How is the LOTR Online?

[Morgoth]

I'm currently reading the Hobbit, so I'm a bit in the Middleearth mood. Since the game is now ass cheap, and it completely slipped under my radar when it came out, I wanna know from the long-time players how motivating it is, how the quests are, how the combat system works and whether the community is bearable. Thanks.

[Morgoth]

Well thanks for the answers, I decided to give it a shot so I bought it and now I'm downloading the client.

[Purkake]

Hurlshot is probably the only one who can tell you anything about it.

 

All I know is that it's an MMO with hobbits and playable instruments.

 

Maybe it's like this:

 

Edited September 12, 2009 by Purkake

[Hurlshort]

That comic is from some lame EA LotR game, you can swim in LotR Online.

 

 

There are actually a few LotR Online folks here, including a developer or two. First off, it is an MMO, so if you've hated every MMO you've ever played, this probably won't convert you. However, it is a very well polished MMO, and it does a fantastic job recreating Middle Earth and involving you in an epic storyline. The quests are the real draw for me, they are layered and interesting. The book quests really made me feel involved, like I am taking part in something much larger.

 

The classes are all solid, most of the melee classes have some type of combo system that I find rewarding and isn't just mindless button mashing. It's also quite beautiful, traveling through Moria and the huge stone hallways, or wandering around the shire, there are quite a few visual treats.

[213374U]

There are actually a few LotR Online folks here, including a developer or two.

[Purkake]

That comic is from some lame EA LotR game, you can swim in LotR Online.

 

That's the best I could do

Edited September 12, 2009 by Purkake

[Hurlshort]

It's more like this:

 

[Lare Kikkeli]

How is the pricing? There's a monthly fee right?

[Deadly_Nightshade]

How is the pricing? There's a monthly fee right?

 

Yes, $15.

[Hurlshort]

Actually $10 a month if you do it right, they have promotions going on, or if you get invited by someone like myself.

[Nightshape]

I didn't like it.

[Morgoth]

Downloading client at 99%.

[Humodour]

Downloading client at 99%.

 

Tell us how that last 1% goes. We're all dying to hear.

[Morgoth]

****. Two files have CRC errors. Need to re-download these again.

[Purkake]

 

This is probably a test to see if you REALLY want to play it.

Edited September 13, 2009 by Purkake

[Hurlshort]

Here's a pretty sweet update coming up, and it's free.

 

http://www.lotro.com/mirkwood/

[Morgoth]

So, it turned out that the two files I was re-downloading were corrupted as well. Of course that wasn't obvious at the beginning, so I started installing the client, and after an half hour or so, it said client_anim.dat is corrupted.

 

"I have had about enough of this nonsense now!" I thought. I was about to give up and just accept that I threw 15

[Hurlshort]

Yep, MMO's are really tough to download, particularly after the first year or so. They just keep on cramming stuff into it.

[Purkake]

Torrents save the day

 

Checksums can really help every now and then.

[Setzer]

It's $10 p/mo. if you can get a founder referral or sign up for a 3 mo. sub($29.99).

 

I highly recommend it. I've been playing MMO's since 1998 and this is probably the best one I've played. I would not recommend it to anyone who is big on PvP. While it does offer some form of PvP in Monster play, its not all that great. This game is all about the PvE and doing book quests plus it has a pretty good crafting system.

[Morgoth]

So I played with a bunch of characters, and it's pretty okay. Very cool graphics with DX10. But I don't see myself extending the first 30 free days.

[Hurlshort]

If you can, try to play through book 1. It is do-able around level 15.