LOTRO: Dev Diary – Instances 2.0
Another Developer’s Diary has appeared on the official Lord of the Rings Online website. This one deals with how they plan on improving instances throughout the game so that more players will have access to them. Here is a snippet of what Joe “jwbarry” had to say:
This was one of the challenges we set out to tackle with the Skirmish system. We were able to construct spaces that are available to as many players as possible and succeeded in knocking down many of the barriers that limit the impact, accessibility and audience for the content we produce. Now, we’ve looked at the Skirmish technology and started tinkering with applying it in other places to spread those benefits.
You can read the entire Developer’s Diary by clicking here.
–Wolfen
Read MoreLOTRO: Upcoming Changes
A new Developer Diary has popped up on the official Lord of the Rings Online site. It consists of nine pages of upcoming changes and additions to the game. It is interesting stuff, so go take a look for yourself.
Tinkering
I am going to be trying out some different themes on the site. Expect to see some anomalies for the next few days.
–Wolfen
Read MoreEQ Nostalgia Picture
Here we are battling a Griffawn in North Karana. We had just journeyed to Freeport and bought full sets of banded armor. We felt very uber! (circa 1999)
–Wolfen
Read MoreLOTRO: Combe Quest Hub – Part 2
Continuing on with quests in the Combe area, I began with one named Old Bauman’s Farm. This took me back into the Chetwood to retrieve a chain that used to belong to his beloved dog. I found the Blackwold camp in question and the first Blackwold that I killed dropped the chain. No fuss, no muss. The quest reward was some food items.
The same Blackwold that dropped the chain also had a receipt on him that I returned to Constable Sageford. This receipt seemed to implicate a local towns-person with the Blackwolds.
To be certain, I was sent to obtain another strongbox from the Blackwold stronghold. Sure enough, the second strongbox showed that the local locksmith had created the box. I go talk to the locksmith and he tells me that he was forced against his will by a Blackwold named Applewood to make the boxes. The constable sent me to the northern area of the Chetwood to kill Applewood and retrieve the master key. After finding and killing Applewood in the Blackwold stronghold, I was rewarded with decent bracelet.
|
|
|
The next quest string I embarked on was started with one named Cutleaf’s Good Intentions. I am to infiltrate the ranks of the Blackwolds by talking to Ellie Cutleaf, who seems to be a double agent. Before I could do that, however, she wanted me to go kill a den mother wolf before it can begin breeding more wolves for the Blackwolds. The den mother was located in a stall next to a house up on a hill in the northeast portion of the Chetwood. My reward for killing her was an axe, which finally gave me a second weapon to use with my dual wield skill. This greatly increased my melee damage.
Ellie then sends me to a man named Leecher Cartwell to get some poison to be used in finishing off the rest of the wolves. Leecher didn’t have any of the poison ready, so he sent me out in search of the necessary ingredients required to make it. All the ingredients were not far away. The berries were found in a valley filled with bears. The beehives were behind a house just south of Leecher’s house. The roots can be found near the wolf den located just inside the Chetwood. By the way, Leecher’s house can be a pain to find if you have never looked for it before. Here is a view from his porch. The big building on the right is the Combe and Wattle Inn.
Poison in hand, Ellie sends me to the Blackwold Headquarters to poison the meat that the wolves eat. I am also to kill the leader of this band of Blackwolds. His name is Jagger Jack. The headquarters, which I have visited several times before while on other quests, is located in northeast Chetwood. I entered the stronghold and worked my way deeper into it. I found the dead sheep that I was to poison while on the way to Jagger’s camp. With that done, I went in search of Jagger Jack.
Jagger is located just to the north of the dead sheep. He is guarded by several Blackwolds that have wolf pets at their command. I worked my way through those and found Jagger Jack in the middle of an evil looking camp in the valley below. He is well guarded but I did not have any trouble it taking him or his cronies down. I ran back to Ellie and completed the quest. This resulted in a huge upgrade to my boots. 30 more armor to be exact. Not a bad end to my evening.
|
|
|
–Wolfen
Read MoreSW:TOR – Music Of The Old Republic
A couple of new updates have been posted on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website. These updates deal with the subject of music and sound and how they affect the way players perceives the world around them. The blog post has this to say:
It’s our job to create an audio experience that enhances the emotional experience of the game and reaches the quality level expected of the Star Wars franchise. As fans and as game makers, we’re excited and privileged to breathe life into every planet, every weapon, and every creature that beeps, squawks, or just plain talks…and it’s not as easy as it, er, sounds.
I agree that music and sound can greatly influence how a game world is perceived. I know that many people play games with the sound turned off, but that is something I am unable to do. It adds so much to the experience. I can’t wait to see what they have created.
An official video dealing with this subject has also been posted. You can view it over on the official site, or watch it below.
–Wolfen
Read MoreLOTRO: Going Free-To-Play
The gaming community has been all a-buzz about the news that Lord of the Rings Online is going to a free-to-play model sometime this fall. This means that anyone will be able to download and play the game absolutely free. I am both worried and intrigued about what this means for the game. After thinking about it for awhile, I believe that it will be a long-term boon for the game.
I bought the Lifetime subscription when the game first launched, so the game going free-to-play does not affect me or my characters very much. I still get access to all parts of the game and no restrictions to gear or quests. Those who are paying a monthly fee also get similar access to the game.
The people playing the game for free have quite a few restrictions to deal with, such as less bag space, lower gold cap, no rest experience, and only one character slot per server. The free player can get these features if they purchase them via the Turbine Store.
I believe this change will help bring more players to the game. Free is free, after all. I really hope that this change to the game will bring in many new players so that the world becomes more alive. As I play the game now, I certainly notice that the newbie area populations are very low. To be fair, most MMO’s of LOTRO’s age have fewer low-level players, but the areas sure are quiet right now.
Big changes ahead, to be sure. Is this a desperate grab for a game that is barely hanging on? Or is it a shrewd move to bring in more revenue (Lifetime members like me earn them no money at all)?
If nothing else, I want to see more people playing the game. It would be fantastic to see all the zones filled with as many players as there were during the initial launch. That would be a great thing indeed.
The official press release is here. The informative FAQ and a great deal more information can be found here.
–Wolfen
Read More