Lord of the Rings Online

[Emmie]

Anyone happen to play this? I'd love to hear your experiences with the game.

After a few years of on-and-off World of Warcraft I don't play any computer games currently, but I did try the 10-day free trial of Lord of the Rings online (http://www.lotro.com/) a while ago and liked it - if I was to start playing any currently-released MMORPG I think it would be this one. I love running around the Shire, and there is a lot of attention to detail. Like, for instance, you know that fox from the Fellowship of the Ring?
"Hobbits!" he thought. "Well, what next? I have heard of strange doings in this land, but I have seldom heard of a hobbit sleeping out of doors under a tree."They actually put him in the game.

Only thing I didn't really like was the 3-hour cycle between night and day, since the night can be really dark and I just want it to get light again so I can see the scenery - because the graphics are amazing if you have a computer that can handle turning them all the way up. I attached a couple of my favorite screenshots (not by me or anything; just a few I collected from random places around the internet).

[Thalivagoriel]

I tried to play on a friend's account once, but wasn't enthusiastic about it (I never got very far, seen no fox ;)). But maybe that was because I've already been playing World of Warcraft for over 2 years and I'm just afraid to get addicted to another MMORPG. ;) The graphics were great though, no comparison to WoW.

[Emmie]

Eh, I actually like the "gameplay" aspect of WoW better too. In LOTRO I got frustrated with dying a lot at several points (like, in the Shire a bunch, and when I was trying to explore the Old Forest - though typically these were maybe one level too high for me when I went to them so that may have been why). And it may have been partly the class I picked (minstrel) but I didn't feel like the spells were as interesting or fun to use as those in WoW, even at early levels.

However, graphics are one of the most important things for me, and something set in Middle Earth is automatically awesome - not to mention I've heard many people say that the LOTRO community is better - so I think the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages for me. :)

[Elven]

I'm about to give this a go on a free trial for two weeks so I'll give my thoughts at the end of that. However, I have heard it is best played in groups (or 'fellowships') as it makes it a lot more fun. I'm going to be playing with a group of friends so I'll let you all know how it goes. :p

[Emmie]

Definitely let us know! :)

I never got around to doing fellowships much; my only experience in a group was when a nice random person from general chat agreed to run me through an area I needed to go for a quest, but he was such a high level that I let him do all the fighting.

So which race and class did you pick?

[Starwell]

Hmm, I didn't know they had a free trial... I think I'm going to give it a try too.

[MithrilBox]

I'm wondering whether they're going to come up with an expansion more related to the Hobbit parts of the books around the time the Hobbit movies come out. Seems like it'd make sense from a financial point of view.

They could include Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain, etc.

[Elven]

Starwell - It's a 14 day free trial. I recommend giving it a go.

I'm loving it so far! Level 19 Hunter Elf. I'm playing with friends and it's such a good laugh. Also, I absolutely recommend the Shire drinking quest. The most bizarre quest I've ever done but definitely one of the most entertaining! Joining a kinship is another good way to make the game more fun. I think this game is more geared towards working together than other MMO's but I prefer it that way. :D

[Emmie]

Level 19! Wow. I think I only ever got to around 14 when I was playing - I just got out of the Shire and was exploring the Old Forest a bit, and I remember I went to Bree to have a look around a couple times. Although I did run all over exploring the beautiful scenery and trying not to die, including going to some zones that were inteneded for level 40 or so. :p

If I ever have the time and money to play again, I think I'll definitely try to do more fellowship and kinship things. I would also like to try making something like a Hobbit burglar, just to see if I prefer their abilities over the minstrel's.

What realm are you on, by the way?

MithrilBox - I'm sure they could definitely do something with Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain if they wanted to, though it would have to be slightly different from what they've done so far, since in the current game you sort of follow Frodo's quest as he progresses along.

[Emmie]

Well, since they have the $10 promotion going on now I decided to give LOTRO another try. I have to say, the graphics are just as spectacular as I remember them. Attached is a screenshot of my very own level 10 Hobbit minstrel. :)

I may only play for a couple months, but I'm really looking forward to getting past level 15 or so and going through some of the locations I never had the chance to explore thoroughly.

