Content Flood (10$ game box, Level Cap +, 2 new zones this year, Skirmish Sys )

[Ard]

and are suspiciously female-free

Or so you think.  You might find things hiding behind the beards that will shake the very foundations of your world.   

[Tarami]

To quote Terry Pratchett,

"Dwarf courtship consists of finding out, in delicate and circumspect ways, what sex the other dwarf is.

[Montague]

As luck would have it, my old Champion character is on Brandywine. Logged in, killed a boar and got 3 levels thanks to experience adjustment 

How long is the token thing going on, and is there anything good in the giftboxes?

[Ard]

As luck would have it, my old Champion character is on Brandywine. Logged in, killed a boar and got 3 levels thanks to experience adjustment 

How long is the token thing going on, and is there anything good in the giftboxes?

Till the end of May.  It's pretty random, costumes and one-time crafting patterns and lots and lots of potions are what I've heard of.

[Reg]

And PIE!

[Yegolev]

Also probably coal.  I still have a load of tokens from last time they did this, many tin and some iron.  Currently I'm getting some silver or gold tokens depending on which side of the Last Bridge I kill a boar.

[Jamiko]

I've opened maybe 6 boxes so far and I got an Adamant Shard in one of them so not too bad.

[rattran]

Platinum tokens have been giving a few +50rad 30 minute tokens, some clothes, lots of high end food, many meh potions, and 1 adamant shard out of maybe 150 tokens.

I turned in 5 iron tokens I got, and got a Blueberry Tart Recipe.

[Riggswolfe]

I've gotten half a dozen radiance tokens, 2-3 costumes, a few potions, and some recipes I promptly vendored.

[Mrbloodworth]

I got a few new pimp outfits for my hobbit from the coins, good stuff.

[Ard]

Till the end of May.  It's pretty random, costumes and one-time crafting patterns and lots and lots of potions are what I've heard of.

I might have been wrong here.  They might be gone today.

Edit:  I'm apparently double wrong, so I was right.  The vendors are still around apparently.

[rattran]

Anniversary Celebrations Continue!
May 01, 2009 14:04 EST To continue our 2nd anniversary celebrations, all players will continue to receive +10% bonus XP on mob kills from now through the end of June!! Have fun, and thanks for playing LOTRO!

Woohoo. On the login popup just now.

[Sauced]

That's welcome news. 

I grabbed the demo the other day, and have been having a great time going through the Volume I prologue content.  When I realized I was on during a Come Back! week, with a sick XP bonus that goes with it, I was afraid that my enjoyment was due to the advanced leveling curve. 

I keep forgetting to look for you guys.  Playing a Warden - I haven't played since Beta, and the classes didn't excite me then, so I'm trying the new one - named Fantod.  Level 14 with no deaths so far, and not from a lack of trying either.  I guess the class is a little overpowered at the moment?

[Mrbloodworth]

That's welcome news. 

I grabbed the demo the other day, and have been having a great time going through the Volume I prologue content.  When I realized I was on during a Come Back! week, with a sick XP bonus that goes with it, I was afraid that my enjoyment was due to the advanced leveling curve. 

I keep forgetting to look for you guys.  Playing a Warden - I haven't played since Beta, and the classes didn't excite me then, so I'm trying the new one - named Fantod.  Level 14 with no deaths so far, and not from a lack of trying either.  I guess the class is a little overpowered at the moment?

Send a tel to Grimst Sunday.

[Sauced]

Send a tel to Grimst Sunday.

I missed this!  Sorry bout that.  I think they might have their hooks in me for at least $10.  Seeing the Homestead instance probably did it.  Do you guys have one where you are all together?

[Yegolev]

I have a house near Michel Delving but I'm not making my payments so that I can get a mount more quickly.  Also, my furniture budget is historically underfunded.  The kinship house is in Ered Luin.

[Mrbloodworth]

Send a tel to Grimst Sunday.

I missed this!  Sorry bout that.  I think they might have their hooks in me for at least $10.  Seeing the Homestead instance probably did it.  Do you guys have one where you are all together?

Nah, kinship house is the really useful one for the kin.

[Montague]

MB, are you or anyone else that can do invites on late during the week? I'm working afternoon shift for a few weeks and don't get on until 9:30 PM or so Pacific time.

[Mrbloodworth]

MB, are you or anyone else that can do invites on late during the week? I'm working afternoon shift for a few weeks and don't get on until 9:30 PM or so Pacific time.

