Come on guys, you know when you try to making an opinion about a game or even hint at bashing a game, the fanboys are going to highjack your thread and try to refute every point you make.
Fanboyism = Fascism
In the case of LotR fans, they can't deal with the fact that yeah LotR is just like every other MMORPG, doesn't do anything new OR right. It's just a game they are playing to protest against the WoW game and/or the WoW-ism belief. They highjack negative threads like this for the same reason. Fanboys cannot respect anybody's opinion EXCEPT THEIR OWN.
Originally posted by Lastera Come on guys, you know when you try to making an opinion about a game or even hint at bashing a game, the fanboys are going to highjack your thread and try to refute every point you make.Fanboyism = Fascism In the case of LotR fans, they can't deal with the fact that yeah LotR is just like every other MMORPG, doesn't do anything new OR right. It's just a game they are playing to protest against the WoW game and/or the WoW-ism belief. They highjack negative threads like this for the same reason. Fanboys cannot respect anybody's opinion EXCEPT THEIR OWN.
So basically you want to bash a game without having anyone respond or make counter arguments ? If you really did not want anyone making any sort of counter argument you shouldn't make posts in public forums. Kind of like if you don't want to have people see you using the toilet in a public bathroom you should close the stall door!
Forum Trolls = Facists IMHO
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
I must laugh. All the years in Ironforge and you still wonder about destructive gaming? I know people that deleted there chars because they got stalked too much. I played a tank at kel 2z for about a year and i saw em rip 40 man mc raid just for being bad. so i say its normal and it belongs to mmos. At least thats what they told me when i complained.
LOTRO never promised to revolutionize the MMO world. LOTRO has is STABILITY, PERFORMANCE and the FUN FACTOR and that IMHO is a true sign of a winner.
The point is that any MMO on the market has to compete with WOW. What type of competitive advantage does LoTRO offer customers over WOW besides a new set of scenery and lore, which I didn't find to be all that immersive. The gameplay is virtually identical (get quest, aggro mob, spam specials, rise/repeat), the classes are the same (ranged, rogue, mage, priest, tank, buffer, debuffer), yet LoTRO doesn't offer a competitive PvP system which is the natural progression in "end game" after all PvE content has been completed. In essence you're getting less for the same.
Also the fact that WOW is based on an RTS series cant be ignored. Much like SWG, WOW had a "built in player base" the difference was Blizzard was better at polish then SOE, something that continues to plague Smedley. They were able to capitalize on their exsisting franchise fanbase while making the game easily accessible.
It's probably better that LoTRO didn't promise to revolutionize the industry as they'd have sorely dissapointed many players with their clone gameplay. I think the game is a great example of how MMO's can be polished on release but I dont see the game being anything but a moderate success. This is all just my opinion ofcourse and subject to the bias nature of my tastes in games.
1.) Competitive Advantage - It's not WoW. It's a fresh start with new spins on old ideas, better graphics and a new world to explore. For anyone who is tired of the rat race of rep grinds and running the same raid dungeons/bosses in wow it's a big incentive. I should know because I am dead tired of WoW and everything it has to offer. I need a new game with a fresh start and LOTRO is it until WAR comes out.
As for PvP LOTRO was never designed as a PVP game. I have no problem with what LOTRO has to offer in this area because frankly I and many other people who like this game are not really looking for a PvP game with LOTRO. So this is not even a issue.
2.) WoW's succes - I won't deny that many folks who played Warcraft also flocked to WoW when it launched. Yet the fact remains that had WoW of done a release similar to that of Vangaurd's with it's huge bugs, crashes, roll backs, tons of unfinished quests and areas. Well then WoW would of just been a niche MMO game that should of, could of but never was. Brand names can only take you so far.
Again most people will not pay for crap. No matter who the company or what "old skool" developer puts out a game. If a MMO is a crappy mess people will not sub for it. Vangaurd is a prime example of how a famous developer and a pre-established previous brand name like Everquest 1 was not enough for people to over look the huge and overriding bugs and unfinished content in the game.
3.) Success of LOTRO - A moderate success is still better then a failure and becoming a niche MMO that hardly anyone plays. A moderate success in the MMO world means millions of dollars a month verse having a game barely cover it's expensives. LOTRO if it's a moderate success will be more then enough for Turbine to expand and build upon LOTRO's "moderate success".
