Profile: Hypodermica
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• • Questions

  • Originally posted by jarish
    

    This has a lot of different things.

     

    http://www.northshield.co.uk/LOTRO/Armour.htm

     

    Wow!  Now THAT is what I call an awesome display of the armors in the game :) thanks a ton very cool!

  • Posted: 6/23/08 1:30 PM
    Lord of the Rings Online
• • Questions

  • Originally posted by DonnieBrasco
    

    On #2: I think logicbox has outdated info. There had been a huge multitude of different armor types implemented in the game (elven/dwarven/human versions of most sets/types both in medium and heavy armor), and also a LOT of cosmetic clothes. Variety is really great now in looks.

    DB

     

    Ahh cool okay.  Any screenshots you can link me?  Appreciate that thanks! :)

  • Posted: 6/23/08 11:42 AM
    Lord of the Rings Online
• • How is this game NOW?

  • This game is amazing considering the hell it's gone through.  First of all.. HALF the budget for this game was completely blown when the company purchased rights to a graphics engine, was designed as a Fantasy/Sci-Fi game.  Look, they made one game with 1/2 the budget and than they scrapped the whole thing and started over again.  That right there is what hurt this game more than anything else.  The game went into development back in 2002, was thrown out in late 2005 and re-done.   So, the game was launched premature with so much conent missing.. why? they had no money left!!  Also, they wanted to get this game out ahead of the other big contenders (AOC and Warhammer)   But budget controls all, period and they were simply out of money.

    The original Tabula Rasa (Pre-Richard Garriot)

    Once released, the poop really hit the fan.  They didn't get even 1/2 of the subscribers they needed and the budget had doubled!! DOUBLED since it's original conception.  The VP's and investors were pissed! They were at a major loss.  So, when this happened... the Korean company who owns this game basically pulled the plug on the team of developers down in Texas.  They laid-off or transferred a ton of their talent.  The game now works on a skeleton crew of developers and QA people.  They do what they can and hope that the game is salvagable. It is being updated but not being updated like a game with big money.. not being updated like they had originally planned before the company pulled the plug.  The game is hurting and they just want their ROI or to break even.    They offer free trials and I hear they will be offering even longer free trials.  You can buy the game for $29.99 at Best Buy. ($14.99 at EB Games).  At release I paid $50.  They also offer people incentives to come back if they beta tested or were playing at launch as much of thier orignal fanbase has jumped ship.  I had huge hopes for this game and I think it's an OK game.  The game isn't the problem.  I see so many mistakes made with this game.  I don't understand how so many millions of dollars can be blown on a game and then someone steps in and says "hey, no.. let's totoally re-do this game!".  I don't get it.. if the idea/visuals looked so horrible that they blew through millions of dollars... why didn't someone say "this sucks", at the drawing board when they had only spent $25,000 on an artist to do concept work?  I really wish it had worked out and I truly hope that somehow they can recover this game. 

    Best Buy

    EB Games

    Once the team was cut down, they put all the big/cool ideas for this game on hold.   Will 6 more months help this game? Not sure, I'd love to see it work.  The industry lacks a good ground-based Sci-Fi MMO. 

    Is this game better now?  I don't know... I don't think it's that much better.  It is much better than beta.. yes.. for sure.. and it's improved slightly from the couple months post-release.. yes..  Worth another dive? no.  This game is a great rest-stop for those waiting for warhammer.. come play this for 3 months and than pop into warhammer or Arion.

  • Posted: 6/23/08 11:24 AM
    Tabula Rasa
• • Questions

  • Originally posted by logicbox9
    

    Originally posted by Hypodermica
    

    I admit, I haven't done a ton of research but was hoping some of you good folks might answer some questions.  Seems this game has held the # 1 / 2 / 3 postion on the game list here for a long long time.  I'm leaving WoW after 1 year.  Before that I played Anarchy Online for 3 years.  I did try Tabula Rasa for 3 months but.. that has no endgame and it needs time to mature for me.

     

    I have 5 questions

     

    1.  What's the endgame content like for LOTRO?  In Anarchy Online it was mostly pvp and farming.  In WoW it was pvp / farming / raiding / reputation.

     

    2.  From the screen shots I have seen, it seems like the armor is visually unimpressive.  Is it simply made that way or am I just not seeing the screen shots? 

    In Anarchy Online the combined alien armors or faction armor was very cool to look at.  In WoW... well I never really liked the cartoon look but the shoulders and weapons had some cool animations I guess. 

     

    3.  Anyone have a screen shot of the houses you get to make/build?  I'm interested in that.

     

    4.  Can anyone give me a lowdown of the crafting system? Is it any good?

     

    5.  What are these "books"?  Book 9  or Book 5..etc.  Is that just another name for a game content update?

     

    1. It's basically the same... raid, pvmp, farm, grind rep... but really, what else can you expect from endgame?

     

    2. Well, I personally think the armor is atrocious. The lack of uniqueness is one of the big reasons I don't play anymore. You'll have to judge it for yourself though.

     

    3. You don't make or build houses, you buy pre-fabricated ones that are located in instances. There is not much variety at all as far as exterior goes. The interior decoration is done on a hook system.

     

    4. Pull up the crafting window and click a button (make sure you have all the ingredients). You cannot customize anything you craft, it's a recipe based system.

     

    5. Ah... the Books. This is probably a big selling point for Tolkien fans. The books are well-written epic quests lines. Some are solo, some are group quests.

     

    1.  Yep, I expected that.

    2.  Shame, all those months of playing and such and... your armor is a bore to look at.  Nothing unique.. : /  Cmon this is easy enough!  Make some armor models and insert into the next update ;) done.

    3.  Hmm.  Okay, i'm not shocked or unhappy or w/e... it's not a big deal to me.

    4.  Yep, like most games you have a recipe.  Figured this much.

    5.  Cool cool.  Whatever :)

     

    All in all I'm going to do the trial and for from there.  I tried it out when it launched.  Let's see if things are much better :) I hope so!  Thanks for your time!!

  • Posted: 6/23/08 10:52 AM
    Lord of the Rings Online
• • Lord of the Rings Online ( Battle of the Nodes )

  • Hey, not sure.. I stopped reading the posts in this thread when it turned into flaming.  Sorry, I just can't read flaming after 10 years of MMO gaming.. it gets old :P

    So.  I agree with the original poster.  I think we need to get innovative when it comes to resource acquisition. 

    Unfortunately the system of faith doesn't work.  People will be greedy period. 

    This is not a problem only LOTR people have or the original poster.  This is a problem for many of us in many games.  For WoW, it's that chest you fought all those mobs to get and boom.. some huntard runs up and grabs the loot while you watch like an idiot.  You did the work, he reaps the benefits.  When you approach the person or you complain.. they *immediately* take the offense and call you names or tell you your being a baby, stop whining (Arny soundboard) or whatever. 

    For me it's simple.  I see someone fighting near a resource, I leave them alone.  (sometimes OMG I actually help them!!!!)  Call me crazy, but 50% of my game enjoyment comes from selfless acts of help and socializing (it's an MMO!).  :)

    To the original poster:  Don't sweat the kids man.. until the problem is fixed it's a poop sandwich we all have to eat :( I know it's frustrating, I hear you dude.. totally feel you and agree with you 1,000% :)  Surround yourself with people like you and me who are cool, mature and helpful and it can improve the experience to some degree. 

    My 2 cents, take it to the bank or toss it in the trash :)  thanks for reading!

  • Posted: 6/23/08 8:58 AM
    Lord of the Rings Online