LotRO UI Tweaking

Some of you might recall my post way back when I discussed my current settings on my PC for LotRO. Well in case you don’t, let me refresh your memory.I originally started out with the detect optimal settings for my computer, which it set the graphics to low on about everything. I went in and tweaked a few things, moved a few things to medium, etc…well, ever since the release of Chapter 10, and a few changes I made to my PC, which I have since rectified, I was having a lot of lag/ stuttering issues, especially in Bree and other highly populated areas. The last straw was when the last homely house in rivendell had vanished…I mean come on…you don’t have to add insult to injury now.

So, last night I decided to change my graphical settings to gain a few more fps and better overall quality experience. The biggest change I made was taking my screen resolution down from 1280×1024 to 1024×768. The next thing I did, which was mandatory due to the resize of my screen was use the UI scale on almost everything on my screen. See screenshots below:

        

I had to test out my changes and was filled with glee as I was in a full fellowship in all out battle for a good hour and a half with no lag issues at all, plus the quality of the graphics seemed more vibrant and fluid.

Anyway, here is a little breakdown of the latest changes they brought to the UI settings in Chapter 10:

User Interface

New/Changed Options

• There is a new ‘Try On’ button in the vendor ‘buy’ dialog screen. Pressing the button will equip the item for the avatar in the dressing room (“Does this make my butt look fat?).
• You can now disable the Dread/Hope FX! The option is “Enable Dread Effects” located in the “Special Effects Options” section of the “UI Settings” option tab.
• Added a new UI option, “Floating Text Always On Top” that will force floating labels for characters to always draw on top of 3D objects (Legacy behavior.)
• Added a new UI option, “Floating Text Size” that allows you to change the size of text that appears above characters and objects.
• There is now a way to select your tracked mob and the tracked mobs of the hunters in your fellowship (if they have the trait active). See the Key Bindings option page and look for Select Next Tracked and Select Previous Tracked
• Added a Reputation panel to the Character UI.
• The Dressing Room key mapping is now under the Panels section.
• You can now click anywhere on a raid member’s pet vitals to select that pet.
• The ESC key now properly closes text item windows when reading notes and such.
• There’s no longer a re-bindable key mapping for “Drop Camera,” which wasn’t usable anyway.
• Added a new bindable input action for the fellowship maneuver assist button.
• Now the fellowship maneuver UI buttons can be fully mapped, so no more mouse clicks!
• Added a new Combat Option so you can disable skill buttons being used to target nearest enemy if you do not have a selection when pressed.
• The key binding for Item Sell Locking is set to (Ctrl+T) by default now
• Added new key bindings for assisting individual Fellowship members. These default to SHIFT+F2 through SHIFT+F6.
• Vault bags do not automatically show themselves when the vault is opened. You can open all vault bags by pressing the “I” button (default)

UI Skinning

• There are a whole ton of new art assets that can be skinned! See the updated UISkinArtPack.zip (available on lotro.com after August 20) for samples!
• Fixed the bug where you had to replace one image in order to get image repositioning to work.
• There are two new keywords in the SkinDefinition.xml file that you can use to identify the origin that an element should scale from. These new keywords are ScaleOriginX and ScaleOriginY.

It is purpose…or choice?

But, as you well know, appearances can be deceiving, which brings me back to the reason why we’re here. We’re not here because we’re free. We’re here because we’re not free. There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist.  It is purpose that created us.  Purpose that connects us.  Purpose that pulls us.  That guides us.  That drives us.  It is purpose that defines us.  Purpose that binds us.

Source- The Matrix Reloaded

According to some philosophies, purpose is central to a good human life. Helen Keller wrote that happiness comes from “fidelity to a worthy purpose”, and Ayn Rand wrote that purpose must be one of the three ruling values of human life (the others are reason and self-esteem)[citation needed]. Some people hold that God assigns purposes to people and that it is their mission to fulfill them. Others hold that purpose is not inherent, but instead freely chosen (or not chosen) by individuals. Among these, some say that natural propensities may determine what sorts of purposes a person needs to pursue, but do not guarantee that he or she will pursue them, that being dependent on free choice.

