For some time, I have felt that Turbine has produced nothing remotely interesting to me. And I though LOTRO was going to be the same, especially after reading some FAQs making me feel like the game was shallow and incomplete (no mounts? wtf?), I also had a misunderstanding about the level of instancing (I thought it was going to be to the insane degree of DDO, or the server divisions like Guildwars (both games I can't stand). BUT after reading a positive IGN preview, I decided to jump into the stress test. And what do you know, to my surprise, it's actually fun!
LOTRO feels like the spiritual successor to WoW probably the only MMO that's kept my interest for over a year (played since launch). This game is easy to jump into and seems like it's not geared towards the super hardcore. Like WoW, this game feels like a game that uses time wisely, with no matter how little I play during a period, I feel like I am getting something done. This is great for someone like me who is more on the casual side and can't dedicate endless hours. Also interesting and enjoyable is how they game crafts it's sequences that make it feel like you are responsible for different things through scripting and videos.
However I do have a concern about that, in which I mean, are people able to interact with eachother if they haven't completed a certain sequence (especiallly with people all over the world). Splits like this (and other reasons) drove me instantly away and back to WoW. So I am not sure how this works.
I also have some concerns over the size of the world. With no water, no continental divides, and clearly many other regions that aren't part of the game, I am curious of how large and interesting the world actually is. Will there be enough content to satisfy people before an expansion (like Rohan) is released (I love how they show the map outside of the game's current scope, shows just how much potential the game has to grow- I love it)? Also, How is the sense of adventure (one of the reasons I bought Vanguard is just to experience the vast landscape)? How often does turbine plan to release major content patches (not minor bug fixing, but new content)?
In the end though, the game feels fun and looks beautiful (just hope they sort out performance issues after the stress test!). I hope to get into beta soon so I can continue to experience the game and understand more of what it's about. I don't know why, but I think this game will be my next WoW, and I couldn't be happier.
Comments
Thats the problem with most of you people, you start threads etc, saying you expect all the next mmos to be the next wow. You play a new mmo comparing it to wow and expecting it to live up to wow.
Most reviews are done, saying like you have said "This wil hopefully be my next wow". Thats where alot of reviews and people bigging this game up fail. You play this beta game deluding yoursleves hoping it will be wow.
Man get this straight, this game is nothing like wow, and playing this game hoping it is your next wow is just playing deluding yourslef into liking it. Like i have said before this is a game pure like DDO, just a more toned down version of ddo with less instances. Like i have also mentioned before, turbine should be castrated for being allowed to make such mediocre mmos again. read my review for an honest assemnet on this game.
Ahiles, anger much? First time I've had to block someone on this forum.. wow comparisons I can read about, it's these people exploding on others for bringing up another game that's really insane. Funny thing is, he was giving LOTRO a great review..
Anyway, he has a few good questions, wondering the same about the split in location based on storyline bit myself. I can't access the forums as I'm not in beta, and information elsewhere is limited. I'll be pre-ordering regardless but it was a question that popped into my mind right away when I was moved onto the second part of the intro story.
Is there just that one first split? That wouldn't be a problem imo, I thought it might occur at every major stage of some larger story (or does it?).
Only played to level 13, not much time to get deep this weekend..
/prayforkey
Is there just that one first split? That wouldn't be a problem imo, I thought it might occur at every major stage of some larger story (or does it?).
Only played to level 13, not much time to get deep this weekend..
/prayforkey
To be honest I have not gotten far enough in level to hit another split. I was presuming there are ones at higher level (25?) but I have not experienced it. Does anyone know? There are definitely splits because they need to advance the storyline (in the segment I (and you) are currently in, Frodo hasn't reached Bree yet, I think), but I am not sure what level.
Presumably, by the time you are level 50, Frodo will be in Rivendell, and will only progress further with the expansion and level cap raise.
What part of OP is a review? let me guess your one of those persons that thinks being in beta means levelling up the fastest and being top level.
What part of OP is a review? let me guess your one of those persons that thinks being in beta means levelling up the fastest and being top level.
What part of OP is review?
"LOTRO feels like the spiritual successor to WoW probably the only MMO that's kept my interest for over a year (played since launch). This game is easy to jump into and seems like it's not geared towards the super hardcore. Like WoW, this game feels like a game that uses time wisely, with no matter how little I play during a period, I feel like I am getting something done. This is great for someone like me who is more on the casual side and can't dedicate endless hours. Also interesting and enjoyable is how they game crafts it's sequences that make it feel like you are responsible for different things through scripting and videos."
Small, but reviewish in nature..
And what are you on about with the second bit of your reply? You are funny, making such grand assumptions based on NOTHING.
You complain about WoW, yet reading your replies is like visitng the Blizzard boards. The OP came here with a few concerns, already liking the game, and you decide it's time to flame for no good reason. I pointed it out and now you are coming up with funny insults directed at me.. you're awesome!
Anyway, just to set your mind at ease.. I think beta testing is about working out as many flaws in a game as possible prior to release.
But enough of this, you are wasting my morning. I'm here for some info, not to play flame wars with some emo kid. Sorry I unblocked you, was thinking you might have had something to add to the actual discussion..but it's clear you do not. You are the weakest link, goodbye.
People want the next mmo "to have all the great things that made WoW a huge success". i.e., easy of use, good solo-ability, etc.
