Back in Lotro again... We're working our way through Enedwaith, low 70s, with an eye to Rohan and Helm's Deep over the Summer.
I continue to enjoy the game, and I'm especially thankful that the Epic quest has been altered to allow you to do it solo. Also, a character named Vinlib (on Landroval) sent me some potions the other day, which was very nice. I assume it was a GWJer, since their kinship is "I have a sparkle pony." Is that anyone in this thread?
I sometimes give stuff to random people who look like they could use it. Landroval is just friendly that way.
It's how we role.
<3 Landroval <3
Landroval, totes. Haven't been on in a little while, but it's the only server I play on.
Landroval, totes. Haven't been on in a little while, but it's the only server I play on.
Anyone partaking in the summer festivities? I nabbed a few cosmetics, but decided to skip my usual goal of adding to my mount collection; I'm still enamored with my Thorin's Hall Prized Goat. 
Besides that, I'm working through Volume I of the epic quest. I'm on book 13, I think, doing the parts that take you to Forochel. Being level 57 helps a great deal, as I can blast through most of the combat and focus on the story and enjoying the pretty scenery. Once I wrap this up, I'll head back to Moria and continue with Volume 2 and making my way through the mines.
I also ponied up and got a month of VIP. The extra inventory bags and swift travel access alone have made it more than worth while.
I miss being able to pay for swift travel with silver. Mithral coins only is a bummer. 
I miss being able to pay for swift travel with silver. Mithral coins only is a bummer. :(
You can use either, unless you haven't unlocked the travel location yet. And you should never ever use Mithril Coins for that, or for the dyes they sell in Laila's shop. That's one of the things I really don't like about the Mithril Coins; they offer to let you spend them on dumb things. It's stuff like that, and how they sell the racial dances in the store when you can learn them for free during one of the many, many festivals, that leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Hrm. Weird, then. I was looking at fast travel to places I know I've been and was only offered mithral coins as currency.
Hrm. Weird, then. I was looking at fast travel to places I know I've been and was only offered mithral coins as currency.
I think you have to be VIP for a lot of that.
I wrapped up Volume 1 of the epic quest this week. Man, what a trip that was. I enjoyed most of it, but what a long haul it's been. I cannot fathom how people do it over and over again with multiple alts. I have a lower-level dwarf guardian I'm working on and am more than a bit daunted by the prospect of doing all that over again so soon.
So now at level 59, my Hobbit warden dove back into the Mines of Moria to continue questing. I wrapped up the Water-Works and am about to start exploring Zelem-Melek. I may hit some of the epic quest before I do, since I'm quickly out-leveling it.
Moria is amazing. It's not what it was - they've added lighting and put in quest location clues since it first came out - but I still remember the stark fear of inching into a nearly black, twisty cave with no hints on where to go except what the quest dialog told me. Finding Dolven View after getting lost in the passages and stumbling on giant, abandoned Dwarf-works was an amazing feeling of relief. And then to explore that area and realize it was just one of many... Amazing experience.
It's certainly a lot more straightforward than when it first came out, and you are signposted a fair bit more from one section to another. Think my current character made it 5 complete runthroughs.
I never played the original Moria and I kind of hate the updated one for being so twisty and convoluted. I think that makes me a bad person.
Updated Moria is a much easier place to level and get around in - insta-goat travel from npcs in places scattered around the map is just one new convenience, the ezymoding of the faction rep grind is another. On the other hand back in the olden days there were places that were genuinely challenging like the Foundations of Stone. My burg is my final character to go through Moria and the FoS is hardly recognizable now with a lit path, nerfed trolls and a much lower mob density. While it's a nicer place to quest and explore, the nastiness of the place that used to make it special has been lost, and I think the game is poorer for it.
Yeah, this time round I'd reached kin with both lots about 3/4 of the way through. I can heartily recommend selling your extra rep stuff on the AH though
Updated Moria is a much easier place to level and get around in - insta-goat travel from npcs in places scattered around the map is just one new convenience, the ezymoding of the faction rep grind is another. On the other hand back in the olden days there were places that were genuinely challenging like the Foundations of Stone. My burg is my final character to go through Moria and the FoS is hardly recognizable now with a lit path, nerfed trolls and a much lower mob density. While it's a nicer place to quest and explore, the nastiness of the place that used to make it special has been lost, and I think the game is poorer for it.
I actually agree; I miss the old darker, more dangerous Moria. I only got to play through about half of it before they lit the place up and eased the difficulty. I'd say the lighting bothers me more than the difficulty change; I loved that they captured how dark and oppressive Moria should be, and now it just feels "off" compared to the books or film.
Got a duo going on Lotro (Landroval server) anyone else interested in joining in for some co-op questing?
We're starting out new chars, around lvl 10 right now.
/friend me up on steam and send me a message if interested.
Can I just say - crafting xp is the daftest idea ever. And there's no way to disable it.
I unwisely picked this weekend (double xp bonus) to start a new toon - an RK. Not done prospecting/forester for a bit, so I'll do that. Mastered tiers 1 and 2, just finished the introduction.
And just like that, I'm level 20. I've even done my class mission before finishing the intro.
My fault for refining all the raw materials on a double xp weekend, but even so. You can't even disable it with the tortoise stone or whatever it is, as it doesn't affect crafting xp. LOTRO is so much improved over the launch, but some of the more recent things do get on my wick a bit - craft xp, the Moria changes referred to above, the ludicrous multiplicity of reputation groups in Rohan. Still playing it after 6 years though, so can't be all bad.
Well, I think you can buy an XP disabler from the in-game store. I don't know how much it is, but it may be worth looking into if crafting XP really irks you.
You can buy one - and guess what it doesn't disable. The tortoise stone I referred to is the store-purchase disabler.
I'm a bit annoyed with the reputation factions, yeah. To rebuild Hytbold I had to get kindred with four separate factions. Now in Wildermore I'm kindred with the PEOPLE of Wildermore, but not the SURVIVORS of Wildermore. They're totally different. Even though I saved the entire region they're still asking me what I've done for them lately. Seems saving their families pales in comparison to eating a bunch of food at their festival.
The things that annoy me are
- inconsistent collection of items when in a group and missioning. Sometimes things count for both, sometimes not. One or the other, please.
- Solo instances when you are grouped. Why ? Some I can understand (like the reliving memories ones), but the rest ?
- The proliferation of epic books, and the seeming lack of relationship between them.
- XP for crafting.
- All maps appearing at once (that's a personal one - I like to explore)
That being said, I still play some 6 years after the start, and will happily roll new toons.
With you 100% on the loss of the fog of exploration; used to be the way I decided if I was done with a zone, when I'd uncovered all the map rather than when quest hub X said move along now. Rest of it, I think comes down to the age and the number of design hands that have taken a stab at overhauling systems; its the one thing that worries me with the Helms Deep class revamps, to date I've not been a fan of them messing with things that are not broken (well, other than mounted but that's a wholly different ball of wax).
I do have a level 85 character, I've completed the Wildermore quest line and I've even dipped my toe into the PvMP stuff, but that's about as hardcore as I get. I don't mind that I don't have the best equipment, and I don't really mind when they tweak skills. That may well be because I play a Champion so after I set my various toggles it's mostly choosing how many things I want to smash and how hard (the answers are usually, "all of the things," and "very."). That hasn't changed yet, though some of the nuances have.
I kind of like having the whole map revealed since it helps me plan how I'm going to get to new areas, even if the level of detail isn't that great. The epic books generally annoy me as I'm not a big fan of the fiction and about 90 percent of the epic quests are boiler-plate collection/delivery or "wait 10 minutes while one of the protagonists confides in you because you're bestest buds (squee!)." Thankfully you can skip almost all of them. I've been going back to finish the ones I skipped mostly for some of the neat titles you get for completion and because it helps me farm materials and bounderbucks.
I see what you mean, but I am quite enjoying the one with Nona the determined Dunlending woman. I loved the way she came along to Lorien to meet Galadriel and was just pithily unarsed about the whole experience.
I see what you mean, but I am quite enjoying the one with Nona the determined Dunlending woman. I loved the way she came along to Lorien to meet Galadriel and was just pithily unarsed about the whole experience.
Yeah, I like my own little posse, Nona included. But I don't see those as fanservice. Are they even in the books? The stuff I don't like is when we're supposed to like a mission no matter how boring it is just because Gandalf is there. My least favorite had me walking along with Elrond as he just talked and talked and talked, but required occasional interaction so I couldn't even just alt-tab out and wait for it to be over.
Reminds me of the 'evening walk with Frodo' one you do in Rivendell. First time I did that I was totally on edge, expecting some airborne assault. Second time, not so much. Some of the fanservice isn't too bad though - I did enjoy seeing them off at Rivendell.
Time for Helm's Deep! (Nov 18th release)
Pages