Secret World Legends

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Writing a lengthy article as to why you don’t like a game is often a bad idea. It seldom makes for a good post unless you are humorous or have a cogent point to make. Often all the anger, bile and vitriol can be distilled down to the following. “I wanted X and they (the developers) gave me Y”. Its a simple question of differing expectations and personal taste. Well that is what we have here. Simply put, the changes made to The Secret World in its transition to Secret World Legends are insufficient for me to change my overall view of the game. Specifically, I still do not like the combat system and find the UI esoteric and unintuitive. It is easier to play the game now so theoretically I can soldier on to see the narrative that I previously missed. But I still have to endure an unsatisfactory fighting style to do this and that is a big enough hurdle for me to possibly conclude “it’s not worth it”.

One of the things that attracted me to The Secret World when it was initially being beta tested was the idea of the supernatural being countered with modern technology. Thus, firearms were and remain my weapons of choice. However, combat was clunky and awkward at that stage in the games lifespan. I never got the sense that the assault rifle was doing any substantial damage and had to constantly back pedal to stay alive. It was dull and time consuming to clear mobs and make progress. Sadly, despite a streamlining of the combat system in Secret World Legends and a noticeable reduction of skills bloat, combat with pistols and the like, still feels woefully unsatisfying. Yes, foes do now die quicker and I now have a reticule to aim but that is about all that has changed.

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What I expected, hoped for, wanted (and I accept the inherent fallacy of thinking in such terms with regards to gaming. After all you get what you’re given and nothing more) was a tangible gun mechanic. Something that felt substantial IE when you fire the gun the enemy took major damage, or recoiled, or at least gave the impression that this was inconvenient for them. However, the problem is where you can credibly scale the DPS of certain weapons or types of attack to suit an MMORPGs progression system, it’s far harder to do with the arbitrary functionality of guns. Firearms do damage per se, based on calibre and rate of fire. Scaling their damage to fit in with the games levelling system renders them tediously impotent at the initial stages of the game. This may come down to perception and they’re probably doing a comparable amount of damage to any other weapon type. But it just feels off and I don’t like wearing mobs down gradually with a pea-shooter.

So, I’ll try to look beyond this “obstacle” and see if I can muster up the interest to persevere with Secret World Legends in the next few days but there’s a fifty-fifty chance I’ll just get bored and move on to pastures new. Oh, and to address some of the inevitable comments one expects from the gaming cognoscenti, firstly, no I don’t want to try any other weapons. I chose guns for a reason. If there was something else I liked I would have picked them. Secondly, no I’m not saying that Secret World Legends is an awful game etc. I am simply highlighting that it has failed to “float my boat” and that comes down to a simple question of taste. As for catching up with the narrative, I’m sure I can probably watch all the relevant cutscenes on You Tube. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d done that to check out a game’s story, without having to go to the hassle of playing it.

PVP in MMOs

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There has been an interesting debate this week about PVP in MMOs among several of my fellow bloggers. Syp AKA Justin Olivetti wrote an article for Massively OP referencing “gankbox culture” of EVE Online which then garnered a series of reciprocal posts from the likes of Bhagpuss, Jeromai, UltrViolet and Wilhelm Arcturus. Good points have been made by all but I think Bhaggie hit the nail on the proverbial head when he said that the term “PVP”, like so many in the gaming lexicon, is ill-defined. Player versus player can manifest itself in many forms, such as duels, arenas and zerg against zerg. Some games do offer an open world were players can be preyed upon or “ganked” but it is usually regulated to some degree. However, the thing that came out of this discussion that was of the most interest to me was why some people dislike PVP so much?

Cowardice, risk aversion and conflict-phobic are just some of the terms used by my blogging colleagues to explain as to why some players do not like PVP. Some have argued more simply that the mechanic is just a question of taste. However, I think it is more complex than that, as PVP isn’t a passive game mechanic like a buff or a DoT; something you endure due to the design of the game. PVP is another player impinging directly upon your gaming and I think this is the key to the issue. A lot of gamers do not like the idea of another individual having such a tangible impact upon their experience. Especially if there is nothing they can do to control it. The loss of items or experience is one objection but I believe the most fundamental issue is that no one likes being a victim.

