Topic: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Well, this thread is some gathering place for those who already bought the game and those who might want to try it out. Every full game comes with a 7-day buddy code, which can be given to someone else. So, if you want to try the game out or have a buddy-code, tell us, so those who are interested can try the game out.

I bought the game, but gave my buddy-code to Darkhawk.

Edit: Alright, if you want to use a buddy code, you might as well get the client, so here:
http://community.codemasters.com/forum/ … p?t=172356 for the client download locations or:
http://www.fileplanet.com/169391/160000 … est-Client if you have access
(the gamespy registration is free and then you can download it)
You need .net framework 1.1 installed and if you get http 404 error, then look at the TurbineLauncher.exe.config file, which have to look like this on the proper place:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
   <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true"/>
   <startup>
      <requiredRuntime version="V1.1.4322" safemode="true"/>
      <supportedRuntime version="V1.1.4322" />
   </startup>
   <appSettings>
      <add key="Launcher.DataCenterService.GLS" value="http://lotroeugls.com/GLS.DataCenterServer/Service.asmx" />
      <add key="DataCenter.GameName" value="LOTROEU"/>
      <add key="DataCenter.DefaultCenter" value="LOTROEU"/>
      <add key="Product.DocumentFolder" value="The Lord of the Rings Online"/>
      <add key="Launcher.DocumentFolder" value="Launcher"/>
   </appSettings> 
</configuration>

It may be LOTRO-beta or something on some places.

Also, if you want to play on Ultra-high resolution, you should grab the hi-res texture file from here: http://www.andazeus.de/ just copy the client_highres.dat in yor game folder where the other big .dat files are.
Then play away wink

Last edited by dustman (2007-06-04 16:58:02)

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Yeah, I bought the game too, and have a buddy code to give out to whoever asks me first smile

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I have the game too and have an unused buddy code too.

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Hmm... If no one wants to check it out I guess I could use a buddy code.

However, I was in the beta so I do have an idea of what the game is like so its only fair if someone who havent tried it before gets the buddy code first.

Btw, what is the rp like in lotro? There wasnt any rp servers while in beta... If roleplay is good/decent I might even consider buying it!

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I'd like to try it out, but will have problems playing due to RL issues. In about two months I'll have more free time and more memory in my PC, so I may look at it then. So tempting with the buddy codes on offer though...

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

The RP in LotRO is.. Hrm.. I think I want to write a big comment on it in the LotRO forums when I get time. But.. You get it here first then wink

We play on the only english RP server. This server nominally has some anti-OOC and naming conventions in effect, but we haven't seen any GM's yet (but plenty of crap names of course wink). Also, there are channels much like in SoR or WoW, so that you can cut out the OOC channel and all others except for what your char would hear in his immediate surrounding. That's nice for immersion.

So.. How much have I RP'ed the 4 days I've played the game? Only with Dustman's char. Did we attract other RP'ers while we RP'ed? Yes, 1.5 times, for a very short while, minutes, and nothing came of it. Otherwise, it's been quiet.

Everyone is running around on their own or with someone in tow, quiet. Everyone minds their own business, goes on their own quests, and do not speak, except to sometimes ask for OOC help in a raid on the IC channel. The game is.. Quiet. Sometimes there are people doing sad and OOC stuff with emotes too, but mostly everyone you meet is running around minding their own business, and it is quiet.

How can this be? On a RP server? There are two main reasons I think.

1. Roleplayers are shy: If they don't see and hear others RP'ing, they do not dare to be the ones speaking IC to someone they do not know. On the other hand, they do not want to speak OOC either.. Which results in them running around quietly.

2. The game itself does not particularly support or encourage RP. Apart from needing people for fellowship quests (quests that would be too hard doing alone), there is no ingame reason to talk to others, gamemechanic wise.

If pointing at one part of the game that is THE game, it is the quest system. These are not optional or anything, this is where you gain your XP, your good gear and your story progression. Everything revolves around these quests, and they are well-done. You do not need others for this though (Let's say you don't need others for 70 out of 75 quests in a region), so you develop a single-player attitude where you do not stop up and initiate RP unless you see it. (which you don't, as everybody else is also thinking in this way).

3. Maybe there's a third reason for the lack of RP in LotRO, or the sluggishness with which it  seems to run. Your actions will have no consequence whatever. Ok, this is standard in MMO's unfortunately of course. The quests are not repeatable by you, but everyone has done the same quest as you, also when it doesn't make any sense at all, and the NPC's return to their initial 'need help' position once you save them, etc.

That's sadly normal. But even more so than with other games, the story in LotRO is locked/unchangeable. Players might not be able to change the story of ANY current MMO (sigh), but at least you have the feeling the story is going to progress and might surprise you, etc. In LotRO you KNOW what is going to happen overall. The fellowship isn't going to fail, and they will move exactly as in the books. Nothing is going to change that, and when they succeed (if the developers will even move it that close to the end), the game is going to end, because nothing can happen afterwards (that would violate trademarks and contracts, if Turbine suddenly decided to continue Tolkien's story.).

So that might also subconsciously be something roleplayers have in mind when they can't be bothered to RP on their own in this game.

Well.. APART from that. The RP could be pretty good, and there will be player housing too at a point. It's a standard game mechanics wise, apart from a few things that makes no difference to a RP'er, but the setting is powerful, and good RP'ers can get something out of the RP here. Also, I think a bigger group of RP'ers moving together, not just Dustman and I, could stimulate more RP and make more people RP, just as in Silan where we scooped up single RP'ers.

The game in itself is also mildly fun/interesting, though there's WAY too much combat. At least there doesn't need to be any grind at all, which is great. So it is worth trying for most of us I'd say (with a free buddy code that is wink). Also, they will bring out new content all the time, every 2-3 or so months That's nice.

I liked SoR's (and Seed's of course) graphics much better, they had soul, whereas Middle-Earth seems somehow.. Too clean and boring, graphics wise.. Well, that is a very personal opinion I think. Also the RP in SoR was.. well, it's har dto compare really, since there has been none in LotRO apart from what Dustman and I have had. I think we could lure out RP'ers if we were more and made an effort though smile And it would be nice to always have someone to adventure with as we travelled through the lands.

So Oluf, that's my short answer to you and anyone else interested. I would say that since you have already tried the game, and looking at how you went out of EVE after your free days expired.. You will do the same with LotRO. I do not think it will hold your interest. Not that I don't want to RP with you of course wink I just don't think LotRO has enough for you to be satisfied when neither SoR or EVE had.

Last edited by Darkhawk (2007-06-04 16:52:17)

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

short..! Hm..I dont know if I could manage to read the long answer then wink

Anyway. Thanks for the report! To bad that everyone are running around minding their own buisness... Gotta admit that I had thought a game like LOTRO could lure in some roleplayers who knew all the lore and was interested in rp(and would maybe even initialize some roleplaying themselves instead of being shy! wink )

I agree with your last statement...I dont quite think it would be able to hold my interest either.. :\

Most likely turbine will be giving out trial codes soon (2-3 months), that is what they did with DDO...So maybe I will give it a go there unless all of you start playing the game and sits on a ton of buddy codes wink

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Downloaded buddy client and now just waiting on a code!

I have actually heard from WoW players that (compared to WoW at least) the rp is a lot better.  Granted, it's no SeeD - but few games actually are.  If anyone wants a complete roleplaying experience, I doubt one's going to find it in MMOG's.  It's just not the type of genre for it.  People grind, people fight things, killing x,y and z amount of bears, to get better gear to kill bigger bears.  If you're lucky, you'll find someone who can rp and pass the time whilst they're doing it.

I know quite a few mates of mine are going back to LARP to rp, and leaving the MMOG's for grinding as there's no real roleplaying within them.   For my part, MMOG's allow me to suspend my sense of disbelief a bit more than LARPing (I don't care how much makeup someone has on, I know a human in blue paint when I see one), so I'll stick with them.  However, I'm also careful not to roleplay myself into a hole by having too many strictures on my rp style - what's the rationalisation for being able to talk over distances?  My answer:  "who cares?  Show me where the elves and hobbits exist in the world, and then you can tell me what's "realistic" and what isn't."    I'll happily bend some rules if it means I can enjoy what I'm doing.

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Indeed...it is important to remember that we are afterall playing computer *games* smile

edit: (something i forget from time to time..)

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Trevenni, I'll PM you the code now then smile

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Ta for that, will see you when I see you lot!

PS - due to the fact I am a muppet, I went and bought the game as I was struggling with the codes, which now work.  So, not only does Darkhawk have a buddy code, but now, so do I.  So roll up if you want to give a go!

Last edited by Trevenni (2007-06-07 13:14:11)

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

So woo, 2 buddy codes, and no takers? Really? So Oluf, if you want.. smile

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

no one? anyone?

Hm...there are some pretty high chances that I wont be buying and the game after the trial (hm, but then again i do need something to do in the summer...last summer I spent on seed..) so I wouldnt feel right if I took a buddy code and someone was even sligtly interested in trying the game...

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I nabbed one of them.
I can't say I'm impressed, so far, but, well... it might grow on me, I suppose.

http://ahnion.centralen.net/temp/signature-Seed-community-2.gif

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I've still got a code if anyone wants!  So far I do a LOT of soloing, but I've run into some good rpers and I've some friends from WoW who are also playing too.

When I remember my character's name I'll put it here *cough*

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

We try to do all fellowship quests together (obviously), and otherwise we're soloing too, a lot.  I haven't really run into roleplayers, but I've seen them around Bree at least, so I think that's the natural meeting and hook-up place, at least for now.

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I've temporarily teamed up with two role-players, so far - both dwarves. They were called Gimlik (yes, I know, but you take what you get) and... something-or-other.

My dwarf is called Kharil. He's only level nine yet, though.

http://ahnion.centralen.net/temp/signature-Seed-community-2.gif

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

Finally remember my character now - Rhiulien.  And even MORE soloing.

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I got two more buddy codes from Sekra, so come one, come all (two).. Lots of 7-days trials to give out.

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I'm already in and although i love to play with dwarfs in most games, but that wobbly belly of theirs in LoTRo just annoys me to death, so i've finally settled for a female lore-master...forgot her name though ^^

Last edited by Midragar (2007-07-02 17:26:03)

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I'll be returning around the 18th, when I finally can afford to buy the damned game. (They're likely to be losing potential customers with that steep box price.) After getting a bit nonplussed with playing the dwarven champion, I tried a few different races and classes and finally settled on a human captain called Hilt. She's in her early teens, somewhere, now.

http://ahnion.centralen.net/temp/signature-Seed-community-2.gif

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

The name of my lore-master is Gherawen

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

And I quit Lord of the Rings Online again, eheh.

Too much of the same for me, and too little.. hrm, reason to play. Way too much standard MMO stuff. I'll still hang out in EVE though smile

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

I got back into Lord of the Rings again during the last half year, seeing it more as a game than roleplay. That helped immensely, now it's actually cozy and funny to play on and off for me. Also, the episodic updates every 2nd to 3rd month or so are cool - makes it possible to jump in for one month of subscription every third month, and have good fun. Ah, and the Moria expansion is pretty great smile

Dustman and Mehken are also playing currently.

Re: Who's in and who's waiting at the door?

An update to LoTRO - We're gaming this quite some, and have max. level characters. Dustman, Mehken and I that is. Dustman and Mehken have also started new characters, and well. It's pretty good, solid MMO fun (not much RP though).

We'd really welcome others to play with us, so we could do fellowship (6 man) quests and stuff together with competent and nice people. I.e. you wink So if you want to give a mainstream MMO a chance for the sake of the game in itself, LotRO is actually very enjoyable, also with the social aspect. We'll help out with whatever if you want, and come on.. Who doesn't want to go dungeondelving in Moria? Huh?