Thread: Commendations/audacity, a flawed system strangling the moors

I know veteran players who have several rank 9+ creeps who stopped playing since they can't be bothered to grind tens of thousands of commendations only to get audacity rank.

They can't earn commendations from map-completions, since they already have earned them pre-ROI, and they are sitting on 500,000+ destiny points which are more or less useless.

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I know new players who have a rank 0 creeps, and they stopped playing since they don't have a chance against raid-geared freeps where they earn 0 infamy/commendations since they get one-shotted, and they leave when they see the required bar of tens of thousands commendation points just to survive for a few moments longer.

They can of course earn commendations for PVE and quests (only takes a month or so), but the one's I've spoken to are actually interested in PVP which is why they come to Ettenmoors.

I have a Rank6 Warg with 1 Audacity and have no problems getting kills (When I can find someone)...my main complaint is the lack of active players in PvMP on Imladris server. One moment you have 15-20 Freeps taking Keeps, 2hrs later they all (Flip) disappear and you have 10-15 Creeps taking them back. This is the daily norm..............

How hard would it be to combine a few of the lower populated PvMP servers? Imladris isn't a PvP server, it's where the Creeps and Freeps come to dance togather and compare clothing.

Not sure how difficult it would be but it may ease things a little if dp wasn't so useless now. They could maybe keep it as it is that dp can't be earnt anymore but at least make it that X skills costs 1000 comms (as it is) or 20k dp etc etc. At least those of us who had 500k+ could use it for something better than ###### buffs. Audacity rank = 6k Comms and 80k dp or something like that etc etc.

This still doesn't sort out the completely new creep players though and I do feel for them. Scrapping audacity won't happen imo. The implementation needs to be changed.

I agree with you Stoff, but only on the part concerning low rank/new creeps. It is very difficult to roll a new creep, and get enough comms for both skills and audacity. Its so sad that turbine relying on 'pay to win' so much, to the point that they make whole systems based on it. As it is now, in order to roll a new creep and not rage quit the game within a week, you have to spend crazy amounts of Turbine points to your creep, to get skills/traits, to keep up with your rank, and get audacity with comms at the same time.

Altho, other than that on veteran creeps/freeps, i find it extremely easy to get enough comms to spend on armour sets, comsumables, potions etc. I started my main (warden) with 3 audacity (due to DoF stones), and had full set within a 10 days maximum, without playing 24/7, and run 90% of the time solo. Also the best part about it, is that you actually have to pvp to get comms, not like when RoI introduced where freeps were constantly fliping the map to get enough tyrant crests/lashes to get their armours.

I also dont agree with something mentioned before 'if a veteran high rank creep quits the game for a year lets say, he has to grind for audacity again'. As in every MMO (or at least in most of them), if you take a break from the game for quite some time, you have to either grind/level etc, to be on par with other players once more.

From a high rank freep's point of view, I find the commendation system very good, and very easy, without the whole 'grind' part, since all you have to do is have fun and killing opposite side players. Plus I also agree that turbine has much more important issues to deal with (like class ballance), than the current commendation system.

Originally Posted by Yelloweyedemon

Also the best part about it, is that you actually have to pvp to get comms, not like when RoI introduced where freeps were constantly fliping the map to get enough tyrant crests/lashes to get their armours.

But doesn't the system still give you commendations for flipping the map, and without having to roll dice to get them? And what's more, the commendations you earn are shared between all your characters so you can get a few creep and freep alts with which you don't actually pvp to complete the flips with while gaining full benefit for your pvp character.

And since it's more efficient to flip the map in a huge group, the odds are that the enemy can't match your numbers.. which means that no pvp happens. Sideswitching happens and the numbers advantage just shifts around. Safety in numbers, efficiency, guaranteed commendation income, easy, repeatable as many times per day as you've got alts, full benefit to your main?

Originally Posted by Yelloweyedemon

From a high rank freep's point of view, I find the commendation system very good, and very easy, without the whole 'grind' part, since all you have to do is have fun and killing opposite side players. Plus I also agree that turbine has much more important issues to deal with (like class ballance), than the current commendation system.

I just do not understand why my map deeds weren't retroactive? 1,500 comms per Good Map earned, but I don't get to see any of that?

When Turbine Points became apart of the game, all my previously completed deeds were retroactively given their appropriate TP.

After coming back from a year plus break my warg is squishier than ever.

Originally Posted by defrule

Audacity is the Radiance of PvMP. They think it's a great idea but is a complete fail.

Wow. I think that succinctly sums up the situation. It wouldn't be so bad if all we needed commendations for was Audacity and barterables, but creeps needing them to buy traits and skills makes the system a huge fail in my books.

To get one toon to Audacity 7, I had to do a lot of grinding on a different toon (to take advantage of the map deeds) when PvP was slow.

It would help to have creeps spend coin to acquire traits and skills instead of commendations.

I liked it at first. The thought of pvp'ing for pvp gear instead of having to go into the delving or raid in pve was appealing. And in my case it worked out for me. But alot of my friends left for SWTOR and are trickling back in wearing either their brilliant stone pvp gear or orthanc armor and they are realizing they will be a hindrance to those of use with Audacity sets and they're not coming back out again.

So yeah, audacity = radiance.

Originally Posted by ColorSpecs

I liked it at first. The thought of pvp'ing for pvp gear instead of having to go into the delving or raid in pve was appealing. And in my case it worked out for me. But alot of my friends left for SWTOR and are trickling back in wearing either their brilliant stone pvp gear or orthanc armor and they are realizing they will be a hindrance to those of use with Audacity sets and they're not coming back out again.

So yeah, audacity = radiance.

The start of the next season and reset of comms grind (especially post launch of some other mmo titles) will likely drastically reduce my moors time. Once you fall behind the audacity curve, its not terribly appealing to set out on that grind. Its one thing to grind it out with the initial player wave; your pvp opponents are all in the same boat (audacity levels at least) so you still feel effective on the field. Its another to be starting out on that grind well behind everyone else. Many of my alts are already shelved (wrt the moors) and the incentive for me to roll a new creep alt is next to zero atm. As new games launch this will be a disincentive for people to return in the future imo. Add to this the terrible current experience for any new creep players (skills vs audacity purchases), ensuring low retention rate, and I think that left unchanged the moors pop is going to suffer.

Conceptually I like the idea of a pvp currency, I wonder though if it is not a good fit with the limited sandbox of lotro pvp. At a minimum it prolly needs some changes to pricing/acquisition.

Yes i agree

Working as intended. Creeps should be buying all their skill in the store.

There's money to be made.

Originally Posted by JRonnie

Working as intended. Creeps should be buying all their skill in the store.

There's money to be made.

well yeh...when you get your skills from trainers for 5-20 silver