Question about ambient music

[Venkman]

A few people I know, including myself, were in the beta in January, stopped playing for a bit because we felt it was bland, but then came  back in April when the final beta period opened and found what we felt was a much more enjoyable experience.

I've never been quite sure why. As far as I recall, the game played exactly the same as it did in January. There was more content, but otherwise everything seemed the same.

So I've been wondering about this on and off of late, wondering what could have been added or removed since January. And that prompted this question.

When was the ambient music put into the game?

I ask because I think they've done a fantastic job with the ambience of this game, and the background music really complete that. Could that be the major difference?

Or was it something else (like collective boredom with WoW: BC?) :)

[cmlancas]

In the thread that I started, "Observations of a True LOTRO Newbie," one of the first things I noticed when I was playing was the ambient music in The Shire. I loved it. I still love it.

[pxib]

I too want to put in a good word for the background music. That some places have variations of their essential theme (in the same key!) for combat rather than having one generic piece of "combat music" is a particularly nice touch. While I was playing regularly I frequently found myself humming various tunes from the game at work, something I haven't done since my misspent Nintendo youth.

I got a rather delicious music geek thrill when I realized that the music in Tom Bobadil's house is a variation on the theme in the rest of The Old Forest.

[Venkman]

I pretty much took it for granted until Great Barrows. Then I'm all spooked for being there because of it :) But I really started noticing it in Lone Lands. It's got that long build-up-to-epic feel that the movie music does.

Ya know, damn, some might call it derivative. But if Turbine decided they had to iterate for this title, they could have done much worse than emulating DIKU game play, EQ2 achievements, movie styling and movie music. They really came close without stepping on anyone's toes (that we know about) :)

[Phred]

A few people I know, including myself, were in the beta in January, stopped playing for a bit because we felt it was bland, but then came  back in April when the final beta period opened and found what we felt was a much more enjoyable experience.

I've never been quite sure why. As far as I recall, the game played exactly the same as it did in January. There was more content, but otherwise everything seemed the same.

I turn music off in games, but one thing I've noticed that is different about the game since closed beta. Huge increase in resting hp and power regen. I was bored shitless waiting for hp and power on my champ in beta. Now it's stand around a few seconds and into the next fight. Resting regen is up there where food buffed regen was in closed, imo.

[Venkman]

I always thought the regen hadn't bothered me because I never got high enough level to notice the time :) That's a good point too though. At 20, I barely notice any downtime, to the point where I'm not sure if using regen food/drink is even worth it.

[CmdrSlack]

I always thought the regen hadn't bothered me because I never got high enough level to notice the time :) That's a good point too though. At 20, I barely notice any downtime, to the point where I'm not sure if using regen food/drink is even worth it.

Since that healing from food also takes place in combat, I'm going with "worth it."

[cmlancas]

I always thought the regen hadn't bothered me because I never got high enough level to notice the time :) That's a good point too though. At 20, I barely notice any downtime, to the point where I'm not sure if using regen food/drink is even worth it.

Since that healing from food also takes place in combat, I'm going with "worth it."

I'm an artisan cook on Silverlode. Hit me up :)

[CmdrSlack]

I always thought the regen hadn't bothered me because I never got high enough level to notice the time :) That's a good point too though. At 20, I barely notice any downtime, to the point where I'm not sure if using regen food/drink is even worth it.

Since that healing from food also takes place in combat, I'm going with "worth it."

I'm an artisan cook on Silverlode. Hit me up :)

On a different server, but I also have a cook.  Sadly, I'm currently trying to level him a bit to make the "get basil from weathertop" part of my current crafting quest less hectic.

[Venkman]

How long does the regen effect last? I've pretty much never needed food (and have a song for boosting Morale regen), but if I still have a stack with me because I can't see the reason to part with it just yet.

[Xilren's Twin]

How long does the regen effect last? I've pretty much never needed food (and have a song for boosting Morale regen), but if I still have a stack with me because I can't see the reason to part with it just yet.

Food seemed to be best used in long instances where you are basically considered "in combat" your whole way through.  At least, thats what I remember from beta.

[CmdrSlack]

I like the edge that food gives me for long combats as well. Sometimes, I'm soloing and can't find a group for a specific quest. It is often possible for me to take down elites (one at a time) that I normally wouldn't be able to fight because of the extra morale and power ticks that you get from food.

[Phred]

I like the edge that food gives me for long combats as well. Sometimes, I'm soloing and can't find a group for a specific quest. It is often possible for me to take down elites (one at a time) that I normally wouldn't be able to fight because of the extra morale and power ticks that you get from food.

Only some food works in combat. No food can be eaten if the game thinks you are in combat and normal food regen doesn't work either. But, a lot of food, incluing early quest reward food, has a 30 timed burst of health/mana or both. I believe those effects last 5 min.

[CmdrSlack]

I like the edge that food gives me for long combats as well. Sometimes, I'm soloing and can't find a group for a specific quest. It is often possible for me to take down elites (one at a time) that I normally wouldn't be able to fight because of the extra morale and power ticks that you get from food.

Only some food works in combat. No food can be eaten if the game thinks you are in combat and normal food regen doesn't work either. But, a lot of food, incluing early quest reward food, has a 30 timed burst of health/mana or both. I believe those effects last 5 min.

I know for a fact that the crafted food also regens in combat.  Sure you can't use it IN combat, but it'll keep boosting your HP and power during. Hard biscuits, for example, are a nice little life insurance policy in the early levels.

[Tmon]

There's a couple kinds of food effects that I know about so far.  Trail food (stuff you can cook over a campfire) buffs a stat and lasts for 15 minutes so Salty Beef snacks buff Agility by 18 for 15 minutes which is a nice bonus to my hunter.  The food that requires an oven to prepare provides an immediate short term bonus to out of combat regen of power and morale  and then repairs some amount of morale and/or power loss every 10 seconds (I'm not able to log in to find the exact amount of time between ticks) for 5 minutes.  That effect continues even in combat.  The good thing is that both effects stack with each other so I generally always have a food stat buff up and then when I know I'm going to need an extra healing edge I use one of the five minute foods.  They aren't exactly game breaking effects but they are nice little addition, especially when you spend a lot of time soloing.

[KyanMehwulfe]

The ambient piece for Evendim is really good. One section or perhaps its entirity for one area of the region focuses on the feint singing of a lady or some such elegance, and it strengthens (or rather, mystifies) the mood of the region very well.

Evendim as a whole can be somewhat breathtaking, however, specifically when you see the lake. The way the waves ripple and reflect light is pretty stunning. There was one moment where the water combined with the long draw distance that sort of bordered through Uncanny Valley, where I just sort of stopped and took it all in. A sort of, "so this is where gaming is going" moment where you get a taste of what heightened visual believabilty can bring.

[Hound]

The ambient piece for Evendim is really good. One section or perhaps its entirity for one area of the region focuses on the feint singing of a lady or some such elegance, and it strengthens (or rather, mystifies) the mood of the region very well.

Evendim as a whole can be somewhat breathtaking, however, specifically when you see the lake. The way the waves ripple and reflect light is pretty stunning. There was one moment where the water combined with the long draw distance that sort of bordered through Uncanny Valley, where I just sort of stopped and took it all in. A sort of, "so this is where gaming is going" moment where you get a taste of what heightened visual believabilty can bring.

I was commenting in Kinship chat the other night on the Evendim piece. Reminds me of the Celtic Women album my wife enjoys so much.

I like the music they use around the Thorin's Hall area a lot also.

[Tannhauser]

I feel the same way about the Evendim music/grafix.  If this is a taste of whats to come then we have a feast headed our way.

I too looked out over the lake toward Annuminas and thought "damn can't believe this is a Turbine game".

I drool thinking about Moria and what they can do there.

Hate my new Captain sounds though.

[Phred]

I feel the same way about the Evendim music/grafix.  If this is a taste of whats to come then we have a feast headed our way.

I too looked out over the lake toward Annuminas and thought "damn can't believe this is a Turbine game".

I drool thinking about Moria and what they can do there.

Hate my new Captain sounds though.

Anyone else notice a big performance increase in the client since Evendim came out? I used to feel a bit sluggish in large open zones but since the patch I've actually been able to turn on shadows and dymaic lighting again and it's still very responsive feeling, expecially compared to beta where it was borderline doglike on my system (X64 3200 GF7600gt)

[Falconeer]

Yes, apparently the client is even faster now.