I typically am done around 9:30 on Wednesdays, but i can make an exception if I KNOW you will be on. Also, i have started playing Thursday nits recently, but that's not a guaranteed log on.

Want to try for Wednesday? Also, consult the list on the top of the forums, anyone that's an officer can invite.

I am on most weekends. List your name here, ill add you to my friends list, and shoot you a /tell if i see you pop on. I know there are a bunch of people who needs invites, and i do send out /tells when i log on of anyone on this forums who i know isn't in yet.

I know Rudialas plays only weeknights, may want to try him or Nightweedband, as far as late night officers.

[Montague]

MB, are you or anyone else that can do invites on late during the week? I'm working afternoon shift for a few weeks and don't get on until 9:30 PM or so Pacific time.

I typically am done around 9:30 on Wednesdays, but i can make an exception if I KNOW you will be on. Also, i have started playing Thursday nits recently, but that's not a guaranteed log on.

Want to try for Wednesday? Also, consult the list on the top of the forums, anyone that's an officer can invite.

I am on most weekends. List your name here, ill add you to my friends list, and shoot you a /tell if i see you pop on. I know there are a bunch of people who needs invites, and i do send out /tells when i log on of anyone on this forums who i know isn't in yet.

I know Rudialas plays only weeknights, may want to try him or Nightweedband, as far as late night officers.

Ok, the name is Tarrathir Windtracer. I'll be on Wednesday night at 9:30 PST but if I see the other guys on I'll give them a tell.

[Bandit]

You can look for me (Bravade) as well, should be on more this week between my snippets of Freerealms and work kicking my ass.

[Hawkbit]

I really should bring my guardian over from Meneldor.  I'm trying to decide if it's worth it or not.... character transfers are notoriously long I hear.  1-2 weeks?  That's a long time. 

BTW, my guardian hit 30 last night, finally.  Holy cow having ranged options makes the game totally different. 

Also, grinding out Lone lands was terrible.  That is one terrible zone if you solo.  North Downs is treating me a lot better so far.  All things considered, though, there's entirely too many fellowship quests in this game. 

[Mrbloodworth]

Yah know, i hear its to solo, then i hear there are to many group quests. This is really the only game where this seems to be brought up.

I guess, the reality is, there is a good mix of group and solo.

But yes, you should come over, especially if you feel there are "To many group quests". 

[Hawkbit]

I'll roll a toon on Brandywine first before I transfer my guardian.  I want to see how active the guild is before I blow $25.  I know I'm only 30, but I don't think I can start from scratch again. 

[Bandit]

I really should bring my guardian over from Meneldor.  I'm trying to decide if it's worth it or not.... character transfers are notoriously long I hear.  1-2 weeks?  That's a long time.

It does take a while (I think it took two weeks for me), but your character is still playable in the meantime.  If you have a house, make sure you take everything out.  I lost some of my valuables (cool trophies) that way.
 

BTW, my guardian hit 30 last night, finally.  Holy cow having ranged options makes the game totally different. 

Also, grinding out Lone lands was terrible.  That is one terrible zone if you solo.  North Downs is treating me a lot better so far.  All things considered, though, there's entirely too many fellowship quests in this game. 

I believe Lone Lands is getting a much needed revamp.

Hmmm too many fellowship quests? I guess, but there are more than enough solo quests to solo right to 60 easily.  I noticed that in my run with an alt through the North Downs, that everything was much easier - specifically aurochs and trollls.  All the auroch quests are easily soloable now.

[Yegolev]

I would not mind the fellowship quests at all but for the fact that the epic line contains a lot of them.  I could solo/duo to 60, but I'd miss out on the main story and be relegated to bullshit side events.

[Hawkbit]

I would not mind the fellowship quests at all but for the fact that the epic line contains a lot of them.  I could solo/duo to 60, but I'd miss out on the main story and be relegated to bullshit side events.

That's my issue with it.  I have no issue with the Book quests utilizing groups to finish, but they should make more of the open world quests soloable.  Before I deleted them because they went grey, I had well over 10 fellow quests in Lone Lands, not including the Book quest. 

I'm not completely against grouping, but it's always the same with PUGs.  Takes 10min to get everyone together, then someone goes l/d for 10min, then someone needs a biobreak and gets lost for 10min, and so on....  Next thing I know I've been waiting for 30minutes, all that time wasted. 

Good to hear they're retooling some of the core zones though. 

[Bandit]

I will agree with that, and to be honest the Book quests are definitely worth the trouble.  Great Story.

I think they need to reinvent the "Mark" system, whereby someone that has already finished the book can help others and receive marks.  It worked well pre-moria, as people could collect marks to get the best armour in the game (helegrod/rift armour sets).  However, post-moria they haven't really redone the mark system...the rewards are not that great now it seems.

Turbine should really tweak the system with every book update...even if it is for "fluff" rewards or different item sets.  That would keep motivation to help others with books going with a simple change each update.

I am always more than willing to help people out with books on brandywine, just let me know.

[Hindenburg]

Do the fellowship quests give some sort of special stuff?

[Yegolev]

Do the fellowship quests give some sort of special stuff?

They give you a very special feeling in the pit of your stomach as you die for the tenth time.

[Bandit]

No, not really.  Yes you will get better rewards, but nothing that isn't easily matched by crafted gear (especially critted gear)

Various books do have great rewards though - but again, not much better than critted crafted gear (before volume 2).  Some of the book items might have a "clicky" special effect, or a different horse (book 14 or 15).  Nothing essential, but to me the story is worth it.

[Yegolev]

Oh, well, true enough that it was my original complaint: the fellowship quests have decent stories tied to them and interesting dungeons and whatnot.  Intangible benefits, I suppose.  I have a love/hate for the Great Barrow, for example, because it's creepy and confusing but also because you need to have an organized group to do anything in there.

[Bandit]

I am the same, not a traditional-grouper escpecially PUGs, but I am a content whore. I solo about 90% of the time.

One thing you should understand about grouping in LOTRO, is that a standard group is NOT required.  I have been in groups with no healers (4 burglars, and my captain before real heal abilities) and burned through fellowship quests.  I just burned through Dol Dinen the other night on a minstrel alt, with no tanks in the group (I think 1 minnie, 2 LMs, 2 RKs, and hunter).

The real difficulty is getting a PUG to accept a non-traditional group.  If a group is sitting waiting for a tank/minnie I just drop group and move on.  Even at 60, trying to complete 2.5.5 "Deep-way" which is a tougher instance in the game, we beat it with 3 captains, 1 burg, 1 minnie and a LM - the LM refused to enter with 3 captains and wanted to wait for a "real" tank.  He finally accepted and we easily finished the instance with very little trouble.  You would think by 60 that many would understand this, but they don't.

[Zetor]

The biggest problem in lotro (and the reason I haven't logged on more than twice in 3 weeks) for my guild is dealing with uneven leveling speed, I've found. There's no sidekicking (why?) and we have one person in our 6-man dungeon group who is swamped with work and only gets literally 4-5 hours of playtime a week. Leveling alts is not really engaging, and we don't want to outlevel him or do books / group quests when he's not there (because then he'd miss out on them, probably for good.. especially since a lot of those quests are in chains), so we just don't play.

When we DO play, it's pretty fun (and we have an unorthodox group with only one 'pure' DPS class), but... meh. It probably doesn't help that we're right at the edge of Moria (levels range from 46 to 49) and some of us want to take a look at 'old' dungeons before we outlevel them (noting that basically no PUGs exist for them, so we either do it now or maybe later when we outlevel / outgear them), while others suffer from Fornost-induced trauma and swore off all non-book instances until moria altogether. 


-- Z.

[Stormwaltz]

I would not mind the fellowship quests at all but for the fact that the epic line contains a lot of them.  I could solo/duo to 60, but I'd miss out on the main story and be relegated to bullshit side events.

You just described my situation. My kinship (RL friends) is very rarely on at the same time as me. My LM is 60, and has only gotten up to the last few quests of Book 2. I did the Book that unlocks eastern Angmar, got pretty far into Moria's Epics, and...

...that's it. That's all I can do. I'm playing a Lord of the Rings game, but even as a max-level character I'm shut out of any ability to watch the signature events and characters. To me, this is a pretty glaring design flaw for an IP-based game.

To be clear, I don't care about the quest rewards. No XP because everything's grey? Fine. Loot rewards are bound items too low level to be useful to me? Not a problem. I only want to do the Epics to watch cool shit happen around me. Being unable to complete V1 Book 2 solo because I was killed in five minutes when I was 18 levels over the content is not acceptable to me.