Thread: You haven't lived until you've been to the Shire and...burnt people alive?!

from http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07...efore-you-die/
Number 6.

Full quest write up here-
http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Quest:Flare_for_Danger

Umm, yeah, that one is a little too macabre. That Old Took was sicker than we thought ...

Fara

You are really nasty.

When I did this, I did it only to the sleeping guy near the crate; the others were served a human (or half orcen) death beforehand.


Greetings, Polymachos, too

Hey, that's not me :P I'm just linking to the write-up of the guy in the screenie. I can't remember how I did it, it was so long ago.

Hey, they're bandits. They stole fireworks! They got what they deserved.

Actually, when I did that quest, I recall seeing some of them jumping into the water - there's a little pond in the back. I had the impression they were just running away, not that we were killing them. But it was ambiguous, yeah.

Read the books. Burning heads lobbed into Minas Tirith. Wargs and ocs burned to death. Entire towns destroyed in fire.

This isn't a children's book.

It just goes to show....

If you play with fireworks, you're going to get burned.

of course, you realize that by the time you get to this quest you'd have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of various innocent animals and people, including rangers?

Originally Posted by hex2323

Read the books. Burning heads lobbed into Minas Tirith. Wargs and ocs burned to death. Entire towns destroyed in fire.

This isn't a children's book.

Well said. This isn't Narnia.

Brings back memories....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hasqTTSomLY

Originally Posted by hex2323

Read the books. Burning heads lobbed into Minas Tirith. Wargs and ocs burned to death. Entire towns destroyed in fire.

This isn't a children's book.

We're supposed to be the good guys, remember? I know war is hell and all that, but that should hardly be happening in the Shire.

Originally Posted by Radhruin_EU

We're supposed to be the good guys, remember? I know war is hell and all that, but that should hardly be happening in the Shire.

Don't Loremasters and Runekeepers set people on fire almost all the time? They just don't get the little chat bubbles above the enemies' heads indicating how much pain the enemies are in while burning to death.

We also have quite a few human mobs that beg us for mercy or ask us to stop right before we kill them - do any of us actually stop when we see that pop up?

Originally Posted by hex2323

Read the books. Burning heads lobbed into Minas Tirith. Wargs and ocs burned to death. Entire towns destroyed in fire.

This isn't a children's book.

Yeah, but those were either by or toward evil beings.

I took this quest in jest, but if you think about it... burning people alive for stealing fireworks? Harsh! And then a hobbit being happy about it afterward? Sounds like the hobbit is the evil one!

not thousands of various innocent animals and people, including rangers?

How fitting that rangers are their own category separate from people

I have done that quest many many times. And each time I have done it, every brigand has run into the pool of water to douse the flames. No one gets burned alive.

Also, consider who you are dealing with. They burn down people's farms and try to kill your character if you get near them. Not the nicest of people.

Originally Posted by redwoodtreesprite2

No one gets burned alive.

When my lore-master did the quest everyone got burned alive. Well, except those that got electrocuted. Or struck down by heavenly radiance.

I had to think a bit before I could remember that quest. Is it still there? Isn't that the one where you have to cross a broad stream that leads just before a waterfall to make it to the bandit camp?

Old Took is right though, fireworks are dangerous

I wish I could burn Dwarves alive...
But Hobbits will do for now

Originally Posted by Nymphonic

I had to think a bit before I could remember that quest. Is it still there? Isn't that the one where you have to cross a broad stream that leads just before a waterfall to make it to the bandit camp?

I actually did it about a week ago on this char; needed the deed for a trait. It is a bit of a roundabout way of getting there, think it is the one over the waterfall or at least close by.

Originally Posted by Weezl

I actually did it about a week ago on this char; needed the deed for a trait. It is a bit of a roundabout way of getting there, think it is the one over the waterfall or at least close by.

That's what I thought, wasn't sure. Thanks for answering!

Originally Posted by imkookoo

Yeah, but those were either by or toward evil beings.

I took this quest in jest, but if you think about it... burning people alive for stealing fireworks? Harsh! And then a hobbit being happy about it afterward? Sounds like the hobbit is the evil one!

Those brigand's ARE evil. And I think a few of the posters are right that they are supposed to douse themselves. But if you kill them first...

Speaking of...

We kill those brigands all the time and get presents from people for doing it! We even take their stuf!

But yeah, in fun, it is a bit twisted. But not so far out of line to be un-Middle Earth-ish.

All hobbits are evil. Don't you know this?

If some people actually would read what some of our skills do, burning alive seems like a little evil.
In fact, after one skill rotation of a Burglar / Loremaster i would call Orcs merciful creatures. I will treat Champions with the uttermost respect because they "just" slice you.

Originally Posted by hex2323

All hobbits are evil. Don't you know this?

As long as you don't even APPEAR to be looking at their pies they are ok. But once they think their pies are threatened...............

Just getting 'warmed up'...fast forward to Misty Mountains...you get to do the same to goblins...

Originally Posted by Nymphonic

As long as you don't even APPEAR to be looking at their pies they are ok. But once they think their pies are threatened...............

Don't forget the cookies...don't touch my cookies! ::Waves dagger menacingly::

Let's turn this thread into a debate on whether good and evil are subjective to each faction in Middle-Earth, rather than good being "KILL THE ORCS" and evil, "LET'S MAKE SOME MACHINES AND IGNORE FORESTS".

