Is it about grinding?

gurthgor · April 2010

As this game doesnt have a decent PVP, i would like to know if the quests are just about killing X mobs or if they are well done. I would like the feeling i have in rpg offline games but with a live world of other ppl to chat, team or solo

Nebless · April 2010

The quests themselves or the write ups?

The quest plots read more like mini-novels and are one of the better features of the game. Background, why, who etc..... This is one game where if you don't read the quest plots you've lost maybe 75% of the game atmosphere.

As to the quests. Deep down many are the same as every other MMO out there. Kill X. Break who's it out of prison, Rescue what's his name, Pick up sticks / flowers / berries. The saving grace is the way many are put together and the reason given on why you're doing it.

There are others to talk to, group with etc..... It's not all just about finding a good farm spot and grinding. In fact I can only remember a few times I did just go out to kill stuff, just to kill stuff because I didn't want to get wrapped up in a quest vice needing to grind.

The big draw of LotRO is being in that type of world. It's not perfect, it's not the movies, but it's nice. If you liked the books, you should have some fun with the game. It's easy to get overwealmed though so take it slow and take breaks.

gurthgor · April 2010

I dont like reading much, just like good quests that are not simple like killing X or get X things. Something that get me hooked to the story, like good offline rpg games do, the lack of online games is that they dont have any good story or quest, and if no pvp or good story i wouldnt have a reason to try the game

Bandar83 · April 2010

You might want to check out DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online). The quests are basically instanced dungeons that are narrated by a Dungeon Master for story. It's quite unique.

Edit: Plus you can play F2P or choose a subscription. Feel free to check it out for free. It's still good that way.

Nebless · April 2010

Well the quest write up's are what will get you hooked to the story in LotRO. If you don't like to read long quest write up's you're going to lose out on a lot.

I can second DDO as I play it free. You'll get a short background from the quest giver and then as you work through the dungeon a voice over from the DM. It's a nice audio type game and the price is deffinitly right :-)

gurthgor · April 2010

I tried DDO with a trial before was free, i couldnt pass the first dungeon, dont know if was bugged or i couldnt find a way to continue tried for an hour and then quit. Anyway i never play free games as they are based in buying objects for real money and thats just absurd. I like intriging situations and facts, a good story, not just reading mini novels, in that case i have good books to read instead read something to just in the end kill x mobs.

Nebless · April 2010

I use the term mini-novels only to mean that the quest giver provides you much more information than other games I've seen. Where DDO's might be 'X hasn't been paying his taxes, would you go in to collect it for the Coin Lords', LotRO is more like 'The fellowship is making their way to Bree by the South road, but we wish for the enemy to watch the North Road. Go find Ranger Bob who guards the North Road and tell him you are there to assist him in causing a diversion to draw the enemies eyes away from the South so the Fellowship can etc... etc... etc....'

LotRO quests once put all together is almost like reading a book, you get the background, the how's, the why's etc.... It does make for an engaging story and since it follows along vice with the books it's not like you're going over knowledge you already have from reading the books.

It sounds like you might not really like LotRO from your posts. Best bet would be to try a trial. Do the different professions, races and servers to see how you feel about it, since you're the only one that can really say.

Also while DDO is F2p, there is nothing you need to buy to have fun or level. I started with a sub last year, dropped it and picked it back up when it went F2p and have yet to put a single Dime into it. Nothing in the store is a have to buy item, everything can be obtained through game play. Might take longer but it's doable. Follow on Adventure packs are about the only thing I'd even think of paying for since I generally don't like redoing dungeons even on higher levels, but I could earn the packs through game play if I really wanted to vice buying them.

nate1980 · April 2010

If you like a good story, there's only two ways you're going to get it: 1) By reading or 2) Through voice overs (audio). When you refer to single player games, I'm sure you get into them because of the voice overs if you don't like to read. Because how would you otherwise know the story if you're not reading?

LoTRO does cater to those who like to read. Any novel can be broken down to simplistic steps. For example, the first book of the Sword of Thuth series has Richard Cypher's main objective to stop Darken Rhaul from releasing the Box of Orden's magic. So to break that down into something codable, Richard Cypher must go to the People's Palace to kill Darken Rhaul (the boss). Along the way, Richard is doing mini-quests, such as killing x amount of bad guys for this person or that town. I think you get the idea. While in a novel, there's a lot of narrative and drama that breaks up the killing and collecting, it reall all boils down to killing and collecting when it comes down to creating a step by step quest structure.

So yes, in LoTRO you'll have to read a paragraph or two for each quest, which gives you the who, what, when, where, why, and how and then proceed to carry out the requests, which may be to talk to this person, or kill x amount of enemies, or collect y amounts of whatevers, but it's linking those mini-stories together that brings together that mini-novel.

Since you don't like to read, I too suggest DDO. Although you'll miss about 50% of the reasoning for each quest if you don't read the story, while you can infer the other 50% through the dungeon narrative and deductive reasoning. The point being, the only types of stories you're expressing interest in are in single player games, movies, television shows, and soon SWTOR for MMORPG's.

Good luck

Sovrath · April 2010

Originally posted by gurthgor
I dont like reading much, just like good quests that are not simple like killing X or get X things. Something that get me hooked to the story, like good offline rpg games do, the lack of online games is that they dont have any good story or quest, and if no pvp or good story i wouldnt have a reason to try the game

hmm, well, this is an example of some quest dialogue:

'I have received dark news indeed, Sovrath. One of my scouts has told me of a deadly queen to the Blackvenom spiders - a brood that infests the caves in the northern Scuttledells. One of his companions fell to her, succumbing to a poison so quick and deadly that he was compelled to flee from her as swiftly as he could.

'We have little chance of destroying the brood so long as this creature lives, but I do not think you should dare to face her without some counter to her poison!

'If you can gather samples of the Blackvenom spiders' poison, I may be able to help you concoct such an antidote. Gather a few venom glands from Delúris' brood, then we shall make our preparations.'

You then collect 8 poison glands

'A word of caution, Sovrath...if you head into the Scuttledells towards the east, you will soon find yourself among a number of barrows from which the Dead have risen to serve our Enemy. It was for good reason that he once hid beneath the name of the Necromancer after all.

'These are not ancient barrows, however. None such were here in the time when my people lived in Emyn Lûm.

'Thus I do not know who -- or what -- rises up against us now. Seek out the barrow-stones if you can and take note of their engravings. Perhaps we can learn more about the nature of this place and how best to subdue it.'

You then "study" 5 barrow stones and return

So as you can see there are the same types of things that you do in other games but the quest dialogue is more fleshed out and can continue on toward the next quest dailoge to make an overarching story.

So if reading that much is not to your liking then you might try DDO as another suggesed or just another game.

gurthgor · April 2010

Ofc i read, just dont like reading is the only part of rpg, for me its not fun at all a good reading to just kill x mobs, thats cheap rpg, instead program a good story, like pen and paper rpg, master dont need tell too much and make a description of all, that is good have a good description but the point is the plot not the descriptions.
DDO dont like it, dont care i can get the same items but dont like others can buy it, and anyway dont like much non pvp games, that is the main drawback for ddo and lotr, just if very good plot and story i could be hooked.

Jackdog · April 2010

All MMORPGs involve 2 basic mecahnics of game play to lure players into subscribiing- time sinks and money sinks. In any game quests are limited to kill X mob(s) or go to Y location. Because when it boils down to it that is all any character in any MMORPG can really do. The only exception which be a quest that would involve a mini game like Vanguard does with diplomacy. Even crafting quests are just go here and gather that. The thing that differs from game to game is the dialogue and inventivness of the devs to make going to Y location or killing X mobs interesting.

Turbine has done a great job writing the dialogue into a storyline and making going to Y place entertaining. One example would be where you have to sneak into a giants camp to steal a lucky stone, or discover the place where Gandalf tricked the trolls into forgetiing about sunrise in the Hobbit.

LoTRO is a well designed game with a great community and to me that is what makes me log in, not that it is any different from the rest of the genre in it's game design.

gurthgor · April 2010

Originally posted by Jackdog
All MMORPGs involve 2 basic mecahnics of game play to lure players into subscribiing- time sinks and money sinks. In any game quests are limited to kill X mob(s) or go to Y location. Because when it boils down to it that is all any character in any MMORPG can really do. The only exception which be a quest that would involve a mini game like Vanguard does with diplomacy. Even crafting quests are just go here and gather that. The thing that differs from game to game is the dialogue and inventivness of the devs to make going to Y location or killing X mobs interesting.
Turbine has done a great job writing the dialogue into a storyline and making going to Y place entertaining. One example would be where you have to sneak into a giants camp to steal a lucky stone, or discover the place where Gandalf tricked the trolls into forgetiing about sunrise in the Hobbit.
LoTRO is a well designed game with a great community and to me that is what makes me log in, not that it is any different from the rest of the genre in it's game design.

Thats why i have almost left playing mmo cause i want the oposite to a time sink, dont want just erase my mouse clicking. So far at the best they start being fun and fast get boring, just dont do quests cause they suck completely. Cant understand why there are no decent designers, they say they are also players, then i must assume many players like just a time sink, something repetitive

Jackdog · April 2010

Originally posted by gurthgor

Thats why i have almost left playing mmo cause i want the oposite to a time sink, dont want just erase my mouse clicking. So far at the best they start being fun and fast get boring, just dont do quests cause they suck completely. Cant understand why there are no decent designers, they say they are also players, then i must assume many players like just a time sink, something repetitive

A couple of questions.

First can you name me a single game, single or multi player that is not a a time sink. The very definition of a game is to be doing something to entertain yourself for a period of time. All games are time sinks of one sort or another.

Now can you give me any example of a possible quest that does not involve either killing a mob ( resource node) or going to point B from point A. As I pointed out in my previous post, mini games such as vanguards diplomacy quests is about all I can think of.

Here is some free advice. If you do not play a MMO for the socialization aspect you will soon find yourself bored no matter which MMORPG you are playing, it is all about spending time with online with online buddies. The only differences between MMO's is how creative the Devs are, customer support, quality of the programmining, and the community.

Sovrath · April 2010

Originally posted by gurthgor
Ofc i read, just dont like reading is the only part of rpg, for me its not fun at all a good reading to just kill x mobs, thats cheap rpg, instead program a good story, like pen and paper rpg, master dont need tell too much and make a description of all, that is good have a good description but the point is the plot not the descriptions.

DDO dont like it, dont care i can get the same items but dont like others can buy it, and anyway dont like much non pvp games, that is the main drawback for ddo and lotr, just if very good plot and story i could be hooked.

Well, I think the main story in LOTRO is actually pretty good. don't like it when it gets into moria though.

jaxsundane · April 2010

Originally posted by gurthgor
As this game doesnt have a decent PVP, i would like to know if the quests are just about killing X mobs or if they are well done. I would like the feeling i have in rpg offline games but with a live world of other ppl to chat, team or solo

Out of most of the mmo's I've played LOTRO has some of the most engaging quests (when you are working on the main story line) sure like any other mmo out there you have your fair share of "go to spot x and kill y numbers of z" but in general the main story arch avoids these types of activities and I think they do a decent job of avoiding these types of quests in general. I must also admit though some may disagree because I found the game to be very engaging therefore I had an interest in delving out the story to just about every area I went to and I think that kind of feeling more than anything determines whether one sees questing as a grind or not.

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