Meridion, You are 45 and not bored at all? That is hard to believe. I read your posts said this before to you, sometimes I agree sometimes I do not. However I find your posts thoughtful, opinionated, and from a person with real mmo experience. With that said how can someone as experienced in mmorpgs, not find LOTRO begining to get boring. I got to the low 40's with a 2 characters and could not bring myself to doing it again or even get to 50. I had fun for a couple months but after awhile I started logging in less and less. The novelty of the beautiful landscapes and decent lore is wearing off. I do not know over all sever populations but I have also notice in my guild that a significant number of players have left or like me only log a couple hours a week waiting for more to be added by turbine.
Just wanted to comment on something I saw in this peticular post (and in others across the forums). Why is it that just because someone is a veteran of MMO's, dating back to the days of EQ even, that they are destined to find this game boring and/or hollow? There are quite a few "long-time veterans" who enjoy the game and find many entertaining aspects in it...no, I don't know exact numbers nor would I care to argue about it if I did. It just seems like alot of uneducated stereotyping going on. Even though someone liked what you did at one point doesn't mean they will enjoy everything you do. Yes, I have played alot of MMO's (EQ for nearly 4 years, DAoC, AO, EQ2, WoW, SWG-preNGE, Guild Wars, Vanguard to name a few) and I have enjoyed all of them for one reason or another (except Anarchy Online...never could get in to that one), so I'm sure I have had some similar likes to alot o people, but that doesn't automatically mean that I am going to find LoTRO boring/hollow. I am in my 40's now with the main character I am playing and having a great time and finding new things to do all the time.
If you don't like the game, fine, but don't assume others will dislike it just because they liked (or disliked) the same thing you have in the past.
Because obviously the game is not for you thus why you are bored i am a lvl 46 guard and have been playing since closed Beta and am still having heaps of fun is it not possible for people to like this i mean just because some people got bored dont mean that others have to...
the thing people are missing these days is that the fun you have in games is what you make of it and as you should know seeing that you do seem to know a thing or 2 is that not all games appeal to others IMHO there is not 1 game that you listed that i am even interested in they all look good but i am already seeing that there is bithching and moaning already for these titles yet they have not been released now i am 1 that does not listen 2 much to opinions on games i like to try and see if i like it myself then i make my own Judgement but as much as you can say that these things will be a threat to LOTRO i could really care less and i would dare say that the other people who do enjoy this game (and yes there are others)could really care less aswell in the end if ya like it ya play and if ya dont then ya come on here and make stupid post on how the game was just not for you.
A couple things. First no need to insult me by calling my post stupid. Second if you could careless about what I or anyone else has to say about a game why are you wasting your time here at this website? That is what these forums are for. Bitching and moaning? Ummm nothing in my post was bitching or moaning.
I love the repeated time after time post that have nothing to offer in response so we get the "The game was just not for you" You may disagree with me but I actually put thought into my post (it was not a bitching, moaning, stupid post as you so politely put it). I never said all others got bored. I was asking a question to Meridion (whos thoughtful post i respect) and commenting on the boring factor which players (not all) are voicing. I follow the industry very closely even went to E3. I care about these games all of them not just LOTRO. So my comments are always about the bigger picture of mmos. Like topics about boredom and industry competition. charlizd in my experience a thoughtful post always makes a better point then nothing more then an insulting response. Unlike you I care what others have to say about these games agree or disagree. That is why I post here.
LOTRO has ton's of potential if Turbine does the right things. (The lack of player housing at release is a huge mistake in my opinion) I think Turbine will do the right thing but with a few very anticipated mmos on the horizon Turbine better move fast to secure their subscribers. I agree with the OP.
Housing?
I have a real house to maintain, I don't need another one!
Good for you that you have a real house! So do I in fact I have 2 of them one on an acre wooded lot with a art studio and greenhouse (3 buildings) and I own a condo I rent out. I still like player housing and so do many real life home owners. I have heard this sophmoric response before "get a real house so you do not need one in a game" In game housing has nothing to do with having a real house. Turbine is adding housing always intended to. I made the comment about it not being in game at realease.
