Re: LoTRO Beta -- Initial Impressions.

Thus spake "Allan C Cybulskie" <allan_c_cybulskie@xxxxxxxx>, 14 Apr 2007
10:49:08 -0700, Anno Domini:

On Apr 14, 12:16 pm, dal...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (David Alex Lamb) wrote:
In article <1176566354.432494.148...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Allan C Cybulskie <allan_c_cybuls...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Basically, the first thing that struck me is that the game is a LOT
like DAoC.

I haven't played MMOs before this one; what does DAoC stand for?

Dark Age of Camelot. It's actually quite an old game, but it really
expanded its graphics through the expansions.

The same guys who made it are making Warhammer Online.


That being said, it suffers from some of the same problems as DAoC.
First, unless I'm missing something, finding quest locations is still
problematic. I had the Frostmane quest and was supposed to look for
him at the obelisk west of the camp.

I've had some trouble with that sort of thing, too, but seem to be used to it
by now. Frosty's location I found by saying, hmmm, here's an area off this
path that I've never explored, let's take a look, and then found the lesser
aurchochs and goblins I expected from the intial quest description.

I'm not an explorer [grin]. I tend to get lost and have no idea where
to go, get frustrated, ditch the quest.

There's so much I could say on this topic of fixed skills/leveling *sigh*.
Suffice it to say, skills do improve/evolve with levels & it's nowhere near
as 'artificial' or samey as EQ2 felt, for example. Perhaps the game enables
you to focus on the adventuring/questing/exploring, rather than the
mechanics, dunno.

Btw, if you don't like exploring use something like this:
http://www.mehq.net/dynmap/index.php
You do know about the mini-map (as per Dave's comments below) and the "M"ap
screen, errr, right?

At least a couple of us here prefer to read a general description of where
something is. Finding it is half the fun/accomplishment sometimes & makes it
feel far more realistic than the immersion-breaking Oblivion-style compass
needle of 'lead me around by the whatsit' like a homing pidgeon lol! (yeah,
yeah, I know you could turn it off, but it was *there* goddammit!)

Second, at least outside of the tutorial there hasn't been much
instancing so far, leading to competition for things like Frostmane
and uncertainty as to what I should do in Silverfall Mine, and who is
doing what. I dislike that as a general rule.

Reading other LotRO posts told me that the best way to deal with Frosty was to
create a fellowship so all of you could get credit for him at once. Whether
that's a plus or not may be less clear, but it helped me understand the
benefits of cooperation!

Yeah, I can see that ... but it's still somewhat annoying from my
perspective [grin].


Fourth, DAoC had a visible compass. LoTRO seems to assume that I'll
be able to tell on the map [grin].

I don't understand this one. There's a "radar" circle in the upper right,
which is always oriented north. Did you mean something else?

In DAoC, they at least kind of had that (at one point, if I recall
correctly) but they had a compass that would show you without having
to look at that radar map -- or even have it up. Yeah, it's a minor
lacking, but it was cool [grin].

When you get to the general vicinity of a quest resource or next arc, the
NPC's gold ring will show up on the mini-map btw.

Sixth, and probably one of the most important ones: the skill system
(and I felt this way about WoW too) makes levels meaningless. When I
levelled up in CoH or DAoC, it was a major event and felt like an
accomplishment, and then allowed me -- at the right times -- to get a
cool new ability or power. This doesn't seem to be the case with this
training system; I only go to get abilities when I have money to pay
for them.

I'm told this can be a serious problem at higher levels, but for my 13th level
minstrel it hasn't been a problem so far. I wonder, though, if there is some
way to make more money at higher levels? I haven't really figured out the
craft/trade system yet; can that generate more income? (and not just in the
zero-sum situation of trading with other players' characters).

LOTRO has elected to keep it simple for now, though the deeds/titles are
nicely done to customise your char. Also, even though you can just learn all
the skills (money permitting), you don't have. My huntress, for example, can
use daggers, swords, maces, hammers or spears, which makes her different,
not to mention my bio, clothing/armour dyes & my particular style of play
which brings 'uniqueness' to my char & other ppl's experience when they play
with her (shuddup CB ;-p). All in all, focusing on a standalone game
mechanic tells me someone just isn't 'getting' the game or at least getting
into it. To each their own, but I'd strongly suggest to at least max out one
char to 15th b4 you make a decision. After all, Turbine has put a 15th cap
on this open beta exactly *because* it's just a tutorial/intro up to that
point. I imagine the serious meat & potatoes of the game comes after this,
well & truly. There's so much more to explore of Eriador, the mind boggles
:)

I'll have to get deeper into the game to see if the quests and perhaps
instances get more interesting as I go along. Following the starting
quest along has been interesting so far, but there seems to be little
reason to actually do it, so I'll have to take that into account as
well.

Well, us newbs have to learn somehow. And each intro quest I've seen so far
tells a little bit of a story.
--
"Yo' ideas need to be thinked befo' they are say'd" - Ian Lamb, age 3.5http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~dalamb/ qucis->cs to reply (it's a long story...)


--
Well, as I hear it the RPG was only a genre because of the limitations
of technology at the time. RPGs were really trying to be FPSs all
along. "RPG - The Accidental Genre." - markB 24/3

Nostromo
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: LoTRO Beta -- Initial Impressions.
    ... but I like this game and I want to make sure I respond to most ... were in the last expansion of DAoC (that being said, ... First, unless I'm missing something, finding quest locations is still ... skill points system or CoH's simply taking powers system. ...
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