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Compare this to other games? - I've played Doom3 and had a darn lot of fun, so I've played doom 1, doom 2 and 13 years later part 3 with equally much fun. or any new RTS game. I've played Warcraft 3, Spellforce, Age of Mythology and Age of Empires II, all in a row (out of a bundle package few years ago)... So I practically started every "next" game, same mechanic, different feel but every one was "wow" and "fun"
It's the same with MMOs. I liked the WoW concept, it immersed me, it was fun (even grinding, I could chat while grinding or talk to my GF, or listen to music, running is repetetive too, still I enjoy a 15-mile-run a lot); it had its flaws, but who cares. So LotRO is basically the same "old" MMORPG concept, so what, concepts in other games have not changes a bit for 10, 15, 20 years and I see nothing wrong with that...
...I really think, and I mean it, you are spoiled and exhausted by years of MMOGing. Every single game out there can be great fun, even disasters like Vanguard; its all in your head ^^
The problem I have with Lotro is I don't really see the need for the game. World of Warcraft took the old genre, removed everything that the developers thought wasn't fun, polished it, improved some things and the result is a arguably the best mmorpg around. So we have a game the pretty much completed the old way of mmorpg gaming. After much kicking and screaming, and a few revamps, Everquest 2 went the same way as WoW. so now we have 2 games that improved the classic mmorpg gameplay mechanics.
But now Lotro is doing the exact same thing. but it doesn't improve anywhere, its the exact same thing as WoW in Everquest 2, just less content.
I honnestly see no reason to switch to Lotro. sure, its "Middle - earth", but after all these mmo's, its just your usual fantasy setting.
- It has different and better off-combat stuff to do
- Enhancements are soon to arrive and massive
- Monsterplay
- Better quest-telling
- Consistent quest telling, like storyarches
- It's Lord of the Rings
- It's Lord of the Rings
- Did I mention it's Lord of Rings already?
So that's a few things that make it BETTER than WoW in my eyes, plus, the last point blank +15 argument rating point:
- IT IS NOT WoW... I and many others have played WoW so much I get sick if I hear the opening music or see a Nightelf jumping. Nobody cared when Half-Life and Unreal were similar, they were both fun games, same mechanic, different setting. Nobody said "dude, why would someone play a game with the SAME mechanics, how stupid is that"... It's the exact same thing. I don't midn if they produce 10 more games with WoWesque game mechanics, it was fun for me, as long as it doesn't lack originality designwise. And LotRO does absolutely not...
Im not trying to compare this to WoW pixel by pixel (Vanguard is more closer to WoW than this game is). Im saying its similiar. Its a big difference in terms.
Furthermore, I dont think the game sucks in terms of playability.
All I am saying is, I played it. I dont like the lack of professions; I think its very limiting. I dont like the character customizations; I think its very limiting. I dont like the emmersion; because I dont feel it whenever I log in and its certainly nothing new under the sun.
Just my opinion and how I feel about it.
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
This topic has been beaten nearly to death it seems.
LOTRO is not the most innovative game released. Clearly. There are some things here and there that are different (smoking, music, class specifics, more emphasis on story arcs), but the mechanic is the familiar one.
However, it's a polished, stable game. Why play it and not WoW? Well, because many people are sick to death of WoW and EQ2, both games having been out now for 2 and a half years. Sure it's not "innovative", but I honestly think the main reason people switch games or decide to leave a game for another one is not that the newer game is "innovative", but that they are simply bored with the older game. That's the case with WoW for many people. Great game, fun to play in the day, but a lot of people are bored and are looking for something new. And some of those people will like LOTRO.
There are relatively few gamers outside of these forums who evaluate whether to play a newly released game on the basis of whether it is "innovative". That's a criterion used by the true gamer elites. Most folks just want to know if the game is fun, and if it's similar to another game they found fun, for most people that's good enough right there.
Im not trying to compare this to WoW pixel by pixel (Vanguard is more closer to WoW than this game is). Im saying its similiar. Its a big difference in terms. Furthermore, I dont think the game sucks in terms of playability. All I am saying is,I played it. I dont like the lack of professions; I think its very limiting. I dont like the character customizations; I think its very limiting. I dont like the emmersion; because I dont feel it whenever I log in and its certainly nothing new under the sun. Just my opinion and how I feel about it.
I noticed you made some comments about Vanguard when it released that were similar and now LotRs....Next time you are looking for a new game and eyeballing the newest fantasy clone "Lord of Ever Dark Age: Saga of the Clone Wars", remember this because its not going to change....at all.
You want something different? Play something different. Stop expecting the same old sh*t to be different.
Im not trying to compare this to WoW pixel by pixel (Vanguard is more closer to WoW than this game is). Im saying its similiar. Its a big difference in terms. Furthermore, I dont think the game sucks in terms of playability. All I am saying is, I played it. I dont like the lack of professions; I think its very limiting. I dont like the character customizations; I think its very limiting. I dont like the emmersion; because I dont feel it whenever I log in and its certainly nothing new under the sun. Just my opinion and how I feel about it.
It sounds like you've been playing too many MMO's friend. I agree with you 100% that the game offers nothing new. In fact, NONE of the games that are slated for release within the next year offers much in the innovative department. What I think people can take comfort in is the one direction that may start a new trend: storyline content.
While they can't touch the main storyline, they can expound on everything in between and there's a hell of a lot to work with. I logged into the game holding my breath, waiting for the letdown but that disappareaed completely afte a few hours. Beside your generic hunt down x monster quests (hate those!) I was surprised on how much story they were adding to their quests. I heard people complain about all the reading. The reading by god!!
Not to mention all of the little side quests about visiting ruins and all, steeped in tolkien lore. but the developers did capture the expansiveness of Middle Earth. I remember standing on the edge of bree land, looking over the Midgewater marshes and seeing a certain flat topped hill way off in the distance. This Tolkein fan was moved by it and in a good way.
In the end, LOTRO offers a different focus and that's the only thing that makes it different from the rest. They used a proven mechanic approach to make the game fun for many (The WoW approach) and built around the Tolkein works, limits and all. It's a shame really that you can't get anythnig out of it and I don't think there's going to be much in the future for you gamewise. Best advice I can give is take a break and try some of those classic RPG's. Maybe that will get your sense of immersion back.
I'm proud to be supporting LotRO. It is the best game I've tested in the last 4 years .
Conan is going to surprise a lot of people I think , and it isn't going to be in a good way. I was so up conans butt , but after watching the videos ,and reading the hype forming, it is going to fizzle.
The biggest thing Conan has to worry about is the Conan movie coming up . If the Movie bombs , it will reflect in the game sales no matter how hard they try and advertise it is not apart of the movie .
So other then STO , there isn't anything I'm looking forward to, and I need something new right now to play. LotRO offers all my favorite elements in a nice new shiny box. And it is cheaper then any other sub right now with the opt to life time, one time payment .
The Stars are lining up for LotRO and I am glad I'm apart of the ride.
Be well to each other , and have fun in your games.
Torron: Go and tell my brother Bregor its time to leave middle earth.
Player: runs for 5 minutes to the next towm to find bregor.
Bregor: Tell my brother to stick it I aint leaving.
Player: runs all the way back 5 more minutes.
Torron: Go find this (item) and take it to him to remind him
Player: runs off to find item then back to bregor
Bregor: oh yeah well go find this (item) and takei t back to torron.
Rinse repeat ad infinitum.......
Sorry that may be what some of you consider entertainment but all I can say is fu*k that. I want my character advancement to be based on what skills I am trying to get better at. If I want to get better with my bow I should have to go out and shoot at stuff. If magic then casting spells not doing these lame run all over hell and back quests. To add insult to injury the run speed is sooo slow.
All of this stinks of time sink to me. Make it meaningful and sensible I say. Let me advance my character my way.
Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture.
Torron: Go and tell my brother Bregor its time to leave middle earth.
Player: runs for 5 minutes to the next towm to find bregor.
Bregor: Tell my brother to stick it I aint leaving.
Player: runs all the way back 5 more minutes.
Torron: Go find this (item) and take it to him to remind him
Player: runs off to find item then back to bregor
Bregor: oh yeah well go find this (item) and takei t back to torron.
Rinse repeat ad infinitum.......
Sorry that may be what some of you consider entertainment but all I can say is fu*k that. I want my character advancement to be based on what skills I am trying to get better at. If I want to get better with my bow I should have to go out and shoot at stuff. If magic then casting spells not doing these lame run all over hell and back quests. To add insult to injury the run speed is sooo slow.
All of this stinks of time sink to me. Make it meaningful and sensible I say. Let me advance my character my way.
And .... that might be good for you, but the world is not made up of just you.
Did you even know that you level skills by the number times you use them ? And once you level the skill you get a trait that enhances that skill ? Most likely you didn't know that .... Good Luck to you in your next mmo
""if everyone likes you then you stand for nothing." I must be a god then .
LOTRO feels like a game for people new to MMO's and for them it will be a great experience. I think it's a good well made game, but as people have said brings very little that is new, hence I played it a bit in beta but haven't bothered to order it. Sadly I just can't get excited about playing it.
