LOTRO is a massively expansive MMORPG released in 2007 that Drew and I have recently delved into, so much as to grind to around level 30. There are multiple reasons I enjoy this game and a few reasons I dislike it. We'll start with the pros and move onto the cons.
PROS:
- Many different ways to play.
They do a great job of making sure every typical "class" archetype is fulfilled and somewhat available. I'll get to that "somewhat" in a bit. You can be as basic and simple of an MMO player as you want or get very complex in your playstyle. I respect that in an MMO.
- The scenery and grand scale of the game are absolutely breathtaking and ENORMOUS.
Okay, so it isn't that breathtaking. It still has the graphics of WoW in its heyday of Lich King, but for what it is, they've done a wonderful job with it. Seriously though, I think it would take dozens of hours to walk across this map fully. This can be a good and bad thing, as travel does not come as easy when you're just starting (as is typical in MMOs). My point is, there is a LOT to this game. I mean a LOT.
- The game is fairly intuitive and very much involves the player in a lot of the gameplay.
You won't usually catch yourself mindlessly grinding the same thing over and over and over. The grind is a bit of a con in my opinion, but I will cover that later as well.
-The player base.
Never in an MMO have I ever encountered such a giving, caring, kind, and concerned player base. People on the trade chat basically begging other players to take their stuff for free. People constantly inviting others to events and raids, assisting them in leveling up, and helping them with any and all problems. I've had several players just randomly give me things and offer to tag along. If you're looking for a widely social MMO, this is the game for you.
-The sound design.
For starters, the music? Fucking brilliant. As cinematic as the movies and very well done overall. The sound effects of combat can get somewhat tedious to hear over and over when on a mob grind but overall they add so much to the gameplay you feel pulled into the world of LOTRO. When you enter a precarious area such as a cursed forest, the shift in mood is paramount to what you would expect for an MMO created in 2007. Very well thought out music and sound design overall.
Now onto.....
CONS:
-The UI.
Oh my fucking god, don't even get me started with the UI. Sometimes it makes you want to rip your own dick off and shove it in an envelope to mail to the developers. This goddamn monstrosity can be so confusing and convoluted and misleading that you end of spending 25 minutes wracking your brain to muster the basic motor fucking function skills to understand how to get to what you want to access. It gets easier after dealing with it for 30 hours or so, but holy everloving SHIT if it isn't frustrating. I speak in hyperbole, of course, it isn't the worst part of the game by far.
-It's fairly pay-to-play/win
There's a huge in-game store wherein you can buy LOTRO coins (at a price I consider pretty exorbitant) and buy the items/upgrades/accessories/etc in the store (also exorbitantly priced).
These range from very useful and game-changing unlocks such as mount riding, wallet upgrades, and so on. Until you buy this wallet upgrade you're limited to only 2 gold maximum.
Despite that downside, they make it possible to earn these LOTRO coins through grindier methods on a much slower pace. Understandable, as they don't completely gate off the player's ability to improve their account without NEEDING to dip into their bank account, it's just more of a convenience thing. To tell you how bad it can be though, you can pay $60 to hit the level cap. You also have to purchase certain classes and races (a little more understandable). To put it briefly, that's kind of fucked.
You're also able to earn the mount riding skill instead of buying, by reaching level 20. Remember that if you decide to play because if you're a complete idiot like I am, you spend LOTRO coins on the riding skill perk in the store and then 5 minutes later reach level 20. All in all, I count it as a con, but you could probably rate it as a somewhat fair system in this MMO. They give some and take some. So whatever.
-It's fucking confusing.
I'm not exaggerating. If you have a dumb poo troglodyte brain as I do, you'd soon realize that holy shit they're throwing so much at me whatdoIdoholyshit what is this thing why am I clicking here what do they want me to do where do they want me to go, etc.
They just throw multitudes of information at you. It gets overwhelming very quickly.
-It's almost too grindy.
This is just a personal gripe here, but Jesus Christmas it takes hours and hours to level up after you hit level 20 or so. So many missions. So many mobs. I have a friend who's put in probably 500 hours or so (I think? probably) and his highest character is level 47 out of a level cap of 120.
I could go on and on about various pros/cons of the game. It's a genuinely good game, one that I've already had many adventures and laughs in. Playing instruments at random at a campfire, laughing about how ridiculous Frodo looks and even jumping off every high bridge we come across and letting out a guffaw at the visceral sounds of our legs breaking all in unison.
From the wonders of Thorin's Hall to the grand elegance of Rivendell, if you fancy a great time with friends I highly suggest the game and overcoming the hurdles that go with it. If you ever feel like playing, send me a DM and I can assist you in getting started. The game can be found on Steam. The download size is around 28GB, so if you have bumfuck Egypt internet speeds I suggest you put it on before you go to sleep.
Drew and I play on the Brandwine[US] server with several other friends. Again, feel free to DM me if you're interested.
Also, feel free to share experiences you may have had with the game. I want to hear your opinions on it.
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