Worth playing?

L12aRd_K1n6 · April 2007

This is just a real quick question to all the beta testers.

Is this game actually worth playing?

Whats good about it?

Whats bad about it?

JimmyLegs · April 2007

Note: My views are from a few stages ago, I believe it would be around 2-4 months ago (not very good with remember stuff I didn't like/haven't played extensively)

Is this game actually worth playing?

-No, in my opinion.

Whats good about it?

-I guess for the short while I played would be the tutorial it was different. Got to run around like it was a mini siege on your town, I was an Elf Loremaster (or some kind of caster.... I don't care...)

Whats bad about it?

-My PC isn't top notch and this was old game play, it may have changed greatly but, the graphics we're very pasty / EQ like. I wont lie, I love EQ, DAoC, and AC type graphics but to reel in this gen players, wont cut it by far. It could have just been my PC, like I said, it's not top notch. Lag was horride but it is beta and the debugging software might be causing it. But from what I've heard on this forum even people with the latest and greatest would lag pretty bad in populated / city areas.

Because of my experence, I would NOT go back to beta... I wouldn't even play it if it was 100% free (from Download to F2P4Life). It kind of felt like playing the Hack-n-Slash LotR games we all played on the PS2 but worse lol. If you like LotR (book, movies, games... what ever) give it a spin and see how you like it. I'm not sure on the update and download times but if it's very long (6+ hours) it MIGHT not be worth it.

Over all beta for me:

Graphics - 6/10 (SS look nice, but for me was bland)

Sound - 6/10 (It's an MMO what do you expect?)

Community - ?/10 (Don't really remember but I believe it was nice, don't remember so it wasn't bad!)

Preformance/Lag - 5/10 (Fields were ok, cities or areas with players numbers of 5+ was horrid)

Value - ?/10 (This stage in the game it could go either way, Throne or Trash Bin hard to say, but I will NOT be part of it)

Good luck my friend, give it a go. That is the only way you will know if it is good or not.

virtuella · April 2007

+

Good graphics and runs nice on most system if they have atleast 1 GB ram.

Tons of quests with a good story behind.

Instanced dungeons for solo and fellowships.

Max 24 players in a raid so no lame 40 man raids anymore.

Trait,virtues,accomplishmenst system that can really maske your character different.

PvP restricted to a battleground DAOC style.

Nice mature community,seems like the annoying most WoW youngsters stay away from this.

Roleplay friendly.

Very casual.

Solo friendly but also group orientated later on.

Personal mounts you can ride all over at level 35

Tons of setting ingame so you can totally change your keyboard setup,finetune the graphics for your PC,rearrange UI.

Inbuild teamchat so you don't need ventrillo

Fasttravel system between vertain towns.

Emailsystem that mails the merchandise instant so you don't have to wait 1 hour.

An emotesystem where you can teach other player emotes over time

One time use recipes for those nice sought after items.

Not a 24/7 mobgrind because most xp comes from quests and not mobs itself.

Their musicsystem simply rocks if you are a roleplayer

-

Fewer classes than WoW (even though it's only 2 so no biggie)

Few races.

To simple crafting system.

Pretty small world but Turbine have 10 times the space to expand in.

To few open dungeons that does not require a quest to get into.

No housing but it's on it's way

Overall i give it 85/100

it's well worth a buy.

Nothing really new to the genre except their monster battleground where you can take on the role as a monster.

Their Virtues,traits,title,accomplishment system is also somewhat new.

Their Musicsystem is also something quite new atleast the way it works and they have a huge improvement on the way.

Don't expect to much and you won't be disappointed.

Expect a totally new game with new innovating bling bling and you will get disappointed.

This is just the beginning.

As the Devs said.

We have licensed the entirety of Middle-earth and we'll be building all of it over time. We started in Eriador for lots of reasons, but we decided to make sure we paid good attention to depth in each area. So our updates and our Explansions will move players out into most of Middle-earth over time.

Maeiliu · April 2007

Originally posted by L12aRd_K1n6

This is just a real quick question to all the beta testers.

Is this game actually worth playing?

Certainly worth trying. Not everyone will like it.

Whats good about it?

1. Very few bugs. (i've come accross very few all of which have been fixed.)

2. Beautiful landscapes. Absolutely stunning, have to stop and take screenshots frequently.

3. Loot. The animals only drop what an animal is likely to drop i.e. No money, weapons or armor. They do drop things you can sell or use in crafting.

4. Very quest based. The majority of the experience is got from quests, meaning no mindless mob grind. The quests hav a good story behing each one.

5. All classes can function on their own or in a group.

6. So much to do. It may be a small world but Turbine have packed so much into it.

7. So many little touches that just add thet little bit extra to the game, such as the mail system, the flocks of birds flying past and many more.

Whats bad about it?

1. Not much character customisation. (But no worse that most mmo's)

2. Character models could be better. They don't match the quality of the landscapes.

3. Small world at present. (but so much room to expand) Not sure if this is entirely a bad point because the small size means more effort has been put into each sqare meter of space to make it right. Better a small but finished world than a large and unfinished world imho.

The good things far outweigh the bad things in my opinion, but it is not a game for everone. Powergamers for example will blast through the content in a couple of weeks. If you want a casual game then this may be for you.

M1sf1t · April 2007

Originally posted by L12aRd_K1n6
This is just a real quick question to all the beta testers.Is this game actually worth playing?Whats good about it?Whats bad about it?

We are not testers we are previewers. No real beta testing goes on in this phase of "beta".

Of course that being said I feel this game is worth playing. The only way you can see if this game is worth playing is if you yourself give it a try.

Keogh · April 2007

Yes its worth playing ( I've been in BETA since November and have purchased 2 pre-orders ).
Judge for yourself while you have a chance to play for free.
The pluses and minuses, Virtuella summed it up fairly well.

mmofanatic · April 2007

I dont hate this game, but im still not going to play it.

To me it just seemed like World of Warcraft in Middle Earth. The combat anyways, which is what i hate about most MMO's these days. Maybe i didn't play the game long enough to get enough out of it, i only played for about 10 minutes before i realized i wouldn't enjoy the combat in this game very long.

From what i saw the graphics didn't look that good (default settings). Character models looked good in the creation menu, but then when you entered the world it seemed to go way down.

I dont know what i can say good about this game because i didn't play very long, it was cool having a LoTR game though.

Final rating 8/10

LordKyellan · April 2007

The graphics in LOTRO are very well-optimized. My machine that just now runs Vanguard on balanced runs LOTRO maxed out at 1024x768 (little lag at 1280x1024, so I knocked it down). The landscapes are absolutely stunning, and the art direction is very cohesive throughout. There is a definite STYLE here.

The character animations have gotten a very nice upgrade since late closed beta (one that really impressed me was the /sit anim for the elf - when you hit the button, they actually STAND UP as opposed to popping up from the ground). The game is full of quests, with there always being tons to do. Crafting is good, not stellar, and not revolutionary.

All in all, this is something similar to good old World of Warcraft. It's a combination of many, many very good ideas put together in a very cohesive manner. It's biggest drawback is the lack of revolutionary - or even evolutionary - combat. It's just the same old MMO fare as far as that goes.

Overall, I'd say it's definitely worth a look. I still can't decide whether I'm going to play it into release or not. During closed beta, I thought definitely NO... the open beta has started to sway my mind a bit.

thexrated · April 2007

My views represented here are based upon open beta, which I played for few days.

Is this game actually worth playing?

-depends. This was not my cup of tea, but it might be something that many people find as a good playing experience.

- it was not bad as such, but I felt it had absolutely nothing new to offer. However, I must say that I am looking forward to games where player can truly control the environment around him and challenge themselves against both human and AI opponents.

- gathers towards Roleplayer/Socializer market, and not so much towards Achiever or PvP markets.

Whats good about it?

- it is a MMORPG based on Lord of the Rings. That should be enough for most avid fans of either books or movies. This should offer a pleasant world to explore and months of gameplay for those who fancy it.

- group dynamics, the social aspects in general were done better than in many recent titles.

- quests were kind of refreshing and I liked the mixture of tasks in those epic lines, as you felt like a part of the world

- liked the trait/deed aspects as well and accomplishments.

- a number of small things were done nice that added to the gameplay in overall.

Whats bad about it?

