What I find amusing is that some people still think that what they type over here really means jack squat. As bad a s D&L was and as much as some of the beta testers tried to warn people about that steaming heap people still bought it. Vanguard is another example, people were stomping all over the NDA a year before release talking about what a boring POS it was/is and look at all the suckers that still think Sigil has a clue. Anyway I have LoTRO and 2 other games in beta to mess with so toodleloo as they say.
Thats SO true, you can rant all you like, 98% of the MMORPG community are NOT reading nor posting on cross-game message boards. Word of mouth only works when the game itself actually sucks and people tell trusted guildies or friends that MMO xy was crap. Ranting here doesn't change a thing...
Meridion
EDIT: and may I say, if a game isn't a total desaster like DnL was, it will gain a solid playerbase that can NOT be driven away. you can see this in every MMO, best example nowadays SWG, as much as the haters want, they have constant fans that are still logging in every single day.
As we all know the only right opinion is your opinion. I've noticed alot of LOTRO fans can trash talk all they want about other games but refuse to hear criticism about their own. The fact of the matter is LOTRO has been developed as a niche game and isn't meant to appeal to a wide audience. They took a few basic features found in most MMORPGs and extended upon them, while leaving out completely many other features. While some may enjoy it others are just left with a sour taste in their mouth. While it's a good time killer, for me it lacks immersion. The classes and animations are dull to play and look at, the armor and weapons are not aesthetically pleasing, and the world feels small, linear and lifeless. It's even hard for me to get into the roleplaying aspect because the world isn't open-ended because the plot is fixed and I feel more like I'm just observing a set of events instead of participating. While pvp is not necessary, the lack of it makes the other problem that much bigger because I don't even have a good PvP system to get into. Again this is my opinion and you can disagree. Though what I find funny is that people criticize Vanguard for coming out incomplete but defend LOTRO to the death for doing the same thing. I don't care what anyone says, to me LOTRO is not anymore polished then every other MMORPG at release. and the clipping issues are worse then WoW and that is saying something.
Worse than Wow? You must be a comedian. Most games as far as I know have never had "server" issues like Wow did. If you're going to bash and degrade a game, at least make sure you make sure that what you say has actual fact.
WoW has clipping issues? You must be kidding, I've been playing this game over 14 months and never experienced a single collision bug/clipping error whatsoever... except that one time in black morass, but that was three weeks after BC and has been fixed...
As we all know the only right opinion is your opinion. I've noticed alot of LOTRO fans can trash talk all they want about other games but refuse to hear criticism about their own. The fact of the matter is LOTRO has been developed as a niche game and isn't meant to appeal to a wide audience. They took a few basic features found in most MMORPGs and extended upon them, while leaving out completely many other features. While some may enjoy it others are just left with a sour taste in their mouth. While it's a good time killer, for me it lacks immersion. The classes and animations are dull to play and look at, Dull compared to what? What MMo do you play now whose animations arent dull? the armor and weapons are not aesthetically pleasing Again, compared to what? What exactly IS pleasing to you so we kinda know what you're talking about, and the world feels small, Small because...? It only took you 20 minutes to go from one side of breeland to the other and to you it should have taken 2 hours? and all that space would be filled with?...trees? linear get used to it and lifeless Again..what wouldnt be lifeless to you...what MMO are you comparing it too? What are ya talking about?. It's even hard for me to get into the roleplaying aspect because the world isn't open-ended because the plot is fixed and I feel more like I'm just observing a set of events instead of participating. cause of the whole Lord of the Rings thing? You want MiddleEarth Online? So do we all my friend, but we are seasoned MMo players..99% of tolkien fans arent. While pvp is not necessary, the lack of it makes the other problem that much bigger because I don't even have a good PvP system to get into. People are diggin the monster play..and its PVP whether or not you choose to call it that. Why not describe your experiences with the Monster play in LOTR's for us and tell us how ganking in other games is real PVP and ganking in lotrs isnt? I love PVP btw. Again this is my opinion and you can disagree. Though what I find funny is that people criticize Vanguard for coming out incomplete but defend LOTRO to the death for doing the same thing. I don't care what anyone says, to me LOTRO is not anymore polished then every other MMORPG at release. and the clipping issues are worse then WoW and that is saying something.
