Leap Year

Highlights: A Year of Inactivity

Hunter Changes: June 4th, 2018 Update 22.2 introduced various class changes. The captain received a single line of change, but my poor hunter was never the same. I figured I would enjoy the rumored hunter changes. That is why I made sure she was level 105 and ready to go in Udun. Mordor was never easy but I knew I could handle myself. I was wrong. My beloved "Barrage" ability now had a 2-second cooldown per shot, and a 15-second reset cooldown (since there are three tiers of the ability). Deadly Precision was moved up the redline tree so I couldn't double dip my focus returns. "Swift Release" was moved to redline and replaced with a near-worthless ability "Hunters Voice." Another ability that reduced inductions "Quick Draw" was moved to redline and replaced with increased damage for focus abilities. I understand that a blue-line hunter was now more flexible when it came to mobility but my survivability dropped significantly when trying to balance the damage of my primary ability into other skills. I was devastated. I didn't even want to come back when "Where Dragons Dwell" was released October 9, 2018 Update 23.

Game Concerns: Right around December is when I usually went online for gaming bonuses. This was when I was doing the math in my head and realized that I might be losing that premium house I spent so many mithril points on. Currently a house can be paid up to 26 weeks (6 months) in advance, locked 30 days, and foreclosed for 90 days. Fortunately I made it back just in time. Though I never really started playing the game outside the festivals until around the month of May. News started to circulate about Vales of Anduin on Bullroarer. Amusingly exactly one year later June 4th, 2019 Update 24 SSG released the new zone. I thought it was long enough and decided to try my hunter again. I don't know if it was the various tweaks over the year, a significant nerf to Mordor, or the virtue changes in the latest patch - things were fun again (easily so). The guild was still going as if nothing ever changed. Elaelin was still getting lost doing deeds in whatever region. Smelly was still goofy as ever. SLOTRO was now at level 75 in Isengard. I felt as I did in September 2017 before buying all those Gondorian quest packs.

   

Black Book of Mordor: I mentioned long ago that "Chapter 1 has you chasing after an object without telling you what it is exactly. Brilliantly, the object is different for every class!" Well for Fanrel's class, the hunter, I chased after the Heirloom of the Tribes. Mithrandir sends me to a warrior in Lhanuch, who sends me to Galtrav, and yet back to a tailor in Lhanuch. This leads me into discovering the real story behind the Needle of Many Leagues.

   

2019-06-22