***OFFICIAL***Lord of the Rings Online Thread (1 Viewer)

[Mad Cow]

Start here

You will need to join Gamespot if you have not already done so, but you get a key and can download the client and start the Beta in about a week.

HTH

OK, here is the current FBG info. The current FBG Kinship, or guild, is Order of the Pilum. If you want in, ask. Add us all as friends then give us the heads up in game and we can add you.

We are all on the Server Gladden.

FBG's and characters:

Mad Cow:

Garethyn, level 15 elven hunter, woodsman, forester, farmer

Minsc, level 1 human captain

Shickolas, level 1 hobbit minstrel

and a couple of others I will update

Gator Shawn: Barashwen, Hamwise, Ronmexicolas, Snogger: Snogger

Mr. Phoenix: Drizztdourden

Gamerboy61:

Rhuarc - Human Hunter - lvl 9

Nynaeve - Elf Minstrel - lvl 6

Humdinger - Dwarf Guardian - lvl 1

Draygo - Hobbit Burgler lvl 1

Diashan - Human Champion - lvl 1

Maelstrom: ??Tarkin: ??

Buckna: ??

Teamspeak info:

if you want to get ont he Team Speak server while you play, send me a PM with a username and password, keep it simple alphanumeric characters only. Then download Team Speak from www.goteamspeak.com

Teamspeak Server Information for Football Guys:

Once you have choose Connection->Connect

Server Address: 75.126.134.3:8811

Server Password: pilum

Put Server Address under Server Address and click registered

and put your username and password you sent me under Login Name and User Password respectively.

Put whatever name you want under NickName then click Connect.

LOTROCraft Wiki for Professions

 

[Mad Cow]

alt link if that one is not good:

http://www.gamespot.com/betas/lord-of-the-...nline/index.php

 

[lawdawg]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[snitwitch]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

 

[snogger]

Already purchased the pre-order and will be online Friday the 30th.. 1 week before these mobs bring the servers to their knees.

I was in the closed Beta for this one.

I have been in two other closed Betas for Online games and this is the most "polished" game I have tested. I never had 1 crash to the desktop which I can't say for even some of the Online games that have been around for a while.

 

[Dt's Mules]

chars

classes

races

etc?

 

[snogger]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

 

[snogger]

chars

classes

races

etc?

Man, Elf, Hobbit, DwarfClasses:

Champion, Guardian, Captian, Burglar, Hunter, Minstrel, Lore-Master

Characters

 

[Just Another Guy]

i want to be gandalf.

 

[snitwitch]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

 

[snogger]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then. Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay. My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

 

[snogger]

For in game images try this link(Unsure if you can see it without having a forum account or not so :fingers crossed:

LoTR In game screen shots

 

[saintfool]

i'm so getting this....

 

[CYP]

Lord I have stepped into a geek thread

 

[snogger]

Lord I have stepped into a geek thread

 

[snogger]

Character on a horse

 

[PsychoMan]

what kind of cpu requirements are there for this ... mines old

 

[snogger]

what kind of cpu requirements are there for this ... mines old

Like I said.. Mine is a 4 year old AMD 3200+ (Not even a AMD 64) with 1.5GB of ram and a 512MB Video Card.. Ran great

 

[snitwitch]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then. Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay. My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.Is the UI customizeable?

 

[snogger]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then. Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay. My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.Is the UI customizeable?

UI is customizeable and during Beta some were already creating their own.The Minstrel class uses an instrument during battles to restore the morale of thsoe around, and to casue damage/Fright to enemies.I only did a little bit of crafting but the Farmer/Cook is an intersting one. You actually have to "plant" seeds to grow the food and then harvest the food and then you can cook up foods that regenerate Morale/health/power over time when you eat them.You CANNOT play the "bad guys". There is a Battleground you can enter at lvl 10 I think where you can be a "bad guy" and battle NPC's and others. It seemed to be a playground of sorts where you can just have fun but doesn't carry over to main part of the game. I didn't visit it so I can't really give much more Info on that area.