How Turbine benefits by this is it gives players a feeling on game ownership. As a reasult they tend to subscribe a bit longer. The industry realizes this and comments on it often. If you follow the mmorpg industry more then just one game you play you would would know this is a debated common topic. WoW in beta even talked about housing. They decided they did not need it financially. In LOTRO I feel like my charaters live on the streets. A house with collectable items is fun for many. These games are mmorpgs. Believe it or not some of us still enjoy role-playing and housing adds to that experience. I for one think it would be fun to be a hobbit living under a green hill in Frogmorton.
I hear a lot of people saying, " in a year it will have depth and be better", but most gamers I know personally, when they quit a game, they dont come back to it a year later just cause they added something that should always have been there.
The problem with lotro is that the whole system lacks any depth, and you cant fix that with a patch or an expansion. The lotro system is stuck the way it is, and it wont change unless they make an lotro2 (which will never happen(ok never say never but ya know)). Also, in a year's time we are getting an influx of good quality, different games (aoc), and a few others that try to offer the same and more(war). I think lotro will become like ddo, where the community is the people who enjoy the IP, and the game will stay the way it is. Good for some, seemingly veyr bad for a lot.
LOTRo is a fun game for the style of game it is like. It felt more like your standard linear rpg game (like balder's gate) in a persistant world than a full mmo, and some people find such things very fun. I prefer more sandboxy mmo's myself, like many others.. but that doesn't make lotro not-so-fun for anyone but myself.
If you enjoyed the content while you leveled, then what are we talking about here? Yes, I understand that the upper levels are a little screwed up. I stopped at level 26 with my first character. I stopped at level 31 with my second character. I am now on Level 15 with my third. My first chacter started in bree. My second character started in Ered Luin. Now, my third character is starting in The Shire. I have played a Captain, a Minstrel, and a I am now playing a Guardian. Three different characters, three different zones, three different deed sets. I haven't even tried trade skills. I haven't even looked at them.
There is so much content in this game that to call it boring because your Uber Level 50 Hunter with all epic and all his Legendary Traits has nothing to do is just plain stupid.
But I don't think that is what is going on. I think you bashers are just mad because there is no such thing as "Uber" in this game. This game is a story not a second life.
And that's what you really want, a second life.
Have fun, enjoy. When not fun anymore, go do something that is.
If you enjoyed the content while you leveled, then what are we talking about here? Yes, I understand that the upper levels are a little screwed up. I stopped at level 26 with my first character. I stopped at level 31 with my second character. I am now on Level 15 with my third. My first chacter started in bree. My second character started in Ered Luin. Now, my third character is starting in The Shire. I have played a Captain, a Minstrel, and a I am now playing a Guardian. Three different characters, three different zones, three different deed sets. I haven't even tried trade skills. I haven't even looked at them. There is so much content in this game that to call it boring because your Uber Level 50 Hunter with all epic and all his Legendary Traits has nothing to do is just plain stupid. But I don't think that is what is going on. I think you bashers are just mad because there is no such thing as "Uber" in this game. This game is a story not a second life. And that's what you really want, a second life. Have fun, enjoy. When not fun anymore, go do something that is.
Three different character. Three different starting zones. And in 2-3 hours of play time, if you do everything there is to do where you start, they'll all be in Bree talking to Strider. And all 3 getting stuck into the exact same linear path with no options for the rest of their lives.
Yeah, that's lots of content, if you consider copy-pasting the same thing 350 times to be content. have fun with the Teletubbies in Eriador game, now
Well it continues to amaze me how personal these forums get. Really not much to argue or slander about here. Everyone has an opinion, read them and move on. Some like the game while others think its binary trash. Warhammer Online will get bashed, along with Age of Conan. There will be haters and lovers. In the end, state your opinion, be ready to read positive and negative replies, then go outside and ride your bike or walk the dog. In the end its a video game, that you payed for and can comment on it in the forums however you wish. If someone says LOTRO is a crappy game, then I'm sure it is to him. Others will say its the next best thing next to beer. Just try no tto take things personal, read the comment, respond if you want to, but don't get personally upset. Then again I do enjoy reading forums when they get personal. Its like a MMOprah episode with a hint of Geraldolph.
Originally posted by themanxx72 Well it continues to amaze me how personal these forums get. Really not much to argue or slander about here. Everyone has an opinion, read them and move on. Some like the game while others think its binary trash. Warhammer Online will get bashed, along with Age of Conan. There will be haters and lovers. In the end, state your opinion, be ready to read positive and negative replies, then go outside and ride your bike or walk the dog. In the end its a video game, that you payed for and can comment on it in the forums however you wish. If someone says LOTRO is a crappy game, then I'm sure it is to him. Others will say its the next best thing next to beer. Just try no tto take things personal, read the comment, respond if you want to, but don't get personally upset. Then again I do enjoy reading forums when they get personal. Its like a MMOprah episode with a hint of Geraldolph.
