General Discussion

I started playing LoTRO again about 3 weeks ago and then I had an itch to return to DAoC, which was my first game and I played it for 3 years straight (2002-2005). At any rate, I enjoy DAoC more and here is a comparison.

Graphics- DAoC's graphics upgrade has made this game competitve in this day and age. While it is not one of the best looking games, it couldn't be said that graphics is the reason people don't play this game. LoTRO's graphics are simply breath taking and picturesque. LoTRO wins hands down.

Newb Friendly- DAoC has been around since 2001, yet has had two newb area make overs. While this game has taken strides to become newb friendly, it still has a bit of a learning curve. LoTRO practices the mantra "KISS." LoTRO wins this one, hands down. However, I am not a newb to the genre, so I like the little bit of depth DAoC has.

Leveling Experience- This will depend on the eye of the beholder. Some prefer grouping up, picking a camp, and grinding; others prefer to pvp from lvl 1-50; and yet others prefer to quest from 1-50. If you like options 1 and 2, DAoC has a better leveling experience. You can grind your way to lvl 50 with a group if you'd like or PvP from the start. Both are viable options and are used often on the Classic servers. Or you could mix it up and quest some, grind some, and pvp some. DAoC allows it all and all are equally viable. LoTRO offers one viable way to advance through the levels, and that is performing quests. Some quests are mundance, while others are entertaining. They also have a main story line, which the entire game, it's updates, and it's expansions are built around. While DAOC has a few different Epic story lines to follow, it is not the same as having cinematics the way LoTRO has. Because DAoC is older, it also has a variety of ways to advance later in game, including Master Levels, Champion levels, and Real Ranks. For me, DAoC wins here.

Character custimization and classes- DAoC has over 40 unique classes across its 3 realms with 3 different ways to spec each class, it also hosts over 20 races to choose from. Character creation isn't any better or worse than LoTRO. LoTRO has only a handful of races and classes, and no way to really make yourself unique. You have deeds, but they only offer difference in stats. As for clothing, both games allow the use of dies and DAoC has schematics you can use to create special looking armor, but it is rare. LoTRO lets you alter how you look now, through optional clothing at lvl 20. I think DAoC wins hands down in this department.

Community and Population- DAoC has a good community as does LoTRO. However, DAoC has attracted some elitists who think there is only one way to play each class. Population levels on the Classic server are steady and don't prevent any from doing what they want at anytime of the day. Not sure about normal servers. LoTRO is a new game, thus has a larger and more active community. You can find people in all areas of the game, unlike DAoC, whose population congregates where leveling or PvP is most likely to attract others. Both are good, it just depends on what the player is looking for. I think LoTRO wins here, but as a veteran player, I don't have any trouble finding people to group with in DAoC.

PvP and RP- DAoC's Rping community is almost non-existant now, whereas LoTRO has an unofficial RPing server where plenty of people congregate to RP. DAoC offers PvP from lvl 1 and you can level from 1-50 without ever killing a NPC or monster if you so choose. LoTRO only allows freeps to PvP at the end of the game and creeps to PvP after lvl 10. If you want RP, go to LoTRO, PvPers should go to DAoC, no surprise here. I like to RP, but I also like to mix in PvP and PvE as I level, not as an endgame only alternative.

To summarize, I think LoTRO and DAoC are great games, but as a person who loves the challenge of fighting other players along with grouping with other people to overcome PvE challenges, I prefer DAoC. While LoTRO has very limited races (which is fine...lore problems), their classes did not need to be so few, but they chose to produce only a few anyways. They are coming out with two new classes, which is encouraging, but classes aside, they don't offer any PvP at lower levels for freeps. While I am not a hardcore PvPer, I do like the option to PvP at lower levels. It is boring to me, to only PvE quest from lvl 1-50 with no other options for entertainment/advancement.

A nice summary but the games are on opposite ends of the spectrum. One is true PVE and the other PvP/RvR.  In the end, it comes down you as a player and which you prefer. To this point, I believe LOTRO is one of the most immersive, and a great game to get lost in the story. DAOC, 6-7 yrs old and still one of the best PvP experiences to be had.

