LotR Online: First Impressions

Well it was time to try out a new MMORPG. What is that you might ask? A MMORPG is Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, though some people just like to shorten it down to MMOs. So out of the batch of MMOs which one have I decided to try out?

Well the title says it all: LotR Online or Lord of the Rings Online. This newly released game is based on the Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring novels and offers many things to experience and see within the realm of MiddleEarth. LotRO is also a PvE or Player versus Environment based game with a small part called PvM or Player versus Monster.

Now I could probably write lots and lots and lots about the game being that I’ve only had it for about 3 days now, but I would like to try and keep this post short so that I don’t annoy you. So I will touch briefly on my first encounters and show some screenshots which I hope might give you a glimpse into the eye-candy that this game offers.

Races:
There are 4 races to choose from; Hobbit, Human, Elf and Dwarf. This means you can only play on the good side against the massive legions of the Witch King and his various minions. Though there is possibility to play a Monster once you’ve reached level 10.

Classes:
There are many classes a player can be and they are: Burglar, Captain, Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Lore-Master and Minstrel. Each has their strength and weaknesses and not every race can be of a particular class.

Crafting:
There are the primary Vocations that a player can choose to become if they choose a craft: Armour, Armsman, Explorer, Historian, Tinker, Woodsman and Yeoman. Each of these vocations can have a couple professions in which a player and specialize in and they include: Cook, Farmer, Forester, Scholar, Jeweler, Metalsmith, Prospector, Tailor, Weaponsmith, and Woodworker. Now I have not looked more into crafting as I am still getting used to playing the game but I’m sure they all have their place within MiddleEarth.

Groups and Guilds:
Like other MMOs there are groups and guilds within LotRO but they are called Fellowships and Kinsman respectively. They also work a bit different than other MMOs but you need to experience it to understand it better.

Deeds and Titles:
Unique to LotRO is the Deed and Title system. Not only can players take up quests but they can also earn various Titles and Traits for their characters by completing various Deeds for the people of MiddleEarth. Currently my Elf Hunter is OnyxDragun, Spider-Stinger and I obtained that by killing over 30 spiders in The Shire.

Traits:
Another unique system in LotRO are Traits. Your character can earn various Traits which provided upgrades to various stats by doing Deeds.

Gameplay:

Graphics and the Environment:
I was impressed by the graphics within Lord of the Rings: Online but more so with the environmental graphics that I believe are fantastic. Even though my computer isn’t top of the line and I have the graphics set to medium I am still captivated by the sights. My favourite being water and how it acts and looks like water, even the reflections off the water are remarkable.

Because LotRO follows the Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring you get to meet and greet many of the famous characters and locations that the books offer. After I started my Elf and followed a brief introduction story with the Dwarfs I decided to head off to The Shire to see Bag End and if Bilbo or Frodo were home. Neither of them were there (since their off on their crazy adventures) but it was interesting to see Hobbiton with Bag End and be able to go inside Bag End and look around.

Combat:
Combat is similar to the other MMORPGs. I found it easy to use and the information I needed easily at hand. I also found that the NPCs and monsters you fight while in MiddleEarth also have more life to them than other MMORPGs. Though you don’t really earn much experience while doing the hack and slash part of Lord of the Rings: Online but it is not boring either when you have to do it for a quest, or some monster gets upset you’re in their area.

So within my first few days of playing The Lord of the Rings: Online I have quite enjoyed it and hope I never bore of it. There is a free semi-expansion coming soon that will add some new monsters, areas and gear which will add to the awesomeness of the game.

Currently the only down side I see to this game are the heavy requirements for your computer that it requires. It becomes very laggy in the large city of Bree where a lot of other players seem to dilly-dally around. My hard drive just grinds away and my character seems to stutter around making it a really jerky experience. Though perhaps some server updates and optimization will ease some of these issues but I definitely won’t turn down my graphic settings, I just wish I could up them and enjoy this game at full power.