Lord of the Rings Online: Is it any good?

[Coldkilla]

I've seen the reviews and everything but I'm still skeptical. I'm the kind of person who really isn't into RPG's but does like Lord of the Rings. Is this game any good compaired to other MMOs? I've never played WoW simply because it looks like a glazed cartoon look for children (I'm not saying it isn't addictive but I'm not even going to go down that road). I tried EVE and got sort of lost even after two weeks of play.

I'm downloading the 14 day trial but it's going to take a while to get the 6000mb downloaded, installed and ready to play.

 

[skace]

It has nice graphics. The quests are OK but horribly redundant and poorly itemized. Game play wise, LOTRO is a worse version of WoW. However, the lore and LOTR side of things does add a lot and makes it pretty cool to get quests from Gandalf or run across golum.

And the most unique aspect is the musical instruments

 

[Bateluer]

In a nutshell, no, not really.

 

[KeithTalent]

I've only recently started firing this game up again occassionally. I took about a 6 month break from it due to real-life commitments, boredom, and TF2. Unfortunately that means I got kicked out of my Kinship, but oh well.

I think it's still quite fun, but it really all depends on what you want from the game. Don't expect non-stop action all the time (though it can get quite intense in a lot of spots) but if you like Lord of the Rings, you can definitely have some enjoyable experiences in there. The game is beautiful and I am still amazed at how gorgeous some fo the areas are when I go through them.

There is an expansion coming in a few months, which will add new classes and a tonne of new content, so it may be a good time to get into the game. I think Turbine actually does a very good job of getting content out there and keeping things up to date.

What server are you planning to be on? If you choose Gladden and see me on, feel free to message me and I can show you around a bit.

KT

Edit: I meant to add, I think I'm not generally cut out for MMOs due to the time commitment that is generally involved, but this game actually seems to work well for the casual player since it is not completely end-game based like WoW.

 

[Xavier434]

I haven't played it. A friend of mine tried it though. He thought it sucked and went back to WoW.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Xavier434
I haven't played it. A friend of mine tried it though. He thought it sucked and went back to WoW.

The thing is, if you are looking for a WoW substitute, this isn't it. I think people go into this game with the wrong frame of mind. It's far (very far) from perfect, but it can be quite good.

KT

 

[acheron]

Been hanging around the forums here for awhile but haven't posted yet, since I'm still saving up to do my next computer upgrade, and figured it was pointless to ask for advice until I was ready. So I believe this is my first post here... sort of a random thread to start with.

But anyway, LOTRO is a lot of fun. It probably helps if you like the source material. I never got into WOW (or any other MMORPG), but I've been playing LOTRO for about six months now and love it. It's well done in most places, though there are still rough spots. Turbine provides free content updates every 10 weeks or so, often adding entire new areas for free, which is great. (And as Keith mentioned, the first paid expansion is coming out this fall.) Plus, from what I've seen, the player base is a lot more mature (in a good way, not in a GTA-killing-hookers way) than many games. If you're looking to call someone a Mexican Jew Lizard right after you pwn them, this is not the right game for you, and you should stick with WOW.

I'm on Windfola, it's one of the smaller servers from what I've seen. I think Elendilmir, Brandywine, and Landroval are the larger ones, though this is just a guess.

 

[oddyager]

I started last December and been playing it on and off since. It's definitely casual gamer friendly and if you appreciate the Lore from the books (they did take liberties with some aspects of it) then it'll be a good experience for you.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: acheron2112
Been hanging around the forums here for awhile but haven't posted yet, since I'm still saving up to do my next computer upgrade, and figured it was pointless to ask for advice until I was ready. So I believe this is my first post here... sort of a random thread to start with.

But anyway, LOTRO is a lot of fun. It probably helps if you like the source material. I never got into WOW (or any other MMORPG), but I've been playing LOTRO for about six months now and love it. It's well done in most places, though there are still rough spots. Turbine provides free content updates every 10 weeks or so, often adding entire new areas for free, which is great. (And as Keith mentioned, the first paid expansion is coming out this fall.) Plus, from what I've seen, the player base is a lot more mature (in a good way, not in a GTA-killing-hookers way) than many games. If you're looking to call someone a Mexican Jew Lizard right after you pwn them, this is not the right game for you, and you should stick with WOW.

I'm on Windfola, it's one of the smaller servers from what I've seen. I think Elendilmir, Brandywine, and Landroval are the larger ones, though this is just a guess.

Welcome! I agree with what you said.

I think the most populous servers are Brandywine and Arkenstone, but from what I've read there are no under-populated servers at the moment.

KT

 

[Coldkilla]

Interesting. Well I only just exited the introduction missions and have started the Prolouge missions. I started out on this server, I'm not sure of the name Vinyl is it? I have no Kinship or fellowship yet as I'm still learning a bunch of the ropes. (Only level 5). I'd be glad to look you guys up. Is it possible to "player search"? If so my name's: Morier.

 

[Schadenfroh]

The game is mediocre, IMO. It works great, fairly polished, interesting main quest line, good visuals, and Turbine has a good business model for it (they have good content updates), but it is just not that much fun to me. For the record, it was the last MMORPG that I played and I have not played it in probably over 6-months.

 

[ultra laser]

If you've already played WoW, all other current MMOs will disappoint you.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Interesting. Well I only just exited the introduction missions and have started the Prolouge missions. I started out on this server, I'm not sure of the name Vinyl is it? I have no Kinship or fellowship yet as I'm still learning a bunch of the ropes. (Only level 5). I'd be glad to look you guys up. Is it possible to "player search"? If so my name's: Morier.

You won't get into a fellowship situation for a few more levels and a Kinship, in case you are not aware, is like a guild, so you can join one whenever. They are very handy once you get to later levels and are doing some of the more difficult group quests, plus, of course, for other things like sharing items and whatnot.

Vilya is the server you are on. I'm not on that server so I can't join you, unless I create a brand new character, which I don't really have time for right now. Feel free to post here or PM me if you have any questions or need help with anything. I'm a little rusty, but I think I remember most things after playing about 9 different characters since Beta 1.

Who knows though, maybe you'll be bored to tears after a week and give up on the thing. Hopefully not.

Anyway, good luck and hope you have fun.

Cheers,
KT

 

[Coldkilla]

Well I did get quite frustrated last time I played. I made it to level 7, and was doing a mission that asked a big thing for me (at my level), that was to kill 7 dudes that were a higher level than me. Apparently, 3 other people were on the same mission and all appeared behind me and asked me to join their fellowship. Since I've never been in a fellowship, I've got to read all of these tutorials because they initiated this fellowship. While I'm trying to read the tutorials, they are running else where, I've got pop-ups trying to tell me what hotkey does what, what screen shows where... and I'm trying to read them, they're running away as I'm trying to read.

Then they are asking me "Where are you going", I'm confused, I have no idea where they are going, I'm getting pissed, then I find out that they are on a different quest, so then they throw 10 quest requests at me, I've got 10 new missions that I have never read, I don't have any time to read the quests while they are running about, I'm level 7 they are level 11+, I'm lost as sh@# and they act like its nothing. We travel for nearly 10 minutes, then they tell me to collect an item, I never saw the item, because I never did the first objective which was to talk to some forestman, then he would tell me to kill the guy my fellowship killed. So I had to run back for 10 minutes, talk to this guy, run back, and argh it was annoying as hell, as I die left and right trying to get from point A to point B....

To top it off, after simply blindly following them until these 10 quests were done, before we can redeem our rewards... my PC freezes, I restart, they have already redeemed all 10 "gifts" and since I never initiated the quest, I had to read all 10 quests individually in order to find out who the hell gave the quest out to begin with so I could at least claim a reward.

This was insane, my head was spinning, I was ready to explode. I think the ONLY way I'll play this game is with Voice Comms such as Ventrillo or Teamspeak with dudes that ether A. Know what they're doing and want to help. or B. New at the game too and are exploring around with me. I'm really in this to move along the main quest, not so much the extra stuff - but am willing to in order to level up. If yall know anyone like that lemme know, because I've only got 10 days left on my trial and the game thus far has only been a headache. It's a game I 'want' to like, but I've only been given poo since I've started.

 

[fallenangel99]

I don't know, but I see it impossible for other/new MMORPGs to beat WoW. WoW just seems to capture the casual fans as well as hardcore fans (I stopped playing about 1.5 yrs ago, not sure how many hardcore ppl still play with all the raid size changes)

 

[treetops]

Hi, just get the 14 day free trial and try it out for yourself, personally I was not impressed, though the scenery is a bit refreshing if your trying to get rid of the cartoon feel wow gives.

