Warzone: Verdansk Spoilt in Less Than a Month
When the Battle Royale Call of Duty: Warzone launched on March 10th 2020, the Verdansk map was one of the key elements of the game’s success. The subsequent lockdown due to the global pandemic was also a major shot in the arm for the game, with so many gamers being home. The Verdansk map along with the gameplay mechanics of the game at the time were a perfect combination and so Warzone was “just so”. It allowed both skilled and unskilled players to play together, without one group dominating the other. Gunfights could be intense but there were periods of downtime when traversing the map. Players also couldn’t continuously respawn if defeated, so there was a requirement to play with a degree of caution and strategy. I enjoyed the game immensely despite not being the biggest fan of PVP based gaming. It was a broadly equitable experience but sadly it didn’t remain that way.
When the Battle Royale Call of Duty: Warzone launched on March 10th 2020, the Verdansk map was one of the key elements of the game’s success. The subsequent lockdown due to the global pandemic was also a major shot in the arm for the game, with so many gamers being home. The Verdansk map along with the gameplay mechanics of the game at the time were a perfect combination and so Warzone was “just so”. It allowed both skilled and unskilled players to play together, without one group dominating the other. Gunfights could be intense but there were periods of downtime when traversing the map. Players also couldn’t continuously respawn if defeated, so there was a requirement to play with a degree of caution and strategy. I enjoyed the game immensely despite not being the biggest fan of PVP based gaming. It was a broadly equitable experience but sadly it didn’t remain that way.
I won’t cover old ground. Warzone has been a dog’s dinner in all its various iterations since the halcyon days of Verdansk. Its faults and flaws are well known and hence there has been a decline in players over time. Which is why the developers decided to bring back the Verdansk map in the hope of turning the tide of the game’s fortune. As you would expect there was a lot of excitement and scepticism regarding this announcement. Would this simply be the old map with the current game mechanics in place or would the developers strive to adjust all aspects of Warzone to make it more akin to the 2020 experience? Well to cut a long story short, Verdansk returned to Warzone on April 3, 2025, as part of Season 3 of Black Ops 6 and to everyone's amazement it was as near a return to the state of play that existed in 2020 that the developers could manage.
It is hard for me to impress upon casual readers the significance of this development. It genuinely felt that the powers that be had actually listened to the player base and considered their requests. Gone were the redeployment drones and the constant opportunities to quickly move around the maps. Weapons choice and vehicles suddenly mattered again and the insane pace of the game was slowed down. Even the omni-movement system was tweaked. Getting “downed” and sent to the Gulag suddenly had consequences once more. Overall the game changes meant that both experienced and casual players had sufficient factors working in their favour. After watching some videos I reinstalled Warzone and was pleasantly surprised at how it felt like “the good old days”. You could play, have fun but also time to think, as opposed to being in an unrelenting pressure cooker.
But (and there is always a but when it comes to Call of Duty), despite all the positive player feedback, Black Ops 6 Season 3 Reloaded was released on May 1st, 2025 and pretty much undid all the previous good work. Bugs, weapon imbalance and a massive influx of cheaters have effectively derailed the return of Verdansk. There is a major lag issue that some players are using to their advantage and armour plates are simply not registering. The game’s hit box system is also messed up, removing any degree of certainty when a player decides to fire their weapon. Server stability continues to be problematic with disconnects and data desynchronisation. Simply put, this update has diminished the game and effectively given a reason for returning players to leave once again. Perhaps the saddest aspect of this sorry tale is that no one is really that surprised and the return of Verdansk has failed in less than a month.
Yet More Games We Cannot Play
Despite being over 5 years old, there still seems to be an active community playing Battlefield V. Having recently watched some multiplayer videos on YouTube, I decided to buy the game and have a go. Mainly because I had a hankering to fly a BF-109. Mercifully, this enterprise only cost me £5 because as you’ve probably guessed by the title of this post, things didn't go well. Although not as complex as a flight simulator, the controls for flying a plane in Battlefield V are involved. The main obstacle for me is turning the plane, which requires using both thumbsticks on the Xbox controller that I use. I tend to oversteer and lose control of the plane. I’m sure the problem can be overcome with practice but therein lies the rub. It would take a great deal of time and patience. Weeks, maybe months. I’m not going to invest in such an undertaking for something that is just a transient amusement.
Despite being over 5 years old, there still seems to be an active community playing Battlefield V. Having recently watched some multiplayer videos on YouTube, I decided to buy the game and have a go. Mainly because I had a hankering to fly a BF-109. Mercifully, this enterprise only cost me £5 because as you’ve probably guessed by the title of this post, things didn't go well. Although not as complex as a flight simulator, the controls for flying a plane in Battlefield V are involved. The main obstacle for me is turning the plane, which requires using both thumbsticks on the Xbox controller that I use. I tend to oversteer and lose control of the plane. I’m sure the problem can be overcome with practice but therein lies the rub. It would take a great deal of time and patience. Weeks, maybe months. I’m not going to invest in such an undertaking for something that is just a transient amusement.
This is a shame because flying around, blowing shit up in a BF-109 looks a lot of fun and really cool but the reality of gaming is that we can’t be good at everything and some titles are simply beyond our reach to master or more often than not, simply require effort beyond that we’re prepared to make. Sometimes a game can elude us because of one or two simple mechanics. Things that can fundamentally alter the overall game experience for some players, tipping the balance from challenging but rewarding to a massive pain in the ass. One of the reasons I didn’t buy the latest iteration of Call of Duty was because of the omni-movement system. For me it added an excessive layer of complexity and was something else that benefitted gamers with more nimble fingers and faster reactions. The Skill Based Match Making was also a pain, with inconsistent grouping and player manipulation.
However, a problematic mechanic doesn’t necessarily exclude you from a game forever. For example I really enjoyed the second and third instalments of The Witcher franchise but simply couldn’t cope with the combat system in the first game. It seemed to me to be staggeringly unintuitive and quickly became a source of annoyance. I ended up watching someone else play through the game on YouTube, so I could see the story completed, rather than do it myself. However, the game is currently getting remade and it would appear that the combat systems in the remake will be brought in line with that of the later iterations of The Witcher. If this is the case, then the game will finally be accessible to me, which would be nice. Yet I am old enough and wise enough to realise that the list of games I cannot play will continue to grow over time. Mainly due to me.
LOTRO: Moving on From the Server Migration
The dust appears to have settled for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, after last month’s server transfer debacle. Despite the technical issues arising and subsequent delays to the migration timetable as well as the procurement of in-game housing, LOTRO seems to be enjoying a minor resurgence. Many former players are returning to the game and moving retired alts to new servers, due to the superior performance. The migration issues have also brought a lot of attention to this 18 year old game and it would appear there are many new players trying this Tolkien themed MMO. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a further two 64-bit servers, Grond (EU) and Sting (US), are to be added to the game to meet demand. As I predicted in my previous posts, LOTRO has a habit of bouncing back due to its unique niche in the gaming ecosystem.
The dust appears to have settled for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, after last month’s server transfer debacle. Despite the technical issues arising and subsequent delays to the migration timetable as well as the procurement of in-game housing, LOTRO seems to be enjoying a minor resurgence. Many former players are returning to the game and moving retired alts to new servers, due to the superior performance. The migration issues have also brought a lot of attention to this 18 year old game and it would appear there are many new players trying this Tolkien themed MMO. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a further two 64-bit servers, Grond (EU) and Sting (US), are to be added to the game to meet demand. As I predicted in my previous posts, LOTRO has a habit of bouncing back due to its unique niche in the gaming ecosystem.
There was also a recent update to the 2025 LOTRO roadmap. Lead systems designer Alan “Orion” Maki provided a breakdown of the game’s current priorities. The 18th anniversary festival is to be revised to include mission scaling and new rewards. Update 44: Crown of Hamat is due this month and will include new story quests, missions and a 6-player instance. The raid, Temple of Utug-bûr, has been delayed. The reputation perk system for VIP players is also included in the update. In Q3, the Hunter and Burglar classes will be updated, along with the Birding and Fishing hobbies. In Q4, there will be a new expansion for the game. This will include four new zones, a new raid and yet another increase to level cap from 150 to 160. There is also a wealth of updates to the kinship system as well as the temporarily removed deed log revision. Just remember that all of these can be subject to change for “reasons”.
With regard to my own ongoing LOTRO experience, I am finding Meriadoc server to be a very agreeable place. Having successfully moved my primary character there, the performance improvement is clearly notable. I have experienced no tangible lag while traversing the virtual world. Locations such as Minas Tirith which used to be notorious for rubberbanding are now stable and manageable. It is also interesting to see a lot more players out and about in all zones. It is a timely reminder that this is a multiplayer game. On my previous server Laurelin, I could go for days in some zones without seeing another player. Another plus point on Meriadoc is that it didn’t take long for the in-game economy to take off. I also created a new alt on Peregrin server, so I have a character to take to the various events that will no doubt find a home there.
