Expensive, outdated game with many flaws and issues. Instead of reworking zones, they should fix their horrible map design and how quests appear on it, they should also reduce prices and be less stingy about this game. Too expensive and too little to offer, I suggest diehard fans of Middle Earth to just grind, don't give them money, they don't deserve it.
Get a much better and cheaper game - The Elder Scrolls Online, aside from buying chapters they do events where you can trial being a subscriber for a week (no strings attached) and during this time you have unlimited access to all DLCs. Now that's what I call generosity.
Deyrin, I think you got the first WTF I have ever given anyone on here, congrats.
I am an ESO fas myself, but the overall construction of the world experience in Lotro is far better, from the very start. The feel of embarking in the footsteps of that epic quest rather than ESO's pick and mix staring zones. But as a fan of ESO I will say no more as I think it is rather pointless bashing one game you are a fan of with another.
Other than pieces of xpac content subscribing does open things up a lot. Buying the sub in 3-month allotments is $30 (10/mo) and comes with 1500 game cash which costs about $20. A lot of cash shop purchases unlock permanently by just subbing once (trait slots for example) and anything like crafting guild tiers that would be a cash shop unlock is included and stay when you drop the sub.
I still sub when I play because it's the cheapest easiest way to play. The most annoying things to manage are collecting account buffs like account wide journeyman riding or increasing shared storage when that opens up. The cash shop is only in your face if you don't sub and try to play as cheaply as possible. The buttons for Mithril Coins and cash shop options are annoying and ugly though.
And the Xpacs used to be a great bargain, too. Their premium packs used to come with alot of valuable stuff. Mordor was disappointing in that respect.
Good point on the multi-month subs. I was a $100/yearly subscriber for a long time. Mathwise that's a little over $8/month for full access which included $5 worth of TP's/month.
I use to play Lotro a lot but I can't stand the epic battle things and as a result over time lost interest in the game. I got the lifetime thing at the start when it was like 199 bucks and certainly got my money worth. I still get the 500 TP a month and so far have used this to buy the expansions since the FTP started. My guys are still level 100 as I not played any since before the last two expansions but I did buy them with TPs.
Nice, but why? A graphic overhaul isn't likely to bring in new players at this stage. Does Daybreak know what these guys are doing?
Actually the abysmal graphics is what is keeping me away from this game, so if they could make it better maybe i will consider giving this game a serious try.
I actually think the graphics look great, considering the age of the game.
I just wish the cash shop had been kept out of it, they should have put the sub up, we would have paid it for sure.
As Torval said above, the sub is still the most convenient way if you don't want to waste your time on the f2p model and the restrictions. For subscribers the game behaves the old way: you get access to everything, minus the expansions. But the expansions are often on sale, and also there are parallel zones for each, which means until you get them (on a sale, or from the monthly stipend you get with the sub), you still can quest your way all the way to the level cap.
[...] The cash shop is only in your face if you don't sub and try to play as cheaply as possible. The buttons for Mithril Coins and cash shop options are annoying and ugly though.
Actually you can hide those (whether you are f2p or VIP) with custom UIs. They will still there in the background, just covered with your selected textures
All the graphics updates in the world don't matter when the game is still P2W and ran by the same greedy crew, only with a new name.
You are seriously deluded using the P2W acronym. Just shows how lazy you are. All you have to do is read the definition to know you are quite wrong. Troll in another thread please.
I just wish the cash shop had been kept out of it, they should have put the sub up, we would have paid it for sure.
I wonder what the current population (and the financial state of the game) would have been if Turbine had never tried that 'lifetime' subscription. From what I can gather about the current players, many of them had that 'lifetime' deal. It was great for the player, but not so great for the business.
Anyway, if a game has to have a cash shop, the LotRO cash shop is the model they should use. Turbine was quite clever in monetizing the various adventure areas that could be purchased with RW cash or through in-game achievements. The 'rewards' for the end-game achievements always needed some bolstering (from 5-10-15 to 15-20-25, nothing major) to make the game less grindy. By the time you've ground enough to actually buy an area, you're likely to have outgrown that area. All this does is encourage using alts to grind the beginner quests / achievements.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Would be great if they fixed this game so it doesn’t crash every time I enter Minas Tirith or zone from there to bree. Client instantly shuts down. I love the game and the community but that crashing issue forced me to stop playing
I just wish the cash shop had been kept out of it, they should have put the sub up, we would have paid it for sure.