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I personally have no objection to the PVP mechanic in principle or its presence in MMOs. As long as its optional and consensual or in a bespoke zone then it can be an enjoyable gaming experience for those who pursue it. Duelling, competitive game play and league tables are legitimate modes of play and totally acceptable in other pastimes. Let us also dispel the myth that PVP is the exclusive province of sociopaths, malcontents and the dysfunctional. My experience of group PVP in games such as Overwatch, Battlefield or Call of Duty, has been broadly positive. Sadly, there is a certain type of person that spoils this overall experience and skews the wider reputation of PVP. A minority of players gravitate to this type of gameplay as it offers a platform for bullying and bragging. PVP is seen by some as a rite of passage and a means to bolster their self-esteem.

I play games for fun. Yes, I like a degree of challenge and to work towards specific goal but overall, they are a form of recreational entertainment. As in real life, I do not want to be inconvenienced by others or for them to have a negative impact upon my experience. I want to be segregated from those who could be potentially problematic and I wish to control as many of the variables as I can. Thus, I do not care for open world PVP, where I could be preyed upon at any time and lose items. Plus, another honest reason why I don’t pursue one on one PVP in MMOs, is that I don’t like losing. Who does? I prefer the safety of the zerg or being over powered. Let us not trot out these tired old arguments about “building character” or “it’s the taking part that counts” because neither hold up to close scrutiny.

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There is another factor that impacts upon our attitude towards PVP and that is financial. Most games involve some sort of payment and the majority of players meet those costs at some point. As soon as money enters the equation, the dynamic of our gaming experience changes. Being a customer radically alters your perception of what is and what isn’t desirable. The loss of items and XP have a financial cost, as does the time spent earning them. The appeal of being “ganked” by someone and having to pay for the “experience” alludes me. However, we all ultimately view the world, gaming and thus PVP through the prism of our own experience. I’m sure there are bloggers whose opinions are the polar opposite of mine. As for PVP, I am happy for it to be part of gaming, as long as it is never forced or inflicted upon those who do not want it.

LOTRO 10th Anniversary: Remembering LOTRO Part 2

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When reminiscing about LOTRO, there are many personal highlights for me to consider. Raiding in the Rift, completing the epic story in Shadows of Angmar, or even getting my first mount. Yet, if I had to pick a personal favourite experience, it would be the great charge across the River Anduin, into Mirkwood. This happened on Gilrain server on Monday 25th of Janurary 2010, the night before Siege of Mirkwood expansion was launched. An enterprising player by the name of Mikeemoo arranged the event via the forums and at the designated time a hundred plus players assembled on the Western bank of The Great River. Once the signal was given we swam en masse to the Eastern shore and swarmed up the bank into the woods. As the zone was not yet accessible the developers had placed NPCs in the vicinity; Mirkeves Fell Arrows that could one shot any player. However, due to the sheer number of players in the zerg and the resulting lag, many made it across. Eventually the server kicked everyone but it was immense fun while it lasted.

This anecdote in many ways encapsulates all that makes LOTRO so enjoyable. Teamwork, a sense of community, an environment that lends itself to more than just the scripted gameplay. This is why player generated events thrive in the game and why Standing Stone Games are wise to support such undertakings. Although over the years, the relationship between the player base and the development team hasn’t always been good and it’s fair to say that mistakes have been made on both sides. The transition to F2P was far from smooth for the European players and both Enedwaith and Dunland where hardly highpoints in the games ten-year journey. Then there was the introduction of the skills tree with Helm’s Deep which divided the player base. However, unlike other fickler communities, LOTRO players tend to take a more pragmatic approach to the ups and downs of gaming. They have rolled with the changes over the last decade mainly due to their passion for Tolkien’s work.

