LOTRO: Fate of Gundabad Bullroarer Preview

October 21, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Yesterday afternoon (UK time) Standing Stone Games made the forthcoming expansion for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, available on the Bullroarer test server. This new release, Fate of Gundabad, is due to launch on the 10th of November which is under two weeks away. However, I suspect that this expansion has been under development for a while as it appears fairly complete without very little or no placeholder material. Players have already been providing feedback on the official forums and it would seem that the nuts and bolts of the area are in place and functional. There appears to be a substantial amount of new zones in this expansion with areas both above and below ground. It is worth mentioning straight away that if you are a LOTRO player who didn’t especially enjoy navigating your way through Moria, you will probably find the new areas underneath Mount Gundabad as equally frustrating. There are dense groups of Orcs and other enemy mobs to get past and I suspect these areas will be quite taxing.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, Fate of Gundabad, Bullroarer Preview

LOTRO: Problems With the Revised Legendary Item Systems

October 13, 2021 / Roger Edwards

NB. If you have a strong feeling of deja vu while reading this post, it’s not just you. Most of the points raised here were mentioned previously a few weeks ago when I wrote about my experiences during the beta testing of Update 30.3 on Bullroarer server. I’m sure long time LOTRO players will not be at all surprised by what is discussed in this post.

Developer’s Standing Stone released Update 30.3 for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online today. This includes the new Brawler class and the revised Legendary Item system. The latter has proven to be problematic. Firstly, there has been no support information from SSG as to how the new system works. There is no in-game tutorial or quest that orientates the player. In fact unless a player opens up the LI window and discovers that there is a new “appraise” button added to the UI, they could easily continue playing totally oblivious to the revised system. Secondly, all the bugs and glitches that were highlighted by players on the test server have not been addressed and have been ported over to the live servers. Unless you are the type of player who is heavily invested in the game and has kept abreast of the various threads about the revised LI system on the official forums, you will have to muddle through the best you can. Furthermore, you will be at risk of making mistakes, wasting valuable in-game resources and potentially gimping your new LI.

5 Comments 3 Likes

categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, Standing Stone Games, Revised LI System, Legendary Item, Legendary Weapon

MMO Tropes: “Kill Ten Rats” and Fetch Quests

October 05, 2021 / Roger Edwards

“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”.

The MMORPG genre is a curious subset of video games. Not only is it predicated on violence against the individual, institutions and “others”, as so many video games are but also species-specific genocide and general mass extinction of fauna and flora. It is easy to understand how this gaming specific trope came about. Early MMOs often had very little or no narrative driven quests and players simply levelled their characters by gaining XP from any sort of combat. Be that against other players, mobs or general in-game wildlife. What is far more perplexing is why such an arbitrary mechanic still persists in the modern MMO. Is it simply due to “laziness” and the fact that it’s easy to implement and rely upon? Or is there more to it than that?

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, MMO Tropes, Kill Ten Rats, Fetch Quests

LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 30.3 and Legendary Item Conversion

September 30, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Bullroarer Update 30.3 - Beta 3 is currently live on The Lord of the Rings Online test server. This latest build focuses on Brawler Class and New Legendary Item System. As a player whose primary character (a level cap Lore-master) has two Legendary Items that are currently “maxed out”, I have been very interested in the revisions that developer’s Standing Stone Games have been working on. However, having logged into the test server last night and tried the new system, I now have reservations regarding the current build and concerns regarding several issues associated with converting an existing LI to a new one. I will try to keep my thoughts on the matter as clear and as simple as possible because despite changes, the new LI system is still very arcane. The average LOTRO player who struggles with the intricacies of the current game mechanics may possibly find the revised process just as complex.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, Bullroarer Update 30.3, Legendary Item Conversion

LOTRO: Following an Established Formula or Demonstrating a Lack of Vision?

September 28, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Standing Stone Games have announced that Fate of Gundabad, the next expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, will launch on November 10th. Pre-orders are now available and like the last three expansions, the latest will be available in three different versions. A Standard Edition which retails for £30. A Collector’s Edition with some additional items priced at £60. And then there’s the so-called Ultimate Fan Bundle which is loaded with trinkets and baubles. This costs £100. Whether the more costly versions offer anything tangible and of “value” is obviously subjective and is already up for debate. However, there are no real surprises here. This pricing model has been established since August 2017 and the release of Mordor. And the game content is similarly formulaic.

