How is it compared to vanguard?

JEMcLeod · February 2007

I bought vanguard (silly me) and I just want to know how this game seems to compare if anyone is playing beta and playing vanguard. Vanguard reminds me so much like EQII with the characters and how the spells are all the same. Torment I looks the same as Torment II I mean its really boring (compared to FFXI where blizzard I II III IV and so on all look different) and bores me already so I was wondering how LOTR is?

Niber · February 2007

It's nothing like Vanguard. It's more like a small version of WoW.

gatheris · February 2007

it is like a game that is actually ready to be released

JEMcLeod · February 2007

Good because vanguard shouldnt of been released for at least a minimum of 3 more months MINIMUM and unfortunately i wasted 50 bucks on it and trust me its not worth it.

summitus · February 2007

It leaves Vanguard in the dust and for you peeps that are saying its like a smaller version of WOW well you obviously either hav'nt played it or hav'nt played it very much, Te game world is huge already and its only one part of middle earth so far . This game Rocks and as I've said before dont listen to the pathetic WOW fanboys. This game is gonna be better than WOW by along shot ! I've played Vanguard for a few hours and hav'nt stopped played this for a week practically 24/7

One thing I hope is that it does'nt attract Juveniles like WOW does

Tautology · February 2007

Well, I have both, Vanguard and Lotro beta access, you actually cant compare them directly with each other.

Both are influenced by wow, however, lotro is nice to look at but gets really bland after a while, its just too simplified. Still a good game to play for 30 min, but I couldnt imagine a 2h or longer session. Vanguard has a lot more to explore and do (ships, housing already in, crafting, diplomacy). Since I've vanguard, I havent logged into my lotro beta account.

Kyleran · February 2007

Summitus and Tautology's replies pretty much reflect the situation. Depending on the playstyle you prefer (and if you can tolerate Vanguard's bugs, I realize some folks won't) each game has a target audience.

Both games are promising future content btw ....no guarantee that either will deliver them..... only time will tell....

I currently play Vanguard, but when LOTRO goes live I'll give that a trial.....

virtuella · February 2007

Bit off topic but This game has more similarities to Everquest II than WoW.

Personally i like it plays a lot more like EQ II than WoW.

Casual friendly,extremely quest based,stunning graphics,not so raidminded.

The standard UI reminds a lot like WoW's though,but THANK GOD Turbine won't allow all those Mods like Blizzard does.

It's totally lame you have to have downloaded a zillion different mods before you can go on guildraids to live up to the rest.

Booring as hell to play a healer in WoW.

WoW would have a lot more respect in my book if Blizzard banned all mods other than mods that changed the apperance of the UI and the map mod.

No reason to dumb down a game more than it allready is.

I bet the majority of guilds in WoW wouldn't have maded it through all the instances they have so far, if they had no mods at all.

Torak · February 2007

Originally posted by JEMcLeod

I bought vanguard (silly me) and I just want to know how this game seems to compare if anyone is playing beta and playing vanguard. Vanguard reminds me so much like EQII with the characters and how the spells are all the same. Torment I looks the same as Torment II I mean its really boring (compared to FFXI where blizzard I II III IV and so on all look different) and bores me already so I was wondering how LOTR is?

Well the big bonus / plus of LotR over Vanguard is that it works. It pretty much is everything they claim it is and the rest is subjective depending who you ask.

I don't think animations are different based on race (not like L2 where race/class/sex had a unique animation) but I think many of the combat animations are exclusive to class. I'm not so sure on that as I haven't really compared. Its pretty standard for a western made game, not a whole lot of detail in the animations. (sorry thats my opinion) I'm looking forward to Conan, Gods and Heroes and Aion for some really good animations.

Stevon · February 2007

Originally posted by Tautology

Well, I have both, Vanguard and Lotro beta access, you actually cant compare them directly with each other.
Both are influenced by wow, however, lotro is nice to look at but gets really bland after a while, its just too simplified. Still a good game to play for 30 min, but I couldnt imagine a 2h or longer session. Vanguard has a lot more to explore and do (ships, housing already in, crafting, diplomacy). Since I've vanguard, I havent logged into my lotro beta account.

I kinda have my doubts you've played Vanguard then. It has all that stuff, sure, but is it fun or even engaging? Not really.