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As soon as I had bought LOTRO in 2008, I started blogging about the game. In many respects, it was instrumental in my writing on a regular basis, as it tends to be a rule of thumb that you should write about what you enjoy. What quickly became apparent was that there existed a very dynamic and friendly blogging and podcast community associated with the game. Everyone was extremely welcoming and only too happy to help promote each other’s content. The LOTRO Combo Blog was an invaluable source of information, aggregating dozens of fan related sites. There was also a wealth of LOTRO related podcast and shows, all dealing with a unique facet of the game. But I think we can all agree that the jewel in the crown of fan related productions was “A Casual Stroll to Mordor” with Merric and Goldenstar. The show presented LOTRO related news and views each week with a healthy dose of enthusiasm and honesty. It very soon became indispensable listening among fans and in many ways, did a better job of informing players and promoting the game than Turbine.

On a personal note, one of the most agreeable aspects of playing LOTRO over the years has been the friendship that I’ve formed with fellow bloggers, podcasters and guild mates. The kinship system in LOTRO is a subtly different beast to comparable social systems in other games. It doesn’t offer the obvious items advantages of say Guild Wars 2 or STO. It seems to be far more of a labour of love. I have been in the same kinship since spring 2009 and it is a remarkably tight knit social group. Some players come and go but there is a core group that are the heart and soul of the kinship and they are always online, willing to help and blessed with a boundless enthusiasm. As LOTRO has finally reached the Black Gates and Mordor awaits via the next expansion, I’ve seen many a familiar faces return to the kinship roster. It’s amazing the way friendship just resume, as if time has no bearing on the matter.

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Ultan Foebane. Holding his chopper and going nowhere since 2007.

In many ways Update 21 is a major crossroad for both LOTRO and Standing Stone Games. Finally, the central story goes beyond Tolkien’s work and it is incumbent upon the in-house writers to maintain the high standard that they have for the last decade. There is scope for this to be a major creative step forward. It could also go the other way. Yet, despite the importance of this transition, the community seems far from nervous about the matter. Good will abounds at present and the recent ten-year anniversary has been well received. Certainly, the transition from Turbine to SSG has repaired a lot of previously burned bridges and the developers seem to be far better at communicating and keeping players informed than they previously were. So, here’s to LOTROs future and years more of fun and fond memories. May the road continue to go on and on.

Messing About in Boats

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“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Kenneth Grahame. The Wind in the Willows.

It's curious the way a simple aspect of a game can resonate with you and become a source of pleasure. Regardless of the availability of new content, I still like to log into LOTRO on occasion and just ride around Middle-earth. Similarly, the vast open world of Skyrim has a comparable appeal. Despite my lack of driving skills, even aimlessly cruising around Los Santos in GTA V can be a source of relaxation. I can lose hours indulging in these simple tasks, quietly reflecting on either the game or the real world. Recently I returned to another activity that can also be added to this list. Sailing in Two Worlds II. 

What I find strange is that this is the very sort of game mechanic that I usually balk at. In the past, I would usually view similar systems as an unnecessary embellishment. Plus, I am not inclined towards sailing in real life, having tried it a few times in my youth. I just couldn't get on with the sweaters, endless sea chanties and the smell of fish. So, it comes as a surprise to me how much I enjoy tacking around the archipelagos of Antaloor, listening to the in-game ambient music track, Sails and Journeys by Borislav “Glorian” Slavov and Victor Stoyanov.

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Sailing in Two Worlds II is far from arbitrary and requires a modicum of skill. The mini-map shows the wind direction and one must steer accordingly to pick up speed. Naturally sailing in to the wind is impossible, so tacking is required when navigating in such a direction. Therefore, it requires some thinking to sail to a specific waypoint. Naturally, the game developers have not made this mode of transport mandatory. There is the option to swim or use the teleportation system to travel between locations. However, there is a something elegant about sailing to a specific destination. The games weather system as well as day and night cycle also add to the ambience. 

It is often these minor facets of games that keep me engaged and playing them. When you consider the horse trading that goes on during the development process of any title, it's nice to see some of these low-key mechanics still make it into the finished products. I often find them a great way to relax and am therefore pleased to add sailing to my list of trivial activities to indulge in while gaming. The wearing of eye patches, is of course, purely optional.

