Question/Comment on HD Epic Quest Line

[medwulf]

So I'm enjoying the expansion although it kinda feels like more of a continuation of RoR just with the trait trees being the exception. The Epic line is done well, however I have one observation about the ending:

*******SPOILER ALERT*******












The Big Battles are integrated nicely into the epic, and placing a quest or two between Big Battles works well. I'm just wondering was there any way to include our characters in or have them witness the Rohirrim ride out from the Hornburg led by Theoden and Aragorn as Gandalf and Erkenbrand arrive with reinforcements? I understand that this is Aragorn's moment moreso than Theoden's, and it's not really our moment, however we finish the Hornburg BB, and then simply 'hear' about the aftermath, and meet the Heroes on the field of victory, it feels a little anti-climactic for something that should have a big payoff. Even a quick 'movie scene' with a voice-over like this game used have would have sufficed.

Any other opinions on this?

[Daniangi1]

I came to the forums especially because of that and found your topic through Search. I'm surprised no one replied to it, as it also bothered me a little.

The epic really manages to get you into the hype of the battle and then comes that moment where the King's minstrel tells you they're making their last stand in the halls and we should join them. I grabbed the banner extremely excited, knowing that the BBs were over however there could be a really epic scene or instance quest for that moment (Didn't want to take part on it - just at least be able to watch) and then...

POOF! Someone shows up telling me we've won and all that.

Woah, I really felt like I missed something. In fact, I still think that I do missed something, but there's no quest or nothing anywhere... So, yeah, It's a little shallow/rushed in the end

[Tupal]

I was wondering the same thing. One minute everything is dire and the world is about to end when you're completing the Big Battles by yourself as part of the Epic Line, the next you're told to go speak to Gleowine and you're told "Hooray we won! Go speak to Theoden on the now empty battlefield." What the hell happened in between? I know the answer is in the books, and the movie to a lesser degree, but it's pretty weak story telling in the Epic Line quest to just skip it. Was it just too resource intensive to recreate the Rohirim's ride out into the battlefield with the player in it? I know you get to see a small glimpse of it when you do the Hama session play quest but I felt a bit cheated that we couldn't see it full scale.

[OldMadeOfLions]

Even a quick 'movie scene' with a voice-over like this game used have would have sufficed.

We've got something in the pipeline, it's just not quite ready yet.

MoL

[Tupal]

We've got something in the pipeline, it's just not quite ready yet.

MoL

Little late now don't you think? I don't know why you guys didn't end the Epic quest line after the Battle of Hornburg in anticipation for the release of that portion.

[Norwrei]

We've got something in the pipeline, it's just not quite ready yet.

MoL

Hi MOL, can you please tell me what happened to the deed you get for finishing the epics on this expansion. It also comes with a title and a summons to the kin for a session play.. "let's take the hornburg". I was hoping to see it since it was in Beta but it is not there on live. Is this a bug, oversight or what exactly? Thank you.

[Kerin_Eldar]

Little late now don't you think? I don't know why you guys didn't end the Epic quest line after the Battle of Hornburg in anticipation for the release of that portion.

"Not quite ready yet" has been Turbine's modus operandii for years, like MOM when the clusters were "not quite ready yet", or SOM, or ROI, or ...

[medwulf]

On another note, whatever happened to The Riders Four? Did I miss or forget about something?

[ParrotGuy]

On another note, whatever happened to The Riders Four? Did I miss or forget about something?

yeah, and there are also a lot of quest characters from ROR that i thought we will see in the westment- there is this daughter of a rich man in cliving who ran away with a farmer to edoras that we promised to meet when we reach edoras, the riders four don't seem to be there and i think there is more.

[Witch0King]

I got some points to make on my own, if you're afraid of spoilers you shouldn't read.
First of: A really good story with really epic battles. A really refreshing book after so much of running between Nona and Horn. This was a really defining book in the epic stories of LOTRO.

Comments/Feedback
First of when I met Lheu Brenin in the Glittering Caves I was surprised. I didn't expect to see him so soon. That Gimli was there at the time was pretty cool. However, he was too easy to defeat. Ok, he knocked out Gimli with one blow, thats part of the story, but me? he kept hitting me for 99 common damage to morale aka nothing. I beat him quite easily, maybe thats the point, but I hoped he would put up a much greater fight.

