First off, let me say LOTRO is my all time favorite MMO, and i've played alot of others.
But to be honest, we alle know (even you!), that every game (maybe even everything in life) we love, have some flaws / missing something. So i encourage all to come with their 3 things they would change about LOTRO or just something you would like to add. Just for fun, and just to get some semi-positive (Semi because its something we would change/add) talk about LOTRO on this forum.
My list :
1. Make world PVMP
Yep world, as in a nasty human controlled ogre could attack you while questing in Lone Lands. Of course this is something not everyone would like, and sure they should be pve and pvp servers. A more realistic add, would be some sort of BG or Arena. Sometimes i just miss some good pvp action, and thats not possible if im alone, or only got like 30 min. I mean, you dont enter Etten on your own, and a raid often takes a couple of hours.
Why does every MMO out there have to have PvP servers? BG or Arenas i could agree on somehow, but free form PvP always screws with PvE balance. Even if you have different servertypes, they will still start changing abilities because of them being unbalanced or something in PvP situations. Not to mention that all Monsters are automatically maxlevel, so your fight with the ogre in LLs would be pretty short. And developing quests and level areas for monster players from 1-65 would a) be a major undertaking setting back the game for 1-2 years and b) take away the casual aspect of playing a monster, you can't just hop on and create a monster, no you would have to level it for ages, no thanks.
You wouldn't have to make 1 to 65 levels for the monster players just start them at level 50 or something like that and go from there. One reason that games have PVP play is it's something interesting to do once you are at max level. The Developer only has to make pvp areas or BG's then the players make their own content after that. It's fast and very casual frendly you can log on and run some battle grounds or just go to a pvp zone and play for as long as you have time to. No need to commit to a 2 or 3 hour raid or dungeon.
2. Remove radiance
And this step is even being taken care of as i write. I think its gonna be a major change, for the better. And im not the only one, as this has been a big discussion topic the for quite some time now
3. Gives us flying mounts
Yes i know, some would think its a WoW thing, but lore-wise its not even impossible. I mean, Gandalf do fly on some bird in the books, so why shouldnt some of us being able to? I think it could be a great fun, and really something to strive for. But this should only be for the hardcore gamers/raiders, so not everyone would have their flying mount.
It is impossible lore-wise. That "bird" gandalf was flying on was a sentient being, not some kind of horse or goat. And Gandalf isn't exactly your average dude either, just because an great eagle was willing to help one of the Istari as a personal favour does not mean they go around playing air taxi for everyone. Not to mention that LotRO most likely has the same problem azeroth had pre cataclysm, i.e. no tops on mountains etc. They would have to redo lots of textures for that, not to mention the whole engine because its not able to handle players moving significantly faster than riding mounts. That would set us back another year or two. Trying to kill the game much? .
That was my top 3, and maybe you dont agree with them, well then you go ahead and make your own list
So my list is a bit more realistic:
1. Finish the scaling instances project, there are still many classics that do not scale. I am sure they're working on it as we speak.
2. Improve the character models and animation, it is one of the most common cited reasons people bring up when saying why they didn't get into LotRO. Totaly agree with this
3. Redo all the traits, traitlines, LI boni and the virtue system(which stops scaling at level 50). There are many nonsensical traits, or traitlines that are plain broken or so bad nobody would ever use them for any reason. All playstyles should be valid and have their place if offered by the game, all traits and LI boni should be useful and valuable, subject to the situation instead of having several that are just plain bad no matter how you look at it. The current system is very limiting reletive to all the other mmo's that use the talent tree system. While I agree that I would love to see this changed I really don't see it happening anyting soon.
"Yes i know, some would think its a WoW thing, but lore-wise its not even impossible. I mean, Gandalf do fly on some bird in the books, so why shouldnt some of us being able to? I think it could be a great fun, and really something to strive for. But this should only be for the hardcore gamers/raiders, so not everyone would have their flying mount."
No but you would see 100 eagles flying around, and that would be lore breaking, but if you suggested this you dont know nothing about lotr lore other than the movies...
I would change so many things, because this game could have been much more...
