that make this game fun for me such as Hobbits doing thier day to day thing around the Shire. Or Archers practicing in Bree. When my hunter shoots arrows the mobs come running toward me with arrows sticking out of their ass. A goblin attacks me screaming "now you die!" wildlife roaming around, chickens going in and out of their pens, blacksmiths hammering metal, a bard serenading the town, hobbit bands playing a tune at the grandstand while other hobbits dance a jig. Mob-specific weapons glow blue when you're in their vicinity. Crows and such drop feathers during combat. those are just a few but that is why this game is so immersive.
I've been testing LOTRO since August (Alpha) and the game seems "alive" to me.
Yet I have read bizarre posts saying the gameworld seems "dead" or "not alive" -- this bewilders me.
About the only thing they haven't done is add fish to water (and the Devs recently said that would happen before long) and have wolves or lynx chase and kill the "critters" that are roaming around (may or may not happen -- haven't heard).
In my opinion, the game is very much "alive."
Some people however want an actual three-dimensional precise simulation of "real life."
NOT likely to get that NOR does that sound like any game I would like to play -- I am already playing Real Life (you know, the one with real perma-death ... it's scary).
Fish were added with this latest update yesterday (or the day before, can't remember).
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
all I can say is thank the gods a 100% pve game came out. Now the script humpers can finally all go frollick with the hobbits and leave the rest of us alone.
ooo monster play, my my my so they reverse their stance to cash in on the pvp crowd. can't wait to see the griefing
Well, you will have to wait. Sorry. They way they implemented it there really just won't be any griefing. THe only people PvPing are those that want to be. Those that don't want it will never see it. But again, it's obvious you don't know much about it (and really don't honestly care to learn more) and are just trolling to incite. That said, have a fun life.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
I don't get it - What's so good about housing? I can see it to be great for cybering. Anyone care to explain?
Well, for you, housing may be about cybering, but for many more it adds to the sense that my character has some stake in this world. Housing is typically, but not always, desired by players who see the game as escaping into another world, as opposed to "just a game I play". As mentioned, good housing systems allow you to decorate them to fit your style, to further help define who your character is in in the world. Equate it those who get a sense of fulfillment out of having the most "uber" gear, many players get that sense of accomplishment out of having a nicely layed out house, filled with trophies of their adventures.
You can even look to the real world. Owning your own home is a significant accomplishment and creates a sense of pride. Having just bought my own first home, that feeling is still very fresh on my mind and there is no way I would willingly go back to living in an apartment. Besides, it's a little weird to have a world full of homeless people running around with enough wealth to buy all this expensive gear but don't have a place of their own to stay. Course, it can be argued that the real world reflects this with people spending all kinds of money to "pimp" their ride instead of getting out of debt or saving to get out of a small apartment and move their family into a home.
You hit the nail on the head perfectly. There was nothing that gave me a greater sense of accomplishment than the day I hung the head of the Olthoi Queen on the front of my Villa in AC1. It was so great. Not to mention the rest of the house. Our neighborhood would pool items/money together and have a house decorating competition every month or so. And we all had access to each other's houses so we could go in there and see what they were doing and get ideas for our own.
In my opinion if Turbine implements a housing system that's half as good as the one in AC1 was I'll be thrilled. And bring back Allegiance (kinship here, but still) mansions! Please! So good....
Sorry to rez this old post but this afternoon I was messing with my hunter and noticed something that just blew me away. In LoTRO they have a aninmation of an arrow coming from your bow, and for the first time I noticed that when I miss a shot the animation of the arrow goes to one side or into thew ground. I had always notice d the arrows in the mob, but it was neat that when I missed the animation missed also. Now that is attention to detail.
Sorry to rez this old post but this afternoon I was messing with my hunter and noticed something that just blew me away. In LoTRO they have a aninmation of an arrow coming from your bow, and for the first time I noticed that when I miss a shot the animation of the arrow goes to one side or into thew ground. I had always notice d the arrows in the mob, but it was neat that when I missed the animation missed also. Now that is attention to detail.
What would be more important to me would be facial expressions as were (are?) in swg. Have they implemented some now, are there different facial moods, do the eyes blink?
