Essence Gear

xD_Gaming

Essence gear begins to show up  in the later levels towards Gondor. In short it is a way to enhance you gear through slottable "essenece" . Essense come in all kinds of flavors. The start around a rank 5 and go up to rank 12 I believe but I could be wrong.

An Essence is essentially a way to hone in your character's your role. So as tank I could  have piece of gear with 2 essence slots, they could be a tier 9 with +4k block and maybe +3k tactical mitigation. 

Gear can have up to 4 essence slots 

Essences can be crafted as well and I believe that is when the higher ranks will come in. 

The thing to keep in mind is when stacking, you will have a hard cap. So a hard cap on Critical Defense is 80%, so you can't have more then an overall score of 80% on that cap. SO each class will have it's own hard cap for every attribute from vitality, might , to Tactical Mastery ect. 

Essence is one of better enhance modules of seen in mmorpg's in terms of usability and through output

flizzer

I hate essence gear in LOTRO.  Reminds me of the radiance gear years ago.  Granted it is not gated behind dungeons but still dislike.

flizzer

I have multiple characters and I think I only use on one.

Torval

Essences could be rad. They were a response to the community requesting better stat flexibility on gear. Gear used to come with static bonuses. After a few baby steps (like crafting stat options) we got essences. The problem being the system is clunky, grindy, and gated amongst a few other things. It's just not fun or engaging to do, sort of like how LIs evolved. That system could have been so interesting.

Mendel

I don't know that Essences are all that essential to the LotRO game.  In my off-and-on 8+ years with the game, I've only ever come across 1 drop of armor that actually has slots.  Granted, I'm a filthy casual with no character above 80th level, but the drop rates of this type of gear is seemingly off-the-scale rare, making almost all other gear far more accessible.  It's easier to grind to Kindred with a faction and get a nice set of armor than to try to grind armor.

Maybe slotted gear is something for the very high levels, but it really doesn't impact me at all.

(The one item I got was a Light Armor jacket.  That character finding it wore Medium Armor.  Still, it's in an alts vault, waiting in case he ever gets ambitious and levels up to 65th level).

Scorchien

Essence is terrible  and an abused system by SSG , that needs to go away

xD_Gaming

great feed back, I disagree with most of it and love the system as is. Every stat is available, itr can be from drop or crafted it is far beyond a better system in any mmo to date .  

From most of the generic repsonses,  most of the people haven't played LotRO in awhile.

Scorchien

Prime_Directive said:

great feed back, I disagree with most of it and love the system as is. Every stat is available, itr can be from drop or crafted it is far beyond a better system in any mmo to date .  

From most of the generic repsonses,  most of the people haven't played LotRO in awhile.

i was an Internal Tech Tester for LOTRO have played since day one have done all end game raiding ... and Essence system is shit and needs to die..just like when we told them the Rad system was shit and needed to die

 You are new to it ....

xD_Gaming

Scorchien said:

Prime_Directive said:

great feed back, I disagree with most of it and love the system as is. Every stat is available, itr can be from drop or crafted it is far beyond a better system in any mmo to date .  

From most of the generic repsonses,  most of the people haven't played LotRO in awhile.

i was an Internal Tech Tester for LOTRO have played since day one have done all end game raiding ... and Essence system is shit and needs to die..just like when we told them the Rad system was shit and needed to die

 You are new to it ....

Neat story : I'm closed beta 2 -> Lifetime Subscriber -> 12 year vet -> Has max Level currently

No need to reply to my thread, you are blocked. 

Mendel

I played today.   About my usual, 2 hours.  Was working on to complete some factions on my 5 characters.  My main is in Forochel, roaming through hoards of greys for deeds and rep.  My favorite is in Moria, at his level, and about to max out the second dwarven faction -- Miners or Guards, I forget which.  My captain was in Surtur today -- everything was red, but he managed to burn through a Dourhands deed and most of a Beasts deed, then rode to Riverdale (long ride without Swift Travel).  I'm trying to amass some TPs to consider a new area, as I'm about through with Mirkwood.

None of the responses in this thread indicate that these people haven't played in awhile.  That's a conclusion you managed to pull from thin air.

Maybe you find the slotted armor system good and useful.  Many people don't.  Some of them just disagreed with your opinion in this thread.  Doesn't mean you're opinion is wrong or right, only that they have different opinions than the one you expressed.  Glad you're happy with the system as is.  It wouldn't faze me if that particular system was removed from tomorrow.  I'm happy with my faction gear earned in Mirkwood.

Perhaps I'd like the system a bit more if it were more readily available across all levels.

xD_Gaming

I like this thread of how the essence gear is so terrible, but not one mother fucking example why . #trollsGetBlocked

gervaise1

Prime_Directive said:

I like this thread of how the essence gear is so terrible, but not one mother fucking example why . #trollsGetBlocked

You seem to be talking about level 9 essences? Not entirely sure but you mention Gondor. Anyway essence gear is not "terribe" just "mostly useless".

Disclaimer: this applies to non-Legendary servers. So as just said essence gear is "mostly useless". This includes the aforesaid level 9 Gondor gear, everything that came before as well as level 10 and - less so - level 11.

Its meaningless in the sense that unless you turn off levelling there is no point focusing on having the "best" gear at that level because you will out level it. Only at max level does gear really matter. Level 11 may help with the last few drops - or level 10 etc. - hence the "less so" bit.

Pre-100 drops are rare. Less rare with Helm's Deep but you will out level the gear before you get the essences.

At 100 the level 9 stuff used to be much more common partly because crafting got a revamp and partly because there were multiple level 100 DLCs. So level 9 was cap for quite a while. And decent gear was available on the AH - cheaply available as well (I made sure of that on Crick!). And Big Battles were run frequently. So lots of essence drops, lots of stuff on the AH. There was a vibrancy. 

Now that hasn't been the case for a while. And - as with earlier essences - no point focusing. There is a huge amount of level 100 content with many quests that will take you well beyond level 100. Just equip the drops. 

Maybe you will use some level 10 essences - flowers or Tokens of the Lake and Rivers - but that will depend on when you visit Mordor. What gear you have will depend on what you decide to do. You can get to 115 without doing Mordor. Stopping in any area to focus on "all the content in a zone" will almost always take you well past cap. And that is before all the festivals etc. And from 115 you can go to 120. So maybe you have Mordor drops, or some level 10 essence gear, or some Lakeside gear or probably a mixture.

At max level you will start to focus. 

So are essences bad? 

The essence system is what it is. Neither good or bad. The "problem" is how the approach changed with Mordor; the change to drops, to crafting, to the way that stuff - gear and essences - is acquired. It took on a very "solo" feel. The game - imo - lost something.

I have all professions maxed, fully guilded; many unopened boxes with essences and gear - including unopened level 12 gold essences. 

I know why Mordor introduced Black Steel Keys etc. And yes changes have been made  but ...... (added summary) basically essences don't matter pre-120 whilst at 120 all that matters is what you need to do to open the "boxes".

The stench of Mordor lingers. 

xD_Gaming

gervaise1 said:

 ...

I finished Mordor.

I'm on the "Black Book" quest Line now at the Lonely Mountain. I'm sure it will get me bback to Mordor at some point but all zone content in Mordor I've already completed. Maybe I was speaking a different language when I typed "I'm level 120" 

 everything you said, from my playing the game was 100% false. Still waiting for  the bad part. Repeating how it is bad without actual fact of an example of essence  % or type of essence is still negated in the arguments

I'm level 120, level 9 essences are a huge boost to my stats with the reward gear I'm getting to prepare for the dungeons. 

All you did was repeat about out leveling gear, you can reapply new essence int he character pannel by dragging the armor intro the essence icon and overwriting.

xD_Gaming

since you guys are all maxed out can you post the screenshots of your maxed out characters and essences that are bad ? It might give me a better understanding. 

Mendel

Prime_Directive said:

I like this thread of how the essence gear is so terrible, but not one mother fucking example why . #trollsGetBlocked

Ah.  The internet.  Anyone with a different opinion gets blocked and insulted.  That's not conducive to a discussion, and last I checked, this was a discussion forum.

You also seem to have your social media confused, by your use of a hashtag.  Maybe it makes you feel better about yourself, or maybe it impresses some people.  Consider me unimpressed.

xD_Gaming

I don't see anything wrong with it. I like I can choose what I can put into the slot. Output won't be so cookiecutter.

xD_Gaming

More Facts 
Crafting Tier 4 lvl 120 essences

Po_gg

Prime_Directive said:

gervaise1 said:

    ...

everything you said, from my playing the game was 100% false. Still waiting for  the bad part.

I believe the core issue lays in "good" and "bad" are relative, depends on your tolerance level.

The review of gervaise was actually pretty accurate. Torval's parallel with LIs was a good one as well.

Just like the LI, the Essence system was a good idea originally (I liked its flexibility), with an ok-ish implementation. Unfortunately it was then left behind while the game expanded, so after a while it ended up in a grindy mess of a state.

For a fair share of players that is considered as "bad", for others it ain't.

Some even love the grind, we aren't all alike, and that's fine. What's important is to find fun in the games you play, the way you play. If you like the essence system, good for you.

xD_Gaming

SO the core argument is "its too hard / grind" ... lol. People dont know what grind is  or live in a /o/ world to long that is for sure   . This is a walk int he park compared to BDO.

lahnmir

At OP, I don´t really understand why you posted this in the Discussion section. You don´t want a discussion, you want to be right. So here you go: You have the right opinion, others have the wrong opinion /end thread.

/Cheers,
Lahnmir

xD_Gaming

lahnmir said:

At OP, I don´t really understand why you posted this in the Discussion section. You don´t want a discussion, you want to be right. So here you go: You have the right opinion, others have the wrong opinion /end thread.

/Cheers,
Lahnmir

I agree. At first I didn't understand why people were jumping on this "essence is garbage"  train. Now I understand from a post earlier that  people find it to be too "hard" or too "grindy" to get top tier essences. It takes too "much time" ... this is when I realized it wasn't about the essence system at all, but about their devotion to lazy game modes created in v/o\v 


My initial discussion was to talk about eessence in the game for those who didn't know about them, not to discuss how "hard"  it was to get top tier essences. Then again, what was I thinking, in the era of communication....

you are 100% right on the money.


For the record: Being a lazy gamer from my perspective is not a proponent of a bad game design.

gervaise1

Prime_Directive said:

gervaise1 said:

 ...

I finished Mordor.

I'm on the "Black Book" quest Line now at the Lonely Mountain. I'm sure it will get me bback to Mordor at some point but all zone content in Mordor I've already completed. Maybe I was speaking a different language when I typed "I'm level 120" 

 everything you said, from my playing the game was 100% false. Still waiting for  the bad part. Repeating how it is bad without actual fact of an example of essence  % or type of essence is still negated in the arguments

I'm level 120, level 9 essences are a huge boost to my stats with the reward gear I'm getting to prepare for the dungeons. 

All you did was repeat about out leveling gear, you can reapply new essence int he character pannel by dragging the armor intro the essence icon and overwriting.

False? You did exactly what I said most people do. You missed out on the level 10 and level 11 essences. Clearly you couldn't take the grind! (Also shows how easy Mordor is now .. level 9 essences! - not the Abyss Raids as well I hope!) 

You clearly didn't read that I said the essence system is what it is; neither good or bad. I am however glad that you enjoyed version that existed at level 9. (Before which it was grinding for rare gear and grinding for rare random drops).  

Post-Mordor however the essence system changed. Based on what you have said - and I am sure you will correct me if I am in error - it doesn't look like you have experienced what it now is. You may even believe its like what it used to be for level 9 essences?   

Suffice to say its not the same. And when you have tried it I think you will answer your own question about what the "bad" part is.

Things have been tweaked - several times now - so you won't suffer the unabated horror that some of us have gone through but ...

the stench of Mordor still lingers. 

xD_Gaming

gervaise1 said:

Prime_Directive said:

gervaise1 said:

 ...

I finished Mordor.

I'm on the "Black Book" quest Line now at the Lonely Mountain. I'm sure it will get me bback to Mordor at some point but all zone content in Mordor I've already completed. Maybe I was speaking a different language when I typed "I'm level 120" 

 everything you said, from my playing the game was 100% false. Still waiting for  the bad part. Repeating how it is bad without actual fact of an example of essence  % or type of essence is still negated in the arguments

I'm level 120, level 9 essences are a huge boost to my stats with the reward gear I'm getting to prepare for the dungeons. 

All you did was repeat about out leveling gear, you can reapply new essence int he character pannel by dragging the armor intro the essence icon and overwriting.

False? You did exactly what I said most people do. You missed out on the level 10 and level 11 essences. Clearly you couldn't take the grind! (Also shows how easy Mordor is now .. level 9 essences! - not the Abyss Raids as well I hope!) 

You clearly didn't read that I said the essence system is what it is; neither good or bad. I am however glad that you enjoyed version that existed at level 9. (Before which it was grinding for rare gear and grinding for rare random drops).  

Post-Mordor however the essence system changed. Based on what you have said - and I am sure you will correct me if I am in error - it doesn't look like you have experienced what it now is. You may even believe its like what it used to be for level 9 essences?   

Suffice to say its not the same. And when you have tried it I think you will answer your own question about what the "bad" part is.

Things have been tweaked - several times now - so you won't suffer the unabated horror that some of us have gone through but ...

the stench of Mordor still lingers. 

How can I miss something that never existed for me. Tier 4 essence is lvl 120 essence which I posted an image of , craftable. 

Being mad at something doesn'trr exist is kind of a reduncy on your part, not mine.

gervaise1

Prime_Directive said:

gervaise1 said:

Prime_Directive said:

gervaise1 said:

 ...

I finished Mordor.

I'm on the "Black Book" quest Line now at the Lonely Mountain. I'm sure it will get me bback to Mordor at some point but all zone content in Mordor I've already completed. Maybe I was speaking a different language when I typed "I'm level 120" 

 everything you said, from my playing the game was 100% false. Still waiting for  the bad part. Repeating how it is bad without actual fact of an example of essence  % or type of essence is still negated in the arguments

I'm level 120, level 9 essences are a huge boost to my stats with the reward gear I'm getting to prepare for the dungeons. 

All you did was repeat about out leveling gear, you can reapply new essence int he character pannel by dragging the armor intro the essence icon and overwriting.

False? You did exactly what I said most people do. You missed out on the level 10 and level 11 essences. Clearly you couldn't take the grind! (Also shows how easy Mordor is now .. level 9 essences! - not the Abyss Raids as well I hope!) 

You clearly didn't read that I said the essence system is what it is; neither good or bad. I am however glad that you enjoyed version that existed at level 9. (Before which it was grinding for rare gear and grinding for rare random drops).  

Post-Mordor however the essence system changed. Based on what you have said - and I am sure you will correct me if I am in error - it doesn't look like you have experienced what it now is. You may even believe its like what it used to be for level 9 essences?   

Suffice to say its not the same. And when you have tried it I think you will answer your own question about what the "bad" part is.

Things have been tweaked - several times now - so you won't suffer the unabated horror that some of us have gone through but ...

the stench of Mordor still lingers. 

How can I miss something that never existed for me. Tier 4 essence is lvl 120 essence which I posted an image of , craftable. 

Being mad at something doesn'trr exist is kind of a reduncy on your part, not mine.

Level 12? What I said is that you missed level 10 and level 11 and that either the grind was to much for you or .... people can just skip over stuff when leveling!

Now - since you felt the need to tell me (again!) that level 12 essences can be crafted - I obviously need to repeat that I have a full set of crafters - every profession - at max crafting level, fully guilded. Every profession.

I know. I have crafted them. And I know what it entails to craft them. You don't? 

Mordor introduced a "loot box" approach. When it first came out the best gear was only - only - available from lock boxes!

Now that is o longer the case but the fact (taint!) remains: SSG really - really - want people to buy Black Steel Keys. They don't want is for people being able to readily craft gear. They would scrap Embers if they could as well! As a result what you have is not "grind" but an "endless treadmill" - which at some point pales.



Now you mentioned that you want to try raiding. Some great content. Hope you go for it. However: 

You will - will - need to upgrade your level 9 essences - they are trivial at 120; you can't get away with being underpowered in the same way youi can when doing landscape stuff. It may be worth getting some level 11 essences on the way.

You will also need to upgrade your LIs. If you haven't raided they will be weaker than expected - for top tier raids in particular.  

Discord is good if you haven't already joined.


Have fun. And remember that those of us who post in the LotR forum have been around a while and "like" the game. I feel confident in saying that the few "old LotR regulars here" are happy for you. Your post about essences though would have been fine when the level cap was 100 but its not what the (end) system is today. 

xD_Gaming

gervaise1 said:

....

I got a level 11 tier 2 on a trash mob in the Iron hills,  what are you even talking about. I don't do discord, ever. How can something be "to hard for me" when I am following the content. At this point you are literally talking out your ass to get rise out of me and i'm done communicating with you.