We said exactly same about WoW when it was in beta.Really there is almost nothing new in wow its all redone EQ1 with a easier curve and penalty.Heck even the lead developer said he did not plan to reinvent the genre just touch it up.
And LoTRO is the same .Its solid and retouching old mmorpg .Will in bring in the new crowd?We will soon know.
Wanna play a fantasy game? Pick any of them, they are all the same, and focus on what an MMO should be about...community.
Thank you. That's exactly it. Right now, there isn't anything different - they're all the same, and they have been since EverQuest (with a few notable exceptions). Go find the game that has the community you enjoy playing with, and play that game.
One of my major problems with MMOs lately is that the community is sorely lacking. WoW has 8million people... that's just too many to foster a good community - too many, um... *censored*s. Vanguard got a good number of EQ1 elitists who seem to think that grinding and mob camping and 300-man raids for a single item are the holy grail of gaming. So far, from what I've seen in LOTRO (and yes, I'm a pre-order) the community is relatively good, and I haven't run across any serious problem people yet. Time will tell if Turbine can actually build a lasting community in this game.
My first game was Asheron's Call. There was a community there. If you started a new character back in the first couple of years, you couldn't go anywhere without being offered patronage. Groups for quests were relatively easy to find, but the quests themselves weren't! Get into a halfway decent guild, and you were all set.
--------
"Give a man a fire, and he is warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he is warm for the rest of his life."
These sorts of threads are entertaining. I'll tell you what innovative game play gets you:
1). Roma Victor
2). Second Life
3). WWII Online
4). Shadowbane
5). Sims Online
6). Auto Assault
And unlike most of you who dream about wanting innovative gameplay, and complain about the lack of it, I have played most of the above games. Innovation isn't all it's cracked up to be. Innovative games will always be on the fringe, just like innovative movies. The fringe is not a pretty place to be...it is rough, often ugly, and requires patience.
So it's nice and easy to dream that LOTRO could have been different from the comfort of your armchair when you weren't the one footing the 40+ million in development costs.
_____________________________ Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
These sorts of threads are entertaining. I'll tell you what innovative game play gets you: 1). Roma Victor 2). Second Life 3). WWII Online 4). Shadowbane 5). Sims Online 6). Auto Assault And unlike most of you who dream about wanting innovative gameplay, and complain about the lack of it, I have played most of the above games. Innovation isn't all it's cracked up to be. Innovative games will always be on the fringe, just like innovative movies. The fringe is not a pretty place to be...it is rough, often ugly, and requires patience. So it's nice and easy to dream that LOTRO could have been different from the comfort of your armchair when you weren't the one footing the 40+ million in development costs.
Torron: Go and tell my brother Bregor its time to leave middle earth.
Player: runs for 5 minutes to the next towm to find bregor.
Bregor: Tell my brother to stick it I aint leaving.
Player: runs all the way back 5 more minutes.
Torron: Go find this (item) and take it to him to remind him
Player: runs off to find item then back to bregor
Bregor: oh yeah well go find this (item) and takei t back to torron.
Rinse repeat ad infinitum.......
Sorry that may be what some of you consider entertainment but all I can say is fu*k that. I want my character advancement to be based on what skills I am trying to get better at. If I want to get better with my bow I should have to go out and shoot at stuff. If magic then casting spells not doing these lame run all over hell and back quests. To add insult to injury the run speed is sooo slow.
All of this stinks of time sink to me. Make it meaningful and sensible I say. Let me advance my character my way.
You just actually proved one of my points about LOTRO ; it's story based. This derisive 'example' of yours left nearly all of the story out of that plotline, one the major themes of the elves in ME. But that's not what you're after is it? You just want to go and kill things with your character and level up in an expedient way. And that's ok. LOTRO is NOT about that at all and what you need to do is find something more your playstyle, something like Ultima Online, Guild Wars, or Diablo II. And that doesn't mean LOTRO is a poor game.
BTW, every game is a time sink. It depends on how much fun you have while doing it. You want a more a direct and speedy approach I'm sure there are other games out there for you. As for me "Kill things and level, rinse and repeat ad nauseum"...f*%k that!
Torron: Go and tell my brother Bregor its time to leave middle earth.
Player: runs for 5 minutes to the next towm to find bregor.
Bregor: Tell my brother to stick it I aint leaving.
Player: runs all the way back 5 more minutes.
Torron: Go find this (item) and take it to him to remind him
Player: runs off to find item then back to bregor
Bregor: oh yeah well go find this (item) and takei t back to torron.
Rinse repeat ad infinitum.......
Sorry that may be what some of you consider entertainment but all I can say is fu*k that. I want my character advancement to be based on what skills I am trying to get better at. If I want to get better with my bow I should have to go out and shoot at stuff. If magic then casting spells not doing these lame run all over hell and back quests. To add insult to injury the run speed is sooo slow.
All of this stinks of time sink to me. Make it meaningful and sensible I say. Let me advance my character my way.
yea, the quests in this game are worse than other games. Much more boring. The crafting in this game is much simpler than other games. The the amount of differnt skills to take is very limited. Much worse than other games. the world is much smaller than in other games.
So not only does this game not do anything new, but it does the same old things in a very shoddy way.
Sure, their are some people who like the linear, one diminsional gameplay. They like the story, so thay don't care about having nothing new, and having everything else dumbed down and simpistic, and done in a half assed way. I'm happy for you people.
But to say this game is as good as WOW is just a joke.
Am I the only one here who just feels that you are not emmersed in the Lord of the Rings Pantheon? Whenever I log on I get three feelings... 1. The game is actually built rather nice and solid with not a whole lot of bugs. 2. I feel like I am in yet another cookie cutter fantasy clone except for the name Lord of the Rings slapped onto it...although it doesn't feel like Lord of the Rings. 3. Feels like WoW v. 2.0 There's some really nice little gadgets in the game (like music, pipe smoking, etc) but it just doesnt feel like a "FINALLY....A MMORPG I CAN PLAY FOR A COUPLE YEARS!!" Not a horrible game....but just not innovative either.
The chapter quests bring more of the LOTR storieline out. Not sure how you can make an MMO based on IP and not diverge from the original storyline.
Definately feels cookie cutter. Not exactly WoW 2.0. Very well polished, considering the crap that's been coming out recently. Any bugs I found where minor and not show stopping.
I'll probably take this one to end game, if it doesn't turn into a grindfest somewhere in between. Not even a huge LOTR fan, everything just works for me.
Originally posted by Enigma 2. I feel like I am in yet another cookie cutter fantasy clone except for the name Lord of the Rings slapped onto it...although it doesn't feel like Lord of the Rings.Not a horrible game....but just not innovative either.
That sums up my feelings. I'm a casual WoW player who also sees WoW's shortcomings, but acknowledges Wow is the best you can expect from a static world MMO. LOTRO was a disappointment. Vanguard was a serious disappointment. They are all trying to duplicate WoW but offer no real innovation that I'm aware of. Maybe Age of Conan will offer some real excitement?
----------------------- Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW. Current MMO: Current Games: L4D, Skyrim Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR. Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2
These sorts of threads are entertaining. I'll tell you what innovative game play gets you: 1). Roma Victor 2). Second Life 3). WWII Online 4). Shadowbane 5). Sims Online 6). Auto Assault And unlike most of you who dream about wanting innovative gameplay, and complain about the lack of it, I have played most of the above games. Innovation isn't all it's cracked up to be. Innovative games will always be on the fringe, just like innovative movies. The fringe is not a pretty place to be...it is rough, often ugly, and requires patience. So it's nice and easy to dream that LOTRO could have been different from the comfort of your armchair when you weren't the one footing the 40+ million in development costs.
Ed Zachary...
Continuing on this thought, all of those games were freaking spectacular on paper, but the execution didn't quite pull it off.
It must be stressed that these games are still highly important in their ability to inspire things in other mainstream games. The innovative off-the-beaten-path games that end up being budget bin garbage are truly the pioneers of gaming theory, and other companies with bigger budgets/better programmers build on the original ideas.
Most people who games as much as I do already know this, but I wanted to throw it out there for the newcomers It is a vicious cycle that is apparent in pretty much any industry.
My issue with Lotro, is the classes ... there's just not enough of them so it feels as if there wont be a lot of customization to them. At least WoW had different specs and EQ2 has AAs for customization ... but what does Lotro have?
My issue with Lotro, is the classes ... there's just not enough of them so it feels as if there wont be a lot of customization to them. At least WoW had different specs and EQ2 has AAs for customization ... but what does Lotro have?
I agree that it seems light on classes. It is an issue of lore apparently. I don't find that it bothers me too much. It has a classic feel to it. Thinking to dungeon sprawls(Dungeon Hack, Dragon Wars, AD&D pc games ad nauseum), you have some basic class roles to get the job done.
As for customization, there are traits, but they end up making pretty much the same character when all is said and done. The hotswapping of traits before going on a quest is pretty unique and feels a bit like Guild Wars managing your skills(just not near as limiting of course).
The real customization comes in what you wear(like 4 pieces of armor are toggled in the options), how you act, and what you do(hitting space bar a lot or /music). The game does not need to hardcode in a lot of differences. If you have fun with your games, the differences in playstyles and downtime will shine through to make a great experience.
Comments
Fanboyism = Fascism
In the case of LotR fans, they can't deal with the fact that yeah LotR is just like every other MMORPG, doesn't do anything new OR right. It's just a game they are playing to protest against the WoW game and/or the WoW-ism belief. They highjack negative threads like this for the same reason. Fanboys cannot respect anybody's opinion EXCEPT THEIR OWN.
So basically you want to bash a game without having anyone respond or make counter arguments ? If you really did not want anyone making any sort of counter argument you shouldn't make posts in public forums. Kind of like if you don't want to have people see you using the toilet in a public bathroom you should close the stall door!
Forum Trolls = Facists IMHO
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
I must laugh. All the years in Ironforge and you still wonder about destructive gaming? I know people that deleted there chars because they got stalked too much. I played a tank at kel 2z for about a year and i saw em rip 40 man mc raid just for being bad. so i say its normal and it belongs to mmos. At least thats what they told me when i complained.
2Z forever!
1.) Competitive Advantage - It's not WoW. It's a fresh start with new spins on old ideas, better graphics and a new world to explore. For anyone who is tired of the rat race of rep grinds and running the same raid dungeons/bosses in wow it's a big incentive. I should know because I am dead tired of WoW and everything it has to offer. I need a new game with a fresh start and LOTRO is it until WAR comes out.
As for PvP LOTRO was never designed as a PVP game. I have no problem with what LOTRO has to offer in this area because frankly I and many other people who like this game are not really looking for a PvP game with LOTRO. So this is not even a issue.
2.) WoW's succes - I won't deny that many folks who played Warcraft also flocked to WoW when it launched. Yet the fact remains that had WoW of done a release similar to that of Vangaurd's with it's huge bugs, crashes, roll backs, tons of unfinished quests and areas. Well then WoW would of just been a niche MMO game that should of, could of but never was. Brand names can only take you so far.
Again most people will not pay for crap. No matter who the company or what "old skool" developer puts out a game. If a MMO is a crappy mess people will not sub for it. Vangaurd is a prime example of how a famous developer and a pre-established previous brand name like Everquest 1 was not enough for people to over look the huge and overriding bugs and unfinished content in the game.
3.) Success of LOTRO - A moderate success is still better then a failure and becoming a niche MMO that hardly anyone plays. A moderate success in the MMO world means millions of dollars a month verse having a game barely cover it's expensives. LOTRO if it's a moderate success will be more then enough for Turbine to expand and build upon LOTRO's "moderate success".
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
It's the same with MMOs. I liked the WoW concept, it immersed me, it was fun (even grinding, I could chat while grinding or talk to my GF, or listen to music, running is repetetive too, still I enjoy a 15-mile-run a lot); it had its flaws, but who cares. So LotRO is basically the same "old" MMORPG concept, so what, concepts in other games have not changes a bit for 10, 15, 20 years and I see nothing wrong with that...
...I really think, and I mean it, you are spoiled and exhausted by years of MMOGing. Every single game out there can be great fun, even disasters like Vanguard; its all in your head ^^
Meridion
But now Lotro is doing the exact same thing. but it doesn't improve anywhere, its the exact same thing as WoW in Everquest 2, just less content.
I honnestly see no reason to switch to Lotro. sure, its "Middle - earth", but after all these mmo's, its just your usual fantasy setting.
but thats my opinion on the subject.
- It has a different class balance
- It has different and better off-combat stuff to do
- Enhancements are soon to arrive and massive
- Monsterplay
- Better quest-telling
- Consistent quest telling, like storyarches
- It's Lord of the Rings
- It's Lord of the Rings
- Did I mention it's Lord of Rings already?
So that's a few things that make it BETTER than WoW in my eyes, plus, the last point blank +15 argument rating point:
- IT IS NOT WoW... I and many others have played WoW so much I get sick if I hear the opening music or see a Nightelf jumping. Nobody cared when Half-Life and Unreal were similar, they were both fun games, same mechanic, different setting. Nobody said "dude, why would someone play a game with the SAME mechanics, how stupid is that"... It's the exact same thing. I don't midn if they produce 10 more games with WoWesque game mechanics, it was fun for me, as long as it doesn't lack originality designwise. And LotRO does absolutely not...
