LOTRO: Tweaking Your Game Installation

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I’m not sure exactly when it started but I’ve recently noticed a graphical bug within the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. This problem often occurs within caves or in areas where there are a lot of rocky surfaces. Hence it has become very apparent in the latest two expansions, set in Umbar and Harad. This graphical glitch  causes some surface textures to appear to flash from light to dark intermittently. The resulting strobe effect is hard to ignore and very distracting. Fortunately, a quick online search showed that this is not a problem unique to my installation of LOTRO and is a known problem. Furthermore, there is a very simple workaround, which is to go into the Advanced Graphics setting and uncheck “Per Pixel Lighting”, which immediately remedies the problem. I have no idea why this has recently started to happen but at least it can be resolved.

Considering the game’s age, LOTRO is not as buggy as some other comparable MMOs. It does require some fine tuning once you’ve installed the game but nothing I would deem unreasonable. I wrote a post on this subject back in September 2024 and the contents are still relevant. If you wish to read it, here is a link. I would also add the following tips which can improve the performance of the game. Again, they’re nothing major, just practical tweaks to help this 19 year old MMO run a little better. 

• First, install the game on a SSD if you have one. It really does improve loading times and improve the games responsiveness. 

• Secondly, in the game launcher's options, make sure the 64-bit client is selected within the general tab. This improves stability and performance. 

• Thirdly, install the game using the standalone client and not via Steam. Third parties can make matters more complex.

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Once you have a viable and up to date installation of LOTRO, any further tweaking and fine tuning of the game’s UI comes down to your personal preference. Some players like to enhance the game by using plugins (mods). I use a handful myself and I do find that they do provide “quality of life benefits”. However, if you’re not interested in such things, simply re-arranging your screen real estate can be extremely satisfying. I have a standard layout that I’ve saved and apply to all my alts. I immediately notice its absence if I ever create a new character. Fortunately it is easy to reload. I am also looking forward to the scalable UI functionality which will be coming to the live game in the next patch. Having recently upgraded to 2K monitors, I have found the third party solutions for this issue to be adequate but not ideal.

Perhaps it is a matter of my age, but a minor issue that continuously bothers me in LOTRO is that I often lose track of where my mouse arrow is on the screen. I thought that if I increased its size via Windows settings, it would similarly increase in size in-game. Sadly this is not the case. Losing track of where your mouse is located is not a major problem but it seems to mainly happen during combat which is a nuisance. As a temporary solution, while waiting for the UI scaling support, I installed a plugin called Mouse Finder. This places a resizeable circle around your mouse arrow making it easier to find. The circle size and colour can be customised and you can also choose in what circumstances it appears. Again this comes down to a matter of personal choice. There are other plugins that provide a similar solution but I find this one to be the least invasive.

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Judging by the videos I see of LOTRO on YouTube, lots of players like to tweak and customise the game to their own liking. I’ve mentioned it before but everyone’s installation of the game seems to look slightly different and I’ve never seen two that are identical. However, I consider this flexibility and capacity to support customisation to be a positive thing. Some modern titles would benefit greatly from taking note of what Standing Stone Games have achieved. Simple functionality like the ability to remap keybinds or to easily duplicate settings between characters or even accounts, is incredibly useful. So if you haven’t done so already, look into tweaking your LOTRO installation, possibly adding plugins or at the very least altering the layout of your user interface. You may well improve your overall gaming experience.

Star Trek Online in 2026

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This year is the 60th anniversary of Star Trek. The original TV show was first broadcast in the US on September 8th 1966. If you search online you’ll find details of lots of related events. There are documentaries, conventions, new TV shows and even some video games in development. However, what you won’t find are any details regarding what will be happening with the MMORPG Star Trek Online. So far no road map for 2026 has been posted online by the developers but it is still quite early in the New Year. That being the case, I am not especially optimistic about there being any major plans waiting to be revealed. It is not as if DECA Games have demonstrated or stated any major ambitions for STO beyond keeping the endless events treadmill going and regularly adding content to the in-game store, during their development tenure. The ongoing story arc drags on inexorably and is as dull as ditchwater.

In recent years Star Trek as a franchise has seen a resurgence in public interest, due to some good TV shows. Sadly, absolutely nothing has been done by DECA Games to capitalise upon this, apart from adding themed, purchasable items from the new shows, into the in-game store. It all seems a somewhat wasted opportunity and a little sad, as this MMORPG has always had a great deal of potential. The change of developers from Cryptic to DECA Games in 2024 was a good opportunity to start improving the quality of story content and to address the huge amount of bugs and “jank” that have been inherent in STO since its launch in 2010. Sadly, the recent transition away from DECA Games back to the residual Cryptic Studios and wider ownership and publishing issues in late 2025 have stalled any major changes. The game has ticked over with a minimal amount of new content, which tends to be just more of the same. I wouldn’t say that STO is in maintenance mode but it’s not far from it.

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I did some searching online to see what things had been discussed over the course of 2025 as potential projects, or areas of improvement. I only found two. The first being a feasibility study to see if the game engine could be upgraded or replaced. At present the game runs on the proprietary Cryptic engine, made by the original developers. This dates back to 2000 and although it has been updated over the years, it is still essentially running on two decade old code. Naturally, I would love to see STO running on something more robust and contemporary, such as Unreal Engine but I suspect the cost of porting the game to this would be unfeasible. Especially in light of the fact that the current publishers, Project Golden Arc, were formed after a management buyout from the Embracer Group. It will take a while for these business changes to take effect and no doubt finances may be scarce.

Another proposal that has been discussed in forums is a continued focus on character customisation, specifically race and gender changes, along with improvements to core gameplay systems. All of which sounds broadly positive but is also vague with respect to detail. Hence this doesn’t really sound like anything more than bug fixing. Which when added to the vague and let us be realistic, unlikely change of game engine, means that there isn’t much that we know about what is coming to STO this year. At this point in such a post, I’d usually say something conciliatory. Especially in light of the game effectively returning into the hands of some of the original developers. But frankly I am beyond that. There are other enjoyable franchise based MMORPGs that already have regular content updates and a coherent road map for the immediate future. I’ll be focusing on those games for the foreseeable future. Which is something I shouldn’t be saying in the year Star Trek celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon - Initial Thoughts

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I first played The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in June 2013. This was over 18 months after the game’s initial release and the base game and DLC were bundled together in a “Legendary” edition. Although a seasoned gamer at the time, familiar with the RPG genre with such titles as Mass Effect and Grand Theft Auto IV, I had not played a game from this franchise before. It only took a few hours of gameplay to realise that this was a special title. The scope of the story, the art design and the size of the world were immediately notable. Tamriel was immersive in a way I had not experienced with other titles. Often simply traversing the terrain and watching the dawn break while the game soundtrack swelled, was sufficient to hold my attention. I instantly picked up on the voice acting of Christopher Plummer and Max Von Sydow. All of which indicated that this was a gaming landmark.

I spent 286 hours over the next 18 months playing through the game and its DLC. When I ran out of new content to play in the game, I spent hours experimenting with mods. During that time, I became familiar with the subtleties of the various in-game systems within Skyrim. It was a wrench to leave but eventually new titles lured me away. However, the game left a very strong impression upon me and continues to do so today. For me, it is what I immediately think of when someone mentions a fantasy based action RPG. As such, Skyrim is a hard act to follow. I’ve played other RPG’s since then, many of which have been good. But few have the same emotional impact, with the possible exception of Witcher III: Wild Hunt and Red Dead Redemption 2. However, I recently stumbled upon Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon and the associated buzz around it. Is this game the spiritual successor to Skyrim?

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Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an Indie fantasy based action RPG made by Questline and published by Awaken Realms. Played primarily in first person, although there is third person support, this game draws heavily from Bethesda games, especially Skyrim. Set on the island of Avalon, you undertake various quests in a decaying realm that is slowly being assimilated by the “Wyrdness”. You are aided by the spirit of Arthur Pendragon in your journey across three distinct zones. There are abilities and skills to level along with points to spend in skillstrees. Crafting comes in the form of cooking, smithing and alchemy. The game is also awash with loot. All in all, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon at first glance does strike as a shameless clone of Skyrim, yet there are subtle distinctions that give it an identity of its own. The more you play the more these become apparent.