All things considered, LOTRO does appear to be back to business as usual. If SSG can resolve the housing issue and ensure that players who have recently migrated can re-acquire their house of choice, then I’m sure that the status quo that has prevailed for so long will return. The revised roadmap has plenty of new content scheduled which is reassuring to the playerbase. The game is far from stagnant. SSG also has a habit of quietly tinkering with legacy issues in the background, while developing the bread and butter content of the game. They tend to take as much time as they need to get the job done and sensibly play their cards close to their chest. Hence there is still hope that issues such as UI scaling will be addressed in the long term and that the group finder will be overhauled. Let’s see how the rest of 2025 pans out.
Atomfall: Getting the Ending You Want
Spoiler Alert: The following post discusses the various endings available in Atomfall. About 15 or so hours into Atomfall, the various plot elements started to become a lot clearer to me and I realised that several key characters were all offering differing escape options. Naturally, each outcome came with a quid pro quo requirement. Hence, there was a choice to make as to which ending I wanted to pursue, assuming that some outcomes were narratively or ethically better than others. At this point I had avoided many plot spoilers, so had no clear idea as to what specific endings were available. So I made a decision based purely upon the information that each of these characters gave me and chose to implement Dr. Holder’s solution to the Oberon problem. It seemed the most honest and pragmatic outcome, plus it caused the least amount of collateral damage.
Spoiler Alert: The following post discusses the various endings available in Atomfall.
About 15 or so hours into Atomfall, the various plot elements started to become a lot clearer to me and I realised that several key characters were all offering differing escape options. Naturally, each outcome came with a quid pro quo requirement. Hence, there was a choice to make as to which ending I wanted to pursue, assuming that some outcomes were narratively or ethically better than others. At this point I had avoided many plot spoilers, so had no clear idea as to what specific endings were available. So I made a decision based purely upon the information that each of these characters gave me and chose to implement Dr. Holder’s solution to the Oberon problem. It seemed the most honest and pragmatic outcome, plus it caused the least amount of collateral damage.
Having carried out his plan, I began to make my way back from the Oberon Dig Site. Just prior to entering the Central Processor, I ran through a control room with a red phone. This started ringing which caused me a minor dilemma. I wasn’t sure whether to answer it or ignore it and return to Dr. Holder. However as I had already answered several of these mystery phone calls, my curiosity got the better of me so I answered the phone. The Voice on the Phone subsequently congratulated me on successfully dealing with Oberon and told me to return to the bunker where I started my journey. I immediately thought that by answering this phone, I had effectively blown any chance of completing the Dr. Holder ending. There were no longer any open leads relating to him in my journal. So I dutifully returned to the bunker and got the appropriate Voice on the Phone ending.
Although I was broadly okay with this ending, I was curious as to how answering the phone had altered events sufficiently to deny me the Dr. Holder ending. So I loaded a save game that I had made just before returning to the original bunker and noticed that the Joyce Tanner ending was still showing in my journal. So I went back to the Interchange and found a voice log from Tanner left in Data Store Charlie. This gave me coordinates to meet her in Casterfell Woods. So I travelled to the assigned location and found her waiting with a helicopter. She was not pleased that I had chosen to poison Oberon without getting a sample. However, she thought that the formula for the poison would be a comparable bargaining chip Hence she told me to go back to the Interchange and get the formula. She also told me to kill Holder so there was no longer any potential competition.
Upon returning to the Interchange, I struggled to find a way to reach Dr. Holder, as the destruction of Oberon had collapsed a lot of the tunnels and blocked multiple doorways. However, I found that if I entered via the Slatten Dale entrance, there were ladders going down to several unfinished tunnels that lead to both the Medical and Robotics departments. I subsequently found Dr. Holder in the Medical Tunnels and was able to complete the original ending that I was pursuing. Having successfully resolved this matter, I loaded the previously mentioned save game again and travelled to Wyndham Village to find Captain Sims, so I could pursue his potential ending. However, when I arrived there was an incursion by the Druid cult and a battle was in progress. Sims was gone. I was unable to complete the other two possible endings as I had shot Mother Jago while exiting the Oberon Dig Site and because Dr. Holder had already shot Dr. Garrow.
I am very impressed with Atomfall and the fact that despite things appearing to go awry, I was still provided with options very late in the game and able to complete the ending I wanted. I suspect that the developers Rebellion have given a lot of thought to the fact that players do not always follow the most linear paths and have therefore built a lot of flexibility into their branching narrative tree. As a result of this experience, I am tempted to play through Atomfall once again to test exactly how accommodating the game can be. There is still a significant amount of the quarantine zone that I haven’t thoroughly explored. I shall also keep an eye on the game’s subreddit, to see if any other players have had a comparable experience to mine and taken a very scenic route to the ending that they desired.
Atomfall
By default, I’m not always drawn to first person games. I see their merits in genres such as shooters but in an RPG, I prefer a third person perspective. So I was somewhat ambivalent towards Atomfall when I first saw promotional videos for the game. However, its uniquely British setting and period ambience piqued my interest. I also enjoy the Sniper Elite series which developers Rebellion also produce. So I recently bought the deluxe version of the game and began my play through. I made sure that I didn’t do too much research beforehand, because it was clear that the complexities of the plot are a major selling point of the game. Twenty two gaming hours later, I had completed two of six possible endings. Despite discovering a wealth of “leads” and diligently scouring the four main zones of Atomfall, I still feel there is much left to find and explore. Hence I have begun a second playthrough.
By default, I’m not always drawn to first person games. I see their merits in genres such as shooters but in an RPG, I prefer a third person perspective. So I was somewhat ambivalent towards Atomfall when I first saw promotional videos for the game. However, its uniquely British setting and period ambience piqued my interest. I also enjoy the Sniper Elite series which developers Rebellion also produce. So I recently bought the deluxe version of the game and began my play through. I made sure that I didn’t do too much research beforehand, because it was clear that the complexities of the plot are a major selling point of the game. Twenty two gaming hours later, I had completed two of six possible endings. Despite discovering a wealth of “leads” and diligently scouring the four main zones of Atomfall, I still feel there is much left to find and explore. Hence I have begun a second playthrough.
Set in 1962, five years after the fire at the Windscale nuclear plant, Atomfall takes place in a quarantine zone in Cumbria. Although under martial law by a military unit known as “the protocol”, the quarantine zone has fallen into a state of anarchy. Some citizens have become outlaws, while a sinister druidic cult has also emerged. Resources are scarce and strange flora and fauna have started to appear. You play as an unidentified amnesiac, who awakes in a bunker and is promptly charged with escaping the quarantine zone. Rather than being given traditional “quests/missions” with clear markers on the map, the player is provided with leads picked up from notes, letters, audio logs or dialogue with NPCs. It is then up to them to pursue these by exploring the world and slowly populating the in-game map. Atomfall also has elements from the survival game genre, as the player has to manage their health and heart rate.
Atomfall is a narrative driven experience which requires the player to look, listen and think. Combat is predominantly melee, as ammunition and firearms are scarce. Stealth and avoiding a fight is often the best approach. Combat is a slow and deliberately cumbersome process. A one on one fracas is manageable but if you aggro multiple NPCs then the situation can quickly escape your control. Hence if you don’t like reading and prefer fast paced action, then Atomfall may not be for you. If you like dialogue and making choices, then the game is a far more attractive proposition. The early hours of your playthrough will provide you with a multitude of disconnected facts and it takes a while before you start piecing the story together. Then there is the issue of who you should trust. There always seems to be consequences for siding with a faction. However, you’re not always boxed in by your choices and if you see fit, you can avoid making any for most of the game.
The main strength of Atomfall lies in its setting and atmosphere. Rebellion’s recreation of the Lake District, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, is visually striking. The game is also steeped in UK science fiction and popular culture references of the time. If you’ve ever read any books by John Wyndham, then Atomfall feels very akin to his style. In fact the main village in the game is called Wyndham village as a homage. The game also riffs on the writings of Nigel Kneale and has a strong Quatermass vibe. If you grew up watching Doctor Who from the Pertwee and Baker eras, you’ll find a great deal of the thematic and visual ambience of that show in the game. There are also a wealth of easter eggs, ranging from the obvious to the subtle. All of which greatly adds to the game’s character. The voice acting is solid and does not shy away from period and regional slang.
Atomfall works best when you approach it with a flexible strategy. Talk to NPCs, consider their requirements against your own, then make decisions when you feel you have enough information. Don’t immediately spend your skill points, as some are far more useful than others, depending on how you’re playing. Although you are free to kill everyone and everything, stealth and conflict avoidance pay dividends. Be very careful when entering bunkers as thralls and infected are formidable foes. If you find the leads bewildering, re-read them in your journal as the game then puts them in some semblance of order. Stay on the right side of traders. Go with your gut if you think a NPC is being unsound. But most of all, just revel in the environment. It is incredibly well realised and it is worth stopping every now and then and just taking it in.
As and when you reach your particular ending for Atomfall, you may not find everything narratively cut and dried. The plot as it presently stands, is explained but there remain a great deal of unanswered questions and things to ponder. Hence, some players may find this disappointing. However, if you are thorough in your exploration of the in-game world and attentive to NPC dialogue, you’ll find quite a lot of clues for the forthcoming DLC for the game. I certainly think that Atomfall has sufficient novelty and style to keep me engaged a while longer and bring me back for a follow up story. The game’s success seems to have surprised quite a lot of people, including the developers. It’s nice to see that pursuing a niche style and culturally specific idiom is not an impediment to sales or critical praise.
LOTRO: 64-Bit Server Migration Part 4
It has not been a good week for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online and its developer Standing Stone Games. The migration from legacy 32-bit servers to 64-bit servers has not gone smoothly. The transfer queue was overwhelmed by the sheer number of accounts and it has taken far longer than expected to process the backlog of requests. Today has been the fifth day of waiting to see if my 3 main characters from Laurelin server have successfully migrated to their new home on Meriadoc. When I checked this morning, the transfer wizard indicated that my characters were back where they originally came from. I therefore considered repeating the entire process. However, around midday, Community Manager Cordovan indicated that SSG had caught up with transfer requests made around 8:00 AM EST on Sunday 9th March. So I decided to be patient and wait a little longer.
It has not been a good week for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online and its developer Standing Stone Games. The migration from legacy 32-bit servers to 64-bit servers has not gone smoothly. The transfer queue was overwhelmed by the sheer number of accounts and it has taken far longer than expected to process the backlog of requests. Today has been the fifth day of waiting to see if my 3 main characters from Laurelin server have successfully migrated to their new home on Meriadoc. When I checked this morning, the transfer wizard indicated that my characters were back where they originally came from. I therefore considered repeating the entire process. However, around midday, Community Manager Cordovan indicated that SSG had caught up with transfer requests made around 8:00 AM EST on Sunday 9th March. So I decided to be patient and wait a little longer.
I logged into Meriadoc server again this evening, at approximately 21:00 and found that my three characters had successfully arrived. All three now have their existing names appended with a “-1” so it just remains for me to delete the placeholder alts that I created and to use the “/changename” command to rename my migrated characters and reclaim their correct identities. I have a final alt that is transferring from Landroval to Peregrin server but that has yet to arrive. I did initiate that transfer 24 hours after the first, so it is logical that it has yet to be processed. I have decided not to replace my premium house which I sold prior to migrating. I intend to start playing through the latest expansion and enjoying the benefits of the new 64-bit server. I am for the present without a kinship and it remains to be seen whether my old one will move or not. It may even be time to find a new home.
It will be interesting to see how long it takes for SSG to catch up with all the outstanding transfer requests and whether the same problem occurs again when more players decide to move. The new 64-bit servers were a perfect opportunity for LOTRO to relaunch itself and try to attract new players. Sadly, this issue has received quite a lot of coverage in video games media and it hasn’t been positive. Furthermore, it is not the first time that the game’s developers have shot themselves in the foot. However, the LOTRO player base is very loyal and as there isn’t another Middle-earth themed multiplayer game in town, there’s a good chance that the community will forgive SSG at some point. Maybe we’ll all be laughing about this in the summer. In the meantime, good luck to those still waiting for their alts to turn up on their new servers. As for those who have chosen not to migrate, sit tight.
LOTRO: 64-Bit Server Migration Part 3
I’ve been busy this weekend, so it wasn’t until late afternoon today that I found time to sit down and attempt to migrate my characters from the old 32-bit server Laurelin, to the new 64-bit server Meriadoc. The “Great Server Migration” has not gone smoothly and the week has been a litany of changing deadlines and unfulfilled expectations. However, developer’s Standing Stone Games, have been “firefighting” issues on a daily basis and communicating regularly with the player base of the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Sadly, a lot of players have not responded well to the ongoing technical difficulties and there is subsequently a lot of ill feeling on the official forums. I have chosen to adopt a more pragmatic outlook and to let events run their course.
I’ve been busy this weekend, so it wasn’t until late afternoon today that I found time to sit down and attempt to migrate my characters from the old 32-bit server Laurelin, to the new 64-bit server Meriadoc. The “Great Server Migration” has not gone smoothly and the week has been a litany of changing deadlines and unfulfilled expectations. However, developer’s Standing Stone Games, have been “firefighting” issues on a daily basis and communicating regularly with the player base of the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Sadly, a lot of players have not responded well to the ongoing technical difficulties and there is subsequently a lot of ill feeling on the official forums. I have chosen to adopt a more pragmatic outlook and to let events run their course.
At 16:50 GMT today I started the LOTRO client launcher and saw that the transfer service button was available. I chose to migrate all three of my characters from Laurelin to Meriadoc and followed the process as stated in SSG’s migration notes. At first all appeared to be working as intended. However, I received an error message at the very end of the process indicating that it had failed. I then took a break and returned to my PC at 17:20 GMT and repeated the process. It took a few minutes and it was clear that this procedure was running somewhat slow but it was quicker than my previous unsuccessful attempt. This time round there were no errors and I received a confirmation message on screen. I have no idea how long it takes to migrate data from one server to another. I am writing this post at 23:00 GMT and my characters have neither left its old home nor arrived at its new destination.
I have one alt left, that I haven’t yet moved. They are based on the US server Landoval and I intend to move them to Peregrin. I shall attempt this tomorrow morning after I’ve checked to see if my initial transfer has been completed. Furthermore, I shall record the process and share it on YouTube. It may be of use to those who are concerned about this entire migration or unfamiliar with the transfer process. In the meantime, my advice to LOTRO players is to wait a little longer before attempting to migrate your characters to a new server. Let SSG process the backlog of data that is still outstanding. I chose to move servers now, mainly so I could write about the process. I suspect it will be a lot smoother in a week's time. Until then, stay put on your current server and do some in-game housekeeping to make your move easier when you decide to leave. I’ll post an update when my alts arrive on Meriadoc.
LOTRO: 64-Bit Server Migration Part 2
Standing Stone Games were scheduled to open their new 64-bit servers for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, today. However, when the free transfer service went live yesterday, it was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of players trying to migrate their alts from the older 32-bit servers to the new ones. Eventually SSG had to disable the transfer facility so that they could process the backlog. Hence today’s launch of the new servers has been postponed till tomorrow. In the meantime, the official LOTRO forum’s have gone into meltdown with irate players berating the developers for handling the migration poorly. True to form, SSG have been somewhat defensive and prickly in response to what they see as unjust criticism. Let it suffice to say that neither party has covered themselves in glory and there is a good chance that the technical problems will persist a while longer.
Standing Stone Games were scheduled to open their new 64-bit servers for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, today. However, when the free transfer service went live yesterday, it was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of players trying to migrate their alts from the older 32-bit servers to the new ones. Eventually SSG had to disable the transfer facility so that they could process the backlog. Hence today’s launch of the new servers has been postponed till tomorrow. In the meantime, the official LOTRO forum’s have gone into meltdown with irate players berating the developers for handling the migration poorly. True to form, SSG have been somewhat defensive and prickly in response to what they see as unjust criticism. Let it suffice to say that neither party has covered themselves in glory and there is a good chance that the technical problems will persist a while longer.
So far, as stated in my previous post, all I have done is create placeholder alts on the new server that I intend to move to. I didn’t attempt to migrate any of my characters yesterday because I suspected that the service would grind to a halt under the volume of users. Those who did manage to initiate a transfer request currently find their alts in “gaming limbo”. They cannot access their characters on their old server and the new servers aren’t open yet. Not exactly an ideal situation. Hence the pushback from players on the official forums. According to feedback from SSG, the slow performance of the transfer service is specifically due to housing claims and moving kinships. If the backlog isn’t addressed in the next 24 hours they have hinted that they may defer opening the new servers further.
After working IT for several decades and having been involved in several major server migrations, I am painfully aware that there is always scope for something unforeseen to crop up and derail the most well planned project. However, SSG seem bamboozled by the fact that a substantial percentage of their player base have done exactly what they were encouraged to do. Namely, transfer their alts to the new 64-bit servers, on the day stipulated in SSG. It seems somewhat odd to publish a timetable and then be surprised when people follow it to the letter. Sadly, this isn’t the first time that SSG have been wrongfooted by their own plans and it probably won’t be the last. Which is why a lot of LOTRO players have chosen to adopt a “wait and see” policy, like that of UK Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. Let us see what tomorrow brings.
Update: While writing this post, SSG have announced that the new 64-bit servers are now going to open on Friday 7th March. Furthermore, the transfer service will return on Thursday 6th March, possibly as early as 8:00 AM EST. However, all dates are potentially subject to change.
LOTRO: 64-Bit Server Migration Part 1
What Massively Overpowered calls LOTRO’s “Great Server Migration” began today. The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online has opened 4 new 64-bit servers in conjunction with the 2 existing 64-bit legendary servers and the long term plan is to migrate all current players over to them. Eventually, the 32-bit legacy servers will be shut down, however that is a long way off at present. As of today, VIP players can select a new server, log into it and create new characters with their desired names. These placeholder characters cannot be played at present but can be used to reserve names. Tomorrow, if all goes well, the new servers formally open and free transfers begin. Players can then delete placeholder characters and rename alts that they have migrated, thus restoring desired names. It should be noted that none of this is mandatory and players can remain on the old servers for the present.
What Massively Overpowered calls LOTRO’s “Great Server Migration” began today. The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online has opened 4 new 64-bit servers in conjunction with the 2 existing 64-bit legendary servers and the long term plan is to migrate all current players over to them. Eventually, the 32-bit legacy servers will be shut down, however that is a long way off at present. As of today, VIP players can select a new server, log into it and create new characters with their desired names. These placeholder characters cannot be played at present but can be used to reserve names. Tomorrow, if all goes well, the new servers formally open and free transfers begin. Players can then delete placeholder characters and rename alts that they have migrated, thus restoring desired names. It should be noted that none of this is mandatory and players can remain on the old servers for the present.
LOTRO developers Standing Stone Games offer comprehensive guidance with regard to migrating characters, moving player houses and transferring kinships to the new servers. So I decided to create a placeholder character and reserve the name of my primary alt. At present all my characters reside on Laurelin which is an EU RP server, therefore I have decided to move to Meriadoc which is the new 64-bit equivalent server. Hence, at 5:00 PM GMT I attempted to log into LOTRO and begin the process. Let it suffice to say that the number of players attempting to do the same had an impact upon response times but after a while I could log in to the game and select Meriadoc from the server list. I successfully created a placeholder alt for my primary character. Having secured the name of my beloved Lore-master that I have exclusively played since late 2008, I logged out of the game.
I have chosen not to secure the names of my remaining two alts, mainly because I seldom play them and have precious little attachment to them. I have also decided to sell my existing Premium House on my current server and not to repurchase it when I transfer to the new one. The house as it stands is just a virtual warehouse, mainly for unused housing items. As I don’t craft and seldom visit it, I just don’t see the point of having it anymore. Plus the prospect of having to redecorate a new home is singularly unappealing. Hence, for the meantime, I will just concentrate on moving my Lore-master. Upon arrival I suspect I shall be throwing away a lot of unwanted items and generally decluttering. At present, my kinship doesn’t have a plan to move, so I’m monitoring the situation. It may be time to move on and find a new one. Let us see what tomorrow brings.
Disco Elysium
I’m a late convert to the church of Disco Elysium. Over 4 years late, although that can be a good thing in some respects. Pretty much everything that can be said about the game probably has been said already and I’ve missed it all. When purchasing the game, I knew there was a positive buzz around this RPG and it had something to do with its philosophical nature. Beyond that I wasn’t aware of the game's subtleties. I was just looking for something that I could play on my Nintendo Switch that wasn’t Mario. As Disco Elysium is a dialogue driven RPG, based upon choices rather than action, I thought buying the game on this platform was a good choice. So I started playing late on a Thursday night. 10 days later I am still utterly riveted, although this is one of the most emotionally gruelling gaming experiences of my life.
I’m a late convert to the church of Disco Elysium. Over 4 years late, although that can be a good thing in some respects. Pretty much everything that can be said about the game probably has been said already and I’ve missed it all. When purchasing the game, I knew there was a positive buzz around this RPG and it had something to do with its philosophical nature. Beyond that I wasn’t aware of the game's subtleties. I was just looking for something that I could play on my Nintendo Switch that wasn’t Mario. As Disco Elysium is a dialogue driven RPG, based upon choices rather than action, I thought buying the game on this platform was a good choice. So I started playing late on a Thursday night. 10 days later I am still utterly riveted, although this is one of the most emotionally gruelling gaming experiences of my life.
Disco Elysium is set in a coastal area of Martinaise, a dilapidated suburb of the city Revachol. The country is still in the process of healing from a communist revolution that transpired many years before the events of the game. However, the communist regime was deposed by a coalition of neighbouring capitalist countries and Revachol is now under “special administration” by the coalition. The player assumes the role of an emotionally broken detective suffering from alcohol induced amnesia, who is assigned to unravel a local murder. It becomes clear quickly that the case is politically complex and potentially career suicide. Throughout the investigation, the detective begins to regain memories of his own history, as well as confront various political, social and criminal influences that are associated with the case.
Most plot summaries of Disco Elysium fall woefully short of adequately explaining what actually unfolds within the games first few hours. Simply put, the game grabs your attention immediately, as your character slowly wakes from a drunken revelry and it refuses to let you go. The setting and the aesthetics all add to its compelling nature but it is the dialogue that seizes you by the throat and demands that you damn well apply yourself. It is difficult to describe to those who haven’t experienced it. It’s like you’ve awoken in a living neo noir movie. It has the visual style of David Lynch and you’re being aggressively interrogated simultaneously, by Albert Camus, Werner Herzog and Raymond Chandler. I can fully understand why some players will abandon the game within minutes of playing. Yet for some, the opening elicits a strong desire to fathom what the hell is going on. It is they who continue
Regular players of RPGs are au fait with branching narratives and multiple dialogue options. However, Disco Elysium does so much more with this game mechanic. Your character is advised, berated and tempted by multiple inner monologues which interject as a response to your dialogue choices with NPCs. These voices stem from the various 24 skills you have and their strength is dependent on the allocation of skills points you’ve made. If your character possesses elevated Drama skills you may excel in both identifying and constructing falsehoods; however, this proficiency could also render you susceptible to episodes of hysteria and paranoia. Similarly, a high level of Electrochemistry equips your character with immunity to the adverse effects of drugs and imparts valuable knowledge regarding them. Yet it may also result in substance abuse and other self-destructive, hedonistic behaviour.
Unlike traditional RPGs, Disco Elysium handles major in-game events and narrative decisions through skill checks, rather than combat. The amount of points you have in specific skills influences the outcome of such events but the game ultimately determines the outcome via the rolling of twin dice. Hence you can theoretically have a 68% chance of completing a skill check favourably but the RNG says “no” and you fail it. Skill checks are colour coded and white ones are repeatable but not all are. I experienced an interesting situation when talking to a witness and a skill check turned up in the list of dialogue responses. On this occasion I passed the skill check and discovered that the witness knew me. However, the game crashed and I had to repeat the scenario again. Second time round I failed the skill check and was presented with a totally different outcome.
Disco Elysium is a tale about a broken world. It explores the realities of poverty, the failings of multiple political ideologies and the emotional burden of having to endure all these iniquities in a world you cannot change. Many of the dialogue options offer the player the chance to cleave to a particular philosophical or political dogma. You can be a fascist, a liberal, or a communist if you see fit. Or you can try to navigate a path through the game without taking a side. If you choose the latter approach the game berates you. Eventually, to get things done, you will have to take some sort of moral or ethical stances. Just like in real life, your actions have consequences. If you try to play the game by taking what you feel is the optimal dialogue choice, the game will conspire against you. NPCs will be uncooperative and the story will get bogged down.
This can all be very daunting to players expecting a traditional RPG. Fortunately, Disco Elysium throws you a lifeline via your partner, Kim Kitsuragi, another detective who acts as a voice of professionalism and who offers advice or support in certain dialogue. He is a fascinating character, who like you feels the weight of the world that he lives in. However, he deals with it in a very different fashion. His monologues, which often occur after key plot points, are singularly thought provoking. It is details such as this that makes the game world so plausible. Yet there is a price for such credibility. Disco Elysium can be oppressive at times. It also has the capacity to make you genuinely sad. Some of the NPCs' backstories are very moving. Hence I find playing it in focused sessions of an hour to 90 minutes helps.
It is a truism that not all games are for everyone. That is very much the case with Disco Elysium. Gamers™ will probably chafe at the social and political content of the game. So who is the game aimed at? Anyone who likes games driven by stories, credible characters, and who isn’t averse to some introspection and learning. Disco Elysium is in many ways a form of therapy. A means of coming to terms with human frailty and finding hope in the most desperate of situations. Disco Elysium is a rare example of that much disputed concept, that some video games are art. It certainly argues the case for video games being a learning tool and it has much to teach. I am fascinated by its unique nature and feel compelled to play. It is certainly an anomaly. Don’t worry if you, like me, discover its virtues late in its lifecycle. I suspect that Disco Elysium will still be played and talked about a decade from now.
Sniper Elite Resistance: 10 Invasion Tips
I recently wrote 10 tips for Sniper Elite Resistance. Some simple advice and features to be aware of in the game, that hopefully proved beneficial to both old and new players alike. This time, I want to give some further guidance, specifically for Invasion mode. A few pointers to make hunting down other players easier and more fun. Invading someone else’s single player campaign is a very exciting prospect and many players rush headlong into this game mode without giving any prior consideration to who they may be up against, or how to approach the ensuing hunt. Here are 10 tips that will hopefully help Invading players and improve their overall Invasion experience. There is also a bonus tip at the end of the post for campaign players whose games get invaded.
