Hand held all the way?

Dugath

I have been playing about a week and I have a question.. Is this game always going to hold your hand? What I mean by that is it seems like it is always telling and showing you what to you, that you are stuck in one little area untill you complete the main quest in that area then you  get a cut scene  and your in a new area.



Does this game not allow free roaming? To be honest.. and I know I have only been playing a week but so far this game has felt like a single person RPG, not once have I interacted with another play and them with me. I still have a few weeks left of the 30 day trial, but i Was just curious if it is always going to be.. go here.. do the quests... then you zone to another area.. do the quests.. with no real free roaming..

ownedyou1

It allows free roaming , try moving about.

Jackdog

Originally posted by Dugath

I have been playing about a week and I have a question.. Is this game always going to hold your hand? What I mean by that is it seems like it is always telling and showing you what to you, that you are stuck in one little area untill you complete the main quest in that area then you  get a cut scene  and your in a new area.



Does this game not allow free roaming? To be honest.. and I know I have only been playing a week but so far this game has felt like a single person RPG, not once have I interacted with another play and them with me. I still have a few weeks left of the 30 day trial, but i Was just curious if it is always going to be.. go here.. do the quests... then you zone to another area.. do the quests.. with no real free roaming..

I have not the slightest idea what you are referring to, unless you have spent a week in the starter tutorial ( level1 which should take about 15 minutes). If you are out of the starter instanced zone which takes about 1 to 2 hours ( level 1 to 5) you can travel anywhere you want to go. If you want to do quests then do them, if you want to just hunt randomly, nothing is stopping you. Try traveling to N Angmar or Rivendale for an adventure. The only zoning after that is about 1% of the quests are instanced, buildings are instanced, and there is a zone line between Erid Luin and the Shire. Everything else is open world.

Alamor0

Sounds like you've deffinately only done the starting instance and starting zone...  Like the person before me said, it opens up afterwards.  Just keep playing, you'll see.

Talyn

The quests will take you to different areas just like practically every other game. If you want free roaming, then pick a road and start walking, the only thing stopping you is... you.

Dugath

Well as I said I have been only playing fort about a week. I only play about 1-2 hours a day, work takes up the rest of my time lol. I have leveled a  Human Cap. to level 7  then decided to try out a dwarf.. didnt like.. and now have a elf hunter which I am now in the 3rd "forced travel"  So ya i have not done a lot but was just curious if it was going to be like that for the entire game. Thanks for the replies.

Kyleran

No, once you get past the starter area (lvl 1-6) you can travel and quest where ever you like...near the area you first arrive at or you are free to go level up in a different zone.  Don't like Thorins gate? Run down the road to the Shire....or...all the way to Breeland if you'd rather hunt there.



Run the quests, grind mobs for deeds, craft or explore in whatever way you like. 

Mythricor

Ya the first 13 or so levels for the humans are kind of linear i you go from one place to the next, but in my case i love that. and now i am annoyed because their are so many places to go and i want to go to all of them, right now i have a choice between Buckland and Adso's camp, and i cant decide because both are cool.

gamerman98

i played in beta and i loved how it was so easy to know where to go next...I hate games that take you everywhere before your even done the quest.

Cerion

Originally posted by Dugath

I have been playing about a week and I have a question.. Is this game always going to hold your hand? What I mean by that is it seems like it is always telling and showing you what to you, that you are stuck in one little area untill you complete the main quest in that area then you  get a cut scene  and your in a new area.



Does this game not allow free roaming? To be honest.. and I know I have only been playing a week but so far this game has felt like a single person RPG, not once have I interacted with another play and them with me. I still have a few weeks left of the 30 day trial, but i Was just curious if it is always going to be.. go here.. do the quests... then you zone to another area.. do the quests.. with no real free roaming..

 

It is a very valid question to be honest. When I first started testing it, I fell into the 'linear' mode of playing because the game has many interwoven narratives.  It took me a few months to realize you don't have to let the game hand hold you.  As others have said, you can grind on MOBs for loot, xp or simply want a mindless distraction for a half hour.  You can travel just about everywhere in the land at low level with care.  Unlike most MMOs, geography by and large isn't gated content. Quests are the gated content.

I've found that I can do almost everything I used to do in EQ1, except corpse runs.

SWGforreva

To answer your question, yes, the game holds ur hand throughout the game..its another dumbed down mmo like WoW so dont expect anything different..if you want a true mmorpg i suggest u try to find a sandbox like EvE..

 

If you want a analogy on this type of game: This game is like 1 huge free way going 1 way, bunch of wannabe legolases and gimils driving, whats at the end? pointless raiding probably..because yea, theres like no real pvp..

