First, I re-read my posts this morning and you're right, I could have said things much better. But I did not call anyone any names and by saying I didn't want the game dumb'd down any further does not imply that any one is dumb. You assume I haven't read because I don't agree with you. I don't agree with you, that doesn't make you dumb or petulant fool. However I'm arrogant, so shoot me. I never personally attacked anyone at all yet you have attacked me an my character which is something that you said brings out the worst in you. Be careful about calling out the devils lest you find one within yourself.
So for the topic.
The virtue system is a base game design of LOTRO. As you are aware it is easier to scrap a design before it is implemented than to than it to rewrite it. LOTRO is further laden with the class based design system. It may safely be assumed that most players are more comfortable with some type of guidance system set into the game from the moment they decide to play the game; the class based systems offer that reassurance. It may be assumed that when players state they play MMOGs they are doing so for the social aspect as much as the gaming aspect but what they really mean is that they only want the social aspect of the game to be that which they tolerate in their personal daily lives, hence the problem of a class system based game design. It is a well know fact that humans are most comfortable with others who exhibit and share common characteristics and interests. It might be safe to assume that if a player first desire is to make a certain class of character then the players in the game that he/she will be most comfortable with have chosen that same type of class lines also. Yet a class system game design is to promote groupings because not one character can be all classes or customize their class to have a greater variability so as to be playable across classes. Turbine is fixing LOTRO and that is something that nobody in this thread seems to noted. This is what I take exception to. Give suggestions and possible starting points. Also realize that if you are mentioning other games you think do something better then why aren't you playing the other game? 'You' as being informal meaning no particular person at all.
The Virtue Trait system was the only way we players could customize our chars. It wasn't enough and the grind was much more pronounced than it is now. There was no store and no way to shorten it. Many complained because they thought it was the grind but it was actually the only minor and limited way they could customize their play style. Turbine understood that and so with the Mines of Moria came the Legendary System. It is an excellent system that builds on the character class system allowing a refinement to the class. Next up came the Trait Tree system, a nice way to add a refining mechanism to the Virtue System. Players are no longer forced to adapt their playing styles and goals to the system but the system is becoming more responsive to player's customization. That was a big hit with a lot of players so it certainly seemed it would be ok to introduce everyone to a 3rd Legendary Item that would also combine on top of what they had learned about the trait trees. When I listen to world chat I understand that this doesn't work for every player. I know it certainly moved me outside of my comfort zone until I felt I had mastered it as much as I was ever going to be able to. My main complaint is that what I spent to slot the appropriate relics into the bridle did not reflect on my character in any other aspect of game play except mounted combat. In my own opinion, that is too much to ask of a player even if the player is a completionist. The other failed system was the profession guilds in an already overly complicated crafting system. As is the chat system that has how many different channels which are hardly, if ever, used. But l get ahead of myself here let me continue with the evolution of LOTRO.
Now the Game is growing up and getting interesting.
From 0-99, except for some roleplayers, is the tutorial to today's game. This NEW LOTRO is all about customizing your character through the Legendary System.
The Imbuement System of Legendary Items is something I personally have been wanting from day one with day one being while I was still in AC1 before Turbine and VU set their eyes on tLotR. I always want to choose a weapon and build it to suit me and then have it grow with me. But it is extraordinarily expensive the way it is set up now. It forces players to dedicate time to repetitive actions in nearly every facet of the game and it needs to be refined. More about this later.
The Slotted Armour System is the Virtue System on steroids. It also needs refining.
Sooner or later Turbine/Warner Brothers are going to have to realize that they are asking too much of the majority of players to fully entertain this stage of the game. It takes too much time, effort or money to get a an imbued weapon that is good for one one aspect and the same is true of Armour.
There is no logical reason that a person should have to pay, in either hard currency or in game currencies, for a scroll that is going to release the relics and essences from their Legendary items. Those are our virtual items and we worked our virtual butts off to get them. Ideally, one type of legendary weapon, one legendary item, and one set of armour should be all there is now. The relics and the essences should be as easily to change out as it is for us to change our Trait Trees. There should be a place to store each set and I would suggest the packs where the chars now store consumables and loot, etc. Turbine did a great job allowing us to customize our bags but they could take that one step further by tyeing in certain bags to certain Trait Trees. That way, when we switch our trait tree our 'tied-to-gear' automatically switches.