Star Trek Online: Summer Festival 2017

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The Star Trek Online Summer Festival 2017 or Risa annual Lohlunat Festival to give it its proper name has been running for over a week now. It started on the June 8th and is available through to 20th July. Although many MMOs have festival and seasonal activities, STO’s Summer and Winter events are outstanding, being accessible, enjoyable and very rewarding. Not only are cosmetic clothing and pets available as barter items, the game also offers kit modules and bridge officer skills as rewards. Then of course each event always allows players to earn a new Tier 6 ship. This Summer it’s a Vorgon Ryn’Kodan Carrier.

What I especially like about the Summer event in STO is it’s setting on the vacation resort Risa. Holidays are typically about, sun, sea and surf and Risa has that in spades. You can also dress accordingly with a variety of beachwear and other cosmetic items. The use of Floaters and Powerboards in several events is great fun. The addition of the Biathlon this year combines both in a single race. The transition from one mode of transport to the other can be quite challenging and there are still the odd bug to be worked out. I like the fact that despite being a “race” the winner is determined by the claiming of a flag. It helps level the playing field for those with slower internet connections. Half the fun is listening to players carp in chat about how they came first but overshot the flag and lost their placing.

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Then there’s the Dance Party. Although it’s just a question of hitting the right emote when it’s called out by the Dance Instructor, the catchy music and the player interactions on the dance floor, really adds to the atmosphere. As for the contest itself, rather than click on individual emotes or type the necessary command in the chat window, you can simply pin the list of dance emotes to your UI for easy access. STO actually has quite a variety of dance emotes, the majority of which are available by default. Then there are a few extra that can be unlocked by specific quests or purchased using various barter currencies.

I’m sure that gamers may well claim that similar fun and larks can be had in other MMOs and that these also offer similar bespoke events. But STO has one remaining trump card up its sleeve that no other games can compete with. Gorns. Gorns in Bermuda Shorts. Gorns on Powerboards and Flaoters. Gorns tearing up the dance floor. Yes, Gorns in party mode are a thing of beauty as the gallery below shows. They are the embodiment of grace and style. So, if you have a STO account and haven’t played for a while, log in to the game and get your ass to Risa. Get out on to the dance floor and bust a move. Still not sold? Here’s the Dance Party tune, the Risa Calypso, for your edification.

Risa Calypso

Cryptic Star Trek Online

How Not to Do Business Part 2: TopWare

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I wrote last week about the surprise DLC for the seven-year-old RPG Two Worlds II and how I decided on a whim to buy it. Well yesterday was the official launch day for Call of the Tenebrae and yet, twenty-four hours later, I’m still not playing the game. So far, I have not received a Steam key for the game, despite the money being deducted from my PayPal account on the 5th of June. So naturally, I have made enquiries as to what is happening and have endeavoured to contact the publishers TopWare. Let it suffice to say that my attempts to resolve the matter have proved fruitless and I have discovered that TopWare are far from the embodiment of German efficiency.

I was initially surprised when I made my purchase last Monday week, that I didn’t receive a Steam key immediately. However not all games allow you to activate and pre-load content and as this is an older title I simply put it down to logistical reasons. However, as yesterday was the official launch for this DLC and I had not been informed of any delay, I went straight to my account at the TopWare store to see if a key had been added. Its absence was conspicuous. So, I decided to use the messaging facility linked to my order and sent a simple enquiry as to where my key was. The website curiously rendered my message into German and then back into English, so what I currently have in my chat timeline is not the exact message that I sent. As of writing this post, that message has not been responded to.

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I next decided to see if I could find out anything further about the Call of the Tenebrae launch in case it had been postponed. TopWare delayed the release of Raven’s Cry several times at short notice, so they have form for such changes. After some checking, I soon discovered that TopWare were not exactly regular users of social media. They have three Twitter accounts (One US, One German and another specific to Two Worlds II) that have no launch day information. Previous tweets date back several weeks. There Facebook page is similarly devoid of anything other than press releases and woefully out of date. So, I opted to send an email via the default info email address. Again, thirty-six hours later I’ve had no response.

