So can anyone give me the skinny on the classes in this game? Played a captain a little today on the beta, it seems pretty fun as a casual side game.

Pretty solid game all around.. I'd say easily my fav MMO though I choose to stay in EQ2 because of my wife. Best crafting in the MMO work IMHO. Any crafting that forces class interdependency it the way to go. High end game is lacking but getting much better. As far as classes reading the official game boards is the way to go. I only play a minstrel which are one of the major healers..... Runekeepers are the other healer type classes... Just read the boards.

Hunters are probably the most over played class in the game. If you want a group don't roll one b/c there's 100 of you LFF all the time ;)

This time around (I played the beta and about 2 weeks after release) I rolled one of the new classes. Rune Keeper. It's a very unique class compared to other MMOs I've played but also similar. As you cast healing or damage spells you "attune" yourself to that discipline thus making you stronger in it and weaker in the other. Even to the point that you can't cast spells in the other discipline until you go back to neutral. It's a viable group healer and a good but slow soloer.

I've also tried the warden. Another new class that requires you to perform various combos to have access to "gambits" which are more powerful tactics. It's a fun class very apt soloer but not main tank material.

My next highest around 18 is a burgular. Very fun high DPS class but again you need certain spells to unlock other spells and you have the ability to start the fellowship manuevers (sort of like EQ2 combat wheel only easier and better done).

Those are the 3 I play the most but I'll give you a skinny on some others.

Minstrel - the healer of the game though RKs can hold their own if properly spec'ed. It's basically a bard that heals with little damage.

Loremaster - pet class who also have good CC abilities, they do ok damage.

Guardians - a heavy tank who can also start fellowship manuevers at later levels. Champions seem to be more sought after for groups, not sure why as to me guards hold better aggro.

Hunters - ranged DPS, most popular class. literally 1 in every 4 players on my server are hunters.... or so it feels.

captains - I don't know much about them and do not see very many played.



RE: crafting. I love the crafting in this game, like Osg said it's player and economy dependant. EQ2 used to be that way but they changed it feh b/c of the complainers.

In all the game is a slower pace than other MMOs I've played. It's not something I feel compelled to reach top level in ASAP I just log in and play here and there when I can. The world is beautiful and feels immense, I'm trying my best to not burn out by trying to do everything all at once. Fortunately the game has allot more depth than say WAR so it's not as easy for me to burn out. There's a whole other aspect of the game I haven't messed with and that is the PvMP. Hop on firefoot and I'll help you get going with the game make you armor and goodies etc. But be warned I'm still a noob myself. There's so much I don't know yet.

Well I got a Captain to 7 and its my favorite of what I have played so far. Much different than anything else I have played.

Also rolled a Guardian and i'm having fun with him also.

Want to try a Burgler also.

Oh and as a musician the music system in this game is bar far and away one of it's best features... Check out Youtube for some of the songs people are able to do.

burgs are fun, or at least I think so.

actually the shire quests are very different than others in the game. I loved the ones where you become a chicken and run around doing things that chickens do. I don't want to spoil it for you :)

I am thinking of playing lotro, and I had a few questions!

What is the best server to start on and why?
Is tanking fun compared to other games where you feel you cannot do much else on your own?
Will I miss anything if I do not have the expansion when I start playing? is it worth it to pick it up at level 1, or is it mostly high level content I can get later.

Thanks in advance!

Other than the new classes you wouldn't miss anything without the xpac b/c most of that content is 40+ or so I have been told.

It depends on how populated of a server you're looking for. When you log in a message will pop up to tell you where folks are needed or you could play on one of the heavy populated servers. Some folks complain of lag on those servers though so be warned. I'm on a lower pop server but it definitely doesn't feel low pop so who knows.

I started at level 1 and have plenty to do. Though there are higher level encounters and lots of PvPM (player vs. player monsters or monster player or whatever the hell). I can't speak for the tank classes except the warden which I found to be a very unique class compared to other games but opinions vary. If you're really interested toss me your email and I'll send you a buddy pass, I have like 10 to give away every so many weeks and I have 3 left atm.

Thanks for the info, I prefer a server with enough people as to where It doesn't feel dead like a ghost town, however I don't want to lag too often either. I will research it a bit more :)

Also, is there any role playing done at all in lotro? With a game I play casually I really like to get into my character and just enjoy the world and I love role playing! :)

At the moment... IRRC ( I have not played in a couple months) there is no OFFICIAL Rp server though most folks would love to have one. I think Landroval(sp?) is considered the unofficial server....IIRC that is.

My highest so far is a 22 dwarf minstrel named churnbutter plus a few assorted alts in the mid-teens. Haven't been able to play it too much due to RL concerns and my EQ2 guild obligations, but i get back to it every now and then to have fun.
With the lifetime subscription i just need to get the new expansion to stay current. :)
as for playing, like others have said, it's fun but it's slower paced so you have to like playing that way. I reccomend it if you want a more laid-back MMO and if Hello-kitty online Adventures seems too tame for your tastes....

At the moment... IRRC ( I have not played in a couple months) there is no OFFICIAL Rp server though most folks would love to have one. I think Landroval(sp?) is considered the unofficial server....IIRC that is.

It is supposedly, which is why we rolled there. Jedd if you roll look for Chanur or Gharni.

I will most likely roll on that server. Will send you a whisper whenever I get the game installed and get settled in :)

Invites sent, sorry for the delay long night at the gym /flex :)
I have two more available if someone else wants to try it out.

Thank you :)

Would love to. Pretty gun shy about new games blame Shadowbane, AOC etc....

This may indeed be the longest patching I have ever waited for of all the MMO's I have played. Jesus christ it is going to take hours!

Hmmm.. for those, like me, who haven't played a MMO since EQ1 started to fall apart (2004), what do they cost these days?

I followed the progress of this game pre-release for several years, but they changed it so much in development that a lot of us stopped visiting the dev forums as it was so far gone from its original concept. But from what you guys are saying, it nonetheless seems quite fun.

14.99 a month I believe...

14.99 a month with up to a 20% savings if you do I think 6 months at a time. LOTRO also has a 299.00 lifetime offer as well. Which I might get if i end up sticking with it a bit.

Dollars? :P

Well unless you sub from a founder like me and then it's $9.99 a month in US dollars :)
Also the lifetime sub fee is half that $199.

I do get a month free for every person who converts from a buddy key I send. Right now I'm up to 4 months free from previous folks who activated. It's a good deal :D

I had no idea you knew so many people Fil :P

How do we sub from you Fil? :P half price makes me happy,lol.

When I send out buddy passes it gives a key to you to play free for a week. At the end of that week if you convert from trial to full sub you get the deal and so do I :D

That's neat, they implemented a way for minstrels to actually play their own music in game. Something fairly easy that has been missing from nearly every RPG-style game.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Mechanics:Player_Music_System

When I send out buddy passes it gives a key to you to play free for a week. At the end of that week if you convert from trial to full sub you get the deal and so do I :D

Damn we upgraded from the downloaded trial :mad:

actually anyone can play not just minstrels but yes it is very neat.

That's neat, they implemented a way for minstrels to actually play their own music in game. Something fairly easy that has been missing from nearly every RPG-style game.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Mechanics:Player_Music_System


Hehe, I can hear it now, as the siege engines approach the castle walls....."Inagaddadavida baby....."

I was just in the next village over from the starting town and this Captain was playing Santana on her lute. It was way kick ass. This is the best MMO I've played since Eq/early Wow.

Oh by the way Captain is the best character class in any game Ive ever played. I have a little peon that runs around behind me carrying my War Banner now. It is so damn awesome.

I am just loving this game... I made a Warden and honestly it is my favorite class of any game I have played.

I love the way my shield has an opening on the top right corner and I basically pierce my target with my spear through that opening while keeping the shield up to shield my face and body.

Lots of fun, and the music system rocks as well!

all classes i think can play an instrument of some kind with the minstrels being fluent in the all. and yes it is the best game out atm.. wife loves eq2 though so i stay there so we can play together.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20njlNOlRt0&feature=related

What server is everyone on? I'd give a gold if I could find a tank! This server has a gazillion hunters and like 10 tanks and healers :(

I am on the unofficial RP server Lord-whatever Forget the full name but I think its earlier in this thread.

Landroval.

Woohoo Book 7 goes live today!

Faster leveling, Wardens = rox ur sox, and other cool stuff!

=P everyone I was playing with went back to EQ2 /sigh so I am playing both sorta and raiding again part time. I miss lotro :(

Heh.. I have been gone from EQ2 for weeks now. Especially with the fighter revamp being canceled things are worse then ever in eq2. I went back to Lotro heavy and some wow..

Wish they could make the combat in EQ2 not suck so bad. Hope EQ3 is better.

Wish they could make the combat in EQ2 not suck so bad. Hope EQ3 is better.

Chanur!!! where ya been?! Haven't seen you on in awhile!

Worked like the last 11 days =x And I have the flu so havnt been on much :(

Worked like the last 11 days =x And I have the flu so havnt been on much :(

Hope you feel better soon!!!

Yeah the fighter stuff that is coming pretty much made me park my Pally and just go with my warden for now. Which sucks b/c I'm very far behind on the warden whereas at least Nurta was only 2 steps from her mythical /sigh. Alas, it's fun and I really like the LDON feel of the new expac.

If I could get more of my goober friends to like LoTRO I'd be there more.

I am playing a Warden right now as well, I am level 24 !!!

Fildien did you come to Landroval also?? I'm hoping to get to 20 today but its 4 levels away so not sure.

So due to the exp change i went from 16 to 19 when i killed a boar, lol they shortened the exp needed a bunch so I had like 30k more than was needed.

So i guess you will hit 20 LOL

Wish they could make the combat in EQ2 not suck so bad. Hope EQ3 is better.


eq2 is in a tailspin... They want to revamp damn near everything but keep having to start over. I wish the wife liked LOtro...:(

I would gladly play Eq2 if the combat didn't suck. I'm so burned out on WoW its not even funny. I wonder if Vanguard is a better bridge between EQ and the newer games.

LOL I logged in killed 1 thing and dinged to 31.5 from 29. What the hell did they do?

I got from 16 to with in 3 bubs of 20 in 1 kill,lol.

So, I played the 10 day trial of this last week. I'll have to admit that it mostly held my attention, and I was disappointed when the account showed up expired.

That said, how in the world do you guys put up with that terrible UI? You'd think a WoW clone could at least clone one of the most important elements right.

There are tons of mods for the UI, it was the first thing I changed b/c I frigging hated it too.

x2 with Fil.. it's really pretty customizable. I don't mind the UI, but I do rearrange things a bit.

I downloaded a skin called Durin or something. It was small and compact and made all the windows black. It was so much better than the default crap. I can't remember where I got it from but I'm sure you can do a search for lotro UIs.

I'm not planning on playing it for real, or I'd check that out. No time for that stuff anymore.

I was just confused as to how anyone could play it for long with that UI.

Thanks for the info though.

I'm not planning on playing it for real, or I'd check that out. No time for that stuff anymore.

I was just confused as to how anyone could play it for long with that UI.

Thanks for the info though.


Heh, I just saw an old screen of the EQ UI from Kunark era. I had forgotten how small the action screen actually was compared to today's full screen window; and, thinking 15 inch monitor to 22 inch wide screen makes a difference too.

Seriously though, it is surprising that game designers are not putting any more time into developing UI's but are instead relying on outside sources to provide them.

They're going that route to cut their development time/cost, and can list that outsourcing as a positive feature of the game to us.

I don't know I'm rather happy that outside folks create mods/UIs. We've gotten some increadibly good bits that way, at least in EQ2. When the UI is fully customizable I don't mind devs not spending a ton of time on it and working on more important things instead. :D

Creating outside mods has worked well in WoW. Many of the idea's ended up being put into the games UI.

Ok, who's playing where?

Elomdir (think it's something like that) for me...Medium population it seems.
Have a 33 minstrel and Loremaster so far but having fun with my hunter. (about level 16 so far) :rolleyes:

LOL, not even sure what server I'm on, but if there's a group together from the Ayo Ro crowd, I'm definately interested in joining ye all. Game is BEAUTIFUL and runs very well. Still learning the basics.

Playing full time on Landroval now.. Look for Wuin if ya want to BS or yell at me or what ever.