Pumping Irony

I said I refused to level until I got into a Fornost group, but I realized two things. First, I was mistaken about Fornost’s level bracket so dinging a level or two wouldn’t trivialize it with all grey mobs and quests. Second, I was so close to 45 I likely would have dinged while inside and been unable to train. So, I got with a kin-mate and we knocked out the last few quests I had in Evendim and completed all those chains. I’m completely through with Evendim quests! When I say that, I’m referring to the adventuring quests. There are still a handful of reputation token quests but Arwellyn isn’t high enough level to actually collect those tokens, so why waste valuable quest log space? The Annúminas instances await as well, but I have another 5 levels before they bring me back to Evendim.

Like many areas in Eriador, Evendim is downright gorgeous but there’s so much running swimming back and forth between quest locations and NPC’s… let’s just say there’s a reason the zone’s nickname is “Everswim.” Turbine already has small boat models built (see the screenshot below) so I really wish they would add craftable boats as the next hobby. Not only would it be great for crossing bodies of water faster than swimming, it could also tie into the fishing hobby we already have. Not to mention the role-playing and other travel opportunities. Look no further than Vanguard to see that players love new means of transportation. Being able to craft or own a boat is such a nice feature, and the ability to give anyone a ride takes the cake. Turbine: do it!

Afterwards, I decided to take a trip into Evendim’s northern neighbor, Forochel, which was introduced back in Book 13. Just like going from Rivendell into the Misty Mountains, entering Forochel is quite a climb, giving a valid reason for the zone’s climate and perhaps providing some sense of immersion as well. I will say that LOTRO is very impressive for its vertical terrain. LOTRO and Vanguard are the only games I ever recall playing that have this degree of vertical development the player can actually traverse, and it packs more punch that one would think. I used to be impressed with how high Ironforge was. Now, after climbing Weathertop and other places in LOTRO, as well as Vanguard which has some impressive locales at incredible heights, Ironforge is merely a foothill.

So, we ended up in Korkea-järvi which is the first Lossoth camp with quests and a stable master. Grabbed a few quests, even managed to complete one, but Arwellyn’s quest log is full once more. Sigh. I’m looking forward to adventuring in Forochel, but in addition to seeking a Forochel adventure, I’m already getting continued pressure to finish Lore of the Blade so it looks like I’ll be adventuring in Angmar and the Misty Mountains first.

Oh, the skating Lossoth? I want skates! After boating, skating can be the next hobby… And, am I the only one who thought the Forochel stable masters should have given rides on dog sleds rather than horses? Oh, I am? Hmph!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 10:01 pm and is filed under LOTRO, MMO Gaming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.