- in overall the immersion was not there for me. Same problem I had with SWG originally. It looked like Star Wars, but did not taste anything like it - something is missing in both occasions

- I did not like artwork/graphics/animations. These elements were rather bland and not pleasant to watch. While they might be ok by current standards, they were not memorable. In fact they could be from most MMORPG/FPSs that have been out past 5 years. As an example, you could comprare uniqueness of WoW, Age of Conan and even EVE artwork to this. While you might not like the games themselves they do standout and have their own look and feel - for me that is very important part of immersion and Peter Jacksons films had that immersion which this game fails to deliver. I wish they had spend more time on creating unique artwork instead of just hiring rather engineer-like 3D designers.

- Gameplay controlling your character felt also like a step back from other upcoming titles. This was not bad itself, but it was also not a way forward, imho,

Graphics - 6/10

Artwork - 3/10

Sound - 6/10

Community - 7/10

Preformance/Lag - 7/10

Value - 6/10

I suggest you try this for yourself. It is not a bad game, but it is not the next great thing either.

iffymack · April 2007

Its not a bad game,but its not the most amazing thing ever.

The combat is quite slow paced (which in my opinion is a good thing) so you have the oportunity for tactical fighting rather than simple button mashing. This might change at high levels of course,but at the moment I like it and its a refreshing change.

A lot of the NPCs seem quite active,like you see some walking around or chatting to each other,arguing or doing a task.Theres still plenty of static ones though,so not all of them are getting on with their daily grind.

The character models look good,the dwarves and hobbits seem well designed;the hobbits running animation is quite funny too.Not keen on the elves,they look a tad dull.

The NPC enemies look ok,the trolls are particularly impressive,and I look forward to fighting one. Theyre massive and well detailed.

Quests:ive not really gotten too far in the game so far,so i cant comment on what the questing will be like.Ive had a lot of the traditional '10 kill rats and bring me their tails' types so far and a few fed-ex style ones. Seems ok though,the rewards are pretty generous.Ive met Gandalf already and seen a Dark Rider though,so the main storyline quest is thrust on you from the earliest stage.

The worst points for me are the instanced buildings,so anytime you need to enter a building you have to go through a little portal and have a loading screen pop up with a picture of the interior.

The name tags that are displayed are also very untidy looking,huge yellow tags above everybodys head,including your own.I know what my name is,so I dont really need it displayed on screen in 1cm letters. Reminds me of Rappelz,the same thing really annoyed me in that game too,huge name tags above mobs .the NPCs also share the same tags,so in crowded areas its a sea of yellow letters which really spoils the graphics.

Hopefully thats something that will be changed in release,or at least an option to turn your own off for yourself only(unless its already in game and ive missed it...)

The world itself is ok,not what I was expecting from some of the screenshots put up here.The little cottages and buildings look nice though and are well detailed.

Cant comment on the graphics as im not playing the high res version and am running mainly in medium settings. Looks ok to me,some of the landscapes look a little bland,but the character models are very good.Really like the way dwarves look in this game,no squat blob with huge feet ala WoW,they actually look like somethign you wouldnt want to mess with rather than something to laugh at.

Im not sure whether ill be buying it or not come release,its certainly not a bad game by any means,but so far ive not been as impressed as i'd have hoped. Its also very tough to judge a game playing it in the graphical state pre high-res and playing on a laggy as feck beta server so my judgements will remain until ive tried the finished product on a server without 'picture book' animation due to lag

Godliest · April 2007

The game is absolutely worth to try. Some people will like it, and some may not. Overall I think it's a very good game.

Bad: The steering feels strange, atleast to me. The combat may sometimes feel very repitive. The quests are pretty much the same layout as usual (kill 10 bears, get that sword) even if it's also many new ideas.

Good: The rest really.

ASmith84 · April 2007

heres your final answer. if your a lotr fan try it out. if not dont bother. its that simple. also its in beta you can get free access on this website i think. if your not sure you can always do that.

Feldar89 · April 2007

Well,people were guessing: "is this the mmorpg who can beat WoW" .....answer is big NO WAY! Me myself quited playing wow and tryied this Lotro and I was really dissapointed. Grapichs are stupidly "real" like and I like more colorful graph like WoW is.

Any way,if this game would have been unleashed at 2002,it would rock,but at 2007,its kinda lame and already seen.

So if you are huge lotr Fan,you should try this. But if you like the movies but you arent huge fan,pass this game and wait for Warhammer online.

nöff.