I think you've hit the nail on the head quite effectively here, hehe. These forums amuse me as well. Its funny, how much argument there is between "It Rox!" and "It sux!" but very seldom do people look at actual facts.
For example :
The game has a lot of subscriptions, the worlds are fairly full. This means that a lot of people obviously DO like and enjoy the game.
The game does not have a lot of areas or character customizability and is fairly linear. This means that it will not appeal to the audience who wants to be able to customize, min-max, twink, achieve, etc.
Its a fairly solid game, as games go. But its lacking quite a bit as well. Kept me entertained for 3 months, but as I got my second character close to lvl 50, and was back to spending hours LFG for carn dum AGAIN, trying to complete all the same quests AGAIN, completing the boring grinding out thousands of mobs for deeds AGAIN, I got tired of it. You can't progress beyond a certain point here, and while there's definitely enough to explore and roleplay and whatnot, I honestly don't think I'll be back until the level cap is 100+ and they've opened up a -lot- more of the continent. I'm just not a hardcore enough LOTR fan to be satisfied with this as an MMO. But the thing is, for a very large percent of the playerbase in LOTRO, these are LOTR fans NOT MMO players, and their perspective as well as their expectations are different.
I am an MMO player, and this is just an MMO Lite with an LOTR skin, to me. I messed with it for a couple of months, capped a couple of characters, started to get bored with it and then got mad at the major nerfing/screwing up of the game in the first content patch, and left. I give it a 6/10. Visual & Audio are excellent. Gameplay is a bit boring, combat fairly predictable, customization is minimal. A solid game, but doesn't really do anything new.
To a LOTR fan, its Middle-Earth come to life, which is much more magical Changes to structure and classes in the game, balancing issues, etc. aren't going to offend them as much as it will the veteran MMO'r, who has been nerfbatted a hundred times already in different games. It stays fresher longer, and you don't realize its the same game with different options because you haven't played other games as much. You get to fight with Legolas by your side and talk with Aragorn and Gandalf ...things like nerfing tracking abilities while mounted are just an inconvenience to you, rather than signs of things to come.
Finally, what ultimately made me quit this game, was the forced grouping beyond a certain level. I thoroughly enjoyed this game until it became another standing in town, LFG game. And I played a minstrel; found groups much quicker than if I hadn't, and still it took too long to get anything going. The game is set up so that mob kills give little to no xp, therefore there is little motivation (other than simple benevolvence) for people to help others do quests that they don't have. This, combined with the overall bad attitude in much of the community, leads to a diminishing at the end.
If you love LOTR, I'd say pick this up. It doesn't disappoint.
If you like to roleplay, socialize, meet friends - pick it up.
If you like to customize, be unique, and see your character progress to take on harder and harder challenges, I would be hesitant with this one.
Gaming? That's not gaming! That's just people sat 'round in costumes drinking...
Well it continues to amaze me how personal these forums get. Really not much to argue or slander about here. Everyone has an opinion, read them and move on. Some like the game while others think its binary trash. Warhammer Online will get bashed, along with Age of Conan. There will be haters and lovers. In the end, state your opinion, be ready to read positive and negative replies, then go outside and ride your bike or walk the dog. In the end its a video game, that you payed for and can comment on it in the forums however you wish. If someone says LOTRO is a crappy game, then I'm sure it is to him. Others will say its the next best thing next to beer. Just try no tto take things personal, read the comment, respond if you want to, but don't get personally upset. Then again I do enjoy reading forums when they get personal. Its like a MMOprah episode with a hint of Geraldolph.
I think you've hit the nail on the head quite effectively here, hehe. These forums amuse me as well. Its funny, how much argument there is between "It Rox!" and "It sux!" but very seldom do people look at actual facts.
For example :
The game has a lot of subscriptions, the worlds are fairly full. This means that a lot of people obviously DO like and enjoy the game.
The game does not have a lot of areas or character customizability and is fairly linear. This means that it will not appeal to the audience who wants to be able to customize, min-max, twink, achieve, etc.