Sorry to rez this old post but this afternoon I was messing with my hunter and noticed something that just blew me away. In LoTRO they have a aninmation of an arrow coming from your bow, and for the first time I noticed that when I miss a shot the animation of the arrow goes to one side or into thew ground. I had always notice d the arrows in the mob, but it was neat that when I missed the animation missed also. Now that is attention to detail.
What would be more important to me would be facial expressions as were (are?) in swg. Have they implemented some now, are there different facial moods, do the eyes blink? yes there is facial moods that you can set permanent.
I ran around yesterday looking grumpy all day long
Try this link.
There is a few videos there but the quality is a bit low in some of them.
What would be more important to me would be facial expressions as were (are?) in swg. Have they implemented some now, are there different facial moods, do the eyes blink?
Lots of facial moods
Not sure about the eyes blinking, my eyes blink on the creation screen so I assume they do in game too, but haven't checked
I went into a tavern today for the first time, WOW! Lively! Some players creating some music (awesome!), people sitting around drinking and smoking, was really great ambience!
I love that we can create our own music or play cover songs and what not, that's so nice!
This game, for me, is what a game should be. Full of fun things to do and mind blowing things to see Exploration and discovery!
I believe player character eyes do blink. NPCs, however, no not for the most part. Hopefully this will change overtime. I don't think it is something that will be high on the priority lists, though.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
I believe player character eyes do blink. NPCs, however, no not for the most part. Hopefully this will change overtime. I don't think it is something that will be high on the priority lists, though.
I hate to be the jacka*s but thats nothing new for me but................WTF notices if NPC's eye blink?????????? Its like sliders for your upper and lower jaw or cheeks in any games character creation that has it. Its first and last time you actually get to see it.
I believe player character eyes do blink. NPCs, however, no not for the most part. Hopefully this will change overtime. I don't think it is something that will be high on the priority lists, though.
I hate to be the jacka*s but thats nothing new for me but................WTF notices if NPC's eye blink?????????? Its like sliders for your upper and lower jaw or cheeks in any games character creation that has it. Its first and last time you actually get to see it.
I liked the boob and butt sag sliders in Vanguard. I made a orc that looked just like my mother in law.
I believe player character eyes do blink. NPCs, however, no not for the most part. Hopefully this will change overtime. I don't think it is something that will be high on the priority lists, though.
I hate to be the jacka*s but thats nothing new for me but................WTF notices if NPC's eye blink?????????? Its like sliders for your upper and lower jaw or cheeks in any games character creation that has it. Its first and last time you actually get to see it.
I liked the boob and butt sag sliders in Vanguard. I made a orc that looked just like my mother in law.Oh man, were you in beta back in the fall? The customization was fantastic in Vanguard. It was on par with COH minus the outfits. To bad they FUBARed the whole game. 4 hair styles now, ha....man it was endless in the fall. Now its just a western version of Lineage 2 but without the economy, world impact, sieges, and PvP. Just plain old grind.
I believe player character eyes do blink. NPCs, however, no not for the most part. Hopefully this will change overtime. I don't think it is something that will be high on the priority lists, though.
I hate to be the jacka*s but thats nothing new for me but................WTF notices if NPC's eye blink?????????? Its like sliders for your upper and lower jaw or cheeks in any games character creation that has it. Its first and last time you actually get to see it.
I liked the boob and butt sag sliders in Vanguard. I made a orc that looked just like my mother in law.Oh man, were you in beta back in the fall? The customization was fantastic in Vanguard. It was on par with COH minus the outfits. To bad they FUBARed the whole game. 4 hair styles now, ha....man it was endless in the fall. Now its just a western version of Lineage 2 but without the economy, world impact, sieges, and PvP. Just plain old grind.
IMO one of the best customization was in SWG, vanguard customisation is very poor, hopefully they will do something here. As for LOTRO, its been a while when I was in closed beta and it was very lacking then, no idea how it is now. But Im happy to hear that moods show
@ the guy who asked what the point of housing was...