Cerion

Originally posted by SWGforreva


To answer your question, yes, the game holds ur hand throughout the game..its another dumbed down mmo like WoW so dont expect anything different..if you want a true mmorpg i suggest u try to find a sandbox like EvE..
 
If you want a analogy on this type of game: This game is like 1 huge free way going 1 way, bunch of wannabe legolases and gimils driving, whats at the end? pointless raiding probably..because yea, theres like no real pvp..

I was hoping someone like this would post, as it gives me a chance to point out the flawed nature of the argument here. Despite this poster's e.e. commings-like intelligence, he lacks the ingenuity and creativity to find the enjoyment in LOTRO.  So many so-called free thinkers are really having a tough time thinking outside the box in LOTRO. Perhaps they can't deal with a game that has both story-driven content and sandbox elements.  For them, too many choices apparently drives them crazy. 

 

Elivo

I dont really feel like you are hand held in this game to the extent that some make it out to be.

Sure at the begging your are ported to where you need to be but after that you can come and go as you please.

Its kind of nice to have some direction when you first start playing instead of just being thown in and having to figure out absolutly everything on your own.  But hand hold the entier time, id say no.   There is plenty of free roaming and killing to be done.

piquet

Originally posted by Cerion

Originally posted by Dugath

I have been playing about a week and I have a question.. Is this game always going to hold your hand? What I mean by that is it seems like it is always telling and showing you what to you, that you are stuck in one little area untill you complete the main quest in that area then you  get a cut scene  and your in a new area.



Does this game not allow free roaming? To be honest.. and I know I have only been playing a week but so far this game has felt like a single person RPG, not once have I interacted with another play and them with me. I still have a few weeks left of the 30 day trial, but i Was just curious if it is always going to be.. go here.. do the quests... then you zone to another area.. do the quests.. with no real free roaming..

 

It is a very valid question to be honest. When I first started testing it, I fell into the 'linear' mode of playing because the game has many interwoven narratives.  It took me a few months to realize you don't have to let the game hand hold you.  As others have said, you can grind on MOBs for loot, xp or simply want a mindless distraction for a half hour.  You can travel just about everywhere in the land at low level with care.  Unlike most MMOs, geography by and large isn't gated content. Quests are the gated content.

I've found that I can do almost everything I used to do in EQ1, except corpse runs.

I had almost the exact same experience. At first I also fell into "linear mode" and found it way too confining, but once I was pointed to Bree, I started realizing that I didn't have to follow a particular path.

Now I only do the quests I find interesting, or quests that have some nice equipment I can use. There are plenty of quests to allow yourself to be picky, and when I don't feel like questing, I can grind or work on completing deeds or just go explore the beautiful landscape. The more I play LotRO, the more I like it. EQ2 is still my favorite game, but I think it's a matter of a few more content patches from Turbine, and that will change.

I just went back to Ered Luin today to complete the deeds I missed. It took me all around the map and I discovered new areas that I missed first time, because I allowed myself to be handheld.

CognetoJoe

As a lvl 26 hunter, i am getting my butt kicked up and down Agamaur, Harloeg  and Nan Dhelu. Find that I missed a crap load of quests to in between 15-20 so you are definitely not being held in the open world.

Elikal

Originally posted by Jackdog

Originally posted by Dugath

I have been playing about a week and I have a question.. Is this game always going to hold your hand? What I mean by that is it seems like it is always telling and showing you what to you, that you are stuck in one little area untill you complete the main quest in that area then you  get a cut scene  and your in a new area.



Does this game not allow free roaming? To be honest.. and I know I have only been playing a week but so far this game has felt like a single person RPG, not once have I interacted with another play and them with me. I still have a few weeks left of the 30 day trial, but i Was just curious if it is always going to be.. go here.. do the quests... then you zone to another area.. do the quests.. with no real free roaming..

I have not the slightest idea what you are referring to, unless you have spent a week in the starter tutorial ( level1 which should take about 15 minutes). If you are out of the starter instanced zone which takes about 1 to 2 hours ( level 1 to 5) you can travel anywhere you want to go. If you want to do quests then do them, if you want to just hunt randomly, nothing is stopping you. Try traveling to N Angmar or Rivendale for an adventure. The only zoning after that is about 1% of the quests are instanced, buildings are instanced, and there is a zone line between Erid Luin and the Shire. Everything else is open world.

Can only agree to Jackdog. Whatcha talking about, mate?? You can go where you want. No need to stick to the initial quest lines. There are plenty zones and things to do for every level range, and SO much to explore and see, both pointless and for rewards. Just go on and roam around in your own.

WantsumBier

If you dont want to be lead by the hand turn off the tips.

I could actually use some info and hints TBH. I get a little lost sometimes. or maybe thats the beer talking.