[Niniel]

I've got some extra cash coming through soon, so I think I'll give this game a try! The graphics look amazing.

[Elven]

I seriously recommend it! I'm level 26 now. I personally resisted WOW for ages, I didn't want to play any game I had to subscribe to but this has absolutely converted me. I've also spoken to people who played WOW who actually prefer LOTRO and say it's the most fun they've had on an MMO.

Emmie, try the Hobbit drinking quest!! :D

[Emmie]

I'm annoyed with myself because I had actually done the free trial twice, and I "applied" the digital download of the game to the wrong one. Fortunately I have a Hobbit minstrel on both, so it wasn't a huge deal... but I started at level 10 when I probably could have been 15, and on my other character I'd already done a most of the Shire quests and started crafting. So right now I just want to get to the point that other character was at, so I won't feel like I've done everything before.

Niniel - you should give it a try, and you can actually do the 10 day trial for free even before you get that extra cash.

Elven - where do I get this quest? :D

[Elven]

Emmie - I think you wander into one of the pubs and pick it up. I think I got in the Green Dragon!

[Niniel]

I went ahead an purchased it. The trial didn't work for me, never got any further than filling out my contact details(when I pressed submit it only went back to that same page.)

But oh well, it was only $10, and I get to play free for 30 days.

Downloading now, can't wait to play:D

[Emmie]

Emmie - I think you wander into one of the pubs and pick it up. I think I got in the Green Dragon!
Thanks. I'll definitely go take a look.

I went ahead an purchased it. The trial didn't work for me, never got any further than filling out my contact details(when I pressed submit it only went back to that same page.)

But oh well, it was only $10, and I get to play free for 30 days.

Downloading now, can't wait to play:D
Hmm, that's weird about the contact details... maybe it was trying to tell you that something you filled out was incomplete/in the wrong format or something?

Anyway, what realm are all of you on? I'm on Landroval - though you probably shouldn't join that one unless you would have anyway, since I have no idea how long I'll be playing for.

[Niniel]

Hmm, I think I entered everything correctly, checked it several times.

Wow, this download is going to take forever. It's still only at 2%!

Is there any difference to the different realms?

[Emmie]

Did you pick the one with lower quality textures? That might speed things up a bit. Or if you have any friends (or friends of friends) who have a disc you could borrow their copy. Or just wait... at 1% per hour, that's about 4 days, so it wouldn't be that long.

I was pleasantly surprised at how fast mine ended up downloading, at about 950kb/sec. I wasn't even aware that my internet connection was capable of that.

The realms are basically the same.

Landroval is the "unofficial RP realm" (there are no official ones), which is the main reason I chose it. You aren't forced to RP, but I wanted to know I'd have lots of people to do it with if I felt like it. Also, I've heard the community is very friendly.

And there's this thing called "PvMP" where you can go to a special area and basically either fight as one of Sauron's minions, or fight against minions of Sauron who are actually controlled by other players. It's their version of the "player vs. player" thing since they can't have elves and hobbits fighting each other. And I think I've heard that some realms have more active/fun/balanced PvMP going on than others, if you're interested in that. Not sure which ones - you'd have to look it up.

[Niniel]

Thanks for the info, Emmie=) Sounds like Landroval would be my best choice.


I had to pick the high res one, I got an error message on the other one.
Turns out my computer was on dial up speed yesterday, because I had gone over the download limit for the month. So it was downloading at 5kb/s, would have taken about 900 hours, haha. Luckily it's back to normal now. Should be finished in 3 hours!:D

[Emmie]

Ah, glad you got it sorted out. :) That sucks about having download limits - as far as I know my internet provider doesn't use them.

Do you know which class you want to try?

[Niniel]

I'm reading about the different classes now. Think I'll go with either Burglar or Lore-Master.
Was going to be an Elf, but Hobbit Burglar seems like alot of fun:D

[Emmie]

I was going to create a burglar. I was told many burglars have complaints about their class, but I may do it anyway - Bilbo was one, after all. :)

Other classes I'm interested in trying are a hunter (which, I'm told, does the most damage) and a loremaster (which I'm not quite as interested in because they can't be hobbits, and I prefer hobbit characters).

But I think I'll stick with playing my minstrel most.

[Niniel]

I am now a level 6 Elf hunter:D This is really addictive.

I also created a Hobbit burglar, but haven't played her yet.

[Dani]

I may have to give this a go when Im next at my good PC... The most Ive got in terms of LOTR gaming is Aragorn and Legolas on The Sims xD

The thought of making my own Elf is too tempting...

[Emmie]

I really want to try The Sims someday. A friend of mine from ~6 years ago (who I no longer know) used to be really into it, and I watched her play a couple times but I never really got to try it myself.

Anyways, back on topic: I didn't get around to LOTRO at all yesterday so I'll go try making that hunter and/or loremaster this morning. Just as soon as I finish reading new HobbitForums posts.

[Niniel]

Sims 3 is coming out soon, I'll definitively try that.


Anyway, I've been wandering around Bree for a bit, looking for a drinking quest(didn't find any), and I stumbled upon 'The cat ladys house':p:

[Emmie]

Let's see, today in LOTRO:

- Tried hunter, loremaster and warden, but I'm going to stick with my minstrel.

- Saw the first rainbow I can remember in a while. The beauty of the game is astounding.

- Bought my first item off the auction house; I have a new robe!

- Ran around doing mail delivery quests... I did them all before on my other character, but oh well. Saw gorgeous orange sunset, among other things.

- Went to Bree.

- Ventured into a corner of the Old Forest. Saw Goldberry.

I'm looking forward to exploring the area around Bree more tomorrow.

Oh... and I still have to go looking for that drinking quest.

[Niniel]

- Ventured into a corner of the Old Forest. Saw Goldberry.


Ohh, cool. I went to Tom Bombadills house(by accident), but couldn't find her anywhere.

I've mostly been roaming around the Shire today, doing random quests.

My Elf Hunter:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/charlie_m/1-11.jpg

It's Bag End!:D:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/charlie_m/3-6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/charlie_m/ScreenShot00023-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/charlie_m/ScreenShot00025-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/charlie_m/ScreenShot00026-2.jpg

[Elven]

I'm a level 29 Elf Hunter now! Anyone on a European server?

[Dani]

Waaahhh I didnt manage to play it today, my last chance this week at a good computer xD Ill have to try next week D:

[PiRaTeGiRl]

I played some of those. It's very cute.. especially those with the finding of the ring or something like that XD

[Emmie]

*sigh*

I think buying LOTRO may have been a mistake. I really do not have the time right now. I am determined to at least get high enough level to do some of the beginning Lone Lands quests before my subscription expires, though.

And I'm not really upset because it was only $10 and now I can easily start playing again by renewing my account should I have more time in the future.

[jimmyboy]

I love this game LOTRO! I've been playing it for about a year, and have three characters. But my main is a Human Guardian, and he's approaching level 58. (level cap is currently 60) Even though I've been playing for a while now, and even though I have the gameplay down pretty well, I'm still learning things about this game and the Guardian I play. It's just such a big, deep, and complex (if you want it to be) game that I can pretty much always find something to do besides questing and fighting if I choose to.

Anyway, this game is truly world-class, grade-A Number One. The graphics and game design are just amazing. The gameplay is fun, sometimes actually very clever. For the most part, though, the gameplay is pretty much standard MMO RPG as far as I can tell. But the other thing that sets this game apart (IMO) is the music. Many times I mute all other sounds except for the game music, and just enjoy the beautiful music as I wander and explore Middle-earth.

The game designers have done such an outstanding job that, yes, it does actually feel and look like Middle-earth! And here's another nice thing: nothing in the game is based on Jackson's movie designs. For me that was very important, not that there's anything wrong with the movie designs; those were great, but the point is that this has nothing at all to do with the movies. It's not yet another licensing quick-money-maker rip off. It's its own creature. Yet the designs in this game are every bit as creative and wonderful as anything seen in the movies.

