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Middle Earth: [Shadow of War] Micro-Transactions to be tossed into Mount Doom!

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  • LeumasWhiteLeumasWhite New ZealandRegistered User regular
    Man, what are you supposed to do when a defender captain adapts to shield-vault and wraith stun, and is already immune to ranged? Just rely on external attacks, like flies and explosives? I had one show up in the arena, which was a bit frustrating.

    QPPHj1J.jpg
  • BlainBlain Registered User regular
    I started the game last night and mucked about in the first zone. So far it's living up to the promise of being the same but more. My go to abilities from the first game are in the Wraith tree, so I unlocked all of those first thing.

    I even got the one that lets you pick up loot just by running over it. I don't know if rank and file orks give XP any more, but stealth* murdering all the white arrows and interrogating all the worms as I run around should keep traversal feeling profitable. Also, as in the first game, I must free any slaves I encounter. DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO! :bigfrown: Fleeing worms have actually been pretty handy, especially when there are two in a cluster. Stealth* interrogate the first, then vault over somebody and use the speed burst to chase down the runner and do the same.

    *running right at them and jamming RT and the appropriate button at the last second


    The Story of Pâsh (feat. Pûg)
    After running around doing missions in the starter area I start running into Epic enemies. Epic enemies have epic guts loot! Rip and tear! A super low level (four or five?) epic goes down easily. A Ghul loving level fourteen epic named Pug who throws flaming spears isn't too much of a problem, although I do have to wait for the grass we were fighting on to stop burning before I can pick up the loot he left behind. So when I notice that a level eleven epic named Pash is on the route to my next mission, I figure I'll pick up another shiny bit of loot on the way.

    Pash kills me in two hits. First he throws a dagger which replaces my mini-map with a flaming eye, removes my prompts for counters and evasions, and drains my health down to nothing. Curses suck yo. And because Pash also has the "No Chance" attribute, once I get love tapped for the rest of my health it's over.

    So this guy needs to die yesterday. I head down to the orc camp in the southeast where he's celebrating my demise. Pash doesn't have any pronounced weaknesses. But he's at least damaged by range and explosions, so I skulk above the feast and take aim at a couple grog barrels, thinning out the riff raff and putting a little damage on Pash. He sees me a couple hundred feet up on my rope perch, so I jump on his head and get the fight underway. One of the few remaining riff raff takes off to light the signal fire, distracting me long enough for Pash to get in another throwing dagger. Pash two. Blain zero.

    I spawn at the south end of the camp which means I need to go through the camp to get to the mission trigger to try again. But as I'm sneaking out the side entrance, who jumps out at me but Pug, freshly back from the dead. He proceeds to give me another lecture about how Ghuls are noble creatures and tries to turn me into a kebab. I keep the fight contained so the fort doesn't go on alert, and as I finish Pug off he tells me his blood brother will avenge him. Yeah, yeah. Sure thing. I don't get twenty steps before his blood brother and his ooky skin armor jump out from behind a bush. The whole point of armor is that it is stronger than skin, so he isn't actually a problem, just a bit of a shock.

    So I take another shot at Pash, thinking maybe a rooftop fight will keep the distracting followers down to a minimum. Unfortunately any structure Pash can get on the followers can too and it limits my ability to dodge arrows, spears, and those literally damned knives. Chalk another win for Pash, who is now level fourteen.

    Fine. Forget fancy. I take him on straight up, keeping laser focus on him and those daggers. It's rough. He's agile, so a lot of my hits don't land. He gets one hit in, cursing me, but I manage to Consume some riff raff to get back out of the one hit zone. I keep hitting him with Ice Storm to limit his dodging, but it's hard to actually get a complete combo with all the randos, and I can't do ground finishers to follow up because that gives the randos free hits. I probably need to use the heavy spear or Elven Light, but I'm too focused on not dying. Pash and I are both down to almost nothing, but on my last Ice Storm I get an angle such that even though I can't do the ground finisher, he'll end up on top of a camp fire. It's just enough, and he burns to death as I parry for my life. Victory! I mean obviously he'll be back. But I'm alive and the randos are all fleeing, so it's a nice moment.

    So he pops up, all melty and burned, during some other mission and curses me, forcing me to abort, and I'm happy because that means the real game is on again. Forget all this sexy spider nonsense.

    I look at the map. He's not celebrating this time. He's holding a war council. And as I set him as a target, I see a line connecting him to... Pug? Who is now level sixteen? Great. Cursed daggers and flaming spears. But I've managed to level up one of my epic weapons and can now use executions to apply poison, so two can play at the DoT game. I reach the villa the war council is being held at. They aren't the only two captains there, but they're together at the planning table. I try to hit and run, applying poison, breaking sight, rebuilding might and coming back to do it again, but the alarms go off. I'm surrounded and everything's on fire thanks to Pug's spears. Down I go. Pash is now level 15, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm losing control of the situation.

    On returning I find that the roof I jumped onto the planning table from now has one of the other captains and his half dozen spear throwing grunts camped out on it. But I really don't have a plan at this point, so I suppose one entry point is as good as another. I attack from the back courtyard, but the alarms go off and I can see the writing on the wall. I find a hedge to hide in and wrack my brain for a better way. As the alarm ends and the majority of the grunts file out, I find a grog barrel. I wait for the stragglers to clear then poison the grog. A few orcs drink and die, which puts Pash and Pug on patrol, splitting them up. I arrow the grog barrel, producing a poison cloud which kills the remaining grunts and takes a piece out of Pug.

    I get into it with Pug, expecting Pash or maybe even the roof squad to jump in, but they're all out of earshot. Pug goes down. I shoot an arrow at Pash to get him to follow me away from the roof squad onto another building. Even one on one he's still a pain, but as I roll away from daggers, parry and dodge his melee attacks, and whittle him down with Ice Storm combos when I can land them, it feels like a well earned, satisfying one on one fight at the end of a big dumb action movie. I hope the sieges are fun, but I'm 4.1 hours in and I'm already getting what I want from SoW.

    destroyah87SmrtnikNogginCorporal CarlDark Raven XMagic PinkIron WeaselGokerzstopgapGiggles_FunsworthErin The Red
  • NEO|PhyteNEO|Phyte They follow the stars, bound together. Strands in a braid till the end.Registered User regular
    Quick question does any know what the champion pit fights unlock...I've completed them several times but got no confirmation of unlocking anything.

    The mission description says something about a stronghold upgrade, but I have no clue what it's supposed to do.

    It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
    Warframe/Steam: NFyt
  • FreiFrei A French Prometheus Unbound DeadwoodRegistered User regular
    I love the myriad of upgrades you can get - like I just got one that makes it so when I do the teleport-and-explode fires it also makes a bunch of spiders come out. What a horrifying ability. Who does that?

    Also, people playing on PC: if you're running the high res texture pack, what GPU do you have? I have a 980ti and turning it on puts the estimated memory usage off the charts, but it's completely fine and steady at 60fps with the textures.

    Are you the magic man?
    Magic PinkGiggles_Funsworth
  • QanamilQanamil x Registered User regular
    Fight pit so far for me seems to be how you get spies in the fort hierarchy.

    When jerks adapt to vaulting dodge to their side when they attack, then wraith stun as usual, etc.

  • NEO|PhyteNEO|Phyte They follow the stars, bound together. Strands in a braid till the end.Registered User regular
    Update on fighting pit round three bonus: Looking at it, what it unlocks is the bottommost warchief station on the stronghold UI. Which you are unable to access until you are high enough level to have the rest of them unlocked.

    It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
    Warframe/Steam: NFyt
    Genji-Gloves
  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    When do I get dominate?

    ALRIGHT FINE I GOT AN AVATAR
    Steam: adamjnet
  • BlainBlain Registered User regular
    Man, what are you supposed to do when a defender captain adapts to shield-vault and wraith stun, and is already immune to ranged? Just rely on external attacks, like flies and explosives? I had one show up in the arena, which was a bit frustrating.

    That sounds rough. Does he have a fear? That'd be ideal. Frighten, chase to isolated area; kill. Like in any good slasher movie. :eek:

  • NEO|PhyteNEO|Phyte They follow the stars, bound together. Strands in a braid till the end.Registered User regular
    Spaffy wrote: »
    When do I get dominate?

    Act II

    It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
    Warframe/Steam: NFyt
  • LeumasWhiteLeumasWhite New ZealandRegistered User regular
    I eventually wore him down by building up wrath on the arena mooks and using it for a million executions. Turns out he was also death defying, so I had to do it twice. Really hope I see that guy again, and also really hope I never see that guy again.

    QPPHj1J.jpg
    BlainGiggles_Funsworth
  • EnclaveofGnomesEnclaveofGnomes Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    One of the toughest fights so far was against an overlord olog who'd taken one of my fortress' everything I did enraged him, he wasn't vulnerable to anything I could exploit he had epic strength...and as I discovered was death defying.