I have to say it really makes or breaks a game for me. I guess because the first MMO I really loved was SWG, and they had it just about perfect. I realize their system had issues, with the mucking up of the landscape and later on , all the empty buildings... but it did really give you a feeling of accomplishment to build a house in the open world for all to see. Even the first crappy house I split three ways with my brothers.... it was just an amazing feeling to own a piece of space in the game.
Your house can be functional, offering crafting / harvesting tools and it can keep you safe from bears and boars while you work on your craft. If it's not instanced and you keep it unlocked it can also be the ultimate MMO trophy-case. In a loot-centric game, it's nice to have a place to display that loot. Beyond what you can wear, carry or ride that shows the fruit of your exploits, hunting trophies or large decorative loot can really add another layer of depth to the game.... but for me, it's all really about carving out a piece of the world that belongs me. Making my mark on the game world. Try as they may, no other system in game can give me that feeling like the ability to own real estate
Unfortunately, I was spoiled by the SWG housing system, and nothing else I have played has even really come close to the level of depth and customization they have. I had high hopes for Vanguard, but then the rest of the game isn't much fun, so I never got as far as testing housing.
I am enjoying LOTRO enough to play it with or without housing, but I hope they come up with something cool for us. I don't think there is much chance for any non-instanced housing, though. Besides the fact that all the interiors are instances, there just isn't room in the world for a bunch of player housing.... or even guild houses for that matter.
that make this game fun for me such as Hobbits doing thier day to day thing around the Shire. Or Archers practicing in Bree. When my hunter shoots arrows the mobs come running toward me with arrows sticking out of their ass. A goblin attacks me screaming "now you die!" wildlife roaming around, chickens going in and out of their pens, blacksmiths hammering metal, a bard serenading the town, hobbit bands playing a tune at the grandstand while other hobbits dance a jig. Mob-specific weapons glow blue when you're in their vicinity. Crows and such drop feathers during combat. those are just a few but that is why this game is so immersive.
I agree with all those points JD, but...have you ever played WoW...it's all there too.
that make this game fun for me such as Hobbits doing thier day to day thing around the Shire. Or Archers practicing in Bree. When my hunter shoots arrows the mobs come running toward me with arrows sticking out of their ass. A goblin attacks me screaming "now you die!" wildlife roaming around, chickens going in and out of their pens, blacksmiths hammering metal, a bard serenading the town, hobbit bands playing a tune at the grandstand while other hobbits dance a jig. Mob-specific weapons glow blue when you're in their vicinity. Crows and such drop feathers during combat. those are just a few but that is why this game is so immersive.
I agree with all those points JD, but...have you ever played WoW...it's all there too.
no argument there spike, does that make it a bad thing? Meridian 59 had swords, healers, and ranged combat. UO had a housing system, does that mean no other game should ever have one? DAoC had RvR does that mean that WAR is a bad game? AO used instancing in it's encounters, I guess Guildwars is a AO clone.
All good MMO's simply take the best of the previous games and add a new feature or two. LoTRO took a lot of the best things from a lot of previous MMOs , not just WoW but a bunch of others and rolled them all up in a neat little package. As far as different In LoTROs case it has MvP ( yes I know EQ did it but not as a major feature) and player generated music. Just abut everything else in the game is a been there done that from another game. The key point though is the game fun for you, if yes that is great, if no then it is not the game for you.
Want completely new and different go play Auto Assault or a non fantasy MMORPG.
At character creation I do. In game I normally don't. THe only reason I checked this time was because somebody asked. Why are you so mean to me Torak...*sob* I mean, I'm only trying my bestest...*sob* I just wanna be loved!!!
Ok, nuff of that, I almost gagged on my sandwich while typing that, lol.
Sorry bro, I will punish myself when I get home. I'm a bad mean man, I know............
From Jackdog no argument there spike, does that make it a bad thing? Meridian 59 had swords, healers, and ranged combat. UO had a housing system, does that mean no other game should ever have one? DAoC had RvR does that mean that WAR is a bad game? AO used instancing in it's encounters, I guess Guildwars is a AO clone. All good MMO's simply take the best of the previous games and add a new feature or two. LoTRO took a lot of the best things from a lot of previous MMOs , not just WoW but a bunch of others and rolled them all up in a neat little package. As far as different In LoTROs case it has MvP ( yes I know EQ did it but not as a major feature) and player generated music. Just abut everything else in the game is a been there done that from another game. The key point though is the game fun for you, if yes that is great, if no then it is not the game for you. Want completely new and different go play Auto Assault or a non fantasy MMORPG.
_______________________________________ Oh, certainly not a bad thing...just not a new thing. I was looking forward to LOTRO being one of these supposed 3rd Generation Title that would change the MMO market, with the exception of Monster Play...it's the same old same old. Still though...if it were a 3rd gen game, it had better have all the best things that 2nd Gen games had to offer.
I enjoy the game, don't get me wrong it's a great game. Just nothing wonderfully new. And I'm gald it has all the small nuisances you mentioned...they add tremendously to any game.
Oh, certainly not a bad thing...just not a new thing. I was looking forward to LOTRO being one of these supposed 3rd Generation Title that would change the MMO market, with the exception of Monster Play...it's the same old same old. Still though...if it were a 3rd gen game, it had better have all the best things that 2nd Gen games had to offer.
I enjoy the game, don't get me wrong it's a great game. Just nothing wonderfully new. And I'm gald it has all the small nuisances you mentioned...they add tremendously to any game.
I just want to ask...I mean, what's with the 3rd gen mentions I see everywhere? Vanguard devs classified it as 3rd gen, but I don't think 3rd gen is anywhere near, not in Lotro, not in Van, not in Aoc and WAR either...it may be 3rd WAVE, but gen?
And I don't think things are to change anytime soon, not even in AoC, however I'll be there to be pleasantly surprised if it does happen.
I just want to ask...I mean, what's with the 3rd gen mentions I see everywhere? Vanguard devs classified it as 3rd gen, but I don't think 3rd gen is anywhere near, not in Lotro, not in Van, not in Aoc and WAR either...it may be 3rd WAVE, but gen?
And I don't think things are to change anytime soon, not even in AoC, however I'll be there to be pleasantly surprised if it does happen.
I compare it to shopping for any other item, I look for quality more than anything. Just bought the wife a new car, only thing new and different from her old one is a on board GPS and a MP3 capability on her stereo. Otherwise same old thing, 4 wheels, seat, steering wheel etc. It's just new and shiny, has all the bells and whistles and is fun for her to drive. Kind of like LoTRO.
LoTRO is shiny and new and pretty and has all the options, it is just a good product and a lot of fun to play, what more can you ask for? Do the test drive in open beta, you may like it better than your old MMO, you might not. But the test drive is free. If you decide to buy the payments are right also, 10 dollars a month for a premium MMORPG is a bargain.
"3rd gen" doesn't really signify anything other that a broad time-frame of release for the current crop of MMOs. I think the benchmark most people are suing when they throw that word around is Everquest, having previously been the holy grail of MMOs. The games most of us are playing now were inspired by the high profit returns EQ garnered. The success of the monthly fee pricing model for video games got other developers and publishers excited, which led several of them to try and build on EQ's success with their own MMOs. Those games like WoW, SWG, EvE and EQ2 would be the second generation.
The runaway financial success of WoW inspired a new and significantly larger group of MMOs to go in to production. That group of games is referred to as the third generation of MMOs, regardless of game mechanics or depth of feature set. If it is an MMO, coming out this year or next, it is third gen... even if it has the same features or lack of features that a second gen game had. Fortunately, the wider field of games means a lot more variety and hopefully a little bit of innovation. I am personally not looking for anyone to reinvent the wheel. I'd just like to see all the features I enjoy from second gen games all in one place. Beyond good combat and in-depth questing, I want to see a lot of attention given to non-combat aspects of the game. Good crafting, housing, mounts and social mechanics, polished presentation and timely attentive updates. While those things represent the potential and promise of third gen games to me, the lack of them would not preclude a game from being third gen... only time can do that
Comments
I've been testing LOTRO since August (Alpha) and the game seems "alive" to me.
Yet I have read bizarre posts saying the gameworld seems "dead" or "not alive" -- this bewilders me.
