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LoTRO vs Runes of Magic
crazyhairboy
Member Posts: 2
Maybe it's not a 'vs' thread as the title states.. but i'm really just looking for an opinion:
I've been playing RoM for over a year now.. 2 toons to almost max level.. and working on 2 others. RoM was virtually my 1st MMO and it has been a blast!!
I've loved the F2P model and really don't mind grinding for gold.. I spent a total of $60 on RoM all year and was able to do most end-game content.
All that being said.. i was looking around for another F2P MMORPG.. LoTRO has caught my interest and I was wondering if anyone thinks I'll get the same value as I have in RoM.
If not LoTRO can somone recommend another game of similar value? And if not... the final option.. tell me to "shut up" and stick with RoM some more.. They do release content quite often and my new toons have yet to be "broken in".
Thanks all in advance for your help!
Comments
stick with ROM to be honest.
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Which FF Character Are You?
LotRO is a bit more polished and smooth, but overall I agree stick with RoM.
But if you really want to play something different I think Allods Online is the best F2P MMO.
Sounds like you enjoy the ROM endgame content. I havnt played the game but have played lotro and can tell you that it is severely lacking in endgame content. I dont know if you could get to endgame in lotro for $60 or not but I doubt it.
WOW isnt great because it has 12 million players. WOW has 12 million players because its great.
All that i've read though.. it seems Allods is pay to win.. which i guess is somewhat like RoM but what makes Allods stand out better?
btw.. thnx all for the quick responses!
It used to be really polished, populated and loads of fun. But I just read some stuff about how a new patch ruined it, the item shop is expensive and required to do anything and all the players have left. So that doesn't sound so good :P
I played RoM for about 6 months and am currently playing LotRO. I find that LotRO has a lot more polish/finesse to it than RoM and the bugs seem to get fixed a bit faster.
I liked the dual system of RoM. It was one of the features that kept me with the game. The housing system was OK (at least it had one). The RP value and lore just weren't there. Many of the things I didn't like about WoW, I find I like less in RoM.
LotRO offers more in the way of RP. From costumes to music, the immersion is really nice. The quest writing is some of the best I have seen of any MMO that I've played. The epic story line is...well epic. It's fairly easy to get lost in the world of LotRO, if you are the sort that likes to read the quests and be a part of the story.
As far as endgame content, the only thing lacking in LotRO is Raids. And to be quite honest, I don't think the majority of the players mind. It's the journey that matters in this game. I'm finding quite a few things to do at endgame. (I hate raiding)
But as others have said, if you like RoM stick to it. All you are going to get is a bunch of opinions and the only one that really matters is yours'. Give LotRO a go, if ya like it, try it for a while. If ya don't, then nothing lost. Hope you find what you are looking for.
If you like generic grinder with tons of content to keep you running , go for ROM
If you like real RPG with awesome story, probably best looking enviroments in any MMO, and wonderful content. Go for LOTRO
<sigh> Lotro uses a hybrid revenue model, it is not F2P. You can play it that way, but as it has a P2P system as well as a cash shop it is a hybrid.
Yeah LOTRO isn't really F2P the way RoM is - more like heavily restricted trial to 50th level. In RoM You have to pay to make Your character better. In LOTRO You have to pay to play content(do quests, use traits, AH, mounts, earn gold).
LOL LOTRO and ROM XD ................... LOTRO is amazing game when ROM is a Meh and yes Lotro is not really a F2P that even makes it Much better
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I did play the beta of RoM, so my info about that game may be dated.
I did play LotRO for a long time. However, it was before it became F2P.
As far as I remember, the most significative elements are:
- the Level up process in RoM is mostly a mob bashing grind.
The number of quests is far lower than in in WoW or LotRO, and most of them result in mob bashing anyway, especially at high level.
=> This is a major difference compared to LotRO which is quest grind oriented (like WoW, with even better quests).
- the Character advancement system in RoM is pretty original, especially due to the dual class system.
To be honest, the developers didn't really know what they were doing during the beta and proved it by completely changing the rules a couple of days before the release.
The whole beta tester community was shocked, by the scale of the changes, but also by the way they did it (whitout any warning and right before the big jump).
I hope they have improved on that side since, as the dual system deserves it.
=> Good difference compared to LotRO, which has a very straight class system with static level-based skills (like WoW, minus the whole talent tree system).
