Lord of the Rings Online

Hello, fellow MMOers! Late in May, i finished playing the LOTRO trial and decided to buy the game. After about 3 weeks, I started getting second thoughts and was peer pressured by some of my friends into buying WOW. I thought that playing WOW would be my best bet, since I've been hearing that LOTRO is basically a WOW clone. Well, I was wrong.

After playing WOW for roughly 3 weeks, I am bored. Flat-out bored. People say how in WOW there's always something to do, not to mention that the community is huge. I now know what that "something" really is: raiding, instancing countless times, and grinding for XP and gear. As for the community, the level of maturity is low. Already, I've had about a dozen obnoxious requests to duel from level 70 players, while I myself is a level 22 shadow priest (what is the point?!). Some of these people kept asking once I rejected the offer.

I remember what playing LOTRO felt like, and it was NOTHING like playing WOW. Yes, the basic game mechanics are the same (sorry LOTRO): The UI, the profession system, the skill setups, etc. But the gameplay is so much more interesting! The quests are MUCH more varied (some of them are extremely interesting). The dungeons are MUCH more effective (I gotta admit that I kind of freaked out with fear at one point during the Great Barrows instance in Southern Barrowdowns). Although I never fully ready LOTR and didn't get some of the references in the game, the fact that LOTRO HAS some story is so much more interesting!

Anyway, I'm now strongly considering leaving WOW before I have to pay and resubbing to LOTRO!

So why is LOTRO not a WOW clone? Because it can generate a different gaming experience. Period. I don't care that the game mechanics are similar, because if one game seems more fun and engaging than the other, then THE TWO GAMES ARE DIFFERENT. One cannot logically be a copy of another!

Of course, that's my opinion...

MMO games seem like 1/4 pound fast food burgers.

There's alot of them around. They're all the same basicly. Different enough to give decent choice that isn't quite like the one you just had.

Think Diablo-clones. All basicly work the same way, but different enough to be enjoyed.

Come back to the world of LOTR we'll welcome you back with open arms!

I have played many differnt MMO's, with varied graphics, gameplay styles and mechanics. I get the impression tha you have not. To me, with the amount of room for variation within the genre, the difference betweein WoW and LoTRO are minor enough that it just felt like a WoW mod.  Go play UO, EVE, AO, AC, FFXI, and EQ. Maybe toss in a Korean grinder or two. Then I think you may change your mind a little bit.

I've been playing MMOs since EQ around SoV.  I think of EQ II, WoW, and LoTRO as being in the same genre of MMOs: "Quest based PvE focused fantasy MMOs." 

Between AC II and EQ you have almost every design element that LoTRO and WoW share in common.   Anyone that thinks LoTRO is a WoW clone (specifically) probaly hasn't been around long enough to know how few of the WoW design elements were original.

Originally posted by Yeebo

I've been playing MMOs since EQ around SoV.  I think of EQ II, WoW, and LoTRO as being in the same genre of MMOs: "Quest based PvE focused fantasy MMOs." 

Between AC II and EQ you have almost every design element that LoTRO and WoW share in common.   Anyone that thinks LoTRO is a WoW clone (specifically) probaly hasn't been around long enough to know how few of the WoW design elements were original.

The key for WoW is polish. We hear it so many times. But it is true. A slick programmable interface, visuals that are different than the other games out, fixed mechanics that did not work well in other titles.

So, WoW may be compared to it's predecessors, but it did those things well.

In my opinion, LOTRO did not try to make strides to improve on the formula.

This is why it is not a WoW clone, but maybe a wanna be?

Originally posted by openedge1

Originally posted by Yeebo

I've been playing MMOs since EQ around SoV.  I think of EQ II, WoW, and LoTRO as being in the same genre of MMOs: "Quest based PvE focused fantasy MMOs." 

Between AC II and EQ you have almost every design element that LoTRO and WoW share in common.   Anyone that thinks LoTRO is a WoW clone (specifically) probaly hasn't been around long enough to know how few of the WoW design elements were original.

 

The key for WoW is polish. We hear it so many times. But it is true. A slick programmable interface, visuals that are different than the other games out, fixed mechanics that did not work well in other titles.

So, WoW may be compared to it's predecessors, but it did those things well.

In my opinion, LOTRO did not try to make strides to improve on the formula.

This is why it is not a WoW clone, but maybe a wanna be?

Umm no, there were polished MMOs before WoW.  But I gather that it was your first based on statements you've made in the past.

When I think of truly unique design elements that WoW came up with and that subsequent MMOs have copied, I come up with two things:

1. Little icons over quest givers so you know who to talk to.

2. Every class solos pretty well (and I won't swear that some Korean MMO didn't do it first, but WoW was the first I played that was true in).

Those don't sound like much, but  they did made a huge difference.   It's not an accident that those two design elements were picked up by every subsequent MMO.   They were such obvious improvements over the EQ formula that they were even retrofitted in to existing MMOs to the extent is was possible.  For example, EQ II, DAoC, and even EQ added the markers on quest givers so that you could find them more easily.  EQ II and DAoC also became much more solo friendly post WoW.  So I'm definitely not belittling WoW.

My main point was that 99% of the stuff  that MMO newbs see in LoTRO and assume was swiped from WoW are actually design elements that are pretty much expected in fantasy MMOs, much like WASD-mouse controls are expected in First Person Shooters.  In fact a lot of them date back to MUDs, the old Goldbox games, or PnP if you want to get right down to it.   So, LoTRO isn't any more of a WoW clone than WoW is a EQ/ Moria/ Pool of Radiance/ DnD Basic Clone.

I am AMAZED that you are tired of raiding after having played for 3 weeks and so far have a lvl 22 Shadow Priest. AMAZED! To be all raided out that fast...

Not subjective game bashing at all...

Originally posted by Harafnir

I am AMAZED that you are tired of raiding after having played for 3 weeks and so far have a lvl 22 Shadow Priest. AMAZED! To be all raided out that fast...

Not subjective game bashing at all...

i am amazed that after 3 weeks he nly has a lvl 22...i mean i don't like wow sure i played it and BC and i am done and don't plan on going back. but i mean i could get a 70 is like 2 weeks if i was really slow  i got a 43 in about 3 1/2 days played time.

im sure that you have other RL thigns to do so i really don't mean to bash you hard its more of a joke

I enjoyed LOTRO and feel that it is a solid game that just need more content

Originally posted by Harafnir

I am AMAZED that you are tired of raiding after having played for 3 weeks and so far have a lvl 22 Shadow Priest. AMAZED! To be all raided out that fast.