LOTRO : Tough Book 8 Instances

I could just maybe be nearing another 'burnout phase' for LOTRO as I seem to be playing it less and less. With no new areas planned on the horizon all I have to work with is the new Book 8 epic quest chain and the various end game instances a lot of which I have not even tried yet.

But the population of the server seems to be going through a burnout and it is infectious. When most of the kin is unwilling to partake in any group quests and even the global channel is quiet what can one do after a couple of hours of boredom except log off?

Anyhow I have been struggling through Book 8 and I think it is possibly the toughest book yet and I have only reached Chapter 5!


Chapter 1 is a very though solo instance as reported in my previous post. Chapter 2 is just an A to B to C quest. Chapter 3 is a very tough 3 man instance followed by another tough 3 man instance for Chapter 4.

I like the fact the epic chain integrates with areas that are actually stand alone instances in their own right - though that could be considered as economic development. But these new 3 manners are so tough you actually need a Lore Master and a Minstrel to supplement the third person. If you are a heavy armour user expect the usual 700 Silver repair bill at the end of a tough session.

I'm not sure if the difficulty is actually a good thing or not, but the frustrating thing is finding a caster and a healer to do the run when everyone is in holiday season.

I have also been enjoying Secret of Monkey Island SE - lovely funny game well worth £7. I'll blog more about it when I have finished it.

In non-LOTRO gaming I have recently bought Braid a lovely old-school style puzzle-platformer for Xbox Live Arcade. Very charming and nostalgic with very tough time warping puzzles.

I also tried the new Free-to-play Battlefield Heroes which is a lot of fun, as you would expect Battlefield multiplayer warplay in a nice and bright cartoon landscape. Had trouble getting into the game last time I tried though...

In LOTRO Book 8 has provided lots of new content :

A fully fledged 12-man raid comparable to The Rift
Some new 3-man instances which are always welcome
A tough but enjoyable new epic chapter

Chapter 1 is quite a tough solo instance, took me a few goes to complete which is unusual for solo instances. Next up is Chapter 3 which requires me to visit one of the 3-man instances Hall of Mirrors.

The Champion's nerf hit home last night as I was unable to aggro the Hard Mode boss in the Grand Stair which I used to be able to do. Ah well just as well I already have the radiance boots. :)