Well, on Melendor , the activity of players has risen, seem with yet another failed game release, lotro is the one who is gaining the retention of the said games players.  I've been very impressed with how many folk I've run into and said "so and so game is l2 with wings" ," the game is a big bowl of poop" "turds with wings"  even the folks in my kinship who where tempted by the breasts have returned and said they enjoy lotro more then ever and really find that Turbine is one of  the last true mmorpg  companies to be successful in creating content for the players. 

As the hare speeds off flapping it's wings, the Tortoise stays the course and enjoying the ride.

Great job Turbine, keep it up !!!!

^ ...Good work.

I haven't really noticed any significant rise in traffic, but I do hit the boards on different sites.  And it's alot of the same.  Players who went to Aion or Conan or Warhammer went back to LOTRO.   I've played it since launch and it's only been getting better.   And I second the cheering of Turbine.  Keep it up!

 Let it increase all it wants. As far as WoW clones go, its probably one of the most solid out there. Probably the second best PvE game (second to Vanguard). But it will never get my money, cause Turbine promised Middle Earth Online, a sandbox PvE game that sticks to living in Middle Earth, and then reworked it to be a combat centric WoW clone, then failed to implement a combat system that was worth a darn. 

Logicbox9 is like a clockwork, he is always ready to post when anyone posts something positive about LotrO... Its sad to see such bitterness :(

And SignusM, Me:online was never made by Turbine, they turned it into LotrO when they got the license. Making a sandbox out of ME would be the most awfull game ever made imo. Sandboxes should not be made out of existing IPs (if its not a very loose IP whihc Lotr is not). A sandbox should not be dictated by alot of rules, and the Lotr IP have alot of rules which cannot be broken.

I really haven't noticed an increase in traffic on Brandywine, but it's always been fairly populated.  I came to LotRO after I skipped over to CO.  After I realized that the devs had no idea on how to run an MMO, I came running and screaming back to LotRO.  Turbine always surprises me with how well they serve their player base.  With all the new content coming to SoM, I'm excited about the little things, like the changes in mounts and the ability to solo the epic storyline.  Keep it up Turbine....

I have also been playing Lotro since SoA beta and still find the game exciting, though can't say much for increased traffic on Silverload. Sure the massive book updates we had before MoM were fun, but did people really believe for that to continue? I mean SoA was in development for years and those book updates were most likely in development for months. But oh well...can't please everyone -_- which is obvious if one reads the forum trolls' posts...

THe kin I'm in has also seen a boost in new and returning players.  One of our kinfolk is from Eve online, he goes on and on about space and the such but he seems to be enjoying his stay in LotrO as well. What he said he likes most is actually being a character avatar then just a spceship, and the lotro world is amazing. Other kins are also increasing and my friends list has grown 10 fold. It is a glorious time , seeing everyone prepare for mirkwood

Originally posted by Papadam

Logicbox9 is like a clockwork, he is always ready to post when anyone posts something positive about LotrO... Its sad to see such bitterness :(

And SignusM, Me:online was never made by Turbine, they turned it into LotrO when they got the license. Making a sandbox out of ME would be the most awfull game ever made imo. Sandboxes should not be made out of existing IPs (if its not a very loose IP whihc Lotr is not). A sandbox should not be dictated by alot of rules, and the Lotr IP have alot of rules which cannot be broken.

You know the other argument though is that making an MMO out of a famous IP which is driven by a storyline most are already familiar with is pointless and boring.

I though LoTRO was an amazing game, have no actual complaints about the game other than that a RE-telling of the LoTR from an alternate pov didn't hold my attention when what I wanted was to be playing in ME, not playing out a familiar storyline slowly.

The point is, there's no right or wrong, its a matter of preference.

Kind of curious how you would play in ME , without playing in the the world that Lotr takes place in ? The whole reason for Middle Earth is to tell the story of the One ring. I'm kind of baffled at how you can have one with out the other ? With LotrO you have middle earth, almost the exact mapping of MEO, nothing has really changed with that except the sky maps. What you didn't have with MEO is content that had any reasoning of being in Middle Earth. Maybe someone can enlighten me ?

Originally posted by solareus

Kind of curious how you would play in ME , without playing in the the world that Lotr takes place in ? The whole reason for Middle Earth is to tell the story of the One ring. I'm kind of baffled at how you can have one with out the other ? With LotrO you have middle earth, almost the exact mapping of MEO, nothing has really changed with that except the sky maps. What you didn't have with MEO is content that had any reasoning of being in Middle Earth. Maybe someone can enlighten me ?

Game take place just AFTER the events of the books. Sauron is defeated but lets face it, ME is a mess. Nasties left all over the place causing problems. Aragorn needs to consolidate his power as king of Gondor, maybe others (elves, dwarves, Rohan, etc...) have issues. Bands of orcs could still be roaming around needing to be hunted down. Players could PLAY orcs, goblins. Players could choose not just race, but faction. Ok, you're human, but are you a gondorian, a rohanian(?), from the dale, etc... An Elf, from mirkwood? Lothlorien? And so on.

In other words, it would be AWESOME!!!! It would be an MMORPG.

Why did it have to take place during this period?  Why not before hand.  Maybe I'm not sure of the lore between the time the ring was forged.  How about the time period when Gollum had it or when Bilbo Baggins had it, there sure was enough adventure then as well.

Look at SWG, it took place during the period between A New Hope and Empire Strikes back, not in a previous era like SW:KOR is going to take place in, a period in which you could still partake in the world.

Well, I play LotRO and haven't noticed much of an increase on my server but then I haven't noticed a decrease either. But, I also play Aion and it is actually a pretty fun game but I can see how many players that enjoy the much more pure PvE style of LotRO would not enjoy Aion as much and the people in the Legion I play with in Aion are not likely to ever switch to LotRo.

I'm a enjoy both games and don't feel the need to constantly compare any one game with another game and so can enjoy what every game does well and not get all bothered by the areas where they don't do as well.

The only issue that I have with LotRO is that after having played it since it came out I've gotten a bit bored and so I find Aion a very nice change of pace because it is so different but Aion is definitely not for everyone.

What is said they are releasing soldiers for all players to play along with them. The game is already easily to level solo,  I have no idea they are adding this stupid idea.

Originally posted by dhayes68

Originally posted by solareus

Kind of curious how you would play in ME , without playing in the the world that Lotr takes place in ? The whole reason for Middle Earth is to tell the story of the One ring. I'm kind of baffled at how you can have one with out the other ? With LotrO you have middle earth, almost the exact mapping of MEO, nothing has really changed with that except the sky maps. What you didn't have with MEO is content that had any reasoning of being in Middle Earth. Maybe someone can enlighten me ?

Game take place just AFTER the events of the books. Sauron is defeated but lets face it, ME is a mess. Nasties left all over the place causing problems. Aragorn needs to consolidate his power as king of Gondor, maybe others (elves, dwarves, Rohan, etc...) have issues. Bands of orcs could still be roaming around needing to be hunted down. Players could PLAY orcs, goblins. Players could choose not just race, but faction. Ok, you're human, but are you a gondorian, a rohanian(?), from the dale, etc... An Elf, from mirkwood? Lothlorien? And so on.

In other words, it would be AWESOME!!!! It would be an MMORPG.

Who's to say they won't  ? So far we have gone through 2+ years of amazing content, we know the ring will be destroyed? and why would anyone think after that point Turbine won't be adding something further in the lore progression ? Why blow your load on the end of a great story when you can develop the whole thing ? Really think a lot of "real" lotr fans didn't quite think things through when spouting off on how the game is a joy ride to an ending, it's an mmorpg, there is never ending  unless the services are turned  off .

As far as Aion comments and lotro fans not able to hand that game cause of some hardcore pvp element , I laugh in your faces. You guys who think Aion is an amazing pvp title have never pvped before , and never did full loot pvp. Give it a rest, and stop posting about tampons.

Originally posted by solareus

Originally posted by dhayes68

Originally posted by solareus

Kind of curious how you would play in ME , without playing in the the world that Lotr takes place in ? The whole reason for Middle Earth is to tell the story of the One ring. I'm kind of baffled at how you can have one with out the other ? With LotrO you have middle earth, almost the exact mapping of MEO, nothing has really changed with that except the sky maps. What you didn't have with MEO is content that had any reasoning of being in Middle Earth. Maybe someone can enlighten me ?

Game take place just AFTER the events of the books. Sauron is defeated but lets face it, ME is a mess. Nasties left all over the place causing problems. Aragorn needs to consolidate his power as king of Gondor, maybe others (elves, dwarves, Rohan, etc...) have issues. Bands of orcs could still be roaming around needing to be hunted down. Players could PLAY orcs, goblins. Players could choose not just race, but faction. Ok, you're human, but are you a gondorian, a rohanian(?), from the dale, etc... An Elf, from mirkwood? Lothlorien? And so on.

In other words, it would be AWESOME!!!! It would be an MMORPG.

Who's to say they won't  ? So far we have gone through 2+ years of amazing content, we know the ring will be destroyed? and why would anyone think after that point Turbine won't be adding something further in the lore progression ? Why blow your load on the end of a great story when you can develop the whole thing ? Really think a lot of "real" lotr fans didn't quite think things through when spouting off on how the game is a joy ride to an ending, it's an mmorpg, there is never ending  unless the services are turned  off .

As far as Aion comments and lotro fans not able to hand that game cause of some hardcore pvp element , I laugh in your faces. You guys who think Aion is an amazing pvp title have never pvped before , and never did full loot pvp. Give it a rest, and stop posting about tampons.

2 points.

1. As far as "Who's to say they won't" well, who's to say they will? No one. We're talking about the game as it is, and my reply was to someone asking how else it could have been. I'm not going to play a game that while I find amazingly made, not my cup of tea for years on end based on the completely groundless hope that the game MAY become what I'd like it to be in a few more years.

2. As far as developing the story and 'blowing my load', I blew my load when I was 12! (in various ways). That is one of my main points. I understand of course I'm talking only about my preference but my point is that the story was already developed a loooong time ago and for many has been gone over, over and over in book or movie form and rehashing the storyline again in the form of an MMO seems pointless. That is why I would have prefered the LoTR story to have been a launching point from the get-go rather than a very familiar re-tread.  Again this is merely preference that will eternally seperate certain groups of people about LotRO.

Originally posted by SignusM

 Let it increase all it wants. As far as WoW clones go, its probably one of the most solid out there. Probably the second best PvE game (second to Vanguard). But it will never get my money, cause Turbine promised Middle Earth Online, a sandbox PvE game that sticks to living in Middle Earth, and then reworked it to be a combat centric WoW clone, then failed to implement a combat system that was worth a darn. 

That wasnt Turbine. Turbine got the rights and then made LOTRO. MEO was another house not Turbine.

After the ring is destroyed we still have actual story to play through :), and then beyond Middle earth, hopefully rthat is when we get spaceships ! LOL

So in Meo, ther wouldnt of been any combat ?

Happy to see LOTRO doing well! The lack of pvp and moria turned me off but its still nice to see its going strong. I'm lovving the change of pace in Aion, its exactly what I needed after nothing but pve in lotro for over a year.

Good luck in Mirkwood folks!!

IIRC MEO was supposed to take place in the second age (lotr was the end of the 3rd age).  Second age had more monsters, more magic, a more open story line, and a whole helluva lot more source material to work with.  Ya'll should pick up the Silmarilion if you think that middle earth is too linear and bound to the trilogy.

Originally posted by solareus

After the ring is destroyed we still have actual story to play through :), and then beyond Middle earth, hopefully rthat is when we get spaceships ! LOL

 

So in Meo, ther wouldnt of been any combat ?

Would have been tons of combat. Read my earlier post.

Originally posted by qombi

What is said they are releasing soldiers for all players to play along with them. The game is already easily to level solo,  I have no idea they are adding this stupid idea.

No, no no.

Turbine is not "releasing soldiers for all players to play along with them".

Soldiers are *ONLY* available within the Skirmish Instances--the gameplay in the Skirmish Instances is designed for the inclusion of these soldiers--and these Skirmish Instances are only available to players from level 30-65.

Here's a Developer's Diary to explain all of this to you:

http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/devdiaries/508-developer-diary-som-skirmishes-skirmish-soldiers