Now is the best time to check out LotRO

Skooma2

Let me preface my comments by stating that I am not a fanboi of LotRO, just a fan.  I played since beta, quit for sveral months and came back.  Now that MoM has been released and Book 7, the first addition to MoM, is now live.

Why is it a good time to get into LotRO?  Levelling through level 40 has been sped up some, allowing you to get into the meat of the game faster.  The starter areas have been revamped and have even had new quests added to them.  But, best of all for new players of an established game, these new starter areas are swarming with players.   MoM brought in a lot of new players and the speeded up levelling early on is encouraging old-timers to create alts.

The game is fun as "all getout", and I recommend that you check it out.

Calintz333

Yes its a fun game. Its actually quite an interesting mmo to me. I got the game got to around level 30 but quit. Its not that the game is bad I just lost all interest. It does not have something that other mmorpgs have. That draw that lore that sucks you into that world. Maybe you need to be a LoTR fan before you play it. I never liked LoTR nor did I watch any of the movies or read the books. I just played it for it being an mmorpg. For a basic mmorpg without knowing much of the history its actually not bad. But its nothing that didn't just remind me of WoW, Vanguard or CoX Its got nothing really special imo and thats probably why I lost my drive to keep playing. Ill say though if its your first mmorpg its great, By far better than WoW in terms of everything. Better than Vanguard? Not sure, Never got beyond lvl 15 in Vangard.

Samuraisword

LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.

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curiousdaoc

Originally posted by Samuraisword


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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Excuse me? that statement alone has me thinking you haven't played much, if at all.

LOTRO has probably one of the most robust crafting systems available on the market today, regardless of the implementation itself, or whether or not it suits your standards. You can't craft anything worthwhile? many of the best items right until 50 or higher are crafted items.

Too much instancing? it is very much open world, just because it contains some instances in order to progress the storylines ingame, is far from anything most would consider to be overdone.

Straight up fail guy. Try harder.

Skooma2

Originally posted by Samuraisword


 You can't craft anything worthwhile.

 

 

You're kidding, right?  The most valuable items in the game are the crafted items.  Sublime Dawn-Rose jewelry sell for 3+ gold per piece.   All the tier 6 (highest level) critted items are selling well.   You can't possibly have played the game too long.  From the outset you can select whatever group of crafting skills you want; thus, you have the ability to learn a craft which would benefit you.  DId you play a light armor character and select armoursmith?  If you can only make heavy armor and can only wear light armor, it would be understandable why you would think you could not craft anything worthwhile.

Mikeha

Lotro is the best Mainstream MMO out on the market. I played it for a few months but I agree with the poster that said it just did not draw me in. I may go back one day but I still see the game as an amazing game.

thorwood

Originally posted by Samuraisword


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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The crafted gear is as good,if not better, than any you are likely to find while leveling.  For level 60 toons (the current level cap), I agree that the crafted gear is poor compared to quest rewards and drops. 

Bind on Equip and BInd on Pick Up actually help the economy by removing second hand items from the resale market.  Without this, many items would be so common, they are worthless.

I like instancing.  It enables me or my group to experience a tailor made adventure.

Moaky07

Originally posted by Samuraisword


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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This is a bad game in your opinion, and yet you sport around a darkfall tag. So that leaves me to believe that is what you consider a good game.

Which doesnt suprise me for a SWG vet. You flock to any game that lets ya play Uncle Owen, despite how big a piece of chit they are. I cant say that for sure about DF, but the story isnt looking good for them.

It is a shame you guys can even open your mouths in most threads, as all you do is spread lies because you dont like directed content playstyle. It rules the MMO world, and keeps investors from backing the niche crowd you would be a part of. Rather petty on your part.

As far as OP:

I bought LoTRO at launch, and kept the $10 founding member price for about a yr... even though I never played(health and hip problems past few yrs bad). The little bit I did play, it seemed very polished, and the graphics come across real nice on middle range PC/video card set up.

I know a guy that plays it religously, and he is constantly trying to get me to give it a real trial. Says he very much enjoys the crowd he is gaming with. Which is a common thing I hear on forums...the community is awesome most folks tend to agree. Which is a good thing for those looking for a MMO.

Skeeterxi

I could never get into LoTRO because the combat just felt very stale and dull to me. I dunno how to explain it, it just felt tacky and wierd, the animations were pretty bad imo. I also didn't like the character models, but the community was friendly as hell.

Sovrath

Originally posted by Samuraisword


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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I have no problem with you saying it's a horrible game but really... say it horrible for real true reasons.

Linear? Really? The only thing that's linear about it is the main story. You don't have to do the main story. really.

I levelled several characters up through closed and open beta and then launch. Even then I didn't level them doing all the same quests. And now with more quests and areas than before you can explore a bit and level in different areas.

and if you don't want to quest you can grind. don't know why you would in a game like this but I've dnoe it when I decided I needed money. Just killed trolls.

sometimes I just go out in Moria and not do any quests and just attack everything I can.