Its a fairly solid game, as games go. But its lacking quite a bit as well.
Kept me entertained for 3 months, but as I got my second character close to lvl 50, and was back to spending hours LFG for carn dum AGAIN, trying to complete all the same quests AGAIN, completing the boring grinding out thousands of mobs for deeds AGAIN, I got tired of it. You can't progress beyond a certain point here, and while there's definitely enough to explore and roleplay and whatnot, I honestly don't think I'll be back until the level cap is 100+ and they've opened up a -lot- more of the continent. I'm just not a hardcore enough LOTR fan to be satisfied with this as an MMO. But the thing is, for a very large percent of the playerbase in LOTRO, these are LOTR fans NOT MMO players, and their perspective as well as their expectations are different.
I am an MMO player, and this is just an MMO Lite with an LOTR skin, to me. I messed with it for a couple of months, capped a couple of characters, started to get bored with it and then got mad at the major nerfing/screwing up of the game in the first content patch, and left. I give it a 6/10. Visual & Audio are excellent. Gameplay is a bit boring, combat fairly predictable, customization is minimal. A solid game, but doesn't really do anything new.
To a LOTR fan, its Middle-Earth come to life, which is much more magical Changes to structure and classes in the game, balancing issues, etc. aren't going to offend them as much as it will the veteran MMO'r, who has been nerfbatted a hundred times already in different games. It stays fresher longer, and you don't realize its the same game with different options because you haven't played other games as much. You get to fight with Legolas by your side and talk with Aragorn and Gandalf ...things like nerfing tracking abilities while mounted are just an inconvenience to you, rather than signs of things to come.
Finally, what ultimately made me quit this game, was the forced grouping beyond a certain level. I thoroughly enjoyed this game until it became another standing in town, LFG game. And I played a minstrel; found groups much quicker than if I hadn't, and still it took too long to get anything going. The game is set up so that mob kills give little to no xp, therefore there is little motivation (other than simple benevolvence) for people to help others do quests that they don't have. This, combined with the overall bad attitude in much of the community, leads to a diminishing at the end.
If you love LOTR, I'd say pick this up. It doesn't disappoint.
If you like to roleplay, socialize, meet friends - pick it up.
If you like to customize, be unique, and see your character progress to take on harder and harder challenges, I would be hesitant with this one.
This is one of the best descriptions that I have seen for both the game and the way players respond to it.
The only thing I would add is that for an MMORPG player who isn't into rushing to the endgame and who likes the journey as much as the destination, it is OK. If you are into the endgame, don't bother, because there isn't really one there at this point.
For me, this is a game that I can get into obsessively for a few days to a week, and then go off and do another game and come back later. I bought the lifetime plan, so I am in no hurry to "finish."
Because obviously the game is not for you thus why you are bored i am a lvl 46 guard and have been playing since closed Beta and am still having heaps of fun is it not possible for people to like this i mean just because some people got bored dont mean that others have to...
the thing people are missing these days is that the fun you have in games is what you make of it and as you should know seeing that you do seem to know a thing or 2 is that not all games appeal to others IMHO there is not 1 game that you listed that i am even interested in they all look good but i am already seeing that there is bithching and moaning already for these titles yet they have not been released now i am 1 that does not listen 2 much to opinions on games i like to try and see if i like it myself then i make my own Judgement but as much as you can say that these things will be a threat to LOTRO i could really care less and i would dare say that the other people who do enjoy this game (and yes there are others)could really care less aswell in the end if ya like it ya play and if ya dont then ya come on here and make stupid post on how the game was just not for you.
A couple things. First no need to insult me by calling my post stupid. Second if you could careless about what I or anyone else has to say about a game why are you wasting your time here at this website? That is what these forums are for. Bitching and moaning? Ummm nothing in my post was bitching or moaning.
I love the repeated time after time post that have nothing to offer in response so we get the "The game was just not for you" You may disagree with me but I actually put thought into my post (it was not a bitching, moaning, stupid post as you so politely put it). I never said all others got bored. I was asking a question to Meridion (whos thoughtful post i respect) and commenting on the boring factor which players (not all) are voicing. I follow the industry very closely even went to E3. I care about these games all of them not just LOTRO. So my comments are always about the bigger picture of mmos. Like topics about boredom and industry competition. charlizd in my experience a thoughtful post always makes a better point then nothing more then an insulting response. Unlike you I care what others have to say about these games agree or disagree. That is why I post here.
