Aion - In Progress (Unofficial Chapter)
Darkfall - In Progress (Unofficial Chapter)
Star Trek Online - In Progress (Unofficial Chapter)
Jumpgate - Release Date Unknown (Planned Chapter)
GW2 - Sometime 2011? (Planned Chapter)
SWTOR - Spring 2011 (Planned Chapter)
The MMORPG gaming scene for 2010 is pretty grim due to the lack of quality MMORPG's to play, delayed releases by other games, and lackluster releases by some games we thought would be good . The last time the gaming scene was this poor it was the year 2000, and we had left UO while waiting on DAOC or Shadowbane to release. Our wait ended up being about a year of no major MMORPG for the guild.
We are going to continue to evaluate other games to see if we can support official efforts, do guild beta tests where we can, and possibly return to older games if those games have made significant changes (not very likely). Otherwise LotD will enter a period of low guild activity while we prepare for our future games, and see if any upcoming MMORPG has enough potential to support a chapter. Until then we encourage all members in good standing to keep up with the gaming scene, and let us know if there is anything on the horizon that might be worth playing.
After several long months of server domination, LotD has decided to close its Aion Chapter. Aion was supposed to be westernized (i.e. not be an Asian grinder) when it launched, but if it was westernized then Ncsoft did a horrible job. LotD does not like grindy games where the sole purpose of the grind is to slow you down from reaching the end game, and then the PVP endgame is overly dependent on levels and gear. Aion launched with a lot of fanfare, but like Warhammer and AOC it has seen a steady rate of player attrition since release day. At the time we close our chapter virtually all of our Asmodian Faction guilds on our server are falling apart due to player retention issues, and a PVP Endgame that isn't rewarding enough to justify the grind needed to get there.
Here are some highlights of our Aion Chapter Accomplishments:
Consistent Server Top 10
Consistent Faction Top 5
Consistent Top 2% world rank standing
Consistent Top 1% world faction rank standing
Captured the entire Lower Abyss
Competitive in the Upper Abyss
It was a good run for the guild, and we look forward to seeing our friends and enemies in the next game!
Interested in Star Trek Online? Trying to decide if you want to pick up the game? Is the game fun and does it have potential to be an LotD game? I've been playing STO since Closed Beta. I've seen Cryptic fix things, break things, fix things again and then break something new. it has been two weeks since the launch and it's time to take a look at where the game stands.
THE GOOD
Easy to level up, even casually- It took me less than ten days from Head Start to reach maximum level (currently 45 or Rear Admiral 5). In the game, each 'Rank' (Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain and Rear Admiral) has 10 'grades' within it, each grade being the equivalent of a level. For example a Commander, Grade 5 (CDR 5) means you are level 25. I never played more than 4-5 hours per day, there were two days where I was too busy to play, and with the horrendous server crashes, disconnects and lag during the first week, my progress felt very limited. Because I played in the betas, I knew exactly what to do, where to go, etc., so my leveling has been more streamlined than most of our guys, who vary in rank from Lieutenant to Commander (except for one who was the first to reach max level- Torric). So even if you have never touched the game, it's fast and easy to level up.
Episode Content- This is probably the first MMO where I have been immersed in the story. I read every dialog box and really felt like each was a genuine Star Trek episode. The Cryptic writers have done a fantastic job with the story. While episodes are only part of the leveling process, they are certainly the most fun, and the most well done.
Ships and Ship Combat- Most of the ship designs... [Read More]
It is a new year, and LotD is still going in Aion. The guild has undergone some personnel and leadership changes, and is working well with our alliance towards server domination. There is no doubt on Marachutan that the top ranked Asmodian guilds run the show. Elyos has been owned so bad, they are begging to know when server transfers begin. The smell of forum trolls crying 24/7 is music to our ears.
Our guild groups are running organized PVP and PVE, and here's a couple of screenshots of LotD groups laying some smackdowns in Dredgion.
Yes bitches, you got farmed.
Here's us pwning the #4 ranked Elyos guild.