Perhaps the most noticeable is the art design. The game has a striking aesthetic, drawing from both H. R. Giger and the Cthulhu Mythos. The ambient music and sound design are also very good, instantly creating an enigmatic atmosphere. At night when the threat level from the “Wyrdness” increases, the soundscape becomes especially disconcerting. NPCs are also quite engaging, often flying in the face of your expectations. Traditionally, vendors in RPGs are functional or expositional in nature. Here, they can be quite quirky and off beat. While exploring a minor crypt, I discovered an oddly friendly supernatural entity who was quite chatty. I was expecting a fight and instead I got an amusing quest that resulted in a permanent skill increase. So despite appearing generic, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon has subtle differences. This extends not only to the world and NPCs but to in-game systems as well.

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An essential aspect of the RPG genre is character progression. In this game, while your overall level increases at quite a sedate pace, default skills grow upon use. Hence when out in the world, whenever you run, jump, sneak, craft, or fight with specific weapons or spells, these skills are levelling. Furthermore, there are no level restrictions imposed by your stats or due to the points you’ve spent in the various skills trees. You get better at crafting by making things and are not excluded due to a recipe level. Initially, when your crafting abilities are low, you may well fail to produce a top tier item but persistence remedies this. As for skills points themselves, they’re quite plentiful and so you can afford to be generous in how you spend them. Assigning one in a new tree can often lead to a useful set of improvements. For example, spending points in Practicality enhances crafting as well as increasing damage to enemy weak spots. It also reduces both stamina and mana costs.

Combat is challenging, once you move on from the story prologue. This is not a game where you stand your ground and key mash. Movement, parrying and blocking are essential for melee combat. If you prefer to use magic then it all comes down to mana management and finding the right combination of spells. You can equip two spells or weapons per weapon slots, of which you have four. You then hot swap between these according to your combat requirements. You can summon multiple AI companions if you like and attempt to rush enemies. For those who favour traditional weapons, swords have weight and as such take a time to swing. Combat is therefore about timing and the more satisfying as a result. Enemies can also vary greatly in power and often you have no idea how strong they are until you attack them. Therefore it pays to be cautious when exploring and is wise not to jump into a fight unnecessarily.

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Over the course of future blog posts, I shall be exploring various aspects of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon in more detail. Mainly because this game has taken my fancy. It is doing something familiar but doing it in its own way and not always in a manner you would expect. To use an analogy, if Skyrim is Star Wars then Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is Battle Beyond the Stars. This game is inherently janky, although with each patch the jank is slowly being addressed. It is also very old school because the games it is emulating are themselves old school. But it has a charm and character of its own and I admire the ambition of the developers who are trying to do, with a small team, the same thing that a multimillion dollar mainstream studio has already done. And they’re putting their own stamp on the results. That is a rare quality these days. That and a game that is actually “fun”.

LOTRO: Reaching the New Level Cap

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The latest expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, Kingdoms of Harad, launched on December 3rd. With this release the level cap was raised from 150 to 160. It should also be noted that the cap for virtue traits was also raised from 96 to 100. Naturally these changes meant that there is a requirement to replace all armour and jewellery once the new cap is reached. Similarly Legendary Items have to be reforged and any traceries upgraded or replaced. If you follow the Epic Story it will lead you from quest hub to quest hub. The main quest rewards, along with those from side quests will provide adequate gear as you slowly progress towards the new level cap. The new raids, instances and missions/delvings then provide a means to acquire higher quality level 160 gear. LOTRO and indeed, many other MMOs are consistent in this methodology.

The only problem with this approach is that it is at odds with my own personal gaming philosophy. I don’t like the concept of getting the best items at the end of your progression, when from my perspective, I don’t really benefit from them as I usually cease playing at this point. I do not participate in raids or any of the endgame group content, so rewarding me at this point seems redundant. I would like to acquire better quality gear as I progress towards the new level cap so that I am robustly equipped to deal with the PVE content. By default I like my characters to be “overpowered” when playing through new regions. Other players may prefer a more challenging approach and want to be evenly matched against landscape mobs, but I favour being prepared, as powerful as possible and playing on my own terms. 

Rather than just playing through the various PVE quests featured in the last two expansions (as I have yet to complete them) to reach the new level cap, I decided upon a different approach. As soon as the Yuletide Festival started on December 11th, I began running all events on a daily basis to gain easy XP. I used various consumable items that provide XP boosts as well as spending destiny points for similar benefits. I also began a rotation of the following offensive skirmishes which can be completed quickly. Trouble in Tuckborough. Thievery and Mischief, The Icy Crevasse, Strike Against Dannenglor and Battle in the Tower. Hence, after a week of fairly casual gameplay, I reached the new level cap of 160. An added benefit of this focused approach was that I also made significant progress in the Legendary Item Reward Track.

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Upon reaching level 160, I had to replace all my existing gear. To do this I followed the same method that I used when the cap was raised to 150 back in November 2003 when the Corsairs of Umbar expansion was released. I bought 40 Black Steel Lockbox Keys with the LOTRO points I earned through subscribing all year. The resulting Embers of Enchantment I gained from opening lockboxes were sufficient to replace all my armour and half of my jewellery from the barter vendor. Furthermore it is mainly Teal quality gear. I also replaced all the traceries on my Legendary Items with my supply of Ancient Scripts that I had earned from the Reward Track. I filled the remaining outstanding items with older gear from reputation traders. This new gear may not be the best available in LOTRO, as that is gated behind raids and delvings but it is superior to crafted items and standard quest rewards.

I can now begin playing through the latest two expansions knowing that my primary character in LOTRO, a Lore-master that I’ve played since December 2008, is as robust and well equipped as they can be. By negating future concerns about gear, I can focus on the story and playing the content. I don’t feel the need to rush to level cap because I have already reached it. Furthermore, apart from levelling the traceries on my LIs over the next year or so, I do not have to worry about replacing my armour or jewellery for a long time. If circumstances provide me with a superior item, I will happily replace the existing one as it can be disenchanted in Ember of Enchantment. This recyclable quality is very beneficial. I recognise that how I play LOTRO may not suit others but the fact that the game is flexible enough to accommodate such differing approaches is one of its greatest strengths.

A Year in Gaming

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It is customary in a post such as this to list the various games that I’ve played over the last twelve months and share my thoughts on them. Wider analysis of the video game industry is also de rigeur. Unfortunately, I don’t really feel disposed to do either of those two things. My thoughts on the games I’ve played have already been published and can easily be accessed via the links at the bottom of this post. As for the video game industry, it suffers the same flaws as music, TV and cinema. There is creativity and innovation out there but it is often drowned out by mainstream products which are demonstrably inferior due to their inherent mediocrity. As for the business side of things, we once again clearly see the failings of the corporate management class. Sadly, they do not face the consequences of the mistakes that they make.

I once thought that being a relatively new creative industry, there was something “special” about the video game industry. I had a naive notion that the commercial imperatives were somehow kept in check by the artistic vision of those working on the creative side of things. Nope, that conceit quickly fell apart like a cheap suit upon exposure to the facts. There are game developers that strive to balance their business needs along with their creative ideas, while trying to look after their staff as well as they can but it is not the norm in any way. The video game industry is just as greedy, exploitative and unethical as any other and those who work in it suffer the same iniquities as employees from any other industry or sector. Low pay, shitty terms and conditions and sociopathic bosses are a universal constant it would seem. 

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Sadly, another aspect of video game culture that is a regular source of eye rolling are “militant fans”. What can I say about this demographic that hasn’t been said already? Not much. The usual suspects are exceedingly wearing with their lack of objectivity and self-awareness, gatekeeping and reactionary demeanour. Sadly, for those who view pop culture from the sidelines, these individuals are often misconstrued as being the default “gamers”. I was watching some YouTube videos by Josh Strife Hayes recently and he has started prefixing his content with multiple caveats in a vain attempt to calm the furiously hard-of-thinking who confuse subjective criticism and analysis with a personal attack. It seldom works though, so I favour simply telling them to fuck off. It is a waste of time to even engage with these fools.

