Contracting Out Work in LOTRO

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I recently decided to focus upon crafting on my new Hunter. I’ve opted for the explorer professions on this character as refining raw material is always a good way of making in-game gold. However, over recent weeks I’ve focused on levelling and have not processed any wood or ore from the various zones that I worked through. Thus, last week I found myself in Eregion and I couldn’t mine any of the ore nodes or gather timber. If I wanted to progress, I had to consider the following options. I could return to the starter zones and farm the resources I needed then process them, unlocking the next levels. Or I could buy what stocks of wood and ore that I required from the auction house and again work through the crafting tiers. The first option didn’t really appeal to me and the second was dependent on stock levels of various resources on Auction House. So, after some thought I decided the best alternative was to contract out the gathering work.

Laurelin is a busy role-play server with a lot of new players. Many of whom are time rich and gold poor. The hyperinflation you’ll find in a decade old MMO, put’s new players at a disadvantage. As a longtime LOTRO player the one thing I do have is substantial gold reserves. Let it suffice to say that after a quick conversation in the trade channel, I secure three eager players who were happy to go to the various zones and farm ore, wood and hides for me. Within an evening, I had sufficient materials to unlock all processing tiers I required. The cost was 300 gold and a few class specific items that I had been stock piling for exactly such an occasion. The players I contracted went away content as they felt that they had been adequately rewarded and had gained XP while farming for me. All round, it was a “win, win” situation.

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Having played LOTRO for years, although I still find a lot of the game’s arbitrary tasks enjoyable, some can be a little tedious. However, I must admit I had a lot of fun arranging this recent outsourcing of work. It reminded me of the halcyon days of LOTRO when raiding was still a big thing. I used to buy morale and power potions when they were cheap and then sell them high over the weekend when people would play through group content. I always found auction house speculation an amusing mini game and suspect that regular contracting out of gathering tasks may serve a similar purpose. Furthermore, isn’t this a classic example of so-called “emergent content” that stems from player interaction in MMOs? Although there may be a few purists who frown on such activities, I think you have to take your pleasures, where you find them, be it in LOTRO or any other MMO.

LOTRO: The Codemasters Years

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On 23rd February 2013 I was invited along with several other members of the LOTROCommunity (AKA the unofficial forums) to listen to an online talk from a former Codemasters employee. It was regarding their involvement with the European service of The Lord of the Rings Online between 2007 and 2011. Sincilbanks (their forum name at the time) was online customer services manager and during their tenure oversaw the daily administration and support of the game for non-US customers. The discussion provided a very interesting insight into the running of the MMO and drew attention to clear ideological and business differences between Codemasters and Turbine at the time. It also highlighted the significance of EU customers to Turbine and answered some of the questions that have persisted over the years regarding the disparity between the two services. 

One of the first things discussed was the size of the EU service during the Codemasters years, which was comparable to that of the US during this period. Furthermore, over half of the EU service were German or German-speaking. LOTRO was a subscription game at the time and therefore this regional market had a sizeable value attached to it. As a result, Turbine wanted to buy the Online department of Codemasters in 2009. The deal did not go through as an agreement could not be reached upon that value. Some interesting details regarding the business setup also emerged. Codemasters Online was a small and autonomous department within the wider company, managing several licensed MMOs such as ArchLord, RF Online and LOTRO. Unlike other divisions of Codemasters, the subscription business model and the focus upon peak concurrent users meant that revenue was regular and more reliable. Traditional games finances are more associated with targeted and specific sales windows. 

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A point that came up quite quickly was the way the EU service under Codemasters would often hold in-game events, had a more flexible approach to account hacking and seemed to have a more proactive group of GMs. During the course of the discussion it became clear that Turbine had less GMs and that they were less knowledgeable regarding LOTRO. The servers had a great deal of functionality built into them which allowed for ad-hoc activities. Codemasters staff were very au fait with this but Turbine were constantly reticent to allow these features to be used. There was a fear of server crashes and a loss of service. The US customer services were very much focused on the cost per ticket ratio and anything that impacted upon that. US businesses are also more culturally risk averse in this area for legal reasons. Hence the North American service of LOTRO was very much bound by procedure. Codemasters Online had to push hard for any activity involving direct player interaction and even securing dedicated role play servers.

The subject of F2P and the infamous EU transition proved to be perhaps the most intriguing. The launch of the new business model for European players was delayed by nearly two months. As most people suspected at the time it came down to legal complications and the practicalities of localisation. Apparently a lot of the better aspects of the free to play business model were suggested by Codemasters because of their experience with other titles. Bind on acquire store items and 30 days support from the last purchase are examples of these. When Turbine successfully consolidated the EU service into their Global initiative, Codemasters Online naturally did their best to facilitate that process and offer viable support.

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Concerns were legitimately raised with regard to Turbines ability to meet the needs of European customers. EU players are governed by different consumer laws and have a proactive mindset regarding their consumer rights. Multi language support was a key factor in the transition. EU customers have often been very outspoken regarding the quality of localisation which they feel has now dropped. It should also be noted that there are cultural considerations when dealing with non-North American countries. This is due to cultural differences regarding both complaining per se and atttitudes towards consumer rights. During Codemasters stewardship of LOTRO, the highest player to ticket ratio was generated by German customers. On hindsight Turbine may not have been fully prepared for such regional differences.

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Finally some other points of interest that emerged where the respective roles of Warner Bros. who acquired Turbine in 2010 and that of the Tolkien Estate. It was stated that Warner Bros. where not a major presence and that there was no immediate change in relationships between all parties as a result of the acquisition. It will come as no surprise that the Tolkien estate were robust in the defence of their IP and maintained the same stance as they have always done. The informal chat with Sincilbanks ran for about 100 minutes and was punctuated by relevant and measured questions from those present. This event was not in any way a tirade of abuse or recrimination. Nor did it seek to claim that one service was superior to the other. It was simply a personal perspective upon the European version of LOTRO, from the games launch in 2007 until May 2011. A period of time the speaker considered to be the best of their working life.

Contains Moderate Peril Podcast to Celebrate 10 Years of LOTRO

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Over the last ten years, both Brian and I have had a long and at times tumultuous relationship with the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Yet we both have a great deal of affection for the game along with many fond memories. It has been a subject that we have regularly discussed on our various podcasts. Therefore, we thought it would be a great idea to dedicate an entire episode of the Contains Moderate Peril podcast, to LOTRO and reflect upon its highs and occasional lows. Furthermore, rather than just reminiscing from our own perspective, we feel it would be far more interesting to hear the opinions of fans and wider the community. Therefore, we are formally inviting you, as players of LOTRO, to tell us about your memories and experiences of this truly enduring MMO.

To try and make this process as accessible as possible, we’re happy to accept submissions in any of the following formats.

1.) Comment on this post. Potentially the easiest way. Tell us about how you started playing LOTRO or what has been the most memorable experience you’ve had in the game. What do you like about the LOTRO and its community. What are your hopes and aspirations for the games future development. It’s up to you what exactly you want to tell us about. We’d love to hear from you.

2.) Email. Why not drop us a line care of rogeredwards@containsmoderateperil.com and recount an anecdote about the game. Again, it’s up to you what you want to share with us about LOTRO. There is no right or wrong way to do this.

3.) Audio file. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, why not record your reminiscence about LOTRO or send us a message from your buddies or kinship? Most smart phones have a voice recorder these days. We won’t be too picky about the audio quality. WAV or MP3 files are the preferred format.

Please note, although we intend to produce a longer than average podcast to celebrate the 10th anniversary of LOTRO, it is inevitable that we shall have to make some editorial decisions about content. Therefore, please bear in mind that submitting material does not guarantee its inclusion in the shows final edit. The usual legal caveats regarding content also apply.

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Because Standing Stone Games anniversary celebrations for LOTRO are scheduled to run throughout the next two months, we’ve set a deadline for content submissions of Sunday the 7th May. Provisionally the release date for the finished podcast is Friday the 12th of May. This may be subject to change depending on the response we get.

Brian and I have wanted to do some kind of vox pop with our listeners for several years now and feel that combining this with the LOTRO anniversary is a great opportunity. Therefore, we’re both looking forward to hearing from fellow LOTRO players and enjoying your stories, vignettes and anecdotes. I’m sure there are many familiar voices to be heard but I’m especially excited by the opportunity to hear from those who have quietly player over the years and have yet to speak out. Here’s your chance to share your thoughts and to celebrate ten years of The Lord of the Rings Online.

