Lord of the Rings Online

[chesapeake]

My experience on this is a year old now, but crafting is a labor of love. You won't make as much money per hour crafting as you will questing and killing mobs. I enjoy crafting and liked this system. I was able to sell most things I made on the AH, but rarely at a significant profit.

[chesapeake]

Originally Posted by RomaGoth

I was in the BETA for LOTRO and liked it enough to buy it. After about two weeks though, I went back to WoW. Then, about a year later, I tried again. Played for about two weeks again then quit. I love the lore, the graphics are nice, and the gameplay was decent. However...

I died a lot. That gets tiresome, especially when you have limited time. I am a good gamer, but because I solo a lot of the time, I found myself being overwhelmed by groups of mobs. A lot of quests required a group, and I hate waiting around trying to find people to group with, so I just try to do those quests myself, with poor results.

I also found the leveling to be very slow. That is a turn-off for me personally.

Another thing that bugged me was the lack of decent addons and especially a map/quest helper. I had a hell of a time finding some of the quest locations. After playing WoW with the numerous addons, LOTRO was very difficult imo.

Has anything changed in the past year or so in respect to these issues? I may be interested in trying once more if it is worth my time to do so. I am also contemplating playing WoW again too.

I had been thinking about getting back into this for some time and decided to do it now, as once my baby arrives in September I expect that my gaming online will be greatly restricted. So after 7 hours of playing over the last 2 days, I now have some first hand experience with the new system.

Quests are much easier to do with the new tracker. No more wandering around aimlessly to try and find some npc or mob to kill. I have gained about half a level in the time I have played, which included a ding to 43. I don't know whether that is fast or slow.

I still cannot comment about your problem with dying a lot. My primary character is a burglar and I usually solo most of the time; I only ever died when I screwed up, and my only deaths since I started playing again was botching my crowd control once and jumping off a cliff that was too high for me the other time. But that is one of the benefits of being a burglar. We solo well.

Grouping is still an issue, I think. I spent about 4 hours in the Trollshaws looking for folks to finish up a handful of group quests there to no avail. They have a new element that allows you to tag a group of quests so that anyone looking for a group for the same quests can find you directly. It seems like a good feature, but didn't help me in the Trollshaws. Very few folks in there at the moment.

I'm going to try and find a group to do Book V in the Misty Mountains. I figure that if I have serious problems finding a group to do that, then grouping probably still is a problem.

[chesapeake]

BTW, my primary character is Cordas, a Hobbit burglar on Landroval.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by chesapeake

I had been thinking about getting back into this for some time and decided to do it now, as once my baby arrives in September I expect that my gaming online will be greatly restricted. So after 7 hours of playing over the last 2 days, I now have some first hand experience with the new system.

Quests are much easier to do with the new tracker. No more wandering around aimlessly to try and find some npc or mob to kill. I have gained about half a level in the time I have played, which included a ding to 43. I don't know whether that is fast or slow.

I still cannot comment about your problem with dying a lot. My primary character is a burglar and I usually solo most of the time; I only ever died when I screwed up, and my only deaths since I started playing again was botching my crowd control once and jumping off a cliff that was too high for me the other time. But that is one of the benefits of being a burglar. We solo well.

Grouping is still an issue, I think. I spent about 4 hours in the Trollshaws looking for folks to finish up a handful of group quests there to no avail. They have a new element that allows you to tag a group of quests so that anyone looking for a group for the same quests can find you directly. It seems like a good feature, but didn't help me in the Trollshaws. Very few folks in there at the moment.

I'm going to try and find a group to do Book V in the Misty Mountains. I figure that if I have serious problems finding a group to do that, then grouping probably still is a problem.

I am currently playing WoW. I love the lore and graphics in LOTRO, but the leveling was just always so tedious that I am still having a hard time wanting to play it again. Leveling in WoW is much easier, and I tend to solo a lot so this is something I look for in a game. I may still try it again though, perhaps in the next few weeks.

As for dying in LOTRO, the reason I was dying a lot was that I was taking on too many mobs at once or too high of level mobs. I am glad to hear that the map/questing system has been improved. I need to check it out one of these days.

[Greyroofoo]

The new expansion Siege of Mirkwood that recently came out lead me to return to this game. So far I've only done the prerequisite quest for the skirmishes and did a Carn Dun run with an old kin.

Anyone been to Mirkwood or tried out the skirmishes?

[DaddyTorgo]

might try this out now that i have better graphics on my laptop

[Greyroofoo]

i play on landroval as samkin or felldoh

[DataKing]

Thofur Grimhelm (also on Landroval) has not yet been to the depths of Mirkwood. I'm working my way through the Lothlorien quests at the moment. I've been through a few of the skirmishes as well...entertaining, but I can see them becoming a bit of a grind, especially considering the high price of some of the available skirmish rewards.

[chesapeake]

Cordas Goodfields (also also on Landroval) just hit level 60 and is emerging from the depths of Moria. I like the skirmishes. They are intense quests that last about 30-45 minutes -- at least on solo, tier I difficulty -- and provide good entertainment value per minute invested.

