A Year in Gaming
Life is often cyclical, if you don’t believe me go watch The Lion King. I started 2018 playing The Lord of the Rings Online and by writing a post about how gamers collectively seem to repeat the same mistakes. And as the year and indeed the decade ends, I find myself once again playing the Yule Festival in LOTRO and reflecting upon how some games that garnered criticism over their egregious business models, have ended up as huge hits. It would appear that gamers are their own worst enemy. I shall leave the psychological analysis of paradox to others. From my perspective, irrespective of the iniquities of the video game industry and certain quarters of the gaming community, it has been a good year, gaming wise. I have enjoyed my time playing MMOs such as Star Trek Online, The Elder Scrolls Online and the aforementioned LOTRO. These and other titles have entertained me, provided me with an opportunity to unwind as well as affording me some much-needed social interaction. I particularly enjoy Wednesday evenings when I log into my Discord server and then chat and play collaboratively with longstanding gaming friends.
Life is often cyclical, if you don’t believe me go watch The Lion King. I started 2018 playing The Lord of the Rings Online and by writing a post about how gamers collectively seem to repeat the same mistakes. And as the year and indeed the decade ends, I find myself once again playing the Yule Festival in LOTRO and reflecting upon how some games that garnered criticism over their egregious business models, have ended up as huge hits. It would appear that gamers are their own worst enemy. I shall leave the psychological analysis of paradox to others. From my perspective, irrespective of the iniquities of the video game industry and certain quarters of the gaming community, it has been a good year, gaming wise. I have enjoyed my time playing MMOs such as Star Trek Online, The Elder Scrolls Online and the aforementioned LOTRO. These and other titles have entertained me, provided me with an opportunity to unwind as well as affording me some much-needed social interaction. I particularly enjoy Wednesday evenings when I log into my Discord server and then chat and play collaboratively with longstanding gaming friends.
In many ways, 2019 was just the same as any other year. If I may quote myself, I wrote on January 1st "it does not seem unreasonable to expect more shitty video games and questionable business practises in 2019” and broadly that has proven true. The video game industry shovelled out yet more substandard products such as Mario Kart Tour, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint and NBA 2K20. All of which are essentially the bare bones games with further content gated behind paywalls and microtransaction. Yet despite the inherent dishonesty of the “pay to start” business model, these titles sold and sold well, thus reminding us that people are the fundamental problem and as a result we get the gaming industry that we deserve. And as for the video game industry itself, it hardly covered itself in glory (again). The latest “trick” seems to be to release a game, get it reviewed and rated and then add an in-game store at a later date. Thus you can avoid any negative publicity during the initial launch window. And then of course there was the Blizzard debacle which raised the inherent dilemma in doing business with an authoritarian country such as China. Oh and “crunch” culture, institutionalised misogyny and general male centric douche baggery still seems to prevail in the industry.
However, 2019 wasn’t all doom and gloom. There are always good titles to be found if you look hard enough. The Untitled Goose Game was an utter joy and certainly seemed to touch a cultural never but in a good way. The Outer Worlds found popular acclaim and seemed to compensate for Fallout 76 as a spiritual successor to that franchise. I personally was very pleased by the arrival of Red Dead Redemption 2 on the PC. Yes, the launch was somewhat farcical and I had to downgrade my PC’s BIOS to play the damn thing but the game certainly lived up to my expectations, with its complex and nuanced narrative. And not all video game developers are corporate monstrosities. Compare 2K or EA to Rebellion Developments and the contrast is obvious. The latter is a company that I don’t feel the need to take a shower after buying one of their games. Plus, 2019 proved that there are still plenty of game bloggers, streamers and podcasters who are interested in producing content in a thoughtful, constructive and engaging manner. Too many subreddits are insular, angry communities that “shit in their own watering hole”. Who needs that when you can find honest and genuine content from gamers who enjoy what they play, rather than recriminate over how they think the community and industry should be?
For me video games continue to provide an entertaining, social and economic leisure activity. They certainly dove tail neatly into my lifestyle and real-world commitments. And so as I await the arrival of 2020, I shall enter the new decade (when framed in such terms it sounds somewhat depressing) pretty much doing the same as I did twelve months ago. I see no reason to stop playing the three MMOs that have been the mainstay of my gaming activities for so long. They are functional and provide both long and short gameplay sessions as well as clear goals. As all these games are relatively healthy from a business perspective, there is regular new content throughout the year. No doubt I will try several single player games in 2020; some of which will be planned purchases where others will be bought on a whim. I may even investigate some of the free titles I’ve acquired from the Epic Store or some of the obscure games I’ve collected in discount bundles over the years. I’m certainly no expecting myself or the video game industry to have any sort of epiphany over the next twelve months. I shall just anticipate more of the same, which after all is life’s default position.
LOTRO: Levelling via the Yule Festival
As I haven’t yet bought the recently released Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online, I am presently faced with the problem of looking for alternative ways to gain ten levels, now that the cap has been increased to 130. The most obvious answer is to play the various skirmishes that exist within the game, however I noticed that at level 120 I’m somewhat under geared and not doing as much DPS as I would like. Consequently, skirmishes have ceased for the present to be a cake walk and are more of a strategic undertaking, requiring attention to one’s skills rotation and a generally cautious strategy. I could also just return to the Vales of Anduin and clear some of the outstanding story quests but due to the time of year, I prefer shorter play sessions, rather than get bogged down in lengthy narrative chains. Hence, the current Yule Festival presents the most practical solution to my needs.
As I haven’t yet bought the recently released Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online, I am presently faced with the problem of looking for alternative ways to gain ten levels, now that the cap has been increased to 130. The most obvious answer is to play the various skirmishes that exist within the game, however I noticed that at level 120 I’m somewhat under geared and not doing as much DPS as I would like. Consequently, skirmishes have ceased for the present to be a cake walk and are more of a strategic undertaking, requiring attention to one’s skills rotation and a generally cautious strategy. I could also just return to the Vales of Anduin and clear some of the outstanding story quests but due to the time of year, I prefer shorter play sessions, rather than get bogged down in lengthy narrative chains. Hence, the current Yule Festival presents the most practical solution to my needs.
Frostbluff, where the LOTRO Yule Festival takes place, is an atmospheric, self-contained zone with a selection of repeatable quests. If you take the time and give the matter some thought, you can come up with an optimal rotation of quests that allows you to undertake them in the most efficient manner. I try to deal with all those based in the town first, then head West to collect the wood via the Wood-trolls, then East to deal with the Frost Grims and cheer the Snowbeasts. Finally I pick the mushrooms and head back into Frostbluff for the various hand ins. All of these quests can be completed within twenty minutes of so. If you choose a time of day when there are less players about, then you’ll not have to worry about queuing for NPCs to respawn and can possibly finish all these tasks in half the time. Furthermore, you soon learn where all the various items you need are and the entire process becomes second nature.
If you use XP boosters or take advantage of rested XP and other perks, you can receive a healthy amount of XP per quest. If you then undertake 10 repeatable quests each day, then the experience points soon racks up. I’m hoping that by the end of the Yule Festival on Thursday 9th January to have gained three to four levels and be somewhere around 124. I think I’ll then return to the Wolf-denes and finish all of the last update before finally considering buying and starting Minas Morgul. And then it will be back on the gear grind once again and unlocking further tiers on the Legacies of Legendary Weapon. I think my days of being at the cutting edge of LOTRO are now behind me as over for the last few years I’ve found myself playing catch up with most content. However, this is through my own choice. LOTRO is a known quantity and the gaming equivalent of a comfortable pair of shoes. It serves a purpose by scratching a very specific itch but I doubt if its going to reinvent itself in 2020.
Login Incentives in MMORPGS
A major challenge for any MMO is to keep players logging in to the game. Obviously, regularly adding content and ensuring that there are sufficient quests, activities and tasks for players to undertake is essential. However, experience has shown that no matter how much content developers add to an MMORPG, players will always veraciously consume it and want more. Hence you need an additional “carrot on a stick”. Something that get’s player sufficiently interested to log into a game, even when they don’t have anything especially compelling to do. Login incentives are designed to do exactly that. They offer of some bauble or trinket that motivates you to log into a game once a day. Hopefully once you login, you may then find something to occupy yourself, either on your own or with fellow guild members. And of course the player who is actively playing may well even purchase something from the in-game store. At the very least, a successful login incentive contributes towards active player statistics. If those figures are presented in the right fashion on paper, they can bolster a declining population.
A major challenge for any MMO is to keep players logging in to the game. Obviously, regularly adding content and ensuring that there are sufficient quests, activities and tasks for players to undertake is essential. However, experience has shown that no matter how much content developers add to an MMORPG, players will always veraciously consume it and want more. Hence you need an additional “carrot on a stick”. Something that get’s player sufficiently interested to log into a game, even when they don’t have anything especially compelling to do. Login incentives are designed to do exactly that. They offer of some bauble or trinket that motivates you to log into a game once a day. Hopefully once you login, you may then find something to occupy yourself, either on your own or with fellow guild members. And of course the player who is actively playing may well even purchase something from the in-game store. At the very least, a successful login incentive contributes towards active player statistics. If those figures are presented in the right fashion on paper, they can bolster a declining population.
Hobbit Presents were added to The Lords of the Rings Online as part of Update 11: Treachery of the White Hand in May of 2013. Like any other login incentives, they do guarantee that players actively play the game but they provide another reason for LOTRO players to at least login and collect their “reward”. Broadly speaking these rewards are adequate. Silver presents are available daily and gold rewards once every seven days. Upon clicking on the Hobbit Presents interface, players receive a random in-game item. This can range from food, potions, XP, reputation and slayer deed buffs all the way to high-end armour and jewellery. All rewards are account bound so boxes containing level appropriate items can be transferred among players various alts. More often than not, most of the regards are trivial especially for level cap characters. However, they can be sold to vendors, so at the very least they can provide a small stream of revenue on a daily basis. Sometimes items such as the Universal Toolkit can be very beneficial.
Similarly, Daily Rewards were added to The Elder Scrolls Online with Update 18 in May 2018. At the start of each month, a calendar displaying rewards for each day becomes available and items can be claimed in chronological order. Again most of the items tend to be food and other consumables that provide a buff. There are also XP scrolls and modest stipends of the games various currencies. However, non-combat cosmetic pets are also included and there are usually free samples of the latest Crown Crates. These contain a broad spectrum of rewards and on several occasions, I have obtained a new mount just by using these free samples. The gold stipends are also a welcome top up to one’s overall in-game currency reserves. Like other MMOS these free rewards are not character bound so can be swapped between alts or they go into an account shared currency wallet. The Daily Rewards, like Hobbit Presents, can only be claimed by one alt a day.
