Star Trek Online: Keeping Busy
Although the 10th anniversary event is still ongoing in Star Trek Online, the overall excitement seems to be ebbing. I have played the new two part Feature Episode and it is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable fan service. Cryptic hit exactly the right tone with this story and it has re-invigorated my enthusiasm for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. I have managed to organise things so that I can complete the Omega Molecule Stabilisation anniversary event early each morning. This way I can complete this quick 15 minute task before I leave the house. I’m hoping to be able to claim the new ship early next week. However, overall I have little to do in the game at present. I did some housekeeping and deleted some unused alts, after asset stripping them of anything of note. I also cleaned up my personal bank and either “salvaged” or sold numerous items that weren’t currently being used. I have placed all my Tier 5U ships into Dry Dock and rationalised my active Tier 6 vessels. I am now setting myself some minor goals, as a means of keeping busy, until further new content is released.
Although the 10th anniversary event is still ongoing in Star Trek Online, the overall excitement seems to be ebbing. I have played the new two part Feature Episode and it is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable fan service. Cryptic hit exactly the right tone with this story and it has re-invigorated my enthusiasm for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. I have managed to organise things so that I can complete the Omega Molecule Stabilisation anniversary event early each morning. This way I can complete this quick 15 minute task before I leave the house. I’m hoping to be able to claim the new ship early next week. However, overall I have little to do in the game at present. I did some housekeeping and deleted some unused alts, after asset stripping them of anything of note. I also cleaned up my personal bank and either “salvaged” or sold numerous items that weren’t currently being used. I have placed all my Tier 5U ships into Dry Dock and rationalised my active Tier 6 vessels. I am now setting myself some minor goals, as a means of keeping busy, until further new content is released.
Whilst organising my ships, I noticed that several had not reached full Starship Mastery. This is a simple five tier experience system for each individual T5U/T6 ship. Each level unlocks a trait relevant to that ship and full mastery offers a unique starship trait which can then be slotted regardless of what ship you are using. Some ships have especially desirable top tier traits. So I’ve been rotating through a variety of vessels and taking part in various Task Force Operations and Battlezones to gain the necessary mastery XP. It is worth doing some research beforehand as some of these activities offer more XP than others and there are a few that offer no XP at all. One of the benefits of alternating between a wide variety of vessels in a short period of time, is that you quickly get a feel for their respective strengths and weaknesses. It is also a great way of determining what suits your play style and then deciding what would be your best choice in the long run.
Something else that I’m doing to keep busy, is completing various Duty Officer Assignment Chains, although it is not exactly “enthralling”. I’ve never really been that invested in the entire Duty Officer sub-game in STO and have only done what is immediately available to me. As I’m by default usually hanging out at Earth Spacedock, I have run mainly the assignments that are presented there or at Starfleet Academy. Over time I have achieved Rank 4 in all commendation categories but have ignored the assignment chains associated with Sector Space. Hence, I am currently rotating between the Delta Volanis Cluster, the Eridan Belt and the Khazan Cluster. Once these are complete I’ll just progress through the others assignment nodes in each Sector. It does provide a useful alternative means to earn further Dilithium and bespoke Duty Officers.
After having watched a few YouTube videos, I’ve been replaying selected missions to earn various items that are still deemed to be of benefit. Over the last decade a lot of gear sets have fallen out of favour as the prevailing optimal combat meta has moved on. Several years ago, Antiproton weapons were “king”, but once the Embassy Consoles that enhanced them were nerfed, they were quickly superseded as the go to weapon of choice. I personally always like to use Phaser weapons with my Federation ships, so I tend to just find a practical build that enhances their use. I do not have the best traits and gear as much of these are tied to specific ships that can only be obtained from lootboxes. So I use my common sense and work with what I can obtain from the Reputation System and Fleet Resources. It can be fun to try different permutations of equipment and as I’m between major projects at present, this is a good time for a little experimentation. Hopefully, these relatively low key activities can keep me busy and engaged with STO for the immediate future.
The Problem with Raiding
The subject of raiding in MMOs raised its head once again over at Massively Overpowered. It would appear that ArenaNet have been looking into the current raiding content in Guild Wars 2 and found that it is only undertaken by a relatively small percentage of the playerbase. Hence they are currently looking at producing some sort of intermediary content to encourage “endgamers” who have completed all the PVE material, to work towards raiding. Whether they are successful remains to be seen but it does show once again that raiding is not a universal pastime in the MMO genre. I remember Turbine making a similar statement to this effect, back when they were developing The Lord of the Rings Online. But this post is not intended as a discussion about the validity of raiding or any of the traditional debates associated with it. I think raiding has a place in the genre. What I want to do is state the reasons why it is not something I actively do anymore. I suspect my experience is not unique.
The subject of raiding in MMOs raised its head once again over at Massively Overpowered. It would appear that ArenaNet have been looking into the current raiding content in Guild Wars 2 and found that it is only undertaken by a relatively small percentage of the playerbase. Hence they are currently looking at producing some sort of intermediary content to encourage “endgamers” who have completed all the PVE material, to work towards raiding. Whether they are successful remains to be seen but it does show once again that raiding is not a universal pastime in the MMO genre. I remember Turbine making a similar statement to this effect, back when they were developing The Lord of the Rings Online. But this post is not intended as a discussion about the validity of raiding or any of the traditional debates associated with it. I think raiding has a place in the genre. What I want to do is state the reasons why it is not something I actively do anymore. I suspect my experience is not unique.
