Archive for the 'Lord of the Rings Online' Category

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Mon
Aug
6

LotRO Book 10 Preview



Phil “Ralphedelominius” Comeau and I ducked into the Midway Games area at E3 for a chance to talk about Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar and to preview the game’s next free update, Book 10, which will be coming some time in August. Developed by Turbine and published in North America by Midway, LotRO launched in late April of 2007.

First we chatted with Adam Mersky, Director of Public Relations for Turbine. Mersky was affable and eager to talk about LotRO, despite the fact that we were just chatting to pass the time until the demo station was available. We talked a bit about what Mersky called Chicken Play (more on that in a moment), and some of the other goodies that would be coming to LotRO soon.

“In the fall we’re going to be looking at housing again,” Mersky said. “I don’t have many details to give you, though.” He mentioned that the team was still finalizing housing details, but that Turbine would possibly hold an event in the fall to “give people a preview.”

LotRO screenshotWill housing be instanced? Mersky couldn’t say. He did say, “We can’t have tract housing in the Shire!” Then he laughed and added, “We’re thinking that in the way a character has slots, housing will also have a vault with slots. You can earn stuff, say a carpet, and then you’d put it in your carpet slot and it would show up in the room.”

Mersky seemed excited about the upcoming content in Book 10. “I think Book 10 is going to be a real big deal,” he said. “Whereas Book 9 was all about big open spaces and adding 10% more to the game, Book 10 will be smaller scale but will add new features and lots of new quests.”

Phil Comeau commented that Lord of the Rings Online is one of just two games that he’s still actively playing. “You know, that’s the ultimate compliment, right? When I talk to gaming journalists who usually review a game and move on, and they’re still playing, that’s huge.”

“Well, I’ve hit a plateau around level 20 that I’m not too happy about…” Phil mused.

“Maybe you’re like me, though,” Mersky said, “and you’re just taking your time and running around doing all the quests and such. You know, there’s grind in every game if you play it that way. Sometimes you’ve got to stop and smell the roses…enjoy the ride.”

Without a segue, Mersky added, “I think LotRO has really raised the bar for quality. You can’t come out and not be polished. You have to remember it’s not just the game, it’s the service.” He went on to make an example of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, referring to the way the game’s bugs and sluggish performance at launch caused subscriber numbers to drop dramatically.

“This is our Vanguard person,” Comeau laughed, pointing at me. (I responded, “Guilty!”)

“Ah, well but it’s not that way…we learn from each other; we’re not at war with each other,” Mersky said.

At about this time the demo station opened up and we were introduced to Allan Maki, Content Designer for Turbine. It was clear from the get-go that Maki is excited about LotRO, because his enthusiasm for the game is palpable. He started off by showing us the entrance to the city of Annúminas, which will be entirely opened to players in Book 10. Players entering Annúminas will arrive in a war zone, complete with scripted battles to engage them in the unfolding storyline.

Maki also showed off session play (SP). Coming with Book 10, players will have the ability to spend Destiny Points for the opportunity to play a ranger, a troll, or a chicken for a period of time. First we saw the ranger. Picture one of Aragorn’s bretheren clad in fancy, ranger-esque armor. Then we saw the trolls, who have massive AoE capabilities. “AoE is how they fight, and they do it well,” said Maki, demonstrating the troll’s ability to throw boulders and damage multiple enemies at once.

And finally, we saw the chicken. We asked if chicken play was instanced, and Maki told us that it was not. In fact, chickens run in the world at large. “You’re a free range chicken!” Maki joked. “And one of the benefits of being a chicken is you run faster. Just imagine a couple groups of players all turning chicken. You’d have a herd of speedy chickens coming at you over the hill.”

Maki explained how players start in The Shire and complete deeds to earn the destiny points necessary forTroll chicken play. He showed us a chicken engaged in battle. The chicken was able to play possum. She also used an attack called Biting Shrew and another skill called Threatening Cluck. “This is really for a touch of humor and fun,” Maki said, “But there is a whole big quest line here with chicken play.”

Maki talked briefly about bartering and showed us the bartering window. Essentially, players will be able to trade certain goods (instead of coins) with special vendor NPCs.

Another feature coming to Book 10 is the Reputation System. Reputation is a means of gaining faction with certain NPC groups within the game either, apparently by killing their enemies and completing quests. Earning their favor grants special rewards. “It’s basically another way to advance your character,” Maki said. New public (non-instanced) dungeons will be opened up for questing related to the reputation system.

Maki also hinted at some raid content coming with Book 11, and said the community could expect an announcement very soon.

Attractive graphics, reasonable system requirements, solid gameplay dynamics and an unbeatable brand combine to make LotRO one of the hottest MMO titles available. And with free updates coming at a rapid pace it’s clear that Turbine is committed to keeping Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar a fresh and ever-evolving game.

Posted in Lord of the Rings Online | No Comments »

Wed
Jul
25

Lord of the rings III(Movie)–May It Be



Posted in Lord of the Rings Online | No Comments »

Wed
Jul
25

Making Music in Lord of The Rings Online



For curious souls, i am Nan (glen or valley in Elven Quenya) and reside on Laurelin.
Come say hi, pass me some tips, give me all your silver, or just jam with me ;)

A downloadable/printable Word doc (thanks to Amelli/Snowbourn!) HERE (version 0.2.03)

Thanks to everyone who’s contributed, especially Bob_the_Sane,
who compiled the first really nice BIG list in the lotro-europe forums!

If you have any updates/additions/corrections/changes/want credit, email >>
lotro -at- glenneroo -dot- org

Coming soon (from the Devs) hopefully in the June patch:
- “We’re looking at a few different new instruments for very
  shortly after launch, and drums are on that list.”
- “There are improvements that should be implemented for release,
  including sustained notes if the key is held down!”
- Synchronized playing (optional)
- The music latency is getting fixed in the first main patch???
- Macro playback/recording? Apparently notes will be shown(?)
  differently as well, to indicate who is playing and who is macro’ing.

So then, off we go…..

- page break here for printers -

 

Getting started

1. Make sure your class has the music skill and it’s trained. Here’s a list of proficiencies
2. Buy an instrument from your local Bard.
3. Equip your instrument: open your inventory and double-click (or right-click) on it.
4. Press ENTER and type /music (as if you were going to say something)
5. Tada! Instrument in hand, you should now be in play mode!
6. Press keys 1-8 to play notes, using shift and ctrl to go high or low.

Playing with the keyboard (default mapping)

Color key

Notes in colors means, HOLD down the CTRL or SHIFT key while pressing that note:

- notes in this color e.g. 1 -> hold CTRL key while pressing the note i.e. CTRL + 1
- notes in this color e.g. 2 -> hold SHIFT key while pressing the note i.e. SHIFT + 2
- … dots following a note indicate how long to hold the note (hold the key down)
  NOTE: feature not implemented yet… next patch????

If you’re musically inclined (or wish to convert sheet music easier),
here’s a nice scale from LoTRO Life:

scale

And another scale from Northwoods:

c’                      –8–
b                      7
a                 –6–
g                5
f————-4——————————-
e          3
d——-2————————————-
c    1                   8
B———————-7——-8——–(b)7-
A                   6     (#)7       (b)6
G—————-5—–(#)6——(b)5——–
F             4     (#)5
E———-3——-4———(b)3————
D       2     (#)3        (b)2
C  –1–   (#)2
B,         1

(#)2 means that CTRL + 2 plays C sharp.
(b)2 means that CTRL + 2 plays D flat. (same note as C#)

Note that there is a bit of overlap:
- E => 3 and 4
- B => 7 and 8
- c => 8 and 1

Yes, we have no sharps and flats in the upper octave… yet (here’s hoping).

Another translation of the chart, which (better) shows what notes
correspond to what keys (the C is Middle C) thanks to Neonin

C     = 8
B     = 7
A     = 6
G     = 5
F     = 4
E     = 3
D     = 2
C     = Shift + 1 OR the key 8 on its own
B     = 7
Bb/A# = 7
A     = 6
Ab/G# = 6
G     = 5
Gb/F# = 5
F     = 4
E     = 3
Eb/D# = 3
D     = 2
Db/C# = 2
C     = 1
B     = 1

- page break here for printers -

 

licks, chords and scales

Basic Blues/Rock & Roll Scale in C Major by Neonin
C Section: 1 3 5 6 7 6 5 3 1 3 5 6 7 6 5 3
F Section: 8 6 4 2 3 2 4 6
C Section: 1 3 5 6 7 6 5 3
G Section: 7 5 2 5
F Section: 4 6 8 6
C Section: 1 3 4 5
G Section: 5 5 5 5

Chords to follow this would be:

C Section = (135) <- Brackets mean play all notes together
F Section = (468)
G Section = (257)

You can quite easily play a tune over the top of this using just the keys 1 to 8,
as most of them fit in with any part of the scale, so it makes quite a good
starting point if you get three players together.

Banjo Duel for lute by Skaara (in-game)
Good for lute duels!! Start off slow, end up as fast as possible! :)
11 1234543

Guitar (Lute) Licks by Gallowdor on Laurelin
psst! try the lute! ;)
836383638363 one finger for 8+6 and one for 3… start slow then faster…
you can scale to 7+5 and 2 –> 6+4 and 1

Nice Lute Accompaniment by Bob_the_Sane
It is great to play while a clarinet or flute is playing a tune over the top.
Try your own variation!
1535 1535 1646 1757

Lute Chords
Try any combination of these chords, pressing the keys all together:
135, 146, 257, 468, 368, 1357
See if you can find any others that fit and sound good.

Twilight Zone Theme by Avaries
6 7 8 7 over and over and over…

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Camptown Races by Bolinda
5535 653 32 32 5535 653 2 32 1

Chopsticks by Elspanyl
Both lines should be played simultaneously, creating chords.
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4  3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3  2 2 2 2 3 2  1 1 1 1
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5  5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5  7 7 7 7 6 7  8 8 8 8

Dark Theme by Bob_the_Sane
1 3 2 1 1 3 2 4

Drip Drip Drop Little April Showers by Bob_the_Sane
1 4 5 6 7 8 5 8 6
5 5 4 3
3 3 2 1 1 1

Flumps by xyra
3535 3563
3424 2452
3535 3563
87671

Frère Jacques by Bob_the_Sane
Listen to it HERE
1 2 3 1
1 2 3 1
3 4 5
3 4 5
5 6 5 4 3 1
5 6 5 4 3 1
1 5 1
1 5 1

London Bridge by Bolinda
5654 345 234 345 5654 345 2 5 31

Lord of the Rings Fellowship Theme by ara1eg
1 2 3 5 3 2 1 - 3 5 6 1  7  5  3 4 3 2 1

Mary Had A Little Lamb by Enroth and Sparkeh86
Listen to it HERE
You can also play that in shift if you want a higher note. The deeper note version
doesnt sound too good though. I imagine if someone played this in standard and
another on top in higher notes it could sound very good…
3  2 1 2 3 3 3   2 2 2   3 5 5    3  2 1 2 3 3 3   2 2 3 2 1

Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony by Bob_the_Sane
Listen to it HERE or HERE or HERE
3 3 4 5 - 5 4 3 2 - 1 1 2 3 - 3 - 2 2
6 6 7 8 - 8 7 6 5 - 4 4 5 6 - 6 - 5 5

or substitute 2nd part with this:
2 2 3 1 - 2 3 4 3 1 - 2 3 4 3 2 1 2 1

Silent Night by Solace
Listen to it HERE
5 6 5 3 - 5 6 5 3 - 2 2 7 - 8 8 5 - 6 6 8 7 6 - 5 6 5 3
6 6 8 7 6 - 5 6 5 3 - 2 2 4 2 7 8 3 - 8 5 3 5 4 2 1

Star Wars Imperial March by Neda
3 33 153 153 <– good
7 77 853 153 <– good
8 558 7 6 656 … ???
3 6 5 4 3 4 1 4 2 4 6 … <– ??

Swing Low by Bolinda
6 4 6 421 4444668 8 876 8 4 421 4444665 4

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Listen to it HERE
1 1 5 5 6 6 5 - 4 4 3 3 2 2 1

When The Saints Go Marching In
by Enroth
1345 1345 13453132 321 12354 6653211

by DonDOOM
1345, 1345, 13453132, 3321, 135554, 13453121

Difficulty Rating: Medium

Axel F by SilverfoxBL
3 5 33632 - 3 7 33875 - 357 322 1 5 3

Beethoven - Hymn to Joy by Keln
Listen to it HERE
All “pairs” denoted by a #+# should be played at the same time, i.e. 1+3
would be played by hitting the 1 and the 3 keys at the same time (yes
while holding shift in this compilation). A simpler version of this song
can be played by simple dropping the first number in each pair and
playing the second. Example, to play a simple version of 1+3, drop the
one and play only the 3. Also, I like to play the final note s1 as s1+3
because it sounds nicer.
1+3 1+3 2+4 3+5 3+5 2+4 1+3 2112 1+3 1+3 22
1+3 1+3 2+4 3+5 3+5 2+4 1+3 2112 1+3 211
22 1+3 1 2 1+3 2+4 1+3 1 2 1+3 2+4 1+3 212 5
1+3 1+3 2+4 3+5 3+5 2+4 1+3 2112 1+3 211

Doe A Deer
1 2 3 1 3 1 3
2 3 4 4 3 2 4
3 4 5 3 5 3 5
4 5 6 6 5 4 6
5 1 2 3 4 5 6
6 2 3 4 5 6 7
7 3 4 5 6 7 8
8 7 6 4 7 5 8 5 3 1

Fur Elise by Bob_the_Sane
I’m afraid that Fur Elise is impossible to play properly on LOTRO.
It’s this damn shift + ctrl thing again. However with a bit of trickery
I can make it so there is only one note that is impossible and I have
transposed it up an octave (the note in {these brackets}) so it will
sound rather strange.