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Reflecting on 2025, playing video games still brings me pleasure. Especially when I find those that have good writing and contain challenging ideas. Hence I got a great deal of mileage out of Atomfall and finally completing Disco Elysium. MMOs such as The Lord of the Rings Online have also kept me busy and in a good way. But a lot of games that I play are just “filler”. The same way that some books or films are just okay and serve their purpose of occupying me in an acceptable fashion. Once you’re done, you move on. The fact that I own somewhere in the region of nearly 1,000 video games but have possibly only bought 10% of those says a lot about the ephemeral nature of the video game industry. It also raises the question of sustainability. The myth of infinite growth has already greatly harmed triple A gaming. Will the industry contract further in 2026? Feel free to make your predictions in the comments.

LOTRO: Standing Stone Games Test UI Scaling

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Today Standing Stone Games began beta testing Update 46.1 for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. The current preview on the Bullroarer test server is mainly for the new instance cluster that comes with the Kingdoms of Harad expansion which launched a few weeks ago. However, it would appear that this latest preview has another feature or note. One that should please LOTRO players. Contrary to what a lot of people thought, myself included, SSG have been working on a scaling UI for 2K and 4K monitors and the results are now available for testing from today Monday 15th through to Friday 19th December. Until now the main workaround to the lack of UI scaling has been to use either Nvidia or AMD graphics software to upscale the game from 1920 x 1080, or a third party app such as LosslessScaling. Having an official solution is a far better option.

I logged into the LOTRO test server earlier this evening and had a look at this new scaling UI functionality and feel overall that it is a massive improvement. There is a main UI slider that increases all onscreen elements proportionally. There is also the option of changing the size of specific elements, such as in-game bags, item tooltips or onscreen alerts. At present this is a work in progress so there are some minor issues with icons looking a little low definition or tearing. Also the mouse arrow is not scalable at present, which is a nuisance. However, this ongoing project by SSG has other benefits. Loading screen graphics are no longer stretched, nor are the older in-game maps. Perhaps in the long run, these will all be replaced with higher resolution versions but in the meantime, having these images in the right aspect ratio is a step in the right direction.

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Already there is a lively discussion on the official LOTRO forums about these changes on the test server. Furthermore, SSG is endeavouring to take on board the respective feedback. I suspect that not every suggestion will be implemented or can be but I certainly think that the end results, once they go live, will be infinitely better than what we have at present. LOTRO is an ageing game, so dissecting and tinkering with such ancient code is problematic. Hence it is laudable that SSG has started to tackle this issue. The fact that this work has been carried out quietly in the background when many LOTRO players felt that this project has stalled, is most promising. Perhaps other “quality of life” changes are also being addressed behind the scenes and will be rolled out in a similarly unexpected fashion over 2026. All of which has the potential to bring players back to the game and extend LOTRO’s lifecycle.

LOTRO: The State of the Game in Late 2025

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Kingdoms of Harad, the 13th expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, was released today. Highlighting developer’s Standing Stone Games continuing commitment to this eighteen year old game. As 2025 draws to a close, I thought it would be prudent to reflect upon the current state of LOTRO and to consider what may come next year. Two words that I associated with this MMO are stable and consistent. The playerbase is loyal and dependable. Player numbers never greatly decline nor do they notably expand. LOTRO fills a very specific gaming niche and one of the reasons it retains its players is that there is no suitable alternative game. Although there is not a great deal of data in the public domain, it is generally accepted that LOTRO has an older player demographic and that many are consummate Tolkien fans.

This is the third expansion for the game that is set in the South of Middle-earth. Although many aspects of the MMO remain consistently good, such as the story telling and character development, I personally haven’t warmed to this area. Umbar, Harad and Khand are not especially detailed regions within Tolkien’s writing. I feel that the game developers have drawn too much from a stereotypical depiction of Middle-eastern culture. The sort you see in Western pop culture depictions of Sinbad and Ali Baba. For me it is an incongruous contrast to the established regions of Middle-earth. I’d rather these areas had just remained alluded to within the game, the same way they are in the Legendarium. However, what I am describing is a matter of taste. I’m sure there are LOTRO players who feel the opposite.

The latest expansion sees an increase in the level cap from 150 to 160. Thus there will be a need to replace all your existing jewellery, weapons and armour equipped on your alts. It may feel somewhat arbitrary but levelling remains an important element to many players, as does the gear treadmill. No doubt there will be an increase in the virtue traits level cap, so there is plenty to work towards over the month ahead. The expansion will at some point include new raids and instances but these really are a niche requirement and only a nominal amount of players playthrough such content. There are no new classes or races and Kingdoms of Harad does not include any new systems or mechanics. However, this should come as no surprise as SSG tends to work within established confines.

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The most significant event for LOTRO this year was the migration to 64-bit servers and the regional consolidation. The lag issue that has plagued this MMO for years has definitely improved but has not been totally eliminated. The main issue that SSG faces is a knowledge gap, as the majority of staff that built the game have gone. It’s not a case of SSG not wanting to fix issues but the fact that they can’t. Hence the game still cannot adequately support 2K and 4K gaming. It is the main reason why LOTRO always gets “more of the same”. Quests, instances and missions are known quantities. More ambitious projects such as overhauling the deed log have proven far harder. There is also a long list of issues that SSG have said that they will “look into” that remain outstanding. Standardising event or faction based barter currency is one example. Removing outdated systems from the HUD being another.

If you pay attention to the press releases from the business side of the Daybreak Game Company, it is clear that LOTRO is financially sustainable within its existing parameters. It has a stable playerbase and yields a sufficient ROI to keep moving forward. However, it was made clear by CEO Ji Ham that the much touted graphics upgrade and console version of the game would not go ahead because of the cost. He stated that they could get a new game for the price. LOTRO players have conjectured whether the cancellation of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings based MMO, will have an impact upon LOTRO. Could it mean further investment? I think not. The video game industry is contracting at present and is extremely risk averse. LOTRO continues because it generates sufficient revenue within its operational parameters. It is not seen, in business terms, as anything more than the sum of its parts.

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LOTRO players have a strong emotional attachment to the game. I also believe that the developers SSG do the best with the budgets and resources they have to work with. However, I think that it is unrealistic to expect anything more from this vintage MMO other than what it currently offers. I believe I said exactly the same thing 3 or 4 years ago in a similar post. Hence, for me the most sensible thing to do going into 2026 is be content that LOTRO still endures. At some point in the New Year a roadmap for the next twelve months will be published, although I don’t expect any surprises. A year-long content schedule will be sufficient to keep me happy. Anything else is a bonus. Due to the tumultuous nature of the video game industry at present, perhaps it isn’t wise to look any further ahead. The road may not go “ever on and on” forever.

Still Wakes The Deep

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In the wake of Disco Elysium, I’ve been playing through several other games that have a focus on narrative and plot. I began with Call of Cthulhu which I shall write about in a separate post. Let it suffice to say that although I enjoyed the game, I wasn’t quite satisfied. This is not necessarily the game’s fault, as it makes a good attempt at depicting Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror. It’s just that any game following hard on the heels of one of the best RPG’s I’ve ever played, is likely to come up short in comparison. So I looked through my game library and found that I had Still Wakes The Deep, which enjoys a good reputation for having a strong story. I subsequently played through the game over two late night sessions and was left suitably impressed. So much so that I’ve bought the additional DLC, Siren’s Rest, in the hope that it maintains the quality of its predecessor.

Still Wakes The Deep is a 2024 psychological horror video game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Secret Mode. Set in 1975, the story centres around an electrician named Cameron “Caz” McLeary (voiced by Alec Newman), who finds himself trapped on a damaged oil drilling platform in the North Sea after a mysterious drilling incident. Caz has to rescue and aid work colleagues while being hunted by various arcane monsters. He is further hampered by severe weather conditions. Played in first-person, Still Wakes The Deep has no combat as such; instead, players must use stealth and solve straightforward puzzles to ensure their survival. As you progress through the storyline, the oil rig physically changes, although the overall gameplay remains predominantly linear.

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Right from the start Still Wakes The Deep reeks of authenticity. The game environment, the oil rig BeiraD, is incredibly well realised to the extent it becomes a character itself. Not only is it technically accurate but it is embellished with authentic period details. Transistor radios, CRT televisions, even the empty beer cans are of the time. The game uses authentic Scottish regional accents making the dialogue very credible. The game subtitles are not actually verbatim, effectively providing a translation for those unfamiliar with the slang and dialect. The writing is strong, tapping into themes from the time such as trade union unrest and a cavalier attitude towards health and safety. The horror elements of the plot are not explained beyond the crew observations and there is no heavy handed expository conclusion at the game denouement.

The gameplay is mainly navigating a hazardous environment to find other crew members. This often requires solving puzzles to fix devices, open doors or otherwise access a safe route. There is a stealth mechanic and running at key moments in the game. The monsters are made up of the crew members that you met at the beginning of the game. This adds a layer of poignancy as they often retain facets of their personalities. Within the story, close proximity to the monsters causes hallucinations. In gameplay, if a monster is nearby there is a visual cue, whereby “floaters” appear in the corner of your first person perspective, which subsequently grow. This and the lack of any HUD adds greatly to the ambience. It should be noted that when being pursued there is an option to look back. This may afford you a better view of the monster pursuing but you may also run into an obstacle. Use accordingly.

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I completed Still Wakes The Deep in six hours. I frequently bungled quick time events triggered by the structural integrity of the oil rig failing. I also took my time exploring. Although there is a superb atmosphere, the gameplay is mainly functional. If the game was any longer, it could potentially outstay its welcome without a wider variety of things to do. Yet despite the somewhat A to B approach and a story that uses familiar tropes, Still Wakes The Deep punches above its weight due to the tremendous visuals, sound design, outstanding writing and authentic voice acting. It has a strong sense of eldritch, cosmic horror and its grown up tone as well as its attention to period detail aids its credibility. Be warned, the language is justifiably ripe as you’d expect from people in this line of work and from this era. I’m looking forward to the DLC and hope it continues in exactly the same idiom.

Roblox

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I frequently see advertising and promotional material for Roblox. For example, they have gift cards for the game at the supermarket checkout, along with similar products for Minecraft and Fortnite. However, I’ve never really paid any attention to it because I’m not the target demographic. This changed recently when I asked my ten year old, twin granddaughters what they were playing on their phones. They, like countless other children their age, play Roblox, so I did a quick search online to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently, Roblox has approximately 111.8 million daily active users and 380 million monthly active users worldwide. In light of such a prodigious playerbase, I thought I should look into this game further. So I installed Roblox on my PC, via the Windows Xbox app and asked the twins to give me a tour, as well as their thoughts on things.

It turns out that Roblox is actually an online platform and game creation system, rather than just a game per se. Users can play a vast number of games and activities that have been created by other players. These are known as “experiences”. Players can create and customise an avatar to use across millions of different games, which range from racing and role-playing to simulations and obstacle courses. The platform also includes social hangouts and messaging features. Roblox also accommodates the trading of virtual items. There is a large, self-sustaining virtual economy based primarily on a freemium model, where users purchase and spend the virtual currency called Robux. Creators earn that currency by developing user-generated content. Due to the vast playerbase the monetisation is very high profile. More on this later. 

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Roblox is available on all major platforms. The graphics are simple and the game doesn’t have demanding specifications. My granddaughters play via their phones, whereas I installed it on the PC, mainly because I cannot cope with playing games on a touch screen device. Creating an account was easy. Because I was using the Xbox app, my age has already been verified. As a result adults are segregated from younger players with regard to voice chat and text chat. Children can add “trusted connections” to their friends list which then enables both voice and chat services. However, players under 13 cannot use voice chat and those of 13 years or older have to verify their age and phone number. A lot of “experiences” do not support voice chat. However, players can use third party apps to bypass these restrictions. Text chat is heavily filtered with infractions being swiftly sanctioned.

What of the actual “experiences” themselves in Roblox. Well there’s a wide variety, covering multiple different genres. Stylistically, many are a curious fusion of mobile games and old school console classics. Some have the hallmarks of being “home brewed” whereas others are very slick and professional. “Obbys” or obstacle courses to you and me, are very popular and are surprisingly satisfying. Simple, uncomplicated activities are often very therapeutic and “obbys” certainly scratches that particular itch. I played a FPS called Gunfight Arena and it contained a surprisingly large amount of features, such as weapon customisation, ammunition upgrades etc. Survive 99 Nights With Deer proved quite a challenging survival game, despite its basic functionality. Sometimes less is more and just as satisfying. Pet collection games are also popular and there seem to be a lot of fishing games.

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“Experiences” are ranked by player voting and there is a chart facility in Roblox to find what is new, trending or a community favourite. Again all games have user statistics, so it is easy to discern how well a title is doing. At the time of writing Survive 99 Nights With Deer has 9.1 million visits. Which leads me onto a couple of negative aspects of Roblox. For every good “experience”, there are several asset flip games of no real value. Content does get deleted but I suspect that it’s a question of constantly trying to keep up with it. Sadly some “experiences” are egregiously monetised. Pop-up messages constantly remind you of paid upgrades and game enhancement. Cash shop buttons are placed deliberately next to touchscreen controls and in-game advertising is invasive. Due to the large playerbase Roblox attracts marketing from major brands such as Nike and Gucci.

I like the concept behind Roblox. A safe space for kids to hangout with friends, where they can play, create and express themselves. But it becomes very clear that the captive audience is a massive cash cow for content creators and companies that want to market a product or raise brand awareness among the young. My granddaughters don’t seem to notice or care about this aspect but it is jarring to me, hailing from an older era of gaming. However, there are many diverting “experiences” that are rewarding for casual gamers. Then there is the social aspects of the platform which is very important to the young. Hence I cannot be dismissive of Roblox in all honesty. And I did find the “Obbys” to be somewhat addictive. It just shows that video games continuously evolve to meet market needs and this is what is currently appealing among younger players.

Playing LOTRO at 2K and 4K

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The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online runs on a broad spectrum of PCs. From archaic laptops to high end gaming rigs, although it may require a bit of tweaking. At present, the optimal way to play the MMO is at a resolution of 1920x1080 (FHD) with the graphics setting maxed out. The graphics are sharp and the UI is readable. However, a growing number of gamers are now using 2K and 4K monitors. You can play LOTRO at higher resolutions such as 2560×1440 (QHD) and 3840x2160 (UHD) and the game looks great. However, the UI does not scale and so is very small on 2K and 4K monitors. The skill icons on the quickslots (shortcut bars) and the in-game text become difficult to see at these resolutions, which deters some players from using them. It is a known issue that Standing Stone Games are attempting to address but it is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.

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LOTRO running at 2560 x 1440 resolution with non-scaling UI

Naturally, there are workarounds which address this UI issue but they are just that, workarounds and as such are not perfect. The most common solution is to upscale the game from FHD to QHD/UHD. This way the UI remains readable. One way to do this is to use your graphic card’s software, such as AMD Adrenalin or GeForce Experience. Set the screen resolution in LOTRO to 1920 x 1080 and then use your GPU software to upscale the image to either 2K or 4K. This does work but setting it up is quite complex. There are presets for more recent gaming titles but not LOTRO, so it has to be configured manually. Furthermore, upgrades to the software can sometimes reset these settings. An easier method is to use a third party tool, such as Lossless Scaling which not only efficiently upscales the game resolution but can also provide frame generation if required.

Lossless Scaling is developed and published by THS and is a popular third-party utility primarily used by PC gamers. It applies various upscaling algorithms (including its proprietary LS1 and LSFG frame generation) to games and applications that lack native support for technologies like NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. It is available for purchase via Steam or direct from the developer and costs $6.99 (although it is frequently discounted to half that price). Lossless Scaling makes the UI and text on high-resolution monitors much larger and more readable by scaling up the lower-resolution image. Unlike some mods, Lossless Scaling operates as a post-process and does not inject anything into the game's code, so it should not trigger anti-cheat systems or cause crashes. The results are good although the upscaled icons on the quickslots can be a little soft focus.

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Quick guide to using Lossless Scaling

 Download and run Lossless Scaling: Purchase and install Lossless Scaling from Steam, and let it run in the background.

Configure LOTRO: Launch The Lord of the Rings Online and set the game to run in windowed mode.

Set the in-game resolution: Within the game's settings, choose a lower resolution that matches your monitor's aspect ratio (e.g., \(1920x1080\) for a \(16:9\) monitor, even if your display is \(4K\)).

Activate scaling: In the game, press the Lossless Scaling hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+S by default) to start the scaling process.

Adjust settings: For a better experience, consider enabling "clip cursor," adjusting "cursor speed," and setting "scaling type" to LS1 in the Lossless Scaling application's settings.

Troubleshoot: If the game freezes, try disabling features like frame generation or performance mode in Lossless Scaling's settings, as these can sometimes cause issues. 

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LOTRO running at 1920 x 1080 resolution and upscaled to 2K using Lossless Scaling (Note the larger UI)

I have been using Lossless Scaling for a week and so far I’ve not encountered any major issues. The upscaled image looks good and the game runs smoothly. As mentioned earlier, the trade off in scaling the UI is that it doesn’t look as sharp as it does in its native resolution. There are some artifacts and tearing but the increase in size is far better on the eyes. If you have HDR compliant monitors, ensure that HDR support is toggled in the Lossless Scaling settings or else LOTRO looks over exposed with washed out colours. Until SSG resolves this matter, this is by far the best solution around. The nominal price is worth every penny. Furthermore, it can be used with other games and if you have a slightly older GPU, its ability to generate frames can help with more demanding titles.

Disco Elysium: The Second Playthrough

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I recently started playing through the RPG Disco Elysium for a second time. I did not complete the game last time I played in February and March but go about two thirds of the way through the story. As far as solving the central crime, I had established an accurate cause of death for the murder victim and broadly understood the events leading to their death. The main reason I did not complete the game was because I was playing on the Nintendo Switch and found it increasingly difficult to read the text on the small screen. The loading times were also excruciatingly slow. Playing the game while “docked” helped the former but not the latter issue. Hence I bought the PC version of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut for just £5 and started again from the beginning.

The main reason I decided to play again is because I really want to reach the ending. I am invested in the unfolding story and empathetic towards the two main protagonists. I would like to see a positive conclusion to their investigation and their respective personal journeys although judging by the inherent tone of events so far, that may not be the case. I also appreciate the scope of the narrative and its intellectual depth. The game gives the player much to think about and I find that a rare quality these days. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is also clearly not an American game and its European roots are writ large in its complex faux geo-politics, lore and racial dynamics. This is both a unique game and experience. One that I’m simply just not done with yet. I need to see it through.

The main difference between this playthrough and the previous one, is that I have the benefit of hindsight. I know the sequence of events that I previously encountered and this time round I am seeking to pursue them in an optimal fashion. There is such breadth to the branching dialogue trees, that I don’t necessarily have to follow an identical path to last time. I have discovered much that is new to me, due to the game’s breadth. I am also judiciously “save scumming” and it has allowed me to uncover a lot more possible outcomes. This has helped no end with handling my interactions with various characters and afforded me a better perspective on their backstories. This second playthrough has allowed me to focus more on side quests. I don’t have to worry about earning rent as I know that on day 3 of the game, I can find alternative, free lodgings.

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Playing on a PC, compared to my previous experience on the Switch, is also quite a revelation. I certainly appreciate the artstyle and design aspects of the game a lot more on a larger screen, at a higher resolution and with HDR. The game soundtrack by Sea Power is also striking, something I didn’t notice as much last time. However, the main benefit of this second play through is simply being able to read the dialogue text on screen, clearly and without impediment. The branching dialogue trees are key to this game and although Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is fully voice acted, it is important to be able to examine the text of what has been said and be able to digest it. There is a great deal of political, philosophical and theological content referenced throughout the game that is complex and requires consideration.

I am usually cautious about second playthroughs of games that I have found especially engaging. I have not replayed Skyrim, The Witcher III or Red Dead Redemption 2 as I wish to retain my first impressions of each respectively, as I feel they are all major gaming landmarks. Also because I invested a great deal of time into each and I would feel obliged to do the same again to attain a broadly comparable experience. On a practical level that isn’t viable. Because Disco Elysium is such a unique beast, I have returned to it to complete an experience, as opposed to revisiting a previous one. By finishing the game I believe I will have a better appreciation of it, as well as having the satisfaction of knowing what fate befalls Harry Du Bois and Kim Katsuragi. Two of the most well defined and intriguing characters in video games.

MMO Tropes: The Current Meta

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I recently read a post on Massively Overpowered about skills rotation in the MMORPG genre. I found the subsequent discussion in the comments fascinating. Mainly because I have never used a fixed rotation of skills in any of the MMORPGs that I play. I understand the reasoning behind such things and why some players want to optimise their combat performance. Using one’s skills in a specific order to maximise damage and manage their subsequent cooldown has a logical appeal. In Star Trek Online, some players go so far as to create keybinds for their rotations and assign it to a specific hotkey, which is then continuously pressed throughout combat. However, rotations are a blunt tool that lack flexibility, often being geared towards dealing with a single target or using an area of effect skill against a larger group. They may not be the optimal approach to combat when things do not go to plan.

Skill rotations are just a part of a wider culture of optimisation and automation, not only in the MMO genre but in gaming per se. A lot of gamers seek to determine what is the best gear or overall build within a game and spend a lot of time min-maxing until they arrive at a consensus. Although these waters can be muddied by such things as play style, in a lot of games that are based around the acquisition and upgrading of gear, there usually tends to be specific items or combinations of them that yield the best results. Hence we see a prevailing game meta emerge. Meta being “most effective tactic available” although the term also covers loadouts and builds. A clear example of this is in Call of Duty: Warzone, where the “Holy Grail” of builds is a weapon with a high rate of fire and damage, with little recoil. Despite launching three weeks ago, a clear meta is emerging in Battlefield 6.

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From a logical perspective, knowing which build or gear is the optimal is beneficial. However, the obvious downside to prevailing gaming metas is that they can limit player choice. Any item of strategy that is sub-optimal is redundant. Hence metas potentially remove fun and stifle creativity. It can also affect role-playing elements. Standardising aspects of a game can lead to a repetitive experience where players feel obliged to follow the meta to stay competitive. It also negates large swathes of gear and items, even classes, as they are deemed sub-par and therefore a poor choice. In multiplayer games, those who have not pursued the prevailing meta may find themselves excluded from group content as they may not be able to perform their respective role as efficiently. Additionally, the relentless pursuit of efficiency and overall optimisation can lead to a community of “tryhards” and “sweats”. 

If all of these criticisms are correct then why do gaming metas prevail? One reason is the inherent complexity of modern video games, especially the MMORPG genre. There are a lot of systems to learn as well as game mechanics. Not all of these are immediately understandable and many have a basis in mathematics thus not universally appealing. When starting a new game, many gamers do not want to get bogged down in excessive tutorials and explanations. They simply want to learn as they play. If the complexities of a game are unappealing and you have neither the time or inclination to learn, then it is quicker and easier just to follow a meta build recommendation. I have been playing The Lord of the Rings Online for 17 years and I still only have the broadest understanding of the game’s statistical system. I know that Will is important for the Lore-master class but not exactly why. 

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Prevailing game metas also pose a problem for developers, as they strive to seek balance within their games. This requires continuous monitoring of data to inform adjustments. However, altering the meta through balance changes can anger players who have invested time and resources into the previous meta strategies, potentially leading to community issues. Developers need to regularly “shake up” the existing meta with new content or balance changes to keep the game fresh and prevent player burnout, which is crucial for long-term player retention in live-service games such as MMOs. Yet players always find ways to optimize the “fun out of a game” (as some players see it) faster than developers can anticipate. Sometimes, a meta related problem stems from a fundamental flaw in a core game mechanic, which might require a complex rework rather than simple numerical tweaks. 

Emerging game metas seems to be a “chicken and the egg” problem and not just for the MMO and other multiplayer subgenres. Unless there are some fundamental changes to the standard mechanics used in most games, they will always emerge. Introducing “dynamic” mechanics is one approach, where systems can change due to external factors. The so-called Rock, Paper, Scissor approach where for every strategy or class advantage there is a hcounter-strategy, preventing any single approach from being universally dominant. This ensures the “best” strategy is situational and dependent on what the opponent is doing. However, this may be a little too close to “random”, which is seldom appealing. Then there’s the issue of skill. That however, is an entire blog post in itself. In the meantime, it is apparent that for the present prevailing metas will endure in games and we just have to live with them.

