You Can Never Just Do the Thing You Want to Do
Last night I had some spare time, so I watched a Guild Wars 2 live stream from Massively Overpowered. I stopped playing this particular MMORPG in late 2015, a few months after the second expansion Heart of Thorns was released. To say that it changed the game is an understatement and sadly they were not changes that I especially liked. Since then I have occasionally logged into the game but never done anything more than potter about the starter zones. However, after watching this live stream I felt disposed towards giving the game another go. I wanted to try a new class and swan about casting spells, looking like Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon because that’s the way all Mages look in MMOs. Today I logged into the game with hopes of rolling a Necromancer and questing in Tyria. However, the game had other plans.
Last night I had some spare time, so I watched a Guild Wars 2 live stream from Massively Overpowered. I stopped playing this particular MMORPG in late 2015, a few months after the second expansion Heart of Thorns was released. To say that it changed the game is an understatement and sadly they were not changes that I especially liked. Since then I have occasionally logged into the game but never done anything more than potter about the starter zones. However, after watching this live stream I felt disposed towards giving the game another go. I wanted to try a new class and swan about casting spells, looking like Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon because that’s the way all Mages look in MMOs. Today I logged into the game with hopes of rolling a Necromancer and questing in Tyria. However, the game had other plans.
The MMO genre is very good at some things. Many have complex lore and engaging stories. If a game has been around for a while there’s usually plenty of content to complete. Then there are the communities, many of which are helpful and welcoming. And let’s not forget the business model. If you want to try an MMO you can usually do so without having to spend a red cent. You can usually progress sufficiently to decide whether the game in question is right for you. However and there is always a “however”, most MMOs are utterly incapable of just letting a new or a returning player log into the game and casually start playing. No, the game has to burden you with a confusing tutorial and emails with filled boost, gifts and other paraphernalia.Then there’s the wildly flashing interface that is desperately trying to get you to attend some in-game system that you have zero interest in at this point in time. It’s like being surrounded by multiple toddlers that want to show you the collage they’ve just made out of pasta.
I was watching the film Reach For the Sky recently about WWII fighter pilot Douglas Bader. There is a scene where he is with a friend at a golf course and Bader has no prior experience of the game. The friend lends him a club and a ball so he can get the feel of them. Now I appreciate that this analogy is somewhat of an oversimplification, but why can’t bloody MMOs give players the option to do the same? Because Guild Wars 2 was having none of this. As soon as I rolled a new Human Necromancer, I was funnelled into a tutorial. It was relatively short but it was confusing because it gave me an axe as a weapon by default and I didn’t want an axe, so I was vexed until I was able to change it. Once the tutorial was over the emails started coming with all the account wide free crap I’ve earned over the years on other alts or through buying an expansion. And then I had to clear out my shared bank space and try and determine what stuff was still relevant and what wasn’t.
Despite these frustrations, I soon determined that I like the Necromancer class and decided to use the level boost I had been given to advance to the current level cap of 80. Let it suffice to say that although the game is quite generous with the gear it gives players who do this, there is precious little guidance regarding builds. This meant that I had to stop playing to do “homework” and by that I mean looking for information outside of the game. Something I think is cardinal sine in the gaming world. I finally settled on a build that suited my needs and returned to the zone where I was pottering about. After some further gameplay I decided to buy some Gems, the currency for the game’s item shop. I used PayPal and was somewhat taken aback by an onscreen message that stated it could take up to 72 hours to get them. Mercifully, it was only an hour but the absence of an instantaneous transaction shocked me. I’ve subsequently learned it doesn’t seem to happen if you pay by credit card.
To cut a long story short, despite the game doing its utmost to not let me play, I have decided to stick with Guild Wars 2 for a while. However, I learned to treat the game store with caution. Don’t rely on it to warn you about buying something you can’t use. I ended up with a Skimmer skin despite the fact I haven’t got one as yet. If you’re not sure about something in the store and if it is relevant to you, tab out of the game and do some research. Again you shouldn’t have to but that’s the way it is. Also the complexities of the Elite Specialisation system are not explained in-game. It took me ages to figure out how to unlock the Greatsword for a Reaper Necromancer and how to enable its skills. Again player curated websites provided the answers and there was no information of a comparable standard provided by ArenaNet, which is rather annoying and also damn strange. What’s their excuse?
On a positive note, all three of the expansions for Guild Wars 2 are available for purchase as a collection at the reasonable price of £44 bar a penny. I already had the first but this bundle was still cheaper than buying the two more recent ones separately. So I’m now back in this MMO and will be playing it until something else comes along. I did have fun today and I do like the class that I’ve rolled. But I do think that my concerns have legs and that not only Guild Wars 2 but most MMOs seem to have a problem with just letting players get into the game and doing their own thing. I appreciate that there is a need to inform players about a game’s systems and that tutorials are hard to do well. But it would be nice if there was a way to temporarily suspend the tsunami of in-game information I’ve highlighted and be able to get on with the task in hand. Be it in the main game or a bespoke “testing zone”. However, knowing how the MMO genre is, I won’t get my hopes up.
Middle-earth Enterprises and Echoes of Angmar
Last month I wrote about a private server that is based upon an early iteration of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. The project named Echoes of Angmar, is currently in development by a third party outside of the auspices of Standing Stone Games and will contain content up to and including Book11: Defenders of Eriador. Effectively this will be a version of the game as it was eight months after its initial release in 2007. Naturally, this private server has attracted a great deal of attention, as many LOTRO players have expressed an interest in a “classic” version of the game. However, the official developers of LOTRO have indicated that they have no desire at present to pursue such an undertaking. Some sources have claimed that it cannot be done, however video footage of Echoes of Angmar posted on YouTube seems to contradict such statements.
Last month I wrote about a private server that is based upon an early iteration of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. The project named Echoes of Angmar, is currently in development by a third party outside of the auspices of Standing Stone Games and will contain content up to and including Book11: Defenders of Eriador. Effectively this will be a version of the game as it was eight months after its initial release in 2007. Naturally, this private server has attracted a great deal of attention, as many LOTRO players have expressed an interest in a “classic” version of the game. However, the official developers of LOTRO have indicated that they have no desire at present to pursue such an undertaking. Some sources have claimed that it cannot be done, however video footage of Echoes of Angmar posted on YouTube seems to contradict such statements.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the team behind this project have been quite open about their work. There is a website for Echoes of Angmar which provides full details of this “unofficial” version of LOTRO as well as how to install the software to play on the private server, which will be undertaking stress tests on 19th August. There is also an active Discord server associated with the project. As a result, Echoes of Angmar has been discussed on numerous blogs, subreddits, and other online platforms. Someone even saw fit to create a thread on the official LOTRO forums a few weeks ago, although it was removed by Community Manager Cordovan. Hence, it was inevitable that sooner or later there would be a formal response by the owners of the intellectual property. The following post appeared on the official LOTRO forums this evening. It is a copy of a letter from Middle-earth Enterprises regarding Echoes of Angmar.
Dear Echoes of Angmar team,
We have noted the Echoes of Angmar game that you have posted and we appreciate and share your enthusiasm for the Tolkien works, and specifically for the developers and creators of the epic MMO, The Lord of the Rings Online. Judging from your website and Discord, you are individuals who possess a boundless enthusiasm for LOTRO, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. We’re here to acknowledge your enthusiasm, and thank you for your fandom. Unfortunately, we, as trademark holders and stewards of the Tolkien works, more often than we’d like, must deliver some potentially difficult news. As your business is using the Tolkien works and trademarks in an unauthorized manner without benefit of a license, we must ask you to cease.
As stewards of the Tolkien works, we take our role very seriously in order to protect the works for all time, on behalf of fans everywhere. As owners of the intellectual property rights, we are charged with protecting those rights both morally and legally. Unfortunately, Echoes of Angmar uses specific content from the books and from our Licensee for The Lord of the Rings Online without the benefit of a license. Honestly, it breaks our hearts to post letters like this one. It is not uncommon for fans to create things reflecting an affection for the Tolkien works. It is thus with a heavy heart that we must ask that you immediately cease all of your unauthorized use of Echoes of Angmar, and all other Tolkien-related IP on all platforms, including Discord, Youtube and on https://www.echoesofangmar.com/.
We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have on the subject, and wish you all the best in your future duly authorized endeavors.
Kind regards,
Middle-earth Enterprises
This raises several questions. The Echoes of Angmar team have clearly spent a great deal of time and effort developing this project and know that it’s a copyright violation. Yet they do not seem to be concerned about this statement from Middle-earth Enterprises, implying they do not fear legal action. Will the server be based outside of Europe and North America? At present there are private servers for other games such as World or Warcraft and Star Wars: Galaxies which have escaped being shut down. Considering how litigious Activision Blizzard are as well as Disney, there must be some loopholes somewhere which are being cunningly exploited to prevent closure. I suspect that the Echoes of Angmar team have looked into this “grey” area carefully and have contingency plans or have taken a carefully calculated risk.
I was also struck by the conciliatory tone of this letter from Middle-earth Enterprise. It doesn’t sound like the sort of curt and bellicose statement usually associated with the legal profession. I was sent a snotty letter once myself when I posted screen captures from an advance online promotional event for a film back in 2015 and it didn’t mince its words. It makes me wonder what Middle-earth Enterprises are up to here. Is their reply just an arbitrary response to show they’re going through the motions of protecting their IP. Or is this a polite shot across the bow before a more robust follow up? Has the fact that an independent third party has done something that the official developers implied couldn’t be done, caused some embarrassment? Do Middle-earth Enterprises see the Echoes of Angmar project not so much as a threat but a potential business opportunity?
I must admit, I do find this entire situation very intriguing. I do have an interest in what Echoes of Angmar is trying to do but it is mainly out of intellectual curiosity. Revisiting LOTRO as it were in 2007 is something I would like to watch and observe. Personally, I don’t know if I would be able to play the game beyond a few levels as I don’t think I’d like being dependent on other players to progress. However, I do find the machinations and shenanigans of the video games industry just as engaging (and sometimes more so) as the games they create. I certainly have a lot of unanswered questions regarding the people behind this private server and their provenance. However, due to the nature of this undertaking I suspect they’re not going to share such information. All things considered, I don’t think this project is going to go away easily and I’m curious to see what happens next.
LOTRO: What is Going On?
For the last three years developers Standing Stone Games have followed a twelve monthly expansion schedule for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Sadly that has not been the case this year. All we had so far in 2022 is two generic new zones that offer “same meat, different gravy” content. Both Update 32: Rangers and Ruin and Update 33: Yondershire, although enjoyable, have not brought anything substantially different to the game. A further small release, Update 33.1 The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elrohir, went live on Tuesday 19th July offering 5 new themed missions. To say that they are lacklustre is being generous. All of which raises the question, what is going on? 18 months ago there appeared to be a LOTRO renaissance after the game was acquired by EG7. Is the lack of an expansion this year an indication that things have changed and not for the better?
For the last three years developers Standing Stone Games have followed a twelve monthly expansion schedule for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Sadly that has not been the case this year. All we had so far in 2022 is two generic new zones that offer “same meat, different gravy” content. Both Update 32: Rangers and Ruin and Update 33: Yondershire, although enjoyable, have not brought anything substantially different to the game. A further small release, Update 33.1 The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elrohir, went live on Tuesday 19th July offering 5 new themed missions. To say that they are lacklustre is being generous. All of which raises the question, what is going on? 18 months ago there appeared to be a LOTRO renaissance after the game was acquired by EG7. Is the lack of an expansion this year an indication that things have changed and not for the better?
Two developments have occurred recently that may shed some light on the matter. The first being the recent departure of producer Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia) from SSG after just one year. He was brought in to work with the executive producer to facilitate change and streamline the business model. During that time a lot of older, chargeable game content was integrated into the free to play business model. Oleg was also far more accessible than other staff at SSG and certainly happy to talk about the game. However, coming from a mobile gaming background he may have been behind the release of the supporter packs that accompanied the latest patch. These are cosmetic bundles of the kind that usually accompany the various different tiers of an expansion pack. It will be interesting to see how they’re received. However, no explanation has been forthcoming as to why Oleg Brodskiy has moved on, apart from a vague comment about an “incredible opportunity”.
Secondly, there are the interesting internal politics of Enad Global 7. The company purchased Daybreak Game Company and its portfolio in December 2020. It subsequently became apparent that DGC was not just the publisher for Standing Stone Games but in fact their owner. EG7 appeared to have plans for LOTRO as the game had at the time 108,000 active players, of which 37.9% (41,000) subscribed generating nearly $10 million per year. Yearly revenue was $26.7 million making LOTRO the third-biggest playerbase out of DGC’s (now EG7’s) game portfolio. Circa March 2021, then CEO of EG7 Robin Flodin spoke positively about developing the newly acquired titles, fueling further speculation about a console version of LOTRO and a new game engine, which were previously mentioned in an investor briefing. However, Robin Flodin stepped down as CEO, five month later after a poorly received press interview. This paved the way for Ji Ham of Daybreak to take the reins as temporary CEO. In May this year Flodin sold his shares in EG7 changing the dynamics of the company as majority ownership effectively became controlled by senior DGC staff.
If you’re interested in more detail of this potential “reverse acquisition” then Wilhelm Arcturus has written a detailed post on his blog, The Ancient Gaming Noob. Obviously a lot of detail regarding corporate machinations doesn’t make it into the public domain but it’s hard not to speculate that the departure of Oleg Brodskiy and the changes within EG7 as well as DGC indicate that something is afoot behind the scenes with LOTRO. If the people who previously drove LOTROs development are back in control it doesn’t bode well for such ambitious plans as a console port or a revised game engine. Furthermore, I cannot see the new Amazon Prime show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, getting released without some sort of gaming tie-in or related product. Is there another product waiting in the wings that may undermine LOTRO? Either way, after three consecutive expansions it is a little worrying that a successful formula should end so abruptly.
Finally, I return to the matter of the recently announced private LOTRO server Echoes of Angmar. If you do a little digging around online it appears that those involved with the project seem very well versed in the intricacies of the 15 year old MMORPG. Are these people who were directly or indirectly associated with the game at launch? The somewhat open manner in which this “rogue” server is being referred to seems to imply that those managing the project are not worried by the prospect of legal reprisals. This may be naivety but I’m not so sure. Is the timing of this independent project based upon something that LOTRO players don’t know about? Also, apart from the lack of an expansion there are still a lot of technical issues plaguing the MMO. The GUI still doesn’t support modern screen resolutions and the perennial issue of lag is a blight. I worry that the second coming of LOTRO so many hoped for, may have stalled before it even started and that as per usual, the player base will be the last to know.
The Lord of the Rings Online: Echoes of Angmar
Much to my surprise I recently discovered that there is a private server currently in development, based upon an early iteration of The Lord of the Rings Online. Called Echoes of Angmar, this is a version of the popular Middle-earth based MMORPG as it was in late October 2007. The team that is managing this project, which recently completed alpha testing, wishes to make available a free version of LOTRO based on original code from the time. Echoes of Angmar will include all content upto and including Book 11: Defenders of Eriador. Hence there will be no cosmetic items, no quest tracker and no streamlined levelling. The level cap will be 50. PvMP will not be available upon initial release but will be implemented later. Echoes of Angmar will therefore be a very different experience compared to LOTRO as it is today on the current live servers.
Much to my surprise I recently discovered that there is a private server currently in development, based upon an early iteration of The Lord of the Rings Online. Called Echoes of Angmar, this is a version of the popular Middle-earth based MMORPG as it was in late October 2007. The team that is managing this project, which recently completed alpha testing, wishes to make available a free version of LOTRO based on original code from the time. Echoes of Angmar will include all content upto and including Book 11: Defenders of Eriador. Hence there will be no cosmetic items, no quest tracker and no streamlined levelling. The level cap will be 50. PvMP will not be available upon initial release but will be implemented later. Echoes of Angmar will therefore be a very different experience compared to LOTRO as it is today on the current live servers.
There are numerous talking points stemming from this project. Perhaps the most obvious is the fact that Standing Stone Games have stated clearly on several occasions that they have no pressing desire to release a “classic” version of LOTRO themselves. Furthermore, for technical reasons it would be a complex project which would be a drain on development resources. Some long term LOTRO players have inferred that SSG may not even have access to the appropriate code or that they have necessary in-house expertise to undertake such a task. Yet, despite all these claims and counterclaims, we see a third party quietly going ahead and creating a so-called “classic” server. If the recent YouTube video which features alpha footage is anything to go by, the project seems to be progressing very well. The Echoes of Angmar team have stated that a more in-depth reveal and sneak peak will be coming “soon”.
A perennial question associated with the release of any “classic” MMO server, is whether there is a genuine and sustainable player base available to support the game. Or are players simply allowing a sense of nostalgia to cloud their judgement and desire something that may not ultimately hold their interest. SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions) has often made this argument, as did Blizzard with regard to WoW “Classic”. However, I frequent a multitude of LOTRO based online communities, such as forums, subreddits and Discord servers and I regularly encounter players who express a desire to return to the base game as it was at launch. These are players that currently confine their activities to Eriador on the existing liver servers and continuously re-roll alts to exclusively play the Shadows of Angmar content. Therefore I suspect that there is sufficient interest within the wider LOTRO community to justify the existence of Echoes of Angmar.
Perhaps the biggest elephant in the room is the fact that LOTRO is still an active MMO. It is actively being developed and makes money for its corporate owners. It is one thing to create a private server for a game that has been officially closed such as Star Wars: Galaxies. It is a different matter altogether to create an unofficial version of an existing product. I will not wade into the ethics or legality of this matter, not only because I am unqualified to do so, but because I do have an interest in seeing Echoes of Angmar come to fruition. So I am not an impartial observer. However, I am curious to see if there will be any pushback from either SSG, Daybreak or EG7. The team behind Echoes of Angmar have been quite open about what they’re doing, having published the aforementioned video. They didn’t object to me writing this post. So there is a chance that the rights holders already know. It will be interesting to see what happens in the meantime.