As I fast approach fifty, I tend not to get as irate as I did in my youth. That’s not to say that I’m not annoyed by this inconvenience but in the great scheme of things and especially within the context of my personal life at present, this isn’t such a big deal. So, I have decided to use this situation as a writing opportunity. I suspect that there will not be a quick resolution and I can see myself having to get PayPal to claw the cost of this game back from TopWare. In the meantime, it would appear the Call of the Tenebrae has launched on consoles and possibly on Steam. I have seen no feedback yet about the quality of the game itself but the inclusion of a cash store and microtransactions does seem to have caused a controversy. All I can add to the proceedings at present is that TopWare seem to be providing the gaming community with a text book example of how not to do business

Update:

I received an email from TopWare customer support on Sunday 18th June. It contained my serial key but there was no explanation or apology regarding the delay. I now have the game installed.

Pick Up Groups

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Out of all my recent gaming, Sniper Elite 4 has proved the most entertaining. The engaging mechanics and stealthy gameplay have held my attention and kept me engaged. So far, I spent over seventy-two hours playing through the campaign and DLC. After watching several You Tube videos I was tempted to try the co-operative mode, something that I don’t always do in these sorts of games. Overwatch allows two players to work together as sniper and spotter respectively, to complete objectives within a custom map. It requires communication and co-ordination. It should also be noted that multiplayer in Sniper Elite 4, is dependent on peer-to-peer connection rather than dedicated servers, with the players hosting the games themselves.

So far, I’ve found that my enjoyment of co-op mode has been significantly less than that of the campaign due to the human factor. None of my Steam friends own Sniper Elite 4, so I’ve have been dependent on the grouping service built in to the game. You either host a game yourself and wait to be assigned a partner or join an existing game. Therein lies the proverbial rub. Pick up group mechanics have no scope for quality control. So far, I’ve grouped with players who have refused to communicate, have no concept of teamwork and who quit when things don’t go their way. Furthermore, if they’re hosting the game then you find yourself kicked back to the lobby with nothing to show for your work. It’s an old story. One that will be very familiar to anyone who has ever played an MMORPG and used the instance finder tool.

Pick up groups can often bring out the worst in human nature. You are randomly grouped with complete strangers who are anonymous and are driven by their own need for gain. Manners, decorum and social etiquette are purely optional as the system has no means to impose them. Thus, we encounter players that do not know how to play the instance they have joined, or those who are happy to just go AFK and wait for the end reward. Abuse and unpleasantness are common place in chat and if the group undertaking is unsuccessful, then blame is often thrown about. Even if your PUG manages to avoid these problems, they are often extremely soulless experiences. The auto grouping in Guild Wars 2 and the PVE queues in Star Trek Online simply facilitate tasks and require minimal or even zero social interaction.

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Now some players will argue that the frictionless grouping that PUGs provide with no need to communicate directly, is a boon rather than a bane. I will concede that this really is a matter of personal preference. However, mechanics that allow you to abandon a game that you are hosting at the expense of others, or quit a group thus leaving the rest of the players in the lurch, are problematic. For Honor had a major problem with the this. If you or your team are losing then there is no imperative to stick around. There is often no penalty or sanction for abandoning an ongoing game that you may be hosting and no recompense for the other players. This is something I also regularly encounter in Overwatch, which seems to have more than its fair share of petulant and bellicose players.

Justin Olivetti referenced the group finding tool in LOTRO recently and discussed how compared to other MMOs, it was an underused facility. Group content seems to more driven by Kinships in that game so players tend to look directly to their colleagues and friends to run group content.  Using the instance finder will seldom provide you with a group. STO has a similar problem. Featured group content or that which provides tangible rewards attracts players. However, older and less popular content doesn’t fair so well therefore you can spend hours looking for a group. I also think there is a particular type of troll in that game that delights in joining group queues and then waiting to the last moment to decline the launch invitation, thus consigning the remaining players back to the lobby again.

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Sadly, many of the flawed mechanics we encounter in online games exist because they are the most practical way to address a logistical issue. Player hosted games negates the need for dedicated servers and their associated cost. Group finding tools do exactly that, yet offer no further options. The burden to police the group’s activities falls to the players themselves and there’s precious little they can do if things go pear shaped. But what are the alternatives? If grouping with other players is problematic, then bots are really the only immediate alternative. This is an option in games such as Overwatch, For Honor and some of the Call of Duty franchise. However, it is not necessarily an ideal solution as bots do not provide a comparable experience to human interaction. Their use also doesn’t address the root cause of this problem, namely human behaviour.