Battlefield REDSEC

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The Battlefield 6 Battle Royale game mode, known officially as Battlefield REDSEC, was released today at 15;00 on all platforms. REDSEC, which is short for “Redacted Sector,” offers an interesting take on the Battle Royale genre, blending familiar elements from games such as Fortnight and Warzone, while maintaining those unique aspects of Battlefield. Hence, you will find missions, loot crates and an ever decreasing environment, as well as the squad class dynamics and the destructible environment. The map offers both urban areas as well as open countryside thus supporting multiple play styles. Furthermore, REDSEC includes two additional modes. Gauntlet and Portal. Although it has launched alongside the first season of Battlefield 6 (which comes with an optional season pass), REDSEC is available to download as a standalone mode and is free-to-play. 

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REDSEC Battle Royale FAQ:

• REDSEC is set in Fort Lyndon, California. 

• The map includes beachside suburbia, a golf course and a military blacksite. 

• It’s the largest map in Battlefield history.

• Instead of an enclosing circle of gas, there is a ring of fire which kills instantly.

• The game mode supports 100 players, or 25 squads of 50 duos, battling it out. 

• Each class can unlock new gear through training paths. IE RPGs can be upgraded to guided missiles and drones can be upgraded to carry ordinance.

• Armoured vehicles are present in the game. M1 Abrams tanks and M3 Bradley armoured personnel carriers are located in locked Vehicle Trailers.

• There are Redeployment Stations around the map, although respawning is not as ubiquitous in this Battle Royale.

• Players can favourite up to 8 weapons loadouts, which can be accessed in-game via Custom Weapon Drops.

• There are crates offering random weapons and gear. There are also safes which the Engineer class can open with his tool.

• Players can equip two personal armour plates.

• There are multiple ziplines around the map.

Gauntlet Mode:

Gauntlet is a separate mode that is a relatively short, elimination-driven gameplay experience. 32 players (eight squads of four players) are dispersed across Fort Lyndon and must fight through various round-based missions. Players have five minutes to complete the objective for each round. The missions and locations change for each round. Gauntlet is focused upon teamwork and coordination.

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Portal Mode:

Portal allows Battlefield 6 players to create their own game modes and bespoke maps. REDSEC Portal brings these tools to the Fort Lyndon map. Two official Portal maps are currently available with more set to follow in the weeks to come.

Battle Pass:

Coinciding with the launch of REDSEC, is Season 1 for Battlefield 6 and an accompanying battle pass system. This shares unlockable rewards and XP progress between both the base game and its Battle Royale REDSEC counterpart. EA have stated that they have no plans for there to be any exclusive REDSEC unlocks. However, not all skins from Battlefield 6 will be available. There is also an in-game store selling cosmetic items but so far, these remain within an military idiom.

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Initial Thoughts:

I logged into REDSEC this afternoon and as I had bought the Phantom Edition of Battlefield 6, I had a free season pass with the first 25 levels unlocked. I then spent some time playing Battle Royale mode and then went online to watch some livestreams. At first glance, anyone coming from another major BR game will find a lot of familiar mechanics. You drop into the map with a squad and collect gear and perks from crates along the way. You can then pursue missions to gain XP and upgrades to your weapons and gear, while eliminating other players. You can access your own loadouts and use vehicles to traverse the map, although heavy armour is not so easily accessible. The main difference is to succeed you need to lean into the game’s squad dynamics and utilise their respective skills. 

Healing your team is important, so Support classes are advantageous with their ability to revive players quickly. That being said, all players can drag a downed teammate to cover and heal them but it takes longer. Engineers improve vehicles by their presence and can repair on the fly. The tactical ladder that accompanies the Assault class is invaluable, affording access to vantage points that aren’t accessible from the ground. The Recon class has the advantage of drones and the ability to drop bombs on targets. However, the biggest game changer in this Battle Royale is the destructible environment. You can create your own access into a building with C4 or a sledgehammer. Similarly, if an enemy squad is entrenched in a fortified position, you can demolish it with sufficient fire power. Plus, there is no ultraquick omnimovement in this game. Speedy gunfights may work in some scenarios but not all.

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So far, I think that Battlefield REDSEC is sufficiently different from its competitors. Due to the franchise’s game mechanics, there is greater appeal to casual and new players because they will be able to find a role if gunplay is not their forte. No doubt REDSEC will attract “sweaty tryhards” but they may not find things to their liking and their standard strategy will not work so well in this environment. There won’t be any gas play clutches, as in Warzone and last moment heroics driven by omnimovement and hipfire may be far less commonplace. It may even be the case that vehicles prove to be the key to winning. Also, Javelin, a custom kernel-level anti-cheat system, may also be a major factor in keeping REDSEC an equitable gaming experience because it appears to work. Time will tell. In the meantime I believe the correct assessment of today’s release is “so far, so good”.

Screenshots from Jackfrags livestream.

Waiting For Amazon's Lord of the Rings MMO

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Tolkien enthusiasts may recollect Athlon Games, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies, announcing that it was developing a new MMORPG, based upon The Lord of the Rings, back in September 2018. The following summer, it was revealed that Amazon Game Studios was the partner developer for the project. In late 2020, Leyou Technologies (a Hong Kong-based company), was acquired by the Chinese conglomerate Tencent. This triggered a contract clause with the license holder, Middle-earth Enterprises, allowing them to terminate the existing arrangement if a new deal could not be met. Amazon and Tencent were unable to agree upon how to proceed with the project, leading Amazon to withdraw from negotiations. The project was subsequently scrapped. No details or images of the MMO have been released.

However, despite the project being terminated, Amazon Games still wished to develop a game based upon Tolkien’s Legendarium. No doubt driven by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ love of this intellectual property, plus the fact that Amazon MGM Studios is committed to producing further seasons of the TV show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Hence, in May 2023, it was announced that another The Lord of the Rings MMO was in the early stages of production. This time, the development and publishing of the game is under a new agreement with Embracer Group’s who bought Middle-earth Enterprises in August 2022. The new game is being developed by Amazon Games Orange County, the same studio that created the MMO New World. At present, it is not clear how far into development the game is or the scheduled release date. 

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Two and a half years on from the initial announcement, no major details of this new MMO have been released. However, there is no indication that the project is in any sort of difficulty either. Thus it is logical to assume that no news is good news and that the game is still in full production. From the little information that is in the public domain it would appear that the game will be utilising an evolved version of the Azoth Engine (which was developed for New World) to deliver a distinct realisation of Middle-earth. One of the game’s aims is to be able to support large-scale multiplayer battles. At present the developers are searching for a unique “hook” to differentiate the game from others in the genre. Apparently, the game is not linked to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is set in the Second Age. Instead the game is clearly set in the literary events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Naturally, such a dearth of information has led to a great deal of speculation from Tolkien fans and gamers. Firstly, the term MMO is very nebulous and can include a wide variety of gaming genres and sub-genres these days. Is this game a traditional MMORPG with a persistent world, quests, player progression and a key social dynamic, like New World itself. Or are we looking at a game with an emphasis on multiplayer battles with the social elements being adjacent to the main game, such as Destiny 2 or something similar? What will the business model be? A freemium hybrid like traditional MMOs, or a totally free-to-play game with a season pass? Furthermore, will this new game be available across multiple platforms, as New World, The Elder Scrolls Online and Neverwinter?

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For many gamers perhaps the biggest question is how will the release of a new multiplayer game based upon Tolkien’s work, impact upon the existing MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. From a business perspective, can two such games co-exist without threatening each other’s business prospects, or will there be licensing issues? Although Star Wars Galaxies was not directly "killed off" to make way for Star Wars: The Old Republic, its closure was the result of a mutual decision by LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) after their contract was set to expire and because they felt there was no need for two Star Wars MMOs. Could something similar be a possibility here? LOTRO is currently 18 years old and has a small but loyal playerbase. However, it clearly is not going to grow any further. Would a significant proportion of its core players migrate to a new game?

