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• 28Feb 07

  Some reasons why LoTRO rocks for me, and might be the next big thing.

  
  Taken from LoTRO officials, about LoTRO.
  
  Good evening gamefans! I know you may not care to read a wall o' text,
  or even a hedge o' text, but I gotta tell someone, and I think my wife
  is tired of listening. I'm going to try to divert from the things that
  everyone is already talking about, so this will leave A LOT of good
  points out.
  
  
  
  So. LoTRO Rocks my socks smooth off. (I really think that's sig-worthy,
  somebody take that and make me feel special would you?) No place like
  the start to get started I suppose.
  
  
  There are more than a few reasons why I (and a ton of other people)
  think that this game will be a huge hit. Here's some I feel like
  talking about.
  
  
  
  1. Most people who have personally seen the game run have had great
  things to say about it's graphics. They are stellar, I've not seen a
  better looking game in some time. However, I don't have the system for
  those uber pretties, or the cash to upgrade my rig at the moment. Enter
  first bit of sweetness. This game will run, and be very playable, on
  ancient rigs. I've seen posts here and on the beta forums heralding the
  flexibility of this client after running it on old Socket A boxes and
  laptops with integrated graphics. It's not going to require you as the customer to buy the game and a new system to go with it.
  
  
  
  
  
  2. This game is a book readers paradise. I'm not talking solely about
  LoTR readers either. The scripting of quests in this game as well as
  the quest-linking forbidden
  storybook world, a la when I'm reading Robert Jordan, or Harry Potter.
  (Yes Harry Potter. Laugh all you want.) The instanced quests also add
  to this, although I have a limited experience with them at this point.
  What I have experienced in the form of the intro instance was a great
  low level quest that kicked the storyline off well. In other mmo's I've
  had trouble getting into the game, it's as if you're just dropped in
  the world, with no idea of what to do or why you're there. If you
  typically skip the quest dialogue, you're missing out here. Give it a
  shot, if it's not for you, then it's not, but I love it. Granted, there
  are always going to be the token "kill x boars to help cut down on the
  natural fertilizer" type quests, but overall the quest system seems
  well done. For me, the level of immersion is top notch.
  
  
  
  
  
  3. Your leveling experience isn't mainly grinding mobs. Now, some
  people hate this, but those people aren't posting here now are they?
  From what I can tell, the experience gained from quests is much more
  than that of mob killage. This is great for me, I don't mind grinding,
  but why do it if you could be questing? The grind is sometimes
  disguised as a quest, but even then it's grind with rewards other than
  a little xp and a trophy drop here and there. For me, this makes the
  game even more immersive. I don't find myself asking "Why is my
  character killing thousands of slugs? Is there an overpopulation
  problem?"
  
  
  
  4. The Founder's offer. I know everyone is already talking about this
  one...but I really like it so I'll detour from my original intent just
  a smidge. I have been a long time fan of mmorpg's, but have a limited
  experience with them because of the cost. It's not really a matter of
  having the money, (Go mow a lawn kid!) but rather justifying the costs
  vs. the amount of enjoyment my wife and I will get from playing this
  game. Prior to LoTRO, we thought about WoW, but just couldn't get on
  board with $460 for the first year, and $360 every year after that. (2
  accounts) This game however is different, not only do we both find it
  more fun, but it's much easier for me to swallow $500 once and then
  only paying for major expansions. Add to that the fact that we can take
  a break whenever we want (lifetimers) and the deal is too sweet to pass
  up. The Founder's offer was a major deal-maker for us, and I think alot
  of other people as well.
  
  
  
  
  
  5. Last but not least, another that's been talked about a little. The
  game is very casual friendly. I'm married, with a job and a full load
  of college history forbidden
  get something accomplished in the relatively limited time I have to
  play every night. This game has so far been great at delivering that
  for me, I think it will continue to so for a long time.
  
  
  
  I think this game is going to be a big hit. I don't think it will
  dethrone WoW, but I think it will light a small fire under Blizzard. It
  may also prove to be a major competitor for lesser played but still
  popular games such as Everquest II and Guild Wars.
  
  
  
  Forgot this part: All of the above are my opinions. I'm not a dev or
  anything like it. I am in the closed beta. If your opinion includes
  bashing my opinions that's fine, but I strongly doubt you will change
  my mind. I'm always up for listening regardless.
  • Posted Feb 28, 2007 8:06 am GMT
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• 6Feb 07

  Will LoTRO beat WoW?

  Taken from a forum thread on the officials for LoTRO.  My stuff, just copied and pasted here.

  Some things. WoW's graphic style is specific to their previous games, and it is a bit cartoonish. The newest generation of fantasy based MMO's are going for the "Holy S*** Batman!" factor as far as I can tell. These new arrivals are looking better than WoW, and still able to keep the minimum system requirements close to that of Blizzard's cash cow. It may still be a year or two before Blizzard really feels the pressure to take it up a notch, but they will have to create something to keep all the WoW players from going to other better looking and/or less expensive game options, and I don't think another expansion and ten more levels of the same thing will be sufficient. The Guild Wars series helped get this exodus underway 1.5 years ago. It may not have been the final nail in the coffin for WoW, it was surely far from it, but it did rouse the undertaker for sure. Slowly players are being siphoned off by other games that offer different and in some/many cases better experiences than the aging MMO king.
  
  When a ruler begins to age, the younger nobility gets antsy. Typically when a king gives up the ghost, his crown is passed to his designated heir. (Stay with me here.) What has the potential to happen in the case of the king of MMOdom, is that the kings heir (Blizzard's successor to WoW) will either be too young, or non-existent, creating a power vaccuum and leaving the throne of MMOdom prime for the taking by any able member of our young nobility. (Other good MMO's.) What I hope happens, is that Blizzard's heir is in fact too young, and that LoTRO will be able to come in and assume the throne, unsteadily at first, but gaining support as the content of it's character shines through. (I lol at myself... Really.)
  
  
  *Don't hassle me about inheritance minutia. I know it's not perfect but it makes the point.*
  
  That said, Blizzard is already working on something that will allow the throne of MMOdom to be retained by a member of it's cartoonish family. It's in the works, be it Diablo III or WoW II. I'd bet the Shire on it.

  • Posted Feb 6, 2007 7:33 am GMT
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• 14Dec 06

  Dungeon Runners

  Sooo.
  I got my referal to get my own dungeon runners account for the closed
  beta. I loaded it up, registered and dropped into Dew Valley. The
  music is pretty, it's def a Dungeon Siege inspired game. The combat
  and camera work the same way. As far as I can see, the level
  isn't capped below 70, it's bright like WoW. What else....oh it's
  hilarious. The some npc's will talk to you when you interact with
  them, and say things like..."Next time you come bring me a woman to
  sell!" and other oddly funny things. The item descriptions and actions are
  very funny. The attack speeds are described as everything from
  "Freakin' Fast" to "Grandma". The game takes shots at the genre in
  some subtle and not so subtle ways, some Monty Python inspiration is
  surely there. The dungeons are instanced and the load times were pretty much nil for me. It's got alot of polish left to go, but it's shaping up to be a nice diversion from GW, WoW, or Lineage.
  • Posted Dec 14, 2006 11:36 am GMT
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