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Finally, A Franchise-Themed MMORPG Done Right

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 62 / 89
Date: April 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing since the middle of closed beta. I never leveled up very far, but I have nonetheless spent countless hours in Middle Earth, primarily as a Hobbit. Now I plan to purchase a Lifetime Membership!!

Lord of the Rings Online is, of course, a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game based on the story of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, The Lord of the Rings. The game is true to the books, as much as the New Line Cinema motion pictures were, although not so much true to the movies (which it doesn't try to be). What I find impressive is that every little corner of Middle Earth that was mapped out in the books have in fact been mapped out here in LOTRO--and indeed the books were plentifully detailed in maps and in written descriptions of the fictional universe of Middle Earth. But, for the most part, the subtleties of what is described in the book have been referenced if not fully implemented in the game, particularly in the Shire, all the way from the Sackville-Bagginses to the former Baggins home on the top of the hill at Bag End to the shoeless hobbits' feet! Of course, most LOTRO players will put shoes on their hobbit feet since shoes add armor, but at least the NPCs (non-player characters) are true to the shoelessness.

One step into Michel Delving and you'll quickly notice the unique music system implemented in the game. People are often standing around holding their lutes playing Stairway to Heaven or Row, Row, Row Your Boat. The ability to play notes directly into the game world has been implemented, albeit not in any way comparable to MIDI-driven music software.

While the graphics and landscapes and sky effects ("ooohh, pretty rainbow!", "wow, look at that flock of birds in the sky!") are very impressive, I must concede that the animations such as those of wildlife and monsters are not flawless, particularly where the beasts are idle. But these animation deficiencies are made up for when in combat, with few exceptions. For example, one of the Mature Bear attacks is simply a deep inhale, followed by the loudest bear growl you ever heard, as your character's hair stands on end and the steam from the bear's lungs fills the screen. Or, witness the presence of a Black Rider, and suddenly the screen starts zoom-blinking (very cool effect) and you start to see flashes of The Eye. These are player experiences that go a long way toward immersion of playing agaisnt NPC enemies.

There is an adequately diverse crafting system that would seem interesting but for the fact that it is a money sink. During the betas, farming in the Shire was lucrative, but profitability was dropped by the developers after players showed up in droves to stand around the workbench processing seeds.

The quests are plentiful to keep you busy indefinitely, so long as you are willing to leave the local vicinity. By the time most of the basic quests are completed in Eriador (which will take at least a couple months for most casual gamers), a free expansion will be offered in June. The quests are not typically grinders. For example, in The Shire, some of the quests will involve sneaking past Nosey Hobbits or Hungry Hobbits to deliver the mail or a mushroom pie from one town to another. One quest involves sneaking past a rooster to pick up chicken eggs. Another quest is to simply catch a little kid at midnight pretending to be an evil monster. Of course, these are "safe" starter quests; otherwise, there are plenty of quests that, for example, involve fetching a stolen item from a monster encampent, or killing off a monster boss. (As with some other MMORPGs, one learns that in these dangerous types of quests it is best to find nearby players and create a fellowship, since the power of two is better than the power of one, and success of one typically means success for the other as well.)

The game is not flawless, but I think that where there were compromises and cut corners the game makes very wise trade-offs. Stiff animations for incredibly immersive subtleties, for example. Because trade-offs do exist, I wish I could knock off 1/2 star, but this game seems so much more than just a 4/5 game.

People talk about how this game copies that game, but The Lord of the Rings franchise is the origin of so much modern folklore for RPG elements it's surprising to me that a LOTR-based RPG hasn't been tried before. I suppose no one was daring enough to take on the challenge of bringing Tolkien's work to life with honorable results. I'm really glad that Turbine did, though, because LOTRO is a real treat for fans of LOTR. And for what LOTRO tries to do and be, it does it exceedingly well--not necessarily to be a WoW-killer but to bring Tolkien's work to life in an immersive world full of other real players just like yourself in a PvE environment that would give absolute sheer joy to anyone who fantasized being in Middle Earth after reading the books.

A Perfect Spot for LOTR Fans

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 45 / 60
Date: April 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Pretty much every fantasy computer game that exists owes at least some of its content to the famous Lord of the Rings series by JRR Tolkein. It's no surprise that there is finally an online MMORPG based in this world.

I grew up reading and loving the Lord of the Rings series. I dreamed of a world where Aragorn was by my side and we rescued the world from dangerous enemies. I would beta-test Asheron's Call, EverQuest and many other MMORPGs, always creating a ranger type character and giving it ranger-type names. These games would usually offer elves, dwarves and Lord of the Rings style situations - but it wasn't quite the same.

We now finally have a game which IS in fact the Lord of the Rings universe, complete with the well-documented maps and histories of this world. You can start as a human, dwarf, elf or hobbit. Each race has a single starting spot where it learns the ins and outs of adventuring before moving on to explore the larger world.

The character customization isn't as rich as in some other games on the market. Yes, you have a few hair styles, facial looks, and eyes to choose from. Depending on your 'home town', you get a selection of hair color, skin color and eye color options. I would have liked more level of detail to really make your character unique.

You get the normal types of classes - rangers, fighters, magic-users, singers. Each game seems to have these, by whatever name they happen to use. You can swim through water, hike through mountains, or simply sit on a hillside and watch the flock of birds fly slowly across the gorgeous cloud-filled sky. They really did do an amazing job with the graphics here. It's well worth amping your system and graphics card up to see the highest levels they offer.

You have to begin with all the usual quests - killing wild animals, fetching items. As you progress, you get to really customize the type of character you have. If you've got a musical instrument, you can play real songs you know! Fill the room full of traditional Celtic melodies!

Really, when it comes down to it, every MMROPG offers the same general environment. You have a character, you learn skills, you get better at fighting / spellcasting / crafting / etc. as you go. The key is in how much you enjoy being immersed in that world, and in how much you enjoy interacting with the people you meet. I know many people who loved staying in 'older' MMORPGs, with relatively poor graphics, simply because their band of friends was there too. Back in the "old days" I played on DuneMUSH, an online text-based RPG set in the world of the Dune series. We had no graphics at all! What made the game so much fun was the role playing and interaction of the characters that were online.

So that being said, since I love the Lord of the Rings series, I love being able to immerse myself in that world. It's like my two romance novels I wrote based on the type of characters that exist in Lord of the Rings. I adore that level of honor, compassion and moral courage. I would love to live in a world that offered that atmosphere every day. The Lord of the Rings MMORPG, details of crafting aside, gives me that opportunity - and draws in others who felt that same powerful draw of the books.

If the Lord of the Rings MMORPG serves as a gathering point for people who believe in the meaning of Aragorn and Arwen, in Legolas and Gandalf, and why their characters have such a powerful impact on our lives, then that alone is a great thing as far as I'm concerned. And if I did nothing but talk for hours with those people, discussing ways to make the world a better one and to help out those less fortunate, then that would make me truly happy.

If you just aren't keen on Lord of the Rings, then certainly give it a try, but you might be happier whereever your current friends are playing.

Bad Player Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: May 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have to admit, I'm not a great game player! I don't play a lot of games, although I do enjoy gaming. I'm horrible at finding out the secret tricks, my reflexes are nil, my patience and time, minimal.

But I have tried out a few MMOGs, such as City of Heroes and World of Warcraft.

And more importantly, I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

I have to say that so far (and I'm slowly slogging through the world... probably doomed to be a lower-level player forever!), the game is a lot of fun! It's easy to use. I'm not frustrated in finding out what to click on and where. Most things reveal themselves in good time. The Quests have been do-able for someone as awful at games as I am. And I've had a good time wandering about the lands. The visuals are nice. Not any major bugs I can see. The game is working whenever I actually do find the time to get online. So far I've really enjoyed it!

One MMO to rule them all! An MMO with a great future.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 10
Date: April 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've been in Beta since Oct '06. LOTRO has gone from a fairly decent game, I wasn't sure I would buy, to an MMO that delivers the perfect portrayal of Middle-Earth in the digital realm while still providing a fresh, engaging and immersive MMO world to explore and lose onself in. The Dev Team has proven (time and time again) that they care what their customers think. They have repeatedly listened to our (sometimes fervent) demands and have returned with exactly what we have asked for.

I'm giving this 4 out of 5 stars, because I still feel LOTRO needs to earn that extra star with some missing MMO components. Fishing, Player and Kinship Housing would, alone, earn that extra star. The community (until open beta) was incredible. Tons of helpful people, lots of interesting RP. Let's hope that carries over into the Live game.

No MMO producer can possibly give us the Middle-Earth of our childhood and our dreams. But I give much praise to Turbine for doing the absolute best anyone could do. I give them praise for taking much care with, and having a vast amount of passion for, a much sacred property.

Frodo Lives! Middle-Earth Lives! I am excited to lose many hours of sleep over the next couple of years.

LotR:O is awesome!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 11
Date: May 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you're tired of the WoW grind, this game is for you! It is less gear-centric, but just as quest-erific. PvMP (PvP) is a great system that sort of blends DaoC's RvR with WoW's BG's. The graphics are outstanding, and you don't need a high end system to run it. It is extremely polished and runs well.

LotR fans, you need to try this game out. Even if you've never played an MMO before, don't let that stop you from trying this game. It's very easy to pickup and learn no matter what level of gamer you are.

Great game and dedicated developers

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: May 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was a skeptic coming to LOTRO, thinking it'll be another waste of a license since most licensed games tend to not be very good. LOTRO has completely surprised me. From the very beginning, you are thrusted into the story and the game and your character continued to evolve. What I especially liked was that the game is very quest-centric, which keeps the story and the lore alive, unlike other MMO's that I usually just ignored the lore. The developers have so far been very responsive to the player base. The Old Forest is amazing (and I still get lost in it no matter how many times I've been through it), and the Great Barrow is probably the single most well designed, challenging, and fun dungeon I've ever experienced so far. The graphics are amazing, and has a dream-like quality that suited the setting very well, and sometimes I really feel I'm in Middle Earth. There are a few things I think the developers need to work on, such as more varied character models (though the models themselves look good and detailed) and scalable UI. However, the game was released in a nearly flawless state and nearly bug-free. Also, the game is very friendly to both casual and hardcore players. I can finish half a dozen quests in one hour and have a very enjoyable experience. I highly encourage anyone who has any interest in MMOs and Lord of the Rings try the game.

Best online game so far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: May 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

So far this is one of the best online games I've played. They certainly have researched other games and tried to incorporate some of their best aspects. There's a little bit of World of Warcraft and Everquest II functionality. Those are the two games were you can really notice similarities. I've even noticed a touch of Star Wars Galaxies. But the story line, the look and feel, I would have to say is all it's own.

If you're looking to play an online multiplayer game where you have the choice to solo almost all the time or find a fellowship; Fight other players if they accept your challenge; Battle against foes who's skills you can guess by what they look like. No glow in the dark alien race that shoots lightning bolts from fingertips here.; If you craft you even have the opportunity to get your materials from the surrounding fields and forests (not much but still free); or maybe you just want to be on the other side and play as the hunted monster. If any of this seem interesting to you then this is your game.

5 STARS for LOTRO!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: May 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm having a terrific time in the game, because the graphics are amazingly stunning and i'm on the Landroval server which has lots and lots of RP players to bring live to the community there. I truely enjoy the in-game story contents the most and have always taken the time to read through each and every quest texts as the storyline was beautifully writtened and besides it was the story behind LOTR that draw me to this game, and not the raids that kinda stuff. But still this game has shown me much of what exceeded my expectation, and now i'm expecting even more fun content updates for the future. The only downside to this game are some system like item linking systems, some interface not as user friendly as some other games, but those are not really big issues.

So far i'm still on my hunter still trying to build up my toon, strength and RP wise. This game really made me glued to the screen for hours and if its not because of my work, i might've became a total LOTRO addict!! 5 STARS for this game!! MUST BUY MUST TRY!!

LOTRO / Preordering

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 9
Date: March 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have been in LOTRO testing since Alpha testing in August. It . . is. . . fantastic. The game itself just gets better and better, with every addition. Kinship and individual housing is on the way (It won't clutter the landscape, they are going a different route), there's PvMP which gets rid of the negative portions of PvP, but has all the fun of playing as an evil race, as well as PvP. There is the epic chapter quests. There's the Middle Earth Lore (I've been reading the books since I was a child, and study Quenya and Sindarin, so yeah, I think I know what I'm talking about). Just a fantastic adaptation all around, for the MMO Genre. I've been playing MMO's since Meridian 59, and let me tell you, LOTRO, has what makes an MMO fun, fun.
[..]

Very good MMORPG.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 10
Date: April 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have to strongly disagree with some of the previous reviewers. I was surprised and very pleased at the quality of this game, the attention given to the community by the dev team, and the attention to Lord of the Rings lore put into the game. The questing and gameplay are similar to World of Warcraft, but lack the redundancy and disconnected feeling I got from WoW questing. This is BY FAR the least buggy beta game I have ever played. The only bugs I have encountered are almost exclusively cosmetic, such as typos and some sound glitches. I have yet to experience any server lag or outages despite having played during the Stress Test and the Open Beta. The graphics are on par with Dungeons and Dragons Online, another Turbine game, which are (in my opinion) extremely good. Some people have said they think the graphics are bad, but this is a minority and is most likely due to the fact that they do not have the system needed to run any modern game at acceptable levels. If you play on Very Low settings, then yes the game won't look pretty. Stick to 2000-2004 games which were built for your older system. Overall, this is a great game and very affordable with the pre-order.

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