Game questions?

Palantir

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Might as well start a thread for any questions anyone might have. If you don't have an answer maybe a link to point they in the right direction.
 

Palantir

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Like this: just what are all those different weapon types about?

Trying to figure out all those damage types is confusing- I found this chart & it helped me.

Weapon Damage Type Summary

Ancient Dwarf
- Primary Damage on genus Dragon-kind (all), species Cave-claw, Rep Dungeon Sarnur

Beleriand
- Primary Damage on genus Ancient Evil (all), genus Spiders and Insects (all), species Half-orc
- Secondary Damage on species Wood-Troll

Fire
- Primary Damage on genus Creatures of Nature (all), species Gorthorog, species Kergrim, species Siegecraft, species Slug, species Snowbeast, species Troll, species Wolf, species Wood-Troll
- Secondary Damage on species Etten

Light
- Primary Damage on genus Unseen (all), species Etten, species Goblin, species Gorthorog, species Orc, species PaleFolk, species Troll
- Secondary Damage on species Spider, species Wood-Troll

Westernesse
- Primary Damage on genus The Dead (all), genus Unseen (all), species Gaunt-Men


Some players will swap out or carry a second weapon depending on the type mob being fought.
 

jayedub7423

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Awesome, I was hoping something like this would get started.

My first question: I am a level 19 Warden who has few to no quests in Breeland and just finished chapter one tonight, where should I go to level? I've been to Lonelands with my Champion, is that the best way to go and at what level?

Second question: I took Yeoman as a profession cause I want to make food, and resources online that can help me get started? I have always wanted to farm in this game, just seems relaxing and fun to me.

The best thing that could have happened to me did happen tonight, I have finally joined a kinship, the Sons of Numenor. I think this will help me to stick with the game longer than a month.
 

Michael Dorosh

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I actually started doing some farming with my Hunter; it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but it makes sense once one starts. Basically, you buy seeds from a vendor, find a plot of arable land specifically marked for farming - next to the vendor, usually (I did mine near Staddle) - plant the seeds and instantly the stuff grows. Then you harvest what grows and you have to take it to a workbench over by the vendor to sort out the "good stuff" that you've grown, some of which only turns out to be more seeds. It's - well, laborious, and I don't see it being profitable much in the short term.

It's a lot like the fishing hobby, which I've been doing off and on; I keep thinking the fish will get bigger as I advance - you do move on to larger "trophy" fish (which you have to take to a taxidermist before they are worth anything) but I haven't noticed an appreciable increase in the value of either the other fish or the trophies once mounted, but perhaps I'm not at a high enough level.
 

Palantir

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Crafting can be rewards but extremely frustrating when you find yourself needing all kinds of items & have to jump from one location to another to complete them.

That aspect of the game has been secondary to everything else for me in LotRO. I'd rather spend my time exploring or wandering around gathering the materials for others to craft (wood/ore/scholar/food) than stand in a crafting hall, but that's just me. I know that some placers have alternate characters that that's all they do is craft, their other characters send them all the materials. (of course the crafter's need to quest too for their "craft leveling")

One great thing about most Kinship's is, that if you want something made all you to do is get the materials & someone else will happily make the items for you.


My first question: I am a level 19 Warden who has few to no quests in Breeland and just finished chapter one tonight, where should I go to level? I've been to Lonelands with my Champion, is that the best way to go and at what level?
Well- if you simply want to level fast you just keep moving up to new level areas & do the quests there yellow/orange. Or kill a lot of mobs that are blue to you (that you can grind thru quickly- which is also a way to make money selling "vender items") The biggest problem I see with doing this is, you leave a ton of great quests behind that will become "grey" & ho-hum if you drop back later to do them. And questing is the "thing" in this game.

We've found that if you actually have to "struggle" to complete quests it makes the game & you feel part of the story. But when you just walk by 99% of the enemy (Grey) and travel thru some great graphic areas to go "whack-whack"/ kill the boss / complete the quest, it's rather disappointing & quite frankly boring.
That said- you will end up doing "Grey" quests no matter how hard you try not too. There are simply so many quests in so many areas (that are "your" level) that a lot are going to drop below your level all over the place.

That brings you into your "favorite" quest areas & there are many to pick from. When you find a place you like to quest at your level (past the starting areas) for whatever reason like the Shire /Old Forest / Breelands etc (I liked Evendim) you stay & do every quest you can, knowing that in some other areas "your level" quests there are going to go Grey on you.
Pick whichever you find the most rewarding & fun.

Second question:.., and resources online that can help me get started? .
This is the main game link & you can find most of what you want here:
http://lotro.mmodb.com/
This one if you want some actual player comments on quests & maps for pre-Moria sections:
http://www.thebrasse.com/lotro/
And for basic quick info Wiki is good. (They have some good maps)
http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Main_Page

The best thing that could have happened to me did happen tonight, I have finally joined a kinship, the Sons of Numenor. I think this will help me to stick with the game longer than a month.
YEA! Having a group to play with of all different classes & levels (and play styles) is a big bonus!
 
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Palantir

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Here are some other game questions I’ve been asked, thought I’d pass them along & my answers. ( it's long!! :whist:)

Is it still worth playing despite its apparent current "dumbing down?"

Yes, it's definitely worth playing with no doubts!

I try and remind people I'm a LotR nut so my comments are mostly from the "purest" angle being concerned with the lore Tolkien has already sent in stone. It's the reason I resisted playing it in the first place- that they'd mess up the lore completely, but the first game, "Shadows of Angmar" was/is awesome. When seen as an online role-playing game Turbine continues to hit it on all cylinders. There is so much to do in this game that gaining levels or getting gear never seems like it’s the "point" of the game (as all MMO's are). The players are also more mature & friendly as an entire group- a huge plus in my mind.


My service is SlOoOoOoW.

Even with a slow server if you can run around solo quite a bit so it's not that big of a deal. It maybe when you get in areas with a lot going on or running in bigger groups it’s more apparent. Right now, we get the throw-back lag where you run over the same ground twice. Irritating when it happens but not more than an annoyance.


I love to explore in MMO's but all the aggro usually makes it really boring and aggravating. How is this handled in LotRO? Ie. like in WoW you run 10ft. off the road and get mobbed by spiders or wolves, ect..

Mobbed? No here you need to run 20' off the road- then you get jumped just like every other MMO! However you can still explore if you work your way around in "your" level areas which I absolutely love about LotRO. I wandered everywhere looking at all the cool graphics and LotR areas -a blast in my opinion. If you just don't blindly walk into things you can explore to your hearts content.


How is the ease of exploring? Ie. the whole having to dodge aggro and other various creatures that apparently attack you. Are their neutral creature and placid ones that say, you could hunt for food, run away if they see you, ect? And also just exploring to discover the world and any little gems/cool areas that are in the world?

Exactly!!! Couldn't say it better, that’s LotRO. There are dozens of visual "gems" all over from waterfalls, panoramas, sunsets, moon rises, rainbows and even "northern lights" in snowy Forochel.


How is the combat system? Is it like WoW's or more realistic so-to-speak?

It's like WoW but everything makes sense as far as the moves & animations: they are more restrained not fantasy like. Everything is graphically more “realistic” looking than WoW. I watched a friend playing WoW the other day fighting some boss- it was like watching a cartoon on TV. (And I played WoW for years) The difference between the two is huge as far as the visual area goes. WoW is "high fantasy" where anything goes (and does) and LotRO is based upon the created world being a "real" breathing, living place. I could never go back and play WoW now.


You said "living" and breathing world... What... did you mean exactly?

Tolkien had the land of Middle Earth based on reality as far as geological features, fracture lines, uplands, swamps, mt ranges, rivers, where towns were, sizes and distances etc. Any real life story could be told using the land he created. Nothing is "fantastical" (no floating islands or castles). So it actually feels like you are in a real living world as you travel through the game. Now the only drawback- the developers had to do A LOT of work to make it a "action game." They had to "drop" the enemy into every place to have action everywhere but quite necessary to create - a MMO game! (I can go with that)


WoW was fun and all, but the PvP areas were annoying, and the aggro also got really annoying. I've been looking for a good MMO and am currently looking at Star Trek Online and EVE... and now LotRO.

PVP for now only happens in one restricted area called the Ettenmoors. You never have to go there if you don’t want to.


Is the AI always doing stuff? Like a band of... "rebel humans" always raid village X even if you're not doing the quest?

