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[AdawgDaFAB]

For anyone whose looking to buy LotR: War In the North just so you know you can snag it @ 13% off initially PLUS 10% off with new voucher code "SERIO-USSAV-INGS7" bringing the final price right now to $38.39 at gmg. Since this is a steamworks game you get a steam redeemable key with a bit of savings left over on the side for a daily deal... or 2!

Thank you, this just got me to convince a friend to get the game as well. Now I have a full group of 3 ^__^.

I'm a little pissed that I got the game on Monday. When I found the GMG10P-ERCE-NTOFF code over the weekend, the wording made it sound like it was supposed to still be good on 10/31, but in reality it ended once 10/31 started. So I missed out on using that 10% off code and now 2 days later this new one came out.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Having fun but this game is getting hard even on normal if you play solo...the Tharzog fight is annoying.I whish you could swap characters when you want at least.I notice when you swap,the other 2 have levelled up but the skills aren`t used,you have to swap to level their skills up? i`m fighting this Boss with my 2 other characters with 7 points of their skills not used?

No, the AI uses the skill points and has their own items. You can see them using abilities you didn't get yet. Like I saw the elf dual-weilding a 1H weap and a staff and I never got that ability on her. The AI does their own thing. I don't like it but that's the design decision they made.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

That's... actually ingenious. I assume that they pick the best upgrade path and gear for their default role when left to their own devices?

Yeah

Does the $ get good enough as you go along that you can easily buy the 16k respec coins? Also does the coin get more expensive every time you buy one? I've played other games that are like that.

I'm broke after buying a bunch of new gear at Rivendell but I had like 6k @ level 11 so the 16k for the respec coin should be fine later on. I dunno if it gets more expensive after more purchases...doubt it.

Another thing, if I join someone's game I will keep the items and whatnot that I earn but I'll still be where I left off progress wise from mine right? I am at Chapter 2-2 and I'm going to help my friend who, is just starting, catch up to me.

Yeah

 

[.hacked]

4hrs into the game playing coop split screen with my brother. Fantastic coop game, not sure how the single player would fair but this I put this up there with Portal 2 as one of my fav couch coop games.

 

[AdawgDaFAB]

Actually, I just checked and I like how it is handled. Basically it's just like when you play with someone via co-op. The CPU controlled ones are their own characters and when you switch over to they are now your character. You can then level them up however you want. So I can play how I wanted to before without having to waste $ on Respec coins to undo what the CPU does.

Ex: I'm level 10 and never used anyone but the girl. I switched over to the dwarf and when I pressed select I had 27 stat points and 9 skill points to allocate.

 

[Ricker]

Actually, I just checked and I like how it is handled. Basically it's just like when you play with someone via co-op. The CPU controlled ones are their own characters and when you switch over to they are now your character. You can then level them up however you want. So I can play how I wanted to before without having to waste $ on Respec coins to undo what the CPU does.

Ex: I'm level 10 and never used anyone but the girl. I switched over to the dwarf and when I pressed select I had 27 stat points and 9 skill points to allocate.

Yeah,that`s what I wasn`t sure of before,I thought your partners where actually playing without the skills added...once I realised what to do against Tharzog,the fight was a lot easier...I played with all 3 characters,Farin is the easiest I find and the girl is the most difficult,she uses power like hell,it goes down real fast hehe...

 

[Ken]

If I want to co-op through the game with a friend, should she use a different gamertag from mine? If we both play on my gamertag, will it just save my character stats and when I play alone, revert what she's done on the character to "AI stats."

 

[AdawgDaFAB]

Yeah,that`s what I wasn`t sure of before,I thought your partners where actually playing without the skills added...once I realised what to do against Tharzog,the fight was a lot easier...I played with all 3 characters,Farin is the easiest I find and the girl is the most difficult,she uses power like hell,it goes down real fast hehe...

With the way the system is built, it seems like it would be best to play Eradan or Farin first and then Andriel latter on. That way when you get to play her you already have a lot of stat and skill points so you have access to her passive abilities instantly as well as her more powerful attack and support skills.

 

[FINALBOSS]

Wait...wait....there's tons of LOOT in this game?

I fucking love games that drop tons of loot. This is one of them?