The question remains, are these login incentives genuinely sufficient to get an indifferent player to log into a game? If you have become burnt out on a particular MMORPG, then I’d say no. I think you have to have some sort of ongoing commitment to a game to begin with. Then such incentives can be enough to give you a little nudge and sign into a game. Of the two systems I have mentioned, I personally prefer that found in ESO. I prefer to know in advance what rewards are available for the entire month. At present the December schedule shows that there are some free Crown Crates available on December 21st. I must therefore not skip too many days of logging in, or else I’ll find that the reward is inaccessible. If you fail to login each day, a reward is deducted from the end of the monthly schedule. The random nature of Hobbit Presents in LOTRO is less compelling system. The allocation of rewards is a lottery. However, there is potential to win something of note, so there is still a degree of motivation to login. Yet regardless of the quality of login incentives, they are still no substitute for having tangible activities to do in a game and should never bee seen as anything more than what they are.
A Month in Gaming
October has been and gone. And as ever the MMORPG genre has been the mainstay of my gaming activities over the last thirty days. Furthermore, it has been a productive month. I managed to complete the Daggerfall Covenant narrative arc, along with the main story on my Dragonknight in The Elder Scrolls Online. I find that completing Coldharbour is the biggest obstacle in progressing. It’s an atmospheric zone but once you’ve experienced it, it doesn’t really lend itself to repeat playing. But having done all this my Dragonknight hit level cap. I had taken the precaution of buying appropriate gear ahead of this achievement, so I managed to acquire some decent armour and jewellery that provide robust set bonuses. Despite focusing mainly on ESO, I did manage to progress further in The Lord of the Rings Online. I got as far as the Wolf Denes in the Vales of Anduin update. I also took the time to visit the LOTRO test server and checked out the Minas Morgul expansion preview. As for Star Trek Online my daily visits have been focused upon completing Task Force Operations and grinding for a free ship (again).
October has been and gone. And as ever the MMORPG genre has been the mainstay of my gaming activities over the last thirty days. Furthermore, it has been a productive month. I managed to complete the Daggerfall Covenant narrative arc, along with the main story on my Dragonknight in The Elder Scrolls Online. I find that completing Coldharbour is the biggest obstacle in progressing. It’s an atmospheric zone but once you’ve experienced it, it doesn’t really lend itself to repeat playing. But having done all this my Dragonknight hit level cap. I had taken the precaution of buying appropriate gear ahead of this achievement, so I managed to acquire some decent armour and jewellery that provide robust set bonuses. Despite focusing mainly on ESO, I did manage to progress further in The Lord of the Rings Online. I got as far as the Wolf Denes in the Vales of Anduin update. I also took the time to visit the LOTRO test server and checked out the Minas Morgul expansion preview. As for Star Trek Online my daily visits have been focused upon completing Task Force Operations and grinding for a free ship (again).
While I’ve been enjoying myself over the last month playing through the aforementioned MMOs, the wider video games industry has continued to suffer a multitude of public relations disasters and persisted with their default business strategy known as “foot in mouth” syndrome. Bethesda continues to flog the dead horse that is Fallout 76 and made yet another faux pas with the launch of its premium “Fallout 1st” subscription service. And then there was the entire debacle of Blizzard capitulating to the political needs of the Chinese Government. Their recent “non” apology at BlizzCon was utterly predictable and again shows exactly what their priorities are as a business. Yet despite all these controversies and subsequent gamer outrage, the video games industry has still managed to make record amounts of money. This sad paradox is morbidly fascinating. It seems to be part of broader cultural shift in our society in which the more outrageously you behave, the better you seem to fare. Any damage to your reputation seems to have no real consequence.
Earlier this year, I experimented to see if live streaming on Twitch, could be a suitable replacement for podcasting. Logistically, I have everything I required to stream and I even had the time last month to broadcast several of my gaming sessions. But I just couldn’t see the point. The two mediums are not the same and if you are streaming on Twitch, then you really have to focus on the game that you’re playing, rather than rambling on about other gaming issues. I know that Twitch can be used purely as a “talk show” platform but I feel if you’re doing that, then you may as well do the same via the medium of a podcast with all the benefits that format has to offer, such as editing. I really miss producing the Contains Moderate Peril Podcast and the reach that the show had. Streaming requires your audience to be available at the time of broadcast, where as podcasting allows the listener to consume the show at their leisure. Streaming takes a lot longer to build an audience, where as podcasting can tap into existing brand recognition. It would be interesting to see if a new “season” of the podcast would attract back previous listeners.
November is always an interesting month for video games, as it’s the month that many of us get to play the various new releases from October. I’m really looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 2 which I have pre-ordered. I don’t tend to buy in advance anymore but this game strikes me as a something “different” so I’ve decided to take a punt. Plus I love the “Western” genre. However, I shall be deferring my purchase of the Minas Morgul expansion for LOTRO. There is currently a controversy over level cap gear and the proliferation of loot boxes in the game; something that happened with the previous Mordor expansion. I shall therefore wait for this matter to blow over and resolve itself. I shall probably be able to advance towards the new level cap, just by completing the Vales of Anduin content. Overall, I cannot commit to too many games at once, especially at a time of year which has more social activities than other months. Therefore it is wise not to set unachievable gaming goals for November.
ESO: The Imperial City Storyline
I raised the question in a previous post as to what’s the best way to follow the various stories in The Elder Scrolls Online in an orderly, coherent fashion. After some further research, it would appear that the most practical solution is to play through all the games DLC and chapters in release order. Hence, after finishing the main and faction storylines (in my case the Daggerfall Covenant), the next place to go is The Imperial City. Now I was under the impression that Cyrodiil was just a pure PVP zone but it would appear that there are 8 PVE quests that have a narrative arc. I was most pleased to learn this as I don’t like to miss out on content, especially if it sheds light on the lore and advances existing plot and themes. However, the problem with this series of quests is that despite being PVE content that requires you to kill Daedra mobs, you are still operating within an PVP zone. So you’re at risk of getting picked off by other players of differing factions while undertaking these quests.
I raised the question in a previous post as to what’s the best way to follow the various stories in The Elder Scrolls Online in an orderly, coherent fashion. After some further research, it would appear that the most practical solution is to play through all the games DLC and chapters in release order. Hence, after finishing the main and faction storylines (in my case the Daggerfall Covenant), the next place to go is The Imperial City. Now I was under the impression that Cyrodiil was just a pure PVP zone but it would appear that there are 8 PVE quests that have a narrative arc. I was most pleased to learn this as I don’t like to miss out on content, especially if it sheds light on the lore and advances existing plot and themes. However, the problem with this series of quests is that despite being PVE content that requires you to kill Daedra mobs, you are still operating within an PVP zone. So you’re at risk of getting picked off by other players of differing factions while undertaking these quests.
I discovered this the hard way. I was attempting the second quest in the series, The Imperial Standard, which takes place in the Nobles District of the Imperial City. At the time, the map indicated that the Daggerfall Covenant was broadly in control of this area. I had to defend three doors of a Garrison base from waves of Daedra. This in itself was quite challenging and would have been far easier in a group. However, a passing zerg from the Aldmeri Dominion put pay to my plans and I was summarily defeated. I made a second attempt to return to the area but by then the balance of power had shifted. It then became very apparent that successfully navigating the Imperial City and following this storyline was dependent on first being part of a competent group and secondly, on whether the various areas you have to visit are free from players from rival factions. I therefore withdrew from the PVP zone and returned to the Glenumbra. I have subsequently decided to play through the Orsinium DLC next.
Now I’m not a fan of the use of gated narrative of this kind and find these sorts of decisions by the developer’s to be very frustrating. There is a self-contained storyline set within The Imperial City DLC that makes for an enjoyable semi-sequel to the main story. I won’t spoil the plot but let it suffice to say that Molag Bol has a “plan B”. Not all MMO players are motivated by storylines and I’m sure many ESO players will not care that there is a narrative thread that they may miss out on. But equally there are plenty of players who are heavily invested in the “plot” of ESO. It would be nice if ZeniMax scould provide some sort of separate instanced mode where you could play through this content without ongoing PVP around you. If they wanted to strip out the rewards such as the Tel Var Stones (the premium currency that is bespoke to this PVP zone) then I would be fine with that. At the very least could they not provide an NPC elsewhere in the storyline, that gave a detailed summary of what happened in this part of the plot, if you have to miss it?
However I did find an interim solution to this problem. One which at least allowed me to follow the story. I did some digging around on YouTube and found a play through of the entire questline I missed. The video had all the dialogue options, sans the combat. It was also captured via a PS4, so it was interesting to see someone play just using the default UI, without any addons. I was fascinated by how haphazard navigating the map was with an addon mini map. Story wise, it was also nice to see the rogue Daedra Lyranth feature in the plot once again. One of the things the ESO writers do well it integrate characters into multiple story arcs. It makes perfect narrative sense that your path will cross the same people as you progress through the DLC etc. If like me, you don’t like to miss out on plot detail, here is the YouTube video of The Imperial City playthrough. I cranked the speed up to 1.5 and could still keep up with the dialogue. It also reduces the running time of the video accordingly.
LOTRO: The Calm Before the Storm
I have been absent from The Lord of the Rings Online for several month, only checking in intermittently. When I do, I still tend to focus on levelling my High Elf Guardian who is currently tentatively progressing through the dour and grindy Mordor expansion. Since July my primary character, a level cap Lore-master, has been standing outside Beorninghús idly staring at Grimbeorn with only a few quests in the Vale of Anduin completed. However, because The Elder Scrolls Online was down for emergency maintenance today, I decided to return to LOTRO and see if I could make inroads into this outstanding update in preparation for the release of the Minas Morgul expansion on November 5th. As a zone, the vales of the Anduin and is the polar opposite of the grim, rocky environment of the Grey Mountains. It is verdant, spacious and often has clear blue skies. Yes there are fog banks and areas of shaded woodlands but it is far from a brooding and oppressive region.