So far there are no "automatic AI" actions going on. But the promise of such things is there with the new "Skirmish" system coming out. Most of those actions are still all "instances."


How much character customization is there exactly? And how different can characters look? So that there aren't tooo many generic outfits for certain classes, ect..

I'd say a fair amount (not knowing what is new in WoW). Every male doesn't look like "Dog the Bounty Hunter" here. I believe that they are adding more in the next expansion. At level 60 I have only seen 1 other player that was outfitted like mine as far as clothing went. Weapons were different but we both had bows & swords. You can color almost every item (not weapons) and have 3 sets of "outfits" (one combat & 2 just for looks) plus change your hair, beards etc as you please after 15th level.

There does seem to be the normal looks- females have long hair, dwarves with long beards (not short), elves with light color hair etc. and of course there are the "good" sets of armor that everyone wants for their level & class so you see a lot of the same armor just in different colors & combination's. EX. if you see a player wearing the "bear helm" you know its a Hunter between 15th & 21st level. Same as in WoW but the higher levels - many, many more options.

You can "wear" almost any clothing you want (level appropriate) to be seen by other players AND still have you "combat" gear on as well. Pretty cool system- you can be seen wearing a "floppy hat" but "underneath" you still have on your combat helm.


Does sleep, eating, other various activities play any kind role in the next to just being things for health?

You drink potions & eat for health:, use potions/balms/food for cures vs. poison, diseases, fear etc. Sleeping is just an emote & really doesn’t do anything.


In relation to WoW, how is the interface handled? Ie. all the talent/action buttons you have on the short cuts.

The interface is pretty much like WoW. I don't think it's cluttered. I just click on the icons for actions, others use the keys.


How much of Middle Earth is in the game (including after the Mirkwood thingy)? Ie. How much longer till Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor get added in?

So far everything from Ered Luin south to LothLorien minus Dunland (Southwest of Moria). They will probably stay with the Mirkwood region (The Lonely Mountain, Elves Woodland realm 2010) till "The Hobbit" Movie comes out for the free PR. Then they will head to Rohan probably in early 2011, followed by Gondor late 2011/early2012.


A nice older review of the initial SoA is here that covers all the basics.
http://lotrovault.ign.com/static.php?page=lotroreview
 

Michael Dorosh

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Oh, and if you end up in Forochel and its super-foggy - it's a bug! I ended up there today and forgot about the bug and wandered about in the fog for ages. Totally forgot about it, so played for a bit and quit. Not a big deal but good news - Google is your friend. I typed in LOTRO Forochel fog to see if the region was normally prone to fog, and found some forum chatter about the bug, and I was reminded of a conversation with Kerry about it. Solution is to log out and go back in. So I went back a bit later and, yes, it was back to normal.

As Kerry reminded me, many of the quests were set up with the expectation that you would use the Lorebook or the internet to help solve them. Use any quest title and the search term LOTRO in Google if you get stuck, and presto - it will bring up a website with a full solution to the quest, usually with grid co-ordinates for you (your grid location is including in the user interface when you're in the game - and for screenshotting, hit F12 to toggle it). And of course the in-game hints will help out with most quests to the point of providing a big yellow arrow to guiding you right to the target, if you really want. It's actually has the capacity to be too easy now, but I did have a bit of a struggle over the weekend picking the Perfect Lily out of the water south of Bruinen Ford - some quests you save up and come back to - time and again - until you've leveled up enough to accomplish solo, and they still require work. Just knowing where they are is not enough, and will require actual tactics. Imagine that. :)
 

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So I made it through the tutorial quest. Never read the manual and don't plan to.

A couple of things puzzle me:

what would be the point of buying pretty clothes? It's not that there's lot of babes running 'round. Similar with jewelery.

So, I started as a Dawrf and I got started in that mountain in the west of Eriador. If I had picked an Elf or a Hobbit, where would I start? How soon are they "merged", how long are the separate?
 

Palantir

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what would be the point of buying pretty clothes? It's not that there's lot of babes running 'round.
The vast majority of players including myself wear a second or even third "visual" outfit to just look different than everyone else running around. The problem with most games it that there's always "THE best" armor set or gear to wear for your class & XX level which means a majority of "30th" level Hunters are all wearing the same stuff. By being able to wear a second outfit (that has no bearing on your first or primary combat outfit) you can individualize how you want to look


Since jewelery can't been seen in the game minus head-"circlets" there's no need to have any for just visual effects.