 

[AdawgDaFAB]

Wait...wait....there's tons of LOOT in this game?

I fucking love games that drop tons of loot. This is one of them?

This certainly is a loot game.

I have a question for how experience works in co-op. Does everyone get exp for a kill, just the person who does the kill or a mix where everyone gets exp but the person who dealt the finishing blow gets more than the other 2?

 

[Barack Lesnar]

This certainly is a loot game.

I have a question for how experience works in co-op. Does everyone get exp for a kill, just the person who does the kill or a mix where everyone gets exp but the person who dealt the finishing blow gets more than the other 2?

All get the same xp except you can get individual bonuses for getting final blow and critical hits and block breakers and so on, but yes all get the same base xp from killing mobs.

 

[FredFish]

Huzzah! My order has shipped. Let's see if it gets here for the weekend /crosses fingers

 

[Hawk269]

I am pretty damn impressed by the game. While some areas look just ok, other areas look really fantastic. I am suprised on how good it looks in certain parts and the game seems to be pretty meaty. Been playing for a few hours and still in chapter 1...I think I am part of section 22 of chapter one. The game runs great on my rig, 60fps rock solid all the time.

 

[MaritalWheat]

Hahahaha, I love that that (Chapter 2)

Spoiler

Gandalf will think you're an idiot if you suggest flying the ring into Mordor.

 

[tekumseh]

Ok, horse shit like this is so infuriating that I can barely see straight. Playing offline and solo, PS 3 version, and I got to Chapter 1, Part 22, where you are in the arena type area with Thrakazorg or whatever his fucking name is, and I'm stuck. My team is overpowered, so I cannot beat the room of enemies, and I cannot get out of the room in order to go "grind" somewhere else in order to build my team up to move forward.

It's piss poor, half-assed game mechanics like this that make me want to pull my hair out. I don't mind that I'm underpowered, and I wouldn't mind if I could back out a bit in order to grind it up so I can progress in the story, but to be stuck in one fucking place, where my options now seem to be either continue to beat my head against this wall trying to beat the room in order to move forward or to start a new fucking game just makes me wish I'd never bought the damned game in the first place. How does shit like this get incorporated into a game these days without someone recognizing it and fixing it? It's the second time it's happened to me in a game of this type; in Dragon Age 2, I got stuck in a no way back out room and could not get out or move forward in it either. In LotR if there is no way to fix things, I've just wasted 5-6 hours for nothing, just like in DA 2 I ended up wasting about 16 hours only to get to an impasse. Christ, is it really that hard to put an escape backwards hatch in games like this?

 

[dragonlife]

http://kotaku.com/5855713/should-you-buy-the-lord-of-the-rings-war-in-the-north-yes

We got a "Yes, Buy" from Kotaku! ;D

Hiya. Can you say anything about local co-op being a future patch? Or if you guys are at least "thinking" about it for the PC version?

 

[Lord Phol]

There seems to be alot of confusion around how the AI works and how Snowblind intended the game to be played.
Would be great if someone could clear it up.
For example, If I were to play through the campaign once with a single character, let's say the dwarf, and then wanted to move on the next difficulty-setting but this time play the elf:

Would I have any of the gear the AI collected through our first playthrough, or would I only have the levels and skillpoints?
And would the dwarf AI use any of the items I had equipped on him, or would he just default to the starter items?

In other words, are you supposed to create a new campaign/save for every character (this is how I thought it would be before I learned you could switch characters) or is one save for all characters enough?

Seems the game would be kind of short if it's option two, especially compared to CoN and RtA which had alot more classes and even new game+ options (I think).

 

[Ricker]

Ok, horse shit like this is so infuriating that I can barely see straight. Playing offline and solo, PS 3 version, and I got to Chapter 1, Part 22, where you are in the arena type area with Thrakazorg or whatever his fucking name is, and I'm stuck. My team is overpowered, so I cannot beat the room of enemies, and I cannot get out of the room in order to go "grind" somewhere else in order to build my team up to move forward.