The big problem with Vanguard is that the world is super sparce, it's group only (solo is virtually non-existent in any meaningful way) and it's simply unpolished.

LotRO I have no direct experience with but after talking from friends in other high end guilds they say it far outstrips VG in the pure fun factor area. No feedback yet on high end game itself.

SpiritofGame · February 2007

I beta-tested Vanguard and Alpha- and Beta-tested and am still in the Closed Beta of LOTRO.

~

Vanguard has a bigger world.

LOTRO has more CONTENT.

~

Vanguard is buggy, has performance problems and was released from beta too early.

LOTRO will have a smooth launch and will be ready for release on April 24.

~

Vanguard reminds me of EverQuest ... which is neither good nor bad unless you think it is.

LOTRO reminds of EQ2 and WoW ... which is neither good nor bad unless you think so.

~

I won't play Vanguard.

I pre-ordered LOTRO!

(I suppose I could also add: Vanguard sucks and LOTRO doesn't ... but that would just be mean ... real mean. )

vickykol · February 2007

I play both Vanguard since pre-launch beta and I am in the LOTRO beta (now NDA-free!).

I mostly agree with SpiritofGame, with one exception and one caveat.

I find LOTRO to be much more WoW -like than EQ2-like. Interestingly, I hated playing WoW but enjoyed LOTRO, primarily because of the lore.

The caveat is that I cannot tell how much lore really exists in Vanguard because it is spread over so many different races and classes in quests, and I haven't accessed them all.

Vanguard has vastly more options for race, class, and appearance, but things don't always feel fleshed out. LOTRO is stable and solid, and pretty solo-friendly for the lower levels. I am not sure that I find the replayability as high for LOTRO, which matters more for some people than others.

Both should have some appeal for people interested in lore and backstory. Vanguard's stories come through diplomacy quests, and is new to the player. I think that the lore element is one reason that I spend more time doing diplomacy than adventuring. LOTRO has quests set in a very well known world and are very consistent with that lore. There was a definite 'OMG that really is Tom Bombadil' kind of thing for me in LOTRO.

csthao · February 2007

i know im trolling round here but how is it fun playing a game when you already know the ending? sure vanguard has its falws but if u can live past that (which im sure most cant) then its a great game...i honestly never had any bad bugged that couldnt be fixed or be bothered to the core...but anyway havent tried LotR yet so i cant judge which game is better...but vanguard is great try it out when u have the chance...also if you're going to flame at me for my post plz dont consider me a vanboi because im a fan of almost every mmo i played...although some werent so great i still bought it to play it...

Odysses · February 2007

In my opinion launching a game with housing is kind of dumb. What do you need housing for at launch? Housing is a great feature but when a large portion of the playerbase are just starting to play the game and explore they should have put higher priorities like stability and performance on the release sched instead of housing. I think LoTRO got it right and will release it down the road when most of the players will have hit the lvl cap and need other things to work on. Housing is something to be earned like mounts or other special perks in game.

Kemenlith · February 2007

Originally posted by csthao

i know im trolling round here but how is it fun playing a game when you already know the ending? sure vanguard has its falws but if u can live past that (which im sure most cant) then its a great game...i honestly never had any bad bugged that couldnt be fixed or be bothered to the core...but anyway havent tried LotR yet so i cant judge which game is better...but vanguard is great try it out when u have the chance...also if you're going to flame at me for my post plz dont consider me a vanboi because im a fan of almost every mmo i played...although some werent so great i still bought it to play it...

In LOTRO you don't take part in the main storyline. You may meet famous characters from it, and help them, but they storyline for LOTRO is different. It is about the witch king rising again in Angmar. Which is not the main storyling for LOTR. Turbine is thinking with this game.

Salvatoris · February 2007

Yeah.. Assuming the goal of having a game that looks good, runs good and has plenty of content, they certainly didn't take the same patch to get there. Two different schools of thought I guess.

1) Add in all planned features before launch, then get the game running correctly through a series of patches.

2) Have everything in the game working correctly at launch, adding content and additional features through a series of patches.

I personally prefer the second. If we are going to have faith in Sigil to get the bugs and performance issues ironed out, then for the sake of argument we should also allow for the possibility that Turbine will follow through on their word and have all the content we expect added in as well. I would rather spend the first 6 months playing a solid game with a few less features than playing a buggy game that had them at launch. At very low levels, just after launch, I won't miss high level content like mounts and player housing. I will notice if the game runs like crap and is riddled with bugs.

