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.