Well I think they gave to much credit to lotro for end game 4/10 aint even cluse enough. It should be a 1/10. The reason is the radiance gear gating to get from one end game content to another so if you dont have the time, or dont have the guild resources to do it you will never ever ever do any end game content. Thus 70% of the current end game content in lotro is locked to a very few players. When ftp goes love only a handfull of players will ever get to do the end game content.
Now lets look at the pvp in lotro it should have a 1/10 as well, it is a total joke. You can only pvp in one area, and it is a matter of number. That is whatever side has the most numbers controls the map and the gank squads.
That is 180 degree turn from how it was in soe. Now there even adding you steps to the old zones to lock you out to where you cant go futher unless you complete x,y,z.
The end game content in wow is more easly able to get to, to where lotro locks you out on every turn. Thus turning a fun game into work.
I have to agree with the author's final outcome. But where we differ is on the categories he uses to make his comparison. I have played both WoW and LoTRO. I enjoyed both, but in LoTRO my adventuring time was cut short when headed back to WoW. But before I get ahead of myself let me explain how I define the categories listed:
GAME WORLD-
For me it has more to do with charm, scope and a sort of feng shui between the world and the creatures that populate it, than polygon count, water effects and loading zones. When I traverse through WoW's begining area I'm started in a area where it has a life of it's own. I can see wildlife chasing down prey, livestock that's grazing and a natural flow from one zone to the next. I know I'm approaching a terrible area because the mood and music changes with the environment. But the key here is that it's a gradual change and not as jarring as LoTRO. The areas of Tanaris, Duskwood, Silverpine Forest and Ashenvale instantly resonates with players and cannot be so easily forgotten. You knew what Stranglethorn Vale was and knew how deadly it was to run that gauntlet to Booty Bay. The Barrens looked like the plains of African. And while Westfall shared some of the same colors, it looked totally different in every way. You can only pull these things off if you have a clear goal in mind and a very talented team of artist. I didn't get this feeling of creative spirit from LoTRO. So I'll take charm over bling.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
PLAYER CHARACTER-
Well you can't put so much vividness into a gaming world and leave the characters out of the equation. Luckily Blizzard continued their streak by making each race unique in their animation (both combat and non-combat), in their emote styles and in their origins. They all show distinct reflections of their environment through all these things and more. Each class is different enough where you get a different gaming experience when you play another. Up to that point I never played a mmo where the mechanics differ so vastly among them. Rage, energy/points and mana fit well with their respective classes and how they played. LoTRO to me was hindered by the lore that no magic existed. Although it worked to some degree, it made for confusing class choices.
WoW-9/10 : LoTRO-7/10
NEW PLAYER EXP-
Here is where I think ALL current (and future) mmos need to take heed. As your game ages, so to does the population. New players need to be paced through the original level cap at a even stride and without dependency on FINDING groups. This is where the LFG tool shines in it's ability to help keep up that pace for new players.
When a game is new, then gameplay that focuses on group play over solo play early in the leveling process is fine as is because there are plenty of other new players around to group with. BUT, as a game ages, it needs to convert that early group play in the leveling process into solo play for new players who missed the chance with early starters. If not then they run the risk of losing those players as they find it harder and harder to complete a given task and level at a much slower pace than originally intended.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
SOLO PLAY-
With games this old, solo play needs to be focused on until the cap is reached. Only WoW offers this opportunity. No need to skip content, just make it soloable. Downgrade mobs, quest and make finding groups easier.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
GROUP PLAY-
The focus of group play is playing in a group, not looking for one. WoW offers more options to play IN a group than LoTRO does. Battlegrounds, arena, raids and dungeons are offered from WoW, where LoTRO is just catching up.
WoW-9/10 : LoTRO-8/10
END GAME-
Endgame IS group play......
WoW-0/10 : LoTRO-0/10
PvP-
Enough said in the OP.
WoW-9/10 : LoTRO-4/10
COMMUNITY-
Here is where we differ as well. I look at community in terms of volume, diversity and opportunity. Where you view it as behavior, tolerance and maturity. I feel I can pick my associates, while you feel the need for the game to screen them for you. In WoW I have the opportunity to pick from a vast amount of diverse players. But in LoTRO I have an chance to be judged and/or accepted based on my maturity and behavior by a hopefully tolerant group of strangers in order to fully enjoy the game.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-4/10
"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."
With games this old, solo play needs to be focused on until the cap is reached. Only WoW offers this opportunity. No need to skip content, just make it soloable. Downgrade mobs, quest and make finding groups easier.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
When was the last time you played the game?Turbine has made LOTRO easily soloable now
Those are ALL great reasons to like WoW. And they make a lot more sense than, "because 12 million people have already voted."
I'm surprised no one has called out Zondorfs new screen name yet.
Haha. Do you think the sub number game along with cross server dungeon finder kinda give him away ?
I find it hysterically funny that you two are calling me, a diehard EQ2 player, "Zorndorf." Way too funny.
You honestly think Zorndorf would consider someone listing actual REASONS why they like WoW to be more valid than his constantly saying how many subs the game has, as though popularity = highest quality and "best" at anything??? Uhm no. So far as I always read....just the fact that millions of people play WoW was always reason enough for it being considered awesome.
Frankly...I was just giving someone props for having their own personal REASONS beside following the masses. But whatever.
Ya'll don't remember his posts too well, do ya?
Incidentally....where did I say ANYTHING about that crappy cross server dungeon finder? That right there was MY final straw in LEAVING the game. Zorndorf and I used to argue about that ALL THE TIME. He loved it....I HATE it. I think it just made people even LESS accountable for their asshattery in the game. NOT really an improvement in that way, for SURE.
Regardless of all that....I still think people are entitled to like and play whatever they choose. LotRO and WoW are both good games for different reasons. I no longer play either of them, but that doesn't mean that they don't both have good qualities (and bad). People get so freaked out over this kind of stuff. It boggles my mind. They're GAMES we're talking about here. LOL
Really would like to see the author of this comparison go back and try LoTRO again, it sure looks like he is using data from a review at launch and not a review of what it is today. Same may be needed for WoW, what was WoW 2 years ago is not exactly what it is today. It would also be nice to see a comparison of like vs like. You can't even compare PvP to PvMP, they aren't even the same concept. Add in crafting since both have, and compare as needed there. Give a comparison thats an accurate comparison of like attributes, dont dock one for not having what the other has and vise versa. If the game doesn't even have it how can you compare it to the other on that point?
(DISCLAIMER - The use of the word YOU in the above post is not directed at any one person in particular, but towards those who fall into the category itself - there is no personal attack here, neither intentional nor implied.)
Lotro wins. Interesting story, nice music, nice design, nice community, you can have a house for your guild, play music, playable on windows, mac and linux (with codeweaver)
Wow : poor design, only bashing and bashing, no story nothing else but bashing for stuff, one of the worst communities , no housing, nothing for RP , PVP unplayable because of unbalanced classes, playable on windows, mac and linux (codeweaver)
I play Lotro, I play EQ2, I play WarcraftIII, I wont play Wow again; (played WOW 2 months maybe 3 from 2005 to 2010; boring and repetitive game)
Adam, with the glass ceiling that prevents solo player advancement at level cap in WoW, there's no way it rates a 10 in Solo play. I'd give it a 7 in that category, and that's taking into account all of the other MMO's that are even less solo friendly than it is.
You can say that with absolute assuredness....how?
I find it hilarious that people on these forums are always wanting to compare released games to non-released games.
Until you actually PLAY a game....comparison is presumptuos at the least, and completely speculative and ignorant at the worst.
I agree.
Never quite understood the whole "how would you compare this game that's been released for years already to this upcoming game that no one's had a chance to play yet?".
I kind of wonder if the author of such posts ever stops to think... "Well... I guess it would be hard to answer that since the game's not out, yet". I mean... you'd *think* that thought would cross their mind...
In any case, interesting article.
Oh, and just1opinion... Great avatar. April Ryan is an awesome character.... from an awesome game series.
"If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road, and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
There is one major turning point that LotRO has over WoW: Player Housing.
I like the idea of having a home or property I can dress up and show my spoils of war. That is what caused me to quit WoW. I don't like being a nomad with no place to go to log out or relax other than a city where I hear spam for items and quests.