In other words...play the game! :cool:

EDIT: My Guardian's name is Waynebruce, on the Silverlode server.

[jimmyboy]

*sigh*

I think buying LOTRO may have been a mistake. I really do not have the time right now. I am determined to at least get high enough level to do some of the beginning Lone Lands quests before my subscription expires, though.

And I'm not really upset because it was only $10 and now I can easily start playing again by renewing my account should I have more time in the future.
It's not a mistake. :)

But one thing is for sure: LOTRO is an excellent time sink. It will easily take up whatever time you throw at it, and then some. But...it's not required to invest lots and lots of time to enjoy it. It's been called a very "casual-friendly" game, and it is that. But that really depends on how you choose to play the game. If you choose to create a well-rounded, deep, character, then you can work on the thousands of Deeds, and the various Virtues, the further enhance your character. I spend lots and lots of time just working on my Virtues and Traits.

[Elven]

I've certainly found it casual friendly, as you say. Everyone who plays the game seems really nice and eager to help out newbies, which is always nice. I overplayed it a bit in the last week so I've had a few days off but now I miss it again. I want to explore Angmar. Though I would quite certainly die there. XD

Jimmyboy, is Silverlode an EU server? The name sounds familiar. (Gilrain ftw)

[jimmyboy]

I've certainly found it casual friendly, as you say. Everyone who plays the game seems really nice and eager to help out newbies, which is always nice. I overplayed it a bit in the last week so I've had a few days off but now I miss it again. I want to explore Angmar. Though I would quite certainly die there. XD

Jimmyboy, is Silverlode an EU server? The name sounds familiar. (Gilrain ftw)
Good question, but I don't know. I know I've fellowed with people in Europe, but I don't know if Silverlode is specifically a European server. I'm guessing not since most of the people I've fellowed with are (or sound) American.

But I've explored pretty much all of Middle-earth by myself, and have died many times in just about every place. :D Including Angmar. (For the record, I HATE trolls! And fire-drakes, too! They are tough to deal with in groups if you're trying to solo through a place...) If you happen to be on Silverlode, and you want a Guardian while tramping through Angmar, then feel free to look me up. Waynebruce is the name, Guardian's the game!

But...you have to be sure to complete the Epic quest Volume I, Book 6, chapter 6, before you can venture very far east into Angmar. That's where it gets really nasty anyways.

[Emmie]

I definitely feel like it's casual-friendly (and more so now than it was when I first did the free trial), but I've just had very little free time for the past few weeks. And part of the problem is that I have a Mac, so I have to restart my computer in Windows whenever I want to play, and then restart it again whenever I want to do anything else.

But, I reached level 15 this morning and I've done a few Lone Lands quests, and I'm enjoying myself a lot. Hopefully I'll get around to posting a few screenshots tomorrow.

If you choose to create a well-rounded, deep, character, then you can work on the thousands of Deeds, and the various Virtues, the further enhance your character.I actually really like this aspect of the game, even if I don't completely understand the details of how they all work yet. Being able to develop one character extensively appeals to me a lot more than just leveling as far as you can and then doing raids to upgrade your items (which is more or less how WoW works). And I think the beauty of the world makes it a lot easier for me to fully enjoy whatever I happen to be doing in the game at the moment, rather than working toward some larger goal.

[jimmyboy]

I definitely feel like it's casual-friendly (and more so now than it was when I first did the free trial), but I've just had very little free time for the past few weeks. And part of the problem is that I have a Mac, so I have to restart my computer in Windows whenever I want to play, and then restart it again whenever I want to do anything else.

Well, that's what you get when you use a Mac. :D :p

I have a friend who often tries to get me to buy a Mac. I'm a PC enthusiast; I build them, trouble-shoot them, etc. I always build my own to be primarily game machines, to be able to play any game I choose to play. After that, they are quite able to do whatever else I want them to do, as well as anything else (reasonably). With that in mind, I always say to him that it's utterly pointless for me to get a Mac. I have three main reasons for this: one, they're not nearly as game-friendly as PCs; and two, they're much more expensive than a comparable PC; and three, they're not nearly as moddable as PCs. But really I'm not into the PC vs. Mac debate. I say people should get whatever they prefer, and who cares what everyone else prefers.

Off topic:
Are you familiar with the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials? If so, are you familiar with the mainstream comic characters, like Spider-man, X-Men, Superman, etc? If so, have you seen that series of parodies on Youtube? Here's the first one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av6fWfmugds

But, I reached level 15 this morning and I've done a few Lone Lands quests, and I'm enjoying myself a lot. Hopefully I'll get around to posting a few screenshots tomorrow.

I actually really like this aspect of the game, even if I don't completely understand the details of how they all work yet. Being able to develop one character extensively appeals to me a lot more than just leveling as far as you can and then doing raids to upgrade your items (which is more or less how WoW works). And I think the beauty of the world makes it a lot easier for me to fully enjoy whatever I happen to be doing in the game at the moment, rather than working toward some larger goal.
The Virtues, there are twenty of them, all buff up certain traits. Each Virtue buffs up three traits, with one of them being the main one. Look at which Virtues buff up the traits you want to increase on your character, such as armor, might, poison resistance, in-combat morale regeneration, etc, etc. Then work on the various deeds that increase the rank of that Virtue.

If you're not familiar with the Deeds log, there are few tabs at the top of the window when you open it up. One of them is for Epic, Race, Class. The one next to it should say "Eriador". Open the "Eriador" tab, and at the bottom are ten or twelve other tabs, each one represents a region of Middle-earth, such as the Shire, Bree-land, Misty Mountains, etc. Each region has deeds that increase the various Virtues. At the top you can check the box that says "Set Rewards", and it shows you what Virtue it increases. When you click on that deed, then it'll tell you what you have to accomplish to earn that deed. Then you can begin to build up the Virtues you want to work on.

Here's a link that has helped me immensely. Play around with it for a while and you'll be able to decide what Virtues would benefit you. You can equip up to five Virtues at a time, and there's no one best combination. Just pick and choose as you will. To equip any trait or Virtue, visit a Bard. Just remember that only Virtues you have equipped will actually have any benefit to you.

http://www.burgzerg.com/virtues

[Emmie]

Well, that's what you get when you use a Mac. :D :p

I have a friend who often tries to get me to buy a Mac. I'm a PC enthusiast; I build them, trouble-shoot them, etc. I always build my own to be primarily game machines, to be able to play any game I choose to play. After that, they are quite able to do whatever else I want them to do, as well as anything else (reasonably). With that in mind, I always say to him that it's utterly pointless for me to get a Mac. I have three main reasons for this: one, they're not nearly as game-friendly as PCs; and two, they're much more expensive than a comparable PC; and three, they're not nearly as moddable as PCs. But really I'm not into the PC vs. Mac debate. I say people should get whatever they prefer, and who cares what everyone else prefers.
I just prefer the general feel of OS X to Windows, I think. I don't do gaming (LOTRO is an exception) so that wasn't a consideration, but there are 5-6 Mac-only programs I've grown attached to, some of which don't have any comparable Windows equivalents. So I realize that I paid more for being able to use my choice of operating systems, but for me it was worth it.

I'm also not sure that I paid more than a comparable PC would have cost - rather, I got a lot of things (like quad-core Xeon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon) processors) that I really didn't need. This site (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/apple-mac-leopard-windows-vista,1985-2.html) did a comparison about a year ago that came up with a $5 difference, if you actually use all the same parts. (The actual article text seems somewhat biased, but they mention the Mac Pro being "meticulously designed" and I sort of felt that way about it myself. Its appearance and design are better than anything I could have built, especially without experience in putting computers together. And it is quite easy to switch video cards or add hard drives/RAM in the Mac Pro, which is really all the modification I would ever want to do.)

Also, I figure the Xeon processors can't hurt for the Photoshop work I do, now and in the future, even if they weren't necessary.

Off topic:
Are you familiar with the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials? If so, are you familiar with the mainstream comic characters, like Spider-man, X-Men, Superman, etc? If so, have you seen that series of parodies on Youtube? Here's the first one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av6fWfmugds

Haha! :D I'm not hugely familiar with them, but I've seen a couple of those superhero movies.

Stuff about virtues and traits and deeds
Thanks for that explanation, and especially the link - very helpful. I think I understand a bit more now.

Playing World of Warcraft for a while was confusing me. Because in WoW, a caster class would never want something like might or agility, but I've been told that agility isn't a bad stat to accumulate for a soloing minstrel. And virtues seem to give you essentially the same things that certain armor will grant, which was confusing at first.

Class traits are beginning to make sense too, after I found this page (http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Minstrel_Traits) and read about the "set bonuses".

[jimmyboy]

I just prefer the general feel of OS X to Windows, I think. I don't do gaming (LOTRO is an exception) so that wasn't a consideration, but there are 5-6 Mac-only programs I've grown attached to, some of which don't have any comparable Windows equivalents. So I realize that I paid more for being able to use my choice of operating systems, but for me it was worth it.

I'm also not sure that I paid more than a comparable PC would have cost - rather, I got a lot of things (like quad-core Xeon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon) processors) that I really didn't need. This site (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/apple-mac-leopard-windows-vista,1985-2.html) did a comparison about a year ago that came up with a $5 difference, if you actually use all the same parts. (The actual article text seems somewhat biased, but they mention the Mac Pro being "meticulously designed" and I sort of felt that way about it myself. Its appearance and design are better than anything I could have built, especially without experience in putting computers together. And it is quite easy to switch video cards or add hard drives/RAM in the Mac Pro, which is really all the modification I would ever want to do.)

Also, I figure the Xeon processors can't hurt for the Photoshop work I do, now and in the future, even if they weren't necessary.

Honestly I'm glad you're happy with what you have. That's the entire point of any such machine, isn't it?

With me, modding involves not only swapping out video cards and RAM, but each and every part, mixing and matching, and building such things as SCSI/SAS RAID systems, which involve several hard-drives, water and liquid cooling, cutting and modding the case, etc. Surely no Mac person would imagine modding their fancy Mac case. :D

Thanks for that explanation, and especially the link - very helpful. I think I understand a bit more now.

Playing World of Warcraft for a while was confusing me. Because in WoW, a caster class would never want something like might or agility, but I've been told that agility isn't a bad stat to accumulate for a soloing minstrel. And virtues seem to give you essentially the same things that certain armor will grant, which was confusing at first.

Class traits are beginning to make sense too, after I found this page (http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Minstrel_Traits) and read about the "set bonuses".Various gear do offer different buffs, which is a mix-and-match game in itself, one I do enjoy. So think of the Virtues as an extra set of gear, that only adds to what you already have. :cool:

Class traits bonuses add even more on top of that. And if you look at various gear sets, they often add bonuses, depending on how many pieces of the set you have.

If you're not familiar with it yet, at level 15 (or 10?) you gain the ability to cosmetically equip any piece of gear. So if there's a set of armor you think looks really nice, then you have have that cosmetically shown, so the world can see your coolness/beauty, while you actually have another set equipped. You can have a total of three sets on you at a time; two are cosmetic, one is actual.

[Elven]

Angmar is evil. I accidentally got ported there at level 30 and died instantly. (Still only book quest 3).

Currently in Evendim, which is such a pretty area. I'm impressed at how well they've made each area look distinct and unique without looking unrealistic or too 'fantasy'. A lot of careful thought has been put into it, which is something that really appeals to me.

... I still need to work out Virtues and stuff though. But I dinged 34 tonight so I'm pleased. ;)

What other games are you into, jimmy? And how hardcore have you modded stuff? ;) [May have to create a new thread on this...]

[Niniel]

I haven't played as much as I would have wanted lately.


