Lord of the Rings Online : Welcome Back Week

[lupi]

Lord of the Rings Online : Welcome Back Week



It?s our birthday, it is! Come celebrate our 2nd anniversary! We'd like to welcome you back for an extended week of free gameplay from April 24th - April 30th, 2009. In addition, there is a +25% bonus experience boost on mob kills for everyone playing on those days!

Play your old characters for free!
Get a 25% experience bonus all week long
Defeat monsters throughout Middle-earth that will drop rare items when defeated. Exchange these items for a special gift box that will reward you with a variety of in-game items to aid you in your adventures.
Plus! Take advantage of the special anniversary subscription offer and enjoy preciousss savings! Play LOTRO for $9.99 per month!

 

[KeithTalent]

Maybe I'll dust off my characters for the weekend to get the experience boost. I have been thinking about this game recently.

KT

 

[Denithor]

The only mmo I've played is WoW - how does LOTRO stack up?

Do I have to buy something to get started or is there a freebie "demo" of some kind?

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Denithor
The only mmo I've played is WoW - how does LOTRO stack up?

Do I have to buy something to get started or is there a freebie "demo" of some kind?

I can send you a free guest pass to try it out if you like. Just PM me your e-mail address if you are interested.

KT

 

[natebigdawg]

Originally posted by: Denithor
The only mmo I've played is WoW - how does LOTRO stack up?

Do I have to buy something to get started or is there a freebie "demo" of some kind?

LOTRO is a very good mmo that has been solid ever since it released. It will be familiar to any WoW player in many aspects but the feel and atmosphere is very unique I think. I have recently gotten many friends to come and start playing who played WoW and they are really enjoying it.

If you have a nice computer with some good power behind it, the game visuals in LOTRO will blow WoW out of the water. Not bad considering it is now two years old.

 

[coloumb]

Originally posted by: Denithor
The only mmo I've played is WoW - how does LOTRO stack up?

Do I have to buy something to get started or is there a freebie "demo" of some kind?

It's ....different... and combat / healing takes a bit of getting use to as the system they use is a bit different than the simplistic button mashing of WoW.

Ie: Healing involves playing certain tunes in a specific order to trigger certain heals.

I'd definitely take advantage of a free invite as it is a pretty good MMO.

 

[datalink7]

I've played:

WOW (level 60 character when it was the cap, multiple level 30's)
City of Heroes (not a lot, didn't grab me. Making characters was the funnest part).
Ultima Online (Thought it was great back in the day)
Everquest 2 (didn't really grab me. Quit after the first month)
Eve Online (Play off and on. Takes a long time to get anything done).
WAR (got multiple characters to level 25. Fun to be had but huge problems with the PvP, which is the main component of the game, so I quit. Might come back if they fix).
AoC (I really love many things about this game but the company sucks and there are quite a few things I DON'T like about it )

LOTRO is the only game recently that has grabbed me. Started in January and have a level 51 guardian at the moment. Just got my first legendary items. The game seems really well put together to me. I think that it is awesome, though if you aren't into PvE that is the main component of the game, just so you are aware.

But I highly reccomend. I'm not quitting any time soon.

 

[Jadow]

I fired up my old account, it's the same boring, barren game I remember.

 

[CurseTheSky]

If it has any weight to anyone, LOTRO was created by Turbine Entertainment - the makers of Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2. AC2 had a decent run, but was shut down after only a year or two due to low population (many people were very upset about this). AC, on the other hand, which has been around since 1999, is still alive and kicking today (~10 years, not bad!) The servers are nearly empty these days, but it was an EXCELLENT game in its day, much better than WoW, WAR, and the like.

I'd be playing LOTRO myself if I had the time. I just don't want to dedicate more time into yet another MMO.

 

[KeithTalent]

I fired this up yesterday for the first time in ages and wow, I really enjoyed it. The main reason is the new Quest Helper feature they have added. It makes it so much easier for me to actually find where I am going and get some quests done, plus it seems they may have added more quests and mobs so I don't have to spend forever getting something done.

I actually leveled up to 48 on my Captain yesterday, though I would guess part of the reason that happened is because of the experience boost right now, but either way it still felt good.

I'm going to try playing this a bit more over the next week and see how it goes.

KT

 

[lupi]

They did revise the quest system a bunch. All mid range ones got some rework, the dwarf/elf starting areas got a rework, and the new area from the big content patch prior to the mines expansion got reworked (logged in one day with a bunch of quest for that area only to see my logbook practically wiped clean).

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
If it has any weight to anyone, LOTRO was created by Turbine Entertainment - the makers of Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2. AC2 had a decent run, but was shut down after only a year or two due to low population (many people were very upset about this). AC, on the other hand, which has been around since 1999, is still alive and kicking today (~10 years, not bad!) The servers are nearly empty these days, but it was an EXCELLENT game in its day, much better than WoW, WAR, and the like.

I'd be playing LOTRO myself if I had the time. I just don't want to dedicate more time into yet another MMO.

I loved AC but don't think it's nearly as good as WoW. With that being said.... AC world events ftw!! I loved those things.

Getting bored with WoW so may try out LOTR. I tried it at launch but it didn't catch my interest. Always possible that I just didn't give it enough time though... or it could be that I'm a LOTR snob and certain things I saw may have annoyed me.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: lupi
They did revise the quest system a bunch. All mid range ones got some rework, the dwarf/elf starting areas got a rework, and the new area from the big content patch prior to the mines expansion got reworked (logged in one day with a bunch of quest for that area only to see my logbook practically wiped clean).

