Just average - nothing more, nothing less

donaldduck · February 2007

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.

None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%

So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.

Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...

I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.

Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

Mars505 · February 2007

Average is better then shit .

Kemenlith · February 2007

Originally posted by donaldduck

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.
None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%
So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.
Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...
I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.
Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

Um, thats because if you remove anything LOTR in it, its nothing but a game engine.

If you don't think its interesting then leave, we don't want whiney trolls around here anyways.

sirlongshank · February 2007

It is rather average playstyle, but it is very polished. For me, it will be a little like coh/cov, in that it will entertain me for a while, but not really have any lasting appeal.

kano71 · February 2007

I have played the stress test and even though the game is probably not for me.I could see it be"Average" in a WOW sorta way.In that case I think they might end up with a hit

Khalathwyr · February 2007

In your reality it is not, but you don't get to decide how other people feel about the game in relation to other games. For you it is mediocre, for the next guy it tops anything out there. Deal with it. Not saying you have to like what others say but don't go trying to make other folks change their opinions of the game just because it doesn't particularly do it for you.

starman999 · February 2007

Originally posted by donaldduck

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.
None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%
So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.
Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...
I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.
Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

I think you're gonna eat those words later............

You can say what you want about the game but it is every bit as good and polished as WOW ever was. The difference being WOW has only ever been a game. It attracted gamers first who then told their friends etc...

LOTR is a franchise that has a built in fanbase of millions who never even played a video game. This game has the potential to attract a boatload of players when you factor in all of the die hard LOTR fans and the many MMO players who are simply tired of WOW.

This game would sell well even if it sucked. The fact that it doesnt is just a nice bonus.

GreenHell · February 2007

In some ways I agree with the OP but Im not a LOTR fan. If you are then this is the game for you. As a stand alone game it is average but as someone else said average is better than shit. This game will do really well for a number of reasons. The first being of course the LOTR name. Then there is the very WoW like casual gameplay (not a bad thing) The graphics are also well done. To me its just nothing special really but its not a horrible game. Its pretty polished as it stands right now and it will have a good launch. I hope it does really well.

JonMichael · February 2007

I don't agree with you at all, sorry.

This game is not average. Compare it with the recent launch of the latest disasters in the MMO world. This game is *ready* for launch, has excellent graphics, tons of interesting and fun lore and content, and is by far more prepared and ready than anything I've seen released in the past year or so.

Turbine didn't promise ground breaking 3rd generation, state of the art graphics, you'll have to buy a 3K system just to play it, kind of game. Instead, they've been upfront, honest, no broken promises and have delivered everything they've said, plus more. What a refreshing change!

Not only will hardcore LOTR fans love this game.. so will thousands of others. Finally a game that isn't charging for Beta or promising "things to come" after you've paid a subscription for a year!

I don't want to wait 6 months or a year to be able to play a buggy game... I want to play a polished, fun and interesting game.. and LOTR is finally it!

Bravo Turbine! See you in Middle Earth

Stevon · February 2007

Originally posted by donaldduck

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.
None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%
So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.
Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...
I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.
Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

I finally got to play the game myself during the stress test. Let me tell you this thing kicks ass. If LOTRO doesn't give WoW a run for it's money, nothing will.

This my friends takes the Blizzard Polish to a whole new level. The quests are pure story. The artwork and environments are what Vanguard can only dream of. Tired of the WoWish cartoon graphics and looking for something more real, without losing the artistic quality? This is it.

The beta is not completely without issues and I'm sure the stress test will help clear them out. All in all though it kicks ass.

ayanel · February 2007

I could not disagree with you more.

I have come away from the stress test incredibly impressed by this game and will be counting the days until I can play it again.

We all look for different things in our games though and I hope you can find one you enjoy as much as I have enjoyed LotR

angrybee · February 2007

Gee, another post comparing LOTRO to WoW. Imagine my surprise...

Listen, World of Warcraft set the bar, there's no getting around it. Every MMO that comes after will be compared to it in one way or another. As it happens, there are a great many people, myself included, who liked WoW but didn't love it. I played it for 2 years for 2 reasons. First, it was a good game and did a great many things right, and second, there just wasn't anything else out there. SWG was hosed beyond repair and FFXI was an exercise in futility without a solid linkshell so WoW was looking pretty good. Along comes LOTRO. Turbine isn't trying to re-invent the wheel here, bro. Nor do I want them to try. They've made enough style and design changes to the standard MMO formula that have great appeal for me and I'm quite happy with the result. I'm not a hardcore PvP guy and I'm not looking for the uber crafting experience. I like to explore and quest and there's plenty of both to do in LOTRO. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that questing is the primary focus of this game and that suits me fine.

So bitch all you want about how Turbine failed to develop the next great MMO paradigm, but resign yourself to the fact that no single MMO can be all things to all people. WoW tried and the result was a wildly successful game that left more than a few people out there wanting a similar but slightly different experience. I think LOTRO accomplishes that very handily and kudos to Turbine for having a closed beta more stable than most launch day products. Way to go, guys.

yegnats · March 2007

Let me be the first poster to go out on a limb and agree with the OP. I as excited about this game after I quit WoW after playing on and off for about 2 years, finally getting to almost level 69 in TBC before realizing the endgame just wasn't happening for me, and I wasn't interested in any character classes to replay again. Then I did the Stress Test, and I was quite hooked, but then I got into the closed beta test soon after, and the game just lost my interest after less than a week. The art design flaws especially got to me. Many of the hair styles suck, including how all your hair would suddenly dissappear, with some helmets showing the suddenly bald back of your head. Not to mention how shields interact poorly with running animations, and stay stuck to your arm and never get sheathed on your back like in WoW. It looks crappy. Graphical issues are some of the most critical things for game immersion, and LoTRO has messed up on some major points.

[Deleted User] · March 2007

The user and all related content has been deleted.

yegnats · March 2007

Originally posted by solareus

Originally posted by yegnats

Let me be the first poster to go out on a limb and agree with the OP. I as excited about this game after I quit WoW after playing on and off for about 2 years, finally getting to almost level 69 in TBC before realizing the endgame just wasn't happening for me, and I wasn't interested in any character classes to replay again. Then I did the Stress Test, and I was quite hooked, but then I got into the closed beta test soon after, and the game just lost my interest after less than a week. The art design flaws especially got to me. Many of the hair styles suck, including how all your hair would suddenly dissappear, with some helmets showing the suddenly bald back of your head. Not to mention how shields interact poorly with running animations, and stay stuck to your arm and never get sheathed on your back like in WoW. It looks crappy. Graphical issues are some of the most critical things for game immersion, and LoTRO has messed up on some major points.

I agree to extent, but you can always choose to not display the helmet , as well as adding your shield to the hotbar and clicking it on and off . I know on the official forums there was a discussion about shield and I do believe they are working on getting the shield on the back. Hope you posted this stuff on the official forums. All feed back is need to make the game the best it can be.Yes I did. It's just I know it's not a high priority of theirs. They have so many technical and balance issues to address, and in my opinion most of the human, and some of the other race's hairstyles need to be scrapped/overhauled. I doubt they'll ever do that. I don't really know, I just dislike the game, and it's more than the art design, but I can't put my finger on it.

beauxaj · March 2007

Originally posted by donaldduck

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.
None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%
So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.
Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...
I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.
Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

I Disagree with you as well, as far as the lore goes there are many stories in the game that are quite interesting as well as engrossing. The different races start with different storylines to an extent, Starting as an elf you will deal with the dourhand conflict, as a human you start with blackwolds, I remember seing Skorgrim in the Bree lands and knowing all about his backstory due to starting as an elf, as a human you wouldn't know that, that gives some limited replayability for different characters. Try them all to get the complete story.

You can't remove the Lotr branding so why even mention that if you remove it its an avg game? Plus as others have said compared to other MMOs that have come out recently Avg is a couple steps up.

Now long term customers, that will be interesting, Lotro won't break WoWs back, but i can see it breaking the 1 mill subscriber mark easily. From there it will be Turbine's ball to either knock out of the park or drop.

jor8888 · March 2007

It average but its going to be a hit and its way better than the 3rd generation wannabe Vanguard.

gpett · March 2007

Meh, LotRO doesnt do it for me. I'll wait for WAR, AOC, Huxley, Tabula Rassa, or Hellgate London.

Krogg · March 2007

Originally posted by gpett

Meh, LotRO doesnt do it for me. I'll wait for WAR, AOC, Huxley, Tabula Rassa, or Hellgate London.

Dude... you must be a mind reader, I was just about to post asking which games you were going to wait for.

allegria · March 2007

Originally posted by donaldduck

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.
None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%
So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.
Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...
I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.
Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

Some of what you said i agree with, it is nothing really new( LOTRO ). However this statement took me by suprise:

None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%

Have you done any of the Epic questilne ? I don't know any other MMO with an epic storyline that takes you from level 1 to level 50. Furthermore, the way they threaded that story in with the Frodo & company's passage with the ring is truly amazing. In fact i have since been motivated to re-read the books ( it had been a long time ) and the tie-ins are everywhere.

There are 2 things that LOTRO has that stand out to me.

1. Story Driven game - The epic questline is unique in my experience (eq2/wow/vanguard/swg being my previous games). Its connection to lore is something i have seen no MMO have. Most of the time, you get a backstory and are plopped into a static world with no change, no thoughts of what is happening in the world. LOTRO is not like that, you get a feeling of the main story through the supporting story Turbine created.

2. Cohesion and supporting quests - if you know the books fairly well, you will find characters and plotlines that fill gaps in the books. For example, in the Fellowship of the Ring, Lord Elrond speaks of his sons, and how they are off on some errand that is of importance. Also, you realize there is alot more going on behind the scenes in support of Frodo's passage with The One Ring than was in the book. Aragorn and his rangers are mentioned as doing things in support of Frodo. If you go into LOTRO knowing this, you will say, wow this fills that opening perfectly. ( i wont spoil it for anyone )

Just some thoughts with regard to the Lore that i think is the best in any MMO i have seen. It should be, they certainly had alot to build on.

-Allegria

jerhar · March 2007

Originally posted by donaldduck

Lets all be honest here, remove your LOTR coloured glasses and you simply have a very average game in every single way. Theres nothing at all interesting, deep or remarkable about LOTRO.
None of the engrossing, detailed lore from the books is here, the quests have as little or as much 'depth' as WoWs and to be honest every other part of this is WoW -20%
So take off your LOTR colured glasses, forget the hype and see a very plain average MMORPG.
Dont even bother talking about future expansions and promises, because its very likely Turbine won't get enough long term customers to even support these expansions...
I'm in beta and think its actually ok, but lets have a balanced view here - if you were to believe most of the posts on this forum you'd be thinking it was going to blow every other MMORPG away - when in reality its just not going to.
Remove the LOTR branding and you simply have a very, very average bland generic game.

I must make a little comment here... 1st of all Im sick of all posts about ho much wow lotro is. If you played some games pre-wow you know that wow didnt brought any new stuff, they just picked this and that from many other online games.

2nd, you say that Turbine wont get a subscriptionbase enough to give out expansions. Blizzard have 8+ millions subscribers and still gives out 3-4 contentpatches / year. And when they do, its 1 new raid instance for the hardcore players to play with and the for the causual player to dream about. Turbine is on their 8th year of running Asheron's Call, and they have given contentpatch ever month during these years, except for 6 months prior the 2nd expansion. Does Turbine have 8 mill subscribers to AC? Nope, far from. How many livechats have you seen with blizzard's wow devteam and the players? I must be blind, but I have seen none. Allready seen 2 on EU Beta for Lotro, and Turbine had lots of those when I played AC. Turbine cares for their customers, Blizzard dont.

No bashing on OP, just general bashing on ppl who allways compare lotro to wow But cosidering the amount of ppl under 18 years old that plays wow, these kids where under 10 years old when AC came, so I can understand wy tey havnt played Turbine games ealier.

Personally Im a big LoTR fan, and I really like Turbine as a mmorpg developer, and think the game is ok so far, so will preorder.

zoey121 · March 2007

May be average but the name alone will get it attention. Add to that it can play on most folks pc as well as laptops. The pre order prices are cheaper then current mmorpgs. The beta ran smoothly. So with that in mind and that it can run well on people's current equipment they will most likely do very well numbers wise and though it may not be all end all grind fest imersion life altering gaming, it does offer entertainment with what it does it does fairly well.

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