About the only thing they haven't done is add fish to water (and the Devs recently said that would happen before long) and have wolves or lynx chase and kill the "critters" that are roaming around (may or may not happen -- haven't heard).
In my opinion, the game is very much "alive."
Some people however want an actual three-dimensional precise simulation of "real life."
NOT likely to get that NOR does that sound like any game I would like to play -- I am already playing Real Life (you know, the one with real perma-death ... it's scary).
Fish were added with this latest update yesterday (or the day before, can't remember)."Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
Not the sharpest tool are yah Corodyl
Its not 100% PVE and if you've looked into this game at all you should know that.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
Well, for you, housing may be about cybering, but for many more it adds to the sense that my character has some stake in this world. Housing is typically, but not always, desired by players who see the game as escaping into another world, as opposed to "just a game I play". As mentioned, good housing systems allow you to decorate them to fit your style, to further help define who your character is in in the world. Equate it those who get a sense of fulfillment out of having the most "uber" gear, many players get that sense of accomplishment out of having a nicely layed out house, filled with trophies of their adventures.
You can even look to the real world. Owning your own home is a significant accomplishment and creates a sense of pride. Having just bought my own first home, that feeling is still very fresh on my mind and there is no way I would willingly go back to living in an apartment. Besides, it's a little weird to have a world full of homeless people running around with enough wealth to buy all this expensive gear but don't have a place of their own to stay. Course, it can be argued that the real world reflects this with people spending all kinds of money to "pimp" their ride instead of getting out of debt or saving to get out of a small apartment and move their family into a home.
You hit the nail on the head perfectly. There was nothing that gave me a greater sense of accomplishment than the day I hung the head of the Olthoi Queen on the front of my Villa in AC1. It was so great. Not to mention the rest of the house. Our neighborhood would pool items/money together and have a house decorating competition every month or so. And we all had access to each other's houses so we could go in there and see what they were doing and get ideas for our own.
In my opinion if Turbine implements a housing system that's half as good as the one in AC1 was I'll be thrilled. And bring back Allegiance (kinship here, but still) mansions! Please! So good....
I miss DAoC
I ran around yesterday looking grumpy all day long
Try this link.
There is a few videos there but the quality is a bit low in some of them.
http://lotrovault.ign.com/View.php?view=Videos.List
___________________________________________
Lots of facial moods
Not sure about the eyes blinking, my eyes blink on the creation screen so I assume they do in game too, but haven't checked
I went into a tavern today for the first time, WOW! Lively! Some players creating some music (awesome!), people sitting around drinking and smoking, was really great ambience!
I love that we can create our own music or play cover songs and what not, that's so nice!
This game, for me, is what a game should be. Full of fun things to do and mind blowing things to see
Exploration and discovery!
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
I liked the boob and butt sag sliders in Vanguard. I made a orc that looked just like my mother in law.
I miss DAoC
I liked the boob and butt sag sliders in Vanguard. I made a orc that looked just like my mother in law.Oh man, were you in beta back in the fall? The customization was fantastic in Vanguard. It was on par with COH minus the outfits. To bad they FUBARed the whole game.
I liked the boob and butt sag sliders in Vanguard. I made a orc that looked just like my mother in law.Oh man, were you in beta back in the fall? The customization was fantastic in Vanguard. It was on par with COH minus the outfits. To bad they FUBARed the whole game.
IMO one of the best customization was in SWG, vanguard customisation is very poor, hopefully they will do something here. As for LOTRO, its been a while when I was in closed beta and it was very lacking then, no idea how it is now. But Im happy to hear that moods show
@ the guy who asked what the point of housing was...
I have to say it really makes or breaks a game for me. I guess because the first MMO I really loved was SWG, and they had it just about perfect. I realize their system had issues, with the mucking up of the landscape and later on , all the empty buildings... but it did really give you a feeling of accomplishment to build a house in the open world for all to see. Even the first crappy house I split three ways with my brothers.... it was just an amazing feeling to own a piece of space in the game.
Your house can be functional, offering crafting / harvesting tools and it can keep you safe from bears and boars while you work on your craft. If it's not instanced and you keep it unlocked it can also be the ultimate MMO trophy-case. In a loot-centric game, it's nice to have a place to display that loot. Beyond what you can wear, carry or ride that shows the fruit of your exploits, hunting trophies or large decorative loot can really add another layer of depth to the game.... but for me, it's all really about carving out a piece of the world that belongs me. Making my mark on the game world. Try as they may, no other system in game can give me that feeling like the ability to own real estate
Unfortunately, I was spoiled by the SWG housing system, and nothing else I have played has even really come close to the level of depth and customization they have. I had high hopes for Vanguard, but then the rest of the game isn't much fun, so I never got as far as testing housing.
I am enjoying LOTRO enough to play it with or without housing, but I hope they come up with something cool for us. I don't think there is much chance for any non-instanced housing, though. Besides the fact that all the interiors are instances, there just isn't room in the world for a bunch of player housing.... or even guild houses for that matter.
-----Zero Punctuation Eve Online Review-----
no argument there spike, does that make it a bad thing? Meridian 59 had swords, healers, and ranged combat. UO had a housing system, does that mean no other game should ever have one? DAoC had RvR does that mean that WAR is a bad game? AO used instancing in it's encounters, I guess Guildwars is a AO clone.
All good MMO's simply take the best of the previous games and add a new feature or two. LoTRO took a lot of the best things from a lot of previous MMOs , not just WoW but a bunch of others and rolled them all up in a neat little package. As far as different In LoTROs case it has MvP ( yes I know EQ did it but not as a major feature) and player generated music. Just abut everything else in the game is a been there done that from another game. The key point though is the game fun for you, if yes that is great, if no then it is not the game for you.
Want completely new and different go play Auto Assault or a non fantasy MMORPG.
I miss DAoC
At character creation I do. In game I normally don't. THe only reason I checked this time was because somebody asked.
Why are you so mean to me Torak...*sob* I mean, I'm only trying my bestest...*sob* I just wanna be loved!!!
Ok, nuff of that, I almost gagged on my sandwich while typing that, lol.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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And I don't think things are to change anytime soon, not even in AoC, however I'll be there to be pleasantly surprised if it does happen.
I compare it to shopping for any other item, I look for quality more than anything. Just bought the wife a new car, only thing new and different from her old one is a on board GPS and a MP3 capability on her stereo. Otherwise same old thing, 4 wheels, seat, steering wheel etc. It's just new and shiny, has all the bells and whistles and is fun for her to drive. Kind of like LoTRO.
LoTRO is shiny and new and pretty and has all the options, it is just a good product and a lot of fun to play, what more can you ask for? Do the test drive in open beta, you may like it better than your old MMO, you might not. But the test drive is free. If you decide to buy the payments are right also, 10 dollars a month for a premium MMORPG is a bargain.
I miss DAoC
"3rd gen" doesn't really signify anything other that a broad time-frame of release for the current crop of MMOs. I think the benchmark most people are suing when they throw that word around is Everquest, having previously been the holy grail of MMOs. The games most of us are playing now were inspired by the high profit returns EQ garnered. The success of the monthly fee pricing model for video games got other developers and publishers excited, which led several of them to try and build on EQ's success with their own MMOs. Those games like WoW, SWG, EvE and EQ2 would be the second generation.
The runaway financial success of WoW inspired a new and significantly larger group of MMOs to go in to production. That group of games is referred to as the third generation of MMOs, regardless of game mechanics or depth of feature set. If it is an MMO, coming out this year or next, it is third gen... even if it has the same features or lack of features that a second gen game had. Fortunately, the wider field of games means a lot more variety and hopefully a little bit of innovation. I am personally not looking for anyone to reinvent the wheel. I'd just like to see all the features I enjoy from second gen games all in one place. Beyond good combat and in-depth questing, I want to see a lot of attention given to non-combat aspects of the game. Good crafting, housing, mounts and social mechanics, polished presentation and timely attentive updates. While those things represent the potential and promise of third gen games to me, the lack of them would not preclude a game from being third gen... only time can do that
-----Zero Punctuation Eve Online Review-----