Got a bit sick of my Elf Hunter, so I created a human Champion instead(just reached level 14, level 22 with the hunter.) I've hardly even started on the Epic quests. Got a bit annoyed when I wanted to try one of the fellowship quests solo in book 1, but wasn't even allowed to try. Coudn't get through some invinsible barrier:mad: yeah, I know it's a multiplayer game, but I think people should be allowed to atleast try to do it alone. And I am not very good with ''Fellowshipping''. I tried, but have to give up pretty quickly:rolleyes:

[Emmie]

What other games are you into, jimmy? And how hardcore have you modded stuff? ;) [May have to create a new thread on this...]
This fancy forum software can actually split threads if we need to. I was considering splitting off the PC vs Mac thing, but, jimmyboy specifically said he was "not into the PC vs. Mac debate" so I figured I shouldn't make a big thing of it. :p

I haven't played as much as I would have wanted lately.

Me neither. I want to try to play for at least a little while sometime today though.

[jimmyboy]

This fancy forum software can actually split threads if we need to. I was considering splitting off the PC vs Mac thing, but, jimmyboy specifically said he was "not into the PC vs. Mac debate" so I figured I shouldn't make a big thing of it. :p

OK, that was my nice-guy* way of saying that I am not intending to cause debate or trouble, especially since I'm the new guy here. :)

If people want to discuss Mac vs. PC, let's do it.

* a very bad thing: "nice guy". That itself could be a heated discussion, but I used it just now for lack of a better way to say it.

[Niniel]

Question...How do you know what servers are European, american ect?

There seem to be hardly anyone online at the same time as me where I am now(Landroval):p

[Elven]

Niniel, it comes down to where you live, basically! Americans have servers just for America, Europe's servers are for all countries in Europe and I'm not sure how it works for the rest of the world. I wouldn't be able to play my subscription on an American server because it's essentially region-locked.

[Emmie]

Anyone have thoughts on the new screenshots that theonering.net posted?

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2009/05/27/32287-lotr-online-book-8-scourge-of-khazad-dum-screenshots/

I never got anywhere near Moria, but they look interesting.

[jimmyboy]

I'm not up to Book 8 so I won't be seeing those things for a while. I'm still on Book 2. Actually, I'm still on Book 9 of Volume 1, but it's not necessary to complete Vol 1 before moving on to Vol 2.

Anyway, Moria is a very impressive place. You should be at the very least level 47, preferrably 50, before going in, though. But it's an amazing underground world they've created. However, when I was exploring Moria I made it a point to make my way in a general eastward direction, toward the First Hall, which exits out into the outside world near Lothlorien. Moria's impressive, but it's nice to get back outside again, in the day light.

Still, if you're high enough then you should wander into Moria and pick up some Legendary Items. If you do Book 1 of Volume 2 you'll get your first Legedary weapon, and then you can start advancing it. Even if you don't ever go into Moria, I suggest doing Book 1 anyway, just to get that weapon. And once you get one, then you can always visit the auction house to get better ones as you level up. If you choose not to invade Moria, that is. Once you're in there, you'll be picking up tons of Third Age weapons.

[Ciptus]

From my fleeting glance at the Sil., I know not of a Hurin, but Im sure there is a Hurin, Warden of the Keys in Minas Tirith in RotK, is there not? That, or I have a bad memory

[Lanyare]

Anyone still playing this? I went out on a limb and bought the Collector's Edition, without even knowing if I would like this game. At my first try, it even seemed I wouldn't, but that was only because I picked the wrong server to play on, and was lost at first.

