Branick, Mysteri, and Pineleaf talk about some of the changes to The Lord of the Rings Online™ coming in Update 10. Thanks for listening.
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6 Comments
I have a new found respect now, after the Lovecraft reference!!!
My problem with the warden changes and other things that have come to light after Bullroarer went up (i.e. currency reset) would have been largely diminished had they been implemented at the start of the expansion.
Changing main stats should happen at the start of content that has a level cap increase so it’s easier to gear differently as you level, such as when they swapped burglars to agility with Isengard. Instead, it’s coming mid-expansion after many wardens have already spent gold, time, and effort getting gear that they will now have to swap out.
Granted, warden-specific gear will be automatically changed, but now wardens are the only tanks that do not use might as a primary stat (champs, guards, and captains still do). There will be a re-jeweling process, which is arguably more difficult and time-consuming since you have to win rolls and/or have the game randomly award you with them in the new loot system. That process is something some have already gone through and are none too eager to repeat the whole thing.
Brannick, I totally don’t get you. Making your toon make a trivial emote is a horrid affront, but a death penalty that has an actual game effect is no big deal?
I’m speechless.
And the downside to forced emotes is that YOU’RE REMOVING A FUN ABILITY from some classes. I get it.
Rorgg, It’s really not difficult to understand me. Looking at the design, I consider giving players an incentive to abuse others (forced emote deeds) to be a bad thing. I also consider a death penalty to be a very good thing. Without a penalty for dying, we have no reason to attempt survival. LOTRO has always had a slight death penalty compared to other games, which is why I find it strange to reduce it further. Removing the death penalty removes all tension, and in some cases even incentivizes death (as a form of fast travel for example).
As for your last sentence, I’m not sure I follow. If you’re saying that the forced emotes are a fun ability that is being removed from some classes, then I agree. An ability that is fun for griefers is being removed and that makes me very happy.
Other games I’ve played only have repair costs (or something very similar) as a death penalty. The “worst” is Rift, where if you die enough times without repairing your soul, you start to lose stats. The Old Republic literally only has repair costs / item wear as a deterrent (aside from the inconvenience factor of course) and same with Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World. Actually, death is the form of fast travel in TSW come to think of it. You can type /reset, resurrect at any waypoint, and then go about your business.
Don’t know why I typed all that. I don’t really care about defeat penalties on the landscape. Tension for me comes from not knowing whether I can pull something off, rather than knowing that I’ll be slapped with a debuff for failing.
I would like to point out however a fallacy with the emote discussion: nobody is losing any skills or deeds or items. People will just be able to opt out of having those emotes affect them. Arguing against this is not arguing against removing skills, but arguing for the ability of some players to take control away from other players.
As much as I like the group cheer in the right place and time, I will be opting out of the forced emotes. As I prefer to play this way. I’m not to keen on being fish slapped.