Skirmish System

[Michael Dorosh]

As noted in the subject line, spoilers here:

I don't like the way they have set these "skirmishes" up in the main townsites. I thought they would be just random battles across the landscape, but they are actually kind of jarring intrusions into the "story line" which, while I don't really pay much attention to those quests, I thought were a major selling point of the game.

The tutorial skirmish, for example, tells you that Bree has been taken over by the enemy and must be liberated. You then go to find it under 4 feet of snow. Well, Bree has always been depicted in summer like conditions. I understand the snowbanks - it's a way to channel movements and block off sections of the town to give an "arena" to play in. But it totally takes you out of the continuity of the game.

I just tried a skirmish in Gondamon, and again, you get this big dramatic storyline about how it is under siege by "the enemy" and must be defended, yada yada. I guess this one made more sense in that there is a whole valley of enemy troops nearby. Actually, I suppose all the major centres do have hordes of baddies close by - even Bree - so it only makes sense that they might do something eventually. I just think having the skirmishes happen more randomly out in the country would be less jarring, but that's me.

Incidentally, you get "skirmish" points and not treasure, but your equipment still takes a beating. So I lost 250sp in my last skirmish at Gondamon and managed to lose the battle. Even if I had won, I would only get points towards boosting my "soldier" character's stats. I did get XP, but there are no dropped treasure or silver pieces from the baddies. So it's a bit of a money-losing proposition.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Wow. Finally, a place to buy Athleas in a bottle.

I'm not sure I like the idea of buying reputation items though. i.e. mathoms. I kind of liked the idea of having to "grind" to get them, and not really having any idea when or where you would find them. I have a sack full of reputation items because you have to barter them in units of "10". Lossoth spearheads and Mathoms and &tc. If I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing correctly, we can now earn skirmish points and just buy them? Seems like more dumbing down of the game.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Oh, and the developer diaries:

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Release_Notes_Volume_2_Siege_of_Mirkwood_Launch_Official

Links:

• Overview
• Instances
• Randomization and Scaling
• Soldiers
• Rewards
• Accessibility
• End

 

[Palantir]

Not having done one yet- Skirmishes seem to just be an added way to play with "companions" solo or group wise in larger battles. Not sure why they decided to introduce "special" instances this way & not thru normal instances. I like the option of battling in familiar places (Bree/Gondomon etc), but it still has no bearing on what everyone sees when the enter Bree anyway (no snow, no burning buildings).

Just more goodies to get and from what I have read the opportunity to advance your "soldier" & outfit them (dress your female soldier) as you see fit is a draw. Getting to change the color & style of your soldiers hair- (make that female soldier) appears to be a BIG deal...

Turbine may use this in the future to represent key battles like at Helms Deep etc. so the IN-game stuff can stay normal but players can still play at defending/fighting & destroying the locations (like the Bree one does now)


I'd have preferred that Turbine created random "Invasion battles" in the real game- where the enemy attacks a location IN game and the players in the area have to defend said location. The attack would be random in time & day (maybe just once a week) so all the "hard-core" players couldn't gather and predict the XY&Z out of it and ruin it for normal players. The mob would control the location until: A. they were all killed or B. a random time limit 1-12 hrs. when they flee due to rumors of strong forces approaching. Anyone that fights & stays in the area gets some coin or cloak for their trouble. (It would be a blast having running fights in some of the towns & fortifications)

 

[Palantir]

Now having done over a weeks worth of skirmishes I find I like them for the most part. They're of short durations @20-30 minutes, full of action and add a new option to the game. But they don't add to the main story line or working your way to Mordor.

What they do give you, if you collect enough "Skirmish Marks" (SM) from doing the skirmishes, is the chance to equip some new & interesting looking cosmetic items (a cooks backpack / fur collectors backpack etc. / new cloaks, hats & outfits. They also have a wide assortment of new gear items but I didn't see any that out did what the top tier crafers can make for you.

One addition is the ability to purchase "Quest Items" (Minor/Major) with enough "SMs" instead of doing the quests required to obtain them. The Minor ones are usually from quests requiring you to kill "X" number of mobs to get "Y" number of dropped items. I don't think these "minor" ones should be buy-able as they are more time consuming to get than hard to obtain.

The Major Quest items that normally require a full Fellowship to get (the ones that used to cost 5-20 Gold each on the AH) I can see being purchased since it is hard to get full groups now for those early quests/instances. It's a nice way if you solo to get the items you need (not much different really than buying them off the AH...)

{I spent my week getting enough marks (2600) to buy one of those Major full fellowship quest items that have been on my list forever. What did I get for it? My reward was an item way below my level so it was useless, however it did complete the "Hunter Quest Line" and I picked up a nice Legendary Trait}

You also spend the SM's on leveling up your Soldier in whatever skill's they have: health, power, armor, attack, defend etc. I can't see spending many SM's on cosmetics for a soldier instead of leveling them as the are there to help you fight with their skill not their looks. Especially the one I have as I can only see his rear. :laugh:

The Skirmish Quests themselves are interesting and challenging: defending the Prancing Pony, holding the Ford of Bruinen, retaking Tuckbourgh etc. I haven't tried all of them yet.

The skirmishes are also very costly in terms of equipment repair. You figure you're in almost constant combat for 20 minutes so your gear takes a beating. I know my costs are high as a ranged fighter so I'd hate to see what the melee classes pay in repair costs. You will never make a profit in the skirmishes as far as "coins" go, the only profit is in SM's to buy gear etc.

Soldiers:
The "Soldiers" you get, while renamed, are basically the same classes you can play in the game. The only one I have tried so far is a tank- "Protector" (Guardian) someone to stand in front of me as a human meat-shield and draw aggro away from my Hunter. It's worked out pretty well, as I just let him stand in front (which he always and automatically does) & get pounded while I fire away. If a soldier dies you can "recall" them when the current combat stops.

But, you have almost no control over them, all I can do with a Protector is call them into the skirmish, "recall" them to you as needed/die, order them to attack a specific target (long cool down) and thats it. Oh, I can also "point" him in the direction where I want them to face/stand which just happens to be where ever I am currently facing, so if I turn to look behind me he runs to get in "front" of me- which can really be annoying. And he ALWAYS stands @20-30 meters ahead of me (a real pain sometimes).

I found out how annoying in "Tuckbourgh" which is full of carts, obstacles, debris etc. When I turn he immediately runs to get in front of me @20m which means he's constantly standing behind stuff that he can't move/climb over. I'd advance along the path only to realize he was stuck behind me on something- so I'd just "Recall" him. {Remember- he tries to stay directly in FRONT of me 20-30m where ever my character is facing so moving along a winding path he's constantly weaving back & forth to stay directly in front & ahead of me. :angry: I must have recalled him 4-5 times rather than run back & get him. {I've also recalled him when he's taken a lot of damage as he reappears at full health}


All in all Skirmishes are a nice break from the usual and to see familiar places in a different setting or when you only have a short time to play, are waiting for someone to show up or don't want to get involved in a long quest. Fun to do but the main game is still the heart of LotRO's for me.