LotRO has a great setup for housing and upkeep. Granted, it does cost a bit to get one to start off with, I stll like the whole idea. Now WoW has been around for 6 years and has not got the hint that gamers such as myself like having some stake in the digital world that can be called home.
Also, Blizzard has horrid call up tech support. I spent 2 Hours waiting for a customer service rep. over a billing issue that could have been solved online.
Originally posted by DiEx80 There is one major turning point that LotRO has over WoW: Player Housing. I like the idea of having a home or property I can dress up and show my spoils of war. That is what caused me to quit WoW. I don't like being a nomad with no place to go to log out or relax other than a city where I hear spam for items and quests. LotRO has a great setup for housing and upkeep. Granted, it does cost a bit to get one to start off with, I stll like the whole idea. Now WoW has been around for 6 years and has not got the hint that gamers such as myself like having some stake in the digital world that can be called home. Also, Blizzard has horrid call up tech support. I spent 2 Hours waiting for a customer service rep. over a billing issue that could have been solved online. WoW = Do Not Want in my book until things change.
Player housing in LotRO is next to worthless, imo. If LotRO wanted to do housing right, they would have offered housing access within (better) or immediately next to major cities/quest hubs (Bree, Rivendell, etc.), but they didn't. I suspect GW2 is -- finally -- going to get player housing right. LotRO gets zero additional points for its housing system, imo. I WILL give LotRO props for its armor/wardrobe system, however, which is way better than anything WoW has to offer.
You are spot on about Blizzard's tech support. It took me an entire week just to speak to a real person, after repeatedly getting a recorded message telling me to call back at some other time. Geeze. Terrible.
There more people driving Ford Fiesta's then there are Lamborghini's, which one would you rather have?
WoW's subs are more down to accessibility and ease for the casual player, then down to superlative mmorpg-esque content. Yes it does alot of things well and i'm certainly not saying LOTRO is better then it, but simply stating numbers doesn't tell the whole story now does it.
PAID votes always win dude.
Lotro is becoming free to play since no one wanted to pay no longer.
[mod edit]
LotR:O is going free to play because it will garner more money a lot more. It will also open up peoples abilities to only purchase what they are interested in as well. It is a much better design system than the previous.
Originally posted by namelessbobPAID votes always win dude.
Lotro is becoming free to play since no one wanted to pay no longer.
You are actually completely wrong on that aspect. That is actually one of the most ignorant posts I have seen by someone in a long time. Although you have only made troll posts in this thread so I guess it is to be expected.
LotR:O is going free to play because it will garner more money a lot more. It will also open up peoples abilities to only purchase what they are interested in as well. It is a much better design system than the previous.
Correction: they hope it will now garner more money "a lot more".
Because in the P2P system Lotro lacked ... around 11.800.000 subscriptions they were aiming for with their biggest Fantasy Lore ever produced in the game "that would rule them all".
But you said it alright: "they hope to garner more money".
Forget the "open up peoples abilities": F2P games only limit the number of people willing to pay until the end game. That's in fact "closing up" those few fans willing to pay until "some" end.
For the comparisons of this game I will say that the world of Lotro is better, but the combat of wow is better. So to me it is a choice of the world (and associated components of the world such as music) or the more action paced game of WoW.
Instances, Instances and more instances. World of Warcraft’s approach to the grouping system, amounts to nothing more than jaunts through theme-park style dungeons. Players do not even have to physically muster a group together anymore either, the game does this for you, and while infinitely helpful, I cannot help but feel something is lost here. Running instances with strangers can be jolly occasions or can be fraught with “newbs” and “OMG” spams. While World of Warcraft certainly makes it easy to indulge in group-play, it fails to deliver the experience of adventuring throughout the world with others.5/10"
Wow, you are actually complaining about the WoW Dungeon Finder? That's just mind boggling. The dungeon finder is the best thing since sliced bread and I can gaurantee it's used ALL the time by players who are VERY happy to have it. Just mind boggling.
That said, sure, there's a lot less group options outside of that and raiding... but then again this is where you miss the point completely. LOTRO requires you to waste time trying to find groups, or fill them, where Blizzard gives you the tools to fill them easily, and this is BAD? Not only that but WoW has way more content than LOTRO for group play, and huge instances, medium instances, and small, not to mention significantly better encounters.
LOTRO is a great game, and it's group play is good, but WoW is in no way a 5/10.
I yearn for the days when MMORPG had more real reporting stories.
Adam, with the glass ceiling that prevents solo player advancement at level cap in WoW, there's no way it rates a 10 in Solo play. I'd give it a 7 in that category, and that's taking into account all of the other MMO's that are even less solo friendly than it is.
Glass celing that prevents advancement at cap? Your joking right? Or haven't you partcipated in any dailys? Or faction work? Or achievement work? WoW has more "solo at cap" options that any other game on the market, period.
I think you have misunderstood: the reason I deducted points from WoW is because the whole click a button for an instant group ruins immersion. Waiting around spamming lfg is not perfect but where does Blizzard convience end? Improvements are fine but there comes a point when the whole essence of the MMORPG expierence is lost. If that makes sense...
Boggle. No it makes no sense.
You probably never played EQ, or experienced the nights of endless bullshit that we had to deal with in that game due to it's lack of "convenience" features. People like to think that it was that lack that made it all oh so great and "the good old days". Bullshit. It was because it was the only game around! We couldn't wait to get out of that hell hole and now, as others here have said, 11+ million people are proving that they are right and you are wrong.
Immersion? Please. Immersion is simply an excuse to have something rediculous to complain about. A lack of convenience. Spending hours looking for a healer for a group, or a spawn for a quest, or whatever stupid "immersion" feature you are talking about does nothing more than kill subscriptions.
Adam, with the glass ceiling that prevents solo player advancement at level cap in WoW, there's no way it rates a 10 in Solo play. I'd give it a 7 in that category, and that's taking into account all of the other MMO's that are even less solo friendly than it is.
Glass celing that prevents advancement at cap? Your joking right? Or haven't you partcipated in any dailys? Or faction work? Or achievement work? WoW has more "solo at cap" options that any other game on the market, period.
Ummm, your saying this is a good point for what again? You hit level 80 and can go out on your own and grind factions, grind out achievements, or grind out dailies? You are correct on the one thing there, WoW does offer more grind options at the top than any other game out there. You can go out and grind marks, grind rep, grind for just about everything. I know, when your playing it you don't see it as grind, but really, how many times have you done that dungeon so far? How many times have you queued for and run that PvP instance so far? Really, how many bees did you have to hunt for your firefly vanity pet anyway? Asian grinders force you to grind to GET to the top, WoW lets you get there fast and forces you to grind once you hit the cap.
And the statement was 'prevents advancement at cap', which unless I'm mistaken, besides gear upgrades what exactly are you advancing by all this level cap solo play your talking about in WoW? Last time I checked, in WoW, once you hit cap the only real advancement you gained by doing anything was opening content through faction grind or gear score upgrades. It would be nice to also note that in WoW, as it stands today, you can start a new character and have them at level 80 in under a month, 2 if your solo and taking your time. The grind hits once your there, solo or on groups it doesn't matter, its all grind at the cap.
(DISCLAIMER - The use of the word YOU in the above post is not directed at any one person in particular, but towards those who fall into the category itself - there is no personal attack here, neither intentional nor implied.)
Personally I think the whole "Which MMO is better by Comparison" is all relative. As we see in the pages of people responding to this comparison. Saying WoW is Better than LOTRO or vise versa is all based on opinion. IMHO no game play in a MMO is better than another to say something like that just proves your ignorance. I have Played WoW and I have Played LOTRO IMO their both equally good. Yes they do have their strong points and weak points, but they sort of balance out in the end. I can stand on the soap box and declare WoW a better game till my face turns blue but everything i would say is based on opinion. In the long run Opinions are just that opinions and nothing I say about WoW would make a diehard Lord of the RIngs fan play WoW and vice versa.
"Possibly we humans can exist without actually having to fight. But many of us have chosen to fight. For what reason? To protect something? Protect what? Ourselves? The future? If we kill people to protect ourselves and this future, then what sort of future is it, and what will we have become? There is no future for those who have died. And what of those who did the killing? Is happiness to be found in a future that is grasped with blood stained hands? Is that the truth?"