Time: I have in the past done a degree of raiding in LOTRO. This was during a period of my life when I was living alone, worked from home and had the time necessary to undertake this aspect of MMO gaming. Time is a key aspect of raiding and the MMO genre per se. Raiding requires assembling people online at a specific time. Something that is akin to herding cats, because often your raid team will live across multiple time zones. Some will have been raised in heathen cultures that have no concept of punctuality. Also let us not forget that “real life” can get in the way. Once you have everyone online you next have to ensure that they are good to go. Does everyone have the right consumables? Have they switched to the right builds and brought the right gear? All these things take time because they involve “people”. Then you need to allot the appropriate time to actually play through the content. You may wipe and have to do it again. I can recollect times where we started a raid at 8:45 PM and finished roundabout 1:00 AM. So to summarise, raiding is a major time sink that I can no longer afford.
The Human Factor: If you are a member of a well run Guild, then raiding will often be organised by even tempered, supportive individuals with good communication skills. It is also incumbent upon those participating to do their best, follow any instructions and keep their wits about them. If there are any issues, then calmly raise them as combat in raids can be a fluid situation. But it doesn’t always go this way. Simply put, the human factor can complicate things. People are not all the same. There are a multitude of factors to consider such as egos and different personalities. Hence there is much scope for a group to pull in different directions as there is for them to work together. Plus some people do not perform well in a team dynamic. Extroverts and introverts are not always compatible. Then there are those players who tolerate the group requirement of raiding because they want the achievement or the rewards on offer. I fall into the latter category and have no time for “drama” or players who are high maintenance. I’ve also had my fair share of bad experiences with pick-up groups. Therefore, if a raid is populated by people I do not know and trust, then I’m not likely to participate.
Quid Pro Quo: I do not see raiding as a test of character nor do I see it as a prestige event that if undertaken successfully, confirms status. It is simply a process with complex systems and fail states. These mechanics can be learned, just like any other form of choreography. Undertaking raid content requires preparation, organisation and a degree of skill. Players have to make a considerable investment of time and effort when raiding. Therefore, I see the entire process as a “quid pro quo”. If you successfully complete content you should be given a reward. Rewards should scale according to how many of the raid’s criteria you have met. Drops should not be random, nor should players run the risk of receiving rewards that are of no benefit to them. Raiding should be a clearly defined enterprise. If you do what is required then you get the reward that was advertised. If you partially complete the terms of the raid then you get a lower tier reward, again something that you knew about in advance. You should never leave empty handed if you have succeeded, nor should you be palmed off with junk. Any raid that cannot honour this social contract is poorly conceived.
A Month in Gaming
So much for the New Year. January has now been and gone and 2020 just seems to be barrelling along. As ever, due to my real world commitments, I’ve been pushed for time over the last thirty one days. Therefore, most of my gaming has been targeted “binge” sessions conducted late at night. However, I do find playing through episodic content over several hours to be a very productive means of making progress in MMOs. So overall January has been an enjoyable experience, game wise. Due to my circumstances, I have deferred starting any new single player games and have focused primarily on two titles; The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. Sadly, The Elder Scrolls Online has been relegated to being played just once a week, usually on a Wednesday night when I meet up online with friends. My exploration of Vvardenfell will have to wait until later in the year, as I cannot sustain three MMOs to any great degree.
So much for the New Year. January has now been and gone and 2020 just seems to be barrelling along. As ever, due to my real world commitments, I’ve been pushed for time over the last thirty one days. Therefore, most of my gaming has been targeted “binge” sessions conducted late at night. However, I do find playing through episodic content over several hours to be a very productive means of making progress in MMOs. So overall January has been an enjoyable experience, game wise. Due to my circumstances, I have deferred starting any new single player games and have focused primarily on two titles; The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. Sadly, The Elder Scrolls Online has been relegated to being played just once a week, usually on a Wednesday night when I meet up online with friends. My exploration of Vvardenfell will have to wait until later in the year, as I cannot sustain three MMOs to any great degree.
Currently STO is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. To mark this auspicious occasion, Cryptic have released a two-part feature episode starring Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). The pair find themselves transported to the planet Excalbia, last seen in the TOS episode “The Savage Curtain” and facing further “tests” as the Excalbians explore the human concepts of good and evil. It is a dynamic and action packed story which revisits many classic scenarios from the game. Seven has some killer quips and Burnham is a welcome addition to the ever growing STO family. The anniversary also offers an opportunity to earn a new hybrid Tier 6 ship, which draws upon Federation, Klingon and Romulan design. Naturally the ongoing event has meant that a lot of lapsed players are returning to the game and as a result, the Reddit Alert Fleet (of which I am a member) is exceedingly busy. However, there has been a degree of controversy over the 10 ship Legendary Bundles that is being released on February 13th. As ever the pricing is quite high (about £200) and Cryptic have decided not to sell these desirable vessels individually. However, this issue notwithstanding, it is nice to see the game thriving at present. Ten years is a laudable milestone for any MMO to reach.
I have completed the Vales of Anduin in LOTRO and have diligently applied myself to the new Minas Morgul expansion. I have already shared my thoughts on the first half of the expansion, set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, which I found to be narratively enjoyable but a little too padded with fetch and slayer quests. The same rings true of the other half of the game set in Imlad Morgul. The central story is sound and each of the secondary quest hubs has an additional tale that feeds into the main Epic Quest. But again when visiting each area the player is given a multitude of arbitrary tasks to do. I cannot help but return to my initial conclusion that Minas Morgul is not a genuine expansion in comparison to its predecessors. It feels like something cobbled together from outstanding material and lacks anything additional or bespoke. However, criticisms aside, my recent re-gearing from loot boxes, along with focus upon virtues and increasing my LI legacies, has certainly made my level cap Lore-master a far more robust and even formidable character. I consider this to have been the best gaming achievement of January.
Putting aside what I’ve actually done in-game over the last month, I would like to briefly mention “gaming news”. As someone who considers video games as a major aspect of my leisure time, I have always liked to know what’s going on in the wider gaming community, along with the industry itself. Hence I’ve always read a broad selection of websites and subreddits etc. Sadly, I am finding these outlets are becoming increasingly partisan. The gaming industry seldom covers itself in glory and often the behaviour and attitude of a large percentage of the gamers is far from edifying. Simply put gaming is increasingly becoming yet another aspect of the ongoing Culture War which blights contemporary politics and national dialogue. Rather than feeling I’m part of an international community based on mutual understanding and a shared, common experience, it seems that I’m habitually told to pick a side in some tedious, bi-partisan argument and then just shout at those in so-called opposition. I find this an intellectually bankrupt proposition and am ill disposed towards doing such things. I do not see any evidence at present that 2020 is going to halt and reverse this process.
5 of My Favourite Quality-of-Life Mechanics in MMOs
Over the years I’ve played numerous MMOs (to varying degrees of success). As a genre there are certain game mechanics that are standard and common to most games. Initially during the “golden age” of the MMORPG, there was a focus on collaborative team player. This meant that successfully undertaking group content required a spectrum of players in specific roles. This particular mechanic has diminished over the years but the genre still has numerous common tropes. Quest hubs, reputation factions, gear grinds and vertical levelling are just some that spring to mind. However, many developers in this field attempt to polish and refine these “default” systems, often with interesting results. So I thought I’d cite some specific examples of what I call “quality-of-life mechanics”. Frequently these are bog standard facets common to the MMO genre, that have been polished and refined in a particular game. Small things that just make a game more manageable and provoke a positive reaction as well.
Over the years I’ve played numerous MMOs (to varying degrees of success). As a genre there are certain game mechanics that are standard and common to most games. Initially during the “golden age” of the MMORPG, there was a focus on collaborative team player. This meant that successfully undertaking group content required a spectrum of players in specific roles. This particular mechanic has diminished over the years but the genre still has numerous common tropes. Quest hubs, reputation factions, gear grinds and vertical levelling are just some that spring to mind. However, many developers in this field attempt to polish and refine these “default” systems, often with interesting results. So I thought I’d cite some specific examples of what I call “quality-of-life mechanics”. Frequently these are bog standard facets common to the MMO genre, that have been polished and refined in a particular game. Small things that just make a game more manageable and provoke a positive reaction as well.
Neverwinter: Quest Path.
It frankly annoys me the way some game designers go out of their way to make navigating around their virtual world so damn difficult. Cities are often complex with non-linear road layouts and there are frequently esoteric quirks that you just have to figure out the hard way. I’m sure somewhere there’s a self satisfied dev whose smirking at how clever they’ve been, as you run around a major quest hub in an increasingly frustrated state, looking for a particular NPC or item. However Cryptic have addressed this matter head on with the Quest Path facility in the MMO Neverwinter. If you want a helping hand this game mechanic provides a sparkly trail that takes you directly to your next quest location. It is simple, functional and also purely optional. Purists can learn their way around if they prefer. Where as casual players, those with a poor sense of direction or individuals who prefer to focus on other aspects of the game can opt to avail themselves of this service. I really wish this was available in more MMOs.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Content Scaling.
Many older MMOs suffer from a common problem. Increases in level cap, along with an ever growing catalogue of content, lead to older material becoming redundant. There is no incentive to play older, lower level quests once you have reached level cap nor to revisit completed regions and instances. Furthermore, new players cannot play with veteran friends due to their obvious level differences. This is just poor game design and it also antagonises players. However, two years after its initial release, The Elder Scrolls Online tackled this very issue in late 2016 with the One Tamriel update. This allowed players of any level, in any faction, to travel to any other PvE zone and tackle appropriately-scaled content. Hence a veteran player can now group a newbie and both will equally benefit with regard to XP and loot drops. It is literally a “game changing” achievement that makes the game far more inclusive and open ups a wealth of previously gated content. Should this not be a default system in every MMO?
Star Trek Online: Upgrading Gear and The Exchange.
Cryptic’s MMO ode to the Star Trek franchise is far from perfect. Even after 10 years it still sports numerous bugs and as a game has never really hit its full potential. However, it does get a lot right and exudes an appropriate Trek vibe. It also includes not one but two straightforward systems that improve the game immensely. The first is the opportunity to upgrade gear and even change the statistical modifiers on it. Therefore if you take a liking to a Mark I item at the start of the game, you can retain it and upgrade it as your character progresses through the 65 levels. Yes, this can be quite a costly process with regard to using in-game resources but does means that not every item is doomed to obsolescence. You don’t have to unceremoniously ditch something you’ve worked hard to obtain. And the other thing that I feel STO does very well is its own unique version of “auction house” or The Exchange as it’s known in this case. Firstly STO runs on one shard, so there is a substantial customer base to interact with. Secondly, there are no listing fees at all. Thirdly, the moment an item sells you are notified and the cash (Energy Credits) go straight into your virtual wallet. Although hyperinflation is a thing (as it is in most MMOs), at least you don’t have to worry about selling items quickly and efficiently.
The Lord of the Rings Online: Auto Loot.
I find it ironic that one of the most old school and somewhat dated MMOs around, still manages to have a game system in place that is still lacking from more recent titles. The Lord of the Rings Online added auto loot to the game with the Rise of Isengard expansion back in 2011. Until then, you had to approach a defeated foe and manually collect your loot on a per item basis or as a whole. At the most you could assign this process to a specific key and hoover everything up within a small AoE but it was a pain. Sifting through loot at source always has been and remains so a potential problem. But auto loot changed this and did so in a radical fashion. The moment you now defeat an enemy, all loot is directly placed in your bags. Again for those who wish to sift manually, this setting can be toggled off but for us busy, lesser mortals, we can just blast through an area indulging in mass slaughter, safe in the knowledge that all loot has been collected. The only thing you have to be aware of is your respective bag space, and if you screw that up there’s a very generous overflow system. Again, shouldn’t this be the norm?
So these are five examples of “quality-of-life mechanics in MMOs” that I find invaluable. I’m sure there are plenty of others out there that can be referenced. Feel free to leave comments below of examples that you enjoy and would like to mention.