Those are pretty generic critisizms there. Was there even an example in there?
responses in red.
See you in the dream.. The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
You forgot forced grouping, I really hate forced grouping. But maybe, because it's an opinion based on my direct experience of the game, after spending literally weeks playing, it doesn't really belong on the 'Haters List'. I mean, most of the criticisms I hear are trite superficial jabs designed to offend and irritate rather than illuminate and inform.
- They have not informed themselves what LotRO provides and what it doesn't thus expecting things that were never promised. That is nobodies fault but the trolls'
- They are Vanboys and bash LotRO because their own game has not delivered a darn lot of the promised features and they wanna make it look like LotRO had the same problem
Both reasons are really cheap and poor ^^ not that the rants would change a thing, people that see LotRO won't go to a dedicated MMO site's board to inform themselves, but it's still annoying...
Originally posted by irocz350 I'd hate to see the review Gamespot is going to give, they like to get that fat guy to review games that copy Grand Theft Auto so he could give them bad ratings even though they're actually pretty good and have new features. They'll just get the guy who reviewed WoW to say, "Omg this is totally a WoW copy, lets give it a 7 though."
It'll get a higher score then CrapGuard: Saga of Beta Bugs.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Originally posted by Jackdog What I find amusing is that some people still think that what they type over here really means jack squat. As bad a s D&L was and as much as some of the beta testers tried to warn people about that steaming heap people still bought it. Vanguard is another example, people were stomping all over the NDA a year before release talking about what a boring POS it was/is and look at all the suckers that still think Sigil has a clue. Anyway I have LoTRO and 2 other games in beta to mess with so toodleloo as they say.
QFT - As a guilty party in the VG NDA breaking drama I did my best to try to warn people of the impending disaster that is/was Vangaurd. I really did try to like VG but it was not to be because of the nature of the release, the hyped up claims that were not being fulfilled in closed beta and the horrible bugs and performance.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
WoW has clipping issues? You must be kidding, I've been playing this game over 14 months and never experienced a single collision bug/clipping error whatsoever... except that one time in black morass, but that was three weeks after BC and has been fixed...
Meridion
I find that very hard to believe.
There are so many clipping issues with the equipment in WoW its not even funny anymore.
i don't even have to compare to other games, right? Like falling through the world twice a week or getting stuck in a barrel while walking by?... Thats everyday business in other MMOGs...
But seriously, I've never encountered anything alike in WoW... I dont know what you do while playing it, but just "no", I had some issues after disconnects, but thats not Blizzards fault but my ISP's that just drops me time after time.
Anything else was nearly perfect clippingwise. Sure, there are some issues with encounters n stuff, game mechanic bugs, but even those are rare...
Originally posted by pb1285n Though what I find funny is that people criticize Vanguard for coming out incomplete but defend LOTRO to the death for doing the same thing.
???
Vanguard didn't WORK at release, period. It still doesn't work well, the code is not optimized, even people with high end machines have had a lot of problems just running the game, never mind actually playing it and getting to the further problems that exist there.
LOTRO may not have the features you like (and to be honest, if you like Vanguard's style, then it's clear you will NOT like a game like LOTRO), but it is the most polished game to be released in quite some time. Being bitter about it because Brad and his groupies screwed the pooch with VG is not sensible -- you have to look at LOTRO on its own merits, even if you don't like the style of the game, imo.
I will throw my penny in the pot for what's it worth. First off, I am an old school gamer (over 40). I been gaming since pre-internet BBS days. I have been playing and testing MMO's for over twelve years now. I grew up on Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, D&D etc. back in a time when these books and games were seen as occultish. I own all of Tolkein's works and I am not a fan due to a 3 part trilogy by Peter jackson. Yes, the movies were good but not better than the books or all of Tolkien's combined works.
When I entered the LOTOR I expected to be completely floored and I was not. This was sheer disappointment for me as I had high hopes for this game. I have been gaming way too long for people to tell me to wait until the latter part of the game to see all its glory. Hog wash I say. The game is simply not tailored to hardcore, old school Middle Earth fans. The play form the onset was desgined to suck in a whole new MMO player base simply on the fact that it is the LOTR universe and all these new fanbois were created due to a movie series. Go read Tom Bombadil, the Silmarillion and other JRR works to really understand his depth and passion for Middle Earth.
