Solo until level cap and then grouping?

[elderlygamer]

Assuming everyone has the same gaming skills, it feasible to solo until level cap and then start grouping? Are the group mechanics simple enough that it's possible to do this, or is it strongly recommended to start grouping at an earlier level?

Do the answers to those questions depend on which class someone is playing?

[Neinda]

It really depends on the kin you join and the people you are around. There are many nice kins out there who will help you get the gear and things you need to be ready to join group content. They will also help you learn the mechanics and where your class fits in the mix. Just talk to people and find the right group that fits your playstyle. Also, don't get discouraged if you run into one of the kins/raid groups that are very specific as to what they are looking for in terms of group content participants. You will find the right group. There is very little opportunity for group content below cap unless you find a group while leveling.

[Bothketbog]

Assuming everyone has the same gaming skills, it feasible to solo until level cap and then start grouping? Are the group mechanics simple enough that it's possible to do this, or is it strongly recommended to start grouping at an earlier level?

Do the answers to those questions depend on which class someone is playing?

Absolutely feasible. The things you should know about grouping:

1) Don't stand in the fire.
2) Follow the tank.
2a) Ranged/casters die first.
3) Come prepared (consumables, gear, etc.)
4) Know your role.
5) Listen to the group/raid leader.

[istvana]

Grouping is entirely optional. Not only can you easily get to maximum level solo - you can do it *faster* solo than grouped under most circumstances. Groups are for fun and in many cases better gear but solo tends to be better xp per minute at least once you know how LOTRO works well enough. The better gear is not needed for solo play - quest rewards and crafted gear are more than sufficient. In other words - solo play to maximum level is easy.

[Arnenna]

Assuming everyone has the same gaming skills, it feasible to solo until level cap and then start grouping? Are the group mechanics simple enough that it's possible to do this, or is it strongly recommended to start grouping at an earlier level?

Do the answers to those questions depend on which class someone is playing?

It is feasible to solo and be ready for grouping as long as you are willing to challenge yourself a little in the process. Put yourself in positions where you need to crowd control, use pots, move out of AoE affects etc. Try to use your full arsenal of skills while soloing, to learn what they do and when to use them. A recent addition to the game - Delvings, run at higher tiers is a good way to create this challenge for yourself.

When you reach cap, be sure to be in a good, and patient kinship that can help you to understand instance mechanics etc.

[Elmagor]

IMHO you can skip instances without much pugs, but you can do some grouping in Moria to get more LP/VXP, and after that with Draigoch/Orthanc. After that, Anvil and Remmorchant in 120-130. All of that instances where most of players know tactic, complete them fairly fast and don't bother with your skill

[Gorikon]

Do the answers to those questions depend on which class someone is playing?

I'm a bit puzzled no one really answered this specific question.

There are classes that are perceived as Damage Dealers. E.g. Hunters, Champions, Rune Keepers are good at killing stuff, and when playing instances, they're expected to do exactly this. Your playstyle won't change that much.

There are other classes which are expected to do a different job when playing instances. Minstrels are expected to heal, Guardians are expected to tank (draw attention of all enemies), Lore-Masters are expected to debuff (weaken), and so on. These specific playstyles are drastically different to the "kill all the mobs" style. (All these classes can dish out some damage too, but not as much as the "main" DD's.)

So at least you need to know what the "expected" role of your class is, before you start group play.

[Elmagor]

Also some classes have hybrid role in instances (RK can heal or dps, LM can support of dps, captain can tank or support, bear can heal or dps). So if you have 2 RK in raid, one of them must dps. You need different aspects of your class to be comfortable in any role

[istvana]

I think we did answer the question - any class can solo to maximum level. Soloing is best done using a dps tree - healing a mob to death takes a long time <chuckles< and there is no need to sacrifice dps for tank abilities if playing solo.

Some classes solo faster than others - captain is currently the slowest - but even a captain can do it with no particular difficulty - it will just take more time than e.g. a hunter.

[elderlygamer]

Thanks everyone for the great comments. I used to group a lot back when the level cap was 50 to 60, but that was aaaages ago, and only one one character for pve and mainly one character on creep side. The game is much more soloable now than it used to be, hence my questions. I appreciate your responses and advice. They were very helpful.

There is very little opportunity for group content below cap unless you find a group while leveling.

I thought there were instances that scale characters to a specific level? Do people not do those instances?

[Plidak]

Reading the coments makes my soul BLEED.
In this game you learn 90% of the content by itself.
You can ask for advice ofc but you will more likely get as those you get in this thread. Aka ignore them.
Want to be dps? Go hunter. Cham is good but meles are second choice in every gpr. And even ignored in activities like Naru.
Keep in mind that inc u35 instances are all but mele friendly, so expect the same there.
Dont believe words and ""pro"" players. If you want a guide, look on youtube.
You can also ignore the meta and play the class you like. This will sad you some when ppl ignore you in LFF but Lotro is a elitists paradise game, so expect lots of ignores until you get close to bis gear. Teal from delvings is a fine start.
Hop in the meat grinder and with time you will learn.
Or not ....
Have fun

[Bothketbog]

Thanks everyone for the great comments. I used to group a lot back when the level cap was 50 to 60, but that was aaaages ago, and only one one character for pve and mainly one character on creep side. The game is much more soloable now than it used to be, hence my questions. I appreciate your responses and advice. They were very helpful.



I thought there were instances that scale characters to a specific level? Do people not do those instances?

No need to apologize for not knowing all the changes made in the past 10-12 years. Solo play is much easier now, and I think the devs discovered that trying to force people to group up was not a good idea. Some instances scale, others do not. Check the Instance Finder.

[Vilan]

I thought there were instances that scale characters to a specific level? Do people not do those instances?

Big Battles are instances that scale everyone to level 100. These are now old content and don't get used much other than the odd Pelargir run.

That said, you shouldn't be overly handicapped at endgame by this lack of experience. Instances come in different tiers now, from 1 to 5. Tier 1 is quite straight forward, just about any group of players should be able to cruise to victory. Higher tiers give better rewards, but the bad guys get stronger and gain extra skills, and you will need better gear and a good understanding of what skills to use when. You can adjust the difficulty to what you can handle and bump it up as you get better.

[maartena]

For starters, every class can be soloed to level 140 without too much issue. Some level slower than others, but the landscape quests are meant to be solo and you can get to 140 without trouble.

Typically, I solo all the way up to 140 and then start grouping, BUT there are certainly exceptions. If I am around level 20 or so, and I see a group calling out for level 20-ish to run the barrows, there is a pretty good chance I will join. Same if I am a level 55+ in Moria, or a level 75-ish in Dunland. Some of the fixed level raids and instances are fun to do on-level.

So in a nutshell, it is up to you and what you prefer. If you are a NEW player, I would recommend joining some groups along the way just to get a feel of how it works..... if you are a SEASONED player, it's up to you. I started playing when the level cap changed to 65 and the game went F2P, and have played group content at every level cap since, as well as being on some of the legendary servers for a time to experience fellowships on-level again...... so if you know how fellowships work, do whatever you want to do. If you are new to grouping, I would take on a few groups if you can just to experience it.

[WorrBinpike]

I think on Levelcap you can almost do all Instances in T1 without TS/Discord. New instances on T1 are pretty easy and dont need you to know mechanics. Old instances like Remmo or Abyss of Mordath there is so much damage that you also dont need tactics. Exception for old instances like Orthanc with challenge mode, there you need to know what to do, at least at saruman where youeven need a minimum of 6 people.

The game changes a bit if you want to do T2 or further, i then expect people to know yo mechanics to be successfull.

[Marancil]

Assuming everyone has the same gaming skills,?

Thats a big error right there. I never done much Raid's so experienced raiders will probably laugh at my gear and my lack of knowledge about raids. So that ship sailed, and I really don't care a lot about it.

[elderlygamer]

Thanks for a lot of very helpful comments! It's good to know people can solo until cap and still be able to find groups for some instaces.

Thats a big error right there. I never done much Raid's so experienced raiders will probably laugh at my gear and my lack of knowledge about raids. So that ship sailed, and I really don't care a lot about it.

Not an error as I know not everyone has the same skillset with lotro or just about anything else in life. I mentioned assuming everyone had the same skills just to remove that as a variable.