Level cap increases add nothing of real lasting value to a game. Adding more content which is in line with the current level cap is more appropriate and in the end wiser. New content expands on the game world and fleshes it out. New content expands the story line and makes it more meaningful. You don't need a level cap increase to add more content or more areas to explore.
Level cap increases in the end are only a band aid which unless you keep cranking up levels every 6 months does nothing for the game and eventually puts it out of reach for new players. I hope Turbine sticks to their guns and instead adds more meaningful content that creates a living and breathing game world rather then catering to the bored OCD types who's motto is "Go..go...go...go level up fast now". These people cannot not be pleased ever and frankly should IMHO stick to pointless Asian MMO grinders.
P.S. Also another side effect of level cap increase is the trivialization of previous content. Oh great now you are a higher level then the Witch King and can solo one shot him. Wow thanks for destroying any sense of immersion and meaningful storyline/npc characters there was in the game.
I agree with the majority here, adding levels don't really help out the whole of the game, the vast majority of people who will appluad a move like this will likely consume that content in a matter of days. Then what?
I am not telling anyone how to play, but I am telling that type of player just because you race to complete leveling up doesn't mean the devlopers should deprioritize improving horizontal play to the game to appease you.
End-game MMO players commonly miss traits in this game. My 40 Hunter was grouped with some 45-50 Kinship players for some quests, and a 46 hunter in the group kept remarking that I was hitting more often, and for a higher average damage than he was, even though he had a better bow. After some discussion, it turned out he never worked on traits in the rush to level up. Traits can really make a difference in a close battle.
But in reality, look at where LotRO is compared to most MMO's this soon after release. It is less than a year old. Many games are still working on stability and game breaking bug issues in the first year. Anyone remember what WoW was lilke the first year? Or SWG? <shiver> Unfortunately, I remember those and others.
IMHO, Turbine has done an amazing job with not only the launch, but with providing regular updates and content additions.
If you hit the level cap, start another character of a different race and class. You will find there are completely different quests, different traits, different equipment, and different style of playing.
And as far as level 200 as the OP asked... I hope they never go that far.
Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens. J. R. R. Tolkien
Very good decision for level cap increase is "infinity" or "impossible to reach" levels. You can see it in EVE online (15 years to learn ALL skills), Asheron's Call (a lot of levels), Entropia Universe (Skills without caps).
In LoTRO it can be infinite increase of required XP per level. Lets say:
Level 51 requires twice more XP as from 49 to 50
Level 52 requires 4x
Level 53 requires 8X
54 - 16x
55 - 32x
56 - 64x
57 - 128x
58 - 256x
59 - 512x
60 - 1024x
This way level 60 will be virtually unreachable but game will still give players a way to level-up.
My 2 cents is let the game grow first before you as for a higher level. Besides as soon as they increase the level cap you will just want another level increase and while ~ godmode is cool on a single player game nobody should be stronger by themselfs than the top npc in the game.
Always the crying for a level cap increase. Whenever a game has a level cap increase then all the crying begins that now all the "high level gear acquired" or the "raid dungeons that existed before the increase" are "useless now" or "I can't believe I spent all that time and now they made it seem like a waste of time". I think a lot of people playing MMO's don't know how to play them. It's not a race to the end in an MMO...its a game to immerse yourself, make some friends and enjoy what the MMO world has to offer. Is your real life so boring that you have to race to the end of every and any MMO that comes out and then whine when you get there? What are you doing in reality where there is no level cap increase? When ("IF") you turn your face away from the monitor reality is really going to smack you hard.
And who are you to tell people how to play there games? I am not saying raise the cap but its stupid for someone to tell another how to play a game to enjoy it. Everyone plays a game diffrently depending on how they enjoy it. Your way does not make it the right way or the only way. Get off your highhorse and open up your mind alittle. You want to talk about reality, the reality is what is fun for you is NOT fun for another.
Well, I don't know about the whole "not knowing how to play a MMO", but I do agree with the point about racing to the end-game and then complaining when they get there.
It's gotten to the point where it's like that definition of insanity.. "Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result".
It is a pattern you see in MMOs. Look at the posts of people who are interested in a new MMO. What are some of the most common questions? "What's the level cap?" "How long does it take to get to end game?" "Is there alot of end-game content?" "Is it too late for a new player to start? Can I ever catch up to those who've been playing longer?"
People haven't even bought the game yet, much less created their first level one character, and they're already concerned about what they're going to be doing at level cap and how long it'll take to get there. Many people are very much end-game obsessed.
Many people will find ways to power-level through the game because otherwise they feel they're not leveling "fast enough", instead of just playing and enjoying the game and letting the levels come as they may.
I mean there's example after example of how people are single-mindedly focused on end-game and only end-game. Simply observing their behavior and play habits proves this out.
I do agree with ArcaneMarine in a sense.. I don't think I'd say "they don't know how to play", but I do think that some people come at MMOs with a very console mentality. Console games are largely about beating the game. There's a definitive point where you've won, and that's the goal you're working for. MMO's by design aren't supposed to end... there's always more content to come along, ideally, until the developer decides they're done with it. They're very much "journey games". So... what's the hurry? You *know* they're going to add more and more content. You know that top armor set you just got isn't going to be the top armor forever. So, why rush through it?