To set the record straight, UO had great solo play years before Wow was even a thought in someone's mind.
Wow is just easier to play than any other MMO, that is why it is so popular. Lotro makes you think some, especially when it comes to things like crafting, and you do have to group more in Lotro, although it is much less than when it came out.
The thing I don't get in this thread is how anyone can say the animations in lotro are stilted? Lotro graphics are so much better than Wow IMO and I do not see any difference between either game when it comes animations.
I seriously think that Lotro, with the new f2p option is going to do some challenging in the marketplace. I also think that when SWTOR comes out Wow's numbers are going to go down. If Bioware can come up with a decent end game, Wow's numbers will be permanently down.
I think Turbine new designs for both DDO and Lotro are brilliant. It allows people to purchase the content they want, when they want it while it does not offer anything game changing in the item shop. I think that Blizzard might actually be eyeing the changes too.
SOE's design for EQ2, on the other hand is just braindead. It is exactly like Dungeon Runners and we all know how well that did.
Comments
Well I think they gave to much credit to lotro for end game 4/10 aint even cluse enough. It should be a 1/10. The reason is the radiance gear gating to get from one end game content to another so if you dont have the time, or dont have the guild resources to do it you will never ever ever do any end game content. Thus 70% of the current end game content in lotro is locked to a very few players. When ftp goes love only a handfull of players will ever get to do the end game content.
Now lets look at the pvp in lotro it should have a 1/10 as well, it is a total joke. You can only pvp in one area, and it is a matter of number. That is whatever side has the most numbers controls the map and the gank squads.
That is 180 degree turn from how it was in soe. Now there even adding you steps to the old zones to lock you out to where you cant go futher unless you complete x,y,z.
The end game content in wow is more easly able to get to, to where lotro locks you out on every turn. Thus turning a fun game into work.
I have to agree with the author's final outcome. But where we differ is on the categories he uses to make his comparison. I have played both WoW and LoTRO. I enjoyed both, but in LoTRO my adventuring time was cut short when headed back to WoW. But before I get ahead of myself let me explain how I define the categories listed:
GAME WORLD-
For me it has more to do with charm, scope and a sort of feng shui between the world and the creatures that populate it, than polygon count, water effects and loading zones. When I traverse through WoW's begining area I'm started in a area where it has a life of it's own. I can see wildlife chasing down prey, livestock that's grazing and a natural flow from one zone to the next. I know I'm approaching a terrible area because the mood and music changes with the environment. But the key here is that it's a gradual change and not as jarring as LoTRO. The areas of Tanaris, Duskwood, Silverpine Forest and Ashenvale instantly resonates with players and cannot be so easily forgotten. You knew what Stranglethorn Vale was and knew how deadly it was to run that gauntlet to Booty Bay. The Barrens looked like the plains of African. And while Westfall shared some of the same colors, it looked totally different in every way. You can only pull these things off if you have a clear goal in mind and a very talented team of artist. I didn't get this feeling of creative spirit from LoTRO. So I'll take charm over bling.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
PLAYER CHARACTER-
Well you can't put so much vividness into a gaming world and leave the characters out of the equation. Luckily Blizzard continued their streak by making each race unique in their animation (both combat and non-combat), in their emote styles and in their origins. They all show distinct reflections of their environment through all these things and more. Each class is different enough where you get a different gaming experience when you play another. Up to that point I never played a mmo where the mechanics differ so vastly among them. Rage, energy/points and mana fit well with their respective classes and how they played. LoTRO to me was hindered by the lore that no magic existed. Although it worked to some degree, it made for confusing class choices.
WoW-9/10 : LoTRO-7/10
NEW PLAYER EXP-
Here is where I think ALL current (and future) mmos need to take heed. As your game ages, so to does the population. New players need to be paced through the original level cap at a even stride and without dependency on FINDING groups. This is where the LFG tool shines in it's ability to help keep up that pace for new players.