As was noted above, the epics really just ends like that. suddenly Theoden and Aragorn has just finished it. It just ended, that bit seemed rushed. What I missed the most was the epic video that always come at the end, I really hope you add that soon.

I'm also left with questions:
Corudan, where is he? didn't he return before the battle? I forgot about him when I was trying to figure out how to beat the Deeping Wall.
2nd: Nona and Horn was chasing Lheu Brenin I belive when they parted, yet where are they?

I realise that these will be answered in time, but just incase I've missed something, please tell.

I'd like to note as others that the riders four were missing and that the super strong red haired guy from Wildermore wasn't there either which I expected him to be. If Theoden summoned all his soldiers to Helms Deep why didn't any of the earlier thanes we've met be there? I realise it was a big battle, but even so, people you know tend to stick out of a crowd.

[BangoTwinkletoes]

I got some points to make on my own, if you're afraid of spoilers you shouldn't read.
First of: A really good story with really epic battles. A really refreshing book after so much of running between Nona and Horn. This was a really defining book in the epic stories of LOTRO.

Comments/Feedback
First of when I met Lheu Brenin in the Glittering Caves I was surprised. I didn't expect to see him so soon. That Gimli was there at the time was pretty cool. However, he was too easy to defeat. Ok, he knocked out Gimli with one blow, thats part of the story, but me? he kept hitting me for 99 common damage to morale aka nothing. I beat him quite easily, maybe thats the point, but I hoped he would put up a much greater fight.

As was noted above, the epics really just ends like that. suddenly Theoden and Aragorn has just finished it. It just ended, that bit seemed rushed. What I missed the most was the epic video that always come at the end, I really hope you add that soon.

I'm also left with questions:
Corudan, where is he? didn't he return before the battle? I forgot about him when I was trying to figure out how to beat the Deeping Wall.
2nd: Nona and Horn was chasing Lheu Brenin I belive when they parted, yet where are they?

I realise that these will be answered in time, but just incase I've missed something, please tell.

I'd like to note as others that the riders four were missing and that the super strong red haired guy from Wildermore wasn't there either which I expected him to be. If Theoden summoned all his soldiers to Helms Deep why didn't any of the earlier thanes we've met be there? I realise it was a big battle, but even so, people you know tend to stick out of a crowd.

- Re Theoden summoning his Theigns to Helms Deep. In the book The Two Towers he doesn't. He rides from Edoras with Aragorn etc, his housecarls & other men to the fords of Isen but has to fall back to the Hornburg on news that Erkenbrand's men were scattered. So in many respects not having all the characters from ROR at HD was along the right lines.

- Nona & Horn. I kind of missed the text that explained where they went to. As for Lheu Brenin he was indeed very easy. Should have put paid to him back in book 8

- I have missed the four riders. Let's hope we get a comeback from them soon!

[gelleg]

I have to agree the ending was horribly rushed. I also felt that the lou brennin fight was horribly paced and so awkward that it ruined what should have been an epic beatdown moment. Can't we just fight must he stop and reset with less health like 8 times just to freakin monolog and move around. I also didn't care for book 12 at all. What happened to the traitor I was chasing. It was like the whole thing was just dropped all of a sudden.

[TKH]

I have to agree the ending was horribly rushed. I also felt that the lou brennin fight was horribly paced and so awkward that it ruined what should have been an epic beatdown moment. Can't we just fight must he stop and reset with less health like 8 times just to freakin monolog and move around. I also didn't care for book 12 at all. What happened to the traitor I was chasing. It was like the whole thing was just dropped all of a sudden.

^The traitor's identify will later be discovered if you return to Broadcare after finishing a certain chapter in Stonedean. Not a very nice move, I think so, because it made the epic books suddenly becomes less smooth due to its deep integration with epic quest.

For that Falcon guy, I wish I would meet him during big battle in glittering cave, where I can fight him as the last boss of the battle.

[ParrotGuy]

I have to agree the ending was horribly rushed. I also felt that the lou brennin fight was horribly paced and so awkward that it ruined what should have been an epic beatdown moment. Can't we just fight must he stop and reset with less health like 8 times just to freakin monolog and move around. I also didn't care for book 12 at all. What happened to the traitor I was chasing. It was like the whole thing was just dropped all of a sudden.

yeah, i agree. we should have beat the brennin along with golodir and halbarad in a later chapter, in a more epic fight. also, i really wanted to riders four to appear.

