One of the major features of in LotRO is the reputation ("rep") system. The idea behind it is that there is a faction in each zone, and the characters somehow gains renown with that faction, and can buy special rewards (the most important reward is a mount). Reputation points are gain via tokens, quests, and deeds. In most cases, there are five levels of reputation: neutral, acquaintance, friend, ally, and kindred.
Prior to the F2P launch in September, I didn't really spend much time worrying about reputation. The only factions I had gotten kindred with were the Mathom Society (in The Shire) and The Woodworker Guild. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed with the Kindred rewards offered by the Mathom Society (a measly tunic), I did not worry much about the rep grind. Nonetheless, Being a completionist, I dutifully picked up the introduction quests and turned in the tokens whenever I was in the area.
Not long before the F2P launch, I picked up the rep quests for the Men of Bree. At the time, this quest was around level 48. I wasn't quite ready to do the quest, so I continued on my way with other things.
With F2P, though, the level of this quest was dropped into the 20s. I decided to attempt it, and found that I did not have to grind the dungeons in Haudh Iarchith, but I could craft special tokens. It turns out that many factions are associated with a particular vocation, and the Men of Bree just happened to be associated with the Woodworking craft. Thus, I went to Thorin's Hall, crafted tons of figurines, viols, and spears for the rep. In short order, I was kindred. This time, the reward was nice - a mount!
With that incentive, I looked at my reputation panel to see where I stood with the various factions. I discovered that I was closest to kin with the Eglain, so I headed to the Lone-Lands.
And hit a wall.
It turns out that there are two primary ways to grind rep: through tokens and through quests. In the original release, Shadows of Angmar, the primary method is through tokens. In the Mines of Moria, rep is obtained via a combination of tokens and quests. With the Siege of Mirkwood, rep is obtained solely via quests, most of which are repeatable.
Though it is a SoA zone, the Lone-Lands underwent a major revamp in March 2010 (just before I started playing the game), and the newer method, that of repeatable quests (mostly in Garth Agarwen), was implemented. I was about 20,000 points from kindred, but didn't see how I could actually get any more points.
Luckily, the faction vendor in Ost Garuth offers crafting quests, with reputation as a primary reward. I was able to craft enough yew fishing rods to level up. Of course, I had to run around to gather enough yew, because it turns out that the critted version of the fishing rod doesn't count. The primary rewards here are a Return to Ost Garuth skill and (since the Winter-Home patch in November 2010) a mount.
For the most part, gaining rep with the remaining factions was uneventful. Either the tokens dropped from the MoBs often (in zones I'd outleveled), or I was running quests in the zone and able to burn through the grind as I did the quests there.
The only exception is the Inn League and Ale Association. Gaining reputation with these two factions is particularly difficult because 1) There are so few repeatable quests for each faction, 2) The delivery quests take a great deal of time to complete, and 3) Gaining rep with one faction inevitably causes you to lose rep with the other faction. I was finally able to complete this grind during the Harvesmath 2010 festival.
At this point, I am kindred with nearly every faction. I am still grinding reputation with the Eldang (The Rift), The Malledhrim (Mirkwood), The Grey Company (Endewaith), and the Algraig (Endewaith). The Eldgang reputation is slow going, because it's hard to get groups to go into the zone, and there are few repeatables available. I have only recently made my way into the zone.
Similarly, I've only recently started both Mirkwood and Endewaith, so I just haven't spent enough time working the quests.
A few notes on the reputation system:
1. There are typically three tiers of tokens for each faction: In Tier 1, 10 tokens = 300 reputation points. In Tier 2, 10 tokens = 500 reputation points. In Tier 3, 1 token = 700 reputation points.
There is an introductory quest for each tier. The introductory quest is gated by character level (not reputation level), but the tokens fall regardless of whether the introduction has been completed. If the faction vendor does not yet offer the quest, hold on to the items and check back at a later date.
The exception to the rule is the Men of Bree and Thorin's Hall. There are only two tiers here.
The tokens are not bound, so you can share them with other players or with your alts, as needed.
2. In Moria, work on getting reputation with the Iron Garrison Guards first. This faction offers a legendary skill for each class.
3. If you've completed the "An End to the Poaching" quest in Lothlorien, killing a protected species will reduce your reputation. These creatures sometimes attack, so be careful.
