My wife and I are really, really enjoying this game.  However, I have reached that point in every steamy new MMO relationship, where I start to Google information, re-read old reviews, and generally preview whats in store for us around the next level or the next 10-20 levels.
What I’ve read, scares me a little…
I had planned to write a review after a few weeks and a few dozen levels were behind me, but now I hesitate after reading through the reviews and post-cancellation re-reviews of many trusted and well respected bloggers. I feel as though the trend or pattern, if you will, is an inspired love of the game, its scenery, questing, mechanics and pace through the middle levels, when at some point, the experience turns sour.Â
Adele, Steven, and our very own Julian have all pointed to this phenomenon where the shine comes off post level 25 or so.  At a respectable level 22, you can imagine my fear…
I’m still loving every minute I spend in Middle-Earth, but I’ve decided to wait on the final judgement, until we pass this patch of leveling that seems to have disenfranchised many of my fellow bloggers.
On a completely awesome note, I give you, The Brasse!  This is comedic genius, and the commentary is top notch.  A permanent link was provided by Ethic in the Funnies section to the right, and if you are an MMO gamer and haven’t read her work yet, click it now!  I have also found myself using their site for my LoTRO map and questing needs as well. Kudos to the staff of The Brasse, and keep up the great work!
~Cyndre
The last patch for Evendim added a lot, so now the shine comes off around 38 I think. For instance, you can solo to 40 now if you want.
The last 10 levels also have the problem of classes having no new skills to learn except by finding legendary trait pages. This is just a grind that’s been added. Even traits I now find annoying since when you had to kill 60 it wasn’t bad, but to kill 360? They just made some changes to the Champion for those levels, I hope the make more for all of us.
My guardian is 41 now and I’ll probably stop playing him until the next patch, which is supposed to add more 40 content. Since the devs have pretty much acknowledged the above and are putting new 40 stuff in I am confident it will get better.
My minstrel is still fun at 19, so I’m switching to him for awhile. So I’m still playing since it’s still fun.
The same thing has happened to me in most of the MMO’s that I’ve played. In Star Wars Galaxies, it was after the disbursement from the major cities into neighbouring player cities, making it difficult to find a group of friends anymore. In City of Heroes, it was level 30. As an Empathy Defender, I just couldn’t solo at all anymore, and I didn’t have a steady group of friends to run with. In World of WarCraft, it was the 35-50 range. It just went on forever!
Out of those, however, the one that kept me from canceling my account was SWG. Being suddenly left on my own like that allowed me a chance to explore the rest of the world they’d built, rather than just sitting in my own little corner of Tatooine. It also prompted my move from Rebel to Imperial, which I enjoyed quite a bit.
The other two? I just canceled them and came back later. I’ve gone back to CoH a couple of times since then, and made it up to level 32. I now have no interest in going back to that title. As for WoW, I eventually went back and grinded up until I got to something interesting, the Plaguelands areas (pre-expansion, now they’re all but deserted).
Yes, I quit at level 38, so you still have a bit:) Although you may still enjoy it:)
I’d put the turning point from yay to yuck at around level 30, actually. This is pre-Evendim. Post-Evendim it might be a little higher, but I was already spiritually on my way out of LOTRO by that point.
Still, as it stands now, there’s another yuck point at 41-44 (depending on how you got there). Theoretically will be fixed by whatever content pack comes next, but if they’re gonna ‘fix’ it like they ‘fixed’ things with Evendim, then we’re talking about a veterinary ‘fixing’ your dog, not a mechanic ‘fixing’ your car. ;)
I hadn’t seen those two blogs you mentioned, but I echo their sentiments. It also warms my tar-seeping black heart to be known as the official LOTRO hater in this parts. To think I had so much hopes for this one… *sigh* ;)
my tar-seeping black heart
YOU killed all those mastadons! Leaving pools of tar everywhere. Now you will be dubbed the mastadon hater.
I’m only 18 in LOTR so I’m still finding it a refreshing burst of delicious new MMO content. I’m going slowly through the game so I’m crossing my fingers that by the time I hit 40 they will have patched in a lot more content. They have a ton of areas from the LOTR lore they can add so I’m sure plans are in the works.
I agree, Relmstein. I am hoping our voracious leveling pace started just late enough to keep pace with the next content release. Evendim will get us through about 35ish, but if we beat the next patch to 40, we may well be in the aforementioned late-game grind.
Here’s hoping they continue to update as fast as their first release.
My experience must be pretty far out of the norm. I am a pretty casual player, a few nights a week, about 8 hours or so. I am currently 38 and have yet to experience a pure grind reminicent of EQ days or the first few months of EQ2. I have yet to hit Evendim content but may start over there soon despite having many quests available in the trollshaws and other zones.
Perhaps its because of my laid back approach and no rush to get to 50 and raid. Perhaps another factor is how I approach solo and group content. Often I solo and watch for requests of groups looking for more to do some of the group quests. Hopefully, I have completed most of the solo quests so I have mostly group one left to take advantage of the opportunity.