As Torval said above, the sub is still the most convenient way if you don't want to waste your time on the f2p model and the restrictions. For subscribers the game behaves the old way: you get access to everything, minus the expansions. But the expansions are often on sale, and also there are parallel zones for each, which means until you get them (on a sale, or from the monthly stipend you get with the sub), you still can quest your way all the way to the level cap.
[...] The cash shop is only in your face if you don't sub and try to play as cheaply as possible. The buttons for Mithril Coins and cash shop options are annoying and ugly though.
Actually you can hide those (whether you are f2p or VIP) with custom UIs. They will still there in the background, just covered with your selected textures
I am a "Lifer" myself, we were in a quandary about the cash shop. My main issue with it was how it effected gameplay. You could see how elements were being designed around a need to use the cash shop. Within a year it had become somewhat P2W (I understand a lot worse now), but then I have a rather low threshold to what is P2W.
I can remember us discussing "what can we buy", the consensus seemed to be cosmetics, that way we continued to support the game while still being Lifers and not pushing the P2W aspect. But there was little you could buy we wanted, I did get one or two things though.
How could they have done it best? I think Lifers should have less (at least halved) cash shop money for logging on and we needed a lot more cosmetics. In that first year unless you were "an alter" (a person who has to have alts of every class) there was not enough to buy.
All the graphics updates in the world don't matter when the game is still P2W and ran by the same greedy crew, only with a new name.
Is there anything to win in this game? I first started playing in one of the early closed betas, payed it regularly, saw them butcher the old forest, make quest text simpler so that players followed the new glowy bits on the map, etc, etc and I don't really know what one would "win".
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I went from RP servers to a more populated server and it is a complete different experience. There are new players everywhere, but they still rush skipping content tho - which is sad.
Odd. I've not seen a glut of new players on either RP or normal servers. Maybe alts, but not people that appear to be new to the game. I guess it may be just a matter of when someone plays and what server they are on.
I will agree that new characters, no matter who is running them, are skipping content at every turn. Last week, I had an alt out near the horse farm, running quests for Sapphires. There were quite a number of similar level characters in the Bree area, but none ever came out to the turtle pond.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Expensive, outdated game with many flaws and issues. Instead of reworking zones, they should fix their horrible map design and how quests appear on it, they should also reduce prices and be less stingy about this game. Too expensive and too little to offer, I suggest diehard fans of Middle Earth to just grind, don't give them money, they don't deserve it.
Get a much better and cheaper game - The Elder Scrolls Online, aside from buying chapters they do events where you can trial being a subscriber for a week (no strings attached) and during this time you have unlimited access to all DLCs. Now that's what I call generosity.
I was with you up until The Elder Scrolls Online. I'm good on falling asleep at my keyboard. Thanks though.
I went from RP servers to a more populated server and it is a complete different experience. There are new players everywhere, but they still rush skipping content tho - which is sad.
Odd. I've not seen a glut of new players on either RP or normal servers. Maybe alts, but not people that appear to be new to the game. I guess it may be just a matter of when someone plays and what server they are on.
I will agree that new characters, no matter who is running them, are skipping content at every turn. Last week, I had an alt out near the horse farm, running quests for Sapphires. There were quite a number of similar level characters in the Bree area, but none ever came out to the turtle pond.
I think it's ok to skip certain quests. In any game. Or not do them at all.
I mean, when I play I don't do certain areas because "who cares".
I can't remember doing a hobbit quest because I don't want to deliver pies or do something mundane or cute.
I'm glad those quests are in the game as they really flesh out the variety of quests, but I don't play epic fantasy games to deliver the mail to farmer O'Doolittle or dance under a tree for the Mulberry celebration (or whatever). That's for hobbits.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I went from RP servers to a more populated server and it is a complete different experience. There are new players everywhere, but they still rush skipping content tho - which is sad.
Odd. I've not seen a glut of new players on either RP or normal servers. Maybe alts, but not people that appear to be new to the game. I guess it may be just a matter of when someone plays and what server they are on.
I will agree that new characters, no matter who is running them, are skipping content at every turn. Last week, I had an alt out near the horse farm, running quests for Sapphires. There were quite a number of similar level characters in the Bree area, but none ever came out to the turtle pond.
I think it's ok to skip certain quests. In any game. Or not do them at all.
I mean, when I play I don't do certain areas because "who cares".
I can't remember doing a hobbit quest because I don't want to deliver pies or do something mundane or cute.
I'm glad those quests are in the game as they really flesh out the variety of quests, but I don't play epic fantasy games to deliver the mail to farmer O'Doolittle or dance under a tree for the Mulberry celebration (or whatever). That's for hobbits.
I skip quests too. And I totally agree with you. I've enjoyed some of the insipid festival quests from time to time, but that's usually a passing thing. I'd rather be doing something else like finishing another 'kill 200' achievement. (Okay, I'm a completionist).
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I am a "Lifer" myself, we were in a quandary about the cash shop.
I remember those threads, and I was against the switch as well. What I tried to point out above, is that there was no other way, regardless of "we would've paid a higher sub even", or anything else. DDO's switch was a money maker, and that have set LotRO's way as well. I just posted, if you don't like the shop, the best thing you can do is hide it in the UI
Last week, I had an alt out near the horse farm, running quests for Sapphires. There were quite a number of similar level characters in the Bree area, but none ever came out to the turtle pond.
If you mean Nen Harn (in the north-east part of the zone, with the bounties and the snappers), that is skipped due to the accelerated xp gain... by the time you reach it with the quests you overleveled the zone already. Unless you are in dire need of sapphire shards (and why would you, a few hours later you can craft better stuff without any crits, and the barrows give you a few, way before the lake), you don't really need to go there. The storyline with the wood troll is nice, just as the scenery, but it is far away from everything, has only the bounty quests, and as said, by that time you are near Weathertop anyways.
Not saying the content skip is not an issue, but the game gives so much xp currently, that you either overlevel everything, or skip a few stories, or... use the xp disabler.
I am a "Lifer" myself, we were in a quandary about the cash shop.
I remember those threads, and I was against the switch as well. What I tried to point out above, is that there was no other way, regardless of "we would've paid a higher sub even", or anything else. DDO's switch was a money maker, and that have set LotRO's way as well. I just posted, if you don't like the shop, the best thing you can do is hide it in the UI
Last week, I had an alt out near the horse farm, running quests for Sapphires. There were quite a number of similar level characters in the Bree area, but none ever came out to the turtle pond.
If you mean Nen Harn (in the north-east part of the zone, with the bounties and the snappers), that is skipped due to the accelerated xp gain... by the time you reach it with the quests you overleveled the zone already. Unless you are in dire need of sapphire shards (and why would you, a few hours later you can craft better stuff without any crits, and the barrows give you a few, way before the lake), you don't really need to go there. The storyline with the wood troll is nice, just as the scenery, but it is far away from everything, has only the bounty quests, and as said, by that time you are near Weathertop anyways.
Not saying the content skip is not an issue, but the game gives so much xp currently, that you either overlevel everything, or skip a few stories, or... use the xp disabler.
I was after the Sapphires because they still sell relatively well in the AH.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I was after the Sapphires because they still sell relatively well in the AH.
I admit, that fact always puzzled me... Many years ago, when leveling (and raising your crafting ranks) was much slower, those recipes were great. But nowadays? In most professions, you can craft similar items dirt cheap on the next tier 2 levels later, and that's a very short time... (your basic level 22 items are very close to those level 20 items you can craft at the end of the journeyman tier with the sapphire shards). The only "valid" use I've heard of was to craft the shard-based gear for its cosmetic look.
But hey, until they buy it, right? (I used to sell my shard drops as well don't remember when was the last time I used one for crafting)
I was after the Sapphires because they still sell relatively well in the AH.
I admit, that fact always puzzled me... Many years ago, when leveling (and raising your crafting ranks) was much slower, those recipes were great. But nowadays? In most professions, you can craft similar items dirt cheap on the next tier 2 levels later, and that's a very short time... (your basic level 22 items are very close to those level 20 items you can craft at the end of the journeyman tier with the sapphire shards). The only "valid" use I've heard of was to craft the shard-based gear for its cosmetic look.