Is it better or worse than any current MMO out? No. I could talk about other games but that is not my goal. I beta'd WOW for two years and was an alpha tester for VSOH. I will leave my opinions about both games to those who wish to bash repeatedely to no end. The bottom line for me was sheer disappointment and any company doing LOTRO should have done it flawlessly or left it alone. Again, this is my opinon which means crap too many of you, so be it.
I know that long time, hardcore Tolkien fans that say this is wonderful, fabulous, etc. are on too much medication or smoking too much pipe weed. For the record as well, I am not currently subscribed to any MMO and have not been for a year now. I am sick of throwing my money away to nothing but rehash and repeats. Maybe I am done with them all together, who knows. I just cannot stress enough my honest disappointment in a game that I thought would have changed so much for the MMO industry.
Sad, depressed, and utterly miserable that Tolkien's world was destroyed....
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Originally posted by sonicbrew I will throw my penny in the pot for what's it worth. First off, I am an old school gamer (over 40). I been gaming since pre-internet BBS days. I have been playing and testing MMO's for over twelve years now. I grew up on Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, D&D etc. back in a time when these books and games were seen as occultish. I own all of Tolkein's works and I am not a fan due to a 3 part trilogy by Peter jackson. Yes, the movies were good but not better than the books or all of Tolkien's combined works. When I entered the LOTOR I expected to be completely floored and I was not. This was sheer disappointment for me as I had high hopes for this game. I have been gaming way too long for people to tell me to wait until the latter part of the game to see all its glory. Hog wash I say. The game is simply not tailored to hardcore, old school Middle Earth fans. The play form the onset was desgined to suck in a whole new MMO player base simply on the fact that it is the LOTR universe and all these new fanbois were created due to a movie series. Go read Tom Bombadil, the Silmarillion and other JRR works to really understand his depth and passion for Middle Earth. Is it better or worse than any current MMO out? No. I could talk about other games but that is not my goal. I beta'd WOW for two years and was an alpha tester for VSOH. I will leave my opinions about both games to those who wish to bash repeatedely to no end. The bottom line for me was sheer disappointment and any company doing LOTRO should have done it flawlessly or left it alone. Again, this is my opinon which means crap too many of you, so be it. I know that long time, hardcore Tolkien fans that say this is wonderful, fabulous, etc. are on too much medication or smoking too much pipe weed. For the record as well, I am not currently subscribed to any MMO and have not been for a year now. I am sick of throwing my money away to nothing but rehash and repeats. Maybe I am done with them all together, who knows. I just cannot stress enough my honest disappointment in a game that I thought would have changed so much for the MMO industry. Sad, depressed, and utterly miserable that Tolkien's world was destroyed....
Didn't they tell you? You're not allowed to question the game, or express your disappointment with it, or they have the mods delete the thread after the fanboys call you this, that or the other.
Oh, and all the stuff you were looking for is in game, it's just in a super secret client that only the select few get to play. Everyone else that isn't getting fancy graphics, weather effects, and so forth must be playing LotRO - Peon Edition. Not that you're allowed to want those things, you should be happy with the same old thing.
Originally posted by pb1285n Though what I find funny is that people criticize Vanguard for coming out incomplete but defend LOTRO to the death for doing the same thing.
???
Vanguard didn't WORK at release, period. It still doesn't work well, the code is not optimized, even people with high end machines have had a lot of problems just running the game, never mind actually playing it and getting to the further problems that exist there.
Worked and works for me and others. But yes, didn`t work (performance wise) for a lot too. But it did work. I have a mid range machine with a x1950pro and i can play the game just fine.
.... it's just in a super secret client that only the select few get to play. Everyone else that isn't getting fancy graphics, weather effects, and so forth must be playing LotRO - Peon Edition. Not that you're allowed to want those things, you should be happy with the same old thing.
There are actually two editions of the game.
If you got the DVD version you have the high res graphics textures and cut scenes and so on.
If you got the download version, you don't have high res textures and so on.
Originally posted by Max_Torps Originally posted by Coldmeat
Originally posted by sonicbrew Stuff
Other stuff was said by Coldmeat and... .... it's just in a super secret client that only the select few get to play. Everyone else that isn't getting fancy graphics, weather effects, and so forth must be playing LotRO - Peon Edition. Not that you're allowed to want those things, you should be happy with the same old thing. There are actually two editions of the game.