And you comment that LORTO is nothing like WoW: IMHO, it's very much like WoW in many, many ways. Quests are of the same type, the crafting is simple, etc. But I can see past that and I beileve LOTRO is better than WoW in some ways. It's more immersive graphically, for one thing, and the lore is far, far more interesting. And how can you say it's like DDO?!? I played DDO, and to this point I've done dozens of real-world quests in LOTRO. In DDO I did, hmm, I think, NONE?!?
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but when you express it try not to generalize about other people. You don't need to criticize to get your point across, unless of course you're just trolling.
Every game on the market steals ideas that work from other games.
And really just because 8 million people are playing the game doesn't make it a good game. Lineage 1 and lineage 2 both had around 2 million people playing each game at one time. Does that make it the second best MMO ever? I know there is a korean MMO I forget then name that lists having 40million accounts for the game. I guess that is better then WoW.
Subscription numbers don't mean anything when it comes to quality of a game. Its been psychologically proven that the masses are stupid sheep that like to be led around.
Currently playing:
LOTRO & WoW (not much WoW though because Mines of Moria rocks!!!!)
Looking Foward too:
Bioware games (Dragon Age & Star Wars The Old Republic)
If World of Warcraft was released with the same exact game ideas, stucture and polish, but SOE on it instead it would of been a bomb. All of WoW's success can be attributed to the PR and the brand name that is Blizzard. My god there are people in asian countries still playing Starcraft and that game is ancient.
Currently playing:
LOTRO & WoW (not much WoW though because Mines of Moria rocks!!!!)
Looking Foward too:
Bioware games (Dragon Age & Star Wars The Old Republic)
I dislike WoW. Not an hater though, but in general hate grinding games. (So ye I dislike most MMOs :P) LoTRO. I liked LOTRO in the beta. However stoped playing the game, simply becouse it could not hold my interest for an long time. It gives the player not a lot new things to play with (Good story line and an great world, but that is about it )
Wow is not far more superior to this game. You may like it more, but that does not mean in general WoW is superior. I belive lotro will appeal to a lot more roleplayers then WoW does. So on that espect it far from being superior. I also belive that LoTRO is just a bit better then wow, duo to the more detailed world and better storyline and beter crafting system (Most profesion need to buy stuff to make the items they can produce and you can farm in lotro :P). The only think that does lack is PvP in lotro I do actualy like that myself and WoW has that indeed (Not really an great system, but good enough)
PS: Nothing wrong with still play starcraft, it is an classic ^^
LOTR for me plays almost exactly like AC2 than it does WoW. Looks, feel, UI, it just seems like a bumped up AC2. I loved AC2 when their expansion came out. I very much enjoy LOTR.
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Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.
PvP is lacking in LOTRO? Hmm have you tried Monster Play? Its actually incredibly fun.... went on a monster raid of the player occupied castles the other night and had a ball. There are plenty of incentives to particpate too and the raid mobs are fun.
We raided a raid group of hero players while they were on an epic mob... it was carnage and it was sheer brilliance.
The upgrades and customisations to the monsters really count and help giving you an edge against players. Also worgs and spiders just plain kick ass. WoW's pvp system is great, its half the reason the game is so popular. But the LOTRO pvp gambit is fun and appropriate for the type of game it is. Being monster races all the way through would just stuff up the lore, which is an important part of the game for the developers.
I never played AC2 but someone on another board stated the same thing. It is nothing at all like DDO and that is for certain. It has a quest centric form of advancement like WoW, however the graphics are a step up. It is solo friendly like WoW, has some good RP freatures like the player generated music, emotes, moods etc. I myself think they just looked at all existing MMO's and chose the best features of each.
I miss DAoC
WoW is a game, LOTRO is a game...
They are already similar.
Eternally mine,
Keebs
The MMO gaming blog I write for.
Guys (and girls!), does the game continue to split as you progress, such as it does at the end of the first segment (lvl 6ish)?
Still curious about this part. Again I'm going to preorder, this is an amazing game but was wondering if that mechanic comes into play more than once is all.
Let's not let the troll derail the OP's purpose for the thread
On that note, nothing I said in my original post made any direct comparison (IE interface, combat, questing, graphics, etc). Everything I mentioned were things that are more figurative, thins like feel, attitude, time-use, casuality. Those things for me are what made WoW so great.
One final thing, when I said, "This will hopefully be my next WoW" or whatever, what I was saying is: "Hopefully this will be the next great MMO that will actually be able to hold my attention and be just a great game".
Now stop trolling.
Moving on, I am still concerned over the splitting, as it seems that most people don't know how deep it is or how it will exactly affect grouping. If you do one world changing thing, can you not see anyone else in the entire world who hasn't completed that sequence?
Also, the size of the world itself is concerning.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
Face facts, with millions playing or having played WoW of course people are going to want to know how it compares. When most people say they want a game to succeed and be the next WoW, they do NOT mean they want it to be a clone, they mean they want it to be a fun, polished game that offers some hope of being a game one can play and enjoy long term. They also mean a MMORPG that can be an unqualified success.
I know some people have such an aversion to WoW that any mention of it in any context regarding a new game sets them off, but WoW is the standard most people are going to judge new MMORPGs against. NOT how well it clones WoW, but whether or not in it's own approach to the genre it has enough going for it to offer long term fun in a stable and polished environment.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated