Cyberpunk 2077 and Third-Person Perspective
There’s no point in dancing around the issue, Cyberpunk 2077 has failed to maintain a hold on me and I have not touched the game for over a week. I have niggles about the combat system and navigating the wonderfully realised world of Night City. The biggest selling points for the game are the central story and the wealth of well conceived side quests. Sadly all of these positive attributes are hamstrung by one fact that ultimately spoils my enjoyment. I don’t care for the first person perspective that developers CD Projekt RED have chosen for the game. I understand that they feel that combat is better served by this mechanic and that the entire FPS genre provides credence to their argument. However, I find that this decision comes at the expense of your character. This is a Role Playing Game with a complex character customisation system. It strikes me as incongruous that after lovingly creating your own concept of V, the main protagonist, that you spend your entire game unable to see them.
There’s no point in dancing around the issue, Cyberpunk 2077 has failed to maintain a hold on me and I have not touched the game for over a week. I have niggles about the combat system and navigating the wonderfully realised world of Night City. The biggest selling points for the game are the central story and the wealth of well conceived side quests. Sadly all of these positive attributes are hamstrung by one fact that ultimately spoils my enjoyment. I don’t care for the first person perspective that developers CD Projekt RED have chosen for the game. I understand that they feel that combat is better served by this mechanic and that the entire FPS genre provides credence to their argument. However, I find that this decision comes at the expense of your character. This is a Role Playing Game with a complex character customisation system. It strikes me as incongruous that after lovingly creating your own concept of V, the main protagonist, that you spend your entire game unable to see them.
An example of the default first-person perspective in Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt RED made it clear quite early in the game’s development that Cyberpunk 2077 would be first-person. I hoped that over the years this decision would be tempered and that the final release would include the ability to change between first-person and third-person views, as with Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls Online. Sadly this didn’t exactly happen. The game does provide an optional third-person view when driving and players can view their custom avatar when using the mirror in V’s apartment. But beyond these instances, the game plays out in first-person view. Again there is an argument to be had that this is beneficial for the cutscenes and dialogue options, allowing you to see the facial animations of the characters that you’re interacting with. Due to the lack of peripheral vision which is a foible of the first-person view in video games, the arrival of new people can catch you unaware. This does add to the drama sometimes. However, the opposite is also true. The locked in, first-person perspective restricts you and impacts upon your effectiveness in combat.
A glitch shows the native third-person model is “malformed”
Because the game is not designed to support a continuous external view of your character, it has been discovered that your avatar is quite bizarre when viewed in third-person. Several gamers have posted videos on YouTube showing a glitch allowing them a third-person perspective and their avatar is missing a head and has a strange elongated body. However, that has not discouraged the modding community. Jelle Bakker has created a means to play the game in third person although it is by his own admission not perfect and remains a work in progress. So far, the results are interesting although rapidly turning causes your character’s hips to become out of sync with the upper body. At present combat in this perspective breaks the character animations with limbs missing or moving unrealistically. Swimming is also somewhat stilted, lacking in sufficient leg movement.
The current third-person mod breaks character animations
I did some research on various permutations of this mod, as obviously others gamers are attempting to do the same. So far I’ve not seen any footage of dialogue scenes from the main story shown in third-person. Perhaps it cannot be implemented during these parts of the game for technical reasons. Or it may be a case that I just haven’t found the right video so far. What I may do is postpone any further playing of Cyberpunk 2077 and wait for the game to be patched further by developer CD Projekt RED and see how development of this mod progresses. If it can be perfected and easily integrated into the game then I may attempt a new play through and see if the third-person perspective makes the experience more enjoyable. Perhaps this mod may even lead to a formally produced third-person patch by CD Projekt RED at some point. We can but dream.
A Year in Gaming
Retrospective posts such as this can be a sprawling mess. There is also potential to cover the same old ground that I’ve covered in my monthly summaries “A Month in Gaming”. So I’ll try to be as succinct as I can. Firstly I won’t dwell too much on the iniquities of the video game industry as I’ve covered that elsewhere. Let it suffice to say that the notion of the “rock star developer” and the ethical publisher have proven false. Buying a triple A mainstream game is as morally compromised as buying a pair of jeans made by child labour. But let’s not get caught up in ethics. That’s another post. The pandemic meant that I, like many others, had far more leisure time this year and hence I spent that time gaming. It’s been a good year for video games publishers and the revenue has rolled in. Have I had fun while playing more games? Yes. The games have proven engaging and they also provide a lot to write about, so it’s a win, win scenario from my perspective.
Retrospective posts such as this can be a sprawling mess. There is also potential to cover the same old ground that I’ve covered in my monthly summaries “A Month in Gaming”. So I’ll try to be as succinct as I can. Firstly I won’t dwell too much on the iniquities of the video game industry as I’ve covered that elsewhere. Let it suffice to say that the notion of the “rock star developer” and the ethical publisher have proven false. Buying a triple A mainstream game is as morally compromised as buying a pair of jeans made by child labour. But let’s not get caught up in ethics. That’s another post. The pandemic meant that I, like many others, had far more leisure time this year and hence I spent that time gaming. It’s been a good year for video games publishers and the revenue has rolled in. Have I had fun while playing more games? Yes. The games have proven engaging and they also provide a lot to write about, so it’s a win, win scenario from my perspective.
So, what have I played? Let’s start with MMOs.
Star Trek Online: This game celebrated its ten year anniversary this year and celebrated with a lore infused two part story in February which was an utter joy to fans. Sadly the pandemic has somewhat reduced the flow of major story content but there has been further feature episodes produced. I rolled a new character and raised them to level cap by playing events and Task Force Operations. I’m now trying to play through all story missions in order and refamiliarize myself with the narrative arc of the game, which has become confused over the years. I finally achieved my long term goal and obtained a Tier 6 Constitution Legendary Miracle Worker Light Cruiser (a ship that looks like the original Enterprise) and I’m enjoying slowly working towards gear upgrades and advancing in-game systems. When you already have a high end alt that basically has everything available in the game it can become somewhat dull playing that character. Having to start from scratch another is quite challenging. Plus I just love the Trek vibe that is so strong in this game. It covers a multitude of sins.
The Lord of the Rings Online: LOTRO gave away a wealth of content free of charge earlier this year and players returned in droves. And then there were the server outages and the games fortunes took a nosedive. The “mini expansion” was obviously done out of dire financial need but it didn’t help flagging community relations. And then at the eleventh hour developer’s Standing Stone Games were bought out by Enad Global 7 and suddenly a wealth of questions that have been outstanding for the last few years became clear. I have enjoyed the content that I played in LOTRO of late but it doesn seem to be stuck in a rinse and repeat mindset. I’m hoping that a new owner will mean that content will come more often and will be broader in scope. I have a great deal of affection for this MMO and I would like to see it continue, rather than slowly fade away. Let’s see if a Producer’s Letter and a “roadmap” are forthcoming in early 2021.
Neverwinter: I returned to this game briefly for the first time since its beta test in 2013. I enjoyed the hybrid style of action combat and the atmosphere and aesthetic of the game. But it makes that typical MMO mistake of focusing too much on endgame and trivialising the early content. So I have already drifted away.
The Elder Scrolls Online: I started the year playing ESO but as I stated before, you can’t have too many MMOs on the go at the same time or else you end up spreading yourself too thinly and not getting enough enjoyment out of any of them. So I stopped subscribing but briefly returned in June for the Greymoor expansion. Oddly, I wrote a post about Harrowstorms providing a simple guide regarding where they occur and the quickest way to get to them. It proved one of the most popular items I’ve written in 2020.
Dauntless: Not strictly an MMO but it does share a lot of similar mechanics. This is another game that I played during its initial testing period. I returned to find it streamlined, polished and great fun. It is similar to Monster Hunter: World but far more accessible and sociable. It’s well worth a try and has a great art style.
Single player and multiplayer games:
Deathtrap Dungeon: A superb adaptation of the Ian Livingstone adventure book with its branching narrative. An avuncular Eddie Master sits in an armchair and narrates the story while the player chooses text based options. Combat is carried out by the roll of virtual dice. It’s wonderfully old school and an utter breath of fresh air from modern glossy triple A guff.
Call of Duty Warzone/Modern Warfare: I finally returned to the FPS genre after a break of seven or eight years. I bought this reboot of Modern Warfare in April and by that time, Warzone, the Battle Royale version of the game, had just launched. Simply put I had great fun playing up until November and then the next iteration of CoD was launched. Warzone endures but is now weighted towards content from the latest instalment Black Ops: Cold War. Modern Warfare will no longer receive any content updates for multiplayer and its player base will slowly diminish. All of which is an object lesson in the ephemeral nature of video games and the franchise treadmill.
Fall Guys: A fun Battle Royale game? Can there be such a thing? Yes. And Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is just that. I find that if I play this sparingly, then I don’t get too frustrated. It’s amusing to dress up in silly virtual costumes and indulge in what I can only describe as a video game version of Takeshi Castle. However, I still think the game needs some tweaking to adjust certain “human factors”. Plus I haven’t yet won five games in a row and gained a crown. I doubt if I ever will. That peeves me. However, my Granddaughters love this game so I’ll keep it installed.
The Sinking City: Frogwares make the popular Sherlock Holmes games and so The Sinking City shares a lot of the same investigative mechanics. It does have some bugs and not all the mechanics are as engaging as they could be but I really liked this odd, Lovecraft inspired game. It’s very atmospheric. Sometimes a game’s imperfections can be part of its appeal.
Cyberpunk 2077: Let us not discuss the hype surrounding this game or the fickle nature of gamers that projected their own hopes and dreams on to this product. CD Projeckt Red have tanked their own reputation by releasing broken versions for the previous generation of consoles and the game remains controversial. At some point I may write a lengthy blog post on my thoughts on this game, now that I’ve played sufficient to assess it. The short version of that future analysis is as follows. I love the story and the characters because it addresses complex adult issues in a challenging fashion. But I dislike the first person perspective and find that it ruins combat, which is in itself somewhat underwhelming. I never understand why a game that gives you such a rich and varied character creator and then elects to never let you see yourself in-game. Cyberpunk 2077 offers a big, visually impressive immersive world but it is lacking in interaction. It doesn’t feel as alive as the city of Los Santos in GTA V, although it looks better. My advice to those curious about this game is to buy it in six month times when it’s patched and on sale. And adjust your expectations accordingly.
So that’s what I played in 2020. Broadly I had fun. As for next year, I suspect I’ll keep playing games in a similar fashion. MMOs will continue to provide a staple and I’ll try various single player titles as the year progresses. It is customary when approaching the New Year to make predictions and many of my blogging friends will be doing such. I shall now bring the benefit of my fifty three years of “wisdom” to bear on the matter and give my thoughts on what is to come over the next twelve months. Game developers will hype and over sell their products. Gamers will get over excited and partisan debates will divide the community. Some folk will make lots of money and others won’t. Some games will be fun and others will not. Some gamers will be massive assholes, where others will be cuddly and nice. We’ll all keep grumbling but we’ll also keep playing. Finally, no matter how much things change, they will essentially stay the same. And Dwarves will still jump around annoyingly in my peripheral vision while I’m perusing the auction house. See you next year.