As far as I can tell, the only original thing in LotRO is the virtue system, which requires a huge amount of grind for a very small customization benefit.
- the Crafting system in RoM is close to useless and requires a huge time investment (resource gathering).
I don't remember being able to craft something useful for my main character.
I did craft some powerful equipment for my alts however, from grinding solo a level 20 instance with my main (I don't remember the name - may have been nerfed since).
=> That is also a difference compared to LotRO which has a crafting system helping your main character through the level up process and which requires much less time investment.
Craft is close to useless at the end game however (exactly like WoW).
- the Looting system in RoM is pretty original, as loots can be used to customize your other loots.
In fact, the work they did not do in the crafting area, it seems they did it here. Loots are king in RoM.
=> As the character advancement system is pretty straight in LotRO, the customization is basically done though the equipment.
Loots in LotRO are important during the level up process but crafted equipment can be an alternative. Loots are king at the end game (exactly like WoW).
- the Group instances in RoM are challenging.
That was not the case during the beta, and consequently, a good bunch of the beta testers (including me) finished the whole content before the release.
As the developers were not able to add content in a timely manner, they drastically increased the challenge of all instances a couple of days before the release instead.
Again, the whole community was shocked - mostly by the fact they did the change whithout any warning. The challenge adjustment was a necessity however.
=> Again a good bit of difference compared to LotRO where the challenging group instances can be count on one hand (it is the total opposite of WoW this time).
- the Lore in RoM is almost non-existent.
=> Extreme difference here compared to LotRO where the lore is onmipresent.
The consequence is that the player community is much more consistent in LotRO than in RoM. The fact LotRO is now F2P may have changed that.
As you can see, both games are different on almost any significative area I can think of.
The only shared area is that both games are loot-centric.
LotRO is basically a (poor) WoW clone, with much (much) less end game challenging instances, with very few customization options (except for the way of dressing), but with a solid quest system and a completely different lore, which has a lot of fans.
In terms of content - LOTR
In terms of actually playing for free - RoM (although there are better choices to play purely free, but just be prepared to be underpowered in comparison, and needing to grind more and over level things to complete most quests)
I highly recommend checking out the new Everquest2 Extended. I just started playing and I'm totally hooked. I've tried ROM, LOTRO, DDO, Allods, and even Alganon. I have to say that EQ2X is the best in my opinion. The game is really polished. The graphics are great. The gameplay is very complex. And there is enough content to keep ya busy til the next big thing (GW2) : )
Of course the gameplay is complex, it's EQ. That's not mentioning the fact you get absolutely the bare minimum with EQ2X. You can't even upgrade your spells or equipment past a certain level, and if you want anything beyond that you'll have to pay sub plus the extra costs for other stuff. EQ2X is somehow less f2p than EQ2. SOE, showing customers how little they care about you year after year.
Yeah, EQ2X is a ripoff. Worst f2p design I have ever seen. Which is a shame because the game itself is actually pretty good. Definitely shows its age more than others of its era but still a pretty good game.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Why not just try out LOTR and make up your own mind. Worse case scenario you dont like it and wasted a night.
-Almerel
Hello my old friend.
If you wanna play good polished smooth game, play LOTRO, but if you wanna play f2p game go with ROM.
Im not saying that LOTRO doesnt have f2p attached to its title now, but we all know what it means
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Made my day.
Awful ROM is muhc better than LoTRO.
Free to play game beats out a "AAA" game that used to be full on subs, and made by a large studio.
It just goes to show how badly Turbine screwed up when they ruined Lord of the Rings.
"Gamers will no longer buy the argument that every MMO requires a subscription fee to offset server and bandwidth costs. It's not true you know it, and they know it." Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet, 2007
WTF? No subscription fee?
I only played RoM for a little while because I hated the limit on inventory space, but overall I think I like the game better. My biggest issue with LOTRO is that you never feel like you're out in the wilderness. you are almost ALWAYS within view of another city. or at most a 2 minute walk/ride. I can't be that into a game when it feels like I'm spending my time hunting around in peoples backyard the whole time. Other than that huge flaw I do like LOTRO's turbine point system because if you are willing to grind for them you will never have to use real life money to buy things from the item shop. A helpful link if you are willing to do that is http://lotro.mmorsel.com/p/tpfinder.html?zd=Ered_Luin&tab=1.
Lotro IS a beuatiful game, and has in depth stories....I just wish I could feel like I'm on an adventure, and not just wandering around between towns.