I recently wrote 10 tips for Sniper Elite Resistance. Some simple advice and features to be aware of in the game, that hopefully proved beneficial to both old and new players alike. This time, I want to give some further guidance, specifically for Invasion mode. A few pointers to make hunting down other players easier and more fun. Invading someone else’s single player campaign is a very exciting prospect and many players rush headlong into this game mode without giving any prior consideration to who they may be up against, or how to approach the ensuing hunt. Here are 10 tips that will hopefully help Invading players and improve their overall Invasion experience. There is also a bonus tip at the end of the post for campaign players whose games get invaded.
Play the Campaign:
If you play through the single player campaign you will become familiar with the various mission maps, the different entry points where the player you are hunting may spawn and their respective mission objective locations. This information will help you identify where your prey has been and where they may be going next. You can then make educated guesses as to where they may dig in or set up an ambush for you, if they are proactive in their defense. If you do not wish to hunt your enemy, you can go to locations that they will later visit and await their arrival. A familiarity with all the mission maps makes Invasion mode an organised process, rather than a random search.
Don’t Stand Out:
When you play as a German Sniper Jäger, you have a choice of cosmetic outfits. It is tempting to pick one of the more flamboyant options but the most logical choice is that of a standard Infantryman. You have a much greater chance to blend in with the other NPCs and may not be immediately identified as the invader when approaching the player that you’re hunting.
Know Your Enemy:
When you invade a game, take the time to read the mission settings such as the difficulty and any other customisations such as health regeneration, bullet drop and wind etc. This can give you some indication as to the skill of your enemy or enemies if it’s a co-op game. Check to see what platform the other player(s) are on. Sniper Elite Resistance is currently available on PC and Xbox Game Pass, so a lot of new players are trying the game. However, remember that you may also be facing an experienced player who is playing on a lower difficulty so they can focus on the various collectibles and achievements in the game.
NPCs and the Mini Map:
When invading a game, the most obvious way to monitor activity across a mission map is to tag all NPCs. This can be done via your binoculars or the telescopic sight of your rifle. However, using the binoculars is preferable as it is permanent. You can also tag NPCs that are close, by using High Alert. This tags them and makes them extra vigilant for a short time. Tagged NPCs show on your mini map and changes in their status are denoted by the colour altering from blue, to yellow to red. If an NPC that you’ve tagged is shot, a white X shows on the map. If the enemy gets into a firefight with the NPCs their position can eventually be triangulated. This is indicated by a spinning red triangle on the minimap. These visual cues are invaluable.
Follow the Clues:
There is an element of detective work involved in Invasion mode. When you spawn into a game, look for areas without NPCs, damaged vehicles, a trail of bodies or completed objectives. If you inspect corpses with your binoculars, you’ll find a colour coding system that indicates how long they’ve been dead. White is recent, yellow is several minutes and red is over 15 minutes. Always be careful around corpses as they may be boobytrapped. As your enemy progresses through their mission you will receive notification of their progress.
Use Your Binoculars:
Use your binoculars for reconnaissance. Your sniper scope gives off a very obvious glint, while your binoculars do not. If you spot your enemy with binoculars it is not essential to tag them as this alerts them that they’ve been seen. Binoculars also reveal NPC dialogue, irrespective of your distance, which can be useful.
Lures and Traps:
Mining choke points, mission objectives and elevated positions that afford a wide view can often yield results. A mine will not necessarily kill an enemy outright but it will diminish their health and tag them. Combined explosions are lethal. Decoys and lures can also prove useful for drawing enemy fire and triangulating their position.
High Ground:
High ground often provides clear and far reaching views. However, the enemy will also seek these out. It should also be noted that the sniper that you’re hunting has access to armour piercing rounds and you do not. You can be shot through a brick wall. Hence, weigh up the pros and cons of seeking high ground before doing so. When using a tower or something similar, mine the steps behind you and use a decoy if possible.
Customise Your Loadout:
As a Sniper Jäger with a clear hunt and kill objective, you do not have to be especially worried about stealth. Once you spot your target you need to hit fast and hard. Hence customise your loadout accordingly. Opt for weapons that have a high rate of fire and that do heavy damage. The Gewehr 43 is a more practical rifle in this respect, than the Karabiner 98. For SMGs and pistols, customise with extended magazines as well as barrels and receivers that do higher damage. Grenades are very versatile weapons and should be included in your loadout.
Audio Cues:
Listen for gun fire, sabotaged generators and NPC dialogue as these can be invaluable clues as to your enemy’s location or passage through the map. If the enemy is close, you can often hear them use the Invasion Phone.
Bonus Tips:
If you’re the player whose game is being invaded, you may wish to cease your current activities and dig in somewhere at a location that is defendable. Or you may choose to proactively hunt the invading Sniper Jäger. Ignoring an ongoing invasion is a high risk strategy.
Use your Focus ability continuously. Too many players simply forget about it. It tells you what direction the enemy is coming from on the minimap and displays a continuous red circle when they are very close.
Pre-aim corners and swap to a SMG or trench gun for close quarters combat.
Be prepared to simply run into your opponent by chance. Sometimes there is so much going on, you can walk right past each other.
Be mindful of bravura kills. Stealth takedowns can be tricky and they sometimes glitch out if your opponent moves. A fancy knife kill or drop down melee attack may look cool but can fail. Sometimes a simple bullet to the head when the opportunity presents itself is the better option.
Nintendo Switch: Use It Or Lose It
I bought my Nintendo Switch in April 2021. I initially played a lot of MarioKart 8 as it’s a near perfect game and because my granddaughters liked it. We’d connect the device to the TV in the lounge and it quickly became a mainstay of any visit. I also tried the Switch version of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag but I struggled with the controls, so I bought a PC version instead. After a while the novelty of Mario Kart wore off and my granddaughters became more interested in the MMOs I play on my PC. To cut a long story short, I simply stopped using the Nintendo Switch because I didn’t have sufficient games to hold my interest, compared to the prodigious library I’ve built up on Steam and the Epic Games store. So I moved the device into my office, connected it to a monitor (which has integral speakers) and placed it on the corner of my desk where it is out of the way. I then effectively forgot about it until recently when my grandson spotted it and asked if he could play on it.
I bought my Nintendo Switch in April 2021. I initially played a lot of MarioKart 8 as it’s a near perfect game and because my granddaughters liked it. We’d connect the device to the TV in the lounge and it quickly became a mainstay of any visit. I also tried the Switch version of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag but I struggled with the controls, so I bought a PC version instead. After a while the novelty of Mario Kart wore off and my granddaughters became more interested in the MMOs I play on my PC. To cut a long story short, I simply stopped using the Nintendo Switch because I didn’t have sufficient games to hold my interest, compared to the prodigious library I’ve built up on Steam and the Epic Games store. So I moved the device into my office, connected it to a monitor (which has integral speakers) and placed it on the corner of my desk where it is out of the way. I then effectively forgot about it until recently when my grandson spotted it and asked if he could play on it.
Today, after charging the device for several hours, I booted up my Switch for possibly the first time in nearly three years. The first thing I had to do was reconnect the device to the internet, as we replaced our router twelve months ago. Next there was a software update but that was quick and easy to do. Our home has a Gigabit fiber internet connection which is an absolute godsend from a gaming perspective. Updates and patches can be downloaded promptly, rather than left to run overnight. Once the latest software was loaded, I logged into my Nintendo account to check that everything was in order. I also wished to see what the cost was of acquiring the expansion pack of new race tracks for Mario Kart 8. Fortunately, despite being neglected for a long time, the Switch is okay.
Is this “the” Switch game for me?
I now find myself in the same situation that I was in three years ago. IE trying to find some new games that showcase the best aspects of the Nintendo Switch. The prices don’t seem to have come down much but that seems to be a permanent feature of the Nintendo gaming ecosystem. However, I have decided to spend some time researching this conundrum and watching some gameplay videos on YouTube. I’m certain there has to be a Switch game out there somewhere which is suitable for me and caters to my tastes. However, if there is not and I can’t find another point of entry into the gaming-adjacent world of Nintendo, then I’ll probably just sell the Switch. Sometimes you encounter an aspect of gaming or wider pop culture and you struggle to come to terms with it, or connect in the same way as others do. I may be at that point here. Watch this space.
Watching Other People Play Video Games
The notion of live streaming or recording video game playthroughs is now a clearly established part of popular culture. It is something you can do while sitting on your sofa, watching TV in your lounge. A decade ago, people were far more sceptical about it and would scratch their head and ask “why would you want to watch someone else play a game”? Yet here we are in 2025 and 15% of YouTube content is about video games. Furthermore 20 out of the top 100 content creators are producing video game related material. As of last year, YouTube videos about games were generating 6 billion monthly views, on average. Where there are views, there’s advertising. Hence there’s the potential to make a lot of money, which only encourages further growth.
The notion of live streaming or recording video game playthroughs is now a clearly established part of popular culture. It is something you can do while sitting on your sofa, watching TV in your lounge. A decade ago, people were far more sceptical about it and would scratch their head and ask “why would you want to watch someone else play a game”? Yet here we are in 2025 and 15% of YouTube content is about video games. Furthermore 20 out of the top 100 content creators are producing video game related material. As of last year, YouTube videos about games were generating 6 billion monthly views, on average. Where there are views, there’s advertising. Hence there’s the potential to make a lot of money, which only encourages further growth.