    Another moment that stands out is an olog blood brother betraying me by leaping in from off screen to pound me into the ground. Scared the crap out of me.

    Two sad stories though, a bard I humiliated to lower his level got deranged the same thing for a rhyme one...I genuinely felt sorry for them and disappointed that I didn't secure them properly because they were hilarious.

    And he yelled something like "Where has my song gone!?" when it happened...I felt like the worst person...for hurting this ravenous killer orc.

    EnclaveofGnomes on
    ProhassGiggles_Funsworth
  • BronzeKoopaBronzeKoopa Registered User regular
    I'm thinking the Shelob memory cutscenes are bugged. They seem way too short even when replaying them from the appendices menu.

  • AiserouAiserou Registered User regular
    Meet Ur-Lisak, the Painlover.
    1yuil6ysfw3n.jpg

    I first met him around level 9, and he was 14. I could barely touch him then. Now he's 48, while I'm just 25, and he got promoted to fort commander.

    He basically takes no damage. The only time I managed to get him alone I spent a good 10 minutes sliding under his legs to get in one hit, then repeating. I think I managed to climb on his back about 5 times and backstab the shit out of him, but it did nothing. NOTHING. Any other time I've fought him he just sits there constantly summoning more orcs to the point where I cant fight back because I basically get stun-locked. Any time he downs me, he just welcomes me to come back later and try to hurt him some more, so I never even get a second wind from countering the execution.

    I think I'm just going to let Sauron have the fort and maybe they will fight it out. My money is on Ur-Lisak.

    Big ClassyGenji-GlovesBlainRhesus PositiveDonnictonQanamilJungleskyeBasilstopgapGiggles_FunsworthMagicalGoatsSmrtnik
  • Genji-GlovesGenji-Gloves Registered User regular
    I would say lots of poison to try counter but that may be some time off as he's so high level.

    By the way how powerful is that banner ability! The orks attack in mad waves in unison, it becomes a cluster of button prompts and virtually lethal if you get pinned against a wall.

    Moment I see a banner I try take it down immediately.

    AiserouGiggles_Funsworth
  • EnclaveofGnomesEnclaveofGnomes Registered User regular
    I'm thinking the Shelob memory cutscenes are bugged. They seem way too short even when replaying them from the appendices menu.

    You have to collect them all. They're all from one cutscene

    Magic PinkWraith260Giggles_Funsworth
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    Aiserou wrote: »
    Meet Ur-Lisak, the Painlover.
    1yuil6ysfw3n.jpg

    I first met him around level 9, and he was 14. I could barely touch him then. Now he's 48, while I'm just 25, and he got promoted to fort commander.

    He basically takes no damage. The only time I managed to get him alone I spent a good 10 minutes sliding under his legs to get in one hit, then repeating. I think I managed to climb on his back about 5 times and backstab the shit out of him, but it did nothing. NOTHING. Any other time I've fought him he just sits there constantly summoning more orcs to the point where I cant fight back because I basically get stun-locked. Any time he downs me, he just welcomes me to come back later and try to hurt him some more, so I never even get a second wind from countering the execution.

    I think I'm just going to let Sauron have the fort and maybe they will fight it out. My money is on Ur-Lisak.

    How did you get it to list them all one page like that?

    steam_sig.png
  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    I still haven’t got used to executions being attached to a bar and not the combo number like in the first game. I’m always trying to do fancy shit on 6 hits and breaking my combo by accident.

    ALRIGHT FINE I GOT AN AVATAR
    Steam: adamjnet
    BlainMagic PinkWraith260PenumbraQanamilGiggles_Funsworth
  • DacDac Registered User regular
    NEO|Phyte wrote: »
    Update on fighting pit round three bonus: Looking at it, what it unlocks is the bottommost warchief station on the stronghold UI. Which you are unable to access until you are high enough level to have the rest of them unlocked.

    I'm super leery of sending dudes on pit fights. 'cause like. Dyin'.

    The first match I did I had a flame berserker go up against an olog that was dazed by flame. That was so hilariously one-sided that I decided I probably didn't want to use it if I actually, you know, cared about the orc, 'cause RNG could screw them just as hard.

    Steam: catseye543
    PSN: ShogunGunshow
    Origin: ShogunGunshow
  • ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    Every time I elven swiftness right at an Orc for a front on stealth kill

    https://youtu.be/DPXG4pdPj4w

    Genji-GlovesCrippl3Johnny ChopsockymanwiththemachinegunBlainCorsiniGiggles_Funsworth
  • NEO|PhyteNEO|Phyte They follow the stars, bound together. Strands in a braid till the end.Registered User regular
    Dac wrote: »
    NEO|Phyte wrote: »
    Update on fighting pit round three bonus: Looking at it, what it unlocks is the bottommost warchief station on the stronghold UI. Which you are unable to access until you are high enough level to have the rest of them unlocked.

    I'm super leery of sending dudes on pit fights. 'cause like. Dyin'.

    The first match I did I had a flame berserker go up against an olog that was dazed by flame. That was so hilariously one-sided that I decided I probably didn't want to use it if I actually, you know, cared about the orc, 'cause RNG could screw them just as hard.

    You can look at the guy you'll be fighting to see his stats before the fight, then pick a captain that's suitably lined up to stomp them.

    It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
    Warframe/Steam: NFyt
    ProhassGiggles_Funsworth
  • ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    I always appreciate games where I can throw baddies off cliffs, but the mark of a truly great game is when they have a specific sound effect scream for falling, hearing that AAAAAAAAaaaaahhhhh...... fade is so hilarious and satisfying

    Dark Raven XGenji-GlovesIron WeaselCorsiniGiggles_Funsworth
  • KelorKelor Registered User regular
    My friend has been raving about this bard orc in his game while I am three maps in and still hadn't encountered him at all.

    Tonight I found out why.
    AZnUGeC.jpg

    Also end of third map spoilers
    Oh my god Ratbag you glorious bastard.

    AiserouCrippl3
  • ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    How many chapters are there? This chapter two seems like the whole game? Or parts or whatever?

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    So apparently Online Vendettas officially open up after the second story mission in Cirith Ungol.

    You're welcome, no don't crowd.

    Also I guess I'm not doing story mode anymore and just farming all the orcs that kill you hosers :rotate:

    Last night I got venegace for, among others, Taliesin, Microsoft Powerpoint (almost didn't!) and "Yeah............I'm Gonna Kill You Now". Way to put thought into those online names, jerks.

    Magic Pink on
    Giggles_Funsworth
  • Iron WeaselIron Weasel Dillon! You son of a bitch!Registered User regular
    never die wrote: »

    It's a small thing, and should be standard, but I appreciate that the cutscenes correctly display my equipped items. SoM ignored any skin you were using for cutscenes and it needled my eyes.

    Wait what? I swear in every cutscenes of far (first area) he reverts back to his black gate uniform.
    Turns out I was wrong. Talion does keep his look for some cutscenes, but most story scenes he reverts to the default. Boo.

    Currently Playing:
    The Division, Warframe (XB1)
    GT: Tanith 6227
    Giggles_Funsworth
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    never die wrote: »

    It's a small thing, and should be standard, but I appreciate that the cutscenes correctly display my equipped items. SoM ignored any skin you were using for cutscenes and it needled my eyes.

    Wait what? I swear in every cutscenes of far (first area) he reverts back to his black gate uniform.
    Turns out I was wrong. Talion does keep his look for some cutscenes, but most story scenes he reverts to the default. Boo.

    that is such crap work. i can't believe they pulled that again

    Iron Weaselenvoy1Lord_AsmodeusGiggles_FunsworthMagicalGoats
  • ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Yeah I'm guessing it's harder to work with in-engine cinematics or something, I wish they wouldn't use prerendered stuff because it's always less immersive even if it looks better

    Also this may be the most brutal kill I've seen, he uncorks a vial of poison and...well you'll see:

    http://xboxclips.com/Prohass/156eb19c-7ca9-48e1-b7fb-2c7258dd787f

    Prohass on
    Magic PinkDonnictonQanamilGiggles_Funsworth
  • AiserouAiserou Registered User regular
    Spoit wrote: »
    How did you get it to list them all one page like that?

    MS Paint. I really wish the game displayed them like that.

    Blain
  • BronzeKoopaBronzeKoopa Registered User regular
    Should probably do more story missions, want to unlock orc fight club.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Should probably do more story missions, want to unlock orc fight club.

    i'm sure you meant Pokéorc Stadium

    i'll overlook it this time. This time.

    Giggles_Funsworth
  • BronzeKoopaBronzeKoopa Registered User regular
    Do they even give you a story excuse for why Talion has to relearn how to dominate/mind control orcs again?

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Do they even give you a story excuse for why Talion has to relearn how to dominate/mind control orcs again?

    Yeah, Cheddarwheel lost most of his power when he put part of himself into the Oner Ring

  • DacDac Registered User regular
    Well, seems like I have pretty much everything I want skill-wise. Time to start hunting for gear that will give me back focus on kill and try to become Arrow Neo again.

    Kind of a bummer that Domination of dudes on drain is tied to a talent, now, because it shares space with the replenish Elf-shot on drain ability, and goddamn that's a hard choice for me to make.

    Steam: catseye543
    PSN: ShogunGunshow
    Origin: ShogunGunshow
    PenumbraQanamilCrippl3Giggles_Funsworth
  • HallowedFaithHallowedFaith Call me Cloud. Registered User regular
    That's the toughest decision to make for me as well. I need mah arrows.

    I'm making video games. DesignBy.Cloud
    DacPenumbraGenji-Gloves
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    I'd be a lot more into arrowing bitches if A I had as much focus as in the first game and B I wasn't stuck with a bow that only held 4 fucking arrows

    Wraith260Genji-GlovesBionicPenguinGiggles_Funsworth
  • HallowedFaithHallowedFaith Call me Cloud. Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I'd be a lot more into arrowing bitches if A I had as much focus as in the first game and B I wasn't stuck with a bow that only held 4 fucking arrows

    You might know this already but you get better bows w/ more arrows. Gotta farm that gear. ;)

    Also, I think arrowing bitches is a waste of arrows a lot when like 80% of the time there are explosive things nearby. Get more bank for your buck. ;)
    Edit: If there isn't a group standing by one, getting them to move is pretty easy then WHAMMO!

    HallowedFaith on
    I'm making video games. DesignBy.Cloud
    Giggles_Funsworth
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I'd be a lot more into arrowing bitches if A I had as much focus as in the first game and B I wasn't stuck with a bow that only held 4 fucking arrows

    You might know this already but you get better bows w/ more arrows. Gotta farm that gear. ;)

    Also, I think arrowing bitches is a waste of arrows a lot when like 80% of the time there are explosive things nearby. Get more bank for your buck. ;)
    Edit: If there isn't a group standing by one, getting them to move is pretty easy then WHAMMO!

    I know, that's the problem. I've gotten ONE DANG BOW the whole time I've played and it's this piece of crap.

    And boy howdy with only 4 arrows you better believe i abuse the explodeys.

  • Skull2185Skull2185 Registered User regular
    The swordplay in this is a little underwhelming. It feels like there's no weight behind his attacks, and it usually just sounds like two wood sticks clacking together when you're fighting.

    But I can teleport into a camp fire, make it explode, and leave a swarm of spiders in my wake which kinda evens it out I suppose.

    Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
  • SanderJKSanderJK Crocodylus Pontifex Sinterklasicus Madrid, 3000 ADRegistered User regular
    I think I found where some of the grind complaints come from... I've been putting in quite a bit of time, and nearing the end of the the 4th area (out of 5). But i'm level..... 31. The endgame seems to be at level 50, you get roughly 900xp for any Nemesis interaction, and it's like 20k per level. If this path keeps, and I finish the next zone at 35ish, and then close to 40 from the finale..... Gaining 10 levels through the nemesis system seems exhausting.

    Also my first Spoils of War legendary orc is truely terrible. Vulnerable to Executions (Which means you can 2 shot him), and instantly killed by beasts.

    Steam: SanderJK Origin: SanderJK
  • Iron WeaselIron Weasel Dillon! You son of a bitch!Registered User regular
    SanderJK wrote: »
    I think I found where some of the grind complaints come from... I've been putting in quite a bit of time, and nearing the end of the the 4th area (out of 5). But i'm level..... 31. The endgame seems to be at level 50, you get roughly 900xp for any Nemesis interaction, and it's like 20k per level. If this path keeps, and I finish the next zone at 35ish, and then close to 40 from the finale..... Gaining 10 levels through the nemesis system seems exhausting.
    This feels like it might be a YMMV thing. I only just got to Seregost (the 2nd region for me), and I'm level 25.
    Also, I will say tat I really like that there are plenty of Skill Points to be gained outside of leveling up. It's nice to feel like I'm getting more powerful even if the bar isn't full yet.
    Also my first Spoils of War legendary orc is truly terrible. Vulnerable to Executions (Which means you can 2 shot him), and instantly killed by beasts.
    I'm pretty sure you can insta-kill him from the Opened Characters screen and auto-collect your legendary loot.

    Alternately, make him your bodyguard and then summon him right after you blunder into a pack of sleeping caragors.

    Currently Playing:
    The Division, Warframe (XB1)
    GT: Tanith 6227
    Magic Pink
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