The New Classes

[Draegan]

Anyone play them?  One reason I never really got into LOTRO was that I never really enjoyed playing any of the classes.  I did manage to get a level 30 something Guardian but I only made it that far because I was playing with friends.

Just curious to see how these new guys play.

[Tarami]

That's a tough inquiry. In my opinion:

Wardens - Very awesome class. Single-target tank/MDPSer. Thematically appealing (spear and shield with javelins, it's like 300 all over again) and fun and engaging combo system. You chain red, yellow and green to execute combos of varying complexity and purpose. You can also manage your "combo queue" by resetting or removing one from the top. Got personal teleports for being lazy.

Rune-keeper - Rather meh to me. Light armour DPS/Healer. You use skills to gain offensive or defensive affinity, and the more you got the better the offence/healing becomes. Going far to one side locks skills of the opposite affinity. Uses slows and short stuns to manage mobs solo. I found it fiddly and carpal tunnel inducing.

[Cheddar]

One very important thing about Rune Keepers - they are very flexible.  You can solo (by some reports) extremely easily or switch to a healing role and get into groups very easily (there are never enough healers post 20).

They do not heal as well as a Minstrel, but are close enough that it can fill in the gap.

[tazelbain]

So RK can easily move between healer and dps?

[Tarami]

So RK can easily move between healer and dps?

Yeah. That's the affinity thing I was speaking of. By using DPS skills, you push your affinity meter towards offence, all while increasing your damage output (most skills have a constant + a variable depending on how far into offence you are.) This will largely lock healing skills from being used so in order to heal you need to wait for your offence to decay (or dump it into one of the nukes) so you can start building the opposite way, towards healing.

It's not something you do in-combat since it's a tad tedious, but from pull to pull you can easily do it. It's an encounter-scoped DPS/heal hybrid sort of.

[SnakeCharmer]

That sounds kinda cool.

[Draegan]

I like mechanics like that.  It's the reason I enjoy playing a Death Knight.  I think I'll give MoM a shot sometime in a few months after WOW's shine fades.

[Soln]

basically RK is dps/heals, and Warden is tank/dps.  They literally have UI tools to switch (one has moving meter, the other has a series of jackpot-choices) from one concentration to the other on the fly.  Basically, you decide in an encounter what you want to do -- it's all real time, all your choice.  So far I've grouped with both and they are great to have.  RK's in particular I've been impressed with as a fall back heals and CC/aggro-puller.

I play a minstrel and my wife has a guardian as our mains, and basically that is all we're playing (so we can reach cap).

[Cheddar]

Rune Keepers are extremely cool.  Even in DPS mode you can do some basic healing.  I suggest reading the official forums on them; there are a couple good guides to wtfpwning with them.

[Yegolev]

I started up a RK since I have decided I just can't deal with the LM, so I need another alt to be my scholar.  I am pretty impressed with what I have seen up to level 9.

Fact is that the RK can nuke and heal at the same time, just not nearly as effectively.  I can get my battle affinity maxed and still cast my base heal spell, although it shifts me toward healing by one when I do.  The more effective spells that I have require either no battle affinity or no healing affinity, and the biggest attack spell I have requires three battle affinity.  It does a great job of giving me something to think about without having to deal with the swiss-army knife LM.  I might lead off with the base heal, which does some HoT, then start on the base lightning spell.  After four of those, I have three battle affinity and can cast the big one which has a chance to stun.  Or I can simply lead off with a battle spell and get to the big one faster.  I have fiddled with dropping one of those healing stones before I start nuking, but I'm not sure that is terribly effective due to the ramp-up time on the nukes.

Switching during battle is certainly possible but you will have to stop casting attack spells to get your healing up to max, or even to use anything other than the baby heal spell.  The cooldown on the base spell is rather quick so I can shift my affinity more quickly than I had thought before I started playing this class.  It is also possible to simply alternate basic spells as needed while your affinity remains more or less centered... but why?  I haven't played a minstrel but I can see a RK paired with a guardian as being a good damage sponge, or as a tank/nuke pair.  I like that flexibility.

[Cheddar]

I have fiddled with dropping one of those healing stones before I start nuking, but I'm not sure that is terribly effective due to the ramp-up time on the nukes.

This is the easy button.  Do it before every single battle.

Switching during battle is certainly possible but you will have to stop casting attack spells to get your healing up to max, or even to use anything other than the baby heal spell.  The cooldown on the base spell is rather quick so I can shift my affinity more quickly than I had thought before I started playing this class.  It is also possible to simply alternate basic spells as needed while your affinity remains more or less centered... but why?  I haven't played a minstrel but I can see a RK paired with a guardian as being a good damage sponge, or as a tank/nuke pair.  I like that flexibility.

You will never heal as well as a min.  BUT - you can change roles mid battle.  Thats extremely useful in a group I found out!

A nuker who "OH HAI" can swap to heal if the min gets over whelmed?  I love these guys!

[Yegolev]

This is the easy button.  Do it before every single battle.

I need to find harder enemies.

[SnakeCharmer]

So I rolled up 'toon last night (thanks MrB!), a champion (I think - dual wielding dude).  Made it to level 5.  Seems ok, if a bit slow and button mashy as it took 5 or 6 attacks to kill some dark wolf things.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong.  Had to readjust my thinking in that you *have* to do an AoE attack to hit multiple foes whereas I was used to AoC's system where you hit anything that is in your swing path.

Some odd shadows/graphics glitches as well.  But ran well on my rig on ultra high at 1920x1200.  Lots of green stuff.

[Mrbloodworth]

So I rolled up 'toon last night (thanks MrB!), a champion (I think - dual wielding dude).  Made it to level 5.  Seems ok, if a bit slow and button mashy as it took 5 or 6 attacks to kill some dark wolf things.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong.  Had to readjust my thinking in that you *have* to do an AoE attack to hit multiple foes whereas I was used to AoC's system where you hit anything that is in your swing path.

Some odd shadows/graphics glitches as well.  But ran well on my rig on ultra high at 1920x1200.  Lots of green stuff.

Once you leave the prologue (around 6-8, its a quest to leave), you can be invited to kinship. Then we twink you.

[Cheddar]

Champion is an ultra fun class - best AOE, and dang close best damage.  Also, heavy armor is love.   

[sigil]

I think i'll move over to brandywine. 

[SnakeCharmer]

Once you leave the prologue (around 6-8, its a quest to leave), you can be invited to kinship. Then we twink you.

I'm fairly certain I'm going to buy it, so I'm going to roll a few different classes up for a bit and see which one I like.  I kinda want to play some caster that shoots fireballs and lightning out of his fingertips.  Is there such an animal?

My one dislike about the game is the over all speed of combat.  Just feels slow - but then again, I've been playing tons of L4D, TF2, Fallout 3, and other FPS's. 

I've looked everywhere but is there a way to buy it online and not have to go get a box for a new product code?

[Ingmar]

At what point is it possible for a game to move back out of the graveyard? This forum has more activity than, say, the Eve one. Or is it a one-way street?

[Cheddar]

At what point is it possible for a game to move back out of the graveyard? This forum has more activity than, say, the Eve one. Or is it a one-way street?

Pretty sure its a one way street.  Maybe we can at least get a sub forum for the predominant guild.

I'm fairly certain I'm going to buy it, so I'm going to roll a few different classes up for a bit and see which one I like.  I kinda want to play some caster that shoots fireballs and lightning out of his fingertips.  Is there such an animal?

My one dislike about the game is the over all speed of combat.  Just feels slow - but then again, I've been playing tons of L4D, TF2, Fallout 3, and other FPS's. 

I've looked everywhere but is there a way to buy it online and not have to go get a box for a new product code?

That slowness wears off after a bit - its actually nice later.  Game is a LOT more tactical then other games.  Group action is extremely fast and furious - trust me, after 20 everything picks up, and you will be challenged!

[Tarami]

Once you leave the prologue (around 6-8, its a quest to leave), you can be invited to kinship. Then we twink you.

I'm fairly certain I'm going to buy it, so I'm going to roll a few different classes up for a bit and see which one I like.  I kinda want to play some caster that shoots fireballs and lightning out of his fingertips.  Is there such an animal?

My one dislike about the game is the over all speed of combat.  Just feels slow - but then again, I've been playing tons of L4D, TF2, Fallout 3, and other FPS's. 

I've looked everywhere but is there a way to buy it online and not have to go get a box for a new product code?

Rune-keeper, one of the new classes in Moria.

And if you got a trial, you can digitally upgrade it from your account page and also add Moria to it.

[Mrbloodworth]

Once you leave the prologue (around 6-8, its a quest to leave), you can be invited to kinship. Then we twink you.

I'm fairly certain I'm going to buy it, so I'm going to roll a few different classes up for a bit and see which one I like.  I kinda want to play some caster that shoots fireballs and lightning out of his fingertips.  Is there such an animal?

My one dislike about the game is the over all speed of combat.  Just feels slow - but then again, I've been playing tons of L4D, TF2, Fallout 3, and other FPS's. 

I've looked everywhere but is there a way to buy it online and not have to go get a box for a new product code?

Yes, it should be rather self evident. Check the launcher.  Make sure you use the account you set up with the buddy key! 

[Cheddar]

Yes, it should be rather self evident. Check the launcher.  Make sure you use the account you set up with the buddy key! 

Thats not fucking funny.  When I first started I began a new account without upgrading my Buddy account - to this day it still offers me my "trial" account for login.  I never had the wherewithal to change it.  Its a shameful reminder not to order shit digitally while drunk!

[sigil]

that's how I got my lifetime

[Yegolev]

Buy it from http://store.turbine.com which is a site that is much harder to find than it should be.