I owe most of you an apology

[HUD]

For years, I have often made fun of MMORPG games and players. I scoffed at killing rats for hours, walking for 10 minutes for a reward, but mainly...paying for a game that you already paid for. Well after one serious weekend with the LOTRO beta, I have changed my mind. It turns out that MMOs can be extremely fun. To all of you, I apologize for making fun of you. I take back my curses when you would leave me playing CS while you were in MMOs.

In all seriousness, I got the beta key with the latest PC Gamer mag. I have nothing to compare it to, but the game is extremely fun. There is a 15 lvl beta cap and I am at lvl 13. I am seriously considering ordering the game. 10 bucks a month is just about right...my wife doesn't look THAT close at the credit card statements. Plus, she digs LOTR, so maybe I can set her up a 2nd char and get her addicted. HMMM, I don't want her hogging my computer, so that is a last resort. I'm not the biggest LOTR nerd, but there is something about this world that appeals to me more than other MMO options....maybe because all of the others are copying Tolkien's world. The more I think about it, 50 bucks plus 10 a month is a small fee so that HUD of Gondor can continue his adventures.

There are certain things that do bug me. Like, having to wait around for players that are on the same quest as you because you suck too bad to finish it on your own. But, it is cool to have that option. Then, there are the friggin "this is a WoW ripoff" debates. Or the uber LOTR nerd debates about the details of the map versus the book. But, I actually enjoy the community feel of the game. If I am on my way somewhere and I see someone fighting a grizzly bear, I usually jump in and help them. I get no XP, but it feels fun to be a nice guy...and maybe that bear pwned me when I was a lvl 7. I thought I was just being nice, until I got a bonus skill for Empathy!!! How cool is that? And then there is Karma, I had someone finish a quest for me by killing a spider that I couldn't handle. I was in the "sorta dead time countdown" phase and these two other dude ran in and killed the boss. Since it was my agro, the quest was complete.

I recommend anyone checking out the open beta for a quick tour. I think there is about 2 weeks left. You can keep your chars if you preorder. I play on the Nimrodel server....because it has the word Nimrod in the title.

[Nightbane]

now. GET THE 14 DAY TRIAL OF EVE!!!!!!111

[HUD]

How did I know that was coming?

[Balaso]

Lol, good to hear you are openening your mind to new game types. I dont really discount any particular game type, I just play what fits my mood at the moment. Hope you enjoy it for a while to come. Oh, and if you ever hear of Sony buying out the game, pack up your toon and run like hell...

[crypticknight]

mmmm WoW...yes lvl 69 right now sooo close...2000g will have the flying mount soon.

[HUD]

As an update, the game launches tomorrow and I am completely addicted. They are letting the pre ordered players keep their characters, which is very cool. They are capped at lvl 15, so maybe 2 or 3 days ahead of the pack. But, people have already maxed some of their trade skills!

[Blitzkrieg]

I with you HUD...  I have been known to curse and talk negative about WoW, but have somehow managed to become the newest sK WoW addict.  With that said, though, I've actually been looking forward to LoTRO since I heard it was coming.  Did you say it is now launched?  I might hafta make a run there instead.  I'd rather be in on a newer MMO than trying to make my way in one that's been around for years, but that's just personal preference. If I manage to get a client onto my machine, I'll jump onto that server of yours and see if I can't catch up!!

Blitz

[HUD]

Awesome Blitz. As I type, the servers are down for the their final checkup before launch. Had you preordered, you would have been eligible for a "founder" deal where you get the service for $10 instead of $15. Also, preorders get to keep their characters from beta, which is cool. But, I am afraid it is too late. But, I still think it's worth it. I have nothing to compare it to, but I am having a blast. My server is called Nimrodel. You could catch up to me, in level, with about 3-4 hardcore days, as I have been capped at lvl 15 for over a week.

[crypticknight]

Nooooooo i worked so hard to bring you to wow.

u must stay.......

Lotr is ok, i've been in the beta for a while and if ya think you run a lot in wow...well then you're going to be in a shocker for lotr....the graphics look like wow..quests arelike wow.. i know there are a lot of things that are different but WoW ftw.....lol that being said who knowsi may go to lotr if enough of sk start playing it.

[HUD]

...maybe so. But, the appeal of this game for me is the atmosphere. The Warcraft universe is great, but it is clearly a rip off of Tolkien. I get nerdy goosebumps when I find a character from the story.

[crypticknight]

is it a rip off of tolkein, i mean anyone that ventures into the mmo world is going to say it all stems from tolkein, don't get me wrong now i love Lotr, tolkein is a mastermind, a genius, but the ficticious world in which its based looks eerrily similar to that of WoW. Maybe wow was based upon tolkeins writings, whatever the truth may be Wow hit the market with the right product at the right time. They have done everything right. In Lotr defense i do believe it is Blizzards biggest competitor.   I'm sucked into wow, but if i do find my way out of it again( went on a 9 month hiatus and now i'm back....but who knows) i will probably go to LOTR

[HUD]

That is kinda what I was getting at. The warcraft lore draws, if not steals, from Tolkien. Who could blame them? They were making an RTS in the 90's and need source material...orcs, drarves, elves are cool. The MMO was genius because they had a built in market with the warcraft fan base. I applaud Turbine for going after, and getting, the mother of all fantasy licenses. On top of that, the game is fun, stable on day one, etc. I doubt it will kill WoW, but I would be shocked if it's not succesful.

[crypticknight]

Oh i'm sure its going to be successful, and its good that they can pull stuff from the tolkein material...But.   Heres the thing. SWG was awesome, until sony started messing with a story line until it was destroyed....and now what was once a great game with the potential to beat any MMO in the market......is now a ghost mmo...  As long as turbine sticks to what is true and doesnt start tweaking and toying with the story it should be successful,.... lets hope they dont follow in sonys footsteps.

[HUD]

From what I have read, they HAVE to stick to the lore. Their IP deal is pretty strict that they not bugger with the story. The 1377 DeWdz are are upset that they can't be wizards, of which there were like 4...and that they can't fight balrogs, of which Gandalf killed the last one. Then, they want open PvP, so that they can run their urkhai through the shire.

But, it wouldn't take much to screw up a game like this.  

[crypticknight]

yeah i'll give it a bit on the market before i consider it..