If you got the DVD version you have the high res graphics textures and cut scenes and so on. If you got the download version, you don't have high res textures and so on.
Yes, I know. I was being vaguely sarcastic, referencing the hi-res client, combined with the standard beta fan response that there is a "special dev only" version of the client that fixes all the bugs, and so forth. Because, I seem to be playing a very different version of the game than other people, from the description they give, versus what I'm seeing in the game as I type this. And I'm not speaking strictly of graphics, either.
Well my wife tells me that maybe I am too damn critical. She is most likely right I imagine as she knows me better than anyone else. Maybe my expectations were a bit high for this game, maybe too high. Maybe I need to give it a little more time and see if it grows on me. I don't know, trying to take an objective approach instead of being so damn anal retentive about it. I guess being a fan for so many years and a gamer and wishing for something like this, I expect way more than any team can deliver. Maybe I will convert, maybe I won't.
One thing os for sure I am not above being man enough to say I might have been a bit hastie. I am far from sold in all honesty but perhaps a bit more time as I said and it will grow on me.
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Originally posted by sonicbrew Well my wife tells me that maybe I am too damn critical. She is most likely right I imagine as she knows me better than anyone else. Maybe my expectations were a bit high for this game, maybe too high. Maybe I need to give it a little more time and see if it grows on me. I don't know, trying to take an objective approach instead of being so damn anal retentive about it. I guess being a fan for so many years and a gamer and wishing for something like this, I expect way more than any team can deliver. Maybe I will convert, maybe I won't. One thing os for sure I am not above being man enough to say I might have been a bit hastie. I am far from sold in all honesty but perhaps a bit more time as I said and it will grow on me.
Frankly, I agree with you wholeheartedly. It does not feel in any way like Middle Earth. If I took the names off the map, I'd think I was playing DDO Now with more Outside! Or any other number of generic fantasy MMO's.
I understand the story Turbine are trying to tell via the main quest line and all, I just think that it'd be a story better told as a single player game, where YOU, and you alone could be the hero. An MMO version of Middle Earth would be better served by being more of a sandbox style game, a la UO, or even AC where there was a story told via monthly updates to the game, and the players actions in the world actually affected the storyline, and the world at large. And, as we all know, Turbine made AC, so it's not as if they can play the "we don't know how" card.
But there are some that don't want us to discuss these things. I still wonder where the open beta thread from yesterday disappeared to.
Originally posted by RipperLord The game looks great...but there are two things that I noticed that really bug me:1. Eriador ONLY!!! What happened to Middle-Earth dude, like c'mon you said you are gonna give us LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE!!! that revolves around the movie trilogy which in fact for those who haven't seen it (sad...if you haven't) about a fellowship travelling from The Shire to Mt. Doom in Mordor. But what Turbine gave is barely a fraction of Middle-Earth, I understand there might be expansions but its just too slack.
Hmm...
Best thing to ever happen to LOTRO: The Peter Jackson movies.
Worst thing to ever happen to LOTRO: The Peter Jackson movies.
The movies are probably what's going to draw at least 50% of the original sales to the game. But the game is not based on the movies. People expecting the movies may not like the game. Then there are folks like me who saw the movies and just kept mumbling "WTF did this idiot do? Did he even read the books?" who may like the flavor of the game a lot better. The movies and the game are both based on the same source, but they are not the same.
If you in any way expect this game to live up to the spectacle your imagination conjured up while reading the books, of course you're going to be disappointed. Even the movies didn't live up to what I had imagined from reading and rereading the books. How could they? So I'm not surprised that the truly hardcore Tolkien fans are put off by the game.
I think the most disappointing thing I've found in the game is the Old Forest (and Rivendell). It just doesn't match in anyway what I thought it should look like. I don't think the hardware available today could possibly capture my imagination. (I do think the walking trees are well done though.) Now if I were the game's art director, it's possible that it would live up to my expectations, but I don't think it would be playable on anything short of a render farm.