Ok well number 1 i am sorry if it seemed that i called your post stupid i was not insulting you at all, i should have stated more clearly that the Bold section was directed towards your post and the rest towards any 1 that it applies to and ( again not insulting you in any way) the part where i Wrote "in the end if ya like it ya play and if ya dont then ya come on here and MAKE stupid post on how the game was just not for you." Was directed at the OP as you were not the 1 who started this topic, and just like you i like to agree and disagree that is why i responded to your post.
Comments
Just wanted to comment on something I saw in this peticular post (and in others across the forums). Why is it that just because someone is a veteran of MMO's, dating back to the days of EQ even, that they are destined to find this game boring and/or hollow? There are quite a few "long-time veterans" who enjoy the game and find many entertaining aspects in it...no, I don't know exact numbers nor would I care to argue about it if I did. It just seems like alot of uneducated stereotyping going on. Even though someone liked what you did at one point doesn't mean they will enjoy everything you do. Yes, I have played alot of MMO's (EQ for nearly 4 years, DAoC, AO, EQ2, WoW, SWG-preNGE, Guild Wars, Vanguard to name a few) and I have enjoyed all of them for one reason or another (except Anarchy Online...never could get in to that one), so I'm sure I have had some similar likes to alot o people, but that doesn't automatically mean that I am going to find LoTRO boring/hollow. I am in my 40's now with the main character I am playing and having a great time and finding new things to do all the time.
If you don't like the game, fine, but don't assume others will dislike it just because they liked (or disliked) the same thing you have in the past.
A couple things. First no need to insult me by calling my post stupid. Second if you could careless about what I or anyone else has to say about a game why are you wasting your time here at this website? That is what these forums are for. Bitching and moaning? Ummm nothing in my post was bitching or moaning.
I love the repeated time after time post that have nothing to offer in response so we get the "The game was just not for you" You may disagree with me but I actually put thought into my post (it was not a bitching, moaning, stupid post as you so politely put it). I never said all others got bored. I was asking a question to Meridion (whos thoughtful post i respect) and commenting on the boring factor which players (not all) are voicing. I follow the industry very closely even went to E3. I care about these games all of them not just LOTRO. So my comments are always about the bigger picture of mmos. Like topics about boredom and industry competition. charlizd in my experience a thoughtful post always makes a better point then nothing more then an insulting response. Unlike you I care what others have to say about these games agree or disagree. That is why I post here.
Housing?
I have a real house to maintain, I don't need another one!
Good for you that you have a real house! So do I in fact I have 2 of them one on an acre wooded lot with a art studio and greenhouse (3 buildings) and I own a condo I rent out. I still like player housing and so do many real life home owners. I have heard this sophmoric response before "get a real house so you do not need one in a game" In game housing has nothing to do with having a real house. Turbine is adding housing always intended to. I made the comment about it not being in game at realease.How Turbine benefits by this is it gives players a feeling on game ownership. As a reasult they tend to subscribe a bit longer. The industry realizes this and comments on it often. If you follow the mmorpg industry more then just one game you play you would would know this is a debated common topic. WoW in beta even talked about housing. They decided they did not need it financially. In LOTRO I feel like my charaters live on the streets. A house with collectable items is fun for many. These games are mmorpgs. Believe it or not some of us still enjoy role-playing and housing adds to that experience. I for one think it would be fun to be a hobbit living under a green hill in Frogmorton.
Well said I agree.
LOTRo is a fun game for the style of game it is like. It felt more like your standard linear rpg game (like balder's gate) in a persistant world than a full mmo, and some people find such things very fun. I prefer more sandboxy mmo's myself, like many others.. but that doesn't make lotro not-so-fun for anyone but myself.
Yes, but it went and got itself released. Only unreleased games pwn so hard.
Yes, but it went and got itself released. Only unreleased games pwn so hard.
Lol
If you enjoyed the content while you leveled, then what are we talking about here? Yes, I understand that the upper levels are a little screwed up. I stopped at level 26 with my first character. I stopped at level 31 with my second character. I am now on Level 15 with my third. My first chacter started in bree. My second character started in Ered Luin. Now, my third character is starting in The Shire. I have played a Captain, a Minstrel, and a I am now playing a Guardian. Three different characters, three different zones, three different deed sets. I haven't even tried trade skills. I haven't even looked at them.