So if you don't like questing games, great. Hate kill x and y quests? sure, I understand. but Linear? doesn't have to be at all.

Chamberlain

I logged in tonight after about a week of not playing.  It definitely captured my attention again.

First of all, my Guardian is only level 16, though after the experience change, I was moved up to level 19.

Also, LOTRO has finally gotten something it sorely needed... a quest guide system!   You can turn it off to further immerse yourself, which is what I do.  But LOTRO is so HUGE, and some of the quest objects are pretty hard to find, so you can just click it on if you're getting a bit lost.

I saw tons of players in Bree tonight, and got a group for a Book 1 quest in a matter of minutes.  The community is still strong, and still playing.  I'd rather have the couple hundred thousand quality players we have in LOTRO than the 8 million extra jerks I left in WoW anyday.

trancejeremy

LOTRO is a somewhat contradictory game.  It's pretty good overall though, but it's got a lot of pluses and minuses.

At least in my experience (I am level 39), crafted gear actually is worse than stuff you get in quests. Unless you are a master of that tier and get a critical success. But at least for me (I'm a weaponsmith), I've never been able to master a tier until I'm well past the level that gear you make is for.

And now thanks to the Legendary weapons, weaponsmith is pretty much useless after 50 (except for off hand weapons).

The real problem is the flow of the game, I think. It starts you off in civilization, which is pretty fun. But once you are 20 or so, you move off into the wilderness and ever new area seems the same, just a different color terrain. The quests degenerate into simply kill x of y, often without any real deep purpose other than to get pelts/whatever. (At least early on, there were story purposes for such quests, like making a potion to help a sick dog)

The recent update was actually mean to get you through the middle part of the game which most people agree sucks. Not as big a boost as I like, but almost 2 levels in my case.

The combat system is bland. As a champion, I basically just use the same 5 skills over and over.  Doesn't matter what opponent. The amount of monsters is crazy in some places, as is the aggro. Like in Evendim, there's a wolf or something every 5 feet, and even the deer will attack you if you get to close. Getting ganged up on by 3 psycho deer isn't fun.

The travel system also is annoying. You can teleport to one place (your home it's called, basically a milestone in one area you can change). And then your house and then a city depending on your race (at 30th level). As it's a big world, you spend a ton of time walking all over.  Thankfully there is some fast travel in the game, between the big cities, but until you get your horse, it's slow going.

That said, they really nailed the atmosphere of the books, much better than the movies did, I thought.

 

Ginaz

Originally posted by Samuraisword


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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Hey look, another Darkfail troll.  Obvious troll is obvious.  A Darkfall fanatic calling another game horrible is like the ultimate pot calling the kettle black statement.  Anyone who thinks Darkfall is a good game really isn't someone who's opinion on other games I'd pay attention to.

merkels

Originally posted by Samuraisword


Darkfall is a horrible game. It's a contentless pointless gankfest. It's very boring. Too much nothing. It has retarded useless gear which makes for no economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile, because nothing in the game is worthwhile.

 

Fixed.

fmnch35

LoTRO will only improve and I doubt that there will ever been an item mall in it.

Frodo: "I have finally crafted this extraordinary armour, it has taken me 6 months"

Sam: "You mean one like this? I just bought it with my Amex card. n00b"

zachman1750

                  Hey all, I just started LOTRO last Saturday and I must say it is the greatest game I have ever played and so far I'm only lvl 16. I play a dwarf champion and the quick attacks and AOE make it a great class to play, and crafting always makes you wanting more since it definitely feels worth while in this game unlike any I've ever played.

Making money for good gear is fairly easy too! If you don't have a certain recipe just go hit the Auction house and most likely you'll be able to buy the best gear for your level at a decent price. Other than the outstanding graphics, my favorite part is the HUGE open world. So far I've been exploring Ered for hours and hours and it never ceases to amaze me how much awesome landscape geography and little civilizations and goblin camps ect. I find. The paths in the game are not required, and I often go exploring to find new things and chests in camp to loot.

The deed system is awesome! When you get out of the starter area you can start getting tons of deeds to work on. For instance if you kill a wolf, a deed will show up showing you how many more wolves you have to slay before you get the title "Wolf Tamer" and after you get that, you can get advanced wolf tamer and get kinda  a passive skills that adds to regen or deducts damage taken. You can also get class skills through the deed system. For instance, If you kill plenty of Dourhands (evil dwarves) you will be given a "Head-Butt" skill to use in battle.

And so far I have not seen one skill point system for advancing skills, you just need money which is never really a huge issue skill wise to learn skills. The current skills you have advance as you level so no worrying about which skills to advance and which skills to leave behind!

So far the housing system also seems great! You can actually go into neighborhoods where actual people own homes, and you can go to the broker to purchase one yourself and decorate it however you want. I also enjoy the unique drops that you get from killing monsters, since they are not shoot-myself-in-the-head hard to get. Anyways I've been rambling but it's a great game and everyone should definitely give it a try! You won't be sorry.

beaverz

Originally posted by Samuraisword


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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Yeah I dont see why anyone would play lotro when games like darkfall have such nice graphics and the best pve ever. I mean did you see those fighting animations, totally different from what you see in other games as the mining animation.