LOTRO: The Scarcity and Cost of Essential Items
I wrote recently about how I completely re-equipped my Lore-master using lootbox gear and purchasing new items using Ember of Enchantment. This did significantly boost my overall statistics and make an improvement in my combat performance. But something has still felt “off” and it was only a few days ago that I finally figured out exactly what it was. My Legendary Weapons are still wanting. I found myself standing next to another level 130 Lore-master while handing in a quest, so I decided to inspected their build. Luckily they hadn’t opted to remain “private” so I could examine exactly what gear they had and the statistics on their LI (Legendary Items). Although their armour and jewellery was broadly comparable to mine, their LIs were far superior. And it all came down to “Legacies” and what tier they were. Mine are currently level 69 and 70 on my First Age Staff. And on my First Age Lore-master Book, they are level 65 and 66. At present, until I unlock further legacy tiers, my LIs are not earning any XP and that is irksome.
I wrote recently about how I completely re-equipped my Lore-master using lootbox gear and purchasing new items using Ember of Enchantment. This did significantly boost my overall statistics and make an improvement in my combat performance. But something has still felt “off” and it was only a few days ago that I finally figured out exactly what it was. My Legendary Weapons are still wanting. I found myself standing next to another level 130 Lore-master while handing in a quest, so I decided to inspected their build. Luckily they hadn’t opted to remain “private” so I could examine exactly what gear they had and the statistics on their LI (Legendary Items). Although their armour and jewellery was broadly comparable to mine, their LIs were far superior. And it all came down to “Legacies” and what tier they were. Mine are currently level 69 and 70 on my First Age Staff. And on my First Age Lore-master Book, they are level 65 and 66. At present, until I unlock further legacy tiers, my LIs are not earning any XP and that is irksome.
As you can see from the picture below, the main legacy and the secondary legacies on this Lore-master’s LIs are all substantially higher than mine. This player has therefore applied a lot of Anfalas Star-lit Crystals and Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment to them both. These are essential resources that are not casually acquired. If you wish to stockpile such items you need to farm the Minas Tirith repeatable dailies and regularly undertake the featured instance. The various festivals that occur during the year can also provide another useful source. But if you are serious about acquiring a substantial supply of these, then you need to maintain a daily schedule and repeat a lot of content. Once again this is a prime example of how older MMOs reward the continuous participation of the “loyal” players and disincentivise the casual player. The only other alternatives are to try and purchase these items via Auction House (which is impossible due to the hyper inflation that is rampant in the game), or to use the LOTRO Store.
If you want your character to be adequately equipped at level cap then you need to spend as much time and attention on your LIs as you do your gear. Simply put Anfalas Star-lit Crystals and Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment are essential items. It would be nice if LOTRO had mechanics that allowed you to trade in or deconstruct old barter currency or gear into a universal currency, so players who do not have the time (or inclination) to grind for essential items, had an alternative means of obtaining them. But the bottom line is that such a major overhaul is not coming to LOTRO. Standing Stone Games more than likely lack the in-house expertise to retrofit such a system and even if the skills are there, why should they do such a thing when the store provides a lucrative alternative? In the meantime, I’ve trawled through my barter wallet and used what I have to purchase a few more Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment. I managed to do all three of the Minas Tirith instances over the weekend and earned a few more but I cannot see myself farming these on a daily basis. Repeating these instances at level 130 it is a dull undertaking. Thinking about this matter has also made me consider how do casual players with multiple alts, address this issue. I suspect they don’t. Which means that there must be many other LOTRO players with lacklustre LIs.
LOTRO: Solving a Gear “Problem” with Money
Before I crack on, I would like to point out that I’ve put the word “problem” in quotes, to reference the fact that this is an opinion and not a universal fact that confronts all players of the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Now that’s out of the way, let me start by saying that the way in which game developers think you should play their products can at times be at odds with how the players like to do things themselves. LOTRO is a classic MMORPG in so far as the player is expected to level their characters playing a variety of PVE content, then play repeatables to obtain intermediate gear, then pursue endgame content such as raiding. Simply put, it means you get the best gear once you’ve arrived at level cap and not while you’re levelling. Usually PVE content is not too problematic if you maintain a relevant build and gear according to level. However, LOTRO does have several zones and expansions that are “wild cards. For example Mounted Combat in Rohan is a nuisance for melee classes. And then there’s the gear check and increase in mob difficulty that occurs in both Mordor and Minas Morgul expansions.
Before I crack on, I would like to point out that I’ve put the word “problem” in quotes, to reference the fact that this is an opinion and not a universal fact that confronts all players of the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Now that’s out of the way, let me start by saying that the way in which game developers think you should play their products can at times be at odds with how the players like to do things themselves. LOTRO is a classic MMORPG in so far as the player is expected to level their characters playing a variety of PVE content, then play repeatables to obtain intermediate gear, then pursue endgame content such as raiding. Simply put, it means you get the best gear once you’ve arrived at level cap and not while you’re levelling. Usually PVE content is not too problematic if you maintain a relevant build and gear according to level. However, LOTRO does have several zones and expansions that are “wild cards. For example Mounted Combat in Rohan is a nuisance for melee classes. And then there’s the gear check and increase in mob difficulty that occurs in both Mordor and Minas Morgul expansions.
Now my approach to MMOs has been consistent since I first started playing the genre in 2008. I am not especially enamoured with end game content and tend to enjoy PVE based levelling the most. I don’t harbour any notions about “challenges” or “testing one’s mettle”. Nope, I run on the sound military principle of ensuring that you are as well equipped as possible at all times. For example, when I was levelling an alt in 2019 I used account bound barter currencies to ensure they had the best gear every 10 levels. I was not content with lacklustre drops and found that investing in good skirmish sets increased my overall performance. The bottom line is when playing an MMO I like to be overpowered. Which brings me nicely to my current situation. I am halfway through the latest LOTRO expansion and I have hit level cap. Questing in the Morgul Vale now lies ahead of me and I suspect that it is going to be a slog. Hence I want to be OP so I can negate the purposely contrived slow pace set by the developers.