Comparing the two games.... even though one is live and the other is in beta. The first thing I have to acknowledge is that LOTRO runs like a dream on my machine, while Vanguard is more like a nightmare. There are enough posts about that topic that I don't feel compelled to go in to it, beyond saying that it is the number one reason I canceled my Vanguard pre-order and I know I'll be playing LOTRO as soon as it comes out.

When it comes to character creation and diversity or races / classes, Vanguard is ahead by leaps and bounds. While I feel like character creation in Vanguard is over-rated (since everyone still looks the same from 10 feet away), it is really lacking in Lord of the Rings. I know a lot of that has to do with restrictions imposed by the lore, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. The advantage here definitely goes to Vanguard.

Its also obvious that the world in Vanguard is a lot bigger than in Lord of the Rings. Of course, I think a lot of people are overestimating the size of the world in Vanguard, it is only average sized when compared to all other MMOs, as most of the map is filled with vacant ocean. With a good percentage of the game world devoted to starter areas for the different races, there really isn't a lot of space for mid to high level encounters. With the policy that any and all instancing is bad, the high level content that is available is pretty hotly contested. The world does feel pretty large at first, but once you can travel across it more easily, it doesn't feel any bigger than the game worlds for AO or DAoC... and it doesn't even begin to approach the scale of SWG. That said, It is bigger than than the open part of the map in LOTRO.

As far as crafting goes, LOTRO is the winner. Despite the nice new GUI to hide the button mashing in Vanguard's crafting system, the end result in LOTRO is better. You can make more useful items earlier in the grind, and have the ability to raise your crafting level through the natural process of crafting items for use or sale, an option that isn't available to you in vanguard. Grinding work orders is the only way to progress in that system. Harvesting is roughly identical in every way other than the animations for lumber-jacking.

Vanguard wins by default in the areas of housing and means of transportation, hopefully those will make in to LOTRO sooner than later.

I personally think LOTRO wins in the gameplay department, and certainly in the area of PvP.... add the performance factor in and the decision for me is an easy one.

Dento · February 2007

Originally posted by SpiritofGame

I beta-tested Vanguard and Alpha- and Beta-tested and am still in the Closed Beta of LOTRO.
~
Vanguard has a bigger world.
LOTRO has more CONTENT.
~
Vanguard is buggy, has performance problems and was released from beta too early.
LOTRO will have a smooth launch and will be ready for release on April 24.
~
Vanguard reminds me of EverQuest ... which is neither good nor bad unless you think it is.
LOTRO reminds of EQ2 and WoW ... which is neither good nor bad unless you think so.
~
I won't play Vanguard.
I pre-ordered LOTRO!

(I suppose I could also add: Vanguard sucks and LOTRO doesn't ... but that would just be mean ... real mean. )

I couldn't have said it any better.

I beta tested both games as well and wouldn't think of spending my money on Vanguard.

LOTRO is a much more fun experience.

RexNebular · February 2007

I never really followed LOTRO cause I didn't believe Turbine could pull it off. I had high hopes for Vanguard but everyone can see how it's doing. Then LOTRO stress test came about and it looks beautiful, it's fun, it's playable and it's working just fine. I realize it's not gonna keep me busy for a year, but even if it's one or two months of casual gaming - I'm in.

Salvatoris · February 2007

Originally posted by RexNebular

I never really followed LOTRO cause I didn't believe Turbine could pull it off. I had high hopes for Vanguard but everyone can see how it's doing. Then LOTRO stress test came about and it looks beautiful, it's fun, it's playable and it's working just fine. I realize it's not gonna keep me busy for a year, but even if it's one or two months of casual gaming - I'm in.

That is how I feel about it too... I'll be happy if it just keeps me occupied for a few months. With all the games coming out this year, I shouldn't have to look too hard to find a replacement. I never have been the kind of guy that thinks my relationship with a video game has to be 'til death do us part. When it isn't fun any more, I'll move on to something else.

Kemenlith · February 2007

Originally posted by RexNebular

I never really followed LOTRO cause I didn't believe Turbine could pull it off. I had high hopes for Vanguard but everyone can see how it's doing. Then LOTRO stress test came about and it looks beautiful, it's fun, it's playable and it's working just fine. I realize it's not gonna keep me busy for a year, but even if it's one or two months of casual gaming - I'm in.

