Lord of the Rings Online

[Glinlosorn]

Hmm seems in my rush of adrenaline i became confused, i thought i saw the spam kings of old Fealar and Ararax, but my eyes decieve me...either way good to see you others...

[Ranadwelt]

gforce, you probably don't remember me because I hardly ever posted on these forums, but like many who did I came from the Middle-earth Vault boards, and was around for the Middle-earth Online project since Sierra held the license.

Very good to see you too, Arconon

To answer your other questions gforce, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar takes place during the Third Age, mostly around the time of the Fellowship of the Ring. It is a Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game and you can't create mods for it or play in the Fourth Age. The main storyline of the game is played through by chapters, and while the quest of the player is underway Frodo and company are off doing their own thing, and you meet them from time to time. You'll accept quests from the likes of Fredegar Bolger, Tom Bombadil and even Strider, or more minor but still highly recognizable characters like Elladan and Elrohir, or Dwalin. This particular installment of Lord of the Rings Online (Shadows of Angmar) takes place in Eriador exclusively, and as new expansions come out there will be more areas of Northwestern Middle-earth available to visit.

[Vildar]

Hello Vildar ....

Randy!! You old son of a gun!! It's great to hear from you again.

Thrilled with LOTRO! I'm not surprised, that seriously shocks me. Clearly you must have mellowed somewhat. But that is encouraging and from what Modus has been telling me, it all sounds like I should at the very least give LOTRO a chance. In truth, what I'm really interested in at this stage would be having some fun with the old gang.

So while I voted Undecided in the poll, in truth I'm much closer to actually playing than not.

You barmy ol codgers! Look at you all still posting here Ararax! Fealar! Vildar! Arconon!

Glinlosorn!! I see you've followed your brother. This is truly brilliant. I have not seen an ent in such a long time!

Though, there must have been something funny in the water you are drinking these days to have seen both Ararax and Fealar. Admittedly their spam continues to be pervasive in the archives and if there's anybody I'm expecting to reappear at any stage, it's the two of them.

And indeed, if I end up in the realms of LOTRO, I will certainly join you in a drink at the Green Dragon. Now if I can only find that old ragabond merchant Danner....I'm fairly certain he still owes me a drink or two.

[Vildar]

You'll accept quests from the likes of Fredegar Bolger, Tom Bombadil and even Strider, or more minor but still highly recognizable characters like Elladan and Elrohir, or Dwalin.

Tom Bombadil!! I remember when that would have sent you into conniptions. Even I would find that a hard pill to swallow. Are these quests that you have to build up to or everyday sort of ones?

I know it's a game, and I'm quite happy to be malleable on lots of things but if you're meeting Tom Bombadil or Strider every day of the week, then that takes something from the game. Surely they should be special events. (Then again I may be premature and they are special events)?

This particular installment of Lord of the Rings Online (Shadows of Angmar) takes place in Eriador exclusively, and as new expansions come out there will be more areas of Northwestern Middle-earth available to visit.

Well, Eriador always seemed to be the best place to start any kind of PW set in Middle-earth. Quick question about how expansions will work, another DVD to be bought or downloads? Any effect on a lifetime membership?

[Vildar]

I was actually wondering who else from the old days is playing LOTRO. I'd love to hook up in a fellowship and play with my old friends.

Speaking of this, I know that JEDII was trying to get a group together a while back when BETA was starting. To the best of my knowledge JEDII, Ararax, Danner, Eldin, theface, Josiah, the-sword-that-was-broken and Sthawy were all confirmed.

I see JEDII skulking in the shadows so perhaps he'll be able to update us.

*waves at JEDII*

[Glinlosorn]

Vildar;

Each race as it is has their own plot prgression in their own lands, all centered around the war mongering of mordor. Let me tell you, the quest stories are deeply rich and intricate down to the most menial task there is. And eventualy all the stories lead to bree town, where the leader of the Dunadain awaits you. The Dunadain are a very important goup in this game because they seem to be the glue that holds these little lands together. Meeting Strider is not an everday occurance, nor is bombadil by any means. And you arnt in fact working with strider via Frodo or the ring directly, but helping his rangers in the outlying lands. To progress the main plot you do talk mainly to strider once in bree, but the game is so detailed you can cap your character without almost ever touching on strider or the main plot. Bombadil as far as ive seen is a just a little old forest fun and then your on your way.(and by fun i mean being mauled to death my trees).

Its done quite well i think, and i never feel like im interfering with the story in any immediate way, your character is always on the outskirts of the book, and only is passing do you meet the main characters, who NEVER reveal anything about the ring or their true purposes....

Well i have rambled now i think, but i do love this game, the fact that i am Boso Badgers of the Stoors, and am running around the lone lands on weathertop is just a delight! (Not to mention the quest where you chase squirrels out of libraries in the shire, or deliver pies without being seen by "hungry hobbits")

[Vildar]

Well that does sound like it's well balanced and well thought out. It also sounds like fun.

hmm...yes, you guys are certainly whetting my appetite.

[Ranadwelt]

Well Glinlosorn answered well enough for me. What he said.

Indeed Vildar, I have mellowed considerably. I look back with fondness sometimes on old memories and what a thorn in everyone's side I could be. I started out terribly arrogant, and then came off that high horse and learned enough to just be a purist, and now I'm just someone that loves the stories a great deal, and knows a lot about them (but not nearly as much as I used to, or as much as others), and nonetheless understands when things are changed in adaptations.

That's not to say I don't complain my arse off still at the movies (which I like despite my complaints). I'll tell anybody who listens about horrible it is that Faramir demands the Ring from Frodo, and Gimli goes cross-eyed and passes out in a drinking game, and Elrond is a nazi, and so on and so forth. And you know I find things about the game to quibble about too, but's it not like it would have been a while ago. In the old days I would have said "hundreds of Hobbits adventuring outside the Shire? Blasphemy!" And that would have been fine, but I'm softer now. Now I just say "The rebelious Dwarves in the Blue Mountains they came up with should have been called Firebeards or Broadbeams, not Dourhands." But I don't mind now that there are wolves romping about woodlands of The Shire in LOTRO, and that sort of thing.

Anyway there's plenty of rediculous things to do in The Shire that seem fitting enough. Glinlosorn already mentioned the squirrels. That was a quest I did with him in Beta: hilarious, hilarious stuff. And you can sit around and farm all kinds of varieties of pipe-weed if you like, or bake seed cakes and eat them to refill your health, or just sell them at the Auction Hall in Michel Delving. There's a postmaster you can work for, and you can become an Honorary Bounder, or find recipes for Innkeeper hobbits, and what not. It's Shire like enough, even if there are Wolves and Spiders (yes spiders) to be found about in the wild places between Hobbit settlements.

[Vildar]

I'll tell anybody who listens about horrible it is that Faramir demands the Ring from Frodo, and Gimli goes cross-eyed and passes out in a drinking game, and Elrond is a nazi, and so on and so forth.

Yes, the whole treatment of Faramir was an armrest clenching experience for me in the cinema. It's the one thing which I find unforgiveable in the movies. It's also the one thing that I don't think they can justify in any way.

Anyway there's plenty of rediculous things to do in The Shire that seem fitting enough. Glinlosorn already mentioned the squirrels. That was a quest I did with him in Beta: hilarious, hilarious stuff. And you can sit around and farm all kinds of varieties of pipe-weed if you like, or bake seed cakes and eat them to refill your health, or just sell them at the Auction Hall in Michel Delving. There's a postmaster you can work for, and you can become an Honorary Bounder, or find recipes for Innkeeper hobbits, and what not. It's Shire like enough, even if there are Wolves and Spiders (yes spiders) to be found about in the wild places between Hobbit settlements.

Well for the most part that sounds extremely promising and would mean that a lot of the fears and worries that I remember people having have happily come to naught. I'd say Fredian Furryfoot would even be happy with that gameplay.

[gforce99]

I was actually wondering who else from the old days is playing LOTRO. I'd love to hook up in a fellowship and play with my old friends.

Speaking of this, I know that JEDII was trying to get a group together a while back when BETA was starting. To the best of my knowledge JEDII, Ararax, Danner, Eldin, theface, Josiah, the-sword-that-was-broken and Sthawy were all confirmed.

I see JEDII skulking in the shadows so perhaps he'll be able to update us.

*waves at JEDII*

If I did purchased LOTRo, "where" would I find you guys? What times do you meet?