Giving Lotro a try

ThomasN7 · July 2008

Haven't played a real mmo since my old FFXi days and played Wow for 6 months. I was wondering what's a good server to play on, how is the community and whats the good and bad oints about the game ? I'm not expecting anything epic here just looking for a solid mmo to play with a good community.

beaverz · July 2008

If by good you mean populated I'd say brandywine for us snowbourne for euro.

The comunity is overall helpful, mature and nice.

Thsi game is for people that like doing pve, nice landscape and graphics. If you have a good comp lotro will really look agreable. This game is not for hte people that like to do a lot of pvp and then some pve just to get a nice peace of gear.

The pvp in lotro gives you a very nice set of armor, titles... But the interestign thing about lotro pvp is the creep side. Its the only way to play the forces of evil in lotro. At level 10 you can create a evil character which starts at max lvl and you can directly take part in pvp and fight players that have been playing since release. Your gear will be equivalent to what they have.

In lotro the storyline is very developped based around lotr and is divided in book quests which reward you with very ncie gear and are quite fun/ well done.

Papadam · July 2008

Originally posted by SaintViktor

Haven't played a real mmo since my old FFXi days and played Wow for 6 months. I was wondering what's a good server to play on, how is the community and whats the good and bad oints about the game ? I'm not expecting anything epic here just looking for a solid mmo to play with a good community.

In my opinion:

Good:

The community: Very mature and friendly

Content updates: Add alot of nice things for free every 3 months

Graphics: The world desing is incredible!

The polish: Very well done, bug free and stable game

Casual friendly: Everything in the game is reachable for most people not just the "hardcore" players

PvP: It can be alot of fun

The bad:

Character custimization: You can change your charcter with traits but its not enough (yet)

End game: They dont add enough instances for the end game in my opinion (but with Moria coming I guess that will change) And the rewards are not enough (but book 14 helped alot)

Animations: Some of the character animations are really bad... some are very nice

Lack of dynamic world: Dont know how to explain... but it feels like they need to add more "life" to the world and more things going on (Also something they seem to be working on with Live-events and the battlefield isntances)

PvP: Even if it is fun, it also needs alot of work!

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So I think that the game have alot of positives and the things I dont like are being worked on and improving!

neonwire · July 2008

Sorry to sound negative but I really wasnt impressed with this game. I downloaded the trial and 3 days later uninstalled it again as I just got so bored. Maybe I was expecting too much as I had heard lots of good things about it from other people.

The story the game tells is ok but I certainly wouldnt say it is brilliant by any means. The game just feels so restrictive. You simply follow a linear path that is laid out in front of you and you seem to have very little choice over how you play the game. It felt like a very simplified single player game to me.

The graphics were certainly good compared to other mmos although they were perhaps a bit too cutesy for my liking. I would have expected a game set in Tolkiens world to be a dark and gritty place. However its true that this is a very polished mmo but then the game is very simple so its not surprising really.

Combat seemed very flat although it worked well enough. I suppose I would describe it as functional. The character models move fluidly but I never got any sense of excitement from it. In fact I rarely felt any excitement at all while playing this game as it is all so heavily scripted that it takes the control out of my hands. The only buzz I got was when I saw the character selection screen which looked impressive.

Overall I would recommend this game to someone who is new to mmos or perhaps young children as there is very little requirement for decision making or thinking. Its not bad by any means but for me I need a lot more to keep me interested. The story side of things just didnt grab me as I can just read a good book for that which is much better. Of course I didnt play the game for that long so maybe it all opens up later on and becomes something totally different.

DonnieBrasco · July 2008

Originally posted by neonwire

Of course I didnt play the game for that long so maybe it all opens up later on and becomes something totally different.

And that's the essence of your post.

Criticizing the story-driven aspect of LOTRO demonstrates that you did not really give it even remotely enough time to have a clue. There is nothing wrong with not liking the game, fair enough. But your impressions are simply wrong. It is definitely not a game for "kids only", to name another.

DB

Cosack · July 2008

There's no way you can see much of the game playing the free trial. Especially as most of it is now level restricted. The starter areas aren't anything like what lies ahead as you level up.

One of the major drawbacks is the linear levelling path, as mentioned by another poster. Regardless of the class/race you choose, you still have to do the same quests unless you fancy killing 125,000,000 wargs for xp

I played the game from CB until earlier this year when, to be honest, I got bored doing the same things over and over. The game lacks serious end-game content unless you're happy to repeat raids over and over hoping to be lucky enough to get that leet bit of gear you're short to complete the latest armour set. PvP while innovative has always been stacked in favour of the freeps but it's kinda fun (if it weren't for a few overpowered classes it'd be the best part of the game)

If you like craftng, then this game is NOT for you. The crafting system in the game is really poor and as a result, there's little or no player economy............it's hard to make sense that someone playing the game for a few days can craft items as well as someone playing for a year or more.

The game isn't all bad tho. It does have many good features and the community is, for the most part, really friendly & helpful. New content gets added all the time and that's never a bad thing, especially as it's free!!!

DonnieBrasco · July 2008

Originally posted by Cosack

There's no way you can see much of the game playing the free trial. Especially as most of it is now level restricted. The starter areas aren't anything like what lies ahead as you level up.
This part I agree with
One of the major drawbacks is the linear levelling path, as mentioned by another poster. Regardless of the class/race you choose, you still have to do the same quests unless you fancy killing 125,000,000 wargs for xp This used to be true, but not anymore. Up to level 20ish, you have the choices of the different starter regions. Between 20 and 30 it's mostly Lone lands and North Downs, i admit. But above35 you have Evendim, North Downs, Trollshaws, Angmar, Misty Mountains, numerous instances and recently Forochel. There are way more quests than enough to level, even if you prefer solo only. But if you like grouping and do FS, the choice is HUGE. (also, mob give quite a lot of XP now, at lvl 45 a same level mob gives some 400 XP, which is roughly 10% of a typical quest reward XP. So grind is now actually an option (if anyone likes that..?)
I played the game from CB until earlier this year when, to be honest, I got bored doing the same things over and over. The game lacks serious end-game content unless you're happy to repeat raids over and over hoping to be lucky enough to get that leet bit of gear you're short to complete the latest armour set. PvP while innovative has always been stacked in favour of the freeps but it's kinda fun (if it weren't for a few overpowered classes it'd be the best part of the game) (*sigh*). Again, the stupidest term in MMO gaming pops its ugly head up. NO such thing as endgame in MMORPG's, and especially not with LOTRO, as it keeps being expanded frequently. Actually, with BOOK 14 there are a lot of new things to do. Better check those release notes before "posting by old experience" ?
If you like craftng, then this game is NOT for you. The crafting system in the game is really poor and as a result, there's little or no player economy............it's hard to make sense that someone playing the game for a few days can craft items as well as someone playing for a year or more. I fail to make sense of this sentence... what? I actually LOVE crafting and I enjoy it tremendously. Now what? It looks like you must have playing this game at least a year or more ago. There are tons of recipes, recently added advanced tier5 scholar potion recipes (faction-based), crafting just keeps getting better. The economy on my server is as stable as it can be, T5 morale potions have the same (healthy!) price for almost a year now...
The game isn't all bad tho. It does have many good features and the community is, for the most part, really friendly & helpful. New content gets added all the time and that's never a bad thing, especially as it's free!!!

Just thought like getting an update to your (seemingly a little outdated) post as well

DB

beaverz · July 2008

Its too bad you dont see that big statue in evendim or rivendell during the trial, that'd make a lot more people stay after trial.

Swam under the statue in evendim last night, first time seeing it is quite breathtaking (especially when playing at a friend that has a 2000€ desktop)

Sovrath · July 2008

Originally posted by neonwire

The story the game tells is ok but I certainly wouldnt say it is brilliant by any means. The game just feels so restrictive. You simply follow a linear path that is laid out in front of you and you seem to have very little choice over how you play the game. It felt like a very simplified single player game to me.

I sort of wish people wouldn't say this as it is not quite true.

you don't have to do the epic story quests. Now "yes" there are quests and it is the best way to level, but I've maxed my character to 50 and have barely don't any of the book quests. So if one wanted they could just grind or roleplay all they wanted without ever touching the book quests.

I woud say that some areas are restricted if you do't have the quests. This I don't like and I wish they would change it.

neonwire · July 2008

Originally posted by DonnieBrasco

Originally posted by neonwire

Of course I didnt play the game for that long so maybe it all opens up later on and becomes something totally different.

And that's the essence of your post.

Criticizing the story-driven aspect of LOTRO demonstrates that you did not really give it even remotely enough time to have a clue. There is nothing wrong with not liking the game, fair enough. But your impressions are simply wrong. It is definitely not a game for "kids only", to name another.

DB

Sorry if I offended you. I did make a deliberate point of saying that I hadnt seen a lot of the game so my opinion was only based on the portion I had played through. My impressions are not wrong though because what I experienced was genuinely very uninteresting. None of it made me think "Oh wow thats incredible". I just felt rather bored as I trudged across the landscape mopping up the quest shopping list and collecting seemingly rather mundane items. Like I said though I'm sure it gets better later on. However from my experience of other mmos this is actually rarely the case. You usually do the same things later in these games as you do in the beginning. I find it amusing how people try and defend their favourite games by saying "Oh it gets amazing later on". Yeah so why is it that players have to endure large swaths of brain melting boredom to experience some shining content later on that is supposedly awe inspiring? How about making the game fun and interesting to begin with?

I also never said it was a game for "kids only". What I said was that it would be suitable for children because it is simple and easy to play (even more so than other mmos) and doesnt dazzle you with a load of choices. The game basicly holds your hand. Also the cutesy graphics might be more appealing to the younger generation too. Grown-ups and Tolkien fans ("Oh wow cool look theres Gandalf!") will find this game appealing too though of course......its just that to me it seemed more like a kiddies game. Sorry if you find that patronising but......well.....thats just not my problem. Maybe you shouldnt take the game so seriously and afterall its only my opinion.

DonnieBrasco · July 2008

Originally posted by neonwire

Originally posted by DonnieBrasco

Originally posted by neonwire

Of course I didnt play the game for that long so maybe it all opens up later on and becomes something totally different.

And that's the essence of your post.

Criticizing the story-driven aspect of LOTRO demonstrates that you did not really give it even remotely enough time to have a clue. There is nothing wrong with not liking the game, fair enough. But your impressions are simply wrong. It is definitely not a game for "kids only", to name another.

DB

Sorry if I offended you. I did make a deliberate point of saying that I hadnt seen a lot of the game so my opinion was only based on the portion I had played through. My impressions are not wrong though because what I experienced was genuinely very uninteresting. None of it made me think "Oh wow thats incredible". I just felt rather bored as I trudged across the landscape mopping up the quest shopping list and collecting seemingly rather mundane items. Like I said though I'm sure it gets better later on. However from my experience of other mmos this is actually rarely the case. You usually do the same things later in these games as you do in the beginning. I find it amusing how people try and defend their favourite games by saying "Oh it gets amazing later on". Yeah so why is it that players have to endure large swaths of brain melting boredom to experience some shining content later on that is supposedly awe inspiring? How about making the game fun and interesting to begin with?

I also never said it was a game for "kids only". What I said was that it would be suitable for children because it is simple and easy to play (even more so than other mmos) and doesnt dazzle you with a load of choices. The game basicly holds your hand. Also the cutesy graphics might be more appealing to the younger generation too. Grown-ups and Tolkien fans ("Oh wow cool look theres Gandalf!") will find this game appealing too though of course......its just that to me it seemed more like a kiddies game. Sorry if you find that patronising but......well.....thats just not my problem. Maybe you shouldnt take the game so seriously and afterall its only my opinion.

You didn't offend me no worries.

Let me rephrase: your impressions are "probably" deceiving. Even critics of this game agree that it does open up a lot at higher levels. Therefore, playing only for 3 days have a *serious* chance of leaving you with a mis-interpretation of several things. (playing at higher levels, especially in fellowships quests is not that easy at all - while low-level content is easy for anyone to pick up, there is skill and experience needed to "master" all the classes, especially to work well in fellowships. No, it definitely NOT leads you by the hand. If you ever worked figuring out a trait setup for a certain raid, you'd agree

Also, nobody *needs* to play any game, if they don't feel good playing initially. But in cases like this, I leave these games quietly, and will never try to advise any newcomers based on my very limited experience, that might not necessarily (being very diplomatic here) give a fair picture about said game - for an obvious reason.

It is not about defending or taking a game any too seriously - it is about someone not knowing something and spreading his own (unfounded) opinion as advice.

DB

MaGicBush · July 2008

Originally posted by Papadam

Originally posted by SaintViktor

Haven't played a real mmo since my old FFXi days and played Wow for 6 months. I was wondering what's a good server to play on, how is the community and whats the good and bad oints about the game ? I'm not expecting anything epic here just looking for a solid mmo to play with a good community.

Lack of dynamic world: Dont know how to explain... but it feels like they need to add more "life" to the world and more things going on (Also something they seem to be working on with Live-events and the battlefield isntances)

Well, I just started last week and am at level 13. I can say this is one thing LOTRO seems to be not lacking. There is a lot of life the world, the NPC's run around a lot and talk to eachother. Not to mention if you are on a populated server(I am on Elendilmir) and there is constantly people running around doing different things which adds to the "life" of the game. Last night was the first time I went into to Bree, and so many people and things going on it was hard to keep up. I even saw a group sitting around a fire rping, which is something I dont see much in MMO's anymore.

Sharkypal · July 2008

Originally posted by neonwire

Originally posted by DonnieBrasco

Originally posted by neonwire

Of course I didnt play the game for that long so maybe it all opens up later on and becomes something totally different.

And that's the essence of your post.

Criticizing the story-driven aspect of LOTRO demonstrates that you did not really give it even remotely enough time to have a clue. There is nothing wrong with not liking the game, fair enough. But your impressions are simply wrong. It is definitely not a game for "kids only", to name another.

DB

Sorry if I offended you. I did make a deliberate point of saying that I hadnt seen a lot of the game so my opinion was only based on the portion I had played through. My impressions are not wrong though because what I experienced was genuinely very uninteresting. None of it made me think "Oh wow thats incredible". I just felt rather bored as I trudged across the landscape mopping up the quest shopping list and collecting seemingly rather mundane items. Like I said though I'm sure it gets better later on. However from my experience of other mmos this is actually rarely the case. You usually do the same things later in these games as you do in the beginning. I find it amusing how people try and defend their favourite games by saying "Oh it gets amazing later on". Yeah so why is it that players have to endure large swaths of brain melting boredom to experience some shining content later on that is supposedly awe inspiring? How about making the game fun and interesting to begin with?

I also never said it was a game for "kids only". What I said was that it would be suitable for children because it is simple and easy to play (even more so than other mmos) and doesnt dazzle you with a load of choices. The game basicly holds your hand. Also the cutesy graphics might be more appealing to the younger generation too. Grown-ups and Tolkien fans ("Oh wow cool look theres Gandalf!") will find this game appealing too though of course......its just that to me it seemed more like a kiddies game. Sorry if you find that patronising but......well.....thats just not my problem. Maybe you shouldnt take the game so seriously and afterall its only my opinion.

So, you're saying the game is "simple" and yet you have played for a grand total of 3 days (not 72 hours Im assuming, but a few hours a day). Please point me in the direction of an MMO that is NOT simple for the first 15 - 20 levels.

Now, I'm not saying Lotro is the most complex MMO on the planet because it most certainly isn't. Saying that however, there aren't any really elaborate (a la EQ in its original form) games available now. Most people think that WoW is the genesis of MMOs and don't realise there were several games that came before. Unfortunately in the quest for the almighty $$, even the ones that remain are shadows of their former selves.

I don't think that your post holds a lot of water tbh. And as DB said, its not that we take offence, it's the misinformation you're spreading based on what can only be decribed as a VERY limited experience of the game. It's a shame you didnt give it more time, find a decent kin and really experience what Lotro has to offer.

It is a very "causal" friendly game but that doesn't mean there isnt content for the more advanced player. The raids are nowhere near the complexity/difficulty of the hardest raids that exist in certain other games and compared to raids like Deathtoll in EQ2, they are fairly easy but that doesn't mean it isn't fun or challenging.

I really would venture that it is the best PvE based MMO on the market without question. PvP will always be a bone of contention because the gankers don't like the fact that they can't run around griefing lower level players. Lotr's PvP actually has a point and because this concept is lost on griefers etc, it isnt as successful as it could be.

Anyway, I digress,

S

ThomasN7 · July 2008

Well thanks for the responses guys. I have tons more to see of the game but for the 2 days I been playing it has been really fun, The community is very helpful and it has just been alot of fun. I already got recommended to a kindship as well so I'm looking forward to alot of Lotro game time.

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