After completing the first half of the latest expansion, Mordor Besieged, I acquired a new set of Green quality gear. It was superior to that I had earned through the Vales of Anduin but it still felt underwhelming. It offered survivability but no discernible “edge”. So I decided to conduct an experiment to see if I could get better equipment now, rather than waiting to finish the expansion. Having searched my Barter Wallet I had no currency that I could use that would yield superior gear. So I decided to see what I could get via Adventurer's Steel-bound Lootboxes. So I bought £30 worth of LOTRO points (LP) with some Christmas gift money and then proceeded to buy 22 Black Steel Key. These are purchased from the LOTRO Store for 195 LP each, or 5x for 900 LP. I then opened 22 lootboxes which gave mainly Embers of Enchantment along with buffs, boosts, cosmetic items, essences and the occasional item of gear. I then bought further jewellery and gear with the Embers. I also disenchanted old gear and some of the items I obtained that were duplicates or unwanted cosmetics.
This post is not the time or place for a debate on the subject of “pay to win”. I shall leave that for another day. However, I have included in this article two pictures which show my Lore-masters stats before and after I re-equipped using lootboxes. Broadly, I am happy with the results. I have had my stats boosted across the board with only Critical Rating taking a hit. I can adjust this by replacing an essence or two. After I replaced my gear I ran a skirmish (Thievery and Mischief) and certainly didn’t struggle as I have previously. Defeating the encounter bosses was far quicker than before and I never felt I was in any jeopardy. Light armour classes often feel squishy and now I believe that quality has been mitigated. Mobs don’t take so many hits to die and the pace of combat seems to have returned to a more equitable rhythm. Fights no longer seem like a reactive process but a proactive one. I prefer this.
Now, this simple test is far from scientific and I’m sure a more invested player would have produced far more data on the statistical difference between builds. Then there’s the argument that the current gear progression offered by the new expansion is not a problem per se and my outlook is just down to my personal foibles. Something I wouldn’t argue against. I am simply advocating using whatever resources you have available to ensure you are as optimally geared as possible. I’d rather that process didn’t require the spending of additional money and I’m also not asking for raid gear to be available outside of raids themselves. However, regardless of where you stand on such issues, LOTRO is a game that was developed when prevailing MMO trends were a lot different. The genre has changed a lot in ten plus years. I remember when Turbine (now SSG) introduced the long term project of rebuilding the town of Hytbold in Rohan, as a means of earning top tier gear, outside of raiding. It would be nice to have something comparable now. However, I think the developers have discovered that this gap in the gear market that I have highlighted, can be monetised and that is how it will be treated from now on.
Thoughts on the Minas Morgul Expansion
I was afforded some free time this weekend, so I logged in to The Lord of the Rings Online and blitzed through about half of the Minas Morgul expansion and managed to reach the new level cap of 130 ( I was level 128 when I started). I finished the first two new chapters of The Black Book of Mordor and completed Mordor Besieged; the section of the new expansion that is set in the Second Age on the plateau of Gorgoroth. It’s a curious and initially engaging part of the game. In the past LOTRO aficionados have only been able to briefly access iconic events of the past through session play where they get to be someone else, via a short story driven instance. Mordor Besieged offers a revised area of the existing Mordor map; namely Dor Armath. All though a desolate place in the Second Age, this region is not the wasteland we see in the Third Age. The landscape has several active fortresses held by both sides and The Nazgul roam freely. But there is little of real substance to do here (a point I shall return to) and after a while it gets somewhat repetitive.
I was afforded some free time this weekend, so I logged in to The Lord of the Rings Online and blitzed through about half of the Minas Morgul expansion and managed to reach the new level cap of 130 ( I was level 128 when I started). I finished the first two new chapters of The Black Book of Mordor and completed Mordor Besieged; the section of the new expansion that is set in the Second Age on the plateau of Gorgoroth. It’s a curious and initially engaging part of the game. In the past LOTRO aficionados have only been able to briefly access iconic events of the past through session play where they get to be someone else, via a short story driven instance. Mordor Besieged offers a revised area of the existing Mordor map; namely Dor Armath. All though a desolate place in the Second Age, this region is not the wasteland we see in the Third Age. The landscape has several active fortresses held by both sides and The Nazgul roam freely. But there is little of real substance to do here (a point I shall return to) and after a while it gets somewhat repetitive.
But as ever with LOTRO, the “gold” is in the story that Standing Stone Games have crafted. On this occasion there are several interesting interpretations of the lore. Firstly, there is the battle on the slopes of Mount Doom in which Sauron is defeated. Tolkien says in his text “at the last the siege was so strait that Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil, and they both were slain, and the sword of Elendil broke under him as he fell. But Sauron also was thrown down, and with the hilt-shard of Narsil Isildur cut the Ruling Ring from the hand of Sauron and took it for his own”. This is directly reflected in a cutscene which shows both Gil-galad and Elendil injuring Sauron and then getting burned by the power of the One Ring. However, Sauron himself collapses after expending such power and being wounded twice. Isildur then cuts the ring from a greatly weakened Sauron’s hand. This differs from from Peter Jackson’s adaptation that shows Isildur being the far more proactive in the Dark Lord’s demise.
Secondly, in the Lost Lore of the Last Alliance, if you collect all the pages and read the text in order, it states that Gil-galad uses two of the Elven Rings to destroy the Black Gate by summoning a firestorm. However, wielding two rings nearly kills him and he swears he will not do such a thing again. As dramatic as this may be it contradicts the source text. Tolkien states the following. "But the Elves fled from him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them. Now these were the Three that had last been made. But Sauron could not discover them, for they were given into the hands of the Wise, who concealed them and never again used them openly while Sauron kept the Ruling Ring". Using two Elven rings to force your way into Mordor doesn’t sound much like “concealing” to me. But LOTRO is an adaptation of Tolkien’s work, designed to accommodate the needs of the MMORPG genre. It’s best not to be too picky about lore or as you’ll find that a lot of the game doesn’t hold up to close scrutiny.
