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[sonicmj1]

Its both, as the "true" ending of the game is where the fortress grinding seems to hit its apex and where the pressure to use lootboxes to bypass or lessen grinds comes up. Then you can run endless social conquests as part of the post-game. If you play the ranked version of social conquests, you get the most reward, but you can also lose your Orcs. There is also a friendly version with less risk (nothing to lose) and less reward.

This sounds an awful lot like MGSV's post-game, which soured my feelings on the overall product a great deal.

 

[gogosox82]

The last negative sounds far more impactful than the 3 positives.

This sounds exactly like the first game.

 

[Mercador]

Higher than anticipated, expected 78% meta score.

 

[NullPointer]

You can get them through normal gameplay as well.

Technically yes, but they're very rare and random. Buying loot crates with premium currency guarantees them.

GamesRadar has an article spelling out all the ways to acquire them here:

Middle-earth: Shadow of War - How to get Epic and Legendary Orcs

The only way to guarantee a Legendary Orc Follower is by buying the Gold and Mithril War Chests. Gold War Chests will give at least one Legendary and two Epic Orcs while the Mithril War Chest will provide you with four Legendaries every time. These two chests can't be bought with Mirian though. Instead, you'll have to use the Gold premium currency to purchase them.

It's also possible to get high tier Orcs from Spoils of War Chests which you can get for accruing Spoils of War points. You can get these points by taking part in online sieges, vendetta missions, and challenges. The advantage of grinding for these is that they don't cost Mirian or Gold and you can use Spoils of War boosters to double the amount you earn with each quest.

This sounds an awful lot like MGSV's post-game, which soured my feelings on the overall product a great deal.

Same here, which is why I've been trying to hunt down details on it.

 

[Lord of Castamere]

This sounds an awful lot like MGSV's post-game, which soured my feelings on the overall product a great deal.

Did the reverse for me, but there's no way SoW ends up as good as MGSV's endgame, as MGSV had too many toy to play with.

 

[wesleyshark]

Technically yes, but they're very rare and random. Buying loot creates guarantees them.

GamesRadar has an article spelling out all the ways to acquire them here:

Middle-earth: Shadow of War - How to get Epic and Legendary Orcs

If you click on the link you'll see the multiple other ways to acquire those types of orcs, which sound exactly like standard video game mechanics.

 

[NullPointer]

If you click on the link you'll see the multiple other ways to acquire those types of orcs, which sound exactly like standard video game mechanics.

Which is how I describe the link.

"GamesRadar has an article spelling out all the ways to acquire them here"

The difference is luck is a factor in the game and the premium crates guarantee them. Them's just the facts - judge whether you like those facts or not for yourself.

 

[Jumeira]

Good to great scores, actually doing quite well. With Ass Creed looking muvh better then id imagine I'll definitely pick this up after i beat AC. Was going to be Day X, but makes no sense with AC:O around the corner.

 

[Bronetta]

Did the reverse for me, but there's no way SoW ends up as good as MGSV's endgame, as MGSV had too many toy to play with.

A lot of toys to play with seems to be Shadow of Wars focus too.

MGSV got worse the longer it went on.

 

[Bill R Boggess]

Yes, and that's pretty goddamn bad and absolutely inexcusable.

To you perhaps but I'm personally not going to discount an entire game over it.

But if the game is that difficult to complete without boxes, that was a bad move on WB's part.

 

[Anno]

Isn't it not really an end-game as much as it is a post-game?

Who says that the grind isn't fun? If they instead released the game, grind and all, without the lootboxes - would that make it a worse game? Isn't the whole point of the post-game grind the grind itself, in that you have more stuff to do if you want to, after you've finished the actual meat of the game?

It's like Ubisoft games with their collectathons. That kind of stuff appeals to a certain demographic. But that doesn't mean that if you ignore it, that you can't get your money's worth.

Also, let's not forget that adding microtransactions increases the profit potential of a game (just like releasing the game on console does, for example), which could potentially mean that more money is invested in making a great game that people will WANT to come back to. So, really, it's far less black and white than people here are making it out to be.

I've only seen it described as the "true ending," which just makes it all the worse. If you enjoy grinding then cool, grind all you want and have fun playing the game. Having it artificially forced on you out of nowhere sucks no matter what and sucks extra hard when you feel like it was done in order to push you into paying more money to circumvent the problem.

And c'mon, WB isn't putting random loot boxes into a game as a way of maybe giving you some more content. Why would you assume anything other than they just want to make more money for themselves?

 

[Tovarisc]

So? You don't see a difference between MP and SP? It does not get me invested in the game, because at one point you need something and you are need to spend that amount for a lootbox in a freaking single player game?

Lootboxes do not get me invested at all..when lootboxes are in MP games that's pure for cosmetics that's the difference. You can't defend this, it's stupid and unnecessary for a single player game...

Pay 4 Power is creeping into MP gambling boxes too, see Battlefront 2. It isn't and won't be exclusive things to those boxes in SP games. I also have hard time understanding how anyone can defend these boxes in any game, SP and/or MP. They are basically gambling, they don't really add any value for the players and there is zero regulation for them meaning industry can run wild with that shit and push it hard.

In case of SoW we at least are lucky that boxes aren't mandatory part of power progression. It will get worse as boxes evolve and creep further. This is just step on path of that evolution that started from boxes with just cosmetics that "no one cares about".

We do want that!

There's probably less outrage because Battlefront 2 is a sequel to a mediocre game, rather than some people's GOTY. Those devs also probably haven't been tricked into talking about card packs in every single interview they have given about their game in the past month.

It does sound shitty, but it doesn't negate the issues with Shadow of War.

DICE is very reluctant to talk frankly about cards and them being available for €, imo. They are soo eager to push their "Purchase cards (read: power) with € and that way we don't put in season pass and you get maps for free" narrative. Hopefully they shower players with even top tier cards so P4P doesn't become real issue in Battlefront 2.

Also it doesn't negate worries about and with SoW's system, I just try figure out why SoW is sooo huge deal where game with actual hints of P4P elements is barely getting any GAF attention.

New reports indicate act 4 needs legendary orcs or it all grinds to a halt.

You only get them if you buy them. :}

Hope it aint so, but, probarly is. :\

Links.

 

[cleveridea]

This is why

https://twitter.com/Totalbiscuit/status/915958093984489477

oh thats bad if true

 

[prudislav]

so judging by Gamesadar's wording you cant get them in Solo/offline play ... and you have to either pay or do the pseudosocial nonsense :-/

 

[thehillissilent]

If you click on the link you'll see the multiple other ways to acquire those types of orcs, which sound exactly like standard video game mechanics.

That basically is grinding and/or RNG.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

Hmmm.. I'll have to dig into more of these reviews but I really, really enjoyed Shadow or Mordor but if there is any hint of the game being padded out with bloat just to accomodate grinding for in game currency to force loot boxes on you, at the very least, I'll wait.

Basically Shadow of War and Wolfenstein were my 2 big fall games I would probably buy new this year at launch, but if the loot box/microtransaction stuff is really obnoxious I can probably hold off on getting Shadow of War new for a while.

 

[shimon]

Technically yes, but they're very rare and random. Buying loot crates with premium currency guarantees them.

GamesRadar has an article spelling out all the ways to acquire them here:

Middle-earth: Shadow of War - How to get Epic and Legendary Orcs

Looks like getting Epic and Legendary Orcs legit is going to be a real pain in the ass.

 

[OriginalPoe]

If you are going to use Cheat Engine, loot boxes shouldn't even be a concern to be honest. You should probably wait until Trainers arrive to see what can actually be done. I imagine that you probably can cheat and make your army invincible and steamroll enemies.

I specifically want to cheat engine lootboxes. It's not about making the game easier.

 

[Gxgear]

Haven't read the reviews, but I'd imagine some of the excerts would do well with a dramatic reading by Jim Sterling.

 

[thehillissilent]

I specifically want to cheat engine lootboxes. It's not about making the game easier.

If you are just using it to dramatically increase Mirian currency, that shouldn't be too hard at all.

 

[Lashley]

Yea I'll say it again

Fuck the haters and fuck the hate

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

And please stay the fuck out of the OT

We don't need you. We don't want you

 

[shanafan]

I'm tempted to get into this after I finish AC: Unity, but I really want to play Syndicate so I can move onto Origins.

I liked Shadow of Mordor, but honesty didn't play it as much as I would have liked.

 

[HotchieMotchie]

Yea I'll say it again

Fuck the haters and fuck the hate

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

And please stay the fuck out of the OT

We don't need you. We don't want you

This post has more hate than any post from the "haters" you are referring to.

 

[Salty Rice]

Yea I'll say it again

Fuck the haters and fuck the hate

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

And please stay the fuck out of the OT

We don't need you. We don't want you

Such a hateful post.

Also how dare people having legit reasons against this game.

