LOTRO Review in a Nutshell

jihashi

 Ok, I won't bore you with gorey details, or go into to much detail. I'll admit one thing, I'm a big fan of this game, and for some very good reasons.

 The story line is the best I have ever seen. To make a long story short, your off to the side doing what you can to aid the fellowship, all be it indirectly. But it doesn't stop there. There are many evils that are plagueing Middle Earth, so it's up to you to put a stop to it. There are numerous times where you come across the members of the fellowship, and you even get to help them out before they set off from Rivendell. On a side note, there is no feeling of awe you get either standing on the summit of Weathertop, or riding your way down into Rivendell Valley, with the view of the Last Homely House coming slowly into view as you round the last curve. Or venturing into the Golden Wood for the first time, blinking at the brightness of the sun after being in the deep dank of Moria. Nothing, except the feeling that you get when your asked to walk with Frodo, and judge how he's doing, and wether or not Gandalf made the right choice in letting him carry the One Ring.

 

 Just a spoiler on that very short quest. Frodo will begin by saying how afraid he is, and how uncertain he is if he can deal with such a monumental task. But as the walk continues, you can see his strength and resolve surfacing. Of that doesn't leave an impression on you, I don't know what will. Then it comes when you get to see the fellowship off when they depart Rivendell.

 

 Back on track here. The player housing system is, to say the least, one of the best features in the game. It's not only just a place for you to hang your hat after a long adventure, kick back with your friends, store extra items or display your trophies. But that house will grant you a (albeit small) vendor discount, depending on where you choose to call home. Each of the four races have their own housing area, and they come in three flavors. No, I'm not talking about chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I mean regular, delux, and kinship sizes. It's especially to many player's advantage to purchase a Breeland house. Why? Because with that house, your mount purchase will be cheaper. Either way, choose your neighborhood wisely. Because if you choose to abandon your home. It will be a 24 hour waiting period before you can purchase a home in another neighborhood.

 Crafting is pretty decent, at least until you get to tier 4. For some reason, that one requires the most. My only speculation is that it's because those recipes were from the Pre Moria expansion, and it hasn't changed yet. But all in all, they only get better and better. You have the chance to get a critical success, and end up with a much better item than when you first started, and you can use certain crit items to increase your chances. Helps to make friends with a scholar since they can make you scrolls to help boost your chances for success. But don't forget to upgrade your tools from time to time.

 Combat is decent to say the least. You can even set an option to auto move to your target. Though why you would want to do that when every class has some sort of pull weapon or skill they can use is beyond me. It isn't to hard to figure out what class is best for which type of combat. Which, if your a swift learner, you can figure out even before your out of the tutorial.

 Graphics, in my opinion, are pretty darned good. If you have the right Direct X version, you can play using that with minimal stress on your graphics card. Which makes playing in Ultra just phenominal. Plus that view from Weathertop will just blow you away. Make sure you have your feet firmly planted, and a good grip on something solid. Also, you get a nice view of the Northern Lights up in Forochel.

 Class balance is pretty decent as well. Over my years of playing LOTRO, I found that some races are better suited to some classes than others. The same goes for the type of weapon that that race can make the best use of. Ok, just to make it a little less confusing. Let's go with something simple. Guardians, while any race can be one. I found that dwarves are best suited to that. Now, they may hit like a newborn kitten. But put an axe in their hands, and they're unstoppable. Need anything more than that? Let's just say that dwarves also have a hidden +1 racial bonus to axes. When you get the racial trait, that moves up to +2. Plus they get a couple more racials that make them tanking machines. Even elite trolls and giants will quake in their shoes and cry for their mommies when fighting against one. Just for an example mind you.

 P2P vs F2P on this, well, I don't have much of an opinion. While it's great there are more players now, and the higher level zones don't seem as empty. I can't help but feel that since the game went F2P that it just let in the worst sort. You see it all the time in the channels. More notably in the Bree-lands. These rude individuals like to flame and call you the Chat Police whenever you try to politely direct them to a different channel, so that those who have a ligitimate use for the channel they're spamming on, can make the proper use of it. Now, what is the counter point to that?

 The GM's of course. I have to say that I have played many games in my time, but the GM's in this game are just the absolute best. They respond faster than any others, take your complaints seriously, and even punish the ne're do wells as swiftly as possible. They have even been known to go directly to a player in game, should that player find something that is questionable, and just want confirmation before that player posts a bug report. If awards could be given to these guys, they would be the best decorated in all the MMO worlds.

 The future of this game. From the rumor that I hear, ok, maybe not a rumor. But from what I hear anyway, a new zone will be opening up later this year. I tell you all this much, my loyal readers and followers. I myself am definitly looking forward to the day when I can shout out at the top of my lungs from the summit of Weathertop. "They've taken the hobbits to Isengaard!!" We all know that's going to spawn some new music videos right there if they havn't already.

 Speaking of music. The one feature that really stands out, is the ability for players to generate music. Granted, it's all played via a midi format. But, when you get the right instruments, and the right number of people. Even midi never sounded so good. You have the option of free styling it, or going to the source page that has it all. I'm speaking, of course, of phatloot.com. Copy and paste the music file you want to a notepad, and put it in your LOTRO folder. Then with a few simple commands, execute your favorite song. It's just that easy.

 Legendary weapons were also brought into the game with the advent of the Mines of Moria expansion. This is a truly unique system, as the weapons and class specific items gain in power as you level. They also look pretty snazzy, especially if you apply the right title to them. But each title has it's own damage set. So it's often wise to carry more than one type of title scroll with you. So you can change and update on an as needed basis. Either way, the quest, while strenuous at level 45, is well worth doing early. By the time your ready to enter Moria itself, your weapon is far more powerful than those that choose to just rush right in.

 The community... what to say... Do I really have to say that LOTRO thus far, has the most friendly and helpful player base than any other MMO available today? If you have played it, asked a question, and got an accurate and friendly responce. Then I would hope I wouldn't have to say that. But, I just did. Granted, the ne're do wells will insist on flaming and trolling, which makes ligit questions hard to spot and answer. But even the most intrepid of those of us who have been playing this game for awhile will still get you those answers. Even if we have to sift through and send you a tell directly.

 

 Well folks. I wish I could add more, but, I'm getting old, and my nerves are telling me I need to go to bed. I hope you all enjoyed reading this. I know I enjoyed typing it all out, almost as much as I enjoy my own adventures in Middle Earth. If your on Brandywine, don't hesitate to give me a shout. I can usually be found either on Dunran or Rofro. If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to scream. Until next time, and may your journey through the lands of Middle Earth be as wonderful and enjoyable as my own!!