Pursuing a career, raising a family, devotion to a creative vocation or to a cause, and acquiring property are perhaps the most widespread of long-term purposes that make life meaningful according to such philosophies. Public service and helping the needy are often cited. Variants of philosophies such as eudaimonia and objectivism sometimes claim that self-sacrificial goals are destructive.

Modern spiritual philosophy sees the purpose in life as improving the environment and world condition for all beings. In the most immediate sense this means each individual finding the special talents which are a gift to serve others. This in turn is found in pursuing a soul level joy, so that the personal and highest individual purpose of life is pursuit of soul level joy. This is the first joy, that which has followed the individual from birth. In most instances it begins with the desire for acceptance and evolves to discovery of each person’s genius or gift to serve.

Richard Dawkins and other like-minded scientists would cite man’s purpose as ensuring the continuity of one’s genetic and/or memetic make-up.

Then of course there is choice…without it we would not be able to execute our reason for being…

Choice consists of the mental process of thinking involved with the process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them for action. Some simple examples include deciding whether to get up in the morning or go back to sleep and selecting a given route to make a journey across a country. More complex examples (often decisions that affect what a person thinks or their core beliefs) include choosing a religious affiliation, such as Christianity, or deciding on a political party of choice, such as Republican or Democrat.

Most people regard having choices as a good thing, though a severely limited or artificially restricted choice can lead to discomfort with choosing and possible an unsatisfactory outcome. On the contrary, unlimited choice may lead to confusion, regret of the alternatives not taken, and indifference in an unstructured existence; and the illusion that choosing an object or a course leads necessarily to control of that object or course can cause psychological problems.

Source- Wikipedia.org

To find your purpose in life and choose to follow the path is truly a grand revelation in ones life.

LotRO Log – 27 Aug 07

Fun filled action packed excitement with a dash of agonizing grinding can pretty much sum up my weekend gaming…

Friday night held some magical qualities because I finally hooked with 2 of my real-life friends in the game, Jim and Tim, although I got both of them into the game I haven’t had the chance to actually play with them much so it was very cool to hook up and tell some stories and help Tim, who is brand new to the game with some lower level quests in and around Chetwood and Bree-land. Jim on the other hand is my old guardian friend, Dagfinnr, who reached level 50 and took a break over the summer, but is now working on reputation quests…glad to have you back pal…

Saturday I played in the A.M. for a bit in Evendim, managed to complete the Thief Takers Bane, it took our full party 4 tries to finally complete, but in the end it was worth it. Also, I had time to get Abellios’ jewellry crafting up to the expert level quest where he has to get something off of a mob to complete this recipe for a ring…

Sunday was a full day of questing, eventually upon reaching level 38 with our hero, Rekkr of Rohan, I ventured down to the Trollshaws and made friends with a 41 captain, we knocked out quite a few quests together, and after a good 4 hours I leveled up again while we were with a group searching for spider nests in the North Trollshaws, this is when the agony set in and it was more of a march up a very steep hill as opposed to cruising top speed down the paverbial interstate of experience gains…I gave up and we never found the last 3 nests…oh well. I went and picked up my legendary book from the vault…

The Book of Oaths discusses the central role of Honour in true leadership and the sanctity of a King’s Oath — or a Captain’s. Much of the power to guide men truly derives from the simple bond of Truth itself, and for those who lead, an Oath is a bond of commitment that cannot be broken without inviting a fate most dire. Indeed, a captain who would betray his own word risks more than his life, for it is well-known that an Oath fatefully taken binds far more than the flesh.

This book is said to be the utmost authority in such matters, but the copy you have found seems badly damaged and many important passages are missing. Perhaps Boromir of Gondor, who currently rides here in the north, may knowsomething about this book.

He is currently hanging out in Rivendell with the majority of the fellowship…more to come as Rekkr finds the missing pages…

Free Thought or Eye of the Beholder

Freedom…

Such a simple word that can hold so much meaning for so many people.  Something worth fighting for, worth dying for?  Most definitely.  But for some people around the world, freedom is the last thing they think about, the basic human needs come first.  Without food, shelter, clothing, who cares if you don’t have free speech…

My biggest enemy is myself.  I am my own problem and my own solution.  It is a paradox really if you look at it in mathematical terms.  Yes, there are countries, institutions, religions, laws all made by other people, and all these things hold some viable reason for existing of course.  With the gift of free will, choice to think, do, say, act on whatever you feel must be given some limitations, but do not let the limitation be your own mind…  A great term I found was the term, Wizard, basically a term given to someone who can be a positive or negative influence on your thoughts..

