I played LotRO for about a year and a half. Had experienced a lot of "altitis" (very interesting classes). I loved the music, atmosphere/ambiance and festivals. Many quests were entertaining and I enjoyed the skirmish system....then I cam to Moria and ended up leaving the game. It was not enjoyable and players I knew really didn't want to assist me through (they disliked it too). I know there has been changes to Moria since I left and I have often toyed with idea of returning, because there was a lot to enjoy, but it is not a game I want to solo through . The initial guild I joined helped with gear, but was not so available for quests or big storyline events. I had some family play, but they ended leaving before I could level cap. Yeah, I know, find peeps or a new guild, but I haven't generated that much interest to do so.
There is a P2W-ish feel in the cash shop when you can by spec/trait/virtue increases and purchase heal pots that are better than crafted ones. This probably makes not much of a difference to a primarily PvE MMO, other than raid groups that demand such things from each other.
As beautiful as this game is, I am truly dumbfounded how Turbine has done virtually nothing with improving housing. It primarily uses the old stale hook system that was seen in Asheron's Call well over 10+ years ago! A serious housing overhaul just might rekindle some interest with veteran players.
They have definitely revamped Moria. It is not nearly as disjointed as it used to be and there are way-camps in nearly every zone that serve as quest hubs now. I have played through 9 alts to (near or) max level and I have to agree that Moria became the one grind that I dreaded especially given that it was a prerequisite to gain those book traits. It's been a while but I remember on my last max toon that I was able to skip Moria for the first time without losing out on anything important. I'm old so I don't remember how exactly that worked out but I definitely remembered how happy I was to skip Moria and even Lothlorien to some degree.
I also started a 10th toon to level up with a friend and really enjoyed experiencing all the new zone revamps including Moria this time around. Those new way-camps provide more story immersion and connect each zone more intuitively. If you haven't experienced Lotro in a while they have done some major overhauls which you may find enjoyable.
As much as I am a fan boy of Lotro I agree that the cash shop has gotten way out of hand especially with LI upgrades and the like. I get that Turbine needs to make money but its a downer for people like me who just cant afford much more than a sub and a prayer.
And housing is just an epic fail in my book. I have my own private guild home and a large house, all for storage. All of those years collecting stuff and no one but me and the friends I drag kicking and screaming to my house will ever share in my glory. If they overhauled housing I would be one of those who may play more often.
Del Cabon A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO.
It's the MMO I keep going back to (along with Anarchy Online) primarily for the immersion. I always sub to it as its f2p model is horrible. As others have pointed out, it's not without its faults - those awful combat animations, the general lack of life in NPCs (like store mannequins), some terrible cash-raising mechanisms (lockboxes!) and so on.
Whenever ESO or The Secret World bore me, I re-sub to LoTRO and the fun begins again. Always good value.
This game has been going down hill since Kait Paiz and Warner Bro$ showed up. Obviously the 3 things they do "right" have nothing to do with actual game play, 2 are visual and one is a simple crafting mechanic. Warner Bro$ has run this game to the ground trying to milk every last penny from the players while also not investing anything back into this game.
I often fantasize how good this game would have been had WB never come along or had a better studio owned the franchise.
This game is in maintenence mode for sure and anyday now could easily be the last. This was ONCE a proud franchise until corporate greed came along.
Used to be my favourite MO. Went back to some time after it went f2p, and its cashshop isn't all that bad.
The way they overhauled the trait system after the new expansion didn't sit well with me, though. I don't play it anymore mostly because of that.
This! It's the worst thing they did to the game!
No one wanted it and yet they pushed it through anyway. Implemented it half baked and botched, with your hotbars constantly resetting when you switch build.
This is what ultimately drove me away from the game for good.
with your hotbars constantly resetting when you switch build.
I don't mind the trait system. My lore-master is more powerful now after the trait system revamp than before. Unless we go back to Shadows where CC was virtually unrestricted then I would rather have the more powerful traits in the new trees.
I don't really like the trait tree introduction either (at least the hotbar issue was fixed shortly after launch). Not because of power or efficiency, simply because of the lack of freedom.
True, LotRO never was that big on theory-crafting as TSW or STO for example, but it had its moments in the old system. You could experiment a lot, switch around and create fun builds, etc. With HD it was dumbed simplified.
Now it's easy, streamlined, no need to think or calculate anything... just choose a colour from the three, and if you earned enough class points then put the leftovers on an another tree (usually can get only a few traits from there, tops). I don't like this much hand-holding...
(but of course it's not chasing me away from the game, LotRO is still LotRO )
with your hotbars constantly resetting when you switch build.
I don't mind the trait system. My lore-master is more powerful now after the trait system revamp than before. Unless we go back to Shadows where CC was virtually unrestricted then I would rather have the more powerful traits in the new trees.
I don't really like the trait tree introduction either (at least the hotbar issue was fixed shortly after launch). Not because of power or efficiency, simply because of the lack of freedom.