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categories / Gaming, LOTRO, MMORPG, Fate of Gundabad, More of the Same, Expansion

Star Trek Online: Playing the Story Arcs in Order

September 18, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Over the course of its eleven year lifespan, Star Trek Online has evolved from a rushed, incomplete MMO to a far more coherent product. Cryptic have done much over the years to revise the game and make it a more linear experience. However, these changes have not been without consequence. One of which is that the central storylines are now somewhat confused. This is because several missions have been removed from the game and several story arcs have been consolidated. Cryptic have stated that some of these missing missions will be remastered and returned at some point, although as time passes, this becomes less likely. Others which served as wrappers to story arcs have been replaced by alternative content produced in later revisions. The net result is that new players may find the various stories somewhat difficult to follow due to gaps in the plot or content being offered in the wrong order. That is not a good thing for a game founded on an intellectual property driven by complex, interconnected stories and themes.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, Star Trek Online, Playing Story in Order

Star Trek Online: Bugs

September 15, 2021 / Roger Edwards

“Captain's log, Stardate 5630.8. Today I fell out of my ship.”

All video games have bugs of some sort. It is impossible to release such complicated products without some technical issues getting past “quality assurance”. With regard to contemporary triple A releases, pre-sales and unmovable release dates means that games often launch in a quasi-finished state and are therefore marred by major problems. Hence we frequently see substantial “day one patches”. But such is the nature of the video games industry. Bugs, glitches and flaws are part of the landscape and we as gamers live in hope that they’ll get fixed over a titles lifecycle. Except they are often not. Take The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for example. It has been released on multiple platforms since its release in 2011 and yet the same bugs still persist in every iteration. And it’s no different in the MMORPG genre. If you want further evidence of this, look no further than Star Trek Online.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, Star Trek Online, Cryptic, Bugs, Temporal Recruit

LOTRO: Brawler Class Preview

September 09, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Standing Stone Games are currently previewing the new Brawler class and major revisions to the Legendary Items system on the Bullroarer test server. So I decided to take a look today. As ever, they have made it very clear that both of these are very early builds and therefore subject to change. In fact some elements of this “first look” have not even been fully integrated into the game. For example, the quest arc prior to entry to Moria is still linked to the existing Legendary Item system and as of yet has no suitable rewards for the Brawler class. Players using the test server need to visit the Eyes and Guard tavern in Archet to obtain a suitable LI. It is also the same for Brawler related gear. Most quest lines do not at present provide suitable gear for this new class. Also many icons and tooltips associated with both Brawlers and LIs are temporary placeholders or recycle existing content.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, Standing Stone Games, Bullroarer, Brawler Class Preview, Legendary Items Revisions

LOTRO: We’ll Always Have the Books

August 28, 2021 / Roger Edwards

I was cautiously optimistic when EG7 acquired Daybreak Game Company in December 2020. I found the various communications by CEO Robin Flodin to be quite encouraging. I got the impression that EG7 were facilitators and planned to provide the resources that developers such as Standing Stone Games required to move their portfolio of games forward. For the first time in ages, I felt that there was a positive future for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. The arrival of a new Producer, Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia), certainly appeared to address the community communications vacuum that has existed for several years. However, it would appear that Robin Flodin has been removed as CEO. Apparently he had a poor interview recently with Dagen Industri in which he had “difficulty answering questions about the difference between total revenues and net sales during the quarter”. This followed an interim business report that was not well received with the market and led to a drop in share prices by 25%. Hence he was removed by the EG7 board.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, EG7, Robin Flodin

Star Trek Online: The Agony of Choice

August 27, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Today I finally earned the requisite amount of campaign progress to be eligible for a free ship in the MMORPG Star Trek Online. It’s taken eight months or so to achieve this and I’ve played doggedly through the Voth Advance, Tholian Trouble and the Defense of Pahvo, multiple times to gain the maximum 3,500 campaign progress. Despite having plenty of time to decide which of the multiple reward options I would take, when actually confronted with a choice, I found it quite difficult to do so. Because there are a LOT of ships available in this game. So many in fact that making a choice becomes problematic. You find yourself not wanting to make a mistake so you end up down the rabbit hole of “researching ships”. Naturally, there are no definitive best ships in the game, although there are many that favour specific play styles and have certain benefits. Opinions vary and so you quickly find yourself just confused, cautious and even a little annoyed at being “ put in such a position”.

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categories / MMORPG, Gaming, Star Trek Online, Event Campaign Reward, The Agony of Choice, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Star Trek Online: Max Level Boost

August 24, 2021 / Roger Edwards

In January this year, Star Trek Online ran the Klingon Recruitment Event to celebrate the streamlining and revision of all KDF content in the MMO. I created a Klingon Engineer and over the following weeks progressed to level cap. Let it suffice to say that the Klingon story arc is now greatly improved and has the sense of grandeur and melodrama that one expects. I then decided to buy the Legendary Klingon Defense Force Captain Bundle, mainly because I wanted a Tier 6 D7 Battlecruiser. I had tried to get by with an upgraded Tier 5 fleet version of this iconic ship but it was somewhat underpowered. So I purchased the bundle, unlocked the ship and went about the business of equipping it with the best gear I had at my disposal. The bundle also came with a Max Level Boost but as my existing Klingon character was already at level cap, I left this item unclaimed.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, Star Trek Online, Max Level Boost, KDF, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

The LOTROCommunity Forums to Close

August 21, 2021 / Roger Edwards

One 1st June 2011, Turbine officially took back control of the European service of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Prior to this it was operated by Codemasters Online Gaming. There were several unique distinctions between the two services. Codemasters were far more proactive in running community events and they also maintained a totally separate set of forums, catering to their European customers. When LOTRO was consolidated in the US under the auspices of Turbine, the European forums faced closure and the loss of all the valuable game related data that they held. However, a private, fan maintained forum was quickly established by MueR and the old Codemaster data was archived. Over the next ten years the LOTROCommunity, as it was known, grew in membership and overtime found itself to be an independent alternative to the official LOTRO forums run by Turbine and later Standing Stone Games.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, LOTROCommunity Forums, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Guild Wars 2: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

August 18, 2021 / Roger Edwards

When Guild Wars 2 launched in the summer of 2012, I was very enthusiastic about the game on the Contains Moderate Peril podcast. I had participated in the beta and was impressed by many of the game's mechanics and its overall accessibility. Although I did not expect the game to be the focal point of my gaming activities, I (and many others I suspect) felt that this casual MMO had a lot to offer and would become a firm favourite. And that was pretty much the case up until 2015 when the first expansion, Heat of Thorns, was released. I have written in the past about how this new content changed the nature of Guild Wars 2 and contradicted its existing laissez-faire approach to solo game play. I didn’t want content gated behind skills I didn’t enjoy earning, Nor did I want my access to zones subject to player unlocks and thus making my gaming activities dependent on others. Hence I parted company with the MMO and have not returned.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, Guild Wars 2, End of Dragons, Twice Shy, Once Bitten, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

LOTRO: Wildwood, Deeds and Virtues

August 16, 2021 / Roger Edwards

I recently logged into the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online with the intention of completing Update 30: Blood of Azog. I got as far as some of the wrapper quests which set up the main story and then I lost interest when I reflected upon the content ahead. I tire of some of the excessively dour regions one has to play through in LOTRO, although I realise they are fully lore appropriate. LOTRO is also one of those games where I frequently struggle to see what is going on if there is low lighting. In such instances I have to tinker with the video settings to try and improve things. So with all this in mind, I decided instead of participating in the Battle of Azanulbizar, I would go and visit the Wildwood region in Bree-land which was added to the game in April. Now you may ask why take a level cap Lore-master to a zone that has content at level 45? Well the answer is simple. There are deeds to be completed.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO, Wildwood, Deeds, Virtue Traits, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Star Trek Online: Then and Now

August 15, 2021 / Roger Edwards

I recently found my original post about the MMORPG Star Trek Online from February 2010. I pre-ordered the Steam Digital Deluxe Edition version of the game for £40 a month prior. I remember that I was very excited about the launch of this MMO and I wasn’t at the time au fait with its tumultuous development history. Myself and two friends started playing virtually immediately and I can remember struggling to find the game’s virtues. It was confusing, unfinished and unbalanced. My friends quickly got tired of the situation and returned to The Lord of the Rings Online. I stuck with STO for about a year before moving on. I briefly returned to the game in early 2013 but it was still unpolished. It wasn’t until the Delta Recruitment Event of 2015 that I found that the game had finally hit its stride. I’ve been playing regularly since then. Reading back over my original thoughts is quite a trip down memory lane.

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categories / Gaming, Star Trek Online, Cryptic, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Fall Guys: Is it Just Me?

August 14, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Before I began writing this post, I tried to do some research regarding odds, percentages and statistics associated with the game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. However, I soon discovered that this appears to be a contested field with conflicting data. Furthermore you have to navigate a lot of forum posts and subreddits which are filled with players bragging and talking shit. So I haven’t got any tangible data to present as such, yet I believe that my suppositions are as logical as they can be. Moving on, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, is a platform battle royale game developed by Mediatonic and published by Devolver Digital. It was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 on 4 August 2020. I began playing it a few days after launch and have continued to do so regularly over the last twelve months.

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categories / Gaming, Fall Guys, Is It Just Me, Not Winning, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Looks Matter

August 13, 2021 / Roger Edwards

You’re strutting around in your favourite MMORPG, dressed to the nines in your finest outfit. You recently acquired The Tabard of Marginal Statistical Improvement after finally beating that particularly difficult raid boss. As you stroll into the auction house with the confident air of someone who knows they’re looking damn good, you keep an eye on the chat window anticipating comments and praise from other players. You stop in front of an NPC and stand their basking in presumed public adulation and revelling in your own self satisfaction. Suddenly another player appears on the periphery of your monitor and catches your attention. Oh calamity, their avatar looks virtually identical to your. Same fez, monocle and handlebar moustache. They’re also wearing The Tabard of Marginal Statistical Improvement, except theirs is in electric pink. Oh the humiliation. Oh the humanity. Oh Vienna. You log off in tears, your ego crushed, a victim of a game with insufficient character customisation and diversity.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, RPG, Character Customisation, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Gamergate: Seven Years On

August 12, 2021 / Roger Edwards

Not so long ago, Gamergate was referenced in a chat channel on one of the Discord servers that I frequent. Contrary to what I was expecting, this passing remark sparked very little response. Due to the age of some of the people present, they had to Google Gamergate to determine what it was all about. Those who were more au fait with the entire debacle broadly expressed the following sentiments. Firstly, was it seven years ago already? Secondly, in light of the ongoing Blizzard Entertainment controversy, it doesn’t seem that much has changed either within the gaming industry or the wider gaming community. The angry backlash against progressivism in video games now just seems to be focused elsewhere in society. Overall Gamergate was just one facet of the ongoing culture wars. At present that battle is being fought over some other issues and in a different field. But it’s still out there.

3 Comments 4 Likes

categories / Editorial, Social Commentary, Video Games, Gaming, Gamergate, Seven Years On

Another Boat Missed

August 11, 2021 / Roger Edwards

It would appear that due to the ongoing woes of Blizzard Entertainment, that the world and his wife are migrating from MMORPG World of Warcraft and relocating to the alternative game, Final Fantasy XIV. Other games are feeling the benefits of this ongoing exodus but it seems that FFXIV is by far picking up the most new players. I certainly think that the fact that several high profile streamers moved from WoW to FFXIV has contributed to this trend and the resulting surge in social media postings about the game has had a further impact. Furthermore, judging from what I have read about FFXIV and been told by my peers, the game has a lot going for it. There’s a wealth of content, solid mechanics and a favourable environment for group gameplay. And yet despite all these positive attributes I have looked at FFXIV and decided that this game is not for me.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, Another Boat Missed, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

Yet More PC Peripherals or How I killed a Game Controller in Under a Year

August 03, 2021 / Roger Edwards

I bought a new game controller for my PC last September. Specifically a PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller for £35. I chose this model as it has good reviews and is deemed a good alternative to the exorbitantly priced official Microsoft equivalent. I chose a wired controller to further keep the cost down. I mainly use a keyboard and mouse for PC gaming but specifically use a game controller for driving vehicles or for titles with simpler game mechanics like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Much to my surprise after less than a year this game controller has developed a problematic left thumbstick. It doesn’t register direct forward movement which is a major impediment. I have recalibrated the entire controller via Devices and Printers in Windows 10 but the problem persists indicating a physical fault with the controller.

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categories / Gaming, PC Peripherals, Game Controller, Xbox Controller, Technology, Yet More PC Peripherals, More PC Peripherals, Blaugust 2021, Blaugust

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