I currently have a friend in game who is a hard-line gamer with limited financial freedom at the moment. It is safe to assume that this is the case with most people. This particular player has decided to work only with the game mechanics to build legendary items/gear. This player has multiple cap'd chars that are kept raid ready. Typical raider personality. For the past 3 weeks I have been witness to this players growing frustration of repetitive road work which the player feels is mandatory unless actually currency is finally broached. The player is approaching what I recognize as burn-out from my years in hospital settings.
Dear Turbine/Warner Brothers LOTRO Team,
The following are some possible opening suggestions for some of the current frustrations players are experiencing in the game:
- It is time to reassess the Legendary Relic System. Once an item is Imbued:
- Players should be able to tie specific relics to a Trait Tree
- The Scrolls for Relic Removal must not be required once the LI has been Imbued.
- Make this an option? Perhaps a quest chain that will lead to the reward such as merchant discount? Make it a one time buy item like the mount skill for all the account?
- Charge for change out with in game currency but don't get ridiculously greedy about charging more a couple hundred silver. You could always count the changes into the repair system you know?
- I like to think I understand the allure of the Essence System but really? What good is an Essence in an armour to a soloist if they go into a raid? If it makes no or little difference then why even have them? If they do make a difference then why limit us from using them simply because of our reluctance to do hours and hours of the same ol' stuff or to open our pocket books?
- Working for essences is fine but it must be understood that they are our property by the virtue of our cash, hours, or repetitive tasking. Get rid of the that scroll removal. It has to go.
- Allow us to tie our essences to our Trait Trees for quick change out.
- If you want to charge us 1 TP, or 1 Whatever the Mode-du-Coin is, or100 silver for those changes, it is more reasonable than stealing our labor and setting us back to beginner level 100-> NO!
- Make it so that if essences are tied to a specific Trait Tree then the Visual color of the Armour changes to correspond with the attributes. Example: A Red/Yellow Trait Tree would be Orange. The color wheel sort of thing.
- Let us imbue our armour and then allow us to customize it a bit by being able to select from a few chosen looks everytime where have upgraded it by 10 levels.
- Let us earn extra slots and armour or stat and armour/stats as we move through the game.
- Give the players who have no interest in achieving cap'd status a similar way to achieving their goals. You've been doing pretty good so far, Turbine.
- Review and revive the Chat system please. Too many channels and while I understand that this is not a problem with servers it appears to make the game look less populated.
For us players:
We must realize that we are not going to change the game by complaining. We can ruin participation for a large majority of people who will leave the game and the forums by excessive complaining. If you can't think of a solution other than 'In this game I use to play they did it so much better" then just don't bother. Turbine employees play LOTRO, AC1, maybe AC2, DDO, WoW, and nearly every game out there. (I've always wondered how many play Might & Magic). If you offer a suggestion that will give the developers and team members somewhere to stop rather than a ghost hunt.
Raiders are a small percentage of players. If you are a raider you are probably not a business owner with a young family. You are more likely to be a teenager with excess time because you didn't go out for sports, theater, band or an after-school job. You might also be a college student inbetween finals and no boy/girl friend, and who doesn't have to work full time in order to put themselves through college. It is possible that you could be a middle-age person who is disabled or even an retired person. Raiding requires quite a bit of preparation. What raiders are actually complaining about is that they work to raid in the game and there is then not a chain of ongoing raids. Why would there be considering what must be done and the costliness of raiding and making a raid.
Turbine, Thank you for beginning to fix the crafting. The next legendary/essence systems combined with the crafting guild was bothersome. If you would further refine it so that we may have any crafter gather whatever resources are available provided we have a universal tool to gather, then I would be extraordinarily grateful.
I don't see how more clearly LOTRO can be Charted. It goes from point to point to point with every branch being brought back to the point which is the Book quests. The only way a player can lose their way is if they don't ever do the book quests.
Sorry for all the typos and mistakes in grammar. It is difficult to type with a thought in mind with a cat who insists on sleeping on part of the keyboard and a Shiba Inu who remembers you promised to play freesbie after a walk.