LOTRO: Tales from the Barter Wallet
One of the fun things about LOTRO is the way each player evolves their own personal way of navigating around Middle-earth. Although there is an extensive “stable” network throughout the game, I often find it quicker to use the various “Return to” skills, to get where I need to go. Turns out there’s a lot more in LOTRO than I realised. One of the most beneficial is “Return to Minas Tirith” which places you in the city before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. The main advantage is that you arrive close to the stable-master who has an extensive list of travel destinations throughout Gondor. More so than his counterpart in the Minas Tirith after the battle. The skill “Return to Minas Tirith” is obtained from the Quartermaster (Defenders of Minas Tirith) at the Great Gate of Minas Tirith for 30 Minas Tirith Silver Pieces.
6 Months, 1 Day and 16 Hours
6 months, 1 day and 16 hours. Or put another way that’s 4504 hours. In total, 270,240 minutes. That is the total amount of time to date, that I’ve invested in my primary character in LOTRO. I have had several other alts over the years, many of which are now deleted, so for the sake of accuracy you can probably add another 20 hours or so to that total. That is a sizeable investment of time over an eight-year period. But that is the nature of the MMO genre. They are essentially time sinks. However, that is not what this post is about. I’m not here to dissect whether 4504 hours has been a good use of my time or not. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve gained a commensurate amount of entertainment in return. Plus, those 2504 hours were specifically leisure time, so if I hadn’t of played LOTRO they would have been spent watching TV or on some other pastime. Therefore, I’m not going to claim that in different circumstance I could have learned to play the Sousaphone with that time. This post is about reflecting upon LOTRO and the MMO genre.
Your First Mistake Was Having Expectations
Two stories have broken today regarding a pair of established and much-loved pop culture franchises. The first is the news that actor Henry Cavill has been cast as Geralt of Rivia, in the forthcoming Witcher TV show currently in production by Netflix. The second is regarding how newly established games developers Athlon Games are currently working on a new F2P Middle-earth based MMO. Considering there is no further details on either of these two points beyond what has already been stated, one could be tempted to say rhetorically “nothing to see here, move along”. However, this is the age of social media, so let it suffice to say that both these announcements have caused a degree of consternation in certain quarters. Namely fans of those already established iterations of The Witcher and The Lord of the Rings.
LOTRO: Fishing
Many MMOs have “hobbies” as part of the activities they have on offer. These are usually leisurely undertakings done for their own inherent fun, rather than providing a tangible in-game benefit. In LOTRO the only hobby that is currently available (despite the game existing for over decade) is fishing. It’s a relatively simple affair that’s been further refined (dumbed down, some may argue) over time. When I started playing LOTRO in 2008, fishing had an extra component to its underlying mechanic. There were various types of bait (consumables) that provided a bonus to your fishing skill. These included Leech Bait, Nightcrawler Bait and Red Wiggler Bait. However, this mechanic was removed possibly around the time of the “free to play” conversion. As it currently stands, fishing now just requires accepting the hobby from the Hobby Master NPC (Simon Quinlank would be proud), buying a basic fishing rod and finding a body of water. You equip the rod instead of a weapon and add the fishing skill to your quick slot bar. If you click the skill it will cause a casting animation. You then wait for the fish to bite, which is signified buy your rod bending and twitching. The player then clicks the skill again to land whatever they’ve caught.
Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay Reveal: 48-Minute Walkthrough
Two months ago, those attending E3 tradeshow were afforded a behind-the-scenes demo of Cyberpunk 2077 by developer CD Projekt Red. Finally, that same footage has been made available to the general public today. Here is the link. I do recommend that you watch the entire video and assimilate the details. Because, I’m sure there’s going to be a great deal of hyperbole, bluster and hype going around in the next 48 hours regarding the Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay Reveal on You Tube. I’m sure there’ll also be a handful of professional malcontents who’ll immediately look to find fault or take a critical posture because, hey, that’s what some folks do. Speaking as a mature player of games, who takes a calm and measured approach to marketing and tries not to get sucked into the hysteria that can sometimes arise from the wider community, I must say I am intrigued by what I’ve seen so far.
The Eyes and Guard Tavern
LOTRO like many other MMOs has a test server. Players can transfer existing characters to Bullroarer when it is available and preview all aspects of any new content that is being beta tested. If you do not wish to or do not have a level appropriate character available to transfer, you can create a new one and then visit The Eyes and Guard Tavern in Archet. This hostelry hosts a range of NPCs that can advance your alt through content, bestow deeds as well as upgrade virtues and traits. Effectively, you can gain everything that is available in the game from level 1 to the new cap of 120. It is therefore an invaluable in-game facility. If you wish to visit the latest zone, then you can jump to level cap and port directly to the region. Min-maxers and those who have a penchant for build experimentation can spend hours perusing new gear and such like. However, despite being a beneficial facility, The Eyes and Guard Tavern is a somewhat blunt tool.
