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Simply Beautiful!

mindspatmindspat Member Posts: 1,367
in Lord of the Rings Online
Simply Beautiful!

 

Cranking up the graphics and tweaking out the settings to facilitate the best performance will net you one of the most aesthetically inspiring MMO’s currently on the market. I have the graphical settings nearly at max and the frame rate *only* hangs while transversing landscapes and loading additional textures with actual game play not dropping below 30 frames per second. To help clarify or counter any graphical questions and/or concerns I am using a P4 2.8 (Prescott), 2x 1gb pc3200 DDR and an ATI x850 Pro AGP version video card viewed on a 22” widescreen monitor; Superb!

 

When I say this game looks beautiful I must clarify I am referring to the landscapes and environments and that I do *not* have the high resolution texture pack installed. Maybe the lack of this hi-res texture pack is what makes me think the characters aren’t nearly as appealing as the landscapes, but they look good regardless. 

 

I’m not going to nit-pick and point out “issues” albeit I feel obligated to say I am a little miffed about the apparent lack of dynamics and the complete absence of a tactical mechanism in the combat system. This game should be very appealing to a broad spectrum of players yet miss the mark for prolonged and dedicated gamers seeking engaging combat.

 

My first impression on almost all aspects was “WoW!” And I mean that in more ways then one.  


edit: My aged PC does *not* experiance "slow" game play while drawing the graphics at nearly the highest setting.  Someone could build a similar machine for less then $600, not including OS, and experiance similar results. 

Comments

  • joejccva71joejccva71 Member UncommonPosts: 848

    So it's really that good? I'm playing Vanguard atm but the more I read everyone's thoughts on LOTRO....it makes me want to get it.

  • 2hawks2hawks Member UncommonPosts: 104
    Originally posted by joejccva


    So it's really that good? I'm playing Vanguard atm but the more I read everyone's thoughts on LOTRO....it makes me want to get it.


    If you like Vanguard for whatever reason - I think you will find LotRO to be 10 times better in every category. 

  • mindspatmindspat Member Posts: 1,367
    Originally posted by joejccva


    So it's really that good? I'm playing Vanguard atm but the more I read everyone's thoughts on LOTRO....it makes me want to get it.


    Graphically?  Lord of the Rings Online is supperior. 

    At an early glance I would say I like Vanguard's pace of combat more even though it's not much different. 

    If you like Vanguard you will more likely LOVE Lord of the Rings Online. 

    LotRO is better then Vanguard, in my opinion.  But I do not expect to be playing it due to other "issues" I have with the play style.

    Try the LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE WORLD TOUR !!  It's FREE !

    http://www.lotro.com/worldtour



  • severiusseverius Member UncommonPosts: 1,516
    I wouldn't say that someone that likes vanguard would like LotRO.  They are completely different games for people with different mindsets.  Personally I thought Vanguard coulda been something good, but it wasn't.  I thought LotRO would suck but, unlike the aforementioned game, the devs at Turbine listened to their beta testers, made vast improvements to their game, and it is an enjoyable experience.

    http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012

    image
  • TautologyTautology Member Posts: 188

    I wasnt too impressed with the graphics of LOTRO, especially with the animations:

     

  • rwmillerrwmiller Member Posts: 472

    I would hope that great graphics and very slow game play don't have to go hand in hand but to date they pretty much do. So having said that I have to say that I think Blizzard made a good choice with going with a stylistic graphical approach to WoW instead of a intensive detail oriented one. Even when on a large 40 man raid in WoW most people had pretty good performance though a few spots could get nasty at times (graphically and frame rate wise) such as the corners with all the whelps in BWL.

    When I moved from EQ to EQ2 my system was a bit underpowered and playing was like watch a stop motion film. But on a newer system EQ2 isn't bad at all. I've been playing Vanguard and while I have enjoyed some aspects of it it's not really caught my fancy and with the stutter caused by the graphics loading it's probably not one that I will continue with.

    So, I'm looking forward to giving LOTRO a try and if they get the balance right between enough details in the graphics and good game play then I'm happy even if it's not the absolute greatest highest resolution graphics possible. I play for the game and to have fun. If I want to look at art I can go to a museum.

