Precisely. They squandered the IP with poor design decisions from the start.
Yes, because SWG with a LOTR skin would've been so much better, right?
Up until post-Moria, they did a damn good job of filling in blank spots & adding to the lore, all while leaving what was established more or less alone.
Let's see:
1) complete WOW clone
Actually, it was much closer to EQ than WoW. Also, the only thing it had in common with WoW was the fact they both had classes, races, and skill hotbars.Furthermore, as time went on the game definitely began to pull even further away with systems such as skirmishes and mounted combat.
2) Single faction game - that was their biggest mistake. They blamed it on Tolkien Enterprises, but that's BS if you look at the other games TE has and continues to license.
You don't need multiple factions in a PvE focused MMO
3) Rather than capitalize on casual fans knowledge of places, they started west of Moria in places like Forochel and Angmar. The released game should have included Moria and Lothlorien. the first expansion should have been 2 years later with Rohan and Isengard. Two years after that Gondor. Two year after that Mordor.
So instead of setting the game in areas which are generally mentioned little or not at all in the established lore, allowing a greater deal of creative freedom, you'd have had them start off with areas which are well-established and thus limited insofar as what type of content they could create. Sorry, but I think the decision to explore some of the lesser-known areas was the right choice.
4) Boring combat
Subjective. It's a bit slower-paced, but still has plenty of weight to it, with well done animations and sound effects. Nothing spectacular, but certainly not 'boring'. It's an RPG, not an FPS.
I bought a lifetime account when they went down in price. I never even broke even though but I must have come close when I count what I bought with the free turbine points. The game was decent with strong potential but I knew the game was doomed once they went to Mirkwood instead of Rohan.
BTW I never played SWG and WOW is my favorite MMO. I just don't want to play WOW clones without half of the appeal or features.
Fair enough. Most people who complain about LOTRO usually do so because they wanted 'Middle Earth Online'. Because... well, I don't know. Because to some people, playing a hapless peasant who routinely has his / her fields pillaged by orcs is much more fun than playing as the slayer of said orcs, I guess. To me that would be like playing an Attack on Titan game, but not having access to 3D maneuvering gear. To each their own I suppose.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
... this announcement was cleverly timed after that, so Sap was spared from a massive storm of questions. ... I'm sure, 2 weeks or not, there will be a lot of questions towards him during the run.
But I don't wish THIS situation on him at all. Sapience is going to bear the bull's brunt of all this, and that's going to suck. yes that is his job, but I had a position like that once and I know how crappy the job is sometimes.
I wish Mine Enemy well. I hope he makes it thru this.
Maybe my wording wasn't precise enough, I don't wish it on him either, but as you say, it's his job, and Brandy is the most populated server I think, plus there's the stream as well... there will be lots of questions I guess, even with the long intermission. Alongside with some /slap, and /boo CM's life can be tough sometimes.
I don't have any issues with him personally, because (due to his "fame") I dropped sub after we were transferred under Turbine, haven't set a forum name, and used the account page only a few times since then... Better safe than sorry
Precisely. They squandered the IP with poor design decisions from the start.
Yes, because SWG with a LOTR skin would've been so much better, right?
Up until post-Moria, they did a damn good job of filling in blank spots & adding to the lore, all while leaving what was established more or less alone.
Let's see:
Sorry, but I think the decision to explore some of the lesser-known areas was the right choice.
I agree with the Prophet, just wanted to +1 at the point 3. The northern part of Eriador (Evendim, Foro, North Downs and Angmar) are great, and pretty well established by the lore - true, it's not tied directly to the Fellowship's journey, just with some hints, but still it's good to have those areas in game.
I have had a lifetime sub for LOTRO since way back, I was in phase one of the closed beta, seen the game grow and launch. played the heck out of LOTRO, met the Turbine staff at Pax East great bunch of folks, have many fun hours in LOTRO with my friends and guildies.
Time catches up with everything, companies go through changes, markets change, customers change, hate to hear about the layoff's but that's the way it is sometimes. Wish all the folks good luck..:)
Interesting to see how the first Western P2P MMOs that made the big switcheroo are not doing as hot as some of the "F2P" flag wavers would have you believe. I said from the beginning that it was nothing more than squeezing the sponge, I'm just surprised they lasted as long as they have.
Anyways, shit news for all of those good people affected by this. I hope you all find new jobs as quickly as possible.