[3 3 3 3 3 1 2 1 1 - 1 3 6 7] 3 6 7 1  ….???…  2 1 7 6 …

Harry Potter Theme by Bob_the_Sane
1 3 5 5 3 7 6 5 3 5 5 2 5 1

Mario Theme
7 7 7  5 7 2  2
5 2 1  3 5 4 3 - 2 7 2 3 1 2  7 5 6 5
2 2 1 6 7 7 2 3 5 3 5 6 2 2 1 6 7 7 5 5 5  <— strange….. does this line belong here?
2 2 1 6 7 7 2 3 5 3 5 6 7 6 5  <— strange….. does this line belong here?
5 5 5  5 6 7 5 3 2 - 5 5 5  5 6 7
5 5 5  5 6 7 5 3 2 - 7 7 7  5 7 2 2
7 5 2  2  3 3 8 8 3 - 3 3 3 2 1 7 5 3 2
7 5 2  2  3 3 8 8 3 - 8 8 8 7 6 5

Metallica - Fade to Black by LordAngus
(up a few steps for easier playing)
2 6 7 6 2 6 4 6
1 6 7 6 1 6 4 6
2 6 7 6 2 6 4 6
1 6 7 6 1 6 4 6
3 5 8 5 3 5 1 5 ……. ???

Difficulty Rating: Hard

Green Day - Basket Case by cwebb
54345
787655
787655556866

54345
787655
787655556866

168876655
168876655
144687
65558228

Guns ‘N Roses - Sweet Child of Mine by LordAngus
INTRO
1 8 5 4 4 5 3 5
1 8 5 4 4 5 3 5
2 8 5 4 4 5 3 5
2 8 5 4 4 5 3 5
4 8 5 4 4 5 3 5
4 8 5 4 4 5 3 5
2 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 3 5 2 5

The One Ring by Bob_the_Sane
I’m not sure about the ending aswell, I’m sure there’s more to it that.
[7 1 (7 1 7 1 6 1)] 7 3 [repeat square brackets] 7

Victory by Bob_the_Sane
The keys in brackets should be played very fast, semiquavers if you are a musician.
Due to the amount of ctrls in this I think it would be pretty hard to play, I
haven’t checked ingame I just wrote it straight off the sheet music. - Bob
[5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 8 6 5] 4 5 1 [repeat square brackets] 3 4

Not Yet Rated/Tested

Axel F by Kerotan
5 6 3 5 5 4 3 1 6 3 7 6 g g 3 7 6
6 1 6 6 2 6 5 6 3 6 6 4 3 1 6 3 6 6 3 6 6 5 5 3 7 6
6 1 6 6 2 5 6 3 6 6 4 3 1 6 3 6 6 5 5 5 3 7 6
i
Amazing Grace by Bolinda
Difficult only because you cant hold notes.
1 4 646 5 4 2 1 1 4 656 5 8

Battle Tune by Natdaprat
best played with the lute
short fast-paced battle tune, play it fast!!!
8888 1 8888 1 8888 1 8888 12 …and on and on…

Bach - Sonata in A minor (Flute) by Bolinda
Only got the beginning “translated”, having troubles with some of the notes.
Sounds much better on harp in game then flute
667 876 467 75876 278 65367

Bach - Minuet in G by Solace (still working on it)
Listen to it HERE
2 - 5 6 7 8 - 2 - 5 5 - 3 - 2 3 4 5 - 5 5
2 - 3 2 8 7 - 8 - 2 8 7 6 - 5 - 6 7 8 6 - 7 … ending is wrong??????

Battle Hymn by cwebb
5 5 5 5 5 4 3 5 8 2 3 3 3 2 8
8 7 6 6 6 7 8 7 8 6 5 6 5 3 6
5 5 5 5 5 4 3 5 8 2 3 3 3 2 8
8 2 2 8 7 8

Beatles - Yellow Submarines by Keldred
678 6564 6542 265
678 6564 6542 265
88882 55555 55555 44444
88882 55555 55555 44444

Claudia’s Theme from the film Unforgiven by Ironwind
33451 3345432 22342 3345875764653
33452 334643 22342 3345875764653
3455432 2344321 123321-7 67865
2342 246543 2342 35875764653
3455432 2344321 123321-7 -6-7-8-6-5-4-3-2-1

Chariots of Fire by Qore
1 4565 3
1 4565
1 4565 3 343 11
87657 56 45
87657 8
87657 56 45 343 11

Cocobo Song
2 753 2 75757
656545 457234
38 64683 252
78 64246 8778767

Concering Hobbits by scottyg92
1 2 3 5 3 2 1 1 2 6 8 7 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 33 2 1

Concerto de Aranjuez - Theme by Avago on Snowbourn
Play with a Lute!
656,66 7 8 2 8 7, 656,
6 7 8 2 3 8 7 7 6 6545,
6 4 3 4 5 3 2 323,
3 3 4 5, 4 3 3,2

Danny Boy by worntraveller
Listen to it HERE
8 and 1, for all purposes, are the same note, just an octave seperated.
For notes below the root of the song, I’ll use dashes to indicate they
are in the lower octave. Maybe someone musically inclined can translate
it to something undersdtandable ingame.
7 1 2 3
Oh Danny Boy
2 3 6 5 3
The Pipes the Pipes are
2 1 6
Ca-all-ing,
1 2 3 4
From glen to glen
6 5 3 1 2 1
And down the Mountain Side,
7 1 2 3
The Summer’s gone,
2 3 6 5 3
And all the flowers’are
2 1 6
Dye-ye-ing,
1 1 2 3
‘Tis you, ’tis you
6 5 3
Must go, and
1 2 1
I Must Bide.

The song continues similarly, except it starts on the 5th interval.

Final Fantasy IX Theme
234567876564321
2345678766 6
234567876564321
4543236363122

2 62 887656456788
2 62 8876546362

Final Fantasy X Theme
6 3 6 7 8 7 6 5 6 5 3
6 3 6 7 8 7 8 2 8 2 3
6 3 6 7 8 7 6 5 6 5 3
1 2 3 3 3 3 2 5 1

Final Fantasy Yuna’s Theme
4 5 6 8 5 6 5 4 2 4 4
5 6 8 5 4 3 2
4 5 6 8 5 6 5 4 2 4 4
5 6 8 3 8 2

Flinstones by RAYMUNDO
5 1 8 6 5 1 5 4 3 3 4 5 1 2 3
5 1 8 6 5 1 5 4 3 3 4 5 1 2 3
7 3 8 7 7 6 6 7 6
6 2 7 6 6 5 5 6 5
5 1 8 6 5 1 5 4 3 3 4 5 3 2 1 -> these last three can also be 6 7 8

Fly Me To The Moon by xyra
87654 568 76543 45
65432 346 64321
2266 875
3144 6543
87654 568 76543
65432 346 64321
2266 76s3
1144 111

Freebird Intro by Wray
3 7 7 7 7
7 7 7 6 5 6 7 6 5 6

Godfather Theme by Olib
The second to last two notes (2 and 2) might be off, but they dont seem too bad.
1 4 5 5 3 5 3 5 3 2 2 1

