If you left WAR...

[ghost]

[snip] who doesn't like Lord of the Rings that would play an MMO?

I have to say this IP made it so that I would never play it.  I like the books, but I find that world an unsuitable setting in which to have an MMO game.  an RTS game in which you play one of the factions seems interesting, but an MMO game makes little sense to me as the IP is not open-ended.  All the characters/places you come to know in the books come to an end.  It's a fantasy world, where at the end of the story fantasy dies, and (eventually) humans are all that remain.  Pretty depressing stuff, if you're looking to play a fantasy-themed game.

Yes, I'm one of those people that don't see the point in watching Titanic because, well, the boat sinks in the end.  (oddly, WWII History channel doesn't follow this same logic, as I'll watch that at the drop of a hat)

Eh, different strokes for different folks, I guess.  You do know that LOTR is basically where all these cutesy little books and games with dwarves, elves, orcs, etc. came from, right?  If you haven't played LOTRO they actually did a very good job with it.

[Sleep]

Most of the things we consider "Tolkein-esque" are really elements of norse mythology that he just adapted (er ripped off).

[Riggswolfe]

I have to say this IP made it so that I would never play it.  I like the books, but I find that world an unsuitable setting in which to have an MMO game.  an RTS game in which you play one of the factions seems interesting, but an MMO game makes little sense to me as the IP is not open-ended.  All the characters/places you come to know in the books come to an end.  It's a fantasy world, where at the end of the story fantasy dies, and (eventually) humans are all that remain.  Pretty depressing stuff, if you're looking to play a fantasy-themed game.

Yes, I'm one of those people that don't see the point in watching Titanic because, well, the boat sinks in the end.  (oddly, WWII History channel doesn't follow this same logic, as I'll watch that at the drop of a hat)

Somehow they managed to straddle the line between "You're a hero" and "The fellowship is traveling to Mordor on a secret mission." You interact with them at times but most of your time is spent doing things they aren't. You do occasionally get to do stuff like clear things from their path or help in other ways. For instance, a quest chain I'm on right now has me trying to find some Isengard orcs who took something from a campsite the fellowship left behind. This came from a quest where I was supposed to clean those campsites and ensure that noone could use them to follow the Fellowship.

[ghost]

(er ripped off).

Er, put into a great story......

[Mrbloodworth]

Most of the things we consider "Tolkein-esque" are really elements of norse mythology that he just adapted (er ripped off).

Sleep is wrong.




 

[Gurney]

Most of the things we consider "Tolkein-esque" are really elements of norse mythology that he just adapted (er ripped off).

Tolkien borrowed from many mythologies.  For example the entire Turin Turambar story is an adaptation of parts of Finnish myth.  Some of what Tolkien "borrowed" was only partial, or more often a mish-mash.  People think Norse mythology just has Tolkien like dwarves, but they do not.  Also various form Alfar are often smooshed together with Dvergar.  Tolkien took some of the character of Norse dwarves especially in regards to stories.  But the definitive shortness combined tough/hardy/stout is a Tolkien thing or perhaps more of an english thing where dwarves are always short.  In Norse mythology dvergar are sometimes even human sized and either way quite variable and usually quite magical. 

Similarly the dwarf languages is meant to sound middle eastern/aramaic, not Norse.  So why do most games make them sound scottish?


Also many elves in many fantasy stories remain notably Victorian/pixie like and not that Norse.  Friggin stupid pointy ears.  Should we say everyone is ripping off Peter Pan and Tinker Bell.


This whole Tolkien took everything from Norse myth meme is cute and all.  It certainly has basis in truth and was said by the man himself.  But a lot of people use it without having any real knowledge about norse myth.

I suggest anyone using this meme not take it to heart that much.  Its not very useful when out of context.  The differences between Tolkien dwarves and Dvergar are as notable as the similarities.  There is just as much unsaid englishness in them.  And it is un-wise to underestimate the very large effect of Victorian notions and cleansings upon modern conceptaions of stereotypical fantasy. 


In some ways one of Tolkiens greatest contributions was to get back to the more authentic myth and give people something other than Victorian pixie BS.

[Soln]

just to add to the derail and LotRO cheerleading.

Here's a nice example of where the books and the MMO come together: 

You are given an epic quest at 30 by Aragorn while the Fellowship is in Rivendell before setting out to Moria.  It's the part in the books where a lot happens, including that Narsil (Aragorn's family sword, which cut the one ring from Sauron) is reforged.  Turns out the sword needs some special crafting elements to be put back together.  That's your job and your team's -- go to Annuminas (the ancient northern kingdom of the Dunedain that was overun by the Enemy), get the stuff, and get it back to the elves to repair the sword and for the Fellowship can get moving.  While you are gone the Fellowship is debating who will take the one ring into Mordor, so you feel a part of the story time-wise a little.  To me, this was a very ingenious and welcome connection to the story, which didn't screw with the "canon" at all.  I haven't seen any other MMO do quests this equivalently well yet.

[Arthur_Parker]

The Bilbo riddle quests are pretty good as well, also the LOTRO pub crawl, which it sounds like WAR is adding.

[Cheddar]

Should we discuss the color of Bilbos door next?  Idiots.

[Arthur_Parker]

I'm up for that, it was a lot of fun last time.

[Azazel]

THIS will get people back!

From my email:

Unlockable Vanquisher's Emerald Band

Unlock the band for +2 to all Stats (except wounds) and Casts the buff 'Touch of Nature' which adds a +3% chance for corporeal damage vs. monsters.

For a very limited time every Warhammer Online Game Time card purchased through EB Games in Australia will receive a bonus unlock code for the Vanquishers Emerald Band. Please ask your local EB retail staff for more information and to collect your unlock card" NOTE: Quantity is strictly limited to only 2,000 codes in Australia - you must be quick!!

If they'd ungrinded their game, they wouldn't need trinkets like this.

[ghost]

THIS will get people back!

From my email:

Unlockable Vanquisher's Emerald Band

Unlock the band for +2 to all Stats (except wounds) and Casts the buff 'Touch of Nature' which adds a +3% chance for corporeal damage vs. monsters.

For a very limited time every Warhammer Online Game Time card purchased through EB Games in Australia will receive a bonus unlock code for the Vanquishers Emerald Band. Please ask your local EB retail staff for more information and to collect your unlock card" NOTE: Quantity is strictly limited to only 2,000 codes in Australia - you must be quick!!

If they'd ungrinded their game, they wouldn't need trinkets like this.

Does the band have an influence bar.......?

[Riggswolfe]

Isn't this the same band you got for Preordering?

[palmer_eldritch]

If anyone is interested in what Tolkien was trying to do, I strongly reccomend this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0261104012?ie=UTF8&ref_=pd_sim_b_1

by Thomas Shippey, a former Oxford University teacher, currently at St Louis University. I'm not even a huge Tolkien fan, but it's a fascinating read.

[Typhon]

Dude, you're gonna get pinked, er, Cheddared if you keep up the Tolkien stuff

[palmer_eldritch]

On topic then, I've returned to Eve after a couple of years away to find the corp I was in has broken up,  leaving me as the sole member and, for some reason,  CEO. I'm not sure why they didn't boot me. Sadly, they didn't leave me any isk or items to plunder.

But I am keeping the WAR account for a bit.

Since I hit tier 4 it's been PvP all the way and it's fun. Log on, ask where the war's at and go join a warband. You now get exp and renown for defending keeps as well as taking them (not just for being in the keep during defence and killing players, but a big exp and renown hit when the last enemy is slaughtered).

I don't know how it compares to doing the quests and I don't really care. It doesn't matter so much what level you are when you are running around as part of a  warband fighting the enemy.

[Sophismata]

I have to say this IP made it so that I would never play it.  I like the books, but I find that world an unsuitable setting in which to have an MMO game.  an RTS game in which you play one of the factions seems interesting, but an MMO game makes little sense to me as the IP is not open-ended.  All the characters/places you come to know in the books come to an end.  It's a fantasy world, where at the end of the story fantasy dies, and (eventually) humans are all that remain.  Pretty depressing stuff, if you're looking to play a fantasy-themed game.

I share this point of view, almost exactly. It is the same reason I don't like historic fantasy or things that are "based on a true story".

[Redgiant]

Isn't this the same band you got for Preordering?

Yes. I think I wore mine until I crossed my first zone border. The campfire was equally wondrous.

Nice touch (except wounds), I  lol'd. Maybe such an overpowered trinket should also have the "Offer not good in MA, NH or NJ" just to make it feel even more exclusive.

Ooh, purple..

[Beltaine]

Isn't this the same band you got for Preordering?

Pretty much.

Except the pre-order bands do some other type of damage besides Corporeal. My Azure pre=order band is exactly the same only I think it does ice damage? I never used the effect since it was mostly worthless and only had 2 or 3 charges.

Seriously, if they'd post saying that required XP to level through T3 had been lowered by one-third to one-half, I'd come back. It'd have to be at least one-third though.

[Feaniad]

I tried going back to WoW, but after a few hours of grinding and thinking about the PvP I was working toward, I got depressed and canceled again.

I burned through Fallout 3, that was a lot of fun but hard to find any replay-ability (yeah I can be bad but it still feels like the same old quests).

I finally tried Crysis.  /yawn

Now I see that Eve has 5 days free so I'm going to burn through that and see if it can pull me into resubscribing (I am not counting on it).

After that, I might actually come back to WAR for a little while because it's too cold outside to do anything productive.

[raydeen]

This game just keeps on giving the love. I hooked up ye olde external drive, fired up the patcher, patched to the latest and greatest, jumped in and was promptly presented with the message that the server was coming down in 15 minutes. It's like Mythic desperately wants me to play WoW. 

[Shatter]

This game just keeps on giving the love. I hooked up ye olde external drive, fired up the patcher, patched to the latest and greatest, jumped in and was promptly presented with the message that the server was coming down in 15 minutes. It's like Mythic desperately wants me to play WoW. 

lol I know the feeling.  I had Monday/Tuesday off sick and decided to War my face off both days but both turned out to be patch days :(  Luckily the down time was minimal

[Hayduke]

I'm back in WoW.  Fresh start after nearly a year and a half absence.  I'm really liking the death knight and the new content.  Much more than the previous stuff.  Seems the 5-mans and quests are a lot better.

But basically my problems with WoW before was that it's so hard to find a good guild and server.  In the past every guild I've been in has collapsed under envy and strife, maybe I'm the deciding factor.  It was so much easier to get a good guild in older MMOs, now it seems all the good guilds are premades or they're not recruiting your class.  So I'm in a guild now, but no idea how long it'll last.  I find the people in it breathtakingly stupid and humorless, but they mean well for the most part.

I'm still hoping for the magic patch that buffs XP in WAR massively, and fixes the rest of their game.  Because I would like to play a PvP mmo and I'm just not interested at all in WoW's pvp anymore.

[Kamen]

My affair with War only lasted a few days before returning to my wife Eve.

The forum shitstorm was far more entertaining than actually playing.

[Chockonuts]

Gonna mess around with consoles for a bit... then check out Aion for NA release later.

[Le0]

Playing LOTRO at the moment, never got very far in the game previously, but this time it grabbed me. I play a captain and I'm level 20, I really enjoy the quests in LOTRO, also the fellowship quest are always a good distraction and the class is interesting.

I'm also waiting for improvement in WAR, I guess I'll be back sometimes.

[Setanta]

I went back to WoW and all I can say is "fuck WAR". WoW absolutely shits all over WAR. PvE is fun, levelling is blindingly fast, PvP is "ok". There is no fucking Tor Annroc bullshit scenarios. I play on a PvP server and you can actually find people to gank.

Plus I've picked up EVE - nice to see a MMO other than WoW that isn't a fucking ghost town.

I really wanted to stick with WAR, I thought I saw potential. Then I realised I was deluding myself.