A warning not to listen to the Whiners

summitus

Just simply to say to people dont listen to the constant whiners and WOW fanboys.This game is one that you will have to try for yourselves and make up your own mind. I am a massive LOTR fan and although I know this game will not be for everybody I feel that alot of people will lose out on something special if they dont give it a try themseles. Try get into the beta or find a freind who is to at least try it.I believe this game is very special so dont let other peoples biased and in most cases unfounded opinions put you off.

lanthire

i cant get a beta key so i cant try it out, and im not gonna buy it if i havent tried it out, so ill stay neutral with my opinion on this game, i like lord of the rings though

Jackdog

Originally posted by lanthire

i cant get a beta key so i cant try it out, and im not gonna buy it if i havent tried it out, so ill stay neutral with my opinion on this game, i like lord of the rings though

 Smart move, no game is for everyone. Always better to try before wasting 50 bucks because you take someone elses word on a game, good or bad

open public beta is 06 April. Not sure if it is File Planet or not.

http://lotro.turbine.com/index.php?page_id=103

see #10 on the FAQ I linked

Batak_Killer

theres a stress test giveaway on gamespot and fileplanet!!! Go get your keys

wyzwun

I would also add, its a good idea to ignore the Turbine name and just judge the game and the game alone. I came in to beta with very low expectations due to DDO and I was blown away by how great this game is...

ShiloFields

How good of a job do you all think  the game does at staying true to the story.  I don't mind them creating things that aren't mentioned in the books so long as they don't contradict it.  Contradictions with the story really ruin my enjoyment of a game.

Cerion

Originally posted by ShiloFields


How good of a job do you all think  the game does at staying true to the story.  I don't mind them creating things that aren't mentioned in the books so long as they don't contradict it.  Contradictions with the story really ruin my enjoyment of a game.

This is a good question, but tough to answer.  Having followed this game since May 2003, I was really looking forward to a Middle Earth simulator in all honesty--so I empathize with your desire for authenticity. 

Let me say first that the simple fact that it is an MMO, with hundreds of players running around, has a negative impact on immersion. No getting around that. So the sheer number of players contradicts the relative low population density experienced in the books.

Second, for game play reasons, the scale of the world has been contracted. It may have taken Frodo and Sam weeks to get to Rivendell, but if you're high enough level, you can make the run from the Shire to Rivendell in about an hour.  Yeah, that's disappointing, but I understand, and forgive, this game design decision.

Those are the two larger issues, mainly stemming from the nature of an MMO.

Most of the rest of the game does not blatently contradict the story. However, the game doesn't throw the lore in your face either. In this regard, it is rather non-committal. Yet if you poke around, you can find little easter eggs of lore that are a nice touch to the game.

If you follow the epic quest lines (called books and chapters) you get a nice dose of story that ties in nicely with the books.

Hope that answers your concern.