I have been absent from The Lord of the Rings Online for several month, only checking in intermittently. When I do, I still tend to focus on levelling my High Elf Guardian who is currently tentatively progressing through the dour and grindy Mordor expansion. Since July my primary character, a level cap Lore-master, has been standing outside Beorninghús idly staring at Grimbeorn with only a few quests in the Vale of Anduin completed. However, because The Elder Scrolls Online was down for emergency maintenance today, I decided to return to LOTRO and see if I could make inroads into this outstanding update in preparation for the release of the Minas Morgul expansion on November 5th. As a zone, the vales of the Anduin and is the polar opposite of the grim, rocky environment of the Grey Mountains. It is verdant, spacious and often has clear blue skies. Yes there are fog banks and areas of shaded woodlands but it is far from a brooding and oppressive region.
However, when returning to LOTRO from another game, it is very noticeable how the quest system is a product of its time, built upon the prevailing MMO systems and concepts of 2007. The first half dozen activities I was offered around Beorninghús were just the usual fetch and kill quests. Although these take place in a pleasant area and the ambient soundtrack by Bill Champagne is exceeding atmospheric, there is a distinctly old school vibe to these sorts of activities. If the quest narratives aren’t sufficiently compelling in justifying such undertakings then it can all feel somewhat arbitrary. However, and there always tends to be a however with LOTRO, the wrap up at the end of this quest chain is very satisfying. You enjoy a feast in Grimbeorn’s lodge and recount tales of valour. It serves as a great way of reminding the player who some of the NPCs are. LOTRO often brings back characters that you’ve previously met but after 12 years of content, it can be hard to keep track of who’s who. The quest also reflects a great deal of narrative continuity with Gandalf still having to “manage” diplomatic relations between The Beornings and the other factions.
Moving on to the Wolf-denes, I’ve started to notice that there is gradual increase in mob difficulty. Purple quality gear that is being given as quest rewards have a noticeable increase in stats compared to the Teal items that I earned from the previous Where Dragons Dwell update. I find the perfunctory nature of level cap increases a little frustrating and we are looking at one with the Minas Morgul expansion. That means all the gear that I worked hard to earn will be redundant and furthermore, makes all that I’m currently obtaining in the Anduin region, equally as superfluous and transient. Whenever you are “late to the party” and have content to catch up with in LOTRO, so much becomes unnecessary. Why grind out Beorning rep as the gear it will reward will serve me no purpose moving forward? In fact, it may be wiser for me to play another alt at present and wait for the expansion to be launched. Because once it has, playing through prior zones such as Vales of Anduin will earn me XP, where at present it does not. Hence, I’ll reach the Morgul Vale in a more robust state somewhere around level 125, rather than starting at 120. I like to be as robust as possible when doing new content.
Having spent some time on the test server inspecting the next expansion, it may be prudent to enjoy the aesthetic and atmospheric benefits of the regions between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains, while one can. The Morgul Vale and Minas Morgul itself are singularly oppressive. I fully understand that this is narratively justified but questing and navigating such an environment can be taxing. Due to the lighting in LOTRO, I often struggle to physically see what is happening in darker areas. Despite altering some of the video settings I often have to pull the curtains in my office so no external light source interferes with the onscreen visuals. It’s not a problem I have with other MMOs. Also, as I’m not exactly excited by the forthcoming expansion, I doubt if I’ll be playing it at launch. Standing Stone Games have picked the same day to launch Minas Morgul as the release of the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2. I always enjoy LOTRO but it really can’t compete with a western themed RPG. I suspect I shall visit the Tower of Sorcery in late December in the post-Christmas lull.
Progressing in an Orderly Fashion in ESO
Whenever I start a new MMO I tend to research the various classes and make an informed decision about which one to choose as my primary character. This policy has worked out well over the years and therefore compared to other players, I don’t have multiple alts across numerous games. That’s not to say that I’m averse to creating a new character, I simply need a good reason to do so. When I do, its usually because there’s an option to experience a different story. Hence, I currently have three alts in The Elder Scrolls Online. Last night I reached the current level cap of 50 with my Imperial Dragonknight, having recently completed the Daggerfall Covenant storyline. I have now experienced all three faction stories (which I have enjoyed) and more importantly, have learned what is the best way for me to progress through the game. ESO offers players the chance to play the MMO in a manner that suits them. If you want to simply travel Tamriel and do things as you go along, then you may. It’s a very flexible in this respect. But if you want to play in a more structured way, it can be a little confusing navigating a linear path. So here are a few tips I’ve learned the hard way.
Whenever I start a new MMO I tend to research the various classes and make an informed decision about which one to choose as my primary character. This policy has worked out well over the years and therefore compared to other players, I don’t have multiple alts across numerous games. That’s not to say that I’m averse to creating a new character, I simply need a good reason to do so. When I do, its usually because there’s an option to experience a different story. Hence, I currently have three alts in The Elder Scrolls Online. Last night I reached the current level cap of 50 with my Imperial Dragonknight, having recently completed the Daggerfall Covenant storyline. I have now experienced all three faction stories (which I have enjoyed) and more importantly, have learned what is the best way for me to progress through the game. ESO offers players the chance to play the MMO in a manner that suits them. If you want to simply travel Tamriel and do things as you go along, then you may. It’s a very flexible in this respect. But if you want to play in a more structured way, it can be a little confusing navigating a linear path. So here are a few tips I’ve learned the hard way.
When you create a new character, if it is your first, then you will be obliged to play through your respective class tutorial. It’s not particularly complex and doesn’t last too long. It’s designed to provide an overview of basic combat and your skills. All subsequent alts can skip the tutorial. Which zone you start in comes down to which version of ESO you have purchased. If you’ve bought the base edition of the game, which now includes the Morrowind chapter (formerly called an expansion), you’ll find yourself here. If you’ve bought all subsequent chapters, you’ll start the game in Elsweyr. Now I understand from a business perspective why developer’s ZeniMax want new players to start in the latest zone but if you enjoy the MMO genre for narrative reasons, it can be confusing to begin the story here. So I would suggest starting the main story which sets up the lore and gives you an overview into the social and political situation in Tamriel.
To do this your new alt to the nearest major city in the zone you are currently in and you’ll be approached by a hooded figure who bestows Soul Shriven in Coldharbour quest. This will set you on the main story path. Not only does it establish the lore but it also rewards the player with some decent gear as well as skill and attribute points. There are 13 parts to the main story, however I would not recommend burning right through them all at once. Although content scales in ESO, some of these quests can be quite taxing, so you may want to attempt them when you have more skills and attribute points as well as robust gear. Therefore spread the main story quests out as you progress. There is also a questline that is specific to your faction. After you’ve completed the Soul Shriven in Coldharbour quest you will be ported to the first zone of either Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Covenant or the Ebonheart Pact. This will start you on your faction storyline. Playing through this will further inform you about events in Tamriel and provide narrative continuity. You can also do simple regional quests in parallel to these as they are often linked.
If you are not interested in the story in ESO then you can simply do what you like with no consequences. However, a structured approach to content based upon the unfolding plot does have advantages. Clearing a zone using the in-game guide which lists all content, means that you’ll earn Skyshards (which provide additional skills points) and unlock achievements which give further rewards. However, it is beneficial to note the following while levelling. The main story, along with the stories for the Fighters and Mages Guilds reward players with some robust weapons upon completion. Therefore, you may want to hold off finishing the final quests associated with all of these stories until you are level 50. You will then be rewarded with purple quality level cap items that are appropriate for end game. If you receive these weapons while below 50, you will quickly out level them, rendering them useless.
ESO does at times feel like a game to two halves. Although levelling is fun and the quests are very engaging, all your armour and assorted gear feels very ephemeral. It’s not until you reach cap that you start to focus more upon the minutiae of your build. Unlike other MMOs, ESO doesn’t offer you a selection of quest rewards where you pick what’s appropriate for you class. So you can at times find yourself in a situation where you’re gear score is low because you haven’t received items that are suitable for your class. Now it can be argued that if you venture into a few public dungeons or do Undaunted daily quests you may obtain better armour and jewellery. Another solution is to craft what you want or to simply buy base level items from vendors and add Glyphs to append their stats. But not everyone wants to craft of do group content. My solution to this problem is to farm Dolmen in the Alik’r Desert. It won’t suit everyone but it’s a practical means to gain XP (especially if you use an Experience Scroll), earn gold and obtain relatively good gear. It is also a good way of levelling various skill lines and experimenting with different weapons.
How you play ESO is very much up to you. My approach works for me and the foibles of my personality but I’m sure it won’t suit everyone. Because I’m not in a major raiding guild and my gameplay is mainly PVE content and a few public dungeons, I’m not heavily invested in creating a really specific and bespoke build. I just want to be able to survive and do reasonable damage. Hence, I have followed generic builds that I’ve found online, equipped skills that are relevant to how I play and put my Champion points into practical resources. Also, there is no need for the average player to buy and equip themselves entirely with gold quality gear. Purple is fine for armour and jewellery, just ensure your weapon is gold and you’ll be adequately prepared. Just make sure that you put some thought into the stats and buffs that certain sets offer. So if you like to progress in an orderly fashion when playing MMOs, then it will be down to you to impose some structure upon ESO. You don’t need to keep notes and maintain a spreadsheet but it does help to have some idea of what you want to do, rather than just flying by the seat of your pants.
Minas Morgul Preview
I spent several hours today on the Bullroarer test server, checking out the preview of the forthcoming Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online. From a lore perspective this is a great zone and it neatly fills the geographical gap between Morgul Vale in North Ithilien and Gorgoroth in Mordor. As ever the visual style and sense of continuity is very good and Standing Stone Games have gone all in on atmosphere and ambience. The new area is often dimly lit, filled with fog and Minas Morgul itself has an eerie supernatural phosphorescence. Once again, I simply contented myself with just exploring the area and did not attempt any quests (apart from one to access a new instanced area). Let us not forget that this is a preview and therefore there is always potential for change. The new areas at present appear to be relatively clear of mobs and other sundry threats, so initially navigation between stables was relatively straight forward. However, the main fortresses of Minas Morgul and Bar Nirnaeth are densely populated with robust mobs.
I spent several hours today on the Bullroarer test server, checking out the preview of the forthcoming Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online. From a lore perspective this is a great zone and it neatly fills the geographical gap between Morgul Vale in North Ithilien and Gorgoroth in Mordor. As ever the visual style and sense of continuity is very good and Standing Stone Games have gone all in on atmosphere and ambience. The new area is often dimly lit, filled with fog and Minas Morgul itself has an eerie supernatural phosphorescence. Once again, I simply contented myself with just exploring the area and did not attempt any quests (apart from one to access a new instanced area). Let us not forget that this is a preview and therefore there is always potential for change. The new areas at present appear to be relatively clear of mobs and other sundry threats, so initially navigation between stables was relatively straight forward. However, the main fortresses of Minas Morgul and Bar Nirnaeth are densely populated with robust mobs.
