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whats so good about it ?
matrixvs
Member Posts: 179
well i been trying lotro for few hours now and i was wondering what makes this game so good.
i my self have played wow and tbh i cant realy see any good aspect other than lore of lotro.
servers seem kinda empty, character moves a bit odd and graphics aint that great but that least of my worrys, allso i notice this game is realy easy and i mean lot easyer than wow.
so why would ppl recommand it?
Comments
At the moment I would recommened it for you if you like the WoW gamestyle but somehow want to feel different from the masses. Since MoM, there's barely any difference. Lotro is lacking in every direction other than - storytelling of the main book quest line. If you like more-linear approach to MMO-gaming, then you as well might enjoy it. The dungeons, the world, the crafting, pvp, raiding is pretty much mediocre in every aspect.
REALITY CHECK
mmh sigh seems its a bit hard atm to find any good mmo that has a bit up to date gameplay and aint broken
There are quite a number of threads that would answer your question. Also, take what ever that other poster said, and its the opposite.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Thats alot of assumptions for a few hours of play.
Anyways to try an answer your question from my pov, I have played WOW for about 3½ years before i switched to LOTRO for good, to me the community seems much more mature and open to suggestions, ofcourse you will still find people that behave in a not so pleasurable way.
You say servers seems kindda empty, I am not sure what server your playing on, but judging server population starting zones, is a mistake, WOW would seem empty aswell if you judged it on the starting zones only, I am on EU server myself, and there is more than enough people around, for EU Snowbourne, Eldar and Laurelin are the highest populated servers, for US I will have to refer to someone else.
Gameplay wise, I will agree that some of the character animations could use some work, thats something thats been said by alot of people, but other than that the game is great, theres plenty of challenges to be had facing lots of well known enemies from the books, some might know them only from the movies tho.
Graphics wise I will have to strongly disagree with you, I am running this game on Ultra High with DX10 and its simply beautiful, theres so many "whoa" experiences if you really explore the world.
In regards to Endgame there might not be as many dungeons and raids as WOW offers, but the dungeons there are can be challenging, a prime example would be Dark Delvings, which is a 6 man instance in Moria, and all the beta info coming out from US says that the new raid in Siege of Mirkwood will offer up quite the challenge aswell, especially on Hardmode.
All in all I would say if your someone who only plays to raid 6 days a week, then LOTRO is not for you, but if you enjoy raiding, enjoy the Lore and enjoy playing a game where things are very polished and overall are just looking for a total experience then this game is a gem.
Great post.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
I was going to write a big slurge but then I realised its not our job to convince you. Try the game for a month or 2 find a kinship find people to group with then if you don't like it after that then its not for you.
If you want easy-mode disney land > The WoW Door is that way.
Turbine are a very good development company they have my trust. Perhaps I will venture into wow one day again but not anytime soon.
This game starts out easy as most rpgs should but it soon ramps up and becomes far harder than wow. The group content in esteldin for Dol Dinen for example. or get to 40-50 and complete the Fornost instance I triple dare you.
Tried this game for 3 months and can't say i get it either. Also got a free week so thought i'd check out to see how it had changed in the past 18 months (if anything i think it was better back then) and noticed how empty the game is now. As for the poor animations and character models, apparently these have been complained about since beta with no effect
As far as i can tell it's only selling point is that it's set in middle earth, without the lotr lore how many ppl would still be playing?
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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Did a mean hobbit break your heart or something? Because I see you bashing the game in pretty much every thread where someone asks a question.
Not sure if you accidentally loaded the wrong game, because other then perhaps Age of Conan, this has the best DX10 Graphics out there for a fantasy MMO...and it is a lot more polished performance wise then Age of Conan. I do agree that character animations need a face lift, but the world itself is beautiful. The Landroval server is quite crowded, but yes, at 1:00am Pacific Time it's not as crowded, so maybe you were playing on a test server accidentally. I also agree at the early levels the game is easy, that is if you choose to ignore all of the group quests in the books and the other group quests that are available for better gear. It is extremely solo friendly. At higher levels to get at the good content, with at least a small fellowship you are missing half the game.
What makes the game so good:
1) Like you said, the lore/story is top notch.
2) Yes, it has a path, but the world is quite huge and there is no set direction regarding exactly which area you have to go to level. For example, I could have skipped most of the mines of moria and still make it to 60. I could have skipped Forechel and still had ample quests, both solo and group, in Angmar, Rivendall, and Misty Mountains.
3) It has quite a variety of things to keep you busy with regard to crafting, traits, deeds, hobbies, housing, etc.
4) It has a relatively mature audience on the Landroval server, but in any game on any server there are going to be a few idiots.
I suggest you try to get a little bit higher and not rush to level and read the quests and maybe you'll enjoy it. Also, with the expansion coming out that should help with some of the combat speed.
Regardless, maybe this type of game isn't for you. Maybe a more FPS PVP style MMO with a faster pace is what you are looking for.
There Is Always Hope!
It's all about the ip and graphics, everything else you have seen before in some shape or form. It is an average game witrh a great ip.
If by mediocre you mean that it doesn't push the MMO gaming world in any new direction, I would agree, as it takes a lot of good things in other games and executes them extremely well. However, it is top notch in what it does do (except for the character animations which need to take a lesson from Aion). However, totally disagree in the way you are portraying the game as linear. Yea, it isn't quite as open as Vanguard (which sacrifices in other areas), but as I said to the OP:
"Yes, it has a path, but the world is quite huge and there is no set direction regarding exactly which area you have to go to level. For example, I could have skipped most of the mines of moria and still make it to 60. I could have skipped Forechel and still had ample quests, both solo and group, in Angmar, Rivendall, and Misty Mountains."
There Is Always Hope!
Not sure I can even respond better than most have already here. The DX10 is amazing in Ultra High, seriously, I find myself just stopping and staring at what I'm headed into some times. Its the first game that the simple 'world' itself comes alive around you and you just have to stop and admire it sometimes. I'm not sure how anyone can say its mediorce unless they just dont have the rig to play it like it should be played.
As for the characters, sure - they was what kept me from playing it a long time ago. I forced myself to get past that aspect for a month as so many suggested here, and trust me, they are right. Once you get over the first 15-20 levels and start getting your costumes in order you won't even notice that anymore. PLUS, they have already stated in SoM they are making the character animiations crisper.
I would recommend it, actually I have to everyone in RL I know. Don't let people tell you either way, best way in LoTRO is to experience it.
(DISCLAIMER - The use of the word YOU in the above post is not directed at any one person in particular, but towards those who fall into the category itself - there is no personal attack here, neither intentional nor implied.)
Why are some people so set in the opinion that if a game doesn't innovate in a big way it's a bad game? A well developed, well executed game with minimal innovation is much more fun (and therefore a better game) than an innovative mess of a game. Was Quake a bad game because Doom came out before it?
MUNDO!!
Why are some people so set in the opinion that if a game doesn't innovate in a big way it's a bad game? A well developed, well executed game with minimal innovation is much more fun (and therefore a better game) than an innovative mess of a game. Was Quake a bad game because Doom came out before it?
Would people actually play this game if it wasn't the LoTR ip ? I don't think it is a horrible game but I also feel its not that good either.
How does LOTR Online fair in the pvp area?.. I really enjoyed WoW, and always felt that Wow's PVP System, while never perfectly balanced, did reflect the overall balance of the game and was enjoyable. is LOTR similar in this aspect? or is pvp dumbed down
Why are some people so set in the opinion that if a game doesn't innovate in a big way it's a bad game? A well developed, well executed game with minimal innovation is much more fun (and therefore a better game) than an innovative mess of a game. Was Quake a bad game because Doom came out before it?
Would people actually play this game if it wasn't the LoTR ip ? I don't think it is a horrible game but I also feel its not that good either.
That's not really my point. My point is that people tend to ignore how well features are implimented in a particular game if they were implemented previously in another game. Overall quality is more important than innovation. (though both together are spectacular)
In answer to your question, I think it's pretty clear to everyone that LORTO wouldn't do as well if it didn't have the Tolkein IP. But apart from the fact that the entire game is designed around the IP (so the comparison is an unfair one), that doesn't prove anything other than they have a great IP.
Would WoW have done as well without the Warcraft IP? Would Warhammer? Would Conan? Would SWG? All good IPs give a boost to their respective games.
MUNDO!!
I think some of you misunderstand who turbine is. They are one of the oldest dev houses in this genre. They also, pioneered many of the "Standard" mmo features you take for granted today. While perhaps LOTRO does not itself innovate(Debatable), turbine has already paid there dues in this regard. Case in point, Turbine and AC2 are directly responsible for the modern MMO GUI that is in just about EVERY other game out there. They originated it.
So, again, Turbine is an innovator, constantly. They are quite responsible for many many things in this genre, that you take for granted, and that quite frankly, other games would be nothing with out the innovations and evolutions this company has put out.
What LOTRO is, is the sum total of all the years experience in a extremely solid experience. You will be hard pressed to find a more refined MMO. (Other than the obvious)
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
LotRO needs to meet people like myself halfway. I found the actual game pretty boring, but would pay maybe 5$ a month just to log in and play lute. The music system is the best thing ever conceived in an MMO, ever, but wasn't enough to keep me playing (though I did do the free trial just to play for a week).
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
The short and easy response to the OP question is.....Graphics, lore and community. And as for statement that servers are empty I can only speak for Landroval where the population is very healthy. I have a level 24 character, a level 55 and a couple lower level and I see lots of people in whichever area im playing at the time.
He means EVE of course.
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Why play LOTRO? Well for one thing the best community in mmo's. (and I have played a few). The graphics are stunning (if you have a good graphics card and monitor....recently updated to an ATI 5770 and wow the game looks good). SoM is coming this week and the servers popu;ation will go up considerably (I already see more people on in the last week). SoM introduces some really nice gameplay (faster combat and skirmishes) and a new really challenging RAID. The best advice I can give is to try it and see what you think (but I would wait for SoM on Tuesday).
Actually I will have to debate you on the comunity. For the past year it has gotten worse on Brandywine we constantly have to have the GM comes into GLFF and other chat's to clam things down several times a day. I don't know about the other servers but Brandywine is constanly being bombarded with children who cant get along for more than 5 minutes.
Yes I expect with the xpac that we will se a lot of folks come back. About 3 months ago we saw a huge departure on Brandywine. All you have to do is go to certain areas and look at /who. This morning I logged in and couned 114 total on the server 42 of them in 21st hall standing around looking for bounty runs. I been keeping a count and a log for the past 2 months. At peek times no more than 5 to 6k on at all. I don't call that healty; I call that low. Turtle reset days are the most popular folks log in and run turtle then go away for 3 days.
The real question is going to remain what are we gong to be left with a month after the xpac, were all going to have to wait and see. Your going to have a bunch of folks cut right through the content what little there is and be at 65 within the first 24 hours. I did it on beta within the first 3 days.
I think there is a lot of great art that went on, stunning images and what not. There is a lot too see, and some to do. however we come back to the question what makes it so great. It used to be the epic story that got told, that has changed. Now its how quick you can get to the cap and get into raiding.
In my opinion LoTRO is benefiting from the lack of other polished games out there. There are a lot of different games out there but LoTRO looks good and provides a lot do to (pve).
If you like the lore and a great community, then this is the game...the best community i have had the pleasure of gaming with hands down...its not over the top hardcore, but it's not stupidly easy either...WOWtards who act dumb get ignored or fucked with until they leave...LotRO is my favorite MMO...i'm taking some time away because i'm trying other things...i'm kind of a game hopper...but thats beside the point....LotRO is a great game....NOT FOR WOWtards...
PLAYING: NOTHING!!!
PLAYED:FFXI, LotRO, AoC, WAR, DDO, Megaten, Wurm, Rohan, Mabinogi, RoM
WAITING FOR: Dust 514