Volumes, Books and Quests...oh my!

[Nurdoriel]

I have just started playing and have to say I am fascinated with it all of the things I have found available so far. I continue to explore what is in my level now. There is so much information I am still filtering through.

I have run across some thing that I cannot seem to find an understandable answer to. How do the Volumes, Books and Quests I see fit in with regular game play and expansion packs? Are they worth downloading as I see that some of them have level requirements to access kingdoms and some seem to not have? Just so confused about how they fit in.

Thank you for any enlightenment you can provide about this section of the game.

From a very confused new comer....
Nurdoriel (Deep Woods Maiden)

[tdillman]

The Epic Quest Line is a single story that runs through the game. It is arranged into Volumes & Books. Regardless of what you've purchased, All Epic Quests up through Vol III, Book 9 or 10 (Wildermors in Eastern Rohan) have been available for everyone.

All other Quests, plus Regional Deeds (Virtues Mostly) are available for purchase ala-carte and/or are part of the rewards for the VIP subscription.

As Questing & Skirmishing are the two best ways to get experience, you'll probably want to arrange to get some of that content one way or the other.

[Nurdoriel]

Thank you for your reply. So I need start with Volume 1 then?

[Balgost]

Thank you for your reply. So I need start with Volume 1 then?

Yes, and this page will help point you in the right direction for Volume I

http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Category:Book_1_Quests

[Nurdoriel]

Thank you so much! Another thing learned.

[HunterGreen]

It will be possible, at some points, for you to start different books or even different volumes of the epic quest simultaneously. That is, you could have two or more epic quests, in different parts of the storyline, in your quest log at once. Sometimes this is fine; for instance, Volume II's storyline is somewhat separate from Volume I. Occasionally, it can be confusing; a later book may refer to events that haven't happened for you yet. I mention this because it can be very confusing to discover you have more than one active at a time.

[Calta]

As already said, the Epic quests are the main story. These are found in a special section of your quest log. These give the most experience points (XP), generally, and are the ones to concentrate on doing on your first experience of the game.

You will also be offered extra quests in each area. These appear under the region (mainly) in your quest log. They change colour in your quest tracker relative to your level-from red (highest you can accept relative to your level) to green (lowest relative to your level that still awards experience points.)

You will likely outlevel most areas before you can do all the available quests and then the quests will turn grey and you will not get XP for completing the quest. You will, however, still get the other rewards-silver, armour etc. Whether you complete all quests before leaving an area or move on as quickly as you can will depend entirely on your preferred style of playing. (But be warned completing all can take a while! Moria, for example, has about 300 quests if recall correctly.)

In addition to quests, you can accept tasks from task boards and get experience and turbine points for them. Tasks show in your quest log and can be tracked in your tracker, as well.

You also have deeds in your deed log (also trackable). These give turbine points, as well as giving you experience for slaying the required mobs, or they give you improved skills for class deeds, or titles.....

Crafting also has some quests and the act of levelling/raising your vocation gives you experience points as well. You can start crafting when you are out of tutorial but some people don't start until level cap. I suggest choosing an explorer to start with as it collects stuff along the way. You can sell this on auction house, or store it for your next character to use.

Lotro-wiki.com is your friend

I hope you get as much pleasure out of the game as I do!