When a game is new, then gameplay that focuses on group play over solo play early in the leveling process is fine as is because there are plenty of other new players around to group with. BUT, as a game ages, it needs to convert that early group play in the leveling process into solo play for new players who missed the chance with early starters. If not then they run the risk of losing those players as they find it harder and harder to complete a given task and level at a much slower pace than originally intended.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
SOLO PLAY-
With games this old, solo play needs to be focused on until the cap is reached. Only WoW offers this opportunity. No need to skip content, just make it soloable. Downgrade mobs, quest and make finding groups easier.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-7/10
GROUP PLAY-
The focus of group play is playing in a group, not looking for one. WoW offers more options to play IN a group than LoTRO does. Battlegrounds, arena, raids and dungeons are offered from WoW, where LoTRO is just catching up.
WoW-9/10 : LoTRO-8/10
END GAME-
Endgame IS group play......
WoW-0/10 : LoTRO-0/10
PvP-
Enough said in the OP.
WoW-9/10 : LoTRO-4/10
COMMUNITY-
Here is where we differ as well. I look at community in terms of volume, diversity and opportunity. Where you view it as behavior, tolerance and maturity. I feel I can pick my associates, while you feel the need for the game to screen them for you. In WoW I have the opportunity to pick from a vast amount of diverse players. But in LoTRO I have an chance to be judged and/or accepted based on my maturity and behavior by a hopefully tolerant group of strangers in order to fully enjoy the game.
WoW-10/10 : LoTRO-4/10
"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."
When was the last time you played the game?Turbine has made LOTRO easily soloable now
you can get 1-65 no problem .
March on! - Lets Invade Pekopon
I find it hysterically funny that you two are calling me, a diehard EQ2 player, "Zorndorf." Way too funny.
You honestly think Zorndorf would consider someone listing actual REASONS why they like WoW to be more valid than his constantly saying how many subs the game has, as though popularity = highest quality and "best" at anything??? Uhm no. So far as I always read....just the fact that millions of people play WoW was always reason enough for it being considered awesome.
Frankly...I was just giving someone props for having their own personal REASONS beside following the masses. But whatever.
Ya'll don't remember his posts too well, do ya?
Incidentally....where did I say ANYTHING about that crappy cross server dungeon finder? That right there was MY final straw in LEAVING the game. Zorndorf and I used to argue about that ALL THE TIME. He loved it....I HATE it. I think it just made people even LESS accountable for their asshattery in the game. NOT really an improvement in that way, for SURE.
Regardless of all that....I still think people are entitled to like and play whatever they choose. LotRO and WoW are both good games for different reasons. I no longer play either of them, but that doesn't mean that they don't both have good qualities (and bad). People get so freaked out over this kind of stuff. It boggles my mind. They're GAMES we're talking about here. LOL
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
Umm, we are not talking about you, but rather the person you were poking at. It would be insanity to knowingly quote him.
Be careful you don't pick an old fight with someone who has a new screen name.
:
Ahh gotcha. I must be caffeine deficient today. I apologize. I totally missed all that.
I really need to see what I can do about getting a caffeine IV drip.
Again...sorry. ( /facepalms self)
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
Really would like to see the author of this comparison go back and try LoTRO again, it sure looks like he is using data from a review at launch and not a review of what it is today. Same may be needed for WoW, what was WoW 2 years ago is not exactly what it is today. It would also be nice to see a comparison of like vs like. You can't even compare PvP to PvMP, they aren't even the same concept. Add in crafting since both have, and compare as needed there. Give a comparison thats an accurate comparison of like attributes, dont dock one for not having what the other has and vise versa. If the game doesn't even have it how can you compare it to the other on that point?
(DISCLAIMER - The use of the word YOU in the above post is not directed at any one person in particular, but towards those who fall into the category itself - there is no personal attack here, neither intentional nor implied.)
Lotro wins. Interesting story, nice music, nice design, nice community, you can have a house for your guild, play music, playable on windows, mac and linux (with codeweaver)
Wow : poor design, only bashing and bashing, no story nothing else but bashing for stuff, one of the worst communities , no housing, nothing for RP , PVP unplayable because of unbalanced classes, playable on windows, mac and linux (codeweaver)
I play Lotro, I play EQ2, I play WarcraftIII, I wont play Wow again; (played WOW 2 months maybe 3 from 2005 to 2010; boring and repetitive game)
Not your fault. I wasn't being very clear. Sent you a PM.