LOTRO 10th Anniversary: Remembering LOTRO Part 1

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On Monday 22nd December 2008, I visited the Game store at Colliers Wood, South West London. I was working at St George’s Hospital in Tooting the time at and the nearby shopping centre was an ideal place to spend the lunch hour. As I perused the shelves in the PC gaming section, I spotted a “compilation pack” that contained not only the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online but it’s recently released expansion pack, Mines of Moria. Although I was aware of the MMO genre at the time, I had never played one beyond a trial of Star Wars: Galaxies. However, as I had recently moved and was living alone, I was in the perfect position to start playing such a game. So, I decided to take the plunge and buy LOTRO for the bargain price of twenty pounds. There was also a sizeable display for World of Warcraft in the shop, which was by far the market leader at the time. Yet because I’ve always been a Tolkien fan, I just naturally gravitated toward buying LOTRO and it never crossed my mind to buy another product.

I installed and started playing the game that very night. It should be noted that the European version of LOTRO was distributed and administered under license by Codemasters at the time. So, I set up a subscription and on a whim decided to create my first character on Gilrain server, which met my language and social requirements. Having spent some time reading about the various classes in LOTRO, I can remember now that I was still a little confused by it all. Yet there was something about the Lore-master that just seemed to appeal to me. Perhaps it was the pets, or its semi-magical status. Although I wasn’t that au fait with control classes, I found the explanation of how the Lore-master fought intriguing. “The Lore-master uses his knowledge of ancient wisdom to stave off the advance of the shadow for a time. He can use his knowledge to attack his foes or to treat the wounds and suffering of his companions. He can even communicate with animals and request their aid”.

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Let it suffice to say that the tutorial quickly got my orientated in the game. Having been a gamer prior to LOTRO, meant that the learning curve was not so steep. The other advantage I benefitted from by playing LOTRO at this particular time, eighteen months after its launch, was that there was a wealth of online resources for the game already in place. This proved invaluable because things were pretty different in LOTRO back in late 2008. For example, the location of quest objectives were not directly marked on the map. The quest bestowal details usually referred to a specific area which you then had to find and search. Sometimes this would be a very intuitive process but from time to time there would be frustration. Thus, fan sites and blog would often have map coordinates to aid this process. Obtaining a mount was also a challenge. A player didn’t become eligible to purchase a horse until level 35. It also cost a tidy sum of gold and was dependent on a somewhat convoluted quest.

Looking back now at these early days of LOTRO, the most pronounced difference was the fact that much of the game was designed to be completed in a group or fellowship. The Epic storyline frequently had group content as did a percentage of the regional quests. Zone chat was filled with requests for fellowships. Yet because of the volume of players in the game and that fact that Middle-earth had not yet grown to the size that it has now, finding a group was never an issue. There was also a prevailing sense of camaraderie. If a random stranger sent you a tell, you’d more than likely answer it. For the most part, the game was populated by mature Tolkien fans and as a result, things remained mainly civil. Plus, the concept of multiplayer gaming was still novel.

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It took me nine months of to reach the then level cap of sixty. That meant playing most evenings and investing a considerable amount of time into LOTRO. There were occasions over weekends where I’d spend a whole day playing. There were also plenty of late nights, although I never did this at the expense of my personal life or work. However, let me be clear, LOTRO at the time became my primary means of entertainment and therefore I was happy to lavish it with attention. As I’m not the sort of player to experiment with multiple alts, this time was exclusively invested into my Lore-master. Lore-master crowd control skills were a key part of group play back then, so I found myself regularly grouping. As a result, friendships were formed and eventually I found the right kinship for me. Eight years on I’m still an active member of it.

Kinships always have been the heart and soul of LOTRO. They come in many shapes and sizes, catering to all types of gameplay. Yet they all have mutual support and friendship in common. What I particularly like about my kinship is its diversity and inherent good humour. It includes people from all over Europe and various walks of life. As a result, interacting with such a cross section of people has been a very positive experience and has certainly broadened my horizons. Then of course there’s the community outside of the game itself. The bloggers, podcasters, streamers and such like. Many are still active today but seven or eight years ago the scene was much bigger and very lively. Because of that community I changed my existing website to a LOTRO blog and instantly it got traction. LOTRO also inspired me to podcast. I can honestly say I’ve not encountered anything similar in all the subsequent MMOs that I’ve experienced.

To be continued.

The Geography of LOTRO: Part 3 Filling in the Gaps

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I would like to once again return to the matter of the geography of Middle Earth. David Braben, co-creator of seminal video game Elite, called truly open-ended game design and sandbox gaming environments "The Holy Grail" of modern video gaming. He cited games like Elite and the Grand Theft Auto series as early steps in that direction. For many gamers, the idea of being able to freely roam a virtual world without any deliberate restrictions is a very enticing one. For Tolkien fans, the notion of being given complete freedom of movement throughout Middle Earth would be a dream come true. However, due to the way that LOTRO has been designed, Standing Stone Games vision of Middle Earth, although well-conceived is not such an environment.

The latest stable map for LOTRO shows all the various regions that currently feature in the game. Furthermore, the map highlights a significant amount of Middle-earth that does not at present exist within the MMORPG. This includes areas in Eriador such as The Grey Havens, The South Farthing and Tharbad. When looking across the Misty Mountains to Rhovanion, even more noteworthy locations are conspicuously absent. Esgaroth, Mount Gundabad and The Iron Hills spring to mind. Until recently, LOTRO players and Tolkien aficionados have just written off these missing territories. Their omission is due to the realities of developing an MMO, set in a vast Lore filled world. However, more recently new developers Standing Stone Games have indicated that they have a game plan beyond the scope of the book and that there is a possibility of many “blanks” being filled in at a later date.

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In the past, Turbine have taken a very practical approach to the way they have developed Middle Earth. The areas that have been included are all there to underpin the story. Regional quest hubs facilitate players advancement, then migrate them to new locations via the narrative. The game mechanic is heavily orientated towards playing through certain areas at specific levels. Simply put, any part of Middle Earth that does not have any relevance to the ongoing epic storyline has been somewhat ignored. Although, there are plenty of explorer deeds to be completed in each area, Turbine never really intended to make the game weighted towards players who simply wished to wander through Middle Earth. Due to the levelling mechanic and region phasing, you cannot simply travel from Ered Luin to Mirkwood just exploring.

Despite these restriction, there is still much to see in LOTRO and clearing regional quest is no guarantee of seeing all that Middle Earth has to offer. If you have a curious nature there are still many nooks and crannies to explore and little embellishments that the developers have added through their love of the source text. There are also scattered around Middle Earth, hidden villages that were created in the early devlopement of the game which were then removed from the final release. In the early days of LOTRO these could still be accessed but it would appear that Turbine have sealed these off now. One example was the hidden Hobbit villages, West of the Shire. There was another on the Western bank of Lake Evendim.

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With LOTRO’s increased focus on themed festivals such as Winter-home and new events such as the treasure hunt, there is an opportunity to utilise these vacant areas of Middle Earth. Frostbluff for example seems to be located between Northern Ered Luin and Western Forochel. Furthermore the appearance of new locations and settlements can often now be spotted in advance of these areas being made available. Northcottons farms and Stoneheights were both copiously documented and discussed prior to Update 2 going live.

Although I very much enjoy the world that Turbine, now Standing Stone Games has created, I still find it a little saddening that there are some locations in Middle Earth that I cannot get a chance to visit and discover at present. For instance I would very much like to visit the Elf Towers to the West of The Shire. Whenever I am confronted with a barrier, be it a gate, a convenient range of mountains or cliff face, I always try to look beyond it. I am always curious to know how much landmass the developers actually created. I recently travelled to the South Farthing gate and by adjusting the camera perspective tried to see as much as what was beyond it. The view is very tantalising. In a true sandbox environment the road beyond would ultimately wind a path all the way down to Enedwaith.

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As a gamer, I would like to see an MMO that allowed a player to choose a non-combat class and to simply be able to travel, explore, trade and move on again. It would be engaging to find quests and deeds specifically created around such characters, out in the wider world. Placing items or information in obscure locations could be an interesting game mechanic. Obviously, with a game such as LOTRO that now has an established methodology, the likelihood of adapting this may well be impossible , even if the developers were in favour of it. However, despite the restrictions that exist Standing Stone Games vision of Middle Earth still lends itself to a degree of exploration. New events can potentially open up the world. Narrative freedom beyond the end of text, offers even further opportunity. I think that in the years to come we may yet see many of these missing areas coming to life.

Update 20: Battle of the Black Gate

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Finally, ten years after the launch of LOTRO, we find ourselves outside the Black Gates of Mordor. Dagorlad is the latest zone to feature in Update 20, released today and it’s a stark contrast after the lush and verdant hills of North Ithilien. Yet as ever with LOTRO the new area is beautifully realised and filled with lore references. The fact that we’ve finally arrived before the Morannon and will be entering Mordor in the next expansion, compensates to a degree for the years of unnecessary diversion we’ve endured, with prior zones such as Mirkwood, Enedwaith and Dunland. I make no bones about the fact that I never liked these areas and felt the stories they told were somewhat superfluous. However, that is all behind us now and Mordor awaits.

The Epic Story is central to my enjoyment of LOTRO. The developers have always managed to create clever narratives that either reference the source text or allow us to visit the Fellowship via session play. Over the years, this game mechanic has allowed us to play as a Dwarf during the Fall of Moria, as one of the Dead Men from Dunharrow and even as a horse. This time the game excels itself as we get to play as Gollum. Unlike the film adaptations which painted a more tragic picture of Frodo’s nemesis, here he is depicted in a far more sinister, as he sneaks off in to the heart of Cirith Ungol to strike a deal with Shealob. This is a great game event that exudes atmosphere. It’s a shame that a minor foible of the game intruded upon my enjoyment.

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### Chat Capture: General 03/21 11:41 PM ###
No Other Way
"Up, up, up the stairs, gollum. Gollum. And then... the tunnel, yes... this way, good hobbitses... yes..."
New Quest: Interlude: No Other Way
Entered the Trade channel.
Entered the LFF channel.
Entered the World channel.
Entered the Trade channel.
Entered the LFF channel.
Entered the World channel.
[Trade] Faelox: 'WTB tome of will 5,6 // WTB sturdy steel key x2'
Screenshot [ScreenShot00052.jpg] saved to disk.
[World] Lucwald: 'you may get attacked for wandering around like a mel gibson super fan from the passion haha'
Frodo says, ''Come on, Sam! We're nearly at the top!''
[World] Calanais: 'do you actually know any muslims ilmate?'
Samwise says, ''I have had my fill of stairs, Mr. Frodo.''
[World] Calanais: 'well yes probably but that was hyperbole'
Frodo says, ''Me too, Sam. Me too.''
Samwise says, ''What was it Gollum said was at the top of the stairs?''
[World] Pren: 'Is it the 10 year Anniversairy this year?'
Frodo says, ''A tunnel, he said.''
[World] Ilmate: 'Dude, I already provided several links. Another guy did the same. I said lets close this subject.'
[World] Asabairn: 'mhm'
Samwise says, ''That's right. I don't much care for tunnels.''
Frodo says, ''The stairs, the tunnel... and Mordor.''
[World] Pren: 'Nice cosmetic pets being realeased then!'
Samwise says, ''Who would have thought we'd make it there, Mr. Frodo?''
[World] Ilmate: 'And yeah, I have several muslim friends.'
Frodo says, ''I think we are almost at the top.''
[World] Colherlus: 'There is always evil in people, race or religion doesn't matter. Even in Middle Earth, so no point arguing.'
Samwise says, ''I can't believe it! At last!''
[World] Calanais: 'friends?'
[World] Morellian: 'the dog is adorable <3'
[World] Gonursua: 'Your links were about as reliable as the National Enquirer.'
Frodo says, ''A tower... there is a tower above the pass.''
Samwise says, ''I don't like the look of that at all.''
[World] Calanais: 'oh so they're not all evil christian killers'
Samwise says, ''Your secret way is guarded after all, Gollum!''
Samwise says, ''I suppose you knew that all along! Leading us into a trap, are you?''
Frodo says, ''He is right, Sam. Every way into Mordor will be watched, in some fashion.''
[World] Ilmate: 'Muslims immigrants that assimilate with another's culture and ideals are a rare breed.'
Frodo says, ''Look, we can rest over here, out of the wind.''

It should be noted that when you enter session play, as you’re playing a unique character, all custom settings of your UI reset to their defaults. Thus, World Chat is enabled. Often when I’m playing through new content there is much to see, so I can at time miss the onscreen dialogue from the NPCs. I therefore re-read this text in the chat window. During a key scene during the Gollum session play I suddenly found text from World Chat appearing in between dialogue from the game. It was disconcerting to say the least and more than a little immersion breaking. I managed to capture the text and you can read it below. The lesson of this story is to load your UI customisations as soon as you start session play, if this sort of thing bothers you. Furthermore, I think the chat log makes a perfect case for avoiding this particular chat channel.

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As I mentioned, LOTRO excels at including many minor facets of Professor Tolkien’s source text into the MMO. I read a post recently on BioBreak regarding a quest chain in North Ithilien that ends with Gandalf entering the Morgul Vale and destroying the bridge to Minas Morgul. It is a small aspect of the story and not in any way essential to the overall plot. It is however a fine embellishment to the game. I hadn’t done this particular instance myself and when I checked my quest log, found an unfinished series of quests that led to this event. Needless to say, I completed them and got to experience this interesting vignette myself.

So, for the present, I shall be logging into LOTRO several times a week and slowly working my way through the new content. There’s plenty to do and I am pleased that I prepared for this new zone by upgrading much of the armour and jewellery on my primary character. There are still things that I need to investigate and familiarise myself with, such as the new ore nodes that are available in Dagorlad. They yield some sort of resource that can be converted in to a barter currency. Plus, there is an area of the new map, Dol Acharn, that seems to be inhabited by some sort of wight. Approaching the ruins there causes your character’s morale to deplete very rapidly. I would assume that there is some sort of event associated with this. All these matters can be explored over the weeks to come ensuring that LOTRO continues to be a major part of my leisure time.

What’s My Name Again?

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A few Weeks ago, I created a new Dwarf Hunter in LOTRO and started playing through the game from scratch. Why? Because I wanted to. As ever with MMOs that have been around for a while, all the best names are taken. I spent at least thirty minutes trying various names that I had planned in advance. All were conspicuous by their absence, including Burton, which really irked me. I remember having a similar experience trying to secure a suitable name during the WildStar beta. I wanted Brother Numpsay but it was not available, so I had to settle for Captain Queeg. I guess WildStar players are more conversant with Eddie Murphy than Herman Wouk. But I digress. I ended up calling my new Dwarf Hunter Gryg, as a homage to a character in the film The Last Starfighter.

Well to cut a long story I want to change the name. However, this come with a cost, as you would expect in a MMO with a hybrid free-to-play business model. In this case a rename token is 995 LOTRO points. That works out at a little over £10, which I thought was a little steep for correcting a minor nominative error. So as I had recently received my monthly stipend of 500 points, I foolishly decided to grind out the remaining 495 required to purchase the token. Man alive, was that a mistake. Grinding slayer deeds is exquisitely tiresome and time consuming. I eventually ended up switching to my primary level cap character and mopping up a few residual deeds to speed the process along.

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Earlier today, I found that I had earned sufficient LOTRO points that I could go ahead and buy the rename token. Here’s a useful tip. As soon as you purchase the token, it immediately opens a rename window. I was expecting an item in my bag that was manually used. However regardless of this somewhat peremptory message, you do not have to use the rename immediately, especially if you are still considering names. You can cancel the window and access it again at a more convenient time from your Alerts window. So I logged out of the game, to start drafting a new list of prospective names. I also logged back in to make sure nothing screwed up, which it hasn’t. I like to be thorough.

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Now as I’m a community orientated and socially inclined individual, I thought I would consider reader suggestions for Gryg’s new name, before making a final choice. So if you have any witty ideas, then feel free to leave a comment here or on Twitter. I’ll wait until the end of the week and see what sort of results we have. If a suitable name is suggested than I’ll use it and take screen captures to verify that it’s been implemented. As we’re all fully rounded grownups I don’t have to stipulate any caveats about offense, religion, racism or sexism, do I? No. Didn’t think so. Good. Then let us all put are thinking caps on and we’ll reconvene in four days’ time.

The Average LOTRO Player

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Despite my claims to be a casual gamer, I tend to go all-in when a title takes my interest. Therefore, I will make it my business to read and learn about the various mechanics and systems in a game. I also like to be active in the wider community, so I write and podcast about the games I enjoy. Social media is an invaluable way to keep up-to-date with both developers and publishers. Forums and websites also play an integral role in keeping a player informed, by providing guides, press releases and a platform for sharing opinions. In recent years, many games have looked to Reddit as an additional way of communicating with their player base and fostering a community.

When I started playing LOTRO in late 2008 the focal point for information and interaction between players and the development team was the official forums. Then in 2010 there was a brief time where the unofficial forums became essential reading. There were also a great many guides available online providing a wealth of information about armour, crafting and other facets of the MMO. In many respects, at the time of its free to play conversion, LOTRO was one of the most well documented MMOs around. Seven years on, the official forums can still answer most questions a new player may ask. You Tube also provides an alternative repository of information.

When you consider all these options, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the average LOTRO player is well informed. The latest news is even emblazoned on the game launcher. Yet something happened recently in kin chat that made me realise that this is not the case and that the official forum and twitter are more of a haven for active and vocal gamers. They are not really a true cross section of a games player base. The developers have said this many times in the past. The forums, the fansites and other sub-communities are populated by players affiliated to specific niche groups, such as raiders, role players, or ardent solo completionists. Yet my kinship on Laurelin is filled with people who do not fall into these categories. 

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With regard to the incident I mentioned, someone in kin chat referenced how they were looking forward to High Elves being added to the game. A point that was met with surprise by many other kinship members who were logged in. Needless to say, an interesting discussion followed. To cut a long story short, I would estimate that about two thirds of our kin are oblivious to the finer points of the last producers letter. Furthermore, most of them never go to either forums, read the developer diaries or do any sort of proactive research into the game. Fan blogs and guides are effectively ignored. The Bullroarer test server is also an unknown quantity to many that I talk to. Overall I believe the majority of our kinship on Laurelin, just play the game and have no major interest in everything else.

I’m of the opinion that there is nothing unique about our kinship and its approach to LOTRO. I’m persuaded to think that a lot of LOTRO players are of a similar mindset. Therefore, this beggars the question is there such a thing as an average LOTRO player? This is not a term that I mean in a pejorative way. It’s just that for all the ardent raiders and high achievement players, there are many others that are just content to play through the game in their own way and at their own pace. They work things out as they go along and take their pleasure along the way. So, I’ve been trying to collate ideas regarding the average LOTRO player to try to form a sort of profile, based around common attributes and habits. Here are a few bullet points of some that I’ve considered.

• LOTRO players are not always gamers per se. Most of my kinmates only play LOTRO and are simply not interested in any other games. They do not own high end gaming PCs or have fast broadband connections.
• By far the biggest selling point of LOTRO for such players is the IP. They are first and foremost Tolkien fans. The most common refrain I hear is that the game provides an opportunity to play as a Hobbit, Elf or Dwarf in Middle-earth. There is no alternative MMO or game that offers the same experience.
• Many of the players in our kinship, or those I have spoken to outside of it, have never participated in a raid of any kind, despite the opportunities to do so. The idea either does not interest them, they simply do not have the time or they are not disposed towards the perceived social pressures of such activities.
• For every member of my kin who has multiple alts at level cap, there is another who has a list of alts that have been abandoned or who are still work in progress. Again, this is mainly due to time commitments or the fact that some folk just like to roll new alts for fun, rather than to pursue a structured levelling path.
• The officers in kinships I’ve been involved with tend to be those who play a lot and to the highest level. It is these people who are often the most informed about the game and the kin looks to them for the dissemination of news. In our kin, if you want to know anything about anything, you ask a handful of senior players.

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I spend a lot of time talking to other LOTRO players, both in and out of the game. From what I have discerned a large amount of the player base are satisfied with what the game has to offer. Infact they always have been. Despite the calls from the raiding and PVP communities for more content that favours their needs, many players are happy to play casually and just "potter" about LOTRO. They’re not fussed about statistical changes, the Flora barter system, grinding for essences or the complexities of imbuing your legendary items. The game as it stands provides them with exactly what they want. A Middle-earth themed environment for them to explore and hangout in. This seems especially true of the RP players. Bree appears to serves all their needs.

Furthermore, many players are not in any way aggrieved by the alleged “iniquities” of the LOTRO store. When the total cost of everything they have ever spent on LOTRO is averaged out, many still feel that it is an extremely cheap form of entertainment, compared to other real world activities such as going to the movies, or out for a meal. Overall LOTRO is looked upon as a pleasant means of relaxation, in a virtual environment that most find agreeable. It is common for players in my kin to come home from work, cook some food and then spend time in LOTRO unwinding from the pressures of the day and enjoying the company of their fellow kinmates. The importance of the social ties associated with the game cannot be stressed enough. Gear grinds or the tedium of crafting are actually considered positive things by many of the players I know. Some folk like structured goals.

 So, after considering these points, I'd say that there are lots of players that are content with LOTRO and who have little concern or even knowledge of the various changes that are coming this year. The major alterations that caused furor on the official forums over LOTRO’s lifespan, such as the move away from raids to epic battles and the introduction of the class skills tree, have had little impact upon such players. As long as they can continue to do the things that keep them happy, then all is right in their virtual world. Such players will continue to play and pay LOTRO until the servers close. They do not have any major beefs with the development team or community manager because they simply do not move in the same circles. 

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There are many subsets of LOTRO players but I get the feeling that this relatively low profile group of quiet and content players are by far the largest. When the fancy take’s them they will use the store because it is not an ideological anathema to them. It offers fun and useful items that enhances their play. That should make them a very important demographic to developers Standing Stone Games. In the meantime, the official forums although a useful portal are in danger of slowly becoming an insular private members club, busy preaching to the converted. Although many good points are raised and debated there as well on such site as Massively OP, they never really never travel beyond their virtual confines. 

So, the average player that I have described is potentially the majority group that is now bank rolling LOTRO. If that is the case, then all SSG needs to do is to keep producing content that meets their requirements. That means that the trend towards streamlining and refining LOTRO, rather than adding to its complexity, seems to be the way to go. Now naturally, there will be a percentage of players and ex-players who will state that it is this very process that is "killing the game". Ultimately it comes down to a question of taste of what you want in a MMO. However, if I am right in my summation about the average LOTRO player, I think it proves why the MMO is facing its tenth-year anniversary, where so many others have gone to the wall. It is this groups loyal support and quite pursuit of their own style of game play that is LOTRO’s foundation

Starting from Scratch

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I was watching a LOTRO stream this week by Kaz Travio who is currently levelling a Dwarf Hunter on the EU server Laurelin. The Hunter class is both enjoyable and straightforward to play. It can satisfy your “pew pew” itch and doesn’t have a particularly steep learning curve. It’s porting and poison curing skills use to be invaluable. Overall, the Hunter is a great way for a new player to discover and explore the Lord of the Rings Online. This becomes very apparent in Kaz Travio’s stream. So, to cut a long story short, I decided to create a new Hunter myself and go tool around in Middle-earth.

Much to my surprise, instead of being the five-minute wonder that I thought it would be, I’ve been quite engaged with my new character. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent some time in the starter zones of LOTRO. Due to the streamlining of much of the content in recent years by the developers, you can quickly out level a region and are encouraged to forge ahead. However, I have not felt disposed towards doing that. I particularly want to refresh my memory on some of the quest story lines, plus there’s a good chance there’s some new content in there that wasn’t about when I last breezed through these zones in 2009. So it would appear that my new Dwarf Hunter Gryg, is going to be around a while. However, that presents me with another problem.

I am mainly starting from scratch for narrative reasons; I’m here for the story. What I don’t especially enjoy in the early stages of LOTRO, is the gear, virtue and skills point treadmill. With 105 levels ahead of me, there’s a great deal of disposability with regard to armour, weapons, and jewellery. You’ll not find much of this kind of gear on the auction house nowadays. The alternatives are running skirmishes to barter for equipment or simply crafting it myself. Neither of these options appeal to me. So, I’m considering a different approach. I can purchase from the LOTRO store, either the Gift or the Blessing of the Valar and instant level to 50 or 95. That way I can return to the start of the game, overpowered and geared to a suitable level to bypass any grind or in-game obstacle.

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Now I’m sure my approach will not suit everyone, which is fine. Some players are happy to do everything over again. If this delights them, then that’s fine by me. I just don’t want to be burdened with the usual game mechanics that you experience on your first play through of content. I want to be able to focus on the stories the game offers and not have to worry about my ability to perform. Yet my instant levelling solution does come with a price tag.  The Gift of the Valar cost approximately £30 and the Blessing of the Valar about £40, which are not exactly pocket change. There is the option to earn the LOTRO points in-game but the effort it would entail would negate the need to buy the aforementioned items. By the time I had amassed sufficient points, I’d be level 60 or so.

As of yet, I have not made a decision as to what I shall do. I also think that my personal “dilemma” actually touches on a bigger issue. I think many players would like to create new characters and have access to classes they have not played before. However, many people, like myself, are not enamoured with the prospect of replaying 105 levels and all the content that goes with it.  So, I’d like a fair and equitable means to create a level cap alt (or as near as damn it). Now I realise that means bypassing a lot of content and so I’m happy to consider some way of supporting Standing Stone Games, if they can accommodate my needs.

For example, in Star Trek Online once you’ve gained maximum reputation with a faction, you can create a token that you can use on one of your alts, that reduces the reputation experience required by 50%. How about introducing s similar system in LOTRO, allowing a player to similarity fast path an alt? I want to play LOTRO and logically it is to Standing Stone Game’s advantage if I continue to do so. I hope now that the company is free of the shackles of Warner bros. they will now pursue a more creative business policy. One that finds a way of accommodating long time players, such as myself. In the meantime, I shall continue to my Dwarf Hunter but I suspect the moment an obstacle emerges, be it a gear check or an especially difficult quest, I’ll more than likely stop. Fun is surprisingly not universal and very subjective. Convenience is king.

Burton & Scrooge Podcast #31

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After a short hiatus, Messrs Burton and Scrooge make a welcome return to the world of podcasting with their lavishly tooled and finely crafted show. No expense has been spared upon the production as once again this esteemed broadcasting duo, bring you another erudite and august debate. As ever they focus on the relevant issues and ensure that their scholarly discussions are free from unnecessary phatic language and tabloid hyperbole. The podcast also sports a new introductory voiceover and complimentary epilogue at the close of the show. Liam Neeson has graciously endorsed Burton and Scrooge yet again.

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In this latest instalment, our hosts turn their attention to the popular MMORPG, Lord of the Rings Online and ponder the games ongoing renaissance, since the it changed developers and publishers. They also ponder the recent brouhaha, caused by popular You Tuber PewDiePie. Is he a misunderstood artist of just another jumped up blackguard? Finally, to close the show, Messrs Burton and Scrooge ponder the merits of season four of the television drama Sherlock. Was it a worthy entry in to the pantheon or “a load of old bollocks”, to coin a phrase?

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So why not settle down in your favourite fireside chair, ask your batman to pour you a glass of Amontillado and treat yourself to seventy-five minutes of auditory delight. Remember your podcasting enjoyment is assured as Messrs Burton and Scrooge have a reputation for being purveyors of the finest quality podcasts throughout the civilised world. If you don’t enjoy the experience, then you’re obviously listening incorrectly and need to raise your own personal game. You may benefit from listening to previous episodes as a means of educating yourself.

Burton and scrooge. Condescending to their listeners since 2010. 

Mordor or Bust: A Retrospective

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My friend and regular podcast co-host, Brian, celebrates a significant birthday today. So first off let me wish him many happy returns of the day. Now while the Burton & Scrooge podcast is on hiatus, Brian has been pursuing his own side project; namely the Scrooge Uncut podcast. The latest episode is a retrospective look at Brian’s former LOTRO fansite and show, Mordor or Bust. The both these creative endeavours were a significant part of the LOTRO community, back in the halcyon days of the MMO. Brian had the unique experience of predicting LOTROs transition to F2P, days before Turbine’s announcement. He also caused a minor furore when he posted screenshots of every item in the LOTRO store while the beta test was going on.

This particular episode of Scrooge Uncut is a very personal recording. as Brian catalogues jumping in to the deep end of content creation without any prior experience. It is also a greats snapshot of what a fan community is like during a games heyday. What is so striking is the fact that Brian got so much traction with the game developers Turbine, over such a short period of time. The story of Mordor or Bust is a short one because the website and podcast endured for less than a year. Listening to Brian recount various anecdotes brings a lot of memories back for me as well. LOTRO has always had a very passionate community. Something that is lacking with other games over recent years. So much of the fan created content that use to fill blogs and podcasts, is now mainly corralled within official forums and sub-reddits.

On a personal note, I got in to podcasting due to Brian and his show, back in the summer of 2010. At the time, Turbine handled the North American release of LOTRO, while Codemasters dealt with the European market. I contacted Brian and offered to provide LOTRO news from across the pond and subsequently created short news segments that were used on the Mordor of Bust podcast. Because we got on so well, I soon joined both Brian and Fyurae, as a permanent presenter on the show. It was a lot of fun at the time, to be part of a very active community. Furthermore, 2010 was a very interesting year for LOTRO. So, enjoy Brian’s trip down memory lane. I think the show will resonate with a lot of listeners, especially those who were involved with the scene, circa 2010. 

Star Trek Online and the MMO Trinity

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Although I will happily espouse the virtues of Star Trek Online, the multiplayer element of this MMO is very much optional. The central mission arcs are all solo friendly and although you can play through this content in a group, there is no major incentive to do so. The only times I have grouped during standard PVE content has been to help another player new to the game and when replaying a specific mission for the rewards if offers. The latter can be done a lot faster when grouped. The space and ground queues that are available at level 50 are designed for 6, 10 or 20 players but again the multiplayer aspect of these is somewhat arbitrary. Players can either join a PUG via the group finding system or set up bespoke event themselves with friends of fellow Fleet members. Beyond that there is no compelling interaction between players.

This difference handling multiplayer content was highlighted recently when I played through a featured instance in LOTRO. Although most of the six players present were somewhat over powered, and could blitz through most of the trash mobs, the final boss did require players to fulfil specific roles. There was a need for a tank to hold aggro, DPS dealers to burn the boss down and the healers and control class to heal and debuff. LOTRO was a game conceived and created when the MMO industry was still very much focused on the traditional trinity of classes. What I find curious is that STO was developed at the same time and technically has class distinctions that would support multiplay in such a fashion. Yet it has either never been implemented within the game or has been removed over time via various updates and patches.

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However, the fleet system in STO really does foster a community spirit. My primary Federation Captain is a member of Reddit Alert and I must say that the fleet chat is extremely sociable. Where the game may lack a compelling multiplayer aspect, the discussions, debates and advice that is available in chat is invaluable. Many fleet members frequently group for the pleasure of it or to help others achieve specific goals. In some respects, this is does offer a degree of compensation for the lack of traditional multiplayer elements within STO. Considering the nature of the source material you’d have thought that the game would have been created with content that had specific roles for each class. Such collaborative play would have certainly been lore friendly.

For good or ill, mainstream MMO content has moved away from complex class interdependency and an inherent need to group for content. The majority of games now focus on PVE content that is solo friendly and offer players builds that allow them to selfheal and adapt to the content requirements. Perhaps the home of such class interaction is now the MOBA or the team shooters such as Overwatch. Taking a specific role in a group content in Star Trek Online would be very gratifying in principle. It would help create the illusion of being part of a larger Star Fleet. However, I think it is highly unlikely for the developers Cryptic to take such a step and introduce this mechanic retrospectively. Frankly the way the community now focuses on DPS builds I don’t think you could have a Tank class that could hold threat.

To Grind or Not to Grind?

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As soon as I returned to LOTRO last October I immediately started replacing my level 100 gear with more appropriate items. I finally started using slotted armour and essences, using mainly the gear that dropped from quests along the way. As ever it’s not the best but it’s better than what I had. I never started the Dol Amroth repeatable quests that yield armour sets and as the gear is now only level 100, I’ve decided against that option. As I no longer have the time to regularly run instances, I can’t get a set from the Throne of Dread Terror (T2). Luckily, Turbine (now Standing Stone Games) introduced the Flora Barter system with Update 19: March of the King, which provides an alternative method of obtaining level cap appropriate gear.

So, I spent some time recently gathering the various plants in North Ithilien that yield Phials of Extract; the barter items need for the gear set. However, because I’ve been focused on other in-game tasks I didn’t really consider how long it would take to meet the criteria to obtain the full set of Light Weave Padded Armour for my Lore-master. Today I sat down with a pen and paper and did the math(s). A full set comprises of 6 pieces (no cloak). Each item requires 2 Phials of Sapphire Extract and 4 Phials of Amber. So, in total to purchase this set you need 12 Phials of Sapphire and 24 Phials of Amber. To obtain Phials of Sapphire and Amber Extract you have to combine lesser extracts such as Umber, Verdant and Crimson, which come from picking plants in North Ithilien. Sapphire requires 250 lesser extracts and Amber 125. So, to summarise here is a breakdown of the numbers needed for a full set of armour, be it light, medium or heavy:

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250 Phials of Umber, Verdant or Crimson Extract x 12 to yield sufficient Sapphire Extract.

125 Phials of Umber, Verdant or Crimson Extract x 24 to yield sufficient Amber Extract.

In total a player needs to have 6000 of the lesser extracts (Phials of Umber, Verdant or Crimson) to then trade in for the necessary Phials of Sapphire and Amber Extract.

Now I spent approximately 90 minutes today collecting extracts from plants such as Horsetail, Dwarfsbeard and Elfspear (others species are available) and I managed to obtain 200 or so. The plants grow in a level cap zone populated by appropriate mobs and animals. So, you do lose some time in combat while collecting. Furthermore, like ore nodes these Flora are contested and you’ll often find yourself competing with other playes for them. Therefore, when you consider all these factors, I estimate it will take a calendar month to gain sufficient stocks of flora extracts to purchase the set. That’s a calendar month playing every day and investing and hour and a half of your time just collecting. It should be noted that there are now some repeatable quests that award random extracts as a way of trying to shorten this process but it really doesn’t make that much of a difference.

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So, after figuring this logistical problem out I now have to decide whether I wish to “grind” for this armour set. It comes down to whether you feel that the time invested justifies the reward, or if it is simply too much work. Furthermore, I’ve been burnt several times in the past by Turbine when pursuing other gear grinds. I finally obtained my First Age Weapon from running Moria instances a week before Siege of Mirkwood came out with a new set of gear and weapons that made mine obsolete. The same happened with all the stuff I earned from Hytbold. No doubt Update 21 which is the Mordor expansion may well see a level cap increase. I want to be able enjoy any level 105 armour I obtain for at least six month before it gets replaced. However, I can at times be quite goal orientated so I may well embark on this project. Ultimately the deciding factor with any MMO is one of time.

UI Customisation

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Game complexity can be both a boon and a bane; a selling point and a source of irritation. There are many titles that I enjoy that have a wealth of systems and mechanics that add greatly to the overall immersion and entertainment. The MMORPG genre excels at this. However, this data all needs to be displayed visually, in an efficient and intuitive fashion. It has to be readily available and easy to navigate. Naturally, there’s a fine balance between making such a system accessible without becoming a source of distraction. This is the challenge that all developers face when designing a user interface. However this problem is compounded further by the human element. Regardless of how well crafted a game’s UI may be, players will always wish to change it to suit their own needs and requirements. 

What I often find in the MMO genre, is that the UI is streamlined at the beginning of a game with all the essential data that you need to play, evenly distributed around the screen. This grows exponentially as the game progresses, especially with older titles that frequently suffer from skills bloat. LOTRO is a classic example of this with a wealth of data swamping the screen when you reach level cap. I remember having similar issues when I was actively playing SWTOR. I encountered the same in STO recently, especially with regard to the skills hot bar. This was growing and intruding further towards the middle of the screen, impeding combat.

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Mercifully most games have the ability to customise the UI, allowing players to indulge their preferences. Furthermore custom HUD settings can frequently be saved and then loaded when required. Monitor size and screen resolution also play a part in this matter and can have a positive impact if altered. Many games also have a cottage industry of players creating and sharing their own custom user interfaces. LOTROinterface has proven to be very popular over the years. The WoW and ESO communities also have multiple sites and resources for such changes. In the competitive genre of MOBAs, a common interface between team mates can be advantageous. 

I currently have a 24 inch monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It provides a fairly large gaming canvas and allows me to spread the various elements of the UI to the borders of the screen. However an excess of data on the periphery of your vision can be distracting, especially if it flashes or attempts to alert you in some fashion. I also find it an impediment if my hot bars start to encroach towards the centre of the screen. I don't know if this is due to a foible of human vision but I find it draws my eyes away from where they need to be. I've had such problems in STO recently with my hot bar resembling a pyramid, resulting is some judicious customisation.

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The ability to alter a games GUI, raises some interesting questions. The most obvious is whether or not you actually need everything on-screen. My view is if you're not using a specific element of the HUD, then remove it and that goes for skills as well. Then there is the matter of whether games developers are doing their best to accommodate the needs of players with disabilities. Resizing elements and changing colour schemes, as well as assigning audio alerts can all be incredibly beneficial. Fonts can also be a bone of contention, with some not lending themselves readily to being scaled. A simple change of this nature can often improve gaming. 

Personally, I would like to see more customisation options added to games. The mod scene in Skyrim really set the standard. I also like the way that some MMOs such as LOTRO have built in voice chat and access to social media. STO allows players to utilise third party audio players while in-game and The Secret World has its own internal web browser as part of the narrative. Although it is to a developer’s advantage to keep the player focused and in-game, facilitating customisation and providing multiple tools aids this process. Flexibility and accommodating change needs to be more of a driving factors in games development because no two players are alike. 

The Geography of LOTRO: Part 2 Bree and Bree-land

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In the second part of our look at the geography of Middle Earth (part 1 is here), we shall be focusing of the town of Bree. It has a pivotal role in the events of the book and subsequently play a similar part Standing Stone Games Lord of the Rings Online. Before we start, let us remind ourselves exactly what Tolkien writes when introducing Bree to the reader. The following quote is the opening paragraph of chapter nine; At the sign of the Prancing Pony from The Fellowship of the Ring.

"Bree was the chief village of the Bree-land, a small inhabited region, like an island in the empty lands round about. Besides Bree itself, there was Staddle on the other side of the hill, Combe in the deep valley a little further eastward and Archet on the edge of the Chetwood. Lying round Bree-hill and the villages was a small country of fields and tamed woodland only a few miles broad."

This is a very clear description and to the developers credit they have interpreted this rather literally in the game. Focusing first on the town of Bree itself, Turbine have constructed a settlement that broadly conforms to Tolkien’s details. As you enter through the West-gate and follow the path of "The East Road" you will see the Hobbit holes and small holdings on the slopes of the hill. The homes of men are mainly to the East. "The Prancing Pony" inn is located at the top of the road, abutting to Bree hill itself. The building consists of two wings, as in the source text, though only one is accessible.

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Where the game differs is in scale. Bree in LOTRO has been expanded from a simple village to a more substantial centre of commerce. This adaptation allows them to encompass all the crafting and training halls, along with the vendors and sundry NPCs. The only embellishment I personally feel a little excessive, is the town hall itself. It seems a little too ambitious for such a small and insular community. A similar view could be taken on several of the fountains and statues that adorn the various squares. The 2012 revamp has certainly made Bree more populous. Again, perhaps to the detriment of the lore. However, the hedge and dike that surround Bree are very much in accordance with the books and seem authentic.

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Moving immediately outside of Bree into Bree-Land itself, we find both Combe and Staddle in the right locations. These being the respective local enclaves of men and hobbits. As specific details are lacking , Turbines visualisations are perfectly acceptable and not in any way excessive. The village of Archet however, has been moved considerably further North. This is to accommodate the fact that the area is a race specific starter area in the game and has been isolated to suit the mechanics of the game. Such local features within the Archet area such as "Bronwe's Folly", "Sprigley's Farm" and "Blackwold Roost" are non-canonical. However none of these are in any way contrary to prevailing regional design.

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The above map and the one immediately below have been created using the original books and the subsequent histories of Middle Earth as a guide. They both depict a more Spartan and less populous village of Bree and a far more expansive Chetwood that extends in to the North and NorthEast. The Midgewater marshes are such a distance away as to not even be included on both maps. As are both Andrath and the South Downs. These points highlight the fact that Bree was the last major settlement East of the Blue Mountains before entering the Lonelands. This was a region that was unsettled and thus to a degree barren.

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Turbines original condensing of Middle Earth was and remains a necessary factor in creating a viable environment for collective gameplay. However, on occasions, although LOTRO excels at capturing the spirit of Tolkien’s world, there are inevitable trade-offs. The loss of scale particularly in this region is a little disappointing and for those who may not be familiar with the length of original journey, may be somewhat perplexing. For those who wish for more technically accurate cartography, I would recommend the following books. Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey and The Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Both depict the routes taken by the fellowship and contain exacting details relating to dates and even the phases of the moon and stars.

Star Trek Online: Season 12 and the 7th Anniversary

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There’s a lot going on in Star Trek Online at present. The game is currently celebrating its seventh anniversary which means there’s a chance to earn a new Tier 6 Lukari Ho’kuun Science Vessel, via the repeatable Omega Molecule Stabilization anniversary event. Season Twelve has also just launched, with the featured episode Of Signs and Portents. The story continues with Starfleet’s joint exploration with their new ally the Lukari, and features actor Tony Todd reprising his role of General Rodek. There is also the addition of the Lukari reputation faction, along with two new Tzenkethi Space Queues and Battlezone. If this wasn’t enough Cryptic have also added a new Kits and Modules Research School to the existing R&D system as well as a new lock box, featuring 23rd Century ships and technologies.

As ever, Cryptic have been generously giving away free items from the C-Store over the course of the anniversary week, including uniforms, skills points, ships slots and drydock spaces. Furthermore, the console version of the game continues to grow, with the recent PC expansion Agents of Yesterday being ported to Xbox One and PS4 next month. Executive producer Stephen Ricossa stated in a recent anniversary letter that “2016 was not just another amazing year for Star Trek Online, but the best year we’ve ever had” and is confident that the game will thrive this year. “There are even more fantastic releases planned for 2017, and a continuation of the current story line that will grow and weave as it takes us well into 2018”. Marketing spin notwithstanding, the abundance of new material across multiple platforms appears to show that Star Trek Online is doing well in the current MMO market.

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Conversely, at a time when STO is thriving, other MMOs are either treading water or in some cases facing imminent closure. Turbine will be shutting down Asheron’s Call at the end of January and it doesn’t look as if there’s likely to be an eleventh-hour rescue from a third party. In fact, Turbines exit from the MMO industry to focus on mobile games, indicates that the MMORPG as a genre is no longer considered as lucrative as it was a decade ago. Many developers have learnt the hard way that creating a World of Warcraft clone that produces the same level of financial success, is nigh on impossible. Star Trek Online, like LOTRO, endure mainly because of the popularity of the core IP and the inherent loyalty of the fan base.

Where LOTRO, under the auspices of Warner Bros. never fully tied in to the Hobbit feature films, it will be interesting to see if the new TV show Star Trek Discovery gets incorporated in to STO. Bearing in mind that Cryptic have so far included direct lore references from all previous Star Trek shows and even the J J Abrams movies under the guise of the Kelvin Timeline, then I’d say it’s more than likely certain. Enjoying such a cordial business relationship with the rights holders CBS, certainly seems to be proving healthy for STO. It’s curious that matter of the game license has never become such an issue among the fan community as it has with LOTRO. In the meantime, there’s plenty of content to explore in STO, ensuring my regular presence in the game for the immediate future. As a lifetime account holder, I feel that I always have the option of taking a break from the game, should it require it but so far, since May 2015 I’ve been pretty much continuously kept busy. Not bad for a seven-year-old MMO.

Housing in MMOs

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Having recently returned to The Elder Scrolls Online, there is a lot of excitement within the community regarding the introduction of housing in the next major game update in February. So far from the information that is available, there’s a wide variety of house styles and customisation options available. Properties can be bought furnished or unfurnished and players can further embellish their respective dwellings by crafting specific items for them. Housing also includes the usual fast travel options to and from their location and access can be shared among friends and alts. There’s a more detailed breakdown at The Elder Scrolls Online website and so far, ZeniMax seem to be offering all a comprehensive version of the current popular MMO mechanic.

LOTRO is also implementing a housing upgrade with its next update, allowing home contents to be placed where the player wants them, as opposed to relying on predefined “hooks”. Again, this is an improvement that has been long awaited by the LOTRO community. Over the years, previous developers Turbine frequently promised changes to the housing mechanic but sadly failed to implement them. At present homes and the homesteads in which they are located, simply offer the same services as the major towns and social hubs, with the benefit of some extra storage. In fact, as far as I’m aware there is no major social dynamic to any of the housing systems implemented in any of the top ranking MMOs.

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It is this social element or the lack of thereof that is predominantly of interest to me. Let us not be diverted with questions regarding the purchase of in-game housing. In the modern MMO market making premium housing available for cash purchase is simply a no-brainer. What you can do with housing is a far more interesting talking point. At present housing mainly offers in the MMO genre additional storage, an opportunity for aesthetic customisation and convenient support services. For example, in LOTRO if you repair your gear from a vendor based in the homestead, there is a discount. STO and SWTOR can offer access to personal and account banks as well as the auction facilities. STO is a little different to other MMOs in so far as your ship is your home to all intents and purposes.

What housing across most MMOs fails to do is offer any additional social facilities or unique group content. Players can group together and generate their own social events but they can also do that in other areas such as Bree, Earth Spacedock or Divinities Reach. Considering how many MMOs have strong social communities, especially among roleplayers, you’d think that game developers would be quick to capitalise on such human resources. If there were more reasons for players to use their homes and spend time in the homestead areas, the demand for housing would increase, thus bringing more revenue to any game. Housing could also provide a potentially different way to play MMOs. If crafting became more accessible via housing, players could level by developing their own cottage industries.

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However, it is only fair to consider the other side of the argument. Some players may well like and prefer the relative tranquillity of housing as it is currently implemented. Not everyone wants to find fifty plus players embarking on a lengthy social event next door to them, spamming emotes and indulging in shenanigans. And many of the more recent MMOs do not seem to be as actively social as the older ones. So far, I have seen no compelling reason to join a guild or interact with other players in The Elder Scrolls Online. Guild Wars 2 is also a game I have predominantly played alone and it still seems to lack any essential social mechanic. Perhaps dynamic grouping effectively renders more complex social interaction redundant.

From my perspective, I always like to have more options than less. I also like social functionality to be optional and not essential. Therefore, I welcome any improvement to housing for any MMO along with any bespoke future social content. As long as it comes with a toggle in the UI settings then I’ll deem it an equitable arrangement. If a big guild wants to use its housing to a higher degree and access potential in-game benefits, then it should be afforded such an option. But I would also ask the developers to make judicious use of the phasing mechanic or offer the option to buy a “remote house” for those of a more solitary disposition. I am neither a strong advocate of either mantra, “better together” or Hell is other people”. I believe that the truth lies somewhere between the two.

The Abandoned Graveyard

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In LOTRO, as you travel north of Bree along the Greenway, there is a small cleft in the hills to the left of the road. It’s southeast of Saeradan's Cabin, east of Thornley's Work Site, and south of the Festival Grounds. In this remote spot is a small abandoned graveyard within a low walled enclosure. An empty cabin overlooks the site and a solitary mourner weeps at the grave of a departed friend. It’s a rather mournful place and somewhat esoteric. The mourner doesn’t bestow any quests, nor do any of the other NPCs in the vicinity. In fact, beyond the aesthetic, this location serves no apparent purpose in the game. So, what is the purpose of the abandoned graveyard?

Well after a little research, trawling through old forum posts and defunct websites, it would appear that this particular location represents a storyline and quest hub that was removed from the game during its development. Breeland is one of the original areas of LOTRO that came with Shadow of Angmar. It is quite common for material to be removed from a game during its testing. There are (or at least were) other examples of such in LOTRO. At one point a hidden Hobbit village, west of the Shire, was still accessible in the game. As for why such content was changed I cannot say. Size, relevance or quality may well have been deciding factors.

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There is certainly some evidence remaining within the graveyard area itself that sheds light on a possible story arc. To the right of the cabin is an old wagon. Next to it is a corpse with a dagger in its chest. There are also skeletal remains scattered around the area. Was someone caught grave robbing and subject to summary justice? Also there’s the graveyard mourner and her reference to old Cal. Both present interesting possibilities. Who are they and what is their history. There is also one grave that differs from the others by having a small bush (or flowers) growing on it. Is this of any significance?

The graveyard itself is also a point to ponder. In western culture, such places are usually linked to major religious institutions. Yet Tolkien does not mention any comparable equivalent bodies in The Lord of the Rings. In fact, theirs is a conspicuous lack of any major organised faith in the source text. Although a Catholic, Tolkien conspicuously avoids any major theological elements in his work. With regard to burial practises, the only references that I can immediately recall are to barrows, burial mounds and tombs. So, is a graveyard a little incongruous, or should we just accept it, assuming it to be the standard manner of dealing with the deceased of Middle Earth?

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There may well be more examples of residual stories and quest littering the game. However, they may not be as tangible as the abandoned graveyard. As the game has been revamped on several occasions, it gets harder to tell. So many NPCs, items and quest locations have been moved over LOTROs lifespan, it’s possible that many potential clues have now been lost. Yet these anomalies do add a great deal of character to the game which is one of the reasons I return to LOTRO frequently. And there presence provides more reasons to explore the MMOs extensive regions and zones.

The Geography of LOTRO: Part 1 The Shire

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One of the most engaging aspects of The Lord of the Rings is the expansive and detailed world that Tolkien has created. His love of maps combined with his detailed descriptions of the geography of Middle Earth, makes a credible and living environment. The Shire in particular is described in great depth, becoming a character in itself within the narrative. So, when Turbine developed LOTRO a decade ago, they were faced with an extremely difficult task of adapting this territory into a suitable MMO environment. However, the results have been well received and this region has remained a firm favourite with LOTRO players. So, I thought it would be interesting to look in more detail at selected areas of Middle Earth and explore the subtle differences between the game and the source text over a series of blog posts. So, let us start where the story begins, in The Shire.

One of the most important factors to consider with regard to an MMO map, is size. No matter how much of a Tolkien purist you are, I do not think that any game player would be happy with an exact scale realization of Middle Earth. It would mean taking days to travel anywhere, which far from practical for an MMO. Remember that it took Frodo, Sam and Pippin two and a half days to get from Hobbiton to Crickhollow on foot. So Turbine have reduced the scale in a measured and reasonable way. They have also morphed the in-game map to give locations a more even spread . This is quite noticeable in "The Shire". Green Hill Country has been drastically reduced in size and several northern settlements such as Oatbarton and Dwalling removed from the map and relocated to the next in-game area. It should also be noted that at present, the entire "South Farthing" is absent from the game. In light of Standing Stone Games recent acquisition of the game, perhaps this area will appear later in a future expansion.

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Despite these adaptations, Turbine have still managed to recreate the spirit of The Shire. They have maintained the rustic feel with the farmlands, orchards and such embellishments as waterwheels and windmills. It is easy to balk at the encompassing mountains ranges that effectively fence in each gaming area but one is hard pressed to come up with a suitable alternative. As a gamer, I have never been a big fan of invisible barriers as they are jarring and can break immersion for some. The Shire is also filled with a wealth of features taken directly from the book, varying from the well-known to the subtle. Various taverns and farms can be found which most readers will be familiar with, as well as more esoteric landmarks such as Three Farthing Stone.

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When you contrast the in-game map with one from the books, you discover much that is missing from LOTRO. As mentioned earlier, some may well feature in future expansions. Currently in LOTRO, The Shire has a gate not far from the homestead entrance, that separates the "South Farthing". Beyond this should lie such settlements as Hardbottle, Sackville and Longbottom. The latter being the main area for the cultivation of pipe-weed in The Shire. Another thing to consider is the substantial reduction in size of Green Hill Country. Although I can see the necessity to do so, it does mitigate a plot point. Unspoilt areas of forest such as the Woody End, were rare in this region of Middle-earth. This was a main reason that the High Elves still visited The Shire and is therefore of significance in terms of the story. It should also be noted that much of the infrastructure of the area (roads and bridges) were originally established by the Dunedain. The region was initially was a part of Arthedain, and as such a part of Arnor. It was at one time part of the farm land for that kingdom.

The Shire remains one of the most popular areas in LOTRO. Turbine managed to create a depiction of Tolkien's work, that despite practical compromises, has not been trivialised or suffered from "Disneyfication". It captures the essence of the source text, which in itself is based on pre-industrial West Midlands of England and offers a very striking visual interpretation. As one of the first areas made for the MMO, The Shire has a level of attention to detail that has been missing from some of the more recent zones. Perhaps that is why it resonates so well with the community. You’ll find region bustling with players throughout the year.

Meanwhile, Back in LOTRO

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The recent news regarding Standing Stone Games’ acquisition of LOTRO has certainly re-invigorated the fan community and led to some renewed wider interest in the game. I’ve kept my own subscription going mostly out of curiosity for LOTROs future, rather than a burning passion for the MMO. In fact, on Laurelin server, it’s pretty much business as usual. My kinship has a core group of players who logon regularly as do most others. Key regional hubs such as Bree and the Twenty-first Hall are relatively busy, usually with role players and music groups running events. Beyond this there doesn’t appear to have been a major change at present to the game’s overall population. Perhaps something tangible needs to be added to LOTRO first before we see such a shift.

In the meantime, I continue to work my way through various regional quests in The Beacon Hills, Taur Drúadan and North Ithilien, in a leisurely fashion. My primary character is a Lore-master at level cap that I’ve had since I first started LOTRO back in Winter 2008. Yet despite numerous in-game achievements over the last eight years, I still find outstanding deeds to do and activities to pursue. LOTRO has an inordinately large amount of content and landmass to explore. At present, I’m spending some time on my Explorer vocation that I’ve neglected of late. The tenth tier was not unlocked, so I focused on that today. Crafting ingots is still a trying affair. Plus, I only just noticed that an auctioneer had been added to the Bree Crafting Hall, which shows how infrequently I visit.

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Another more recent addition to Bree is the Scholar’s Hall (opposite the Cat Lady’s House). This has apparently been added to LOTRO to accommodate the Mythgard Institute's academic lectures with the Tolkien Professor, as well as concerts and other community events. Although I welcome such a venue being added to the game, its distinctly Gondorian style of architecture (and not Anorian) does seem a little incongruous, considering its location. I suppose it’s easier to use existing in-game assets than create new ones. The interior is suitably sumptuous and reflects the various regions of Middle-earth. Let us hope that the faithful find it useful and to their liking.

I recently found some use for my LOTRO points (formerly Turbine points), spending several thousand of them on Relics for my Legendary Items. Although the store Settings, Gems, and Runes may not be the best, they certainly offer both convenience and a leg up on those I had already. Their addition to my weapons has had a tangible impact upon my stats. I have also finally grasped the nettle and started equipping slotted armour and adding appropriate essences. In the past, I have eschewed this game mechanic because it adds another layer of complexity that lazy players such as I eschew. However, I found that I had sufficient funds to buy suitable essences and have started grinding for the latest armour set.

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Having no significant alts, means that I have a lot of time to spend on my primary character. Therefore, at present, my time in LOTRO is spent at a sedate pace. I set straightforward goals and pursue them in a manner that still allows me to enjoy my surroundings. The ambient music in North Ithilien is of a high quality and I suspect that some material that was recorded earlier on in the games life, was kept back for key locations. My recent tinkering with my build means that even an indifferent player such as I, doesn’t have to worry about survivability. All in all, I go where I please and face no major challenges, which is how I like to play. I dislike being underpowered and at a disadvantage. Let us not forget what Conan said about what is best in life.

Such is my personal status quo in LOTRO at present. I must admit it’s an advantageous position to be in. It certainly allows me to reflect upon what may be coming next in 2017. Will the Daybreak Gaming Company offer a new tier of subscription? There are occasions when I do regret not buying a lifetime sub but I wouldn’t be surprised if that gets replaced by something else. A new broom always likes top sweep clean and all that. Then of course, there is the small matter of getting to Mordor and may be beyond? LOTRO in the Fourth Age is an interesting proposition. Over to you Standing Stone Games. We await new content.