Matt_UK · April 2007

The main thing that's puts me off is the old fashioned graphics. I can't believe there are people saying the graphics are amazing, they haven't played many mmorpgs then. Downside is it looks and feels like DDO in the outdoors. I'm worried that i'll end up doing quests solo most of the time and the community will be fragmented because of the way quests are organised and the instances. If most people RP and really get into the background and immersive potential then this could be another UO for brilliant RP and community (nothing has beaten that yet for me), otherwise i'm holding my breath.

virtuella · April 2007

Originally posted by ASmith84

heres your final answer. if your a lotr fan try it out. if not dont bother. its that simple. also its in beta you can get free access on this website i think. if your not sure you can always do that.

That's not true.

I haven't read any of the books,only saw the movies and couldn't care less about Tolkien and if the middleearth is correct and i bought a lifetime account.

It's a solid game with a promising future.

That's why i bought a lifetime account.

virtuella · April 2007

Originally posted by Matt_UK

The main thing that's puts me off is the old fashioned graphics. I can't believe there are people saying the graphics are amazing, they haven't played many mmorpgs then. Downside is it looks and feels like DDO in the outdoors. I'm worried that i'll end up doing quests solo most of the time and the community will be fragmented because of the way quests are organised and the instances. If most people RP and really get into the background and immersive potential then this could be another UO for brilliant RP and community (nothing has beaten that yet for me), otherwise i'm holding my breath.

I guess my other 17 mmorpgs i have played since UO release back in 1997 does not count?

How can you call it old fashioned graphics?

Here is a few screenies i saw from the EU beta ending today.

And off course a dwarf drinks too.

Knightblast · April 2007

Originally posted by Feldar89

Well,people were guessing: "is this the mmorpg who can beat WoW" .....answer is big NO WAY! Me myself quited playing wow and tryied this Lotro and I was really dissapointed. Grapichs are stupidly "real" like and I like more colorful graph like WoW is.

Any way,if this game would have been unleashed at 2002,it would rock,but at 2007,its kinda lame and already seen.

So if you are huge lotr Fan,you should try this. But if you like the movies but you arent huge fan,pass this game and wait for Warhammer online.

nöff.

I dont think people are saying "ZOMG LIEK ITS GONNA HAVE LIEK 8 MILLION SUBZ LIKE WOW, KE KE" ... it's more along the lines of "it has the potential to go to the number 2 spot behind WoW and be the most popular game since WoW was released. This I think is certainly within the realm of possibility given the polish and playability of the game.

Sramota · April 2007

Originally posted by Novaseeker

I dont think people are saying "ZOMG LIEK ITS GONNA HAVE LIEK 8 MILLION SUBZ LIKE WOW, KE KE" ... it's more along the lines of "it has the potential to go to the number 2 spot behind WoW and be the most popular game since WoW was released. This I think is certainly within the realm of possibility given the polish and playability of the game.

The fact that it's a clone kinda destroys that possibility..
The fact that it's a movie/book based game ruins it even more.
And the fact that it's the fellas who made the "WoW killer" Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach settles it.

'Nuff said.

Cerion · April 2007

Originally posted by Sramota

Originally posted by Novaseeker

I dont think people are saying "ZOMG LIEK ITS GONNA HAVE LIEK 8 MILLION SUBZ LIKE WOW, KE KE" ... it's more along the lines of "it has the potential to go to the number 2 spot behind WoW and be the most popular game since WoW was released. This I think is certainly within the realm of possibility given the polish and playability of the game.

The fact that it's a clone kinda destroys that possibility.. Proof of destruction please?

The fact that it's a movie/book based game ruins it even more. Anyother hysterical comment. Proof please?

And the fact that it's the fellas who made the "WoW killer" Dungeons & Dragons Online™: Stormreach™ settles it. Who ever said DDO would be a WoW killer?

'Nuff said. Your astounding logic and reason baffles even Socrates.

Knightblast · April 2007

Originally posted by Sramota

Originally posted by Novaseeker

I dont think people are saying "ZOMG LIEK ITS GONNA HAVE LIEK 8 MILLION SUBZ LIKE WOW, KE KE" ... it's more along the lines of "it has the potential to go to the number 2 spot behind WoW and be the most popular game since WoW was released. This I think is certainly within the realm of possibility given the polish and playability of the game.

The fact that it's a clone kinda destroys that possibility..

The fact that it's a movie/book based game ruins it even more.

And the fact that it's the fellas who made the "WoW killer" Dungeons & Dragons Online™: Stormreach™ settles it.

'Nuff said.

Haha. Oh well, we'll see in early May who is right and who is just a jaded, bitter poster.

virtuella · April 2007

Originally posted by Sramota

Originally posted by Novaseeker

I dont think people are saying "ZOMG LIEK ITS GONNA HAVE LIEK 8 MILLION SUBZ LIKE WOW, KE KE" ... it's more along the lines of "it has the potential to go to the number 2 spot behind WoW and be the most popular game since WoW was released. This I think is certainly within the realm of possibility given the polish and playability of the game.

The fact that it's a clone kinda destroys that possibility..

The fact that it's a movie/book based game ruins it even more.

And the fact that it's the fellas who made the "WoW killer" Dungeons & Dragons Online™: Stormreach™ settles it.

'Nuff said.

So you will come back and bow in the dust when the salenumbers climbs over CoH,EQ II or whoever is second after WoW.

I'm not counting Lineage I,II or Guildwars as competitors.

Lineage Series is mostly popular in Asia and Guildwars is not a monthly fee mmorpg.

This time Turbine struck gold.

Sramota · April 2007

Originally posted by virtuella
Originally posted by Sramota

Originally posted by NovaseekerI dont think people are saying "ZOMG LIEK ITS GONNA HAVE LIEK 8 MILLION SUBZ LIKE WOW, KE KE" ... it's more along the lines of "it has the potential to go to the number 2 spot behind WoW and be the most popular game since WoW was released. This I think is certainly within the realm of possibility given the polish and playability of the game.

The fact that it's a clone kinda destroys that possibility..
The fact that it's a movie/book based game ruins it even more.
And the fact that it's the fellas who made the "WoW killer" Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach settles it.
'Nuff said.

So you will come back and bow in the dust when the salenumbers climbs over CoH,EQ II or whoever is second after WoW.
I'm not counting Lineage I,II or Guildwars as competitors.
Lineage Series is mostly popular in Asia and Guildwars is not a monthly fee mmorpg.

This time Turbine struck gold.

If that happens, I will, personally, make an official apology here.

If not, well, I'l just sit back and relax with the knowledge that logic hasn't failed me yet.

Quingu · April 2007

Originally posted by Matt_UK

The main thing that's puts me off is the old fashioned graphics. I can't believe there are people saying the graphics are amazing, they haven't played many mmorpgs then. Downside is it looks and feels like DDO in the outdoors. I'm worried that i'll end up doing quests solo most of the time and the community will be fragmented because of the way quests are organised and the instances. If most people RP and really get into the background and immersive potential then this could be another UO for brilliant RP and community (nothing has beaten that yet for me), otherwise i'm holding my breath.

hmm so what games have better graphics?

ownedyou1 · April 2007

LOTRO has amazing graphics, I play on full , with AA and AS on, And theres no texture rip whatsoever, After the update i'll drop you a screenshot or two,

2hawks · April 2007

Yes, definetly worth playing.

Great graphics - lots of fun - have only seen one 'bug' with one mob pathing wierdly. Monster play is a blast as well.

Kyleran · April 2007

Originally posted by L12aRd_K1n6

Is this game actually worth playing?

It will be for many players, particularly those looking for a more casual or role-playing gaming experience. It will turn off those looking for sandbox worlds, traditional pvp, or the hardcore powerlevelers. I think its definitely a game you need to try for yourself to see if its right for you.

Whats good about it?

Very polished on release. Quests might be more of the same, but you'll not have much of a learning curve learning the interface or how to complete the quests. You can step right in and be an expert, especially if you've ever played an MMORPG before (like WOW). Great story line to follow, interesting lore, good graphics (but obviously, not to everyone's taste) and the game will run well on most computers today.

Whats bad about it?

Well, it is more of the same, and I'm not sure what the long term playability is...i.e. once you get to 50..what direction will the end game take. Will they open a new realm like Gondor, pad on 10 or 20 new exp levels, and have you work hard to replace all your gear? Depending on the answer...might change the game's long term appeal.

Howdy, Stranger!

Worth playing?

Comments

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Howdy, Stranger!

Quick Links

Worth playing?

Comments

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV