I've played this game for about 6 months total. The game is very beautiful, wonderful lore and storyline but nothing a single player offline game doesn't do better. I've lived through the beginning of MMO history and seen greatness as well as the decline of the social aspect in MMO's. Warhammer really set the nail in the coffin showing hordes the way MMO gaming is/has changed.

Coming from many years of DAOC among just about every other MMO title ever made i can say that team or realm based social elements far exceed simple PVE online games. Think about it how accomplishing can it be to kill 1 gazillion PVE elements year after year.  Once you've conquered the boss of all bosses in any game its pretty much the same in every other game.

LOTRO makes you feel like your in a world alone. Every once in awhile somebody talks in chat. You don't need a soul to level in this game which is bad. Their is no competitive element for human interaction in this game. Their is nothing in this game to put you in the path of other players when its all said and done and thats one thing i disklike most about LOTRO and all modern day MMO's

It seems quite a bit quieter esp in the low level areas.  The reason is that chat is not game wide but is zone wide.  So when you start a character in the shire for example and talk in /ooc only people in the shire can hear you.

I was thinking the same thing as you until I got to bree and started seeing more chatter.  From what I've heard when you get to the high end of the game there are lots of people and lots of chatter.

Been quite a while since I last played LOTRO, but I have to say I never felt that lack of social aspect. On the contrary, playing on an RP server and in an active guild  made LOTRO one of the most - if not *the* most - socially intense and interactive MMOs I've ever played. Activities, festivities, contests, guild-wide quest cleanup days, guild monster play sessions, heck, even *jam sessions*! :) (You especially gotta love spontaneous ones) Not to mention dungeons... Pretty good game to roll on an RP server if you're not totally against the concept. 

Can't speak about normal PVE servers, though.

I have had more social interaction in LoTRO than in any other MMO I've ever played, so I'm not sure what the OP is getting on about.

OP... try playing past level 10.

Originally posted by vistakah

I've played this game for about 6 months total. The game is very beautiful, wonderful lore and storyline but nothing a single player offline game doesn't do better. I've lived through the beginning of MMO history and seen greatness as well as the decline of the social aspect in MMO's. Warhammer really set the nail in the coffin showing hordes the way MMO gaming is/has changed.

Coming from many years of DAOC among just about every other MMO title ever made i can say that team or realm based social elements far exceed simple PVE online games. Think about it how accomplishing can it be to kill 1 gazillion PVE elements year after year.  Once you've conquered the boss of all bosses in any game its pretty much the same in every other game.

LOTRO makes you feel like your in a world alone. Every once in awhile somebody talks in chat. You don't need a soul to level in this game which is bad. Their is no competitive element for human interaction in this game. Their is nothing in this game to put you in the path of other players when its all said and done and thats one thing i disklike most about LOTRO and all modern day MMO's

You need to back off on the hyperbole.    "You don't need a soul to level in this game"?   I didn't realize that was a requirement for gaming.   Guess I'll have to tell my lord Satan I quit, because I want to continue gaming.

vistakah

It really sounds like you're comparing apples to oranges just based on your word choices; 'team or realm based social elements & competitive element'.  

Since LotRO isn't a RvR based Pvp game like DAoC or a competition between players for anything.  Why would you even think it should have those features?

One of the other posters gave a very good example of the social side of the game so there is social interaction and as it's not anykind of e-peen contest there won't be any competitive element in the game.

Personally as one that plays on either the 3rd or 4th lowest population server (Firefoot) I'm forever running into other players in the most out of the way spots and constantly seeing calls for groups in chat, both of which contradict your  'feel like your in a world alone' statement.

How anyone could play for 6 months and not see what I have is amazing unless you've spent the entire time in the 'moors looking for Pvp in a non-Pvp game.

I'm more of an old timer when it comes to gaming, having started in MUDs. I can't count the number of online games and MMOs I have played. Without a doubt, LOTRO has been one of the most social games I've ever experienced.

You need to find a kinship that is not filled with a bunch of silent people as there are many. My guild/kinship has always held interesting events for the purpose of getting to know one another. We've had a Christmas party where we got drunk and competed in a swimming match (in lotro drinking alcohol makes your screen go all blurry and crazy) to chicken races through wolf infested areas. It probably sounds pretty lame when it is written out but when you have 15-30 people together for events and do entertaining or original things it is a blast.

Of course, we also do a lot of the content together.  Our kinship puts a premium on social interaction and communication. It makes the game ten times more enjoyable when you're hanging out with people who engage in conversation and are there to have a good time.

I'd recommend that you find a kinship that has that kind of approach if you haven't already quit. In addition to that, people are generally quite helpful and I've never played another game where getting together a pug for content is more easy. I'm on Meneldor. Send me a message here if you're still playing or looking to meet people in LOTRO who aren't silent gerbils.

