Thread: soldier on landscape 1 month later

Well, I did use my Herbalist the other in Dunbog to kill the giant avanc. It wasn't that I couldn't solo the lizards. I just wanted to mow past though them. So I whipped out Herbalina for 10 minutes.

Someone was watching me from afar and after I finished mowing through said giant avanc, this non-hunter comes out, emote points at me, emote laughs, sends me a rude tell saying I'm a weakling noob and then runaways. I was tempted to send him a tell back but I thought better than to get caught in obviously a trolling behavior.

Whatever people thinks about the feature, those who use it shouldn't be bullied. And people shouldn't be discouraged to use their TPs as they see fit. Being VIP, I get my 500 TP monthly and I thought I would give the feature a try. Why not? To each their own. No need to bully or begrudge those who uses a game feature.

Originally Posted by JuaQuins

Well, I did use my Herbalist the other in Dunbog to kill the giant avanc. It wasn't that I couldn't solo the lizards. I just wanted to mow past though them. So I whipped out Herbalina for 10 minutes.

Someone was watching me from afar and after I finished mowing through said giant avanc, this non-hunter comes out, emote points at me, emote laughs, sends me a rude tell saying I'm a weakling noob and then runaways. I was tempted to send him a tell back but I thought better than to get caught in obviously a trolling behavior.

Whatever people thinks about the feature, those who use it shouldn't be bullied. And people shouldn't be discouraged to use their TPs as they see fit. Being VIP, I get my 500 TP monthly and I thought I would give the feature a try. Why not? To each their own. No need to bully or begrudge those who uses a game feature.

Don't let it get to you. You'll meet morons in any MMO that you play. Just have fun and ignore the idiot.

Originally Posted by Nymphonic

Don't let it get to you. You'll meet morons in any MMO that you play. Just have fun and ignore the idiot.

Thanks. I didn't. I enjoy coming to the game whenever I can.

I was kind of ###... Tempted to flame right back... Shrugged it off and went my merry way to kill some abomination.

I will admit though that given the sentiment around this feature and why this one random drive-by bully did, I would think twice about where and when I would use this feature in the future. It did make mowing through a content really fast though. Very convenient. Not sure that is the intent of the feature but it could just be nice buff for a few minutes here and there

Originally Posted by JuaQuins

It did make mowing through a content really fast though. Very convenient. Not sure that is the intent of the feature but it could just be nice buff for a few minutes here and there

I understand what you are saying and I agree 100%, however I hope that it remains a sideshow. I got tired of companions real quick in SWTOR.

Originally Posted by JuaQuins

It did make mowing through a content really fast though. Very convenient. Not sure that is the intent of the feature but it could just be nice buff for a few minutes here and there

From what I remember, it was announced as 'for those areas/quests that are just a bit too tricky for you to do on your own'. Then again, that could have just been my interpretation.

Also, I'm sure Turbine doesn't mind if people pay TP for the convenience of going through content faster... it's completely in line with bonus XP and deed/rep accelerators.

I'd be more inclined to use it if I felt the AI was better, or I had better control over my soldier. As it stands, though, I can see places where it'd be useful, on some characters, and if you're VIP getting 500 a month, why not? /shrugs. I kinda doubt I'll use one much myself, just because I'm a terrible skinflint, overall, even being VIP :P

This has been suggested before and resulted in a massive outcry, because people "don't want to play a petclass"

Originally Posted by Nymphonic

I understand what you are saying and I agree 100%, however I hope that it remains a sideshow. I got tired of companions real quick in SWTOR.

I actually very much like the companions in SWTOR. They are very useful and have a decent AI, they have many more useful abilities that you can toggle individually to suit your needs then let the AI use the ones you have toggled on. They are actually far superior to the Captain minions in LOTRO IHMO, having a Lvl 75 captain.

I think I have met rocks that act more intelligently than the skirmish soldiers though.

Why does so much stuff not about RoR get posted in the RoR forum?

Originally Posted by deeman25845601

Why does so much stuff not about RoR get posted in the RoR forum?

lol... yes, why is there such stuff posted... but you seem to be contributing nicely.

You can see the irony in this, right?

Never bothered to try it out, prob would have if i could take him into instances to solo(duo) isengard stuff.

I don’t see why anyone is surprised this didn’t work, Turbine has amazing ideas they just don’t have the mind to integrate them into the game, example “Radiance” Good idea BAD implementation.
When I first heard about the soldier on landscape I thought WOW this is going to be good!

But then 100tp for some short amount of time, so I had a look at the skirmish camp even worse, I thought about it and decided that I’ll save all those marks and seals and just go for the isen DPS set.
At the moment I’m going strong I can take most things that get in my way out, i can take the right and left side of the solo foundry run

I just find it sad that they have to soil another good idea.

as of yet I have not bought or tried the soldier out, I don’t think I ever will unless it becomes a viable option,
I’m not wasting hard earned in game currency on a 1 hour of soldier time. Charge 3k TP get it over with but make the soldier permanent, I don’t think you’re going to get money out of this any other way.

Never saw one, never tried. I might pay the TP if I am in my third year VIP ...

I would love to use my soldier on the ground, but they ruined it and I have never tried it out after discovering their horrible secret, paying marks, medallions & seals for using a brainless NPC who gets me killed too often. hah.

I bought soldier and I saw many skirmish soldiers right after U6 release. But now almost nobody uses them. Melee soldiers are always in front of you aggroing enemies which annoyes me a lot! It's much better with ranged ones.. sage, archer, herbalist.
If Turbines make it purchasable permanently for about 500TP I will buy it.. :-) But it will probably overload servers with many players having soldier. I already got lags in populated areas and since U6 my stable-ride-horse occasionaly freezes in place ..

I have solider on my main char but I don't play it and I've got one question..
Are soldier usable in solo epic instances? Or is it landscape feature only..

Regardless of any sort of price, the only place to currently use the is for Limelight dailies (if you get desperate and can't find a group).

If they were usable in solo instance quests (like Mirkwoods infamous Beneath the Tower(?) quest), I could see a lot of people using them. However, there is NOTHING even remotely as difficult as this quest anywhere on the landscape or even in solo instances in the Great River. I just don't see why someone would NEED to use a skirmish soldier on the landscape for day to day play unless they wanted to fight with a mathom society pitchfork for a while...

Now, if I could get a soldier that would spawn trees for me in LG when its overpopulated with wardens soloing the damn things, that would be a soldier worth paying for! Or better yet, a soldier that would restrict the number of wardens within 400 meters of him...

i bought one token, just for the heck of it.

i have yet to actually summon my soldier (outside a skirm) or see anyone else do it.

havent seen any soldiers on withy so far on any of my alts

i would also never waste my marks on it since lvl 75 instances only drop meds and seals. im totally relying on my lower alts to get marks to use on my main

The soldier AI is so awful that make my LM pet feel like a genius

Originally Posted by Jewl_of_the_lake

I bought 2 with skirm marks for my 75 hunter (cause he is squishy in some areas even with gear), 3 weeks ago and still have 14 mins left on my first one.

Bought 2 with part of my 500 points for the month, have around 21 min left on the first.

Used her twice for fights against an epic - just because I could - didn't really need to.

If I could hire her for a reasonable in-game coin cost might see more use.

Haven't really seen any myself.

I used the soldier pet in BR during the test. I've seen it used it once in Laurelin, in LG.

Spending TPs on the worst in game AI, applied to a pet I can't control... no, thanks. I can find better ways to aggro everything around me or heal me too little for too late - without spending a single TP.

Nice idea, awful implementation, as it was repeatedly remarked during beta.

Originally Posted by Yma

I used the soldier pet in BR during the test. I've seen it used it once in Laurelin, in LG.

Spending TPs on the worst in game AI, applied to a pet I can't control... no, thanks. I can find better ways to aggro everything around me or heal me too little for too late - without spending a single TP.

Nice idea, awful implementation, as it was repeatedly remarked during beta.

This is the beta! As i have said before the longest beta test ever made, in 10 years they will be releasing the final product.

Cant wait to play a game that works i think ill preorder it!

I disliked the 100 TP charge per 1 hr use of the skirmish soldier from the start; nonetheless I decided to buy a 1 hr skirmish soldier token anyway to test it out for myself.

My skirmish soldier as of yet is not as advanced as, I am sure, are the rest of yours, he has nonetheless proved a nice companion, though not to say essential.

I have tested him out when going into a few goblin and brigand camps, and though my champion could handle himself well enough it was nice to have a companion something which is not too easy to get considering that most of those who have accepted fellowships have done so when there are similar quests being completed, or they are just that nice of guys and gals.

Still I would need to work on improving my soldier, a lot more, to test if he could, indeed, be essential in any given quest.

At the time and after 3 weeks I still have 35 min left on the soldier, but that only because I have ensured to bring him out only before an attack and dismiss him as soon as it is over, I am sure I would have spent the time long before the first week if I had been more carefree; it is in this that goes my chagrin since it would be nice to have a companion full time running through the lands of middle earth, but I cannot do so due to cost.

In the end and at the current time, I consider the soldier the way many out there do, that it’s a great idea but implementation is lacking thus turning the soldier into little else than a glorified buff.

I spurged the 100TP to get this 'feature' for a slayer deed assistant. I soon discovered how woeful the AI was/is, so I simply let the timer run down so I wouldn't be tempted to get him out again.

The only thing these pets are useful for are as healbots in 12 person skrims.

Its an opt out for me .

was a great idea until they decided to charge turbine points for it.

nobody cares how stupid the pets are until it costs them real money to use them.

i guess you can buy skirm soldier scrolls from the skirm vendor?
If that's true i'd expect more people would use them, but i doubt that many people know.

People still don't all know you can buy sigils and wsoc's from the skirm vendor.

I've seen about four soldiers on landscape since their launch, including one at Dolven-view today.

When this feature was announced, I made a concerted effort to get my skirmish soldier up to my level in preparation for using it out on the landscape.

Hearing about the cost to use it soured me on the whole idea.

Still, I'm glad I got the skirm soldier leveled, since that's been a big help in the Epic Quest line.

I use landscape soldier in Limlight too speed up the process...

I find it usefull, but there are not many places where you realy need that skirmish soldier though, but when you need it you will be happy you can have it.

I guess soldiers aren't used that much because it's not something Turbine has done any greater efforts to promote, a few knows that you can actually have them and even fewer doesn't even know you can buy them at a SkirmCamp.
And then offcourse as I said, there isn't many places where it is realy needed ... yet.

And I am getting pretty frustraited when I see so many whine about 'I would never pay 100TP for this', Well don't!!!.

***** Not only in LotrO store ******* Not only in LotrO store ****** Not only in LotrO store ******

The darn token is NOT ONLY sold in LotrO Store, you can also aquire it with MARKS and MEDALLIONS at a skirmish camp.
The cost is pretty reasonable assuming you only use your soldier for harder purpses like Limlight soloing or so... Release your Soldier when you don't plan to use it for a time. I think the Mark and Medallion cost is so "high" becouse you shouldn't buy your Soldier to stand around in a place letting it farm for you, this way it makes it not profitable.

***** Not only in LotrO store ******* Not only in LotrO store ****** Not only in LotrO store ******

Originally Posted by The_Legacy

And I am getting pretty frustraited when I see so many whine about 'I would never pay 100TP for this', Well don't!!!.