Video Games: Just Another Leisure Industry
I was going to start this post with the phrase “there was a time” but then it struck me, that sounds like the opening gambit of a power ballad, so I decided against it. Instead let’s keep it simple. I’ve always played video games. But overtime my relationship with this activity evolved from just being an amusing diversion into a major hobby that I became enamoured with. Two factors contributed to this change in perspective. Moving from console to PC gaming in the late nineties and playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) circa 2008. By 2010 I was regularly writing about gaming, immersing myself in the culture and participating in the wider community. I naively thought for a while that video games were a unique and exceptional manifestation of pop culture, compared to music, film and literature. However, ten years later, although it is clear that video games can at times be true art just like those other mediums, they also suffer from all the endemic failings and iniquities that exist in the other leisure industries.
I was going to start this post with the phrase “there was a time” but then it struck me, that sounds like the opening gambit of a power ballad, so I decided against it. Instead let’s keep it simple. I’ve always played video games. But overtime my relationship with this activity evolved from just being an amusing diversion into a major hobby that I became enamoured with. Two factors contributed to this change in perspective. Moving from console to PC gaming in the late nineties and playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) circa 2008. By 2010 I was regularly writing about gaming, immersing myself in the culture and participating in the wider community. I naively thought for a while that video games were a unique and exceptional manifestation of pop culture, compared to music, film and literature. However, ten years later, although it is clear that video games can at times be true art just like those other mediums, they also suffer from all the endemic failings and iniquities that exist in the other leisure industries.
The production of mainstream, so called triple A video games is a textbook example of how contemporary capitalism works and a microcosm of all its shitty foibles. Game developer’s may well have artistic visions and creative aspirations. Those that bank roll them seldom have such lofty ideals. Video games are products to be monetised, sold and used as a means to continuously generate revenue. This business necessity is not something bolted onto a game once it’s completed. It is something that directly shapes their creation. Hence we’re sold a base game; a starter pack as it were. If you want the complete experience, then you pay more. And despite the massive development costs, these products are intended to be ephemeral. The moment the ROI drops they are abandoned and replaced with new products. Therefore the short attention span of customers leads to the brief life cycle of premium games and perpetuates the treadmill of continuous new product culture.
The buck apparently doesn’t stop with Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft
Sadly, the video games industry has sadly proven itself to be as predatory, exploitative and emotionally dysfunctional as music and cinema. Employment rights, working conditions and pay are poor. The industry’s management structure attracts the usual suspects with their borderline sociopathic traits. Bullies, racists, misogynists and those with a penchant for sexual assault act with impunity. Such individuals like to cultivate an image akin to rock stars, vicariously claiming to work in a hip, modern and creative line of work. But instead it’s just the same, seedy, entitled, spoilt middle-aged white men who seem to think the rules don’t apply to the. A malady that runs throughout modern life in western culture. Whenever such individuals are held to account and scrutinised, they quickly show themselves to be the modern equivalent of the wealthy mill owner from the 19th century. And in their misplaced vanity they always see themselves as the victims.
But there are other factors contributing to the negative state of the video games industry. The first is marketing, which like contemporary politics doesn’t wish to engage in any sort of discussion to justify itself. It merely wants unfettered access to multiple platforms and to be able to make statements unchallenged, irrespective of their veracity, integrity or legality. Hype culture, the wane of quality journalism along with a decline in critical thinking among consumers have contributed to the current hubristic stance adopted when promoting a new triple A game. And this insidious approach by sales and marketing enjoys a curious symbiotic relationship with that other Achilles heel of gaming, zealous fandom.
An all too common aspect of fandom these days
Fandom has become increasingly fundamentalist, binary and bellicose in recent years. It is tribal and at times devoid of reason. Criticism, commentary and analysis are rejected and any differing of opinion is seen as a personal attack. Fans continue to erroneously equate enjoying a product with having some sort of ownership of it. They’ll even pick a side and go to war over titles they haven’t even played yet. Such is the depth of emotional investment made. Furthermore, if a game falls short of expectations that gamers have created themselves, it is seen as an act of treason and a violation of one human rights. Again, you’ll find no difference between ardent video games fans and those of popular TV and cinematic franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek.
I used to enjoy my “love affair” with gaming. It was a new creative endeavour, that unlike pop music, TV and cinema had grown up over the course of my life. I was proud to be part of a writing and podcasting community that shared my affection. That community is still there and remains active but it has diminished. Many, like myself, have had their eyes opened to the unpleasant underbelly of the industry. An industry that does not reflect the diversity of its customers. An industry that is often immoral and unpleasant. An industry that refuses to take a stance against those fans that wish to usurp it and set its course. An industry that wants to have its cake and eat it. So ten years on, I still enjoy games. But I don’t have any illusions about their provenance. Many mainstream games are built upon the blood, sweat and tears of others. Just like cheap clothes made in developing countries. Or TV shows that purport to be about giving people a shot at fame but are really just the modern day equivalent of a Victorian freak show. The video games industry is exactly like all other industries and that is not in any way a compliment. Cognitive dissonance can only keep me tacitly supporting such things for so long. At some point they’ll be a parting of the ways.
Cyberpunk 2077: Too Much Information
In 1979 I started learning French, as it was a standard part of the UK school curriculum then. For the first year or two, I remember learning the rules of French grammar and keeping pace with what was being taught. And then in the third year, something odd happened. I was asked a question one day and my mind was blank. This wasn’t a case of forgetting something that one can recall when prompted. No. This was due to an informational void. I found myself at a point where I was suddenly and totally out of my depth. Somehow in the months prior, I had reached a point where I had stopped comprehending and absorbing what was being taught. And I had now strayed beyond and was no longer equipped to deal with the situation. For those wondering where I am going with this analogy, allow me to clarify. I found myself in a similar situation with the role playing game, Cyberpunk 2077, within hours (not years) of starting it.
In 1979 I started learning French, as it was a standard part of the UK school curriculum then. For the first year or two, I remember learning the rules of French grammar and keeping pace with what was being taught. And then in the third year, something odd happened. I was asked a question one day and my mind was blank. This wasn’t a case of forgetting something that one can recall when prompted. No. This was due to an informational void. I found myself at a point where I was suddenly and totally out of my depth. Somehow in the months prior, I had reached a point where I had stopped comprehending and absorbing what was being taught. And I had now strayed beyond and was no longer equipped to deal with the situation. For those wondering where I am going with this analogy, allow me to clarify. I found myself in a similar situation with the role playing game, Cyberpunk 2077, within hours (not years) of starting it.
When the first teaser trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 was released back in 2013 I was nominally interested. However, after playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I became more enthusiastic about the game and the developer’s CD Projekt Red. If it had a similar narrative depth as their successful fantasy based RPG, then it could well be a further genre defining title. Sadly, as soon as it became apparent that the game was going to be in first person perspective, my initial excitement waned. I can tolerate this mechanic in the FPS genre, often where the story is not that important. But in a genre such as the RPG, I think it is essential that you see your avatar from a third person perspective. Especially so when there are dense stories and it is important for the player to have an emotional connection with their avatar. To cut a long story short, over the length of Cyberpunk 2077 long development cycle, I slowly lost interest in the game and was not planning to buy it at launch. And then someone surprised me by “gifting” me a copy as an early birthday present. So I decided to dive right in and play with minimal knowledge regarding the state of the final release.
Now one of the reasons I like the RPG genre is because they usually offer complex stories. A good one is like an interactive novel. Therefore, when I fire up a game such as Cyberpunk 2077 and start playing, I have the subtitles on for all dialogue and I take my time when choosing branching narrative responses. I like to weigh up each reply and consider its ramifications. Just as I do in real life. So I was surprised and far from impressed by some of the timed response sequences that force the player to make a hasty decision on some dialogue choices within a few seconds. This annoys me because my analytical mind will continuously reflect upon whether I have hamstrung myself at some future point in the game. Something that detracts from my ongoing enjoyment of the game in what we call the “moment”.
Another aspect of the game that I struggled with is the collecting and reading of story related data. There are portable drives which are broadly the equivalent of books and scrolls in other fantasy based RPGs. They contain information on characters, institutions and the world the game is set in. I initially started reading each one when collected but I soon put pay to that. As this is a new IP there is a lot to learn and I simply couldn’t assimilate all of this lore in such a manner. Plus on top of all this, there are numerous text messages continuously coming to your in-game phone, plus further messages and data on the computer in your apartment. Naturally not all of it is mission critical but some of it is illuminating in providing backstory to the game world. As such I feel obliged to read it all, otherwise why am I playing an RPG in the first place? If I just want to shoot stuff I can play any FPS.
Naturally, a major part of Cyberpunk 2077 is hacking. One specific type, breach protocol, involves “jacking in” to a terminal and then trying to select a specific sequence of numbers in a short period of time. You are not expected to complete all sequences (there are usually 3) to win, and successfully breach the system you’re hacking. However, the game does an utterly appalling job at explaining a system that is far from clear cut. When I was first confronted with this mechanic it was 2:30 AM and I simply could not comprehend what I was being told to do. It was immensely frustrating. And the game has several other foibles that are equally as frustrating. For example I wanted to get to a particular part of Night City to see if the shops offered more stylish clothing. I set a waypoint on the map and attempted to drive there. But when I crossed into certain areas my screen played a glitch animation and I found myself facing the opposite direction. It seems you cannot just traverse the world as you see fit and some areas don’t open until you reach a certain point in the main story.
Essentially, I have blundered my way through 10 hours of Cyberpunk 2077 and completed 2% of content according to the GOG Galaxy launcher. I have enjoyed aspects of the game but I feel I may have missed some optimal outcomes with my decisions and actions. I don’t feel empowered, enthused or challenged by this. I simply want to trash my existing character and start again. Until I started writing this post, I was slowly sinking because there was “too much information”, as Gordon Sumner sang. However, I have now decided to simply approach the game in a far less methodical fashion. I may even limit the length of my play sessions so I do not find myself going down too many rabbit holes. Often I find myself sounding like a stuck record, repeating the same old observations ad infinitum. Again we have a game that has a poor tutorial and doesn’t adequately inform the player about essential mechanics. Cyberpunk 2077 has also been a timely reminder about the perils of being an early adopter. I suspect the game of the year edition will be far more polished and streamlined. In the meantime I shall continue to play like a child on a bike with training wheels.
Update: I decided to delete my current alt and progress so I could start all over again. I’m also using a Xbox controller for the driving sequences and a keyboard and mouse for the remainder of the game.
LOTRO, Daybreak Game Company and Enad Global 7
It has long been suspected that Daybreak Game Company owned Standing Stone Games and was more than just their publisher. However, being a private company, DGC has been exempt from public scrutiny. Infact, they’ve gone out of their way to keep their cards close to their chest in recent years. Press releases and tweets have been posted and then deleted to try and cover their tracks. To quote Lord Melchett from Blackadder, DGC “twist and turn like a ... twisty-turny thing”. It’s all been somewhat unseemly but at the same time great fun to speculate about. However, on Monday 1st December, Swedish games company Enad Global 7 (EG7) announced that they were buying DGC. Furthermore, as EG7 are a publicly owned company, information about them is freely available. Hence an investor presentation was posted on their website, rich with details of their new acquisition.
It has long been suspected that Daybreak Game Company owned Standing Stone Games and was more than just their publisher. However, being a private company, DGC has been exempt from public scrutiny. Infact, they’ve gone out of their way to keep their cards close to their chest in recent years. Press releases and tweets have been posted and then deleted to try and cover their tracks. To quote Lord Melchett from Blackadder, DGC “twist and turn like a ... twisty-turny thing”. It’s all been somewhat unseemly but at the same time great fun to speculate about. However, on Monday 1st December, Swedish games company Enad Global 7 (EG7) announced that they were buying DGC. Furthermore, as EG7 are a publicly owned company, information about them is freely available. Hence an investor presentation was posted on their website, rich with details of their new acquisition.