There are actually global channels you can subscribe to that are quite active with conversation.  Look around and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Originally posted by grimal

There are actually global channels you can subscribe to that are quite active with conversation.  Look around and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Yes, I just learned this myself two days ago. I HAD NO IDEA there was a Global Looking for Fellowship Channel lol. At least there is on the Landroval Server.

Yep.  That's what I was referring to.  It's a well kept secret (not sure why), but once you join it...that's where everyone talks.

 I thought doing simple things like having a person playing music in certain spots to reduce your dread after death a little quicker would be nice. It's not like dread mattered in 95% of the game anyway. But, stairway to heaven healing dread was shot down pretty fast lol. I can see why. There are other ways than competition to have social interaction, which this game could have used and didnt. Fishing, housing (a little bit there), crafting ect... Something to do with others in your downtime, and there is downtime already...but, it's still a great game. things like that may hurt it more than help, i don't know. Turbine always did a good job, so I trust them to make the call. However, we started logging off in downtime more and more, and logging in less. We probably played too much anyway. My wife did for sure hehe.

LotRO is the mile stones above any other mmo when it comes to social networking from friends lists, to gathering people for a quest. The emotes and music system bring people together , and I've personally never played a game where I felt inclined to particspate in actingo ut my character with other in a game envirnoment.

While there are things about LotRO I don't like, the social aspect of the game was one of its strong points. The community in LotRO is outstanding. Friendly, helpful and supportive. Out of all the MMOs I've played, I would say LotRO is #1 community-wise, imo.

I have mix feelings. The community is friendly and above most other MMOs.. the problem is.. with few dungeons and the ability to easily skip group quest ect... the interaction is pretty low on that game as you level which has been a bit dissapointing to me.

The fact that you CAN solo most of y our way from level one to level 60, does not mean you HAVE to solo the content.  Have you sought out others to join you in knocking out quests?  Have you sought to START a group for quests in whatever area you happen to find yourself?   Also, did you ever go hang out in front of the Prancing Pony or 21st Hall just to shoot the bull with other people?  Are you in a kinship?    There are many, many ways for social interaction in this game; you just have to utilize them.

 I actually find the chat box itself quite clunky to use but haven't really found any obvious reason as to why, I'm used to being able to play/move/fight and chat at the same time (one handed typing skills anyone?) but in LOTRO I do actually have to stop, type a sentence, kill whatever has been threatening me and move on. Not sure if anyone else struggles with this or whether I'm just being hopeless! 

Social interaction wise, I've not reached top level so my opinion will be biased anyway but the reduced chatter may be something iinked to there being more to do in LOTRO .. think mining events,gate camping in Eve or waiting for a raidspot in WoW .. there is a *lot* of sitting about. 

In reply to the OP - you generally get out of  community what you put in.

I'm willing to bet most that feel this way probably aren't using the global channels.  A lot seem to use this for grouping albeit would be nice if something besides the glff channel was used by some for babbling away about shit no one else cares about.

Try /joinchannel glff

...and I apologize in advance if you do have one available on your server.

There are probably a lot more on your server as well people use.

Originally posted by Wickedjelly

I'm willing to bet most that feel this way probably aren't using the global channels.  A lot seem to use this for grouping albeit would be nice if something besides the glff channel was used by some for babbling away about shit no one else cares about.

Try /joinchannel glff

...and I apologize in advance if you do have one available on your server.

There are probably a lot more on your server as well people use.

That's exactly the problem with this game - the game is very clique-ish. If you don't know about or want to use the global channels, there's zero talking in the game. No one ever talks outside of them, except maybe in the Bree area.

Some consider that a feature, not a problem, but I think it really ruins the game, myself. Least friendly MMORPG I've ever played, and I've played a lot of trashy free ones. I've played a year now, I've never had a single conversation with a person, have zero people on my friends list.

(And yes, I actually try talking to people when they are nearby. Evidently if you aren't in their kin or on a global channel, they want nothing to do with you).

Played a year and had zero conversation with a single person?  I'm sorry, but I have never had that experience with this game...actually, quite the opposite.  I don't feel the game is clique-ish at all. Join the channel, start chatting.  It's not like they "ignore" you unless you have actually quested with them (that, in my mind would be clique-ish).

I have found LOTRO to be the most helpful and positive communities in any MMO that I have played to date.

Originally posted by trancejeremy

 I've played a year now, I've never had a single conversation with a person, have zero people on my friends list.

 

And that cannot be your fault by any means, naturally it is everybody else's mistake.

Nuff said :)

DB