f13.net

I need SOMETHING that is actually good fantasy, but not WoW.  Is the game dead?  Are there still active servers?  What is the most active server?  It seems like ever server in any MMO I'm ever on ends up a ghost town. 

I am the lone player haunting Arkenstone. Go play Brandywine with the rest of the cool kids.

Thanks!  It must be fun to just scream profanity in random zones with no consequences.  I am surprised they keep that server up just for you though. 

I'd say it's pretty bustling with activity, atleast EU-side, expansion and all. It has a high "altage value" so I doubt you'd be alone even today if starting from scratch.

I'm enjoying it, it's got a bit of a chilled out vibe going.

Brandywine is bumping most times, and i think over all, interest, and subscribers are on the rise. They really dod do alot with this expansion and i would recommend anyone who tried it before, give it another shot.

I still don't see any free trial on the LotRO webpage.  :heartbreak:  I was hoping to give it a try over the holiday break.

I have two 14 day buddy keys for a Europe trial of LOTRO if anyone wants one.  Any US players with some free for other people?

Edit, there's a link for the EU here (http://www.codemasters.co.uk/trylotro/trialkey.php).  Seems to let you generate your own key.

I do, if anyone is interested just send me a PM with your email address and I'll send it your way.

It seems you can download the US version of the game from this link (http://turbine.fuzeqna.com/lotro.support/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=1554).

For the EU, use this link (http://www.codemasters.co.uk/trylotro/trialkey.php) to get a key and (I guess) download the EU version of the game.

I think i have 2 left. I also know where a download is for the full client, fast and free.

Brandywine seems the biggest server (had the longest queues at MoM launch), followed by either Landroval  (RP) or Elendilmir (my server).

I  think there are a couple of serious non-WoW AAA alternatives out there:  EQ2, Eve, CoX and LotRO.  Without going over the edge,  my spouse and I  have been genuinely surprised at the community, depth and play (e.g. leveling curve, challenge, design) of LotRO.   Nothing wrong with WoW, we just find LotRO a much better home.  Depend on what you want.  If PvP I would take Eve hands down.  For PvE I think LotRO wins.


Edit: even FoH have been kicking the tires over LotRO recently and mulling a move (http://www.fohguild.org/forums/mmorpg-general-discussion/33576-lotro-expansion-mines-moria.html).  So the pop maybe going up.

I've got a handful of US buddy keys as well if anyone else ends up needing one.

I'm out of keys now.

When I get bored with WoW, I usually go back to LotRO first.  I think the next time I go back it will be for a much longer time, as there's no new games coming out in the next few years that I'm interested in. 

Downloading now, figured I'd give it a shot. Anyone have an extra buddy key?

PM'd you one, let me know if you use it or if I entered it wrong.

To me, LotRO and DAoC have a strange disconnected feel when controlling a character. There's something not-EQ and not-WoW in the interface that makes me feel more distant from the fantasy world, whether in first-person or third-person view. Can't quite put my finger on it, but I lasted a day in DAoC and then less every time I tried to give it another go. Same thing with LotRO, it feels like a plastic imitation MMO compared with the feel of the games I've been able to get into. Does anyone know what I mean?

Any US keys still available, and (assuming so) is the fuzeqna link still the best download source?  Post WAR-failure it looks like LOTRO is my best shot to enjoy an MMO until TOR crushes my spirits permanently.

Fuzeqna link downloads a small 800k downloader.

Running that downloader capped me out at 1.8 down. Its pretty good.

Honestly the game doesnt pick up until around 20 - there are some great group quests before then, and lots and lots of solo content, but your character doesnt flesh out skill wise until around then.

I rolled a minstrel and was underwhelmed - then I hit 20ish, and its been a blast since.  Especially in groups!

I'm also gonna ask for a US key.

I played for about 6 months in beta, and nothing since then, so I figured I'd check it out.

Anyone have a trial key left?  I've decided to give this a shot.  Its been a couple months since hanging it up in warhammer and I have the itch.

I'm definately going back to LOTRO in a couple of weeks.  I have a 50 Minstrel on Arkenstone.  I got my Mage to 80 in WoW and I'm trying to do all Northrend instances, just need Oculus, CoT: Strat and HoS now.

Any US trial keys kicking around?

I believe I can do buddy invites - pm me your email addresses and I will put it in.

PM sent.  Many many thanks.

I have a limited number of buddy passes i can pass out as well still, PM me with your real e-mail addy and i will send it, first come first serve.

