Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Help me to like LOTRO
Jaffie
Member Posts: 20
Long time lurker here. This isn't a trolling thread. I genuinely want to make LOTRO my game.
I have started LOTRO four or five times. I have read how great the community and lore are. The game plays smooth and looks good.
The problem is it seems kind of boring. When does it ramp up? I don't have a totally short attention span but I've played most classes up to about level 17 (I know that's lame but by now it seems there should be a sniff of excitement).
I miss real magic which is one problem but I think I can get over that.
The zones all look good but it seems like there's no real war or conflict. Forgive me if I'm missing tons of lore I never read the books or saw the movies. Maybe that would help. I mean strictly from playing the game, I spend time running through beautiful areas that make me think more about spreading out a blanket and having a picnic than klling anyone.
What am I missing here?
Comments
Honestly, if you have to force yourself to like it, it isn't the right game for you. I would advise you to play another one that you really enjoy.
I agree the bottom line is LORTO is a story driven pve game mostly focused on PVE content. If following the Tolken Lord of the Rings story is not your thing you really need to move on. It has some of the worse PVP anywhere as well.
No one can "help" anyone like a game. A game either appeals to a player or it doesn't. It seems to me, based on your post, that LoTRO doesn't appeal to you. That's fine; not every game will appeal to every gamer.
My suggestion would be to try out a different game via a free trial and find a game that does appeal to you. There are many games out there with graphics that are just as good, if not better, than LoTRO. Several games have better mechanics (I don't mind LoTRO's mechanics - I was a beta tester, am a founder, and have a lifetime sub to LoTRO, but there are games out there that I feel have much better gameplay mechanics). Several games have lore that is of good quality (I won't say equal, because that is subjective and I am a huge Tolkien fan). And several games have more accessible PvP, if you feel the urgent feeling of a "war" is missing.
Good luck to you.
Firebrand Art
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
Level 17 still has you adventuring in Breeland, LL, and ND. It gets darker and more intense somewhere around 40 or so. Moria and Mirkwood are very intense for me, probably because some of the mob respawn is insane.
The book quests though provide a lot of challenge but 17 is low for experiencing much of those. You might try levelling up some more and at least experience Volume 1, Book 2 in the Lonelands. That would give you a good idea of what to expect from the original books. All of Volume 1 is soloable, duoable, etc up to full group size.
My other suggestion is to level up a bit and group up for Great Barrows and Garth Agarwan.
All that said sometimes a game just isn't a fit.
Thanks much for the replies.
Delvie, i guess that's what I'm getting at. If it darkens up a bit somewhere that's great. 40 seems like a reasonable spot to make a decision.
Thanks again.
Did you try monster play? Most people think it's one of the more lame implementations of PvP, but some people love it and would give you the feeling of conflict you're looking for.
Overall, LotRO is a heavy story based PvE MMO. Maybe that's just not your thing. I don't think anyone can or should convince you to like something, although eventually it could just grow on you, I guess.
I would suggest you try giving the books a read or at least watch the movies. Getting to visit the familiar locations and see familiar faces is part of what made the game for me.
Watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy again, then go play. Makes the game alot better in my opinion.
I usually put the movie soundtrack on as it helps set the mood for me a bit better than the in game music.
To the OP:
I would say due to the fact they need to keep the game going for as long as possible, the final conflict will of course come much later.
So the drama in the game comes in the smaller quests and of course the main quest line.
My advice is to think of your character as part of the many intimate stories around you, all the while being somewhat conscious of the meta story that is slowly unfolding.
I'm not a role player but I do adopt what I call an internal role play. this is essentially having a sense of who my character is and what motivates him. Part of this comes from my years of acting as well as my directing experience. After all, one can't go on stage and give a really good performance unless you really know why your character is saying what he/she is saying.
To that end, part of what makes LOTRO good are the smaller stories that you encounter on your journey through middle earth. So instead of thinking "Helm's Deep/Osgiliath/Minas Tirith/Ring gets destroyed, party at Elrond's house "BYOB", think of yourself as a character who is where you are for "some reason" helping some of these people as you make your way through the world of middle earth and are slowly exposed to the greater horror that is coming.
Because the story arc, the dramatic arc of the game is quite subtle. Oh, it does pick up, especially if you are following the main story line, but from a new player's perspective it can have the subtlety of the curvature of the earth.
There is a lot of drama that is going on in the moment and more specifically in "your" moment.
Because otherwise, in many ways you are correct. You should be engaged by lvl 17. I actually think that it starts about lvl 17 to very early 20's as far as becoming engaged in your character, getting more abilities, better gear, etc. But that varies per person. I suppose it should happen from level 1 but it is what it is.
After all, there is a lot that is coming down the pike. Fighting one of the last remaining Balrogs, Actually confronting one of the nazgul, making your way to Rivendell and seeing it for the first time, going through the misty mountains and seeing the goblin fires dimly shining through a blizzard, going against a Drake, making your way through moria to rest at Lothlorien and then following the invading force that leaves Lothlorien and heads into mirkwood.
But if you don't have a sense of who your character is, even if it is somewhat superficial, then what do you really have to grasp on to?
there is a reason you agree to fight bandits, to go into Goblin Town, to follow the main quest. And that is why reading the quest text is so important. Because if you don't allow it to set the stage for you then all you are really doing is killing 10 of this and collecting 5 of that and wondering when you are going to see "the good stuff".
I think for LOTRO the good stuff, at least the most palpable good stuff, is the mood set by the world they created and the storylines in the texts.
Seriously, when I was riding into the Misty Mountains through a Blizzard and dimly saw fires in the distance (goblin fires) it was one of the most engaging moments I ever had in the game.
the difference is like going through a haunted house and willing to be scared and succumbing to the moment with the dim lights and images setting the scene or going through knowing it's all fake and then surreptitiously turning on the lights to reveal bad black paint, suspension wires and grease paint.
You have to allow yourself to be immersed and buy into it to some point.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
For max enjoyment (LoTRO):
1- Read the books.
2- Watch the movies.
3- Read the quests.
4- Enjoy!
The lore plays a HUGE part in liking the game. I don't think there's any player who enjoys it who doesn't actually have an idea about the lore/story.
That's also the reason why the community is relatively more mature than most MMOs, you have to actually read the quests to feel immersed and love the game.
It's not for everyone (no game is), so my advice is to get acquainted with the lore, and providing you liked it, play the game and read the quests. That's where the game truly shines.
If you can't be bothered to read quests and/or didn't like the lore don't bother with it, you will never like it.
Just my opinion but the key to enjoying any MMO is finding a good guild that your personality clicks with. If I try and play any MMO as a single player game I get bored after 20 to 30 hours.
I miss DAoC
Honestly, any MMO can get boring - even WoW. What keeps my interest is the ongoing story and feeling a part of it. If you aren't familiar with the LoTR story, then it will be very difficult to become immersed. I've tried just about every MMO, and they all get boring after a while if you do the same thing over and over - whether it's PvP quests, dungeon raids or PvP. Bottom line - an MMO is what you make it.
no truer words can be said.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Just finding a good guild that you click with means nothing. What if they don't run any content I.E. the six man stuff then all your doing is sitting their being board.
To the op if you already have a hard time to like the game then your already lost. I played this game for 3 years before I finally threw my arms up in the air.
The gave the easy button to solo, and then the hard button to grouping. When folks actually first start to group none of them have a clue of what their class or other class does. Then you have the comunity segregated. You have the Hard core raiders, the crafters, the PVMP folks and the solo folks all of them fighing with each other over how the game should go and what dirrection it should go in.
If you don't like the game now nothing anybody does or says in any forums is going to make you like it better.
Thats sooo true... First time i tried the game, i haven't read the books. After i read LOTR and the hobbit, i tried the game again, it was a completly diferent experience. Now i love this game more than anyother, i have a lifetime sub and Collector's edition stuff (awsome stuff i must say), to love it u MUST read all the quests and understand it, if you know the Lore you'll see the meaning of the quests and how they did an amazing job in this game.
Right now i'm reading Silmarillion, my urge to play LOTRO is getting stronger as i go deeply in the book. Maybe you too, OP , will be inspired to play after some reading....
I agree with Sovrath and his subtle post.
I agree with OP too and what he says about magic. If you come from nearly every other mmo, you're used to over the edge special effects and sometimes eerie backgrounds/landscapes.
LOTRO is "realistic", you have some nice effects stressing your moves but except fellowship maneuvers, nothing that'll whoop you down. Same thing with landscapes, they are really pretty and impressive in their design but are basically similar to our natural environment. So it may feel like you're on a diet after lots of birthday cakes when you start LOTRO and it may feel bland, but it's actually more like coming of age and starting a sound warrior life again after a long travel in pixellated insanity.
For me it is hard to like LOTRO simply because it has this stick up its butt elitist community, I have honestly never met so many snobs in all my born days. I spelled Lothlorien wrong in chat and I was waylaid by about twenty people, Trying to join a guild (excuse me "kinship") is like trying to hook up with a Fraternity at Imbettertahnu University. The game...not bad, the community? No thanks.
That is strange it has one of the best communities I ahve seen. At least on Brandywine people were nice and always willing to help.
ROFL, I mean really.
Brandywine is the most noted server for having the most rude folks in game. There are the certain one in glff who are continually putting folks down and what not. It is nothing to watch glff turn into a flame war and have a gm to show up to clam it down, then watch folks taught the gm asking for a ban. I have watched folks in ooc ask for help for hours and get made fun off.
Now maybe your in a good guild and those folks are nic.
But since mom rolled out, I watched the level of mature players drop consistanly. It is no different than any of the other games I play. I laught when I hear how great the comunity is. Just go look at the ofical lotro forums you will see the same folks there always attacking and putting folks down.
Well, I think when people say "good guild" they mean a guild that is right for the player on several fronts. Not just that they are nice people or that they are active.
A good guild might be more cognizant of the lower lvl player or players with alts and run dungeons or events on a regular basis because of them. In the case of LOTRO run regular radiance runs on certain nights etc.
But in the end. the the fun is up to the player. I have never been in a game where that wasn't true.
And I can't say that I've seen any game that hasn't suffered long term as far as grouping with the exception of WoW. Playerbase gets higher in level and it's just harder for lower lvl players to catch up. I'm sure some of the older skill based games might not suffer this as mutch but It is a problem.
And an equal problem is the design. Look, I see the issues with LOTRO as the grouping content isn't uniformly developed. I dropped LOTRO way back when, when I had a journal full of group quests and very few solo quests. Suddenly things change up a bit and soling up to cap is a breeze.
But of course the people who want to group all the time are then left in the lurch because a good many people won't group if they are losing xp because of it.
As far as your point about LOTRO players being snobs, well, I can't say if that is true or not. I've seen more helpful posts on Brandywine then whiner posts or people berating others. What I have noticed is that sometimes what you put into the conversation is what you get out of it.
Way too many people making a mountain out of a mole hill or getting defensive. Or if someone says something they dont' like they enter into the chat batttle all guns a blazin'.
Life is too short for that type of crap.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Damn.. wrong forum! Anyone know where this revolution of MMO's is going on? I heard it's Dark... something? Anyone?
R.I.P Chikaca Whachuchu
I'm going to wait for some more news on where they plan to take the game..if they'll revamp and delete more group content or not before I attempt to convince anyone to like this game.
Liking something is subjective. I know that AoC is an awesome game and I can list you a lot of things great about it. But, when I log in... there's something that makes me not like it.
Same for any other game, including LOTRO. You probably think, "it has a lot of things I like, but why don't I like the game collectively." There's no answer. Don't force yourself to doing anything you heart tells you otherwise.
+1
A like minded guild and/or ingame friends is what makes an mmo.
Having done the same thing, tried the game 3-4 times and couldn't really like it, then one final time last March and I got hooked, I'll provide some input.
As far as it seeming "safe" in the beginning. If by "safe", you mean, you have no fear of another player coming to gank you, then you should know you'll only get that feeling in Monster Play. LotRO is largely a PVE game.
If you mean, the environments seem safe and cozy and all the supplies are all made to sound like comfort food, then that is because of the Tolkein lore. Places like Bree, The Shire, etc are almost completely untouched by the Dark Lord, and aside from the occasional bandit companies, life is good. With the exception of the Barrow Downs and the Old Forest, things don't start getting dark until areas like Fornost, and areas east of Trestlebridge. Things grow gradually darker through the zones, getting full on surrounded by orcs, creeps, and haunts by the time you hit Angmar. Then Moria is mostly dark(literally), Lothlorien is broodingly cheerful, then Mirkwood is just dark dark dark... the most comfortable feeling place is called the Haunted Inn.
It really does help to appreciate the areas if you've read the books, or at very least seen the movies, though LotRO follows the mood of the books more than the movies do.
Finally, take a close look at your character info screen and try to get an idea of what the different stats all mean. Take a look at how Deeds customize your character. Look at the list of skills you have and what they do. This isn't WoW where you hit with the highest damage manuever then move to the next highest based on what has recharged. By level 20, you should have a good number of options and at max level, you'll have a ton. You'll be able to optimize your favorite skills via Deeds and Traits. They seem insignificant at first, but get much more powerful when combined together strategically.
Progression isn't just deep, it's WIDE. There are few MMO's that allow this kind of customization, let alone the ability to change up via the nearest Bard for a fee. And that's before you get to Legendary Items.