Well my wife tells me that maybe I am too damn critical. She is most likely right I imagine as she knows me better than anyone else. Maybe my expectations were a bit high for this game, maybe too high. Maybe I need to give it a little more time and see if it grows on me. I don't know, trying to take an objective approach instead of being so damn anal retentive about it. I guess being a fan for so many years and a gamer and wishing for something like this, I expect way more than any team can deliver. Maybe I will convert, maybe I won't.
One thing os for sure I am not above being man enough to say I might have been a bit hastie. I am far from sold in all honesty but perhaps a bit more time as I said and it will grow on me.
Frankly, I agree with you wholeheartedly. It does not feel in any way like Middle Earth. If I took the names off the map, I'd think I was playing DDO Now with more Outside! Or any other number of generic fantasy MMO's.
I understand the story Turbine are trying to tell via the main quest line and all, I just think that it'd be a story better told as a single player game, where YOU, and you alone could be the hero. An MMO version of Middle Earth would be better served by being more of a sandbox style game, a la UO, or even AC where there was a story told via monthly updates to the game, and the players actions in the world actually affected the storyline, and the world at large. And, as we all know, Turbine made AC, so it's not as if they can play the "we don't know how" card.
But there are some that don't want us to discuss these things. I still wonder where the open beta thread from yesterday disappeared to.
I was wondering where that thread went too. I see what your saying as well..and my personal preference would be the same as what you are describing. However do you think that 99% of tolkien fans agree with us? This game is for them..at least right now. From what i've heard people saying, is once the story is completed, the IP holder will allow Turbine to develop the game with a little more freedom.(absolutely no idea if thats true). We might see those element get added in as the community gains some experience in playing MMO's and decides what their own preferences are. This will be alot of peoples first MMO remember. So, Its kinda pointless to be having this discussion right before the game releases..its not changing.
Having said that, it doesnt mean that this game isnt fun. Its a blast. I almost missed it because i share the same preferences as you, and I was planning on passing. Im glad i gave it a chance and just played the game for what it is. It's also not like Turbine said it would be any different than what we got. You should really give this game a chance man..dont miss out on probably the "funnest" mmo to come out in a long time. Sure its not what we would have done with the IP, but it doesnt make what Turbine has done bad. They made a great little MMO compared to the current selection, and they also didnt drop an unplayable, unfinished product on the market. They arent making us pay for what they promised would be there at launch. They did what they said they were going to do, and they did a good job. This is what we want from developers.
See you in the dream.. The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
Well. I honestly gave it a good go all the way uo to 15 but it just ins't holding me in any way. If it doesn't grab me in the beginning and hold me well through 15 levels, it just won't work me for me. To all those that enjoy it, I wish you fun and fortune. As for me I have to wait a bit longer for what I think is right for me.
Peace
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Originally posted by FikusOfAhazi However do you think that 99% of tolkien fans agree with us? This game is for them..at least right now. From what i've heard people saying, is once the story is completed, the IP holder will allow Turbine to develop the game with a little more freedom.(absolutely no idea if thats true). We might see those element get added in as the community gains some experience in playing MMO's and decides what their own preferences are. This will be alot of peoples first MMO remember. So, Its kinda pointless to be having this discussion right before the game releases..its not changing.
Well, yeah, ultimately the conversation is pointless at this stage, but it's more entertaining than the current crop of MMO's, which is a pretty sad statement in and of itself.
However, I think ultimately that the Tolkien fans will fall into a couple different camps. First, there's the book fans, and then the movie fans, with some cross over. Then you have fans of the IP that have, or have not played an MMO before.
I think the movie fans will be more ok with the game than the book fans, and for the same reason the book fans didn't like the movies(for those that didn't). For all their life since reading the books, they've had in their head a mental image of Middle Earth, and it's peoples. No movie, or video game is gonna live up to that sort of expectation. There was a thread in General Discussion where someone made the point that the Rivendell that exists in his head couldn't be portrayed without a render farm. A bit of hyperbole, perhaps, but a valid point.
Now, those Tolkien fans that come from another MMO will likely be more forgiving with the liberties taken because they know what MMO's are and aren't. And the fans that haven't played an MMO? I guess it depends on their expectations. And, of course, their reaction to when the full weight of all the MMO retards the internet can heave at them. Getting KS'd for the 10th time by Dildo Teabaggins probably will put them off the game a bit. Then again, it'd probably drive off just about anyone.
