How to make money in LotRO

Yes, I said it, I am going to pass on some knowledge here for the rest of the world.  Now, obviously I am no guru at this, since I only have one character who has achieved Grand Master status for a craft, and of course you can’t always believe what you read on the internet, so take this for what it’s worth.

So, you have been playing LotRO for a week or let’s say even since beta…and still you can’t see how people can afford to buy all those critted pieces of armor and stuff for 10 gold or higher…well, it takes some dedication and determination and some time…There are a few different avenues I will discuss here today, the first is become an explorer.  This just means that your character can go collect wood and ore off of the land, you would be surprised as to how much you can get for stacks, a pile of 50 pieces of wood or ore, go for in the auction house.  I am not going to go into exact numbers because it is constantly changing, just like the stock market, so it is best to watch it and see the trends, obviously the higher the level of items, the more you can sell them for.  Misty Mountain Silver and Ancient Iron Ore are at the top of list.  Now, this takes a lot of time to go out and gather, and also, if your character isn’t a high enough level to safely travel through the zones to collect the stuff, than that won’t work either, so here we get to option 2.  Pick a profession and become a grand master at it, whether it is a armorsmith, weaponsmith, or tailor, these are the most profitable crafts you can have, the investment of time and resources are heavy and I am not going to sugarcoat it, the quests and all the materials you will need to reach this level is totally frustrating and sucks.  But, once you get to the level of being able to have a critical success of the top level items, the profits are very good.  Now, there are a few other secrets you could say about getting those highly sought after critical successes, first you need to get the item that will enable a critical success, these items are all different depending on what it is you are trying to craft…here is a link for mastery crafting items HERE. 

Now, you have the mastery craft item, then you have to get your crafting tool, the Superior Ancient Iron tools will give you a 20% chance to get a critical success, these are not cheap either, so either make friends with an armorsmith or if you are one, congratulations, you are one step closer.  Next, make friends with a scholar, who can craft a lore script which will also increase your critical success chance, lastly, the most profitable items are those that are crafted with a single use recipe, such as an etched beryl ring, so try to bargain or go farming for one if you can…finally, after you have all these items there are a few steps that can help, but are not guaranteed to prove successful, but seem to help some.

Let’s say with all of your added percentage to have a critical success you have around a 50% chance success rate at critting said item.  So, some people will say that you should ensure your tool is repaired at 100% before attempting, I don’t know if this actually helps, but whatever, next, it is said that you should do a few practice pieces of crafting, such as treating some hides, polishing some gems, etc…this will get a few turns under your belt before the big one…don’t use your mastery crafting item or scroll yet, these will be saved for the special item….okay, so you are ready, repair your tool, use your scroll, pick the single use recipe and ensure you click on the mastery options and turn that on…and pray for critical success….

This process takes time and a lot of effort and can be made much easier if you are a part of a helpful kinship who not only will help you out but will be rewarded by your success by being able to use the items you make, obviously, the first few items you have success with should be put up for sale to the masses on the auction to help fund future crafting, beryl shards are not cheap and can be farmed like anything else, but once you get to the point in your economic achievements where a gold is like a dollar to you, than you really have nothing to worry about and it is all gravy…happy crafting!

Feel free to share any insight here, I am sure I have missed a few items of interest.

What’s next?

I feel I have neglected the posting and should remedy that now.  Gaming has been either all or nothing, still grinding away in Lord of the Rings Online and I really don’t see myself quitting anytime soon.  The game still has quite a bit of fun left for me, also I have made some good friends in Middle Earth so that makes the time that much better.  My long lost original burglar from open beta, Sean McLovin, is now level 40.  I was kind of disappointed when I visited the trainer at level 40 and there was no special skill waiting for me to train, but then again I know in the future, book 13 from the rumors, they plan on releasing all the cool new skills and stuff, so until then I will save my coin and keep on keeping on. 

With so many other fellow bloggers moving onto new and exciting gaming frontiers I have to admit I am compelled to dabble a bit.  But, with the lack of spare time I just don’t have enough motivation to decide which game to try out.  Tobold has gone back to good old reliable WoW, DM Osbon is playing Tabula Rasa, there are many others out there, too many to mention really, but I have said before the Wrath of the Lich King does hold some interest for me, so I don’t want to rule out anything at this point in time.  Maybe I should set some type of goals to reach, but then again, gaming to me isn’t about achievements, well, to a degree that is true, but games are all about having fun, as long as the fun factor is there I suppose I will go where the current takes me along my journeys.

I do see myself taking more breaks from LotRO, the burnout factor between playing my captain to level 50 and now my second character to reach level 40 has taken a toll on my fascination with Middle Earth.  I mean, they keep adding the grind, such as reputation, raids, etc…but I am not really nor have I been that excited about all that stuff.

The decision is mine to make, but I do like to share here with you all, perhaps to gain some insight into others thoughts or likes and dislikes.  Maybe I am growing tired of being lost in the grind.  I know that might sound strange to some of you, but really, being lost isn’t all it is cracked up to be, although it really is just a phrase I made up when I created this blog, but really the grind does bring with it so much more than just gaining experience and levels.  It gives me some kind of release from the real world, an avenue for escape into a digital world where I am in control and I do what I feel like, without pressure from anyone or anything.  The grand illusion of something better, in search of power and glory?  Perhaps, but that search takes me down paths I would never see in this world, comparing  time spent over in Iraq to time spent battling the worst enemies in Middle Earth really is ridiculous, but in a way they are similar.  You set aside your fears, worries and trust in the fellows standing next to you and move forward without any regrets, in the end the payoff is always worth it one way or another.

So, what is next?  I don’t know, I find myself in a similar place as DM Osbon a few months back when he decided to go back and start from scratch with World of Warcraft.  Maybe I should go buy an XBox 360, that probably is blasphemy to some of you hardcore PC gamers, myself included, but then again I could keep in touch with my son, who has been happily playing Halo 3, from what I have seen that looks like a pretty awesome game.  I know the hype has been all around.  But, then I come back to my senses and remember I am saving up for my next PC purchase, which right now I estimate to run me around $1500 if I leave out a few accessories.  By the time I get to actually spending the money the next big technology will be out and what I have put together today will be obsolete, always seems to be the case.  I don’t know what is next, but I will let you know when I find out.

Driven by a higher purpose

My inkblot test results from tickle… 

You are driven by a higher purpose than most people. You have a deeply-rooted desire to facilitate peacefulness in the world. Whether through subtle interactions with love ones, or through getting involved in social causes, it is important to you to influence the world.

You are driven by a desire to encourage others to think about the positive side of things instead of focusing on the negative. The reason your unconscious is consumed by this might stem from an innate fear of war and turmoil. Thus, to avoid that uncomfortable place for you, your unconscious seeks out the peace in your environment.

Usually, the thing that underlies this unconscious drive is a deep respect for humankind. You care about the future of the world, even beyond your own involvement in it. As a result, your personal integrity acts as a surrogate for your deeper drive toward peace and guides you in daily life towards decisions that are respectful toward yourself and others.

Though your unconscious mind is driven most strongly by Peace, there is much more to who you are at your core.

Who knew? 

Oh How I Love and Hate Thee

Teen angst is one of those words people usually relate to some kind of angry teenager who acts out to get attention and usually ends up on some kind of afterschool special on ABC…oh look Joey overdosed on Aspirins, well, gee, what should we do Alice?  I don’t know, but maybe if he talks to his kind elderly grandpa he might have some story about growing up and finding your place in the world that will make everything better…right George?

Well, here in the real world, there isn’t always some old wise person waiting to pass on his thoughts to the loser kid who only thinks about himself and has no clue what the real world is all about.  After all, most of us these days have no answers to the many questions that have been left unanswered for ages…why are we here?  is there really a higher power?  do we need to believe in that higher power to achieve some kind of enlightenment or some blessed existence?  I don’t have answers to any of these, but I do know that if I were Joey I would have probably chosen dads’ 12 gauge shotgun and put the barrel straight down in my mouth, no room for error there really…if you are gonna go, might as well go big I always say.

On a brighter note, the love and hate paradox so many of us deal with everyday is more of a I don’t understand you, but I can’t stop wanting more from you.

You have to go see the older movie, Kalifornia, one of Brad Pitt’s finest performances if you ask me.  The tale of a psycho who decides to hitch a ride to california, but this isn’t any normal roadtrip, see, they are on a tour across America of famous murder locations, and there is more, you have to go see it.  I have always enjoyed that movie, you see, there are doors and you only have find them, the lights coming out!

Let me get back on track, I really just felt some strange desire to talk about basically nothing here, maybe because this is my first full night working, and I am feeling the middle of the night craziness taking over here.  I guess it was motivation to let you all know I am alive and well, no need to worry about this soul.

Benediction

Oh yeah, back again. Hope you’ve enjoyed our little excursions.  Tipping, toeing through the mind of a muthafucka that need’s a little fuckin stomping on.  Yeah, but don’t take it wrong, see we ain’t trying to tell you how to think, we’re just trying to get you to think.  And we ain’t trying to control nobody, we want the people (individually speaking) to be in control, to know who they are and what they want to be.  Yeah, and question authority, what the fuck but not for sake of argument, but because you took the time to analyze it and you found a better fuckin way, not just a fuckin excuse to complain.  And beware of people who try to use you as statistic to back their claims of power, that use you simply as a vehicle to get themselves where they want to, with no reference to your best interest except for their disclaimer that their best interest is your best interest.
And remember… cool is only 3 letters away from fool!

Courtesy of Suicidal Tendencies