LOTRO: Reaching the New Level Cap
The latest expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, Kingdoms of Harad, launched on December 3rd. With this release the level cap was raised from 150 to 160. It should also be noted that the cap for virtue traits was also raised from 96 to 100. Naturally these changes meant that there is a requirement to replace all armour and jewellery once the new cap is reached. Similarly Legendary Items have to be reforged and any traceries upgraded or replaced. If you follow the Epic Story it will lead you from quest hub to quest hub. The main quest rewards, along with those from side quests will provide adequate gear as you slowly progress towards the new level cap. The new raids, instances and missions/delvings then provide a means to acquire higher quality level 160 gear. LOTRO and indeed, many other MMOs are consistent in this methodology.
The latest expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, Kingdoms of Harad, launched on December 3rd. With this release the level cap was raised from 150 to 160. It should also be noted that the cap for virtue traits was also raised from 96 to 100. Naturally these changes meant that there is a requirement to replace all armour and jewellery once the new cap is reached. Similarly Legendary Items have to be reforged and any traceries upgraded or replaced. If you follow the Epic Story it will lead you from quest hub to quest hub. The main quest rewards, along with those from side quests will provide adequate gear as you slowly progress towards the new level cap. The new raids, instances and missions/delvings then provide a means to acquire higher quality level 160 gear. LOTRO and indeed, many other MMOs are consistent in this methodology.
The only problem with this approach is that it is at odds with my own personal gaming philosophy. I don’t like the concept of getting the best items at the end of your progression, when from my perspective, I don’t really benefit from them as I usually cease playing at this point. I do not participate in raids or any of the endgame group content, so rewarding me at this point seems redundant. I would like to acquire better quality gear as I progress towards the new level cap so that I am robustly equipped to deal with the PVE content. By default I like my characters to be “overpowered” when playing through new regions. Other players may prefer a more challenging approach and want to be evenly matched against landscape mobs, but I favour being prepared, as powerful as possible and playing on my own terms.
Rather than just playing through the various PVE quests featured in the last two expansions (as I have yet to complete them) to reach the new level cap, I decided upon a different approach. As soon as the Yuletide Festival started on December 11th, I began running all events on a daily basis to gain easy XP. I used various consumable items that provide XP boosts as well as spending destiny points for similar benefits. I also began a rotation of the following offensive skirmishes which can be completed quickly. Trouble in Tuckborough. Thievery and Mischief, The Icy Crevasse, Strike Against Dannenglor and Battle in the Tower. Hence, after a week of fairly casual gameplay, I reached the new level cap of 160. An added benefit of this focused approach was that I also made significant progress in the Legendary Item Reward Track.
Upon reaching level 160, I had to replace all my existing gear. To do this I followed the same method that I used when the cap was raised to 150 back in November 2003 when the Corsairs of Umbar expansion was released. I bought 40 Black Steel Lockbox Keys with the LOTRO points I earned through subscribing all year. The resulting Embers of Enchantment I gained from opening lockboxes were sufficient to replace all my armour and half of my jewellery from the barter vendor. Furthermore it is mainly Teal quality gear. I also replaced all the traceries on my Legendary Items with my supply of Ancient Scripts that I had earned from the Reward Track. I filled the remaining outstanding items with older gear from reputation traders. This new gear may not be the best available in LOTRO, as that is gated behind raids and delvings but it is superior to crafted items and standard quest rewards.
I can now begin playing through the latest two expansions knowing that my primary character in LOTRO, a Lore-master that I’ve played since December 2008, is as robust and well equipped as they can be. By negating future concerns about gear, I can focus on the story and playing the content. I don’t feel the need to rush to level cap because I have already reached it. Furthermore, apart from levelling the traceries on my LIs over the next year or so, I do not have to worry about replacing my armour or jewellery for a long time. If circumstances provide me with a superior item, I will happily replace the existing one as it can be disenchanted in Ember of Enchantment. This recyclable quality is very beneficial. I recognise that how I play LOTRO may not suit others but the fact that the game is flexible enough to accommodate such differing approaches is one of its greatest strengths.
LOTRO: Alternative Ways to Reach Level Cap
I managed to gain a level and a half in LOTRO today, bringing my primary alt to 108. It was a somewhat protracted task as many of the quests that I was undertaking were between level 102 and 105. Despite several attempts and a concerted effort to persevere, I have concluded that I don’t care for the Mordor expansion for LOTRO. Levelling up in that region is a chore, due to the difficulty and density of the mobs. So, I have decided to work my way towards the current level cap elsewhere in the game and then return to the region to clear the Epic Story. I may, or may not work through the regional quest hubs, depending on my attitude towards the game at that point. I will make do with any gear that drops via the Epic Story and will not concern myself with the current endgame content and rewards. By the time I’ve worked through my plan, they’ll be a new update on the horizon with new gear anyway.
I managed to gain a level and a half in LOTRO today, bringing my primary alt to 108. It was a somewhat protracted task as many of the quests that I was undertaking were between level 102 and 105. Despite several attempts and a concerted effort to persevere, I have concluded that I don’t care for the Mordor expansion for LOTRO. Levelling up in that region is a chore, due to the difficulty and density of the mobs. So, I have decided to work my way towards the current level cap elsewhere in the game and then return to the region to clear the Epic Story. I may, or may not work through the regional quest hubs, depending on my attitude towards the game at that point. I will make do with any gear that drops via the Epic Story and will not concern myself with the current endgame content and rewards. By the time I’ve worked through my plan, they’ll be a new update on the horizon with new gear anyway.
Because LOTRO has been streamlined and updated over the years to accommodate the various increases to the level cap, it is quite easy in the early stages of the game to pursue multiple levelling paths. New players will often find that they out level a zone long before they finish all the content it offers. Hence there are options when it comes to progressing. You can pursue the Epic Story or remain in a region and follow a completest approach to the game. As soon as skirmishes become available they can significantly contribute to your level progression. Crafting also offers XP and can be used as a supplement. We should not forget the Destiny Points perk system that can be used to boost XP as well. However, some of these benefits reduce as you progress through the game. At present, there are no alternative locations available in the game that offers quests at a comparable level of XP to those found in Mordor. So, for the present, I am working through lower level, residual regional quests in Taur Drúadan, The Beacon Hills, Minis Tirith, North Ithilien and Dagorlad.
The upside of this approach is that I’ve focused on several quest lines that have proven most enjoyable. Although there are always a percentage of arbitrary quests in any new content that comes to LOTRO, there are often some interesting, well-conceived quests with lore based stories. One such quest chain had my Lore-master running errands for Ioreth in the Houses of Healing. This culminated in Aragorn healing Éowyn, Faramir and Peregrin Took. I frequently find that when Standing Stone Games offers a perspective upon iconic scenes from the source text, they do so in a very creative fashion. Another quest chain that I completed was to retake Cair Andros. It is something only referenced in the book and it was agreeable to see the idea fleshed out into a slightly more substantive narrative. Another positive aspect of pursuing regional quests is that they sometimes offer interesting rewards, such as unique housing items or alternative gear to that provided by the primary Epic Story.
My Lore-master is an Explorer by profession, although I have never really pursued any of the associated skills to any degree. Within the disciplines of Forester and Prospector, I simply gather resources then refine them to a sufficient level to unlock the next tier. Farming and refining is mainly done to generate gold via the auction house. I have neglected this process for several updates, so can certainly gain some XP by crafting resources from older regions. As for the Tailor skill, I have never really used this. Perhaps, now is the time to do so as an additional means to levelling, although the actual process of crafting in LOTRO is somewhat dull. I shall at least look into the process in the next few days and see what it has to offer. Perhaps I should consider my dislike for Mordor to be a positive thing, as it is at least encouraging me to revisit aspects of LOTRO that I have previously ignored. Certainly, todays time spent in-game was both fun and rewarding. Overall it has left me in a good humour and currently well disposed towards the MMO for the present.