"It has potential" -Second most used phrase on existence "It sucks" -Most used phrase on existence
character models/ customization options - ugly models in a beautiful world
friendly npc ai in instances - make them move more fluid, not run back and forth between combat and their scripted speech segments
horse/ saddle models - horses look like they are proportioned wrong compared to the character models. Saddles need to be bigger/ more customizable, for a month I thought I was riding bare-back lol. Maybe some bridles and reins too.
the struggle to free myself from restraints becomes my very shackles
my complaint has to do with the water .....currently when mounted and you hit a deep spot you get dismounted ...have to swim to the bank and call your mount again ...very frustrating ...you should be able to dive or swim underwater and also when you fall off a cliff and land in the water (deep)you shouldn't die or cripple yourself for a minute or two...fixing the water issues would would make life easier for all I am sure
my complaint has to do with the water .....currently when mounted and you hit a deep spot you get dismounted ...have to swim to the bank and call your mount again ...very frustrating ...you should be able to dive or swim underwater and also when you fall off a cliff and land in the water (deep)you shouldn't die or cripple yourself for a minute or two...fixing the water issues would would make life easier for all I am sure
In regards to your statement about being forced off your mount and deep water. That's going to happen regardless. You should be intelligent enough to be able to spot where deep water is. As far as the rest, I have to agree. It makes no sence for players to die when they hit a deep part when falling off a cliff. Still, post some of these in the suggestions forums. They do work. Just as an example. Notice you don't have to dismount to speak to an NPC. That idea was implimented not more than two days later. How do I know? Because I was the one that suggested it.
No selling of questlines in the itemshop, better looking avatar and no healing at all (it is against the lore no matter if you call it "morale" instead of HP).
No zones which feel as themeparks with artificial borders (Mirkwood and Enedwaith are bad for that) where the setting changes and the mobs too. It totally breaks the immersion
More variety into mobs (I know though they are constraints in lore)
More branches in the different classes, to be able to specialize not only with traits but also with different skills (not counting too much on this one, would require a huge overhaul of their class system)
1. I would change the flow and feel of combat. Make it faster and more fun so that grinding Deeds is something to look forward to.
2. Add more classes, more tanks, healers, dps, support, so many options. After playing VG and DaoC the last week or so I can't imagine why Lotro doesn't have more from mercenaries to bards etc.
3. Add more leveling zones, especially in the 50-60 range just to give the option to skip Moria as it can be very depressing and I've actually lost a few characters in there, wandering around in the dark wondering if they will ever escape.
1, change the art design of all avatars and all gear to something a bit less "fantastical".
2, A slightly more open world like Vanguard where I can go in any cave I see regardless of whether I'm on the quest.
3, More of a feeling of "lord of the rings" as opposed to me feeling that this game has a bit of a generic fantasy game feel at times.
This^
Sovrath, thanks for saving me the time!
I would also add that lately their areas feel a bit deliberate. I wonder if I'm the only one who has really loved north East Bree territory. I'ts beautifula and just feels like a light forest area for those who want to explore and get away from it all.
That's one of the things I love about Vanguard, I can discover so much.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Yo the OP, I'm not playing this game and lots of people seem to like the game just as it is so I would not change a thing:-)
Well, that's true, I'm sure there are people who love it for the way it is and more power to them.
But I'd like to add something that i noticed recently.
I play a lot of Oblivion and I'm constantly adding mods. One of the mods I added was an attempt at making Gondor and Bree.
Now, I have to admit that the Bree was, for the most part, pretty good.
but when I stood at the top of Gondor, looking at over the fields and eventual mountains I was amazed. I actually felt like I was in middle earth. I coudln't believe it.
So I went down (which took a while) and started heading toward those mountains and discovered, still in the distance, a break in the mountains and a path.
I turned around to look at Gondor and honestly, I felt immersed. It all felt right.
I've never felt that in LOTRO.
Epilogue: and then my game crashed.
In any case there is just something about the game that doesn't, at least for my tastes, feel right. Actually, I'll correct that. Before they changed the starter tutorials the starter hobbit part, when they run into the ring wraith, felt right.
But after that I've always felt like i was in a world that seemed like middle earth but never really felt "right". But again, that's my take on it and i'm sure there are people who really feel that LOTRO is middle earth to them.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
As a LIfetime subscriber that never cares if I log in again, these are my suggestions.
First, I remember when the game started I played a healer and playing a good healer was hard. You had to really manage your mana at the same time knowing the countdown, cooldown and hate amount of your healing spells. It was a tough class to play well and I enjoyed it. Then they totally dumbed the class down and everyone started playing a healer. Personally I enjoy playing tougher classes with well-defined roles.
Second, make the mobs smarter. As an example of LOTRO mob stupidity, I can be standing out in the open attacking an orc and another orc can be 20 feet away - and yet the second orc just doesn't see or hear the combat. And the orc that is being attacked, of course, never yells for help. And why can I always run faster than the mobs?
Third, I personally never cared for the "Book" thing where you work through different instances. Some of the instances were interesting and fun, but why are they even there?
Admittedly it has been a while since I even logged in and maybe some of this has been addressed - I don't know. But those are my suggestions.
i would make it a faction vs faction (vs a 3rd playable faction if posible / without hurting the original lore too much), add more races and classes... make it sub only but like $10 a month (all inclusive / no exceptions like extra toon slots etc)... and i would still not play it..... maybe that way i would play it.... for me lotr is like harry potter, they rock on tv (not on pc)
Oh yes, and send out an invite and free time to the THOUSANDS that left after the NGE during alpha.
