VeeshanVault

With the new graphic card I got to re-try this title in it's full glory last night and lemme tell you, this is a pretty game.

I didn't get to play much last night but the game looks beautiful and seems to be pretty fun to play.
Running into movie characters is about as cheezy as it was in SWG. Movie character voices kinda suck however it's not really important in the grand scheme of things.

Nothing really exciting or that stands out over other mmog's but they have some nice scripting stuff done to progress story and the game is extremely playable.

I enjoyed my time with this much more than I did the time I spent playing Vanguard.

I played over the weekend in the stress test event.

I didnt get to mess with the Player vs Monster Player, but the whole idea is innovation at work... something good and hardly seen in todays market.

I played it about 4-5 hours this weekend. Although it's a well made game that is fun to play, the MMOG genre just bored the bejesus out of me right now.

I would sit down, play an 45-60 minutes and then logout bored out of my mind(same with Vanguard in beta however I didn't try a 2nd time).

there are a lot of elements in LORTO that do seem WoW-ish in their implementation but there's enough differences so that LOTRO stands out as it's own game.

I hope for Turbine that this does well.

It does get a little boring, all those delivery quests...

We got an email offering a life-time membership for around $199. I'm not sure if that's just for beta testers or not. We were thinking about paying for it. What the hell, right?

Lalanae wrote:It does get a little boring, all those delivery quests...

We got an email offering a life-time membership for around $199. I'm not sure if that's just for beta testers or not. We were thinking about paying for it. What the hell, right?

I think it's pre-orders or somesuch. A great deal if you do plan on playing it for a very long time. Then again, playing for 3-4 months then coming back in 2 years won't give you free expansions =P

Lalanae wrote:It does get a little boring, all those delivery quests...

We got an email offering a life-time membership for around $199. I'm not sure if that's just for beta testers or not. We were thinking about paying for it. What the hell, right?

Probably because Turbine's last two games have churned customers so fast that most didn't make it out of their 30 day trial. I'm amazed that somone actually gave them another IP to work on.

I played it about 4-5 hours this weekend. Although it's a well made game that is fun to play, the MMOG genre just bored the bejesus out of me right now.

If I still had the time to be heavily into MMORPGs I think how I'd do things differently is instead of investing years into one game I'd just try getting into all the different betas I could. Spend a couple months with each one while it's fresh then move on to the next one.

Of course 6 years ago the options were rather limited so that really wasn't an option. Other than EQ there wasn't a whole lot out there. So anyway.. I'm tied to EQ now with no real desire to play others. Just wish I actually had the time to play!

I guess my stress test antics paid off. I got a private invite to Beta 2.

There is an NDA so, you know I cannot say a lot.

I got the try the Player versus Monster Player. It rocked.

If you liked the RvR in DAoC you will not be dissapointed here. I really cannot say much more than that, I will get back to you when I can release more info.

kyoukan wrote: Probably because Turbine's last two games have churned customers so fast that most didn't make it out of their 30 day trial. I'm amazed that somone actually gave them another IP to work on.

No doubt. (because I hate QFT)

Midway games is the publisher. Thier first MMO project as far as I know, and thier past seems pretty solid on putting out well coded projects.

Either someone at Midway, over estimated exactly how long this game would take to develop and get into a "release candidate"... or Turbine negotiated well with them, heavily considering how "unwell" thier last 2 lauches went with both AC2 and DDO.

Right now, this game is more than ready to ship, in regards to other MMOs that have went out over the past 3-4 years.

The interesting thing, they still have more than 2 month before launch. So they will be tweaking and polishing for that much longer, it is really amazing as right now I cannot see a damn thing that needs to be fixed at all.

Looking good for Middle Earth fans, and those looking for a rock solid MMO client that doesnt require a 3,000$ computer to run.

I have everything maxxed in the game for Video/Audio, it looks amazing and my hardware is the following.

P4, 3.0 Ghz = OC'd to 3.7 Ghz. (P4 is Hyperthreaded and the 1meg cache version)
Dual Channel DDR, running at 434 Mhz. ( 2 Gigabytes )
GeForce 6800 GT - OC, by BFG
RAID0 config on two 7200 RPM Western Digital, with the 8meg cache on each drive, using PCI Raid Controller
Abit motherboard, AGP, supports Hyperthread/Dual Channel, onboard LAN
PCI Audigy 2 sound

You can see most of my hardware is 3-4 years old. I think the good amount of RAM, the OC'd CPU and the good I/O bus with the RAID0 is what has kept my computer up to snuff over the longhaul, but if you have anything similar to what I do, then you should have no problems with LOTRO.

Wow. I just downloaded it today and played for an hour or so. Runs amazingly smooth, no glitches, no crashes, and it's so beautiful.

Yeah, I'm doing the download now. Will let you know what I think when I get in game tomorrow.

I'm playing on Brandywine server. Name is Durik, level 19 Champion. it would be fun to quest with whoever is in closed beta.

I'm enjoying the game, but I'm still playing on my backup video card which is really shitty. I have to play it at the absolute lowest settings possible, however I've seen the game played with high settings and I agree that it is a very beautiful game.

I'm on Brandywine as well. Name is Midnyte.

I'll look you two up tomorrow when the mondo patch is finished. (still nothing compared to Vanguard's 17gigs, but since I'm behind my campus' firewall, it's slow as a snail downloading 3 gigs)

Playing a Hunter now names Daellyn on Bradywine. Look me up

Janx wrote:

kyoukan wrote: Probably because Turbine's last two games have churned customers so fast that most didn't make it out of their 30 day trial. I'm amazed that somone actually gave them another IP to work on.

No doubt. (because I hate QFT)

QFT..

Played it a bit on the weekend.


Runs great but it's a really fucking gay game.

miir wrote:Played it a bit on the weekend.


Runs great but it's a really fucking gay game.

What makes it gay? Seriously.

I thought the scripting in the tutorial levels was really well done buti n the end the game just devolved into what is essentially a WoW clone, and WoW does it better than LOTRO.

As for as graphically however, LOTR does it technically prettier but it does lack that artistic flair that Blizzard gives all it's projects.

Overall a decent game. I would probably put it up on par with DaoC. Underrated and Underplayed but will most likely be around for a long time.

Animalor wrote:I thought the scripting in the tutorial levels was really well done buti n the end the game just devolved into what is essentially a WoW clone, and WoW does it better than LOTRO.

As for as graphically however, LOTR does it technically prettier but it does lack that artistic flair that Blizzard gives all it's projects.

Overall a decent game. I would probably put it up on par with DaoC. Underrated and Underplayed but will most likely be around for a long time.

The end game is bad? Rep grinding like WoW? Is that what you meant?

I meant "in the end" as in "when all is said and done".

Faction grinding is one of the things I dislike the most about WoW.

looks nice

Re: my comment on the sheer gayness of this game.



Ask yourself this.
After playing this game for more than few days, could you actually see yourself playing it for more than a month or two?


Sure it looks nice, it's polished and very stable... but it's so fucking boring and shallow.

I have played the game, and I enjoyed it. My one question is, what kind of content awaits us at the end? It does seem pretty repetitive, and with no PvP to speak of, as an end game player, I will be forced to rely on this content. I don't want to drop 50 bucks on a game that has no end game in sight. Does anyone have any knowledge of how they handle the high end players?

miir wrote:Re: my comment on the sheer gayness of this game.



Ask yourself this.
After playing this game for more than few days, could you actually see yourself playing it for more than a month or two?


Sure it looks nice, it's polished and very stable... but it's so fucking boring and shallow.

I felt that way after 2 weeks of Vanguard. I'm only on a aweek of LOTR so far and I don't see myself feeling that way at all. I plan on playign throughout Beta and then rerolling when it goes live and playing for a logn time. Vanguard = boring to me. But, that's the great thing with all these MMORPG's out there now. There is actually a difference in some of them and now can satisfy the gaming desires of all different types of folks.

I felt that way after 2 weeks of Vanguard. I'm only on a aweek of LOTR so far and I don't see myself feeling that way at all. I plan on playign throughout Beta and then rerolling when it goes live and playing for a logn time. Vanguard = boring to me. But, that's the great thing with all these MMORPG's out there now. There is actually a difference in some of them and now can satisfy the gaming desires of all different types of folks.

Two weeks?
I only ever saw you on a few times and your monk only made it to level 10.
I started a wizard alt the other day to fuck around and made level 10 in about 3-4 hours of playtime. You got to the equivalent of level 3 in diplomacy and did no tradeskilling or harvesting.