Go Go Buko (FF chocobo song) by zldyknight
Play all from ||: to :|| then go back to ||: and play to ||
||: 2- 7 5 3 2 7 5 7- 5- 7– 6 5 565 4 5– 4 5 572 3 4 ,
2- 7 5 3 2 7 5 7- 5- 7– 6 5 565 4 5– 4 5 572 3 4, ||
3- 8 6 4 6 8 3 2- 5- 2– 7 8- 6 5 2 5 6 8 & 787 6 7— 3- 8 6 5 6 8 3 2- 5- 2–
7 6 676 5 6–5 6 678 2 3- 4- :||

Greensleeves
Listen to it HERE

by Spectator
5 7 8 2 3 2 1 6 4 5 6 7 5 5 5 5 6 5 2
5 7 8 2 3 2 1 6 4 5 6 7 6 5 5 3 5 5 5
4 4 3 2 1 6 4 5 6 7 5 5 5 5 6 5 2
4 4 3 2 1 6 4 5 6 7 6 5 5 3 5 5 5

by Mindulas
5 7 8 3 2 1 6 4 5 6
7 5 5 5 6 5 2

5 7 8 2 3 1 6 4
5 6 7 6 5 5 3 5 5

4 4 3 2 1 6 4
5 6 7 5 5 5 5 6 5 2

4 4 3 2 1 6 4
5 6 7 6 5 5
3 5 5

by Giskard
2 4 5 6 76 5 3 1 23 4 3 1
2 4 5 6 76 5 3 1 23 4 32 2 12 22

H2G2 by Giskard
5 4 5 7
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1
7 6 5 4 3
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1
3 4 3 2 1

Happy Birthday by 1BdKty
33 5 3 6 6
33 5 3 8 6
33 3 1 77 6
443 1 2 1

In Dreams by dracona1031
Featured in “The Breaking of the Fellowship”.
Slowly and freely, in 4/4 time.
When the cold of win-ter comes,
1 2 3 5 3 2 1
star-less nights will cov-er day.
3 5 6 8 7 5 3 2
In the veil-ing of the sun,
1 2 3 5 3 2 1
we will walk in bit-ter rain.
3 5 6 6 5 3 2
But in dreams,
1 2 3
I can hear your name.
3 6 7 1217 5 3 2
And in dreams,
1 2 3
we will meet a - gain.____
3 6 7 8 2 1231685
[key change]
When the seas and moun-tains fall
1 2 3 5 3 2 1
and we come to end of d a y s,
3 5 6 8 7 5 3 2
In the dark I hear a call,
1 2 3 5 3 2 1
call-ing me there.
1 3 5 6
I will go there
6 5 3 2
and back a-gain.
2 1 7 8

Into the West by Mash the Goblin
3323 33451 87665
442455 8767
3323 33451 87665
442444455 8767

(the next 3 sound a bit odd)
2217
1176
223441

765 [5434] (last bit only for the finish)

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast by Arflindale
22 62 72 8 22 8 22 8 22 8–hold note
22 62 72 8 22 8 22 8 22 8–hold note

James Bond by Scratcher
2333 2222444 333

Jingle Bells by Witchchild
333 333 3512 3 444 433 3 322 2 5
333 333 3512 3 444 433 3 55421

La Bamba by frijoles
Not finished.
Good with a horn!
4 4 4 4 4 3 1 1 1 7
4 4 4 4 4 3 1 1 1 2
4 4 4 4 4 3 1 1 2 7 2 4 3 2 3 1

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog Riff by stamen47
3 5 6 6 3 8 6 2 3 1 2 1 6 6 8 6 5 6 6 3 5 2 3 6 6

Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away by x–sausage–x
5-6-5-5-2-5-57-57-57-5-6-5-5-5-7-6-5-2-26-26-26-5-6-5-5-2-1-135-135
-1-1-1-1-2-3-2-2-26-26-26

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
by Solace
Only the first few notes, but I would love it if someone takes this
start and runs with it, only sure about the first line, the second
(and a bit more I’m not posting yet because it sounds awful) seems
a bit off to me
6 8 3 6 (7+5)
3 8 7 (8+5) 3 1 8 (4+5)

by Giskard
Some chords
26 26 26 26 26 26 24 68 57 46 57

Metallica - Enter Sandman by Kerotan
2 2 2 4 6 5 [Repeat and end with..] 2 2 2 4 6 2 2

Metallica - Master of Puppets by Arflindale
236 237 238 237 2366
236 237 22 54 54 54

Mission Impossible Theme by Scratcher
2 2 2 245 2 2 2 212

O’Sullivan’s March (Irish Jig) by Keln
Being a jig (albeit a slower one) this should be played at a
relatively quick pace. Imagine drums in the background…
Ba bum bum bum bum Ba bum buddah bum bum…
5 1322356532 1232322111
5 1322356532 1232322111

5 1322356532 1232322111
5 1322356532 1232322111

868686866535355355832 123234345832 1232322111
868686866535355355832 123234345832 1232322111

Oasis - Don’t Look Back In Anger by Neonin
1 3 5 3 2 5 7 5 3 6 8 6 3 6 7 6

4 6 8 6 2 5 7 5 1 3 5 3 6 8 5 7

1 3 5 3 2 5 7 5 3 6 8 6 3 6 7 6

4 6 8 6 2 5 7 5 1 3 5 3 6 8 5 7

4 6 8 6 4 6 8 6 3 5 8 5 3 5 8 5

4 6 8 6 4 6 8 6 3 5 8 5 3 5 8 5

4 6 8 6 4 6 8 6 3 5 8 5 3 5 8 5

2 5 7 5 2 5 7 5 3 6 8 6 3 6 8 6 <– Trickiest part

3 6 8 6 2 5 7 5 4 6 8 6 4 6 8 6

3 5 8 5 3 5 8 5

Over the Hills and Far Away by Avago on Snowbourn
Play with a Flute!
2 567 567 533
2 567 567 866
2 567 567 538
3 212 7 8 6 6
782 876 538
3212 7 8 6 5

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust by Scratcher
No space means that you have to play the next one very fast
1 1 1 111213 (repeat)
55321 55554
2 2 2 3 3 3 322325

Rule Britannia by Bob_the_Sane
3 3 4 4
3 4 3 2 1 7
5 4 3 1 3 4 5
6 4 3 2 1 1

Scarborough Fair by statmen47
2 2 6 6 6 3 4 3 2
6 8 2 8 6 7 5 6
2 2 2 1 6 6 5 4 3
2 6 5 4 3 2 1 2

Shechecheanu by Monkuta
1—4—4–4–5–4–5–4–3–4—6—6—5—5-4–5
Ba-ruch-at-a Ad-o-nai El-o-haei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam

1—-2—-3–4–4–4–4-4—4–4-6–5–5-4–4—5—-6–5
She-che-che-an-u vik-i-man-u vi-hig-i-an-u baz-man-ha-ze

4-5-6-5–8-c7-6-c7-6-5-4–4-5-6-5-6-5-c7–6-5-4
A-a-a-a A-a- a- a- a-a-a A-a-a-a A-a-me-e-e-en

Sibelius: Theme from Finlandia by Skaldorin
3234 3231 223
3234 3231 223

5556 3355 224
4323 1122 33

5556 3355 224
4323 1122 11

Smoke On The Water (intro) by Avaries
1 3 4 1 3 5 4 1 3 4 3 1 1  over and over for intro

Song of the Steward by Music-chan
Home is be-hind
2 6 6 6
Th-e w-o-r-ld a-head
6 7 8 2 8 7 5 6
And there are ma-ny paths to tred
2 6 6 6 7 8 7 6
Through sha-dow
2 2 6
To the edge of night
2 3 4 3 4
Un-til the stars are all a-light
2 2 6 6 7 8 7 6
Mist and sha-dow
2 2 2 6
C-l-oud and shade
2 3 4 3 2
All shall fade
2 6 6
A-a-al-al-al-all shall fade
6 7 8 2 8 7 5 6
YTR TRRYI YSFF — psomm’s mapping here or what??
DSAFY Y/T RTR  — ??