Fall Guys Goes Free-to-Play
On the 21st June Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout transitioned from a purchasable game to a free-to-play business model, complete with multiple currencies and a season path. The game also made its debut on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. These changes stem from developer Mediatonic striving to reach a bigger audience and Epic Games’ purchase of the studio a year earlier and their established monetisation policy. As someone who has played Fall Guys (as it has now been rebranded) since its release in August 2020, I have mixed feelings about this change and relaunch of the game. The game is still fun, infuriating and amusing. Playing on your own or with friends is still very entertaining. For a player such as I who has already accrued a ton of cosmetic items, I can ignore the newly bolted on season pass. However, that might not be so easy for new players.
On the 21st June Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout transitioned from a purchasable game to a free-to-play business model, complete with multiple currencies and a season path. The game also made its debut on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. These changes stem from developer Mediatonic striving to reach a bigger audience and Epic Games’ purchase of the studio a year earlier and their established monetisation policy. As someone who has played Fall Guys (as it has now been rebranded) since its release in August 2020, I have mixed feelings about this change and relaunch of the game. The game is still fun, infuriating and amusing. Playing on your own or with friends is still very entertaining. For a player such as I who has already accrued a ton of cosmetic items, I can ignore the newly bolted on season pass. However, that might not be so easy for new players.
If you have just started playing Fall Guys and want a cool outfit for your character then you better be prepared to grind your way through multiple new currencies that have been added to the game, or alternatively put your hand in your pocket. Bear in mind that 3 cosmetic items previously retailed at about £4 before the change to free-to-play. They now cost £12. If you “prefer” the grinding option, the new season pass has been accompanied with a nerf of the XP system. XP or Fame can be earned by completing challenges or playing rounds. Challenges tend to offer 300 to 1000 Fame but take time to achieve, where a single game nets you just 24. The more rounds you win the less Fame you get, leading to a situation where some players are advocating losing the first round to net 24 Fame and then moving on to a new game. This is a ridiculous situation as some have pointed out on Reddit.
However, irrespective of this, the game has certainly gained traction after becoming available on new platforms. Within two days of going free-to-play, Mediatonic proudly announced that Fall Guys had reached 20 million players. What didn’t get so much attention from the developer’s was the crashing of matchmaking services and login queues. Other in-game glitches such as the cosmetic system freezing and voice chat failing were also a pain on launch day. Most of these issues also occurred when the game originally launched in 2020 on the Playstation and Steam. A week later and most of these technical problems have been addressed and the game now has the full benefit of crossplay. But it should be noted that the transition to free-to-play has not been as seamless as some have claimed.
Finally, if you have previously purchased Fall Guys from Steam you can still access the game via this platform. However, if you have not and wish to play the PC version then it is now only available via the Epic Game Store. Despite the “controversy” over the games free-to-play monetisation, it is still well worth playing. If you focus on the game play and the sheer ridiculousness of some of the events there is still a great deal of mirth and merriment to be had from Fall Guys. Remember, it is a capricious game and it is wise to embrace this concept before playing. Other players are both a boon and a bane and there will always be some “try hard” who will know an optimal route or tactic, so they can snatch victory from you at the last moment. I’ve not yet won a complete round of games, despite playing for two years. But despite the corporate bullshit the fun is still there in Fall Guys. Just play it with the right mindset.
Sniper Elite 5: Invasion
I was playing Sniper Elite 5 on launch day, slowly working my way through the single player campaign, when I came face to face with the new “invasion mode” that’s been added to the game. It is enabled by default and allows for another player to enter your game and hunt you down. The game does inform you of this mechanic and gives you the option to disable it if you so wish. However, I was so focused on fighting my way through the hedgerows of Normandy, I really didn’t pay attention to any of these prompts. Hence, when a message popped up stating “Axis Invasion”, I just assumed that reinforcements had been called after I alerted enemy NPCs to my presence. The next thing I knew, I was cut down in a hail of SMG fire only to be informed that I had been killed by another player. It didn’t take me long to figure out what happened and despite my initial surprise, I couldn’t help but feel that this is a pretty cool game mechanic.
I was playing Sniper Elite 5 on launch day, slowly working my way through the single player campaign, when I came face to face with the new “invasion mode” that’s been added to the game. It is enabled by default and allows for another player to enter your game and hunt you down. The game does inform you of this mechanic and gives you the option to disable it if you so wish. However, I was so focused on fighting my way through the hedgerows of Normandy, I really didn’t pay attention to any of these prompts. Hence, when a message popped up stating “Axis Invasion”, I just assumed that reinforcements had been called after I alerted enemy NPCs to my presence. The next thing I knew, I was cut down in a hail of SMG fire only to be informed that I had been killed by another player. It didn’t take me long to figure out what happened and despite my initial surprise, I couldn’t help but feel that this is a pretty cool game mechanic.
Every now and then, I like to step outside of my comfort zone when gaming. Technically, “invasion mode” in Sniper Elite 5 is PVP and usually that’s Kryptonite to me. Yet I decided to try it myself so I invaded someone else's game and I must admit I found the experience compelling. Other players are not predictable like AI controlled NPCs plus there are lots of other factors that make this a more subtle affair. If I invade another player’s game, they not only have to fend off the German NPCs but they also have to deal with me. I have one job to do, where they have to contend with the mission goals, hostile NPCs and another player. However, to balance that situation, developer’s Rebellion has given the player’s being invaded a wider set of abilities. This includes “focus” which temporarily highlights close by enemies. They can also carry a wider range of weapons. So with this in mind, it may come as a surprise that I’ve been playing the shit out of “invasion mode” in Sniper Elite 5 over the last few weeks.
As I’ve been having such fun as well as achieving a degree of success, I feel sufficiently emboldened to offer a few tips regarding “invasion mode”. Firstly, let us consider playing as an Axis player (German), invading a single player campaign in Sniper Elite 5.
To begin with, although you can unlock a variety of uniforms as you play, it makes a lot of sense to select a standard German infantry uniform, so that you blend in with all the NPCs. Pick something less common and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb.
As soon as you join someone else's game, press the escape key and see if they’re playing in co-op mode. If that is the case, you’ll have two enemies to hunt. Forewarned is forearmed.
Tag all friendly NPCs that you encounter, either by using your binoculars or pressing the left alt key and invoking focus. Tagged NPCs remain marked on your map as blue triangles. When they encounter the enemy their colour changes reflecting their status. Yellow for on alert and red for actively engaging the enemy.
Investigate alarms as and when they occur, as they’ll indicate where your enemy is.
Each map has specific objectives for the allied sniper to complete. Once you become familiar with these, you can sometimes anticipate where your enemy is heading. If you arrive ahead of them, it is worthwhile to tag all NPCs and boobytrapping key targets.
Familiarise yourself with the terrain and make use of cover. Do not camp but it does pay to stake out certain areas.
Take advantage of high ground. Cover routes that are likely to be used.
Become proficient with using an SMG as often you will encounter the enemy in a confined space or environment that doesn’t lend itself to using a rifle and scope.
Listen out for voice dialogue that plays when the allied player completes specific tasks. If you hear it, then you’re close to the other player. Cutscenes can also provide clear clues as to an enemies location.
When invading another player’s game, remember that they have set the difficulty setting. Health regeneration, weapon difficulty and HUD details may vary from game to game.
Don’t be afraid to take risks. Until you become competent you will more than likely die when initially playing “invasion mode”. You will get better with practice.
Remember that the player whose game you’re invading may complete the level before you find them. They may also die at the hands of NPCs. Therefore, be prepared to have a few games of cat and mouse that end without a kill.
Secondly, if you are playing as an allied player whose game is invaded, bear in mind the following.
The moment you’re notified that your game has been invaded, focus on hunting down the enemy player. If you try to juggle the ongoing mission objectives, while risking aggravating enemy NPCs, you’ll inevitably lead your enemy to your location.
Use focus regularly to determine who and what is nearby.
Don’t camp but choose carefully an appropriate area to face down your foe. Again high ground offers much advantage. If you retrace your footsteps you stand a good chance of tracking down the invader.
As an allied player you have a greater variety of explosives at your disposal. You can also loot bodies which the invader cannot do, so you can replenish your supply. Therefore lay boobytraps around choke points or anticipated routes.
Create distractions to attract enemy NPCs. You may also draw out the invading player.
Finally, here’s some general advice for both players. When you spot your enemy, take time to set up your shot. Do not panic fire.
If using an SMG, fire in short controlled bursts.
Avoid showboating such as melee kills or using grenades.
Use your binoculars for general reconnaissance. Remember that the scope on your rifle glints and that can give away your position.
Video Game Radio Stations
In 2000, I was the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast. I had a broad selection of games for the console from multiple genres, including Metropolis Street Racer. This was an early example of an open world driving game which is noteworthy in itself. However, what stood out for me was that this was the first game that I had played which had in-game radio stations. Although this is something that is now de rigueur within this sub-genre, back then this was a novelty. The tracks were stored on the game CD but played selectively according to which radio station you were listening to when driving. The sound even broke up if you went into a tunnel. The songs were all original creations, rather than licensed properties. Although credited to faux bands and bogus artists, composer Richard Jacques wrote and arranged them all. I was especially fond of the Oasis inspired band Salford Quays and the track Live Your Life.
