LOTRO

[Tessian]

I think I remember back when it came out that someone here was playing Lord of the Rings Online... Seraphina maybe? Is it still being played? Still successful?

[Shellie]

It's funny you ask. I reactivated my subscription today since I'll be off work for another 3 weeks.

I like the game, but if I don't have any in game friends I get bored easy, but this was the same with me and WoW as well.

Really there's not a whole lot different between it and WoW, but I find that there are a lot less kiddies playing it, and everyone is very friendly and willing to help, etc.

It's been a while since I played, like 5-6 months, so I'm trying to relearn everything, especially how to play my Minstrel.

[Tessian]

It's funny you ask. I reactivated my subscription today since I'll be off work for another 3 weeks.

I like the game, but if I don't have any in game friends I get bored easy, but this was the same with me and WoW as well.

Really there's not a whole lot different between it and WoW, but I find that there are a lot less kiddies playing it, and everyone is very friendly and willing to help, etc.

It's been a while since I played, like 5-6 months, so I'm trying to relearn everything, especially how to play my Minstrel.

I downloaded the trial but didn't activate it yet... I'm afraid to get sucked back into an MMO as I've been so good in staying away since WoW (almost 3 years now!).

Do you find LOTRO the same as WoW in that you need to set aside a few hours at least to play, or is it more able to pick up and leave as you please?

Also, what server or whatnot are you on? If I decide to activate the account (maybe Sunday? if that) I'll make sure to go on your server at least. I love Turbine-- Asheron's Call remains my favorite MMO of all time and it tore me apart to see AC2 fall apart thanks to Microsoft (especially because I had a FREE ACCOUNT FOR LIFE..rrrr). I see the game's dropped to $20, but $15/month adds up quick.

[Shellie]

You can definitely log on, do a few solo quests, or join a group and do a 4 hour major fellowship quest.

I am on Windfola, but my previous kinship (guild) disbanded while I was gone, so I really don't know many people anymore.

My char name is Maelynn, and I am a lvl 36 Minstrel

Turbine is the reason I decided to beta test it, and because I did, my membership fee is 9.99 a month..like the old days of AC hehe. Like you, I loved AC and played for many years....I sure do miss it! I was really hoping AC2 would do well, it was very pretty compared to AC heh

[Tessian]

Sounds good so far... but when you say you can do either (alone or with big groups) is that feasible? Like WoW you can play either way too, but if you don't do the big groups later in levels you're at a severe disadvantage.

[Shellie]

Well, I havent hit the big stuff yet, but mostly what happens is you get a shit ton of quests. Some of them are soloable quests and some of them are for fellowhips. There are more soloable ones than fellowship ones, but some of them, depending on your class, you will need help with, which isnt usually too hard to find.

[Tessian]

I'm going to be playing this afternoon... most likely as Tessian.

I'm reading about refer a friend... is the special pricing you have referred to as the Founders Program?? If so it says you can give that to 10 friends

http://www.lotro.com/referral/?utm_sour ... n=Referral

[Shellie]

Yep, Founder's pricing. I sent you a referral I didnt see that!

[Shellie]

Actually, it doesnt like the email address you have on the forum. I dont know why, it says invalid email address. Do you have another one?

[Tessian]

Thanks again for the help in game Seraph, it was a lot of fun (if not a little easy ).

It was nice to play an MMO like that again... I think it seems that while WoW and LOTRO are very similar that LOTRO does a few things that are better. The way they organize quests and deeds (and deeds themselves are pretty cool) is very nice. The quests being organized into stories that then reach a grand finale is pretty cool as well. Crafting still appears as dull as in WoW (although I only glanced at it) and travel doesn't seem to be a bitch, yet. The quests and stories are actually interesting to read, although sometimes the number of quests you get in a town at once can be a bit staggering.

I now have to play a careful balance as to how much I play this game... the last thing I want is to start being derelict in everything else, but the fact that I can buy the game for $20 and only pay $10/month for it is pretty enticing. It's Turbine's trade mark, but even after only playing for 3 hours I feel more connected to the storyline and what's going on than I ever did in WoW.


As for the High Res textures, Seraph, I think they're for the Very High and Ultra High settings... the game auto-sensed me at High. Maybe later I'll try turning it up a few notches and seeing what happens.

If anyone else would like to join us-- go grab the 7 day trial on their website. If you're interested in getting it ask Seraph to send you an invite which will then allow you to get the $10/month if you buy it.

[Shellie]

I agree about the quests. You have regular quests that in themselves are stories..but then you have your main storyline quests which are organized into books and chapters. I dont know if you have gotten into those yet.

I didnt mention one thing I love, the fellowship maneuvers! While in a fellowship, either randomly or initiated by certain classes, everyone in that fellowship will get a notice about a maneuver started. You then click one of four colors to make a maneuver. Depending on what color and in what order everyone clicks, you can generate maneuvers that can be very powerful and even life saving. Some combinations will summon a beast to do massive dmg, or do a HOT, or a DOT, or heal everyone in the group, or restore all power (mana). I cant tell you how many times this has saved a fellow I have been in on a large quest. And if you have a burglar in your group, they have a skill to actually start them...I dont know what the conditions for the skill are though.

Cool stuff. Yes, crafting is boring..isnt it like that in every game? However, I just do the "gathering" type professions so I can make some money on the side.

[Tessian]

Cool stuff. Yes, crafting is boring..isnt it like that in every game? However, I just do the "gathering" type professions so I can make some money on the side.

Yes it is, which is why I said it was as dull as WoW

Thanks to the Oscars nothing's on TV tonight-- back into Dereth... er, I mean Middle Earth, I go

[Shellie]

Did I mention Monster Play...where you play a monster and take part in PvsMP?

[Fea]

I'm interested in playing - if only it was iMac friendly. Will have to wait until we get a new PC.

[Chris]

Cool stuff. Yes, crafting is boring..isnt it like that in every game? However, I just do the "gathering" type professions so I can make some money on the side.

Yes it is, which is why I said it was as dull as WoW

Thanks to the Oscars nothing's on TV tonight-- back into Derith... er, I mean Middle Earth, I go

so that's what I felt in my sleep last night.....dude stay the fuck out of my ass hole

[Tessian]

so that's what I felt in my sleep last night.....dude stay the fuck out of my ass hole

Keep dreamin Chris


I'm really caught right now... luckily I have a week to decide but I'm really not sure if I want to allow myself to get thrown back into an MMO or not. It's nothing against LOTRO, if I was to subscribe to an MMO I believe it'd be this one now, but I'm not sure if I want to take that plunge back into such a time sink. Money isn't really the issue I guess... at $20 for the software and $10/month (thanks to Seraph) it'd be almost nothing in terms of cost...

Guess it comes down to whether or not I can trust myself to be more disciplined with the game than I used to be with WoW, SWG, AC2, AC1, although even those I managed to keep decent grades in school/college.

Anyone else have this kind of struggle, with any MMO? I'm more afraid I'll let it eat up all my free time and I'll neglect what little social life I have left.

[Tessian]

I'm interested in playing - if only it was iMac friendly. Will have to wait until we get a new PC.

Just for the hell of it... how bad is your current windows PC? Or do you mean you only have an imac so you need to get a new one first?

[Andrew, Killer Bee]

Our current Windows PC is so bad it's dead . Half the RAM and the power supply died at the same time and I couldn't be bothered fixing it, given its age and the fact we have the Mac for general-purpose computing. I'm hoping to grab a new PC some time within the next couple of months.

[Shellie]

I was up again until 4am(maybe 5..lol) playing last night. I had a blast, but man..near the end I could barely even tell what was going on I was so tired lol Not good when you play a healer hehe

At some point during my hiatus of the game, my guild disappeared back to DDO. However, I grouped with the leader of one of the biggest guilds on the server, and he was pretty cool. So I joined along with a couple other people I met last night.

I'm scouring the LOTRO class forums for info on how to improve playing a healer. Some things have changed since Ive been gone and Im always really insecure when I play in a fellowship.

Anyway, just let me know if anyone wants a referral. All it costs is your time in downloading the trial

[Kupek]

Anyway, just let me know if anyone wants a referral. All it costs is your time in downloading the trial :)

And your soul.

Sorry for trolling in your MMO thread, I just couldn't help myself.

[Shellie]

lol....and Im starting to feel like my soul has been compromised...

[bovine]

I am willing to join, but probably not until this semester is over. I hope you guys are still playing then.

[Tessian]

I put in another solid 2 hours tonight... got myself to level 12. I almost feel at times like I'm rushing the game, but I guess I can't tell yet which quests are important to read and do and which ones are just quick XP.

One thing I'm liking that's becoming more apparent is the Epic quests... I think Seraphina explained it earlier but basically it's a line of quests that follows a storyline. The one I've been doing is trying to save a Ranger from turning into another Naz'ghul. It breaks up the monotony of some quests, although a lot of them have decent mini story lines to them too... although if I have to walk 60ft between two fucking hobbits cause they're too fucking lazy to walk and propose to each other I'll scream

[Shellie]

Yeah the Epics are the main storyline quests of the game. They're the ones that basically follow the main story of the books.


Oh, and just wait till you get to the Shire and those crazy hobbitses quests....oh man....

[Tessian]

Oh, and just wait till you get to the Shire and those crazy hobbitses quests....oh man....

I don't have to help them court one another again, do I? Stupid fatasses... "Can you kill the bears around her farm? I'm sure she'll like that"

[Shellie]

lol..don't blame the hobbits..they have little legs

[Shellie]

LOTRO expansion coming out in Fall 2008: The Mines of Moria

http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com/

Level cap increased to 60
2 new classes: Rune-Keeper and Warden

[Tessian]

Sounds neat... although I dunno how I like a whole world underground. I do enjoy the sun every now and then... ESPECIALLY with DirectX 10 enabled; holy crap is the game beautiful with it on.

[Shellie]

SHUSH!