Im not trying to compare this to WoW pixel by pixel (Vanguard is more closer to WoW than this game is). Im saying its similiar. Its a big difference in terms.
Furthermore, I dont think the game sucks in terms of playability.
All I am saying is, I played it. I dont like the lack of professions; I think its very limiting. I dont like the character customizations; I think its very limiting. I dont like the emmersion; because I dont feel it whenever I log in and its certainly nothing new under the sun.
Just my opinion and how I feel about it.
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
LOTRO is not the most innovative game released. Clearly. There are some things here and there that are different (smoking, music, class specifics, more emphasis on story arcs), but the mechanic is the familiar one.
However, it's a polished, stable game. Why play it and not WoW? Well, because many people are sick to death of WoW and EQ2, both games having been out now for 2 and a half years. Sure it's not "innovative", but I honestly think the main reason people switch games or decide to leave a game for another one is not that the newer game is "innovative", but that they are simply bored with the older game. That's the case with WoW for many people. Great game, fun to play in the day, but a lot of people are bored and are looking for something new. And some of those people will like LOTRO.
There are relatively few gamers outside of these forums who evaluate whether to play a newly released game on the basis of whether it is "innovative". That's a criterion used by the true gamer elites. Most folks just want to know if the game is fun, and if it's similar to another game they found fun, for most people that's good enough right there.
I noticed you made some comments about Vanguard when it released that were similar and now LotRs....Next time you are looking for a new game and eyeballing the newest fantasy clone "Lord of Ever Dark Age: Saga of the Clone Wars", remember this because its not going to change....at all.
You want something different? Play something different. Stop expecting the same old sh*t to be different.
While they can't touch the main storyline, they can expound on everything in between and there's a hell of a lot to work with. I logged into the game holding my breath, waiting for the letdown but that disappareaed completely afte a few hours. Beside your generic hunt down x monster quests (hate those!) I was surprised on how much story they were adding to their quests. I heard people complain about all the reading. The reading by god!!
Not to mention all of the little side quests about visiting ruins and all, steeped in tolkien lore. but the developers did capture the expansiveness of Middle Earth. I remember standing on the edge of bree land, looking over the Midgewater marshes and seeing a certain flat topped hill way off in the distance. This Tolkein fan was moved by it and in a good way.
In the end, LOTRO offers a different focus and that's the only thing that makes it different from the rest. They used a proven mechanic approach to make the game fun for many (The WoW approach) and built around the Tolkein works, limits and all. It's a shame really that you can't get anythnig out of it and I don't think there's going to be much in the future for you gamewise. Best advice I can give is take a break and try some of those classic RPG's. Maybe that will get your sense of immersion back.
D
Conan is going to surprise a lot of people I think , and it isn't going to be in a good way. I was so up conans butt , but after watching the videos ,and reading the hype forming, it is going to fizzle.
The biggest thing Conan has to worry about is the Conan movie coming up . If the Movie bombs , it will reflect in the game sales no matter how hard they try and advertise it is not apart of the movie .
So other then STO , there isn't anything I'm looking forward to, and I need something new right now to play. LotRO offers all my favorite elements in a nice new shiny box. And it is cheaper then any other sub right now with the opt to life time, one time payment .
The Stars are lining up for LotRO and I am glad I'm apart of the ride.
Be well to each other , and have fun in your games.
who me ?
Torron: Go and tell my brother Bregor its time to leave middle earth.
Player: runs for 5 minutes to the next towm to find bregor.
Bregor: Tell my brother to stick it I aint leaving.
Player: runs all the way back 5 more minutes.
Torron: Go find this (item) and take it to him to remind him
Player: runs off to find item then back to bregor
Bregor: oh yeah well go find this (item) and takei t back to torron.
Rinse repeat ad infinitum.......
Sorry that may be what some of you consider entertainment but all I can say is fu*k that. I want my character advancement to be based on what skills I am trying to get better at. If I want to get better with my bow I should have to go out and shoot at stuff. If magic then casting spells not doing these lame run all over hell and back quests. To add insult to injury the run speed is sooo slow.
All of this stinks of time sink to me. Make it meaningful and sensible I say. Let me advance my character my way.
Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture.