In 2000, I was the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast. I had a broad selection of games for the console from multiple genres, including Metropolis Street Racer. This was an early example of an open world driving game which is noteworthy in itself. However, what stood out for me was that this was the first game that I had played which had in-game radio stations. Although this is something that is now de rigueur within this sub-genre, back then this was a novelty. The tracks were stored on the game CD but played selectively according to which radio station you were listening to when driving. The sound even broke up if you went into a tunnel. The songs were all original creations, rather than licensed properties. Although credited to faux bands and bogus artists, composer Richard Jacques wrote and arranged them all. I was especially fond of the Oasis inspired band Salford Quays and the track Live Your Life.
Since then I have played numerous games that make use of in-game radio stations and I’m always interested as to what material is included. Big triple A titles tend to use licensed music from established artists. The most obvious example being the Grand Theft Auto Franchise. A lot of time and thought is spent on curating playlists by the developers. Furthermore, a great deal of money is spent in securing the rights. When this process is done well, having the right song play while undertaking a complex mission or while cruising around an open world can make all the difference between an adequate gaming experience and a notable one. I still have clear memories of driving around Steelport in Saints Row: The Third in 2015 (when I bought the game as part of a bundle) and one particular track just being synonymous with mayhem and shenanigans. More on that later.
Grand Theft Auto V features an interesting selection of in-game radio stations. The game was released originally in 2013 but has been re-released on multiple generations of consoles over the course of its lifespan. During this time it has been continuously updated, to include additional music. Having sold 160 million units as of this year, many players have been introduced to classic tunes from the eighties and nineties through playing this game. On several occasions, I’ve been listening to a song on YouTube that has featured in this franchise, only to find a comment that reads along the lines of “I’m here because of GTA V”. This has included songs such as Small Town Boy by Bronski Beat, Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty and Rain by The Cult. Also more niche market tracks like John Wayne was a Nazi by MDC. Again I come back to my point that a good selection of music not only caters to a broad spectrum of musical tastes but adds a very atmospheric quality to the gameplay.
Naturally, I thought it would be fun to provide some examples of music that I’ve discovered via in-game radio stations. Rather than pick well known tracks, I have instead opted for earworms that are associated with playing a particular game. First off is Live Your Life by Salford Quays that I mentioned earlier from Metropolis Street Racer. It is a clever pastiche of Oasis, who themselves are a very derivative band. It may be bogus but it sticks with you.
Next we have Chow Mein by The Gaylords. Yes, I know, but this is from 1954. The song is featured in Mafia 2 and it is just so ridiculously archaic that it really can’t be taken seriously. I used to drive around the block if this track came on the in-game radio, just so I could listen to it all the way through.
Finally, indulge me with Save Me From Myself by Unknown Hinson. This psychobilly tune has worryingly plausible lyrics and a chorus that is insanely catchy. Sadly Mr Hinson said some off-colour comments about Dolly Parton and got himself cancelled but the track remains an integral part of Saints Row: The Third as far as I’m concerned. Feel free to mention songs you may have discovered via in-game radio stations.
“I’m Entitled to My Opinion and It Should Be Respected”
One of the most curious aspects of the modern corporate culture is the need for businesses to present some sort of ethical persona to their customers and the wider market. It is contradictory to say the least to watch such institutions that are by their very nature predatory, espouse a moral stance on social issues such as climate change and equality. Yet, this is something they do regularly, with a straight face and a tin ear. The recent leak of a draft document by SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade has seen several companies take a stance and release press statements both externally and internally. However, an email sent to Sony staff by PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, has proven more interesting than others. This is mainly due to Ryan reiterating a common “informal fallacy”; that everyone is entitled to their opinion and by default that opinion should be respected.
One of the most curious aspects of the modern corporate culture is the need for businesses to present some sort of ethical persona to their customers and the wider market. It is contradictory to say the least to watch such institutions that are by their very nature predatory, espouse a moral stance on social issues such as climate change and equality. Yet, this is something they do regularly, with a straight face and a tin ear. The recent leak of a draft document by SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade has seen several companies take a stance and release press statements both externally and internally. However, an email sent to Sony staff by PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, has proven more interesting than others. This is mainly due to Ryan reiterating a common “informal fallacy”; that everyone is entitled to their opinion and by default that opinion should be respected.
Ryan stated that Playstation employees, as well as customers are a “multi-faceted and diverse” community who hold “many different points of view”. He went on to say that staff and the company “owe it to each other and to PlayStation’s millions of users to respect differences of opinion among everyone in our internal and external communities. Respect does not equal agreement. But it is fundamental to who we are as a company and as a valued global brand”. The logical flaws in this statement stand out like a sore thumb and it would appear that critical thinking and constructing a sound argument are not part of Jim Ryan’s executive skill set. Mind you, such things are conspicuously absent from our politics and public discourse as well, so why should big business be any different?
Plato established a difference between personal opinion or a commonly held belief (doxa) and provable knowledge (episteme) in his theory of forms, over 2,000 years ago. It is still a viable distinction today. A personal opinion is subjective and often uncertain due to reliance upon interpretation, feelings and other nebulous factors. 1+1=2 is a fact that can be clearly proven. In most functioning democracies, all citizens have a right to hold an opinion irrespective of its veracity or rectitude. But that does not mean that one has a right not to have one’s opinion challenged. There is no legal, ethical or logical obligation to respect another’s opinion. Why for example, should any respect, courtesy or deference be extended to a view couched in bigotry and prejudice? Also why should an opinion that cannot be backed up by facts to establish its validity or merit be afforded some sort of protected status?
All too often the claim that “I’m entitled to my opinion and it should be respected” or similarly, “let us agree to disagree” is a means to try and avoid scrutiny and to account for one’s view. It is a petulant and churlish demand that one’s view is given equal consideration with one that can be substantiated. It seeks to establish false equivalence and if denied, often prompts claims of victimhood. It is the faux argument of choice by those that want to compete with knowledge and expertise, without doing the necessary “due diligence”. Too many people conflate losing an argument with losing the right to argue. Obviously in the case of Jim Ryan’s comments, calls to respect differing opinions is also about “cakeism”; trying to please all customers regardless of their perspective. It is not only an intellectually bankrupt stance but a cynical one. Sadly that seems to be a prevailing trait of modern corporate ideology.
Guilds Are Not Group Therapy
I was recently trawling through some screen captures from 2009, taken when I was a very active player in the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Several included the chat window as I hadn’t turned off the GUI when I pressed “print screen”. Hence I read a few fragments of chat which subsequently reminded me of a problematic situation our guild experienced for a couple of months. That being when someone joins your guild and at first seems like a good fit but later starts becoming difficult and unreasonable with regard to their expectations and online behaviour. The person in question in this instance eventually stated that they had mental health issues but by the time this was raised a lot of harm had been done to all parties concerned. They ended up leaving after an argument centred around perceived personal slights and a lack of support for their needs. It was an upsetting experience that was poorly handled, although it wasn’t any particular person’s fault.
I was recently trawling through some screen captures from 2009, taken when I was a very active player in the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Several included the chat window as I hadn’t turned off the GUI when I pressed “print screen”. Hence I read a few fragments of chat which subsequently reminded me of a problematic situation our guild experienced for a couple of months. That being when someone joins your guild and at first seems like a good fit but later starts becoming difficult and unreasonable with regard to their expectations and online behaviour. The person in question in this instance eventually stated that they had mental health issues but by the time this was raised a lot of harm had been done to all parties concerned. They ended up leaving after an argument centred around perceived personal slights and a lack of support for their needs. It was an upsetting experience that was poorly handled, although it wasn’t any particular person’s fault.
To summarise, a new player joined our LOTRO guild (kinship in the games own parlance) after grouping with some of our officers. They had been up to that point polite although a little shy and keen to learn and undertake group content. They did not use voice chat but would listen in and communicate via the chat window, which was not unusual as we had several other players that did this for a variety of reasons. After a while, especially when running instances and raids, they began to get frustrated with failure and when the group wiped. Although we never ever as a group blamed anyone, this person began to suggest we were inferring it. They also made a lot of suggestions regarding gameplay and strategy that were not relevant or useful. They had previously been an active player of another MMO and didn’t seem to understand that the mechanics and dynamics were not transferable.
It all culminated in a major argument one Friday night during a planned raid. Again a group wipe caused frustration for them. Supportive comments in chat about getting “back on the horse” were misinterpreted. Sub argument broke out via direct messages and then it started getting acrimonious. Eventually the guild leader interceded and politely suggested that the player take some time out to calm down and that they would happily listen to any legitimate concerns. It was at this point that the upset player declared to have mental health issues and that they were looking to the guild to work these through. It seemed that every positive thing said to placate and defuse the situation was taken the wrong way and they then quit the guild and vanished into the ether. A long and detailed in-game mail was sent the next day claiming bullying and callousness, none of which from my perspective was true. The player then either deleted or renamed their character and was subsequently untraceable.
