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It feels odd...not being completely disappointed by a new mmo, am I alone?
Decadentia
Member Posts: 464
Although there have been many posts already about this, and most have been very dead on with the problems of the game, I figured id clutter the boards with my own 2 cents. Im guessing there are others who went into playing this game with a pre-determined "cookie cutter brand name tag heaping pile of...." well you get the picture.
Brief summary of my playstyle etc...what ive been looking for. Ive been playing MMO's for years upon years, enjoying them for the most part, but like most lately ive had a bad taste in my mouth from most MMO's. Ive semi progressed (or maybe regressed) from more hardcore MMOs such as FFXI...the first addiction that consumed far too much of my life, to far less involving games. Ive tried I believe every mainstream title that exists right now beyond SWG (nge claims turn me off), and everything gets very boring very fast. I remember buying EQ2 literally out of boredom, I remember playing the trial and thinking "its entertaining...I guess....sometimes...I guess?" and after 1 month leaving it not regretting it in the least. The worst part is, after playing practically all of them and not finding what it was I was looking for, I ended up re-subbing in WoW just because its so mindless...its a well oiled machine...like eating McDonalds and being satisfied by the taste until you realize your getting the cramps...but for some odd reason you go back for more, where really...you wish you'd just take the time to find a nice restaurant and try something new, but the restaurants that seem so appealing are still in construction...oh hell lets just get another Big Mac...mmm
Ive been avidly reading about any promising MMO coming out, first I looked at DNL...and thought...wow, can you believe it? Can they really do everything they set out to do? Well, if you know anything about DNL, im sure you know how I felt in the end about it. So next comes Vanguard...incredibly anticipating it, comes out, I install the first game that ever lagged on my system at all ( pretty recent custom built gaming rig ), start playing it...it felt immersive...to an extent, yet just was not fun for me in the least with the rabid bug problems.
The next set I hear about that interests me, WAR, AoC, LOTRO (albeit there are many other titles such as Gods and Heroes etc). AoC being the title I look forward to most, WAR second...I totally dismissed LOTRO after initially reading about the game. Lets be honest, most of us who hear of new MMO's would love to be a rabid fanboy and jump on the bandwagon...it feels good to be excited about something. However, the fact is, for most people that have been looking forward to anything lately in regards to MMO's, have developed I believe a thicker skin, "proof is in the puddin" type approach as too many developers love to claim they have designed the next coming of Pong. This brings me to LOTRO....produced by the same company that created DDO, "slapping a huge brand name" on a video game...its going to be horrible right? It has to, hell even Vanguard went off about how it was to be the superior video game, yet came no where near close to delivering what was promised. Which leads me to...my experience.
I installed LOTRO, immediately began scoffing at the little options for customizing for your character...I feared we would all look the same (in which...in reality we do to an extent). I go into game, started playing...beautiful scenery...I was in shock that a nice visually endowed game didn't cripple itself with horrible coding...smooth gameplay on a good system? Wow. However, I started moving the character around...he seemed clunky, the combat leaves me wanting so much more, the class variety is very small...I figured..."Well, at least I gave it a shot".
I kept playing the game, and somehow...I found enjoyment in it. Im not really a fan of the whole class system in place...I actually have gotten used to men in dresses shooting flaming balls out of their behinds...but somewhere in that new little game...I actually found enjoyment. The game has many things that I wish were different, i'll be honest, however...I don't think I will play a game within the next 5 years that I could personally put a 9.8 rating on...its just not me, ive been constantly looking for more I suppose. Though...I think I proved myself wrong with this one...its somehow beginning to grow on me a bit? I cant even put my finger on it, its making me go about the game very differently....
For instance...for anyone who has played any games lately...the whole "Kill X number of Y - return to Billy Joe" quests...in the end your clicking the quest, not reading anything the npc has to say (honestly...im no fool, WoW's lore to me is about as interesting as...well nm). Though, ive been finding myself reading NPC text...its almost like im trying to enjoy it rather than rush it ( WoW makes me want to rush constantly..."ok ok ok, where do i go to get that nice sword, spill it out"). Ive also NEVER been a RPer, I tried to do it a bit in EQ2, however...when the game doesn't have any immersion at all, I just could not get into it. Again...I don't know if I will ever get into RPing...but I found myself making a bio for myself in game, very uncharacteristic of me. I find a lot of others are trying to RP quite often, I enjoy it.