Like many things in life, the lowest common denominator disproportionately shapes the experience for the majority. Returning to Sniper Elite 4, although I did have some poor co-operative games due to bad grouping, I also had some thoroughly enjoyable interactions. It’s just a shame that PUGs are such a lottery. Ultimately, it is down to the developers of games to maintain community standards. What is the point of having strict terms and conditions if you have no intention of enforcing them? Furthermore, if I cannot enjoy aspects of a game due to others, I am effectively being excluded from experiencing the entire product. Considering the cost of premium titles these days, why should I pay the full price for a game I can only partially play?

Strange Brigade Reveal

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Rebellion, the creators of the Sniper Elite series and the Zombie Army Trilogy, announced on Wednesday a new title called Strange Brigade. The trailer shows the game to be a four-player, co-op, third-person shooter. The rather droll video, shot as a faux newsreel, appears to show a story set in the pre-war era with a group of quirky characters indulging in Indiana Jones style shenanigans on behalf of the British Empire.

Rebellion has been cagey about this title until now. In fact, no rumours or hints about this game existed before today. Frequently, the games press get wind of upcoming titles early in their development, often because of leaks from the developers themselves. Not so with this game so its announcement was pleasant surprise. Strange Brigade appears to be beyond initial production, with developers Rebellion aiming to show some gameplay footage at E3

I have to admit that I am a big fan of the Sniper Elite series, so the announcement of Strange Brigade intrigues me. The lead characters are at first look, unusual and diverse. The supernatural element and period setting also delight me. I hope they are as equally creative with the game mechanics, with each character having a bespoke role. I, unlike many others, actually enjoy the campaign mode in titles such as these, as online multiplay never quite lives up to expectations due to the "human" element.

Strange Brigade will be available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, although Rebellion have not at present specified a release date yet. Since they are promising to showcase further footage at E3, hopefully more information will become available soon.

Two Worlds II: New DLC After Seven Years

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I bought a bundle of games in August 2014, which included the RPG Two Worlds II and its expansion, Pirates of the Flying Fortress. With such purchases, there is a tendency to adjust your expectations in accordance to your financial investment. However, I pleasantly surprised to find Two Worlds II a quirky and enjoyable role-playing game. The animations and combat are somewhat clunky but the loot system that allows you to break down every item into upgrade components, is useful. The game also boasts a customisable spell system, that utilises collectable cards as modifiers. It is quite an innovative mechanic and certainly allows players to create builds that suit their tastes. Two Worlds II benefits from a pleasing soundtrack and a standalone expansion that offers a superior story to the base game. Not every RPG can be a Skyrim or Witcher 3. Two Worlds II is an acceptable genre title to play between such releases.

After playing through Two Worlds II and the subsequent expansion I deleted the game from my hard drive. After all, this was a title that was originally released in late 2010 and as far as I was concerned the game’s life cycle had come to an end. Turns out I was wrong. Not only about the games life cycle but in my assumptions about the franchises popularity. Because over the weekend I received a marketing email from publishers TopWare regarding new DLC for Two Worlds II. Here is some of the promotional blurb. “After the blockbuster success of Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress, TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios have created a brand new chapter in the phenomenal RPG series! With an all new HD graphics engine, new enemies, weapons and a completely revamped alchemy system, Two Worlds II: Call of the Tenebrae will take you on yet another immersive adventure through the world of Antaloor! But the adventure doesn’t stop there for season pass holders! The Season Pass also includes the follow-up DLC, Two Worlds II, Shattered Embrace, which will launch during Q4 of 2017. Don’t miss out on the chance to continue the fight in Antaloor!”

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The first thing that ran through my mind was “who resurrects a game after six years” but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that there are examples of this happening before. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Anarchy Online are two that immediately spring to mind. Then of course there is the vogue for "remasters" with older titles being given graphical overhauls. Modern warfare, Bio-Shock and Skyrim have all had such revisions made to them. Then there is the issue of sales and the dreaded “number of units sold”. It turns out that Two Worlds II has quite a following in Europe and has shifted over two million copies. North American and international sales add a further million to the total. As developers and publishers are not known for their charitable tendencies, one must assume that the new DLC has viable sales potential.

