After a very short initial preview, Lord of the Rings Online’s newest class is being treated to a longer test this week on the Bullroarer server. Through September 21st, players can see the latest iteration of the Mariner as Standing Stone Games continues to fine-tune it.
One significant change that comes this week is the fact that Mariners no longer have to have a dagger in the off-hand slot to activate certain skills (although they do need to dual-wield). The latest build also increases Mariner skill DPS by about 50% and monkeys around with other class abilities and buffs — most notably increasing Champion and Hunter DPS while decreasing Guardian DPS.
We penned our own thoughts on the Mariner during the much-briefer test window last week.
In other LOTRO news, the MMO is set to activate the short-duration Baggins’ Birthday event from September 20th through the 26th. This annual occurrence opens up a series of quests and riddles that celebrate the mutual birthdays of Frodo and Bilbo.
