The Shire is about two seconds from being Care-a-Lot. And its biggest danger is… bears? There’s a connection there!- I had to do some quick and dirty research to figure out what virtues I wanted to shoot for with my LM. If you don’t get a start on your virtue deeds early on, you end up having to work for them while getting no XP whatsoever. So do virtues ASAP in the starter zones!
- Elves. Why’d it have to be elves? Leave Middle Earth already, ya hippie freaks. I swear, every single game must test me with elves. Even Star Trek with its “Vulcans”. Uh huh. THAT’S AN ELF IN DISGUISE AND YOU KNOW IT.
- Combat is pretty spastic right now, because I’m trying to use every skill that helps level up the skill deeds. Don’t mind me Mr. Warthog, I have to throw Wind Lore on you because I’m afraid you’re suddenly going to sprout arms and start shooting a bow and arrow at me. It also means that I have to stop every 30 seconds out of combat to heal my raven, who’s perfectly healthy but EAT THAT HEAL, BIRD!
- I forgot LOTRO had dyes. I like dyes. Not as great or customizable as Warhammer’s, but still nice. Happy happy Syp.
- The postmaster quest still bites hard. Stupid nosy hobbits!
- It’s been two years since launch… and you STILL can’t mail multiple attachments? Seriously?
- I can’t speak for other servers, but I’ve found the community on Gladden to be one of the most welcoming, helpful and mature in any MMO I’ve seen to date.
- Decorating your house (in my case, hobbit hole) is far, far too much fun.
- I really appreciate the neat touches they do with the dread effect.
- This game is still as photogenic as the day it came out… I really can’t stop from taking screenshots, especially at twilight.
- I have to sit on my hands to keep from making alts, or at least playing them. I’m dedicated to getting Syp (LM) to the level cap before getting behind the wheel of a planned Captain, Rune-Keeper, Burglar and Warden.
- I don’t really care about the titles in LOTRO, which I find very sub-par to WAR’s. I choose to play Syp with no surname or title.
- They have a map for the Old Forest! I can’t tell you how much that place sucked before they put that in. I’d get lost for WEEKS in there.
- People still never say thanks when you do a drive-by healing.
Bio Break
I always thank drive-by healers… and I’m happy to know I’m not the only one that calls it that! Then again, being a LM, I probably needed that heal as mine was on the 10 min cool down.
Welcome back to LOTRO – I’ve been meaning to say that. I was with your blog WAAAGH! at the launch of Warhammer and enjoyed the read completely (I commented a few times, but you probably won’t remember me as I’m not a super awe-inspiring commenter ^_~). But for one reason or another, I ended up leaving WAR (*coughwitchhunternerfscough*), going back to LOTRO and have since fallen in luv with my LM. So, I’m having many of the same experiences as you detail here.
I especially liked the article on why folks come back to old MMORPGs. I tend to be easily excited about the hype surrounding new games… only to come back “home” again when I realize what it was I was missing there.
Anyhow! Congrats on all good things in your life! I’m happy to read your blog on a game that I’m also playing once more. I hope your time in Middle Earth is an enjoyable one.
PS. Gotta love the old LOTR cartoon capture there.
Sounds like fun. I may have to give the trial a, um, try if I ever have the time. I’m still kicking myself for not doing the lifetime subscription back when I pre-ordered.
So can Hobbits be Lore Masters now, or are you just a human living in the Shire? I absolutely loved the shire quests and the whole Hobbit thing, and I did enjoy my minstrel, but the idea of a magic hobbit traveling around with a bear was too good to pass up and it made me sad that wasn’t an option.
I get thanked for my drive-by heals, though I rarely find anyone in need of them to bother, but also for my drive-by stun immunity which I put on nearly everyone I pass who I see is in combat.
I’m still working on those silly skill deeds. I just got Explosive Force done yesterday (from doing Blinding Flash umpteen hundred times), and still have the Sticky Tar one to go, the fire-based Wizard’s Sign (I’m horrible with the skill names) and the new Sticky Gourd one now that my LM is 60.
More importantly I need to work on my virtues though. Valour and something else is still at 7; I only have one slotted at 10. I just don’t have the attention span to solo grind mobs to get them done…
“#15 People still never say thanks when you do a drive-by healing.”
I do
~Kuma
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Isn’t there a problem with stealing XP when you do “drive by healing”?
As I understand it once you assist another player who is in combat either by healing them or by attacking the mob yourself you lower the XP they will get for the kill. If I remember correctly, Lotro applies the group XP sharing formula but the helper doesn’t even get the benefit because they aren’t in a fellowship.
Its a tricky issue. I like to be a good citizen and help out where I can but I will generally not give uninvited help unless it is obvious that the player is about to be overwhelmed.