I won’t waste too much time extolling the virtues of Twitch TV and YouTube from a gamers perspective. They provide free marketing and promotion of video games along with a wealth of useful tips and hints. In many ways, videos can be far better than in-game tutorials. Content creators can also create communities. If I am considering buying a new game, I will always go online to watch some gameplay footage prior to purchase, to see if the game suits my personal tastes. Hence, in principle all of these examples are useful things. The content creators do all the immediate work and provide a service that is easy to consume and essentially free. However, if you examine this “cottage industry” a little more closely, then you’ll find that there are plenty of potential flaws and pitfalls.
Dr Disrespect is a well known internet twat
Content creators are not held to any professional standards or subject to any code of ethics. Hence, things may not always be as they appear and expressed views may be driven by other agendas, rather than being purely personal opinion. Furthermore, the bar for uploading material to YouTube is pretty low. It is technically not that difficult to do and as a result the standard of content varies greatly. The ability to press record and talk is no guarantee of quality. I suppose the politest thing that can be said is that there is a lot of “white noise” out there. The democratisation of video production has many positive virtues. People can make niche market content and connect with others all over the world to build communities. However, there is virtually no quality control and the free market approach leads to a race to the bottom.
Like many other people, I have watched YouTube videos and thought to myself “well if they can do that, so can I”. Sometimes I think with a degree of hubris, that I could do better. So I have decided to carry out a few test recordings of video game footage and see if I can edit together some content suitable to upload to my abandoned YouTube channel. So I have purchased some video editing software and will spend the next few weeks seeing what I can come up with. I have no aspirations beyond this at present. I’m more interested in the process of making videos, rather than growing a YouTube channel. The latter seems like a lot of hard work as you try to identify a target audience and then produce regular content to appeal to that demographic. It is an already saturated market that is very competitive. Plus YouTube places a lot of restrictions upon content that seeks monetisation.
Sniper Elite Resistance: 10 Tips
I have played Sniper Elite for over a decade, through all its various iterations. Although the core game mechanics stay broadly the same, over time a lot of additional features have been added to the game (and some removed). As a result, from time to time I will watch someone playing Sniper Elite via a stream or YouTube and see a feature that I didn’t know existed. Often these are small things but I find that it’s these minor embellishments that tend to prove the most beneficial. Hence, I have drawn up a list of 10 tips to share with fellow Sniper Elite players. Some may be well known, others may not. Due to the recent release of Sniper Elite Resistance, there are a lot of new players joining the community and this post is essentially aimed at them. Please note this is not a tactical guide but simply a list of a few “quality of life” tips .
I have played Sniper Elite for over a decade, through all its various iterations. Although the core game mechanics stay broadly the same, over time a lot of additional features have been added to the game (and some removed). As a result, from time to time I will watch someone playing Sniper Elite via a stream or YouTube and see a feature that I didn’t know existed. Often these are small things but I find that it’s these minor embellishments that tend to prove the most beneficial. Hence, I have drawn up a list of 10 tips to share with fellow Sniper Elite players. Some may be well known, others may not. Due to the recent release of Sniper Elite Resistance, there are a lot of new players joining the community and this post is essentially aimed at them. Please note this is not a tactical guide but simply a list of a few “quality of life” tips .
Shooting Explosives: Barrels, ammunition crates, generators and such like will all explode when shot. As will Grenades and Panzerfausts carried by enemies.
Sliding Down Ladders: You can slide down ladders by pressing shift and S. Similarly you can climb upwards at a faster speed by holding the shift key and W. However, climbing upwards at an accelerated pace will increase your heart rate. Sliding down does not.
Shooting Padlocks: Padlocks can be shot off with armour piercing rounds. This is faster than picking the lock although it will generate noise that may be detected. This tactic is most useful when you encounter a door locked from the otherside.
Active Reload: When reloading your weapon by pressing R, you will see a circular animated icon on screen. If you press R again at the right time (when the animation passes over the thicker part of the circle circumference), your weapon will reload faster.
Scope and Binocular Glint: Scopes on secondary weapons do not have any glint. Neither do binoculars.
Decoys: Decoys are useful against Tanks and other vehicles. They can also be deployed with a countdown timer that then generates noise. Enemies that shoot at the decoy are then tagged. Decoys are invaluable distractions for flanking or a quick escape.
Drop Takedowns: When climbing a wall, if you position yourself above an enemy you can press E to perform a drop down melee kill.
Booby Trapped Corpses: Booby trapped corpses can be thrown or dropped onto enemies and will explode.
Combining Explosives: Setting a Schü-mine near to a block of TNT is a good alternative to a regular mine. The combined explosion is fatal.
Rolling While Prone: You can roll to the left or right when prone by pressing either the left or right arrow keys and the spacebar. This can be effectively used to roll out of cover to shoot and then immediately back.
LOTRO: Will Your Kinship Survive the Server Migration?
I have many pleasant memories associated with playing the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online during its first decade. A lot of them are due to the kinship (guild) that I have been a member of since 2009. I started playing LOTRO in December 2008 and it took me a while to find a suitable kinship but once I did, it made logging into the game a real pleasure. I was at a point in my life where I had sufficient time to play the game regularly and take part in kinship organised raids. It was also an added bonus to be able to spend some time and chat with some like minded people. I’m sure such an experience is not unique to me and that many LOTRO players have enjoyed similar periods of time. The lucky ones may still be enjoying a comparable kinship experience today.
I have many pleasant memories associated with playing the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online during its first decade. A lot of them are due to the kinship (guild) that I have been a member of since 2009. I started playing LOTRO in December 2008 and it took me a while to find a suitable kinship but once I did, it made logging into the game a real pleasure. I was at a point in my life where I had sufficient time to play the game regularly and take part in kinship organised raids. It was also an added bonus to be able to spend some time and chat with some like minded people. I’m sure such an experience is not unique to me and that many LOTRO players have enjoyed similar periods of time. The lucky ones may still be enjoying a comparable kinship experience today.
Sadly, nothing remains the same forever. Kinships eventually run out of steam as people move on to other games or their personal circumstances change. MMOS themselves have fundamentally changed and a lot of content is no longer designed to be exclusively tackled by a group. For all the positive social aspects that a kinship can offer, there are also plenty of negatives ones as well. Drama, conflict and hierarchies. Hence a lot of players no longer see kinships as an essential part of the game experience but an optional extra. As a result of this gaming evolution and changing social dynamics, many kinships turn from an active social collective to a legacy group. The kinship endures but is no longer active. People stay out of friendship, or simply because why alter the status quo. Human nature loves the path of least resistance.
I suspect that for every active kinship there is in LOTRO who plan raids or social activities on a regular basis, there are another two which have become what I described previously as a legacy group. Kinships that have a house and a few members that decorate it and leave items in the kin chest. Everyone says “hi” to each other when they come online and one member continuously updates the message of the day to reflect what item is free in the in-game store. Long term players bring their alts into the kinship out of habit. Occasionally a returning player makes an appearance and everyone gets nostalgic. But beyond this, nothing really happens. No one runs group content and at times you may find that you’re the only member on the kinship online. You check the offline roster and see that people have been active but more often than not, you’re ships that pass in the night.
For kinships such as these, the forthcoming server migration is a significant problem. The logistics of moving alts, housing and a social group are not simple. Sadly, many members of inactive kinships do not have a means to communicate with all members. My own kinship has a Discord server but it is not used by everyone. Furthermore, not everyone who plays LOTRO takes an active interest in developer press releases. I have encountered a few random kinmates of late in-game, who were unaware of the server migration, including the kinship leader. None of which bodes well for a process that will require some organisation and management. Our kinship has to decide which server to migrate to and then the leader has to do a lot of prep to smoothly move the guild from A to B. Individual players also have to make decisions about housing and alts. Unless you travel lightly, all players will have some work to do.
When faced with the realities of this server migration and what it entails, I think a lot of LOTRO kinships will effectively come to an end, either by choice or as a consequence of change. People with opulent houses are going to have enough work cut out for them when they arrive on their new server and have to totally redecorate. VIP players can only protect three alts names prior to the move. What about the rest of their characters? Kinship leaders have all these woes on top of having to spearhead the transfer of their kin. Then on top of all this, there is the risk that comes with any change of infrastructure. Hence some players may decide to leave their current kinship and look for a new home on the new server. Possibly some kinship will collectively decide to call it a day. Others may end up fragmented with a percentage of players moving, while a handful resolutely remain on their old 32-bit home.
I think centralising LOTROs player base between six 64-bit servers, half in the US and half in Europe, will ultimately be good for the game. It is important to see other players in an MMORPG and reinforce the notion of a shared environment. However, I do not expect the process to go 100% smoothly and there is a lot of potential for collateral damage to occur along the way. SSG has to manage this process better than they did last time they consolidated servers back in 2011. Perhaps in some respects this situation provides an opportunity for a social reset among legacy linships that are effectively just treading water. Perhaps some will merge with others in the hope of revitalising interest. But I suspect many will simply fade away, which in many respects is a very Tolkienesque theme.
Sniper Elite Resistance
Let me start by stating what Sniper Elite Resistance isn’t. It is not the next iteration of the franchise. It is a tangential sequel to Sniper Elite 5 with a story that runs in parallel with the events of that game. While Karl Fairburne is tackling “Operation Kraken” in Sniper Elite 5, Sniper Elite Resistance sees fellow SOE operative Harry Hawker assisting the French Resistance uncover a new German “Wunderwaffe” (wonder weapon). Sniper Elite Resistance shares the same setting, game mechanics and soundtrack with its predecessor. There are seven new missions, set in pre D-Day France, which take place in very expansive maps. There is more to explore, a greater degree of choice with regard to how you tackle each mission and increased scope for long range sniping. The game also benefits from a lot of new weapons along with established favourites.
Let me start by stating what Sniper Elite Resistance isn’t. It is not the next iteration of the franchise. It is a tangential sequel to Sniper Elite 5 with a story that runs in parallel with the events of that game. While Karl Fairburne is tackling “Operation Kraken” in Sniper Elite 5, Sniper Elite Resistance sees fellow SOE operative Harry Hawker assisting the French Resistance uncover a new German “Wunderwaffe” (wonder weapon). Sniper Elite Resistance shares the same setting, game mechanics and soundtrack with its predecessor. There are seven new missions, set in pre D-Day France, which take place in very expansive maps. There is more to explore, a greater degree of choice with regard to how you tackle each mission and increased scope for long range sniping. The game also benefits from a lot of new weapons along with established favourites.
The phrase “more of the same” can be used positively with regard to Sniper Elite Resistance. All the elements that make this franchise popular are front and centre and have been further refined. The new Gestapo Officer NPCs have superior AI to regular soldiers and are far more proactive investigating any sort of disturbance the player may make. Grenades have a non-lethal stun setting which opens a lot of new tactical options. There is a greater degree of verticality in the map design, affording the player more opportunities to reconnoitre and attempt long distance shots. As always, you can decide how they proceed through a map and tackle objectives. The franchise is very good at updating mission elements based upon reading letters, intel reports and other collectibles. If you fail to collect a satchel charge to open a secure door, there is often an alternative means to access the room behind.
Like its predecessor, Sniper Elite Resistance has a surprising amount of additional gameplay modes. You can play the entire campaign in co-op if you so desire and there are various permutations of multiplayer. The best being “no cross” where two teams play via a substantive map but are confined to their own specific area via. Hence the focus is on spotting and sniping. “Invasion” mode also makes a welcome return where another player can enter your ongoing campaign mission and attempt to hunt you down. Developers Rebellion have also added “Propaganda Missions”. These are timed instances where the player takes on the guise of a resistance fighter and has to complete as many stealth kills or long distance snipes in a minute. For those who’ve bought the season pass there is another “Target Führer” mission to kill Hitler.
Some fans are disappointed with Sniper Elite Resistance, claiming it is simply DLC for Sniper Elite 5. It is fair to say that Sniper Elite Resistance is certainly a continuation of Sniper Elite 5, rather than a totally new game. However, Rebellion has a history of releasing interim entries in the franchise such as Sniper Elite V2 Remastered and Sniper Elite VR. Sniper Elite Resistance follows that business model. However, criticism that this latest game is light on plot, cutscenes and new ideas are valid. Where the game excels is in its map design which allows players to approach gameplay in a variety of ways. I can spend several hours methodically working through a map, changing tactics as I go, depending on what I encounter. It is this adaptive quality that is one of the franchise’s greatest strengths and a welcome change from the usual breakneck pace of the FPS genre.
N.B. For players who have concerns over the respective value for money that Sniper Elite Resistance offers, it is available on Microsoft PC and Xbox Game Pass.
Today Is a Good Day to Die
Star Trek Online is currently running its yearly Klingon Recruitment Event for PC players. Characters created from January 21st to February 11th gain additional rewards and account wide unlocks while levelling. It is a particularly useful way to orientate new and returning players. I created a Klingon Engineer during the 2021 Klingon Recruitment Event which I previously levelled to the current cap. However, I hadn’t taken this character through all the episodic missions, so I thought the current event would be a good time to resume their progress. Therefore today I resumed playing through the Romulan Mystery story arc. It was during the course of the final part of the episode, “Mine Enemy”, that I encountered a curious bug. It amused me sufficiently to prompt this blog post and make a lazy pop culture reference.
Star Trek Online is currently running its yearly Klingon Recruitment Event for PC players. Characters created from January 21st to February 11th gain additional rewards and account wide unlocks while levelling. It is a particularly useful way to orientate new and returning players. I created a Klingon Engineer during the 2021 Klingon Recruitment Event which I previously levelled to the current cap. However, I hadn’t taken this character through all the episodic missions, so I thought the current event would be a good time to resume their progress. Therefore today I resumed playing through the Romulan Mystery story arc. It was during the course of the final part of the episode, “Mine Enemy”, that I encountered a curious bug. It amused me sufficiently to prompt this blog post and make a lazy pop culture reference.
Hardly surprising I hear you say, as Cryptic (now DECA Games) are notorious for allowing minor glitches to persist in their MMORPG. However, this one didn’t impede gameplay in any manner. It was just a curious visual anomaly. It piqued my interest to the point where I used Bandicam to video capture the bug in question, which I then posted to YouTube. That process is a blog post in itself for another day but I digress. The mission required my character to visit their Ready Room on their ship and use the computer to decode some files. So I “transported” to the bridge of my ship and entered the rather spartan Ready Room. On entering I noticed several Klingon crew next to the computer. I was puzzled as there usually aren't any crew in this location. These NPCs subsequently died and fell to the floor, only for more to appear. The cycle then continued to repeat itself indefinitely.
This bug didn’t prevent me from completing the task at hand so I decoded the files using the computer and left the ship. Later, I returned to the Ready Room to see if the bug would repeat itself but it didn’t. On reflection perhaps that is a good thing. Bugs like this may superficially be entertaining but can sometimes have the potential to crash the game. Sadly, there are many bugs in STO. Traits become unslotted, loadouts go missing and there are numerous graphical and animation glitches. It is one of the reasons why the MMO has never been truly regarded as a top tier game. I suspect that the new developers, DECA Games, are going to be far more focused on maintaining the status quo, rather than resolving these issues. As for the bug I encountered today, I have no explanation as to why it happened. All I can say is that today was indeed a good day to die.
Playing MMOs on a Second Monitor
I have two monitors on my desk. The first (which is the primary monitor as far as my PC is concerned), is on the left and the second is on the right. The primary monitor is a 24 Dell U2412M, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It therefore has an aspect ratio of 16:10 which adds a little extra desktop real estate, which I prefer when writing. The second monitor is a 24 inch Dell S2421H with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is standard FHD. My chair is adjacent to the middle of my desk and I can turn according to each monitor I’m using. I tend to use the primary, larger monitor on the left for tasks such as writing via Google Docs and emails. The second monitor on the right is used for YouTube and gaming. This is because of its FHD format. I also have a Nintendo Switch connected to the second monitor for the same reason.
I have two monitors on my desk. The first (which is the primary monitor as far as my PC is concerned), is on the left and the second is on the right. The primary monitor is a 24 Dell U2412M, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It therefore has an aspect ratio of 16:10 which adds a little extra desktop real estate, which I prefer when writing. The second monitor is a 24 inch Dell S2421H with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is standard FHD. My chair is adjacent to the middle of my desk and I can turn according to each monitor I’m using. I tend to use the primary, larger monitor on the left for tasks such as writing via Google Docs and emails. The second monitor on the right is used for YouTube and gaming. This is because of its FHD format. I also have a Nintendo Switch connected to the second monitor for the same reason.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s move on to video games that are relevant to this post. I have at present six MMORPGs installed on my PC. Age of Conan, Star Trek Online, The Lord of the Rings Online, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic. As previously stated I prefer to play video games using the second monitor as it is a default FHD standard. Screen captures and any recorded material are in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is very useful for YouTube or streaming. Working within a standard format is also convenient when trying to find optimal game settings for my CPU and GPU. However, trying to get these games to run on my second monitor and more importantly stay there, has not proven easy. Some cooperate, others have to be cajoled and a few flat out refuse to do so.
The obvious solution is to change the primary monitor designation in the PC settings. However, I don’t want to do this as it would have a knock on effect on my current preferences. Hence I have had to manually tinker with each game to see if it will run consistently on monitor number 2. ESO being the most recent MMO out of those listed, has a drop down box in the game settings where you can choose which display you use. Both STO and SWTOR can be temporarily set to “windowed mode” and dragged over to the second display. Furthermore this change persists after exiting the game client and rebooting the PC. Sadly, AoC, LOTRO and GW2 resist this simple work around. The games can be dragged to the second monitor in “windowed mode” but when the display is set back to fullscreen they instantly revert back to the primary monitor.