Now the foibles and machinations of DGC have become a source of interest for numerous game journalists and bloggers over the years. I therefore strongly recommend the following articles by Bree Royce and Wilhelm Arcturus, as they dissect and delineate the information published in EG7’s investor presentation. Both make for very interesting reading, giving details of the “health and wealth” of the various titles that have been up to now, owned by DGC. I however, will simply focus on the details pertaining to The Lord of the Rings Online, as this is the MMORPG I have the strongest connection to out of all the games listed. Finally, we have some indication of LOTRO’s business performance and its playerbase. In terms of monthly active players, the game has 108,000, of which 37.9% (41,000) subscribe generating nearly $10 million per year. Overall, yearly revenue is $26.7 million. LOTRO has the third-biggest playerbase out of DGC’s (now EG7’s) game portfolio.
So business wise, LOTRO is looking quite healthy. Furthermore, the forthcoming Amazon Prime, Middle-earth based TV show is being cited by EG7 as a potential means of raising consumer awareness of the IP. Something that can then be capitalised upon to promote LOTRO. Any sort of proactive marketing has long been absent from this MMO. Many players were baffled by the lack of any tie-in with the Hobbit movie trilogy, when they were released. Perhaps we will now see a change in policy over the next 12 months. It certainly seems that EG7 has provisional plans. Perhaps the most interesting of these is a proposed graphical and systems overhaul of the current PC version of LOTRO, along with further large content updates and a conversion of the game for “nextgen consoles”. Something that was originally mooted back in 2010, when the game first went free-to-play.
The significance of a console port of LOTRO should not be underestimated. The data in EG7’s investor presentation shows that the console version of DC Universe Online is a popular title and a robust source of revenue. Let us not forget that The Elder Scrolls Online, Neverwinter and Star Trek Online have all increased their players due to the success of their respective console ports. In fact the innovative revision of the UI in STO to accommodate the use of game controllers, actually offers greater functionality than the PC version. LOTRO suffers from a cluttered UI and an excess of quickslots and at present this can only be addressed with plugins. Therefore, a revision of the game may well prove beneficial to all players. Whether the game will support crossplay is another matter. However, I would like to see a console port of LOTRO made available as it would definitely bring new players to the game and re-invigorate the existing community. Let us see whether EG7 proves to be the “new broom that sweeps clean”.
A Month in Gaming
November proved to be a very productive month, gaming wise. I had to self isolate for 14 days, due to coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. Hence I had far more leisure time than usual. For a second month I applied myself to progressing through the new “mini expansion” in The Lord of the Rings Online. The new zone is a two phase map. The first is Elderslade, a mountainous region to the North of the Wells of Langflood. This area contains mainly story quests. The second phase, called War of Three Peaks, is the same zone but during a period of open war between the Dwarves and the Orcs. Quests here are mainly repeatable slayer and achievement quests. I did not discover this until I had completed the first round, so to speak, only to be offered exactly the same quests again by an NPC. As I had reached maximum rank in reputation for this new faction and there were no rewards of any note for me to spend my barter currency upon, I simply stopped playing through this content.
November proved to be a very productive month, gaming wise. I had to self isolate for 14 days, due to coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. Hence I had far more leisure time than usual. For a second month I applied myself to progressing through the new “mini expansion” in The Lord of the Rings Online. The new zone is a two phase map. The first is Elderslade, a mountainous region to the North of the Wells of Langflood. This area contains mainly story quests. The second phase, called War of Three Peaks, is the same zone but during a period of open war between the Dwarves and the Orcs. Quests here are mainly repeatable slayer and achievement quests. I did not discover this until I had completed the first round, so to speak, only to be offered exactly the same quests again by an NPC. As I had reached maximum rank in reputation for this new faction and there were no rewards of any note for me to spend my barter currency upon, I simply stopped playing through this content.
Naturally, I was somewhat disappointed by this development because it highlights how developer’s, Standing Stone Games, have padded this content update so they can sell it as a “mini expansion”. However, I moved onto the new Mission system and spent some time exploring that. The missions themselves are fairly straightforward, instanced areas in which the player has to undertake a couple of tasks. Kill a boss, find so many supply crates etc. The difference here from other instanced content is that the enemies are more reactive. Some Orcs self heal or if not killed quickly, call in reinforcements. Some are a little trickier than others. There’s one where you have to destroy doorways to stop Goblins from spawning in Goblin Town. Crowd control skills are useful here. There’s another droll mission in which you have to dance and drink with “partying” Goblins. But overall Mission’s fails to offer anything overtly different. Again there are reputation tiers and deeds to achieve. But they offer paltry rewards, so why grind through them?
I did however, move a lot closer to maxing out both my Legendary Weapons. I was generously helped by a kinmate, who donated a substantial supply of Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. Hence all my legacies (apart from the main ones on each LI) are now at level 83. I’m sure given time, I will be able to acquire sufficient Anfalas Star-lit Crystals to max out the main legacies and finally close the book on the entire LI system. It is nice to see that my recent re-equipping with gear from Adventurer’s Loot Boxes and levelling up of my LI has really improved my overall combat experience. Killing enemies is now a lot quicker with critical hits occurring quite frequently. But I now feel that I’ve done as much as I can with LOTRO for the present. I may participate in the new raids, should my kinship re-appear over Christmas. But until there is new story content and tangible rewards to pursue, this MMO will be placed on a backburner.
Throughout November, I have been playing the latest event in Star Trek Online. I must admit that I’m getting quite fed up with this approach to new content from Cryptic. I like stories couched in classic Trek lore and there hasn’t been enough of such content this year. So this is another game that is going to be relegated to intermittent play over the next month. Q’s Winter Wonderland festival is due to start next week but sadly it is not offering anything that I want. And then there is my ongoing return to the MMO Neverwinter. I’m having fun but there are many aspects about the game that I’m not impressed by. This is another MMO which trivialises all gear progression below a specific level. Then there is the excess of currencies in the game. I suspect I will get to level 60 or so and then decide that it is time to move on. It’s a shame because I like the combat style and the way the Warlock class handles. I suspect that December may be an odd time where I struggle to find a new game that interests me. However, I already have an eye on returning to Dauntless.
Video Game Tutorials, Again
I’ll try and keep this post concise so it doesn’t sound like a rant. It is intended to be a legitimate complaint. I just find it dispiriting that this topic has raised its head yet again. I am currently playing the MMORPG Neverwinter, a game I haven’t touched for 7 years. I created a new character and am currently working my way through the low level quests. So far the game has had a few tooltips appear on screen and the occasional voice over pointing out issues of importance. Overall, I have seen neither hide nor hair of what I would define as a tutorial. I have managed to bluff my way through the game so far, by drawing upon my experience in other MMOs. As this is a game developed by Cryptic, there are elements of the interface that are similar to Star Trek Online. However, this and my general knowledge of other genre games can only help me so far. I knew that sooner or later, I was bound to be flummoxed by something and today this finally occurred.
I’ll try and keep this post concise so it doesn’t sound like a rant. It is intended to be a legitimate complaint. I just find it dispiriting that this topic has raised its head yet again. I am currently playing the MMORPG Neverwinter, a game I haven’t touched for 7 years. I created a new character and am currently working my way through the low level quests. So far the game has had a few tooltips appear on screen and the occasional voice over pointing out issues of importance. Overall, I have seen neither hide nor hair of what I would define as a tutorial. I have managed to bluff my way through the game so far, by drawing upon my experience in other MMOs. As this is a game developed by Cryptic, there are elements of the interface that are similar to Star Trek Online. However, this and my general knowledge of other genre games can only help me so far. I knew that sooner or later, I was bound to be flummoxed by something and today this finally occurred.
I have three mounts at present in Neverwinter, although they are just horses and nothing fancy. The latest one that I’ve acquired is a little more interesting than the currently equipped one, so I decided to swap them around. It’s a totally innocuous and reasonable request, as well as something that is easily done in other MMOs. However, it took me over 30 minutes to determine how I did this and I was far from pleased when I finally found a solution to the problem. I was expecting to go into my Collections and set a new default mount there, in a similar manner to The Elder Scrolls Online. As this option wasn’t available I thought maybe this is done via my Stable panel. No joy there, so I looked in my Appearance panel. Nope, that didn’t work either. So I found myself doing something I hoped not to do so early on in playing Neverwinter and tabbed out of the game and searched Google.
Let it suffice to say that due to the various changes that have been made to the game and the mount system over the years, it took a while to find a correct solution. It’s also worth noting that as this game is also available on consoles, you have to ensure you search for a PC specific answer. It turns out that you have to select the Mounts tab, then Current and you are presented with an image of your default mount and its respective skills. If you click on where it says Appearance, a new window opens up and you can choose a new mount. It’s a simple solution, apart from the fact that the game provides absolutely no information or clues about this. Nor is there any indication that where it says Appearance is infact a clickable button. I simply discovered this by accident when I clicked in the wrong place in error. After my annoyance over this esoteric functionality subsided, I was left wondering how many more straightforward tasks are hidden in Neverwinter due to poor or indifferent UI design.
Now this anecdote may seem to some as trivial. However, let us step back and look at the situation from a broader perspective. I’m currently enjoying the early levels in Neverwinter and there are lots of new players. Not everyone will have prior experiences with the genre to draw upon. I came to a complete standstill with this problem and found the whole matter infuriating. I don’t think it unreasonable to assume that for some, this incident would prejudice their view of the game. A player that is being thwarted and not having fun, has no reason to stay. Not all gamers want their leisure activities to be one of the twelve labours of Hercules. Simply put, things like this can lose customers. Hence, good tutorials, tooltips and prompts are extremely important. A gamer should never have to leave a game to find out how to play. That’s the game’s job.
Return to Neverwinter
I originally tried the MMORPG Neverwinter during its beta test in early 2013 and having checked my original notes I wrote at the time, I enjoyed it. I think the main reason I didn’t persist with the game was due to not having a major connection to the franchise and that there was a lot of competition from other MMOs at the time. If memory serves my only niggle during the beta was that you couldn’t use your skills while moving. Combat is therefore a question of running, attacking and then repositioning your character. Although you can dodge or perform a variation thereof, fighting in the game is not what I would define as “action combat”. It is more of a hybrid of old and new MMO fighting styles. However, that notwithstanding, I decided to finally re-install the game and give it another go. A lot has happened in the intervening 7 years and Neverwinter is now more polished and has a lot more content to offer.
I originally tried the MMORPG Neverwinter during its beta test in early 2013 and having checked my original notes I wrote at the time, I enjoyed it. I think the main reason I didn’t persist with the game was due to not having a major connection to the franchise and that there was a lot of competition from other MMOs at the time. If memory serves my only niggle during the beta was that you couldn’t use your skills while moving. Combat is therefore a question of running, attacking and then repositioning your character. Although you can dodge or perform a variation thereof, fighting in the game is not what I would define as “action combat”. It is more of a hybrid of old and new MMO fighting styles. However, that notwithstanding, I decided to finally re-install the game and give it another go. A lot has happened in the intervening 7 years and Neverwinter is now more polished and has a lot more content to offer.
I logged into the game and tweaked a few settings. Next, I decided to ignore a previous character and start a new one from scratch. Rather than try to relearn how to play an existing Half-Elf Wizard, I chose to create a Human Warlock. I made my choice by reading the various tool tips and have decided to see exactly how far I can progress in the game, just by relying upon the information provided by the tutorial. In the past, I’ve often researched a new MMO in advance, to ensure I don’t “make any mistakes”. This time round, I’ve elected not to make work for myself and thought it would be an interesting experiment to just fly by the seat of my pants. I like MMOs but at present do not want a major learning curve. I’m mainly looking for fun. It may be a case that eventually I have to go outside of the game for information. However, this way at least lends itself to writing about my experience.
