Originally posted by theanimedude don't forget, you need to keep the IP in tact, therefore limiting the flexibility.
And that's why I think it will fail. The original Middle Earth idea where you were plopped into the setting to do what you wanted outside of the LOTR books was a much better idea then this. If I wanted to just follow along with the story I'd watch the movies again.
What LotRO is doing makes good sense. They are focusing on the story and the world, as opposed to the loot. And just because a game is story or world-based doesnt mean it has to be linear. To me, this sounds a lot more fun than doing quests to kill 10 skeletons and get XP. The quests will have MEANING within the world and not just routes for XP. There are lots of LotR fans out there, and this emphasis on Middle-Earth is exactly what will bring this to this game. I understand if traditional MMORPG players might want something else, but LotRO has an opportunity to tap into a new market in addition to many traditional mmorpg players.
Re: PvP, if you like PvP, then dont play LotRO. Thats not the focus of the game.
Re: Turbine, if you dont like Turbine or dont trust them to make a good game, then dont play LotRO. Spend your money on other games/companies.
Quote: "Literature is not really "intellectual property"."
Actually, that is exactly what literature is. Along with music and movies, etc. Thats exactly why writers and musicians and producers get their creative works copyrighted as intellectual property. As opposed to physical inventions etc which get patented, not copyrighted.
Instead of watching the movies, try reading the books. The movies only loosely followed the books: not too loosely, but loosely enough.
LotR Online is doomed, particularly if they follow the books closely. When you die, you are *dead*. Orcs kill (and eat) people -- they're not stupid, either. Real magic is rare and practiced only by a very few. Healing is slow and, usually, not particularly miraculous. Races have drifted apart from one another, with little interaction between communities (even places like the Shire and Bree.)
The idea of "following" or "paralleling" the Fellowship are ludicrious.
I'm sure there are people who will foolishly play the game no matter what, because it is about Middle-earth, regardless of the fact that it craps all over the themes established by Tolkien. They'll call themselves fans while being ignorant of the world they say they are so fanatical about.
The lure of making money off the LotR movies has over-ridden the wisdom of making a game with such limiting factors built into the world by its creator.
LOTR potential fanbois understand your immersiveness will be shaken when you don't see hordes of roamins orcs that have AI to match your own or is greater than your own actually HUNTING you... Instead you will see orcs that stand near each otehr in a pile of 20 which you will pull 2 at a time while the others stand there scratching their asses wondering why they are the last two of twenty orcs to stand there and be massacred... How is this roleplaying? How does PvP stop roleplaying?
It would have complemented it perfectly in this situation imo.
Comments
What LotRO is doing makes good sense. They are focusing on the story and the world, as opposed to the loot. And just because a game is story or world-based doesnt mean it has to be linear. To me, this sounds a lot more fun than doing quests to kill 10 skeletons and get XP. The quests will have MEANING within the world and not just routes for XP. There are lots of LotR fans out there, and this emphasis on Middle-Earth is exactly what will bring this to this game. I understand if traditional MMORPG players might want something else, but LotRO has an opportunity to tap into a new market in addition to many traditional mmorpg players.
Re: PvP, if you like PvP, then dont play LotRO. Thats not the focus of the game.
Re: Turbine, if you dont like Turbine or dont trust them to make a good game, then dont play LotRO. Spend your money on other games/companies.
Quote: "Literature is not really "intellectual property"."
Actually, that is exactly what literature is. Along with music and movies, etc. Thats exactly why writers and musicians and producers get their creative works copyrighted as intellectual property. As opposed to physical inventions etc which get patented, not copyrighted.
Elladan - ESO (AD)
Camring - SWTOR (Ebon Hawk)
Eol & Justinian - Rift (Faeblight)
Ceol and Duri - LotRO (Landroval)
Kili - WoW
Eol - Lineage 2
Camring - SWG
Justinian (Nimue), Camring - DAoC
Instead of watching the movies, try reading the books. The movies only loosely followed the books: not too loosely, but loosely enough.
LotR Online is doomed, particularly if they follow the books closely. When you die, you are *dead*. Orcs kill (and eat) people -- they're not stupid, either. Real magic is rare and practiced only by a very few. Healing is slow and, usually, not particularly miraculous. Races have drifted apart from one another, with little interaction between communities (even places like the Shire and Bree.)
The idea of "following" or "paralleling" the Fellowship are ludicrious.
I'm sure there are people who will foolishly play the game no matter what, because it is about Middle-earth, regardless of the fact that it craps all over the themes established by Tolkien. They'll call themselves fans while being ignorant of the world they say they are so fanatical about.
The lure of making money off the LotR movies has over-ridden the wisdom of making a game with such limiting factors built into the world by its creator.
It would have complemented it perfectly in this situation imo.