It's piss poor, half-assed game mechanics like this that make me want to pull my hair out. I don't mind that I'm underpowered, and I wouldn't mind if I could back out a bit in order to grind it up so I can progress in the story, but to be stuck in one fucking place, where my options now seem to be either continue to beat my head against this wall trying to beat the room in order to move forward or to start a new fucking game just makes me wish I'd never bought the damned game in the first place. How does shit like this get incorporated into a game these days without someone recognizing it and fixing it? It's the second time it's happened to me in a game of this type; in Dragon Age 2, I got stuck in a no way back out room and could not get out or move forward in it either. In LotR if there is no way to fix things, I've just wasted 5-6 hours for nothing, just like in DA 2 I ended up wasting about 16 hours only to get to an impasse. Christ, is it really that hard to put an escape backwards hatch in games like this?

You have to concentrate on Tharzog and kill him first,if you don`t and try to kill all the flunkies first,like I was trying the first few times,they don`t die,so ignore all the others and concentrate on him first,once he dies,you can kill the others.

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

Thanks for the later impressions, Heavy. Anyone have the same performance drop-offs in caves on the console versions?

 

[Barack Lesnar]

For example, If I were to play through the campaign once with a single character, let's say the dwarf, and then wanted to move on the next difficulty-setting but this time play the elf:

Would I have any of the gear the AI collected through our first playthrough, or would I only have the levels and skillpoints?

Only the levels and skill points. You will still have the unequipped items in your inventory

And would the dwarf AI use any of the items I had equipped on him, or would he just default to the starter items?

He would either have his own gear from the start or use the gear he picked up during play, not sure. But no, he won't have anything you equipped on him when you played as him.

In other words, are you supposed to create a new campaign/save for every character (this is how I thought it would be before I learned you could switch characters) or is one save for all characters enough?

Seems the game would be kind of short if it's option two, especially compared to CoN and RtA which had alot more classes and even new game+ options (I think).

It's option 2. There's a new game+ in the sense that the higher difficulties give better loot since you'll be higher level (cap is lvl 40), and you carry your stuff over.

 

[ironcreed]

Started playing this last night and think it is fun as hell. Combat is addictive, there is loot everywhere, the visuals are passable and the overall production is definitely above average. Beats the hell out of LotR Conquest, that is for sure. I think it is solid 8.5 material so far, which is of course a great game.

Games like this are why I signed up for Gamefly. In other words, there are so many great games that I want to play, but really don't need to own. I will be enjoying the hell out of it until I pick up my copy of Skyrim next week.

 

[AwRy108]

Played solo for about 4 hrs. yesterday on the PS3, here are my impressions (for anyone who cares):

PROS:

• Combat is addictive, and is similar to Phantasy Star Portable series, but more challenging at the base level
• Ai is very competent and requires little to no micro-managing; at first I thought this would be a negative aspect, but now it's obvious that it would've killed the pace of the game
• The constant team dynamic adds a unique spin to the gameplay, especially since the game's challenge pretty much requires the mage class to fulfill her healing duties on a regular basis
• Loot system is just like previous Snowblind games, meaning it works well and is balanced, but not nearly as deep as, say, the Diablo series
• Whole game is balanced in a way that, unless you spend time grinding, the loot and skills never allow the challenge to dissipate
• Graphics are well done and, like Snowblind's previous works, show a nice attention to detail while running at a silky framerate
• "Hero Mode" finishing blows never, ever get old. Wicked cool.
• If you're a fan of LotR, you'll totally gobble up the lore in this game--Snowblind certainly did this expansion on Tolkein's work the justice it deserves

CONS:

• Interface is archaic, especially at character select screen and in shops; on the whole, it makes the non-combat portions of the game seem very clunky and inefficient.
• Enemy variety is pitiful and locations are repetitive
• In-town fetch quests are annoying
• Camera can sometimes be your worst enemy
• Save system is way more confusing than it should be
• Based on other impressions, campaign doesn't seem very long for a game in this genre (people are stating that their first playthrough ends with them around level 20; I'm already at level 9 and have played less than 4 hours)
• Poor explanation and implimentation of mechanics surrounding switching characters and taking characters online. For instance, if I switch characters half way through the campaign and let the CPU take over my current build, what are they going to change/alter that I won't approve of? Nerve-wracking to even think about switching characters if you're the type of person who gets invested in a build
• Loot system doesn't drop enough items to use in sockets (eg. gems), which down-plays another customization option
• Why does it take 2+ swings to break crates?

Overall, I'm really enjoying this game, but am constantly reminded why I would never pay $60 for it (I got it for $20, and the purchase included another $20 coupon). The game absolutely feels like a Snowblind product from their Dark Alliance days (for better and for worse), but with more engaging combat and much less variety in regards to enemies and locations--it's clear that the devs wanted to focus more heavily on the action, so the RPG elements lack some of the depth of their previous games. And the HD graphics aren't enough to spit-shine the game's decade-old interface and wonky camera. I can definitely recommend this title to gamers craving an experience much like the Baldur's Gate - Dark Alliance series; but to those who don't share the same sentiments with Snowblind's past, I'd be more inclinded to point them towards more recent titles in the genre unless they can snag this one on the cheap. Also, I have no doubt that it would make a great co-op title; but keep in mind that it can be thoroughly enjoyed over the course of a weekend, which would make it more of a rental.

 

[NullPointer]

In-town fetch quests are annoying, especially because of the game's walk speed (...and the complete lack of a run button)

FYI - sprint is right bumper on my xbox controller.

 

[AwRy108]

FYI - sprint is right bumper on my xbox controller.

Oh, thanks for the heads-up. I edited my post, too.

 

[AstroLad]

What would you suggest is a better co-op ARPG experience exactly?

 

[HenryHSH]

Is local coop splitscreen or does the camera zoom out?

 

[Elginer]

Spent 3 hours last night with 2 randoms on Live and we had a blast with this game. Cool to see other NORMAL people who aren't spouting nonsense still on Live. Maybe it has to do with the game? Who knows.

Did come across a cool feature of being to customize the appearance of your character at certain camps. It's not super deep but it is a cool way to make your character unique. I really dig that but wondered why that wasn't in earlier in the game, just sort of appears out of no where. Speaking of which, this title REALLY needed a good manual, not that 3 piece of paper that came in the box. It's insulting how deep the game is but no one would know unless you actually dig deep and figure it out for yourself.

For instance, I didn't know that the Elf could discover hidden areas as well. Hell, all three of us playing last night laughed our asses off going "Elves can do that too? I thought it was only the Ranger!!"

Great game, a little clunky but this title really needs a FAQ to get the best out of it. Co-op is super smooth with drop-in and drop-out. Honestly some of the most fun I've had this year playing any game. Just a solid fun hack-and-slash with great loot that makes it easy to share with friends.

 

[Ricker]

You can customize in Bree right at the start also,near the guy with the love story sidequest,near a mirror. ;P

Just played with 2 randoms on Live and we had a blast,great co-op game.

 

[ced]

Is local coop splitscreen or does the camera zoom out?

Vertical split, the camera is over the shoulder, not isometric (unfortunately).

 

[AwRy108]

What would you suggest is a better co-op ARPG experience exactly?

Are you asking out of curiosity or just being snarky? For the sake of civility, I'm going to assume the former, so here's my answer:

As far as co-op ARPG's go, this one is probably at the top of the heap, especially since it's not as heavy on the inventory and stat management; and it's also very balanced for team play. That said, some of WItN's short-comings could dissuade multiple play-throughs, so, at $60, it may be best suited as a rental for many.

Also, if we're talking somewhat current, non-PC titles, Dungeon Hunters: Alliance, Sacred 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2, the Monster Hunter series, and Dungeon Siege III come to mind. I am sure I'm forgetting several others, too.

 

[IlliterateBookworm]

Am I the only one expecting more out of Snowblind? Don't take that the wrong way- I enjoy their games, but when are we going to get something original from them?

I feel like they're held back with their constant use of licenses.

I would love to see them take the engine of WITN (which I am thoroughly enjoying) and really let loose with an unrestrained loot fest that has doesn't have to fit within some outside source's specifications.

I can't wait to see what some of the high tiered weapons and gear looks like!

 

[HenryHSH]

Vertical split, the camera is over the shoulder, not isometric (unfortunately).

Damn, that's a shame. I would of loved a Dark Alliance iso view. :[

 

[Elginer]

Am I the only one expecting more out of Snowblind? Don't take that the wrong way- I enjoy their games, but when are we going to get something original from them?