Yet despite the commendably brooding feel to the region, it is quite small and compact. Due to the fact that this zone is set in the Ephel Duath (Mountains of Shadow) many of the roads and trails twist and turn around the cliff face. Subsequently the Straight Stair and the Winding Stair, North of Minas Morgul, live up to their name. Torech Ungol (Shelob’s Lair) has several branching passages but the main path leads to an instance entrance. I wasn’t able to go right through the tunnel and didn’t have time to try and approach it from the Gorgoroth etrance. Minas Mogul itself, is a multi-tiered city, similar to Minas Tirith. Mercifully there are only four “circles”, each with a different supernatural theme. At the top is the Tower of the Crescent Moon, which will more than likely be home to a major instance or raid. It should also be noted that part of the new expansion, is set in the Second Age. “Mordor Besieged” takes place during the original siege of Barad-dûr by the Last Alliance. This is contained within a variation of the existing Dor Amarth map in Mordor. Accessing this area requires a quest from Gandalf and speaking with the shade of Isildur in the Gladden Fields.
I suspect that for many LOTRO players, their respective enjoyment of the pending Minas Morgul expansion will depend very much upon how they felt about Mordor. Minas Morgul looks like being an atmospheric but tough zone. Because of its canonical nature it will probably be demonstrably harder than the recent Vales of Anduin. The dour ambience may also determine people’s opinion, after the lush and verdant nature of the previous update. There’s also the issue of the cost of the new expansion. As stated earlier, the new zone seems small and “Mordor Besieged” is just a variation of a region we’ve already experienced. Although the Stout-Axe race is bundled with all of the three versions of the expansion, I think that the most expensive version doesn’t seem particularly good value for money. Let’s hope that the story line is sufficiently engaging. Mordor had numerous questionable points but its robust narrative did much to redress the balance.
In fairness, considering the lore-based confines of setting an expansion in and around Minas Morgul, one cannot expect a massive amount of ecological diversity in the new zone. We effectively have fortresses, mountain paths, web covered tunnels and foggy woodland. I also think a lot of the relative value of this expansion will lie in the instances and raids. But if you are a casual, solo PVE player then you may not experience any of this. So as I write this post, the Siege of Mirkwood expansion comes to mind, which upon its release, also felt somewhat low key in scope when compared to its predecessor, the Mines of Moria. Naturally, LOTRO players are very loyal to their MMO of choice, so I suspect this expansion will sell well. But how well it’s received is another issue altogether. I shall definitely only buy the base version of the game and I don’t think this expansion will be my first priority over November and December. I do hope that my suspicions are unfounded and Minas Morgul doesn’t turn out to be a chore similar to Mordor.
Skills Rotation
While conducting some general housekeeping in The Lord of the Rings Online, I decided upon streamlining my “quickslots” as developers Standing Stone Games refers to them. Being an MMORPG from well over a decade ago, the game has a multitude of skills. By the time your character reaches level cap of 120, it is entirely possible to have filled all 72 of the available slots. If you have a combat pet, then you’ll receive another 11 buttons to “mash”. Now this situation got me thinking. I recollect a conversation I had about a year ago, when I was doing some group content in LOTRO. It wasn’t going especially well so there was a discussion about tactics and what specific skills to use. To cut a long story short, it became apparent that many players (including myself) did not know the exact name of all the skills that adorned their quickslots. Furthermore not everyone was au fait with the nature and purpose of each skill and how one could trigger another. Similarly not all were aware that some skills could be augmented by the use of another.
While conducting some general housekeeping in The Lord of the Rings Online, I decided upon streamlining my “quickslots” as developers Standing Stone Games refers to them. Being an MMORPG from well over a decade ago, the game has a multitude of skills. By the time your character reaches level cap of 120, it is entirely possible to have filled all 72 of the available slots. If you have a combat pet, then you’ll receive another 11 buttons to “mash”. Now this situation got me thinking. I recollect a conversation I had about a year ago, when I was doing some group content in LOTRO. It wasn’t going especially well so there was a discussion about tactics and what specific skills to use. To cut a long story short, it became apparent that many players (including myself) did not know the exact name of all the skills that adorned their quickslots. Furthermore not everyone was au fait with the nature and purpose of each skill and how one could trigger another. Similarly not all were aware that some skills could be augmented by the use of another.
Naturally there will be high end players who will read this and scoff “well I know what every skill is and what it does”, to which I say, “good for you”. But putting aside the moral judgement that always seems to go hand in hand with these sorts of discussions, I suspect that there are many players, not only in LOTRO but many other MMORPGs, who do not use their skills in an optimal fashion. They simply select what works for them. I also think its safe to assume that some player have the skills on their quickslots in the order that they were acquired. When they play, the simply work through them from left to right. In more contemporary MMOs such as The Elder Scrolls Online, you get to pick what skills are on you hotbar and the number is restricted to six (5 regular and 1 ultimate) which makes things easier to manage compared to the skills bloat that you find in LOTRO. But I suspect that many ESO players still do not pay as much to attention to the specific details of their skills as the developer’s would like.
When the average player (and that in itself is a hotly debated term) starts a new MMO, they are faced with finding a suitable path between learning the game’s mechanics and progressing as well as having fun. At lower levels, skills in many MMOs are simple and straightforward to understand. But as you progress skills can become more complex and interconnected. In ESO there is the extra dimension of morphing skills and choosing between two subtle variations. It is often round about here that players may start skipping over such information. For everyone that loves number crunching, understanding the maths behind each skill and min-maxing, there are two other players that don’t want their leisure activity to become a job or a school lecture. I have at times been guilty of this, although now I am very aware that the wrong choice can mean that I gimp myself. But this mindset exists and manifests itself in many curious ways. I know players who will never use food or potions because it just “over complicates things”. Such systems means you have to carry more stuff in you bags and worry about when not use them.
I recently did some research regarding ESO because I was finding melee combat difficult with a my Dragonknight. Turns out my choice of skill wasn’t the issue and that I just needed to be more mobile in combat. Having cut my teeth playing older MMOs such as LOTRO, I still find myself at times remaining static when in combat, instead of moving around the target. I have also discovered the importance of a lot of the passive skills and how they can boost stats and augment combat. Again, I’m sure I’m not alone in being nominally oblivious to the depths of the games systems. Yet despite these gaps I both my and other players knowledge, it doesn’t seem to be as much an impediment to our enjoyment of the game as some would think. Although we may not be killing mobs as efficiently as we can, we’re having fun doing things our way and on our terms. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. Until we reach a point in the game when we can’t beat a boss due to our poor grasp of the game mechanics and our own skills. Then it will be everyone else’s fault.
Dragon Farming, Black Dots and Continuity
I logged into The Elder Scrolls Online today to do some Dragon farming. The Dragon Rise event includes both an XP and gold acquisition boost throughout Northern Elsweyr. Broadly, speaking this is a similar activity to Dolmen farming in the Alik’r Desert, although it is time sensitive as the event ends on Monday October 14th. There are three locations around the zone where Dragons regularly spawn and attack. Although it is possible to travel between these locations using the Star Haven, The Stitches and Scar’s End Wayshrines, it is not easy to do so. You need a fast mount and to be well acquainted with the topographical foibles of the region. I prefer to stay at one location and remain part of the loitering zerg. The Dragons arrive at approximately ten-minute intervals and if there are more than twenty or so players, dies very quickly. If there is less of you, then it can be quite tricky. Situational awareness is the key to success. Keep an eye on the Dragon and where you’re standing. It’s certainly safer if you used ranged attacks.
I logged into The Elder Scrolls Online today to do some Dragon farming. The Dragon Rise event includes both an XP and gold acquisition boost throughout Northern Elsweyr. Broadly, speaking this is a similar activity to Dolmen farming in the Alik’r Desert, although it is time sensitive as the event ends on Monday October 14th. There are three locations around the zone where Dragons regularly spawn and attack. Although it is possible to travel between these locations using the Star Haven, The Stitches and Scar’s End Wayshrines, it is not easy to do so. You need a fast mount and to be well acquainted with the topographical foibles of the region. I prefer to stay at one location and remain part of the loitering zerg. The Dragons arrive at approximately ten-minute intervals and if there are more than twenty or so players, dies very quickly. If there is less of you, then it can be quite tricky. Situational awareness is the key to success. Keep an eye on the Dragon and where you’re standing. It’s certainly safer if you used ranged attacks.
It was while I was waiting and chatting to a friend on Discord, that I noticed what initially looked like a dead pixel in the top left-hand corner of my screen. However, a cursory check showed that the problem did not persist, when I tabbed outside of the game. The offending pixel vanished when I checked my desktop or launched any other application. Furthermore, if I placed my mouse cursor over the black dot, it couldn’t be seen. Now anyone who knows me, will tell you that I hate conundrums like this. So I quit the game (because I couldn’t concentrate on anything else) and set about troubleshooting the problem. Through the application of “Occam's razor” it became apparent that this had to be an addon related issue. A Google search subsequently indicated that I was not the first ESO player to have this problem. It turned out to be a bug associated with the Wykkyd Achievement Tracker. When inactive and minimised it leaves a single black dot on the screen. The solution was simply to disable the addon which I did.
The offending “black dot”
In other ESO news, I decided to play through the new Dragonhold prologue quests. I got wind of the fact that it ended in a solo Dragon fight, so I thought it best to use my primary character, a Magicka DPS Sorcerer with 200 plus champion points. It proved to be a wise decision because the final battle is quite tough. I ended up having to fight the offending beastie at close quarters to avoid the constant barrage of “Dragon shouts”. However, it was great fun and I liked the grappling bow as a means of traversing the multi-level tombs. As ever there were several puzzles but to successfully solve them all you got to do is read the quest text, although this seems like an anathema to some. The thing I was most curious about in this quest was the return Sai Sahan. In the main story of ESO, there reaches a point where you have to sacrifice one of the remaining Five Companions for complicated narrative reasons. I chose to sacrifice Sai Sahan when playing through with my Sorcerer, so I was interested to see what complicated reason the writers had used to justify his return. I laughed out loud at the vagueness of the explanation, although I’m sure it will be elaborated upon later on.
A Month in Gaming
September saw The Elder Scrolls Online becoming my primary gaming focus. No real surprises there as I’ve been having so much fun of late with this MMORPG. I managed to get my Argonian Necromancer to level cap and then had the fun task of trying to equip them suitably. I don’t quite know why this aspect of gaming appeals to me so much but I just get a real kick out of trawling around looking for appropriate gear. I tend to enjoy it in all the MMOs I play. There’s just something inherently satisfying about equipping a new piece of armour or jewellery and seeing your stats noticeably increase. This process is even more enjoyable in ESO as there isn’t any server wide auction house, so you have to travel around from region to region, individually checking each guild trader you find. It really is virtual shopping. Once I managed to find the right gear for this character, I promptly created a new Imperial Dragon Knight and started playing through the Daggerfall Covenant storyline as it the one faction I haven’t yet completed. Oh and in ESO cosmetic pet news, the ghost chicken (official name Spectral Chicken) is outstanding.
September saw The Elder Scrolls Online becoming my primary gaming focus. No real surprises there as I’ve been having so much fun of late with this MMORPG. I managed to get my Argonian Necromancer to level cap and then had the fun task of trying to equip them suitably. I don’t quite know why this aspect of gaming appeals to me so much but I just get a real kick out of trawling around looking for appropriate gear. I tend to enjoy it in all the MMOs I play. There’s just something inherently satisfying about equipping a new piece of armour or jewellery and seeing your stats noticeably increase. This process is even more enjoyable in ESO as there isn’t any server wide auction house, so you have to travel around from region to region, individually checking each guild trader you find. It really is virtual shopping. Once I managed to find the right gear for this character, I promptly created a new Imperial Dragon Knight and started playing through the Daggerfall Covenant storyline as it the one faction I haven’t yet completed. Oh and in ESO cosmetic pet news, the ghost chicken (official name Spectral Chicken) is outstanding.
I decided to buy a single player game on a whim and ended up purchasing the Untitled Goose Game. As I’ve already written a more specific post about that title, I won’t bang on about it too much here but it is a delightful diversion. It provides not only plenty of mirth and merriment but it also reminded me that not all game developers and publishers are complete bastards who will happily steal your eye and comeback for the socket. Furthermore, the games success may now lead to some DLC being developed which is fine by me. The game has topped the download charts on the Nintendo Switch console in the UK and Australia. It has even beaten one of Nintendo's own highly anticipated games, the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
There’s an ongoing event in Star Trek Online which pays out a Tier 6 Elachi ship with a complete set of crescent beam weapons. So I’ve been dutifully logging in an running a dedicated TFO and 2 easy patrols to earn the necessary XP. And while I’ve been doing this, I’ve decided that I might as well complete the daily “endeavours”. Gaining resources and building up account wide perks always pays off in the long run. And as I’m on the subject of Cryptic games, I reinstalled Neverwinter as I predicted last month. Bearing in mind I last tried this game during the beta test in 2013, I was very surprised to still find my original character. Naturally, I have no recollection as to how to play this game but I shall find the time to give it a second go. It certainly has plenty of content available.
I also gave Guild Wars 2 another try but it didn’t take long to remind me that all the issues with the Heart of Thorns expansion are still present in the game. Plus I’ve never found any particular aspect of this MMO to get especially invested in. I find the lore unfathomable and I’m never quite sure about the intricacies of the major stories. It is very playable and easy to jump in and out of but for me at least, the game lacks a lasting hook of some kind to keep me engaged. I tried the retail version of Mario Kart Tour and the Ghost Recon Breakpoint beta. Both failed to impress and I’ve written a separate post about how unbelievably shitty their respective business models are. Unfortunately I didn’t get around to trying the Modern Warfare reboot beta. There’s not enough hours in the day to keep up with half the things we’d like to, especially when it comes to gaming.
I genuinely tried to make some progress in LOTRO but I’m still floundering just outside Mordor with my High Elf Guardian. Once I commit to the battle on the slag hills outside the Black Gate, then it’s straight onto Mordor and I’m just not ready to grind through there again, even if I’m over levelled. I also failed to take my Lore-master any further through Vales of Anduin. The region is appealing but I always seems to have something inherently more interesting to do in another game. I did try the new Stout-Axe Dwarf race on the Bullroarer test server and enjoyed the creative way that SSG have crowbarred them into the existing Epic Story. I think I’ll buy the new Minas Morgul expansion a little closer to launch. After reviewing the various options, I’ll probably just purchase the base edition as I don’t require any of the additional consumables.
So that’s the summary of what I’ve been up to over the last 30 odd days. I’ll be back in early November with a further breakdown of this month. I haven’t made any firm plans as of yet and will likely just see where my fancy takes me. I have quite a lot on in real life at present and it needs to take priority. So any gaming time is a bonus at the moment, so it’s best not to try and aspire to potentially unrealistic goals and targets. Due to this time of year being a popular release period, I may well make another game purchase on a whim.
A Welcome Return or Just Repeating a Mistake?
When I first started playing MMOs, it was very easy to maintain a degree of “gaming monogamy”. The Lord of the Rings held my attention for two years, without any distractions because everything was new to me at the time. But eventually, the allure of other genre titles became too great that I moved on to pastures new. And so I spent between 2009 and 2014 trying numerous other games. Star Trek Online, Age of Conan, Aion, Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Secret World, Neverwinter, WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online to name but a few. If a game took my fancy, I would invest a great deal of time and make substantial progress. Conversely, if the “shoe didn’t fit”, it was quickly dispensed with. For example World of Warcraft never “clicked with me. It’s no reflection on the game itself. I just didn’t warm to any aspect of it. Similarly, the reality of EVE Online was vastly different to what I had imagined and expected.
Aion. July 2011
When I first started playing MMOs, it was very easy to maintain a degree of “gaming monogamy”. The Lord of the Rings held my attention for two years, without any distractions because everything was new to me at the time. But eventually, the allure of other genre titles became too great that I moved on to pastures new. And so I spent between 2009 and 2014 trying numerous other games. Star Trek Online, Age of Conan, Aion, Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Secret World, Neverwinter, WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online to name but a few. If a game took my fancy, I would invest a great deal of time and make substantial progress. Conversely, if the “shoe didn’t fit”, it was quickly dispensed with. For example World of Warcraft never “clicked with me. It’s no reflection on the game itself. I just didn’t warm to any aspect of it. Similarly, the reality of EVE Online was vastly different to what I had imagined and expected.
Hence, I’ve left numerous MMOs behind me in my gaming wake over the years. Games that I learned were not for me. Or were they? The thing is, I’m not immune to cognitive dissonance. I’m quite capable of holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. Namely, that hardy perennial among gamers, “I know I didn’t like [insert game title here] last time I played but maybe it’s changed”. And so due to a combination of factors, I have recently found myself revisiting several MMOs I have previously parted company with. Because of the recent coverage of Guild Wars 2 on the Massively OP Podcast, I decided to reinstall the game and return to Tyria. Much to my surprise, I rediscovered that I had three characters at level cap. A Human Ranger, a Norn Warrior and a Charr Engineer. My primary alt was still based in Queensdale which brought back pleasant memories of the “Choo Choo” or Queensdale Express. In fact within a few minutes of pottering around the zone, I began to recall how the various game systems and mechanics work. It began to feel like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers. And then I ported to the Maguuma Jungle and things rapidly went South.
Guild Wars 2 Beta. April 2012
The Heart of Thorns expansion killed my enjoyment of Guild Wars 2. If memory serves, I lasted until summer 2016 and then I quit the game. The “verticality” of the new zone and the grinding for Mastery Points to get the gliding skill and such like, were and remain the primary problem. That and the fact that this expansion made playing solo demonstrably harder and more reliant on others. Path of Fire may well do much to redress these issues but I’ll have to trudge through the first expansion before I can reap any benefits of the second. And as I play MMOs for primarily for pleasure and do not welcome any enterprise that “gets on my tits”, to coin a phrase, I shall be progressing no further in Guild Wars 2. I mistook the MMO for an absent friend because I was focused on my enjoyment of the base game. But the first expansion remains just as frustrating as it originally was and so all I’ve done is repeat a mistake by reinstalling things. I won’t get fooled again. No honestly, I won’t.
Neverwinter Beta. March 2013
So, fresh from this lesson, I decided that it would be a really good idea to ignore what I had just learned and retry Neverwinter. This a game I haven’t played since the beta test in 2013. Unlike Guild Wars 2, I really couldn’t remember much about the game. The only things that stuck in my mind was the combat which was a curious action hybrid. But beyond that, the game didn’t leave that much of an impression upon me. I was most surprised when I found my original avatar still available. However, for practical reasons I think it best to roll a new alt as I have no idea how the game plays. But over the next day or so, I will give this MMO another go. It’s odd that despite being an inferior game to Guild Wars 2, this is the one that seems to be more welcoming. Perhaps I didn’t play sufficiently to become prejudice against Neverwinter. Or may be after a while, suppressed memories will come flooding back. Perhaps my experiment to revisit older MMOs is already a forgone conclusion and these games have been abandoned for obvious and legitimate reason. Either way, it all makes for ideal material for a blog post. If there are any interesting developments I’ll keep you posted.
LOTRO: Minas Morgul Pre-Order
The forthcoming Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online, became available for pre-order today. Furthermore, Update 24.3 was also released, making the new race of Stout-Axe Dwarves immediately available for those who have purchased the aforementioned expansion. Minas Morgul will provisionally be launched on Tuesday 29th of October, although Standing Stones Games have stated that this may be delayed for a few days should there be any technical issues. As with the previous expansion, Mordor, there are three versions of the game with a variety of additional baubles and trinkets available. These are mainly cosmetic items and sundry buffs and boosts. The pricing ranges from $40 for the Basic Edition, $80 for the Collector’s Edition and $130 for the Ultimate Fan Bundle. Again, as with the last expansion, the respective value of the most expensive tier is currently being “disputed” by players, although having logged into the game, it is already clear that many people have already bought it.
The forthcoming Minas Morgul expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online, became available for pre-order today. Furthermore, Update 24.3 was also released, making the new race of Stout-Axe Dwarves immediately available for those who have purchased the aforementioned expansion. Minas Morgul will provisionally be launched on Tuesday 29th of October, although Standing Stones Games have stated that this may be delayed for a few days should there be any technical issues. As with the previous expansion, Mordor, there are three versions of the game with a variety of additional baubles and trinkets available. These are mainly cosmetic items and sundry buffs and boosts. The pricing ranges from $40 for the Basic Edition, $80 for the Collector’s Edition and $130 for the Ultimate Fan Bundle. Again, as with the last expansion, the respective value of the most expensive tier is currently being “disputed” by players, although having logged into the game, it is already clear that many people have already bought it.
All editions of Minas Morgul come with the following content. Over 250 New Quests. 7 New Instances. Updated Crafting Guilds. Further instalments in the Black Book of Mordor Storyline. A new Shelob Raid and “more”. It should be noted that the instances and raid will follow in patches after launch of the expansion. Furthermore, according to developer’s Stand Stone Games “Minas Morgul will take you on an expedition deep into the Morgul Vale in search of answers to a mystery that spans three thousand years. The words of the shade of Isildur will unearth secrets and visions of the Second Age that have remained untold until now, revealing playable landscape and new adventures from a crucial time in Middle-earth’s history”. There is also yet another increase in the game’s level cap from 120 to 130. Thus creating a new gear check for those who wish to have appropriately levelled armour and jewellery.
For long term LOTRO players, SSG’s announcement and overall marketing strategy for this new expansion holds no surprises. This is pretty much exactly what they did when they launched Mordor in late 2017. The appeal of Minas Morgul is aimed predominantly at core players, although the Character Level Boost to 120 may be of interest to new players who wish to join and play with friends at cap. SSG seem to have found a content release schedule that works well for them, offering an ongoing diet of “same meat, different gravy” which satisfies core players. For those who do not feel the need to pre-order the expansion, it will be available for purchase via the in-game store with LOTRO points in March 2020. Base Edition (includes the Minas Morgul Region & Instances only) is priced at 2495 Points. For those who just want to unlock the Stout-Axe Dwarf race, it will cost 1000 Points.
Fear of Missing Out
According to Wikipedia Fear of Missing Out (or FOMO) is “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent". Now that may sound to some as a somewhat trivial concern. One that encapsulates the concept of “first world problems” and “Generation Me”. Yet for many, it is a genuine concern. “Fear of missing out” is a not too distant cousin of “fear of being excluded”. Something that is a common part of bullying culture. FOMO plays to human insecurities and we live in times where people feel increasingly vulnerable. If you want further evidence of the veracity of FOMO, consider how it is something that marketing departments now actively seek to play upon and uses for leverage. A recent leaked document for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) outlined how they wish to streamline and revitalise the ailing E3 trade show. One suggestion is to make "exclusive/appointment only activations for select attendees who will create buzz and FOMO”.
According to Wikipedia Fear of Missing Out (or FOMO) is “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent". Now that may sound to some as a somewhat trivial concern. One that encapsulates the concept of “first world problems” and “Generation Me”. Yet for many, it is a genuine concern. “Fear of missing out” is a not too distant cousin of “fear of being excluded”. Something that is a common part of bullying culture. FOMO plays to human insecurities and we live in times where people feel increasingly vulnerable. If you want further evidence of the veracity of FOMO, consider how it is something that marketing departments now actively seek to play upon and uses for leverage. A recent leaked document for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) outlined how they wish to streamline and revitalise the ailing E3 trade show. One suggestion is to make "exclusive/appointment only activations for select attendees who will create buzz and FOMO”.
For good or ill, it would seem that FOMO is now facet of twentieth century culture. Much like reaction videos, shit posting and the most intellectually bereft member of society being allowed on national television. Furthermore, I cannot claim to be impervious to this malady. I have discussed in the past how I was an avid “early adopter” of technology two decades ago. Something I cannot simply chalk up to just enthusiasm and zeal. FOMO did play a part in this. And then there has been times when fandom has become a job, rather than a leisure activity. I have a friend who still likes to remind me of the numerous times I got up at some ridiculous hour to watch videos that I had to return to Blockbusters, later that day. As a movie fan, it has always been difficult to try and keep up with all the new releases as well as older classics. It’s something I take a far more measured approach to these days but again in the past, FOMO was a factor driving the mentality that I had to “do it all”.
Recently, I took stock of my interests and pastimes. I decided to recalibrate my expectations and aspirations and that meant making some changes. Subsequently, I took to Twitter and spent some time reflecting upon who I was following. I believe the maximum number of people you can follow realistically is about 150. I’m currently over that number by a sizeable amount but I did prune about thirty of so accounts I was following. I based my decision upon how often an account tweeted and whether they were big on interacting with others. I did feel the occasional pang of guilt but ultimately you have to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Following an excess of people on Twitter just leads to having your timeline swamped and increases the chance of missing something important amid all the white noise. There were also a few people who I couldn’t remember as to why I was following them.
I carried out the same exercise on Feedly and removed several blogs that didn’t seem to be producing any content on a regular basis. As predicted, the drop off rate after Blaugust was noticeable. I also had several blogs on my list that have been dead for a long time and it was merely nostalgia on my part keeping them there. I am also getting somewhat tired of commercial video gaming websites. They have a tendency to regurgitate the same company press releases where it is only the think pieces and long form articles that really interest me. So I have purged many of these. I’ve also shed some of the movie news websites I was following, as these aren’t really broad enough and tend to be too focused on “superhero” movies. And while I’ve been “downsizing” the extent of my online content consumption, I also unsubscribed from numerous YouTube channels. The commercial ones were exceedingly predictable and many of the “non-professional” content creators seemed to have ground to a halt. May be this medium is no longer the cash cow that many assumed it was. And then there’s my gaming “wish lists”. They got kicked into touch as well after a healthy dose of realism.
Here are some fun facts about the “average persons” lifespan. We spend about a third of our lives asleep. That’s 30 years plus. Joe public also spends about five years on the phone during the course of their life. A human brain can store up to a quadrillion separate bit of information in its longterm memory during our “three score years and ten”. Then add to that mix, time spent working, raising children and perhaps most importantly, procrastinating. The bottom line is you’re never going to fit in everything that you want to do. Nope. Not going to happen. The reality of the situation is that FOMO should be logically replaced by AOMO; acceptance of missing out. It’s a mindset I’ve eased myself into over the last decade. Pick what you want to do wisely. Be realistic and honest with yourself about what you can and cannot fit into your schedule. As for FOMO, isn’t it better to do several things well and enjoy them thoroughly, rather than attempting to do too many things at once and doing them badly? You’d think so. But then again people are seldom logical.
Stout-Axe Dwarf Preview
As Standing Stone Games successfully “got away” with adding High Elves to The Lord of the Rings Online as a playable race in late 2017, then it is only logical that they expect to do exactly the same with Stout-Axe Dwarves this year. Furthermore, as High Elves were introduced with the Mordor expansion, it’s not unreasonable to assume that Stout-Axe Dwarves will similarly be tied to the forthcoming Minas Morgul expansion. Just remember that Mordor came in three varieties and the base edition did not include the High Elf class. So keep an eye out for the various versions of Minas Morgul, when it is announced. But let’s not kid ourselves, core LOTRO players are usually lore enthusiasts and eager to support the game that they love, so I see no reason for this new race to be rejected by the playerbase. Dwarves have their fans, so I’m sure that Stout-Axe Dwarves will be welcomed into the game and find their niche.
As Standing Stone Games successfully “got away” with adding High Elves to The Lord of the Rings Online as a playable race in late 2017, then it is only logical that they expect to do exactly the same with Stout-Axe Dwarves this year. Furthermore, as High Elves were introduced with the Mordor expansion, it’s not unreasonable to assume that Stout-Axe Dwarves will similarly be tied to the forthcoming Minas Morgul expansion. Just remember that Mordor came in three varieties and the base edition did not include the High Elf class. So keep an eye out for the various versions of Minas Morgul, when it is announced. But let’s not kid ourselves, core LOTRO players are usually lore enthusiasts and eager to support the game that they love, so I see no reason for this new race to be rejected by the playerbase. Dwarves have their fans, so I’m sure that Stout-Axe Dwarves will be welcomed into the game and find their niche.
Bullroarer test server currently has an early preview of the Stout-Axe Dwarf class. As ever, it’s a beta test so there is scope for change. There are some subtle aesthetic differences between the Stout-Axe and the Longbeards. Their beards are shorter and often braided, along with their hair. The passive skills for the new race also vary from traditional Dwarves. Unyielding Will gives a will, vitality and mitigations boost. Wrought by the Black Lands gives a shadow mitigation buff. This makes sense as the race hails from Mordor. Shadow of the Eye reduces vitality. Doom of Dràsa’s Folk reduces fate. Again the lore justifys this as the Stout-Axes are a subjugated people. And like regular Dwarves there is a One-Handed Axes passive trait. It should also be noted that it looks like SSG have overhauled the character creation screen, as the default models appear to have been updated.
SPOILER ALERT:
The introductory story for the Stout-Axe Dwarves is set in Mordor circa T.A. 3017. The plot conceit being that Dràsa’s Folk where one of the seven Dwarven Houses. When Sauron sought to take their ring of power, they resisted and were subsequently enslaved and taken to Mordor. After creating your Stout-Axe character you find yourself, labouring in the depth of Barad-dûr. There are rumours that Sauron is to release one of his captives and one of your eager companions wants to use this opportunity to mutiny and escape. After some arbitrary task involving cleaning and working, you find yourself amid an uprising. During the ensuing pandemonium you break out of the Black Fortress. The scene then changes to Ered Luin. Obviously, your character has traversed much of Middle-earth only to encounter the Dourhands. When you recognise that Skorgrím Dourhand and Ivar the Blood-hand are allied to the same evil that you have fled, you seek out the Longbeards at Thorin’s Hall to warn them. It is at this point the story joins the existing storyline for that region.
Once again, SSG have managed to craft an intriguing tale that embellishes the lore without breaking it. Or does it? I seem to recall during the Mordor quest line that Gimli had no specific knowledge of Dwarves hailing from Mordor. Dialogue from the quest “A Land of Ash and Shadow” appear to support this. Legolas: “Gimli has found old tools of dwarf-make in this ruin, and though he will not speak of it, unease has crept into his mind. If ever dwarves dwelt within Mordor, it seems their fate was not a pleasant one and that their line is long ended”. Furthermore, when you complete that quest and find a Stout-Axe body Gimli exclaims "So dwarves still dwell in Mordor, but where have they made their home”. But as the Stout-Axe story has your character introduce themselves to Dwalin, there is a contradiction here. Also the Epic Story has you interact with Gimli on numerous occasions as you level up thus causing further narrative issues.
Now there is a good chance I may have overlooked a story element or am misremembering things. Or perhaps SSG intend to revise the various story elements. They have done so in the past. Remember how “The Assault on Archet” originally featured the Angmarim Commander Éogan arriving in the burning town to claim Amdir. And how this was later changed to feature a more sinister Cargûl and the Blackwold villain Calder Cob. Perhaps they have something similar in mind to address this. But regardless of the potential lore disparities, the new Stout-Axe story is a surprising good addition to the game. I suspect it will appeal more to long term players with a penchant for alts, rather than new players who may want a less lore heavy start to their adventures in LOTRO. It will be interesting to see how SSG polish this new starter experience in the weeks ahead.
The Problem with MMO Economies Part 2
A few years ago, STO developers Cryptic, added a new system to the game that allowed players to re-engineer gear and alter the various modifiers associated with each item. One of the reasons behind this move was to reduce the hyperinflation associated with high end gear that has the most desirable statistics. If players could re-engineer the items that they desired it would undermine the trade in such items on the exchange. Needless to say this plan didn’t succeed and the market did not radically alter. The overall cost of the resources required to successfully re-engineer a piece of equipment ended up being comparable or even more than the price of a similar item being sold on the exchange. Similarly, the legendary progression servers in LOTRO had a brief period of economic stability and fiscal prudence when they were launched. Initially, no one section of the playerbase had more resources than others. A year on and now the same issues of inflation and excessive prices have happened with a tedious sense of inevitability. Can anything be done to stabilise MMO economies?
A few years ago, STO developers Cryptic, added a new system to the game that allowed players to re-engineer gear and alter the various modifiers associated with each item. One of the reasons behind this move was to reduce the hyperinflation associated with high end gear that has the most desirable statistics. If players could re-engineer the items that they desired it would undermine the trade in such items on the exchange. Needless to say this plan didn’t succeed and the market did not radically alter. The overall cost of the resources required to successfully re-engineer a piece of equipment ended up being comparable or even more than the price of a similar item being sold on the exchange. Similarly, the legendary progression servers in LOTRO had a brief period of economic stability and fiscal prudence when they were launched. Initially, no one section of the playerbase had more resources than others. A year on and now the same issues of inflation and excessive prices have happened with a tedious sense of inevitability. Can anything be done to stabilise MMO economies?
If MMO developers wanted to seriously address this matter, it would require designing a game with a far more controlled and regulated in-game economy. It would also require a far more interventionist approach in managing the ebb and flow of in-game resources. IE controlling the availability of specific resources and items, as well as imposing taxes and fees upon auction house transactions. Such an approach would certainly be perceived as “political” from certain quarters of the gaming community and would not be well received. Given the levels of political and socioeconomic illiteracy among some players, it would more than likely play into the ongoing culture wars we see across all levels of society in western democracies. And it can also be argued that “trading” is one of the few social elements left in the MMO genre. Plus it’s also a “game within a game” for many players. If this is fundamentally altered or regulated to the point of “no fun”, then its effectively just another nail in the coffin of the old school concept of the MMORPG. I’m not too sure how many nails the playerbase can endure.
Grinding out rewards and obtaining rare and unique items is a fundamental motivator for many MMO players. For those without the time to pursue such goals, buying these things from the in-game auction house is a credible alternative. There are still a few ships in STO that are demonstrably superior to others. If you are unable or unwilling to spend real world money on multiple loot boxes to get one of these ships, then there is always the exchange and the option to buy what you desire for energy credits. It may well be an immense uphill struggle but it can be done. If you remove such an avenue from the game you are effectively barring certain players from achieving their goal. That sends very clear message to the playerbase and not a positive one. There are already enough obstacles for new players of long established MMOs. If a player feels that they cannot reach their full potential then why should they continue to play. Life isn’t a meritocracy but we broadly seem to like the illusion of one.
Conversely, if resources and rewards are too readily available and easily acquired, it does much to mitigate a great deal of the challenge and motivation to play. It is always fun to log into a MMO test server and instantly receive all the gear you desire from the live server. But the novelty soon wears off. Players like to have goals to work towards and if you negate that you really are pulling the carpet out from under them. I don’t agree with the philosophy that things given freely have no inherent value but I do agree that familiarity breeds contempt. The optimal path is somewhere in between, so let players earn their rewards but make the journey credible. Overall, I don’t know what the long-term solution to this chicken and egg conundrum is, as it requires that developers and players alike must “unlearn what they have learned”. Perhaps it will fall to a small developer to make a bold experiment one day and create a game with an economy that breaks the existing mould. In the meantime I’m sure this problem will persist and we’ll still see regular articles decrying the status quo and asking for something to be done. Gaming like any other aspect of human culture is cyclical.
The Problem with MMO Economies Part 1
I have a very mixed relationship with MMO economies. In The Lord of the Rings Online I have adequate supplies of in-game gold but most of the items I seek to buy on Auction House are insanely overpriced. In Star Trek Online, earning energy credits is so problematic, the developers have had to add them as part of the daily personal endeavour rewards. Again, there is runaway inflation and the most desirable items such as Tier 6 ships are ridiculously priced. And in The Elder Scrolls Online, the gold slowly builds up over time but the lack of a server wide auction system means that finding and purchasing quality gear at credible prices is an arcane undertaking. There was a point a few years ago when I use to play the LOTRO economy and as a result, I had sufficient means to buy what I wanted. But maintaining that level of wealth and financial leverage is time consuming and requires adhering to a strategy. As I do not play the game, or indeed any other MMO, to that level anymore, my personal wealth in all of them has declined accordingly.
I have a very mixed relationship with MMO economies. In The Lord of the Rings Online I have adequate supplies of in-game gold but most of the items I seek to buy on Auction House are insanely overpriced. In Star Trek Online, earning energy credits is so problematic, the developers have had to add them as part of the daily personal endeavour rewards. Again, there is runaway inflation and the most desirable items such as Tier 6 ships are ridiculously priced. And in The Elder Scrolls Online, the gold slowly builds up over time but the lack of a server wide auction system means that finding and purchasing quality gear at credible prices is an arcane undertaking. There was a point a few years ago when I use to play the LOTRO economy and as a result, I had sufficient means to buy what I wanted. But maintaining that level of wealth and financial leverage is time consuming and requires adhering to a strategy. As I do not play the game, or indeed any other MMO, to that level anymore, my personal wealth in all of them has declined accordingly.
Over the years there have been many articles written about the iniquities of MMO economies and whether anything can be done to run them in a more equitable fashion. For example, last Wednesday, there was an interesting post by Ben Griggs over at Massively Overpowered about the short comings of the Guild Trade system in ESO. Then today, there was a further article about how to acquire in-game wealth in Guild Wars 2, by Bree Royce. Both highlight the recurring problems and complaints that MMO economies regularly generate. A cursory look at the comments on both posts show that there isn’t a prevailing consensus among gamers, as to which is the best way to run an MMO economy. Furthermore, game developers seem to all too often throw in the towel when a games economy starts to get out of control and hyperinflation sets in. It’s as if it is just assumed that this is an inevitable course of events and simply something endemic to the MMORPG genre. And I’m beginning to think that perhaps they are right.
Video games are commercial products. Yes, they can be art as well but MMORPGs are not developed by altruistic, Franciscan monks out of a sense of social obligation. All the resources required to create a game come with a cost. In many ways video games are the ultimate expression of consumerism in western, capitalist countries. The controversies surrounding the monetisation of a leisure activity such as video games, is the epitome of a “first world problem”. However, when you consider the economic factors that determine the creation and sales of video games, it is hardly surprising to find the same dogma perpetuated within the virtual worlds they offer. Therefore, there is little or no will to create a game with a radically different economy to that of the real world to begin with. The mantra that “time is money” has always been the under-pinning ideology of game economies. Those with any advantage in this respect will always find themselves succeeding more than those who have a time deficit. And any MMO that has existed for several years or more, will have a core player base that owns superior resources to that of any newcomers.
Over time MMO developers have often tried a variety of methods to try and mollify these problems. Tinkering with drop rates of valuable items or reducing how often resource nodes spawn. Then there’s binding items to account or to characters. Some games have even put a specific cap on how much in-game gold a player can own. But players always seem to be one step ahead and all too often such restrictions are circumnavigated. Hence, we see bots and scripts implemented by players to farm resources. I’ve even subcontracted out my own resource gathering in LOTRO in the past. You can also find third party websites where rare items are traded for real money. Player in ESO will use the gifting mechanic to achieve sales that can’t be facilitated by traditional means. And if the developers are too vociferous with the bind to character mechanic, then people will just sell accounts. It’s a blunt tool but it works. All of these issues persist because neoliberalism that exists in real life economies, bleeds into the MMO games design.
Star Trek Online: Awakening
The new story arc Awakening, launched this week in Star Trek Online. The first instalment, Beneath the Skin, saw Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, returning as Commander Paul Stamets in an adventure that takes the player back into the Mycelial Realm. Cryptic have also added a new Task Force Operation, several patrols and numerous of “quality of life” fixes. The event system has now been removed from the reputation panel and added to the mission journal and now tracks progress in a single experience bar. Furthermore there is a new ongoing event which when completed rewards players with an Elachi Qulash Frigate [T6]. The developers have also revised yet another Tier 6 ship skin. This time round they have improved the aesthetics of the Kelvin-Timeline Intel Dreadnought Cruiser (AKA U.S.S. Vengeance from Star Trek Into Darkness).
The new story arc Awakening, launched this week in Star Trek Online. The first instalment, Beneath the Skin, saw Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, returning as Commander Paul Stamets in an adventure that takes the player back into the Mycelial Realm. Cryptic have also added a new Task Force Operation, several patrols and numerous of “quality of life” fixes. The event system has now been removed from the reputation panel and added to the mission journal and now tracks progress in a single experience bar. Furthermore there is a new ongoing event which when completed rewards players with an Elachi Qulash Frigate [T6]. The developers have also revised yet another Tier 6 ship skin. This time round they have improved the aesthetics of the Kelvin-Timeline Intel Dreadnought Cruiser (AKA U.S.S. Vengeance from Star Trek Into Darkness).