So, I started as a Dawrf and I got started in that mountain in the west of Eriador. If I had picked an Elf or a Hobbit, where would I start?
Hey- you have to START each race at least once just to watch the opening cinematic's!!! It takes about 30 seconds to crank out a base race then watch the movie and be plopped into the game just to check them all out. Thats a must in my book.

Dwarves & Elves start in the same area, Ered Luin around the Dwarven City of Thorins Hall, in the far NW of Middle Earth, They are separated by a bit but basically do the same core starting quests in that area. Hobbits and Men start in Breeland NE of the main Human city of Bree around Archet and again do the same base core quests of that area.


Redwolf said:
How soon are they "merged", how long are they separate?
Both the starting areas are "starting instances" which means only new player characters are in them who have not completed the first core quests. After players compete those quests (forget how many) = 10th lvl I believe, you can pass thru the instance gate opening up the rest of the world for you. Once you pass through those gates you cannot go back into the starting instance.

In the case of Ered Luin (Dwarves/Elves)- the instance gate is "Thorins Gate." When you go through it (only after you complete the required quests) you leave the starting instance area & enter the "real world." If you turn around the instance is gone and walking back under the gate you walk into the real Thorins Hall area- none of the starting quests/NPC's/starting players are there. All of the physical locations are still there but none of the starting stuff. (Since you left the starting instance it's now gone.)

You are now able to join up with any character that has also left the starting instances be they 11th or 60th lvls.

{I'll edit with some picts in a bit}
 

Redwolf

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Thanks, that's great.

One more visuals question: I can play with the colors of my outfit in the "try it on" thingie, but that doesn't actually change how I look. Will I have the option of changing colors (for money) later?

How do I sell stuff to other players? How do I talk to them, anyway?

I think my Dwarf Champion developed pretty well and I came out level 7 out of the introduction and have a load of cash. But I think a human hunter or something else with ranged weapons might be something for my next session, aka go through the introduction again first before going for real.

About combat: is it purely chance based once you engage? Is there a point trying to move to dodge a spear, or to close in right after the enemy strikes to exploit their "reload time"? Or do you just stand there and fiddle with the different strike patterns you have in your skills?

Why would I use a deposit instead of selling things when my bags are full?
 

Palantir

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I'll just post those Pict's here. :)

Note that if you choose not to wear a Combat Equipment item you lose any bonuses for that slot. There are 19 combat slots & 1 craft tool slot.

Jewelry slots: Ears/Neck/Pocket/Wrists/Fingers plus Head/Shoulders/Chest/Legs/Hands/Feet/Back. 2 melee weapons / a ranged weapon if used / Craft Tool / Class item.

Slot pict:
First- all the combat slots for bonuses & how he'd look.
Second- Outfit 1, I use this only to show the Foresters Backpack instead of a cape.
Third - Outfit 2, for the look I normally run in.
Fourth- up close of backpack.

You can use any of the 3 "looks" at any time and still get the full benefits of the combat Equipment look.


Outfit picts:

Top:
First pair- the Combat Equipment (outfit) of my Burglar- these are items that affect all your stats and bonuses for of course combat.

Second pair- (Outfit 1) How I choose to look in game as a burglar- No helm to scrape on anything, no cloak to flap about or get tangled in. And although the chest piece is "bright" I struggled long & hard to get it (Drakeskin Cuirass) and by gosh I'm going to wear it! :p Didn't bother to change the pants.

Bottom:
First Pair- the Combat Equipment of my Minstrel, fully decked out for battle.
But it's not what I think this healer should be doing (not a warrior-cleric) or look like.

Second Pair- (Outfit 1) More of the look of magic, no helm, shoulder guards etc. and a backpack for carrying healing items / potions etc. Too bad they don't allow Minstrels to visually carry their instruments.

Next shot-
First Pair- Combat Equipment of a Hunter. Fully equipped with the level appropriate items.
Second Pair- to look different I dyed some of the gear red, swapped the hooded cape look for a quiver and with losing the cape also allowed for the hair to be seen and dropped the helm for the circlet.