I am far from alone in my preferences. A simple Google search shows that many other gamers have made similar enquiries and you’ll find numerous forums and subreddit posts. Often the advice is to use various Windows 10 settings to force content from one monitor to another but it seldom works, or if it does it doesn’t persist. Using the management software that comes with your GPU is also frequently recommended but this tends to be for spanning a game across two monitors, rather than forcing the output to a specific one. There are also some third party apps that have been developed by “gifted amateurs” but again the results are not guaranteed and often depend on having the right sort of GPU with the right sort of output cable. The problem ultimately stems from most of these games being developed when having multiple monitors was not as common as today.
Out of the three MMOs where this problem persists I find GW2 the most egregious. This game possibly has the biggest development budget of them all and is regularly updated. You would have thought such a feature as a choice of displays would have been added to the game by now. AoC is in maintenance mode, so one adjusts one’s expectations accordingly. However, LOTRO is a curious beast. It has a small but loyal playerbase and makes sufficient money to keep going. Updating the GUI is on the development “to do list”. In the meantime I finally found a workaround today by making some alterations to the “UserPreferences.ini” file. I changed “DisplayOutput=1” to 2 in the list of [Render] settings and changed all display resolution data to 1920 x 1080 and the aspect ratio to 16:9. LOTRO now runs on my second monitor and stays there after rebooting the PC. A minor victory but a victory no less.
Do You Know What You're Doing?
Do you know what you're doing? For clarification, this question is regarding video games and not how you run your life. The latter would make for an interesting discussion but that is not what I am asking. On this occasion the question is to establish whether you are the sort of player who strives to understand the mechanics of a video game? Do you make it your business to become au fait with all the statistics and the formulas behind them? Do you keep a spreadsheet filled with data pertaining to your gear or build? Do you fully comprehend the consequences of swapping out an item and seeing a particular statistic increase or decrease. Does all of this inherently appeal to you and contribute to overall the enjoyment you get from a game? If the answer is yes, then bravo. I kind of admire your dedication to this aspect of gaming. Because I tend to switch off when it comes to min-maxing.
Do you know what you're doing? For clarification, this question is regarding video games and not how you run your life. The latter would make for an interesting discussion but that is not what I am asking. On this occasion the question is to establish whether you are the sort of player who strives to understand the mechanics of a video game? Do you make it your business to become au fait with all the statistics and the formulas behind them? Do you keep a spreadsheet filled with data pertaining to your gear or build? Do you fully comprehend the consequences of swapping out an item and seeing a particular statistic increase or decrease. Does all of this inherently appeal to you and contribute to overall the enjoyment you get from a game? If the answer is yes, then bravo. I kind of admire your dedication to this aspect of gaming. Because I tend to switch off when it comes to min-maxing.
I suspect that I’m not the only person like this. That’s not to say I have no understanding of what all the numbers mean in any given video game. I usually have a broad overview but nothing more. Take the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online for instance. I know what statistics are important for my primary character, the Lore-master. Hence, whenever I replace gear, I naturally choose items that will increase key numbers. However, that is as far as my knowledge goes. In a game such as LOTRO that can be sufficient to get by. Fortunately the game doesn’t punish players for their lack of understanding. High end gear is available from several sources and you simply pursue that which is achievable. Sadly not all games take such an equitable approach, with many delighting in their own arcane nature. I find both Star Wars:The Old Republic and Star Trek Online to have very complex gear mechanics. Furthermore, both games do a poor job of explaining themselves.
The most practical solution to these complexities is to simply follow a build that other players have posted online. I did this recently while playing Dragon’s Dogma 2. I found a gear and skills loadout for a ranged class which suited my play style and replicated it on my character. I subsequently stuck with it throughout my play through. I guess this is a textbook example of “standing on the shoulders of giants” but I suspect that a substantial percentage of gamers do this. For many, the complexity of in-game systems is actually an impediment to gameplay. We all approach games differently and therefore do not necessarily find enjoyment in the same things. Some players like the challenge of learning and understanding underlying mechanics. The idea of researching, tracking data and ultimately finding a formula for an optimal build is integral to their overall gaming experience. Others, myself included, expect a learning curve but balk at excessive “homework”.
There is another aspect to this element of gaming. Some game developers see the complexities of gear, builds and systems as a means to monetise their games. Star Trek Online excels at this. Getting the right mix of gear and traits on an appropriate ship massively increases your survivability and DPS output. Again, this is a game where the builds can be very complex and the mathematics behind them intricate. Hence most players try and get by following the prevailing game meta. However, the most effective builds will often include items that are only obtainable by spending money, such as a trait or console that can only be found on a premium ship. I recently tried to replicate a build based around Beam Overload but could only easily source 60% of what was required. To get the remaining 40% of items would have cost £30. So I improvised. The result has been functional but not optimal.
I wrote a long time ago about “the average LOTRO player”. I used that MMO as a personal frame of reference but I thought at the time that the points made in the post were applicable to other games. Having recently re-read the post I still stand by assertions. Many gamers are not “ high end players”. They often buy a game primarily because they want to have fun and play with their friends. Although most gamers acknowledge that a new title has a learning curve, that doesn’t mean that they will by default spend hours reading and watching videos prior to playing. Jumping into the proverbial deep end is by far the most common approach. I suspect that very few players truly play a game in the manner that the developers expect. So in answer to the question “Do you know what you're doing?”, I suspect the most common answer is “not especially so” and that is the way the majority of gamers like it.
LOTRO: Server Migration Concerns
I always remember the sage wisdom of the great children’s TV character Huxley Pig. “If in panic, if in doubt. Run in circles, scream and shout”. Such was the initial reaction of players of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, when it was announced recently that there is to be a new 64-bit server rollout in Q1 of 2025. At first glance, new servers are surely a good thing? The 64-bit legendary servers, which were tested in 2024, have proven to be a success and do much to address the lag issues that plague the existing 32-bit servers. Surely this is what players want? Well, yes it is, in principle but new infrastructure ultimately raises the issue of server migrations. Developer’s Standing Stone Games intend to consolidate the player population in the long term with the addition of 4 new 64-bit servers. The 2 legendary servers will remain but the 32-bit legacy servers will eventually close.
I always remember the sage wisdom of the great children’s TV character Huxley Pig. ”If in panic, if in doubt. Run in circles, scream and shout”. Such was the initial reaction of players of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, when it was announced recently that there is to be a new 64-bit server rollout in Q1 of 2025. At first glance, new servers are surely a good thing? The 64-bit legendary servers, which were tested in 2024, have proven to be a success and do much to address the lag issues that plague the existing 32-bit servers. Surely this is what players want? Well, yes it is, in principle but new infrastructure ultimately raises the issue of server migrations. Developer’s Standing Stone Games intend to consolidate the player population in the long term with the addition of 4 new 64-bit servers. The 2 legendary servers will remain but the 32-bit legacy servers will eventually close.
LOTRO players were somewhat concerned about the vague nature of the original server announcement, in the “2025 Roadmap” that came out prior to Christmas. Hence Executive Producer Rob Ciccolini saw fit to appear on a live stream in the New Year to clarify the situation. Sadly SSG have a track record of poor communication with their playerbase and being true to form, Mr Ciccolini’s “clarification” simply raised more questions. Newer LOTRO players with only a handful of alts may well find the prospect of transferring to another server to be no big deal. However, the majority of the existing LOTRO community is made up of long term players who are greatly attached to their kinships, their housing and most importantly their alts. Server migrations can break such things, leaving players nameless and without their virtual possessions and community.
If in panic, if in doubt. Run in circles, scream and shout”
Furthermore, SSG has handled server migrations in the past and it wasn’t perfect. In 2011 SSG (formerly Turbine) took back control of the European game servers which had previously been administered by Codemasters. Yes, the process ultimately worked but there was a lot of player collateral damage along the way. Many of the players affected back then are still playing today and they’re far from optimistic, judging by the ongoing discussion of the official forums. It would appear there is a lot more to consider beyond the obvious. Apart from the logistics and management issues arising from this server migration, many players are not happy with the prospect of moving per se. The previously mentioned migration of 2011 was not well received by all. Some feel that communities were broken and the new servers were far from friendly.
I have no doubt that by the end of 2025 there will be a clear resolution to this situation. SSG has done this before and can do it again. Hopefully, if they’ve learned from their past mistakes they’ll be more communicative and cautious this time round. There are some potential positives arising from a migration and server merge. The player population will increase across the final 6 servers and there should be the technical benefits of the new 64-bit builds. SSG have also stated they will strive to allow players to retrieve characters from servers closed in 2011, so there may be the chance of resurrecting long lost alts. However, it would be naive to think that this enterprise is going to be plain sailing. Perhaps the most prudent thing for LOTRO players to do in the meantime is to start organising their inventories and divesting themselves of any virtual assets they don’t require. Forewarned is forearmed.