So why a Human Warlock? Well none of the other races grabbed my attention, apart from the ones you have to pay to unlock. Until I’m sure I’ll be playing Neverwinter for a while, I’m not going to spend any money. As for the Warlock Class, it basically struck me as being the same as a Mage/Wizard without having to dress like a keyboard player in a Prog Rock band. This may sound trivial but I get really bored of the aesthetic and sartorial confines of mainstream fantasy preconceptions. Any sort of Wizard or person who dabbles in magic is instantly saddled with a rocking a “Ming the Merciless” look and it gets old real fast. Plus I want to be able to play a ranged DPS class and avoid a bow, which is another tiresome cliche. So the Warlock is a good compromise. It also plays well with the combat so far proving to be fluid. That may just be down to the fact that I’m playing at low level and the enemies are hardly robust. But so far there seems a straightforward rhythm to the skill rotation.
I am interested to see in the days and hopefully weeks to come, whether the story holds my interest and if it does anything unusual compared to the standard fantasy genre fodder. I’m glad that the NPCs are all fully voice acted and that dialogue interactions are handled in a similar fashion to The Elder Scrolls Online. I find a lack of voice acting quite jarring if I come across it in an MMO. Another thing I’m curious about is how long I can play Neverwinter before it becomes apparent that I have to spend some money or else I’m “hobbling” myself. There appears to be something similar to a VIP subscription so I will look into that further if and when it becomes appropriate. Perhaps I will finally gain some insight into the popularity of the official Dungeons and Dragons franchise. It’s another popular culture touchstone that I’m aware of but that has passed me by over the years. Hopefully I can answer all these questions in a future blog post.
Should You Have Expectations of Other Players?
Just for a change, Star Trek Online has another event. “Best Served Cold” is a Task Force Operation in which the 5 players must prevent a prison break from the Klingon gulag Rura Penthe. Complete this TFO 14 times and you can earn rewards including a Nanopulse Targ Combat Pet. If you feel disposed to do so, you can set up a private group and complete this with friends. However, most players simply use the auto-group facility that the game offers. As the interdependency of all classes has diminished in STO, there is no obstacle to quickly joining a pick up group. More often or not, there is little or no criteria for failure for these TFO’s so some players will group and do as little as possible. In some events in STO it is possible to join a group and go AFK. The activity will complete regardless of player participation and all then receive the designated reward.
Just for a change, Star Trek Online has another event. “Best Served Cold” is a Task Force Operation in which the 5 players must prevent a prison break from the Klingon gulag Rura Penthe. Complete this TFO 14 times and you can earn rewards including a Nanopulse Targ Combat Pet. If you feel disposed to do so, you can set up a private group and complete this with friends. However, most players simply use the auto-group facility that the game offers. As the interdependency of all classes has diminished in STO, there is no obstacle to quickly joining a pick up group. More often or not, there is little or no criteria for failure for these TFO’s so some players will group and do as little as possible. In some events in STO it is possible to join a group and go AFK. The activity will complete regardless of player participation and all then receive the designated reward.
Now the reason I mention all this is because I had an interesting experience today while playing STO. As ever, although specifically related to this MMORPG, the wider sentiments discussed here are applicable to many others and indeed any game that features collaborative multiplay. The “Best Served Cold” event is far from difficult and easy to complete. As far as I’m aware your team’s score doesn’t even impact on the rewards. However (and there is always a however in gaming), some players want to complete this daily event to the best of their ability, achieving all the various goals. And to do that all players participating have a part to play. Needless to say that didn’t happen in the TFO in which I was participating and someone had a meltdown in team chat as a result. This raises an interesting question. Exactly what do you expect from a PUG, assuming that you should expect anything in the first place?
After playing the aforementioned TFO several times, a clear pattern of game play emerges. There are three satellites to defend from enemy attack, then there are transports to subdue and capture. Finally, each satellite needs to be protected from freighter being used as suicide bombers. Five ships can handle this easily. Three vessels can cover the satellites while the other two can cover the transports and eliminate the explosive freighters. But of course this seldom happens. Some players meander about, while others go AFK. Often you’ll finish the event with a percentage of transports escaped and may be a satellite damaged or even destroyed. Sometimes a player will attempt to “school” others, via the Team Chat. This is usually a recipe for disaster and abuse. Others will log out of the TFO if they feel that some players are “doing it wrong”. I simply focus on what I’m doing and reconcile myself to the fact that whatever happens, at least I get my daily reward and inch closer to completing the event.
There is a lot to reflect upon here. When someone joins a random group do they have any obligation to the other players. Do they need to learn the mechanics of the event or group undertaking? Is it presumptuous of others to expect that those that they group with come with adequate provisions such as health potions etc. Is it realistic to expect other players to be as prepared as you? Well if the group activity is organised with friends or through your guild, then I’d argue that there is some sort of social contract in place. But I just cannot argue that there is a similar code of conduct for PUGs. I’d think that basic good manners and a degree of social etiquette still exists, as we see it from time to time. The person who says “Hi” in team chat. The player that tries to do multiple tasks in the group event to compensate for those who cannot or will not. Those that say “good game” before leaving the group. But sadly this sort of positive behaviour is in decline both in and outside of games.
The problem with PUGs is that they do not foster any group identity or encourage any social interaction. It is simply a means of bringing a group of players together in an expedient fashion to complete a task. No one knows anyone and most do not talk. It is an impersonal system that just reinforces that sense of anonymity so often associated with the internet. A means to an end to get what you want. Sadly most game developers don’t make any attempt to address this. A simple way to foster good behaviour and more proactive gameplay is to incentivise and reward those who do more than just show up. But until this is done, I suspect it is simply unrealistic to expect anything of other players. Encouraging behavioural change requires diplomacy and needs to be handled sensitively because many players do not take “instruction” well. A proposed change in attitudes and habits will appear to some as a personal attack. Such is the world we live in at present. Therefore, for the present it is best to expect nothing from your fellow players by default. If anything beyond occurs, then it is a bonus.
"Why Am I Doing This?"
In-depth story quests, complex systems and incrementable progression are the foundation of the MMORPG genre. The player explores the virtual world, undertakes quests, earns gear and advances through various systems that improve their stats. It’s a formula that has been tried and tested over more than two decades. It works and keeps millions of players engaged with their MMO of choice. However, no matter how much new content developers add to an MMO, there are always a percentage of players that quickly complete it and demand more. The genre is a time sink by nature and many players are happy to do exactly that. Therefore, the most practical way to address this dilemma is to attempt to slow player progression. Hence time gating, making required items “rare” and making content repeatable are just some of the ways developer’s can extend a game’s longevity. And so “grinding” has also become an integral aspect of these games.
In-depth story quests, complex systems and incrementable progression are the foundation of the MMORPG genre. The player explores the virtual world, undertakes quests, earns gear and advances through various systems that improve their stats. It’s a formula that has been tried and tested over more than two decades. It works and keeps millions of players engaged with their MMO of choice. However, no matter how much new content developers add to an MMO, there are always a percentage of players that quickly complete it and demand more. The genre is a time sink by nature and many players are happy to do exactly that. Therefore, the most practical way to address this dilemma is to attempt to slow player progression. Hence time gating, making required items “rare” and making content repeatable are just some of the ways developer’s can extend a game’s longevity. And so “grinding” has also become an integral aspect of these games.
I have mentioned in previous posts that with a little bit of creativity, you can mask grind with a veneer of narrative and panache to make it more palatable. If you put some icing on top of a plain sponge cake and you make it marginally more interesting. However, sometimes game developers dispense with even this, leaving the player facing a lengthy, unenjoyable task that is presented purely as a lengthy, unenjoyable task. And it is at this point the players ask themselves the question, “why am I doing this?” Something that developer’s should never want their paying customers thinking. Because most gamers have a set of criteria that they measure a game against. These are usually on a scale. As long as one or two of these criteria are being met then the player will get some sense of enjoyment out of their gaming activities. The moment “why am I doing this?” arises it often means that the player has reached a point where the game isn’t providing any stimulation for them.
So what are these criteria, expectations or measurements by which an MMO is judged by the player? Rather than list lots of niche and subjective examples perhaps defining three broad categories would be more appropriate? I think that at least one of these categories have to be met for an individual to want to continue playing a specific game.
“Fun”: This is a broad generalisation and a very subjective term. I use it here to mean some sort of emotional engagement that the player experiences while playing. The “fun” may be PVP, participating in a raid, undertaking a story quest, crafting, roleplaying or just riding around a virtual world on your mount. Some people also go all in on the social element of MMOs. And because all these experiences are positive and enjoyable, players are happy to continue these and similar activities.
Quid pro quo (Something for something): Sometimes an activity in an MMO may not be especially enjoyable and therefore may not fall into the “fun” category. But if it offers something in exchange for your time and effort then the player may overlook and endure the activity’s shortcomings and do it purely for the reward. The reward can be both literal or figurative. An item or a title. As long as it satisfies the player then they will keep playing. I find that a lot of my gaming is of this transactional nature. I am at times ambivalent towards what I am doing and instead focused on what it will yield.
Passing the time: This is a nebulous category but also a very common one. Many gamers will log into a game after a day’s work simply to unwind. Games per se offer a convenient and effective means of relaxing from stress and anxiety. Often the quality of the game or the complexity of the task being carried out do not matter that much. Undertaking simple, repetitive tasks such as crafting allow people to focus and destress. This is similar to putting the TV or listening to background music, just to “kill some time”. No matter how arbitrary the task or action may be, if it provides a restful distraction then it is serving a purpose. However, this is a fine line to tread.
If a game fails to satisfy any of the three aforementioned categories then the question “why am I doing this?” is bound to occur. And when it does it is often an epiphany. The MMO genre is one that fosters a culture of dedication and even obligation. The sunk cost fallacy also has a part to play. But gamers need to remember that video games are a leisure activity and service. If you don’t like your meal in a restaurant then you send it back. If you’re not enjoying the book you’re reading then stop doing so. TV shows that don’t engage can be turned off. Why should an MMO be any different? The rhetorical question “why am I doing this?” should be a major alarm bell for any MMO game developer. It should be something ever present in their mind, especially when testing content. It is unreasonable for gamers to expect all content to be an enthralling rollercoaster ride. In fact there are cogent arguments for providing content that give players some “down time”. But content should never be so dull that players question while they even bothered doing it in the first place. That is gamer Kryptonite.
LOTRO: Revisiting Landscape Soldiers
In March 2012 Turbine released Update 6: Shores of the Great River for The Lord of the Rings Online. This included the ability to summon your Skirmish Soldiers while playing PVE content. Prior to this you only had access to your soldier when playing skirmishes. Whether this was done to compete with other MMOs that have companions or crew such as Star Wars: The Old Republic or Star Trek Online is not clear. It may have been a purely financial decision, as tokens offering an hour’s access to your skirmish soldier soon appeared in the LOTRO store. Like all changes made regarding LOTRO, opinions were divided at the time. Where I saw this as an increase in player choice, others perceived it to be another step away from the spirit of an MMO and further evidence of the solofication of the genre. Eight years later, one thing is certain. Having access to Skirmish Soldiers throughout the game in general, is not the same as having a full blown companion that single player games and some MMOs offer.