Star Wars by RAYMUNDO
Still trying to figure out the rest!
222 6 5 5 3 8 5 5 5 8 5 4 4 2 (repeat 1 time)

Tetris
by Kerotan
2 1 7 6 6
1 3 2 1 7 1 2 3 1 6 6
2 4 6 5 4 3 1 3 2 1 7 7 1 2 3 1 6
3 7 1 2 3 2 1 7 6 6 1 3 2 1 7 2 3 1 6 6
2 4 7 7 1 2 1 6 6

by Avago on Snowbourn
6 345 432
246 543 4 5 6
4 2 2, 5 7 2
876 4 6 543
345 6 4 2 2

The Fall Guy by Jessian
Im not 100% sure about the keys…
1, 41, 4125, 4, 1, 25, 5, 41, 415, 541, 25, 1, 1765, 5451, 1, 41, 4125, 4,1, 25, 4, 1765,5451

The First Noel by Hosscat
Listen to it HERE
3 2 1 - 2 3 4 5 - 6 7 8  7 6 5 - 6 7 8 7 6 5 6 7 8 5 4 3
3 2 1 - 2 3 4 5 - 6 7 8  7 6 5 - 6 7 8 7 6 5 6 7 8 5 4 3
3 2 1 - 2 3 4 5 - 8 7 6  6 5 8 7 6 5 6 7 8 5 4 3

The Road Goes Ever On (from the BBC Audio version of The Lord of the Rings)
by Abersoch
6 2 3 4 3 2 6 6
6 7 8 7 6 5 7 6
6 2 2 1 7 6 8 7
6 2 3 4 3 2 6 6

by Bob_the_Sane
I think it’s right, but I’m not 100% sure.
Keys without space in-between are played very closely together.
1 4 4 6 4 1 4 4
3 3 4 32 1 1 4
6 7 6 5 4 2 1 1
1 3 4 32 1 1 4

by Eruantien
This is an elaboration based on the bit that Gandalf sings in the movie FOTR.
255753553353212557876532132332 125578765321323321255787653213 23321255

Tis’ the Last Rose of Summer by Avago on Snowbourn
Play with a Flute!
123 876 553
123 5 32 11
123 876 553
123 5 32 11
538 76 553
538 766 6 7 6 6  678
123 876 553
123 5 32 11

Unchained Melody by Tanthir
Repeat in brackets [ ]
The only note I can’t really get is the C2 note as it doesn’t go
down low enough but the C1 to my ears sounds a little too deep.
6 7 6 - 7 1 6 - 6 3 5 7 1 6 - 7 6 1 2 3
6 7 6 - 7 1 6 - 4 3 5 7 1 6 - 7 6 6 3
2 1 6 3 - 7 6 3 1 - 5 4 2 2(?) 7 6

[2 3 4 6 5 - 6 5 4 - 2 4 3 - 2 3 4 6 7 - 1 7 3
2 3 4 6 5 - 6 5 4 - 2 4 3 - 2 3 4 6 5 - 1 7 6
6 7 6 - 7 1 6 - 6 3 5 7 1 6 - 7 6 1 2 3
6 7 6 - 7 1 6 - 4 3 5 7 1 6 - 7 6 6 3
2 1 6 3 - 7 6 3 1 - 5 4 2 2(?) 7 6]

United Front Song 4/4 by Mulkin
Take the notes as their numbers.
- means shorter, + means longer, normal is one beat.
9 | 3 14 5 3 | 14 14+ 9 | 14- 14- 14- 5- 6- 6- 14- 8- | 7++ 7 | 7 7 17 17 |
8+ 3- 3- | 8 8- 8 8 7- 8- | 7 5 3 3- 5 | 7 6 5 14- 14- | 3++

Warriors of the World by Scratcher
66 654 5454565 4432 444312

Welsh National Anthem “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau/Land Of My Fathers” by Sparkeh86
Verse:
1 3 2 1 5 4 3 8 8 6 7 8 6 5 3 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 3 4 5 5 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 6 7 8 6 5 3 1 2 3 2 1

Chorus:
5 8 5 3 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 5 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 6 7 8 6 5 3 1 2 3 2 1

What shall we do with the drunken sailor? famous sea shanty by SilverfoxBL
First 2 verses.
Listen to it HERE or HERE
6 666 666 246
5 555 555 135
6 666 666 246
865322
6 666 246
5 555 135
6 666 246
865322

Wombles by xyra
235 532 2357
7876 765 6355
235 532 2357
7876 765 6355

Keyboard Mapping by Doriando

ALL the main notes on one single row and all the half notes on the exact
positions between the main notes, just like real black pianokeys.

Only problem is that you sometimes cannot press 3 notes at the same time
due to keyboard restrictions (YI] doesn’t register for example), but who cares hehe.

Remap your keys QWERTYUIOP[]\
…….to notes CDEFGABCDEFGA    keyboard layout image

Ancient old Hobbit song (smurf song) by Doriando

IIITYRT PPPIOUI IIITYRTT PPPIOUII

chorus:
OP[[[[][PO OP[[[[][PO P[]]]]\][POP[ OP[[[[][PO IOPPPP[POI UIOOOOPOIU UIO

Keyboard Mapping by Psomm

Map/rebind your notes to keys as follows:

QWERTYUI = Note 1 thru 8 (This is the low octave C to C)
ASDFGHJK = Note 17 thru 24 (This is the high octave C to C)
123 = Note 9,10,11 (This is low B and low octave black keys C# and D#)
567 = Note 13,14,15 (this is low octave F#, G#, and A#)

Happy Birthday by 1BdKty
ee 5 e y 6
ee 5 e 8 y
ee d a uu y (its either a or i)
ffd a s a

chords:
(ed)(ed) 5 (ed) (yh) 6
(ed)(ed) 5 (ed) 8 (yh)
eedauu(yh)
(fr)(fr)(de) (aq) (sw) (aq)

Keyboard Mapping by Greasy85

For the following songs, map/rebind your notes to keys as follows:

notes 1-8   are asdfghjk
notes 9-17  are qwertyui
notes 18-26 are 12345678

Yankee Doodle by Demono
qqweqew aasda8 iisdfds iutyuii yuytyui tytret yuytyui ytiusii

Irish Jig by House of Dexter
IU
YRRQRR
YRYIUY
UTTWTT
UYUAIU
YRRQRR
YRYIUY
UYUTIU
FIFFIF
FIFHGF
DIDDID
DIDGFD
SFFIFF
UFFYFF
UYUTIU
YRRWE

Into the West by Jehryn_LOA
attyaasa
aasdsayad
fdsssdsayadsa
ayassdsayty
yuyayuyauuty
yuyayuyaasad
dasaasads

fdsdkjhhg
fdsdgg
fdsdkjhhg
fdsdddfgs

hhgffds
hhjhhgfds

attyaasa
aayassdsayad
dssdsayad
aayassdsayty
asdasasds

fdsdkjhhg
fdsdgg
fdsdkjhhg
fdsdddfgg

hhhgffds
hhjhhgfds
saua

Stairway to Heaven by Demono
yidh(jt)di
j(kt)di
k(fr)sy
fdiyidi
y(tu)(yi)(yi)
yre
iyidjdi
j(kt)di
k(fr)sy
ftyydiyidi
d(t7)(iy6)(iy6)
67(iq)etdfsyf(dr)iyd(u6)y(y6)(i6)

Keyboard Mapping by Parja

Map/rebind your notes to keys as follows:
Notes 1-8 mapped as A-K
Notes 9-16 mapped as Q-I
Notes 17-24 mapped as Z-,

The Who - Behind Blue Eyes by Parja
First verse and chorus.
JJJGHJ
JJJHT
JJJHD
GHJH
JJJGHJ
JJJHT
JJJHD
SDGHJH
JXCCCX
CXCJX
JXCXHGD
JXCXCBXJ
GGHHT
TTDSD

Playing with a MIDI Keyboard by NolaquenTaurina

Check this out! MIDI2KEY - MIDI keyboard to LOTRO music system utility

Playing with a Wiimote by glenneroo

1. Get a Wiimote (and optionally Nunchuck)
2. Get a bluetooth dongle.

Windows XP
3. Follow the tutorial on this page: http://crustea.vjfrance.com/article-130714.html

Windows Vista
3. VERY CAREFULLY follow the instructions on this page to install the WIDCOMM drivers.
   Don’t forget the step about rebooting into SAFE MODE!
4. Follow the tutorial on this page: http://crustea.vjfrance.com/article-130714.html
   !!! DONT INSTALL BLUE SOLEIL ON VISTA, IT DOESN’T WORK (YET - as of 2007/5/16)
5. Double-click Bluetooth Devices icon in lower right corner (white B on blue circle)
   - In Devices, click Add.
   - Press 1 and 2 buttons simultaneously on Wiimote, blue leds should all blink repeatedly.
   - Click Next, wait for scan to find your Wiimote…
   - No passkey needed. Next.
   - It should now show under Peripherals (keyboards, mice, joysticks)
     your Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 device as Connected (No passkey).
   - Ok. (closes window)

All Windows Versions: 
6. Right-click, Save Target/Link As… on this: LoTRO.PIE (version 0.10)
7. Start GlovePIE, load the LoTRO.PIE script and click RUN.
8. Optional: Open notepad and press keys on the Wiimote to make sure it’s sending the keys…
   If NOT, check to make sure the connection is made.
   Vista: “Bluetooth Devices” in lower right
   XP  : Blue Soleil (double-click device, wait, click mouse up top, wait,
   should start periodically sending blue blobs to the sun)
9. Start Lord of the Rings Online, equip your instrument, and get jiggy with your Wiimote!

Note: For optional enjoyment value, play naked in front of a window so the neighbors
      can wonder what drugs you’re on tonight… ;)

Wiimote mapping to notes:

1: Trigger button (B) - BONUS: RUMBLES WHEN PRESSED!*  :D
2: minus (-)
3: plus (+)
4: directional LEFT
5: directional UP
6: directional RIGHT
7: directional DOWN
8: Clear thumb button (A)

* to disable Rumble on pressing B, in GlovePIE when script is loaded
  simply type // at the start of the line that says Wiimote.Rumble = …

Nunchuck mapping:

Holding big trigger button (Z) is like holding CTRL
Holding small trigger button (C) is like holding SHIFT

Here’s a (overly long) video showing the Wiimote in action:
(skip to about 3 mins in to see anything worthwhile, sorry too lazy to cut it ;)
(this was one of my worst jam sessions evar! sorry about that ;)

Posted in Lord of the Rings Online | No Comments »

Fri
Jul
20

How to Choosing Your Weapons in Lotro



One of the most confusing and oft-debated aspects of LOTRO game mechanics is the general question of whether faster or slower weapon setups are “better”. Specifically, this usually revolves around a debate about dual-wielded weapons versus 2H weapons, but can also apply to a debate about whether guardians are better-served by 1H + Shield setups versus 2H weapons. There are six main aspects to this debate:

  • Which setup gives superior auto-attack damage during a short fight: fast or slow weapons? Which is the most important weapon statistic: Speed, DPS, Average Damage, or Max Damage? Which setup is more “power efficient”? In other words, which setup gives you the most damage per point of power expended? Which setup benefits all the “extra swings” and + damage bonus of your weapon-based? What exactly is the interplay between the auto-attack ticks and cool-down timers?
  • Do special damage types trump all of the preceding factors?

Faster weapons are always superior auto-attack damage in a short fight

The fact that faster weapons always yield superior front-loaded auto-attack damage in short fights is counter-intuitive to most newcomers to the MMO genre, and is therefore contested quite often on discussion forums. Nevertheless, it is a true statement. The basic principle to grasp is simply that a “miss” with a slower but harder-hitting weapon hurts you far more than a miss with a faster but lighter-hitting weapon in a short fight where there is an effective “race” to do N points of damage first. For example, let’s use an extreme and artificial comparison of two players of equal level with weapons that are equal DPS. Player A has the fast weapon and it hits for 10 damage every second. Player B has the slow weapon and it hits for 30 damage every 3 seconds. Both players have 70 hit points.

  • Player A needs to connect with 7 hits to kill player B. This could happen as quickly as 7 seconds with a 100% hit rate. Player B needs to connect with 3 hits to kill Player A. This could happen as quickly as 9 seconds with a 100% hit rate.
  • If both players experience a 25% miss rate (75% hit rate) here’s how long it takes each player to kill the other.
    • Player A needs 10 attacks (2-3 will be misses); that’s 10 seconds.
    • Player B needs 4 attacks (1 will be a miss); that’s 12 seconds.

Can you see how in all cases, Player A has the statistical advantage? Statistically, Player A will more often win the “race” to do 70 points of damage first because their misses “hurt” a lot less. Missing one big attack puts you behind in the race. This has been proven time and again. And remember, this applies to *short* fights only–that’s where faster weapons always have the edge. Statistically, your odds to “win the race” are better with a faster weapon. This basic principle aside, there are still two unresolved points of contention in LOTRO that could modify this basic principle

  • It is yet unproven whether or not your first “strike” of weapon damage occurs immediately upon commencing auto-attack, or must instead occurs after the first “swing delay” of the weapon. Regardless of the true answer to this question, all that gives the slower, harder-hitting weapon is a small “head start” on the “race” compared to the faster, lighter-hitting weapon. The basic principle described in this section still stands, and all this point of contention means for LOTRO, in particular, is that if you can kill something in only 1-3 “hits” then it’s possible that a slower, harder-hitting weapon would win this very extreme kind of “race”. Most fights that will actually yield experience, even fast ones, tend to take more than a few hits, so this point of contention is probably moot.
  • It is yet unknown how armor mitigation works in LOTRO.
    • In some MMOs, armor mitigation works by reducing a flat percentage of each hit, so a harder-hiting weapon and a lighter-hitting weapon are equally penalized by the armor mitigation.
    • In other MMOs, however, armor mitigation works by “absorbing” damage off the top of a hit. In this case slower weapons are often better because every hit of a harder-hitting weapon gets more damage through the absorbtion. In these MMOs it was possible for a fast but light-hitting weapon to do practically no damage to a heavily armored foe. It’s worth noting that in previous Turbine games, specifically Asheron’s Call 2, armor mitigation usually worked on an absorption principle, so big-hitting single attacks were far more useful at the high levels than small-hitting “flurry” style attacks

The most important weapon statistic depends on your class and your most-used skills

In many other MMOs, a weapon’s listed DPS statistic was a good indication of overall performance and a good way to compare the relative value different weapons. Unfortunately, this is not the case in LOTRO. DPS is a statistic that is almost a red herring in this game. Instead, the stats that matter are Speed, the Average Damage of the listed damage range (which you must calculate for yourself), and both the Min and Max damage values of the listed damage range.

  • Speed determines how often the ticks of your auto-attack cycle occur and how much delay occurs between queued active skills. Note that the effective Speed for dual-wielded weapons will be an average of both weapon’s listed Speeds. Average Damage is calculated by adding both numbers in the weapon’s listed damage range and dividing the result by 2. Average Damage is the most important factor in determining how much damage most of your weapon-based active skills will do. Any skill that uses the keywords “main-hand” or “off-hand” in the skill’s tooltip description is basing that damage component on the full listed damage range for the weapon in your main hand or off hand, and therefore the Average Damage of the weapon is the best indicator of how much damage will be done for each “swing” of main-hand or off-hand damage generated by that skill. The important point here is that a fast weapon will have a high DPS value but a very low Average Damage value, and therefore your weapon-based attack skills will not deliver nearly as much damage as a slow weapon with the same exact DPS (or even a lower DPS) but a much higher Average Damage value. Min damage is the lowest value in the weapon’s listed damage range. This value is important because it determines how much damage that weapon will do when it’s equipped in your off-hand slot.
  • Max damage is the highest value in the weapon’s listed damage range. This value is the most important factor in determining how much damage some of the Burglar’s weapon-based active skills will do. Any skill that uses the keywords “max damage” for either the main-hand “swing” or the off-hand “swing” will use that max damage value every time the “swing” hits successfully. For these skills, a weapon with lower DPS but a higher Max value will generate more damage from such skills than a weapon with high DPS or high Avg Damage but a lower Max damage.

Dual-wielding is available to Champions at level 1, Burglars at level 10, and Hunters at level 20. Dual-wielding works much differently in LOTRO than it does in most other MMOs:

  • Your effective Speed becomes the average of the Speed value of both your weapons (add both Speed values and then divide by 2). For example, if you have a 2.3 Speed weapon in your main hand and a 1.7 Speed weapon in your off-hand, your effective Speed is 2.0. It does not matter which weapon is in which slot; the effective Speed is the same with either possible combination. There are not separate auto-attack “ticks” for each weapon. Both weapons always attack on the same tick. Our two hypothetical weapons in the previous example would always attack together on a 2.0-second auto-attack tick rate. The weapon in your off-hand slot is capped to hit for the lowest value in the weapon’s listed damage range, plus or minus a small percentage (usually just a point or two on either side of the lowest listed value). This means you generally want to put the weapon with the highest Min damage in your off-hand slot, but this advice should be weighed against all the other considerations covered here. The offhand weapon can still crit at a normal rate (with no penalties for being in the off-hand), but it crits for roughly double the capped off-hand damage range. For example, a 9 - 13 weapon in your off-hand usually hits for 9 points (sometimes 8 or 10 points), and it crits for around 17 points, give or take a point. The off-hand damage reduction mechanics described above affect only your auto-attack damage. All of your weapon-based skills that mention bonus damage based on your “off-hand” weapon are not affected by this damage reduction. In other words, if you have a skill that uses the “max damage” of the off-hand, and your off-hand weapon’s listed Max Damage value is 10, then the bonus damage from that skill is based on a value of 10.
  • For Champions only, the Fervour threshold of your various weapon-based active skills is lower (usually by one point) when you dual-wield than when you are wielding a single 1H weapon, a 1H + Shield, or a 2H weapon. When dual-wielding, the Fervour cost will be listed as a flat cost like “3 Fervour” in the skill’s tooltip description. When you are not dual-wielding, the Fervour cost will be listed as a cost like “Requires at least 4 Fervour, but Removes 3 from Fervour”, which means the skill still only costs you 3 Fervour, but you need to attain a threshold of 4 Fervour to queue the skill.

One of the most confusing and oft-debated aspects of LOTRO game mechanics is the general question of whether faster or slower weapon setups are “better”. Specifically, this usually revolves around a debate about dual-wielded weapons versus 2H weapons, but can also apply to a debate about whether guardians are better-served by 1H + Shield setups versus 2H weapons.

There are six main aspects to this debate:

  • Which setup gives superior auto-attack damage during a short fight: fast or slow weapons?
  • Which is the most important weapon statistic: Speed, DPS, Average Damage, or Max Damage?
  • Which setup is more “power efficient”? In other words, which setup gives you the most damage per point of power expended?
  • Which setup benefits all the “extra swings” and +damage bonus of your weapon-based?
  • What exactly is the interplay between the auto-attack ticks and cool-down timers?
  • Do special damage types trump all of the preceding factors?

Slower, harder-hitting weapons are far more power-efficient

The faster your effective Speed, the faster your auto-attack animations execute, so there is less delay between the activation of your queued active skills. Since all active skills cost the same amount of power regardless of your weapon Speed, this means you will burn power at a much faster rate when using fast 1H or dual-wield weapon setups.

In short fights against single, normal “white” foes or easier, power consumption isn’t much of an issue. In longer fights, however, against single “yellow” foes or harder, or against multiple foes, or against signature/elite foes, or in a location with fast respawns, you might be better served with a slow 2H weapon because your power will last longer.

