Yes I'm bored. Bored because for some reason I download patches through the client at dial-up speeds. So I'm using this time to write up my thoughts on the Legendaries.

If you havn't read part 1, then you're going to be lost in the terminology.

Every MMO game I have played has something called an infinite experience system. Usually not built in at first, this system is put in after an expansion or two, but always put in. Everquest put it in during Luclin, and LOTRO has put it in for Moria. What is it? Its a set of levels or ranks where there is no end. You spend the points on abilities, or in LOTRO's case on items, but you essentially never stop gaining experience. I am not a fan of infinite experience systems.

The system in LOTRO is pretty cool so far though. While they advertise that you will have a weapon level with you and keep with you as you make your journey as you go, but actually you'll be changing a ton. In fact you should get rid of your first one as soon as you can because it will not level in your bags, only your hand. If you get dependent on it like some I've seen, you really miss out later on. So no, you can't get too attached because you're obviously going to find better ones to level. A 52's bow might take 6 Legacy upgrades before its equal footing with a 55's base Legacy power.

Recently they let us choose between 2 randomly selected legacies at 20, 30, 50. This gives us alot more customization than you'd think. We almost never get throw away legacies anymore that do not fit how you are styled, or are too stupid to ever use anyway. And that's the first flaw with the system, useless skills. I know its there to make you change weapons and keep that grinding, but I still hate it. There are some bonuses for every class that will make you scratch your head, or even pissed. Imagine leveling a weapon to 50, taking you maybe a month or more, and suddenly you get a bonus to non-movement stealth... very very lame.

So alot of complaining eh? Well that's the bad stuff. Let me get to the good stuff. I love legendaries, I really do. Their grinding reward is much better than deeds, and you do not have to go to a specific place to grind them like you do deeds, so it just kind of happens while you play. Their looks are a notch above the usual stuff I've seen in LOTRO, and much better than the stuff before Moria.

Also, there are Legendary Instances. Whole instances for solo or 3 man use that give lots of legendary weapon experience, and also allow you to alter the weapon at the end. These instances require a consumable, but these consumables drop plenty. These instances probably take 30 minutes to an hour, but are really easy to start and a nice time waster if you're waiting on your groups to get together.

I am just starting to reach some powerful legendaries also. I am finally seeing what all the effort is worth. At first I wasn't sure, but I had just been looking at my Kin's weapons which they hadn't spent much time on, or even replaced. The bows I am seeing now are really astonishing and worth the effort. So stick with the system if you're being underwhelmed, work the system for you and you'll find a few you'll like. Till then just rank them up to around 11 and decon them for the xp gems to use later on a LI worth using.(Legendary Item = LI).

The system is obviously evolving to give us more customizations as they see people using them more and more. People using lesser quality weapons because they aren't screwed over by bad legacies are leading to them giving us more control. I do not think there is any worry of us leveling them too fast, so customization would be great. Especially on the looks end of the deal, I'd like to be able to choose the look of my weapons.

There, I'm done with the Legendary items posts. Disjointed and less organized than I like to write things, but its hard to pin these items down. Just so much to talk about with them, so complex w/o being a Rube Goldberg, that its hard to even describe them. You just have to play them.

For an infinite experience system I have to say this one actually seems fun.

Ok guys, the mechanics of Legendaries are very complicated to just explain without you playing them. In fact, the whole first book in Moria is about explaining them to you. So lets try the basics

WHAT ARE LEGENDARIES?

Legendaries are items and weapons from a bygone era. When you get them they are mysterious at first, so you bring them to a Forge-Master to have them identified. These weapons come with random Legacies already attached. Lore wise, these are supposed to reflect the person that once held your weapon, though it just means they randomly pick the first couple of legacies you have.

Now unlike some thought, you can not just dual wield legendaries, they are main hand only. Meaning if you don't use a 2-hander, then you can only have 1 legendary and one non-legendary in your hands. You do, however, get a 2nd legendary you can wear. Examples include belts for Guardians, bows for hunters, and books for lore-masters.

LEGACIES? WHAT?

Ok, I posted a picture you can find in my picture sets of the Legendary Item windows. Legacies are abilities your weapons get that augment your special attacks. Adding to their critical success, having them cost less power, maybe extending a skill, tons of different ones. I think it is something like 40 different legacies for each class or something like that. Don't quote the number. You can not choose them, but you can choose which to level up with legacy item points you get when a weapon levels.

You can see that when an item levels it gets 10 Legacy points, and you spend them upgrading your legacy. In the picture above you can see that I've Ranked the DPS legacy up by a factor of 4. The Induction bow critical by 2, the others I've left them. When you reforge an item you can refund your LP's to do them over in case you get a better legacy.

The Relic side of the picture shows you 3 slots on your weapon. These you have control over. You choose which ones go in there. Settings are where gems fit, and usually they just have stats. Gems are better, and usually have stats and an ability raiser, they go into the setting. Runes are presumably on the hilt or the blade, and they are the most powerful, granting resistances, morale, power, and big stats. Now, currently they do not change the actual look of the weapon but a dev said they would like to put that in one day. Now you can only have one of each slotted, you can't slot 3 settings for example. You upgrade them by getting 5 of a kind and upping their power at a Relic-master.

WHOA WHOA LEVEL?

Yes your weapons level. Look at my picture, the weapon featured is level 10/30. The max level is higher, but I have to reforge at 30. I actually reforged it at 10. When you get to a reforging level, you get to remove all your Relics, you gain a Legacy or 2, and you can rename them. Lore-wise it is supposed to mean your wielding of the item gives it your own legacies, but you have no control on what the legacies are.

The way they level is easy, alot it in the 1-6 slots, and turn their leveling on. Every time you kill something, you get 1/2 of its xp in Item xp. This item xp is then split among however many of the 6 legendaries you have leveling turn on with. If you look at the tabs, each legendary is colored. Then in your inventory they have a nice box around them of that color. Makes it easier to tell which weapons you have where. So obviously leveling 6 items at once is slow cause it splits your item xp 6 ways, so you have to decide how you want to do it.

DAMAGE TYPES
What you can't see, because I don't have one with it, is that weapons get titles just like players do. Except the weapon titles actually affect the stats of a weapon. Troll-slayer will probably make it Westernesse damage, and have +3 to troll racial types.

You get these by doing quests, some are solo, some are group instances that let you get special titles you can give to your weapon.

In a few days I'll post my review and thoughts of Legendaries.

Eregion is a new area off of Trollshaws. Those wishing to get into Moria must first pass this gigantic outside zone. I believe only the Shire and Bree-land is as large. It is definitely larger than North Downs and Lone Lands. If you discount the water of Evendim and Forochel, it is even larger than them.

First off, the place looks amazing. With the new filter used in DX9, the images are as crisp as those I see in DX10. The lighting is also getting better in DX9, though not as nice as DX10. Eregion looks to be based mainly on New England deciduous forests. It is obviously fall with the leaves turning all shades of brown, gold and red. It is very striking and my favorite forest in a game, not just MMO, but all games. Somehow it combines the overwhelming amount of trees that Warcraft has, with the realistic look and openess of LOTRO. To the east is Redhorn pass and its snowy trails, and near the south it takes a weird turn into southwest US like territory. Throughout are the Elven ruins which look amazing and a welcome change from the human ruins you see in the old world.

Storywise, it isn't really clear why the elves are here. There are 4 main elf camps that recently sprung up after the events of book 14, but there is no reason really given. To me personally, it looks like the Dwarves want to get into Moria, and the Elves want a piece of the action. With the recent animosity that elves have shown dwarves, I would almost think their actions would start a war between the two... but alas this isn't brought up or dealt with in game. Ignoring that, you follow the trails of the fellowship as they move through this area. You find camps with pipeweed and other articles left behind, and even see the Burnt Tor where Gandalf and crew fought wargs and wolves. An oft forgotten part of the tail that is one of my favorite parts.

On the Questing side of things, itemization seems pretty good. Anyone not in full Rift Teals should find things they would like to wear and use. There are 4 main questing hubs in this area, and many many quests available to do. I think the average level 50 player would get to 53 with almost no effort, even if they skipped a few quests in the area. The place is massive and if you're waiting for Moria to thin out a little before you proceed, you will find plenty to do here.

Sadly most in my Kin have skipped this area. They went strait into the mines and havn't set foot outside since. They are missing out on a really well put together area. Eregion is probably my favorite zone in game to date.

I should have some screenshots up of the area soon.

Not many updates.

I joined an awesome Kinship called Legion of Moonlit Knights.

I still have my kinhouse from the old Kin with one of my alts as the leader. I've finished everything in Shadows of Angmar, and am waiting for Moria to be released soon.

i'll do some more screenshots soon. I have pictures of my Kinhouse which I dressed up like a Hunting Lodge. I also have some new pictures of Annuminas.

After my time in Conan I come back to LOTRO to find that my old guild was basically disbanded. I left them today, and do wish them good luck, but 90% of the time I was the only person online. Looks like what Conan couldn't keep, Stargate has taken.

Likewise I'm the only active one in my own guild, Black Snow Sky, since Valeira has not come back to LOTRO with me. I cleared out his chest in the Kinhouse, but I left his office as it was. It will now serve as my office.

My goal is to finish Forochel's quests and the Imlad quests of Angmar this week. That will leave me with just Epic quests and Instance quests before the expansion.

So Story side:
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While trying to aid the Eldgang in the Rift, a darker evil was awakened. This darker evil had not been prepared for by Skypp and his allies. Few made it out alive. Skypp turned to the north, hearing about the Lossoth in Farochel, and has decided to go there and try and find himself again. There's alot of pain in losing one's allies, and he's trying to ground himself for the inevitable return to destroy the evil he saw unleashed.