Classic Game Themes: Some of my Personal Favourites
A ten months ago, I wrote about the LOTRO soundtrack and listed some of my favourite tracks. This time round rather than just limit myself to music from one game, I thought it may be more interesting to broaden the remit. So, I have decided to upload seven of my favourite tracks and music cues from various games I have played over the last two decades. As with cinema, the soundtrack of a game plays a very important role. It can make a substantial impact on the players perceptions and enjoyment. The following tracks are examples that I feel have greatly enhanced a game. They’re also ones that I find particularly enjoyable. They are not in any order of preference.
LOTRO: Progressing Through Mordor
It was in May that I last subscribed to LOTRO and attempted to progress through the Mordor expansion. I was under geared and under powered and the initial zone of Udûn was proving to be an up-hill struggle. So, I decided to level elsewhere in the game and managed to get as far as 111 (the current level cap is 115). I still couldn’t improve my gear so there was no point bypassing Mordor and going straight to the Dale-lands which were released in June in Update 22. So, I decided to spend my gaming time elsewhere and left LOTRO. However, the recent Bullroarer preview of Update 23 rekindled my interest in the MMO. Surely Mordor wasn’t the immovable obstacle that I thought? So, I subscribed once again, and returned to the game on Friday evening. Luckily, there were several kinship members online and they generously helped me until I reached the “tipping point” of the Mordor expansion. Two days later and I’ve nearly hit level cap and the game although challenging, it’s no longer the grind that it was a few months ago.
Video Games: The Broadest of Churches
I started playing video games in the eighties, mainly coin-op arcade machines. By the time the nineties console boom began, I was out of school, working and therefore bought several generations of home entertainment systems. By the late nineties I moved over to the PC and subsequently got access to a wider variety of games. I came relatively late to the MMO boom, although I had played other types of multiplayer internet-based games. Thirty-five or so years later, I find myself a mature player of games (I do not identify as a gamer per se but that’s another blog post entirely) with a bunch of views, opinions and expectations shaped by the decades I’ve lived (and played) through. Simply put, my head is at a different place to those who are ten, twenty or thirty years my junior. Games have evolved, just like popular music, TV and movies. The associated culture around video games has also been subject to change. You may well think I’ve just stated the “bleedin’ obvious”, but in my experience it doesn’t hurt to re-iterate this point when addressing a new trend or craze that on first inspection seems somewhat abstract to us.
Are You Not Entertained?
I distinctly remember when I finished the main story in Saints Row the Third and had completed the majority of the content available. I’d bought the game as part of a bundle for a mere £3.99 and had spent over sixty hours in-game, so overall, I considered this money well spent. But what made the experience particularly memorable, as I logged out of the game knowing that I was effectively done with it, there was an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Not only was there the sheer value for money that I have mentioned, but I felt that I had been entertained (hence the Russell Crowe reference in the title of this post). This happened again recently when I completed the final DLC for Sniper Elite 4 and also when I finished the main story in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Although there was a sense of achievement, I predominantly felt pleased by the fact that I had fun. The latest expansion for Star Trek Online, Victory is Life made me feel this way too.
Not Playing World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is still the biggest western MMO around and despite the ebb and flow of its player base, it remains a powerful presence within the gaming community. With the release of the pre-patch for the next expansion Battle of Azeroth yesterday, naturally there has been a wealth of blog posts as players dust off their subscriptions and return to the game. It’s a timely reminder that WoW was the MMO that made the genre more mainstream and commercially viable. For many gamers it was their stepping stone into other titles and sub-genres. The importance of World of Warcraft in gaming history and its place within pop culture is significant. The games success has bled through in to the mainstream. WoW is a known quantity outside of gaming circles and is social reference point, in the same way as Dungeons and Dragons, Batman or Star Trek.
Once again, an interesting talking point was raised over Massively Overpowered, but that’s hardly surprising as that is their schtick, so to speak. This time round the subject being dissected was Reddit and what happens when a gaming community finds more traction there than anywhere else. The thing is with Reddit is that it’s nowhere near as moderated as official forums and can in certain circumstances become a thorn in the flesh of a games developer, rather than an invaluable community resource. It was an engaging talking point that eventually started expanding into the more nebulous question of “how do you solve a problem like Reddit?” or thereabouts. I think this latter conundrum if worth pondering because Reddit as a platform isn’t going anywhere fast. Most games will have an official or unofficial presence there and love it or loathe it, such places are often a useful repository of information, if you can navigate the choppy waters therein.
Dailies
Broadly speaking, dailies are repeatable quests or activities that are designed to keep you engaged and busy within the MMO genre. They are a supplement to main story quests and often offer a long-term goal and reward or provide barter tokens for a range of gear. They can sometimes be used as an alternative means of gaining high-end gear for players who cannot or will not raid. Dailies also offer an additional means to level an alt, for players who are tired of repeating primary content that they are over familiar with. Along with log-in rewards, dailies are designed to entice players into regular play. They offer quick, repeatable content along with a clearly defined bauble or trinket, making them ideal for players who have a limited amount of game time. Hence, you’ll find variations thereof present in most MMOs.
The Lord of the Rings Online 2.0
“I’d love to see LOTRO reimagined in a new engine with a certain modernization of gameplay". So said Koshelkin, in a recent comment made over at the Massively Overpowered website. It’s a common sentiment that often expressed by the LOTRO community and I must admit, I have a similar curiosity. But the more I ponder this idea, the more I find myself thinking “be careful what you wish for”. Because LOTRO as it currently exists, embodies the MMO ethos of the time that spawned it. Long-term players love it because of its foibles. As I’ve mentioned before in previous blog posts many LOTRO players are not gamers per se and therefore have no exposure to modern MMOs along with contemporary game mechanics. Thus, if Standing Stone Games were to radically redesign their virtual Middle-earth to include action combat and a truly open world, they may find themselves alienating a great many current LOTRO players, who would be all at sea in a modern iteration of the game.
The Problem with Giveaways
Cryptic are currently running a promotional giveaway for Star Trek Online, in which the top prize is an exclusive ORIGIN Millennium Gaming Desktop themed PC with artwork from Star Trek Online: Victory is Life. It’s worth $3, 272, looks spiffy and has robust specifications. There all also various other runner up prizes, such as the Gamma Vanguard and Gamma Vanguard Starter Pack. If you enjoy STO then this is a good value giveaway with a fair selection of rewards. Or at least it is at first glance. If you read the ubiquitous small print that comes with any sort of endeavour such as this, you’ll quickly spot that you can only enter the giveaway if you’re resident of North America. And therein lies the problem with so many competitions these days. Despite games having a global market, giveaways are frequently hamstrung by regional restrictions, rules and regulations.
Narco Road
Overall, I enjoyed the base game of Ghost Recon: Wildlands. I have no major investment in the franchise and so judged the game on its story, mechanics and accessibility. As the concept of a Narco State is not beyond the realms of possibility, the story although stylised was acceptable. All games require the suspension of disbelief and as long as they don’t break their own internal logic and dramatic conceit, they tend to successfully tread the path of their narrative fantasy. Sadly, Narco Road the first DLC for Ghost Recon: Wildlands tries to take the game down a more bombastic and excessive path, filled monster trucks, extreme sports and villains that have crossed the line from the melodramatic, to caricature. Most players discovered this last April when the DLC was released. I have only discovered this now, over a year later and it’s a little disappointing.
Fans, Community Management and Social Media
When I first read about the furore caused by Jessica Price’s comments yesterday, I knew it wouldn’t end well. There’s a tedious inevitability to the outcome of most video game related “outrages” these days. For example, a senior member of staff from a major developer will same something crass, double down, dig a hole and then finally after being bitten on the ass by reality, will put out a mealy-mouthed half ass apology. The other scenario is that an employee affiliated to a studio says something completely left field, is presented with short window of opportunity to retract it and blame it on over the counter flu medication, before they get fired due to the ensuing PR shit storm. This particular controversy falls into the latter category. However, if you take a step back from the Jessica Price debacle you quickly notice it raises a lot of questions beyond her obvious transgression. Namely, the problem of always being “on the clock” when you work in certain professions, the need to separate your work and personal social media presence and the place “influencers have in the video games industry.
Victory is Life
Star Trek Online is a curious beast compared to other MMOs. Although the characters that you create have gear, skills and traits to advance, it is your ship that is the real focus of in game min-maxing. The game also has several strong narrative arcs that dovetail superbly into existing Trek lore. The fact that numerous actors from the original TV shows have returned to voice their characters in the game, is another feather in the hat for Cryptic, the games developers. STO recently had a major lighting and game engine overhaul to accommodate it’s launch on the console market. Yet despite many very positive factors, there are still times when STO feels a little clunky and lacking in polish. Cutscenes can be problematic and the game has some persistent bugs and glitches. However, despite some flaws the MMO has a strong and loyal fanbase who play actively and pay prodigiously. This is also a game with a large number of whales in its wider community.
Video Games and Lawyers
Some gamers tend to forget that the video games they play are primarily commercial products. They romanticise the video game industry per se, along with their own “relationship” with the developers. There is also a tendency to forget that they are “customers. Nothing bursts this delusional bubble more efficiently than the involvement of lawyers. Lawyers tend to cut to the chase as time is money etc. Community Managers dissemble, marketing and PR companies hype and misdirect, but the moment lawyers are involved in any way, it means that something unequivocal is going to happen. Sadly, the involvement of the legal profession in a video games life cycle is often a bad sign. Something that became quite apparent this week, when developers Gun Media made an announcement about the future of Friday the 13th: The Game.
Congratulations. Now Spend More Money
Video games are many things to different people. For some they are art, for others they’re a social platform. Others see games a means to compete and challenge themselves. Others use them as a medium to bolster their self-esteem. And in some quarters, games are a retreat and a safe space from all the things in life that are threatening, such as women, equality and human decency. For me, they provide an amusing diversion and a writing opportunity. But let us not forget what the primary purpose of the video games industry is. Namely, to make money. Video games are not a social service or a similar altruistic medium, although many gamers still delude themselves that they are. They’re a product to be packaged, marketed and sold. And I was given a timely reminder of this today.