4. Some areas reward tokens that are used as currency with the reputation vendors. As a result, you might find that you have to continue grinding the quests to obtain enough tokens to barter for special rewards (like a mount).
5. With the Winter-Home release in November 2010, nearly every faction now offers a mount as a reward (even the Mathom Society). These mounts are general around 5g each, and the price is not reduced because you've previously purchased a mount.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Removing Radiance
I’ve fallen into a gap: I didn't do enough to obtain radiance armor, and, now that it is on it's way to extinction, I don't want to grind to get the sets.
My main gripe is what most people overlook in the grind: the skirmish marks, which are required to obtain the Helegrod & Annuminas sets. Besides the appropriate marks, you also need around 1200 SM to obtain each piece of armor in the various sets.
Skirmishing was presented as an **optional and alternate** means to obtain experience. As a result, I never got into it. And now I’m suffering, because I’d have to run each skirmish a mind-boggling number of times (it seems that each run returns around 200 marks) to get enough SMs. I was really, really upset when I realized that I missed the boat…I could have been skirming to get the marks, and be well on my way to having enough SMs by now.
Knowing that Radiance is on its way out, I simply cannot make myself expend the energy to do the grind. As a result, I’m completely locked out from running the Watcher raid, among others.
For me, the removal of Radiance can’t come soon enough.
My main gripe is what most people overlook in the grind: the skirmish marks, which are required to obtain the Helegrod & Annuminas sets. Besides the appropriate marks, you also need around 1200 SM to obtain each piece of armor in the various sets.
Skirmishing was presented as an **optional and alternate** means to obtain experience. As a result, I never got into it. And now I’m suffering, because I’d have to run each skirmish a mind-boggling number of times (it seems that each run returns around 200 marks) to get enough SMs. I was really, really upset when I realized that I missed the boat…I could have been skirming to get the marks, and be well on my way to having enough SMs by now.
Knowing that Radiance is on its way out, I simply cannot make myself expend the energy to do the grind. As a result, I’m completely locked out from running the Watcher raid, among others.
For me, the removal of Radiance can’t come soon enough.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Sword Halls
I just ran Sword Halls for the first time, in a Pick Up Group (PUG) with a Champion and a Guardian. The Guard kept saying the first boss was the hardest, but we burned him down rather quickly...The other two bosses went down just as fast.
The Guardian wanted to try hard mode (fighting the three bosses at once), but the Champion got a kin invite to run a rare instance, so he bailed. We got a mini, but I was just too squishy to survive the onslaught...I did, however, get the first boss down to about 1/3 morale.
Nonetheless, got a really good cloak and 3 Dol Goldor marks. Works for me.
The Guardian wanted to try hard mode (fighting the three bosses at once), but the Champion got a kin invite to run a rare instance, so he bailed. We got a mini, but I was just too squishy to survive the onslaught...I did, however, get the first boss down to about 1/3 morale.
Nonetheless, got a really good cloak and 3 Dol Goldor marks. Works for me.
A Year of Festivals
I've been meaning to post this tale on the LotRO forums, but somehow I never seem to get around to doing so.
Spring Festival 2010
When I started playing, the Spring Festival was just winding down. Because I so new to the game, I really didn't understand the mechanics of the festival or what I was supposed to be doing. I ran a few quests and picked up a few deeds, but it was all just trial-and-error. I did the shrew-stomp, ran a few deliveries for the Inn League, and even managed to find the Bree-land maze. I even managed to join the Inn League. But then the festival was gone. I can't really speak much to the events, but I still have some deeds to complete when the 2011 Spring Fest rolls around.
Summer Festival 2010
It seemed to take forever to get to the Summer festival. When I realized it was pending, I was rather excited. Being in my 30s and much more knowledgeable about game mechanics, I threw myself into it whole-heartedly. So...
The Ugly
The Inn League/Ale Association quests. There are just too few of them, and they give too little reputation. And all the running from one end of middle earth to another (within an hour), was annoying. I think I tried the quests about 3 times, and finally got sick of the runs.
The Bad
The Keg Race (Thorin's Hall) and the Eating Race (The Shire). At first, these were enjoyable diversions, but it turned into an aggravation as it became clear that the winners were not at all random. It was especially noticeable in The Shire, where Burdy Gamwich and Gladdy Chubb-Baggins won nearly every race. Only twice during the entire festival did I see Mudric win: once early in the festival, and once on the Friday before it ended (by which time I was placing my bets exclusively on him). I had better luck with the Keg Race, and things seemed more random. Ironically, it ended up that Mudric won before the last dwarf did, but at least I won the "Lucky Duck" title.
