All Posts by dj_decay

Turbine doesn't generally tell people when these things start, to avoid huge masses of people trying to all get in at the same moment.  Last week they opened the gates in the early afternoon EST, so that's probably what we'll see tomorrow as well, but you won't get any specific time.

Originally posted by andmiller

I hate posts like this.  The guy is bringing up what he doesn't like about the game in a FORUM FOR DISCUSSION.  Why is it whining?  And for this particular IP, its cause for discussion because people like me, who love the LotR series wanted a meaningful game with PvP which DOES fit the IP, no matter what the devs say.

I also hate posts where people talk about PvP'ers being homocidal maniacs that only want to gank people 20 levels below them.  This is total bs.  Most PvP'ers enjoy pvp because it is the only part of the game that does not involve "learning" the basics of the pathetically predictable AI of the mobs in a game like this.  Would anyone who's played this argue that the AI is not very basic?  It is worse than WOW.

 

The fanatics need to let people express their opinion, which is what the poster did. 

 

On a side note, I love how the word "Carebear" gets people so worked up.....LOL.....

Turbine has tried to make sure that this game really isn't about the levelling, it's about the journey.  I believe LOTRO has more story-based quests (more quests in general, really) than any other game out there.  For example - in closed beta I took my hobbit from level 1 to around 17 without ever leaving the shire, just trying to complete as many story quests as I possibly could and finishing as many accomplisments as I could find.  It makes for a really fun 'side game', trying to find all the little triggers for attribute quests. 

Originally posted by gpett
He certainly speaks for me.

Turbine screwed the pooch by not making the Uruk-Hai or Olephant riding men of the south playable races.

The devs admit to purposely making the monsters in PvMP 2-3 times as bad as player characters cause they want the good guys to win.

Enjoy your carebear game!

I think all the people talking about 'no evil factions in LOTRO' are either just not doing their homework or are deliberately trying to spread dis-information.  Through closed beta, I played both an Uruk archer (blackarrow) and a Warg.  I was able to do quests like 'kill 10 hobbits' and collect dwarf beards and elf ears and hobbit feet, I was given a task of poisoning the hoardale river, a main water supply for the free peoples, and I participated in massive raids against the keeps and strongholds of the free peoples of Middle Earth.  It was great fun, at times extremely challenging, and always very satisfying gameplay, so I cannot figure out how anyone could possibly say LOTRO doesn't have evil factions... it's simply not true.  Maybe you're mad because you can't take your Uruk through the shire ganking farmer maggot, but believe me, that kind of thing is certainly not necessary for there to be a very satisfying and enjoyable means of playing evil factions!

If you pre-order today (and get your pre-order key) you can play immidiately.  As of this Friday, people who did NOT pre-order can also play in the open beta.  This is all until April 24th, the 'real' launch day. 

However, if you pre-order, you get better options for signing up (founders program) AND you get to carry all your beta characters over when the game gos LIVE on the 24th - people who don't pre-order can't do that. 

LOL- that stupid bear growl!  I had actually gotten used to ignoring it, and then I was questing in the souther Shire and heard it, and was actually attacked by a foraging bear!!  Kinda funny, really. 

I don't know - I guess it's a very subjective topic and different people will have different reactions.  I'm a HUGE fan of the books, so much so that I was kind of disappointed in the PJ movies (though they are GREAT!) - playing LOTRO, for me, is like being IN the books, it really is - the first time I saw the shire, had a hobbit NPC say 'hello' to me and thank me for the work I was doing (this happens once you becoem a 'bounder'), I was totally drawn into the world.  I made a point of finding special landmarks - the party tree and Bag End were my first stops, and right there in front of Bag End was Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, as would be totalyl appropriate during this part of the timeline.  It's all these little details that make me feel that, while I'm not in 'the book' itself, I'm a real part in a living, breating Middle Earth.  I'm absolutely stunned on a daily basis by the feelings this world generates, seeing a bridge or a landmark that literally takes me back to a memory directly form the book, like Bilbo's stone trolls - I saw them and sat in the middle of them and said 'Bilbo was right here, as these lumbering trolls were talking about squashing him into jelly'....  I don't think Turbine has created a 'Middle Earth Emulator', but I also think they're done an absolutely amazing job at creating a rich, living world which absolutely does justice to the source material and even, in some places, goes a step beyond. 