Competition is a healthy thing, in principle at least and it is nice as a consumer to have choice. I am always interested in different people’s visions of Professor Tolkien's work, such as artists like Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith, so for me a new game would be welcome purely from a creative and aesthetic perspective. The themes and lore of Middle-earth lend themselves to a variety of interpretations, so I see no benefit in creating an MMO that just replicates what LOTRO does. However, business is often loath to deviate from the tried and tested models that are currently profitable, so there is a possibility that gamers may well just get the same meat, but with different gravy. All of the so-called WoW killers that were released over the last 15 years have essentially followed that game’s formula.

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I would like the new LOTR MMO to be a less linear game with more dynamic content and the chance to develop characters that aren't solely based around combat. To be able to lose oneself in a virtual Middle Earth, where you are free to explore, craft, farm, trade or simply wander would be a true marvel and a massive step forward for gamers and fans of the IP. If such a system could be combined with optional narrative quests and multiplayer battles, then it may be the perfect compromise. But such ideas are not necessarily practical, achievable or economically viable. The development costs required to create such a world would be substantial and the risk of such an experimental project would be substantial. Such an undertaking is best left to the likes of Raph Koster. In the meantime, we just have to wait and manage our expectations, which is a gamer’s default position.

Battlefield 6: Farming XP and AFK Bot Servers

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One aspect of Battlefield 6 that some players struggle with is unlocking and levelling up new weapons. Players begin the game with a selection of weapons from each class but you then have to actively play with each of them to unlock specific attachments via Mastery XP. Further weapons become available as players gain experience and increase their overall Career Rank. Players who are well versed in playing the FPS genre will naturally progress faster. The downside to this is that new players equipped with a base weapon end up going up against seasoned players with superior firearms. Both Mastery and Career Rank XP are doled out according to team and individual performance in each game you play. It is a slow grind for players to unlock weapon and vehicle resources. Double XP tokens go some way to address this issue but they do not mitigate the progression speed, which exists by design.

However, this problem has been creatively addressed by the player base. Battlefield 6 allows players to create custom servers and populate them with bots. These can be shared with other players or used privately. Hence within hours of the game launching on 10th October, players have been creating bot farms and playing against low threat AI bots to gain both types of XP, frictionlessly. Unfortunately, as of today Battlefield Studios have now nerfed the ability to gain Mastery XP from custom games with bots. You can no longer use such servers for Daily Missions, Assignments or Challenges either. However, farming Match Completion Bonus which counts towards your Career Rank XP, is still possible at the time of writing this post. Players can set up a private AFK bot server with games that last just 4 minutes, which yields 3465 XP each time.

To set up a private AFK bot server, go to Battlefield Portal and sign in with their EA account credentials. Then follow the steps below.

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• Click Create New and then select Portal Custom (not Verified Modes). 

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• Then choose Default and click on Start Editing. 

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• The first setting that you can configure is the game time. Set this to 4 minutes which is below the game timeout for being AFK. 

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• Leave all other settings to their respective defaults and then click on Publish, on the drop down menu on the left of the screen. 

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• The next screen allows you to name the server. Click on Step 3, again on the drop down menu on the left of the screen, to to go to the Publish Experience page. 

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• Finally click on Create New and then Submit To Publishing, to complete the process.  Your custom game will be flagged as Pending but you can still use it.

To run the server, start Battlefield 6 and navigate to Community and My Experience, where you will find your customer server. Host it and let it run. It will not be visible to other players. A multiplayer game will start and finish every 4 minutes, giving you 3465 XP Match Completion Bonus each time. You don’t have to do anything else and can go AFK. This method can be used on both consoles and PCs. It should yield good results for players just starting to level in the game but it should be noted that as you advance your Career Rank, the amount of XP required for the next level always increases. Hence a level 1 player running such a server running for six hours may gain 6 levels, whereas a level 45 player doing the same may only gain half that amount. Use accordingly and remember that this workaround may also be nerfed at a later date by Battlefield Studios.

Battlefield 6: More Tips

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Multiplayer gameplay in Battlefield 6 is often fast, chaotic and disorientating. There are numerous controls to learn and game mechanics to familiarise yourself with. It can be a struggle at times to try and navigate your keyboard while under fire. Often you will lose in a gunfight simply because you don’t know about something important that could help you out or save your life. Like many other online games, it all comes down to experience. So here are some further tips regarding gameplay, settings and online etiquette, that will broaden your knowledge of Battlefield 6 and hopefully improve your online experience. As ever these tips are in no particular order. Some may be self-evident, others not. They’re written from the perspective of a PC player but are applicable to all platforms.

• Any class can drag and heal another incapacitated player. This is essential to conserving tickets.

• Interact with Support players by pressing E, LS to replenish ammo. Alternatively request ammo by using the radial menu.

• Take the high ground in combat. It is easier to spot enemies and direct your squad from elevated positions. It is easier to fire down on an enemy for an enemy to fire up. 

• Within the game’s graphic settings lower the World Brightness from 50 to 40. It improves visual clarity.

• Do not take vehicles without allowing other players the option of joining you. A solo player cannot drive as well as fire primary and secondary weapons. Vehicles have both an offensive use, as well as providing team transportation.

• Use the combat roll to negate or reduce fall damage. Just press jump while dropping down from a building. For distances under 8 metres and you sustain no damage.

• Do not use a sniper rifle outside of the Recon class as it randomly misses shots by design. 

• Charge your defibrillators by pressing the trigger on your mouse or controller before reviving players, as it brings them back with more health.

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• Suppressed weapons do not show as a red dot on the minimap at 15 metres distance, when fired. Players firing suppressed weapons in your line of sight do not  show a red dot above their heads.

• Use the tactical ladder to access windows, climb walls and to reach elevated cover.

• Support class ammo bags are proximity-based and will resupply ammo in the AoE radius. The bag also provides a low, passive heal over time. Ammo bags can also be used to boost your initial stock of grenades and RPGs.

• Initiation Breakthrough is a tutorial game mode featuring enemy bots, designed for new players to learn the basics of the game. It becomes unavailable between levels 10 to 20, depending on how much you use it.

• Turn on Helicopter Control Assist within the game settings, as it allows the helicopter to hover automatically when no player input is applied.

• When driving a tank, you can toggle between two different types of ammunition. Choose between anti-personnel or armour piercing, when in combat.

• When on fire, extinguish flames by going prone and crawling.

Battlefield 6: Tips

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Although Battlefield 6 is a straightforward and self-explanatory multiplayer FPS, there are a great deal of controls, systems and game mechanics to master. Simply learning your controller or keyboard layout takes some time. There is also a lot of information about the game that, if known, can greatly improve your online experience. These can range from simple changes to default settings to understanding how weapons handle in-game and how to control them effectively. Hence, I thought it would be useful to new or returning players, to collate a list of tips for Battlefield 6. Some are quite obvious where others may not be quite so well known. They’re in no particular order. Hopefully you’ll find them useful.

• Do not fire your weapon continuously because the longer you fire, the more bullet spread (or bloom ) you will experience. Tap fire to reduce bloom. You can also switch to semi-auto or burst fire (if the weapon supports it) for increased accuracy.

• Mount your weapon on both horizontal and vertical surfaces for stability. If your weapon has a bipod equipped, press the melee button while lying prone to mount on the ground.

• Weapons are zeroed to 50 metres, apart from sniper rifles. Therefore when ADS firing at close range, aim lower, IE at the groin or abdomen, to hit the central body mass. Otherwise you will fire too high.

• Hip firing at close quarters is quicker and potentially more accurate.

• When in combat, go prone selectively and tactically as you don’t register on the minimap when shooting and there is less recoil.

• Use the game audio to your advantage. The game’s sound design is very good at providing audio cues and indicating location. Using a headset greatly helps pinpoint sounds.

• Use the minimap. Increase its size via settings and consult it regularly. It shows enemy locations as well as your squad mates and team. Use it to locate resources such as ammo supplies. 

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• Spot enemies by aiming at them and pressing the Q, L1 or LB. It is easier using a drone on the Recon class as you just have to move the crosshairs over the target to mark them.

• Use the mounted heavy weapons such as the machine guns and recoilless guns when targets present themselves. They are accurate and deadly if used effectively. If possible, have a squad mate cover you while using mounted weapons.

