Turbine now allows you to use their Lorebook data for item and equipment tooltips on your own site. I thought this was a great thing and wanted to set it up here. The only problem was that entering an exact link to a page on the Lorebook every single time I wanted to cite something seemed like a bit much. It also meant that it was made extra difficult for anyone who commented that isn’t familiar with HTML.
To get around this I found a nice plug-in that allows this site to use BBCode for this purpose. This means that the system used on this site (in the content and the comments) is the same as used on the official LotRO forums. I’d suggest reading that post to get the idea.
So now I can do this: [Coal] without writing any HTML at all.
If you run a site and want help setting this up, just let me know. It doesn’t work in comments by default, but the maker of the plug-in was nice enough to help me out there.
I don’t consider myself the authority on LotRO information by any stretch of the imagination, so writing guides suited to the purpose of the Lorebook is kind of beyond me.
That said, there have been quite a few things I’ve added so far. Most of these have been basic information on equipment I’ve found and enemies I’ve chopped apart. It’s actually been fun to do so far .… Kind of like I’m on an expedition cataloging what’s out there. I just need a Pokédex.
Mike over at Under the Banner wrote a great post on something some of us LotRO bloggers (there’s more and more of us lately!) thought deserved more attention: the Lorebook.
As you likely already know, LotRO lacks a great third party database akin to WoW’s Wowhead. Sure, there’s Allakhazam and LotRODB, but neither are consistently updated or easy to use. Turbine offers very little in the way of webmaster support compared to Blizzard, which is likely a good part of the reason.
On the flipside, Turbine offers its own inclusive Lorebook wiki system that is meant to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, this system is only as good as what players put into it. As of late, it has seemed like there’s been less and less motivation for many to add to it. I certainly understand that sentiment and am not out to blame people for it (it’s not like I’ve been a force in that regard ).
However, many of us seem to be in agreement that we have to work with what we have. The Lorebook desperately needs attention. Any player out there likely has something to add, whether its additional details, images of equipment or updates on skills. Many things that have been added through the Mines of Moriaexpansion are still not present in the Lorebook and with the upcoming release of Book 7, things are just going to get worse.
The Lord of the Rings forum front page has been featuring a player made guide each week and this one is no different. These guides are all available in the pretty awesome Lorebook, but some of them deserve special attention.
Each offers several tips and examples of what to do in more complex situations. I’ve not read through them all, but I have found times (particularly in small groups) where I wasn’t positive what was expected of me. These pretty much clear it up for everyone. Be sure to check them out.
Blasts from the Past
Tip Time: Don't Forget to Interrupt:
My main character, a Champion, has an attack known as Clobber. It doesn't do much damage, but it does interrupt indu...
Tip Time: Helpful UI Adjustments: Lately this blog has concentrated heavily on news about Mines of Moria. As exciting as that is, I really feel more atten...
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