Mordor: Iconic Moments, Great Ideas, But a Little Lackluster - Lord of the Rings Online Review - MMO

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Mordor: Iconic Moments, Great Ideas, But a Little Lackluster - Lord of the Rings Online Review - MMORPG.com

The Lord of the Rings Online has a long history of putting players into iconic moments and settings from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendary legendarium, and this tradition continues with the release of Mordor, the long-running MMORPG’s newest expansion. Taking place following the events of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, LOTRO wastes little time reminding players that indeed, within the Land of Mordor, the Shadows still lie.

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postlarval

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.

IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

flizzer

 Still having fun in LOTRO.   Game remains amazing after all these years!

Dewulf

Or leave DDO and make Lotro the game it should have been

IceAge

Dewulf said:

Or leave DDO and make Lotro the game it should have been

Or leave them both. They don't deserve to hold such names.

Mitara

It is a little funny how such inspiring companys makes a good game and then all the good ideas just... magically vanish

Ozmodan

postlarval said:

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.

IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

Have to disagree with that comment.  Beyond buying a few expansions and subbing occasionally on one of my accounts, I have never spent a dime on the game and that is across two accounts.  I don't really have to sub as I have purchased just about everything in game too.

My only complaint, is the leveling of alts, it is still slower than molasses since they keep raising the level limit.

itchmon

I was vascillating between this, EQ1, and Eve as my old mmo to go along with ff14 (I always have 2 mmos subscribed). Eve won out... I love the LOTR world and everything but the value level is not even comparable.

The expac should be 40 and include all previous expacs.

postlarval

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.

IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

Have to disagree with that comment.  Beyond buying a few expansions and subbing occasionally on one of my accounts, I have never spent a dime on the game and that is across two accounts.  I don't really have to sub as I have purchased just about everything in game too.

My only complaint, is the leveling of alts, it is still slower than molasses since they keep raising the level limit.

Not the point of my post AT ALL. Try re-reading it. My gripe with the game is the excessive amount of places where they try and push you to the store. It's literally on every window. 

Doesnt matter if you spend money on it or not. It plays like a cheap advert, IMO. 

BruceYee

postlarval said:

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.

IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

Have to disagree with that comment.  Beyond buying a few expansions and subbing occasionally on one of my accounts, I have never spent a dime on the game and that is across two accounts.  I don't really have to sub as I have purchased just about everything in game too.

My only complaint, is the leveling of alts, it is still slower than molasses since they keep raising the level limit.

Not the point of my post AT ALL. Try re-reading it. My gripe with the game is the excessive amount of places where they try and push you to the store. It's literally on every window. 

Doesnt matter if you spend money on it or not. It plays like a cheap advert, IMO. 

This started to happen when WB took over and it made me quit because it felt too out of place and broke immersion. WB were the ones who started it, DBG is just keeping up with tradition.

FrodoFragins

Although the game is dated and shallow, it is the only place for LOTR fans to really immerse themselves. I would never pay those prices but they are clearly needed to keep the game running. Who are we to tell people that want the game to continue not to buy stuff?

IceAge

FrodoFragins said:

Although the game is dated and shallow, it is the only place for LOTR fans to really immerse themselves. I would never pay those prices but they are clearly needed to keep the game running. Who are we to tell people that want the game to continue not to buy stuff?

The ones who tells them not to buy stuff?

Really , with all respect to the ones who are still playing: LOTR deserves a LOT better then ...this. They do not keep the game up for the fans. Nope , they do it to milk as much as they can until it's done. The content which they release for LOTRO this days, is pathetic. Release below decent content? Then gtfo and leave this big name alone. 

daltanious

I return from time to time, at start I enjoy even, .... but at the end game looks and feel exactly like 10 years ago. And while enjoying again to play, spending a lot of money for various items, .... after month max some day I just do not feel any more to play it. All magic is lost, non interested any more. For next year or two. I do not have a single maxed out alt. Games where I had at least with original release full set of alts were Wow, Rift, Gw2, Swtor, .... They are with expansions still able to keep me playing at least for 3-6 months, before I need break.

Anireth

No idea about Lotro, but given that so many felt the price of $15 for the Necromancer in D3 was justified (which was only one class, and a bunch of cosmetics), $40 for a whole race where you obviously can play different classes doesn't sound that bad.

I mean, it does sound bad for me, but for those that always justify whatever price tag devs came up with, like they did with D3, it should be almost criminally cheap..

Po_gg

Anireth said:

No idea about Lotro, but given that so many felt the price of $15 for the Necromancer in D3 was justified (which was only one class, and a bunch of cosmetics), $40 for a whole race where you obviously can play different classes doesn't sound that bad.

The race is $10, that's the issue: they don't make it available for a few months...
$40 is just the "early access" to it, which is stupid, since the expansion was marketed partly by the high elves. Then with launch they turned it nto: no, high elves are not in the bundle, not even in the game till Winter - unless you cough up +$30 to play it right now.


As for the review, it is really good, pretty much summarizes what I think about the expansion   Maybe I'd lash out a bit more on the whole Radiance-of-Many-Colours issue, since it's a shame they've brought it back from its well-deserved heap on the junkyard. It was a bullshit concept on raids before (like all similar gear score-esque gates), but unleashing it on the whole open area is just straight-out stupid. Hopefully it will die just as fast as its former version did, or maybe even faster.

Horusra

Anireth said:

No idea about Lotro, but given that so many felt the price of $15 for the Necromancer in D3 was justified (which was only one class, and a bunch of cosmetics), $40 for a whole race where you obviously can play different classes doesn't sound that bad.

I mean, it does sound bad for me, but for those that always justify whatever price tag devs came up with, like they did with D3, it should be almost criminally cheap..

$40 for a cosmetic face on a class sounds horrible.  Atleast for $15 you got a completely new class.

Lithuanian

Reviewer is mostly right...and SSG failed in so many moments, NOT learning from their mistakeas.
1. Content not free for VIPs. Sorry, folks at SSG, these are your most valuable players, do give them content for free (I am f2p).
2. In fact, they just renamed Epic book to - Black book. And told: no-no, it's not epic (even if it has all signs of it), pay for it. Epic quests are too short, absolutely uninspiring.
3. Grind in the name of grind, all loot bound to toon. Commerce just ruined, helping too: if I got nice Warden stuff, I must deconstruct/trash it. Want armour - get ash, want ash - get Invaders items, which drops very rarely and of course, you need almost tens of thousands of them. No, you won;t get ash from any other skirmish/instance.
4. For free players Mordor is nightmare (yes, imagine a player that does not want to thjrow $130 into something unknown). Basically you can use NPC service 9slel/repair), that's all. Everything else is hidden behind paywall. What I would suggest - is to play Mordor as f2p and see restrictions.
Mordo culd have been great. I would imagine tens of quests involving every single hero, lots of cinematics, then travelling all around Middle Earth to see how almost everyone lives or rests in tomb. Now we have few quests - and that's all.
I would give Mordor maximum amount of 6 (or, mfrom f2p perspective, entire 5) out of 10. And really wish they coiuld have done it for ~9/10.

lahnmir

Horusra said:

Anireth said:

No idea about Lotro, but given that so many felt the price of $15 for the Necromancer in D3 was justified (which was only one class, and a bunch of cosmetics), $40 for a whole race where you obviously can play different classes doesn't sound that bad.

I mean, it does sound bad for me, but for those that always justify whatever price tag devs came up with, like they did with D3, it should be almost criminally cheap..

$40 for a cosmetic face on a class sounds horrible.  Atleast for $15 you got a completely new class.

And stash tabs, and character slots, and cosmetics. All of a sudden 15 bucks really isn't that much compared to a SKIN with a bit of lore.

/Cheers,
Lahnmir

Ozmodan

postlarval said:

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.

IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

Have to disagree with that comment.  Beyond buying a few expansions and subbing occasionally on one of my accounts, I have never spent a dime on the game and that is across two accounts.  I don't really have to sub as I have purchased just about everything in game too.

