Forum Settings
       
This thread is locked

ZAM's Lord of the Rings ContestFollow

#102 Jul 16 2009 at 1:45 PM Rating: Decent
I've been playing since closed beta, actually have had two accounts the entire time.

I would say that the original team was about the best I've seen, they stated they were making a story-driven, PvE, casual-friendly game and made a beautiful game, rich in lore and as true to the books as a game can be and be fun and functional. The dominant positive charactoristics was a game rich in lore, truly beautiful graphics, and the nicest, mature, most civilized player base I've seen since early EQ.

Then the live team took over and they simply threw out the guidelines of the original dev team....and although still a very good game, it is not as great as it once was....seems like everything they do is something meant to force everyone into a narrow path. They went from casual-friendly to catering to hardcore kins, added gating to make things exclusive to them, and story line became secondary. Legendary system is a lottery system that doesn't even resemble what was advertised. Their idea of fun has changed to making things "challenging" which usually means some boss mob uses random one-shots that causes wipes.

Now this would be ok, if it had started that way...but as a result the old-timers have gone from fanbois to waiting around to see if they will change back to the original concept...and there are a few indications they might, many playing less and less though.

The few new folks are less mature and will probably move on when school starts again.

So no idea where the game will be in a few months. Don't get me wrong it is still a very, very good game, just not as outstanding as it once was.
#103 Jul 16 2009 at 1:46 PM Rating: Decent
I have been playing since December 08 with a group of friends that all joined earlier than I did. Crafting was drilled into my head early on by my friends so I created enough characters to cover the areas of crafting and I then began to level them up. I find you don't have to do all of Book one and you really only need chapter six so more story line is getting lost. By the time I get ready to do the rift Moria comes out and I find you don't have to do the rift anymore along with Book 2 which doesn't have to be done. The only reason you had to do it was for class quest items dropped in it. Well that can be bypassed by just buying the items in the auction hall, so a lot of story line is lost there. If you don't want to buy them you can get level 60's to run you through it. Now that you have bought your class quest items you enter eregion and get your legendary weapon and jump into moria's maze and do quests in there until you hit 57. When lorien came out you start the quests there at 57 and do those until you hit 60 if you don't mind being an gofer for the elv's. All you have to do then is grind 10 million deeds to get your stats up on a character and you are ready to start the runs to get your radiant armour and other gear. So it would seem that the game is set up for the people that want to bypass all of the good lower content they can and then they can strut around in their equipment and act like they did it all and know it all. So much really good content is being bypassed just for the sake of being geared out. If you were to do all of the quests in the game most would be done at the expense of doing them for no xp.
More emphasis seems to be geared at rushing into new content and not into fixing all the bugs in game. It has the feel of a new Windows operating system; lets get it out and then see what doesn't work. A lot of emphasis seems to be on taking the money out of the game; some say it is because of the gold farmers selling game money and Turbine is trying to control it to the point that it is almost a game money sink to even play it. If people are willing to cheat themselves out of a good game content by buying their way through it then they will always find a way to do it.
The nurfing of some of the characters has run off a lot of players who worked hard to get what they had just to have it yanked out from under them. You have characters that have no role in the radiant runs and are deemed useless by other players and it is real hard to get in a radiant run with them.
Crafting from level 50 on is a joke. I just keep hanging in there hoping that Turbine will fix the problems.


Edited, Jul 16th 2009 5:56pm by Dangledcarrot
#104 Jul 16 2009 at 1:47 PM Rating: Decent
I too started LOTRO in the beta days. It has turned out to be the game I returned to. After the initial burst - about 6 months in - I left for a while to re-play some of the othe MMOs from the past.

Yes, they still have EQI. I even played some of the odder ones such as Ryzom. While I miss some of my EQII guildmates, LOTRO is by far the more fun game for me. The crafting system worls well. There is _plenty_ to do. The story lines are fun. The enhancments to the game have maid it much easier to play than at first.

All in all, it's the MMORPG for me.