The “extra swings” and +damage bonus of slower weapons are higher with slower weapons, but occur more rapidly with faster weapons

Depending on the weapon-based active skills that you tend to use most often, you might be able to generate more overall damage output by using a slower, harder-hitting weapon. In particular, this comparison applies to dual-wield setups versus 2H weapon setups:

  • A dual-wield setup typically yields far more auto-attack DPS and shorter delays between the execution of your queued-up skills than comparable 2H weapons, so you have high auto-attack DPS and faster-occuring damage from your queued-up skills.
  • Many weapon-based skills have a +damage bonus value that increases with slower weapons. For example skill X might do +17 damage when you are equipped with a 1H weapon of Speed 2.0 or a dual-wield setup that yields an effective Speed of 2.0, but that same skill X might do +30 damage when you are equipped with a 2H weapon of Speed 3.6.
  • Many weapon-based skills effectively generate multiple “swings”. For example, skill Y might deliver 3 “main hand” swings of damage, each of which also has a +damage bonus as well. The total damage output of all these multiple “swings” can be much larger with a slow 2H weapon than with a fast 1H weapon. However, there are two addtional factors to consider:
    • Many of these same skills will add in one or more “off-hand” swings when you are dual-wielding, so the gap in damage might be less than if you examine the skill tooltip with only one 1H weapon equipped.
    • A faster weapon setup might actually let you front-load more of those “extra swings” in the same amount of time as a slower 2H weapon. For example, in a dual-wield setup you might be able to generate something like 6 “extra” swings in first 15 seconds of a fight, but a 2H weapon might generate perhaps only 3 “extra” swings in that same 15 seconds. So even though each 2H “swing” is more damaging than the same “swings” in a dual-wield setup, the total of the 3 slower “swings” might be less that the total of the 6 faster “swings”.

The interplay of these various factors is the main reason for stating that “you might be able to generate more overall damage output by using a slower, harder-hitting weapon”. There are no hard and fast-guidelines in this regard because so much depends on the particular weapon-based skills that you use most often. Your best bet is to equip your best dual-wield setup and look at the skill tooltips, then equip your best 2H weapon and look at the skill tooltips, then do some rough calculations and tests for yourself, remembering that you’ll be able to fire off your attack chains faster with the dual-wield setup.

The auto-attack tick cycle seems to be independent of, but overwritten by, skill execution

It can easily be observed that auto-attack “ticks” seem to occur in between some of your queued skill executions but not others. Also, it can be easily observed that more of these auto-attack ticks seem to occur in-between skill executions when you are using faster weapons. The pattern is difficult to discern through observation, but here is the best guess about how the interaction works, based on at least 30 minutes of testing on several classes while looking specifically for interaction patterns.

  • The auto-attack cycle seems to be independent of the queued skill executions and the global cool-down timer. What appears to be happening is that the “ticks” of the auto-attack cycle are simply over-written by skill animations when they occur. If a gap between animations falls in the same spot as a “tick” of the auto-attack cycle, then the auto-attack happens.
    • It does not matter whether the gap between skill animations is due to the global cool-down or due to the next-queued skill still being in its recovery phase.
    • It does not matter whether the skills are weapon-based or not. (Many people mistakenly believe that weapon-based skills happen “on the next auto-attack tick” but non-weapon based skills are somehow independent of auto-attacks.) If you trigger a weapon-based skill in the right spot of the auto-attack cycle, you can easily see the weapon skill damage followed immediately by a tick of auto-attack damage, and the delay between the skill damage and the auto-attack damage can vary by quite a bit depending on when the attack-skill actually begins execution relative to the auto-attack cycle.
  • Because the auto-attack ticks occur during opportune gaps in the queued skill chain, it stands to reason that faster weapons have more of a chance to “fit in the gaps” because each tick occurs more frequently. With slower weapons, therefore, you can more easily keep overwriting the auto-attack ticks, so fewer ticks of auto-attack damage are added to your overall damage output.

The bottom line with regard to weapon choice is that faster weapons will ultimately add more auto-attack damage to your total damage output.

Special damage types might trump all of the preceding factors

This section is here mostly as a placeholder for further testing and refinement of this article. It’s reported that weapons with special damage types such as “fire” or “light”, etc. are so effective (versus certain mobs that have low resistance to that damage type) that they trump most or all of the factors described so far.

Based on Turbine’s implementation of elemental damage types in previous games such as Asheron’s Call and Asheron’s Call 2, this could indeed be a very important consideration in weapon choice that could outweigh the preceding factors.

Some general rules of thumb for choosing a fast or slow weapon setup

The preceding sections explain why it can be sometimes complex to answer the question “which is better for me: 1H + Shield, 2H, or dual-wielding?” In general, however, there are some rules of thumb that are safe to apply to most situations. Be aware, though, that in edge cases there could be exceptions to these general guidelines:

  • Guardians who are tanking for a group must rely on many active skills to generate as much threat as possible, particularly their shield-based skills. For this reason, a very fast 1H weapon + shield is often the preferred tanking setup not only for the shield mitigation (and the fact that you need a shield to use your shield-based attacks), but because the faster animation times of the 1H auto-attack ticks means less delay between your queued active skills. The faster you can fire off your active skills, the more front-loaded threat you can ultimately generate. Of course, the downside to this is that you’ll also burn power at a faster rate, so you might have to pace yourself or rely on Blue fellowship maneuvers or on a Lore-master or Champion to replenish your power
  • If you are fighting easy single foes (”white” or easier) that are not close together, you might kill faster with a dual-wield setup (if you’re a class that can dual-wield), because you’ll sneak in more auto-attack damage and because you’ll be able to spam your skill executions faster. The main consideration here is whether you have time to regenerate your power fast enough between fights, because you’ll burn energy faster this way.
  • If you are fighting multiple mobs in a fast-respawning area, or harder single foes (”yellow” or harder), or signatures/elites of any sort, you might be better-served by a slow 2H weapon even if you can dual-wield. This is primarily because your power will last much longer and you are getting more damage per point of power spent.
  • Burglars will generally do best with a dual-wield setup that focuses on weapons with a high Max value in their main-hand slot and a high Min value in their off-hand slot.
  • Champions and Hunters that are dual-wielding will generally do best with a setup that focuses on weapons with a high Average Damage value in their main-hand slot, with the off-hand slot weapon choice being made according to the following two factors:
    • For fights that you expect to be short, putting the fastest weapon possible in your off-hand slot will make your effective Speed as fast as possible.
    • For fights that you expect to be long, putting a slower weapon with a high Min damage value in your off-hand slot will decrease your power burn rate and yield slightly higher auto-attack damage and “off-hand” damage “swings” from some skills.

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Thu
Jul
19

Turbine announces character services



Turbine is pleased to announce that we are now offering three new services to the The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ community:

* World Character Transfer: Started on Elendilmir but all your friends are on Nimrodel? Turbine can now move your character from one LOTRO world to another! Your character stays intact, retaining all of its stats, items, levels, titles, and other information. The fee to transfer your character from one server to another is $24.95 per move.*
* Character Rename: Wish you’d picked a different name, but have come too far to re-roll? Characters can now be renamed for a fee of $9.95 per name change.*
* Kinship Rename: Kinships can now be renamed for a fee of $12.95 per change.* You must be the leader of your Kinship to change the name!

For more information, visit the official post from LOTRO.