Did you even know that you level skills by the number times you use them ? And once you level the skill you get a trait that enhances that skill ? Most likely you didn't know that .... Good Luck to you in your next mmo
""if everyone likes you then you stand for nothing." I must be a god then .
who me ?
We said exactly same about WoW when it was in beta.Really there is almost nothing new in wow its all redone EQ1 with a easier curve and penalty.Heck even the lead developer said he did not plan to reinvent the genre just touch it up.
And LoTRO is the same .Its solid and retouching old mmorpg .Will in bring in the new crowd?We will soon know.
One of my major problems with MMOs lately is that the community is sorely lacking. WoW has 8million people... that's just too many to foster a good community - too many, um... *censored*s. Vanguard got a good number of EQ1 elitists who seem to think that grinding and mob camping and 300-man raids for a single item are the holy grail of gaming. So far, from what I've seen in LOTRO (and yes, I'm a pre-order) the community is relatively good, and I haven't run across any serious problem people yet. Time will tell if Turbine can actually build a lasting community in this game.
My first game was Asheron's Call. There was a community there. If you started a new character back in the first couple of years, you couldn't go anywhere without being offered patronage. Groups for quests were relatively easy to find, but the quests themselves weren't! Get into a halfway decent guild, and you were all set.
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"Give a man a fire, and he is warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he is warm for the rest of his life."
These sorts of threads are entertaining. I'll tell you what innovative game play gets you:
1). Roma Victor
2). Second Life
3). WWII Online
4). Shadowbane
5). Sims Online
6). Auto Assault
And unlike most of you who dream about wanting innovative gameplay, and complain about the lack of it, I have played most of the above games. Innovation isn't all it's cracked up to be. Innovative games will always be on the fringe, just like innovative movies. The fringe is not a pretty place to be...it is rough, often ugly, and requires patience.
So it's nice and easy to dream that LOTRO could have been different from the comfort of your armchair when you weren't the one footing the 40+ million in development costs.
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Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO
Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
Find the Truth: http://www.factcheck.org/
who me ?
BTW, every game is a time sink. It depends on how much fun you have while doing it. You want a more a direct and speedy approach I'm sure there are other games out there for you. As for me "Kill things and level, rinse and repeat ad nauseum"...f*%k that!
D
yea, the quests in this game are worse than other games. Much more boring. The crafting in this game is much simpler than other games. The the amount of differnt skills to take is very limited. Much worse than other games. the world is much smaller than in other games.
So not only does this game not do anything new, but it does the same old things in a very shoddy way.
Sure, their are some people who like the linear, one diminsional gameplay. They like the story, so thay don't care about having nothing new, and having everything else dumbed down and simpistic, and done in a half assed way. I'm happy for you people.
But to say this game is as good as WOW is just a joke.
The chapter quests bring more of the LOTR storieline out. Not sure how you can make an MMO based on IP and not diverge from the original storyline.
Definately feels cookie cutter. Not exactly WoW 2.0. Very well polished, considering the crap that's been coming out recently. Any bugs I found where minor and not show stopping.
I'll probably take this one to end game, if it doesn't turn into a grindfest somewhere in between. Not even a huge LOTR fan, everything just works for me.
Name an MMO that's innovative.
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That sums up my feelings. I'm a casual WoW player who also sees WoW's shortcomings, but acknowledges Wow is the best you can expect from a static world MMO. LOTRO was a disappointment. Vanguard was a serious disappointment. They are all trying to duplicate WoW but offer no real innovation that I'm aware of. Maybe Age of Conan will offer some real excitement?
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Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW.
Current MMO:
Current Games: L4D, Skyrim
Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR.
Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2
Ed Zachary...
Continuing on this thought, all of those games were freaking spectacular on paper, but the execution didn't quite pull it off.
It must be stressed that these games are still highly important in their ability to inspire things in other mainstream games. The innovative off-the-beaten-path games that end up being budget bin garbage are truly the pioneers of gaming theory, and other companies with bigger budgets/better programmers build on the original ideas.
Most people who
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psyconius Cthulhu
Gothika Studios
As for customization, there are traits, but they end up making pretty much the same character when all is said and done. The hotswapping of traits before going on a quest is pretty unique and feels a bit like Guild Wars managing your skills(just not near as limiting of course).
The real customization comes in what you wear(like 4 pieces of armor are toggled in the options), how you act, and what you do(hitting space bar a lot or /music). The game does not need to hardcode in a lot of differences. If you have fun with your games, the differences in playstyles and downtime will shine through to make a great experience.
That's just IMHO of course...
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psyconius Cthulhu
Gothika Studios