I Ain't 'Fraid o' No Ghost-- Staying Up 'til Midnight, That I'm Afraid Of

We got to play my much-delayed Ghostbusters campaign last night, which borrowed-but-remixed several elements from the computer game, as well as borrowing the IDW comics series' ghost great white shark into a new scenario of ghostly revenge and redemption. After the bleak cosmic horror of "Buried In a Pinebox," I wanted a lighter scenario that might almost feel like an episode of the animated series, and I think that part worked well.

What didn't work so well, was my time management. I realized we were getting a late start, but I didn't realize just how late it was, so just about the time we had the preliminaries done and were getting into the real meat of the scenario, I looked up at the clock to confirm that it was maybe 8:45 and instead it was 9:30. Aww, crud! Unfortunately, all the dithery parts of the adventure that I probably could have compressed with a little effort were at the beginning: the rest of the scenario was all crunch, which I didn't feel like I could fudge too much without the adventure feeling like it had gone pfft like a firework that doesn't go off.

So, a scenario that I had worried when I was writing it would be an hour too short, ran about an hour too long. Go fig! But the players all seemed to feel like the adventure had moved at a good pace and seemed to have fun, so stayin' up late wasn't so bad a thing. That's what weekends are for, right?

Worst thing about being an adult, is that it's an issue at all. ;P

-The Gneech

Returning to the Original Difficulty

It is no secret that LotRO is easier now than it once was; whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, is up to you. For myself, it's a GREAT thing. But there are people for whom that makes the game seem lessened somehow.

Well, I found an easy way to return the game to a semblance of its original challenge level: consider orange your new "on level" content.

Today, I couldn't bear waiting any more, and so even though Rufaniel was only level 44, I took her to Eregion and did the first round of Gwingris quests (but no tasks, since the task board considers her too low to give her quests). The quests were all orange; the enemies were all either orange or red.

It felt... remarkably like playing Galadhalion back in the old Shadows of Angmar days. Rufaniel held her own for the most part, but that was mostly because I've become a better player than I was then. But just in terms of sheer game mechanics, the amount of hurt I could lay on the monsters, the amount of hurt they laid on me, etc., it felt like the original LotRO.

It was fun for a challenge, and I'm pleased I could get through it all... but I'm very glad the game's not like that by default any more! Being able to choose the difficulty level is a great thing.

-The Gneech