A “wizard” is someone who tells you something about yourself with the idea that your creative subconscious will pick up on it and help you become that. Sports coaches are an obvious example. They’ll try and convince you that you’re better than you are and once you start believing that, your creative subconscious will then pull out the stops to make you that good. That’s a “positive wizard”, someone who’s trying to help you become better. Morpheus from the Matrix movies is a very clear example of this, and nowhere is it clearer than in the scenes between him and Neo in the first movie.

“What are you waiting for? You’re faster than this. Don’t think you are, know you are.”

“Come on! Stop trying to hit me and hit me!

“Every single man or woman who has stood their ground, everyone who has fought an Agent has died – but where they have failed, you will succeed.”

- Morpheus from “The Matrix”

Agent Smith, conversely, is a negative wizard, someone who tries to convince you you’re less than what you are.

“You had your time. The future is our world, Morpheus. The future is our time.”

“Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.”

“It is inevitable.“

- Agent Smith from “The Matrix”

Source-Joel Fagin’s Tutorials

Another interesting thought is that of negative liberty…

“Nothing is more certain than the indispensable necessity of Government, and it is equally undeniable, that whenever and however it is instituted, the people must cede to it some of their natural rights, in order to vest it with requisite powers.” Jay’s meaning would be better expressed by substituting “negative liberty” in place of “natural rights”, for the argument here is that the power or authority of a legitimate government derives in part from our accepting restrictions on negative liberty.

Source- Negative Liberty

A necessary evil you could say, these ideas have stuck with me ever since the song by Metallica, Eye of the Beholder off of the …And Justice for All CD came out back in ‘88.  It is amazing how brainwashed we become…  I think that is one reason why I hate commercials so much…you can ask my wife.

 Lyrics courtesy of SongMeanings.net

(Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett)

Do You See What I See?
Truth Is an Offense
Your Silence for Your Confidence
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Doors Are Slamming Shut
Limit Your Imagination, Keep You Where They must
Do You Feel What I Feel?
Bittering Distress
Who Decides What You Express
Do You Take What I Take?
Endurance Is the Word
Moving Back Instead of Forward Seems to Me Absurd

Doesn’t Matter What You See?
Or into it What You Read
You Can Do it Your Own Way
If It’s Done Just How I Say

Independence Limited
Freedom of Choice
Choice Is Made for You My Friend
Freedom of Speech
Speech Is Words That They Will Bend
Freedom with Their Exception

Do You Fear What I Fear?
Living Properly
Truths to You Are Lies to Me
Do You Choose What I Choose?
More Alternatives
Energy Derives from Both the Plus and Negative
Do You Need What I Need?
Boundaries Overthrown
Look Inside to Each His Own
Do You Trust What I Trust?
Me, Myself and I
Penetrate the Smoke Screen I See Through the Selfish Lie

Doesn’t Matter What You See
Or into it What You Read
You Can Do it Your Own Way
If It’s Done Just How I Say

Independence Limited
Freedom of Choice
Choice Is Mad for You My Friend
Freedom of Speech
Speech Is Words That They Will Bend
Freedom with Their Exception

Do You Know What I Know?
Your Money End Your Wealth
Your Silence Just to Hear Your Self
Do You Want What I Want?
Desire Not a Thing
I Hunger after Independence, Lengthen Freedom’s Ring
Doesn’t Matter What You See
Or into it What You Read
You Can Do it Your Own Way
If It’s Done Just How I Say

Independence Limited
Freedom of Choice
Choice Is Made for You My Friend
Freedom of Speech
Speech Is Words That They Will Bend
Freedom no longer frees you

Doesn’t Matter What You See
Or into it What You Read
You Can Do it Your Own Way
If It’s Done Just How I Say

Good site for Mastery Crafting Components

I was browsing the triple dub and came across this wonderful reference for those rare parts you get off of mobs.  I know I find myself asking should I keep this purple item or just sell it to the vendor?  This site will help you out. 

www.lotrolife.com/lotro_crafting_mastery_items

Along with information about that, there are comics, guides and forums, which seem to be the norm for so many fan sites these days.