 

[Santiako]

Yea I'll say it again

Fuck the haters and fuck the hate

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

And please stay the fuck out of the OT

We don't need you. We don't want you

This is just a sad, sad post.

 

[Rain City Gamer]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

 

[Ross61]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

It’s preorders are all ready better than Arkham Knight’s.

 

[JaggedSac]

I thought the charity orc was legendary and everyone was going to get him.

 

[Drewfonse]

Great scores, will eventually play

 

[Theorry]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

August would have been better imo. But i dont know. The pre orders stats they say are really good. And Lord of the Rings stuff can easy sell to the mass market. And they really seem to market it hard.

 

[M.W.]

Yea I'll say it again

Fuck the haters and fuck the hate

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

And please stay the fuck out of the OT

We don't need you. We don't want you

Guess I'm making a trip into the OT

 

[shimon]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

According to WB their preorders were pretty damn good so I don't think that will be the case. As far as SoW being a great game? We shall see.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

It's being advertised as THE game to play on Xbox One X. It's gonna sell.

 

[J_Viper]

Has anyone put up the Karak signal yet?

 

[Orochinagis]

What bothers me is why they stuck with just orcs and then took a bunch of creative liberties like having a lute playing orc. In my head they should have had humans, elves, dwarfs, and orcs. I can totally see an elf or a dwarf that runs into battle playing an instrument, but seeing such a wide variety of orcs just puts me off.

I would love to have an army of those Moria guys

 

[Ray Down]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

No it won't.

It's pre orders are better than Arkham Knight.

It's going to be big, Warner Bros knows how to sell a game.

 

[Sami+]

Yea I'll say it again

Fuck the haters and fuck the hate

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

And please stay the fuck out of the OT

We don't need you. We don't want you

"We". Lol

 

[adversarial]

now that I think about it, it's pretty ballsy of them to send out review copies early, considering the 'loot box controversy' - they must be very confident in the core of the game.

 

[Lord of Castamere]

I feel like Shadow of War will be this year's Titanfall 2 / Rise of the Tomb Raider.
A great game that will be overlooked and forgotten in the midst of the Holiday rush.

It jumped on Amazon, was in the 40's yesterday and now it's 13, for the Ps4 version. I think it'll do fine.

 

[Heckler456]

now that I think about it, it's pretty ballsy of them to send out review copies early, considering the 'loot box controversy' - they must be very confident in the core of the game.

I'm really glad they did that. All I needed was confirmation of the fact that it was essentially SoM, but more, and it seems that that's what we're getting at the very least.

 

[HotchieMotchie]

"We". Lol

This is what that post immediately made me think of

 

[RedRum]

Embarrassing. Most OTs are already a relentless circle-jerk, especially those for smaller games. OTs need more discussion and perspectives, not fewer.

I think posts like these are the reasons why people in OT don't want to hear about what's been heard before time and time again. Most want to talk strictly about the gameplay and NOT about the reasons why you didn't get the game because of LB's.

Not to mention, just wanting to go in an OT because you want to give a "different perspective" because you think people enjoying the game is a "circle-jerk" is my definition of thread shitting.

 

[firehawk12]

Guess most critics don't give a shit about the grind. I wonder if they got free currency to use.

 

[WhateverItTakes]

This is what that post immediately made me think of

Fuck that was the one I wanted to get but I had to settle

 

[hbkdx12]

now that I think about it, it's pretty ballsy of them to send out review copies early, considering the 'loot box controversy' - they must be very confident in the core of the game.

They've been beyond confident. They've been doing developer streams like every week on different aspects of the game for like 2 months. Even one of those streams was about the lootboxes specifically.

I think they were confident once they won all the GOTY awards for Mordor which i think for most people came as a surprise.

 

[De_Legend]

Meh.

Will maybe get when it’s cheap.

 

[Ross61]

Now Monolith can actually make a game from a lore they actually like. Maybe Wonder Woman.

 

[SofNasciment-]

Now Monolith can actually make a game from a lore they actually like. Maybe Wonder Woman.

No One Lives Forever 3.

 

[Putty]

I fear the repetition and boredom i suffered not to long in the first will rear it's head again quickly in this, plus the lack of divesrity in environment will also be an issue for me...

 

[DrBo42]

I fear the repetition and boredom i suffered not to long in the first will rear it's head again quickly in this, plus the lack of divesrity in environment will also be an issue for me...

There are multiple regions with different biomes. It looks more varied this time. Still bleak Mordor though.