Cheddar,

I PMed you again not to send.  I downloaded the client but it won't even connect.  Turbine apparently doesn't want me to play on American servers from Japan.  My usual workaround that works on Hulu and for buying games on Steam (Anchorfree Hotspot Shield) doesn't help with this- connecting to their service must not be browser-based in the sense this is.  Well, fuck Turbine.  Even WAR, for all its failings, let me play on American servers from here.

This sounds very strange. I can play on US realms from Sweden, so if anything, it's be a region specific block since I know people on US servers playing from other parts of Asia. Possibly it's blocked because Japan has its own release of LotRO. It might be worth asking Turbine themselves.

You were right.  I was just stupid and didn't realize I was trying to login during the servers being down for a patch.  But in my defense, usually when servers are down in other games you can still make it to the login screen before you are cut off- not being able to connect right away threw me off.  Its allowing me to patch now.

AFAIK, you normally do, but I'm guessing also the web fronts (lotro.com) were down for maintenance (likely due to the my.lotro.com beta.) Here in Europe we usually got a "Maintenance day - servers are currently offline" in the newsfeed.

Excuses, excuses. :oh_i_see:

Edit: I can't spell maintenance.

Cheddar-

Was just talking to an irl friend who I didn't know played LOTRO, he sent me a buddy key.  So thanks anyway and give it to a more desrving soul...

soooo, you do or do not want it?   :grin:

FYI - as far as I know the client itself is region based; if you are in Europe downloading the American client will get you American servers.  

Brandywine sever for the new people.

Correct.

FYI, via the official boards it seems all the hosts are in Boston MA area.  So there are no West/East US servers. 

Thanks Cheddar!

Sorry for my unclarity.  I now have a key, thanks again for the offer anyway.

Bleh, the DL link in the email sent to me doesn't work.

I was looking through the classes- straight tanks never appeal to me, and I don't like straight healers either.  Are Loremasters welcome in groups?  Good at solo?  I normally hate pet classes, but this one appeals to me for some reason.

Every class can find a group; LoTRO is extremely group friendly and flexible.  Classes are not SUPER WTF RIGID and everyone can provide multiple roles within the group.  Also every class can solo; albeit to varying degrees, and depending on your skill.  Here is my personal breakdown (opinion based, but pretty accurate) broken down as to Solo (Easy, Medium, Hard) and wether its hard to find a group (completely discounting actual USEFULLNESS within a group):

Champion  Solo = Easy/  Group = Medium
Guardian  Solo = Hard/ Group = Medium
Burglar  Solo = Easy/  Group = Medium
Minstrel  Solo = Extremely Hard/ Group = Extremely Easy
Lore Master  Solo = Medium/  Group = Medium
Captain  Solo = Medium/   Group = Medium
Hunter  Solo = Extremely Easy/  Group = Hard


Ignored the 2 new classes as very few people have 40+ on them yet.  I have never had a problem getting into a group as a Champion - arguably the most popular class along with Hunter. 

This would be correct, there is a link in the threads here, the one in the buddykey e-mail would lead to the removed trial.

What Cheddar said. 

The only time I have ever seen PUG spam looking for a specific role (burg, tank, healer) was for 50+ instances.  And even then, it's rare to see it. 

The key in LotRO is a full group at the quest level cap because you can steamroll a lot of things, even if it's a group of minstrels.  BECAUSE even minstrels get a "going solo" ability they can toggle to go into melee kicking mode (heals get nerfed, defense goes up).  There's a lot of agility it seems for classes in groups.  And there are "conjunctions" which some classes can trigger (these are like EQ2 "heroic opportunities").

Guardian is hard to solo? Damn, I should try one of the other classes one of these days. I can't even begin to imagine what they would be capable of when I solo orange mobs in my 40s.

I don't think soloing with a Guard is hard, more like tedious if you are used to a Hunter. :oh_i_see:  My baby guardian is tough to kill and persistence wins plenty of fights, or allows me to run run run.  Then again I haven't tried it post-20.

The LFF I see will often just say if they already have a minstrel or not, but that's about it.

The utility of the classes in this game is spectacular.

I solo reds on my 26 minstrel - my Champion was soloing orange signatures by 20.   :grin:


edit.  A quick addendum.  I can solo reds with my min, but cannot take on 2 whites without my ass clenching. 

Well damn.

I think the classes are spectacular period. There's so much more to them than meets the eye. I'm still learning the quirks of my LM, a year and a half after rolling it. Although, that class on the other hand is absolutely bloated with stuff.

