In this new series, I talk about various aspects of The Lord of the Rings Online. This series is meant for newcomers, but may also help veteran players find more to love about the game.
SO, WHAT IS LOTRO?
"It's a vidya game. Tell them that." -PrepareToIndie, aka my husband
While my husband's astute sense of observation isn't wrong, it also doesn't really capture the full picture of what a gamer is getting into when they venture into LOTRO for the first time. I'm hoping this entry will help people understand why so many gamers are still playing and enjoying a game that will be celebrating 13 years in April.
THE GENRE
LOTRO is an MMORPG -- a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. This means that you are one of thousands of other players logging into the game, and you are represented by a character you can customize. A lot of people go the extra mile and roleplay as their character, and there are servers specifically for that intention. This also means that traffic volume can vary. Right after an expansion releases, it's sometimes tough to get logged in and there are usually more characters clogging up the main hubs in the game world. Since LOTRO is going on 13 years, there isn't quite the overwhelming population there once was. The game originally launched with 32 servers. In 2015 and 2016, 22 of the servers were closed and the people on them were able to transfer to the remaining servers for free for a time. Today there are 10 main servers and 2 legendary (or classic) servers.THE GAMEPLAY
Like other MMOs, in LOTRO you create a character (more on that in a future entry) and progress through the areas of the game world by completing quests and earning experience points (XP) to level up your character. At the time of writing this, the level cap of the game is 130. (When I started playing in 2012, the level cap was 75.) In addition to picking a class for your character, you get to also choose a crafting vocation, weapons, mounts, cosmetics, racial background, and many other elements that were added with updates and expansions. The different classes play differently, with some being easier to pick up than others. You can expect the bulk of this Learning series to cover the individual classes.THE PLOT(S)
If you have read the works of Tolkien, you are familiar with how Frodo came to possess the One Ring from Bilbo, how he fled from the Shire with his friends, how they came to be taken into Strider's care and headed for Rivendell... and how the full Fellowship set out from there to escort the Ring-bearer (Frodo) to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. Yes? Okay, moving on!This game is only partially about that story. The game has an Epic story which is free to all players (with the exception of the Book of Mordor which is accessible via expansions), and the Epic covers the overarching story from beginning to end, with some other elements thrown in as well -- such as Ranger history and their travels to come to Aragorn's aid in Rohan.
But the real focus of LOTRO is how the player's character is also a hero, picking up loose ends left behind or doing important deeds to enable Tolkien's heroes to succeed in their quests. You get to build your own reputation and story, becoming a hero of Middle-earth. Therein lies the appeal for many, as well as learning a lot of lore and backstory that isn't explained in detail in the books or movies. One of the great aspects of the game is that there are lore experts that contribute to the stories told with quests and even in random NPC dialogue.
THE GAME WORLD
Currently, the regions included in the playable game world expand beyond what is presented in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The playable areas include:- Eriador: Bree-land, The Shire, Ered Luin, The Lone-lands, The North Downs, The Trollshaws, The Misty Mountains, Evendim, Angmar, Forochel, Eregion, Enedwaith, Dunland, Gap of Rohan, Nan Curunir;
- Rhovanion: Lothlorien, Moria, Mirkwood, The Great River, East Rohan, Wildermore, West Rohan, Fangorn (Entwood), Strongholds of the North, Ered Mithrin and Withered Heath, Vales of Anduin;
- Gondor: Western Gondor, Central Gondor, Eastern Gondor, Old Anorien, Far Anorien, Minas Tirith (After Battle), Pelennor (After Battle), Osgiliath (After Battle);
- Mordor: The Plateau of Gorgoroth, Mordor Besieged, Imlad Morgul;
- Player vs. Monster Player: Ettenmoors, Osgiliath.
THE EXPANSIONS
There are currently seven expansions to the game which even VIPs have to purchase to have access to their content. Here's a brief description of each:
WHY I PLAY LOTRO
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading my original blog entry about how I came to play LOTRO, then I'm happy to recap for you here! (More fluff and screenshots in the original, if you'd prefer.)Once upon a time, my ex-boyfriend was obsessed with Skyrim. At the time, I didn't play many video games (long story short: I gave up everything for a previous ex -- big mistake). Wanting to be able to talk to my long-distance boyfriend at the time, I started a Steam account. Friends found out and sent me a LOT of games (some I still haven't played because I never wanted them). When I started exploring the Steam store on my own, I discovered that this game based on the Lord of the Rings had just become Free-To-Play. What was a nerdy, fantasy-loving girl to do but sign up and log in?
Thus I made Aarawynn the elven hunter on the much-missed server, Elendilmir. I didn't think too much of it until I was crossing the bridge between Celondim and Duillond, and I saw the view of the Falathlorn Homesteads across the river. And wow. I was smitten by the view. Right then and there I started planning purchases to acquire the game's content for my own, strategically buying a boxed version of the game to get specific quest packs along with Points to spend on more content.
Before playing LOTRO, I didn't like Tolkien's writing. It was soooo dryyyy. After playing LOTRO? I went back and reread the books and found new enjoyment in them. I don't claim to be a lore aficionado by any means, but I have certainly become a sponge for all that is Middle-earth.
Additionally, the game has been great ever since the management of it fell away from Turbine and was solely at the discretion of the smaller Standing Stone Games team. They have continued the telling of stories in a way that is lore-faithful while still letting us grow our characters into better individuals. Because of that, I maintain a VIP status and typically budget out for new expansions with all the pre-order bonuses.
While you may not feel quite so enamored of LOTRO if you are new to the game or recently returning, I hope my future entries in this series will help you come to appreciate the game as I do!
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