After recreating my first character - an Elven Hunter by the way - on another server (Eldar), I joined the kinship of an online friend, and by now I'm totally hooked. My Hunter's currently exploring Angmar and she's lvl 47... I'm taking it all slowly.
Other characters are a lvl 33 Elven Loremaster, a lvl 25 Hobbit Burglar, a lvl 15 Elven Runekeeper, and a very young Elven Warden. Aye, Elves are my favourite Race, but when I wanted to try the Burglar class I felt I just HAD to go for a Hobbit. :D

The LotRO community is outstanding. It's unbelievable how friendly people are! Not that I have that much experience with gaming communities, since I can only compare with one other online game. But in the other game, the community consists of a bunch of whiners who are never satisfied whatever the developers do, and virtually no one will simply help another person just like that.
Next to the community spirit, I absolutely love the eye for detail. In the beginning of this thread, someone mentioned the fox... which is a perfect example. Everytime I notice something, I squeal. I just cannot help it.

[Emmie]

I'm sure there are a good number of us still playing. I let my account expire a few months ago because I really don't have time right now, but perhaps I'll go back to it someday. And I do like elves, but I think hobbits would have to be my favorite race. :D

It took me a while to get used to how everything worked, but I completely agree about the amazing community the game has -- it's a lot better than anything I've seen elsewhere.

What do you think of the Mirkwood expansion news? In a way, I wish they hadn't decided to make it smaller than the first expansion and download-only. (I mean, the new WoW expansion is also going to be 5 levels instead of 10, but since they're going to have more end-game content and are redoing most of the original game zones I think the actual amount of new content will be greater, if anything.)

[Lanyare]

Ah yes, time... I know that struggle all too well. Personally, I'm not alternating weekly between Lotro and Guild Wars, another game I really like and that I even play longer than Lotro.

As for the expansion, though... It's going to be ages still before I can play it myself. I have yet to struggle through Moria and everything. And at this rate, I'll never be able to catch up on my kinmates either!
I would have preferred to be able to get it in a nice box as well, as a special edition or something. I kind of like shiny boxes ;)

[Sam]

I was thinking of getting this but I'm the kind of person who likes to group play instead of solo play, maybe a HF Kingship could arise :p

[Emmie]

A HobbitForums kinship is an excellent idea. :) I think there are quite a lot of people who would potentially be interested in something like that, especially once the forums grow a bit more.

[Sam]

The only problem that can arise is servers, I am willing to get a US copy of the game if most of the players are based across the pond :)

[Emmie]

We could always have two kinships, one for the US and one for the UK. Once we start to grow a bit, there will hopefully be enough people for it, and I don't imagine we'd get around to creating it for at least a few months anyway.

[Lanyare]

Well, I'm on the Europe-servers already, so I wouldn't be able to join any US-kinship anyways. And admittedly, I am already in one, with people I know from another forum.
That doesn't mean off course, that I couldn't transfer a couple of characters to a Hobbit Forums kinship if there will be one on the Europe-servers. I do have one Hobbit character. :p

[Niniel]

Hm...I seem to be on a US server eventhough I live in New Zealand. Most of the people in my kinship is from the US...I'd leave them for a Hobbitforums kinships though:p

[Emmie]

What server are you on again, Niniel? I may have to see about renewing my account again sometime in the near future. :)

[Niniel]

I'm on Landroval:)

[Sam]

Can I buy the game online in an US account and download it to my computer?

[Lanyare]

Sam, I suppose that, if you were to buy the game from Amazon-US, you'd get the American edition and be located on American servers. As far as I know, the region is determined by where you bought your game, not where you're located. I've heard of Americans having bought the game while they were in Europe and, consequently, they play on the European servers. So I assume that you'd be on the American servers if you make your purchase on an American site.

[Emmie]

I'm on Landroval:)
Oh! Right. I think I remember you saying that now. My character is on Landroval, so if I start playing again we should definitely meet up in-game sometime.

Can I buy the game online in an US account and download it to my computer?
Not really sure about the answer to your question - it'd probably depend on whether their ordering system checks your region (either through your IP address or the credit card used). But as Lanyare said, ordering through Amazon.com would work.

[Niniel]

Oh! Right. I think I remember you saying that now. My character is on Landroval, so if I start playing again we should definitely meet up in-game sometime.

I'd like that:) I havent been playing much lately either..but I got a 3 month subscription a while back to get the Mirkwood expansion, so I should probably start playing again before it runs out!