Amen brotha, well said.

blade55555 · February 2007

I followed LOTRO because I saw it had greate patential. Honestly I don't see why you guys hate Turbine because of D&D. I always thought that game was fun (not worth a subscription though...). But LOTRO just blew my mind. I can't believe detailed everything is, town wize and everything. I really love their effort in this game. I will 100% buy this game. I recommend to people who don't mind not lvling up like super fast (takes awhile to lvl up I know because i'v been playing for a few weeks now). I'v been in Beta for approximately 3-4 weeks and I normally play the game around 3-4 hours a day. (Due to school, life and all that stuff). I have already pre-ordered and am looking forward to this game.

Athela · February 2007

You know they're very different games. I haven't played Vanguard alot, but that one seems to be trying for complexity and longterm immersion, and I think it borrows plenty from its predecessors (EQ and WOW), but it will in the end be its own distinct game.

LOTRO, meh I don't see the WOW likeness beyond the combat style and interface. The world and story are very familiar places, because I've read all the books and seen the movies innumerable times. I feel like I've stepped into Middle Earth when I fire up the game. Everything hangs together. They have been polished in their presentation forever.

Both companies have staffs who deeply care about the game and its world, and how the player plays in their worlds. This is going to see them through these beginnings to a long and happy for all gameplay experience, IMHO.

[Deleted User] · February 2007

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rbrickley · February 2007

You really can't compare them. I will buy LOTRO as it is fun to play. I'm also having fun with Vanguard. LOTRO is much more polished at the momment but Vanguard has attempted to reach much, much further.

matraque · February 2007

I think they are 2 different game for 2 different crowd. I beta tested (i'll be honest, about 12 hours) LOTRO and it did not do the job for me. The graphics are nice, the combat is same as usual, you got crafting, quests... you know, stuff we can expect from a solid MMO. It's all there.

As soon as i jumped in a said "Oh no.... Instance....". My secound impression was "What?! I'm a freaking noob and i'm already face to face with a Nazgul". In less then 15 min, i already knew something was wrong. But i kept going just to found out it was the usual MMO with a LOTR skin on it. Some people will adore it with so much passion that the game will probably suffer the SWG syndrome. Next thing you know, people will whine about anything that is not following canon, etc.

This is not the real LOTRO btw... It was supposed to be launched years ago by sierra (if i'm correct) and they dropped the ball. They saw fans expectation and just could not deliver. We will see how Turbine can deal with that.

As for Vanguard. It's buggy, frustrating (sometimes) and maybe not really user friendly. Think Old School. VG will have lots of fans from the early UO and EQ players. Even some SWG players will fall in love with it. VG decided to go with no instance (some will not like this.... no instance is a nightmare for them). VG is like a record that grows on you the more you listen to it. The more you play, the more it will suck you in.

Like it or not, VG has more timesink. You will have to look for group (hey, it's an MMO after all), repair gear, travel. It's not solo friendly (once again, it's an MMO). You will be able to solo from 1 to 10. After that, it's time to learn your class and group fighting (one of VG strenght). Fighting becomes more and more interesting has you gain level. Offensive target, defensive target, chain attacks, stances, dances, finish attack and so on... The best part is that you will have to figure it out yourselves. Yup, that is right. It's your responsability to learn how to fight with your class.

Early quests are x of y. At around lvl 10, quests are becomming more and more interesting and each quests open another one. So you can start one with a simple task and it will build up until you have to explore caves or dungeons.

Anyway... I could keep going. It's ok to not like VG. There is nothing wrong there. I like it because i can see beyond the bugs. Most people also think it will work on their 4 years old PC at highest quality. We all know it's not going to happen, but some people will whine about it (what can we do!). IMO, what you need to enjoy VG is 2g of DDR2 and a PCI-E video card. If you have that you are all set.

Bluehound · February 2007

It is kind of funny that people keep saying Vanguard is not solo-friendly.

Solo xp is almost the same as group xp, better sometimes. There is tons of solo content in Vanguard. I hate soloing, yet I do while I am looking for a group. There are mostly solo mobs running around the overland areas, usually the group content is pretty apparent, there will be buildings around or it will be a cave or something.

Solo classes like the necro have it pretty easy, they can kill group mobs and get good xp.

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