There is so much content in this game that to call it boring because your Uber Level 50 Hunter with all epic and all his Legendary Traits has nothing to do is just plain stupid.
But I don't think that is what is going on. I think you bashers are just mad because there is no such thing as "Uber" in this game. This game is a story not a second life.
And that's what you really want, a second life.
Have fun, enjoy. When not fun anymore, go do something that is.
Yeah, that's lots of content, if you consider copy-pasting the same thing 350 times to be content. have fun with the Teletubbies in Eriador game, now
Bite me, Turbine.
Well it continues to amaze me how personal these forums get. Really not much to argue or slander about here. Everyone has an opinion, read them and move on. Some like the game while others think its binary trash. Warhammer Online will get bashed, along with Age of Conan. There will be haters and lovers. In the end, state your opinion, be ready to read positive and negative replies, then go outside and ride your bike or walk the dog. In the end its a video game, that you payed for and can comment on it in the forums however you wish. If someone says LOTRO is a crappy game, then I'm sure it is to him. Others will say its the next best thing next to beer. Just try no tto take things personal, read the comment, respond if you want to, but don't get personally upset. Then again I do enjoy reading forums when they get personal. Its like a MMOprah episode with a hint of Geraldolph.
I think you've hit the nail on the head quite effectively here, hehe. These forums amuse me as well. Its funny, how much argument there is between "It Rox!" and "It sux!" but very seldom do people look at actual facts.
For example :
The game has a lot of subscriptions, the worlds are fairly full. This means that a lot of people obviously DO like and enjoy the game.
The game does not have a lot of areas or character customizability and is fairly linear. This means that it will not appeal to the audience who wants to be able to customize, min-max, twink, achieve, etc.
Its a fairly solid game, as games go. But its lacking quite a bit as well.
Kept me entertained for 3 months, but as I got my second character close to lvl 50, and was back to spending hours LFG for carn dum AGAIN, trying to complete all the same quests AGAIN, completing the boring grinding out thousands of mobs for deeds AGAIN, I got tired of it. You can't progress beyond a certain point here, and while there's definitely enough to explore and roleplay and whatnot, I honestly don't think I'll be back until the level cap is 100+ and they've opened up a -lot- more of the continent. I'm just not a hardcore enough LOTR fan to be satisfied with this as an MMO. But the thing is, for a very large percent of the playerbase in LOTRO, these are LOTR fans NOT MMO players, and their perspective as well as their expectations are different.
I am an MMO player, and this is just an MMO Lite with an LOTR skin, to me. I messed with it for a couple of months, capped a couple of characters, started to get bored with it and then got mad at the major nerfing/screwing up of the game in the first content patch, and left. I give it a 6/10. Visual & Audio are excellent. Gameplay is a bit boring, combat fairly predictable, customization is minimal. A solid game, but doesn't really do anything new.
To a LOTR fan, its Middle-Earth come to life, which is much more magical
Changes to structure and classes in the game, balancing issues, etc. aren't going to offend them as much as it will the veteran MMO'r, who has been nerfbatted a hundred times already in different games. It stays fresher longer, and you don't realize its the same game with different options because you haven't played other games as much. You get to fight with Legolas by your side and talk with Aragorn and Gandalf ...things like nerfing tracking abilities while mounted are just an inconvenience to you, rather than signs of things to come.
Finally, what ultimately made me quit this game, was the forced grouping beyond a certain level. I thoroughly enjoyed this game until it became another standing in town, LFG game. And I played a minstrel; found groups much quicker than if I hadn't, and still it took too long to get anything going. The game is set up so that mob kills give little to no xp, therefore there is little motivation (other than simple benevolvence) for people to help others do quests that they don't have. This, combined with the overall bad attitude in much of the community, leads to a diminishing at the end.
If you love LOTR, I'd say pick this up. It doesn't disappoint.
If you like to roleplay, socialize, meet friends - pick it up.
If you like to customize, be unique, and see your character progress to take on harder and harder challenges, I would be hesitant with this one.
Gaming? That's not gaming!
That's just people sat 'round in costumes drinking...
I think you've hit the nail on the head quite effectively here, hehe. These forums amuse me as well. Its funny, how much argument there is between "It Rox!" and "It sux!" but very seldom do people look at actual facts.
