Why I choose LOTRO

wildtalent

To say that I have been around the MMO block is putting it mildly.  I've played, and this is just an underestimate, probably twenty or so different MMO's and I'm not talking about just the throw away F2P's either.  So what exactly caught my attention about this one?  The answer, Middle Earth.

I'm not some LotR fanboy, let me address that from the start.  I do love the books but I don't rave about them.  What I mean when I say MIddle Earth, is the game's rich textured graphics and well written storyline. 

Sure, the game uses some tired mechanics that EQ and WoW patented but who cares.  When I walk through this world, I don't feel a burning NEED to level or craft or anything else.  It's nice enough to simply BE in the world.  I can spend literally hours just walking through the forests or exploring the roads.  

Im still a noob with a paltry level 16 Hunter, but usually by this point I have gotten caught up in that need to min max my character and rush through the game (which for me always leads to burn out and consequently, and I know I'm gonna get flamed here, I've never max leveled a character in any game).

Even so, I find myself in love with the game.  From what I hear it only gets better.  Reportedly from higher level players the crafting system is rich and rewarding.  Also, you can literally learn to play musical instruments in the game, form bands and tour Middle Earth if you feel up to it. 

I don't know maybe I'm just tired of the cartoony or anime appearances of other fantasy MMORPGS. Or maybe i've grown tired of rapidly clicking on the quests accept buttons in other games knowing the average quest has nothing to do with the larger scope of the story. 

All I know is for now, at this moment, this is the game for me.

 

Alberel

Glad to have you aboard.

The game isn't without its faults, I'm not too much of a fan of Turbine's tendency to cut corners, but the game is definately one of the better ones out there and the story is undeniably very good.

Comnitus

The world feels alive and authentic, which is one of the reasons I loved DAoC, too. There are many small visual and audio details that really immerse you if you let them. If it doesn't quite feel like Middle-earth because of <insert lore inconsistency here>, then it at least feels like a real medieval land. I think if you keep taking your time, you'll enjoy the whole experience much more. A lesson we could all learn, I think.

Bannne

Don't worry, by the time you reach level thirty you will be bored shitless. Yes it's a good game and yes it has some great forests and graphics in DX10 but for me there is something missing. I have 5 character now and for some reason round level 30-40 i lose interest.

I have just levelled a Burglar to 40 and tonight i really can't be bothered to log into the same grind. You might go all the way but it's missing something IMO.

 

That's not me saying the game is not good and ill admit the RP is the best in any mmorpg out there,nights in the prancing pony are great and the players are great as well.

Matt_UK

Originally posted by Bannne


Don't worry, by the time you reach level thirty you will be bored shitless. Yes it's a good game and yes it has some great forests and graphics in DX10 but for me there is something missing. I have 5 character now and for some reason round level 30-40 i lose interest.
I have just levelled a Burglar to 40 and tonight i really can't be bothered to log into the same grind. You might go all the way but it's missing something IMO.
 
That's not me saying the game is not good and ill admit the RP is the best in any mmorpg out there,nights in the prancing pony are great and the players are great as well.

 

The 30-40 boredom problem is only faced by players who don't understand how to make the most of the game. If you think it's a grind after 40 then you just aren't getting it i'm afraid. Maybe you should stick with one character, levelling 5 to 40 is just stupid in my opinion.

If you spend all of your time in North Downs, which has so many quests you feel like you will never get out, you will get bored. Go to Evendim around 32 and start questing there, you should also go to Misty Mountains and begin to work your way into Eregion. Once you hit 45 the game takes off again. I never had a moment of boredom from 45 all the way to 65 and Mirkwood. Personally i deleted every quest that wasn't equal to my level or above, that kept my interest high and the challenge constant.

What the game needs now is a sizable expansion as most of us have done Mirkwood and are just hanging around in Dol Guldor.