True, LotRO never was that big on theory-crafting as TSW or STO for example, but it had its moments in the old system. You could experiment a lot, switch around and create fun builds, etc. With HD it was dumbed simplified.
Now it's easy, streamlined, no need to think or calculate anything... just choose a colour from the three, and if you earned enough class points then put the leftovers on an another tree (usually can get only a few traits from there, tops). I don't like this much hand-holding...
(but of course it's not chasing me away from the game, LotRO is still LotRO )
Sadly I agree with you Pogg.
I enjoyed the game much more before the changes. But it is still LotRO!
FFA Nonconsentual Full Loot PvP ...You know you want it!!
Originally posted by Maurgrim Why whine about cash shop?, just go with the sub and be done with it.
I was subscriber and I left Lotro because of cash shop.
Subscription does not fix Cash Shop issue.
Explain please.
What''s there to explain?
If I subsribe then I am still in an game world with cash shop. It does not dissappear.
Game how it is made and developed is still impacted by CS, people can still get a lot of stuff in CS putting price tag on what I do in game.
Problem is cash shop existence at all.
I still don't see a problem here, there is nothing in the cash shop you need to have to play the game.....nothing, but if you get pissed seing the cash shop icon all the time well thats your problem.
Comments
They have definitely revamped Moria. It is not nearly as disjointed as it used to be and there are way-camps in nearly every zone that serve as quest hubs now. I have played through 9 alts to (near or) max level and I have to agree that Moria became the one grind that I dreaded especially given that it was a prerequisite to gain those book traits. It's been a while but I remember on my last max toon that I was able to skip Moria for the first time without losing out on anything important. I'm old so I don't remember how exactly that worked out but I definitely remembered how happy I was to skip Moria and even Lothlorien to some degree.
I also started a 10th toon to level up with a friend and really enjoyed experiencing all the new zone revamps including Moria this time around. Those new way-camps provide more story immersion and connect each zone more intuitively. If you haven't experienced Lotro in a while they have done some major overhauls which you may find enjoyable.
As much as I am a fan boy of Lotro I agree that the cash shop has gotten way out of hand especially with LI upgrades and the like. I get that Turbine needs to make money but its a downer for people like me who just cant afford much more than a sub and a prayer.
And housing is just an epic fail in my book. I have my own private guild home and a large house, all for storage. All of those years collecting stuff and no one but me and the friends I drag kicking and screaming to my house will ever share in my glory. If they overhauled housing I would be one of those who may play more often.
Del Cabon
A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO.
It's the MMO I keep going back to (along with Anarchy Online) primarily for the immersion. I always sub to it as its f2p model is horrible. As others have pointed out, it's not without its faults - those awful combat animations, the general lack of life in NPCs (like store mannequins), some terrible cash-raising mechanisms (lockboxes!) and so on.
Whenever ESO or The Secret World bore me, I re-sub to LoTRO and the fun begins again. Always good value.
This game has been going down hill since Kait Paiz and Warner Bro$ showed up. Obviously the 3 things they do "right" have nothing to do with actual game play, 2 are visual and one is a simple crafting mechanic. Warner Bro$ has run this game to the ground trying to milk every last penny from the players while also not investing anything back into this game.
I often fantasize how good this game would have been had WB never come along or had a better studio owned the franchise.
This game is in maintenence mode for sure and anyday now could easily be the last. This was ONCE a proud franchise until corporate greed came along.
RIP Lotro
What''s there to explain?
If I subsribe then I am still in an game world with cash shop. It does not dissappear.
Game how it is made and developed is still impacted by CS, people can still get a lot of stuff in CS putting price tag on what I do in game.
Problem is cash shop existence at all.
Ultima Online, Darkfall, ArcheAge, hell even World of Warcraft all have much more open world and less tunneling and chopping.
This! It's the worst thing they did to the game!
No one wanted it and yet they pushed it through anyway. Implemented it half baked and botched, with your hotbars constantly resetting when you switch build.
This is what ultimately drove me away from the game for good.
I don't really like the trait tree introduction either (at least the hotbar issue was fixed shortly after launch). Not because of power or efficiency, simply because of the lack of freedom.
True, LotRO never was that big on theory-crafting as TSW or STO for example, but it had its moments in the old system. You could experiment a lot, switch around and create fun builds, etc. With HD it was dumbed simplified.
Now it's easy, streamlined, no need to think or calculate anything... just choose a colour from the three, and if you earned enough class points then put the leftovers on an another tree (usually can get only a few traits from there, tops). I don't like this much hand-holding...
(but of course it's not chasing me away from the game, LotRO is still LotRO
)
Are you in the same universe the rest of us are in? Evidently not.
Sadly I agree with you Pogg.
I enjoyed the game much more before the changes. But it is still LotRO!
FFA Nonconsentual Full Loot PvP ...You know you want it!!
I still don't see a problem here, there is nothing in the cash shop you need to have to play the game.....nothing, but if you get pissed seing the cash shop icon all the time well thats your problem.