- Gwyd
#105 Jul 16 2009 at 1:51 PM Rating: Decent
I have been playing lotro for about 2 years, off and on. i come back when school gets done. after playing various mmo's that never satisfied my need to adventure, such as WoW, FF online, dnd online..etc. lotro has beat them all, with its ability to tell a great story, "non-elitist play style". and wonderful class's and customization. that no other mmo offers(...and if there is actually a mmo like that i do not care.) with lotro your able to enjoy the entire game, get good gear, experince epic storys and battles..by yourself, you dont need a guild full of tier 85's. you need a computer, and a love for adventure. that is what draws me the most. the ability to have fun without giving your soul to a mmo. this is a hardcore game as well as a casual game. 3 man instances...solo instances. its a game built for people who know gear is not the game. i'm glad turbine realized this and focused on an amazing orginal story, and just an amazing experince. thanks turbine.

if anyone feels the need to flame my ability to write a error free forum post.(if you need help thats cool too :P) i'm oon the server gladden

toons:
dwi
brizzelbe
skarin
grimmwood
runin
ryvin

#106 Jul 16 2009 at 1:51 PM Rating: Decent
Ive been playing LOTRO for over a year and LOVE IT! excellent game, keep up the good work turbine! if you could put my in harms way on my captain back the way it used to be i would love it even more! :) Great game, would definately recommend it to others, and ill likely never leave the game as long as its up.
#107 Jul 16 2009 at 1:54 PM Rating: Decent
Do you play? Yes I do.
Have you tried the game? Yes, and I'm still playing.
What do you like about it? The setting is a big draw for me, together with the graphics.
What don't you like about it? The newly-implemented Book 8 house lockout fee (increases per week to a maximum of 90% of house price-very punishing for casual players); the strange UI & game engine behaviours (i.e. can't do many interactions with NPCs while mounted-like opening quest windows, trade; room/zone portals not dismounting players automatically; a stable system where the rented horses/goats go from destination to destination like carts on rails)
#108 Jul 16 2009 at 1:56 PM Rating: Decent
Hey, I've played LotRO since mid-Febuary this year. Since then, I've played seen different classes (the Guardian [level 58], the Rune-Keeper [level 48], the Hunter [level 34], the Champion [level 32], the Ministral [level 18], the Burglar [level 18], and the Captain [level 12]) and I'm impressed with each. The level of detail Turbine put into each class is impressive. Each plays totally differently and contributes to a group in a unique and crucial way.

More than the detail put into the classes or the characters, the detail put into the environment impresses me. Never have I ever played a game with such beautiful environments and detailed features. I know when I first entered Moria (the major expansion pack zone) I just ran around taking screenshot after screenshot. I've been there for awhile now, and I'm still shooting away. It's beautiful.

The only downside, and this is unavoidable, is the number of bugs. It seems that several bug issues exist at any given time in the game. I know that managing that much content and keeping it all bug-free is impossible, but nonetheless things could be done perhaps a bit better. That being said, the wonderful content, interface, etc. is too sweet to really suffer from the occational bug. I would recommend this game to any fan of the RPG or MMORPG genre. Nice job Turbine.
#109 Jul 16 2009 at 1:57 PM Rating: Decent
I am a newb to this game, so keep that in mind when reading this. I am however a longtime fan of Lord of the Rings, and used to be a regular player of the Battle For Middle Earth games by Electronic Arts TM. And I can tell you that from what I have seen of this game so far, LOTRO captures the true spirit of the Tolkein experience and grasps the necessities of a good, high quality MMORPG.

I have managed to get my bearings very quickly compared to most other games of this proportion. By the way, Tolkein is the source of most other mythology for modern day games and movies, so this has the originality that none of those ever had or will have.

~ Christopher Craven
#110 Jul 16 2009 at 1:58 PM Rating: Decent
I have tried many games online, but few have been as well done as Lotro. It was smoother in closed beta than many games are at release. The updates have expanded not only the world and the number of quests, but actually added real value to the game. This is the game I spend the most time in and enjoy the most at this time. That being said I created a list what I like, dislike, and wish for this game.

Likes: The storyline is awesome! Even the kill 12 whatever quests come with a good storyline that makes it feel less like go kill this now go kill that. The art and the music are fantastic. These elements together make stepping into the Prancing Pony and meeting Strider for the first time a wonderful experience.

The community on the two worlds I play on has been terrific. Most of the players are mature, polite, and helpful.

You can accomplish a great deal without needing to wait for your friends to log on, yet there is still good content for groups.

Reputation quests, crafting guilds, and deeds are a super addition to the game. I like earning titles and virtues. I like gaining access to special recipes by doing quests and crafting items for different groups.

