Sometime in the next 24 hours, the lights will go out on the Lord of the Rings Online beta and the switch will be thrown for the live version of the game.
I played in the closed beta several months ago, when the NDA was in place — I might have mentioned that before, I dunno — and the game then was … ok. Not terrible, but not particularly good either.
From my limited experience and observation, they’ve done a lot of work on this world since then. Looks polished enough to my eyes, but I’m not new to this either — I’ve learned not to expect perfection.
I chuckle when I hear (or read) that LOTRO is a World of Warcraft clone. I chuckle because doesn’t that mean the circle is now complete? LOTRO is a WoW clone, which is an EverQuest clone, which is a Dungeons & Dragons clone, which is a Lord of the Rings clone. Kinda. They’re all different, of course, but it’s still elves and orcs, dragons and swords.
In a few weeks, the first level 50s will appear in LOTRO and we’ll wonder HOW?? HOW?? and more importantly, WHY?? WHY?? There’ll be stories of bad manners and rumors of hacking. There’ll be arguments about which is the WORST server community (Brandywine, I hear), but all of the servers will be both horrible and pleasant. Mediocre comedians will /ooc for a Karazhan group or where to find Mankirk’s wife and we’ll all run to Rivendell to put our fingerprints on Elrond’s windows and highly polished floors, just because he seems the sort who would be really irritated by that.
If tomorrow will be your first exposure to Lord of the Rings Online, but not your first MMOG — fear not. Controls, game play, default bindings, bla bla, same as you’ve seen before.
Commenter Steven and a few emailers asked for a few quick-start tips, and I really don’t have any that would blow your dress up, but here’s a few things I learned early on:
1. Options » Chat — to turn off the profanity filter. If someone has a complaint, let’s hear it unfiltered.
2. You want to try the instruments. I know, I did. It’s expensive, I’d hold off until you were more stable economically, but if you must, you must.
3. Choose a crafting profession early. As almost all of the crafting options include a harvest option, you’ll want to start picking up twigs, rocks or broken pieces of pottery right away. If you’re not excited about crafting, choose Explorer — they get prospecting (mining) AND foresting (picking up twigs).
4. On your second character, you have the option to skip the first set of quests and arrive in the post-holocaust world with a basic set of items. I tried that once, because I’m all about taking the short route, but unless you can twink your fresh noob character, you’ll be somewhat undergeared and a little under level for post-holocaust living.
5. Just as in World of Warcraft (clone!), everyone that kills the quest mob gets completion credit, so don’t be shy about asking to join a fellowship, or, inviting everyone out at the quest area into a new fellowship. By the way, when the quest says you might want to bring friends (i.e. it’s a group quest), the quest text is usually right. Some could be done solo, especially after a few levels, but just invite others hanging around the quest area and be done with the damn thing. Repair costs, at this moment, are VERY expensive (sorry, guardians).
That’s the short list. Here’s a couple of longer lists of tips and tricks from the LOTRO forums:
Official Things I Wish I Knew Earlier!
I didn’t know you could do that!
And with that, it’s almost time for the party to start, so let the game begin.
So you’re saying that Turbine learned from all the mistakes they made with AC2, and actually managed to make a good MMO again ? Interesting.
Let’s not talk crazy. Learned from all the mistakes? Probably not.
“On your second character, you have the option to skip the first set of quests and arrive in the post-holocaust world with a basic set of items. I tried that once, because I’m all about taking the short route, but unless you can twink your fresh noob character, you’ll be somewhat undergeared and a little under level for post-holocaust living.”
My girlfriend, who replayed the beginning many times because she realized her hobbit hair or face wasn’t just right, reported that if you skip the intro, you’ll progress faster with the subsequent quests and get to level 5 in no time. I don’t know if that’s correct or happened just because she had more experience with the game, but she’s a pretty analytical person when not tweaking hobbit appearance. 😉
I was all for buying LOTR today (I wasn’t in any of the beta), after two years of WoW, I need a break but, try as I might, I couldn’t find a hook in any of what I read about LOTR. The classes didn’t pull me in, I couldn’t get a feel for any that really really appealled to me, which is a shame. Also the lack of magic, I just don’t know about. I guess I like my casters too much.
So, I figured I’ll put it on hold, till there’s a two week trial or something, it’s bound to happen.
Or until Warhammer arrives 🙂
I gave up WoW due to healer burnout and boredom with the endgame repetition. I have a VG account, but it’s currently too hardcore for my casual play an hour or two here and there play style. LOTRO seems to fit me better, and the fact that I will pay $200 and get a “lifetime” subscription makes it seem even better (i.e. I have no real obligation to play, since I don’t see a bill each month).
But back to Foton’s post, point 5 is key. Each starter area has a quest to kill a named mob, and because of the ease of killing it, the spot quickly turns into an overcamped, anonymous, kill-steal fest. Do everyone a favor and group up!
thank you so much for waxing rhapsodic about the appeal of lotro. I now have an intel mac with boot camp that can run the game, have been playing the open beta for about a week, and am totally hooked. I admit I’m a crafting goob, and I love that the crafts tend to be real, time-sink PROFESSIONS in this game rather than ho-hum adjuncts the way they ended up in WoW.
yes, I’m altogether too proud of my master apprentice farmer.
I pre-ordered my copy some weeks ago. Hopefully it comes in today.
foton, what server do you play on? I want to stalk you down and pick your brain on all thing LOTRO. =)
Christ. I did my post up there and what happens? My missus came home with two copies of LOTR and said “for a break from WoW!”
@ Steven – Denied. 🙂 But you can ask any questions here and there’s sure to be someone more knowledgeable than me to answer.
@ Priest – You are the luckiest bastard on the planet. Now stop rubbing it in, show off.
@Foton
=) not a problem Bro.
I have been reading the http://forums.lotro.com and there is no mention of the existing servers that are currently. Can any other posted recommend good server that is adequately populated and not to hard core on the RP side.
I like to enjoy MMOs as a game only and those that think I’m actually an elf. That is why I enjoy WOW so much.
Disregard last post. I found them.
Arkenstone
Brandywine
Elendilmir
Firefoot
Gladden
Landroval
Meneldor
Nimrodel
Silverlode
Vilya
Windfola
As of 6pm eastern, the queued servers are Brandywine, Landroval, Silverlode, and Elendilmir. I’d avoid those, cuz I hate crowds of any kind. Nimrodel, Vilya, Arkenstone, and Firefoot are new today, those might be good choices.
EDIT: just redid my graphics settings, to max performance and loveliness, and hot damn those hi-res textures are eye-popping!
EDIT2: where in the FUCK is the goddamn white hand thrasher????? and can we get a functional spoiler site?? Christ. I’ve spent 58 years (game time, estimated) looking for the frikking thrasher.
looooove those hi-res textures. also love finally having a comp that can handle them. I’m far too addicted to lotro for my own good, and I think my husband’s finally addicted too.
Ditto here Heather! (well, not my husband, but you know..) Really looking forward to being able to share lotro with actual enthusiam rather than it being so, er…chore-some?
I’m not so addicted yet myself, trying to avoid it as I know I will be… meh, I’ll order it sometime this week for sure…