It is head and shoulders above where it was when I was last there. Pretty decent population in the area I was in as well; I ended up grouping a couple of times on a whim. People still seem to be nice in general, which is something I always liked about this game, the user base has always been pretty mature, something I never really felt when playing WoW.

KT

 

[KMFJD]

I just could not get into LOTRO , of all the major MMO's it's the one i played the least, it's up there with Auto Assault for me.....
-It looked beautiful, some of the best graphics in an mmorpg
-Seemed a bit linear but admittedly i didn't play very long

 

[lupi]

just got this in the mail.



Join the party at LOTRO!
Our players have made LOTRO the best place online, and we want to thank you with precious gifts during our Second Anniversary Celebration.


Get preciousss savings by upgrading your subscription to LOTRO and play for just $9.99 a month!

As our way of saying thank you for being the best community online, all current subscribers will receive a special anniversary gift at the end of the celebration.

To aid you in your travels throughout Middle-earth, you will receive the Writ of Passage ? a special scroll that will give you a new passive trait that grants you a 20% discount from all stable-masters when equipped.

 

[Magusigne]

Giving this game a try. I always ignored it, I guess WoW had too much of a grip on me.

I need a MMO for some reason. Most of these other games I don't sense the same progression in. Eve is way to slow for me, however I have a friend or two I can pull into this game for the long haul if its any good.

KT, sticking around? or was the WB week not quite enough to get your 10 bucks a month?

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Powernick50
Giving this game a try. I always ignored it, I guess WoW had too much of a grip on me.

I need a MMO for some reason. Most of these other games I don't sense the same progression in. Eve is way to slow for me, however I have a friend or two I can pull into this game for the long haul if its any good.

KT, sticking around? or was the WB week not quite enough to get your 10 bucks a month?

I have a lifetime sub from way back, so the dough is not an issue. Time is more the issue, though I did just play TF2 for over 2 hours.

I may login shortly since my L4D download seems to be taking a million years.

KT

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: Powernick50
Giving this game a try. I always ignored it, I guess WoW had too much of a grip on me.

I need a MMO for some reason. Most of these other games I don't sense the same progression in. Eve is way to slow for me, however I have a friend or two I can pull into this game for the long haul if its any good.

KT, sticking around? or was the WB week not quite enough to get your 10 bucks a month?

I have a lifetime sub from way back, so the dough is not an issue. Time is more the issue, though I did just play TF2 for over 2 hours.

I may login shortly since my L4D download seems to be taking a million years.

KT

You still play this game KT?

I'm about to play the trial... I don't know the limits I'll have, but I want to play this game with peeps from AT if I can... I won't know wtf I will be doin'.

 

[TridenT]

Wow. I played this game for 10 minutes and it is basically wow with a different skin...
Not really interested. :-/

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: TridenT
Wow. I played this game for 10 minutes and it is basically wow with a different skin...
Not really interested. :-/

It is WOW w/ a different skin, less skills, worse quests, but a generally interesting world w/ the LOTRO lore, which is basically it's saving grace, that and deeds.

 

[j0j081]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: TridenT
Wow. I played this game for 10 minutes and it is basically wow with a different skin...
Not really interested. :-/

It is WOW w/ a different skin, less skills, worse quests, but a generally interesting world w/ the LOTRO lore, which is basically it's saving grace, that and deeds.

Even if it is wow with a different skin at least it is a newer looking skin. Also, it has been said in many places the LOTRO community is a lot more mature. WOW is full of kiddies talking trash to one another. This is coming from someone who has played them both for about the same amount of time.

 

[skace]

I played them both also, it's perfectly viable to find intelligent people on either game.

While you'll find a lot of trash talking kiddies in WoW, you'll find a lot of incredibly incompetent players in Lotro. The kind who you have no fucking clue how they ever made it to whatever level they are at. They aren't very communicative, they don't pay attention to anything, they might as well be played by a robot, or worse yet, some mom reading a book and doing her laundry at the same time.

 

[TridenT]

Well, I was hoping for something different... I hate WoW. It's very boring.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: skace
I played them both also, it's perfectly viable to find intelligent people on either game.

While you'll find a lot of trash talking kiddies in WoW, you'll find a lot of incredibly incompetent players in Lotro. The kind who you have no fucking clue how they ever made it to whatever level they are at. They aren't very communicative, they don't pay attention to anything, they might as well be played by a robot, or worse yet, some mom reading a book and doing her laundry at the same time.

I'd rather take an inexperienced user over a trash talking teen anyday. WoW players disgust me. Well, not the intelligent mature ones, but those seem to be pretty rare to find.

BTW - I will substantiate what Skace has said. There are many incompetent players in LOTRO. But, again, I would much rather join a LOTRO PUG than a WOW PUG. In fact, Id rather not associate with anyone in WOW, I feel dirty after playing that game.

But we need an MMO like WOW, because it attracts the rejects of society and leaves open the more mature crowd for other MMOs. About the worst thing that could happen is for WOW to fail, because those players will go somewhere... God help us all should that happen.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: ArchAngel777
BTW - I will substantiate what Skace has said. There are many incompetent players in LOTRO. But, again, I would much rather join a LOTRO PUG than a WOW PUG. In fact, Id rather not associate with anyone in WOW, I feel dirty after playing that game.

Screw pugs, did every end-game non-raid instance in Lotro (Moria instances) with only 3 people. Kinda proud of that though.

I should say, 3-4 people, since I'm not positive.