Over the years, I have noticed that the MMO genre attracts a lot of people who have personal problems and who are facing mental health issues. MMOs offer a means of social interaction that is far more controlled and potentially manageable compared to those in real life. You can reinvent your persona and the way you are perceived. Chatting in text puts you far more in control of the situation. Hence you can see why MMOs are appealing to the introverted and those who wish a degree of privacy, while still having company and fun. However, the pendulum can swing equally the other way. Text driven chat can be a blunt tool. If you can’t see or hear someone, you can miss a lot of social cues. Irony and sarcasm are an obvious example. Plus, even online and within the superficially cosy atmosphere of an MMO, a lot of the problems from regular social interaction still persist. There are dominant personalities, cliques, power struggles and egos to deal with.
Hence, although I can see the allure of seeing an MMO as a safe or at least controlled environment to meet people and work through or address one’s personal problems, it strikes me as a far from appropriate environment to treat as a form of therapy. I’m sure some gamers may well contradict me and possibly cite positive examples of how they used their guilds as a medium for self healing. If that is the case then well done but I’m not sure if that is the prevailing experience. With regard to the anecdote I shared earlier, I was unaware of the person in question’s issues and even if they had talked about them earlier, would not have felt adequately equipped to help them beyond basic common decency. It also strikes me as a little unrealistic to expect too much from guild mates, when your main social bond is just playing and enjoying the game together.
Some guilds are set up to specifically cater to particular people or groups. To provide a safe space, a friendly environment and a support network. That is a different kettle of fish and a far cry from joining a casual guild of random players. It is difficult to gauge exactly what you should and should not expect from other players when joining a guild. I am happy to be welcoming and supportive to new players. But where does that social obligation end exactly? I find myself with more questions than answers. However, I feel that guilds are not an ideal medium for group therapy or as a means to self treat. I still look back on this incident from 2009 with a degree of upset. Did we do something wrong? Or were we wrong footed through no fault of our own? I wonder about the wellbeing of the individual concerned but as I previously stated, they vanished. Something that the internet accommodates quite well.
Naming Your Character in SWTOR
Star Wars: The Old Republic is over a decade old. That is quite a significant achievement for an MMORPG. Maintaining a stable player population is not easy and a lot of MMOs find themselves in a state of managed decline and then eventually shut down long before they’ve reached such an age. However, that is not the case with SWTOR. I recently returned to the game in February and as far as I can see, there is still a very active player base. However, I did come back just as a new expansion was launched. Conversely, as well as active players, there is also a lot of evidence of inactive players, by dint of the fact that I have really struggled to secure a “suitable” character name for one of my new alts. Specifically a Sith Warrior. It would appear that a lot of names are currently taken. I tried over thirty names before I found one that was available.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is over a decade old. That is quite a significant achievement for an MMORPG. Maintaining a stable player population is not easy and a lot of MMOs find themselves in a state of managed decline and then eventually shut down long before they’ve reached such an age. However, that is not the case with SWTOR. I recently returned to the game in February and as far as I can see, there is still a very active player base. However, I did come back just as a new expansion was launched. Conversely, as well as active players, there is also a lot of evidence of inactive players, by dint of the fact that I have really struggled to secure a “suitable” character name for one of my new alts. Specifically a Sith Warrior. It would appear that a lot of names are currently taken. I tried over thirty names before I found one that was available.
This problem seems to be specific to the Sith classes. Despite being ten years old and a lot of names being taken, it is not as difficult to secure the one that you want for other classes. This is because SWTOR supports the use of spaces and apostrophes in its naming convention. Hence if you are creative with spelling, it is fairly straightforward to make a first name and surname. However, Sith classes are more problematic if you wish to be “lore friendly”. Most Sith characters have a single name which is then prefixed with the title Darth. In SWTOR if you complete the first chapter of the Sith Warrior storyline you are awarded this title. Hence a lot of players create a character with a single name and use the in-game title system to prefix it with Acolyte and Darth accordingly as they progress through the story. Herein lies the problem.
Therefore, if you are seeking a single name for your Sith character that reflects the lore of Star Wars then you’ll find your options quite limited. As a rule Sith characters have enigmatic, portentous names. Darth Tyranus or Sidious for example. Hence as a player you’ll be looking for words that can be augmented or general cool names like Obsidian or Malignant. However, all such variants are taken. After about a dozen failed attempts I then decided to try a less scattershot approach and drew up a list of names and worked through them. I included people and creatures from Roman and Greek mythology such as Manticore, Xenophon and Talos. I then translated interesting words into Latin, as these proved appropriate. For example, “monstrous” which translates to immanis. I even ended up trying the names of Numenorean Kings but to no avail.
Eventually, I found a name that worked. It required some spelling alterations and is three syllables instead of the more desirable two, but it hadn’t been taken so it was accepted. I had to plunder the annals of Cornish folklore to find a viable name. Thus my Sith Warrior is now Acolyte Khormoran. Comoran being the Giant that terrorised Cornwall during the reign of King Arthur. So all’s well that ends well. The pedantic may wish to point out that I could have spared myself a lot of hassle simply by creating a name with Darth in the title right at the outset. Indeed I could but then my character would have been sporting the title “Darth” before it was earned causing a lore and continuity calamity. However, regardless where one stands on such issues, the fact remains that finding the right name in a decade old MMO can be a problem. Which is why more recent games have introduced more flexible systems.
A Month in Gaming
I have confined my gaming to three MMORPGs in recent months and have not strayed into anything new. Time has been an issue due to a great deal of change in my domestic life. Hence The Lord of the Rings Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Trek Online have proven suitable for my needs. Being able to log into a game and commence an activity without any complicated preamble is convenient and currently suits my schedule down to the ground. I will be buying Sniper Elite 5 at the end of the month as this is a franchise that has always proven entertaining and engaging. While recently perusing the various game launchers I have installed, I took the opportunity to remove several games that I’m no longer playing or that have proven to be a “five minute wonder”. Hence I said goodbye to GreedFall, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Days Gone. Their removal is no reflection upon their quality.
I have confined my gaming to three MMORPGs in recent months and have not strayed into anything new. Time has been an issue due to a great deal of change in my domestic life. Hence The Lord of the Rings Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Trek Online have proven suitable for my needs. Being able to log into a game and commence an activity without any complicated preamble is convenient and currently suits my schedule down to the ground. I will be buying Sniper Elite 5 at the end of the month as this is a franchise that has always proven entertaining and engaging. While recently perusing the various game launchers I have installed, I took the opportunity to remove several games that I’m no longer playing or that have proven to be a “five minute wonder”. Hence I said goodbye to GreedFall, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Days Gone. Their removal is no reflection upon their quality.
I’ve finally completed all outstanding content in LOTRO and find myself now kicking my heels. The conclusion of Fate of Gundabad was interesting and I felt that there was emotional depth to the character Mótsog. I have also enjoyed exploring both The Angle of Mitheithel and Yondershire. I like the way that Standing Stone Games is not just creating new content for endgame. Adding additional zones for players levelling alts makes good business sense. It also makes the game more attractive to returning players by offering them content that they previously haven’t played. At the time of writing this post, LOTRO is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Although this is a significant milestone and one I am pleased that the game has achieved, I am not especially interested in the celebrations themselves. I don’t find any of the activities engaging, nor do I find any of the gifts and prizes that can be claimed desirable. I prefer the functional over the cosmetic.
Despite some frustration with the post Knights of the Eternal Throne storyline in SWTOR, rather than quit I decided to continue to play through the remainder of the original game. So far I have completed the Imperial Agent and Trooper stories. Both were well conceived and executed, although I did find the Trooper a little underpowered as a class. Speaking of which, it would also appear that every class in the game has at least one companion that is an utter twat. I see absolutely no merit in companions such as Skadge and Kaliyo Djannis. They’re objectionable and their dysfunctional nature doesn’t provide any alternative insight. These aren’t anti-heroes that make philosophical points to counter traditional archetypes. These are just shitty people who are a pain in the butt. Mercifully, for every poorly conceived companion there are at least two who are well rounded and relatable.
Moving on to my final gaming mainstay, STO, I continue to find this MMO ideal for quick fix entertainment. This game offers long term involvement but also excels at providing daily activities that can be quickly undertaken.In the last few months I have earned A600 Android (Combat Pet), a Tier 6 Jarok Alliance Carrier and sundry upgrade tokens for use on various alts. I’ve also continued working my way through the various story arcs in the main game and it has again proven a welcome reminder at how well developer’s Cryptic are at utilising the wealth of Star Trek lore to their advantage. Canonical characters and events are not just referenced or invoked as a lazy fan service, but drawn upon in ways that are relevant and that sustain an interesting narrative. I look forward to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds being integrated into the game.
The Capricious Nature of “Lazy Writing”
A little over two months ago I returned to the MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. I have written recently about how this has been a pleasant experience and I certainly haven’t wanted for content to play through. SWTOR has always offered well conceived and complex stories. This is essentially the MMOs primary appeal to me. Hence I have recently caught up with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, Shadow of Revan, Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne. The episodic nature of the last two expansions have both good and bad points. However, the central story was solid and engaging. However, when I moved on to the next instalment of the main story, everything changed. Essentially, the plot had backed itself into a corner. So the writers took the easy way out and pursued a new storyline that completely invalidated everything that had happened previously. This infuriated me so I’ve stopped playing.
A little over two months ago I returned to the MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. I have written recently about how this has been a pleasant experience and I certainly haven’t wanted for content to play through. SWTOR has always offered well conceived and complex stories. This is essentially the MMOs primary appeal to me. Hence I have recently caught up with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, Shadow of Revan, Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne. The episodic nature of the last two expansions have both good and bad points. However, the central story was solid and engaging. However, when I moved on to the next instalment of the main story, everything changed. Essentially, the plot had backed itself into a corner. So the writers took the easy way out and pursued a new storyline that completely invalidated everything that had happened previously. This infuriated me so I’ve stopped playing.
For those who may not be familiar with SWTOR, the original plot of the MMO focuses on the ongoing war between the Republic and the Sith Empire. The expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire changes this as the Republic and Sith form an alliance against a new antagonist. The idea works well and is sustained over a further expansion, Knights of the Eternal Throne. However, in the following Iokath story line the alliance that you have worked continuously to nurture and sustain is arbitrarily dispensed with, just so the writers can conveniently return to the default situation without having to try hard. During the course of one conversation, I found my character being forced to make a decision to choose whether to support the Sith Empire or the Republic. For want of another phrase, this “lazy writing” pissed on everything that I had invested my time into for the last two months and I found that insulting.
This writing “technique” is not exclusive to video games. It is commonly used in film and TV as a convenient means to bring a narrative back “on track”. In other words, a way to take a story in the direction that you wish to take it, irrespective of whether that invalidates or contradicts what has happened previously. Take the 1992 film Aliens 3. The producers desperately wanted to contrive a situation in which the protagonist, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), once again faced a solitary xenomorph in the hope of recreating the success of the original film. However, Aliens (1986), ended with Ripley safe from peril and given a second chance at motherhood by looking after Newt. There was even a hint at a romance with Corporal Hicks. Faced with such narrative obstacles, the writers for Alien 3 contrived a means for Ripley being impregnated by a facehugger while in suspended animation and a spaceship crash subsequently killed off both Newt and Hicks. Needless to say, the audience didn’t buy it.
What such “lazy writing” demonstrates is that no matter how attached we become to characters and stories in films and video games, they are ultimately products. Video games especially have a requirement to keep players not only engaged but also spending. In the case of SWTOR, dispensing with the “Eternal Alliance” was just a means to quickly get the story back on track, after two somewhat experimental expansions. I’m sure it did occur to writing staff that in doing so they mitigated everything that the player had done over the last two years. However, keeping the player base busy and subscribing was deemed more important. If the game and its business model had been better served by an even more obtuse plot development, no doubt that’s what would have happened. Hence, “enthusiastic sales and marketing” and “lazy writing” often go hand in hand. The former drives the latter, usually to the detriment of the product. In this respect SWTOR is far from unique.
LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 33 - Yondershire Beta #3
Standing Stone Games have a third preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, available on the Bullroarer test server which ends tomorrow. This latest build includes all stables for the new zone. There are six in total, four of which are based in the Hobbits villages of Gamwich, Tighfield, Nobottle and Long Cleave. The mob population has increased since the last preview and all enemy encampments are now accessible. Most importantly, a map of Yondershire is now available clearly showing how the zone fits between The Shire and Ered Luin. Hence players now have sufficient details to be able to accurately appraise Yondershire which has a challenge level of 20-23. Furthermore, the map of Eriador has also been adjusted to show the new zone.
Standing Stone Games have a third preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, available on the Bullroarer test server which ends tomorrow. This latest build includes all stables for the new zone. There are six in total, four of which are based in the Hobbits villages of Gamwich, Tighfield, Nobottle and Long Cleave. The mob population has increased since the last preview and all enemy encampments are now accessible. Most importantly, a map of Yondershire is now available clearly showing how the zone fits between The Shire and Ered Luin. Hence players now have sufficient details to be able to accurately appraise Yondershire which has a challenge level of 20-23. Furthermore, the map of Eriador has also been adjusted to show the new zone.
This latest beta has been of particular interest to me as there are some significant changes coming to the Lore-master class. My primary character in LOTRO is a Lore-master that I’ve played since 2008. Perhaps the biggest change is the removal of the “Sic’em” trait from the “Keeper of Animals” trait tree. This skill when used summons all Lore-master pets and causes substantial damage to target(s). However, it is a major resource hog and causes lag problems for groups in instance when used. So SSG have decided to retire it and replace it with “A Murder of Crows”. According to the developers this new skill “summons a cloud of crows around the target for 15s. It has a 2 minute cooldown. While they persist the crows inflict enormous damage and disorient their victim, reducing hit chance and increasing the damage of other attacks made against the target. Enemies within 7m of the main target also take constant damage from the cloud of circling avians (but are not debuffed)”.
Class changes are always a source of trepidation for players and it is always difficult to approach such changes in a way that pleases everyone. I remain cautiously optimistic regarding those currently listed on the Official LOTRO Forums. My Lore-master is currently traited for a red line DPS build and so the replacement of “Sic’em” doesn’t especially bother me but I can see how players are attached to the sheer bravado of this skill. I am more intrigued by the statement “damage of LM red line skills and effects in general has been improved” because even at level cap with a robust selection of gear from Steel-bound lootboxes, I still feel a little underpowered at times. So any positive adjustment will be well received by me. With regard to Update 33, it will be interesting to see if there will be a 4th beta test or whether SSG simply go ahead and release the current build.
LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 33 - Yondershire Beta #1
The first preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online has been available on the Bullroarer test server for the last three days. The update features the new region of Yondershire which connects the North-west of The Shire with Ered Luin. Yondershire has a challenge level 20-23 and continues with Standing Stone Games recent trend of not just adding level cap content to the game. Yondershire can be reached by travelling West out of Little Delving or North-west out of Needlehole through Rushock Gate. Alternatively, if you are travelling South-east out of Ered Luin then follow the Eastway. If returning from Evendim, travel South-west out of Oatbarton through Bullroarer's Sward. At present a map of the new zone is not available in the current test build. However it is not too difficult to get orientated, due to the way Yondershire neatly fills the gap between The Shire and Ered Luin.
The first preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online has been available on the Bullroarer test server for the last three days. The update features the new region of Yondershire which connects the North-west of The Shire with Ered Luin. Yondershire has a challenge level 20-23 and continues with Standing Stone Games recent trend of not just adding level cap content to the game. Yondershire can be reached by travelling West out of Little Delving or North-west out of Needlehole through Rushock Gate. Alternatively, if you are travelling South-east out of Ered Luin then follow the Eastway. If returning from Evendim, travel South-west out of Oatbarton through Bullroarer's Sward. At present a map of the new zone is not available in the current test build. However it is not too difficult to get orientated, due to the way Yondershire neatly fills the gap between The Shire and Ered Luin.
The terrain is very similar to the more temperate Westerly part of Ered Luin and there are also some similarities with The Lone-lands. There are four Hobbit settlements in Yondershire. Nobottle and Tighfield are farming communities set among well tilled fields. Gamwich and Long Cleeve are located within wooded areas. Willows groves and streams also feature in the zone. So far the flora and fauna is comparable to The Shire with Bears, Wolves, Shrews and Flies. Yondershire also features both Arnorian and Elvish ruins, populated by Ruffians or Goblins. There are also roaming bands of Boggarts. Several ruins cannot be directly accessed in this build but this may well change in the future. Yondershire is a large zone which maintains a sense of continuity with The Shire but also manages to feel more rustic and remote. I suspect this is SSG’s intention.
As ever, although I am content to visit new regions that are coming to live servers, I tend not to play any of the associated quests. Hence I cannot comment much on the playable content of Yondershire. However, judging by the amount of domesticated livestock there is roaming around I suspect that there may well be some lighthearted quests involving rounding up various animals. It should be noted that Bingo Boffin offers a quest as you enter Yondershire from Needlehole which appears to send the player straight to Nobottle. Whether this is the start of another adventure for him remains to be seen. So far Yondershire appears to be an large and interesting zone that fits perfectly between the existing regions of Ered Luin and The Shire. Not a bad achievement when you consider that SSG are trying to seamlessly dovetail new material into content that is 15 years old.
LOTRO: Producer's Letter March 2022
According to Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia) in his latest Producer's Letter for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, there are some major changes coming in April. These are part of the ongoing restructuring of the game’s monetisation. Previously, in the last content update, the Premium Wallet, Gold Currency Cap, and Virtue, Race, and Class trait slots were made free to all players (prior to this, all were chargeable unlocks). In Update 33, which will be coming in April, “all quests, areas, instances, and expansions released between the original launch of LOTRO back in 2007 and up to – and including! - the release of Helm’s Deep will be available for free to everyone”. Furthermore, subscribers will be able to access the standard versions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions.
According to Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia) in his latest Producer's Letter for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, there are some major changes coming in April. These are part of the ongoing restructuring of the game’s monetisation. Previously, in the last content update, the Premium Wallet, Gold Currency Cap, and Virtue, Race, and Class trait slots were made free to all players (prior to this, all were chargeable unlocks). In Update 33, which will be coming in April, “all quests, areas, instances, and expansions released between the original launch of LOTRO back in 2007 and up to – and including! - the release of Helm’s Deep will be available for free to everyone”. Furthermore, subscribers will be able to access the standard versions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions.