Another perk of being casual, is that the entire process of leveling has been with rested experience. The leveling has kept pace or outstripped available quests. So far, I have not had a reason to go grind for experience and have always had quests available.
Now being only 38 and not into what is often being reported as the doldrums of the leveling game, I can say this trend will continue. With the next update coming in August, I may very well dodge this bullet since I probably wont run out of quests by that time. Hopefully that is the case.
Granted, if I were a hardcore player, I can see how quests would dry up. To make up for the lack of rested exp (or you choose not to spend destiny points for an exp bonus) you have to do more quests or grind mobs. Good thing is, Turbine is addressing the situation and is adding more content to alleviate the situation. Too bad there wasn’t enough at launch.
Currently I enjoy the game. I have a lifetime membership so in a way I dont feel pressured to complete it asap, to get the most bang for the buck. It also helps to have a fairly casual, helpfull guild as well. Just play the game, have some fun and remember others experiences may not be yours ;)
I thought I was joining the “love at first but now we’re just acquaintances” group too. I splashed out on a lifetime account and started playing at pre-release. After a few weeks, I found myself not logging back in and suddenly it’s the best part of 2 months since I did log in last.
That was the best thing I did because I’m enjoying it again and I’m only level 25 on my main. Ettenmoors PvP is taking off so I’ve been taking my inner Warg out for walkies (regretting not making the most of having a freep free zone to get all the destiny point upgrades I could), Evendim has been added, more content is coming next month and I’ve only just ventured to the North Downs.
Most of my guild are now high 40s which means that they’re not around to group with much and that’s a shame but I do get to fight them in the ‘Moors and everyone’s an altoholic so they’ll be redoing it all anyway.
I’m planning to take it very easy from here on in. By the time I get to 40, there’ll be new content and by the time I get to 50, the level cap will probably have been raised and more new zones added. I’m in no rush!
I don’t know… I’m not sure Evendim really helped the solo-er as much as they say. I’m 36, very nearly 37 and I’m already running out of soloable content. Being that I prefer to solo most of my PvE, it’s getting a bit stressing.
I’m not sure how much steam I have left for my Champion, really. Some of the betas I’m in have me really jonesing for them to hurry up and release. So I can come back to LotRO at a later date and not let it get so tarnished that I never want to return.
Of course, it could be that one of the solo-able quests I have opens up a whole slew more, as that seems to be the way they do things. Makes me wonder how many quests I’ve missed because I didn’t complete a pre-requisite. The game’s a little too heavy on these, I think.
You do have a point there Bildo. There are a noticable amount of these present and even a few that seem to open up after a set amount of time goes by. I have just set foot in Evendim and completed the first round of solo quests in Tinnindur and am currently heading to Ost Forod. I dont know how fast those will dry up before they send you to another part of the map but it seems soloquests per ‘city’ seem to last about one four hour session or so.
Have you traveled to the Trollshaws or Angmar to see what is available there? I have seen a few quests available but they seem spread pretty far out. Perhaps a little Creep play to release your inner bad guy may provide some entertainment till the August update comes out.
As an aside, We hit 27 last night in North Downs, and I don’t see how we could possible get even close to finishing the quests in our log for ND before 30, at which time we head back to Lone Lands for GA and the resultant quests which should be good for 2-3 levels at least.
I don’t expect to even see Evendim before 35 and if it is good for 5-10 levels, plus the legendary grinds, I don’t see how anyone runs out of content before 50, unless you are skipping an extroidinary amount of quests or missing whole hubs. Example being North Downs has 8 different quest hubs we have seen so far…
I definatly see Julian’s point about forced grouping, as ND has a large proportion of Fellowship Quests at this level range, and undoubtedly they are pre-req for other content. For me, it is no problem because I enjoy forming up the PUGs in LoTRO. MY server seems predominantly good natured and PUGs have been enjoyable. Reminds me a lot of the old Everquest community…
Cyndre – Dont expect to be done with North Downs for a long time. They have so many quests there, its unbelievable. Feel free to abandon those crappy kill X mob quests as there is plenty more to do.
Bildo – Check out the Misty Mountains north of Rivendel as well. I went there last night after book5 and found the mobs to be just slightly above my level. I have yet to explore there more but I imagine I will be spending more time here and in the Trollshaws, rather than Evendim.
I found Evendim to have some interesting quests, especially the Bounty Quests in Ost Forod, but, if you decide to do the entire quest line for Aragorn (In Rivendel) get ready for about two nights worth of getting to know Evendim like the back of your hand.
-brackish
I decided to take a break instead. Found myself hating the game and realized I’ve been playing it since this time last year. So it’s about time for a breather. Between getting the Vault site content up and going with the rest of the Vault staff, playing the hell out of the beta and the game itself… I think I burnt out.
I’ll check back in in a few weeks when Book 10 hits and see if my view is better poised then.
I am in the boat that the game lost interest for me..
Evendim did not help, and the last patch just caused too many headaches for performance, that I said…”goodbye”
They have issues with Tech Support as well..and hopefully they get their act together in 6 months or so…
Cheers!