There's a wide variety of looks available in the game.
 

Palantir

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One more visuals question: I can play with the colors of my outfit in the "try it on" thingie, but that doesn't actually change how I look. Will I have the option of changing colors (for money) later?
You can check to see how any item would look in any color by Ctrl-left click then going through the color options - you can only actually change the color of an item by dying it. Dyes can be bought in the Auction Hall or made by Scholars who sell them. Depending on the color of the dye the cost can be from 20 silver per for say Olive to 500 silver for Red, Black & white (in demand colors) 1 dye can dye 1 item so the cost could get expensive.

How do I sell stuff to other players? How do I talk to them, anyway?
There is a Trade channel to sell stuff on but most players just put items on the Auction Hall. To talk to others you can simply start typing in the "Say" section below the "General/Combat/IM" tabs. Anyone in the area will see what you typed as well as any emotes you do.
You can also left-click on another player then right-click to bring up an options panel- then click on the "chat" option- this will allow you to send a private message to them or even ignore that person. It's also how you can "Follow" that person or invite them into a Fellowship (group) under "Fellow."

Also if you click on the "General Tab" it brings up a ton of various options & chat filters.


I think my Dwarf Champion developed pretty well... But I think a human hunter or something else with ranged weapons might be something for my next session,
I gave most a quick trial in the intro area to get a feel for them, doesn't take long really to do a test- run of each & select one that you're comfortable with.
The Hunter is considered an easy class to play then Melee classes, then the Spell casters with the Warden/Rune-Keeper being the most challenging to play. I believe the Warden is the most powerful & versatile class especially as a solo character. But it all comes down to what you enjoy playing, I enjoyed the hunter class enough to create 2.


About combat: is it purely chance based once you engage? Is there a point trying to move to dodge a spear, or to close in right after the enemy strikes to exploit their "reload time"? Or do you just stand there and fiddle with the different strike patterns you have in your skills?
yes it is all % based. Against the Mobs there's no point in YOU trying to "dodge" or avoid attacks because it doesn't help, only your stat numbers determine if you dodge or not! :laugh: However you can move behind a tree, wall or attack from behind to avoid combat or being hit (although area-effect-spells etc. may still get you,).

Exploiting Mobs "Load/ reload" times is critical because most mobs will do something (will say something or give a visual animation) to let you know they are going to throw a spell, heal themselves, call in help etc. If you see this you can attack & interrupt them & stop whatever action they are going to take.

Why would I use a deposit instead of selling things when my bags are full?
Not sure on the "deposit" issue here.
If you're talking at the Auction Hall (AH) some items you can sell on the AH for 10-100 times their shown value then you'd get from selling them to a vendor (NPC).
EX. Say a piece of Ancient Iron ore is shown having 1 silver in value if sold outright, but on the AH it's going for 10 silver. Jump up to selling 100 pieces of ore - you'd get 100 silver sold to a vendor or 1000 silver (1 Gold) for selling it on the AH. The AH takes a deposit to put items on it maybe 20 silver for those 100 ore, thats still a 980 silver profit. :D

My thought is to pick up EVERYTHING dropped and sell everything, not counting items that might sell on the AH. On some runs (depending on your lvl/area) you can pick up 100-600 silver worth of items (vendor trash) per outing if you keep empty bags.

Some keys to remember-
1. ALWAYS leave a town with nearly empty bags so you can pick up more stuff.
2. Don't carry around 1 wolf ear worth 1 silver when you could be carrying 10 wolf teeth for 20 silver in the same slot (you can carry more stack-able items per slot.) Or a stack of 100 pieces of wood.
3. When you're bags are full head back to the nearest vendor , if it isn't to far a distance & sell everything not worthy of the Auction Hall.
4. If you're running with a good friend (you trust!) you can trade items back & forth in the field so you're both stacking items to the max. Ex- He has 3 wolf teeth & you have 7 teeth, trade so one of you has a stack of 10 - that opens up a new slot so you can carry 10 more of X item. You'll be amazed at how much stuff you can carry doing this & how much money you can make.
5. Remember where & what drops a lot of "vendor" items if you need cash. I've made a 1000 silver (1 gold) before in just a few hours by running back & forth from a great drop area with "trash" items. It helps if you can pick up crafting items along the way- hides/ore/wood...

6. One small advantage... If you're at a location that doesn't have an AH (but has a mailbox) or you are max'ed out on the AH or your bags are full one thing to do is you can mail some select items to your other alts. Any item sent will then sit in the mail for 2 weeks, if not opened after the 2 weeks it will then be sent back to you. or you just have your alt mail it back to you where it will sit in your mailbox for another 2 weeks until you want to deal with the item(s). You can bounce items forever this way for little cost if your bags & vault are full. Not like I have ever done it... too much. :laugh:
 
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Palantir

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I'll answer Redwolf questions here. :)

Redwolf; said:
BTW, any recommendations where I should take my human hunter (level 16) after Bree?
YEA! 16th already, we'll have to link up in a few levels, I have some 24th lvl alts I run as well.

Where you are now (16th) is where some fun & individual choices of where to "level" strategy comes in. Ultimately you HAVE to go eastward to Rivendell then down south to Eregion & Moria following the books.

However there are 2 separate regions for levels 20-30 to quest & explore.
One is the "Lone Lands" going EAST from Breeland, the other is NORTH from Breeland to the "North Downs."

Since they cover the same level quests (and enemy types) no matter what you do a lot of them will become "gray" (get no experience from doing them & little excitement). So picking which to do is important if you like following the story & quest lines. Each has a large evil area to battle/quest in.

Lone Lands- name says it all, desolate area with some big evil swamps. You help the humans in the area and Radagast the brown Wizard (Epic Quest line). The quests here will steer you further east & south to new regions. {you MUST go to the top or Weather Top!!!!! What a view}
Main Town- Ost Guruth (some crafting, no access to vaults here)

North Downs- has it all. You help the Rangers defend the area (also Epic Quest line) and meet new allies. These quests will take you further north and west to new regions (including the Arctic!). Based on the story & terrain this was my choice of main questing between the two regions. I also liked the 2 regions surrounding it.
Main Town- Esteldin (vault/trainers/crafting)

HOWEVER- you can (and will) jump back & forth between the two as some quest are linked to get you into these areas. The key is where to focus most of your time. It's just a pain to have been following some good quest-lines in one area then jumping around between areas then go back & find most of what the quest lines you were doing are now gray.

Redwolf; said:
The horse dude has tickets to a couple places, any recommendations where to go?
Remember that you can only take a stable horse to indicated places that you have ALREADY been to. I understand the idea behind it but it's kind of strange you have to wander / walk to a new stable before you can ride to a new stable. Head out both ways and check out the areas a bit, get the stable points, then ride to the area that appeals to your adventurous side the most. It is as they say ALL GOOD!

edit- one plan of action is to figure that you WILL have another character (alt) at some point in the game so for now you concentrate in one region then concentrate in the other region with your alt to see all the lands and quests at the proper level.

You can also have a "Solo" and "Fellowship" character. My main Hunter was a Fellowship type trying to do most quests with friends etc. My second Hunter I ran as solo trying to do as much as I could alone (some quests are design as Fellowship only). I've had fun doing both styles but playing with someone really adds to the excitement & enjoyment I believe.
 
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Redwolf

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YEA! 16th already, we'll have to link up in a few levels, I have some 24th lvl alts I run as well.
Might be 15, I fiddled with something else the last days :)

Where you are now (16th) is where some fun & individual choices of where to "level" strategy comes in. Ultimately you HAVE to go eastward to Rivendell then down south to Eregion & Moria following the books.

However there are 2 separate regions for levels 20-30 to quest & explore.
One is the "Lone Lands" going EAST from Breeland, the other is NORTH from Breeland to the "North Downs."
Does that mean I better wait until I'm 20?

Can I even go? How do I do it, I just start walking north?

Maybe it's blocked until I'm level 20?


Remember that you can only take a stable horse to indicated places that you have ALREADY been to. I understand the idea behind it but it's kind of strange you have to wander / walk to a new stable before you can ride to a new stable. Head out both ways and check out the areas a bit, get the stable points, then ride to the area that appeals to your adventurous side the most. It is as they say ALL GOOD!
That explains the odd choices of destinations. They include where my other character has been.

So I guess this isn't getting me anywhere new.


edit- one plan of action is to figure that you WILL have another character (alt) at some point in the game so for now you concentrate in one region then concentrate in the other region with your alt to see all the lands and quests at the proper level.
I kind of did that but I found the human game entry to be more interesting than the Dwarf one.
 

Palantir

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Redwolf said:
Does that mean I better wait until I'm 20?
At 15 I'd say yes, Anything within 3 levels of your level you might be able to handle 1:1, problems come when you have to fight 2-3:1 above your current level.

Redwolf said:
Can I even go? How do I do it, I just start walking north?
Maybe it's blocked until I'm level 20?
You can "go" anywhere you want, the question is if you will survive once you get there! And yes, just start walking anywhere you want to go, just watch for the "name color" = level of the creatures to tell you when you have gone too far. The higher above you a creature is the farther away it will react & quicker it will come after you.

Colors: lowest(weakest) to highest (most dangerous) creature colors.
Gray/light blue/dark blue/white/yellow/orange/red/purple

Gray = no experience + probably won't attack you (unless in an instance)
blues = pretty easy fight.
White = your level & a fair fight
Yellow = 1 above your level, a good fight.
Orange = 2 above your level, a very hard fight.
Red = 3 above, and you have to plan carefully to battle this level, if not will almost surely kill you.
Purple = WILL kill you / you can't hurt it. (that's a bad thing!)

Also the higher level above you a mob is the more experience you get per kill.

1:1 you can usually take on "Orange" creatures but when they double or triple up on you it gets much harder but great for getting EXP, "Yellow" is a hard fight but doable vs multiple mobs.

On EXP- LotRO is designed for Questing & not mob grinding so don't bother to grind mobs for to level it's not the way to go. Find & complete any & all quests, they give you tons more EXP.
 

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Yeah, I found out about tough guys when I ran into my first Warg when I was at level 13 or so.
 

Redwolf

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That worked out pretty well. I went to Thorin's hall, but nothing was going on. For some reason the next ride to some other place wasn't "warp"-style, I stayed on the horse the whole time and jumped off when I saw something interesting.

Got to see a Dwarf city, a Dwarf harbor, my first Elven village, got to beat up Goblins and bad dwarfs and ended up walking all the way to the Shire.

Spent all my money on skills (medium armor and dual wielding FTW). I just wish somebody had a better bow for sale. Maybe I have to figure out weapon making and do it myself.
 

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Redwolf said:
That worked out pretty well. I went to Thorin's hall, but nothing was going on. For some reason the next ride to some other place wasn't "warp"-style,
To get "swift rides" between stable points requires either 1. Being a certain level (usually 40) or 2. Completing a series of quests in that area, It will say which when you try clicking on them.

Redwolf said:
I stayed on the horse the whole time and jumped off when I saw something interesting.
The fun of the game- exploring!

Redwolf said:
Spent all my money on skills (medium armor and dual wielding FTW). I just wish somebody had a better bow for sale. Maybe I have to figure out weapon making and do it myself.
This is where being in a Fellowship or having friends who are crafter's & can make gear for you really helps. Although, there is the sense of accomplishment in finding/getting your own gear. Soloing it "yourself" gear-wise is fun and can be worked for about the first 20 levels but after that the gear you find just doesn't stack up to what can be made for you. Also the gear rewards you receive for quests seem to be below your level a lot after the 20-30'ish levels.
I mentioned (some place here) that getting gear in LotRO is almost an afterthought because of all the other fun things to do in the game: many players discover they haven't picked up new gear for 10+ levels including me. {Heck I just noted last weekend my 52nd Hunter still had some lvl 38 gear - it just isn't something I check often on my own characters.}

But at some point you need level appropriate gear to survive!

I just happen to know of a player who has some characters that are Supreme Crafters in almost all the fields...:whist:

How crafting for others usually works: crafter's make the items for FREE for you and only ask that the components required to make them are sent to the crafter. Although, when players craft certain items they normally will make a dozen items anyway and send "extras" to other players who need them.

Send "Palantier" a mail in game (you are on Landroval right?) and I'll see what my group has laying around. No problems at all in making stuff for you, I've had others do it for me & I've done it for other players now that I'm high enough to make most items. Having two Hunters myself I can pretty much guess what you need already for combat gear! :D
Now how you want to look in middle Earth is up to you.
 
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