As I’m between RPGs at present and still mourning the end (for the immediate future) of The Witcher franchise, I decided that developers Reality Pump have sufficient goodwill in my eyes, for me to take a punt on the new content for Two Worlds II. So, I bought a season pass at the discounted price of €29.99 as I’m apparently such a “loyal customer”. Although I’ve read some marketing material, I’m going to try and dive in to this game relatively blind upon its release on June 15th. Hopefully the DLC will be as unusual and fun as the previous content. Furthermore, in light of this development, perhaps my hopes for a third instalment of the World War II co-op shooter, Hidden & Dangerous, are not as misplaced as I initially thought.

Fans and Communities

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Over the years I have been a participant in several fan based communities. These have ranged from running film clubs, to creating and publishing fanzines in the pre-internet days. More recently this has included running websites, blogging and creating podcasts. It’s a curious thing the way fandom is cyclical and one’s involvement with such communities seems to ebb and flow. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot of late. Several of the You Tube channels I enjoy have reduced their output or stopped due, to changes in advertising policy and monetisation. The Newbie Blogger Initiative failed to manifest itself this year and many of my immediate colleagues in blogging and podcasting have also begun to fade away or moved on to pastures new. The sad thing is, the true value of many community contributors is never really realised until after they’ve gone.

So where to start regarding fans and communities? Well fans are far more than just mere customers. Sadly, not all of the gaming industry understands this or more importantly, appreciates it. The distinction is quite clear, though. I am a customer of Vodafone. I use their services for a monthly fee and that is the extent of my relationship with them. I do not write about my experiences using their products, nor do I create guides regarding their use. Neither do I arrange social events around their services. Fans conversely do a lot of these sort of thing and more for the games that they love. Furthermore, they are not the sole beneficiaries of such undertakings. A vibrant community is a great marketing and promotional asset for any games developer. Being free, it also has the best price. 

Often the debates about community are applicable beyond gaming and relevant to wider social activities. Communities often arise organically, with fans creating a site and tweeting about what they enjoy. Soon bridges are built with other likeminded individuals and an informal network manifests itself. Often specific groups or individuals gain prominence within these social groups, through their own hard work and dedication to the things that they love. More often than not these figureheads have not actively sought such a position. It simply occurs through the dynamics of human interaction.

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Now this raises some interesting questions. I read a reddit post recently in which someone thought that there was a burden of responsibility upon high profile community participants (IE popular You Tubers) or websites. To a degree, I believe that they are right, although I think it is very dependent upon what the said individual or site does within the community. Providing guides, sharing experiences or collating data is usually benign and neutral. Providing news or opinion is more complex and possibly does require a degree of responsibility and self-moderation. However, readers of specific sites or followers of certain individuals also have a duty to exercise their own common sense. It is a mistake to put people on pedestals. 

Something I have mentioned before with regard to MMO communities is that in the past they have usually formed and grown outside of the influence of the commercial entities that run the games. For more recent titles such as SWTOR and especially Guild Wars 2, this process has been more centralised under the auspices of the developers. Both of those games have a wealth of information created by players but it is more often than not it is found within the official forums for that title. I may be wrong but I have never been aware of either SWTOR or Guild Wars 2 having the same sort of independent community as such titles as LOTRO or WoW. Communities can be a great asset but when it is not directly under any form of centralised control by the developers or publishers, then it can be a "problem". It will be interesting to observe what sort of online societies develops around future MMOs.

Moving away from gaming and looking at other areas of fandom, a common problem that occurs is the impact that increased public interest can have upon a community. This usually happens when an activity or pastime gains mainstream attention and becomes more widely accessible. Cosplay is something that in recent years has become increasingly popular. It is no longer perceived as the prerogative of a small niche group and is beginning to become quite a major marketing and promotional tool. Some perceive this process as democratisation, where others see something they love being usurped by those that simply wish to exploit it for financial gain. Is the community simply growing or is it being reinvented at the expense of some and the advantage of others? 