Adam, with the glass ceiling that prevents solo player advancement at level cap in WoW, there's no way it rates a 10 in Solo play. I'd give it a 7 in that category, and that's taking into account all of the other MMO's that are even less solo friendly than it is.
I agree.
Never quite understood the whole "how would you compare this game that's been released for years already to this upcoming game that no one's had a chance to play yet?".
I kind of wonder if the author of such posts ever stops to think... "Well... I guess it would be hard to answer that since the game's not out, yet". I mean... you'd *think* that thought would cross their mind...
In any case, interesting article.
Oh, and just1opinion... Great avatar. April Ryan is an awesome character.... from an awesome game series.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
There is one major turning point that LotRO has over WoW: Player Housing.
I like the idea of having a home or property I can dress up and show my spoils of war. That is what caused me to quit WoW. I don't like being a nomad with no place to go to log out or relax other than a city where I hear spam for items and quests.
LotRO has a great setup for housing and upkeep. Granted, it does cost a bit to get one to start off with, I stll like the whole idea. Now WoW has been around for 6 years and has not got the hint that gamers such as myself like having some stake in the digital world that can be called home.
Also, Blizzard has horrid call up tech support. I spent 2 Hours waiting for a customer service rep. over a billing issue that could have been solved online.
WoW = Do Not Want in my book until things change.
Player housing in LotRO is next to worthless, imo. If LotRO wanted to do housing right, they would have offered housing access within (better) or immediately next to major cities/quest hubs (Bree, Rivendell, etc.), but they didn't. I suspect GW2 is -- finally -- going to get player housing right. LotRO gets zero additional points for its housing system, imo. I WILL give LotRO props for its armor/wardrobe system, however, which is way better than anything WoW has to offer.
You are spot on about Blizzard's tech support. It took me an entire week just to speak to a real person, after repeatedly getting a recorded message telling me to call back at some other time. Geeze. Terrible.
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LotR:O is going free to play because it will garner more money a lot more. It will also open up peoples abilities to only purchase what they are interested in as well. It is a much better design system than the previous.
Correction: they hope it will now garner more money "a lot more".
Because in the P2P system Lotro lacked ... around 11.800.000 subscriptions they were aiming for with their biggest Fantasy Lore ever produced in the game "that would rule them all".
But you said it alright: "they hope to garner more money".
Forget the "open up peoples abilities": F2P games only limit the number of people willing to pay until the end game. That's in fact "closing up" those few fans willing to pay until "some" end.
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For the comparisons of this game I will say that the world of Lotro is better, but the combat of wow is better. So to me it is a choice of the world (and associated components of the world such as music) or the more action paced game of WoW.
The magic has gone from WoW and keeps leaving everytime i update my machine it gets smaller and smaller.
Last time i fired it up in 2560X1600 and it just cannot keep up with the graphics in LOTR.
WoW is getting very dated. Meanwhile to me LOTR keeps looking better and better as time goes on.
"Group Play
Instances, Instances and more instances. World of Warcraft’s approach to the grouping system, amounts to nothing more than jaunts through theme-park style dungeons. Players do not even have to physically muster a group together anymore either, the game does this for you, and while infinitely helpful, I cannot help but feel something is lost here. Running instances with strangers can be jolly occasions or can be fraught with “newbs” and “OMG” spams. While World of Warcraft certainly makes it easy to indulge in group-play, it fails to deliver the experience of adventuring throughout the world with others.5/10"
Wow, you are actually complaining about the WoW Dungeon Finder? That's just mind boggling. The dungeon finder is the best thing since sliced bread and I can gaurantee it's used ALL the time by players who are VERY happy to have it. Just mind boggling.
That said, sure, there's a lot less group options outside of that and raiding... but then again this is where you miss the point completely. LOTRO requires you to waste time trying to find groups, or fill them, where Blizzard gives you the tools to fill them easily, and this is BAD? Not only that but WoW has way more content than LOTRO for group play, and huge instances, medium instances, and small, not to mention significantly better encounters.
LOTRO is a great game, and it's group play is good, but WoW is in no way a 5/10.
I yearn for the days when MMORPG had more real reporting stories.