Yep.  The captain is spectacular.  Very cool class and not like anything I've ever played.

what's that Friar Tuck looking pet they get?  Is that a healer of some kind?  or just a Dom DeLuise look-a-like for laughs?

It's basically a normal pet.  Goes and does damage for you.  Your typically still main damage and focus of mob though.  What rocks in groups is the group buffs you get. 

I think I'm going to be picking this game up for christmas.  I'm thinking Burglar vs. Captain.  I like 'hard' classes to play, with plenty of options and versatility.  I also like underplayed classes with grouping potential.

Both are wonderful (my 2 favorite classes).  Captain is MUCH more group oriented.  Both can solo, both provide a very useful role in a group, both have a TON of abilities to choose from.  Especially burglar, who is very very tactical.

Just be aware that the burglar isn't really a wow-rogue clone, so much as a group enabler and debuffer.  They're the primary class that can start fellowship conjunctions on demand.

This url seems to work for trial keys in the US, but I can't tell for sure:

http://www.codemasters.com/trylotro/trialkey.php

Doesn't seem to work. I copied the key and went and tried to enter it into the US account product key field and it says invalid. I guess you have to use it with the European version.

If anyone still has a buddy key left, I'd like to give it a whirl again. I played in beta and liked it, but never bothered to buy it. Might be something to get for Christmas.  :awesome_for_real:

I believe I have 1 key left - pm me your email addy.

I have keys left too.

Actually I have 3 left, now.   :awesome_for_real:

Question #2:  Is there any reason for me to get Mines of Moria as a noob that will likely never get past level 20?

2 new classes, crafting guilds...ETC. That, and while you can get the original for like 15-20$, MoM is only 39 and includes the original too. (http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72242)

Not that I entirely encourage this, and I more or less agree with Bloodworth on just buying MoM, but you can get the original game for $12, or $13 for the collector's edition from Amazon, both cheaper than the price of a month to play.

The issue with that is, Patching. You will have to download every patch up to Moria, and then Moria.  :uhrr:

I tossed my DVD in the bin a month ago figuring I'd never play. Should have known. But anyway, you can download the entire high definition MOM client  (http://turbine.fuzeqna.com/lotro.support/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=1554&SearchType=advanced&referrer=&CustID=&rfield=&usertype=&formaction=search&bUseEditor=&IncludeHTML=&gpn=&gpv=&keyword=&match=and&catID1=4&catID2=9&catID3=&sortmethod=rel+desc%2C+datemodified&submitbutton=Go)and there's almost no patching and it will work with an unupgraded account.

I did say I didn't encourage it.  There's also the fact that you're inevitably going to be picking up Moria if you like the game in the long run anyhow, unless you hold out for their next expansion and get it rolled up there, but who knows when that'll happen.

I am such a tard - I never realized there was a HIGH DEFINITION version of the client!

Is anyone using this?  How does it look?  Will it make my system go up in smoke if I load?

Unless they changed something from when they launched, it just lets you use the higher quality textures (I believe it's Very High in the settings), but it's possible and likely they've changed something more significant while I wasn't paying attention.

I use it, i run on ultra. As for smoking, whats your system specs? Its just higher top end resolution images (textures). Manly video ram will be your limiter i guess. (if you installed from disk, you have this already)

It's very high textures, in the beta and the first year of release, you had to have the DVDs.

The performance seems to be almost infinitely better than the last time I played, I have the DX10 shadows running and still no problems. Before I had to turn them off and downgrade so much. And I haven't even monkeyed with the flashdrive thing yet. (I need to snag an 8gb flash from work and see if its worth buying for myself.)

After a few days I am having a blast.  The atmosphere in this game is second to none.  I actually feel like I am in a WORLD, which I never felt in Warhammer or AoC (WoW comes close to LOTRO on this point, but LOTRO has the edge).  I have the urge sometimes to just do nothing but run and try to see everything.

Unlike WAR, the deeds are few enough to matter and feel fun, you don't get one every two minutes because you opened your graphics options enough times.  The one thing WAR had that I wish LOTRO did was easier quest directions.  Many quests seem vaguely Mankrik-ish, and a couple I've just plain given up on after an hour of searching (fuck you, Filbert's Handkerchief). 

Overall, very positive.  I have 3-4 days left in trial, but I think I will give this a month's sub shot. 

I would kill for a Quest helper or the glowing zones on the map from Conan and War. Flipping back and forth to the dynamic map is a pita and I notice it doesn't have any Moria maps on it.

Quests, and directions. I normally give it that good ole collage try, then, if i am done with that. Ask on /advice. You will get a response rather quickly.

I play the game for the atmosphere and it is awesome. There's a bit of a breakdown in the mid-20s where there are a zillion kill boars quests (and I do mean a zillion and I do mean specifically killing boars) but if you can tough it out through that you're golden.

I'm having a ton of fun on this, my third go. Still playing WoW and still raiding but LOTRO is an amazing downtime/casual/everyday time slice game.

JC on a popsicle stick, I'd forgotten just how easy it is to get killed in this game and that with dread it actually has teeth, even if only a few teeth. Way to used to ez mode WoW/EQ2.

I miss uo rares I guess, I have given up leveling till this Yule festival is over, doing the yule quests takes up all my time.  Having fun and finally got a snow globe, at some point I must remember to get a house so I can actually see it.

Keys still available?

Just upgraded my computer a few days ago and this game runs amazingly well with everything maxed out. I have no idea how they can manage to have an MMO run this well and look this good and everyone else just sucks at it.

PM me your email address.

PM sent

Thanks again for the key Cheddar, but I haven't been able to play.

The internet service in my town is shit. Whenever it rains too heavily or the wind blows too much, the power goes out, and if someone farts the internet goes down.

lol No problem.  There is no pressure to sign up or anything - its just a way to let you gyus try it before committing cash money.   :awesome_for_real:

Thanks Cheddar. I am 6 atm, gonna play a little more tonite. Hunter currently styling my pimp hat!

I've been playing for a week and a half, level 23 captain. I actually really enjoy the game. The PvE is fun, grouping is fun, good economy, good crafting system, huge world, ect ect ect.

My ONLY gripe is blue screening while in GB. I come to find out I'm BSOD'ing because of an audio DLL used by the game, made my creative, that has been causing BSODs for over a year. Turbine knows about it, creative knows about it, yet its still going on. I found multiple treads on the tech forums about it and the only solution that works now is to disable sound/run software sound. Its frustrating and there is no reason for it to still be in the game.

The boar thing was specifically referenced in their first content patch a long while back:

http://lotro.mmodb.com/quests/a-striking-absence-of-boar-1374.php (http://lotro.mmodb.com/quests/a-striking-absence-of-boar-1374.php)

That no boars quest shows a startling self-deprecation and makes me smile. When I quit, it was because of the fucking boar quests.

There are many of the newer zones that are lacking of boars, or boar quests. In fact, they understand the issue, hence that quest, the yule quest "moar-boar" and of course, the various references to needing more boars and whatnot littered through out the lands.

I think they have done something in the last six months or so. It runs far better than it did in the past on the same system, both times with a new intall.

They're continueously tweaking the engine. Usually each patch introduces some new fairly minor graphical effect, which requires some sub-system to be recoded for the better. This is the case with sprite rendering, atmospherics, particles, far plane culling and other tidbits that I've spotted in patch notes over the year. The entire lighting model was rebuilt for Moria, from what I know. So, yeah, things are happening behind the scenes.

If anyone has a US key available, I wouldn't mind checking this out and see how it's changed since Open Beta. Be nice to find a fantasy game to play when I get tired of losing spaceships.  :roll:

PM me your email.

So when I last left this game I think I was about level 34 and faced with another mind numbingly dull run across Ost Somewhereorother.  I'm thinking about updating and having another go but is it worth getting the xpac before I get to 50?  Basically, apart from new classes (because oh god no!), what does the xpac offer people who aren't level capped?

No.  Wait until 45.

Thanks.

Now, next question.  Your avatar - what is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1nzEFMjkI4

TechnoViking does not dance to the music.  The music dances to TechnoViking.

I hit the wall tonight which is 5 days? I going to dissent bigtime here. I just can't play a 2002 game anymore. The graphics and atmosphere are great, but pretty much everything else is just dismal. I want to love it just like I did at release, but it's still crap and I don't see that anything has really been fixed that was wrong a year and a half ago.

The UI is horrible and can't be configured at all. This is just unforgiveable in 2008. You can move parts, but not other parts. And mostly all you can do is skin it. I don't want an aggro meter or a healbot that heals for me. I just want to be able to move the action bars in the middle a bit to the right so I can fit my chat window in the left lower corner. I want to tweak the icons so I can see when my buffs run out. Well I can't do that. I realize that's a bit trivial, but why put up with it when I don't have to. And someone still needs to teach Turbine what an icon is. Those aren't icons, they're very very small paintings and they all look alike particularly if you're trying to keep track of buffs or debuffs.

The LFG system is useless. I was LFG the entire time as a minstrel and got not a nibble. There's no global LFF channel and the player made one, Barrens Chat GLFF, was no help. This has been my biggest gripe in the game, it's just not possible to group and the game is designed around grouping. I log into EQ2 or WoW and I have a group in ten or fifteen minutes, so I don't think it's me. It doesn't help that the populations are really really low. I was on Landroval, I can't imagine what other servers are like.

Getting anywhere has for me been an exercise in death by green and grey. If your aggro radius is X, then mobs seem randomly placed every X-1 units regardless of terrain or road. Combined with confusing maps and a lack of UI enhancements to navigate and what you end up with is a load of frustration. Nothing like slogging your way through mobs for 20 minutes to get somewhere only to find a blank mountain wall then check your map and see your location is right on what looks like a road somewhere. Or to try to run through a bunch of greys, snag a green and get mobbed.

Quest levels still don't seem to flow well. I had an insane amount of lt blue and green and now I'm running out. They're mostly easy and low xp really. Now I can't find anything new but orange. My log is full of group quests, empty of solo or small group quests, and I have no idea where to go to find more that I can actually do.

The new combat system is to me no more interesting than the old one, it is just fiddling around for the sake of fiddling. It took a lot of the balance they had gotten to and threw it out the window for no apparent improvement.

Sorry, but I'm just not seeing it.

here's some possible advice, take of it what you will:

1. the chat box is probably my biggest complaint.  Next is the in-game map.  You can reduce all text to 14 pt font and change colors , but that's about it.  You can only have 6 tabs.  You can fliter what text (e.g. combat, glff) goes to which tab.

2.  you can move every bar, and you can strip the main hotbar of the bookends with a clean skin.  Check lotroui.com I think for ideas.  Every "quickslot" can be reduced/increased in size and can be moved.  It would be impossible to play without that for me.  Here's some tips:
* go into options, go to quickslots
* there are 5 quickslots, of 10 possible slots each
* press "always show quickslot #" and then open inventory to see where the bar appears
* press "shift+/" to unlock all windows -- move the quickslot where you want
* go into options and then ui settings -- scroll down and you will see the general increase/reduce every window.  Find quickslots -- you can increase/reduce the size of every quicklot.
*because I move my character vitals window to the lower right of my screen there is always some space there (because the vitals widget won't go all the way down).  You can put a quickslot in there if you want.
* I have all quickslots full with abilities, food, pots, and macros.  They are invaluable, but it takes some time to figure it out. 

3. Here's my quick write-up of how to make buttons. (http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=15441.msg565170#msg565170) 

4. Make sure you have a map button with ;loc.  Here's a quick write-up that explains how to make a ;loc button  (http://www.mmorpg-info.org/lotro/im-lost-locations-in-lotro/) with it to send a tell just to you.

5. glff and gooc are handy.  Right now they are kind of Barrens chat.  But I have found it 100% successful to spam LFG in glff, lff (which is local region) and then /region and /occ or /gooc.  gooc and ooc actually have never, ever let me down for PUG.  Honestly, if lff and glff aren't working, go try /gooc or /ooc.  Because the chat box sucks you have to try other channels some times. 

6. There's more content in larger zones in LotRO than in WoW.  And that can overwhelm you with quest tracking.  For example, one zone may have 4-6 smaller sub-zones and each of them have their own boss and elite quests.  You can roll up to a new zone like the Lone Lands and end up with 10-25 new quests if you are already lvl 23.  If you do that for every zone the cognitive load is too much.  Too many quests to track.   I quit originally because of a few things, but also because I had a full quest log (40) and none of them showed me where to go easily etc.  Best advice then is to try and stick with one zone at a time, because they are so large and leave only when you can't finish an elite quest.  That is the method my wife and I have found that works, because everyone else is doing it as well.

7. so yeah, try to finish one zone at a time.  When you have an elite group quest that's white or blue, move to the next zone since it will now have lowbie solo quests you can progress with.  It's less frustrating and you will be guaranteed to find other people in exactly the same circumstances to group with eventually.

Edit: let me know if you are Elendilmir and I'll help you out on any group quests.

Numtini, what server are you on?

@Soln -- Thanks, but I spent a lot of time tinkering with the interface. The bottom bar is the issue. I did a bunch of searches and they all came up that it can't be moved or broken the only thing you can do is put transparent textures on the buttons you don't want to see and cover them up with other things. I guess really it's more of a commentary that I don't want to work around a first generation interface, I want the type of interface that has been the standard since, geezus, Shadowbane. If the game was fun, I could survive one flaw like this.

On the number of quests, that's pretty much what I've been doing. One area do everything. The problem is getting to the next area. There's no indication of where such an area might be and everywhere has aggro virtually 100% of the time making exploration a complete misery. Even if you know where the next area is, there are so many blind alleys, hills, etc. I'd say the amount of aggro and the blind alleys are both bad design, plain and simple.

I dunno, I don't think I'm missing something.

@Blood -- I was on Landroval. I understand by LOTRO standards its high population, which boggles my mind.

You aren't trying to get to Rivendell for the first time without a guide are you? That's pure misery.

Hey Soln, who are your toons on Elendilmir?  That's where all my toons are.  I just reactivated the other day and started up a Warden.  My main is a level 50 Hunter, but I haven't really blown the dust off him yet.

Jaydow - 50 Hunter
Traywen - 30 Champ
Drevik - 16 Burglar
Miryan - 12 Warden  "Sparta!"

Mostly playing the Warden right now.

I'm really getting sick of the quest chains that go:
Quest 1: Kill 15 orc grunts and come back.
Quest 2: Oh, go kill 15 orc archers in the same area and come back.
Quest 3: Oh, go collect some flowers around the orc grunts and archers and come back.
Quest 4: Oh, go get a group together and kill the elite orc surrounded by a bunch of other elite orcs and come back.
Quest 5: Oh, go get a flag near the elite orcs and come back.

I understand the game is PvE, and all it has is PvE, so therefore it must be a gigantic timesink (only reason anyone is playing), but this is silly. There are quest chains I've just given up on because it really felt like a slap in the face for the game to basically tell me to go waste 20 more minutes of my time doing something I just did. Not to mention the quest chains that have you go into GB 3-4 times because it is impossible to get all the quests at the same time.

Its just, I'm running around, finishing up quests, chilling out and having a good time with the game, feeling like I'm getting somewhere and I get dumped with multiple quest objectives in the same area I just did quests. Really sucks all the fun out of it.

@Numtini:  I hear ya.  The only possible solution I can recommend is to go into options/Ui_setting and shrink that damn hotbar down.  It's what I did and it's working for me.  Although, it is a compromise.  Regarding zones -- it's probably a learned thing of knowing what zones are at what level.  Same as WoW.  I recommend deleting any orange or red.  The Epic questlines (the Books) will direct you always to a new zone via a new quest.  Otherwise it's the usual herald quests you're used to with FedEx.  Hope things work out for you.  BTW, Landroval I believe is not as populated as Brandywine or Elendilmir and it's the official RP server I think, so that will limit your PUG potential.

@EWSpider/Drevik:  cool -- PM me in-game. My main is Pavo (31 Hob Mins).  I'll be back in the game after the holidays after New Years.  Cheers.

@Waffel: yeah that's Turbine's design -- every zone is split up into sub-zones, and they all have at least one chained quest like this that spirals into a group elite quest.  Sometimes they rock, like Weathertop, and sometimes they are not worth the time (risk vs reward).

Whenever I quit playing LotRO, it's because this is amplified a thousand times in the lone lands. Aside from the Weathertop instance, almost every solo/light group quest is exactly as you describe. Combine that with the LL's dreary atmosphere for 10+ levels and I start to burn out pretty bad.

North Downs.

Yeah, Lone-Lands was a low point in the game for me, too. Do the swack-load of quests at the Forsaken Inn (there's so much overlap you can get items for 3-4 quests off a single kill) and get out.

Not that i agree with you (i don't, the UI is possibly one of the best, perhaps because of its limitations. And didn't turbine invent the Modern MMO UI, that all other games have copied since.), but...... Check it out (http://forums.lotro.com/showpost.php?p=3235539&postcount=6).


Short version, there was a UI revamp/upgrade in the works for moria, it didn't happen. It is still coming however. No ETA, i suspect it will come in one of this years books.

I just hopped back into LOTRO for the first time since I left Nov 07.  I sure like it a lot more now.  They seem to have fixed a TON of the graphic glitches I was getting.  Survivability some classes seems better now too.

I have begun to see a pattern.  Don't even bother to play games at release.  Wait a year or more then play.  You'll be happier for it.

Gawd I should have done that with WAR.

I don't seem to have the same aggro problems as Num, in fact I am a huge cross-country traveler.  Roads are for chumps.  It's not like damn EQ.  Here, I can outrun everything, some things are not aggressive, and some give you warning before they attack (boars, bears, etc).  Maybe it's class choice, I don't know.

The Forsaken Inn quests, and the next town of Ost Gumby, are apparently there for XP gain only.  Lone Lands should be called Leveling Lands.  The quests are not terribly interesting but you can load up with seven of them that need more or less the same thing.  You go out and murder twenty goblins, lynxes, boars, orcs, and wargs, pick up some garbage from some ruins, then turn it all in at once for 6000xp (if you do these when they are yellow/white).  Repeat for more XP.  If you get bored, go do the now-green Epic quests that made you pull out your hair previously, or just go dick around somewhere else.  When I get bored with one thing, I seem to always find something else interesting to do.

If you try doing all of the quests in one area before moving on, that is incredibly tedious.

Coming from some one who did every pie run and every postal job in the shire.  :why_so_serious:


=p



did to, got my perfect pie!

I, too, have my special pie.  I'm not at all normal, and if I found doing 100% of Shire quests and deeds to be a tad tedious, I expect most normal MOG players would find such a thing to be a subscription-breaker.  I haven't been able to stick to just Bree-land shit since moving out of the Shire.  My advice for most people is to whore around.  There's a lot to do, so go do it.

It's a real problem if you're a completionist.

I like to accept all of the quests I find and finish all of my quests before they go grey.  Wasn't a problem for elves, dwarves, and humans, but The Shire was brutal.  I was completely burned out of running between Overhill and Tookborough before I was even halfway done.

Its near imposable to do all the quests in each zone before they turn grey. Save them for an alt.

I do agree, but I'm not really concerned about doing them before they turn grey.  It still satisfies my completionist urge, I get some XP and the same story.  Last night, for example, I took my level 24 hunter to kill Red Reaver, which took less than ten minutes solo counting the travel time.

I don't care to save them for an alt very much, although they are more entertaining when you can't just blow through them, so I am doing virgin runs through the dwarf quests with my RK dwarf alt.  The elf ones, however, I am doing with my hobbit hunter since I don't have any immediate plans to roll an elf.  Bree-land, I'm doing with my hobbit as well since the Epic line leads me there, and I got my fill of Archet during alpha/beta. :awesome_for_real:

I went back to WoW to make use of that 10-day WotLK trial. I used to smack meself some good Warcrack a year and a half ago and thought it would be interesting to see how it held up after getting some perspective on things. I quit at 65, so I was still in Outlands.

I can just say wow. Questing in WoW sucks balls, even in Burning Crusade. I'm a little surprised actually and find it curious how all the little believable things LotRO does make all the difference.

Oh, and about that thing with having mobs aggro you everywhere you go.... I don't know, but when during my little revisit in WoW I seriously missed having my ass handed to me whenever I took a wrong turn. Yeah, it pisses me off massively at times, but having to actively track down bad guys to kill them just feels wrong.

(http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/128/screenshot001213586439iq5.jpg)

(http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3039/screenshot000677402835ck4.jpg)

After trying an elven lore-master and feeling very meh about it, I settled down on a hobbit burglar.  Burglar is definitely the most fun I've had in this game so far.

I really actually like the shire.  I don't mind there being 'too many' quests whatsoever.  I like the variety, and dare I say, serenity involved in the shire. 

However, I will say that the chicken quests got old fast. 

Chicken quests have been tabled until I have gone to each region as a real player.

I really cannot recommend anyone start out with a loremaster.  I did and I was very MUH about this game until I tried something else.  I have not tried a burglar but I love the hunter, guardian and runekeeper.

Chicken quests are good for a quick laugh, but if you're looking to get any lasting award, you have to do the most punishing chain of run-around quests every conceived of in an MMG. I don't exaggerate. And all you get in the end is a funky cloak anyway.

I started as a Loremaster, and loved it. The classes that left me feeling meh were the Champion (too Easy Button to be interesting) and the Burglar (takes five minutes to kill something blue to you).

After having gone up to at least 15ish with each class, Warden is by far my favorite, because charging someone while throwing javelins then shouting and jump-spearing them never, ever, ever gets old.  The thousandth time I did it, I thought 'wow, that's badass'.

You get an awesome chunk of destiny points as well - doing the first 2 or 3 is extremely useful for a boost (bonus XP 4tw!)

Re. UI

Is there any way to make the Group Vitals bar go in a horizontal direction?  As a Mins I really wish I could get my bars even more customized.  This is the first MMO where's I've played a healer as my main and I can really see the need to have a more customizable setup to be effective/survive.

I agree with you, actually, but in my case I just don't do the CC classes well.  I don't care for them and they confuse me.  Definitely a group class... as far as LotRO has group classes.

I quit WoW a couple weeks ago and found myself itching for some kind of mmo replacement, so I went ahead and picked up LOTRO with the expansion. Having only played the beta back when I was still pretty into WoW, it seems better than I remember. Somehow more relaxing to play. And it's really wonderful to be a newbie again and not know what's over that next hill. Sampled some classes and think I'll be sticking with Warden.

Brandywine?

Landroval  :uhrr:

 :mob:

Yeah I only noticed this subforum today so I didn't know. You guys have something special going on there on Brandywine? I can always reroll.

A large kin with an extremely large range of members - its kinda the f13 default server right now.

Nice. My dude is only level 6 anyway, no loss. I'll look for somebody once I get situated.

Well if anyone's around tonight I'll be on as Mossey.

Not sure who, i was in a rush, but i added someone from f13 last night.

That was me, Bravade the Captain, just added profile in Roll Call

Sweet, welcome aboard. Make sure to visit the Kinhouse, the stuff in the chests are for kin, take some, leave some, add some.

Let us know if you need anything.  We have a couple high end crafters.

Cheers, going to start working on my getting my Cook up tonight, I was a GM before the expansion...but really haven't delved into crafting again.

The more I explore the world the more I appreciate it ... I really liked WoW's world but this feels even more like a real world and less like different themed zones in an amusement park. Clearly I didn't give LOTRO the chance it deserved when I played back in beta.

I am working on Weapon Crafting this evening (going scholar on my main, mini.  Already have max jeweler).  Marween is maxed on a bunch of crafting skills and loves it. 

Cook is EXTREMELY handy to have - food makes a HUGE difference and "me love you long time" if you can provide high end food.

daily fish skill.  Cap. Gah.   :uhrr:

Also, Social Titles you can grind with a friend --  5 times/day for 20 days (needs 100 emotes).

All titles (more or less) here. (http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Titles)

I went ahead and installed and signed up on the 10-day trial. I tried to get on Brandywine and was able to connect all of once before having to restart because I reset my graphics to high-res. From then on, I couldn't connect to Brandwine. Is the server just queued to hell and back?

They may be doing something with the authentication servers - I couldnt get in this morning.

Yes, to be short.

There have been cues for the past couple of days, and for some, a (Error 5000) or some such number. Its OK, just try again, you will get on, yes they are aware, and no its not typical.

Me thinks its this symptom of trial, the Xfire marketing, and a huge amount of word of mouth currently surrounding the game, and everyone looking for "Populated" servers, Brandywhine being the highest population.

I ordered the expansion from Best Buy and it has been backordered for about 3 weeks now.  I'd say that the game is seeing a resurgence. 

I had the cue problem on the weekend, never seen it before.  Brandywine is definitely more populated then say Silverlode server.  Amazing difference.

It's a solid, well polished product, that delivers just as much content as WoW does without the requirements for large groups and the crazy gear grind, so it appeals to people who are looking for something other than WoW.  I might pick this up again when I scratch the WoW itch I've been feeling.

I play on Silverlode (51 Burg) and it has been quiet.

Just getting into Moria area now.  For any headed that way, do all of the Moria-gate "Expedition" quests before finishing Vol II Book 1 epic.  It's worth it.  If you like Balrogs.  Which I do.

What level do you have to be before the Moria stuff becomes accessible?

50, I think. (I was already 50 when Moria was released, so I can't be sure.)

Depends. The two classes and crafting guilds are available from the start, of course. Moria itself can be accessed at 45 or so, but it'll probably be too hard well inside.

My suggestion would be to hit 45, go do Volume 2 Book 1 to get the legendary, then go back and grind the last four or five levels in Forochel and Angmar. That way your legendary weapon will be on its way once you return to Moria.

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(http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww181/UnwashedMasses/ScreenShot00023.jpg)


Since I'm rooted, I may as well spam screenies.  Anyways, don't skip the expedition quests to do Volume II Book 1.