 

[phthalatemagic]

If I just wanted to walk around thwacking monsters, am I going to be harassed by people that devote their lives to this fantasy world by not using thees and thous and no knowing crap from the story?

 

[Mad Cow]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then. Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay. My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.Is the UI customizeable?

If i remember correctly, you can play monsters, but you have to get to a certain level, then you get to be the antagonists for other players in certain areas, no? I swear I remember reading that, but maybe that is another MMO coming out.

 

[snogger]

If I just wanted to walk around thwacking monsters, am I going to be harassed by people that devote their lives to this fantasy world by not using thees and thous and no knowing crap from the story?

Didn't run into that myself. Most of the ooc was just that Out of character.The few groups I joined were freindly and not into teh "Reole Playing"To be sure, there will be some playing the RP to the point where they will want you to only speak RP during the group. But in all my time in closed beta I didn't see it as badly as I expected.

 

[snogger]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then. Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay. My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.Is the UI customizeable?

If i remember correctly, you can play monsters, but you have to get to a certain level, then you get to be the antagonists for other players in certain areas, no? I swear I remember reading that, but maybe that is another MMO coming out.

as posted just above your comment:

You CANNOT play the "bad guys". There is a Battleground you can enter at lvl 10 I think where you can be a "bad guy" and battle NPC's and others. It seemed to be a playground of sorts where you can just have fun but doesn't carry over to main part of the game. I didn't visit it so I can't really give much more Info on that area.

 

[snitwitch]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).

If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then.

Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay.

My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.

If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.

Is the UI customizeable?

UI is customizeable and during Beta some were already creating their own.The Minstrel class uses an instrument during battles to restore the morale of thsoe around, and to casue damage/Fright to enemies.

I only did a little bit of crafting but the Farmer/Cook is an intersting one. You actually have to "plant" seeds to grow the food and then harvest the food and then you can cook up foods that regenerate Morale/health/power over time when you eat them.

You CANNOT play the "bad guys". There is a Battleground you can enter at lvl 10 I think where you can be a "bad guy" and battle NPC's and others. It seemed to be a playground of sorts where you can just have fun but doesn't carry over to main part of the game. I didn't visit it so I can't really give much more Info on that area.

I think you should be able to play the forces of Mordor/Saroman, that would be the coolest. Maybe they are saving it for an expansion pack?Of the classes you listed above, is the "lore master" the only spell casting type?

 

[snogger]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).

If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then.

Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay.

My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.

If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.

Is the UI customizeable?

UI is customizeable and during Beta some were already creating their own.The Minstrel class uses an instrument during battles to restore the morale of thsoe around, and to casue damage/Fright to enemies.

I only did a little bit of crafting but the Farmer/Cook is an intersting one. You actually have to "plant" seeds to grow the food and then harvest the food and then you can cook up foods that regenerate Morale/health/power over time when you eat them.

You CANNOT play the "bad guys". There is a Battleground you can enter at lvl 10 I think where you can be a "bad guy" and battle NPC's and others. It seemed to be a playground of sorts where you can just have fun but doesn't carry over to main part of the game. I didn't visit it so I can't really give much more Info on that area.

I think you should be able to play the forces of Mordor/Saroman, that would be the coolest. Maybe they are saving it for an expansion pack?Of the classes you listed above, is the "lore master" the only spell casting type?

Pretty much. The link that I gave before: Characters has info for each class when you click the links there.

A keeper of ancient lore and otherwise lost knowledge, the Lore-master uses his knowledge of the lesser and greater powers of the world around him to stave off the advances of the shadow for a time, and to treat the wounds and suffering of his companions. In dire need he can use this knowledge to hurt his foes; but this task being extremely difficult, a wise Lore-master would rarely attempt it.

The Lore-master will be the class of choice for the player that enjoys using the power of ancient lore to aid their allies and hinder their foes. Steeped in the histories of Middle-earth Lore-masters are able to aid their fellows in recovering from maladies caused by the forces of the Dark Lord. They can also use their knowledge to daze, harm, or hinder their enemies, as well as give of themselves to strengthen another. Some Lore-masters are even said to be able to communicate with animals and request their aid. A Lore-master's combat style is anchored in the power of knowledge and using it intelligently to defeat evil.

 

[The Juggernaut]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then. Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay. My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.Is the UI customizeable?

If i remember correctly, you can play monsters, but you have to get to a certain level, then you get to be the antagonists for other players in certain areas, no? I swear I remember reading that, but maybe that is another MMO coming out.

I just read through the faq at Allakhazam's and it mentioned a "battleground" type area where you can choose to enter as your character or a monster. You had to be level 40 to take your toon in or level 10 to be a monster. Even mentioned that you could earn points as a monster to buff your monster or even your regular toon.

 

[acapella]

Is this a solo-friendly game like WOW or does it end up forcing you to find and join a group?

 

[snitwitch]

Been hearing mixed reviews on this one. Any beta players free to comment (has NDA been lifted)?

NDA was lifted a while back.Very very stable game. The only "bugs" I ran into were some quests that told you to talk to a NPC and there were two of them named the same in the area. Very good animations and the only lag I ever had was during stress testing when they threw as many people as they could onto one server. Even then the only lag was in the city's where everyone started off at. Once you got loaded and moved away from the heart of the city it ran smoothly, even for my Old POS computer(AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz, 1.5 GB of Ram).

If you have any direct questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer on what my experiences were.

Is it cartoony or "realistic"? What is the combat like? Is it a weak attempt to cash in on the LOTR license by turning into a clone of world of warcraft?

Not as cartoony as WOW. Most that have been in LoTR and had been in EQ2 like LoTR graphics better. They seem to "flow" better. Combat is pretty involved. I played a Minstrel, a Guardian and a Captain up to lvl 15 for each. The Minstrel is the "healer" of LoTR but does enough damage on it's own that it can be soloed(at least to lvl 15.)I only took my characters to lvl 15 because Open Beta characters will be maxed out at 15 to carry over to the "real" world and I wanted to save the after lvl 15 surprise for then.

Has some WOW elements I guess. I never played WOW as it was to cartoony for my tastes. Most Out of Character chat mentioned how it was more involved and more intense then WOW. I really liked how my 4 year old computer could run this game without lag on normal days. During combat I never had that "Click and hope" feeling you get with some online games. It was nice to click a Hot Icon and have the character do it right away without delay.

My dad played a Hunter character and he mentioned that when shooting arrows it was nice to see the arrows actually hit the NPC before they attacked. Some games you'd shoot arrows and they would already be attacking you before you saw your arrow actually hit them.

If you take your time to read the quests, listen to the characters the feel of LoTR has been captured. They make you feel like you are in middle earth and soem of the places are exactly as you would expect them to look.

Thanks for the write up. I may check this out. I think it would be super cool to be able to play as the forces of Mordor, but that could be the WoW talking I also heard there is a "bard" class that lets you play music that buffs your party? Is this the case? I know this was a part of EQ (which I never played) but it always has sounded interesting to me.

Is the UI customizeable?

UI is customizeable and during Beta some were already creating their own.The Minstrel class uses an instrument during battles to restore the morale of thsoe around, and to casue damage/Fright to enemies.

I only did a little bit of crafting but the Farmer/Cook is an intersting one. You actually have to "plant" seeds to grow the food and then harvest the food and then you can cook up foods that regenerate Morale/health/power over time when you eat them.

You CANNOT play the "bad guys". There is a Battleground you can enter at lvl 10 I think where you can be a "bad guy" and battle NPC's and others. It seemed to be a playground of sorts where you can just have fun but doesn't carry over to main part of the game. I didn't visit it so I can't really give much more Info on that area.

I think you should be able to play the forces of Mordor/Saroman, that would be the coolest. Maybe they are saving it for an expansion pack?Of the classes you listed above, is the "lore master" the only spell casting type?

Pretty much. The link that I gave before: Characters has info for each class when you click the links there.