Another change is that the following classes Rune-keepers, Wardens, Beornings as well as the High Elves race will be free to all players. All were previously tied to the purchase of expansions and as those are now to be accessible free of charge, Standing Stone Games thought it fair to follow suit with these. To put these changes into perspective, from April F2P players will now be able to play through all the games content, at no cost, up to level 95. Players who do not wish to subscribe after level 95 will still have to buy the last three expansions. However, subscribers will be able to play through all of the game’s content, apart from the latest expansion Fate of Gundabad. These changes finally resolve the issue of content gating which has been a major source of complaint from new and returning players for years.
The next update will also see the addition of a new area within The Shire. “The northern region known as the Yondershire, a sparsely populated region of moor, thicket, and fen that has long been home to Hobbit recluses and troublemakers. Since the time of Bullroarer Took, the Yondershire has squabbled with the more comfortable parts of the Shire. The upstart Lotho Sackville-Baggins aims to bully the local Hobbits, but they’re none too keen on his designs. Explore the Yondershire, and experience some more delightful Hobbit adventures, our first expansion of the Shire in years”. April will also see the return of the Anniversary Festival as LOTRO reaches 15 years old. A new instance, A Flurry of Fireworks, will be added to the existing events.
These forthcoming changes have been very well received by the LOTRO community. The streamlining of content access and previous changes regarding removing the cost key quality of life items now means that the game is extremely friendly to new and returning players. Many people play MMOs to be with friends and to play through content together. Hence many games such as The Elder Scrolls Online have level scaling content so players of different levels can still play together equitably. LOTRO at present does not have this facility and due to the previous gating of content behind paid expansions, it would often feel that there was a huge gulf separating players from their friends if they were of differing levels. These changes certainly help address this with the prospect of not having to pay for any content up to level 95. It will be interesting to see if there will be an influx of new and returning players in April.
Getting Stuck in Video Games
Before I begin, this post comes with a massive caveat. In fact let’s go so far as to say it is a massive, highly polished and lavishly tooled caveat. There are gamers out there that play video games to challenge themselves and to be the best. Some do it for bragging rights. Others just do it for their own self satisfaction. This is fine. You do you. As long as your gameplay and gaming philosophy doesn’t impact anyone else negatively, then that’s fine. Let me state for the record that I am not that kind of gamer and this post is aimed very much at the average person who plays for entertainment, fun and to unwind. You know, the majority of people who play video games. So any responses to this post that fall into the “git gud” school of thought are irrelevant and can politely “go forth and multiply. Now we have established our frame of reference, let us proceed.
Before I begin, this post comes with a massive caveat. In fact let’s go so far as to say it is a massive, highly polished and lavishly tooled caveat. There are gamers out there that play video games to challenge themselves and to be the best. Some do it for bragging rights. Others just do it for their own self satisfaction. This is fine. You do you. As long as your gameplay and gaming philosophy doesn’t impact anyone else negatively, then that’s fine. Let me state for the record that I am not that kind of gamer and this post is aimed very much at the average person who plays for entertainment, fun and to unwind. You know, the majority of people who play video games. So any responses to this post that fall into the “git gud” school of thought are irrelevant and can politely “go forth and multiply. Now we have established our frame of reference, let us proceed.
Every now and then all of us who play video games to varying degrees, will encounter a task, mission or boss fight in our game of choice that they cannot complete. It may be due to not having the right gear or an unexpected increase in difficulty. And if we are brutally honest with ourselves, it may all come down to our own reactions and lack of dexterity. Whatever the reason, it is never a good thing to encounter. For example, recently while playing Star Wars: The Old Republic (specifically Knights of the Fallen Empire. Chapter XII: Visions in the Dark) I got stuck on a boss fight. The NPC, Vaylin, uses ranged and melee force attacks. You have to avoid ground based AoE attacks and do damage at close quarters, as they have a force bubble that reflects damage. I play a class that does ranged DPs (Smuggler) but this fight is better suited to a Jedi. The story restrictions means there’s no companion present to do healing. So I lost health faster than I could do damage. Hence I died. A lot.
Now this is a classic example of how a “one size fits all” boss fights can leave some classes at a distinct disadvantage. I don’t mind a challenge to a degree and don’t expect things to be continuously tickety-boo in games. However, there comes a point where having to repeat something that you are patently struggling with, ceases to be enjoyable. Due to the way SWTOR is designed, if I couldn’t complete this bossfight, I could not progress any further through the expansion. From a business perspective, this is not a good situation. An unhappy customer is likely to stop playing and paying. I came dangerously close to this. I was frustrated and also annoyed because I take a very transactional approach to gaming. I am not paying to challenge myself and to be the “best I can be”. I am paying to be entertained. I don’t expect to be impeded by a game.
Now I would like to draw your attention to several single player games that I have played that take a very proactive approach to “players getting stuck”. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 politely asks whether you would like to lower the difficulty setting, if you keep getting your butt kicked. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, as well as many other big, action RPGs, has a “Story Mode” which radically dials down the difficulty of the content to allow players to focus on the narrative. Now SWTOR does have three modes of difficulty but sadly it doesn’t seem to be a finely tuned system. Even in the basic story mode, there are several fights throughout the game that are disproportionately hard. They seem to penalise some classes. So perhaps there needs to be more than just a choice of difficulty.
I eventually completed this problematic content in SWTOR. It took 17 attempts. I succeeded mainly by luck and using a medpack and came out the other end with just 7% health. I don’t consider this to be a moral victory and even now, when reflecting upon this experience it antagonises me. Simply put, this is poor game design. Games are a business and I see no merit in pissing off customers and driving them away. I believe the games should track how many times you have failed and adjust accordingly. Offering an optional buff seems the most expedient solution. At the very least the developers could offer the player the option to skip content. Getting stuck in a game is not just bad for the player, it is bad for business. Don’t punish the player. Facilitate the player.
Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic Part 2
I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.
I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.
In my previous post, I posed the question as to whether I’d maintain my enthusiasm for SWTOR for a month and whether the Star Wars “feels” would remain. I’m happy to report that both of these aspects of the game have prevailed. However, that is not to say that I’m not without some criticisms. SWTOR does a shocking job of explaining itself to its players and I habitually have to have a web browser open on my second monitor so I can find out about something mundane. Some of the barter items and reward systems are impenetrable. I may well be sitting on multiple sources of good gear but I am conspicuously ignorant if this is the case. The game also takes liberties with reasonable assumptions that players will naturally make. I had to find a way to shut down a forcefield in one Chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire and the first three power couplings were clearly in the vicinity of the bunker and easy to find. The fourth was obtusely placed a substantial distance away, rather than cunningly hidden. Stuff like that is annoying.
Boss fights are often painfully slow,as I mentioned in a previous post. However, the end fight with Revan at the end of the second expansion, took this to a whole new level. I was simultaneously fascinated and bored by how staggeringly unengaging this climactic fight was. Another beef I have with SWTOR is starting a mission, only to find that it’s gated in some way or dependent on group content. This is frequently the case with Alliance Specialists and Companion Recruitment missions. Some require World Boss trophies and one was gated behind a yearly event. Again this is very annoying and I see no reason why these criteria aren’t clearly flagged in advance. However, I do applaud the game for the sheer number of companions you can access. I like to change mine regularly, depending upon my mood. I am especially fond of Blizz and Gus Tuno. I also appreciate the fact that I no longer have to acquire gear for them.
I have spent some time playing the PVE space missions, where you use your personal ship. I have progressed exactly as far as I did when I last played and have found that the same problems thwart my progress. Sadly my reactions are too slow in specific missions and I collide with too many objects, which is frustrating because I quite enjoy these “on rails” space battles. I haven’t yet looked into Galactic Starfighter although I intend to give it a go. PVP is not usually my thing but I just want to see how equitable they make this aspect of SWTOR. Will a new player be grouped with players of a similar ability or will we just get “thrown to the Wolves”? We shall see. At the very least it will provide me with material for another blog post. Overall, I am pleased that SWTOR has managed to keep me engaged. That’s mainly down to the well written stories and interesting characters. And it must be said that this MMO has one of the best soundtracks in the genre. It certainly has kept those Star Wars “feels” coming.
Playing MMOs Solo
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
It’s just me versus Middle-earth
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
Hence the primary reason I play MMOs solo is simply to be able to progress at my own pace and not having to be dependent on others in any other way, shape or form. The advantages are obvious, as are the disadvantages. I may well be able to clear through PVE content, level efficiently and manage my gear progression, but I also miss a substantial part of the game. I haven’t participated in any major group content in LOTRO for over a decade. The last raid I did was Draigoch’s Lair in 2011. But that is the price you pay for solo gameplay. By playing on my own I get to use my time efficiently. Raiding is a long, drawn out process that doesn’t come with any guarantees. It is this aspect of MMOs that bothers me. If I invest my time into something, I want to walk away with some sort of reward. Raids do not always hand out loot in an equitable fashion. Playing through PVE content on your own gives you clear and achievable goals.
