I have been playing the trial for around 5 days and I noticed fast that this is a great and well-developed game. The graphics and sound are amazing, just as excpected. The lore and the interactive quests are both fun and got variation. I'm currently rank 9 and i haven't been grouping anything but if it is this much fun to solo, it must be a blast in a group!

I also really like the small touches, like with the craftins system, when you are making some leatherwork and you can see your character stands and work with a knife on a piece of skin. Insted of WoW's "hammering"/"gesturing" things with your hands. And the small birds that flyes in the skies over the mountains. The trees and grass that slowly sways back and forth from the wind.These small touches adds alot to the feeling IMO.

The only thing I miss in the game is the PVP. I think PVE is more important than PVP and i knew from the start that this was a PVE game. But still, it's that feeling of "never to feel safe" that i really miss. That feeling is gone when you know that you can't get killed by other players. I mean, how many of you din't get your heart pumping when you saw your first red tauren running against you in WoW all those years ago  Dang i miss that feeling.

I really like this game and no matter how good it is, i think i will have to move along just because i miss the PVP. The world just feels so emtpy without it for some reason.
 

I know what you mean. I am  Lineage 2 player and I can say that the PVP element is missed in this game. I wish it had PVP but the reason I came to this game is because I wanted Role Playing and so far I am getting that and then some. AION is the game that I am waiting on so I will be spending my time in Middle Earth till then.

One more level and you'll have the option of creating a Monster character and engage in PvMP. However, it's not a perpetual feeling of unease and the chance of death, because it's in a segregated region, and your monster character isn't "your" character that you've invested time in. That, unfortunately, takes longer. At 45 you can enter the PvMP area with your free-peoples character. In the Ettenmoors, where the PvMP takes place, there is the feeling you're looking for, but you're right - this is more a PvE focused game.

Glad to hear you're enjoying what you've played so far. Always good to hear players coming into LOTRO when so many are going to the new games (AOC, WAR).

The game gets worse, though. The population thins out a lot (once people stop their free trials). And the quests become more and more grinding and really half-hearted. Kill 30 bears. Kill 20 Lynxs. Kill 20 wargs. Kill 12 wargs. Kill 20 Aurochs (group quest, because they are signatures and have tons of hp). Kill 12 Auruchs (another group quest). Go to X (on the other side of the map) and talk to Y  (for no reason except to offer "help"). (Those are pretty much all the quests I've been doing since I hit 25 or so.)

I dunno what happened, it's like they used all their creativity early on, and just mailed it in the middle part of the game.

Originally posted by trancejeremy

The game gets worse, though. The population thins out a lot (once people stop their free trials). And the quests become more and more grinding and really half-hearted. Kill 30 bears. Kill 20 Lynxs. Kill 20 wargs. Kill 12 wargs. Kill 20 Aurochs (group quest, because they are signatures and have tons of hp). Kill 12 Auruchs (another group quest). Go to X (on the other side of the map) and talk to Y  (for no reason except to offer "help"). (Those are pretty much all the quests I've been doing since I hit 25 or so.)

I dunno what happened, it's like they used all their creativity early on, and just mailed it in the middle part of the game.

Eh what level are you and where are you questing??

Originally posted by trancejeremy

The game gets worse, though. The population thins out a lot (once people stop their free trials). And the quests become more and more grinding and really half-hearted. Kill 30 bears. Kill 20 Lynxs. Kill 20 wargs. Kill 12 wargs. Kill 20 Aurochs (group quest, because they are signatures and have tons of hp). Kill 12 Auruchs (another group quest). Go to X (on the other side of the map) and talk to Y  (for no reason except to offer "help"). (Those are pretty much all the quests I've been doing since I hit 25 or so.)

I dunno what happened, it's like they used all their creativity early on, and just mailed it in the middle part of the game.

There will always be mondaine quests in any game, but it is not as you proclaim it. North Downs has a lot of kill such numbers of this and that, however, there is capturing the enemies flags, freeing the wrongly accused, escorting, collecting, and even a somewhat riddle of a quest, in which leads to an ambush. Even with that, North Downs is the most boring questing land of what is availible.

My favorite is Trollshaws. I enjoyed Bilbo's riddles, Bilbo's trolls, and the quest of Gollum. There are others, but it takes more than just grinding to find it.

You can easily grind your way to level 50, just taking quests, and never read why you are doing it. If you take a moment to read the story, you will find most of them very intriguing. If you do not read the quest, it will always be a grind, no matter what it asks of you.