The Good
The mounts, especially the Pale Golden Summerfest Horse. I fell in love with it, and used it for quite a long time after the festival ended.
The integration of fishing with the festivals. It would be really nice to have crafting more involved in the festivals. I also liked the long-term quest where you planted a seed but wouldn't get the reward until Harvestmath.
The cosmetics and housing items. I wore the summer tree cloak and the summer tunic and pants for a while afterwards.
Conclusion
I truly enjoyed this festival. It was an entertaining diversion within the game.
Harvestmath 2010
After the positive experience I had with Summerfest, I was very excited for Harvestmath - and the Haunted Cellar.
The Ugly
Again, the Inn League/Ale Association quests. I was determined to get kindred with both factions, so I worked my butt off - and actually did it. But I will never deliver another bottle booze to anyone ever again if I have a choice. The mounts were nice, but ultimately, the rewards are just blah.
The Bad
Festival Fatigue. Outside the Haunted Cellar, the quests pretty much began to be repetitive, and really didn't seem very new. I often had a feeling of "this is it?".
The Skeleton Horse. I really wanted this horse, and went out of my way to check the chest. It never dropped. Then it appeared in the store, and I felt like I'd really wasted my time. I didn't buy it (I refuse to buy store exclusive horses; I think they negate all the work you do on reputation).
The Good
The Haunted Cellar. It was masterfully done, and the first run was a lot of fun. I love puzzles and mazes, so I loved trying it.
The Troves and Trickery quests. They were really a lot of fun, once you figured out what you were supposed to do.
The Skeleton Horse. Yes, I'm putting in both categories. It was a very well-designed, unique reward (until it appeared in the store).
The Sable Harvestmath Horse. Another great design.
Conclusion
I had fun, but after experience only two festivals, the shine on festivals was quickly wearing off.
Yule Festival 2010/2011
So, now we come to the most recent festival.
The Ugly
The Eating Contest. It was poorly designed. I don't mind quests where I lose because things are random, but I felt like I never had any chance to win the eating contest. The final two tables rarely had anything but pies and bread, and you can't win the contest with only those items. It would have worked better if the food despawned after, say, 1 minute, so that other items had a chance to spawn. For the first time, my stamina failed, and I gave up after trying a dozen times and never getting anywhere.
Moving Them Off. It was just an awful, mean quest that made me feel like a heal.
The Miser/The Blameless. Ultimately, I think the "moral choice" of helping either the rich or the poor fell flat. The choices were ultimately about cosmetics, not morality, and people don't really like being judged.
The Bad
Unwilling Firewood. I know wood-trolls are "the enemy", but having to collect "unwilling" firewood from the "grouchy trees" made me uncomfortable. There were plenty of non-sentient trees around...why couldn't I just pick up branches?
The housing/yard items. I bought 'em, but the snowmen were really not all that impressive (especially considering that you can't slot them all for display).
Frostbluff Coins. Yes, more barter tokens to take up bag/vault space. Just give me a Yule token or two, and forget this additional coin business (I would have willingly traded tokens for the coins for that helping the poor quest).
The Good
A special zone specifically for the festivals. It seems to allow for more flexibility in what you can do.
The snowball fight. Loved lobbing snowballs at others.
The cosmetics, again. I've got the snow-dusted suit equipped now, and I really don't know if I'm going to unequip it.
The G.L.O.B.E. Theatre. Fun and interactive...and really nice titles and devices.
Conclusion
The Yule festival came too quickly on the heals of the Harvestmath festival. I was in extreme "don't care" mode, so I really didn't spend as much time as I might have running quests. I got too frustrated with the eating quest and gave up, and I think I left some deeds unfinished. In fact, I had numerous Badges of Taste/Badges of Dishonour from running the Inn League/Ale Association quests during Harvestmath, and I traded them for Yule tokens and bough the horses and cosmetics I wanted.
Spring Festival 2010
When I started playing, the Spring Festival was just winding down. Because I so new to the game, I really didn't understand the mechanics of the festival or what I was supposed to be doing. I ran a few quests and picked up a few deeds, but it was all just trial-and-error. I did the shrew-stomp, ran a few deliveries for the Inn League, and even managed to find the Bree-land maze. I even managed to join the Inn League. But then the festival was gone. I can't really speak much to the events, but I still have some deeds to complete when the 2011 Spring Fest rolls around.
Summer Festival 2010
It seemed to take forever to get to the Summer festival. When I realized it was pending, I was rather excited. Being in my 30s and much more knowledgeable about game mechanics, I threw myself into it whole-heartedly. So...
The Ugly
The Inn League/Ale Association quests. There are just too few of them, and they give too little reputation. And all the running from one end of middle earth to another (within an hour), was annoying. I think I tried the quests about 3 times, and finally got sick of the runs.
The Bad
The Keg Race (Thorin's Hall) and the Eating Race (The Shire). At first, these were enjoyable diversions, but it turned into an aggravation as it became clear that the winners were not at all random. It was especially noticeable in The Shire, where Burdy Gamwich and Gladdy Chubb-Baggins won nearly every race. Only twice during the entire festival did I see Mudric win: once early in the festival, and once on the Friday before it ended (by which time I was placing my bets exclusively on him). I had better luck with the Keg Race, and things seemed more random. Ironically, it ended up that Mudric won before the last dwarf did, but at least I won the "Lucky Duck" title.
The Good
The mounts, especially the Pale Golden Summerfest Horse. I fell in love with it, and used it for quite a long time after the festival ended.
The integration of fishing with the festivals. It would be really nice to have crafting more involved in the festivals. I also liked the long-term quest where you planted a seed but wouldn't get the reward until Harvestmath.
The cosmetics and housing items. I wore the summer tree cloak and the summer tunic and pants for a while afterwards.
Conclusion
I truly enjoyed this festival. It was an entertaining diversion within the game.
Harvestmath 2010
After the positive experience I had with Summerfest, I was very excited for Harvestmath - and the Haunted Cellar.
The Ugly
Again, the Inn League/Ale Association quests. I was determined to get kindred with both factions, so I worked my butt off - and actually did it. But I will never deliver another bottle booze to anyone ever again if I have a choice. The mounts were nice, but ultimately, the rewards are just blah.
The Bad
Festival Fatigue. Outside the Haunted Cellar, the quests pretty much began to be repetitive, and really didn't seem very new. I often had a feeling of "this is it?".
The Skeleton Horse. I really wanted this horse, and went out of my way to check the chest. It never dropped. Then it appeared in the store, and I felt like I'd really wasted my time. I didn't buy it (I refuse to buy store exclusive horses; I think they negate all the work you do on reputation).
The Good
The Haunted Cellar. It was masterfully done, and the first run was a lot of fun. I love puzzles and mazes, so I loved trying it.
The Troves and Trickery quests. They were really a lot of fun, once you figured out what you were supposed to do.
The Skeleton Horse. Yes, I'm putting in both categories. It was a very well-designed, unique reward (until it appeared in the store).
The Sable Harvestmath Horse. Another great design.
Conclusion
I had fun, but after experience only two festivals, the shine on festivals was quickly wearing off.
Yule Festival 2010/2011
So, now we come to the most recent festival.
The Ugly
The Eating Contest. It was poorly designed. I don't mind quests where I lose because things are random, but I felt like I never had any chance to win the eating contest. The final two tables rarely had anything but pies and bread, and you can't win the contest with only those items. It would have worked better if the food despawned after, say, 1 minute, so that other items had a chance to spawn. For the first time, my stamina failed, and I gave up after trying a dozen times and never getting anywhere.
Moving Them Off. It was just an awful, mean quest that made me feel like a heal.
The Miser/The Blameless. Ultimately, I think the "moral choice" of helping either the rich or the poor fell flat. The choices were ultimately about cosmetics, not morality, and people don't really like being judged.
The Bad
Unwilling Firewood. I know wood-trolls are "the enemy", but having to collect "unwilling" firewood from the "grouchy trees" made me uncomfortable. There were plenty of non-sentient trees around...why couldn't I just pick up branches?
The housing/yard items. I bought 'em, but the snowmen were really not all that impressive (especially considering that you can't slot them all for display).
Frostbluff Coins. Yes, more barter tokens to take up bag/vault space. Just give me a Yule token or two, and forget this additional coin business (I would have willingly traded tokens for the coins for that helping the poor quest).
The Good
A special zone specifically for the festivals. It seems to allow for more flexibility in what you can do.
The snowball fight. Loved lobbing snowballs at others.
The cosmetics, again. I've got the snow-dusted suit equipped now, and I really don't know if I'm going to unequip it.
The G.L.O.B.E. Theatre. Fun and interactive...and really nice titles and devices.
Conclusion
The Yule festival came too quickly on the heals of the Harvestmath festival. I was in extreme "don't care" mode, so I really didn't spend as much time as I might have running quests. I got too frustrated with the eating quest and gave up, and I think I left some deeds unfinished. In fact, I had numerous Badges of Taste/Badges of Dishonour from running the Inn League/Ale Association quests during Harvestmath, and I traded them for Yule tokens and bough the horses and cosmetics I wanted.
Toolbar
Here is a copy of my toolbar.
I use the TonicBars plugin, which gives me an extra toolbar. I also have a widescreen monitor, so I have the real estate to do things others might not be able to.
I organize my skills as much as possible. However, because some skills have multiple uses, it's not always perfect. However, the bars are organized as follows:
I have an additional vertical TonicBar that runs down the right of my screen; this bar contains my travel skills (mounts, quick travel to personal & kinship homes, and the "return to" skills I've earned.
I use the TonicBars plugin, which gives me an extra toolbar. I also have a widescreen monitor, so I have the real estate to do things others might not be able to.
I organize my skills as much as possible. However, because some skills have multiple uses, it's not always perfect. However, the bars are organized as follows:
- The main quickslot bar contains the skills I use most commonly. The melee skills are at left, the ranged skills in the middle, and the mezz skills at the right.
- The first row is comprised of Toolbar 1 & 2. From left to right, this bar contains: the skills that I apply to others (heals, power up, etc), the skills for debuffing and damage over time, and the legendary skills that have relatively long cooldowns.
- The second row is comprised of Toolbar 3 & 4. This contains my self-heals (although I'm not sure why Back from the Brink is there), the stuff I throw on the ground, and miscellaneous skills (the black thing at the end is a shortcut to load the plugins manager).
- The third row is comprised of Toolbar 5 & TonicBar 1. This row contains mostly pet skills. There are some potions there that I need quick access to the other day, and I just haven't removed them yet. The track resources skill is at the left (I'm a woodsman).
- The fourth row contains my pet bar.
I have an additional vertical TonicBar that runs down the right of my screen; this bar contains my travel skills (mounts, quick travel to personal & kinship homes, and the "return to" skills I've earned.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
History
Confession time: my first toon was actually a Rune-Keeper, created on the Windfola server. When I began playing LotRO, Turbine offered a two-week trial (it's now free to play the game). When I have played games that allow role-playing, I usually gravitate to more "magical" classes, and the Rune-Keeper seemed right up my alley. I got the character up to level 21, and was heading into the Lone-Lands by the time the trial subscription ran out. It didn't take much thought to decide to subscribe.
At the time, I didn't realize that each server is a separate world. I assumed that you created a character, and that character could be played anywhere - the servers were merely a way to keep the population balanced.
At the end of the process of subscribing, I got directed to the Vilya server - and there was no sign of my RK. I was sort of mad, but I figured that the trial characters didn't count, and players had to start over in the "real world"; thus I rolled my LM.
At the time, I didn't realize that each server is a separate world. I assumed that you created a character, and that character could be played anywhere - the servers were merely a way to keep the population balanced.
At the end of the process of subscribing, I got directed to the Vilya server - and there was no sign of my RK. I was sort of mad, but I figured that the trial characters didn't count, and players had to start over in the "real world"; thus I rolled my LM.
Introduction
This is a blog about Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO). I've been playing the game since April 2010, and my primary "toon" is now a level 65 Lore-Master. I've never been much of a gamer, but I've loved The Lord of the Rings for years, and when I discovered this game, I fell in love.
The name of the blog is deceptive: I'm not planning on necessarily discussing the Lore-Master class. There will be some discussion of game mechanics and class skills, but I'm more interested in just sharing my thoughts on the game.
So, here's to sharing (and, hopefully, a long life in the blogosphere).
The name of the blog is deceptive: I'm not planning on necessarily discussing the Lore-Master class. There will be some discussion of game mechanics and class skills, but I'm more interested in just sharing my thoughts on the game.
So, here's to sharing (and, hopefully, a long life in the blogosphere).
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