Papadam

Originally posted by Bannne


Don't worry, by the time you reach level thirty you will be bored shitless. Yes it's a good game and yes it has some great forests and graphics in DX10 but for me there is something missing. I have 5 character now and for some reason round level 30-40 i lose interest.
I have just levelled a Burglar to 40 and tonight i really can't be bothered to log into the same grind. You might go all the way but it's missing something IMO.
 
That's not me saying the game is not good and ill admit the RP is the best in any mmorpg out there,nights in the prancing pony are great and the players are great as well.

 

Its fun how some people think they can speak for how others feel

I can agree that lvl 30-40 is the worst part of the leveling and can get abit dull. But after that I think the fun picks up again, especially with the Volume 1 revamp and skirmishes. lvl 40-50 is great with lot of different zones to choose from. And then lvls 50-65 in Moria, Lothloriens and Mirkwood is the best part of the game for me.

 

Bannne

Originally posted by Matt_UK

Originally posted by Bannne


Don't worry, by the time you reach level thirty you will be bored shitless. Yes it's a good game and yes it has some great forests and graphics in DX10 but for me there is something missing. I have 5 character now and for some reason round level 30-40 i lose interest.
I have just levelled a Burglar to 40 and tonight i really can't be bothered to log into the same grind. You might go all the way but it's missing something IMO.
 
That's not me saying the game is not good and ill admit the RP is the best in any mmorpg out there,nights in the prancing pony are great and the players are great as well.

 

The 30-40 boredom problem is only faced by players who don't understand how to make the most of the game. If you think it's a grind after 40 then you just aren't getting it i'm afraid. Maybe you should stick with one character, levelling 5 to 40 is just stupid in my opinion.

If you spend all of your time in North Downs, which has so many quests you feel like you will never get out, you will get bored. Go to Evendim around 32 and start questing there, you should also go to Misty Mountains and begin to work your way into Eregion. Once you hit 45 the game takes off again. I never had a moment of boredom from 45 all the way to 65 and Mirkwood. Personally i deleted every quest that wasn't equal to my level or above, that kept my interest high and the challenge constant.

What the game needs now is a sizable expansion as most of us have done Mirkwood and are just hanging around in Dol Guldor.

That's over a period of nearly 3 years not one after the other. I have been back 5 times and it just doesn't hold me that long,i have been to Evendim,lol that's the ranger island,right?

Bannne

Originally posted by Papadam

Originally posted by Bannne


Don't worry, by the time you reach level thirty you will be bored shitless. Yes it's a good game and yes it has some great forests and graphics in DX10 but for me there is something missing. I have 5 character now and for some reason round level 30-40 i lose interest.
I have just levelled a Burglar to 40 and tonight i really can't be bothered to log into the same grind. You might go all the way but it's missing something IMO.
 
That's not me saying the game is not good and ill admit the RP is the best in any mmorpg out there,nights in the prancing pony are great and the players are great as well.

 

Its fun how some people think they can speak for how others feel

I can agree that lvl 30-40 is the worst part of the leveling and can get abit dull. But after that I think the fun picks up again, especially with the Volume 1 revamp and skirmishes. lvl 40-50 is great with lot of different zones to choose from. And then lvls 50-65 in Moria, Lothloriens and Mirkwood is the best part of the game for me.

 

So you are just repeating what i am saying then, the game is boring once you get to the levels mentioned. Now that's wrong  because they should not be boring they should keep me interested,that's something that turbine need to fix,not me.

 

It's like saying that you should keep paying because it gets better later on. Ermm no, i want it to be like that all the way through,after all that's what i am paying a monthly sub for,right?

Did you read the bit where i said "you might go all the way" obviously not. Listen, the game is not perfect,no mmorpg is but if you cant take healthy objections then perhaps you should not be playing mmorpg.

Key word "perhaps"

Sanguinelust

Yeah, I'll agree, roughly 10 out of the 65 levels are tough to get through. But are they boring? The short answer is no. Boring is only an opinion. I'd call them a bit tedious because there is a lot of travel thrown in but you get to explore some very scenic parts of the game on those levels. It just takes a little longer to get through those levels because of all the traveling involved. If you wind up bored then perhaps you're not paying attention to all the detail.

Evelknievel

Lifetime member here and get in and out of the game continuously.

To me level 35 to 50 was absolutely brutual, I like the game, but don't love it, for some reason the game to me just feels flat and lacked the vision I saw it was suppose to be to me. Do I regret the Lifetime sub, not at all.. I believe I got my moneys worth after these many years.

I play it off and on with my online friends, but it is one title I just couldn't really get into and think or talk about the next day.

However, its by far one of the best and helpful fanbase communities out there when it comes to mmorpgs.

Phirmware

No game has given me as many 'Holy #^&@' moments as lotro. 

 

As stated before, the game world just feels alive.

sonicbrew

Originally posted by Comnitus


The world feels alive and authentic, which is one of the reasons I loved DAoC, too. There are many small visual and audio details that really immerse you if you let them. If it doesn't quite feel like Middle-earth because of <insert lore inconsistency here>, then it at least feels like a real medieval land. I think if you keep taking your time, you'll enjoy the whole experience much more. A lesson we could all learn, I think.

 

I am an old school gamer and have been playing these games since their inception. I was in the beta for LOTRO and it just didn't capture me upon release. I went back a few times trying but never working any toon past level 12. Being fed up with the industry and sick of all the crap out there, I tried to give the game another shot. I can say that I am really enjoying the game and the RP community on Landroval is second to none.

I gave the game some time and it just keeps growing on me. On top of that the DX10 graphics at max settings just immerses me all the more in a beautiful world. I am glad I finally gave the game a good shot and my latest toon is about to hit season 26. The reason I picked your post to comment on Comnitus was the mention of DAOC. I was a beta tester and an on going tester for 6 years in DAOC. Hands down my favorite game until it was ruined. There is still no game out there that beats the RvR/PvP of DAOC.

With that said, the one thing LOTRO brings to me is that old EQ/DAOC feeling and that is truly a wonderful thing. I would suggest to anyone interested to give the game some time and at least get to level 15-20 to really start seeing the game open up (it certainly opens up well before that for me anyhow) .  I hate crafting as well and this game has some of the best crafting I have seen. On Landroval, pulling into Bree and the Prancing Pony is nothing short of a role players dream. After bouncing from one MMO to another and being unsatisfied, I can say for me that this is the best MMO on the market right now.

Bannne

Originally posted by sonicbrew

Originally posted by Comnitus


The world feels alive and authentic, which is one of the reasons I loved DAoC, too. There are many small visual and audio details that really immerse you if you let them. If it doesn't quite feel like Middle-earth because of <insert lore inconsistency here>, then it at least feels like a real medieval land. I think if you keep taking your time, you'll enjoy the whole experience much more. A lesson we could all learn, I think.

 

I am an old school gamer and have been playing these games since their inception. I was in the beta for LOTRO and it just didn't capture me upon release. I went back a few times trying but never working any toon past level 12. Being fed up with the industry and sick of all the crap out there, I tried to give the game another shot. I can say that I am really enjoying the game and the RP community on Landroval is second to none.

I gave the game some time and it just keeps growing on me. On top of that the DX10 graphics at max settings just immerses me all the more in a beautiful world. I am glad I finally gave the game a good shot and my latest toon is about to hit season 26. The reason I picked your post to comment on Comnitus was the mention of DAOC. I was a beta tester and an on going tester for 6 years in DAOC. Hands down my favorite game until it was ruined. There is still no game out there that beats the RvR/PvP of DAOC.