Dislike: Gold sellers, sure you can hit report and ignore with one easy click, but they are still standing by the stable in Bree peddling their service twenty minutes later. I realize Turbine does better than most companies at dealing with them, but part of me would really like to see a rune-keeper bolt of lightning blast them dead within minutes of being reported by numerous individuals.

The quests for crafters going from journeyman to expert usually involve killing an 18 to 20ish signature, but you can't crit out level 18 armor or weapons until you complete this. The expert to artisan quest seemed to be much easier than the journeyman to expert quests. The recent (Book 8) improvements to crafting are a great start, but I think someone should look at the quests needed to advance levels in crafting.

Costume items needing vault space. I would rather they needed to be carried in the costume slots or that the dresser in my house could store them.

Everyone except my farmer gets discounts in their home neighborhood. I don't understand why the provisioner there does not carry seeds and farming supplies.

Wishes:

I would like more ways to adjust my character's appearance and gear. I would like more options for faces and hairstyles. I would like a crafting system that allowed me to pick the trait added to the gear based on ingredients I used even at lower levels. While the new harvesting of crit items from the resources is great, I think it would be terrific if level 12 armor could have fate, might, agility, or whatever trait you prefer added by adding one special ingredient that could be hunted from something appropriate for that level. Spiders (which are especially creepy in this game) could drop the agility items. If you want to add agility to level 18 armor, then you would need to hunt level 17 - 19 spiders to get the drop item. If you want to add will then make it an item that canines of that level drop. I don't really need a new way to fill up my vault space, but choosing the trait added to the armor, jewellry, weapons would be excellent.

I would wish for more housing items and housing options. I like being able to craft items for my house and the guild house.

Bottomline, this is a delightful game that captures the true atmosphere of Middle Earth. Turbine has done well with the look, sound, and feel of the game.

#111 Jul 16 2009 at 1:58 PM Rating: Decent
I have always been a super big fan of the lord of the rings series when I heard they were making an MMORPG I went crazy. The game is beutiful the friends I have made in the game are great also nothing beats sitting on weathertop shooting of fireworks and smoking pipeweed and telling great stories of your travels in middle earth. Then there is the near perfect story that seems to be so much better then other MMORPG's you just can not beat a game based off the lord of the rings story. there is really no other fantasy story that can compare. I can not wait until they add more areas to explore. middle earth is huge this game could last for years to come.
#112 Jul 16 2009 at 2:03 PM Rating: Decent
I'm a lifetime subscriber to the game. If I win anything randomly, please give it to someone else.

Unless it's a t-shirt.

That being said, I've played since beta, and that experience made me know this was a MMORPG that was going to last. It was a polished game at beta!

I know the some guys are gonna be naysayers about accuracy, and I love them for it, they keep it real, (yo), but as a 42 year old lifetime gamer, LOTRO has it all.

If you are quest oriented, you can solo to your heart's content. You do not understand the implications of that. I can't get online to play as much as I want to, but even being away for months, I can pick up amazing quests and be re-immersed quickly. Yesterday, I earned a passage to Rivendale trait, I found a riddle quest with Bilbo! (seriously! a riddle quest! big kisses to the creaters of that!!!) That was not in the game 6 months ago, I'll wager, and I'll also wager that for each of the charecter slots I have to play, I probably will find new quests all the time.

I'm embararessed to say how low the level of my main is. Quite frankly, it's because I'm so damn busy doing quests and exploring. THIS IS NOT A GRIND!!! SO, SO many MMORPGs fall into that in the higher levels, I am NOT a power gamer (don't have the skills), so I only log in when I can. I don't have time to participate in forums, and I'm not guilded. I just really love the game, the community, and I await the time that I can level enough to start getting into the real story, which I know is there.

I really love this world. The graphics, the music. And I love the fact I can just solo if I want. Yes, they have an amazing co-op system, and I've had wonderful times in groups. But there is a lot of thought put into the 2.

Everyone that worked on this game should be proud. It's true to the source material even in subtle ways.

I cannot wait for more of the world to unfold. I am just a tiny part of the whole, a low level charecter for now, but I actually feel I have a part in the shaping of Middle Earth.



#113 Jul 16 2009 at 2:04 PM Rating: Decent
i have played this game for about a week now and so far i love it!! my 2 most favorite parts are the crafting and monster play. the monster play lets you see the other side.i love this game so much!
#114 Jul 16 2009 at 2:05 PM Rating: Decent
I've been playing this game for about a year and a half. At first glance I really liked it. That view has changed a bit.

I really like the ideas presented in LotRO, but I think there is some pretty poor execution. I HATE the reliance that Turbine has on the gloom/radiance system. It has quickly become a crutch, and it promotes cookie-cutter characters. I also think Turbine's customer service is near the bottom of the barrel. I play LotRO now because of the time I have invested and it is a better alternative to me than WoW. I'll quickly be jumping ship as soon as something better comes along.

Edited, Jul 16th 2009 6:07pm by Evrem
#115 Jul 16 2009 at 2:05 PM Rating: Decent
I've played off and on for the last couple of years. I love the exploring. There are times that instead of questing, I just go running about and looking at the ruins. The overall feeling is just amazing as you're running around and looking at things.
#116 Jul 16 2009 at 2:05 PM Rating: Good
**
384 posts
I just picked up the free trial a few days ago because a couple of my friends were playing it. I'm still pretty confused about all of it, and I'm not too keen on dropping more money on monthly fees than I already am, but so far it seems pretty fun. Also, the deeds seem really interesting and likely to hook me since I'm sort of an achievement type junkie. And I love how my Minstrel yells, it's hilarious.
#117 Jul 16 2009 at 2:05 PM Rating: Decent
I first played LotR:O with the open beta and 7 after launch. I returned 2 months ago to find it better than ever. I wish I'd never left but life got in the way. I return to more of the beauty and fun I wish I'd had for the past 2 years. Crafting is fun and useful. I enjoy roaming the lands for resources and enjoying the views. The Tolkien ambiance is everywhere. I love LotR:O, I'm a lifer.
#118 Jul 16 2009 at 2:06 PM Rating: Decent
Do you play? (Have you tried the game?)
Yes. I've been playing since late beta and enjoyed that so much that I bought the lifetime subscription at launch. So glad I did as I've only have to shell out for the Mines of Moria expansion since then. In these economic times, it's good to be able to play such a high quality game for no monthly fee (or to be more accurate: a diminishing monthly fee as the $199 outlay gets spread over more and more months). Although, considering the quality and lack of anything else that comes close, I'd gladly pay the full monthly fee for LotRO.

What do you like about it?
The adaptation of the LotR lore to allow thousands of people to participate in that story is an amazing feat. You feel special, but not too special which is the mistake of many other games. Being able to meet not only the fellowship, but other movers and shakers in Middle Earth brings a strong feeling of being part of that world.

The look of the game, especially under DirectX 10, is phenomenal. The rolling hills of the Shire, the snow-capped mountains around Thorin's Hall and traveling down into Rivendell valley are just a few of the amazing views you experience.

One note on combat: Fellowship Maneuvers. This is one of the best combat features of any MMO. It can turn a hard fight to your favor right when needed.

What don't you like about it?
PvP. It has no place in this game. The monster play idea is definitely nifty, but the classes were never designed to go up against other people. They've tried to tweak some of them to be better at PvP but that's just made a mess of things. It'd be best to just toss that system out including the monster play. It's broken and should be go in the bin.

That's about it for dislikes. I mean, there's always some nitpicks here and there, but nothing really major other that how PvP has mucked up other things.

So in conclusion, I'd just like to say that at the moment, LotRO is the best MMO on the market.

PS As I have the lifetime subscription, if my name comes up for game time, please give it to someone else.
#119 Jul 16 2009 at 2:06 PM Rating: Decent
I've played lotro for a long time now, a few months after it went live to be exact, and I love it. I've played tons of other MMO's and this is by far my favorite. The community is very active and very freindly, something ive found lacking in other games. The gameplay flows well and the graphix are simply stunning. I love to pvp, or pvmp as it is called in lotro. Its incredibly fun! However turbine seems to have problems finding a good balance, as one side is usualy stronger then the other. Theres lots of PvE content, and a great crafting system that is well designed. End game content is usualy very fun, and very challanging. No easy-play here. All in All, the game is quite fun and should be tried by everyone who likes to play MMO's. I guarentee it won't let you down.
#120 Jul 16 2009 at 2:07 PM Rating: Decent
I started playing in mid-2007, and although I've tried many MMO's, LOTRO is my absolute favorite. My favorite aspect is the story and quest integration. I always feel like I'm accomplishing something towards the story. However, before the recent updates. I found the lack of quests for the 40-50 level range very limited. Now it's spot on and the game's never been better.
#121 Jul 16 2009 at 2:07 PM Rating: Decent
I have played LOTRO for over a year and a half now. Admittedly it is the first MMORPG that I have played but I tried other free trials after that and none of them compares in my opinion. I really like the content that turbine has added for moria, including the items that are levelable. They also have many character types that have their own individual quests and ways to play them. One drawback is that the monster play is so limited. It is hard to get rank(which is a good thing I guess) and there is only the ettenmoors to play in. Overall I am very satisfied with the game and plan to play for a very long time.
#122 Jul 16 2009 at 2:11 PM Rating: Decent
I've been playing for about 3 months and I am completely hooked on the game. For the most part, it plays smoothly. When there are server problems, I like the fact that we are given plenty of notice before the game comes done for fixes. I also like that while in game, there are a variety of quests for people who like to solo and those who like to play in groups. I also like the social aspect of the game as well. I happen to belong to a great kin (The Knights of Destiny) that doesn't require people to follow a bunch of political rules. As far as problems, I can't think of any.
#123 Jul 16 2009 at 2:11 PM Rating: Decent
My big moment was when I decided to find Rivendal (from Bree) when I was just level 6. Running, dodging, getting my butt handed to me. I was sweating. The Lone Lands scared the hell outta me! When I got to the Trollshares, there was no path! And then, after getting beat down multiple times, the music started, the sun came up. I made it. I actually cried. It was the best gaming experience I ever had.
#124 Jul 16 2009 at 2:14 PM Rating: Decent
I have been playing off and on for about a year now. I have left now and again as new games came out. I played Warhammer for a while but the content there does not compared to LOTRO. There are plenty of quests. So many you will not complete them all before they turn grey. Plenty of Storyline. There are so many quest lines that contain very interesting content (read some of the quests as you take and complete them rather than clicking on the finish button). And quality scenery and landscapes. Look at the vista's you can see from atop hills and mountains as you look around the world. The graphics quality and audio quality is amongst the best in any game I have played. I have played a hunter and a Loremaster so far but plan on trying out a runemaster sometime soon.

LOTRO Rebonika
EQ2 Rebo, Rebonik
EQ Rebo, Rebonik
Warhammer Rebonik
DAOC Rebo, Rebonik
SWG Rebonik
EVE Rebonik
D&D Rebo
UO Rebo
Legends of Kesmai Rebo
NWN (AOL Version) Rebo
#125 Jul 16 2009 at 2:16 PM Rating: Decent
I played Lord of the Rings Online at launch. To me it just was not that great of a game. Now after reading about the newest expansion, Mines of Moria, I decided to give Lord of the Rings Online another chance. I was amazed right off the bat with the Trial. The lack of a level cap and other things that made trials not worth made this trial so much more worth it! Coming back I found a game rich with content. There is something for everyone, or nearly. This is not some Player Versus Player(PvP) game like WAR or DAoC but the content such as houses are just make the game so much worth it! The crafting at times seems repetitive but for some unexplainable reason it is addictive! As soon as you Master Apprentice, it is hard to not just go out and farm resources to Master Journeyman. The items you can craft, especially after you Master a level make doing Crafting along with leveling so much more worth it. No longer do you got to wait until the max level before your crafting skill starts making items that are worth wearing or buying. I can not forget about the community! The players who play Lord of the Rings Online are so mature you don't believe you are playing an MMO. The only real time you see arguments going on is which race is cooler, and we all know Dwarfs are the superior race of Middle Earth! Last but not least if you have ever read the Lord of the Rings books you will be amazed with the absolute accuracy and detail Turbine put into this game and for those of you who have just seen the movies rather than the books should pick this up just to see how radically different the Movies were to the book!

~ Hildibjorn Vilmundr, Master Expert Tailor, Landroval, Dwarf Supremacist
#126 Jul 16 2009 at 2:17 PM Rating: Decent
I've been playing since beta pretty faithfully. In fact, I decided to play LOTRO exclusively 3 months after its commercial release, letting my subscription to 2 other popular MMORPG's expire to focus on LOTRO.

I enjoy the lore, the quests, the option of fast and slow play, the option of solo and group play, and the crafting. The festivals are a lot of fun, especially the festival quest to earn a special keg.

So far, there are only two things I don't like. One is having only one hobby available in-game. Hopefully, this will change in the future to add more. The other thing is the price of maintaining in-game housing.



This thread is locked
You cannot post in a locked topic!
Recent Visitors: 154 All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (154)