Torrential

Well to start with, hard to compare a non pvp game with a pvp one. 

The only plus DAoC has is it is still around.  Beyond that it is a outdated, never balanced piece of crap!

DAoC has never been nor ever will be a good game.  The developers forgot when they made the game that pvp is supposed to have balanced classes and spells.   It has neither.

To even try to compare it with Lotro is beyond ridiculous.  Lotro even though it is strictly pve and limited in scope has so much more going for it that it is a waste of time to even discuss a comparison.

Needless to say, you are entitled to your opinion, but the facts tend to lend credence to DAoC being a POS.

The unbalanced classes cements this as a very poor pvp game, there are tons out there that are far better.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Well to start with, hard to compare a non pvp game with a pvp one. 

The only plus DAoC has is it is still around.  Beyond that it is a outdated, never balanced piece of crap!

DAoC has never been nor ever will be a good game.  The developers forgot when they made the game that pvp is supposed to have balanced classes and spells.   It has neither.

To even try to compare it with Lotro is beyond ridiculous.  Lotro even though it is strictly pve and limited in scope has so much more going for it that it is a waste of time to even discuss a comparison.

Needless to say, you are entitled to your opinion, but the facts tend to lend credence to DAoC being a POS.

The unbalanced classes cements this as a very poor pvp game, there are tons out there that are far better.

I started playing this game recently and I must say this is pure BS.  It's some of the best PvP I've experienced since UO before it was ruined.   I have yet to see that many large imbalances and with every class I've tried I always felt useful in PvP and felt like I had a fair chance.

This is one common misconception, that DAoC is purely a PvP game. DAoC offers plenty of PvE to where a person doesn't ever have to do PvP unless they wanted to. You can solo or group adventure through the Classic world, Shrouded Isles, the Catacombs, or the many dungeons that litter the world. You also have Atlantis and the Master Levels and Raids that accompany it. You also have Dragons that you can raid and other legendary monsters. You also have Epic quests for every class, which spans from lvl 5-45 and rewards you with Epic armor. You have Darkness Rising which offered a new high end dungeon, the Champion of the Realm quest line that rewarded you with a Champion weapon that you can level and Champion levels that further allow you to customize your character. The point is that there is plenty of things to do for PvE oriented people. Since the release of WoW, Mythic has also started making a lot of quests. These quests are actually more entertaining than the tedious quests WoW makes you grind on. Quests in DAoC revolve more around a story than a reward or xp.

Not only can a player take part in this PvE, but they can also PvP from lvl 1 and gain experience for it. LoTRO may be immersive, but it lacks purpose beyond your first character. In DAoC, your purpose is to defend your realm from both NPC and player enemies. This provides endless content. LoTRO offers 1 Epic Storyline that once you complete, is like rereading a book. I'm not sure about you, but I have no desire to reread books I've already read before, since I already know how it's going to end. With DAoC, fighting is never the same and with 40+ classes, it can be a completely different experience everytime you log on. I like options and LoTRO lacks them.

Now don't get me wrong, DAoC is definitely a last generation game and I can't wait for an updated version of DAOC or another game that offers so many options for new players. I'm thinking WAR might be the next closest thing, but who knows.

As for yo Ozmodan, you do know DAoC is balanced for group pvp, not 1 on 1. I've been in situations in all realms over the years where the underdogs won through smart gameplay. There are some classes that seem overpowered, such as the Vamp, Theurg, BD and Hib casters with baseline stuns, but all of those have their weaknesses and have been owned over and over again in front of other people. So they aren't as OP as people make them seem. At any rate, people should be traveling with groups anyways. Those classes are only a problem when you are solo and YES some classes are better than others solo.

"Graphics- DAoC's graphics upgrade has made this game competitve in this day and age. While it is not one of the best looking games, it couldn't be said that graphics is the reason people don't play this game. LoTRO's graphics are simply breath taking and picturesque. LoTRO wins hands down."

