LOTRO: Five Things I Do Not Use Anymore
I logged into The Lord of the Rings Online today and started sorting through my inventory and vault on my primary character, which is a level cap Lore-master. After 14 years and a great deal of change, it’s hardly surprising that an MMO such as LOTRO generates so much bric-a-brac and superfluous items. Much of which is obsolete or only of use for a very short period of time while levelling. Much of this junk is linked to wider systems and mechanics in the game that are no longer relevant or at the least are no longer as important to the game as it has grown and expanded. In fact, off the top of my head, here are five aspects of LOTRO that were a big deal at one point during the games lifecycle (indeed some were major selling points) but now are not essential as you progress through the game. Certainly they don’t necessarily have any major bearing upon the average LOTRO player (follow the link for a discussion about this particular definition) with an alt at level cap.
Mounted Combat, War-steed and War Wolf. I can remember when the Riders of Rohan expansion was being touted by then developer Turbine and the concept of mounted combat was referenced as being the alleged Holy Grail among players. All I could think of at the time was that I hadn't asked for it. When it finally arrived it was clunky, with steering your War-steed especially difficult with heavier mounts. For some classes, being on horseback was utterly absurd and far from fun. But what cannot be cured must be endured, so many players just got on with it. However once the expansion was completed I and others never touched this mechanic ever again. Hence I have never bought any further cosmetic items for my War-steed because why would I do that for something I don’t use? My only regret is that I didn’t get much use out of the War Wolf companion that the Lore-master gets through traiting in a specific fashion.
Cosmetic Items. I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again. Cosmetic outfit options for the Lore-master class in LOTRO are very limited. You can either look like Ming the Merciless or Rick Wakeman during his cape fetish era from when he was in Yes. Neither look appeals to me. Despite the fact that the developers added the ability to wear non-class related items cosmetically, a long time ago, there is precious little that looks sartorially appropriate for the Lore-master. So after finding about three outfits that I can live with, I don’t believe I’ve altered my primary alts appearance for over half a decade.
Landscape Soldier. Due to power creep and finally having obtained some good quality gear, I no longer use my Landscape Soldier any more in LOTRO, unless there is a unique situation that requires it. PVE content is manageable (to say the least) and introducing a third party after my pet is unnecessary as far as I can see. Plus, due to their chaotic AI and poor handling, Landscape Soldiers are an extremely blunt tool. Considering how useful (and fun) companions are in Star WarsThe Old Republic as well as your away team in Star Trek Online, it’s a shame that LOTRO got saddled with such a less versatile equivalent.
Food, potions and other consumables. For most PVE content in LOTRO, my current stats are sufficient to see me through. Occasionally an instance may require a boost of some kind. If that is the case, the consumables that come from Hobbit Presents will do the job. Older iterations of food, potions and such like become obsolete rather quickly due to the speed of levelling and it is easy to clutter your bag with items you don’t need. For me and the manner in which I play LOTRO at, these items are not required. Raids are a different matter but again, is that really an issue for the average LOTRO player?
Crafting. Most of the people that I know who craft regularly in LOTRO, do so for pleasure. They enjoy the process as a relaxing experience. Crafting used to be quite a lucrative activity as well. Sadly, the crafting system in the game today is bloated, so those who have kept up to date and reached the required level of competence can just about stay on top of it and create gear for themselves. You simply don’t see much low level crafted gear on the auction house anymore. I will craft during the early levels of the game as it can provide a good additional source of XP. But sooner or later, it becomes too much of an unwieldy mechanic to maintain. Again, for a player such as I, avoiding crafting at the endgame is not in any way an impediment. Good gear is available elsewhere in her game.
Now I fully expect many people reading this to disagree and extol a contrary opinion. That’s fine with me if that is the case. In some respects it means that you’re getting more value out of this ageing MMORPG than I am. However, I’m sure I am not unique in my outlook. Perhaps the longevity of LOTRO is indeed part of the problem, along with a development team that always has more work than staff. Hence, older reputation faction currencies are left to languish in player’s barter wallets, effectively worthless beyond their designated level. The enjoyment of fishing becomes somewhat strained by level cap and the other hobbies touted to be added to the game remain conspicuously absent. I live in hope that Standing Stone Games will address these issues but I suspect that as time goes by yet more items will be added to the list of “things I do not use anymore”.