Edit: And I currently am playing on the Firesomething server. I've played on and off since beta 2. I will give Turbine credit for making a far and away more stable game(so far) than those that have come before it. There's still release day to make it through, but I think they'll be ok, with little or no crashing, resets, etc.
Comments
I miss DAoC
Is that an ever increasing cry for server merges in Vanguard I hear?
Thats SO true, you can rant all you like, 98% of the MMORPG community are NOT reading nor posting on cross-game message boards. Word of mouth only works when the game itself actually sucks and people tell trusted guildies or friends that MMO xy was crap. Ranting here doesn't change a thing...
Meridion
EDIT: and may I say, if a game isn't a total desaster like DnL was, it will gain a solid playerbase that can NOT be driven away. you can see this in every MMO, best example nowadays SWG, as much as the haters want, they have constant fans that are still logging in every single day.
Meridion
responses in red.
See you in the dream..
The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
You forgot forced grouping, I really hate forced grouping. But maybe, because it's an opinion based on my direct experience of the game, after spending literally weeks playing, it doesn't really belong on the 'Haters List'. I mean, most of the criticisms I hear are trite superficial jabs designed to offend and irritate rather than illuminate and inform.
- They have not informed themselves what LotRO provides and what it doesn't thus expecting things that were never promised. That is nobodies fault but the trolls'
- They are Vanboys and bash LotRO because their own game has not delivered a darn lot of the promised features and they wanna make it look like LotRO had the same problem
Both reasons are really cheap and poor ^^ not that the rants would change a thing, people that see LotRO won't go to a dedicated MMO site's board to inform themselves, but it's still annoying...
Meridion
It'll get a higher score then CrapGuard: Saga of Beta Bugs.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
QFT - As a guilty party in the VG NDA breaking drama I did my best to try to warn people of the impending disaster that is/was Vangaurd. I really did try to like VG but it was not to be because of the nature of the release, the hyped up claims that were not being fulfilled in closed beta and the horrible bugs and performance.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
There are so many clipping issues with the equipment in WoW its not even funny anymore.
But seriously, I've never encountered anything alike in WoW... I dont know what you do while playing it, but just "no", I had some issues after disconnects, but thats not Blizzards fault but my ISP's that just drops me time after time.
Anything else was nearly perfect clippingwise. Sure, there are some issues with encounters n stuff, game mechanic bugs, but even those are rare...
Meridion
Vanguard didn't WORK at release, period. It still doesn't work well, the code is not optimized, even people with high end machines have had a lot of problems just running the game, never mind actually playing it and getting to the further problems that exist there.
LOTRO may not have the features you like (and to be honest, if you like Vanguard's style, then it's clear you will NOT like a game like LOTRO), but it is the most polished game to be released in quite some time. Being bitter about it because Brad and his groupies screwed the pooch with VG is not sensible -- you have to look at LOTRO on its own merits, even if you don't like the style of the game, imo.
I will throw my penny in the pot for what's it worth. First off, I am an old school gamer (over 40). I been gaming since pre-internet BBS days. I have been playing and testing MMO's for over twelve years now. I grew up on Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, D&D etc. back in a time when these books and games were seen as occultish. I own all of Tolkein's works and I am not a fan due to a 3 part trilogy by Peter jackson. Yes, the movies were good but not better than the books or all of Tolkien's combined works.
When I entered the LOTOR I expected to be completely floored and I was not. This was sheer disappointment for me as I had high hopes for this game. I have been gaming way too long for people to tell me to wait until the latter part of the game to see all its glory. Hog wash I say. The game is simply not tailored to hardcore, old school Middle Earth fans. The play form the onset was desgined to suck in a whole new MMO player base simply on the fact that it is the LOTR universe and all these new fanbois were created due to a movie series. Go read Tom Bombadil, the Silmarillion and other JRR works to really understand his depth and passion for Middle Earth.
Is it better or worse than any current MMO out? No. I could talk about other games but that is not my goal. I beta'd WOW for two years and was an alpha tester for VSOH. I will leave my opinions about both games to those who wish to bash repeatedely to no end. The bottom line for me was sheer disappointment and any company doing LOTRO should have done it flawlessly or left it alone. Again, this is my opinon which means crap too many of you, so be it.
I know that long time, hardcore Tolkien fans that say this is wonderful, fabulous, etc. are on too much medication or smoking too much pipe weed. For the record as well, I am not currently subscribed to any MMO and have not been for a year now. I am sick of throwing my money away to nothing but rehash and repeats. Maybe I am done with them all together, who knows. I just cannot stress enough my honest disappointment in a game that I thought would have changed so much for the MMO industry.
Sad, depressed, and utterly miserable that Tolkien's world was destroyed....
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Didn't they tell you? You're not allowed to question the game, or express your disappointment with it, or they have the mods delete the thread after the fanboys call you this, that or the other.
Oh, and all the stuff you were looking for is in game, it's just in a super secret client that only the select few get to play. Everyone else that isn't getting fancy graphics, weather effects, and so forth must be playing LotRO - Peon Edition. Not that you're allowed to want those things, you should be happy with the same old thing.
Vanguard didn't WORK at release, period. It still doesn't work well, the code is not optimized, even people with high end machines have had a lot of problems just running the game, never mind actually playing it and getting to the further problems that exist there.
Worked and works for me and others. But yes, didn`t work (performance wise) for a lot too. But it did work. I have a mid range machine with a x1950pro and i can play the game just fine.
eqnext.wikia.com
Other stuff was said by Coldmeat and...
.... it's just in a super secret client that only the select few get to play. Everyone else that isn't getting fancy graphics, weather effects, and so forth must be playing LotRO - Peon Edition. Not that you're allowed to want those things, you should be happy with the same old thing.
There are actually two editions of the game.If you got the DVD version you have the high res graphics textures and cut scenes and so on.
If you got the download version, you don't have high res textures and so on.
.... it's just in a super secret client that only the select few get to play. Everyone else that isn't getting fancy graphics, weather effects, and so forth must be playing LotRO - Peon Edition. Not that you're allowed to want those things, you should be happy with the same old thing.
There are actually two editions of the game.
If you got the DVD version you have the high res graphics textures and cut scenes and so on.
If you got the download version, you don't have high res textures and so on.
Yes, I know. I was being vaguely sarcastic, referencing the hi-res client, combined with the standard beta fan response that there is a "special dev only" version of the client that fixes all the bugs, and so forth. Because, I seem to be playing a very different version of the game than other people, from the description they give, versus what I'm seeing in the game as I type this. And I'm not speaking strictly of graphics, either.
Well my wife tells me that maybe I am too damn critical. She is most likely right I imagine as she knows me better than anyone else. Maybe my expectations were a bit high for this game, maybe too high. Maybe I need to give it a little more time and see if it grows on me. I don't know, trying to take an objective approach instead of being so damn anal retentive about it. I guess being a fan for so many years and a gamer and wishing for something like this, I expect way more than any team can deliver. Maybe I will convert, maybe I won't.
One thing os for sure I am not above being man enough to say I might have been a bit hastie. I am far from sold in all honesty but perhaps a bit more time as I said and it will grow on me.
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Frankly, I agree with you wholeheartedly. It does not feel in any way like Middle Earth. If I took the names off the map, I'd think I was playing DDO Now with more Outside! Or any other number of generic fantasy MMO's.
I understand the story Turbine are trying to tell via the main quest line and all, I just think that it'd be a story better told as a single player game, where YOU, and you alone could be the hero. An MMO version of Middle Earth would be better served by being more of a sandbox style game, a la UO, or even AC where there was a story told via monthly updates to the game, and the players actions in the world actually affected the storyline, and the world at large. And, as we all know, Turbine made AC, so it's not as if they can play the "we don't know how" card.
But there are some that don't want us to discuss these things. I still wonder where the open beta thread from yesterday disappeared to.
Hmm...
Best thing to ever happen to LOTRO: The Peter Jackson movies.
Worst thing to ever happen to LOTRO: The Peter Jackson movies.
The movies are probably what's going to draw at least 50% of the original sales to the game. But the game is not based on the movies. People expecting the movies may not like the game. Then there are folks like me who saw the movies and just kept mumbling "WTF did this idiot do? Did he even read the books?" who may like the flavor of the game a lot better. The movies and the game are both based on the same source, but they are not the same.
If you in any way expect this game to live up to the spectacle your imagination conjured up while reading the books, of course you're going to be disappointed. Even the movies didn't live up to what I had imagined from reading and rereading the books. How could they? So I'm not surprised that the truly hardcore Tolkien fans are put off by the game.
I think the most disappointing thing I've found in the game is the Old Forest (and Rivendell). It just doesn't match in anyway what I thought it should look like. I don't think the hardware available today could possibly capture my imagination. (I do think the walking trees are well done though.) Now if I were the game's art director, it's possible that it would live up to my expectations, but I don't think it would be playable on anything short of a render farm.
Frankly, I agree with you wholeheartedly. It does not feel in any way like Middle Earth. If I took the names off the map, I'd think I was playing DDO Now with more Outside! Or any other number of generic fantasy MMO's.
I understand the story Turbine are trying to tell via the main quest line and all, I just think that it'd be a story better told as a single player game, where YOU, and you alone could be the hero. An MMO version of Middle Earth would be better served by being more of a sandbox style game, a la UO, or even AC where there was a story told via monthly updates to the game, and the players actions in the world actually affected the storyline, and the world at large. And, as we all know, Turbine made AC, so it's not as if they can play the "we don't know how" card.
But there are some that don't want us to discuss these things. I still wonder where the open beta thread from yesterday disappeared to.
I was wondering where that thread went too. I see what your saying as well..and my personal preference would be the same as what you are describing. However do you think that 99% of tolkien fans agree with us? This game is for them..at least right now. From what i've heard people saying, is once the story is completed, the IP holder will allow Turbine to develop the game with a little more freedom.(absolutely no idea if thats true). We might see those element get added in as the community gains some experience in playing MMO's and decides what their own preferences are. This will be alot of peoples first MMO remember. So, Its kinda pointless to be having this discussion right before the game releases..its not changing.
Having said that, it doesnt mean that this game isnt fun. Its a blast. I almost missed it because i share the same preferences as you, and I was planning on passing. Im glad i gave it a chance and just played the game for what it is. It's also not like Turbine said it would be any different than what we got. You should really give this game a chance man..dont miss out on probably the "funnest" mmo to come out in a long time. Sure its not what we would have done with the IP, but it doesnt make what Turbine has done bad. They made a great little MMO compared to the current selection, and they also didnt drop an unplayable, unfinished product on the market. They arent making us pay for what they promised would be there at launch. They did what they said they were going to do, and they did a good job. This is what we want from developers.
See you in the dream..
The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
Well. I honestly gave it a good go all the way uo to 15 but it just ins't holding me in any way. If it doesn't grab me in the beginning and hold me well through 15 levels, it just won't work me for me. To all those that enjoy it, I wish you fun and fortune. As for me I have to wait a bit longer for what I think is right for me.
Peace
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Well, yeah, ultimately the conversation is pointless at this stage, but it's more entertaining than the current crop of MMO's, which is a pretty sad statement in and of itself.
However, I think ultimately that the Tolkien fans will fall into a couple different camps. First, there's the book fans, and then the movie fans, with some cross over. Then you have fans of the IP that have, or have not played an MMO before.
I think the movie fans will be more ok with the game than the book fans, and for the same reason the book fans didn't like the movies(for those that didn't). For all their life since reading the books, they've had in their head a mental image of Middle Earth, and it's peoples. No movie, or video game is gonna live up to that sort of expectation. There was a thread in General Discussion where someone made the point that the Rivendell that exists in his head couldn't be portrayed without a render farm. A bit of hyperbole, perhaps, but a valid point.
Now, those Tolkien fans that come from another MMO will likely be more forgiving with the liberties taken because they know what MMO's are and aren't. And the fans that haven't played an MMO? I guess it depends on their expectations. And, of course, their reaction to when the full weight of all the MMO retards the internet can heave at them. Getting KS'd for the 10th time by Dildo Teabaggins probably will put them off the game a bit. Then again, it'd probably drive off just about anyone.
Edit: And I currently am playing on the Firesomething server. I've played on and off since beta 2. I will give Turbine credit for making a far and away more stable game(so far) than those that have come before it. There's still release day to make it through, but I think they'll be ok, with little or no crashing, resets, etc.