Usually in LOTRO, the Epic Story moves events forward and regional quests support or embellish the wider ongoing narrative. In Mordor Besieged, it doesn’t quite feel that way. There’s a lot of “treading water”. Some parts of the Epic are just superfluous exposition and only about half is of any importance. Most of the zone quests are of the “fetch” or “slayer” variety despite some fun lore references (such as the inclusion of Hobbits from the Gladden Fields in The Last Alliance). Overall, the entire first half of this expansion seems to be somewhat drawn out and could have been a free update in its own right. Which begs the question is Minas Morgul really a true expansion. Or is it two updates? Or a hybrid made of material left over from the Mordor expansion from two years ago, that has been retooled and padded out so as to be called an “expansion”? I hope the next half offers more. I have enjoyed my experience so far but on a critical level Minas Morgul has been lacking in depth of content.
LOTRO: Catching Up With Content
I regularly fall behind the latest content release for The Lord of the Rings Online. So it is not uncommon for me to “binge play” in an attempt to catch up with others in my kinship. The November release of the Minas Morgul expansion (which I have now grudgingly purchased) raised the level cap to 130. I managed to gain nearly 5 levels recently by repeating the Yule Festival daily quests and supplementing them with skirmishes. I used a lot of rested XP and bought a lot of progression perks with Destiny Points. However, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was struggling in the skirmishes as I was geared for level 120, so I decided to return to playing PVE content in the Vales of Anduin. As this content is designed for players at level 120, it has proven a more equitable player experience; especially as I was level 125 when I returned to the Wolf-denes. I was able to progress through the zone, focusing on the various quests stories and not having to continuously worry about being underpowered and at risk of defeat. Last night I completed Update 24 and have managed to reach level 128 with my Lore-master. I now feel that I am adequately prepared for the new expansion.
I regularly fall behind the latest content release for The Lord of the Rings Online. So it is not uncommon for me to “binge play” in an attempt to catch up with others in my kinship. The November release of the Minas Morgul expansion (which I have now grudgingly purchased) raised the level cap to 130. I managed to gain nearly 5 levels recently by repeating the Yule Festival daily quests and supplementing them with skirmishes. I used a lot of rested XP and bought a lot of progression perks with Destiny Points. However, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was struggling in the skirmishes as I was geared for level 120, so I decided to return to playing PVE content in the Vales of Anduin. As this content is designed for players at level 120, it has proven a more equitable player experience; especially as I was level 125 when I returned to the Wolf-denes. I was able to progress through the zone, focusing on the various quests stories and not having to continuously worry about being underpowered and at risk of defeat. Last night I completed Update 24 and have managed to reach level 128 with my Lore-master. I now feel that I am adequately prepared for the new expansion.
There are certain advantages to “binge playing” an MMO. First you get a far clearer picture of how your progress through the game impacts upon your character’s abilities. Virtues, reputation and LI progression have all notably increased as I have comprehensively played through the Epic Story and all regional quest hubs. I have maxed out the virtue of Wisdom and have now set Honesty to benefit from the ongoing XP gain. These longer, lengthier play sessions allow you to make specific decisions about your character’s stats and then tangibly see them grow. It does feel different to intermittent game play and gives you a sense that you’re in more control. Plus having spent more time becoming re-acquainted with the subtleties of my main alt, I have subsequently been able to trawl through my vault and make informed decisions about what to keep and what to dispense with. I have numerous essences that are no longer relevant so they have gone to other alts. The ongoing questing has also provided some useful new intermediate gear. I’ll take any statistical boost no matter how big or small. Anything that makes proceeding through Minas Morgul as frictionless as possible is a boon.
The second bonus that I find comes from “binge playing” is that I get to focus far more on the quest narratives. The regional quests often link and underpin the main story line, providing subtle lore references and interesting vignettes. The Vales of Anduin has been exceptionally beneficial in this way. It was a pleasure to return to Goblin Town and I like the concept of the various post fall-of-Mordor power struggles that occur all over Middle-earth. The incursion of Gundabad Orcs into the Misty Mountains was very plausible as well as fun. I also liked the story of Old Mad Ubb and his legend among the Woodmen of the region. His true identity was not too difficult to discern but was a nice canonical reference. The expansion of Radagast’s role in the game was also welcome and I was even prepared to go along with the expansion of the lore to explain the Ungoledain. However, developer’s Standing Stone Games also include a lot of “filler” quests in the zone. For every good story mission, there will be several or more “fetch” or “kill” quests. The Gladden Fields is a prime example of this. Sometimes there’s a fine line between enjoying an area and then feeling that you just want to leave because its has outstayed its welcome, due to the ponderous list of chores you are offered.
So the next step for my Lore-master will be to head off to the Morgul Vale and continue with the Black Book of Mordor story. I have spoken to fellow LOTRO players and my kin mates and have received mixed views and opinions about the latest expansion. The story is supposed to be good but the reality of questing in this zone is a bit of a grind. There are a lot of repetitive journeys to specific areas to carry out the most arbitrary of tasks. Mob density is also quite high, making travel from A to B a chore. Plus it is a dark and dour zone as the lore dictates but that doesn’t always make for a good experience. The memory of Mordor and its “testing” nature still lingers in the back of my mind. I hope that Minas Morgul is not cut from exactly the same cloth. However, if that is the case, I can always focus my attention on other endeavours. I can return to previous zones and finish various deeds to increase my virtues. I can also focus on featured instances and roving threats and see if I can earn sufficient barter currencies for new gear. Or I could even focus on levelling my High Elf Guardian who remains on the slag hills outside the Black Gate. Who knows, we may even get a Producer’s Letter at some point with a road map for LOTRO in 2020. That would be most welcome.
Star Trek Online: Ten Years On
Star Trek Online had a troubled development. Originally the rights to develop an MMORPG based upon the Star Trek franchise were held by Perpetual Entertainment. However, the company ran into financial difficulties and the project subsequently stalled in 2007. The license, as well as any game content were subsequently transferred to Cryptic in early 2008 but this did not include any existing game code. Hence, after gaining little more than some concept art, Cryptic had to create an entirely new game from scratch. Furthermore as part of the deal in acquiring this coveted license, they were tied to the launch date that had been set for the previous developers.Therefore when Star Trek Online was released in early 2010 it was far from perfect. The game was weighted towards Federation characters and the Klingon faction could only be unlocked once you had taken a Starfleet Officer to the then level cap of 40. However, the game at launch did feature voice acting from Zachary Quinto, Chase Masterson and Leonard Nimoy.
Star Trek Online had a troubled development. Originally the rights to develop an MMORPG based upon the Star Trek franchise were held by Perpetual Entertainment. However, the company ran into financial difficulties and the project subsequently stalled in 2007. The license, as well as any game content were subsequently transferred to Cryptic in early 2008 but this did not include any existing game code. Hence, after gaining little more than some concept art, Cryptic had to create an entirely new game from scratch. Furthermore as part of the deal in acquiring this coveted license, they were tied to the launch date that had been set for the previous developers.Therefore when Star Trek Online was released in early 2010 it was far from perfect. The game was weighted towards Federation characters and the Klingon faction could only be unlocked once you had taken a Starfleet Officer to the then level cap of 40. However, the game at launch did feature voice acting from Zachary Quinto, Chase Masterson and Leonard Nimoy.
The following few years were difficult as Cryptic attempted to polish the game in subsequent updates. Throughout 2010 that game was patched for known bugs, new playable species were added, along with Featured Episodes (story based quests that made up a long term, narrative arc). Cryptic also released a set of tools for players to create their own content and the Foundry subsequently became an integral part of the game. Yet despite their hard work, Cryptic found their immediate future in peril when parent company Atari decided to “divest” its various business interests. However, in May 2011, Chinese developer and publisher Perfect World stepped in and acquired Cryptic as a studio, its existing licenses and development team. By summer the game was having a UI overhaul, a revision to ground combat and the Klingon First City on Qo’noS. The new owners investment lead to an expansion of the development team which then produced the Defera Adventure Zone, Duty Officer system and a skill revamp. There was also a shift in business model and so in early 2012 STO went Free-to-play.
The period between 2012 and 2016 was in many ways a boom time for STO. There were regular story content updates, three free of charge expansions (Legacy of Romulus, Delta Rising and Agents of Yesterday) and numerous new game systems. These included Captain Specialisations, an overhaul of sector space to make it less “instanced” and several new Fleet resources. Reputation factions were also added, along with further playable races. STO always had new content in development and scheduled. Furthermore, more and more actors from the various TV shows were returning to voice their characters in game. Despite the gaming public being sceptical of the F2P business model at the time, it subsequently proved to be one of the more equitable examples. The game was ported to consoles by late 2016, something that was originally intended when the STO was conceived. Yet despite the growth and expansion during this period, STO still had to play catch up as a result of the initially rushed development. Bugs have been fixed but many still prevail. Due to the ebb and flow of staff and development priorities, many facets of the game have been abandoned. The Mac client was decommissioned, as was the Star Trek Online Gateway which allowed players to access stats and data, outside of the game.
Since 2017, although there was the release of a fourth, Deep Space Nine themed expansion (which really encapsulated the idiom of the show), much of the new content produced for the game has been co-operative PVE based material, repeatable daily missions and event based projects that reward the player with gear. A lot of this has been linked Star Trek: Discovery. There have been some new traditional story based missions but they have been fewer and far between. Cryptic are still remastering older content and although I must admit they’re doing it well, the pace is somewhat slow. Several iconic missions are still conspicuously absent and the game has had so many overhauls and restructurings, the narrative content is somewhat fragmented and difficult to follow due to plot holes caused by absent material. STO still has an issue with a lot of story and game systems being buried in more esoteric portions of the user interface. And then there is the game economy; the bane of many an MMO. Inflation for high end items and ships is rife.
And so to the present. STO is fast approaching its 10th anniversary. Naturally, Cryptic are making noises about there being major celebrations. No doubt there will be a new Tier 6 ship giveaway and the usual baubles and trinkets one expects with MMOs. But at present there has not been any clarification of the long term “road map” for the game. STO has a healthy and more to the point, loyal core player base. Like The Lord of the Rings Online, the intellectual property attracts fans and keeps them simply because there is no other comparable game. But if you visit the official STO subreddit you will find that players have a wide variety of desires and expectations from the game. Crafting is a neglected area, as it exploration and diplomatic themed content. Cryptic have brought patrols back to the game but considering the number of planetary systems that exist in the game, there are still insufficient numbers. Players are concerned about the lack of variety in builds and how optimal loadouts continue to prevail. STO is also a game that has no imperative to play collaboratively. Task Force Operations require weight of numbers but not players playing specific roles. Notions of the traditional MMO trinity have long since vanished. There is also no meaningful endgame as such. Chasing maximum DPS seems to be the only viable pursuit at level cap. That or a focus on cosmetic appearance, known in-game as “Space Barbie”.
Again, I return to the comparison with fellow MMORPG LOTRO. The reason that the Middle-earth based game has survived over a dozen years is because the developers always focus on the core requirement of its players; namely the regular provision of new narrative content that explores the source material’s lore. Turbine and now Standing Stone Games have added much to the game over the years but they have always ensured, even during lean periods, that there was an additional story driven quests to undertake. People come to STO because it is Star Trek. They want access to a virtual version of Gene Roddenberry’s vision so they can explore the worlds and themes that Star Trek has created over fifty years. Stories that touch upon iconic episodes or reference obscure aspects of canonical lore are always appreciated and warmly welcomed. Yet this sort of content appears to be in decline as Cryptic dither over whether to make the game meet its potential or simply exploit the latest iteration of the show to contribute towards STO just being another “live service”. The 10th anniversary is the perfect opportunity to put STO back on track and for the game to be all it can be. Let us see what happens next.
The Pace of Combat in MMOs
This is going to be a very subjective post because much of what I am about describe isn’t based upon measurable data (although I’m sure there are players who would do so) but more how something feels. Ironically, due to my nature I’m usually more disposed towards fact-based analyses but even I have to recognise that humans are driven by emotions and other esoteric factors. And with regard to this subject matter I hate to say it but how I feel greatly shapes my opinion. So let me begin by referring back to the MMO The Secret World, which has evolved into Secret World Legends. One of the main reasons I stopped playing the original version of the game was because the combat was tedious. By which I mean it took too long. I would use an assault rifle and blast away at a mob, only for it to pursue me as its health meter slowly went down. Hence, I would have to reverse while attacking and slowly back peddle until the mob died. As a method it worked but it was extremely unsatisfactory. The weapon felt under powered and the style of attack lacked grandeur. The revised iteration of the game failed to address this so I didn’t stick with playing that either.
This is going to be a very subjective post because much of what I am about describe isn’t based upon measurable data (although I’m sure there are players who would do so) but more how something feels. Ironically, due to my nature I’m usually more disposed towards fact-based analyses but even I have to recognise that humans are driven by emotions and other esoteric factors. And with regard to this subject matter I hate to say it but how I feel greatly shapes my opinion. So let me begin by referring back to the MMO The Secret World, which has evolved into Secret World Legends. One of the main reasons I stopped playing the original version of the game was because the combat was tedious. By which I mean it took too long. I would use an assault rifle and blast away at a mob, only for it to pursue me as its health meter slowly went down. Hence, I would have to reverse while attacking and slowly back peddle until the mob died. As a method it worked but it was extremely unsatisfactory. The weapon felt under powered and the style of attack lacked grandeur. The revised iteration of the game failed to address this so I didn’t stick with playing that either.
Although combat in MMOs is about damage, control and tactics there are also more nebulous factors involved. These being rhythm, pacing and a sense on being in control of your actions so you can read and adjust to the ebb and flow of the fight. There is a sweet spot somewhere between both the technical facets of combat and the more enigmatic matter of how it “feels”. When a game get’s it right, it often something you discern subconsciously first, rather than by number crunching your combat log. And when a game get’s it wrong fighting crosses the line from being a challenging but enjoyable task to simply being a drag. However, we have to temper this outlook with the fact that no two players share exactly the same view on what “feels” right. Let me further add that I always like to gear my characters in any MMO to be overpowered. I want every single buff, boost and boon I can get because to my mind why would you not want that? I don’t look at combat in this genre of games to be some sort of Marquess of Queensberry rules, even-handed, battle of skill to find out who is the better “chap”. No, I want to be able to crush all before me quickly and efficiently.
Which brings me nicely on to my current situation in The Lord of the Rings Online. I worked my primary character through Update 23: Where Dragons Dwell and came out the other side, well geared and able to hold my own in combat. I continued with Update 24: Vales of Anduin and had no issues making progress. And then along came the Minas Morgul expansion in November 2019 with an increase in level cap to 130 and new gear to grind. If you buy the expansion and follow the Epic story you will be provided with adequate gear from quest rewards to move forward. If however, you have not bought the expansion you will find that doing level 120 plus skirmishes or instances is tricky because you are now behind the gear curve. Also you may find that your Legendary Items are wanting and will need to acquire Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment to unlock additional tiers on your LI legacies. Collectively these factors have conspired and I am now distinctly underpowered and struggling to progress through skirmishes and group content due to being gimped by not purchasing the latest expansion. Combat is now a slog to wear down mobs. For me this goes beyond challenging and strays into the realm of the tedious.
I did some calculations today and I need about 140-150 Anfalas Scrolls of Empowerment to keep my LI viable and unlock all possible upgrades. I can either grind these items via the game, buy them on Auction House or purchase from the in-game store. The latter will cost about £150 so that is not an option. Neither is grinding towards a goal. It will take between one and two months and I don’t relish doing the same old quests for that period of time. I do not have the gold required to buy these items from the in-game auction, so the immediate future is one of performing under requirement. This makes combat slow and ponderous which brings me neatly to my original point about once combat ceases to be “fun”, it pretty much kills my interest in a game. This also highlights a problem with a lot of the older MMOs that still exist. To play in an optimal fashion you have to be wedded to the game, play through all content regularly and ensure that you keep on top of all new systems and mechanics. If you in any way take time out and fall behind, then you are potentially disadvantaging yourself. This is not something that occurs in more recent MMOs such as The Elder Scrolls Online.
Despite my grumblings at perceived shortcomings in LOTRO, I have a strong connection to the game as it was my point of entry to this genre. Therefore I shall persevere with the situation and see if I can devise a plan to re-equip my character by the path of least resistance. I am also fortunate to be in a kinship that is very generous and resources are often shared. However, it is interesting that I find myself in exactly the same position as I was when the Mordor expansion launched and I arrived late to that particular party. I believe it proves my theory that LOTRO requires a degree of fidelity and regular participation to be experienced in the best way in terms of gear, jewellery and effective DPS. I see now why many players choose to avoid this “trap” by continuously rolling new alts and restricting their game play to specific content, as to not find themselves in the position of having to continuously chase end content. Of course I could make this problem go away by just buying the latest expansion and playing though it but that flies in the face of the old school MMO philosophy of doing things your own way. Perhaps the reality is that’s just not a thing anymore
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.