DAoC's graphics and engine are older than LotRO's by quite a few years, can we really compare the two games? The technology of the 3d programming keeps advancing so that 'better' graphics are coming out thanks to more streamlined and efficient engines being able to support them. Though LotRO's graphics are breath-taking for the performance of the engine and game, I think it's a bit unfair to compare the two. There have been leaps and bounds in graphics technology since Catacombs came out. I would still bet that for its purpose, DAoC's engine and graphics are better suited than LotRO's. Seeing how I get pretty bad FPS lag in Combe with just 25 people around, I'd hate to think of 250 people being around me like in some of the RvR zergs

"Newb Friendly- DAoC has been around since 2001, yet has had two newb area make overs. While this game has taken strides to become newb friendly, it still has a bit of a learning curve. LoTRO practices the mantra "KISS." LoTRO wins this one, hands down. However, I am not a newb to the genre, so I like the little bit of depth DAoC has."

Why does newb-friendliness equate to low learning curve? Perhaps newbs want a learning curve! Part of the enjoyment for me as a gamer is to discover a game and one of those things is to learn about that game. It depends on what aspect of the game is challenging: discovering cool new mechanics you can employ to defeat an enemy, discovering the environment or new features that might be a little bit hidden, setting up templates, etc. Those to me would be 'fun' learning curves, whereas struggling with a game's UI is not a 'fun' learning curve. I would consider more important to a newb the ability to get established in a game so that it is not frustrating to the level of 'I quit'.  I also see newb-friendliness as an aspect of the community of the game: how do players respond to newbs? Are they hostile and poke fun when a newb asks an 'obvious' question? Do players give a hand to a newb, perhaps by showing him the right way to get to a place he can't find, or grouping up with him for a difficult quest that he can't complete, providing tips about how to play his class, etc.? Do the players ignore him?  The introductory areas of a game are also important for newb-friendliness. Lastly, having some sort of official support for a newb is good, like knowing how to get ahold of a CSR if he has a problem: how good is the interface to get that help?

I haven't played DAoC in years, I can't answer my own questions about DAoC's newb-friendliness as it is now. From the game I knew in the past, I'd agree with a lot of what you've said about both games, but this particular point in your post had me scratching my head wondering whether such a complex subject as newb-friendliness can be equated to simply being the existence of a learning curve. I actually found DAoC incredibly easy to get into, even easier than LotRO as far as both games' learning curves. If you take into consideration my more multifacited understanding of newb-friendliness, how would you rate DAoC today in comparison to LotRO?

Daoc is the best game on the planet... and i dont see anyone else taking that title anytime soon.

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Originally posted by Ozmodan
Well to start with, hard to compare a non pvp game with a pvp one. 
The only plus DAoC has is it is still around.  Beyond that it is a outdated, never balanced piece of crap!
DAoC has never been nor ever will be a good game.  The developers forgot when they made the game that pvp is supposed to have balanced classes and spells.   It has neither.
To even try to compare it with Lotro is beyond ridiculous.  Lotro even though it is strictly pve and limited in scope has so much more going for it that it is a waste of time to even discuss a comparison.
Needless to say, you are entitled to your opinion, but the facts tend to lend credence to DAoC being a POS.
The unbalanced classes cements this as a very poor pvp game, there are tons out there that are far better.

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If you say that DAoC is not a great game anymore, I will agree with you.

Saying it was never a good game is total crap, because during it's prime ( Pre-ToA, Shrouded Isles era ) it was one of the most awesome games to play.
It was not balanced for solo play, it was alwyas balanced for Group PvP-RvR.
I am sure you never seriously played DAoC during it's prime, or you would know about Realm Pride and RvR. So far I havent found anything to replace this.

DAoC gave me my best online video game experience ever, and I am still waiting for a replacement.

However, currently DAoC is failing, but that is not because of class balance, but because of various mistakes in design decision and a bad long term vision.

edit : if you want balanced 5vs5 games you should play WoW arena games, so for you it is "go back to WoW n00b" :p

Greetz