For example :
The game has a lot of subscriptions, the worlds are fairly full. This means that a lot of people obviously DO like and enjoy the game.
The game does not have a lot of areas or character customizability and is fairly linear. This means that it will not appeal to the audience who wants to be able to customize, min-max, twink, achieve, etc.
Its a fairly solid game, as games go. But its lacking quite a bit as well.
Kept me entertained for 3 months, but as I got my second character close to lvl 50, and was back to spending hours LFG for carn dum AGAIN, trying to complete all the same quests AGAIN, completing the boring grinding out thousands of mobs for deeds AGAIN, I got tired of it. You can't progress beyond a certain point here, and while there's definitely enough to explore and roleplay and whatnot, I honestly don't think I'll be back until the level cap is 100+ and they've opened up a -lot- more of the continent. I'm just not a hardcore enough LOTR fan to be satisfied with this as an MMO. But the thing is, for a very large percent of the playerbase in LOTRO, these are LOTR fans NOT MMO players, and their perspective as well as their expectations are different.
I am an MMO player, and this is just an MMO Lite with an LOTR skin, to me. I messed with it for a couple of months, capped a couple of characters, started to get bored with it and then got mad at the major nerfing/screwing up of the game in the first content patch, and left. I give it a 6/10. Visual & Audio are excellent. Gameplay is a bit boring, combat fairly predictable, customization is minimal. A solid game, but doesn't really do anything new.
To a LOTR fan, its Middle-Earth come to life, which is much more magical
Changes to structure and classes in the game, balancing issues, etc. aren't going to offend them as much as it will the veteran MMO'r, who has been nerfbatted a hundred times already in different games. It stays fresher longer, and you don't realize its the same game with different options because you haven't played other games as much. You get to fight with Legolas by your side and talk with Aragorn and Gandalf ...things like nerfing tracking abilities while mounted are just an inconvenience to you, rather than signs of things to come.
Finally, what ultimately made me quit this game, was the forced grouping beyond a certain level. I thoroughly enjoyed this game until it became another standing in town, LFG game. And I played a minstrel; found groups much quicker than if I hadn't, and still it took too long to get anything going. The game is set up so that mob kills give little to no xp, therefore there is little motivation (other than simple benevolvence) for people to help others do quests that they don't have. This, combined with the overall bad attitude in much of the community, leads to a diminishing at the end.
If you love LOTR, I'd say pick this up. It doesn't disappoint.
If you like to roleplay, socialize, meet friends - pick it up.
If you like to customize, be unique, and see your character progress to take on harder and harder challenges, I would be hesitant with this one.
This is one of the best descriptions that I have seen for both the game and the way players respond to it.
The only thing I would add is that for an MMORPG player who isn't into rushing to the endgame and who likes the journey as much as the destination, it is OK. If you are into the endgame, don't bother, because there isn't really one there at this point.
For me, this is a game that I can get into obsessively for a few days to a week, and then go off and do another game and come back later. I bought the lifetime plan, so I am in no hurry to "finish."
A couple things. First no need to insult me by calling my post stupid. Second if you could careless about what I or anyone else has to say about a game why are you wasting your time here at this website? That is what these forums are for. Bitching and moaning? Ummm nothing in my post was bitching or moaning.
I love the repeated time after time post that have nothing to offer in response so we get the "The game was just not for you" You may disagree with me but I actually put thought into my post (it was not a bitching, moaning, stupid post as you so politely put it). I never said all others got bored. I was asking a question to Meridion (whos thoughtful post i respect) and commenting on the boring factor which players (not all) are voicing. I follow the industry very closely even went to E3. I care about these games all of them not just LOTRO. So my comments are always about the bigger picture of mmos. Like topics about boredom and industry competition. charlizd in my experience a thoughtful post always makes a better point then nothing more then an insulting response. Unlike you I care what others have to say about these games agree or disagree. That is why I post here.
Ok well number 1 i am sorry if it seemed that i called your post stupid i was not insulting you at all, i should have stated more clearly that the Bold section was directed towards your post and the rest towards any 1 that it applies to and ( again not insulting you in any way) the part where i Wrote "in the end if ya like it ya play and if ya dont then ya come on here and MAKE stupid post on how the game was just not for you." Was directed at the OP as you were not the 1 who started this topic, and just like you i like to agree and disagree that is why i responded to your post.