***** Not only in LotrO store ******* Not only in LotrO store ****** Not only in LotrO store ******

I believe the whole point of this discussion is to know what one likes and dislikes about the soldier on landscape feature, wether they were innitially willing to pay the 100TP and if that willingness changed after trying the soldier out for over a month; Furthermore, its been well documented through the thread and others as well, that the token can be purchased through skirmish marks.
All said youll be hearing plenty of "I would not pay 100TP for the feature" but likely as well some that would, opinions which are actually encouraged not restricted.

Originally Posted by DuneBug

was a great idea until they decided to charge turbine points for it.

They needed to be able to keep their use uncommon, for two reasons. If they were used by most players routinely:

1. The server lag would be far worse than anything we've seen yet.
2. They'd wind up needing to rebalance game content assuming their use moving forward (and perhaps even on some past content).

Using cost as a means to control use works, and it's probably the means by which the project was approved internally. If they find that too few people are using them, they'll figure out some way to make them more attractive. If I could just get them to sell off my junk like Companions do in TOR, that would be a start. I'd summon mine a few minutes at a time just for that.

Khafar

Seems that I've had the same experience as most people, I'm yet to see one. I have no problem with the system and since it seems to be working - even if not being used - 1 month down the line, then that's fine and I can go back to forgetting about it again XD

Have not seen one yet and just forget about them being available as I really haven't needed one. useing one in LM solo is an interesting thought though.

The newest lottery has a chance to win summon landscape soldier x5 (5 hours?!!). If 5 hours is true, that's an insane amount of time. That would probably last me months. Hopefully I win.

Originally Posted by Khafar

If they find that too few people are using them, they'll figure out some way to make them more attractive.

Making them more attractive is easy, fix the AI. The Protector is particularly abysmal, and the only way I'd bring mine out on the landscape is if they paid me TPs to do so.

/sarcasmoff

Tis funny... I have been playing an Alt and I decided to start the skirmish grind anew with him. So I was using a warrior and being new, the pathing issues (getting stuck behind objects, or his choice of standing away out in front, or away off in some other direction, depending...) really do scream out the problems and inadequacies with the AI of skirmish soldiers.

Fully leveled, they tend to be a lot less aggravating to use, but still fall short when it comes to control and choice.

Even being able to set a soldiers radius of movement would help. If my archer was using a warrior (not my archers choice) I might not mind him being soo far away from me. But my Rk would like him to stay withing the healing radius of my healing stone, rather than run away from it and root fighting a mob out of my range.

There are just waaaaay too many factors that we can't control with our soldiers. I have never used my soldier on the open landscape. I can't justify using them for that price, when some destiny point buffs would work just as well, if not better, (especially if the soldier isn't fully leveled.)

I haven't witnessed anyone else using their soldier in the open world.

Originally Posted by Jewl_of_the_lake

I bought 2 with skirm marks for my 75 hunter (cause he is squishy in some areas even with gear), 3 weeks ago and still have 14 mins left on my first one.

i like the option. i use mine occasionally to help push through an area quicker. I have rarely seen other people use the landscape soldier

i finally tried summoning mine...

in Parth Cele when i had the oath-breaker leader with me. summoned my OB Archer, OB Quest-pet, Skirm Archer, and ME!

had Team Chavez out for a min, just to take screen shots. looked mean with my little army


ill post it when i get home IF i rmemeber

Sorry if this pic is too big!



over kill!

I haven't seen a single summoned soldier yet outside of a skirmish.. I know all the reasons for it, so it was no wonder:

- Temporary summon
- Which does not have only a simple CD, rather it costs marks and/or tp..

Those saying 'soldiers should not be permanent, always summonable without restrictions' bring up the reasoning: "there's captain and loremaster as pet classes, people who want pets should play those", which I think it's funny and wrong.. being able to summon them whether freely or with certain resctriction won't change that. People not wanting them to be free from restrictions should just not summon them, but players who wish to use them freely should have to option to do so.
People will not invest time into these soldiers until they feel they're something they should nurture and care about, as a companion or playing mate who can be there with them whenever players feel the need.
Until then, players just invite another player to join them and help each other.