In March 2012 Turbine released Update 6: Shores of the Great River for The Lord of the Rings Online. This included the ability to summon your Skirmish Soldiers while playing PVE content. Prior to this you only had access to your soldier when playing skirmishes. Whether this was done to compete with other MMOs that have companions or crew such as Star Wars: The Old Republic or Star Trek Online is not clear. It may have been a purely financial decision, as tokens offering an hour’s access to your skirmish soldier soon appeared in the LOTRO store. Like all changes made regarding LOTRO, opinions were divided at the time. Where I saw this as an increase in player choice, others perceived it to be another step away from the spirit of an MMO and further evidence of the solofication of the genre. Eight years later, one thing is certain. Having access to Skirmish Soldiers throughout the game in general, is not the same as having a full blown companion that single player games and some MMOs offer.
The reason I raise this subject now, is because I’m currently grinding through the War of Three Peaks phase in the new “mini expansion” and it is a litany of kill and fetch quests in a zone densely populated by enemy mobs. Some areas are best tackled by a small fellowship. As it is not much fun, so I decided to see if I could progress quicker by using my Landscape/Skirmish Soldier. I currently have a Warrior that is maxed out. Sadly this tactic has not proven especially beneficial because the Landscape/Skirmish Soldier is nothing more than a blunt tool. It has very limited functionality and certainly doesn't compete with the flexibility of the Captain's Herald and Lore-master's pets. You can direct it to fight a specific target but the cooldown on that skill takes too long to be of tactical use. It also doesn’t seem to do much damage when fighting an enemy. Having levelled a second character in the last 18 months I have noticed that the Landscape/Skirmish Soldier seems to be more effective at lower levels.
Hence I have toyed with the idea of retraining my Landscape/Skirmish Soldier from a Warrior to another type. However, after some research on the official forums and the LOTRO subreddit, it would appear that most folk choose either a Sage or Herbalist. This is because they can provide debuffs and healing, effectively. Archers, Bannerguards and Protectors (as well as the Warrior that I currently have) all suffer from the same problems; chaotic AI, a penchant for getting lost or stuck in the environment and generally not being able to hold enemies and kill them quickly enough. Plus, if I do decide to retrain my Landscape/Skirmish Soldier, there is the cost to consider. It would appear it takes about 60,000 Skirmish Marks to buy a new role and max out the allotted skills. I currently have 23,000 Skirmish Marks and that took a while to build up. So potentially, this could be a lengthy and costly process, which may still not yield the results I seek.
Another disappointing aspect of the Landscape/Skirmish Soldier is that they have no associated backstory and therefore I have no emotional connection or investment in them. They are no more than a meat shield. However, companions in SWTOR have bespoke stories, personalities and a varied set of skills. As there are multiple companions available in the game, you use whichever one is appropriate to your circumstances. Their dialogue and sundry banter can be both endearing and annoying. Either way, at least you care about them. And in Star Trek Online, although your away team do not have individual stories, you can at least customise their skills and gear. Having four NPCs providing support with a small degree of tactical control can be a real asset. It would therefore be nice to see something comparable in LOTRO. You should be able to use your Landscape/Skirmish Soldier in the same way you can your pet. However, I don’t think this is on SSGs priority list. It’s just another facet of LOTRO that has fallen by the wayside. Like hobbies, Epic Battles and mounted combat.
The Problem With War of Three Peaks
Some readers may see the title of this post as an inference that there is only one problem with the latest “mini expansion” for The Lord of the Rings Online. That is not the case. However, I don’t hold developer’s Standing Stone Games responsible for the debacle over the pricing for the three different editions. That is something I lay at the door of financiers and publishers, Daybreak Game Company. For the purpose of this blog post, I wish to focus upon the lacklustre content of Update 28: War of Three Peaks and how it becomes quite clear which material was developed as part of a regular content update and what was then added to potentially try and justify the term “mini expansion”. Furthermore, I see this drop in quality as being a real threat to the future prosperity of LOTRO. I am a long time fan of this MMO, albeit one with a sense of perspective. I’m halfway through the new zone and I’m not having fun. I’m sure I am not alone in this.
Some readers may see the title of this post as an inference that there is only one problem with the latest “mini expansion” for The Lord of the Rings Online. That is not the case. However, I don’t hold developer’s Standing Stone Games responsible for the debacle over the pricing for the three different editions. That is something I lay at the door of financiers and publishers, Daybreak Game Company. For the purpose of this blog post, I wish to focus upon the lacklustre content of Update 28: War of Three Peaks and how it becomes quite clear which material was developed as part of a regular content update and what was then added to potentially try and justify the term “mini expansion”. Furthermore, I see this drop in quality as being a real threat to the future prosperity of LOTRO. I am a long time fan of this MMO, albeit one with a sense of perspective. I’m halfway through the new zone and I’m not having fun. I’m sure I am not alone in this.
Let’s start with what I like about the Elderslade region. It’s a rugged environment with several interesting hidden areas. It is also not too much of a chore to navigate and there are several points where you can take a shortcut to where you need to get to, rather than follow the roads. That is something that doesn’t happen too often in LOTRO these days. Usually, the environment is designed to funnel the player from Ato B and hems them in. The storylines are enjoyable and again show that the writers are well versed in the lore of Middle- earth. I especially like the quest arc that has you travelling with Léothred, a historian from Rohan. His revised history of Fram and his slaying of Scatha the Worm was especially well conceived. I liked the way it involved Karazgar, the Weeping Warrior to fill in the gaps in existing lore. I also like the themes that recur throughout the main Epic Story and the way the distrust between the Longbeards, Zhelruka and Stout Axes Dwarven clans is frequently an impediment to their success.
Sadly, the positive aspects of Update 28 do not necessarily compensate for the bad. For example, a common trick that SSG relies upon to increase content, is to create an area, divide it into numerous subsections and then densely populate it with mobs. The player will then be presented with a litany of fetch and kill quests forcing them to navigate throughout all areas. These sorts of quests cease to be a challenge and tips over into being tedious. Sometimes quests can be auto completed but on other occasions you find yourself at one end of an area and having to battle all the way back to hand in and finish. It’s the inconsistency here that is annoying and the feeling you’re being taken for a mug. As for the reusing of the twin phase map concept, this is not a bad idea in theory. It worked well with the Minas Morgul expansion and being able to access Mordor in the Second Age. But here it feels like an excuse to simply pad out the mini expansion with even more superfluous kill and fetch quests. Then there is the poison gas that blights specific areas of War of Three Peaks and its associated mechanic. It is simply a nuisance and adds nothing to gameplay.
A new addition to the game is the Mission system. I was hoping that these would be a variation of skirmishes with the focus on tactical gameplay. Sadly they lack that systems creativity and are little more than straightforward instances that require you to complete a basic set of criteria. IE Kill so many enemies and then a boss. The only difference here is that if you do not quickly kill the enemy, they will call for reinforcement. They also lack the story elements that skirmishes have and do not feel in any way different from the regular instances that occur in the story. Yes, you can do them with companions but you are offered no real incentive to do so with regards to the rewards. And talking of such, the new gear available in the game just feels like an increase for its own sake. The new reputation gear doesn’t seem to offer anything more than a basic increase in stats over the gear you have already. It’s all very uninspired and unengaging.
And therein lies the problem. It all feels too much like busy work for its own sake. Now it can be argued that this is the foundation of the entire MMORPG genre but I would counter that with the assertion that a good developer tries to mask busy work with a veneer of narrative engagement and a soupçon of panache. If you’re immersed in a story and doing something that doesn’t immediately strike you as busy work, then that is a MMO working well. Sadly, such things are conspicuously absent here and I keep saying to myself, “remind me again why I’m killing another dozen Angmarim?” or words to that effect. I’m in danger of getting bored to the point of abandoning the game in pursuit of another that is more entertaining and gives me a sense of accomplishment and not frustration or annoyance. If SSG wants to bounce back from this low point, then I hope that the next official expansion is a lot more inventive and enjoyable. A lot of people play this genre of games to escape the mundane nature of their chore driven lives and don’t want to have to endure something similar while playing a game like LOTRO.
LOTRO Classic
In the last month or so, I’ve spent some time perusing the official forums for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It suffers from many of the shortcomings you find on fan driven gaming forums, insofar as it’s monopolised by a small cadre of partisan minded players that are not an especially broad cross section of the LOTRO community. However, a wide range of thoughts and ideas about the game are discussed on these forums. Sometimes, if the planets are in the correct alignment, staff from Standing Stone Games will even deign to reply. Recently, a particularly interesting question that has frequently been raised by players finally got addressed by SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions). Namely, will there ever be a release of LOTRO Classic? An “old school” server with the game as it was when it launched in 2007. The fact that they actually answered is the main surprise here. Everything else about the actual reply is par for the course and embodies everything that is wrong with SSG and their community relations. Here is the original question and the subsequent answer.
In the last month or so, I’ve spent some time perusing the official forums for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It suffers from many of the shortcomings you find on fan driven gaming forums, insofar as it’s monopolised by a small cadre of partisan minded players that are not an especially broad cross section of the LOTRO community. However, a wide range of thoughts and ideas about the game are discussed on these forums. Sometimes, if the planets are in the correct alignment, staff from Standing Stone Games will even deign to reply. Recently, a particularly interesting question that has frequently been raised by players finally got addressed by SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions). Namely, will there ever be a release of LOTRO Classic? An “old school” server with the game as it was when it launched in 2007. The fact that they actually answered is the main surprise here. Everything else about the actual reply is par for the course and embodies everything that is wrong with SSG and their community relations. Here is the original question and the subsequent answer.
Question by LotroVidz: Also most of the devs seem to not be original devs from 2007, so how can they know without asking the player base? MOL didn't even understand why players ask for a classic version of the game. He doesn't seem to understand how much of a different game the original Lotro was.
Answer by Made of Lions: Hi there, original dev from 2007 here. No, I understand it. I also love a lot of the games I played years ago (the amount of money I've spent buying digital versions of the games I loved from the 90s is downright embarrassing), so I know what it is to look back at something and miss it. I would personally love to see a version of LOTRO from launch, to run around in old-timey Eriador and see it in all of its 2007 glory. I stood in line at my local Gamestop on launch day to buy the strategy guide I also helped compile, and I remember running around Breeland listening to players be... stumped... about the location of the Hanging Tree, which was harder to find back then. There's just something about a brand-new MMO, when it's a vast and undiscovered world of mystery and full of promise. You won't find a bigger fan than me, and I would have a great time running around Original Recipe LOTRO. That would be a great afternoon.
But it doesn't have the longevity you remember. It's a snapshot, frozen in time, and from our perspective it's a snapshot that would remove tens of thousands of fixes, some minor, but many serious. "But I liked it better before!" you say. "I want a version that only has what I like, and doesn't have anything that I don't! I want you to restore Frodo's Burden to the slow and frustrating experience it started as." I hear you, and I understand, but our Engineers have plenty on their plates already without being tasked to revert LOTRO to the years-old state that best suits your taste. Engineers in particular are allergic to undoing their own fixes, since those tend to be the most important when compared to the kind of things Content usually has to fix. Frodo's Burden, alas, will remain in its adjusted state. MoL
It can be difficult sometimes to accurately interpret the tone that may or not be present within any written response. Some people believe that there is a degree of condescension present in Jeff Libby’s reply and that again we see SSG dealing with customer questions as if they’re an inconvenience or nuisance. Whether that is true or not is something that we have to decide for ourselves. Semantics and diplomacy aside, the statement does raise some interesting points.
Does the original code for the Shadows of Angmar version of LOTRO still exist? Are there backups of previous server builds or would all previous patches and content updates have to be manually “unpicked”?
Assuming that an earlier version of LOTRO could be made available, exactly how would SSG monetise it? This is an important question as there would naturally be costs incurred when running LOTRO Classic. Would the VIP subscription yield enough revenue to make such a venture viable? There was no store present in LOTRO in 2007 and the game as it was then has no immediate means of running store based transactions in-game.
Would producing and maintaining LOTRO Classic be a wise division of SSGs development resources? Is SSG just too small a gaming developer to be able to sustain multiple servers with multiple iterations of the same product?
Would LOTRO and the player community be better served by SSG focusing their finite resources on a major bug fixing project? Would the overhauling of problematic systems and developing new kinds of innovative content attract new and lapsed players back to the MMO and extend the games lifespan?
But I think the biggest issue with Jeff Libby’s response is his point that players may well think they’d like to play LOTRO Classic but they don’t really want it, because their judgement is being clouded by nostalgia. I consider this to be a patently false axiom. A similar argument was perpetuated by Blizzard for years, when players asked for World of Warcraft Classic. It proved totally wrong and we now have such an iteration of that game and it appears to be doing fine. Many LOTRO players would love to get their hands on some of the older systems that have now been replaced, or play through some of the instances and raids before they were nerfed and split up. One of the major appeals for roleplayers is simply being able to exist in a virtual Middle-earth. The game as it was in 2007, although technically smaller, felt bigger than it does now. Travelling around originally took longer and players did not immediately have access to mounts. LOTRO Classic may even tempt some newer players to come and see how much the games changed over time.
The LOTRO Community can be myopic and even a little partisan. But many have grown old with the game and are fully aware of what they’d be getting if a version of LOTRO Classic became available. They are fans but not necessarily fools and it is disingenuous for anyone at SSG to patronise them. I’m of the opinion that SSG could, if they wanted too, produce a form of LOTRO Classic. They just don’t want to as I’m sure it will be a lot of hard work and that the issue of integrating the in-game store is a major problem for them. But because of the way that SSG handles communication and interacts with its community, this question is never going to go away. If they clearly, politely and categorically said that they can’t or won’t produce a form of LOTRO Classic and then gave a sound reason, then the player base may well move on. But candid and direct communication is not their style. However, there may be a small ray of hope. Ultimately, the decision regarding LOTRO Classic may not be SSGs to make. If their “publisher” Daybreak Game Company felt that there was money in such a project, there could be a complete U-turn on this subject.
A Month in Gaming
The last 31 days have gone by really fast, or at least that’s the way it feels. Despite having bought several new games recently and acquired yet more for free from the Epic Store, I did not embark on anything new throughout October. Due to the unexpectedly prompt release of the new “mini expansion” for The Lord of the Rings Online and the launch of a new event in Star Trek Online, I found myself focused upon the MMORPG genre, yet again. And after playing continuously for six months, Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone has finally begun to lose its lustre. I didn’t especially enjoy the Halloween event, not that there was anything inherently wrong with it. It just wasn’t for me. I played a little Fall Guy: Ultimate Knockout but quickly discovered that the “season” system is just another gear treadmill, although the gear in this instance are novelty cosmetic outfits. I don’t want to be tied to too many games in this fashion (it’s bad enough with MMOs), so this is another title that has been relegated to occasional play when the fancy takes me.
The last 31 days have gone by really fast, or at least that’s the way it feels. Despite having bought several new games recently and acquired yet more for free from the Epic Store, I did not embark on anything new throughout October. Due to the unexpectedly prompt release of the new “mini expansion” for The Lord of the Rings Online and the launch of a new event in Star Trek Online, I found myself focused upon the MMORPG genre, yet again. And after playing continuously for six months, Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone has finally begun to lose its lustre. I didn’t especially enjoy the Halloween event, not that there was anything inherently wrong with it. It just wasn’t for me. I played a little Fall Guy: Ultimate Knockout but quickly discovered that the “season” system is just another gear treadmill, although the gear in this instance are novelty cosmetic outfits. I don’t want to be tied to too many games in this fashion (it’s bad enough with MMOs), so this is another title that has been relegated to occasional play when the fancy takes me.
Upon my return to LOTRO, a quick review of my account status showed that I own everything up to and including Update 27: The Great Wedding. Hence I decided not to subscribe to the game. The downsides to this are negligible. I can live without the monthly stipend of LOTRO points and do not mind having to use mailboxes to access in-game mail. And so I played through the entire of the Mists of the Wildlands and The Great Wedding updates and enjoyed both. Contrary to my expectations The Great Wedding was not a litany of “fetch quests” and so offered an enjoyable change of pace and content. The focus was on the narrative and it was fun to see SSG bring back characters that had featured previously in the game. Questing in the Wells of Langflood was also agreeable. I found the Holbytlan village of Lyndelby to be a welcome break from continual combat. I also liked the lore based stories that occur while travelling with Léothred. Having built up a modest amount of LOTRO points, I took the opportunity to replace all my gear with items from Adventurer's Steel-bound Lootbox. I like to be prepared and as well equipped as possible.
As I indicated in previous posts, I bought the Standard Edition of the War of Three Peaks “mini expansion”. I simply couldn’t see any value in the other editions and I still grumbled about being charged £15 for the base version. So far, I am not overly impressed with War of Three Peaks. It is not so imaginative as other content updates and feels rather perfunctory. Too often the player is funnelled from A to B with dynamic quests popping up along the way. Quests rely too heavily on killing a fixed quantity of mobs of a certain type. And SSG do they’re usual trick of substituting genuine challenge with forcing the player into an area that’s densely packed with enemies. Simply traversing such places ceases to be enjoyable and just becomes a chore. Once again the biggest saving grace is the storyline. Those focused on the endeavours of the Dwarves always seem to be the strongest in this game.
STO always has an abundance of timed events, so there’s always something new going on in the game. However, the rewards vary so I don’t always feel the need to participate in all of them. I have not done so for the last three. However The Widening Gyre event offers an Imperial Rift Space Set (a 5 piece set of equipment for your ship) so I decided to grind through 20 daily Task Force Operations and subsequently earned the reward. It is a good set and gave me an excuse to return to this MMO. The current story arc in STO is the Klingon Civil War and there were three episodic missions outstanding for me to complete. Developers Cryptic are currently revising a lot of the Klingon based content in the game. As ever it is impressively voice acted by such actors as J.G Hertzler, Robert O’Reilly and Rekha Sharma. Cryptic have also added a new feature to the game allowing players to add an Experimental Upgrade to existing T6 or T5-U starships. The tokens are available in the C-Store and add +1 Device Slot, +1 Universal Console Slot and +1 Starship Trait Slot. I applied one of these to a Tucker Class Miracle Worker Cruiser which now has a formidable 13 consoles.
Life is often full of surprises. I, like many others, was expecting a second lockdown here in the UK and one begins for a month (provisionally) on Thursday 5th of November. What I wasn’t expecting was to have to self isolate again. To cut a long story short I have come into contact with several people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and now have to stay indoors for 14 days. Although this is an inconvenience to a degree, it does offer an opportunity for some additional gaming. This is beneficial when focusing on MMOs which are by their very nature time sinks. Hopefully, if I can catch up with all current content in both LOTRO and STO I can then focus on playing one of the new RPGs that I’ve recently bought. I have a feeling that Christmas is going to be a somewhat insular affair this year, so such a game will be an ideal entertainment solution.
MMO Nostalgia
Every now and then, when I log into The Lord of the Rings Online, as I ride through a new zone and drink in the vividly realised landscape and sumptuous ambient music, I am smitten by a wave of nostalgia. Just for a few seconds, I recall the emotional excitement of being in a virtual Middle-earth for the first time. I also remember the camaraderie and good company I experienced when I started playing this MMO in 2008. It is a powerful experience but sadly very short lived. Something subsequently happens to take me out of my reverie and bring me back to the current state of the game with a bump. This can be hitching, a major lag spike or a Dwarf irritatingly jumping up and down in my peripheral vision as I peruse the Auction House. Hence my present relationship with LOTRO and indeed the MMORPG genre is one based upon nostalgia and a hint of sadness. I still enjoy LOTRO mainly because of the stories and lore, as well as my friends in our kinship. But I no longer experience the game, as I did over a decade ago. And I miss that.
Every now and then, when I log into The Lord of the Rings Online, as I ride through a new zone and drink in the vividly realised landscape and sumptuous ambient music, I am smitten by a wave of nostalgia. Just for a few seconds, I recall the emotional excitement of being in a virtual Middle-earth for the first time. I also remember the camaraderie and good company I experienced when I started playing this MMO in 2008. It is a powerful experience but sadly very short lived. Something subsequently happens to take me out of my reverie and bring me back to the current state of the game with a bump. This can be hitching, a major lag spike or a Dwarf irritatingly jumping up and down in my peripheral vision as I peruse the Auction House. Hence my present relationship with LOTRO and indeed the MMORPG genre is one based upon nostalgia and a hint of sadness. I still enjoy LOTRO mainly because of the stories and lore, as well as my friends in our kinship. But I no longer experience the game, as I did over a decade ago. And I miss that.
LOTRO was my introduction to the MMORPG genre. And when I started playing, “multiplayer” was still an integral aspect of such games. It was clear right from the get go that much of the content was designed for groups and if you wished to progress through the game, you’d be dependent on playing with others. However, I was at a point in my life where I had the time available to sink into such a game, mainly because I was living alone. Furthermore, this kind of gaming experience was still novel for me and I enjoyed the company of other gamers. I fortunately hooked up with some like minded gamers who were loitering around a particularly nasty enemy and necessity brought us together to defeat it. Names were subsequently added to a friends lists and shortly thereafter I found myself joining a kinship (guild) with the same people. Circumstances, along with a lack of exposure to games of this kind meant that for the next few years this MMO was my game of choice.
Between 2008 and the present, I have played most major MMOs at some point. Each new game has always promised something “different”. Sometimes this has been the case. Rift brought “dynamic content” to the mainstream. However, over time trends have changed. Tab targeting and skill rotations have given way to action combat and greater situational awareness. The reliance on the traditional “trinity” of classes has been replaced by more flexible builds. But if you can heal yourself and adapt to different situations, then the need to group is negated. Social game play has become optional and for many players unnecessary. Other genres have successfully adopted elements from the MMO. Hence, many cooperative games have poached former MMO players. Thus, several decades on from the halcyon days of Ultima Online and EverQuest, the MMO genre has now become a distinctly niche market product. It retains loyal gamers but is no longer seen by the video games industry as the “future of gaming (AKA cash cow) they once thought it to be.
It can be argued that the MMORPG genre has never reached its full potential. The right balance of features and game mechanics has never quite been implemented in any game. Players cannot make any lasting changes upon the virtual world that they play in. Housing has never really progressed beyond a cosmetic storage zone. Linear progression and grinding for gear is still the primary focus of many games. The social aspect of these types of games have all too often diminished and the developers seldom do anything to incentivise such activities. And many players never fully experience the majority of the content that a game has to offer. Twelve years on, I often get this sense of a missed opportunity whenever I log into LOTRO. It’s a somewhat saddening feeling. The game get’s content updates but it tends to be just more of the same and there’s no innovation from developers Standing Stone Games. The same can be said for other MMOs to a greater or lesser degree. They seldom do anything radically different from their competitor and once established, just continue doing things in the same idiom. It may be that this is part of the genre’s appeal. It certainly isn’t too difficult to migrate from one MMO to another, as they all broadly do the same thing.
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion and the video games industry has wisely chosen not to ignore it. Hence in recent years we have seen “classic” iterations of various MMOs where early versions of a game are made available again. The growth in rogue servers of games that have long been officially shutdown is another interesting development. The evolution of MMOs has not been to everyone’s liking and some gamers hanker for “how things used to be”. For me, my relationship with MMOs peaked between 2008 and 2011. A perfect storm of events contributed to this genre being the apple of my eye. But change is an inherent part of life. MMOs and I are no longer what we used to be. Yet I still play them in memory of what was and for those occasional, fleeting moments when I briefly reconnect with the past. And then it briefly feels like going home. One day I shall finally part company with this genre and move on. But not yet.
Gaming News Roundup
Once again, here are a handful of gaming news stories from the last ten days or so that caught my eye. I have refrained from writing an entire blog post on each, either because they are too trivial and cannot sustain an article in their own right, or because they might fuel a rant of some kind. I’m too old for that kind of nonsense nowadays. The video game industry really has transitioned from the unique independent position it enjoyed three decades ago, into just another corporate business. Rife with all the usual iniquities and failings. But it’s not all doom and gloom as one story indicates. Ridiculous character crossovers can still bring joy to gamers who love such things.
Once again, here are a handful of gaming news stories from the last ten days or so that caught my eye. I have refrained from writing an entire blog post on each, either because they are too trivial and cannot sustain an article in their own right, or because they might fuel a rant of some kind. I’m too old for that kind of nonsense nowadays. The video game industry really has transitioned from the unique independent position it enjoyed three decades ago, into just another corporate business. Rife with all the usual iniquities and failings. But it’s not all doom and gloom as one story indicates. Ridiculous character crossovers can still bring joy to gamers who love such things.
Alex Hutchinson and Streaming.
Alex Hutchinson, creative director of Stadia Games and Entertainment's Montreal studio thinks that “streamers should be paying the developers and publishers of the games they stream. They should be buying a license like any real business and paying for the content they use”. As you can imagine, these comments were not well received by streamers and some video games companies that have a close association with such platforms. Once again we have to endure the spectacle of someone opening their mouth and holding forth, without the benefit of engaging their brain. It’s becoming tediously commonplace these days. Mr Hutchinson’s arguments are flawed and lack any critical thinking. The benefits of having your products streamed are immense and most of those doing such things are far from “high rollers”. But stupid is as stupid does. However common sense prevailed from Google's global head of gaming for YouTube Ryan Wyatt. He tweeted that "publishers and creators have a wonderful symbiotic relationship that has allowed a thriving ecosystem to be created. One that has mutually benefited everyone".
Whatever Happened to VR?
Popular gaming website Massively Overpowered raised an interesting question recently. “Are we going to see a VR revolution and do you care?” This got me thinking about my own experience with this specific subset of gaming. A few years ago I bought the game Star Trek: Bridge Crew. The nature of the game is self-evident by the name. It was specifically designed to be a VR title but possibly due to poor sales, it was soon patched so it could also be played on the PC in a conventional, non VR fashion. And therein lies the inherent problem with VR. As of yet there does not seem to be a “killer game” that has a universal appeal and incentivises consumers to buy a VR headset. I am reminded of Wii Sports which in many ways played a major role in making the Nintendo Wii a success. VR lacks at present anything like this. Another reason I suspect the uptake of VR in its current form will always be limited is the need for the headset itself. The prospects of having something bulky and cumbersome over my eyes for any length of time, is not a good one. I suspect it is why 3D films have come and gone so many times.
More Exclusive Content for Consoles.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is to offer an exclusive Zombie mode on both the PS4 and PS5 for one year. Zombies Onslaught has two-players facing increasingly difficult waves of zombie hordes. The goal is naturally to kill the undead and survive. Zombie Onslaught mode will deploy players to locations from various multiplayer maps. Both participants have access to the custom loadouts as they do in existing Zombies and Multiplayer modes. Sounds fun for those who dig such things. But once again it highlights the divisive nature of exclusive content. It is often perceived by gamers not so much as a case of offering something bespoke to one particular group but as taking something out of a game for a significantly bigger group. I think exclusive cosmetics are a much more benign method of marketing and less likely to divide the player base.
Celebrity Guest Characters in Gaming.
Mortal Kombat has always been a shamelessly commercial franchise but because it has made no bones about this since the game’s inception, I don’t really have a problem with developers NetherRealms Studios. You know where you stand with them. As they have the publishing muscle of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment behind them they are quite creative in their choice of “celebrity guest characters”. So far the game has included Robocop (voiced by original actor Peter Weller) and The Terminator (based on Arnie’s image but without his voice acting). The next iconic screen persona to be added to the game is John J Rambo (with Stallone providing the voice). You’ll be able to do some fancy knife work, fire explosive arrows and rip out your opponents throat as a finishing move. It’s harmless fun and if I may quote Cupid Stunt “all done in the best possible taste”. And they say that creativity is dead.
LOTRO: Update 28 - War of Three Peaks
Players of the popular MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online were informed just 24 hours ago by developers Standing Stone Games, that the new “mini expansion” would be released today. Under normal circumstances, Update 28 - War of Three Peaks would have just been marketed as a content update and have been free to VIP subscribers, lifetime account holders and purchasable with LOTRO points by F2P players. However, these are far from normal circumstances. From March to May this year, LOTRO enjoyed a major renaissance as the lockdown brought players back to the game. SSG felt so confident in this surge in the playerbase that they made all previous updates available for free. However throughout June, July and August the game suffered major technical problems that lead to the majority of game servers being down for weeks. During that time many players took their business elsewhere or at the very least deferred subscribing until the technical issues were resolved. This left a major hole in SSG’s finances, hence the latest update miraculously became a chargeable “mini expansion”.
Players of the popular MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online were informed just 24 hours ago by developers Standing Stone Games, that the new “mini expansion” would be released today. Under normal circumstances, Update 28 - War of Three Peaks would have just been marketed as a content update and have been free to VIP subscribers, lifetime account holders and purchasable with LOTRO points by F2P players. However, these are far from normal circumstances. From March to May this year, LOTRO enjoyed a major renaissance as the lockdown brought players back to the game. SSG felt so confident in this surge in the playerbase that they made all previous updates available for free. However throughout June, July and August the game suffered major technical problems that lead to the majority of game servers being down for weeks. During that time many players took their business elsewhere or at the very least deferred subscribing until the technical issues were resolved. This left a major hole in SSG’s finances, hence the latest update miraculously became a chargeable “mini expansion”.
A month ago the new update was previewed on the Bullroarer test server and it became clear that it was just more of the same. IE Just another zone with multiple quest hubs. Essentially the same sort of material that SSG have been producing for the last few years. So if this was to be sold as a “mini expansion” then there would have to be some additional content included as well to justify selling it. Hence, the LOTRO community braced themselves as they awaited the pricing details for the War of Three Peaks, as Update 28 has been formally named. SSG usually sells three versions of an expansion. A Standard Edition, a Collector’s Edition and an Ultimate Fan Bundle. It should be noted there have been controversies in the past over previous legitimate expansions and their respective value for money. Oddly enough, SSG decided not to announce the price or exact content of all three editions until today when the “mini expansion” formally launched. However, marketing emails were sent out to some players so the pricing of the three editions became known by midday.
As you can see, the pricing for this mini expansion” is broadly comparable to the previous full expansion Minas Morgul. Considering that War of Three Peaks is just the size of a regular content update, the prices are exorbitant. The Standard Edition is the only one that I will even consider buying as there are insufficient extras in the other two versions to justify their cost. There has already been a degree of “pushback” over on the official LOTRO forums as players voice their displeasure at the pricing and the entire way this situation has been handled. I suspect that if the outcry is big enough, you may find SSG adding additional content to the Collector’s Edition and Ultimate Fan Bundle to try and redress the balance. But there are wider issues here beyond the mere price of this “mini expansion”. Are we about to see a major restructuring of the games business model? If so, is this change in policy down to SSG or their publisher (and potentially owners) Daybreak Game Company?
Charging all LOTRO players for future content updates may well become the “new normal”. Up until now, content updates have been free to subscribers and lifetime account holders. F2P players would purchase Quest Packs for new zones. However this may not have proven especially profitable. When I play LOTRO I subscribe a month at a time. The monthly fee is £9. Quest Packs cost on average 795 LOTRO points (approximately £8). During the course of a month I could play through two or three zones, making a subscription a lot more economical than buying all the respective Quest Packs. Furthermore, lifetime account holders have always received (up to now) access to all new content updates free of charge, so SSG has never made any revenue of this type from this section of the LOTRO community. It has often been argued that lifetime accounts for LOTRO were sold too prolifically during the game’s early years and as a result there is a large percentage of players that do not have to spend any money except for major expansions. If these current practises cease and everyone who plays has to buy new content three times a year then there is scope for SSG to increase their revenue.
However, if the sale of all new content became mandatory, it would invalidate the need for a monthly subscription. At present the only real advantage of subbing is free access to new content and the following additional services. Mailbox Field Access. Custom character portrait frame. Access All Character Trait Slots. Daily +100% XP*. 500 LOTRO Points per month. Free weekly Gold Hobbit Present.Access All Quest Packs and Skirmishes*. Access All Monster Classes. Many of these could be sold individually via the LOTRO store or bundled into a “starter pack” or something similar. The stipend of LOTRO points is a nice bonus and one that I enjoy but it is totally dependent on a subscription. It therefore isn’t really “free” but more of a quid pro quo. It should be noted that the MMORPG Star Trek Online removed subscriptions as of Spring 2018. Many of the benefits that came with subbing to that game simply became one off purchases.
All things considered, perhaps the release of War of Three Peaks as a “mini expansion” is more than just a short term fiscal adjustment, designed to fill a shortfall in the quarterly balance sheet. It may be part of a complete recalibration of the business model for LOTRO and a way to ensure that all players pay equally for the new future content that comes to the game. If that is the case then SSG needs to ensure that all updates meet a high standard. The LOTRO community is very supportive of the game and has more than its share of “whales” who buy cosmetic items prodigiously. However, potential changes such as these indeed to be implemented carefully and require adept community relations, marketing and PR to effectively sell them to the players. Skills that SSG are not renown for. It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the weeks to come. Firstly with the immediate reception of the new “mini expansion” and its respective value for money. Secondly, whether SSG formally announce a revision of the game’s business model. All of which could be a turning point for LOTRO but whether for good or ill remains to be seen.
LOTRO: Even More Community Management Problems
Video games are a somewhat unique consumer product, in so far that we, the customers, broadly seem to have a far more personal relationship with them compared to other recreational activities. For example, I subscribed to several online streaming services that produce TV and film content. However, I never worry about how well their business model is performing, nor do I particularly concern myself with their public relations image. I simply “pay and consume” and as long as I have no technical problems that impede my access, then that is the extent of my relationship with them. I also enjoy Hendrick’s Gin but I don’t worry about the manufacturer, William Grant & Sons. But for some reason, my relationship with video games is different. I am far more au fait with the activities of both the developers and publishers, as well as their overall corporate standing. I suppose it’s because video games are an interactive activity and that make things more personal.
Video games are a somewhat unique consumer product, in so far that we, the customers, broadly seem to have a far more personal relationship with them compared to other recreational activities. For example, I subscribed to several online streaming services that produce TV and film content. However, I never worry about how well their business model is performing, nor do I particularly concern myself with their public relations image. I simply “pay and consume” and as long as I have no technical problems that impede my access, then that is the extent of my relationship with them. I also enjoy Hendrick’s Gin but I don’t worry about the manufacturer, William Grant & Sons. But for some reason, my relationship with video games is different. I am far more au fait with the activities of both the developers and publishers, as well as their overall corporate standing. I suppose it’s because video games are an interactive activity and that make things more personal.
Hence, as a long time player and supporter of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online I worry about the games long term future. It can be cogently argued (and I have done so myself in the past many times) that it is pointless adopting such a stance but I think this ultimately is just a foible of the human condition. It is in our nature to form communities around the things we love irrespective of whether such communities genuinely have any impact and traction. So bearing this in mind, I think that LOTRO is at a crossroads and that a triumvirate of problems could coalesce and have a very negative impact. The first of these three are technical issues that stem from the fact that LOTRO is a 13 year old game. If a subscription game doesn’t run reliably and consistently then some players take their business elsewhere. The next problem is the business model and the way that Daybreak Game Company is squeezing too hard. Update 28 becoming a “mini expansion” is a succinct example of this. And finally there’s the community relations and communications. They’re poor and often conducted in a very peremptory tone.
There has been a conspicuous lack of information regarding The War of Three Peaks since the preview on the Bullroarer test server on 23rd September. I don’t think the player base was especially impressed with what is essentially just another content update. However, SSG recently stated that the “mini expansion” would be coming in the next week or so. But when asked for further details community manager Jerry Snook stated that SSG would not reveal details of the three different versions of the new content update until the day of its release. If this were any other developer I would’ve been surprised by such a response but after years of such indifferences from SSG, I simply shrugged. They’ve always been shocking at marketing their own content. In recent years, teaser videos have always been hastily produced and hardly make the new content look exciting. Information has always been confined to the forums and never shouted from the rooftops. So the fact that SSG feels disinclined to market The War of Three Peaks is frankly par for the course. I used to think they were just bad at this stuff. I now think they just take their customers for granted.
In the past decade there have been several occasions where the future of LOTRO has appeared to be in doubt. Whether this was the case or not is another matter. However, due to the lack of communication that habitually blights this games community management, we’ve worried about license renewals, corporate takeovers and server relocations over the game’s lifespan. Ultimately, LOTRO has survived and continues to so due to its devoted community. They love the game and its realisation of Middle-earth. The fact that there is no alternative is another major factor. Yet SSG seem to be oblivious to this and have basically given a key role that is supposed to act as a conduit between consumer and vendor to a very grumpy man who always gives the impression he’d much rather be doing something else. They need to fix this problem, along with the technical issues and the business model. God help them if The War of Three Peaks is a dog’s dinner. You can’t keep kicking your community indefinitely, because eventually it will turn on you and leave.
Star Trek Online: Beginners Guide Part 2 - Careers, Factions and Species
Welcome to the second part of my Star Trek Online: Beginners Guide. I thought it may be useful to write a series of posts, offering practical information for those who are just starting out in STO. Nothing fancy or in any way definitive. Just a few basic tips that may help orientate the new player. I’ve been playing STO since its launch in 2010 and this MMO has seen a lot of changes. The game features a lot of systems and mechanics that are not always immediately intuitive to grasp. So I’ll be doing my best to cover a selection of these in each post and try to provide a broad overview. Like a lot of advice, it can be subjective. Ultimately it comes down to each player how they wish to play. In this instalment, I shall be writing about career paths, factions and races.
Welcome to the second part of my Star Trek Online: Beginners Guide. I thought it may be useful to write a series of posts, offering practical information for those who are just starting out in STO. Nothing fancy or in any way definitive. Just a few basic tips that may help orientate the new player. I’ve been playing STO since its launch in 2010 and this MMO has seen a lot of changes. The game features a lot of systems and mechanics that are not always immediately intuitive to grasp. So I’ll be doing my best to cover a selection of these in each post and try to provide a broad overview. Like a lot of advice, it can be subjective. Ultimately it comes down to each player how they wish to play. In this instalment, I shall be writing about career paths, factions and species.
Q: Which career is best for new players?
A: The answer to this conundrum really comes down to playstyle and personal choice. There is no optimal path as such in STO. Yes some builds can deliver higher DPS but game skill also plays a part. Having the so-called “best” doesn’t mean you’ll perform in a comparable fashion. So to begin with there are three career paths in STO. A Tactical Captain deals damage, an Engineering Captain is designed to absorb damage and is thus a tank and a Science Captain focuses on buffs, debuffs, energy drain, hold and heals. All three careers have their own strengths and weaknesses. However, these can be tempered by your choice of traits, skills, ground and space gear and ship. And this is where the enjoyment lies; creating your own hybrid build. IE an Engineer using a heavy cruiser to tank, or a Science Captain focusing on healing while using a fast tactical escort.
Q: What faction should I choose?
A: At present there are six factions in Star Trek Online.
Starfleet (the 25th century Federation faction).
Klingon Defence Force.
Romulan Republic.
TOS Starfleet (the 23rd century Federation faction).
Dominion.
DSC Starfleet (the 23rd century Federation faction, Discovery era and pre-TOS).
All of which offer levelling from 1 to 65 (the present level cap) apart from the Dominion which starts at 60 and extends to 65. Each faction has bespoke traits and offer an initially unique storyline for approximately a third of the game. There then comes a point when certain missions are completed, the main story becomes centralised and applicable to all factions. At this juncture, Dominion faction players and Romulan Republic players must decide whether to ally themselves with either Starfleet or the KDF. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. However, at this point, as the story is the same to all factions, the only major differences are the NPCs who bestow missions and more importantly what vessels you have access to. The latter is an important consideration.
Personally, I don’t think any faction has a superior story arc. All have been overhauled over the years and are now very well realised. I think most players choose a faction based upon their personal relationship with Star Trek. I was raised on reruns of Star Trek TOS, so the TOS Starfleet faction certainly provided a great “fan service”. If you love Klingon culture then the KDF faction is an ideal choice. Remember that STO has a wealth of voice acting from original cast members which greatly adds to the game’s ambience. It can be argued that the Dominion faction and DSC Starfleet faction storylines are a little shorter than others but such brevity may suit some players. It should also be noted that developers Cryptic have been pragmatic and created the most ships for the most popular faction in the game, which is Starfleet. There are not quite as many vessels available for some factions. However, the allegiance system has addressed this. Plus there are some unique crossfaction vessels.
Q: What species should I pick?
A: Again, there is no single species that has a definite advantage over others in STO, although some have desirable unique traits. But as I previously mentioned, there are many other factors that affect your build and its viability, so it is ultimately a matter of choice. Each faction has a variety of races available. Lore dictates that certain races cannot be accessed by certain factions but Cryptic have been quite inventive with regard to fudging this to a degree. At present the following species are available to the following factions.
Starfleet: Andorian, Bajoran, Benzite, Betazoid, Bolian, Caitian*, Cardassian*, Ferengi, Human, Klingon*, Liberated Borg**, Pakled, Rigelian, Saurian, Talaxian**, Tellarite, Trill, Trill (Joined)*, Vulcan, Alien.
Klingon Defense Force: Cardassian*, Ferasan*, Gorn, Klingon, Lethean, Liberated Borg**, Nausicaan, Orion, Talaxian**, Trill (Joined)*, Alien.
Romulan Republic: Romulan, Reman, Liberated Borg**, Alien
TOS Starfleet: Andorian, Human, Tellarite, Vulcan.
Dominion: Jem’Hadar, Jem’Hadar Vanguard*.
DSC Starfleet: Human, Vulcan, Alien.
* Purchasable from C-Store
** Requires lifetime subscription
If you cannot make up your mind or because of your choice cannot access a specific species, then consider picking “alien” as a race. It has the most visual customisation options available in the game and hence you can create an avatar that looks Human, Vulcan, Andorian etc. You can also create faux Cardassians and replicate a passable facsimile of many other races in the game. Another advantage of the “alien” is that it doesn’t have fixed racial traits and the player can choose an additional ground and space trait instead.
A Month in Gaming
September has been a difficult month. A family crisis and subsequent bereavement meant that gaming got pushed down the daily agenda. However, after the various chores and duties were done I did need some downtime and means to relax. Hence I did play some games in a limited fashion. Nothing fancy, just stuff like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and Gang Beasts, which are light-hearted and undemanding. I also took the time to log on to The Lord of the Rings Online test server and check out the preview of the forthcoming “mini-expansion”. Not only was this informative but it provided material for a blog post. But overall I didn’t really achieve anything substantial with my gaming throughout September. Gaming was relegated to being just a convenient diversion from the immediate problems I’ve been facing but as such, it did fulfil that role well.
September has been a difficult month. A family crisis and subsequent bereavement meant that gaming got pushed down the daily agenda. However, after the various chores and duties were done I did need some downtime and means to relax. Hence I did play some games in a limited fashion. Nothing fancy, just stuff like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and Gang Beasts, which are light-hearted and undemanding. I also took the time to log on to The Lord of the Rings Online test server and check out the preview of the forthcoming “mini-expansion”. Not only was this informative but it provided material for a blog post. But overall I didn’t really achieve anything substantial with my gaming throughout September, apart from finishing the main story in The Sinking City . Gaming was relegated to being just a convenient diversion from the immediate problems I’ve been facing but as such, it did fulfil that role well.
At present, Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone continues to provide what I call “quick fix” gaming. I’ve been playing since April and every new season, developer’s Infinity Ward continue to add new features to keep the game engaging. Season Six started on 29th September and came with some interesting new maps and weapons to unlock. At present there appears to be a glitch with the SP-R-208 marksman rifle, as there is no bullet drop. Hence it has temporarily become the weapon of choice of all “wannabe” snipers. Even I can hit things with this weapon. There’s also another glitch with the AS VAL silenced assault rifle. When converted to use SPP ammunition, these armour piercing rounds penetrate everything with no reduction in bullet velocity. You can effectively shoot through an entire building and hit a target. I suspect that a patch will quickly eliminate these issues.
Despite my lack of time for in-depth gameplay during September, I did acquire four new games, which came as a surprise to me given the circumstances. Firstly, I was gifted Spiritfarer via Steam. This is a charming and thoughtful game. You play as Stella, (accompanied by her pet cat Daffodil), who takes over from the mythological Charon as the new Spiritfarer. As a ferrymaster you must sail the sea to find spirits, grant their last wishes and finally take them to the Everdoor, the gateway to the afterlife. This is a game that provides relaxation and an opportunity to reflect on the nature of life and death. I also bought two new RPGs. Elex and Horizon Zero Dawn. The latter is a known quantity and a recent console conversion. The former is a smaller title developed by Piranha Bytes who previously made the Gothic and Risen franchises. Elex mixes futuristic and medieval locations, in which the player can use guns, swords and magic against enemies. Finally Toren is an action adventure puzzle game from a small independent Brazillian developer. I found the basic premise of a baby girl protagonist who grows up as she progresses through a trap filled tower intriguing.
In October, I plan to start playing one of the above RPGs and try again to see if I can catch up with content in The Lord of the Rings Online. I’m hoping that there will be an improvement in server performance. It will also be interesting to see how the community responds to the “mini-expansion”. I may return to Star Trek Online but that is more of a question of conducting research for a series of blog posts. What I crave the most from my gaming at present is something different. Hence I have tried content outside of my usual genres during the lockdown. I cannot find any compelling reason to return to The Elder Scrolls Online at present. That is a game I like to apply myself to, due to the richness of the lore. I don’t want to just dabble with it, so I think I’ll keep it in reserve for later. I suspect it may well be a difficult autumn and winter so perhaps an MMO such as this, will be the ideal solution to the dark nights.