My only complaint, is the leveling of alts, it is still slower than molasses since they keep raising the level limit.

Not the point of my post AT ALL. Try re-reading it. My gripe with the game is the excessive amount of places where they try and push you to the store. It's literally on every window. 

Doesnt matter if you spend money on it or not. It plays like a cheap advert, IMO. 

Sorry was playing the game today, did not notice any advertisement for the shop.  You are just unfamiliar with the game!

postlarval

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.

IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

Have to disagree with that comment.  Beyond buying a few expansions and subbing occasionally on one of my accounts, I have never spent a dime on the game and that is across two accounts.  I don't really have to sub as I have purchased just about everything in game too.

My only complaint, is the leveling of alts, it is still slower than molasses since they keep raising the level limit.

Not the point of my post AT ALL. Try re-reading it. My gripe with the game is the excessive amount of places where they try and push you to the store. It's literally on every window. 

Doesnt matter if you spend money on it or not. It plays like a cheap advert, IMO. 

Sorry was playing the game today, did not notice any advertisement for the shop.  You are just unfamiliar with the game!

I have a lifetime. Next.

meonthissite

Great ideas but a little lackluster is basically the entire theme of this game right now and it's been that way for some time.

Really at this point fans like me are waiting for a more funded and more talented team to take over the resurrection of this IP in all honesty.

Kryn

This game was lackluster at release to me. Never looked back after the first 3 months when I left.

Viper482

Tired of people who don't want to support a game they play. You are enjoying the game for free then complain when they ask for money to support it lol. Wow.

Cazriel

postlarval said:

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

Ozmodan said:

postlarval said:

The game has been lackluster for quite some time. Also it's turned into an elaborate shopping mall. There is almost no UI element that doesn't try and direct you to the store. What a shame.



IMO, they should let this quietly die and spend their resources on making DDO the game it should have been.

Have to disagree with that comment.  Beyond buying a few expansions and subbing occasionally on one of my accounts, I have never spent a dime on the game and that is across two accounts.  I don't really have to sub as I have purchased just about everything in game too.

My only complaint, is the leveling of alts, it is still slower than molasses since they keep raising the level limit.

Not the point of my post AT ALL. Try re-reading it. My gripe with the game is the excessive amount of places where they try and push you to the store. It's literally on every window. 

Doesnt matter if you spend money on it or not. It plays like a cheap advert, IMO. 

Sorry was playing the game today, did not notice any advertisement for the shop.  You are just unfamiliar with the game!

I have a lifetime. Next.

I get what you're saying. But the shop icon on every screen . . . that's nothing new. It's been that way since the store launched. It is truly one of the worst things about LOTRO. They completely integrated the game with the store. And, of course, the game is now designed around store contents. Removal scrolls for this and that, solvents for crafting, mithril coins for LI leveling.

If you're going to play LOTRO, you have to learn to ignore these things. Otherwise, you quit, as I did for several years. But regardless of the mistakes the developers have made over the years, which have been legion, the game retains a charm that no other game has, certainly not any of the newer PvP survival sandboxes.

Cazriel

meonthissite said:

Great ideas but a little lackluster is basically the entire theme of this game right now and it's been that way for some time.



Really at this point fans like me are waiting for a more funded and more talented team to take over the resurrection of this IP in all honesty.

Well, you've got Shadows of Mordor II (Shadows of War) to look forward to. The issue with this IP is that it isn't a single IP. Yeah, Lord of the Rings, how complicated can that be? But no. There are several properties containing Middle Earth lore and the rights to them are owned by different companies with different agendas. At this point, Warner Bros. has rights to the biggest piece of the pie.

And don't forget WB owned LOTRO for years and despite having money to spend, did nothing of merit with it. Instead they starved it. You can bet that if SSG hadn't been formed, LOTRO would be as dead now as Asheron's Call.

Mordor exhibits all the faults LOTRO has always had and all its strengths. Beautiful scenery, open world exploration, gripping epic and half-accomplished goals aggravated by lack of money. It's as though the game itself has struggled for survival under Sauron's dark cloud.