     

  • PyritePyrite Member Posts: 309












    You're right.  Craptacular graphics.  In fact i've puked up better images.  /sarcasm

    The most important part of reading is reading between the lines.

  • HuriaHuria Member Posts: 311
    Feature and play style wise Vanguard and LoTR:O are night and day..Vastly different games.
  • TautologyTautology Member Posts: 188
    Originally posted by Pyrite













    You're right.  Craptacular graphics.  In fact i've puked up better images.  /sarcasm
    Well, I prefer posting screen shots from actual play then special ones where everything is "set up" scenes.. ;)
  • SerlingSerling Member Posts: 662

    I agree. I thought the graphics sucked. Reminded me of the cartoon world of WoW.

    Want good graphics in a game? Go play Guild Wars or Eve.

  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623
    You are absolutley correct. Look how crappy lotrO looks . What the heck where all of thinking. Those graphics look to be on Ultra High too. I'm glad mmorpg.com doesn't police the uploaded images by users , cause this image clearly shows how aweful the game is.





    who me ?

  • TautologyTautology Member Posts: 188
    Originally posted by Mars505

    You are absolutley correct. Look how crappy lotrO looks . What the heck where all of thinking. Those graphics look to be on Ultra High too. I'm glad mmorpg.com doesn't police the uploaded images by users , cause this image clearly shows how aweful the game is.
    The only thing what really looks nice is the water in your "set up" picture, everything else is just standard.  Just too bad you cant even go under water.
  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623
    Originally posted by Tautology

    Originally posted by Mars505

    You are absolutley correct. Look how crappy lotrO looks . What the heck where all of thinking. Those graphics look to be on Ultra High too. I'm glad mmorpg.com doesn't police the uploaded images by users , cause this image clearly shows how aweful the game is.
    The only thing what really looks nice is the water in your "set up" picture, everything else is just standard.  Just too bad you cant even go under water. come again ?

    ooo you mean a game shot  ?

    who me ?

  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623


    who me ?

  • PyritePyrite Member Posts: 309
    The images I posted are not "set up".  They are posted on the official LotRO forums taken by players in the last couple of weeks.  In fact, I went to that party in Hobbiton the day before open beta began.  Yes it really does look that good.

    The most important part of reading is reading between the lines.

  • TautologyTautology Member Posts: 188
    Originally posted by Mars505



    Again I prefer more actual screen shots of the standard game play experience (this one is high res and everything maxed...):



     

     

  • MidavegMidaveg Member Posts: 296
    LOTRO is beautiful? Not impress. Too close to Eeverquest 2 plastic dolls. Turbine never learn in coding better shadows and reflections.

    All canceled. Waiting on Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning.

  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623


    who me ?

  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623
    Originally posted by Midaveg

    LOTRO is beautiful? Not impress. Too close to Eeverquest 2 plastic dolls. Turbine never learn in coding better shadows and reflections.
    What are you talking about ?

    who me ?

  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623
    My shots are what my computer can handle. The reason I don't take hud shots is cause I like keeping my ingame character name off the forums, but Now I know your in-game character name and can send you random pm's and ect ... j/k but that is why I don't use hud shots, privacy even in a mmo is king .

    who me ?

  • InvidiousInvidious Member CommonPosts: 124
    Well the graphics certainly aren't better than VG but they're still pretty nice with the high resolution files. More importantly, the graphics/performance ratio is better.
  • Mars505Mars505 Member Posts: 623
    Just to be clear, my screenshots are NOT Hi Res , they are the LOW RES client. My hi res doesn't get shipped till the 24th

    who me ?

  • InvidiousInvidious Member CommonPosts: 124
    In the meantime you can try to DL the torrent. 1.7 GB.
  • 2hawks2hawks Member UncommonPosts: 104

    LoTRo graphics are a million times better than Vanguards.  Vanguard is an unispired, overloaded, poorly coded waste of polygons -with exception given to the skies.  But LotRO is amazing - they paid attention to lighting, atmosphere in every corner of the world that I have seen thus far.  Vanguard is a rehash of mediocrity spread over a huge wasteland of glitches, bugs and hollowness. 

    That said, I have no strong opinion either way.

  • HairysunHairysun Member UncommonPosts: 1,059
    http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/2621/heatdistortionfromfirenj1.jpg

    http://www.straightdope.com/

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