[Apathetic Lurker]

All my toons live in Branywine...has that big city atmosphere a lot of times

[GrantDawg]

Floran Stonesinger still haunts Gladden. Haven't put in as much time recently (worked beta for SOM, sort of burned out), but ill probably be getting back soon.

[DataKing]

If anyone is interested in a free 3-day time code to give LOTRO another look, let me know. They're running one of those "invite your friends back to the game" promotions, and none of my peeps need the code.

[Greyroofoo]

Originally Posted by DataKing

If anyone is interested in a free 3-day time code to give LOTRO another look, let me know. They're running one of those "invite your friends back to the game" promotions, and none of my peeps need the code.

I have codes too

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by DataKing

If anyone is interested in a free 3-day time code to give LOTRO another look, let me know. They're running one of those "invite your friends back to the game" promotions, and none of my peeps need the code.

I would like to give it another try and will take the code off of you if you still have it?

[DaddyTorgo]

oooh really? cool guys

i'd take a look this weekend, for sure

[DaddyTorgo]

yay for mr. alanT who shot me off a code. i'll have to see if i can find some of you guys when i fire it up later

[DataKing]

Galaril, check your PMs when you get a moment. I'll get you set up with a code when I get home from work.

[Greyroofoo]

12 man skirmishes are a hell of a lot of fun.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by DataKing

Galaril, check your PMs when you get a moment. I'll get you set up with a code when I get home from work.

Thanks.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by DataKing

Galaril, check your PMs when you get a moment. I'll get you set up with a code when I get home from work.

Great I sent you a PM incase you needed my email address or user name.

[Schmidty]

I wouldn't mind a code either, if anyone has one.

I gave CoH another chance (trial), but after two days, I'm pretty bored.

[Schmidty]

Thanks to Grantdawg for the code, but I can't find where to go to use it. I found a 10 day trial, but not the one that uses the code.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Thanks to Grantdawg for the code, but I can't find where to go to use it. I found a 10 day trial, but not the one that uses the code.

Should be in your account area.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Should be in your account area.

Oh, ok. I still need to download the game.

[Greyroofoo]

For those that are downloading the game, i wouldn't use the turbine download manager.

[Galaril]

I am redownloading and going to try this now that it sounds like it is much more solo friendly. I got a few times to about level 17-18 and gave each time once I had to do mostly group stuff to proceed. For someone like me with two younger kids, wife, a bunch of outdoor workout recreational activities and fulltime job I just did not have the time to devote to seeking out fellowship groups to proceed in the game. But now it sounds like Turbine is going to make it possible for at least all the way through Book 2 (Moria?) the ability to solo through the games epic storyline parts along with adding the skirmish solo stuff and other solo-able quests at the hirier levels.

[MrBug708]

Anyone else have a code they wanna give out?

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I am redownloading and going to try this now that it sounds like it is much more solo friendly. I got a few times to about level 17-18 and gave each time once I had to do mostly group stuff to proceed. For someone like me with two younger kids, wife, a bunch of outdoor workout recreational activities and fulltime job I just did not have the time to devote to seeking out fellowship groups to proceed in the game. But now it sounds like Turbine is going to make it possible for at least all the way through Book 2 (Moria?) the ability to solo through the games epic storyline parts along with adding the skirmish solo stuff and other solo-able quests at the hirier levels.

I only solo. I play it less than you would though. I might turn it on for 10-15 minutes once or twice a week and then maybe an hour or two on weekends if not busy with work. I enjoy the game but probably wouldn't pay the monthly fee with how little I have time for it if I didn't have a lifetime subscription.

The way I play it though it basically is more like an open ended RPG than anything else since I don't know anyone on my server and rarely interact with others.

[Greyroofoo]

Well it's finally happening

Lord of the Rings Online to go free-to-play

Originally Posted by Gamespot

Bros. is to make its recently acquired flagship MMO game free to play this fall, beta to start June 16.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game Lord of the Rings Online is to go free-to-play, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Codemasters announced today. This will make LOTRO Warner Bros.' second free-to-play MMO game, after the successful switch away from a subscription model for Dungeons & Dragons Online last year.


No word on whether WBIE plans to charge extra for torches.
Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar was released to critical acclaim in 2007, with expansions following in 2008 and 2009. Subscriptions to play currently cost up to $15 a month. The game will be free to play, but a new online LOTRO store will allow players to purchase "expansions, quest packs, items, and account services a la carte," according to Warner Bros. As with DDO, players will also be able to buy a VIP package, which gives players access to all of the premium features for one price--though the price itself was not revealed.

The project will be among the first overseen by Jeff Junge, WBIE's newly appointed senior vice president of online games and digital games platforms. Junge was given responsibility for the firm's entire digital games business in May. Codemasters will continue to publish the title in Europe alongside DDO, which it also publishes in the region.

LOTRO is developed by Turbine, which WBIE acquired in April to consolidate its control of the Lord of the Rings gaming licences. The acquisition followed Warner's reacquisition of non-MMO game rights to the franchise in March 2009. LOTRO was originally published by the now-defunct Midway Games.

The move will see LOTRO and its expansions disappear from store shelves, as all the distribution will be done through the new LOTRO online store. WBIE has said that the free-to-play version of the MMO game will be available to play at the Electronic Entertainment Expo later this month.

[DaddyTorgo]

Really? Free to play? That's kinda cool. I enjoyed the demo that I tried of it. At free-to-play for the base game I can see myself spending at least a lil bit of time with it.

[DataKing]

They'd better grant those of us with lifetime subscriptions the VIP package, or there's going to be some serious nerd rage happening.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by DataKing

They'd better grant those of us with lifetime subscriptions the VIP package, or there's going to be some serious nerd rage happening.

Even though I don't have time to play these days I did get an email saying that I did get the VIP automatically for being a lifetime subscription.

Doubt I'll find time to use it though.

[Thomkal]

I'd certainly go back to playing it when they go FTP.

[GrantDawg]

I'm the opposite. Cancelling my sub. Wasn't playing as much anyway, but really not interested in this change at all. Oh well. It was a great game for a while.

[DaddyTorgo]

why not interested in the change Grant? Do you think it's going to be overrun by newbs and ruined or something?

[chesapeake]

An infusion of noobs might actually help. It is impossible to do any low-level group quests if you want to create a new alt. Heck, I've been trying to get a group to run 1.8 for more than 8 months, and that is a level 50 quest line.

[Greyroofoo]

I think all of volume 1 is soloable now.

[Greyroofoo]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

why not interested in the change Grant? Do you think it's going to be overrun by newbs and ruined or something?

I can't speak for Grant but it does bum me out that i recently subscribed for 3 months and then they make this announcement

[Peregrine]

I am considering cancelling my subscription, like GrantDawg, but I may hold onto it. I enjoy LOTRO but I don't play it as much as I would like lately. Also, given how limited the free to play and premium accounts are, it's probably worth $15 bucks a month just to be able to enjoy the whole game with no limits - which is of course how they are setting it up. We'll see if it ruins the game or not, but I think it will ruin the community which is excellent right now.

[Apathetic Lurker]

I'll most likely be gone.....2 servers,12 toons.......sigh
\
now it comes down to who has more loot to spend, not skill..for the most part

[tyketime]

As a lifetime subscriber (actually my son & I each have a lifetime membership), my initial reaction is negative as well. I am admittedly not familiar with their DDO model, but I think this greatly dilutes the value I thought I made commiting to them with a lot of money up front. I will read more and then come back with further thoughts, but maybe someone else can explain why this is a good thing. I kinda liken this to my local Dave & Busters where I pay money and get a card with "credits" on it. But each game costs a different amount of credits. It's no longer just 50 cents or a dollar a game. It's credits. Woo Hoo... I'm a VIP now. Ugh...

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

why not interested in the change Grant? Do you think it's going to be overrun by newbs and ruined or something?

Newbs? Eh. This was a game for the newb. It is that there has been a great slow down in content already (even with the wealth of material available) and now content is going to be channeled to what they think they can get people to pay an extra few bucks for. The little "ala cart" crap that they have in the DnD game and such. Just stupid and annoying.

[Greyroofoo]

One thing that I have to wonder is about Warner Brother's take over of LotRO. Is Turbine going to deliver content that takes us on the road to Isengard, Gondor and Mordor?

Or because WB is the distributor of the Hobbit film, are we going to Northern Mirkwood, Dale, and the Lonely Mountain to better tie in with the film.

[tyketime]

After reading a bit more, it's clear I won't be losing anything I currently have. However, this change does introduce a couple of things:

1. No new content until the Fall. The prevailing thought was that we would get something in the summer. Updates are unfortunately occurring less and less often. I wonder how many resources were pulled off new content to retrofit the game for the FTP model?

2. I saw this on a LOTRO thread, and this concerns me greatly:

I dont care how it works. I dont play pay to win games with item malls where paying hundreds of dollars a month trumps gameplay experience. Thats how these games always end up. They're announcing 2,400 item mall items at launch. Do you really expect that there wont be XP pots, super buff pots, legendary item reroll pots, etc?

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

One thing that I have to wonder is about Warner Brother's take over of LotRO. Is Turbine going to deliver content that takes us on the road to Isengard, Gondor and Mordor?

Or because WB is the distributor of the Hobbit film, are we going to Northern Mirkwood, Dale, and the Lonely Mountain to better tie in with the film.

Heh, given the troubled status of the Hobbit film and that the director Guillermo del Toro just pulled out of the project, it's not clear that they will even get made, so I hope this is not the case!

[Peregrine]

tyketime - I am not so concerned about experience pots in the item malls or buffing potions - I play DDO, so I see the kinds of things they have there, and if they were included in the LOTRO item store they would be far more damaging. I'm talking about being able to buy having more character points to start off your character with, putting you at a permanent advantage, or being able to buy something that lets you skip the first 10 levels of gameplay entirely and just start at level 10.

[Greyroofoo]

It's been announced that the F2P date is Sep. 10th

[Neon_Chaos]

One week to go before F2P!

[Peregrine]

It's going to be crazy once F2P starts - I guess it will be good to get that influx of new players but I really worry it's going to wreck the great community that the game has.

[Matthean]

Has the "need to pay for" stuff already been listed?