With that said, the one thing LOTRO brings to me is that old EQ/DAOC feeling and that is truly a wonderful thing. I would suggest to anyone interested to give the game some time and at least get to level 15-20 to really start seeing the game open up (it certainly opens up well before that for me anyhow) .  I hate crafting as well and this game has some of the best crafting I have seen. On Landroval, pulling into Bree and the Prancing Pony is nothing short of a role players dream. After bouncing from one MMO to another and being unsatisfied, I can say for me that this is the best MMO on the market right now.

I am an old school mmorpg gamer,a true EQ1 vet is me. As for lotro giving me the EQ1 feeling, i would have to say no way,Vanguard wins hand down for any mmorpg giving you that old EQ1 feeling.

Corpse runs and experience lost can be found in Vanguard along with no instances and overland raid bosses that actually drop great loot. I will give lotro it's props though,it's got to be the best RP mmorpg experience out there at the moment.

Graphically the environment looks great but the characters are seriously lacking in looks and armour,it let's the game down. As for the actual world and how explorable it is ,then yes it's okay but does not hold a candle to Vanguard,the world is vast and full of mystery.

At the moment i play both games.Lotro is more of a casual break from more serious mmorpg like Vanguard for me. Like Vanguard lotro can be a grind but i will say that the actual feeling of the world in lotro is great,it's like being in a compact box where everything is cosy.

I can't say i have ever felt at danger in lotro or felt under threat. With Vanguard i can go anywhere even at level one just like old eq1 where you can go but you will die trying to pass through that area.

Lotro is worthy of being one of the leading mmorpg today if not the second western mmorpg on the market. Vanguard can't take that crown because it has a very low population which is a shame because it truly is a beautiful mmorpg,in some ways more beautiful than lotro.

All in all lotro is a good game with a great community that really are mature and helpful,just like Vanguards small but helpful community.

Oh, and yes lotro does fell alive,more so than Vanguard but perhaps that's because of the low population of Vanguard. Their is some great lore in vanguard but you have to search it out through the diplomacy system which makes it very interesting.

Vanguard is three game rolled into one with Diplomacy-Adventuring-and crafting all having their own levels and quests,it takes just as long to level crafting or diplomacy than it does adventuring.

 

Sovrath

 Perhaps one of the reasons people have problems 30-40 is that they are leveling as opposed to playing.

I find that many players have their eyes on getting top level or just getting "next level" and aren't engaged in what they are doing in the moment.

My advice if players are having issues 30-40 is not to watch your xp bar but to just do the quests as quests. Don't gather 10 of them so you can do them and quickly turn in to do another turn. I would say this is the easiest way to lose interest in any game.

If you need to kill a brigand commander or infiltrate a camp or clear out an area of spiders then truly forget all the leveling and just engage in that task. Instead of using quick travels actually travel to the area to get a sense of the world you are in.

Actually play the game without any thought of rewards or xp.

You will find that those levels will come and they will come with less drudgery.

Pelaaja

Originally posted by Bannne

Originally posted by sonicbrew

Originally posted by Comnitus


The world feels alive and authentic, which is one of the reasons I loved DAoC, too. There are many small visual and audio details that really immerse you if you let them. If it doesn't quite feel like Middle-earth because of <insert lore inconsistency here>, then it at least feels like a real medieval land. I think if you keep taking your time, you'll enjoy the whole experience much more. A lesson we could all learn, I think.

 

I am an old school gamer and have been playing these games since their inception. I was in the beta for LOTRO and it just didn't capture me upon release. I went back a few times trying but never working any toon past level 12. Being fed up with the industry and sick of all the crap out there, I tried to give the game another shot. I can say that I am really enjoying the game and the RP community on Landroval is second to none.

I gave the game some time and it just keeps growing on me. On top of that the DX10 graphics at max settings just immerses me all the more in a beautiful world. I am glad I finally gave the game a good shot and my latest toon is about to hit season 26. The reason I picked your post to comment on Comnitus was the mention of DAOC. I was a beta tester and an on going tester for 6 years in DAOC. Hands down my favorite game until it was ruined. There is still no game out there that beats the RvR/PvP of DAOC.

With that said, the one thing LOTRO brings to me is that old EQ/DAOC feeling and that is truly a wonderful thing. I would suggest to anyone interested to give the game some time and at least get to level 15-20 to really start seeing the game open up (it certainly opens up well before that for me anyhow) .  I hate crafting as well and this game has some of the best crafting I have seen. On Landroval, pulling into Bree and the Prancing Pony is nothing short of a role players dream. After bouncing from one MMO to another and being unsatisfied, I can say for me that this is the best MMO on the market right now.

I am an old ... adventuring.

 

Sorry, I cut you abit

Were you in a live Kinship when you stumbled upon the levelling wall? If you were, I don't think you're speaking the truth, mister.

The game turns from casual grouping into serious grouping must at the late levels (if my memory serves me well) and you can't really tell if the game is a grind or not unless you are in a live Kinship that takes you along to adventures.

Bannne

Originally posted by Pelaaja

Originally posted by Bannne

Originally posted by sonicbrew

Originally posted by Comnitus


The world feels alive and authentic, which is one of the reasons I loved DAoC, too. There are many small visual and audio details that really immerse you if you let them. If it doesn't quite feel like Middle-earth because of <insert lore inconsistency here>, then it at least feels like a real medieval land. I think if you keep taking your time, you'll enjoy the whole experience much more. A lesson we could all learn, I think.

 

I am an old school gamer and have been playing these games since their inception. I was in the beta for LOTRO and it just didn't capture me upon release. I went back a few times trying but never working any toon past level 12. Being fed up with the industry and sick of all the crap out there, I tried to give the game another shot. I can say that I am really enjoying the game and the RP community on Landroval is second to none.

I gave the game some time and it just keeps growing on me. On top of that the DX10 graphics at max settings just immerses me all the more in a beautiful world. I am glad I finally gave the game a good shot and my latest toon is about to hit season 26. The reason I picked your post to comment on Comnitus was the mention of DAOC. I was a beta tester and an on going tester for 6 years in DAOC. Hands down my favorite game until it was ruined. There is still no game out there that beats the RvR/PvP of DAOC.

With that said, the one thing LOTRO brings to me is that old EQ/DAOC feeling and that is truly a wonderful thing. I would suggest to anyone interested to give the game some time and at least get to level 15-20 to really start seeing the game open up (it certainly opens up well before that for me anyhow) .  I hate crafting as well and this game has some of the best crafting I have seen. On Landroval, pulling into Bree and the Prancing Pony is nothing short of a role players dream. After bouncing from one MMO to another and being unsatisfied, I can say for me that this is the best MMO on the market right now.

I am an old ... adventuring.

 

Sorry, I cut you abit

Were you in a live Kinship when you stumbled upon the levelling wall? If you were, I don't think you're speaking the truth, mister.

The game turns from casual grouping into serious grouping must at the late levels (if my memory serves me well) and you can't really tell if the game is a grind or not unless you are in a live Kinship that takes you along to adventures.

Nope i was not in a Kinship having left the one i did join after one week. It seems they were just recruiting to make up the numbers. I never had a group with the kinship and found they were more interested in what they were doing than anything the new member were doing.

I don't need to make up lies,it's what i found at around level 35-40,it became a bit of a boring grind. Yeah, joining another kinship just to make up the number is not my idea of a kinship. That aside, i found the amount of kill boar or wolf or bog crawler quests to be excessive,that's not taking anything away from the game.

As i said, lotro is worthy of being one of the leading mmorpg out there.

Torak

Originally posted by Matt_UK




 


What the game needs now is a sizable expansion as most of us have done Mirkwood and are just hanging around in Dol Guldor.

 

Didn't the full retail expansion "Mirkwood" just launch recently?

See that's the problem with these level, story driven MMO's, no dev team can possibly keep up with people like you. The same thing is going to happen in ToR, a month after launch you guys will be posting this same type of thing.