Glass celing that prevents advancement at cap? Your joking right? Or haven't you partcipated in any dailys? Or faction work? Or achievement work? WoW has more "solo at cap" options that any other game on the market, period.
Without Lord of the Rings there would be no WoW.. no EQ... no DAoC... no GW... etc.. etc.. etc..
You can play in the original lands of high fantasy... or in one of the many cheap imitations..
nothin more to say..
Boggle. No it makes no sense.
You probably never played EQ, or experienced the nights of endless bullshit that we had to deal with in that game due to it's lack of "convenience" features. People like to think that it was that lack that made it all oh so great and "the good old days". Bullshit. It was because it was the only game around! We couldn't wait to get out of that hell hole and now, as others here have said, 11+ million people are proving that they are right and you are wrong.
Immersion? Please. Immersion is simply an excuse to have something rediculous to complain about. A lack of convenience. Spending hours looking for a healer for a group, or a spawn for a quest, or whatever stupid "immersion" feature you are talking about does nothing more than kill subscriptions.
In an MMO IMO...community > all.
Ummm, your saying this is a good point for what again? You hit level 80 and can go out on your own and grind factions, grind out achievements, or grind out dailies? You are correct on the one thing there, WoW does offer more grind options at the top than any other game out there. You can go out and grind marks, grind rep, grind for just about everything. I know, when your playing it you don't see it as grind, but really, how many times have you done that dungeon so far? How many times have you queued for and run that PvP instance so far? Really, how many bees did you have to hunt for your firefly vanity pet anyway? Asian grinders force you to grind to GET to the top, WoW lets you get there fast and forces you to grind once you hit the cap.
And the statement was 'prevents advancement at cap', which unless I'm mistaken, besides gear upgrades what exactly are you advancing by all this level cap solo play your talking about in WoW? Last time I checked, in WoW, once you hit cap the only real advancement you gained by doing anything was opening content through faction grind or gear score upgrades. It would be nice to also note that in WoW, as it stands today, you can start a new character and have them at level 80 in under a month, 2 if your solo and taking your time. The grind hits once your there, solo or on groups it doesn't matter, its all grind at the cap.
(DISCLAIMER - The use of the word YOU in the above post is not directed at any one person in particular, but towards those who fall into the category itself - there is no personal attack here, neither intentional nor implied.)
Personally I think the whole "Which MMO is better by Comparison" is all relative. As we see in the pages of people responding to this comparison. Saying WoW is Better than LOTRO or vise versa is all based on opinion. IMHO no game play in a MMO is better than another to say something like that just proves your ignorance. I have Played WoW and I have Played LOTRO IMO their both equally good. Yes they do have their strong points and weak points, but they sort of balance out in the end. I can stand on the soap box and declare WoW a better game till my face turns blue but everything i would say is based on opinion. In the long run Opinions are just that opinions and nothing I say about WoW would make a diehard Lord of the RIngs fan play WoW and vice versa.
"Possibly we humans can exist without actually having to fight. But many of us have chosen to fight. For what reason? To protect something? Protect what? Ourselves? The future? If we kill people to protect ourselves and this future, then what sort of future is it, and what will we have become? There is no future for those who have died. And what of those who did the killing? Is happiness to be found in a future that is grasped with blood stained hands? Is that the truth?"
To set the record straight, UO had great solo play years before Wow was even a thought in someone's mind.
Wow is just easier to play than any other MMO, that is why it is so popular. Lotro makes you think some, especially when it comes to things like crafting, and you do have to group more in Lotro, although it is much less than when it came out.
The thing I don't get in this thread is how anyone can say the animations in lotro are stilted? Lotro graphics are so much better than Wow IMO and I do not see any difference between either game when it comes animations.
I seriously think that Lotro, with the new f2p option is going to do some challenging in the marketplace. I also think that when SWTOR comes out Wow's numbers are going to go down. If Bioware can come up with a decent end game, Wow's numbers will be permanently down.
I think Turbine new designs for both DDO and Lotro are brilliant. It allows people to purchase the content they want, when they want it while it does not offer anything game changing in the item shop. I think that Blizzard might actually be eyeing the changes too.
SOE's design for EQ2, on the other hand is just braindead. It is exactly like Dungeon Runners and we all know how well that did.