It’s been a while since we had a story update in STO. Although I have enjoyed the various narrative threads of each previous mission set in the Discovery era, they have been somewhat disjointed. Finally in Awakening, the various dots are connected and I suspect that the arc will be concluded. Beneath the Skin sees an assault in Andorian space by rogue 23rd Klingon Matriarch, J’Ula. This results in the creation of a rift between space time and the Mycelial Network. As all data regarding this realm is classified, the player has to call upon the expertise of a holographic Commander Paul Stamets and enter the rift. Probes sent by J’Ula have leaked Hargh'peng radiation and are causing sickness and corruption throughout the Mycelial Realm. Furthermore, in a surprise twist, we discover that the Elachi where native to the fungal zone prior to being subsumed into Iconian servitude.
As ever with STO, the new story is inventive and draws heavily upon multiple threads of established in-game and canonical lore. There are numerous elements to the plot but complexity is not always a stumbling block, if handled well. Cryptic are aware that not all players may be familiar with all the elements from Star Trek: Discovery so there are several instances of characters pausing to deliver substantial quantities of expositionary dialogue. It does at time slow things down but it’s a necessary evil. The presence of Anthony Rapp is a big bonus to the proceedings. He maintains his acerbic, passive aggressive demeanour and at appropriate points delivers some great quips. As ever with Cryptic, they excel with the little things that add to the ambience. The baby Tardigrades are great as they scamper around the Mycelial Network. And the Elachi who was previously a Romulan was a great call back to an earlier story line.
There is sufficient new content to be getting on with for the present. My concerns about a decline in narrative material has been somewhat tempered. The new patrols are more complex than expected and it’s nice to see the return of characters such as the rogue Ferengi entrepreneur Madran and Lukari Captain Kuumaarke. Plus a major bonus to all this is the fact that the latest mission Beneath the Skin rewards the player with an Elachi Bridge Officer, which is the best news I’ve had since I acquired my Holographic James Kurland. And as developers Cryptic are still working on bug fixes and “quality of life” improvements, I shall patiently wait for classic content such as the classic mission “City on the Edge of Never” to be returned to the game. In the meantime, gaming peripherals vendor Steelseries currently have a Star Trek Online giveaway to celebrate the launch of Awakening. Just create a user account and you can claim a free Ferengi Bridge Officer for the Klingon faction, along with a B’Rotlh Bird of Prey Ship [1]. Free stuff is always welcome and its nice to see the KDF getting some love.
A Month in Gaming
Last month panned out pretty much as I expected. Blaugust and writing daily blog posts took up a fair amount of my leisure time. And then I lost a few days due real-life social activities. What gaming time I had was focused mainly on The Elder Scrolls Online. I’m sorry to say that I’ve ground to a halt in The Lord of the Rings Online. My level 113 Guardian remains at the Black Gates and for the present I simply do not feel disposed towards working my way through Mordor again, which I did just a year ago on my primary character. I have undertaken a few quests with my level cap Lore-master and will endeavour in the weeks ahead to at least complete the Vales of Anduin region. LOTRO at present doesn’t have much of a hold on me, although I may well become more enthusiastic once the next expansion is formerly announced.
Last month panned out pretty much as I expected. Blaugust and writing daily blog posts took up a fair amount of my leisure time. And then I lost a few days due real-life social activities. What gaming time I had was focused mainly on The Elder Scrolls Online. I’m sorry to say that I’ve ground to a halt in The Lord of the Rings Online. My level 113 Guardian remains at the Black Gates and for the present I simply do not feel disposed towards working my way through Mordor again, which I did just a year ago on my primary character. I have undertaken a few quests with my level cap Lore-master and will endeavour in the weeks ahead to at least complete the Vales of Anduin region. LOTRO at present doesn’t have much of a hold on me, although I may well become more enthusiastic once the next expansion is formerly announced.
At present ESO is more than keeping me busy. I’m enjoying the Ebonheart Pact main story and have also experimented with my Necromancers skills. I currently have a Magicka build that gets things done and I’m rather pleased that I figured it out for myself. The game is filled with content, engaging zones along with plenty of other players. Furthermore, unlike other MMOs, ESO has accessible group content. I tend to group with two friends and we can tackle delves and even group bosses that can be found in each zone. Then of course there are the Dolmen. ESO is the only MMO that I play where doing something collectively is not an uphill struggle. You form your group, travel to where the action is and get on with it. There are no complexities involved, be they cutscenes or copious amounts of bestowal dialogue. I even got a free mount and non-combat pet for being a Twitch prime customer!
Looking ahead to this month, I have high expectations for the new story mission, Awakening, coming to Star Trek Online on Tuesday 10th of September. I have been critical of late of the way Cryptic seems to be taking a somewhat scattershot approach to modernising the game but new narrative content is new narrative content. The question remains will the new story along with patrols, events and sundry system changes be enough to keep me regularly engaged with STO? I’m not so sure. I must admit I’ve be considering dusting off an old game such as Starfleet Academy or even give the mobile game Star Trek: Fleet Command a try. Although the former is more likely as I bought this classic recently from Good Old Games for a ridiculously cheap rice. Although Star Trek: Fleet Command looks intriguing, I’ve already been burned by the other mobile game Star Trek Timelines. I really enjoyed the concept and the way the missions panned out after you selected your away team. But is had a typical mobile game business model and eventually you hit a brick wall and have to start spending money to progress.
I may also trawl though my back catalogue of games on Steam, the Epic Store, Origins and Uplay and see if there’s anything that immediately takes my fancy. I recently managed to fit in the single player game Mafia. Therefore, I see no reason why I can’t do that again. I certainly feel it will provide some variety to this column which fast seems to be becoming “MMO corner”. Someone mentioned point and click games recently on the Blaugust Discord Server and I’ve suddenly become very nostalgic for the genre. I have keys for the Syberia trilogy somewhere among my game collection. This franchise has quite a following and the games are critically acclaimed. Perhaps I should give them a go. Or maybe I’ll dust off one of the earlier Sherlock Holmes games from Frogwares. Either way both would be interesting experiments as well as providing something to write about.
Video Game Avatars and Our Relationship with Them
Blaugust founder Belghast tweeted the following question last night along. “There is a discussion happening elsewhere so I'm curious. For me all of my game characters are just cosmetic shells for the digital "me". Getting the impression I am deeply in the minority here”. Obviously, he’d had encountered at interesting debate about our relationship with the characters we create and utilise to play video games and wanted to explore it further. So I and several others tweeted back our thoughts on the matter, which made for interesting reading. However, even as I was doing so, it became apparent that such a subject needed a blog post for an adequate response. It’s a big subject. Fellow bloggers Rakuno and Shadowz have already posted their take on this weighty topic. I suspect that this will be a very popular subject to explore because it is very personal and subjective.
Blaugust founder Belghast tweeted the following question last night along. “There is a discussion happening elsewhere so I'm curious. For me all of my game characters are just cosmetic shells for the digital "me". Getting the impression I am deeply in the minority here”. Obviously, he’d had encountered at interesting debate about our relationship with the characters we create and utilise to play video games and wanted to explore it further. So I and several others tweeted back our thoughts on the matter, which made for interesting reading. However, even as I was doing so, it became apparent that such a subject needed a blog post for an adequate response. It’s a big subject. Fellow bloggers Rakuno and Shadowz have already posted their take on this weighty topic. I suspect that this will be a very popular subject to explore because it is very personal and subjective.
I mainly play games from the RPG and MMORPG genre for their narratives. I like lore rich stories, especially those that are linked to licensed intellectual properties. What games such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Lord of the Rings Online and The Elder Scrolls online offer me is the opportunity to experience a story and have a degree of influence over the outcome. The games are an enhanced form of reading. Instead of visualising realms and characters in my mind, I get to see them first-hand and move freely among them. They speak to me and react to my choices (within the confines of the game). My avatar is the means through which I navigate this environment. Although I may spend time creating a character, giving thought to their appearance and their name, ultimately, they are merely a conduit. A means to experience the story. I do not see them as an extension of myself or imbued with elements of my personality. They have no true agency. Games are not sufficiently sophisticated enough at present, that we can supply our own responses to questions and the NPCs act on them.
Now I’m sure for gamers who embrace roleplay, their relationship with their MMO character is much more complex. Your avatar becomes more than just a three-dimensional, mobile interface with the story. It becomes a part that needs to be acted. A separate dramatic entity. It may be similar to yourself with regard to ethics and morality. But roleplay also offers the scope to explore personalities that are contrary to your own. Then there are those players who like to create a backstory for their character. They may reflect traits that the player does not have themselves. Their avatar may also be radically different from the player. There is the option to play as a different ethnicity or gender. Thus the character can provide both a sense of change as well as empowerment. I can certainly see the appeal of this and how it enhances the escapism that games can offer. However, I am not a trained psychologist so I won’t speculate too much in matters that I’m not qualified to do so. I will leave it to others to discuss projection and such concepts as the “imago”.
Although character creation in an MMO is restricted by the parameters of the game, it is still an act of creation, subject to our personal preferences. We further stamp our likes and dislikes upon it by giving it a name. Names are an intrinsic aspect of identity. Yet the real deciding factor is how we relate to our avatars. Is it merely a functional tool to experience the game or is it a facet of our self? When you play an RPG or MMO are you merely passively observing the narrative or do you see yourself as a protagonist in a play? A method actor who reacts to NPC interactions as if they were as tangible as a real-world experience? I think this is the core of the distinction. Naturally, those who approach gaming with the latter in mind are going to have a far more complex relationship with their avatar. Where gamers who favour the former approach will see things in more practical terms. Like a “bicycle that you are fond of” as Rakuno stated. The emotional connection comes from the fact it facilitated such enjoyable experiences.
I suspect as video games advance and MMOs incorporate ever better AI technology, we may well find ourselves playing games with more complex forms of communication and interaction. At that point your character may well cease to be just a factotum and become something more nuanced. Imagine an MMO where if you behaved poorly, wantonly destroying things and attacking NPCs, the game adapted to your virtual personality. What if it wasn’t just your actions in game that determined this but the way you spoke and the manner in which your character conducted themselves. I suspect such player/character relationships would be far more complex and an absolute field day for “Shrinks”. But for the present, my Argonian Necromancer, Jubal the Questionable, in The Elder Scrolls Online is simply an avatar in the traditional gaming sense. There’s not that much of me there, apart from my love of words and writing which accounts for the dramatic name. Plus I don’t have a tail or a penchant for staying moist.