It  is nice that someone loves Vanguard and AoC, I hear they need all the players they can get LOL. LoTRO is simply the best PvE game out there at the moment and has been for sometime. Turbine may not be perfect and I don't agree with every decision they make but they are still head and shoulders above the rest of the competiotion as far as a good fantasy PvE centric game.

We were discussing that in other topic, about animation and models. It's allmost like reading same people again just with another nickname.
Models are not the best, bot not bad either. And there is outfit system if you don't like early armor look.

But then again, i felt same in WOW, and yet I have nothing against game itself or gamers that like it. I just didn't like graphics and lore. Or SWG for that matter. 

Shame you didn't post Elrond as an example, great looking npc.

BTW what class did you choose first. Try warden if you want more complex combat, or lore master and burglar.

Originally posted by reborngamer

I can respect that. As the old saying goes "to each his own".

definitly a step in the right direction.

I read your first impression review with great intrest and here are a few comments from my point of view:

First of all i found it remarkable that you take so much from forum opinions. My advise here: Trial a game and dont look into forums at all.

The MMO i enjoyed the most i did not read any forums for 3 years.

Second i find it rather remarkable that you go off about the poor graphics where the LOTRO community is so proud for their nice graphics and screenshots.

But surprise, i agree with you. Short after LOTRO i tried Vanguard and to my own surprise i found the graphics there more appealing and creating more immersion to me than the clumsy LOTRO animations and ugly character models.

Most important and where you definitly hit the nail on the head: LOTRO has almost no fun factor. It is boring predictable gameplay, completely mindless almost no surprises nothing new for someone with an MMO history.

The "epic" story is sliced in pieces for everyone to walk with frodo - it is mainstream sightseeing tour through middle earth. No myst, no covered secrets, nothing special at all.

Raids are just big groups, no mass raids or huge battels. Not sure if meanwhile the server community has influence on the server plot or not.

PvP is a side game with creeps never meaning anything to the rest of the game. LOTRO is not for me. It is missing alot of sandbox and dynamic elements. Some things from Tabula Rasa and some epic stuff.

But as you said correctly: To Each his own.

How far did you get into game?

It is obvious from the very beginning of the OPs post that this game wouldn't be for him/her.

Why even bother trying the game when you already held it in disdain?

"and a tiny bit of WOW(wasn't for me)."

(Wouldn't want to be one of them.)

For my two cents, the survey says....

I never held the game in disdain. I tried in beta, and wasn't impressed. Figured since it was beta and the game had over a year to polish up, as well as the new expansion coupled with the positive feedback on this forum (my mistake..) i figured I'd give it another try. Like another poster pointed it out it was a mistake to follow the forum as an indicator for what I might enjoy. I wont make that mistake again.

Oh, and my survey says your a half-wit.

See how cool that makes you look? Nice try though.

---

Originally posted by Slampig
It is obvious from the very beginning of the OPs post that this game wouldn't be for him/her.
 
Why even bother trying the game when you already held it in disdain?
 
"and a tiny bit of WOW(wasn't for me)."
(Wouldn't want to be one of them.)
 
For my two cents, the survey says....
 

---

I wouldn't call the OP a troll, you notice how no one here but yourself did?

He gave viable reasons and we tried to give him advice, the game just isn't for him and that is fine.

Good luck finding your MMO.

Graphics poor, music crappy?

Hmm then idk what kind of mmo your looking for, the only one with better music, graphics, battle animation, combat diversity..

wait, that'd be real life, have fun playing it kauz there isnt any mmo that is gonna be up to your standards

Btw if you have lotro on fully maxed graphics you pc must be a beast because 4gigs of ram, a 9800gt and p9400 doesnt allow me to max it. and raid peacefully

OP go back to Vanguard.       They need you for the one group the entire server is able to put together during Prime Time any day of the week.

LOTRO is the best MMO out right now and will be for several more years.    AOC/WAR both crashing and burning, just as I predicted.

Now LOTRO may not be for everyone.   For those who don't like LOTRO there are plenty of other mindless grind MMOs with big hair and cartoon graphics.   Also one with boobies where you can run around ganking newbs.   Also one where you can become an MMO vampire and spend your entire life looking for a sword of a thousand truths, but never find it.

Basically if you don't like LOTRO, fine.   Some people don't recognize quality.   For them there are plenty of cans of Spam available at the Supermarket.

I just started playing this weekend and am still early in the game. However with a simularly equipped rig and all gfx details turned on the game looks amazing. I've seen better characters models but think these are the worst I've seen.

Graphics aside the game is fun!. My friend and I are both really enjoying the immersion of the quest and world. Already I feel as if there is purpose for being there. IMO the OP should just keep looking for his perfect game. However seeing as how games are NOT a substitute for RL I doubt he'll ever find what he's looking for.

Originally posted by claudiofm

lotro is horrible grafic

 

remove, reflex water, the grafic lotro is POOR, very very poor

 

 

 

 

vanguard, and AOc very best

 

vanguard dx9 very  very best

 

 

 

 

 

So let me get this straight:

You past a screenshot of LOTRO in lowest possible settings and DX9.

And then start compairing them with Vanguard (who doesnt have DX10, nor does AoC still either) at highest graphic settings?

one word: LOL!

Originally posted by reborngamer

I never held the game in disdain. I tried in beta, and wasn't impressed. Figured since it was beta and the game had over a year to polish up, as well as the new expansion coupled with the positive feedback on this forum (my mistake..) i figured I'd give it another try. Like another poster pointed it out it was a mistake to follow the forum as an indicator for what I might enjoy. I wont make that mistake again.

Oh, and my survey says your a half-wit.

See how cool that makes you look? Nice try though.

You should try to level up a bit further past level20. Try finish the first book of Epic storyline quests.

Then when you end up in Lonelands and start doing the questline from the ranger NPC North West of Weathertop wich gives you the instanced EPIC endquest "Retake Weathertop".

When you have done that EPIC quest with a balanced group (you really need that), then you will be hooked to this game.

The endpart of that instance on top of Weathertop is one big scripted awesomeness I have yet to see in any other MMO!

As that's where the true strength of this game lies.

Cheers

if you don't like the graphics then this game has nothing for you other then a boring solo alt/quest grind, i made the mistake buying lifetime for this MSORPG.

i should have never left FFXI lol

Trainedmonkey ... nah, you are in wrong topic. This is not Guild Wars ;).

More fun with kinship. But even pugs are not so bad.

Originally posted by Mentor73

Trainedmonkey ... nah, you are in wrong topic. This is not Guild Wars ;).

More fun with kinship. But even pugs are not so bad.

 

guess i should have pointed out the bad AI, bad mob pathing, and weak endgame raiding in hele and the rift...it's just to easy nothing epic about a boss that gets bugged out because turbine is busy trying to make that boss anti-hardcore (here you go carebear you can do it too!)

Originally posted by Servase

Simple as this. I've played WoW, WAR, EVE, EQ,EQ2, Vanguard... pretty much all games out there. I will tell you that LOTRO has some of the best graphics out there. Definitely a HUGE improvement over WoW.

The only issues with LOTRO is the lack of content (I.e raid dungeons and limited PVP) and the lack of items(very few).

Otherwise, the storyline is epic. If you can't see tha, then Hello kitty action adventure island for the extreme autistic kids (WoW) is the game for you

I wouldn't say that there is lack of content.

LOTRO is not a raiding game nor is it a pvp game. It does have raiding and it does have pvp.

It is a complete pve game. I have had so many quests that I've not really done all of them. To that point, there is a whole new area (the Ice area.. Forochel I think?) Which I have only seen and done nothing in because I didn't want to do quests without the xp bonus (as I was at 50 and could no longer earn xp).

So I concentrated on Traits, some of the book quests and earning money.

I would say that LOTRO does have a more laid back play requirment. If peple are looking for heart pumping action they are not going to find it all the time.

I would say there is some lackluster content that "should" have been better. In the expansion, the session play with the discovery of the Balrog was lackluster for me. Same with my encounter with the watcher in the water (after my legendary sword was made "up to snuff").

It's like the developers are in love with the game world but not in love with the encounters that make up the game world. At least those which carry some of the original story weight.

Come on this is just silly.

Yeah sure LOTRO models are a bit stiff and the hair graphics are crappy.  The rest of the game is one of the best looking MMOs around.

Trying to say that two minor flaws make the art/graphics complete trash is beyond hyperbole.  It just makes people role their eyes.  Pointing to a face that you probably never even looking at I mean come on. 

And the models and animation are NOT worse than VG.  Gimme a break. 

It amazes me how many people try to write a review, nitpick a small army of things and then say a whole game sucks without ever commenting or analyzing the important aspects of the game.  These people are usually immediate obvious as they show no blance in their perspective.  They decided not to like something, throw tantrum and like anyone throwing a tantrum they lash out at everything they think seems weak and then explode out to a completely overly dramatic conclusion that is obviously silly in the face of something that has strong features.

Of course the flip side of that is that its amazing how many people ignore major problems in design in games and act like its the players such as what goes in with WAR right now.

Originally posted by claudiofm

lotro is horrible grafic

 

remove, reflex water, the grafic lotro is POOR, very very poor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOL what kind of computer you have?

Has any of the original combat mechanics changed in the expansion.

My only complaint was the rate of atk. coming from eq2 I supose I should have expected it. In Lotro it always felt as though I was swinging threw water when fighting.

Anyways hope you guys have a blast in the xp pack.

Originally posted by gestalt11

Come on this is just silly.

 

Yeah sure LOTRO models are a bit stiff and the hair graphics are crappy.  The rest of the game is one of the best looking MMOs around.

 

Trying to say that two minor flaws make the art/graphics complete trash is beyond hyperbole.  It just makes people role their eyes.  Pointing to a face that you probably never even looking at I mean come on. 

 

And the models and animation are NOT worse than VG.  Gimme a break. 

 

It amazes me how many people try to write a review, nitpick a small army of things and then say a whole game sucks without ever commenting or analyzing the important aspects of the game.  These people are usually immediate obvious as they show no blance in their perspective.  They decided not to like something, throw tantrum and like anyone throwing a tantrum they lash out at everything they think seems weak and then explode out to a completely overly dramatic conclusion that is obviously silly in the face of something that has strong features.

 

Of course the flip side of that is that its amazing how many people ignore major problems in design in games and act like its the players such as what goes in with WAR right now.

And what exactly did you just bring into the discussion other than your unproofed opinion that LOTRO animations are equal to Vanguard and some whining about people that talk about flaws but not about (industry standards) things that are ok?

Who cares if the graphics are amazing or the Lore is the best on the planet if the gameplay is boring to tears? Why praise the fascination that you can have so much fun in the right kinship when that fun is created by the kinship, not the game you play and with that can be found in any good kinship in any MMO out there?

LOTRO is not for everyone and some of the reasons for the OP he adressed quite fair.

So stop the "oh-my-god-he-hates-what-i-love-he-must-be-an-idiot" mantra and log into the game you enjoy so much.