The worst thing about lotro is that you dont have to wait 2 days and a half to get in the game, thats just a noob magnet. Only "leet uber hardcore players" should be able to play mmorpgs.

Anyway lotro is a really bad game you can also talk about its ui thats really crappy compared to DF, its customer support and communication from the devs which is really bad compared to AV's.

Overall lotro is as much fun as the waiting queue to get into DF.

CYa later i'm gonna go use my crack pipe.

Jeff44

Originally posted by Korvenus


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
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You know, I just moved over to this game from EQ2, and I still feel that EQ2 is the best fantasy MMO on the market today.

That said, when LotRO has gained the same amount of time to grow and evolve as EQ2 did, I suspect that this will easily be the best fantasy MMO anywhere.

The one thing that surprised me most is that one does not need a intricate knowledge of the books in order to get the best out of the game.

Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by Jeff44

Originally posted by Korvenus


LoTRO is a horrible game. It's a linear task oriented theme park game. It's very boring. Too much instancing. It has bad bind on pickup items which hurts the economy. You can't craft anything worthwhile.
{ Mod Edit }

 

You know, I just moved over to this game from EQ2, and I still feel that EQ2 is the best fantasy MMO on the market today.

That said, when LotRO has gained the same amount of time to grow and evolve as EQ2 did, I suspect that this will easily be the best fantasy MMO anywhere.

The one thing that surprised me most is that one does not need a intricate knowledge of the books in order to get the best out of the game.

You also do not even need to do the books. At all. currently there is more content than you can do before it goes gray, and 4 zones that have NOTHING to do with the story line.

 

nyxium

Trying to like it, played Elven Rune-Keeper, Hobbit Burglar, and Race of Man Champion. Kinda gets boring but it has potential.

If it survives the recession and releases a few more expansions, I might become a regular. Other than that, meh.

Sovrath

Originally posted by nyxium


Trying to like it, played Elven Rune-Keeper, Hobbit Burglar, and Race of Man Champion. Kinda gets boring but it has potential.
If it survives the recession and releases a few more expansions, I might become a regular. Other than that, meh.

 

I don't think there is a doubt that it will survive the recession. It's one of the most polished and popular mmo's out there. Sure, not wow numbers but nothing even comes close.

I think the reason you are bored is that you are not quite in line with what the game is offering. You are either not the type of player for this game or you are and haven't quite gotten to where the game starts to shine.

Have you started all the book quests and how far have you gotten?

How high have you gotten with your classes?

Do you read the quests or just click ok and find where you can kill X amount of Y?

What is it that you are actually looking for in a game? If you come from games like Lineage 2 or UO then sure, there is going to be a disconnect. If you come from over the top games like EQ II or WoW there is going to be a disconnect.

I think that is what really holds players up. They bring preconceived notions of generic fantasy world X and then find that LOTRO doesn't quite fit into that. It doesn't hit you over the head with WHAM/BAM/ZHAM!, it's far more sublime.

And quite frankly, most gamers just don't do sublime. Most people don't come to think of it.

Letsinod

Great game but the lack of cool classes and killing wargs, bears, wargs, bears, boars, bears, wargs gets tiring. 

Sovrath

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Originally posted by Letsinod

Great game but the lack of cool classes and killing wargs, bears, wargs, bears, boars, bears, wargs gets tiring. 

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There are cool classes. Just not WHAM/BAM/ZHAM classes.

Warden is extremely fun. I love my Guardian. Champions can be a blast decimating everything that comes your way. Runekeep is extrmely interesting. Burgs are great in a group. etc.

so sure, no necromancers, or death knights or demon summoners but where do they fit into the world?

And I'm not sure when you played but I find far less bears and boars. Mostly Orcs and Goblins and Trolls (oh my!).

And those are traditionally the bad guys in the lord of the rings.

nyxium

 It was missing ingredient X. It wasn't how I imagined Tolkien's world to be after reading the books. Perceptual bias led to disappointment. I could go on, but I won't, knowing how much of an artform rhetoric has become these days.

Kungaloosh1

I love lotro and i think they did a great job on it. BUT. While the player models are fine, i cannot get over how horrible the npc models are. They look rather nintendoish.

Also as someone else said, in fact its what drove me from the game, if i ever had to kill another wolf or pig, i do believe i would have jumped off my roof.

All that aside, the quest system is good. The zones are imersive and well made. The storyline is better than any other game ever.

Minor point loss for somewhat bland combat.

Best feature in lotro by far is the musical system where you can play instruments.

 

I know i will end up playing the game again. Maybe i'll eventually get a max level toon.

 

OH and to the darkfail fan, it is obvious that it fails because of pvp. /shrug to each his own.

Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by Kungaloosh1


I love lotro and i think they did a great job on it. BUT. While the player models are fine, i cannot get over how horrible the npc models are. They look rather nintendoish.

 

What?