• Whenever possible attack tanks from the rear, where their armour is weakest. If you’re a Recon class, be creative with the use of C4. IE attach to vehicles and drones etc.

• Engineers can use smoke grenades to provide cover when advancing, retreating and  reviving players. Remember that smoke can be countered by the use of thermal weapon optics.

• When running, stow your weapons and run with your combat knife, defibrillators or engineer tool equipped, to go faster.

• Beware sniper scope glint. White glint shows a sniper aiming. A rainbow glint indicates that you’re at the right range for a one shot kill.

• The Support class can use deployable cover at strategic locations and chokepoints. Engineers can repair deployable cover.

• Any class can change the default melee weapon from knife to a sledgehammer. Use them to get through walls and floors, providing alternate routes to a strategic target.

Battlefield 6: Thoughts on the Launch

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When Battlefield 2042 launched on 19th November 2021, it was a complete dog’s dinner. There were technical issues, including widespread bugs, poor performance and inconsistent hit registration. The launch was also criticized for the removal of core gameplay features like the class system, a scoreboard, and a server browser, which led to the game being considered unfinished and incomplete at release. Although developers, Battlefield Studios, worked hard to address many of the issues arising from the launch, the net result was that the franchise’s reputation was harmed. However, the beta testing of Battlefield 6 throughout August this year, has done much to restore the franchise’s good standing with a game that has clearly returned to a formula that works.

Hence, yesterday’s launch of Battlefield 6 was of particular significance. Players would finally be able to experience the entirety of the new game and determine if Battlefield really was “back”. It was also a chance for developer’s, Battlefield Studios, to restore the franchise’s reputation. Fortunately, the launch went relatively well, with record player counts being set (740,000 concurrent players on Steam) as soon as the game went live at 16:00 GMT. However, there were some problems such as the game not working at all via the EA app, thus inconveniencing a sizable group of players. There were also some general errors such as “DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED”, which PC players encountered across multiple platforms. And being a game launch, there were server queues, which at one point were over a quarter of a million.

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Thankfully, within 24 hours the majority of these issues were resolved. During this period I had to use EA support and I was impressed how quick and efficient the live chat option was. The communication was clear and the troubleshooting comprehensive. I was finally able to launch and play Battlefield 6 at about 13:00 PM today. The game is extremely well optimised and immediately configured the graphics to a level my PC could handle, without any need for me to do any fine tuning. Despite there still being an extremely large number of concurrent players, finding a multiplayer game does not take long and the server performance is robust. All of which is a step up from Call of Duty: Warzone where finding and connecting to a game can sometimes take 3 or 4 minutes. It will be interesting to see what happens when Battlefield 6 releases its Battle Royale game and starts directly competing with Warzone.

It is worth noting that EA were acutely aware that there were problems with the launch of Battlefield 6 yesterday. They were not as bad as those that blighted its predecessor but a lot of people were inconvenienced. While writing this post I received an email from EA addressing the failure of the EA app and apologising for the problem. As compensation they have offered the following. “Anyone on the EA app who was impacted will receive 12 Hardware and 12 Career 60-Minute Boosters, which should be arriving in impacted players’ in-game inbox this weekend. In addition, we will also be granting impacted players full access to a seasonal Battle Pass. Phantom Edition owners will get Season 2’s full Battle Pass”. As someone who uses the EA app and who purchased the Phantom Edition of the game, I appreciated the gesture. I shall share my thoughts on live gameplay in my next post.

LOTRO: Free Transfers from Former 32-bit Game Worlds

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After a six month migration period, Standing Stone Games formally closed all their legacy 32-bit game servers for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, on the 31st August 2025. Despite this planned closure being widely discussed via the game’s official forums, professional video game websites and fan blogs, many LOTRO players were unaware of this deadline. Hence many were unable to migrate their respective alts to the new 64-bit servers. Naturally those affected by these closures were upset, especially those with longstanding characters who didn’t relish the prospect of starting from scratch with a new alt. Thankfully, SSG have been true to their word and as of today, have re-opened these “dark worlds” to character transfers. If you have an alt trapped on one of the older game worlds, then now is the time to use the transfer wizard and move them to a new active game world.

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Standing Stone Games have a comprehensive transfer guide on their website which is well worth reading. I have also made a video of how to use the transfer wizard, here. Due to historical differences between the US and European LOTRO game servers, alts from U 32-bit servers have to be migrated to US 64-bit servers. Similarly, alts from EU 32-bit servers have to be migrated to EU 64-bit servers. The service is free of charge and SSG is offering transfers from the “dark worlds” until 1st October 2027, which is a sizable timeframe. Players should bear in mind that depending on demand, the transfer service can take anything between 24 hours and several days to complete. Also, that the “dark worlds” are only available for character transfer. You cannot log into them. If players experience any issues when transferring alts, they should contact SSG customer support.

Playing Hell Let Loose: Buying the Game and the Practice Range

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I bought Hell Let Loose last night. A decision I suspect that I shall regret. Despite the fact that I know that the YouTube videos of this game are carefully curated and therefore not truly representative of the reality of its gameplay, I felt compelled to try this World War II multiplayer tactical first-person shooter. From time to time I find a game that really appeals to me as a concept and I want to play it. However, more often than not these are online multiplayer games and as such the human element is distinctly “variable”. Hence the idealised gameplay that I imagine is a far cry from what playing the game is really like. I’m sure I am not alone in this mindset. Sometimes I have to just “get it out of my system” and the only real way to do that is buy the game in question, be disappointed and then move on.

I wrote a post a while back where I speculated that Hell Let Loose is one of those games that it’s best to watch, rather than play and I now get to prove or disprove that theory. At least such an experiment is good for a few blog posts. The first step was naturally to buy a copy of the game and so I looked at several price comparison websites yesterday to see whether this was going to be a costly endeavour. I noticed there were about 3 permutations of Hell Let Loose (Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate) and a lot of DLC. I quickly discovered that the DLC is mainly cosmetic outfits and weapon skins. Not game maps. So I bought the cheapest version I could from a reputable vendor, spending £16 from Fanatical. There was a sale on at the time and I had just 10 minutes to spare before the discount expired and the price returned to £42 which is not such a bargain.

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The game is approximately a 54GB install. Not that’s a problem as I have a 4 Terabyte NVMe M.2 SSD. One of my better purchases. On launching Hell Let Loose for the first time I didn’t encounter any issues of note, apart from my usual problem of trying to get the game to display on my second monitor. I could drag a windowed version over to my screen of choice and it stayed there once I did so. However, when I quit and relaunched Hell Let Loose, it defaulted back to the primary display. So I used MultiMonitorTool and the problem was resolved. The graphic settings were turned up to Epic by default and as my graphics card didn’t object I left them as such. Hell Let Loose is a handsome looking game that uses Unreal Engine 4. After looking at the graphic settings I spent some time pursuing the keybindings, of which there are many.

Next, I started looking through the various classes and factions in the Barracks. It was then that I noticed that all were unlocked and that I had downloaded and installed the game client for the test server. A mistake but a useful one, as it allowed me to see a much wider variety of builds other than the base ones. I then moved on to the Practice Range and experimented with various weapons. I found the bolt action rifles to be very accurate and was also surprised by the low recoil on the fully automatic weapons such as SMGs and LMGs. Grenades can be thrown over arm or under arm but there is no visual assist to help you gauge the distance. You effectively have to learn manually and assess the distance by how high you raise your arm. I also tried driving a few vehicles which are quite complex, as there are manual gears to master.

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What I didn’t do after all this was to jump headlong into a live game. I have decided that due to the complexity of Hell Let Loose, which is a much different beast to Warzone or even Battlefield, I shall watch a few YouTube videos and try and orient myself first. Having a keymap on my other monitor may be useful and learning some basic tips may well improve my first gameplay experience. I also have to set up my headset as communication with other players is key in this game. This is likely to be the one aspect of the game that I’ll like least, as open microphones do seem to be a magnet for the worst sorts of gamers. I did however, install the live game client and delete the test server version. All I have to do now is find an evening when I have a few hours spare and then log into a live game and see how it goes. I’ll share my thoughts in the next post.