Must either be quite a large sponge or quite a frugal squeeze for it to have lasted for 4 or 5+ years now after the switch to F2P. When you consider that even subscription WoW started doing not so hot itself after some years, it's less a failure of F2P as the natural order of most MMOs to start into decline after awhile.
I do agree on one point, though. Hope all those affected are able to find employment as soon as possible.
Originally posted by Cecropia Interesting to see how the first Western P2P MMOs that made the big switcheroo are not doing as hot as some of the "F2P" flag wavers would have you believe. I said from the beginning that it was nothing more than squeezing the sponge, I'm just surprised they lasted as long as they have.Anyways, shit news for all of those good people affected by this. I hope you all find new jobs as quickly as possible.
Don't get me wrong I'm not a huge fan of f2p conversions but to my mind the pay mechanics are not the secret to Turbines woes. It's the habit of keeping too many roosters in the hen house. You make single player games, you can afford to have a large stable of titles. You make mmo's 3's a crowd. An mmo lives or dies not by just how it's received by players but how much re-investment of profits go back into it. Turbine has a bad habit of trying to run 3-4 mmo's with successful titles propping up less successful ones with the end result of lack of re-investment into the golden egg.
Originally posted by Deeter You know what's really stupid about this game?Having ZERO cross marketing with the Hobbit trilogy to promote interest in the gameLike... really?
This was a licensing issue they (WB/Turbine) owned the digital game rights and ONLY rights to source from the trilogy. They were not allowed to reference anything from the Hobbit or the Simillirion(I know I borked up the spelling) if it wasn't also referenced in the tribology.
well it was sad they didnt created the Silmarillion word-era, its lore offered various forms of PvP, also it had tones of gasp to fill with fresh lore.
so in my eyes the mistakes came from the publishers and not the developers and those who loose their jobs are the devs who have done a great job in my eyes, even i didnt like the game and never played.
Sorry to those folks who have been trampled on and hope they find a better company to work with who values their staff more than the $
I've played LOTRO since closed beta and I still do - the atmosphere is unlike any other MMO - hopefully they get to finish the game and we can complete the tolkien story.
DEFINITION OF REALITY: Graphics ok, Sound ok, Gold drops need more work...
Comments
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
#IStandWithVic
Maybe my wording wasn't precise enough, I don't wish it on him either, but as you say, it's his job, and Brandy is the most populated server I think, plus there's the stream as well... there will be lots of questions I guess, even with the long intermission. Alongside with some /slap, and /boo
CM's life can be tough sometimes.
I don't have any issues with him personally, because (due to his "fame") I dropped sub after we were transferred under Turbine, haven't set a forum name, and used the account page only a few times since then... Better safe than sorry
I agree with the Prophet, just wanted to +1 at the point 3. The northern part of Eriador (Evendim, Foro, North Downs and Angmar) are great, and pretty well established by the lore - true, it's not tied directly to the Fellowship's journey, just with some hints, but still it's good to have those areas in game.
I have had a lifetime sub for LOTRO since way back, I was in phase one of the closed beta, seen the game grow and launch. played the heck out of LOTRO, met the Turbine staff at Pax East great bunch of folks, have many fun hours in LOTRO with my friends and guildies.
Time catches up with everything, companies go through changes, markets change, customers change, hate to hear about the layoff's but that's the way it is sometimes. Wish all the folks good luck..:)
*my old acct banned by mmorpg.com*
Must either be quite a large sponge or quite a frugal squeeze for it to have lasted for 4 or 5+ years now after the switch to F2P. When you consider that even subscription WoW started doing not so hot itself after some years, it's less a failure of F2P as the natural order of most MMOs to start into decline after awhile.
I do agree on one point, though. Hope all those affected are able to find employment as soon as possible.
well it was sad they didnt created the Silmarillion word-era, its lore offered various forms of PvP, also it had tones of gasp to fill with fresh lore.
so in my eyes the mistakes came from the publishers and not the developers and those who loose their jobs are the devs who have done a great job in my eyes, even i didnt like the game and never played.
sad news.
Sorry to those folks who have been trampled on and hope they find a better company to work with who values their staff more than the $
I've played LOTRO since closed beta and I still do - the atmosphere is unlike any other MMO - hopefully they get to finish the game and we can complete the tolkien story.
DEFINITION OF REALITY: Graphics ok, Sound ok, Gold drops need more work...