But hey, until they buy it, right? (I used to sell my shard drops as well don't remember when was the last time I used one for crafting)
Puzzling, yes. The limit of 3 per character and the time it takes to get them has something to do with the appeal, I'm guessing. I've even sold a couple of the weapons made from sapphires. They did sell, but slowly. It's probably just a case of someone at the right level that just isn't into crafting. Finding a weapon in the AH might be simpler for them than going out and finding it. I guess I end up being a craftsman for the convenience of others.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I always figured that Lifetime subscriptions are actually what is killing a lot of MMOs. Sure, the initial income is pretty high, but long term its disastrous, most are playing for free after a year or so. I always regretted not becoming a lifer in LotRO, I do however think that its one of the reasons it went F2P sooner then later.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
Comments
Deyrin, I think you got the first WTF I have ever given anyone on here, congrats.
I am an ESO fas myself, but the overall construction of the world experience in Lotro is far better, from the very start. The feel of embarking in the footsteps of that epic quest rather than ESO's pick and mix staring zones. But as a fan of ESO I will say no more as I think it is rather pointless bashing one game you are a fan of with another.
I just wish the cash shop had been kept out of it, they should have put the sub up, we would have paid it for sure.
Good point on the multi-month subs. I was a $100/yearly subscriber for a long time. Mathwise that's a little over $8/month for full access which included $5 worth of TP's/month.
I actually think the graphics look great, considering the age of the game.
But the expansions are often on sale, and also there are parallel zones for each, which means until you get them (on a sale, or from the monthly stipend you get with the sub), you still can quest your way all the way to the level cap.
Just a slight edit to
Actually you can hide those (whether you are f2p or VIP) with custom UIs. They will still there in the background, just covered with your selected textures
Anyway, if a game has to have a cash shop, the LotRO cash shop is the model they should use. Turbine was quite clever in monetizing the various adventure areas that could be purchased with RW cash or through in-game achievements. The 'rewards' for the end-game achievements always needed some bolstering (from 5-10-15 to 15-20-25, nothing major) to make the game less grindy. By the time you've ground enough to actually buy an area, you're likely to have outgrown that area. All this does is encourage using alts to grind the beginner quests / achievements.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
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 am a "Lifer" myself, we were in a quandary about the cash shop. My main issue with it was how it effected gameplay. You could see how elements were being designed around a need to use the cash shop. Within a year it had become somewhat P2W (I understand a lot worse now), but then I have a rather low threshold to what is P2W.
I can remember us discussing "what can we buy", the consensus seemed to be cosmetics, that way we continued to support the game while still being Lifers and not pushing the P2W aspect. But there was little you could buy we wanted, I did get one or two things though.
How could they have done it best? I think Lifers should have less (at least halved) cash shop money for logging on and we needed a lot more cosmetics. In that first year unless you were "an alter" (a person who has to have alts of every class) there was not enough to buy.
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 will agree that new characters, no matter who is running them, are skipping content at every turn. Last week, I had an alt out near the horse farm, running quests for Sapphires. There were quite a number of similar level characters in the Bree area, but none ever came out to the turtle pond.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
-Verenath-
I mean, when I play I don't do certain areas because "who cares".
I can't remember doing a hobbit quest because I don't want to deliver pies or do something mundane or cute.
I'm glad those quests are in the game as they really flesh out the variety of quests, but I don't play epic fantasy games to deliver the mail to farmer O'Doolittle or dance under a tree for the Mulberry celebration (or whatever). That's for hobbits.
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
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
DDO's switch was a money maker, and that have set LotRO's way as well.
I just posted, if you don't like the shop, the best thing you can do is hide it in the UI
If you mean Nen Harn (in the north-east part of the zone, with the bounties and the snappers), that is skipped due to the accelerated xp gain... by the time you reach it with the quests you overleveled the zone already. Unless you are in dire need of sapphire shards (and why would you, a few hours later you can craft better stuff without any crits, and the barrows give you a few, way before the lake), you don't really need to go there.
The storyline with the wood troll is nice, just as the scenery, but it is far away from everything, has only the bounty quests, and as said, by that time you are near Weathertop anyways.
Not saying the content skip is not an issue, but the game gives so much xp currently, that you either overlevel everything, or skip a few stories, or... use the xp disabler.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Many years ago, when leveling (and raising your crafting ranks) was much slower, those recipes were great. But nowadays?
In most professions, you can craft similar items dirt cheap on the next tier 2 levels later, and that's a very short time... (your basic level 22 items are very close to those level 20 items you can craft at the end of the journeyman tier with the sapphire shards). The only "valid" use I've heard of was to craft the shard-based gear for its cosmetic look.
But hey, until they buy it, right? (I used to sell my shard drops as well
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer