@Torval, I think it was because I was on a RP server like Landy, but we had a lot of player-created PvP stories/events.
We had a Tribe that only spoke in Black Speech, which added a lot of character to the 'Moors and deciphering what they were talking about in chat was pretty fun.
There were a handful of players that set an entertaining tone on Creep side, but I mentioned Gobblemoss as that Weaver went above and beyond.
'She' would create these multi-tiered months long story arcs/events that would culminate into an ultimate 'Moors showdown between Freeps/Creeps.
There were l33t players that always liked to mock peeps for not being l33t like them, and playing to perfection. There was also a lot Landy Rules for the 'Moors, stemming from RP as well, that prbly rubbed people the wrong way (no staged fighting was allowed and shut down immediately, for example), but overall the nastiness was pretty average compared to any other game.
I think all of those great players that added so much LIFE to the 'Moors started leaving after 5-8+ years of Creep neglect, and haven't really returned. I'm sure there are some still there (or newer passionate players) fighting the good fight, but not 'like it used to be.'
In regards to Beornings, I thinks it's a fun class, but I only played 45 or so levels of it solo PvE, so I'm not sure how it stacked against other classes/roles. I know that finding gear with the right stats was a pain, and I hope that's addressed. The rotation was pretty simplistic but fun, but I always wanted to be in bear form more. I wish there was a toggle for man/bear form, but I'd need a damn good reason to be in man form if being a cool bear was an option. Plus a toggle would help the RP'ers a ton as well, without having to trick the game into keeping their forms.
Anyway, overall the community in LOTRO is still one of the best I've ever experienced anywhere and in any setting. Lots of fellow Tolkien nerds spreading lots of love for the game and being helpful.
Actually same game (per se), given to a different team.....who then turned it in to their own thing. They believed the stuff they were given on SO's game was a failure and decided to use some assets but make their own.
They still advertised it as MEO but you can tell it's what turned in to LoTRO
Yep, they got the code as well (so in this way the "same game per se" is true, it had snippets kept from MEO) but I think it wasn't simply their decision, that was the aim they got the game with. Kinda like Vivendi's saying "ok, this project is getting nowhere... new guys, let's re-start the design from scratch". That's how I meant it's a different game, they have rewritten almost everything, and changed even the very core of the game.
And they haven't adverstised it as MEO actually, with Turbine's entry the name was changed first to LotR:MEO, then shortened to LotRO. (or maybe the "LotR: " part was added when Vivendi got it from Sierra? Don't remember, was so long ago... )
This is true. They used assets and animations from Middle Earth Online.
I would say that I would have preferred an open world sandbox but during the events of the story. Not in the 4th age.
That is the thing, the "Lord of the Rings" is compelling because of the world but also the characters. Placing the game in the 4th age would not only mean a complete shift in the world and a separation from the drama of that world but also removes most of the characters.
I think that was the main problem. MEO's issue was not the more sandboxy nature, but the full-on wasting the IP. With one of the most detailed lore and history at hand they wanted to make a dime-a-dozen sandbox game and ignore everything else... "and when you go to the city to sell your crafted wares, you won't enter just a mere <random fantasy town name> but Bree, how cool is that, right? Now go and kill some other players." That is simply not enough use of the IP
I admit I prefer the story-focused themeparkish setting more, but even I'd try a sandbox if it's in TA or SA... of course that would also bring other issues with the storyline, the world. Tolkien's world is fairly rigid, Sierra picked the era after the Ring for the same reason, that gave them the most freedom they needed for a sandbox approach. Well, it's all water under the bridge now. I like the way it turned out eventually, but that's just me.
I wish they would've released a Middle-Earth Online, and had lore from all ages/times available for use. Tolkien's world is very rigid, and good for them. I'd prbly be the same way with my wonderfully epic creations. I like the things Turbine/SSG did to work around the lore as well, because I don't mind a little bastardizing in the name of fun/entertainment (i.e. stretching 'lore' to create fun classes that don't necessarily fit line-by-line).
I don't break out the pitchforks at the first sign of lore breaking of any sort, and the things that are blatantly bad I don't give the time of day either way. I'd've blown a gasket by now with how Hollywood does comics, and other IP/lore if I let it upset me.
It's hard to get upset over another person's creation that's based on an IP out of love, but those mocking or making fun can go piss up a rope on fire.
Raised an eyebrow on this part however: "now that the main game balance is settling down a bit" Oh, is it now? You just had a tweaky downtime today, maybe the 4th in a row since the Update, and the balance the U23 wrecked is still all over the place...
(Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with challenge. My problem is if the increased challenge is just a side-effect, a byproduct of a failed change. Too bad it is not an uncharted territory to them, they already wrecked the game twice before in the past, both times it took weeks until they could tweak it back near to normal)
A follow-up to my first thought about this announcement, and the "setting down" bit: the aforementioned tweak on Wednesday didn't help either (not a surprise), on the other hand the today's comment of Vastin was surprising, at least to me... https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?668439-What-did-you-do-Vastin&p=7884583&highlight=#post7884583 They're working on it, tough task, etc. etc. - nice, at least they know of the issue and working. It will take a week or two - yep just like in the past, I guessed weeks above as well.
Streamlining... "We're attempting to tie a huge number (many
thousands) of older progressions in the game into a core set of
progressions that can manage them all. [...]because they are what make it nearly impossible to
maintain and update the game systems and they are completely
unnecessary, [...] the shift to at least make them
manageable[...]"
Wait, maintain, update, manageable? That was the reasoning behind the previous f.ckups as well, when removed half of the skills (easier to maintain, you said) and when messed up the stat system (manageable updates in the future, you said)...