And you do see it time and again... People go into a brand-new MMO, they work to get to end-game as soon as possible, burn through all the content, then get ticked because there's not more to do. I've been in groups with some of these people... you're doing a quest and they get ticked off if you're reading the quest dialog, or not skipping the cut-scene, because they're in a hurry to get it over with, so they can burn through the next one.
-shrug-
I dunno... I have always approached MMOs as games to be experienced completely, not only in terms of how fast you can get to end-game.
That's just me.
"If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road, and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Sadly it mostly depends on game itself, not on players. Game world makes it own community, thats why we have community rating on mmorpg.com. People always the same, world itself can wake up different peoples qualities.
World of Warcraft for example promotes selfishness and greed as well as rush to endgame. In my opinion easy games with more quests than you can handle always promote rush. And LoTRO is not exception.
Sadly it mostly depends on game itself, not on players. Game world makes it own community, thats why we have community rating on mmorpg.com. People always the same, world itself can wake up different peoples qualities. World of Warcraft for example promotes selfishness and greed as well as rush to endgame. In my opinion easy games with more quests than you can handle always promote rush. And LoTRO is not exception.
Well I'll agree with you partly there.
Games can bring out different qualities in people - however, I don't think the game design is always to blame. Sometimes it's people trying to shoe-horn their playstyle (qualities/priorities) into a game that otherwise doesn't readily support it.
Case in point... Final Fantasy XI. That game is most certainly not designed to be rushed through or to be very soloable. It's a long, slow game with tons of content and many, many goals one can set. Yet, people are reducing it more and more to a grind fest, ignoring tons of other content that SE worked hard to design and implement. They're solely obsessed with getting the most xp/hr so they can get to level cap as quickly as possible. Someone actually reached level 75 on Dancer within a week of it being introduced to the game. Why? I have no idea. Just to be able to say "I did it first! I win!", perhaps.
In another example, even though it's a largely group-based game where working with other players is very necessary, people are still very greedy, selfish and opportunistic in FFXI. Even though they needed and received help to achieve their goals, many can't be bothered to help someone else achieve theirs in return. Why? Well, because they're not getting anything out of it (knowing they've been generous enough to help someone else achieve a goal, like someone helped them, is lost on them apparently).
People like to blame SE for how peopl are in that game. "Well if the game design wasn't so flawed, it wouldn't be that way." Yes it would. The game doesn't have ambitions of its own. The people playing it do. And, frankly, SE designed the game exactly the way they wanted it to be. It's not flawed. They simply didn't design it for people whose mantra in life is "Me, me, me. More, more, more. Now, now, now."
Many people just can't get out of the "I have to be better than you" mindset and turn everything into a race to the finish line - even when, as in a MMO - there isn't one... or at best, it's always moving.
"If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road, and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Comments
Level cap increases add nothing of real lasting value to a game. Adding more content which is in line with the current level cap is more appropriate and in the end wiser. New content expands on the game world and fleshes it out. New content expands the story line and makes it more meaningful. You don't need a level cap increase to add more content or more areas to explore.
Level cap increases in the end are only a band aid which unless you keep cranking up levels every 6 months does nothing for the game and eventually puts it out of reach for new players. I hope Turbine sticks to their guns and instead adds more meaningful content that creates a living and breathing game world rather then catering to the bored OCD types who's motto is "Go..go...go...go level up fast now". These people cannot not be pleased ever and frankly should IMHO stick to pointless Asian MMO grinders.
P.S. Also another side effect of level cap increase is the trivialization of previous content. Oh great now you are a higher level then the Witch King and can solo one shot him. Wow thanks for destroying any sense of immersion and meaningful storyline/npc characters there was in the game.
I agree with the majority here, adding levels don't really help out the whole of the game, the vast majority of people who will appluad a move like this will likely consume that content in a matter of days. Then what?
I am not telling anyone how to play, but I am telling that type of player just because you race to complete leveling up doesn't mean the devlopers should deprioritize improving horizontal play to the game to appease you.
Great suggestions on "advancing" a character.
End-game MMO players commonly miss traits in this game. My 40 Hunter was grouped with some 45-50 Kinship players for some quests, and a 46 hunter in the group kept remarking that I was hitting more often, and for a higher average damage than he was, even though he had a better bow. After some discussion, it turned out he never worked on traits in the rush to level up. Traits can really make a difference in a close battle.
But in reality, look at where LotRO is compared to most MMO's this soon after release. It is less than a year old. Many games are still working on stability and game breaking bug issues in the first year. Anyone remember what WoW was lilke the first year? Or SWG? <shiver> Unfortunately, I remember those and others.
IMHO, Turbine has done an amazing job with not only the launch, but with providing regular updates and content additions.
If you hit the level cap, start another character of a different race and class. You will find there are completely different quests, different traits, different equipment, and different style of playing.
And as far as level 200 as the OP asked... I hope they never go that far.
Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Very good decision for level cap increase is "infinity" or "impossible to reach" levels. You can see it in EVE online (15 years to learn ALL skills), Asheron's Call (a lot of levels), Entropia Universe (Skills without caps).
In LoTRO it can be infinite increase of required XP per level. Lets say:
Level 51 requires twice more XP as from 49 to 50
Level 52 requires 4x
Level 53 requires 8X
54 - 16x
55 - 32x
56 - 64x
57 - 128x
58 - 256x
59 - 512x
60 - 1024x
This way level 60 will be virtually unreachable but game will still give players a way to level-up.
My 2 cents is let the game grow first before you as for a higher level. Besides as soon as they increase the level cap you will just want another level increase and while ~ godmode is cool on a single player game nobody should be stronger by themselfs than the top npc in the game.
And who are you to tell people how to play there games? I am not saying raise the cap but its stupid for someone to tell another how to play a game to enjoy it. Everyone plays a game diffrently depending on how they enjoy it. Your way does not make it the right way or the only way. Get off your highhorse and open up your mind alittle. You want to talk about reality, the reality is what is fun for you is NOT fun for another.
Well, I don't know about the whole "not knowing how to play a MMO", but I do agree with the point about racing to the end-game and then complaining when they get there.
It's gotten to the point where it's like that definition of insanity.. "Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result".
It is a pattern you see in MMOs. Look at the posts of people who are interested in a new MMO. What are some of the most common questions? "What's the level cap?" "How long does it take to get to end game?" "Is there alot of end-game content?" "Is it too late for a new player to start? Can I ever catch up to those who've been playing longer?"
People haven't even bought the game yet, much less created their first level one character, and they're already concerned about what they're going to be doing at level cap and how long it'll take to get there. Many people are very much end-game obsessed.
Many people will find ways to power-level through the game because otherwise they feel they're not leveling "fast enough", instead of just playing and enjoying the game and letting the levels come as they may.
I mean there's example after example of how people are single-mindedly focused on end-game and only end-game. Simply observing their behavior and play habits proves this out.
I do agree with ArcaneMarine in a sense.. I don't think I'd say "they don't know how to play", but I do think that some people come at MMOs with a very console mentality. Console games are largely about beating the game. There's a definitive point where you've won, and that's the goal you're working for. MMO's by design aren't supposed to end... there's always more content to come along, ideally, until the developer decides they're done with it. They're very much "journey games". So... what's the hurry? You *know* they're going to add more and more content. You know that top armor set you just got isn't going to be the top armor forever. So, why rush through it?
And you do see it time and again... People go into a brand-new MMO, they work to get to end-game as soon as possible, burn through all the content, then get ticked because there's not more to do. I've been in groups with some of these people... you're doing a quest and they get ticked off if you're reading the quest dialog, or not skipping the cut-scene, because they're in a hurry to get it over with, so they can burn through the next one.
-shrug-
I dunno... I have always approached MMOs as games to be experienced completely, not only in terms of how fast you can get to end-game.
That's just me.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Sadly it mostly depends on game itself, not on players. Game world makes it own community, thats why we have community rating on mmorpg.com. People always the same, world itself can wake up different peoples qualities.
World of Warcraft for example promotes selfishness and greed as well as rush to endgame. In my opinion easy games with more quests than you can handle always promote rush. And LoTRO is not exception.
Well I'll agree with you partly there.
Games can bring out different qualities in people - however, I don't think the game design is always to blame. Sometimes it's people trying to shoe-horn their playstyle (qualities/priorities) into a game that otherwise doesn't readily support it.
Case in point... Final Fantasy XI. That game is most certainly not designed to be rushed through or to be very soloable. It's a long, slow game with tons of content and many, many goals one can set. Yet, people are reducing it more and more to a grind fest, ignoring tons of other content that SE worked hard to design and implement. They're solely obsessed with getting the most xp/hr so they can get to level cap as quickly as possible. Someone actually reached level 75 on Dancer within a week of it being introduced to the game. Why? I have no idea. Just to be able to say "I did it first! I win!", perhaps.
In another example, even though it's a largely group-based game where working with other players is very necessary, people are still very greedy, selfish and opportunistic in FFXI. Even though they needed and received help to achieve their goals, many can't be bothered to help someone else achieve theirs in return. Why? Well, because they're not getting anything out of it (knowing they've been generous enough to help someone else achieve a goal, like someone helped them, is lost on them apparently).
People like to blame SE for how peopl are in that game. "Well if the game design wasn't so flawed, it wouldn't be that way." Yes it would. The game doesn't have ambitions of its own. The people playing it do. And, frankly, SE designed the game exactly the way they wanted it to be. It's not flawed. They simply didn't design it for people whose mantra in life is "Me, me, me. More, more, more. Now, now, now."
Many people just can't get out of the "I have to be better than you" mindset and turn everything into a race to the finish line - even when, as in a MMO - there isn't one... or at best, it's always moving.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops