Beware of spoilers!
I just got back from watching The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and while I was satisfied with the movie, there was an element missing that I would like to point out. If you haven't read my blog before, I'd like to say first off that I am a multi-fandom geek who is mostly into sci-fi (Trekker would probably be most accurate term), but I do dabble in fantasy as well and other geeky fandoms as well.
This blog is not a review on the film, but rather on the element that kept me riveted to The Hobbit trilogy. My history with Tolkien is a bit odd: I was raised by a Tolkien fan but I didn't have much interest in it, not even when the Lord of the Rings trilogy was released. I only became interested when I played the MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online and got to learn more about the history of Middle Earth through the quests. By the time The Hobbit was released, I was interested enough in the franchise to go see An Unexpected Journey without the promise of Orlando Bloom (so sue me, I was a teenager when the LOTR movies came out!).
Now that I've seen the final film, I can point out how the trilogy affected me. The film itself was well done, although I was left a little disappointed, and this is why: the dwarves.
That may sound a bit odd since the dwarves were the main characters along side the hobbit himself, Bilbo Baggins. The reason why I loved this franchise more the LOTR trilogy was all due to the 13 dwarves, and not just the Durin boys. The first film worked great for my tastes because, being an actress myself, I love seeing actors and actresses who are so obviously having fun (I wrote a blog on this subject so feel free to check it out) that it makes the film all the more enjoyable. It's pretty clear throughout The Hobbit trilogy that the actors playing the dwarves are enjoying their roles and having a good time.
Herein lies the element that was missing in the final film: the heart. The first film fleshed out the dwarves and gave them personalities that the book didn't; for example, Dori was more refined and Bofur likes to tease Bombur. I loved that these guys were more than just background characters; they were family, they were a team, and they all shared a genuine sense of adventure. Despite Bilbo being the main character, the dwarves brought the heart to the story. This element carried over into The Desolation of Smaug, even when the dwarves split up. They still had that heart, despite more story lines being added and the focus shifting to newer characters.
Now, with The Battle of the Five Armies, the focus shifts heavily to Thorin for the obvious reason of him being the king. After that, the only dwarves that received any serious screen time was Balin, Dwalin, Fili and Kili. The remaining 8 dwarves became the background characters like they were in the book and had few, if any, lines. Once the focus shifted away from the dwarves as a whole, the heart disappeared. We had instead the lingering sense of doom that would eventually come to Thorin, Fili and Kili. Their fate was supposed to break our hearts, which the film certainly did do, but that didn't mean it had to take from the rest of the dwarves.
The previous two films did such a wonderful job of giving the dwarves humanistic qualities besides being stereo-typically stubborn and drunk: the dwarves were loyal, mischievous, valiant, courageous, and honorable. After taking all that effort and screen time, to give 13 dwarves the essence of each one being important to the story and then keeping them in the background for the final chapter took the heart away from the story. Those 8 dwarves deserved better than that.
Hopefully the extended cut that will come out in late 2015 will offer a more satisfying story for the 8 dwarves and bring back at least some of the heart that was so prevalent in the first film, but the extended cut of Smaug didn't include the scene where Bofur drunk himself under the table (which I'm STILL mad about), so my hopes aren't that high. Although it will be disappointing if the heart doesn't appear in the extended cut, it will make sense since Five Armies is, in fact, a war film.
In the meantime, for a brief review, I did enjoy this last film; the first 20 minutes were epic with Smaug's demise and Elrond just being awesome. The rest of the film was good as well, although it seemed to lack a harmonious flow; the different stories seemed to be intercut oddly with notable gaps and a bit too much focus on Alfrid. Seriously, we could've used more dwarves and less Alfrid; he was a plot device that was used well beyond what was needed. Ultimately, with the exception of the lack of heart, it brought a satisfying end to the trilogy.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Why Merida is Overrated
The Disney/Pixar movie Brave featured the newest princess at the time, Merida, and she blew up to become a feminist icon because she demonstrated the typical rebellious attitude and not wanting to take a husband.
When I saw the movie in the theaters, I was very disappointed in her character. Essentially, I thought she was a jerk. I recently had the opportunity to see it again and was able to revise my first impression of her, but I do believe she is overrated as a strong female character. I came up with a title that, in my opinion, I think she is better suited for.
First off, let's take a look at her heritage. She is a Scottish princess from the middle ages. A quote by Walter Scott from his work, Old Mortality, also sums up the Scots quite nicely: "It has often been remarked of the Scottish character, that the stubbornness with which it is moulded shows most to advantage in adversity, when it seems akin to the native sycamore of their hills, which scorns to be biased in its mode of growth even by the influence of the prevailing wind, but, shooting its branches with equal boldness in every direction, shows no weather-side to the storm, and may be broken, but can never be bended." Merida is a very good embodiment of this particular description. She also comes from a time where women across the world were more submissive and often used as political pawns. For a young woman of her time, she is very independent and aspires to become more than she is. These are good traits for strong women to have, especially in children's movies and television.
But here's the clincher on her character: she isn't smart.
Now Merida does have some semblance of brains; she listens to her father and takes his lessons more to heart than her mother's words, and she can easily survive by her wits. The problem with her intelligence is that she is near sighted: she doesn't think past her own circumstances. All she sees is what is happening to her and how she wants things to go her way. She doesn't consider the consequences of her actions and whines about how no one listens to her.
It is true that her mother, Elinor, isn't giving her teenaged daughter's words much heed; but at the same time, Merida isn't listening to her either. Neither woman can find the middle ground to reach out to each other. These two are a matched pair, despite the obvious differences in their character.
Elinor is a product of her time and believes that Merida should act the proper role of a traditional lady. Does this make Elinor a weak character? Not in the least. She may be too focused on marrying her daughter off, but it's more than just the assumed power control that parents are often shown to demonstrate over their kids in movies. What Elinor wants is for Merida to be a good leader, and for an alliance to be made to strengthen their kingdom. She is more far-sighted in being able to see that the good of her family and clan comes first, but not being able to see that her unbending plans aren't the best means of achieving her goals. Like mother, like daughter.
Despite all this, Elinor does command a great presence. She has enough prowess and wisdom to stop fighting clansmen from killing each other, and getting them all to submit to her. Just watch this from 1:56:
She literally parts these ferocious fighting Scotsmen just by walking through them and gets the leaders under control by grabbing them by the ears! Why isn't she getting credit for this? Up until this point in the movie, all we have seen of Merida is how independent and physically capable she is, and how much trouble she can stir up; not only by herself but also with her impish brothers. For Elinor's story, we have seen how proper and traditional she is, but when she takes command of an entire room of angry Scotsmen without losing her cool, she proves that she is a woman of great aptitude.
By promoting Merida before Elinor, the previewed story makes Merida out to be a victim. In reality, both she and her mother are victimizing each other. Each has their own strengths and virtues, but neither one wins when they battle. Both wind up being hurt and more determined to have their way, despite their both knowing what the problem is: they aren't listening to each other. And then, Merida goes over the edge when she humiliates her would-be suitors in the archery contest. A good, strong female character would have the intelligence to know that public humiliation (in any era) would be a bad idea. Merida did not even consider this outcome and made the more immature choice, resulting in humiliating her family and touching off a feud between clans. Proper or not, strong women don't make choices like that; they weigh the options and come up with better strategies; hence the reason why Merida is not a smart character.
Here is the best example of Merida not being smart: her request to the witch. She wants to change her fate by changing her mother! Anyone else see the flaw in this logic? Merida is independent enough to know that fate is her own to change, but she instead chooses to blame her unhappiness on Elinor and change her. In her request to the witch, she doesn't even explain what about her mother to change: she just tells her to change her mother. That could mean any number of changes: physical, as it went down in the movie; personality, in changing every aspect of her thinking; emotionally, changing how she feels about Merida's potential marriage; or even to the extreme of having her removed from Merida's life altogether. Merida doesn't tell the witch how or what to change about her mother. She instead assumes that a spell to change her fate by changing her mother will solve her problem. The request she makes, lacking all specificity, is completely naive.
Now any good tale shows how the hero undergoes a personal change. Once Elinor is transformed into the bear by the witch's fate-changing spell, Merida begins to see the error of her ways. As the two venture off to break the spell, both characters are able to connect because they have to communicate without being able to completely understand Elinor's bear talk. It is when they work together that both characters begin to change and see where the other is coming from. In the end, they are able to compromise when Merida takes her duties as princess seriously to put a stop to the clan fighting but to Elinor's agreement that tradition should be changed and Merida be allowed to make her own decision when she's ready. It is in the middle ground that the two resolve their differences in.
To say that Merida is a good example of a strong female character is premature. Her tale in Brave shows more of teenaged rebellion rather than actual strength. It would be more appropriate to characterize her as becoming a strong female character. Every strong female character in popular culture, such as Buffy Summers or Sarah Conner, all have a story we don't know about and had to grow up at some point. Odds are they weren't always strong, like the aforementioned Conner. Merida's story can be seen as how a strong character is born. At this point in her life, she has learned her lesson and will hopefully continue to grow from there. Instead of being strong from the start, her experiences allowed her to grow into that role.
If Merida's tale were to continue, I'm sure she would eventually become that character that she now has the potential to be. In the meantime, we are left with the journey we were given, which is a tale that we can hope will eventually lead to that greatness.
When I saw the movie in the theaters, I was very disappointed in her character. Essentially, I thought she was a jerk. I recently had the opportunity to see it again and was able to revise my first impression of her, but I do believe she is overrated as a strong female character. I came up with a title that, in my opinion, I think she is better suited for.
First off, let's take a look at her heritage. She is a Scottish princess from the middle ages. A quote by Walter Scott from his work, Old Mortality, also sums up the Scots quite nicely: "It has often been remarked of the Scottish character, that the stubbornness with which it is moulded shows most to advantage in adversity, when it seems akin to the native sycamore of their hills, which scorns to be biased in its mode of growth even by the influence of the prevailing wind, but, shooting its branches with equal boldness in every direction, shows no weather-side to the storm, and may be broken, but can never be bended." Merida is a very good embodiment of this particular description. She also comes from a time where women across the world were more submissive and often used as political pawns. For a young woman of her time, she is very independent and aspires to become more than she is. These are good traits for strong women to have, especially in children's movies and television.
But here's the clincher on her character: she isn't smart.
Now Merida does have some semblance of brains; she listens to her father and takes his lessons more to heart than her mother's words, and she can easily survive by her wits. The problem with her intelligence is that she is near sighted: she doesn't think past her own circumstances. All she sees is what is happening to her and how she wants things to go her way. She doesn't consider the consequences of her actions and whines about how no one listens to her.
It is true that her mother, Elinor, isn't giving her teenaged daughter's words much heed; but at the same time, Merida isn't listening to her either. Neither woman can find the middle ground to reach out to each other. These two are a matched pair, despite the obvious differences in their character.
Elinor is a product of her time and believes that Merida should act the proper role of a traditional lady. Does this make Elinor a weak character? Not in the least. She may be too focused on marrying her daughter off, but it's more than just the assumed power control that parents are often shown to demonstrate over their kids in movies. What Elinor wants is for Merida to be a good leader, and for an alliance to be made to strengthen their kingdom. She is more far-sighted in being able to see that the good of her family and clan comes first, but not being able to see that her unbending plans aren't the best means of achieving her goals. Like mother, like daughter.
Despite all this, Elinor does command a great presence. She has enough prowess and wisdom to stop fighting clansmen from killing each other, and getting them all to submit to her. Just watch this from 1:56:
She literally parts these ferocious fighting Scotsmen just by walking through them and gets the leaders under control by grabbing them by the ears! Why isn't she getting credit for this? Up until this point in the movie, all we have seen of Merida is how independent and physically capable she is, and how much trouble she can stir up; not only by herself but also with her impish brothers. For Elinor's story, we have seen how proper and traditional she is, but when she takes command of an entire room of angry Scotsmen without losing her cool, she proves that she is a woman of great aptitude.
By promoting Merida before Elinor, the previewed story makes Merida out to be a victim. In reality, both she and her mother are victimizing each other. Each has their own strengths and virtues, but neither one wins when they battle. Both wind up being hurt and more determined to have their way, despite their both knowing what the problem is: they aren't listening to each other. And then, Merida goes over the edge when she humiliates her would-be suitors in the archery contest. A good, strong female character would have the intelligence to know that public humiliation (in any era) would be a bad idea. Merida did not even consider this outcome and made the more immature choice, resulting in humiliating her family and touching off a feud between clans. Proper or not, strong women don't make choices like that; they weigh the options and come up with better strategies; hence the reason why Merida is not a smart character.
Here is the best example of Merida not being smart: her request to the witch. She wants to change her fate by changing her mother! Anyone else see the flaw in this logic? Merida is independent enough to know that fate is her own to change, but she instead chooses to blame her unhappiness on Elinor and change her. In her request to the witch, she doesn't even explain what about her mother to change: she just tells her to change her mother. That could mean any number of changes: physical, as it went down in the movie; personality, in changing every aspect of her thinking; emotionally, changing how she feels about Merida's potential marriage; or even to the extreme of having her removed from Merida's life altogether. Merida doesn't tell the witch how or what to change about her mother. She instead assumes that a spell to change her fate by changing her mother will solve her problem. The request she makes, lacking all specificity, is completely naive.
Now any good tale shows how the hero undergoes a personal change. Once Elinor is transformed into the bear by the witch's fate-changing spell, Merida begins to see the error of her ways. As the two venture off to break the spell, both characters are able to connect because they have to communicate without being able to completely understand Elinor's bear talk. It is when they work together that both characters begin to change and see where the other is coming from. In the end, they are able to compromise when Merida takes her duties as princess seriously to put a stop to the clan fighting but to Elinor's agreement that tradition should be changed and Merida be allowed to make her own decision when she's ready. It is in the middle ground that the two resolve their differences in.
To say that Merida is a good example of a strong female character is premature. Her tale in Brave shows more of teenaged rebellion rather than actual strength. It would be more appropriate to characterize her as becoming a strong female character. Every strong female character in popular culture, such as Buffy Summers or Sarah Conner, all have a story we don't know about and had to grow up at some point. Odds are they weren't always strong, like the aforementioned Conner. Merida's story can be seen as how a strong character is born. At this point in her life, she has learned her lesson and will hopefully continue to grow from there. Instead of being strong from the start, her experiences allowed her to grow into that role.
If Merida's tale were to continue, I'm sure she would eventually become that character that she now has the potential to be. In the meantime, we are left with the journey we were given, which is a tale that we can hope will eventually lead to that greatness.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Disney Movie Workout!
Hi there!
It's been a while since I've posted, and now that I'm unemployed I've finally had more time on my hands to get back to blogging. I went to Ireland last month, and before I left, which also contributes to my lack of posts, I went to the gym almost every day for 6 straight weeks. I wound up losing several pounds and a couple of inches, but the motivation of European travel isn't always available these days,
So, being a multi-tasker, I wanted to do a workout that combined exercise with a TV program or movie. I did a search and found a Star Trek workout which was fun, but it needed to have more scenarios that prompted a workout, as some episodes are more cerebral rather than action oriented. I chose to write up my own for Disney movies instead, although I do plan to do my own Trek one soon.
In terms of a Disney workout, I wanted to put together one that could be used for any Disney movie (Pixar included), and not just the Princess movies. So here’s my attempt, and please feel free to try it; and if you really want to push yourself, try adding 5-10 lb dumbbells with the exercise would be appropriate. If you like it, I’d appreciate the feedback!
A character sings a song – 10 jumping jacks
A song is sung but not by a character in the movie – 20 jumping jacks
True love’s kiss – 30 second plank
A wish comes true – 10 crunches
Magic is used – 10 push ups
Dancing of any kind – 15 jump ropes
A sword fight ensues or a hero battles with a sword – bicycle crunch for 30 seconds
A daring escape is executed or the heroes narrowly survive a dangerous situation – 30 second side plank, 1 set for each side
Horses, carriages, cars, flying or any other kind of transportation is used – 20 jab punches, 10 each side
Each time a character transforms – 10 squats (good luck with Aladdin!)
Showdown with the villain – 20 dead lifts with either hand weights or lightly weighted bar
A death defying fall results in no injuries – hold a squat for 30 seconds
Inanimate objects, plants or any form of nature is alive – 10 skaters
A parent dies – 30 side kicks, 15 each side
A supporting character causes some kind of calamity or is klutzy – 20 pullover crunches
Animals don’t talk but can still communicate with their human friends – 20 high knee jump ropes
Animals talk in front of humans but aren't understood by them – 10 warrior poses
Animals come when called – 5 bridges, hold for 15 seconds each
A disguise is used – 20 side crunches, 10 each side
A character is rescued or saved at the last second – 10 side-shuffle-switches
A lie is told – 15 lunges
The love interests are unwillingly separated from each other – 10 dirty dog/fire hydrant leg raises, 5 each side
There’s a huge betrayal or a good or bad guys turns – 20 mountain climbers
Treasure is involved – 15 reverse crunches
A character gets left or falls behind – 20 push ups
A character isn't dead or is brought back to life – 20 vertical crunches
Someone sacrifices themselves for or defends another character – 20 donkey kicks
A character voiced by Jim Cummings is onscreen – run in place until he’s gone
You spot an Easter egg – 50 jumping jacks
If some of these exercises aren't quite clear, then please make sure to look them up before trying this out. Good luck!
It's been a while since I've posted, and now that I'm unemployed I've finally had more time on my hands to get back to blogging. I went to Ireland last month, and before I left, which also contributes to my lack of posts, I went to the gym almost every day for 6 straight weeks. I wound up losing several pounds and a couple of inches, but the motivation of European travel isn't always available these days,
So, being a multi-tasker, I wanted to do a workout that combined exercise with a TV program or movie. I did a search and found a Star Trek workout which was fun, but it needed to have more scenarios that prompted a workout, as some episodes are more cerebral rather than action oriented. I chose to write up my own for Disney movies instead, although I do plan to do my own Trek one soon.
In terms of a Disney workout, I wanted to put together one that could be used for any Disney movie (Pixar included), and not just the Princess movies. So here’s my attempt, and please feel free to try it; and if you really want to push yourself, try adding 5-10 lb dumbbells with the exercise would be appropriate. If you like it, I’d appreciate the feedback!
A character sings a song – 10 jumping jacks
A song is sung but not by a character in the movie – 20 jumping jacks
True love’s kiss – 30 second plank
A wish comes true – 10 crunches
Magic is used – 10 push ups
Dancing of any kind – 15 jump ropes
A sword fight ensues or a hero battles with a sword – bicycle crunch for 30 seconds
A daring escape is executed or the heroes narrowly survive a dangerous situation – 30 second side plank, 1 set for each side
Horses, carriages, cars, flying or any other kind of transportation is used – 20 jab punches, 10 each side
Each time a character transforms – 10 squats (good luck with Aladdin!)
Showdown with the villain – 20 dead lifts with either hand weights or lightly weighted bar
A death defying fall results in no injuries – hold a squat for 30 seconds
Inanimate objects, plants or any form of nature is alive – 10 skaters
A parent dies – 30 side kicks, 15 each side
A supporting character causes some kind of calamity or is klutzy – 20 pullover crunches
Animals don’t talk but can still communicate with their human friends – 20 high knee jump ropes
Animals talk in front of humans but aren't understood by them – 10 warrior poses
Animals come when called – 5 bridges, hold for 15 seconds each
A disguise is used – 20 side crunches, 10 each side
A character is rescued or saved at the last second – 10 side-shuffle-switches
A lie is told – 15 lunges
The love interests are unwillingly separated from each other – 10 dirty dog/fire hydrant leg raises, 5 each side
There’s a huge betrayal or a good or bad guys turns – 20 mountain climbers
Treasure is involved – 15 reverse crunches
A character gets left or falls behind – 20 push ups
A character isn't dead or is brought back to life – 20 vertical crunches
Someone sacrifices themselves for or defends another character – 20 donkey kicks
A character voiced by Jim Cummings is onscreen – run in place until he’s gone
You spot an Easter egg – 50 jumping jacks
If some of these exercises aren't quite clear, then please make sure to look them up before trying this out. Good luck!
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Why Nice Guys Don't Succeed: As Illustrated by The Big Bang Theory
Growing up, I was always the only girl in the boys' group. I was always seen as "one of the guys" and didn't even get a boyfriend until I was almost 20. Can I truly know how self proclaimed "nice guys" feel when as they claim to be unlucky in love? Probably not entirely. But after hearing many guys complain about the "friendzone," what I can do is show some insight on why girls don't seem to go for that kind of persona.
Let me start out with this: I will be using examples from the boys from the hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, but what you should always know is this: NEVER USE TV OR MOVIES TO BASE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ON. These are forms of entertainment with roots in different forms of fantasy. The jerk who did the shooting down in Santa Barbara had the deluded idea that he deserved a hot girl because that's what TV and movies are consistently putting across. Well, guess what, everybody? THIS IS REALITY. Not everything goes smoothly or happily as your favorite TV show or classic movie ends. It's a very sad truth, but Hollywood gives us what they say we want to see. Don't fall under that spell! Live in the now and face the facts of life!
Piggybacking off that point, I now need to add a disclaimer: I am going to be brutally honest in this blog. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, I'm not going to mince words, and I'm not going to give you false hope or try to change you. I am going to tell it like it is. If you consider yourself sensitive or are set in your ways, then feel free to read another blog that fills you up with false hope with lame cliches. I'm on this soapbox, and I'm doing the talking! And I'm not doing this to discourage so called "nice guys," I'm doing this because I like seeing the "nice guys" find themselves good girls to complete them, and there are too many wolves out there that take the form of "nice guys" and "good girls."
Now then, while TV and movies are completely fictional and outside of reality, they do often feature realistic situations and convincing characters. I am a fan of The Big Bang Theory and, being a geek girl myself who still has a tendency to be socially awkward, I find that all of the characters of Leonard, Raj, and Stuart are prime examples of nice guys who did or are still doing everything wrong. Howard and Sheldon will also be used for other examples, despite the fact that the pre-Bernadette Howard is a complete and total sleazebag and Sheldon just has no idea that a world and other people's needs exist around him. I will not be bagging on these characters, as I do love them, but I will definitely be focusing on their faults because many nice guys exhibit these faults too, and thereby don't succeed when trying to be with a good quality girl.
Prologue: Doing whatever the girl asks and expecting something in return
Everything begins here.
So, you think that fixing her computer, helping her move, and driving her home when she's drunk without copping a feel makes you a nice guy. Right? For the most part, yes. It also makes you a sucker.
Please refer to TBBT season 2 episode 19: The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition. The beautiful actress Alicia moves into the building and meets Leonard and Sheldon. Leonard is instantly attracted to her and uses what little body weight he has to heave a huge box filled with who knows what up 4 flights of stairs while she totes a tiny box that a 4 year old could probably carry. Later, Leonard is joined by Raj and Howard where they are helping Alicia unpack and set up her electronics.
Sound like something you've done? Let's continue...
Notice how in this clip Alicia tells Leonard she needs to drive to Hollywood from Pasadena. She's all dressed up for her audition as a hooker, and quite frankly, isn't far from the mark. She brings up her situation which may or may not be the truth, and Leonard, Howard and Raj follow after her like lovesick puppies. Penny, who does tend to do take advantage of the boys from time to time, notices the extreme that Alicia is taking it to and she interferes because she genuinely cares for the boys.
Now skip to 1.14 of this next clip and stop at 1.36:
Penny asks Alicia to not take advantage of the boys. Alicia's response: "What's the big deal? I let them do stuff for me, they're happy, I get stuff, who cares?" Alicia refuses to acknowledge that she is purposely leading the boys on.
So guys, are you doing this kind of stuff for a girl or girls and getting nothing back?
SHE'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU, AND YOU'RE LETTING HER DO IT!
Yes, girls appreciate it when you do things like this for her. But if she keeps doing it and never says yes to a date to you, then you are a complete sap. Albert Einstein himself defined insanity as this: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." A cold hard truth is that the right type of girl doesn't want to be with someone who she can walk all over. It is very flattering if we can get guys to act as servants or whipping boys, but unless she expresses a way to reciprocate or that she is interested in you, then you are not a "nice guy." You are easily dominated and the epitome of insanity as expressed by one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
And if you're being a nice guy just because you think you're entitled to sexual favors, like there's some kind of unspoken agreement between men and women, then get your head examined. You may as well be a combination of Sheldon and pre-Bernadette Howard: thinking you're owed booty because the world supposedly revolves around you and you never get your way. That's not how true nice guys work, and it's not how women work either.
As I said, I'm going to pull no punches here. If this was too hard of a truth for you, then please, go read something else. If you're a trooper, then please continue.
Underlying Reasons Why You're Not Getting the Girl
Doing nice things for the girl or girls you have your eye on is a good place to start, but it really should be only a testing ground rather than a habit. There are many nice girls out there who appreciate what you do but are uncomfortable in the situation because they don't want to hurt your feelings, so they let you keep doing what you do because they don't want to lose your friendship. Others are like the aforementioned Alicia.
If you're in this situation, but you aren't sure if the girl is trying to be considerate of your feelings or taking advantage of you, then please evaluate the following personality traits below as portrayed by our boys of TBBT. For the record, I'm going to be picking on these guys a lot. This doesn't mean that I don't like them, because I do; it just means that these boys are very flawed characters whose choices make the best examples of the points I'm trying to make.
Problem: you have no self respect
Season 4 episode 5: The Desperation Emanation. No clip of this particular example is available. Leonard is set up by Bernadette on a blind date with a gym acquaintance named Joy. Joy has little class, is crude, and is constantly showing off krav maga moves dangerously close to Leonard's lower regions. As she leaves the table for the bathroom, Howard remarks that he thinks she likes him. Leonard retorts that he won't go after her because he has self respect. Howard's spot on response: "Since when?"
Now Leonard had a horrible childhood and has mommy issues, and you guys out there have your own unique back stories and histories with women; but this particular point is very important, regardless of your experience. Back to Leonard: he always wants a woman's attention, and if a woman is willing to give it, he pursues it, regardless of who he has his eye on, or in some cases, who he's currently with.
Here's a clip of the type of woman Joy is:
Guys, would you say yes to a second date to a woman like this if she offered the possibility of having drunk sex with you on a wedding date?
Leonard did. The date from this point in the clip above did not improve, but when Joy tells him that her inhibitions will drop when she gets drunk at a wedding she wants him to take her to, all his previous reservations evaporate quicker than the rain in California's current drought status.
Another good example is Leonard's relationship with Stephanie. It the 3 episode arc of season 2 episodes 8-10, Leonard gets involved with the girl Howard was expecting to shack up with. They become an official couple, and by using subtle means, Stephanie slowly transfers her things to Leonard's room and moves in with him. Sheldon figures it out, but Leonard denies it. When he realizes the control she's taking over him, he tries to talk her into slowing their relationship down. She offers him sex each time and he's a complete goner.
And now, the coup de gras:
Stephanie is a master manipulator who induces guilt and offers sex to get her way, and Leonard falls into her trap each time because he doesn't respect himself enough to take a stand. Of all the people in the world, he needs to be able to stand up for himself, and he fails miserably. He eventually is able to end the relationship, but we don't get to see how it happened because she, once again, offered him sex to change his mind when he desperately tried to text-dump her.
As stated with Alicia, many girls out there aren't as nice or as good as they seem and they take advantage of perfectly good guys, thereby causing bitterness and anger to fester. Real women don't want pliable men that they can easily manipulate or just agree with them on any and all subjects; that kind of man gets old pretty quick and then these ladies scope out their next target to suck him dry while you wonder what you did wrong when the only thing you did wrong was chase a bad girl. The women worth having out there need a man who has respect for and can stand up for himself. After all, if a guy can't stand up for himself, how can any woman be confident that you'll be able to stand up for her?
If you're having trouble getting any kind of romantic relationship started with a woman, first take a look at yourself and see if you have the personal strength to take a stand for yourself. Are you confident in the person that you are? Can you tell your boss you can't stay overtime for the 5th day in a row because you have plans? Can you think clearly when a pretty girl smiles at you? Are you able to still say no if a woman whose clothing leaves nothing to the imagination wants to use you and then throw you away? If your answer to any of these questions is no, then you should take some time to re-evaluate your approach not only to women but to life.
Self respect is a key personality trait needed to survive. Without it, it's not just women who will take advantage of you, it's whoever else is in your life. Learn to know when to say yes and no for yourself. Don't let any person or that girl you've had your eye on make you do things you don't want to.
Problem: you're whiny or induce guilt
When we first meet Stuart in season 2, he seems relatively confident when he is able to take Penny out on a date. Then she hooks up with Leonard and we see Stuart's true colors: he is lonely and lets the whole world know about it. Raj does the same thing. This happens both when Raj is drunk and sober, but when he whines about his love life he tends to rant about his whole existence and how he'll never find someone.
Guys, whining never helps. It makes you look immature. You know how I mentioned that Stephanie was manipulative? Well, if you really think about it, whining is, in its own way, a form of manipulation. Whining is a device to induce pity. Pity, when given, immediately puts you in a position of power over the person who is now giving you attention and trying to empathize with you. Most people, men and women alike, can tell the different between asking for help and just being a whiner; and let me tell you that when they're wise to your pity game, you won't incur any good responses.
If you watch this clip, you notice how awkward everyone gets when Stuart starts whining in his speech. Not only was this a completely inappropriate time for him to bring this comparison up, but it also caused a "Debbie Downer" moment that made everyone feel awkward.
When you're feeling down and you want to whine, do it in a safe environment or with friends who will offer you support. It's a natural part of life to need to release, but using it to attract a woman is just lame. She'll either see right through you and immediately write you off as a irritating little twerp, or she'll fall under the pity spell, in which case you become a bad guy (and if you've seen The Silence of the Lambs, you'll see how pity gets a lady kidnapped! YES, it's that bad!).
Here's an example from a non-regular on the show: Bert.
Bert shows up in season 7 episode 13: The Occupation Recalibration, and seems like a nice, awkward guy at first, bringing Amy pretty rocks from the geology department. If you watch his technique, he starts off with very subtle whining, then twisting it into guilt, saying that girls always turn down guys like him because he's big and awkward. Guys, regardless of whether or not it is true that you're always being turned down, this tactic is uncool. There is a difference between being honest in getting to know a person, and being honest to manipulate that person. Bert uses the latter technique and when Amy caves, he instantly labels their outing as a date. So not cool!
And, of course, this portion wouldn't be complete without this little gem from season 4 episode 9: The Boyfriend Complexity:
Raj is very drunk in this scene, so his actions aren't completely under his control. He is completely honest and uninhibited as he talks about how lonely he is, and Bernadette tries to cheer him up by telling him that lots of girls would like to kiss him. Well, we all see how that one pans out. Guys, don't get drunk and whine about your lack of a love life. This scene right here is a great example the least of the things that can go wrong when you mix alcohol and loneliness. Even drunk, whining is tacky. Don't go that route.
So if you think that making yourself look pathetic is a good move for getting girls sucker girls into pity dates with you is a good tactic, then think again. It's uncool, totally classless to pull a stunt like that, and it definitely does NOT make you a nice guy.
Problem: you're pushy
Leonard starts out the series as a good guy who lacks confidence around women. Now, he's still a good guy but earned the confidence he needed to get engaged to Penny. The journey to that point, however, was often derailed when Leonard wouldn't let go of a conflict. The best example? When he first told Penny he loved her in season 3 episode 19: The Wheaton Recurrence.
Penny's reaction is not what Leonard had expected. Later in the episode she remarks "I love chili fries," and Leonard goes off on a tirade on how she can have such strong feelings for food and not for him, which ignites a fight between them. She explains the next day that she has had bad experiences saying those three little words at the wrong time and doesn't want to mess things up by running in to fast.
Guys, if a girl tells you she has had experiences in the past that cause her to go slow for any reason, LET HER GO AT HER OWN PACE.
There are lots of dumb women out there who never learn their lessons. If you find a woman who, for any reason, needs to take time for any action in your relationship, such as saying she loves you, because she learned her lesson the hard way; then that means she has learned her lesson and doesn't want to ruin things with you. Seriously! If you've spent all this time trying to win her over as Leonard did with Penny and you try to push her to tell you that you love her? Then Penny's dumping Leonard is exactly the same reaction you'll get! You can't force a woman to say what you want her to say or do what you want her to do if she isn't ready!
Another example of Leonard being pushy was with Priya. Now I watched every episode from start to finish and I don't think that Priya ever really planned on anything long term with Leonard, I think she wanted an American play toy that she could dominate; else she wouldn't have cheated on him so easily when she returned to India. Despite this theory, she did make a good point in that her parents would freak out if they knew about her relationship with Leonard. I don't know much about Indian customs, but I do know that foreign countries all have their views on how marriages and relationships should go for their children, and Priya's wanting to wait till one of her other siblings screws up to tell her parents about Leonard is a perfectly sound excuse.
In this clip, you'll not only see Leonard trying to push his own agenda with Priya, but also Sheldon's acknowledgement that Leonard does this kind of thing all the time. Even by this time, in the latter half of season 4, Leonard still hasn't learned his lesson from nearly a year ago with Penny. At the end of this episode, he's arguing with Priya because he says she thinks he embarrasses her. I don't think that is completely true, but I could be wrong. In any case, being pushy like this is not only a turnoff, it's bloody immature.
I finally have an example that doesn't involve Leonard: Raj and Lucy. Lucy has an extreme social disorder that she is bravely trying to conquer. Raj tries to help her along, but does so at his pace and not one she's comfortable with. When he tried helping her with returning "funky" crab cakes on their date by insisting she return them to the waiter, she tried to escape out the bathroom window because it was too much for her to handle! Watch this clip from season 6 episode 24: The Bon Voyage Reaction, of when he introduces Lucy to Amy:
Raj thinks he's being protective of Lucy, but he's only exacerbating the situation further. He's not only coming off as pushy, but overbearing and just plain rude. Lucy is clearly not comfortable when he interferes with her conversation with Amy. If Raj hadn't been so pushy, he probably wouldn't have been text dumped later on in the episode. Raj had good intentions, but the best intentions don't always produce the best results.
Like the point with whining, being pushy is another form of manipulation. If you try to push a woman into doing something she isn't ready for, are you going to keep pushing until she cowers? Will you dump her if she doesn't do your bidding? Leonard and Raj aren't that type of guy, but there are too many men out there who are. Don't be pushy. It never ends well for either party.
Problem: you think every woman who is nice to you has feelings for you
Please now view this clip from Scrubs to get the point I'm making:
Seriously, how delusional can you be?
I'm going to divert from the nice guys here and pick on Howard. Howard, before he got engaged to Bernadette, was the epitome of a deluded romantic who did everything wrong that a man can do to impress a girl. He fancied himself as some kind of smooth ladies' man, when in reality, he was a borderline stalker creep. Tune in at 1.48 on this next clip from season 3 episode 6: The Cornhusker Reaction:
A random runner just so happens to make eye contact with Howard and she's jogging by and smiles at him. Howard thinks it means something and chases afterward!
Now let me say right here that I truly believe that majority of the population of men on this planet are smarter than that; but the point I am trying to make here is that chance encounters that take only a few seconds to meet and fall in love are fantasy. The number of decent, friendly people in this world is diminishing every day, but there are people, both men and women, who, when they make accidental eye contact with a complete stranger, will offer a friendly smile so not to appear awkward or just try to make your day a little brighter. If a girl notices you and acknowledges you with any friendly gesture such as a smile or wave, don't start making wedding plans. She's just being friendly. Odds are you'll probably not come across that random lady again unless you go up and talk to her. If you do decide to try to talk without being a stalker, proceed with caution, as many joggers can sport pepper spray now, even if your intentions are pure.
For the more likely situation, see this clip from season 5 episode 1: The Skank Reflex Analysis:
Bernadette is just a nice person, and in my opinion, one of the most realistic characters out on the airwaves right now. She is particularly nice to Raj because she knows he's lonely and sensitive, and he spends the latter half of season 4 pining over her with disturbing poetry and Bollywood dance-filled fantasies. His feelings for her come out after his drunken night with Penny, and Bernadette's fury comes at Raj in full force. He says that she was "always so nice to him," and she retorts with "I'm nice to everybody!!!!" Guys, if you're lonely and you have the one gal pal who is always nice to you, keep in mind that she probably doesn't have feelings for you. Genuinely nice people are fewer these days, and if you're lucky enough to have a girl friend in your life who's willing to give you a woman's perspective and just be a friend when you need it, then why ruin that? If she becomes interested, it will happen naturally. Do not assume that it will happen!
Guys, please please please get it through your head that some girls are just plain nice without expecting to hook up with you at some point in the future! You are deluding yourself, and you can do the worst thing possible in the process: lose her friendship. If you make your feelings known to her with no expectations, and she turns you down, then man up and do the mature thing in moving on. You took your chance, and it didn't work. Is pushing your agenda worth losing her over? Men and women can still be friends if she doesn't want to go out with you!
Problem: you lie or omit pertinent information
I don't even need to refer to TBBT here, just watch 75% of every romance film out there: the liar always get their due, but almost always still winds up with the love interest (hence the reason why these romance stories are fiction). If you lie in this digital age, you could find your face smeared all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with a huge "do not date" caption. Don't believe me? Check out this tweet from Mrs. Doubtfire's Mara Wilson.
There are very rare times in life where lying is necessary, but even then it may still tarnish your reputation. So how does lying torch you when you've found someone? Here's a few examples, as all of the characters in this show do their own fair share of lying.
Season 3, episode 3: The Gothowitz Deviation. Howard and Raj wear fake tattoo sleeves and crash a goth club to pick up on goth chicks. By lying about their lifestyles, tattoos and being goths instead of nerds, they have to keep of the pretense of getting inked so that the remote odds of either Howard or Raj scoring stays in their favor.
Howard can't keep up the pretense when he hears that tattoo needle near his hiney and blurts the whole truth out, and both girls leave. Telling the truth is always noble, but it won't always save you when you fess up to your dishonesty.
Moving on to Leonard. Leonard in season 5 episode 7: The Good Guy Fluctuation, he meets Alice, and claims to be what most of you claim to be: a good guy. But he has his girlfriend Priya back in India, and he wants to be with Alice now that she's in his life. When he talks to Penny about his dilemma, he talks about how he wants both women despite his being a "good guy." In reality, he's trying to have his cake and eat it too. Guys, that never works. And here's what happens when Leonard tries it:
Alice thought he was a good guy too, but trying to pull a stunt like that didn't fly with her. She thought he was different. Guys, if you're that kind of "different," then show it and be it! If you are lucky enough to have a woman in your life and another wants you and you don't tell her about your girlfriend right away, then you are not a good guy. You're a wolf in sheep's clothing.
This next one is the most complicated lie that begins a domino effect: season 4 episode 6: The Irish Pub Formulation. Leonard broke a pact with Howard when he slept with Raj's sister, Priya. Sheldon finds out, and being one who doesn't like to lie or keep secrets, tries to pull another one of his "unravellable" lies to protect the parties involved. Watch what happens:
One lie gets exposed, leading all four guys to expose the lies of the other guys at the table. This is as close to the ideal situation of how lies can be forgiven without massive ramifications, but these guys are all friends. Lying to your guy friends is one thing; lying to any girl you want to impress is completely different. Your buddies are supposed to be there through thick and thin, and while you shouldn't lie to anyone, especially not these guys, they'll be more forgiving because that's what friends do. If you lie to try impressing women, they'll be far less gracious than your pals. Great relationships never start on the foundation of a lie.
Problem: you knowingly and willingly allow yourself to be taken advantage of
This particular problem ties in with most of the points I've already made. Let's face it: being alone sucks. The thing about being alone though is that it's almost always something you can do something about, whether reaching out to friends and/or family, posting on a social site, or going out to new venues and mixers to meet new friends.
The easier and far more degrading option is when someone is giving you attention because they want something from you, like money or material goods. Remember Christie?
Tune in at 2.42 of season 1 episode 7: The Dumpling Paradox. Christie, Penny's acquaintance from Nebraska, has no morals or standards, which makes her perfect for Howard. Penny, although she can't stand Howard during this phase in his life, still tries to stop him from falling under Christie's spell because she will only use him to get things. And Howard is okay with that!
If you're okay with this kind of situation, then please tell your family so they can form an intervention. No one deserves to be treated that way, regardless of whether or not they are aware that they are being used. Moving on to the next example from season 5 episode 4: The Wiggly Finger Catalyst:
Once again, Penny is trying to keep her guy friends from bad girls. Originally, she hooked Raj up with Emily due to his inability to talk to women and the fact that Emily is deaf so he wouldn't have to talk. After he pays off Emily's credit card bills and buys her a new car, Penny realizes what she's done and tries (unsuccessfully, due to Howard's wandering eye) to talk to Emily and get her to be more careful with Raj. Instead, Howard just signs to her "are you a gold digger or not?" and sends Emily into a rage. Penny then takes the next step of intervention and calls Raj's parents, who make him choose between love or money, and he chooses Emily, who promptly dumps him because he won't buy her anything else.
Seriously guys, just because Madonna glorified being a "Material Girl" doesn't mean it's a good thing. In fact, don't even take Madonna's advice on anything. Moving right along....Raj refuses to accept the truth that's staring him right in the face. The more he lavished on Emily, the happier she was, and the more ignorant he became. Don't ever let any woman do this to you. You deserve better than that! Do I REALLY need to include the following clip to show you how you'll wind up if you let a girl take advantage of you?
Do you really want this to be you?
The Final Word
You're still here? I told you I was gonna be blunt. Now I will apologize if I seemed harsh, but sometimes you need to be harsh to get a point across if you're not getting it from people who are trying to be nice. If you're really a nice guy, then be a nice guy. If you have to convince a girl that you're a nice guy, whether with actions or words, then you're not genuine. Real nice guys do things out of the goodness of their heart without asking for anything in return. And truth be told, we need more people like that; not just men.
So nice guys, I'm not going to give you some cliche that you're probably sick of hearing, I'm just going to say to please consider the girl and how she feels. Most of the mistakes listed above were when the guys did what they thought would work to get out of the friendzone and failed miserably. The real reason why "nice guys" don't finish first is because they don't consider the pressure they put the nice girls under. A real nice guy is the one who will not put a girl in any position that she does not want to be in. And if a girl is or has treated you that way in the past, then draw on that experience and think of the girl being in your place.
This last piece of my blog is for everyone: being a "nice" person all comes down to putting the other's feelings and needs before yours. Anything less than that, or doing anything for your own personal gain, immediately shoves you hard out of that "nice" label. We need more genuine nice guys and gals, people! It may mean we'll be single longer, but a change like this can make a big difference! Don't make the mistakes our favorite nerds did! They may be great for hi-jinks, but not in the real world!
Let me start out with this: I will be using examples from the boys from the hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, but what you should always know is this: NEVER USE TV OR MOVIES TO BASE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ON. These are forms of entertainment with roots in different forms of fantasy. The jerk who did the shooting down in Santa Barbara had the deluded idea that he deserved a hot girl because that's what TV and movies are consistently putting across. Well, guess what, everybody? THIS IS REALITY. Not everything goes smoothly or happily as your favorite TV show or classic movie ends. It's a very sad truth, but Hollywood gives us what they say we want to see. Don't fall under that spell! Live in the now and face the facts of life!
Piggybacking off that point, I now need to add a disclaimer: I am going to be brutally honest in this blog. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, I'm not going to mince words, and I'm not going to give you false hope or try to change you. I am going to tell it like it is. If you consider yourself sensitive or are set in your ways, then feel free to read another blog that fills you up with false hope with lame cliches. I'm on this soapbox, and I'm doing the talking! And I'm not doing this to discourage so called "nice guys," I'm doing this because I like seeing the "nice guys" find themselves good girls to complete them, and there are too many wolves out there that take the form of "nice guys" and "good girls."
Now then, while TV and movies are completely fictional and outside of reality, they do often feature realistic situations and convincing characters. I am a fan of The Big Bang Theory and, being a geek girl myself who still has a tendency to be socially awkward, I find that all of the characters of Leonard, Raj, and Stuart are prime examples of nice guys who did or are still doing everything wrong. Howard and Sheldon will also be used for other examples, despite the fact that the pre-Bernadette Howard is a complete and total sleazebag and Sheldon just has no idea that a world and other people's needs exist around him. I will not be bagging on these characters, as I do love them, but I will definitely be focusing on their faults because many nice guys exhibit these faults too, and thereby don't succeed when trying to be with a good quality girl.
Prologue: Doing whatever the girl asks and expecting something in return
Everything begins here.
So, you think that fixing her computer, helping her move, and driving her home when she's drunk without copping a feel makes you a nice guy. Right? For the most part, yes. It also makes you a sucker.
Please refer to TBBT season 2 episode 19: The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition. The beautiful actress Alicia moves into the building and meets Leonard and Sheldon. Leonard is instantly attracted to her and uses what little body weight he has to heave a huge box filled with who knows what up 4 flights of stairs while she totes a tiny box that a 4 year old could probably carry. Later, Leonard is joined by Raj and Howard where they are helping Alicia unpack and set up her electronics.
Sound like something you've done? Let's continue...
Notice how in this clip Alicia tells Leonard she needs to drive to Hollywood from Pasadena. She's all dressed up for her audition as a hooker, and quite frankly, isn't far from the mark. She brings up her situation which may or may not be the truth, and Leonard, Howard and Raj follow after her like lovesick puppies. Penny, who does tend to do take advantage of the boys from time to time, notices the extreme that Alicia is taking it to and she interferes because she genuinely cares for the boys.
Now skip to 1.14 of this next clip and stop at 1.36:
Penny asks Alicia to not take advantage of the boys. Alicia's response: "What's the big deal? I let them do stuff for me, they're happy, I get stuff, who cares?" Alicia refuses to acknowledge that she is purposely leading the boys on.
So guys, are you doing this kind of stuff for a girl or girls and getting nothing back?
SHE'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU, AND YOU'RE LETTING HER DO IT!
Yes, girls appreciate it when you do things like this for her. But if she keeps doing it and never says yes to a date to you, then you are a complete sap. Albert Einstein himself defined insanity as this: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." A cold hard truth is that the right type of girl doesn't want to be with someone who she can walk all over. It is very flattering if we can get guys to act as servants or whipping boys, but unless she expresses a way to reciprocate or that she is interested in you, then you are not a "nice guy." You are easily dominated and the epitome of insanity as expressed by one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
And if you're being a nice guy just because you think you're entitled to sexual favors, like there's some kind of unspoken agreement between men and women, then get your head examined. You may as well be a combination of Sheldon and pre-Bernadette Howard: thinking you're owed booty because the world supposedly revolves around you and you never get your way. That's not how true nice guys work, and it's not how women work either.
As I said, I'm going to pull no punches here. If this was too hard of a truth for you, then please, go read something else. If you're a trooper, then please continue.
Underlying Reasons Why You're Not Getting the Girl
Doing nice things for the girl or girls you have your eye on is a good place to start, but it really should be only a testing ground rather than a habit. There are many nice girls out there who appreciate what you do but are uncomfortable in the situation because they don't want to hurt your feelings, so they let you keep doing what you do because they don't want to lose your friendship. Others are like the aforementioned Alicia.
If you're in this situation, but you aren't sure if the girl is trying to be considerate of your feelings or taking advantage of you, then please evaluate the following personality traits below as portrayed by our boys of TBBT. For the record, I'm going to be picking on these guys a lot. This doesn't mean that I don't like them, because I do; it just means that these boys are very flawed characters whose choices make the best examples of the points I'm trying to make.
Problem: you have no self respect
Season 4 episode 5: The Desperation Emanation. No clip of this particular example is available. Leonard is set up by Bernadette on a blind date with a gym acquaintance named Joy. Joy has little class, is crude, and is constantly showing off krav maga moves dangerously close to Leonard's lower regions. As she leaves the table for the bathroom, Howard remarks that he thinks she likes him. Leonard retorts that he won't go after her because he has self respect. Howard's spot on response: "Since when?"
Now Leonard had a horrible childhood and has mommy issues, and you guys out there have your own unique back stories and histories with women; but this particular point is very important, regardless of your experience. Back to Leonard: he always wants a woman's attention, and if a woman is willing to give it, he pursues it, regardless of who he has his eye on, or in some cases, who he's currently with.
Here's a clip of the type of woman Joy is:
Guys, would you say yes to a second date to a woman like this if she offered the possibility of having drunk sex with you on a wedding date?
Leonard did. The date from this point in the clip above did not improve, but when Joy tells him that her inhibitions will drop when she gets drunk at a wedding she wants him to take her to, all his previous reservations evaporate quicker than the rain in California's current drought status.
Another good example is Leonard's relationship with Stephanie. It the 3 episode arc of season 2 episodes 8-10, Leonard gets involved with the girl Howard was expecting to shack up with. They become an official couple, and by using subtle means, Stephanie slowly transfers her things to Leonard's room and moves in with him. Sheldon figures it out, but Leonard denies it. When he realizes the control she's taking over him, he tries to talk her into slowing their relationship down. She offers him sex each time and he's a complete goner.
And now, the coup de gras:
Stephanie is a master manipulator who induces guilt and offers sex to get her way, and Leonard falls into her trap each time because he doesn't respect himself enough to take a stand. Of all the people in the world, he needs to be able to stand up for himself, and he fails miserably. He eventually is able to end the relationship, but we don't get to see how it happened because she, once again, offered him sex to change his mind when he desperately tried to text-dump her.
As stated with Alicia, many girls out there aren't as nice or as good as they seem and they take advantage of perfectly good guys, thereby causing bitterness and anger to fester. Real women don't want pliable men that they can easily manipulate or just agree with them on any and all subjects; that kind of man gets old pretty quick and then these ladies scope out their next target to suck him dry while you wonder what you did wrong when the only thing you did wrong was chase a bad girl. The women worth having out there need a man who has respect for and can stand up for himself. After all, if a guy can't stand up for himself, how can any woman be confident that you'll be able to stand up for her?
If you're having trouble getting any kind of romantic relationship started with a woman, first take a look at yourself and see if you have the personal strength to take a stand for yourself. Are you confident in the person that you are? Can you tell your boss you can't stay overtime for the 5th day in a row because you have plans? Can you think clearly when a pretty girl smiles at you? Are you able to still say no if a woman whose clothing leaves nothing to the imagination wants to use you and then throw you away? If your answer to any of these questions is no, then you should take some time to re-evaluate your approach not only to women but to life.
Self respect is a key personality trait needed to survive. Without it, it's not just women who will take advantage of you, it's whoever else is in your life. Learn to know when to say yes and no for yourself. Don't let any person or that girl you've had your eye on make you do things you don't want to.
Problem: you're whiny or induce guilt
When we first meet Stuart in season 2, he seems relatively confident when he is able to take Penny out on a date. Then she hooks up with Leonard and we see Stuart's true colors: he is lonely and lets the whole world know about it. Raj does the same thing. This happens both when Raj is drunk and sober, but when he whines about his love life he tends to rant about his whole existence and how he'll never find someone.
Guys, whining never helps. It makes you look immature. You know how I mentioned that Stephanie was manipulative? Well, if you really think about it, whining is, in its own way, a form of manipulation. Whining is a device to induce pity. Pity, when given, immediately puts you in a position of power over the person who is now giving you attention and trying to empathize with you. Most people, men and women alike, can tell the different between asking for help and just being a whiner; and let me tell you that when they're wise to your pity game, you won't incur any good responses.
If you watch this clip, you notice how awkward everyone gets when Stuart starts whining in his speech. Not only was this a completely inappropriate time for him to bring this comparison up, but it also caused a "Debbie Downer" moment that made everyone feel awkward.
When you're feeling down and you want to whine, do it in a safe environment or with friends who will offer you support. It's a natural part of life to need to release, but using it to attract a woman is just lame. She'll either see right through you and immediately write you off as a irritating little twerp, or she'll fall under the pity spell, in which case you become a bad guy (and if you've seen The Silence of the Lambs, you'll see how pity gets a lady kidnapped! YES, it's that bad!).
Here's an example from a non-regular on the show: Bert.
Bert shows up in season 7 episode 13: The Occupation Recalibration, and seems like a nice, awkward guy at first, bringing Amy pretty rocks from the geology department. If you watch his technique, he starts off with very subtle whining, then twisting it into guilt, saying that girls always turn down guys like him because he's big and awkward. Guys, regardless of whether or not it is true that you're always being turned down, this tactic is uncool. There is a difference between being honest in getting to know a person, and being honest to manipulate that person. Bert uses the latter technique and when Amy caves, he instantly labels their outing as a date. So not cool!
And, of course, this portion wouldn't be complete without this little gem from season 4 episode 9: The Boyfriend Complexity:
Raj is very drunk in this scene, so his actions aren't completely under his control. He is completely honest and uninhibited as he talks about how lonely he is, and Bernadette tries to cheer him up by telling him that lots of girls would like to kiss him. Well, we all see how that one pans out. Guys, don't get drunk and whine about your lack of a love life. This scene right here is a great example the least of the things that can go wrong when you mix alcohol and loneliness. Even drunk, whining is tacky. Don't go that route.
So if you think that making yourself look pathetic is a good move for getting girls sucker girls into pity dates with you is a good tactic, then think again. It's uncool, totally classless to pull a stunt like that, and it definitely does NOT make you a nice guy.
Problem: you're pushy
Leonard starts out the series as a good guy who lacks confidence around women. Now, he's still a good guy but earned the confidence he needed to get engaged to Penny. The journey to that point, however, was often derailed when Leonard wouldn't let go of a conflict. The best example? When he first told Penny he loved her in season 3 episode 19: The Wheaton Recurrence.
Penny's reaction is not what Leonard had expected. Later in the episode she remarks "I love chili fries," and Leonard goes off on a tirade on how she can have such strong feelings for food and not for him, which ignites a fight between them. She explains the next day that she has had bad experiences saying those three little words at the wrong time and doesn't want to mess things up by running in to fast.
Guys, if a girl tells you she has had experiences in the past that cause her to go slow for any reason, LET HER GO AT HER OWN PACE.
There are lots of dumb women out there who never learn their lessons. If you find a woman who, for any reason, needs to take time for any action in your relationship, such as saying she loves you, because she learned her lesson the hard way; then that means she has learned her lesson and doesn't want to ruin things with you. Seriously! If you've spent all this time trying to win her over as Leonard did with Penny and you try to push her to tell you that you love her? Then Penny's dumping Leonard is exactly the same reaction you'll get! You can't force a woman to say what you want her to say or do what you want her to do if she isn't ready!
Another example of Leonard being pushy was with Priya. Now I watched every episode from start to finish and I don't think that Priya ever really planned on anything long term with Leonard, I think she wanted an American play toy that she could dominate; else she wouldn't have cheated on him so easily when she returned to India. Despite this theory, she did make a good point in that her parents would freak out if they knew about her relationship with Leonard. I don't know much about Indian customs, but I do know that foreign countries all have their views on how marriages and relationships should go for their children, and Priya's wanting to wait till one of her other siblings screws up to tell her parents about Leonard is a perfectly sound excuse.
In this clip, you'll not only see Leonard trying to push his own agenda with Priya, but also Sheldon's acknowledgement that Leonard does this kind of thing all the time. Even by this time, in the latter half of season 4, Leonard still hasn't learned his lesson from nearly a year ago with Penny. At the end of this episode, he's arguing with Priya because he says she thinks he embarrasses her. I don't think that is completely true, but I could be wrong. In any case, being pushy like this is not only a turnoff, it's bloody immature.
I finally have an example that doesn't involve Leonard: Raj and Lucy. Lucy has an extreme social disorder that she is bravely trying to conquer. Raj tries to help her along, but does so at his pace and not one she's comfortable with. When he tried helping her with returning "funky" crab cakes on their date by insisting she return them to the waiter, she tried to escape out the bathroom window because it was too much for her to handle! Watch this clip from season 6 episode 24: The Bon Voyage Reaction, of when he introduces Lucy to Amy:
Raj thinks he's being protective of Lucy, but he's only exacerbating the situation further. He's not only coming off as pushy, but overbearing and just plain rude. Lucy is clearly not comfortable when he interferes with her conversation with Amy. If Raj hadn't been so pushy, he probably wouldn't have been text dumped later on in the episode. Raj had good intentions, but the best intentions don't always produce the best results.
Like the point with whining, being pushy is another form of manipulation. If you try to push a woman into doing something she isn't ready for, are you going to keep pushing until she cowers? Will you dump her if she doesn't do your bidding? Leonard and Raj aren't that type of guy, but there are too many men out there who are. Don't be pushy. It never ends well for either party.
Problem: you think every woman who is nice to you has feelings for you
Please now view this clip from Scrubs to get the point I'm making:
Seriously, how delusional can you be?
I'm going to divert from the nice guys here and pick on Howard. Howard, before he got engaged to Bernadette, was the epitome of a deluded romantic who did everything wrong that a man can do to impress a girl. He fancied himself as some kind of smooth ladies' man, when in reality, he was a borderline stalker creep. Tune in at 1.48 on this next clip from season 3 episode 6: The Cornhusker Reaction:
A random runner just so happens to make eye contact with Howard and she's jogging by and smiles at him. Howard thinks it means something and chases afterward!
Now let me say right here that I truly believe that majority of the population of men on this planet are smarter than that; but the point I am trying to make here is that chance encounters that take only a few seconds to meet and fall in love are fantasy. The number of decent, friendly people in this world is diminishing every day, but there are people, both men and women, who, when they make accidental eye contact with a complete stranger, will offer a friendly smile so not to appear awkward or just try to make your day a little brighter. If a girl notices you and acknowledges you with any friendly gesture such as a smile or wave, don't start making wedding plans. She's just being friendly. Odds are you'll probably not come across that random lady again unless you go up and talk to her. If you do decide to try to talk without being a stalker, proceed with caution, as many joggers can sport pepper spray now, even if your intentions are pure.
For the more likely situation, see this clip from season 5 episode 1: The Skank Reflex Analysis:
Bernadette is just a nice person, and in my opinion, one of the most realistic characters out on the airwaves right now. She is particularly nice to Raj because she knows he's lonely and sensitive, and he spends the latter half of season 4 pining over her with disturbing poetry and Bollywood dance-filled fantasies. His feelings for her come out after his drunken night with Penny, and Bernadette's fury comes at Raj in full force. He says that she was "always so nice to him," and she retorts with "I'm nice to everybody!!!!" Guys, if you're lonely and you have the one gal pal who is always nice to you, keep in mind that she probably doesn't have feelings for you. Genuinely nice people are fewer these days, and if you're lucky enough to have a girl friend in your life who's willing to give you a woman's perspective and just be a friend when you need it, then why ruin that? If she becomes interested, it will happen naturally. Do not assume that it will happen!
Guys, please please please get it through your head that some girls are just plain nice without expecting to hook up with you at some point in the future! You are deluding yourself, and you can do the worst thing possible in the process: lose her friendship. If you make your feelings known to her with no expectations, and she turns you down, then man up and do the mature thing in moving on. You took your chance, and it didn't work. Is pushing your agenda worth losing her over? Men and women can still be friends if she doesn't want to go out with you!
Problem: you lie or omit pertinent information
I don't even need to refer to TBBT here, just watch 75% of every romance film out there: the liar always get their due, but almost always still winds up with the love interest (hence the reason why these romance stories are fiction). If you lie in this digital age, you could find your face smeared all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with a huge "do not date" caption. Don't believe me? Check out this tweet from Mrs. Doubtfire's Mara Wilson.
There are very rare times in life where lying is necessary, but even then it may still tarnish your reputation. So how does lying torch you when you've found someone? Here's a few examples, as all of the characters in this show do their own fair share of lying.
Season 3, episode 3: The Gothowitz Deviation. Howard and Raj wear fake tattoo sleeves and crash a goth club to pick up on goth chicks. By lying about their lifestyles, tattoos and being goths instead of nerds, they have to keep of the pretense of getting inked so that the remote odds of either Howard or Raj scoring stays in their favor.
Howard can't keep up the pretense when he hears that tattoo needle near his hiney and blurts the whole truth out, and both girls leave. Telling the truth is always noble, but it won't always save you when you fess up to your dishonesty.
Moving on to Leonard. Leonard in season 5 episode 7: The Good Guy Fluctuation, he meets Alice, and claims to be what most of you claim to be: a good guy. But he has his girlfriend Priya back in India, and he wants to be with Alice now that she's in his life. When he talks to Penny about his dilemma, he talks about how he wants both women despite his being a "good guy." In reality, he's trying to have his cake and eat it too. Guys, that never works. And here's what happens when Leonard tries it:
Alice thought he was a good guy too, but trying to pull a stunt like that didn't fly with her. She thought he was different. Guys, if you're that kind of "different," then show it and be it! If you are lucky enough to have a woman in your life and another wants you and you don't tell her about your girlfriend right away, then you are not a good guy. You're a wolf in sheep's clothing.
This next one is the most complicated lie that begins a domino effect: season 4 episode 6: The Irish Pub Formulation. Leonard broke a pact with Howard when he slept with Raj's sister, Priya. Sheldon finds out, and being one who doesn't like to lie or keep secrets, tries to pull another one of his "unravellable" lies to protect the parties involved. Watch what happens:
One lie gets exposed, leading all four guys to expose the lies of the other guys at the table. This is as close to the ideal situation of how lies can be forgiven without massive ramifications, but these guys are all friends. Lying to your guy friends is one thing; lying to any girl you want to impress is completely different. Your buddies are supposed to be there through thick and thin, and while you shouldn't lie to anyone, especially not these guys, they'll be more forgiving because that's what friends do. If you lie to try impressing women, they'll be far less gracious than your pals. Great relationships never start on the foundation of a lie.
Problem: you knowingly and willingly allow yourself to be taken advantage of
This particular problem ties in with most of the points I've already made. Let's face it: being alone sucks. The thing about being alone though is that it's almost always something you can do something about, whether reaching out to friends and/or family, posting on a social site, or going out to new venues and mixers to meet new friends.
The easier and far more degrading option is when someone is giving you attention because they want something from you, like money or material goods. Remember Christie?
Tune in at 2.42 of season 1 episode 7: The Dumpling Paradox. Christie, Penny's acquaintance from Nebraska, has no morals or standards, which makes her perfect for Howard. Penny, although she can't stand Howard during this phase in his life, still tries to stop him from falling under Christie's spell because she will only use him to get things. And Howard is okay with that!
If you're okay with this kind of situation, then please tell your family so they can form an intervention. No one deserves to be treated that way, regardless of whether or not they are aware that they are being used. Moving on to the next example from season 5 episode 4: The Wiggly Finger Catalyst:
Once again, Penny is trying to keep her guy friends from bad girls. Originally, she hooked Raj up with Emily due to his inability to talk to women and the fact that Emily is deaf so he wouldn't have to talk. After he pays off Emily's credit card bills and buys her a new car, Penny realizes what she's done and tries (unsuccessfully, due to Howard's wandering eye) to talk to Emily and get her to be more careful with Raj. Instead, Howard just signs to her "are you a gold digger or not?" and sends Emily into a rage. Penny then takes the next step of intervention and calls Raj's parents, who make him choose between love or money, and he chooses Emily, who promptly dumps him because he won't buy her anything else.
Seriously guys, just because Madonna glorified being a "Material Girl" doesn't mean it's a good thing. In fact, don't even take Madonna's advice on anything. Moving right along....Raj refuses to accept the truth that's staring him right in the face. The more he lavished on Emily, the happier she was, and the more ignorant he became. Don't ever let any woman do this to you. You deserve better than that! Do I REALLY need to include the following clip to show you how you'll wind up if you let a girl take advantage of you?
Do you really want this to be you?
The Final Word
You're still here? I told you I was gonna be blunt. Now I will apologize if I seemed harsh, but sometimes you need to be harsh to get a point across if you're not getting it from people who are trying to be nice. If you're really a nice guy, then be a nice guy. If you have to convince a girl that you're a nice guy, whether with actions or words, then you're not genuine. Real nice guys do things out of the goodness of their heart without asking for anything in return. And truth be told, we need more people like that; not just men.
So nice guys, I'm not going to give you some cliche that you're probably sick of hearing, I'm just going to say to please consider the girl and how she feels. Most of the mistakes listed above were when the guys did what they thought would work to get out of the friendzone and failed miserably. The real reason why "nice guys" don't finish first is because they don't consider the pressure they put the nice girls under. A real nice guy is the one who will not put a girl in any position that she does not want to be in. And if a girl is or has treated you that way in the past, then draw on that experience and think of the girl being in your place.
This last piece of my blog is for everyone: being a "nice" person all comes down to putting the other's feelings and needs before yours. Anything less than that, or doing anything for your own personal gain, immediately shoves you hard out of that "nice" label. We need more genuine nice guys and gals, people! It may mean we'll be single longer, but a change like this can make a big difference! Don't make the mistakes our favorite nerds did! They may be great for hi-jinks, but not in the real world!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
How To Survive College On Your Own in 10 Steps
Everyone is going to have a different college experience: some study until they have ulcers, some party hard and don't know where they are when they wake up, and some just easily cruise by without doing much. College is a time where most young adults get to experience the world for the very first time without their parents, but also get a slap in the face with reality when they run into things like tuition, parking, and loans.
My college years consisted of this: waking up at 3:00 AM to be at work by 3:45 AM (work was only 2 miles away). Worked till 8:00 AM, drove home, changed my clothes, grabbed my homework, got on my bike and rode to the campus (only 1 mile away). Depending on the day of the week, was in class till 3 or 4:00. After class, I biked home, grabbed dinner, checked email, did homework. At 6:30 PM, I was out the door and on my way to rehearsal for the latest play I was cast in because I was a theatre major. During times when I was not onstage I was doing more homework or studying for tests. By the time I got home, it was usually around 10:00 PM. I'd usually be in bed unless I still had homework to do.
So with a crazy schedule like that, I had to come up with some strategies to not only get everything done, but just plain survive. Every major will have different demands and requirements, so depending on what your field of study is, you'll need to adjust accordingly. However, there are certain tactics that do help, no matter what your major is. If you are a new student, take these tips to heart. They WILL help.
Lesson #1 I cannot emphasize this more: GET A DAY PLANNER.
A day planner will make your life so much simpler. It can be large, it can be pocket sized, it can be an app on your phone. I would suggest a notebook though because writing things in regards to typing often solidifies your notes much better. Don't use Google Calendar, as good as it is. That would be more suited for your breaks than school.
The reason why using a day planner does wonders is because you can keep track of your classes, study time, lab time, deadlines, holidays, work time, free time...keep track of it all. To some, this may seem like a no-brainer. To others, it's a concept that isn't often considered. Now, using one will probably make your life seem pretty full, but that's what college is all about: focus.
You make time for work, you make time for school, and you make time to do something outside of those two venues so you stay sane. When you can see that precious free time in your schedule, you can plan for something fun and/or spontaneous. But you need to know when and where you can take it. When you are able to organize your crazy schedule, it doesn't seem quite as crazy. It gives you an outline to follow so that you don't have to freak out over what comes next.
Lesson #2: Meal planning
Food is often another problem of students. Heard of the freshman 15? It's not a myth. However, it didn't happen to me (it happened after I got a full time job. Grrrr....) because I was physically active, and I planned for my meals. Without parents to cook for you, students have to resort to take out or making dinner. However, if you took a look at my schedule above, you'd wonder where anyone would have time to actually cook something. Well, I made it happen!
First, I had my schedule planned. Normally, I would have Saturdays and Sundays that I could make time to cook or put a meal together (Friday afternoons were sometimes an option too). What I would do is make a family sized recipe, such as low-calorie macaroni and cheese with ham, chicken and rice stir fry, deli sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, take-and-bake pizza...you get the idea. By making a family size for one person, you are set for at least 4-6 days. Most meals, if you use the right ingredients and pack them correctly, can last you up to 7 days without spoiling. If you pick healthier options, such as sandwiches with side salads, you can avoid the freshman 15. It saves you time, and it saves you cash.
Takeout every night can cost you more than $10 a day if you get a meal, drink, and leave a tip; and doing this 7 days a week can be well over $70 per week. Chicken noodle soup (if you're going homemade) can cost you only $20 for the ingredients if you shop at the right markets; and if you make a big enough pot's worth, you can have a 2 week's supply and put half in the freezer for the next week. Crock pot aka slow cookers can also get some really awesome stews going for you too! Granted, you may be sick of your meal after a few days, but you're saving a minimum of $50 there. Every buck counts in college.
Lesson #3: Napping
Never, ever underestimate the power of naps. You're probably going to be pulling all nighters downing gallons of coffee to finish that term paper or study for that mid-term. The fact is, you're going to lose sleep. But if you find out that one of your classes is cancelled and you need to catch up on that sleep, then do it!
Power naps of about 20-30 minutes even help. If you sleep over 2 hours, you'll usually wind up being drowsy for the rest of the day, so don't over-indulge. Trust me, if your brain doesn't function, you're only going to get frustrated, and it's difficult to concentrate when you're battling drowsiness and aggravation at the same time. Listen to your body, set an alarm, and take the nap when and where you need it.
Lesson #4: Parking and public transportation
If you are lucky enough, try to find a residence within 5 miles of the campus. College parking is a total ripoff. In California alone, a one day pass at a state university averages about $6. There are also never enough spaces unless you come extra early, and if you come too late you have to maneuver around the "no parking" streets until you find a space just barely able to hold you without hitting another vehicle or edging past the boundary line of a fire hydrant. The seasonal parking permits are also a ripoff. If you're commuting to get to school, then good for you, but always remember to come extra early to make sure you get a decent parking spot.
When living within a 5 mile radius of the campus, it's usually best to use public transportation. Most colleges, when you get the student ID and sticker/sleeve for the current semester, will offer you free usage of city and county buses; and if they are in your area, railways. You will still have to get up early and have to deal with the characters on the bus, but it saves cash and allows you a little extra time for sleep. There is also the physical option. I was lucky to live 1 mile from my college, so I could walk or ride my bike. I usually opted for the bike because it was quicker.
Bikes are very reliable and you can pretty much park them anywhere, plus you can usually ride them through the campus, and they save you on the gas from having to orbit the parking lot several times. Some colleges even have bike parking lots! Just make sure to invest in a decent lock, because some horrible people out there get a kick from stealing them. And, if you plan on riding your bike in the rain, make sure the bike has mudflaps and you have a slicker. It's pretty miserable to walk around on campus in wet jeans!
Lesson #5: Your Health
The movies will usually portray the college life with lots of parties with beer fountains and strangers making out (at the very least). Well, the people who indulge that stuff on a regular basis during the semester normally don't do well in college. It's a sad fact. Too much alcohol, drugs and partying can cause sleeping problems to start, then begin to take different physical affects based on your tolerance or lack thereof. It's best to avoid these things, especially when you're trying to focus. College is tough, and it only gets tougher if you throw substances into your body that won't do you any good except lose control. Hangovers and withdrawals can drain you both physically and mentally. And getting friendly with that cute guy or girl you just met? Give it some time. I kid you not when I tell you this: almost every case of mono happens in college. Know how I found that out? I got it that way.
In my defense, I got mono from my boyfriend, and he and I dated a while before we became serious. I had to visit the clinic on site to see what was wrong, and the doctor told me that most cases of mono happen for new college students. Which brings me to another topic: the clinic. In addition to mono, while I was in college, I also suffered from a pulled ligament, a double ear infection, bronchitis, and a relapse of asthma. Going to a private practice or local physician for these types of ailments and having to get medications afterward is detrimental to your wallet. Most students are aware of the on campus clinic, but many don't use it! Regular visits are usually for free, and if you need a prescription, the pharmacy usually provides them for a discounted price. If you're feeling sick, just check in at the clinic. That's what it's there for!
Lesson #6: Faking it
Before we continue: I only ever lied once to get out of a class workshop, but I never played hooky, and I only ever called in sick if I was too sick to ride the bus. It was very rare. This bullet is not about faking ailments to get out of class. This one is about BSing. When you're in college, you will need to adopt a lot of tactics to deal with your different professors. Not one of them teaches or grades the same way. You will need to focus on their styles, subjects that get repeated (that's a big sign that it'll wind up on an exam), and what resources your instructor tells you to use. One thing only ever seems to work with every professor: faking when you have to.
First off, never use Wikipedia unless a teacher tells you that they don't care if you do. Using it for references, however, is perfectly doable. Wikipedia always lists its references at the bottom of the page, and you can check those pages for the information you need. And never plagiarize. That's just tacky.
Another tactic that I developed came from an old Nickelodeon TV show called Roundhouse, a teen's sketch comedy show from the 90s. One particular sketch included a kid who is doing an ad for a book of made up words so long that "your teacher won't admit she doesn't know them." That book may not exist, but we do have access to the next best thing: the thesaurus! It's filled with plenty of multi-syllable words that have 12+ letters in them. The longer the word, the better. Just make sure that when you use them you space them out. Too many in one paragraph will totally expose you. If your paper is lacking, or you want to give it more pizzazz, just consult your friend the thesaurus. It will definitely help, and you'll probably get noted on creativity. I certainly got a few!
Lesson #7: Thrift and dollar stores
Odds are you're going to want a new wardrobe when you get into college, but clothes are so darn expensive these days! A good alternative is to find thrift stores in your area. Most of the time, these stores have the best prices around and clothes in all shapes and sizes. Some stores even hold great sales, making the already low prices cheaper! The downside is that if you find a cute outfit that isn't in your size, there probably isn't another in a different size. And never buy underwear from a thrift store, that's one amenity you should totally spend full price on!
Also make sure to locate any and all dollar stores in your area. Most people aren't aware of this, but dollar stores have the most basic items that most other stores overcharge you for. Items like dryer sheets, dish washing liquid, coffee filters, feather dusters, brooms, trash liners, and other such everyday items are there for a buck each! You can also purchase other cooking items like flour and sugar in small sizes if you're planning on baking in small portions.
Be also aware if the city you're in has any major factories, like Sara Lee or other baking companies. Sometimes they will have "baking thrift shops" where they will sell perfectly fine baked items that came out in the wrong amount, the wrong size, got squished, or other reason that wasn't unhygienic. You can save a ton of cash if one of these thrift stores are around.
Lesson #8: Roommates and living arrangements
There are 3 housing options for college: live with your parents, get into the dorms, or move in with someone. Dorm life is usually promoted as best, but that also adds to your tuition and makes it more expensive to live on campus. Granted, you can go home anytime, and don't have to worry about parking, but lack of privacy and, in some cases, space can be a pressure hazard when you're trying to study. You also have to move out immediately after finals, so you have to work out a schedule to study and pack.
Off campus housing can have the same problems, but you can often find better rental and utility rates when it's not part of the overcharging university system. Finding the right roommates is important too. Some campuses have off campus housing websites that you can use to find roommates or housing. Housing websites are also available, as well as Craigslist, but beware of scammers who try to guilt trip you into getting housing in two weeks while their "uncle" sends you a money order!
When you do find the optimal situation, make sure to take time to discuss with your roommate(s) how to contribute to the monthly utility bills, when rent is due, and who takes care of what chores. In my rooming experience, good roommates worked out a system where chores were divided evenly amongst everyone, and switched up every few months to make sure we didn't get bored doing the same ones over and over. Certain etiquette was enforced too, such as notifying the other roommate(s) if company was coming, what work hours would be if we had crazy early or late shifts, and if I had to ask another roommate to spot me on a utility bill because I was short.
Good repoir with your roommate(s) is essential to your mental and psychological health. If you have a bad relationship with anyone you're living with, do your best to make it work. Even if the problem is with the other roommate, keep trying. It doesn't always work out, but if you're making the effort, it's less of a burden on your shoulders.
Lesson #9: Scholarships and grants
This kind of story is rarely heard, which is why I'm telling it to you now: I made it through college on grants alone. I didn't do any loans, I didn't come from a rich family, and I didn't sell any internal organs. All I did was apply at FAFSA during tax season. I qualified for several thousand dollars worth of grants each year, and had enough cash left over for me after I graduated to use at a local junior college to take 2 classes that weren't offered at my university. Guys, if I can do it, SO CAN YOU!!!!!!
What was the trick besides filing every year? Keeping my grades up. All of the points I have made above kept my qualifications up to not only keep the cash in my pocket, but get me into several honors societies. It may seem like overachieving, but seriously guys, IT IS WORTH IT. So many students graduate owing tens of thousands of dollars after they toss that graduation cap into the air. I'm not one of those people! And you shouldn't be either!
If you don't qualify, talk to your department heads and school counselors. They are there to guide you in the right direction, so talk to them! If you don't qualify on FAFSA, they can tell you where else you can apply that is geared toward your field of study. Exercise every option you have available with student financial aid before taking out a loan. Loans are easy to get but difficult to get out of. Besides, you don't know if you'll find yourself homeless and couch hopping 2 years later and not be able to make your payments. Avoid that fate at all costs!
And finally, lesson #10: HAVE FUN!
As I've said before, the college experience is the first time a student is away from home. Instead of partying the whole time (a party here and there is fine, just don't overdo it), look into other social events! There are always clubs, communities and societies recruiting on the first week of school for new members. Go ahead and join one! Get involved with a multi-cultural group to learn more about your fellow students from other countries! Check out the movie nights! Support the arts and see a play on campus or visit a photography exhibit! Get involved in volunteer work!
There are so many options open to you, and the sky's the limit! Own your college experience and walk away with a diploma and a sense of accomplishment in everything that you did, regardless whether or not you have loans to pay off. Learn to be an individual and make the most of your time. This is the beginning of your life, so start it off right!
Good luck!
My college years consisted of this: waking up at 3:00 AM to be at work by 3:45 AM (work was only 2 miles away). Worked till 8:00 AM, drove home, changed my clothes, grabbed my homework, got on my bike and rode to the campus (only 1 mile away). Depending on the day of the week, was in class till 3 or 4:00. After class, I biked home, grabbed dinner, checked email, did homework. At 6:30 PM, I was out the door and on my way to rehearsal for the latest play I was cast in because I was a theatre major. During times when I was not onstage I was doing more homework or studying for tests. By the time I got home, it was usually around 10:00 PM. I'd usually be in bed unless I still had homework to do.
So with a crazy schedule like that, I had to come up with some strategies to not only get everything done, but just plain survive. Every major will have different demands and requirements, so depending on what your field of study is, you'll need to adjust accordingly. However, there are certain tactics that do help, no matter what your major is. If you are a new student, take these tips to heart. They WILL help.
Lesson #1 I cannot emphasize this more: GET A DAY PLANNER.
A day planner will make your life so much simpler. It can be large, it can be pocket sized, it can be an app on your phone. I would suggest a notebook though because writing things in regards to typing often solidifies your notes much better. Don't use Google Calendar, as good as it is. That would be more suited for your breaks than school.
The reason why using a day planner does wonders is because you can keep track of your classes, study time, lab time, deadlines, holidays, work time, free time...keep track of it all. To some, this may seem like a no-brainer. To others, it's a concept that isn't often considered. Now, using one will probably make your life seem pretty full, but that's what college is all about: focus.
You make time for work, you make time for school, and you make time to do something outside of those two venues so you stay sane. When you can see that precious free time in your schedule, you can plan for something fun and/or spontaneous. But you need to know when and where you can take it. When you are able to organize your crazy schedule, it doesn't seem quite as crazy. It gives you an outline to follow so that you don't have to freak out over what comes next.
Lesson #2: Meal planning
Food is often another problem of students. Heard of the freshman 15? It's not a myth. However, it didn't happen to me (it happened after I got a full time job. Grrrr....) because I was physically active, and I planned for my meals. Without parents to cook for you, students have to resort to take out or making dinner. However, if you took a look at my schedule above, you'd wonder where anyone would have time to actually cook something. Well, I made it happen!
First, I had my schedule planned. Normally, I would have Saturdays and Sundays that I could make time to cook or put a meal together (Friday afternoons were sometimes an option too). What I would do is make a family sized recipe, such as low-calorie macaroni and cheese with ham, chicken and rice stir fry, deli sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, take-and-bake pizza...you get the idea. By making a family size for one person, you are set for at least 4-6 days. Most meals, if you use the right ingredients and pack them correctly, can last you up to 7 days without spoiling. If you pick healthier options, such as sandwiches with side salads, you can avoid the freshman 15. It saves you time, and it saves you cash.
Takeout every night can cost you more than $10 a day if you get a meal, drink, and leave a tip; and doing this 7 days a week can be well over $70 per week. Chicken noodle soup (if you're going homemade) can cost you only $20 for the ingredients if you shop at the right markets; and if you make a big enough pot's worth, you can have a 2 week's supply and put half in the freezer for the next week. Crock pot aka slow cookers can also get some really awesome stews going for you too! Granted, you may be sick of your meal after a few days, but you're saving a minimum of $50 there. Every buck counts in college.
Lesson #3: Napping
Never, ever underestimate the power of naps. You're probably going to be pulling all nighters downing gallons of coffee to finish that term paper or study for that mid-term. The fact is, you're going to lose sleep. But if you find out that one of your classes is cancelled and you need to catch up on that sleep, then do it!
Power naps of about 20-30 minutes even help. If you sleep over 2 hours, you'll usually wind up being drowsy for the rest of the day, so don't over-indulge. Trust me, if your brain doesn't function, you're only going to get frustrated, and it's difficult to concentrate when you're battling drowsiness and aggravation at the same time. Listen to your body, set an alarm, and take the nap when and where you need it.
Lesson #4: Parking and public transportation
If you are lucky enough, try to find a residence within 5 miles of the campus. College parking is a total ripoff. In California alone, a one day pass at a state university averages about $6. There are also never enough spaces unless you come extra early, and if you come too late you have to maneuver around the "no parking" streets until you find a space just barely able to hold you without hitting another vehicle or edging past the boundary line of a fire hydrant. The seasonal parking permits are also a ripoff. If you're commuting to get to school, then good for you, but always remember to come extra early to make sure you get a decent parking spot.
When living within a 5 mile radius of the campus, it's usually best to use public transportation. Most colleges, when you get the student ID and sticker/sleeve for the current semester, will offer you free usage of city and county buses; and if they are in your area, railways. You will still have to get up early and have to deal with the characters on the bus, but it saves cash and allows you a little extra time for sleep. There is also the physical option. I was lucky to live 1 mile from my college, so I could walk or ride my bike. I usually opted for the bike because it was quicker.
Bikes are very reliable and you can pretty much park them anywhere, plus you can usually ride them through the campus, and they save you on the gas from having to orbit the parking lot several times. Some colleges even have bike parking lots! Just make sure to invest in a decent lock, because some horrible people out there get a kick from stealing them. And, if you plan on riding your bike in the rain, make sure the bike has mudflaps and you have a slicker. It's pretty miserable to walk around on campus in wet jeans!
Lesson #5: Your Health
The movies will usually portray the college life with lots of parties with beer fountains and strangers making out (at the very least). Well, the people who indulge that stuff on a regular basis during the semester normally don't do well in college. It's a sad fact. Too much alcohol, drugs and partying can cause sleeping problems to start, then begin to take different physical affects based on your tolerance or lack thereof. It's best to avoid these things, especially when you're trying to focus. College is tough, and it only gets tougher if you throw substances into your body that won't do you any good except lose control. Hangovers and withdrawals can drain you both physically and mentally. And getting friendly with that cute guy or girl you just met? Give it some time. I kid you not when I tell you this: almost every case of mono happens in college. Know how I found that out? I got it that way.
In my defense, I got mono from my boyfriend, and he and I dated a while before we became serious. I had to visit the clinic on site to see what was wrong, and the doctor told me that most cases of mono happen for new college students. Which brings me to another topic: the clinic. In addition to mono, while I was in college, I also suffered from a pulled ligament, a double ear infection, bronchitis, and a relapse of asthma. Going to a private practice or local physician for these types of ailments and having to get medications afterward is detrimental to your wallet. Most students are aware of the on campus clinic, but many don't use it! Regular visits are usually for free, and if you need a prescription, the pharmacy usually provides them for a discounted price. If you're feeling sick, just check in at the clinic. That's what it's there for!
Lesson #6: Faking it
Before we continue: I only ever lied once to get out of a class workshop, but I never played hooky, and I only ever called in sick if I was too sick to ride the bus. It was very rare. This bullet is not about faking ailments to get out of class. This one is about BSing. When you're in college, you will need to adopt a lot of tactics to deal with your different professors. Not one of them teaches or grades the same way. You will need to focus on their styles, subjects that get repeated (that's a big sign that it'll wind up on an exam), and what resources your instructor tells you to use. One thing only ever seems to work with every professor: faking when you have to.
First off, never use Wikipedia unless a teacher tells you that they don't care if you do. Using it for references, however, is perfectly doable. Wikipedia always lists its references at the bottom of the page, and you can check those pages for the information you need. And never plagiarize. That's just tacky.
Another tactic that I developed came from an old Nickelodeon TV show called Roundhouse, a teen's sketch comedy show from the 90s. One particular sketch included a kid who is doing an ad for a book of made up words so long that "your teacher won't admit she doesn't know them." That book may not exist, but we do have access to the next best thing: the thesaurus! It's filled with plenty of multi-syllable words that have 12+ letters in them. The longer the word, the better. Just make sure that when you use them you space them out. Too many in one paragraph will totally expose you. If your paper is lacking, or you want to give it more pizzazz, just consult your friend the thesaurus. It will definitely help, and you'll probably get noted on creativity. I certainly got a few!
Lesson #7: Thrift and dollar stores
Odds are you're going to want a new wardrobe when you get into college, but clothes are so darn expensive these days! A good alternative is to find thrift stores in your area. Most of the time, these stores have the best prices around and clothes in all shapes and sizes. Some stores even hold great sales, making the already low prices cheaper! The downside is that if you find a cute outfit that isn't in your size, there probably isn't another in a different size. And never buy underwear from a thrift store, that's one amenity you should totally spend full price on!
Also make sure to locate any and all dollar stores in your area. Most people aren't aware of this, but dollar stores have the most basic items that most other stores overcharge you for. Items like dryer sheets, dish washing liquid, coffee filters, feather dusters, brooms, trash liners, and other such everyday items are there for a buck each! You can also purchase other cooking items like flour and sugar in small sizes if you're planning on baking in small portions.
Be also aware if the city you're in has any major factories, like Sara Lee or other baking companies. Sometimes they will have "baking thrift shops" where they will sell perfectly fine baked items that came out in the wrong amount, the wrong size, got squished, or other reason that wasn't unhygienic. You can save a ton of cash if one of these thrift stores are around.
Lesson #8: Roommates and living arrangements
There are 3 housing options for college: live with your parents, get into the dorms, or move in with someone. Dorm life is usually promoted as best, but that also adds to your tuition and makes it more expensive to live on campus. Granted, you can go home anytime, and don't have to worry about parking, but lack of privacy and, in some cases, space can be a pressure hazard when you're trying to study. You also have to move out immediately after finals, so you have to work out a schedule to study and pack.
Off campus housing can have the same problems, but you can often find better rental and utility rates when it's not part of the overcharging university system. Finding the right roommates is important too. Some campuses have off campus housing websites that you can use to find roommates or housing. Housing websites are also available, as well as Craigslist, but beware of scammers who try to guilt trip you into getting housing in two weeks while their "uncle" sends you a money order!
When you do find the optimal situation, make sure to take time to discuss with your roommate(s) how to contribute to the monthly utility bills, when rent is due, and who takes care of what chores. In my rooming experience, good roommates worked out a system where chores were divided evenly amongst everyone, and switched up every few months to make sure we didn't get bored doing the same ones over and over. Certain etiquette was enforced too, such as notifying the other roommate(s) if company was coming, what work hours would be if we had crazy early or late shifts, and if I had to ask another roommate to spot me on a utility bill because I was short.
Good repoir with your roommate(s) is essential to your mental and psychological health. If you have a bad relationship with anyone you're living with, do your best to make it work. Even if the problem is with the other roommate, keep trying. It doesn't always work out, but if you're making the effort, it's less of a burden on your shoulders.
Lesson #9: Scholarships and grants
This kind of story is rarely heard, which is why I'm telling it to you now: I made it through college on grants alone. I didn't do any loans, I didn't come from a rich family, and I didn't sell any internal organs. All I did was apply at FAFSA during tax season. I qualified for several thousand dollars worth of grants each year, and had enough cash left over for me after I graduated to use at a local junior college to take 2 classes that weren't offered at my university. Guys, if I can do it, SO CAN YOU!!!!!!
What was the trick besides filing every year? Keeping my grades up. All of the points I have made above kept my qualifications up to not only keep the cash in my pocket, but get me into several honors societies. It may seem like overachieving, but seriously guys, IT IS WORTH IT. So many students graduate owing tens of thousands of dollars after they toss that graduation cap into the air. I'm not one of those people! And you shouldn't be either!
If you don't qualify, talk to your department heads and school counselors. They are there to guide you in the right direction, so talk to them! If you don't qualify on FAFSA, they can tell you where else you can apply that is geared toward your field of study. Exercise every option you have available with student financial aid before taking out a loan. Loans are easy to get but difficult to get out of. Besides, you don't know if you'll find yourself homeless and couch hopping 2 years later and not be able to make your payments. Avoid that fate at all costs!
And finally, lesson #10: HAVE FUN!
As I've said before, the college experience is the first time a student is away from home. Instead of partying the whole time (a party here and there is fine, just don't overdo it), look into other social events! There are always clubs, communities and societies recruiting on the first week of school for new members. Go ahead and join one! Get involved with a multi-cultural group to learn more about your fellow students from other countries! Check out the movie nights! Support the arts and see a play on campus or visit a photography exhibit! Get involved in volunteer work!
There are so many options open to you, and the sky's the limit! Own your college experience and walk away with a diploma and a sense of accomplishment in everything that you did, regardless whether or not you have loans to pay off. Learn to be an individual and make the most of your time. This is the beginning of your life, so start it off right!
Good luck!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
A Free to Play Player's Guide to Middle Earth
I am one of the low in number women out there who enjoys online gaming. Due to my current financial state, and the fact that I don't always know when I will have free time, I play Lord of the Rings Online. The game is free to play, although you are only allowed access to 4 areas of the game before you have to pay with Turbine Points to access other areas. This blog is going to focus on the fastest and easiest ways to earn Turbine Points, and what to expect if you're a new player.
Having played this game for over 3 years now, I have unlocked most of the game with the Turbine Points, or TPs, as they are called by the players. To earn these points, you have 2 options: you can either go online or to your local gaming store and purchase them in bundles from 500-2000 points, or you can take the slower way and earn them yourself. I did the latter and have unlocked almost every available area, plus a few other bonuses on the side. What I have done to do this takes a lot of time, but I found several ways to earn points that will not take as much time.
The way that points are earned is by deeds. 98% of these deeds immediately pop up to you once they are available. The other 2% are hidden so that you don't earn them unless you find them, such as hidden dungeons or falling down a great big well in Moria (yes, you earn points for that, even though you usually die in the process). The deeds that you can earn are primarily in these categories:
Quests - by completing a certain amount of quests, you are awarded a minimum of 5 TPs. These quest deeds are done in introduction, advanced, and final. Each completion provides and extra 5-10 TPs for which level you finish.
Kills - the amount of mobs you kill. For example, if you kill 30 orcs, you earn 5 TPs. After that deed is completed, you then are given the option to kill double that amounts for 10 TPs. Every area, depending on the level, will have varying numbers that you will have to kill. Depending on which race you select to play, each one will have you as the "enmity of" a certain mob, such as they orcs. By slaying a larger number of these mobs, you will not only earn more TPs, but you also unlock specific racial traits that boost your character. There are also deeds for slaying mob bosses.
Areas - each region of Middle Earth has specific areas you can find. Some of them follow the Fellowship from the books, some are battlefields, some are mob bases, some are places in the wild, and many are ruins. There are other types of areas to locate, but most fall under those categories. All you need to do is find every area in your deed log and you earn 5-10 TPs. Some of these areas, however, will not show up as an attainable deed unless you find it first. In the area of Enedwaith, there is a hidden fishing hole (which also has 2 lootable items there, so checking every few minutes gets you at least a good handful of change and maybe some good crafting items too). When you find it, your deed log automatically pops up, telling you that it has been completed and you have earned 5 TPs. Unless you look it up on the main site, you would not know about this deed.
Specific Items and Drops - in certain areas, usually in dungeons and other fellowship/group instances, the mobs will drop items like old weapons, plans of war, pages of old books and other unique items. When you collect all, you will earn TPs. There are others, like finding objects in specific areas. For example, in the Old Forest, there are 8 flowers that you can locate. By using each flower that you find, you complete the deed and are then automatically awarded the points. These types of deeds are most prevalent in the fellowship instances. The other item drops are items that, when used, earn you anywhere from 30-700 rep points with that faction. You can also craft reputation items, but each craft only benefits one faction.
Reputation - your reputation with the Free Peoples of Middle Earth is one of the best ways to earn TPs. With most peoples, you start at a neutral reputation. As you complete quests for these factions, or locate items that give you rep with that specific group of people, you earn TPs. When neutral changes to acquaintance, you earn 5 TPs. When acquaintance changes to friend, you earn 10. When friend changes to ally, you earn 15. And finally, when you reach the final stage of kindred, you earn 20 TPs. This particular deed, however, does also offer better deeds in the process. If you are able to reach the kindred status of every faction in Eriador, you wind up earning 50 TPs. This is the highest attainable amount of TPs that can be earned, and can usually only be completed after level 65.
Tasks - certain drops from mobs, such as weapons or animal furs, can earn you both reputation and deeds. By turning in 10 of an item, like a broken dagger, you earn 300 reputation with the faction in that area (warning: not all task boards offer rep). You are limited to 5 tasks a day, but every time you reach another 100, you earn 5 TPs, plus an additional task slot. You can have up to 15 task slots. However, if you level up too fast in the area you are in, the tasks will no longer be available, as they are only open to a certain level span.
The Epic Storyline - the storyline is, in my opinion, the most unique part of the game. It shows players what has been going on since the Fellowship left with the ring, and what you can do to protect Middle Earth, as well as interacting with the Fellowship at certain points. The epic storyline is currently divided into 3 volumes, each containing many book quests. When you finish half of each volume, you earn a minimum of 10 TPs. The storylines, though they take a while to complete, do keep you engrossed the entire time.
So those are the primary ways to complete deeds and earn TPs. Now, how to complete enough to make the game workable?
Believe it or not, the fastest way to earn a buttload of TPs is within the first 20 levels. When starting a new character, you are instantly thrown into the middle of the epic storyline. Once you complete that first part, your character starts out in either Bree-land, Ered Luin, or the Shire. If you choose the race of men, starting out in Bree-land will not do you much good, and I'll get to that reason in a minute.
The best area to start your character out at is Ered Luin. The reason for this is the fact that both elves and dwarves have quests in this area. Since there are two races, there are double the race deeds available. If you use the deed accelerator that you get at level 14 in the right area, you can easily complete all the slayer deeds and earn over 100 TPs in 3-4 hours. What also makes it so convenient is the fact that, despite there being two separate starting points, it is a small area. With the different regions closer together, you do not have to worry about trips that are too long to get from one quest to another. You don't even have to specifically be an elf or dwarf to start there. If you choose to be a man/woman or hobbit, you can complete the intro story and then zip over to Bree or Michel Delving and ride a horse that will take you instantly to either Thorin's Hall or Celondim.
If you choose to play your character in the Shire or Bree-land, that is your choice. However, both of these lands are enormous, and it makes covering territory a longer process, especially if you use your rental mount right away. There is also the fact the Bree-land isn't like Ered Luin or the Shire, in which both areas are for levels 1-15. Bree-land is for levels 1-22. At level 15 for Ered Luin and the Shire, you then transfer to Bree-land where you can start the quest deeds and earn more TPs. By starting in Bree-land, you knock out the quest deeds right away, thereby robbing you of over 100 TPs that you could have earned. Ultimately, it's your choice, as the epic storyline for the race of men is particularly fun, and the quests they have there are fun and pretty intense (LOTS of spiders!). But if you're out to harvest TPs, do not start in Bree-land.
Here is a more thorough synopsis of the free areas:
Ered Luin - area furthest west in Middle Earth, for levels 1-15; starting points for elves at Celondim and dwarves at Thorin's Hall. This area has more location deeds to compensate for having 2 races start here. There is also the Sarnur dungeon for minimum level 45 to return to for rep with Thorin's Hall. There are no reputation item drops outside of Sarnur, and there is only one task board, which is located at Gondamon and provides rep for Thorin's Hall. The dwarf quests will earn you rep with Thorin's Hall, but the elf quests will not earn rep with anyone. Being a smaller area, all of the quests and deeds in this area can be completed within 3-5 hours if you have that amount of free time and use the 24 hour rental steed.
The Shire - east of Ered Luin, west of Bree-land, for levels 5-15, starting point for hobbits. This area covers a lot of ground, and if you complete all the quests, you will be well past level 15 when you finally have to transfer to Bree-land. There are no rep item drops, but you can earn gift mathoms by completing certain quests which will earn you rep with the Mathom Society . There is only one task board located in Hobbiton, and this area is usually a hub of holiday activity when there are festivals going on. If you are out to earn rep right away, the Shire also offers quests that earn rep with the Mathom Society. After completing every quest, you are usually a high ranking acquaintance or friend by the time you go to Bree-land. There is also an unconfirmed rumor that the daily Hobbit presents that you get once a day tend to be better if you finish every Shire quest.
Bree-land - east of the Shire, for levels 1-22, starting point for men and women. The eastern portion of this area is for levels 1-15, while the rest of the area is for levels 16-22. This area provides the dungeons of the Great Barrows. There is one task board in Bree-town, which earns you rep with the Men of Bree. There are rep item drops for both the Men of Bree and Mathom Society, but they are only found in tombs in the Barrow-Downs. In a small area near the Henstader Farm, there are a few quests that earn rep with Thorin's Hall. The northern and southern portions of the Barrow Downs, as well as the Old Forest, are specific regions of Bree-land that hold their own extra deeds, but are rather difficult to do solo. It is usually more logical to start your character off in Ered Luin or the Shire in order to gain more TPs with deeds, as the deeds in this area know no levels. There is also the area of Ost Alagos, which is for a minimum level of 55 and is a little too close to the level 15 area. Be careful venturing too far east!
Lone Lands - east of Bree-land, for levels 22-30, and includes the Garth Agarwen dungeons and the Inn at the Forsaken Instance (which is not free, you need to unlock it). This area provides reputation for the Eglain and Thorin's Hall. There are no item drops in this area (with the exception of mathoms in the Garth Agarwen dungeons), but there are 2 task boards, and there is a reward vendor in Ost Guruth that will offer you crafting quests which will award you with 700 rep points for every crafted item you turn in. Reaching kindred status with the Eglain provides you with an instant guide to Ost Guruth for you to transport to that location. This guide will come in handy if you are not an elf, warden or a hunter (more info on this towards the bottom).
After completing the Lone Lands quests, you will need to start unlocking the other areas of the game to upgrade your character. Your choice of area should be one that will better advance your character in both experience and reputation.
Here is a list of areas that you will need to unlock:
Eriador
North Downs - north of Bree-land, offers quests for levels 20-35, and includes the Fornost dungeons for levels 41+. This area provides reputation for the Men of Bree, Thorin's Hall and the Rangers of Esteldin. There are 4 task boards, and only 2 of them offer rep and each one has rep for a different faction. However, the quests and task boards alone for the Rangers will not earn you enough rep to become kindred. Reputation items are found in the battleground of Dol Dinen or in the minimum level 40 region Angmar to the North, but you will need a fellowship to survive either one. Fornost also offers plenty of rep with the Rangers, but only one level of the dungeon comes with the quest pack, and you will need to unlock the other levels individually. There is also the Stoneheight dungeon, but that is only accessible through the level 65 "In Their Absence" storyline.
Evendim - north of the Shire, offers quests for levels 30-40, and includes the Tomb of Elendil and Anuminas dungeons. This area provides reputation for the Mathom Society and the Wardens of Anuminas. The Mathom society has both quests and rep item drops in this area, but their drops can also be found throughout most of Eriador. There are 3 task boards, but only 2 provide rep, and each one of those is for a different faction. The Wardens of Anuminas are probably the easiest to become kindred with due to the prevalent item drops in this area. It is common to become kindred with them before reaching level 38. The downside is the giant Lake Nenuial that takes forever to swim if you're not a paying VIP who gets swift travel for free, hence this area's nickname of "Everswim." There is also the level 65 dungeon of the Northcotton Farm, which begins the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Trollshaws - east of the Lone-Lands, offers quests for levels 30-45 with no major dungeons, but almost half the area has only elite mobs. This area provides reputation for Thorin's Hall and the Elves of Rivendell, has rep drop items for the Mathom Society and the Elves of Rivendell, and there are 3 task boards. Like the Rangers of Esteldin, the quests alone are not enough to earn kindred reputation and you will need to rely on the item drops for rep. Only 2 types of mobs offer the drops in the area, and this area has relatively fewer quests than other areas. There is only the one dungeon of the Lost Temple, but it can only be accessed through the "In Their Absence" storyline. Since there aren't any open dungeons, there are many areas with mobs that are all elite bosses which you cannot complete on your own. Also, the trip to Rivendell is a major pain in the behind to find. There is a way to get there without the trip by speaking with Gandalf in the Prancing Pony back in Bree-land after you complete the skirmish training. He will automatically transport you there when you accept his quest to learn about the Erebor skirmishes (which you will need to unlock separately).
Misty Mountains - north of the Trollshaws, offers quests for levels 38-50, and includes the 12-person Helegrod dungeons and Goblin-Town. This area provides quest and task reputation for Thorin's Hall, but the rep drops found in Goblin-Town and outside Helegrod provide rep for Rivendell. There are two tasks boards, and while you can earn the rep for Thorin's Hall here, a better area would be Sarnur, mentioned in the blurb about Ered Luin. There is also only one area you can travel to if you're a VIP. Travel time takes long, and there are lots of mobs in the way; not the least of which is the semi-rare elite master dragon, Kindle-maw, who tends to pop up at inopportune times right in the one path that will take you from the western area to the eastern and bake you if you get too close. There are also only a little over 70 quests available in the pack.
Eregion - south of the Trollshaws, offers quests for levels 45-50, and includes the Tham Mirdain dungeons, plus the Walls of Moria instance to start volume 2 of the epic storyline. This area offers no rep for any faction in the quests, tasks or drops (except maybe a mathom here and there), although there are 3 task boards. The only way to earn rep is by completing the slayer and area deeds, which will earn you 700 rep with Rivendell each time you complete one. Tham Mirdain has fun dungeons, and those deeds will earn you Rivendell rep as well. The main bonus to this area is with the crafting materials. If your crafting options including farming, prospecting or woodworking, you will find tons of those materials around here, plus plenty of animals to get hides from if you are into leather working.
Forochel - north of Evendim, offers quests for levels 44-50 with no major dungeons, but several public battlegrounds. This area provides reputation for the Lossoth of Forochel and Thorin's Hall. However, when you start with the Lossoth, instead of starting at neutral standing with them as you start with everyone else, you start as an outsider and have to work your way to neutral before earning TPs as an acquaintance. The rep items for the Lossoth are prevalent in the mobs, but the Thorin's Hall quests and rep items are solely in the Zigilgund cave. The downside in this area is, again, a giant lake. Unlike Lake Nenuial in Evendim, the Bay of Forochel will freeze your tush off if you try to swim it and will eventually kill you if you don't get out. Travel works out better for VIPs due to the size of this area. There is also the closed, hidden dungeon of Sari-Surma for players doing the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Angmar - north of the North Downs, offers quests for levels 40-52 with a ton of dungeons; the Carn Dum dungeons are the most popular. This enormous area provides reputation for the Council of the North and the Eldgang. There are also rep drops for the the Rangers of Esteldin and the Mathom Society. This area is filled with over 200 quests, both individual and dungeon. Like the Trollshaws, there are also many areas that are filled with elite mobs that you cannot complete on your own. This area also has 4 different task boards for your to turn in your daily tasks. One of the perks to this area is if you find yourself in the level 50-52 zone near the Circle of Despair, there is the possibility that you can loot a legendary weapon that you can stash before completing the quest that teaches you how to equip and use them. Even if the item isn't usable by your class, you can deconstruct it for the relics to add to your own weapon. The Eldgang are furthest east and there is no way you can make it to their camp on your own unless someone summons you or you can sneak in with your stealth skill. All the quests there match you with elite masters, so you will need a fellowship to earn anything in that area.
Enedwaith - south of Eregion, for levels 65-70, with the 12-player Ost Dunhoth raid. This area provides quest rep only for the Grey Company and Algraig. Since there are no rep item drops or task boards in this area, you need to complete every quest to get yourself to at least ally status. There are, however, several repeatable quests that will provide a decent amount of reputation, but you can only do them once every 6 or so hours. When kindred with Algraig, you can purchase a guide to Lhanuch, which will prove useful. There are also several hidden deeds and quests in this area that can be a little tricky to find. Ost Dunhoth is an open dungeon, but is also the final chapter for the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Dunland - south of Enedwaith, for levels 65-70, also includes Isengard and the Gap of Rohan. The dungeons in this area are completely separate from the quest pack. This area provides reputation for the Men of Dunland and Theodred's Riders. Like Enedwaith, there are no rep item drops, but there are some task boards and repeatable quests. The downside to the task boards is that, if you follow volume 2 of the epic storyline, you may be well past the maximum level for the task boards by the time you get here and you won't be able to turn in anything. Dunland is unlike the other areas in Eriador, where there are different areas that offer only 1 level of quest deeds to complete; however, if you complete them in every area of Dunland, you earn 10 TPs. This area is also unique, as some of the quests offer multiple outcomes based on a choice you have make, or by the number of quests you completed in that specific region. Guides to the main city of Galtrev are purchasable by players who make kindred status with the Men of Dunland.
Rhovanion
Moria - east of Eregion, offers quests for levels 50-60, which has many dungeons, although only the Grand Stair and Filikul are included in the main quest pack. The other dungeons, which also include a ton of deeds and awesome rewards, are completely separate; but when purchased, will throw in the 2 advanced classes of Rune Keeper and Warden (which is cheaper than getting each separately), plus two additional character slots per server. The factions to gain rep with are the Iron Garrison Minors and Iron Garrison Guards, and there are drops everywhere. You can become kindred to both these factions as easily as the Wardens of Anuminas. Moria, as mentioned above with Dunland, has several different areas that only offer 1 level of quests deeds per area. There are also many hidden quests, shortcuts, and a buttload of deeds you can complete. There are task boards in every major region, although once you reach level 61 you can no longer turn in deeds. You cannot use horses or ponies as mounts, so you will need to get a goat from Thorin's Hall, which you can only buy if you are kindred with them. Some of the holiday festivals offer goats as steeds in exchange for festival tokens, but they usually require a high number of these tokens. In addition, this area is full of mazes, deep crevices that will kill you, and very dark nooks that you can get trapped in. Too much time spent in Moria can take its toll on you, but the titles you earn in there are way cool, and if you earn enough Moria tokens to purchase them, you can get armor that will last you through to Dunland.
Lothlorien - east of Moria, for levels 60-65, with only 3 dungeons that will earn you rep, but they are located in Moria; even if you have unlocked Moria, these Lothlorien dungeons will only be open to you if you have unlocked the area itself. This area provides rep for the Iron Garrison Guards and Miners, and the Galadhrim. There are only rep drops for the Iron Garrisons, and no task boards. Like Enedwaith, there are repeatable quests, only there is a wider variety and more in number in Lothlorien. The main city of Caras Galadham is only accessible if you reach friend standing with the Galadhrim. This area offers a low number of quests, requiring you to take on the repeatable quests and/or dungeons to reach kindred status.
Mirkwood - east of Lothlorien, for levels 60-65, with the Dol Guldar dungeons. This area provides rep for the Elves of Mirkwood. There are no item drops and no task boards, but like Angmar, this area is enormous. Travelling, however, is much easier, as there are many sites you can travel to without having to be a VIP. This area does offer a few repeatable quests, but if you manage to complete every quest in this area, you should be able to reach kindred status; the downside is that there are so many quests here that it's rather time consuming. The Dol Guldar dungeons are best to do in the epilogue of volume 2 of the epic storyline, as they will provide you with not only deeds, but a large number of skirmish marks that you can trade in for great armor.
The Great River - south of Lothlorien, for levels 70-75, with the Limlight Gorge battle ground. This area provides rep for the Riders of Stangard and the Heroes of Limlight Gorge. This is another location that has several areas that only offer 1 level of quests deeds per area, but when every area is completed, you earn more TPs. There are no item drops, but there are 5 task boards that cut off at level 80. You earn rep with the Riders of Stangard by completing deeds as well, and it is very easy to become kindred in this area. The Heroes of Limlight Gorge take place in an extremely difficult area like eastern Angmar's Eldgang region, but if you can get a fellowship together, it provides a lot of deeds and separate rep for the Heroes. However, while the Heroes do offer repeatable quests, you cannot do them on your own, and the rep you are earning will probably take time. A plus in the area is that when you become kindred with Stangard, you can purchase a guide for this city and add it as a transport area, saving time and cash in travelling.
Eastern Rohan - south of the Great River, for levels 75-85, with the following areas: the Wold, East Wall, Norcrofts, Sutcrofts, Entwash Vale and the Eaves of Fangorn. Each area has different cities and encampments that will earn you TPs if you complete all the quests for that location; each area is also its own faction for rep. The basic quest pack will offer enough quests for you to reach at least friend status with each faction; the expansion pack, which also includes dungeons, includes extra quests that will eventually open up opportunities to become kindred to each faction. There is also the city of Hytbold that you can rebuild by doing repeatable quests in each of the aforementioned areas, but you are limited to 5 per day, and they alternate between 11-13 different quests in each area; whichever area do complete these quests in will provide you with a minimum of 1000 rep points for the faction in that area. There are no rep item drops in Rohan, but there are many task boards that stay open to you until level 85. You also are required to earn the mounted combat steed in this area, which is getting mixed reviews on its quality. If you opt for combat on foot, you will not earn as much experience as you will while mounted on your war steed. Finally, there are also bosses that patrol certain areas that you can earn a bounty on if you cross their path. Not all of these bosses can be slain solo, but the rewards are excellent.
Wildermore - west of the Wold area of Rohan, for level 85, with no major dungeons but the arch-nemesis frost giant Nurzum patrolling the area. This area provides rep for the People of Wildermore and the Survivors of Wildermore. There are no item drops in this area; only task boards are available. The geography of this particular area is rather harsh and difficult to maneuver around mobs without them attacking you. What makes this particular area unique is that every quests follows Nurzum's story line. After every quest is completed, other repeatable and alternating quests open up for the Survivors of Wildermore rep. Some of these require raids and take a long time to complete.
Western Rohan - self explanatory location for levels 85-95. This area went live on 11/18/13, and all the information on this area is available on the website. I will most likely not be able to play this for a while, but I can definitely earn the 4300 TPs to get it!
Getting Started
When first starting the game, you have the choice of the four races already mentioned, and 7 classes. There are 9 classes altogether, but the rune keeper and warden are not included in the free to play package. See the Moria blurb for details. Some of the classes are limited to which race can play them, such as burglars only playable by men and hobbits, and rune keepers playable by elves and dwarves.
Each race has its pros and cons, but I prefer the elves, unless you choose the hunter or warden class. Wardens are an advanced level class, and hunters are basic and not that impressive. However, both have the ability to transport to the major cities or encampments in Middle-Earth, which saves time and coins. If you opt to go with another class, elves provide a bonus: the ability to transport to Rivendell.
Each race is the enmity of a certain mob. For example, the men and women of Middle Earth are enmities of wargs. If you complete the second tier of slaying wargs, men and women will automatically gain a transport ability to Bree-land. The same goes for hobbits and dwarves; when they complete the second tier of their enmity deeds, they automatically gain transport abilities to Michel Delving and Thorin's Hall. However, these three towns are all in the western region of Eriador, and each town has a travel destination that will take you instantly to those other towns. When elves complete the second tier of orc slaying and earn the Rivendell transport, they have better access to the eastern regions of Eriador. If you choose not to play an elf, hunter or warden, focus instead on reputation with the Eglain to get the transport to Ost Guruth. It will still save travel time.
Now if you choose to start a character in Ered Luin or the Shire for the extra TPs, you will accumulate a large amount before reaching the Lone Lands. At that point, you can start planning for other areas of Middle Earth to unlock. What I would suggest doing first is purchasing the riding ability and unlocking the bank. When you first start out, you are given a rental horse that only lasts 24 hours, but riding a horse or goat gives you a +62 or +68 speed and cuts travel time in half. The basic riding ability only costs 90 TPs, and you can either buy a mount or earn one with festival tokens. Then, unlocking the bank is a prudent idea. Without unlocking the bank, your coins are limited to accessing a maximum of 2 gold pieces. For the first 30 levels, it's not that big of a deal, but once you level above 30, you will need to use more coins for better items. Unlocking the bank does not take very many TPs and is definitely worth doing.
Choosing Your Class
Like every MMO, LOTRO has different variations of popular classes, so if you're a complete newbie to the online gaming experience, you should be careful with which class to start with first. If you're planning on having multiple characters, start out with an easier class so you can get used to handling them.
Champion - this all-offense tank is one of the most basic classes. Champions have the ability to dual-wield or use a two-handed weapon. They may be basic, but pack a lot of punch when it comes to tanking in raids. Playable by dwarves, elves, and men.
Similar to: warrior class
Guardian - another tank with strong defensive capabilities. This class is also pretty basic in terms of playing, but guardians can take a lot of damage. They have use of heavy shields and one handed weapons, or two handed weapons. Every race can play this class.
Similar to: knight class
Captain - a moderate experience jack of all trades. The captain can be a tank, DPS, or healer. They also have a soldier-at-arms that assists them in battle with both combat and performance enhancing abilities, and can make another player a "shield brother/sister" to share their defenses with. They can use two handed weapons (halberds are the best), shields and one handed weapons, or dual wield, and have the ability to revive fallen comrades both in and outside of battle. Only playable by men.
Similar to: warlord class
Hunter - another basic class that is perfect for new players. Hunters dual wield and can use bows or crossbows. Unfortunately, the melee combat lacks and they can be easily defeated. They do, however, have the transport ability which can easily spoil you when it comes to quick trips across the map. Playable by every race.
Similar to: ranger class
Minstrel - the healer class. After the "Riders of Rohan" reboot, minstrels became powerhouses. They can heal, battle, or do both at once with a little less effect. Minstrels can deal a ton of damage but do generate a lot of threat, causing them to be attacked more often, particularly in raids. They can use a variety of instruments and battle with shields and a few types of one-handed weapons. Playable by every race.
Similar to: monk and bard classes
Lore Masters - one of the more advanced classes, lore masters are more DPS oriented and have the ability to summon animals and use them in battle. Their defense kind of sucks, which is probably why they have the animals to assist them. However, once they get past level 50, their abilities become much more powerful and they become forces to be reckoned with. They hone the powers of nature and the elements in power play, and in melee use a quarter staff, although you can dual-wield with a sword after level 50 if you unlock the trait slot. They can also provide minor healing powers at the expense of their own health. Playable by men and elves only.
Similar to: druid class
Burglars - another advanced class that focuses on stealth attacks and dealing additional damage in the forms of tricks and gambles. Their reliance on stealth cuts into their defense, and there are many times in questing that a burglar will need assistance from another player, as they can only attack one mob at a time. Their tricks are fun, but they often need lots of healing potions to survive more brutal battles. They are dual wielding fighters, and if you chose the weapon crafting trade, you can make throwing axes and caltrops to use against your enemies to debuff them. Playable by men and hobbits only.
Similar to: rogue class
Rune Keepers - not included in basic game and needs to be purchased separately or with the Moria expansion pack. Rune Keepers only use rune-stones to deal damage in the form of ice, fire, and lightning. They are primarily healers, but like the minstrels, are also powerhouses when it comes to damage. However, when doing raids, you will have to switch traits to deal healing instead of damage. Playable by elves and dwarves only.
Similar to: runepriest class
Wardens - also not included in the basic game. Wardens are the most unique class, as they are tanks that can also provide DPS and some minor healing. They have what are called "gambits," in which they do a certain tactic of attack, defense, or taunt, where doing certain combinations will create stronger or special attacks, greater defenses, or single kill blows. They use shields, javelins, and one handed weapons, but the spear is a better weapon for the one hand. They also have transport abilities. Playable by men, hobbits and elves.
Similar to: knight and warlord class
Choosing Your Craft
Once you become an expert in your field of crafting, you are eligible for guilds, which open up better recipes for weapons, armor, potions, and even legendary items. However, keep in mind that legendary items are available after level 51 and have the ability to gain experience, thereby taking up any weapon crafting skills if you are free to play and don't unlock your crafting guild. In this case, you should take a look at the following trades and see which one best suits which class.
Cooking - basic cooking and baking skills. Usually requires farming abilities, but certain ingredients can be purchased through a supplier or the auction house, or even by basic fishing skills. The items you cook can boost healing and power generation, remove wounds and other infirmities, or give you a boost to one of your skills or stats. Some recipes can also cook up items to assist the pets summoned by lore masters.
Faction you can earn rep with using cooking skills: the Mathom Society
Best classes to pair with: Lore Masters
Jeweler - creating jewelry, pocket items, and rune stones. Must be paired with prospecting abilities. Jewelers can create lovely pieces of bling that will boost your stats and sometimes even promote armor. Jewelers also have the ability to create books of lore that can summon a different variation of an animal by a lore master, or a pocket book that can boost a lore master's stats, or create rune stones for rune keepers to use in battle.
Faction you can earn rep with using jeweler skills: Thorin's Hall
Best classes to pair with: Lore Masters and Rune Keepers
Scholar - creates scrolls to buff you and your allies, healing and power potions, dyes, housing paints, and special crafting journals so that any tradesman can achieve critical success in rare single use recipes that create extremely powerful items. They also have the ability to create potions that boost captain skills, and chants, journals and oils for hunters. Most mobs drop scholar items, but searching for them can be difficult, as they are usually only in areas with ruins in them. If you're in a hurry to level up your scholar skills, then using the auction house saves time but is often costly.
Faction you can earn rep with using scholar skills: the Elves of Rivendell
Best classes to pair with: Captains and Hunters
Weapon Crafting - create your own weapons, even some with special damage. Weapon crafters can also make throwing axes, caltrops and traps to deal ranged damages. Once you get your legendary weapon, weapon crafting becomes obsolete unless you unlock the weapon crafter guild or dual wield.
Faction you can earn rep with using weapon crafting skills: the Wardens of Anuminas
Best classes to pair with: Burglers and Hunters
Metal Smithing - forging heavy armor and shields. Metalsmiths can also make crafting gear for any vocation if you don't come across a universal toolkit.
Faction you can earn rep with using metal smith skills: Council of the North
Best classes to pair with: Wardens, Champions, Guardians and Captains
Woodworking - woodworkers are able to create a wide variety of weapons, instruments, chisels and carvings to assist different classes. They tend to have more to offer in terms of crafting abilities, but some areas are notoriously devoid of wood.
Faction you can earn rep with using woodworking skills: Men of Bree
Best classes to pair with: Minstrels, Hunters, Wardens and Rune Keepers
Tailor - working leather to create light to medium armor, and signals for fellowship maneuvers. Tailors can also make men-at-arms clothing for the Captain's allies, but they can also be purchased by the trainers and are a waste of skills for that class. Some areas don't have as many animals as others to recover the hides from, so it's best to hunt as many animals as possible, particularly aurochs and mammoths as they can give you more than one hide to loot.
Faction you can earn rep with using tailor skills: Rangers of the North
Best classes to pair with: Burglars, Lore-Masters, Rune Keepers, Hunters, Wardens and Minstrels
So this is the introduction to playing free in Middle Earth! And now that this is completed, I think I'll delve into Dunland with my Burglar and kick some goblin booty!
Having played this game for over 3 years now, I have unlocked most of the game with the Turbine Points, or TPs, as they are called by the players. To earn these points, you have 2 options: you can either go online or to your local gaming store and purchase them in bundles from 500-2000 points, or you can take the slower way and earn them yourself. I did the latter and have unlocked almost every available area, plus a few other bonuses on the side. What I have done to do this takes a lot of time, but I found several ways to earn points that will not take as much time.
The way that points are earned is by deeds. 98% of these deeds immediately pop up to you once they are available. The other 2% are hidden so that you don't earn them unless you find them, such as hidden dungeons or falling down a great big well in Moria (yes, you earn points for that, even though you usually die in the process). The deeds that you can earn are primarily in these categories:
Quests - by completing a certain amount of quests, you are awarded a minimum of 5 TPs. These quest deeds are done in introduction, advanced, and final. Each completion provides and extra 5-10 TPs for which level you finish.
Kills - the amount of mobs you kill. For example, if you kill 30 orcs, you earn 5 TPs. After that deed is completed, you then are given the option to kill double that amounts for 10 TPs. Every area, depending on the level, will have varying numbers that you will have to kill. Depending on which race you select to play, each one will have you as the "enmity of" a certain mob, such as they orcs. By slaying a larger number of these mobs, you will not only earn more TPs, but you also unlock specific racial traits that boost your character. There are also deeds for slaying mob bosses.
Areas - each region of Middle Earth has specific areas you can find. Some of them follow the Fellowship from the books, some are battlefields, some are mob bases, some are places in the wild, and many are ruins. There are other types of areas to locate, but most fall under those categories. All you need to do is find every area in your deed log and you earn 5-10 TPs. Some of these areas, however, will not show up as an attainable deed unless you find it first. In the area of Enedwaith, there is a hidden fishing hole (which also has 2 lootable items there, so checking every few minutes gets you at least a good handful of change and maybe some good crafting items too). When you find it, your deed log automatically pops up, telling you that it has been completed and you have earned 5 TPs. Unless you look it up on the main site, you would not know about this deed.
Specific Items and Drops - in certain areas, usually in dungeons and other fellowship/group instances, the mobs will drop items like old weapons, plans of war, pages of old books and other unique items. When you collect all, you will earn TPs. There are others, like finding objects in specific areas. For example, in the Old Forest, there are 8 flowers that you can locate. By using each flower that you find, you complete the deed and are then automatically awarded the points. These types of deeds are most prevalent in the fellowship instances. The other item drops are items that, when used, earn you anywhere from 30-700 rep points with that faction. You can also craft reputation items, but each craft only benefits one faction.
Reputation - your reputation with the Free Peoples of Middle Earth is one of the best ways to earn TPs. With most peoples, you start at a neutral reputation. As you complete quests for these factions, or locate items that give you rep with that specific group of people, you earn TPs. When neutral changes to acquaintance, you earn 5 TPs. When acquaintance changes to friend, you earn 10. When friend changes to ally, you earn 15. And finally, when you reach the final stage of kindred, you earn 20 TPs. This particular deed, however, does also offer better deeds in the process. If you are able to reach the kindred status of every faction in Eriador, you wind up earning 50 TPs. This is the highest attainable amount of TPs that can be earned, and can usually only be completed after level 65.
Tasks - certain drops from mobs, such as weapons or animal furs, can earn you both reputation and deeds. By turning in 10 of an item, like a broken dagger, you earn 300 reputation with the faction in that area (warning: not all task boards offer rep). You are limited to 5 tasks a day, but every time you reach another 100, you earn 5 TPs, plus an additional task slot. You can have up to 15 task slots. However, if you level up too fast in the area you are in, the tasks will no longer be available, as they are only open to a certain level span.
The Epic Storyline - the storyline is, in my opinion, the most unique part of the game. It shows players what has been going on since the Fellowship left with the ring, and what you can do to protect Middle Earth, as well as interacting with the Fellowship at certain points. The epic storyline is currently divided into 3 volumes, each containing many book quests. When you finish half of each volume, you earn a minimum of 10 TPs. The storylines, though they take a while to complete, do keep you engrossed the entire time.
So those are the primary ways to complete deeds and earn TPs. Now, how to complete enough to make the game workable?
Believe it or not, the fastest way to earn a buttload of TPs is within the first 20 levels. When starting a new character, you are instantly thrown into the middle of the epic storyline. Once you complete that first part, your character starts out in either Bree-land, Ered Luin, or the Shire. If you choose the race of men, starting out in Bree-land will not do you much good, and I'll get to that reason in a minute.
The best area to start your character out at is Ered Luin. The reason for this is the fact that both elves and dwarves have quests in this area. Since there are two races, there are double the race deeds available. If you use the deed accelerator that you get at level 14 in the right area, you can easily complete all the slayer deeds and earn over 100 TPs in 3-4 hours. What also makes it so convenient is the fact that, despite there being two separate starting points, it is a small area. With the different regions closer together, you do not have to worry about trips that are too long to get from one quest to another. You don't even have to specifically be an elf or dwarf to start there. If you choose to be a man/woman or hobbit, you can complete the intro story and then zip over to Bree or Michel Delving and ride a horse that will take you instantly to either Thorin's Hall or Celondim.
If you choose to play your character in the Shire or Bree-land, that is your choice. However, both of these lands are enormous, and it makes covering territory a longer process, especially if you use your rental mount right away. There is also the fact the Bree-land isn't like Ered Luin or the Shire, in which both areas are for levels 1-15. Bree-land is for levels 1-22. At level 15 for Ered Luin and the Shire, you then transfer to Bree-land where you can start the quest deeds and earn more TPs. By starting in Bree-land, you knock out the quest deeds right away, thereby robbing you of over 100 TPs that you could have earned. Ultimately, it's your choice, as the epic storyline for the race of men is particularly fun, and the quests they have there are fun and pretty intense (LOTS of spiders!). But if you're out to harvest TPs, do not start in Bree-land.
Here is a more thorough synopsis of the free areas:
Ered Luin - area furthest west in Middle Earth, for levels 1-15; starting points for elves at Celondim and dwarves at Thorin's Hall. This area has more location deeds to compensate for having 2 races start here. There is also the Sarnur dungeon for minimum level 45 to return to for rep with Thorin's Hall. There are no reputation item drops outside of Sarnur, and there is only one task board, which is located at Gondamon and provides rep for Thorin's Hall. The dwarf quests will earn you rep with Thorin's Hall, but the elf quests will not earn rep with anyone. Being a smaller area, all of the quests and deeds in this area can be completed within 3-5 hours if you have that amount of free time and use the 24 hour rental steed.
The Shire - east of Ered Luin, west of Bree-land, for levels 5-15, starting point for hobbits. This area covers a lot of ground, and if you complete all the quests, you will be well past level 15 when you finally have to transfer to Bree-land. There are no rep item drops, but you can earn gift mathoms by completing certain quests which will earn you rep with the Mathom Society . There is only one task board located in Hobbiton, and this area is usually a hub of holiday activity when there are festivals going on. If you are out to earn rep right away, the Shire also offers quests that earn rep with the Mathom Society. After completing every quest, you are usually a high ranking acquaintance or friend by the time you go to Bree-land. There is also an unconfirmed rumor that the daily Hobbit presents that you get once a day tend to be better if you finish every Shire quest.
Bree-land - east of the Shire, for levels 1-22, starting point for men and women. The eastern portion of this area is for levels 1-15, while the rest of the area is for levels 16-22. This area provides the dungeons of the Great Barrows. There is one task board in Bree-town, which earns you rep with the Men of Bree. There are rep item drops for both the Men of Bree and Mathom Society, but they are only found in tombs in the Barrow-Downs. In a small area near the Henstader Farm, there are a few quests that earn rep with Thorin's Hall. The northern and southern portions of the Barrow Downs, as well as the Old Forest, are specific regions of Bree-land that hold their own extra deeds, but are rather difficult to do solo. It is usually more logical to start your character off in Ered Luin or the Shire in order to gain more TPs with deeds, as the deeds in this area know no levels. There is also the area of Ost Alagos, which is for a minimum level of 55 and is a little too close to the level 15 area. Be careful venturing too far east!
Lone Lands - east of Bree-land, for levels 22-30, and includes the Garth Agarwen dungeons and the Inn at the Forsaken Instance (which is not free, you need to unlock it). This area provides reputation for the Eglain and Thorin's Hall. There are no item drops in this area (with the exception of mathoms in the Garth Agarwen dungeons), but there are 2 task boards, and there is a reward vendor in Ost Guruth that will offer you crafting quests which will award you with 700 rep points for every crafted item you turn in. Reaching kindred status with the Eglain provides you with an instant guide to Ost Guruth for you to transport to that location. This guide will come in handy if you are not an elf, warden or a hunter (more info on this towards the bottom).
After completing the Lone Lands quests, you will need to start unlocking the other areas of the game to upgrade your character. Your choice of area should be one that will better advance your character in both experience and reputation.
Here is a list of areas that you will need to unlock:
Eriador
North Downs - north of Bree-land, offers quests for levels 20-35, and includes the Fornost dungeons for levels 41+. This area provides reputation for the Men of Bree, Thorin's Hall and the Rangers of Esteldin. There are 4 task boards, and only 2 of them offer rep and each one has rep for a different faction. However, the quests and task boards alone for the Rangers will not earn you enough rep to become kindred. Reputation items are found in the battleground of Dol Dinen or in the minimum level 40 region Angmar to the North, but you will need a fellowship to survive either one. Fornost also offers plenty of rep with the Rangers, but only one level of the dungeon comes with the quest pack, and you will need to unlock the other levels individually. There is also the Stoneheight dungeon, but that is only accessible through the level 65 "In Their Absence" storyline.
Evendim - north of the Shire, offers quests for levels 30-40, and includes the Tomb of Elendil and Anuminas dungeons. This area provides reputation for the Mathom Society and the Wardens of Anuminas. The Mathom society has both quests and rep item drops in this area, but their drops can also be found throughout most of Eriador. There are 3 task boards, but only 2 provide rep, and each one of those is for a different faction. The Wardens of Anuminas are probably the easiest to become kindred with due to the prevalent item drops in this area. It is common to become kindred with them before reaching level 38. The downside is the giant Lake Nenuial that takes forever to swim if you're not a paying VIP who gets swift travel for free, hence this area's nickname of "Everswim." There is also the level 65 dungeon of the Northcotton Farm, which begins the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Trollshaws - east of the Lone-Lands, offers quests for levels 30-45 with no major dungeons, but almost half the area has only elite mobs. This area provides reputation for Thorin's Hall and the Elves of Rivendell, has rep drop items for the Mathom Society and the Elves of Rivendell, and there are 3 task boards. Like the Rangers of Esteldin, the quests alone are not enough to earn kindred reputation and you will need to rely on the item drops for rep. Only 2 types of mobs offer the drops in the area, and this area has relatively fewer quests than other areas. There is only the one dungeon of the Lost Temple, but it can only be accessed through the "In Their Absence" storyline. Since there aren't any open dungeons, there are many areas with mobs that are all elite bosses which you cannot complete on your own. Also, the trip to Rivendell is a major pain in the behind to find. There is a way to get there without the trip by speaking with Gandalf in the Prancing Pony back in Bree-land after you complete the skirmish training. He will automatically transport you there when you accept his quest to learn about the Erebor skirmishes (which you will need to unlock separately).
Misty Mountains - north of the Trollshaws, offers quests for levels 38-50, and includes the 12-person Helegrod dungeons and Goblin-Town. This area provides quest and task reputation for Thorin's Hall, but the rep drops found in Goblin-Town and outside Helegrod provide rep for Rivendell. There are two tasks boards, and while you can earn the rep for Thorin's Hall here, a better area would be Sarnur, mentioned in the blurb about Ered Luin. There is also only one area you can travel to if you're a VIP. Travel time takes long, and there are lots of mobs in the way; not the least of which is the semi-rare elite master dragon, Kindle-maw, who tends to pop up at inopportune times right in the one path that will take you from the western area to the eastern and bake you if you get too close. There are also only a little over 70 quests available in the pack.
Eregion - south of the Trollshaws, offers quests for levels 45-50, and includes the Tham Mirdain dungeons, plus the Walls of Moria instance to start volume 2 of the epic storyline. This area offers no rep for any faction in the quests, tasks or drops (except maybe a mathom here and there), although there are 3 task boards. The only way to earn rep is by completing the slayer and area deeds, which will earn you 700 rep with Rivendell each time you complete one. Tham Mirdain has fun dungeons, and those deeds will earn you Rivendell rep as well. The main bonus to this area is with the crafting materials. If your crafting options including farming, prospecting or woodworking, you will find tons of those materials around here, plus plenty of animals to get hides from if you are into leather working.
Forochel - north of Evendim, offers quests for levels 44-50 with no major dungeons, but several public battlegrounds. This area provides reputation for the Lossoth of Forochel and Thorin's Hall. However, when you start with the Lossoth, instead of starting at neutral standing with them as you start with everyone else, you start as an outsider and have to work your way to neutral before earning TPs as an acquaintance. The rep items for the Lossoth are prevalent in the mobs, but the Thorin's Hall quests and rep items are solely in the Zigilgund cave. The downside in this area is, again, a giant lake. Unlike Lake Nenuial in Evendim, the Bay of Forochel will freeze your tush off if you try to swim it and will eventually kill you if you don't get out. Travel works out better for VIPs due to the size of this area. There is also the closed, hidden dungeon of Sari-Surma for players doing the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Angmar - north of the North Downs, offers quests for levels 40-52 with a ton of dungeons; the Carn Dum dungeons are the most popular. This enormous area provides reputation for the Council of the North and the Eldgang. There are also rep drops for the the Rangers of Esteldin and the Mathom Society. This area is filled with over 200 quests, both individual and dungeon. Like the Trollshaws, there are also many areas that are filled with elite mobs that you cannot complete on your own. This area also has 4 different task boards for your to turn in your daily tasks. One of the perks to this area is if you find yourself in the level 50-52 zone near the Circle of Despair, there is the possibility that you can loot a legendary weapon that you can stash before completing the quest that teaches you how to equip and use them. Even if the item isn't usable by your class, you can deconstruct it for the relics to add to your own weapon. The Eldgang are furthest east and there is no way you can make it to their camp on your own unless someone summons you or you can sneak in with your stealth skill. All the quests there match you with elite masters, so you will need a fellowship to earn anything in that area.
Enedwaith - south of Eregion, for levels 65-70, with the 12-player Ost Dunhoth raid. This area provides quest rep only for the Grey Company and Algraig. Since there are no rep item drops or task boards in this area, you need to complete every quest to get yourself to at least ally status. There are, however, several repeatable quests that will provide a decent amount of reputation, but you can only do them once every 6 or so hours. When kindred with Algraig, you can purchase a guide to Lhanuch, which will prove useful. There are also several hidden deeds and quests in this area that can be a little tricky to find. Ost Dunhoth is an open dungeon, but is also the final chapter for the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Dunland - south of Enedwaith, for levels 65-70, also includes Isengard and the Gap of Rohan. The dungeons in this area are completely separate from the quest pack. This area provides reputation for the Men of Dunland and Theodred's Riders. Like Enedwaith, there are no rep item drops, but there are some task boards and repeatable quests. The downside to the task boards is that, if you follow volume 2 of the epic storyline, you may be well past the maximum level for the task boards by the time you get here and you won't be able to turn in anything. Dunland is unlike the other areas in Eriador, where there are different areas that offer only 1 level of quest deeds to complete; however, if you complete them in every area of Dunland, you earn 10 TPs. This area is also unique, as some of the quests offer multiple outcomes based on a choice you have make, or by the number of quests you completed in that specific region. Guides to the main city of Galtrev are purchasable by players who make kindred status with the Men of Dunland.
Rhovanion
Moria - east of Eregion, offers quests for levels 50-60, which has many dungeons, although only the Grand Stair and Filikul are included in the main quest pack. The other dungeons, which also include a ton of deeds and awesome rewards, are completely separate; but when purchased, will throw in the 2 advanced classes of Rune Keeper and Warden (which is cheaper than getting each separately), plus two additional character slots per server. The factions to gain rep with are the Iron Garrison Minors and Iron Garrison Guards, and there are drops everywhere. You can become kindred to both these factions as easily as the Wardens of Anuminas. Moria, as mentioned above with Dunland, has several different areas that only offer 1 level of quests deeds per area. There are also many hidden quests, shortcuts, and a buttload of deeds you can complete. There are task boards in every major region, although once you reach level 61 you can no longer turn in deeds. You cannot use horses or ponies as mounts, so you will need to get a goat from Thorin's Hall, which you can only buy if you are kindred with them. Some of the holiday festivals offer goats as steeds in exchange for festival tokens, but they usually require a high number of these tokens. In addition, this area is full of mazes, deep crevices that will kill you, and very dark nooks that you can get trapped in. Too much time spent in Moria can take its toll on you, but the titles you earn in there are way cool, and if you earn enough Moria tokens to purchase them, you can get armor that will last you through to Dunland.
Lothlorien - east of Moria, for levels 60-65, with only 3 dungeons that will earn you rep, but they are located in Moria; even if you have unlocked Moria, these Lothlorien dungeons will only be open to you if you have unlocked the area itself. This area provides rep for the Iron Garrison Guards and Miners, and the Galadhrim. There are only rep drops for the Iron Garrisons, and no task boards. Like Enedwaith, there are repeatable quests, only there is a wider variety and more in number in Lothlorien. The main city of Caras Galadham is only accessible if you reach friend standing with the Galadhrim. This area offers a low number of quests, requiring you to take on the repeatable quests and/or dungeons to reach kindred status.
Mirkwood - east of Lothlorien, for levels 60-65, with the Dol Guldar dungeons. This area provides rep for the Elves of Mirkwood. There are no item drops and no task boards, but like Angmar, this area is enormous. Travelling, however, is much easier, as there are many sites you can travel to without having to be a VIP. This area does offer a few repeatable quests, but if you manage to complete every quest in this area, you should be able to reach kindred status; the downside is that there are so many quests here that it's rather time consuming. The Dol Guldar dungeons are best to do in the epilogue of volume 2 of the epic storyline, as they will provide you with not only deeds, but a large number of skirmish marks that you can trade in for great armor.
The Great River - south of Lothlorien, for levels 70-75, with the Limlight Gorge battle ground. This area provides rep for the Riders of Stangard and the Heroes of Limlight Gorge. This is another location that has several areas that only offer 1 level of quests deeds per area, but when every area is completed, you earn more TPs. There are no item drops, but there are 5 task boards that cut off at level 80. You earn rep with the Riders of Stangard by completing deeds as well, and it is very easy to become kindred in this area. The Heroes of Limlight Gorge take place in an extremely difficult area like eastern Angmar's Eldgang region, but if you can get a fellowship together, it provides a lot of deeds and separate rep for the Heroes. However, while the Heroes do offer repeatable quests, you cannot do them on your own, and the rep you are earning will probably take time. A plus in the area is that when you become kindred with Stangard, you can purchase a guide for this city and add it as a transport area, saving time and cash in travelling.
Eastern Rohan - south of the Great River, for levels 75-85, with the following areas: the Wold, East Wall, Norcrofts, Sutcrofts, Entwash Vale and the Eaves of Fangorn. Each area has different cities and encampments that will earn you TPs if you complete all the quests for that location; each area is also its own faction for rep. The basic quest pack will offer enough quests for you to reach at least friend status with each faction; the expansion pack, which also includes dungeons, includes extra quests that will eventually open up opportunities to become kindred to each faction. There is also the city of Hytbold that you can rebuild by doing repeatable quests in each of the aforementioned areas, but you are limited to 5 per day, and they alternate between 11-13 different quests in each area; whichever area do complete these quests in will provide you with a minimum of 1000 rep points for the faction in that area. There are no rep item drops in Rohan, but there are many task boards that stay open to you until level 85. You also are required to earn the mounted combat steed in this area, which is getting mixed reviews on its quality. If you opt for combat on foot, you will not earn as much experience as you will while mounted on your war steed. Finally, there are also bosses that patrol certain areas that you can earn a bounty on if you cross their path. Not all of these bosses can be slain solo, but the rewards are excellent.
Wildermore - west of the Wold area of Rohan, for level 85, with no major dungeons but the arch-nemesis frost giant Nurzum patrolling the area. This area provides rep for the People of Wildermore and the Survivors of Wildermore. There are no item drops in this area; only task boards are available. The geography of this particular area is rather harsh and difficult to maneuver around mobs without them attacking you. What makes this particular area unique is that every quests follows Nurzum's story line. After every quest is completed, other repeatable and alternating quests open up for the Survivors of Wildermore rep. Some of these require raids and take a long time to complete.
Western Rohan - self explanatory location for levels 85-95. This area went live on 11/18/13, and all the information on this area is available on the website. I will most likely not be able to play this for a while, but I can definitely earn the 4300 TPs to get it!
Getting Started
When first starting the game, you have the choice of the four races already mentioned, and 7 classes. There are 9 classes altogether, but the rune keeper and warden are not included in the free to play package. See the Moria blurb for details. Some of the classes are limited to which race can play them, such as burglars only playable by men and hobbits, and rune keepers playable by elves and dwarves.
Each race has its pros and cons, but I prefer the elves, unless you choose the hunter or warden class. Wardens are an advanced level class, and hunters are basic and not that impressive. However, both have the ability to transport to the major cities or encampments in Middle-Earth, which saves time and coins. If you opt to go with another class, elves provide a bonus: the ability to transport to Rivendell.
Each race is the enmity of a certain mob. For example, the men and women of Middle Earth are enmities of wargs. If you complete the second tier of slaying wargs, men and women will automatically gain a transport ability to Bree-land. The same goes for hobbits and dwarves; when they complete the second tier of their enmity deeds, they automatically gain transport abilities to Michel Delving and Thorin's Hall. However, these three towns are all in the western region of Eriador, and each town has a travel destination that will take you instantly to those other towns. When elves complete the second tier of orc slaying and earn the Rivendell transport, they have better access to the eastern regions of Eriador. If you choose not to play an elf, hunter or warden, focus instead on reputation with the Eglain to get the transport to Ost Guruth. It will still save travel time.
Now if you choose to start a character in Ered Luin or the Shire for the extra TPs, you will accumulate a large amount before reaching the Lone Lands. At that point, you can start planning for other areas of Middle Earth to unlock. What I would suggest doing first is purchasing the riding ability and unlocking the bank. When you first start out, you are given a rental horse that only lasts 24 hours, but riding a horse or goat gives you a +62 or +68 speed and cuts travel time in half. The basic riding ability only costs 90 TPs, and you can either buy a mount or earn one with festival tokens. Then, unlocking the bank is a prudent idea. Without unlocking the bank, your coins are limited to accessing a maximum of 2 gold pieces. For the first 30 levels, it's not that big of a deal, but once you level above 30, you will need to use more coins for better items. Unlocking the bank does not take very many TPs and is definitely worth doing.
Choosing Your Class
Like every MMO, LOTRO has different variations of popular classes, so if you're a complete newbie to the online gaming experience, you should be careful with which class to start with first. If you're planning on having multiple characters, start out with an easier class so you can get used to handling them.
Champion - this all-offense tank is one of the most basic classes. Champions have the ability to dual-wield or use a two-handed weapon. They may be basic, but pack a lot of punch when it comes to tanking in raids. Playable by dwarves, elves, and men.
Similar to: warrior class
Guardian - another tank with strong defensive capabilities. This class is also pretty basic in terms of playing, but guardians can take a lot of damage. They have use of heavy shields and one handed weapons, or two handed weapons. Every race can play this class.
Similar to: knight class
Captain - a moderate experience jack of all trades. The captain can be a tank, DPS, or healer. They also have a soldier-at-arms that assists them in battle with both combat and performance enhancing abilities, and can make another player a "shield brother/sister" to share their defenses with. They can use two handed weapons (halberds are the best), shields and one handed weapons, or dual wield, and have the ability to revive fallen comrades both in and outside of battle. Only playable by men.
Similar to: warlord class
Hunter - another basic class that is perfect for new players. Hunters dual wield and can use bows or crossbows. Unfortunately, the melee combat lacks and they can be easily defeated. They do, however, have the transport ability which can easily spoil you when it comes to quick trips across the map. Playable by every race.
Similar to: ranger class
Minstrel - the healer class. After the "Riders of Rohan" reboot, minstrels became powerhouses. They can heal, battle, or do both at once with a little less effect. Minstrels can deal a ton of damage but do generate a lot of threat, causing them to be attacked more often, particularly in raids. They can use a variety of instruments and battle with shields and a few types of one-handed weapons. Playable by every race.
Similar to: monk and bard classes
Lore Masters - one of the more advanced classes, lore masters are more DPS oriented and have the ability to summon animals and use them in battle. Their defense kind of sucks, which is probably why they have the animals to assist them. However, once they get past level 50, their abilities become much more powerful and they become forces to be reckoned with. They hone the powers of nature and the elements in power play, and in melee use a quarter staff, although you can dual-wield with a sword after level 50 if you unlock the trait slot. They can also provide minor healing powers at the expense of their own health. Playable by men and elves only.
Similar to: druid class
Burglars - another advanced class that focuses on stealth attacks and dealing additional damage in the forms of tricks and gambles. Their reliance on stealth cuts into their defense, and there are many times in questing that a burglar will need assistance from another player, as they can only attack one mob at a time. Their tricks are fun, but they often need lots of healing potions to survive more brutal battles. They are dual wielding fighters, and if you chose the weapon crafting trade, you can make throwing axes and caltrops to use against your enemies to debuff them. Playable by men and hobbits only.
Similar to: rogue class
Rune Keepers - not included in basic game and needs to be purchased separately or with the Moria expansion pack. Rune Keepers only use rune-stones to deal damage in the form of ice, fire, and lightning. They are primarily healers, but like the minstrels, are also powerhouses when it comes to damage. However, when doing raids, you will have to switch traits to deal healing instead of damage. Playable by elves and dwarves only.
Similar to: runepriest class
Wardens - also not included in the basic game. Wardens are the most unique class, as they are tanks that can also provide DPS and some minor healing. They have what are called "gambits," in which they do a certain tactic of attack, defense, or taunt, where doing certain combinations will create stronger or special attacks, greater defenses, or single kill blows. They use shields, javelins, and one handed weapons, but the spear is a better weapon for the one hand. They also have transport abilities. Playable by men, hobbits and elves.
Similar to: knight and warlord class
Choosing Your Craft
Once you become an expert in your field of crafting, you are eligible for guilds, which open up better recipes for weapons, armor, potions, and even legendary items. However, keep in mind that legendary items are available after level 51 and have the ability to gain experience, thereby taking up any weapon crafting skills if you are free to play and don't unlock your crafting guild. In this case, you should take a look at the following trades and see which one best suits which class.
Cooking - basic cooking and baking skills. Usually requires farming abilities, but certain ingredients can be purchased through a supplier or the auction house, or even by basic fishing skills. The items you cook can boost healing and power generation, remove wounds and other infirmities, or give you a boost to one of your skills or stats. Some recipes can also cook up items to assist the pets summoned by lore masters.
Faction you can earn rep with using cooking skills: the Mathom Society
Best classes to pair with: Lore Masters
Jeweler - creating jewelry, pocket items, and rune stones. Must be paired with prospecting abilities. Jewelers can create lovely pieces of bling that will boost your stats and sometimes even promote armor. Jewelers also have the ability to create books of lore that can summon a different variation of an animal by a lore master, or a pocket book that can boost a lore master's stats, or create rune stones for rune keepers to use in battle.
Faction you can earn rep with using jeweler skills: Thorin's Hall
Best classes to pair with: Lore Masters and Rune Keepers
Scholar - creates scrolls to buff you and your allies, healing and power potions, dyes, housing paints, and special crafting journals so that any tradesman can achieve critical success in rare single use recipes that create extremely powerful items. They also have the ability to create potions that boost captain skills, and chants, journals and oils for hunters. Most mobs drop scholar items, but searching for them can be difficult, as they are usually only in areas with ruins in them. If you're in a hurry to level up your scholar skills, then using the auction house saves time but is often costly.
Faction you can earn rep with using scholar skills: the Elves of Rivendell
Best classes to pair with: Captains and Hunters
Weapon Crafting - create your own weapons, even some with special damage. Weapon crafters can also make throwing axes, caltrops and traps to deal ranged damages. Once you get your legendary weapon, weapon crafting becomes obsolete unless you unlock the weapon crafter guild or dual wield.
Faction you can earn rep with using weapon crafting skills: the Wardens of Anuminas
Best classes to pair with: Burglers and Hunters
Metal Smithing - forging heavy armor and shields. Metalsmiths can also make crafting gear for any vocation if you don't come across a universal toolkit.
Faction you can earn rep with using metal smith skills: Council of the North
Best classes to pair with: Wardens, Champions, Guardians and Captains
Woodworking - woodworkers are able to create a wide variety of weapons, instruments, chisels and carvings to assist different classes. They tend to have more to offer in terms of crafting abilities, but some areas are notoriously devoid of wood.
Faction you can earn rep with using woodworking skills: Men of Bree
Best classes to pair with: Minstrels, Hunters, Wardens and Rune Keepers
Tailor - working leather to create light to medium armor, and signals for fellowship maneuvers. Tailors can also make men-at-arms clothing for the Captain's allies, but they can also be purchased by the trainers and are a waste of skills for that class. Some areas don't have as many animals as others to recover the hides from, so it's best to hunt as many animals as possible, particularly aurochs and mammoths as they can give you more than one hide to loot.
Faction you can earn rep with using tailor skills: Rangers of the North
Best classes to pair with: Burglars, Lore-Masters, Rune Keepers, Hunters, Wardens and Minstrels
So this is the introduction to playing free in Middle Earth! And now that this is completed, I think I'll delve into Dunland with my Burglar and kick some goblin booty!
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