“Can you tell me where Bagel Street is?”
At present I play four MMOs. In LOTRO I have been in the same guild (or Kinship as it’s known in this game) since 2009. I know many of the other members and it is still active but certainly not to the degree it was a decade ago. In Star Trek Online I have my various alts in the respective Reddit based Fleets (guilds) such as Reddit Alert. I will chat with other members but I don't really know anyone nor ever group with them to play through content. I am in the Fleet simply for the benefits of accessing Fleet resources. which are mainly gear based in STO. With regard to Star Wars The Old Republic, I am in a guild which I created myself. This was mainly to stop me from getting swamped by guild invites from other players when the game first launched. It has two active members, myself and podcast co-host Brian. Beyond having a novelty name (Shaved Wookies) it serves no purpose. Due to my intermittent playing of The Elder Scrolls Online I see no reason to join a guild in that game.
The most social interaction I have in an MMORPG at present is in STO. Task Force Operations are five man missions which last between 5 and 15 minutes depending on the ability of the group. When selecting the TFO of your choice you are then auto-grouped and ported immediately to the appropriate instance. More often than not there is no communication between players in Team Chat. Sometimes players will deliberately go AFK and wait just to get the TFO reward. Every now and then someone will say “hi” to the group. On other occasions someone will try and give instructions but that seldom goes well. But such is the state of solo gameplay in most MMOs. You only talk and group with people if you want to and if there’s no compelling reason, then you don’t. Any game where your progress is dependent upon others is a game that I’ll more than likely not play.
Combat in Video Games: How Long is Too Long?
Many video games involve some sort of combat. It is a quintessential mechanic. The moral and ethical rectitude of this is a subject for another blog post and is not something I wish to discuss here. This post is about combat itself and specifically the amount of time that you have to spend to defeat an enemy. It may sound a somewhat trivial point but it becomes quite an important issue once you start playing a game for any length of time. Like many game mechanics, it often comes down to a matter of personal taste? Which then makes it a difficult matter to find the right balance from a game development point of view. If you make combat too brief, players will say it trivialises the game and diminishes the sense of challenge. Make combat too long and you’ll run the risk of boring your playerbase and driving them away. This is very much a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.
Many video games involve some sort of combat. It is a quintessential mechanic. The moral and ethical rectitude of this is a subject for another blog post and is not something I wish to discuss here. This post is about combat itself and specifically the amount of time that you have to spend to defeat an enemy. It may sound a somewhat trivial point but it becomes quite an important issue once you start playing a game for any length of time. Like many game mechanics, it often comes down to a matter of personal taste? Which then makes it a difficult matter to find the right balance from a game development point of view. If you make combat too brief, players will say it trivialises the game and diminishes the sense of challenge. Make combat too long and you’ll run the risk of boring your playerbase and driving them away. This is very much a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.
Perhaps an example would be useful. I was recently playing Star Wars: The Old Republic and had to fight the final boss in a Flashpoint. They were a Mandalorian and the combat took place in an arena with a panelled floor. During the fight the floor would open to reveal flames. A droid would occasionally appear with a grappling hook and drag my character towards it, exposing them to further fire damage. Because I was tackling this Flashpoint solo, I had a combat droid that tanked for me. Hence I would stand on the periphery of the action, doing ranged DPS while my Companion healed. I would have to destroy the droid when it spawned and ensure I avoided fire damage. This was a manageable process. However, it took a while to take down the boss. Most of the fight consisted of slowing watching their health bar decrease. It took over 5 minutes to complete and became tedious very quickly.
This highlights my point well. I appreciate that if developers accurately depicted the use of blaster weapons and lightsabers, then most fights would be a succession of one shot kills. Hence accurately depicting such weapons has to be tempered with a sensible reduction in damage to make the fights more challenging. Plus one has to remember that SWTOR is over a decade old and therefore its combat style is based upon the prevailing combat style of that time. There’s a lot of skills bloat, tab targeting and static combat. However, bearing all this in mind, a five minute boss fight or indeed any sort of fight of that duration as a single player activity is excessively long. Especially in light of the fact that I wasn’t in any major danger of failing. The main point of contention was simply the time it took to do damage. Watching a health meter go down slowly is not fun. Neither are ponderous combat mechanics or dealing with bullet sponges.
The main reason I stopped playing The Secret World was due to the tiresome combat mechanics, especially when using firearms. My objections hinged upon the time that it took to kill an enemy. In more contemporary games, such as The Elder Scrolls Online, combat is faster and critical chance and severity seem to play a more equitable role in proceedings. Boss fights tend to be faster paced. You have to be more mobile and cognisant of the damage that you’re taking. However, the combination of the right skills and a healthy dose of critical success means that the overall combat experience is more satisfying without being unnecessarily protracted. There’s a fine line between managing a fight and finding success and just endless plodding through a rotation of skills and then healing, like some uninspired line dance. Again I must reiterate that this is a very subjective experience. What I consider to be too long for me, may not be so for you.
I have adjusted my build after reaching level 70 in SWTOR and I may run the very same Flashpoint again to see if combat is any quicker with increased stats. I suspect that the downscaling mechanics in the game means that the fight will still drag on regardless. Which then raises the question as to whether I want to continue playing because combat is a substantial part of gameplay. If fighting through waves of mobs becomes a dull chore, it does somewhat mitigate the point of playing, which is supposed to be a fun activity. I appreciate that combat should not be a walk in the park and that skill and being situationally aware should all play a part. But slowly wearing down a DPS sponge is not the same thing. I want to be moderately challenged, not bored. Finding the correct pace of combat is a challenge and I wish I knew what the answer was. Sadly many developers don’t seem to know either.
Star Wars: The Old Republic - Currency Caps
This post is a public service announcement. One that I’m making because of a lesson I learned the hard way. I am talking specifically about the two currency caps as they currently stand in the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. I’m sure many long term players will be aware of the current status quo. However, there may be many others who are not. If I can stop someone from making the same mistake that I made, so much the better. I would also like to highlight how developer’s BioWare has done very little to address these in-game issues. When using a vendor in SWTOR, if you are approaching the currency cap, you do get a message in the chat window. If you are not aware of the currency cap, or do not see the message and you’re moving Credits between characters then there is scope for problems. There should be a far more clear in-game alert.
This post is a public service announcement. One that I’m making because of a lesson I learned the hard way. I am talking specifically about the two currency caps as they currently stand in the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. I’m sure many long term players will be aware of the current status quo. However, there may be many others who are not. If I can stop someone from making the same mistake that I made, so much the better. I would also like to highlight how developer’s BioWare has done very little to address these in-game issues. When using a vendor in SWTOR, if you are approaching the currency cap, you do get a message in the chat window. If you are not aware of the currency cap, or do not see the message and you’re moving Credits between characters then there is scope for problems. There should be a far more clear in-game alert.
Free-to-Play and Preferred Players (those who have previously subscribed then cancelled or bought Cartel Coins) have a Credit cap of 1 million Credits. Anything you earn over that is held in Escrow. This is pretty much standard practice for most MMORPGs. The important factor here is that there is an Escrow facility, so that surplus Credits are not lost. However, a subscribing player can hold a maximum of 4,294,000,000 Credits in their inventory. If a player is selling items or moving Credits between characters by in-game mail, then they need to be aware of this cap. Once you have hit the currency cap, if you open an in-game mail and remove any attached Credits, they will be deleted. There is not any form of Escrow in this case. I was not aware of this and opened several mails recently, transferring the Credits directly to my character’s inventory. I ended up deleting a substantial amount of Credits, much to my annoyance.
According to a discussion on the SWTOR forums, this issue stems directly from the way the game was written in 2010. “It is a programming limit. The highest possible number in a 32 bit integer is 2^32-1 = 4,294,967,295”. I’m quoting here as this is not my field of expertise, however, I have no reason to doubt this explanation. I’m sure this limitation was perfectly reasonable when the game launched over a decade ago. Inflation is always an issue with MMO economies and you only have to look at prices of high end gear or cosmetic items on the Galactic Trade Network (the auction house) to see how costs have spiralled. Hence, it is not unusual that dedicated players of SWTOR have substantial amounts of Credits that they’ve built up over the years through trading and speculating. In the meantime, it is unlikely that BioWare is going to address this issue, which raises the question as to whether there’s a workaround?
Legacy Stronghold Storage that players have in their Stronghold does not have the same limitations as the player inventory. Through reading the SWTOR subreddit, it would appear that the Legacy Stronghold Storage is “likely a 64 bit float, so it can hold ridiculous numbers but starts rounding down the lowest digits once you're past 15 zeroes”. Hence players who wish to store more than 4,294,000,000 Credits, need to transfer them from their inventory to their Legacy Stronghold Storage in suitably sized increments. For convenience it may be wise to place one’s mailbox close to the Legacy Stronghold Storage in your Stronghold. Although it can store larger sums, this doesn’t address the practicalities involved in moving around Credits, nor the trading of items with a price over the Credit cap. High value items have to be sold face-to-face and payment made in multiple parts. Again, BioWare and the game does little to appraise the player of these restrictions, so be aware and act with caution.