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Post 60 Slump

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I need to figure out why I'm not logging into LOTRO nearly as much as before I hit 60. I still have goals. Only one was completed with my reaching the level cap. I still have a ton of quests and story to go through in Moria and beyond. So what's my deal? I think that there's a natural incentive to seeing the blue xp go up and up and up as you level. It hits a part of the human psyche that drives us to keep going on whatever path we've set out on. Once that stops... well, you lose something, even if there's everything else in the game still pushing you forward.

Honestly, I really hate this feeling. It's like my enjoyment of the game has been artificially dampened. It wasn't me doing it. It wasn't the game doing it. It just happened. And LOTRO is a game - and games should never feel like you're forced to play. So, trying to overcome this by sheer will isn't a viable option either. I play because I want to play, not because I have to. I think I need to wait until my LOTRO play meter fills up again. What will help that will be talking and reading about the game. I'll definitely get excited when I start hearing more substantial rumblings about Book 7. And this shouldn't slow my bloging any as there are plenty of topics to talk about.

3 Responses to "Post 60 Slump"

Anonymous Says:

I experienced something very similar to this in World of Warcraft before their last expansion was released. I had hit the level cap some months before and found myself spinning my wheels. I remember logging in and just staring at the screen trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and all the while my friends were blissfully buzzing around me fine tuning their characters with the best gear, doing reputation grinds, and never missing the chance to tell me that for them the game really only just began at the level cap. When Wrath of the Lich King hit, I managed to get through 3 levels and then blew a fuse. I've been playing LotRO ever since, and to be honest, I haven't looked back. I'm nowhere near level cap in LotRO however. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. That may be the time I dust off one of my alts waiting in the wings.

I do hope you continue writing. I'm enjoying your blog very much.

RC

Jaxom92 Says:

I'm glad to hear you enjoy the blog. While I try and tell myself that I write for me, knowing that other people are getting something out of it makes it that much better.

I have no plans to stop writing this blog anytime soon.

Anonymous Says:

This happens to me from time to time too. I go through weeks where I play like crazy and then times where I don't play for 3 weeks.

Eventually the "bug" returns and I get into it again.

I think we all just need breaks sometimes :)

- Tony