[JuanD]

^The traitor's identify will later be discovered if you return to Broadcare after finishing a certain chapter in Stonedean. Not a very nice move, I think so, because it made the epic books suddenly becomes less smooth due to its deep integration with epic quest.

SPOILER


Are you talking about the Reeve of Oserley (the one that poisoned Frithild)? Maybe I'm a little nitpicky but he doesn't look like the guy who recieved us at the entrance of Stoke (yeah I know he looks like the average Rohirrim, but even their hair colours don't match). Maybe I didn't read carefully and the sigil you get from the half orcs is the same you find at the entrance of Stoke. Or maybe these 2 guys being the same it's just a wild guess?.

I was expecting to discover him later in the epic (just started book 13), not a regional quest. It's good having those 2 closely linked as they're part of the same story, but the resolution of a problem from an epic book shouldn't be found in a regional quest imo. Can we get an official confirmation from MoL or another dev please?

[OldMadeOfLions]

Can we get an official confirmation from MoL or another dev please?

Yeah, it's not the same guy. Grima had several allies, but the one that you chase specifically from Edoras is not one of the ones you catch up with.

MoL

[ParrotGuy]

Yeah, it's not the same guy. Grima had several allies, but the one that you chase specifically from Edoras is not one of the ones you catch up with.

MoL

so, we will still meet this guy in a later epic chapter? interesting. there are so many things to wait for in the epic chapters- the fall of isengard, the catching of the traitor, meeting the grey company again.
also, MOL, if your'e reading this. please let us meet saerdan and lothrandir, the only grey company members that are still alive but not with the company.
if i remember right, seardan told radanir to go back to the company after they collecter the fallen ranger's bodies and seardan has gone north.
lothrandir is still in isengard. also, there is calenglad (the one from evendim) and his friend that searched for the huntsman.
i hope they will go back to the company too.

[JuanD]

Thanks for the quick answer MoL

Glad to know we still haven't find him. Next update with Allies of the King conclussion is already looking great!

[Widoch]

It's quite challenging in my mind to keep all these random story lines straight because there's so much time between the epic quest releases.

Can't we just fight must he stop and reset with less health like 8 times just to freakin monolog and move around.

I thought that was a bug and I bugged it. Was really confusing and ruined the fight. Personally I don't know why we didn't take him down several chapters ago, his sudden appearance in the caves makes no sense at all. He should have been part of the main force and we stumble upon him somewhere in the landscape and have a serious knock down-drag out fight with him and his cronies. His little pew pew act in the caves was just forced and awkward.

On my next toon, I'm going to try and figure out what the heck is going on with all these story lines in HD because when I as doing them on my hunter the first time through, I got so confused by going back and forth, having to finish certain epic quests to come back and do landscape quests, getting auto bestowed quests out of order, and generally just giving up on the story and not caring anymore beyond just finishing the quests for the rep. Other than helping with the Battle of Helm's Deep, I'm not exactly sure what I managed to accomplish in the new area.

[Witch0King]

- Re Theoden summoning his Theigns to Helms Deep. In the book The Two Towers he doesn't. He rides from Edoras with Aragorn etc, his housecarls & other men to the fords of Isen but has to fall back to the Hornburg on news that Erkenbrand's men were scattered. So in many respects not having all the characters from ROR at HD was along the right lines.

- Nona & Horn. I kind of missed the text that explained where they went to. As for Lheu Brenin he was indeed very easy. Should have put paid to him back in book 8

- I have missed the four riders. Let's hope we get a comeback from them soon!

Ah, I see. I should have realised the messages weren't brought across. However I wonder..what was Fastred doing in the Battle of the Hornburg? Was he still cut off by the uruks or are they all just let down due to the thane-massacre?

Nona & Horn were chasing Lheu Brenin I think however they werent anywhere close to him and nobody seem to be able to verify whether Corudan (elf) was present at the Hornburg or not. The four riders were never a big deal to me personally, but I'd imagine them and the guy from Wildermore to be there.

Questions to MoL:
Will the update/patch in December bring more epics or must we wait until next year?
Will a cutscene be added to the end of the epics like in all the previous epics?