Just out of curiousity, how many more times do you want to streamline the game? Until there will only one skill remain per class, or what? That will be surely a fun game: one skill to kill them all one trait to slot them one gear to wear them all and essences... f.ck them (honestly , you should tweak the essences instead, that system is a mess)
How about they start with an overhaul of the graphics engine and combat (not the mechanics just visuals)
Yea. With the current trend of "Remastering" older games, you'd think some MMORPGs would try this to reinvent themselves and increase their player bases. Can you imagine what would happen if EverQuest Remastered their game? It would probably kill Pantheon before that game releases.
Balance changese aren't enough for these game.
They are, in this day and age, incredibly awful to look at. They need new, modern, more efficient, and better looking graphics engines, models, effects, and animations.
I wonder if those older MMORPGs even run properly on multi-core machines (actually optimized for them). I know the really old ones don't. I don't think that became a priority for a lot of MMORPGs until 2009 or so.
Comments
We had a Tribe that only spoke in Black Speech, which added a lot of character to the 'Moors and deciphering what they were talking about in chat was pretty fun.
There were a handful of players that set an entertaining tone on Creep side, but I mentioned Gobblemoss as that Weaver went above and beyond.
'She' would create these multi-tiered months long story arcs/events that would culminate into an ultimate 'Moors showdown between Freeps/Creeps.
There were l33t players that always liked to mock peeps for not being l33t like them, and playing to perfection. There was also a lot Landy Rules for the 'Moors, stemming from RP as well, that prbly rubbed people the wrong way (no staged fighting was allowed and shut down immediately, for example), but overall the nastiness was pretty average compared to any other game.
I think all of those great players that added so much LIFE to the 'Moors started leaving after 5-8+ years of Creep neglect, and haven't really returned. I'm sure there are some still there (or newer passionate players) fighting the good fight, but not 'like it used to be.'
In regards to Beornings, I thinks it's a fun class, but I only played 45 or so levels of it solo PvE, so I'm not sure how it stacked against other classes/roles. I know that finding gear with the right stats was a pain, and I hope that's addressed. The rotation was pretty simplistic but fun, but I always wanted to be in bear form more. I wish there was a toggle for man/bear form, but I'd need a damn good reason to be in man form if being a cool bear was an option. Plus a toggle would help the RP'ers a ton as well, without having to trick the game into keeping their forms.
Anyway, overall the community in LOTRO is still one of the best I've ever experienced anywhere and in any setting. Lots of fellow Tolkien nerds spreading lots of love for the game and being helpful.
I can't wait to try these Legendary servers soon.
Gut Out!
What, me worry?
And they haven't adverstised it as MEO actually, with Turbine's entry the name was changed first to LotR:MEO, then shortened to LotRO. (or maybe the "LotR: " part was added when Vivendi got it from Sierra? Don't remember, was so long ago...
I think that was the main problem. MEO's issue was not the more sandboxy nature, but the full-on wasting the IP. With one of the most detailed lore and history at hand they wanted to make a dime-a-dozen sandbox game and ignore everything else...
"and when you go to the city to sell your crafted wares, you won't enter just a mere <random fantasy town name> but Bree, how cool is that, right? Now go and kill some other players." That is simply not enough use of the IP
I admit I prefer the story-focused themeparkish setting more, but even I'd try a sandbox if it's in TA or SA... of course that would also bring other issues with the storyline, the world. Tolkien's world is fairly rigid, Sierra picked the era after the Ring for the same reason, that gave them the most freedom they needed for a sandbox approach.
Well, it's all water under the bridge now. I like the way it turned out eventually, but that's just me.
I don't break out the pitchforks at the first sign of lore breaking of any sort, and the things that are blatantly bad I don't give the time of day either way. I'd've blown a gasket by now with how Hollywood does comics, and other IP/lore if I let it upset me.
It's hard to get upset over another person's creation that's based on an IP out of love, but those mocking or making fun can go piss up a rope on fire.
Gut Out!
What, me worry?
the aforementioned tweak on Wednesday didn't help either (not a surprise), on the other hand the today's comment of Vastin was surprising, at least to me...
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?668439-What-did-you-do-Vastin&p=7884583&highlight=#post7884583
They're working on it, tough task, etc. etc. - nice, at least they know of the issue and working.
It will take a week or two - yep just like in the past, I guessed weeks above as well.
Streamlining... "We're attempting to tie a huge number (many thousands) of older progressions in the game into a core set of progressions that can manage them all. [...]because they are what make it nearly impossible to maintain and update the game systems and they are completely unnecessary, [...] the shift to at least make them manageable[...]"
Wait, maintain, update, manageable? That was the reasoning behind the previous f.ckups as well, when removed half of the skills (easier to maintain, you said) and when messed up the stat system (manageable updates in the future, you said)...
Just out of curiousity, how many more times do you want to streamline the game? Until there will only one skill remain per class, or what? That will be surely a fun game:
one skill to kill them all
one trait to slot them
one gear to wear them all
and essences... f.ck them (honestly , you should tweak the essences instead, that system is a mess)
Yea. With the current trend of "Remastering" older games, you'd think some MMORPGs would try this to reinvent themselves and increase their player bases. Can you imagine what would happen if EverQuest Remastered their game? It would probably kill Pantheon before that game releases.
Balance changese aren't enough for these game.
They are, in this day and age, incredibly awful to look at. They need new, modern, more efficient, and better looking graphics engines, models, effects, and animations.
I wonder if those older MMORPGs even run properly on multi-core machines (actually optimized for them). I know the really old ones don't. I don't think that became a priority for a lot of MMORPGs until 2009 or so.