Thankfully even in the Middle Earth Online days the devs weren't foolish enough to add a playable "evil" faction. It's lore breaking in every regard and would NOT be able to be handled well. The bad guys were mindless slaves, and were weak. Their only strength came from numbers. Some of us value the IP a little more than some cop out PvP.
I would also add that lately their areas feel a bit deliberate. I wonder if I'm the only one who has really loved north East Bree territory. I'ts beautifula and just feels like a light forest area for those who want to explore and get away from it all.
That's one of the things I love about Vanguard, I can discover so much.
I know the area you mean, just east of Horstanger's Farm? It's a great area with a lake and small woodland. That's one great thing about LOTRO there are lots of wonderful areas that are just there with no quests related but just because they add the feel that this is a living world. One thing the devs got right from day one is the world of Middle Earth in my opinion.
Thankfully even in the Middle Earth Online days the devs weren't foolish enough to add a playable "evil" faction. It's lore breaking in every regard and would NOT be able to be handled well. The bad guys were mindless slaves, and were weak. Their only strength came from numbers. Some of us value the IP a little more than some cop out PvP.
Great post. Why do the PVPers think every game needs opposing player factions? No PVP has always been an argument against LOTRO, but it's a meaningless point. LOTRO is the best PVE game around and that's all it was intended to be. As for improving the game, they should get rid of Monster Play and make the AI opposition more remote, mysterious and dangerous.
I would also add that lately their areas feel a bit deliberate. I wonder if I'm the only one who has really loved north East Bree territory. I'ts beautifula and just feels like a light forest area for those who want to explore and get away from it all.
That's one of the things I love about Vanguard, I can discover so much.
I know the area you mean, just east of Horstanger's Farm? It's a great area with a lake and small woodland. That's one great thing about LOTRO there are lots of wonderful areas that are just there with no quests related but just because they add the feel that this is a living world. One thing the devs got right from day one is the world of Middle Earth in my opinion.
That's exactly the area.
I mean, it really feels like you are just exploring and "heading out".
I really lament that there aren't more areas like that.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Comments
"Yes i know, some would think its a WoW thing, but lore-wise its not even impossible. I mean, Gandalf do fly on some bird in the books, so why shouldnt some of us being able to? I think it could be a great fun, and really something to strive for. But this should only be for the hardcore gamers/raiders, so not everyone would have their flying mount."
No but you would see 100 eagles flying around, and that would be lore breaking, but if you suggested this you dont know nothing about lotr lore other than the movies...
I would change so many things, because this game could have been much more...
"It has potential"
-Second most used phrase on existence
"It sucks"
-Most used phrase on existence
Character models
Combat
Subscription
Character models/animations
Combat
No loading every time you enter a building
Armor is way to color full and looks nothing how its suppost 2
character models/ customization options - ugly models in a beautiful world
friendly npc ai in instances - make them move more fluid, not run back and forth between combat and their scripted speech segments
horse/ saddle models - horses look like they are proportioned wrong compared to the character models. Saddles need to be bigger/ more customizable, for a month I thought I was riding bare-back lol. Maybe some bridles and reins too.
the struggle to free myself from restraints becomes my very shackles
my complaint has to do with the water .....currently when mounted and you hit a deep spot you get dismounted ...have to swim to the bank and call your mount again ...very frustrating ...you should be able to dive or swim underwater and also when you fall off a cliff and land in the water (deep)you shouldn't die or cripple yourself for a minute or two...fixing the water issues would would make life easier for all I am sure
In regards to your statement about being forced off your mount and deep water. That's going to happen regardless. You should be intelligent enough to be able to spot where deep water is. As far as the rest, I have to agree. It makes no sence for players to die when they hit a deep part when falling off a cliff. Still, post some of these in the suggestions forums. They do work. Just as an example. Notice you don't have to dismount to speak to an NPC. That idea was implimented not more than two days later. How do I know? Because I was the one that suggested it.
1. Bring in your DDO loot system for group dungeons
2. Apply your old AC2 combat system
3. Bring back the Crafting system like it was in SoA
This^
Sovrath, thanks for saving me the time!
No selling of questlines in the itemshop, better looking avatar and no healing at all (it is against the lore no matter if you call it "morale" instead of HP).
Do away with the instance join pannel bs, and all this isntant travel to anywher on the planet.
Do away with the store
actually roll back game mechanics to a point in time before moria.
too little to late, lifetime acount down the drain at this point, it would take a miracle for me to reinstall the game now.