You did mention Loremasters - I don't see them as being inappropriate to the lore, I see them for what they are - a good compromise to bring a needed mechanic into the game, as you cannot have a fantasy MMO without a 'wizard' class.  I think I was more disturbed by not having Tom Bombadil in the movies than I am seeing an elven Lore Master torching a wolf with a burning pine-cone....

I don't know - have you tried DDO?  It's very different from the WoW/LOTRO style that's currently popular, and while I can't say I'm a huge fan of the game, it's certainly got the best combat system out there right now, at least as far as MMOs go...

Yeah, actually - I saw about a dozen of them sitting on a shelf in Best Buy just yesterday....

Hi Uncus...

PMs start at level 50, but they are 'basic' level 50; you can 'level' them by buying skills and upgrades, new apprearances, etc..  you can rank up by killing PCs and gaining 'infamy', and that unlocks even more abilities and skills.  Eventually, you can become the equivlent of the high-end 'elite' mobs, so even though your 'level' still says 50, you can gain a great deal of strength, skills, etc....  It's actually a really fun and innovative system...

I'd like to add that it's also a bit class-specific.  I think some classes, like hunter, are a bit more simplistic to play - hit the buttons to attack and wait for the cooldowns.  Other classes, like burglar, require more tactics - using tricks, debuffs, stealth, etc..., to maximize your damage output and take out higher-con mobs.  Overall I'd say it's a decent system, I'm certainly having a lot of fun with it, and the different skills and things you can get seem varied enough to keep it interesting into the highest levels. 

The ad on the back on MMO Gamer magazince does state PC CD Rom and PC DVD, so both are available.  However, as others have stated, if you're already playing the beta, all you need from the retail box is the retail key...

It's funny - I generalyl HATE PvP - I've never playing a game where PvP was fun or exciting to me, because quite frankly, I'm a casual player who doesn't have the time to get all the best gear and uuber skillz to realyl compete in 'real' PvP.  What Turbine did with monster play is actually brilliant IMHO, because I don't have to get the uuber gear or grind the same raid quest for 3 weeks to get the 'leet dagger of stabbyness' in order to compete with everyone else - I can level to 10, jump into a level 50 warg, and go and have fun and be effective in PvP right away.  It's the very best PvP system I've ever seen for more causal players who might not normally bother with the PvP aspect of the game. 

That being said, you can level up your PVP Freep, make sure you have the uuber gear and skills, and have a damn good time in PvP that way too, because you're always going to be outnumbered by the Creeps, so it really IS a challenge, it really IS about teamwork and skill at that point.  It really is a refreshing and fun system - unless all you want to do is gank noobs and grief players, and then, thankfully, LOTRO is not for you.

"From what I have seen so far, I am not at the moment going to Pre-Order - but I ahve a while to change my mind "

The only way you could be playing now is if you had pre-ordered already, and the comment about the graphics being like AC2 makes me wonder if you had ever played EITHER game, since there are no similarities whatsoever - not even CLOSE.  Really, that makes this whole post sound like just another Turbine hater spreading more BS.  Why do you people even bother, do you really have nothing better to do with your life then to come spam lame BS about games you aren't even playing?

I think you might have missed something - I had a blast, and it was amazing fighting dragons (sorry - 'drakes') and huge trolls all night.  TO me, it just showed how truly amazing this game can really be, and made me look forward to Friday even more!!!  It was the best 'end of world' event I've ever seen!

I can add my favorites:

Burglar Pros

• stealth at level 4
• Dual-wield at level 10 - decent damage output
• very fun/active to play, lots of great animations and very variable tactics
• Start group attacks ('conjunctions') to add damage, etc...
• 'tricks' are some of the most fun and creative buffs and debuffs I've ever seen

Burglar Cons

• Can't take too much damage
• seem to be pretty power-hungry with some tactics

Loremaster Pros

• 'Mage' styled class
• fun pet class - pet abilities can augment and enhance your normal abilities
• Lots of different 'spells' and debuffs to suit both solo and group play
• seem to have some of the best 'legendary' talents for end game
• best crowd control in game, multiple roots/stuns/dazes. 

Loremaster Cons

• Lowest armor in the game, makes aggro management very important
• Not 'really' a mage class - more like 'mage lite', not a nuker
• limited weapons options (you can only use staff - I was hoping for sword at some point, ala Gandalf with Glamdring)

Originally posted by Kyleran

Shame we can only work on one character though.....

I can see myself leveling up multiple alts simultaneously.... oh well, grateful we can keep at least one into opening day...