I feel like they're held back with their constant use of licenses.

I would love to see them take the engine of WITN (which I am thoroughly enjoying) and really let loose with an unrestrained loot fest that has doesn't have to fit within some outside source's specifications.

I can't wait to see what some of the high tiered weapons and gear looks like!

I agree, I really hope WB lets them go loose with some new IP. I'd love to see what they could do with their own universe and really go for it.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Nice impressions Awry

Poor explanation and implimentation of mechanics surrounding switching characters and taking characters online. For instance, if I switch characters half way through the campaign and let the CPU take over my current build, what are they going to change/alter that I won't approve of? Nerve-wracking to even think about switching characters if you're the type of person who gets invested in a build

CPU has their own items and skill/stat point allotment. You will still have the exact equip you left that character with when switching back to him/her. This was very poorly implemented and explained to us.

Loot system doesn't drop enough items to use in sockets (eg. gems), which down-plays another customization option

It does drop enough. I've found like 20-25 I think... maybe they drop more after you get to Rivendell, I dunno but I've used a lot of them and have had several duplicates of ones like the +15 fire damage and +35 armor and +5 dex...found like 4 or 5 of each of those..

 

[AwRy108]

CPU has their own items and skill/stat point allotment. You will still have the exact equip you left that character with when switching back to him/her. This was very poorly implemented and explained to us.

So, if I switch characters for a mission and the CPU levels up, am I stuck with their choice of stat and skill points when return back to the character again? Or are you saying that the CPU's characters are essentially completely different entities than mine, so when I load in as my version, it's like loading my last play session as said character?

I'm so confused with all of this. If you could point me to a detailed explanation of the whole character switching system, I'd be grateful. For instance, I'd love to be able to jump between characters, and have them remain exactly as I leave them until the next time I chose to play as them.

It does drop enough. I've found like 20-25 I think... maybe they drop more after you get to Rivendell, I dunno but I've used a lot of them and have had several duplicates of ones like the +15 fire damage and +35 armor and +5 dex...found like 4 or 5 of each of those..

This is good to know, especially since I've only seen like two of them so far, and I'm already level 9. Also, is their any use for the "unessential items" later in the game? For instance, are they tied to some type of crafting system for one or all of the characters?

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

So, if I switch characters for a mission and the CPU levels up, am I stuck with their choice of stat and skill points when return back to the character again? Or are you saying that the CPU's characters are essentially completely different entities than mine, so when I load in as my version, it's like loading my last play session as said character?

I'm so confused with all of this. If you could point me to a detailed explanation of the whole character switching system, I'd be grateful. For instance, I'd love to be able to jump between characters, and have them remain exactly as I leave them until the next time I chose to play as them.

I think that's pretty much exactly how it works. Basically you have to think of playing the game with AI partners as playing with two CPU players. Their characters are totally separate. You can hand things to them, but they will be theirs. They select skills, but only for them.

When you switch to a character, that's your version of the character. You equip it and spec it and it only exists when you're playing it.

 

[AwRy108]

I think that's pretty much exactly how it works. Basically you have to think of playing the game with AI partners as playing with two CPU players. Their characters are totally separate. You can hand things to them, but they will be theirs. They select skills, but only for them.

When you switch to a character, that's your version of the character. You equip it and spec it and it only exists when you're playing it.

Great, thank you for this. I can't imagine how confusing this is to people who don't actively search for the answers on the Internets. IMHO, this type of inadequacey is inexcusable this day in age, and the publisher/developer deserves whatever negative effects it has on their game. I mean, how long would it have taken them to, at minimum, explain this via an in-game pop-up menu. Pathetic.

 

[AstroLad]

What do you mean "in this day in age"? That shit's gotten way worse in the past ten years if you've been paying any attention. Most manuals and tutorials today don't even describe half of the basic features of a game. Your reaction seems pretty extreme.

 

[AwRy108]

What do you mean "in this day in age"? That shit's gotten way worse in the past ten years if you've been paying any attention. Most manuals and tutorials today don't even describe half of the basic features of a game. Your reaction seems pretty extreme.

Agreed, agreed, and agreed.

However, most games circumvent their lack of a physical Instruction Manual by providing enough of a tutorial to at least explain the important basics and systems contained within them; whereas WItN makes zero effort at explainng its most important systems relevant to the genre its in (an, no, the laughable info. in the loading screen "tips" does not count). Many a forum thread will tell you that I'm not the only one annoyed by this laziness.

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

It doesn't bother me that things aren't spelled out better in game if they had been spelled out better in the manual. The co-op is discussed in about a 3 sentence long paragraph at the top of an all of 5 page manual.

 

[jim-jam bongs]

Yeah that's pretty poor form. I installed BG and BG2 from GOG recently and the manuals alone are massive PDFs. Every game doesn't have to be like that but I really miss manuals which not only demanded a reading but rewarded one.

 

[SnowblindTina]

I know that it's not the same as a full manual book, but we do have more comprehensive manuals and FAQs in the Support section of the site:
http://www.warinthenorth.com/index.php/the-game/support

The printable manual clocks in at 45 pages end to end.

 

[Dr. Acid Avatar]

Can't wait till my order comes tomorrow! Add me please if anyone wants to co op.

PSN: AcidAvatar

Thanks!

 

[jim-jam bongs]

I know that it's not the same as a full manual book, but we do have more comprehensive manuals and FAQs in the Support section of the site:
http://www.warinthenorth.com/index.php/the-game/support

The printable manual clocks in at 45 pages end to end.

:O

I take it all back then, I just checked out the PC one and it is gooooooood. It's not CRPG from the 90s level of detail but it's a big step up from most.

 

[Drinky Crow]

wow, this tharzug fight is serious bullshit. i only have 2 health potions (and no way to obtain more), and he can halve my health in a hit -- AND he endlessly spawns aggressive, difficult enemies? who thought this was fun? (i'm playing on normal.) i concentrate on him, sink 40 arrows into him, and i get him manybe half down with a lot of strafing/running, and then what?

man, i've endured snowblind's bs hp sink boss fights before, but the spawning enemies that damage me through my block and stagger me take the cake. i was gonna get a copy of this for my brother on his bday, but even he wouldn't endure crap like this -- and he played through dark souls

 

[Ricker]

wow, this tharzug fight is serious bullshit. i only have 2 health potions (and no way to obtain more), and he can halve my health in a hit -- AND he endlessly spawns aggressive, difficult enemies? who thought this was fun? (i'm playing on normal.) i concentrate on him, sink 40 arrows into him, and i get him manybe half down with a lot of strafing/running, and then what?

man, i've endured snowblind's bs hp sink boss fights before, but the spawning enemies that damage me through my block and stagger me take the cake. i was gonna get a copy of this for my brother on his bday, but even he wouldn't endure crap like this -- and he played through dark souls

Well there is no then what,thats the fight basically,kill him first,I died a few times there also,I think the game slowly makes the fight easier after you fail a few times...

Something I didn`t check,does the game pauses when you go in your inventory? you may have some of those crafting items by then that when mixed with others make a health potion...roll a lot,watch when he does his big swing and evade and hit him then....I was playing with Farin though so his rage skill helped I guess....

 

[IlliterateBookworm]

Good to hear there's at least a printable version of an actual manual out there. That flimsy stack of papers was far too anemic to be considered a manual. It was the size of a sales pamphlet I'd find on a store counter in Japan.

I'm going to have to check it out when I get home, send myself a copy of the PDF at my work account, and print it out at the head honcho's expense.

Manuals for games like these were my favorite- I remember sitting around pondering over the skill descriptions and trying to figure out how I'd build my character before I'd even gotten started on installing the game.

Now I've got something to waste time looking at tomorrow afternoon when I'm stuck at the doctor's office. Thanks Snowblind!

 

[RibbedHero]

PC split-screen and I'd get the game in a heartbeat. No PC split-screen? No purchase, not even on sale as I don't want to play this game online.

Why can't developers understand this? It's in the console version, its very easy to implement.

 

[TheExodu5]

Wait a second...is Drinky actually banned? Or did the mods figure a way to keep him posting with a greyed out name?

 

[Kerrby]

SnowblindTina could you please explain to me why this game has doubled in price on the Australian Steam Store?

I was looking forward to getting this game but not anymore.