Or, you know, maybe Frodo smoked a bit too much pipe weed one day and wrote a book on a ring which made him invisible, and how is friends talked to trees with beards.

Originally Posted by hex2323

And I think a few of the posters are right that they are supposed to douse themselves. But if you kill them first...

True. I couldn't remember what quest he was talking about at first, because I always clear the area as much as I can first, plus there are other quests in the same area that want you to defeat some of those brigands or rescue people.

Originally Posted by Lestache

Don't Loremasters and Runekeepers set people on fire almost all the time? They just don't get the little chat bubbles above the enemies' heads indicating how much pain the enemies are in while burning to death.

LMs and RKs, huh? That doesn't make it any more like anything that should be happening in the Shire. Think about it.

Originally Posted by Nymphonic

As long as you don't even APPEAR to be looking at their pies they are ok. But once they think their pies are threatened...............

Well, I was going to say that with the influx of Sharkey's influence, who knows, but the idea of ruffians ("big people" no less), stealing party supplies?

- Food
- Drink
- Partying

A Shire Trifecta.

I'm almost surprised the quest didn't involve first turning the nearby pool acidic in case anyone threw themselves in to escape....

Originally Posted by Radhruin_EU

LMs and RKs, huh? That doesn't make it any more like anything that should be happening in the Shire. Think about it.

If I understand what you're getting at, perhaps the Shire would be more lore-appropriate if there weren't any combat quests at all, but rather just pie-running, mail delivery, settling minor disputes between neighbors and the like (with perhaps the occasional "fend off some wild animals trying to ruin my farm" quest), but I think that some concessions are necessary so as to not put hobbit characters at a disadvantage regarding learning the combat system through the early levels.

I may be misunderstanding your point, though. I'm honestly not sure.

Originally Posted by Lestache

If I understand what you're getting at, perhaps the Shire would be more lore-appropriate if there weren't any combat quests at all, but rather just pie-running, mail delivery, settling minor disputes between neighbors and the like (with perhaps the occasional "fend off some wild animals trying to ruin my farm" quest), but I think that some concessions are necessary so as to not put hobbit characters at a disadvantage regarding learning the combat system through the early levels.

I may be misunderstanding your point, though. I'm honestly not sure.

What I was really getting at was that hobbits don't get to be LMs or RKs, and so they don't go around burninating people

Originally Posted by Radhruin_EU

What I was really getting at was that hobbits don't get to be LMs or RKs, and so they don't go around burninating people

Ah, right on.

Originally Posted by Erathane

Well said. This isn't Narnia.

People and animals died in Narnia too. They even had a live sacrifice. They may not have been the main characters, but dead extras are dead extras.

Firecrackers: The Silent Killer™

Originally Posted by Lestache

If I understand what you're getting at, perhaps the Shire would be more lore-appropriate if there weren't any combat quests at all,

Not true. The books don't say explicitly what happens in the Shire between the time the fellowship leaves and returns, but definitely bandits and Sharkey's goons started moving in very shortly after they left.

So far all we've seen in the game so far are the bandits near Woodhall and the Tuckborough skirmish. The Woodhall ones could just be some advance force from Sharkey off in a remote area and they could have shown up before the hobbits left Crickhollow (unlike the movies there is a long period of time between leaving Hobbiton and leaving Crickhollow). As for the skirmish, all the skirmishes take place out of normal linear time, and the game itself is not linear in time.

Originally Posted by Lohi

Not true. The books don't say explicitly what happens in the Shire between the time the fellowship leaves and returns, but definitely bandits and Sharkey's goons started moving in very shortly after they left.

It was months before the real trouble started. In the books, the bandits in the woods in the Bree-land were the Men who'd been driven out of Bree itself after an unsuccessful takeover attempt. That took place early in the New Year, according to Barliman's account. There were never any bandits in the Shire, though, just the thugs, because there the takeover was successful. 'Sharkey' took over the Shire by stealth, quietly moving more and more of his men in so that by the time the hobbits became truly alarmed, it was way too late. It was a conspiracy, remember: the Shire was betrayed from within, by Lotho and others like him; much as in Bree, the real trouble only started towards the end of the year although those Men had started to arrive well before that (they were certainly around by September, as that was when the hobbits first heard tell of 'Sharkey'). However, it wasn't until the New Year that Lotho had the Mayor locked up and started calling himself 'Chief Shirriff'.

This was, of course, substantially changed for the game.

Originally Posted by mr_underfoot

of course, you realize that by the time you get to this quest you'd have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of various innocent animals and people, including rangers?

NO ONE is responsible for a Rangers death, except the Ranger...

(*grumble*failRangersfail*grum ble*)

Originally Posted by Beleg

Hey, they're bandits. They stole fireworks! They got what they deserved.

Actually, when I did that quest, I recall seeing some of them jumping into the water - there's a little pond in the back. I had the impression they were just running away, not that we were killing them. But it was ambiguous, yeah.

This is exactly as I've always thought of it. They run around and scream and then jump in the pond. I never actually saw any of them burn up, or even fall over dead. Actually, it makes me laugh every time I see it. On the other hand, setting them on fire is about as bad. Not that ripping out their hearts with a spear and serving them up on your shield isn't cruel and inhumane. Thankfully pixels don't really get hurt.

Originally Posted by Norowen

. Thankfully pixels don't really get hurt.

Did you ever watch the 1981 Tron?