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Ultimately, fans, communities and their resulting social interaction are a complex and fluid situation. With regard to gaming there most certainly is an expiry date for most communities. The natural attrition we see as a game wanes in popularity is a perfectly normal thing, linked to factors such as lifespan and individuals ongoing engagement. Most fans directly or indirectly benefit from the services that arise from healthy communities. Although those that form the foundations of these communities seldom seek any praise it is often due. However, it is wise to note that the opposite can occur sometimes, when certain quarters turn bad and seek to disrupt, divide and destroy.

So where does Contains Moderate Peril fit into all this? Well I'm not entirely sure. I've always liked to maintain a tangential relationship to most traditional hierarchies, neither leading or following but simply contributing. Yet to my own surprise I've found myself involved pro-actively in several group projects in recent years, mainly because I wanted to see them succeed, not only for my benefit but for others. Some have proven to be an invaluable undertaking and have introduced myself and others to a wealth of new and talented writers. Furthermore, I put a lot more stock in the ideas, opinions and views of those who walk the walk, rather than the information that comes solely from a corporate PR department. 

Involvement in any community has its ups and downs and can be very hard work. But the rewards and the pleasure that it brings by far outweigh any negatives in my view. So, I advocate involvement and participation. This can take all manner of forms and every little helps. You don't have to selflessly give up your time with big undertakings. Give what you can afford to give. Just reading, supporting and expressing an opinion is a positive contribution. Also, don't become too emotionally attached to things. Communities never stand still. Situations move on and change. As for those who become high profile, or go the extra mile; be reasonable when they decide to hang up their spurs. They’ve probably earned it.

Junior Officer Appreciation Weekend: A Tale of Competitive Nodes

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This is a tale about Star Trek Online but as competitive nodes are a common game mechanic in numerous MMORPGs, it is pertinent to many gamers. From today till Monday 5th June, it’s Junior Officer Appreciation Weekend, an in-game event that allows players to earn a rare duty officer. Strange particles can be found around the grounds of Starfleet Academy. If these are scanned with a tricorder, they either disappear, become stable or summon a combat hologram that attacks you. The particles then drop fragments that can be exchanged for event rewards. Collecting the particles is fun but hardly anything groundbreaking. I’m sure that most MMOs have a comparable activity.

However, the particles that appear during this event are competitive nodes. Despite fairly generous respawn rates, due to the volume of players in the vicinity, getting to the particles in time to scan and claim them becomes a race. And like any game mechanic that forces players to directly compete with each other, there is scope for rancor and unpleasantness. It took me all of twenty minutes tonight, before I ran into my first ill-tempered player who seemed to think that whatever they saw was immediately theirs. This particular individual after losing out on a particle to me, decided to follow me around for the next ten minutes to try and “avenge” himself upon me, for the heinous outrage I had perpetrated against them. Zone chat also revealed several players arguing over similar incidents.

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Now I tend not to rush through events such as these, preferring to go about them at a steady pace. If I spot a particle that is available, I try to ensure that there isn’t a crowd of other players heading towards it. If it does end up in a race, I tend to let the matter go and allow the other party to claim the item. The advancing years have taught me a degree of patience that others seem to lack. However, I don’t concede every race and will compete for a particle, if the fancy takes me. Yet, this entire situation could be avoided if Cryptic simply did away with the competitive node mechanic. In fact, it’s something I’d like to see go from the entire MMORPG genre. ArenaNet have eliminated it from Guild Wars 2 and it is a massive “quality of life” improvement for the game.

Over the last decade, I have gone from being an ardent opponent of egregious behaviour in online games, to just accepting the fact that any gathering of humans will include a tangible percentage of idiots, malcontents and trolls. Developers habitually demonstrate that they have no real interest in dealing with this problems through community policing but some do sometimes use game mechanics as a means to limit shenanigans, tomfoolery and general douchbaggery. Changing competitive nodes to shared one, is a prime example of this. It eliminates a potential avenue for griefing and general bad behaviour. Sure, you can argue that making such a change is allowing a small percentage of players to dictate policy but frankly it’s a small price to pay for a change that inherently improves players in-game experience and overall perception of the community.

Star Trek Online: Life After the Balance Changes

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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".

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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.

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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

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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”.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.