You barely even scratched the surface of what is probably the most indepth MMOG on the market (next to Eve).


I've put in a good 25-30 hours into LOTR and quite franky, the game is shallow and boring. It might be good for an occasional, casual/solo player like yourself but personally I can't seeing offering anything for me beyond the first month.

RAWR!!!

Damn you take this shit so seriously. Relax man.

I played for two weeks. Not two weeks of playtime. I got to level 36 diplomacy only. That's what I ended up doign most the time because I couldn't get into the game at all. I found it clumsy, dark, choppy as hell on low settings, graphics suck. Just a personal opinion. Like I said before, different strokes for different folks. No need to get so hostile about it.

That's how Miir rolls mid.

I just have fun reading the "game of the month" thread/forum and watching everyone blow wads over whatever game it is, then 75% of people stop playing it and move on as soon as something new comes out.

Funkmasterr wrote:I just have fun reading the "game of the month" thread/forum and watching everyone blow wads over whatever game it is, then 75% of people stop playing it and move on as soon as something new comes out.

This forum is full of fickle mush heads.

I hate how so many games coming out now is just disposable crap that has no replayability or longevity.

miir wrote:

Funkmasterr wrote:I just have fun reading the "game of the month" thread/forum and watching everyone blow wads over whatever game it is, then 75% of people stop playing it and move on as soon as something new comes out.

This forum is full of fickle mush heads.

I hate how so many games coming out now is just disposable crap that has no replayability or longevity.

I agree, it seems to me like game developers are getting really lazy. PC games are just as you described, console games are great, and a lot of them have good replay value but the single player part of the game is so damn short it's beyond disappointing.

I did the beta thing on this but I did not continue playing it. Not that it is not an outstanding game, but that my wife did not care for it all that much. She really liked it, but, does not like doing the beta thing with character wipes and such. There is a strong posibility that we will pick it up after retail. The only thing I did not care for was the limited ammount of characters to choose from. If they added 4 more and some other classes, it would be top notch.

Kaldaur wrote:I'll look you two up tomorrow when the mondo patch is finished. (still nothing compared to Vanguard's 17gigs, but since I'm behind my campus' firewall, it's slow as a snail downloading 3 gigs)

VG's download is only 6.5 gigs. The full size is from file extraction.

Open Beta starts Friday the 30th. Founders, pre-order folk, get to keep their characters through game release date of April 24th.

Mid and I and a few others will be starting on the same server, which one we haven't decided yet. I've got a few friends who will be joining me. If anyone is interested in joining us, drop me a line and let me know so we can keep an eye out for you.

server names are available, or are you waiting for other people to decide which will be located in the best area for them before deciding?

I just found out today that there are no official International servers or roleplaying servers. We've decided on Landroval as our server.

Is perspective from 3rd person or 1st person...or can it be toggled between the two?

Can be switched with mouse wheel. I prefer third person, but the first person gives you a chance to see the monsters up close, which is truly something.

Okie dokie - I am in!

I created three characters on Landroval

Moonwynd - Elf Lore-master
Bombil - Hobbit Guardian
Thyme - Man Minstrel

I am going the Lore-master route to see if I like it first - I will try the Guardian and Minstrel as well during this open beta.

Hope to see some of you there soon.

Regards,

Moon

I'm in on Lnadroval as well.

Isiliador - Champion
Midnyte - Minstrel
Daellyn - Hunter

I'm Kaldaur, the dwarven champion. I will have another character I'll be duoing with a friend, but Kal is gonna be my main. I've already said hello to Moon, everyone else should come out and join us

Whats the best fan site for info on this game that breaks down skills/classes etc?

The bastards never invited me into the beta.

I am not home to start up my characters, but I talked to a couple friends about starting up on that server as well. I think they are planning on starting the same Kinship up: Jormungandr. The guild site http://jorm.voltage-guild.com should be finished this weekend.

Sounds good Boog. I'd be in favor of joining up all together. I hate that name, but I can turn off guild tags, hehe

More screenies on the chars?

Lets see some screenies on the diff classes?

Looks like they spent some thought on the classes, good variety and everyone brings different things to the group/table.

Burglar

The Burglar is a group support character, with a variety of moves that weaken or expose an opponent, are very effective against single enemies (where the burglar can use his debuffs to his advantage), but weak against multiple foes. The burglar gains a form of stealth (Sneak) and, presumably the ability to open locked items. Burglar is the major conjunction starter. The Burglar's skill Trip, which is used while sneak appears to be their main conjunction starter(Powerfull attack used in groups). Burglars have a skill called "Riddle". Riddle is a skill that works on humanoid targets; it's a stun that turns into mesmerise, you ask an Orc "What have I got in my pockets?" and he ponders this point, if you do not attack but simply walk away he will continue to ponder it for a while.

Captain

The Captain is a well balanced class, with the ability to both solo and group effectively. A captain's strength lies in beneficial effects for his party. A major focus in group combat is the captain's herald, a combat "pet" who also carries a banner that buffs the fellowship, colloquially known as "mansam". The captain has a lot of things in combat that it can react to; it designates the main target, uses beneficial cries when enemies fall and can heal and protect its fellows. The captain is effectively the group leader.

Champion

The Champion is a master of offence. Champions specialize in dual-wielding or two-handed combat and emphasize on consistent dealing damage. They can also grab a shield and play off-tank, since he possesses almost as much morale as a Guardian. Some champion skills are best for one versus one fighting, others "Engage the Tide" ("area of effect" skills). His fervour can increase the damage he does, but leaves him open for any attacks. In the end, a Champion's best defense, is a strong offence.

Guardian

The Guardian is the sturdy defensive warrior, able to taunt monsters into attacking them over their more vulnerable team mates. A Guardians more advanced skills are based off of response events, specifically Block and Parry. For instance, when a Guardian blocks an enemy blow, a shield swipe can be played during a small window of opportunity. Such skills, and the skills that chain off of them, are what makes the Guardian so effective. Parry skills tend to do higher damage, while Block skills are better for defense.

Hunter

Hunter is a ranged combatant, with powerful damaging abilities at range but very limited in close combat. The hunter also has wilderness skills such as traps and tracking. Special traps can be purchased or made by crafters. Due to their ability to use traps Hunters are excellent at soloing against a single target, even of higher level. However because their main damage dealing abilities are highly interpretable Hunters have difficulty dealing with large groups of opponents even of slightly lower levels. Hunters inventory is not cluttered with arrows, due to the usual inventory hassle. Hunters may choose to carry particular consumables for special shots (flame arrows, for an example). The Hunter has an aiming system called Focus. As long as the Hunter stays in one place, each shot of his bow increases his Focus, which can then be used to fire special shots. Another way of gaining focus is through the use of certain skills either just before or during combat. The Hunter and the Champion share the titles of main damage dealers.

Lore-Master

Lore-master is considered to be the party's main buffer/de-buffer and also the best crowd controller in game. With his knowledge of nature and lore he can befriend animals amongst which include Ravens (useful for distracting, and can make a ranged foe switch to melee), Bears and eventually an Eagle. The Lore-master can use his mastery of ancient lore to produce simple magical and quasi-magical effects. He knows the ancient names and sings the ancient songs. The Lore-Master has a major heal known as "Lend Hope" which transfers morale from his Morale pool to another player's.

Minstrel

Minstrel, although initially thought only to be a support character, can solo very well due to their damaging shouts and support skills (the main being healing.) Minstrels have beneficial songs to buff group members and harmful songs which debuff foes. They can sing ballads which unlock higher level songs if done in sequence during battle. The Minstrel also can play the widest variety of musical instruments.

I played a champion till lvl 20. I enjoyed whooping on shit as a Champion(especially the animations), but the class was underdeveloped. Champions are supposed to be the best dps class, yet they are only the best dps when it comes to AE dmg(whirlwind, cleave type stuff).

Loremaster and Ranger were both better dps, especially on single targets, and had other useful skills to boot, like traps and crowd control. Often when in a Fellowship(group), the monsters would be killed or almost dead from ranged DPS before I could even get a hit on:P

It's always like that in todays MMORPGS, the mobs die to ranged attacks/spells BEFORE the melee-dps has reached the mob!

I hate it, but i refuse to play a ranged class.

Champ was the only appealing class to me, darn they always do this to me in every game.

Still, Captain aka SquadLeader sounds somewhat entertaining...but a group is probably a must for that class.