A keeper of ancient lore and otherwise lost knowledge, the Lore-master uses his knowledge of the lesser and greater powers of the world around him to stave off the advances of the shadow for a time, and to treat the wounds and suffering of his companions. In dire need he can use this knowledge to hurt his foes; but this task being extremely difficult, a wise Lore-master would rarely attempt it.

The Lore-master will be the class of choice for the player that enjoys using the power of ancient lore to aid their allies and hinder their foes. Steeped in the histories of Middle-earth Lore-masters are able to aid their fellows in recovering from maladies caused by the forces of the Dark Lord. They can also use their knowledge to daze, harm, or hinder their enemies, as well as give of themselves to strengthen another. Some Lore-masters are even said to be able to communicate with animals and request their aid. A Lore-master's combat style is anchored in the power of knowledge and using it intelligently to defeat evil.

This sounds more like a buff/debuff class (though with heals and animal control?) than a traditional damage dealing spellcaster. I guess they didn't want a world populated with Gandalfs

 

[snogger]

Is this a solo-friendly game like WOW or does it end up forcing you to find and join a group?

I leveled up 3 characters to 15 and another to 5. I grouped a few times for a quest or two. But all in all most of my time was soloing as I wanted to test as much as possible. There are some quests that require you to group up but up to lvl 15 I only ran into two or three for the hundreds of quests I did.I was plesantly surprised to be able to level up the minstrel up to 15 with very little grouping. Could get worse past 15 but up till then I only died twice due to my own stupidity of not looking out for argo that was close by as I started a fight.

 

[One]

This game looks freakin' beautiful.

But World of Warcraft is EPIC right now and it'll take a lot more than sweet graphics, 4 races and a LOTR license to even come close to WOW.

I still hope Turbine does well. They were kinda like the MMORPG O.G.'s with the ol' Asheron's Call.

 

[snogger]

This game looks freakin' beautiful.But World of Warcraft is EPIC right now and it'll take a lot more than sweet graphics, 4 races and a LOTR license to even come close to WOW. I still hope Turbine does well. They were kinda like the MMORPG O.G.'s with the ol' Asheron's Call.

Don't think they are going to come close to WOW as far as number is concerned .. That had it's own little niche of players. This is more of a draw for fans of DAoC and the EQ series, IMO, then WOW.

 

[L5UT1ger]

I still play UO. I have never played WoW or whatever, but this looks really interesting.

 

[One]

This game looks freakin' beautiful.But World of Warcraft is EPIC right now and it'll take a lot more than sweet graphics, 4 races and a LOTR license to even come close to WOW. I still hope Turbine does well. They were kinda like the MMORPG O.G.'s with the ol' Asheron's Call.

Don't think they are going to come close to WOW as far as number is concerned .. That had it's own little niche of players. This is more of a draw for fans of DAoC and the EQ series, IMO, then WOW.

I'll buy it and try it. still though... 80% of my old server on WOW was from EQ or DAoC at some point .. some from SWG. The MMO crowd seems to roll in packs.

 

[Gator Shawn]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?

Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

 

[Mad Cow]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

 

[snogger]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version. The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

 

[Gator Shawn]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version. The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

But if I'm an impatient mofo I can pre-order it today and play tomorrow?

 

[Mad Cow]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version. The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

But if I'm an impatient mofo I can pre-order it today and play tomorrow?

lol Shawn

 

[snogger]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?

Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )

If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version.

The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

But if I'm an impatient mofo I can pre-order it today and play tomorrow?

<<<<Has already preordered, joined a "Kinship"(Guild in other games) and luckily for me my daughter has a music recital tomorrow morning so I just HAD to take the whole day off

 

[Gator Shawn]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?

Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )

If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version.

The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

But if I'm an impatient mofo I can pre-order it today and play tomorrow?

lol Shawn

I pre-ordered from Amazon, and it's been 10 minutes and no freaking beta key! it clearly says:

Exclusive Offer: Order Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar now and receive immediate access to the following in Your Media Library:

"LOTRO: Shadows of Angmar" Pre-order 'Founders' benefits including Access to the online Open Beta (begins March 30, 2007) The ability to move your character over to the real game after launch Exclusive in-game items: 'The Enchanted Cloak of Regeneration' and 'The Ring of Agility' Your choice of special pricing plans for online play See details

10 minutes.

 

[snogger]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?

Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )

If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version.

The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

But if I'm an impatient mofo I can pre-order it today and play tomorrow?

lol Shawn

I pre-ordered from Amazon, and it's been 10 minutes and no freaking beta key! it clearly says:

Exclusive Offer: Order Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar now and receive immediate access to the following in Your Media Library:

"LOTRO: Shadows of Angmar" Pre-order 'Founders' benefits including Access to the online Open Beta (begins March 30, 2007) The ability to move your character over to the real game after launch Exclusive in-game items: 'The Enchanted Cloak of Regeneration' and 'The Ring of Agility' Your choice of special pricing plans for online play See details

10 minutes.

Did you go to your "media Library" ?I waited for the E-mail and then reread the Info you just posted.

You have to go to Amazon and find the Media Library link for your account. In there you will find the LoTR pre-order.. Click that and the Beta code will be in there.

 

[Mad Cow]

How much is the Amazon pre-order?

 

[Gator Shawn]

How much is the Amazon pre-order?

$48.99. I just like Amazon. GoGames was the cheapest I saw.

 

[Gator Shawn]

This pre-order #### confuses me. I downloaded the open beta and a key. Do I have to pre-order the game to play in the beta now? if I pre-order it somewhere, will my account be updated somehow so I can play? is the beta client I downloaded going to patchable to the full version or do I have to download it all again or wait for the DVD to arrive?

Also, the Open BETA starts March 30th? Or the game goes live March 30th for Pre-orders?

The Beta opens the 30th.

Pre-order Beta opens March 30th. The Free Open beta most are downloading starts April 6th or 7th( )

If you download the Open Beta, Play it, like it and pre-order before April 24th(The expected GOLD date), then you can play right up to GOLD date and carry your character over to the live version.

The system will automatically update your account to pre-order status if you order it after you try the Open Beta.

But if I'm an impatient mofo I can pre-order it today and play tomorrow?

lol Shawn

I pre-ordered from Amazon, and it's been 10 minutes and no freaking beta key! it clearly says:

Exclusive Offer: Order Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar now and receive immediate access to the following in Your Media Library:

"LOTRO: Shadows of Angmar" Pre-order 'Founders' benefits including Access to the online Open Beta (begins March 30, 2007) The ability to move your character over to the real game after launch Exclusive in-game items: 'The Enchanted Cloak of Regeneration' and 'The Ring of Agility' Your choice of special pricing plans for online play See details

10 minutes.

Did you go to your "media Library" ?I waited for the E-mail and then reread the Info you just posted.

You have to go to Amazon and find the Media Library link for your account. In there you will find the LoTR pre-order.. Click that and the Beta code will be in there.

I did already, not there yet.Wait, which e-mail? So far, all I've gotten is:

Your Order with Amazon.com

 

[Mad Cow]

How many months do you get with the initial purchase, and what is the monthly fee gonna be?

 

[GamerBoy61]

Just became addicted to WOW and now this

 

[snogger]

How many months do you get with the initial purchase, and what is the monthly fee gonna be?

Pre-order is $9.99 a month or a lifetime membership for $199. After Launch I believe the price reverts to $14.99/Month.

 

[Gator Shawn]

How many months do you get with the initial purchase, and what is the monthly fee gonna be?

Pre-order is $9.99 a month or a lifetime membership for $199. After Launch I believe the price reverts to $14.99/Month.

We get the $9.99 forevah though right?

 

[snogger]

How many months do you get with the initial purchase, and what is the monthly fee gonna be?

Pre-order is $9.99 a month or a lifetime membership for $199. After Launch I believe the price reverts to $14.99/Month.

We get the $9.99 forevah though right?