 

[Coldkilla]

Originally posted by: treetops
Hi, just get the 14 day free trial and try it out for yourself, personally I was not impressed, though the scenery is a bit refreshing if your trying to get rid of the cartoon feel wow gives.

If ya took a sec to scan through the 1 page thread, I already installed it and so far have not had the best experience.

 

[JBT]

I took a few months off, i'm back to playing it quite a bit. I like the game a lot. I mostly play on the Monster side of PvP though...

 

[imported_Section8]

Originally posted by: ultra laser
If you've already played WoW, all other current MMOs will disappoint you.

In my case, not so. I played wow for 2 years, 2 lvl 70s in PvP and PvE and it was a good game. I have been out almost a year and will never go back. I tried LOTRO and was not very impressed, but I am a big JRRT fan. I am in Conan now and IMO it is way better than wow.

 

[Feneant2]

Originally posted by: ultra laser
If you've already played WoW, all other current MMOs will disappoint you.

Wow, thank you for posting your fantastic insight but then again, I am sure you, like most players of WoW have a PhD and is wealthy beyond what any of us could imagine.

Can there not be an MMORPG post without some WoW idiot coming in to post about how great WoW is and that any other game is just mediocre?

 

[brandonb]

Originally posted by: Feneant2

Originally posted by: ultra laser
If you've already played WoW, all other current MMOs will disappoint you.

Wow, thank you for posting your fantastic insight but then again, I am sure you, like most players of WoW have a PhD and is wealthy beyond what any of us could imagine.

Can there not be an MMORPG post without some WoW idiot coming in to post about how great WoW is and that any other game is just mediocre?

No kidding. I've played just about every MMORPG, and to date, and WoW has the least playtime in my book out of all of them. It was the ultimate bore. Blasted Lands and Ulgroth Crater pretty much put the nail in my coffin. The game was dead to me at lvl 62 playing a Rogue. I had no more interest in the game.

 

[rivan]

I play LOTRO, and have played *many* MMOs over the years. I rather enjoy the game, but it's not for everyone. The crowd is generally tame, PVP isn't a major part of the game, and is something of a smell-the-roses type game. Those are all positives to me ? I don't have 20 hours a week to spend on a game (anymore!) but might be negatives to others.

If you're a hardcore, blitz-through-content-to-raid-at-end-game type, it will disappoint you. It's very casual- and generally solo- friendly. It's quest-centric, not super gear-oriented and grinding isn't really necessary.

I'm also in a large, very casual-friendly guild, which is nice. It balances being able to raid with not being hardcore as well as I've ever seen it done.

 

[*kjm]

I have played my share also and find LOTRO to be fun. Looks great and turbine has been putting out a ton of updates for the game. With Mines of Moria comming out soon I took out the lifetime membership so this will be a first for me..... no more monthly fees to play my MMO I know it was $199 but I have been playing the game for a year and I have more fun playing today than I did when I first started.

Coldkilla I know what you are saying about fellowships they can get on your nerves at first. You just ran into the wrong group grab a different one. They may have been leveling up an alt and assumed you were also. Just let them know you have never played before and could they help you out with the game. If they wont take the time find a group that will or post a LFF mesage and in it say you are new to the game.

 

[*kjm]

"If you're a hardcore, blitz-through-content-to-raid-at-end-game type, it will disappoint you. It's very casual- and generally solo- friendly. It's quest-centric, not super gear-oriented and grinding isn't really necessary.

I'm also in a large, very casual-friendly guild, which is nice. It balances being able to raid with not being hardcore as well as I've ever seen it done. "

Well put.... thats how I see it also.

 

[coloumb]

Originally posted by: rivan
I play LOTRO, and have played *many* MMOs over the years. I rather enjoy the game, but it's not for everyone. The crowd is generally tame, PVP isn't a major part of the game, and is something of a smell-the-roses type game. Those are all positives to me ? I don't have 20 hours a week to spend on a game (anymore!) but might be negatives to others.

If you're a hardcore, blitz-through-content-to-raid-at-end-game type, it will disappoint you. It's very casual- and generally solo- friendly. It's quest-centric, not super gear-oriented and grinding isn't really necessary.

I'm also in a large, very casual-friendly guild, which is nice. It balances being able to raid with not being hardcore as well as I've ever seen it done.

This is what LOTRO is all about.

Coldkilla - it sounds like you hooked up with a group of alts. They've done the same quests a bazillion times - they're only purpose is to get to a high level as fast as possible.