinmates. The importance of the social ties associated with the game cannot be stressed enough. Gear grinds or the tedium of crafting are actually considered positive things by many of the players I know. Some folk like structured goals.
So, after considering these points, I'd say that there are lots of players that are content with LOTRO and who have little concern or even knowledge of the various changes that are coming this year. The major alterations that caused furor on the official forums over LOTRO’s lifespan, such as the move away from raids to epic battles and the introduction of the class skills tree, have had little impact upon such players. As long as they can continue to do the things that keep them happy, then all is right in their virtual world. Such players will continue to play and pay LOTRO until the servers close. They do not have any major beefs with the development team or community manager because they simply do not move in the same circles.
There are many subsets of LOTRO players but I get the feeling that this relatively low profile group of quiet and content players are by far the largest. When the fancy take’s them they will use the store because it is not an ideological anathema to them. It offers fun and useful items that enhances their play. That should make them a very important demographic to developers Standing Stone Games. In the meantime, the official forums although a useful portal are in danger of slowly becoming an insular private members club, busy preaching to the converted. Although many good points are raised and debated there as well on such site as Massively OP, they never really never travel beyond their virtual confines.
So, the average player that I have described is potentially the majority group that is now bank rolling LOTRO. If that is the case, then all SSG needs to do is to keep producing content that meets their requirements. That means that the trend towards streamlining and refining LOTRO, rather than adding to its complexity, seems to be the way to go. Now naturally, there will be a percentage of players and ex-players who will state that it is this very process that is "killing the game". Ultimately it comes down to a question of taste of what you want in a MMO. However, if I am right in my summation about the average LOTRO player, I think it proves why the MMO is facing its tenth-year anniversary, where so many others have gone to the wall. It is this groups loyal support and quite pursuit of their own style of game play that is LOTRO’s foundation
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
I was sceptical about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor when it was first announced back in 2014. Let it suffice to say that despite the hype and the marketing controversy that ensued, the game was surprisingly good, especially the nemesis system. The "extrapolation" of the lore was also quite intriguing and although I tend to be a Tolkien purist at heart, I really liked the narrative and the overall aesthetic of the game. The look and feel of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was very much based on Peter Jackson's movies. At the time of the games launch, I managed to purchase a discounted steam code via a CD key seller and also received the "Dark Ranger" cosmetic skin as a bonus. Overall, I spent about one hundred and forty hours playing Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor which was good value for money.
I was sceptical about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor when it was first announced back in 2014. Let it suffice to say that despite the hype and the marketing controversy that ensued, the game was surprisingly good, especially the nemesis system. The "extrapolation" of the lore was also quite intriguing and although I tend to be a Tolkien purist at heart, I really liked the narrative and the overall aesthetic of the game. The look and feel of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was very much based on Peter Jackson's movies. At the time of the games launch, I managed to purchase a discounted steam code via a CD key seller and also received the "Dark Ranger" cosmetic skin as a bonus. Overall, I spent about one hundred and forty hours playing Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor which was good value for money.
Considering both the critical and commercial success of the game, it’s hardly surprising that a sequel has been developed. Last year, there were several hints that a follow up game was in production. The most notable of which was when an accomplished stunt and motion capture performer, Lauren Mary Kim accidently cited working on the sequel on her resume. However, the rumours have finally been validated as US retailer Target prematurely posted pre-orders for Middle-earth: Shadow of War, on all major gaming platforms. The listing has subsequently been removed but the game developers, Monolith Productions, have confirmed their involvement in the project. According to a further report on Kotaku, Middle-earth: Shadow of War will continue the story of Talion and Celebrimbor, as they work together to forge their own Ring of Power to battle Sauron.
I am pleased that this franchise will continue and am hoping that it will expand upon the systems and game mechanics that were showcased in the prequel. I also have a curious interest in the narrative as it is such a bold gambit do something so demonstrably non- canonical. It would appear that Middle-earth: Shadow of War will feature two Nemesis expansions, two story expansions, and a "Gold War Chest” over the course of its life cycle. The Nemesis expansions will include a new Orc tribe, enemies, missions, and more, while the story expansions will introduce a new campaign and playable character. Early adopters and pre-order junkies can expect to pay $100 up front for access to all content on 22nd August. I may well wait to the end of the year when a Game of the Year edition is inevitable.
Update:
A cinematic trailer has now been released. It does not feature any in-game footage but does set up the narrative for Middle-earth: Shadow of War. A further trailer coming in march will showcase actual footage from the RPG. Pre-orders are now available on all platforms.
For Honor: Multiplayer Problems
Most multiplayer games use peer-to-peer networking as a cheap and easy way to connect players. Running dedicated servers and writing the accompanying connection code is costlier and requires a greater degree of developer involvement with a game, post launch. If you play Overwatch or any of the Call of Duty franchise, then you’ve experience multiplay via this technology. It’s cost and convenience are offset against its technical weaknesses. The player that hosts a game has a potential speed advantage and if they quit the game will pause while a new host is found among those still playing. Then there are exploits and cheats that can be used by unscrupulous players such as lag switches and DDoS attacks. Thus, P2P networking is far from an ideal alternative to dedicated third party hosts.
Most multiplayer games use peer-to-peer networking as a cheap and easy way to connect players. Running dedicated servers and writing the accompanying connection code is costlier and requires a greater degree of developer involvement with a game, post launch. If you play Overwatch or any of the Call of Duty franchise, then you’ve experience multiplay via this technology. It’s cost and convenience are offset against its technical weaknesses. The player that hosts a game has a potential speed advantage and if they quit the game will pause while a new host is found among those still playing. Then there are exploits and cheats that can be used by unscrupulous players such as lag switches and DDoS attacks. Thus, P2P networking is far from an ideal alternative to dedicated third party hosts.
During its beta test, it became very apparent that For Honor had issues regarding its use of P2P networking. Developers Ubisoft opted for a variation of this technology in which all players are connected simultaneously to each other when playing competitively. Unfortunately, this does not bypass all the issues associated with a dedicated host. The weak link in this multiplayer chain still remains the player with the poorest connection and it has a tangible impact upon game play. Furthermore, the sheer volume of people playing For Honor from various parts of the globe means that matches are regularly blighted by lag and subsequently players quitting mid-game. I have experienced this frequently and it often impacts on the outcome of multiplayer or ends will all parties leaving.
At present, there is no major penalty for “rage quitting” a multiplayer game in For Honor, beyond the loss of the rewards that you would’ve received if you had stayed the course. Thus, it is something that some players will do the moment something doesn’t go their way. For example, if you die early in a group game, then you have to wait out the round, which is far from ideal. Quitting resolves this. Furthermore, if you are a more competitive player who is concerned about your bragging rights or statistics, then abandoning a game is a convenient way to keep you’re your record unblemished. Combine this option to quit, with more specific exploits and you find yourself playing in a community were a substantial percentage of the multiplayer games you play end questionably. This is not exactly good publicity for a game that has been developed to set up a new franchise and become a mainstay of competitive gaming.
For Honor has a nuanced combat system that is based around timing, anticipation and skill. Button mashing is not really an option when playing online against other people. It seems risible that Ubisoft would release a game that is patently skills based with such a flawed networking system in place. Now it is fair to say that not every online game is problematic. The majority of games that I’ve played online since I bought For Honor have been perfectly adequate. However, problem matches are sufficiently common place to be noticeable. Even a casual player such as myself has encountered them and recognises that for the meantime they are a reality. It remains to be seen whether Ubisoft will do anything about this issue, if there is anything that can be done. I cannot see them implementing any major changes in this release of the game. May be there’ll be some revisions made to multiplayer in the sequel. Assuming that the player base sticks around long enough to warrant one.
Starting from Scratch
I was watching a LOTRO stream this week by Kaz Travio who is currently levelling a Dwarf Hunter on the EU server Laurelin. The Hunter class is both enjoyable and straightforward to play. It can satisfy your “pew pew” itch and doesn’t have a particularly steep learning curve. It’s porting and poison curing skills use to be invaluable. Overall, the Hunter is a great way for a new player to discover and explore the Lord of the Rings Online. This becomes very apparent in Kaz Travio’s stream. So, to cut a long story short, I decided to create a new Hunter myself and go tool around in Middle-earth.
I was watching a LOTRO stream this week by Kaz Travio who is currently levelling a Dwarf Hunter on the EU server Laurelin. The Hunter class is both enjoyable and straightforward to play. It can satisfy your “pew pew” itch and doesn’t have a particularly steep learning curve. It’s porting and poison curing skills use to be invaluable. Overall, the Hunter is a great way for a new player to discover and explore the Lord of the Rings Online. This becomes very apparent in Kaz Travio’s stream. So, to cut a long story short, I decided to create a new Hunter myself and go tool around in Middle-earth.
Much to my surprise, instead of being the five-minute wonder that I thought it would be, I’ve been quite engaged with my new character. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent some time in the starter zones of LOTRO. Due to the streamlining of much of the content in recent years by the developers, you can quickly out level a region and are encouraged to forge ahead. However, I have not felt disposed towards doing that. I particularly want to refresh my memory on some of the quest story lines, plus there’s a good chance there’s some new content in there that wasn’t about when I last breezed through these zones in 2009. So it would appear that my new Dwarf Hunter Gryg, is going to be around a while. However, that presents me with another problem.
I am mainly starting from scratch for narrative reasons; I’m here for the story. What I don’t especially enjoy in the early stages of LOTRO, is the gear, virtue and skills point treadmill. With 105 levels ahead of me, there’s a great deal of disposability with regard to armour, weapons, and jewellery. You’ll not find much of this kind of gear on the auction house nowadays. The alternatives are running skirmishes to barter for equipment or simply crafting it myself. Neither of these options appeal to me. So, I’m considering a different approach. I can purchase from the LOTRO store, either the Gift or the Blessing of the Valar and instant level to 50 or 95. That way I can return to the start of the game, overpowered and geared to a suitable level to bypass any grind or in-game obstacle.
Now I’m sure my approach will not suit everyone, which is fine. Some players are happy to do everything over again. If this delights them, then that’s fine by me. I just don’t want to be burdened with the usual game mechanics that you experience on your first play through of content. I want to be able to focus on the stories the game offers and not have to worry about my ability to perform. Yet my instant levelling solution does come with a price tag. The Gift of the Valar cost approximately £30 and the Blessing of the Valar about £40, which are not exactly pocket change. There is the option to earn the LOTRO points in-game but the effort it would entail would negate the need to buy the aforementioned items. By the time I had amassed sufficient points, I’d be level 60 or so.
As of yet, I have not made a decision as to what I shall do. I also think that my personal “dilemma” actually touches on a bigger issue. I think many players would like to create new characters and have access to classes they have not played before. However, many people, like myself, are not enamoured with the prospect of replaying 105 levels and all the content that goes with it. So, I’d like a fair and equitable means to create a level cap alt (or as near as damn it). Now I realise that means bypassing a lot of content and so I’m happy to consider some way of supporting Standing Stone Games, if they can accommodate my needs.
For example, in Star Trek Online once you’ve gained maximum reputation with a faction, you can create a token that you can use on one of your alts, that reduces the reputation experience required by 50%. How about introducing s similar system in LOTRO, allowing a player to similarity fast path an alt? I want to play LOTRO and logically it is to Standing Stone Game’s advantage if I continue to do so. I hope now that the company is free of the shackles of Warner bros. they will now pursue a more creative business policy. One that finds a way of accommodating long time players, such as myself. In the meantime, I shall continue to my Dwarf Hunter but I suspect the moment an obstacle emerges, be it a gear check or an especially difficult quest, I’ll more than likely stop. Fun is surprisingly not universal and very subjective. Convenience is king.