No zones which feel as themeparks with artificial borders (Mirkwood and Enedwaith are bad for that) where the setting changes and the mobs too. It totally breaks the immersion
More variety into mobs (I know though they are constraints in lore)
More branches in the different classes, to be able to specialize not only with traits but also with different skills (not counting too much on this one, would require a huge overhaul of their class system)
1. I would change the flow and feel of combat. Make it faster and more fun so that grinding Deeds is something to look forward to.
2. Add more classes, more tanks, healers, dps, support, so many options. After playing VG and DaoC the last week or so I can't imagine why Lotro doesn't have more from mercenaries to bards etc.
3. Add more leveling zones, especially in the 50-60 range just to give the option to skip Moria as it can be very depressing and I've actually lost a few characters in there, wandering around in the dark wondering if they will ever escape.
They won't you know.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I would also add that lately their areas feel a bit deliberate. I wonder if I'm the only one who has really loved north East Bree territory. I'ts beautifula and just feels like a light forest area for those who want to explore and get away from it all.
That's one of the things I love about Vanguard, I can discover so much.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Yo the OP, I'm not playing this game and lots of people seem to like the game just as it is so I would not change a thing:-)
Well, that's true, I'm sure there are people who love it for the way it is and more power to them.
But I'd like to add something that i noticed recently.
I play a lot of Oblivion and I'm constantly adding mods. One of the mods I added was an attempt at making Gondor and Bree.
Now, I have to admit that the Bree was, for the most part, pretty good.
but when I stood at the top of Gondor, looking at over the fields and eventual mountains I was amazed. I actually felt like I was in middle earth. I coudln't believe it.
So I went down (which took a while) and started heading toward those mountains and discovered, still in the distance, a break in the mountains and a path.
I turned around to look at Gondor and honestly, I felt immersed. It all felt right.
I've never felt that in LOTRO.
Epilogue: and then my game crashed.
In any case there is just something about the game that doesn't, at least for my tastes, feel right. Actually, I'll correct that. Before they changed the starter tutorials the starter hobbit part, when they run into the ring wraith, felt right.
But after that I've always felt like i was in a world that seemed like middle earth but never really felt "right". But again, that's my take on it and i'm sure there are people who really feel that LOTRO is middle earth to them.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Easy:
1. Add an evil playable faction
2. Add pvp servers
3. Allow for open world pvp on those
3b. Ditch the shop and make it a subbed game again.
My brand new bloggity blog.
As a LIfetime subscriber that never cares if I log in again, these are my suggestions.
First, I remember when the game started I played a healer and playing a good healer was hard. You had to really manage your mana at the same time knowing the countdown, cooldown and hate amount of your healing spells. It was a tough class to play well and I enjoyed it. Then they totally dumbed the class down and everyone started playing a healer. Personally I enjoy playing tougher classes with well-defined roles.
Second, make the mobs smarter. As an example of LOTRO mob stupidity, I can be standing out in the open attacking an orc and another orc can be 20 feet away - and yet the second orc just doesn't see or hear the combat. And the orc that is being attacked, of course, never yells for help. And why can I always run faster than the mobs?
Third, I personally never cared for the "Book" thing where you work through different instances. Some of the instances were interesting and fun, but why are they even there?
Admittedly it has been a while since I even logged in and maybe some of this has been addressed - I don't know. But those are my suggestions.
i would make it a faction vs faction (vs a 3rd playable faction if posible / without hurting the original lore too much), add more races and classes... make it sub only but like $10 a month (all inclusive / no exceptions like extra toon slots etc)... and i would still not play it..... maybe that way i would play it.... for me lotr is like harry potter, they rock on tv (not on pc)
note: personal opinion
Roll the game back to how it was in Alpha in 2004
Change the name back to Middle Earth Online
Remove all instances.
Bam, just made a much better game.
Oh yes, and send out an invite and free time to the THOUSANDS that left after the NGE during alpha.
Thankfully even in the Middle Earth Online days the devs weren't foolish enough to add a playable "evil" faction. It's lore breaking in every regard and would NOT be able to be handled well. The bad guys were mindless slaves, and were weak. Their only strength came from numbers. Some of us value the IP a little more than some cop out PvP.
I know the area you mean, just east of Horstanger's Farm? It's a great area with a lake and small woodland. That's one great thing about LOTRO there are lots of wonderful areas that are just there with no quests related but just because they add the feel that this is a living world. One thing the devs got right from day one is the world of Middle Earth in my opinion.
Great post. Why do the PVPers think every game needs opposing player factions? No PVP has always been an argument against LOTRO, but it's a meaningless point. LOTRO is the best PVE game around and that's all it was intended to be. As for improving the game, they should get rid of Monster Play and make the AI opposition more remote, mysterious and dangerous.
That's exactly the area.
I mean, it really feels like you are just exploring and "heading out".
I really lament that there aren't more areas like that.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo