The Great Tree

Durin Mephit

I noticed this a few weeks ago and it slipped my mind until now to mention it.

Until June 30th, Lord of the Rings Online is running an anniversary sale. You can get the same deal that Founding members got on the game - $9.99 a month to play, or $199 for a lifetime membership.

I know that Professor Askew has been lured by the elves, and the hobbits, and the dwarves... and I'm considering it myself. I guess I should make up my mind soon. Smile

Also, you can purchase the game as a digital download for just $9.99, or, get the regular boxed edition for $9.99 plus about $8 shipping. But perhaps more appealing than that, through Amazon.com you can pick up the Special Edition Box for just $21.99. Buy it with any other item valued at $3.01 or more, and you get FREE Super Saver shipping.

If you're still unconvinced (like me), there is a 14-day FREE trial.

Note: American and European players of LOTRO play on different servers.
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Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768

Professor Askew · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject:

I wish I had $200 to spend on lifetime membership but alas that's too much money in one shot. I am doing the same thing I was doing on GameTap which is to pay quarterly at a slightly reduced rate (around $27 each quarter).

I will add a couple more pieces of information to Marten's post.

First and foremost, anyone who joins now will have a very large world to explore as there have been some sizable additions to the game in the one year it's been out. But, more importantly, the first separate expansion, The Mines of Moria, is due out late summer/early fall which will only make the world that much larger.

Second, they just released some kind of downloader add-on and they are giving away ALL their soundtrack, over 50 tunes, for free! I bought the Special Edition way back when to get my hands on the music, It was about 20 songs back then. Now you can get more than twice that at no cost. (And if I'm not mistaken, there's a Tim Larkin, Uru sample in there.)

The game still has me more than a little interested after a little over a year. Between exploring, crafting, questing, or participating in the epic storyline, there's plenty to do to fit your mood. Not to mention I'm juggling 4 different characters depending upon how I feel on any given day. They've also recently started a hobby system so you might want to brush up on your fishing skills if you plan on visiting.

Big fun. Middle-earth is the bomb.

dcos · Great Tree Member Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Posts: 1174

Erik · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:18 am Post subject:

Yeah, after reading Professor Askew's positive posts about LOTRO, I also decided to try out, and I've been a member since a month now. It's a great game! I was amazed at first how much detail of Tolkien's world was incorporated and how true many things were to the book, especially in the Shire. When you advance and the quests get harder and the monsters bigger, it's a bit unlike what Tolkien wrote, but they really did a good job at keeping the spirit of Tolkien's work everywhere.

When I tried out the trial, it was an immense treat to be able to walk through the entire Shire. In the first week that I played I barely left the Shire, so much was there to do and to see.

Professor Askew · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:50 am Post subject:

You bring up a very good point, Erik. There are different types of game styles. I think for people who are meticulous about finishing all the quests in a given area and/or like to focus on their crafting, the world is even bigger. I have a friend who I brought into the game quite some time ago. He's a very linear-type guy so there are huge places in the game world he hasn't even seen yet. Myself, I can't help but to explore, explore, explore...subsequently I've risked life and limb going to dangerous places slightly ahead of schedule. It's risky but I level up quickly as an unintended bonus.

Yes, it's too bad the servers are split by location. One of my characters is in a Kinship where the Europeans and Americans can only meet on the forums. maybe some day...

CuzinJohn · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:15 pm Post subject:

Erik · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 2:28 am Post subject:

Durin Mephit · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:46 pm Post subject:

I'm starting a 14 day trial on LOTRO today. Hopefully if I decide "for" LOTRO, I can initiate a monthly account without yet having the product box in hand.
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Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768

Professor Askew · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 12:18 pm Post subject:

Durin Mephit · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:39 pm Post subject:

Well...

I've been playing the game for only a few days and have reached a conclusion.

It's a very pretty game, but in the end, it's only more of the same of what's in World of Warcraft. It is a game where I won't be happy playing solo because I get tired of doing the same things over and over... and I probably won't be happy playing with a group either because of the usual problems where if I don't want to play for a week or have other plans on gaming night, I get peer-pressured or I get left behind.

Bottom line is that I may as well play WoW because I know more people who play that. The best solution to not getting left too far behind is to have a *very large* group of people in your guild or fellowship or whatever, because there will always be a few people close to your level who need to do the same things.
_________________
Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768