Anyhow, I can't even quite put my finger on what I enjoy about the game...maybe its the very nice graphics...who knows. I know I have distinct dislikes...the combat...the classes...not being able to properly swim? ( im hoping thats something I just have not mastered...as opposed to only being able to skim the surface..no pun intended).
Just interested to know if anyone else went into this game with no hope at all, low expectations...find it flawed...yet still entertaining? Still seems worth the coin for a game coming out new...to think...a company put meat on a skeleton before shipping it out?
WoW's McGrips still have its Mac attack into me, but I may quit WoW along with my girlfriend to try out this new game...if not just to give something new a chance. Perhaps in the end, its the potential from something I see possible that I enjoy....
Sorry this was so long-winded, how RP of me...
Comments
I think they've done a very good job of making you feel like you are involved with the world of LOTR; there's just something cool about Gandalf asking me to tell him about what happened with the troll, and helping Gimli in his youth, etc.
I also agree that people seem to RP in this a lot more for some reason; I hate how in most MMOs everyone is named "Da_Shizzle_10073r," but in LOTR Online so far I have only seen one or two people with silly names; the rest usually use names that follow the recommendations for their race.
I'm still in the first zone, just level 3 or 4, but I'm surprised by how much I enjoy it. I've been like you, trying to find a fun MMO to keep my attention, but I would just end up playing EVE because I could just auto-train skills and never worry about it.
It's funny because it is pretty much WoW in terms of gameplay and everything, but I think just because I enjoy the story so much more and the setting I guess that's really what makes it fun for me. Isn't the point of an RPG to role play, anyway?! For example, I was fighting some low level monsters and a goblin started attacking me unexpectedly. I wasn't in trouble really, but a nearby Dwarf came and helped me kill the two monsters. I said "Thank you, brother!" and he immediately responded "It was my pleasure, brother." Little things like that make the world a lot more immersive to me, and I think that's why I'm enjoying it so much.
I also really like how the first couple of quests basically give you a new set of armor, and for my character it is a pretty cool-looking set of Dwarven armor. I think in WoW my first new armor pieces just looked like someone took a shirt and put chainlink fencing over it, and I wasn't impressed :P
I'm making this almost as long winded as yours! :P Anyway, I'll be playing the next few days and seeing if I get tired of it, but I hope it just gets better! Send me an IM if you want to meet up in-game!
Nice that you share your 2 cents.
- This post is rated 9.5 our of 10 for Trolltastic Content.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
Lol , guys like you i loved to meet in eve online.Call others carebears..you guys mostly can't take harsh punishments when it comes to reall pvp games though.
The gankers are trully out of content tonight
I feel the same way as the OP...
The reason I like it is because at least IMHO the quests are very well written... and if you progress through the Epic line it is like reading a well thought out novel.
I have been hooked on this game since I started beta testing it last September. It is wonderfully done!
I agree with the OP, the game grows on you and you may have trouble saying exactly why. I also have experienced a change in my playstyle much as highlighted by the OP. I've gone from WoW super achiever, to playing LotRO with out being concerned at how fast I level. I read all the quests and just enjoy being in the world. I don't even get annoyed at all the running around some of the quests require.
The game isn't perfect and if I were to sit down and list things I would wish were done different I'm sure I could come up with a good size list, even if many of the points would be minor quibbles rather than major ones.
However, when I play I find I just don't care about those things, I just enjoy playing it and immersing myself in the world. In that way more than any other, LotRO has provided something rare or even unique.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
Ive sadly ganked enough poor folk in my MMO life, and had a lot of fun doing it. Theres something about being on the hunt that just gets my blood boiling, well that and feeling accomplished that I can press buttons sequentially better than someone else. (Its quite sad when you break the logistics down isn't it?).
However, like I said previously, it is the first time in awhile that ive not sat back and totally shook my head at a company for trying to make a new mmo.
Are they out to make the almighty dollar? Yes, I suppose its the fact that they have given me something for that dollar that surprises me....Mayhaps I will quit in a month, its nice to have this "carebear" warm feeling inside again now, even if only for the time being.
*Fights off urges to melt someones face in game*
*Pops "Hug Lush LOTRO tree" Pill* Maybe i'll even smoke a pipe...play some banjoes in game. It will be very different from what im used to.
I'll come back a little later to see if the trolls are still hungry, cant let them starve. Especially with these clever one liners, kudos young trolls!
P.S Doesn't it suck when the only thing someone can quote you on, has something incorrectly spelled? (Oh no...those slamming faces feeling is coming back...I better leave....)
Good post,
And I know exactly what you mean about that "thing" that makes you keep playing it. The original EQ (Kunark era) had it, so did UO. Even WoW has it when you first step into the game, but sadly WoW seems to lose it before long. It's that almost undefinable feeling of adventure you get when you're in the game - a very rare thing in my experience of online gaming.
Like you I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, which i hope will be for a very long time.
You know its funny. I had a similar experience coming to LOTRO from vanguard. Eeek i said it. Found the closed beta key in my email. Thought, why not ?
And sheesh i was very suprised.
I think what really tripped me out about LOTRO was when i was playing in closed beta doing the epic questline. So easy to get into, its LOTRings of course... but the interesting part was after i grouped with several people doing parts of the prologue, we all realized we had gained 2 levels during that time..... and didn't realize it.
*boggles*
An MMO where my level didnt matter to me. I was shocked !
Now 1 week before release I look at LOTRO more like a book i am about to read ( with people sharing it along the way ) rather than my normal MMO approach.
*hides from spoilers*
The only question i have is, how long will it last. Content updates will be key, how long will they wait before they expand ? They hint at expanding content very very soon, sooner than we would expect, but who knows. I am sure if I find myself at 50 and doing the old grind for gear, i will look for <fill in blank with next best MMO to come out> however, the storyline if continued will keep me around ( or at least get me back ).
-Allegria
I played for a week-end it was ok nice looking easy to follow nothing difficult like any other mmo kill A run to B goto C for reward and some copper.....
But with no PVP i'll wait for something better to come along i mean why pay 15 bucks a month for a PVE "filler" when i can buy a rpg for a console system and save 15 bucks a month
Its not pvp to me if im not playing my actual toon...
Haveing all the best gear in the game to do what? go play a monster to beat up another monster?
Have fun flashing the newbies in afew months with all your cool pretty colored gear and no one to use it on...ROFL
Its not pvp to me if im not playing my actual toon...
Haveing all the best gear in the game to do what? go play a monster to beat up another monster?
Have fun flashing the newbies in afew months with all your cool pretty colored gear and no one to use it on...ROFL
Thats an extremely vain sentence.
Its not pvp to me if im not playing my actual toon...
Haveing all the best gear in the game to do what? go play a monster to beat up another monster?
Have fun flashing the newbies in afew months with all your cool pretty colored gear and no one to use it on...ROFL
I think you still aren't getting the concept, which I guess atests to the fact it's something original.There is a non-instanced zone in the game with level 40 to 50 content. You can go there with your real character when you are high enough level. This is the Monster Play enabled zone in the game (I'm sure there will be more as the game expands).
When you are there, you can be attacked by Monsters that are controlled by other players, rather than the game AI. How do other players get to control these creatures? Once you hit level 10, you can go to a scrying pool in the major cities and access the Monster part of the PvPM system. Your monster is level 50, but starts out weak. As you control your monster, there are quests and objectives in the PvPM zone that along with victory over other players allows you to advance and strengthen your Monster.
Your Monster is like an additional character, but it's PvP only, confined to the PvPM zone and earning it's own rewards.
So, yes, you can PvP with your main PC race character and show off your "l33t" armor, weapons and skills. Or, you can spend some time playing your Monster and showing off your enhanced Monster and "l33t" monster playing skills.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