Aion has been fun, but it is starting to suffer from some of the same issues that brought down Warhammer. Specifically, things like boring grind, rapidly dropping player populations, and the collapse of the opposing realm have really begun to affect the fun factor. LotD leadership will be evaluating our Aion status in the near future, and making a decision on how long we're willing to wait for things to improve before we decide to move on to something else.
The LotD Aion chapter has passed the 60 day mark and is closing in on endgame. We already have 8 members at level 50, and the majority of the guild has reached 40+. The grind has been steep, but we are on target to have the majority of the guild at level 50 in the next 30-60 days. To take a break from the grind, members participate in nightly PVP events, weekly PVE events, and occasional world boss kills.
Ranking
Despite our focus on leveling, LotD is currently the 4th ranked Asmodian guild on the server. As more of our members reach endgame and we shift our focus to PVP, we expect our ranking to improve dramatically.
Alliance
LotD is working with our friends in Vendetta along with the other top 12 Asmodian guilds to become the dominant faction on the server. The Elyos guilds are already infighting and crying because of their repeated defeats and we expect things to only get worse for them.
Recruiting
The guild is continuing to recruit players and get them integrated quickly into LotD. We have openings for most classes and welcome all LotD members and friends who may be interested in joining the chapter. The fun in Aion is just beginning.
Lords of the Dead set the War Machine Rolling in Aion!
As we approach the 60-day mark since the launch of Aion, our success continues to grow as LotD became the first Asmodian legion (and possibly server-wide first) to take and hold 3 Fortresses simultaneously. With the support and assistance of our alliance, we look forward to building upon these early successes and expect nothing less than complete domination of Marchutan.
The NA-1 Darkfall Online server has now been going for close to four (4) months. As you can see on the above map, the Lords of the Dead have held its original three holdings this entire time in what almost everyone considers the strongest alliance on the server - Cairnivores. Since the departure of Sinister's core leaders due to a loss, we have led and kept the alliance moving forward with the help of other allied leaders. The Cairnivore alliance (Sin, Grief, LoD, Vengeance, CotP- Apollo has left us) has been supported and supported the DFwA alliance (WMD & friends) during sieges with wins at every turn. Between the two alliances we own most of the south half of the world. The alliance looks stronger than ever with our new incoming transfers and things should be heating up all over the world soon. If you haven't tried Darkfall Online, now is the time with the population increased. This game is the best PvP game I personally have ever seen and if you haven't tried it yet and you like PvP then you've made a big mistake.
NOTE: EU-1 Characters can be transfered to NA-1 for Free now "without" purchasing a new NA-1 account. Simply go to the Online Store, purchase the Free Transfer, set up your billing cycle & subscription (now there's a ~$10/mon option), and we'll get you to one of our three holdings. Welcome back EU players, way worth the $10-13 total !
Saurcon LotD
Thanks to Aesir & Lost Minions for the map.
Our efforts in Darkfall have been going unbelievably well, winning all but one siege so far in the alliance (LotD is undefeated), defending on all fronts, and doing well in roaming PvP daily outside of the epic large scale battles. LotD also has several scheduled events to attend each week to keep us busy killing and PvPing.
Darkfall is an amazing PvP sandbox game. However it has a pretty large barrier to entry for new players and somewhat difficult learning curve. The UI is non-intuitive at times and the game can be extremely cut-throat with a full loot system. If you die you can lose everything on you like in UO. If you don't have someone you know in the game to help and group with in your first weeks or even days of play, it's easy to be frustrated and leave the game before you are able to enjoy the experience it brings with large scale sieges, raids, naval battle, water, artillery, warhulks (land vehicles), and powerful mounted combat.
With that in mind, Lords of the Dead has taken the lead, along with Black Shields and several other guilds/clans in Darkfall, to create a guild called "New" located in the city of Hammerdale. The basic concept is NEW members have access to the clan and built city for 30 days. NEW is located by great starter area PvE, has free voice chat with Mumble, and several experienced Counselors that will provide not only gear, but instruction on basic game mechanics, pvp concepts, dueling, outings, events, and character building advice. Elite players from all over the world come and go helping new players on a daily basis too and showing off their talent.
Lords of the Dead
