Holy cow! Thank you all SO MUCH for watching the video and supporting the channel! And welcome to all the new SUBSCRIBERS!! It really means a lot to me. Can’t wait to see where this journey takes us! 🙏🏻😊
Only 5? RUclipss has been out for 19 years, and I'm guessing RUclips itself is probably older than you, I think this is more of the work of a 10 year vet. Regardless, it's a great video
I picked it up about a year ago and have since experienced one of the most welcoming and passionate communities that I have ever seen. This game really is one of a kind and I recommend anyone try as you get majority of the game for completely free. Great video!
Just a message for anyone watching after August 2024, the Before the Shadow expansion has been made free to everyone, so the more modern starting experience is available to all if that’s what you’re looking for
I might be wrong but at one time the son has exclusive rights to all Lord of the Ring lore and anything that is published. It has to be approved by him if there is a change in anything or story. So they are real strict with characters story and lore.
Subbed. Thanks for giving this game a fair shake, I've seen other creators get started on it and the minute they realised there's a lot of reading, they ridiculed it and went for the "look at this old-ass game". And yeah, it's an old-ass game. An old-ass game that - if you are a fan of Tolkien's work - keeps you entertained for years on end.
@@gfimadcat oh dude, yeah there’s a lot of reading BUT… LOTRO has a TON to offer new players if they’re willing to stick with it. Funnily enough, I didn’t love the combat at first, but now that I’m level 20, it doesn’t bother me at all. I actually enjoy it!
@@Z-MACx it's... clunky. But clunky in a good way, I feel. It's still sort of rooted in the turn-based system that all MMO's sort of stem from, instead of desperately trying to hide the fact that there's a lot of random dice throwing going on behind the scenes :D And yes, you do get used to it - I honestly find it way more relaxing, you actually have "time" to trigger a skill instead of being super twitchy. It's probably also a reason LoTRO's average player age is quite high, the game's flow and mechanics really do cater to a somewhat ... more seasoned, shall we say, crowd :D
If you want to play an Orc, you can. They are available in Monster Play which is the game's PvP, but there is PvE in the battlegrounds as well if you want to quest as an Orc (or spider or wolf)
It's great to see the love of LOTRO being showcased. Plus nice to see the player base growing again. Really enjoying the legendary servers. More players means larger improvements I would like to believe.
@@kongkarry hey! Thanks so much for supporting the channel. 🙏🏻 Glad to have you on board! Are you an LOTRO player?? Or just looking for a new mmo to play?
Hey Bro! Great job with this Video! I am a 17 year player of this game and it's 100% worth Playing! Now, I am a Content Creator for the Game! This Video Popped up in my feed and you did a very good job giving a positive overview of it! It's very refreshing to see a real review of something and not just copy paste info like so many others do. So Great job! :D We play on the server crickhollow and my kinship/Guild is same name as the channel! Voice of the Rings. :) Cheers! Keep it up! Hope you and everyone have so much fun playing this game! Lot of new updates coming out for it today! P.S. with my channel I also do Voiceovers and acting in the game. (like you said about a lot of lore and reading hehe) also, LAG will be going away with 64-bit update to servers happening like right now. :D
@@VoiceoftheRings oh hey! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, I recognize you and I’ve actually watched a couple of your videos since the algorithm has been showing me a bunch of LOTRO themed content recently. Thanks for taking the time to say hello and leave a comment. And thanks for those kind words 🙏🏻. I’ve enjoyed my time in LOTRO thus far. Such a beautiful, well-crafted game
@@Z-MACx For Sure! keep it up man! You make very good Fair and positive detailed reviews! You have a knack for it! You could totally become one of those channels that dose reviews for tons of games etc. Cheers! :D
I love vids like this, where the person obviously really cares about what they are making the video on. Great quality, and I am so happy I found your channel. I'll def give the game a try!
@@TheReallyPersistentGamer couldn’t agree more! Currently exploring the area around Bree, leveling up to progress in the main story 😊 Thanks for leaving a comment 🙏🏻
Just as an FYI, it is not developed by Standing Stone Games. It was originally developed by Turbine, and it was later acquired by SSG which is currently the continuing to develop it.
@@a.plipps thanks for that clarification. As a new player I guess there’s no way for me to have known that, I checked multiple sources and all of them state Standing Stones Games. Kinda strange they wouldn’t mention turbine as the original Thanks for leaving a thoughtful response! 😊
@@Z-MACxwell technically the dev team from turbine are SSG. At least they were when they originally switched to SSG so from a round about way you are correct that SSG developed the game.
I love playing this when ever I want to play an MMO, but I also just want to chill. This game never makes me feel like I have to do anything other than what I want to do. And it is so much fun to just do trivial things like crafting, farming or even running some mail and pies around. :D
As someone who has been playing for 10 years, and only lvl 74, I can tell you that the beauty of the game is just to explore. I tried to rush and level fast but was bored. I couldn't enjoy the scenery and map and there are so so so many easter eggs everywhere in the map. Places where you think that there is nothing you suddenly see a hole or a cave which leads into a secret instance or a deed or just a strange scenery. You really need to open your eyes and take you time to explore and enjoy everything that the devs has created. The story and the quests are also so fun and many are funny and really enjoyable. Really dont rush this game and try to reach the endgame fast, this is not that kind of mmo
@@Krunkeridleios ahh I’m jealous! I wish I had started on a legendary server! I’m sure there were a lot more people running around. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and for supporting the channel 🙏🏻
That actually is the perfect description :D Cozy. The game is indeed cozy. And if your computer/gfx card can handle it, crank the detail up to Ultra and be cozier. (I mean, for a 16-odd year old game it still looks visually stunning)
I've picked this up recently and it has immersed me almost as much as WoW did back in the day. No other MMO has managed to do this for me until now. Shame I missed it for so long, I played it for a few hours in 2008 and got suckered back into other games.
The same thing happened to me, I played it a little years ago, but it seemed very rough to me. But I don't know if it's because of my age, or because I enjoy MMOs in a different way, because now MMOs like GW2 and Lotro seem wonderful to me. Just a few days ago I paid for the Lotro subscription and entered the Legendary Mordor server, the experience so far is a pleasure. Sorry for my Engish
I just started last week as well and love the pacing. It feels really good. This video is great, buddy, great start! You've got another a sub and am excited to follow along.
You get a like, not only because LOTRO is the subject, but also because of the very cool narration! You deserve to get a bigger channel, and maybe this might become a LOTRO one!
@@apollolinaire2607 thanks so much! I’ve been blown away by all the support I’ve received from this video. I definitely plan to make at least a couple more videos surrounding LOTRO. I’m absolutely loving my time in the world and currently embarking on the start of my crafting journey in game 😊
I'm a new player, and have loved just hanging out taking my time questing in the Shire, even though I can move on to Bree at this point, and enjoying the scenery. It's a wonderful game
I can't tell you how badly I want to like this game. I'm a freak for anything Tolkien, read all the books, Silmarilion, all the appendices, etc. 3 things keep me from playing: The atrocious UI The abysmal graphics I'm so late to the party, people have been playing it since I was in elementary school
I can't help you with the graphics, but have you tried customizing the UI recently? The default set up is pretty bad but I was able to customize almost everything to my liking. ALSO... they just opened up some "Legendary Servers", which are basically fresh start servers a couple weeks ago. Might be worth checking out!
Visual Updates "are happening" however these occur slowly. Newest Latest Content always are using the "most Modern Visuals" that LOTRO offers. User Interface is planned to have Updates, they talked about working on such back in June 2024, needs more work. No ETA here in August 2024 on when UI Updates will start happening. The nice thing about LOTRO is you can play at your own pace. So unless an Individual prefers to "play with the pack" than there is no rush to get with everyone.
I'm not a graphics enthusiast myself, but I am pretty sure if they revamped the graphics and did an overhaul on it the game would be exploding with new players right now.
The Visuals are always being updated however the whole game has never received a Visual Update. This means that Visuals will vary such as certain Older Content being noticeably more "dated" than Newer Content. The goal "is" to improve anything & everything for LOTRO however there won't be a large scale major update for an overhaul. It's piece-meal updates where they do what they can, update, onto the next Project. This has led to things taking a long time for various Projects.
The problem with LOTRO is that it features a beautiful huge world with very small player base, so most of the time it feels like you're playing a single player game. It feels very emptly.
The way SSG shoves the cash shop down players throats is horrendous 🫣! Typical annoying FTP monetisation tactic, shame because many people love the IP !
@@SunnyThief glad to have you on board! It’s a great time to get started. And I just found out that the Before the Shadow expansion is now f2p! I’ll have to circle around and try that tutorial out at some point
I picked it up a few times because it's one of my cousin's favorite games. He's been playing since it launched. And though I do love the environment, the music, the charm... I just can't seem to get into it. I think it's too overwhelming for me. Last time, I started as a Hobbit and I got as far as Bree before I stopped playing. Yet when I see video's like these, I really do want to try and jump into it again to give it another chance. If anyone has any tips on how to approach this huge chunk of an MMO (or any MMO for that matter), feel free to leave a comment please
@@FBWL-u1r hey thanks for watching the video and leaving a thoughtful response :). My advice would be to just take it one day (or play session) at a time. Don’t get hung up on reaching max level or the end game as fast as you can. There IS a ton of content, but just start exploring and chipping away a couple hours at a time. If you’re consistent with it, you’ll find that the game starts to unfold for you. Joining a friendly Kinship is helpful as well! Keep me updated on your progress!
As a totally blind gamer and massive Tolkien fan I've wanted to play this since it came out. In 2024 making this accessible should be possible. Wow has been modded no thanks to blizard, why not this game?
@@indivestor it is mapped by sided volunteers so that I can navigate to a waypoint using an audio beacon system. I have a live stream that I did demonstrating it, the audio isn’t the best and I’m not sure why.
Also 15:45 - it does indicate where you are on the map - a little red triangle :) Easiest way to spot it is to just turn with the arrows keys and look for the spinning triangle :D
@@gfimadcat if I’m not mistaken, you’re unable to see the red triangle whenever you zoom out to see the larger map. So if you’re in Bree and zoom out to the larger world, there’s no indicator to tell you what location your character is in. You have to know where you are, click on the region, then you can see the red triangle. Is that wrong? But hey you got to 15:45 in my video! Thanks so much for watching 🙏🏻😊
@@Z-MACx Ah! Yes you're correct, only if you're zoomed into the zone you are actually in :) But there's logic there, opening the map opens your current zone by default, but it does force you to remember what it is so you can get back to it if you end up zooming out :D
@@gfimadcat that happened to me a couple times 😂. As a new player, I didn’t know the region I was in so I had to keep clicking around to figure out which part of the map I was in lol
Z-MAC Thank you so much for the informative video! You really did persuade me to try the game (again), my first attempt was in 2016. But what I really want to see and learn about in detail is how/what/when to buy the game and it's expansions, which edition is worth it? maybe explain the some of the edition's rewards and what difference are they from lesser editions etc...
@@perfectheretic hey! Thanks for leaving a thoughtful response and I’m pumped you’ve decided to give the game another shot. one thing I would suggest (and I wish I did this) is joining one of the legendary servers (Angkor and Mordor). You do have to pay $15/month BUT they’re basically fresh start servers with some extra stuff thrown in. I’d check it out if you’re interested!
@@Wayne-s3n it’s not a game for adrenaline junkies that’s for sure. I think as I’ve gotten older and life has become more stressful, it’s a great way to unwind and relax in the evening before hitting the sack.
I started it this week, hoping I can like it. I mean it seems great but the UI is making me wanna quit. Trying to ignore it and just get on with it lol. Praying for that new UI update to come sooner than later. Yup UI stuff bothers me lol
You can customize the u.i and everything else in the options. And you can put all your inventory bags into one. I forgot how to do it though. And there is a search bar in your first inventory to search all your bags for stuff you want/need.
ThX for your brilliant video! Would you recommand to start a legendery server as a new player? And you maybe know a mod or something for killing the tiny letters and play comfortable in 4k? Any support?
@@LiLei-mi4nh hey yeah if you’re willing to pay the sub fee, the legendary servers are a better option. Although, they’ve been open now for 2 months so it’s not going to be quite as exciting as what it used to be
I tried this out yesterday but got overwhelmed and my UI was all messed up. Thinking it was my resolution being 2560x1440. I'll downscale to 1080p and try again.
@@enviping hey! Yeah my resolution was a little weird at first. I was able to get it fixed and worked with the UI for a period of time to make the playtime more enjoyable. It’s definitely worth tinkering with for 10-20 mins for the possibility of enjoying LOTRO for hundreds of hours 😊
16:10 i think its because before as a f2p the mount were temporary. When i watched Josh Strife Hayes review on this game a while back the mount wasn't permanent unless you paid thats prob why it asks if you are sure cause its back when it was a temporary mount. Don't hold me to this im like 60% sure of this
@@UpstartApollo9 😂😂 that’s amazing. I will take you up on that! I’ve never had second breakfast before 🍳 Thanks for leaving the comment and giving me a good laugh 😊
@@majkus it won’t be in the next video (since I’m reviewing a “new” MMO), but one of my kinship members invited me to one of his live concerts and some of us were able to sync up our dancing while watching. It was awesome!
LOTRO is old tech and if you have a high resolution monitor IT SHOWS ... can't get the UI usable unless I go back to 2K which sucks for a 5K2K monitor.
Guys, Im just wondering, is LOTRO promoting and paying these youtubers for these kinds of videos? Ive seen like 10 videos from last months about how Lotro is Worth it and Im wondering if it is paid or these guys just love Lotro (anyways Im glad it is still alive!)
Well I think AGS has one in the works BUT... I highly doubt it will be made with the same care and preservation of Tolkien's original work as LOTRO. It's going to interesting to see how people take to it whenever it is released.
UI Updates are planned but no ETA for such. "Input Delay" or "Lag" is something they continue to work on. The Angmar & Mordor Legendary Servers while not perfect do have Performance noticeably much better than the Main Servers. So while it does require a VIP Subscription it might be worth checking out.
as soon they get their stuff together with the server lag, i´m in without hasitation. I get back into lotro at least once a year. die due to lag and logg off again.
Its really heartbreaking for me that i barely cant enjoy any other game than WoW. I tried LotrO hundreds of times and it never lasted more than a hour. I just dont like the graphic style. Graphic overall i dont care about. WoW Classic graphic is anything but good but its still my favorite graphic style and combat style i just love this game. Still i always try to find something new but no game just give me the fun i have with wow. Its so sad man.
I started playing yesterday evening. The start of high elves is sooooo long and sooooo boring, just standing by, reading walls of text with no voiceover. Very hard to suffer through, my wife turned it off after few minutes. I made it to Rivendell but barely and I have worries to continue, that it will be the same, silent reading with boring combat. 😔
@@kamilholzer2185 yeah it’s a much slower pace than most modern games and it’s not for everyone. I found it to be relaxing and cozy playing in the evenings to wind down before bed
It's not always like the High Elf Intro. That was setup as is due to it being the "Tutorial + Intro" for anyone playing a High Elf. So it has to cover basic mechanics, etc. LOTRO is a very "Story"-focused MMORPG.
Sadly i played this for 2nyears at launch. After trying it again this year, it's actually worse than it was and the ui and thi ga yavent been updated. The devs arwnt trying at all
played this game when it came out and a fuw years ago i started playing for a fuw months the problem is that the game is kinda dead there are almost no players it feels like a single player games
@@gatedemon1 yeah it has a smaller population. Pair that with a massive world map and you don’t typically see tons of players running around. I recently joined a “kinship” (guild) and I’ve started making friends that way!
At least here in August 2024 the Angmar & Mordor Legendary Servers are really the "Most Populated" Servers right now for a variety of reasons. If you want to have the game feel "lively" and see lots of Players, you'd need a VIP Subscription. The Mordor Legendary Server is also hosted in Europe, a first for LOTRO since 2011 when all Servers were moved to the USA.
Everyone says ff14 and eso for story . But why? Because of voice acting? Like lotro has waaaaay better lore and story IMO. You just gotta read text is all haha
@@Eddmundd lol yeah I think it’s just a preference thing. Lots of gamers don’t want to spend the time reading, which kind of makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I appreciate it 🙏🏻😊
@@rashid2898 yeah there’s no question LOTRO has a lot of P2W elements. But the only reason that really matters in MMOs is PvP, which is pretty much nonexistent in LOTRO. So if you’re playing casually and wanting to experience the full journey/adventure, it’s kinda like… what would be the point of paying for boosts and stuff, ya know?
There is pay to win elements. But mostly for pvp. Since your skills as a creep(players who play as monsters like orcs,wargs,spiders) are gained through rank(idk the lotro point price for rank). So creep ranks can be bought with lotro points. To be competitive to freeps
@@Z-MACxif you notice lots of lag. That can only be because of the war in the ettenmoores(lotro pvp zone) the fraid vs craid are nuts. I can only stress this enough. You must go anonymous in the ettenmoores otherwise the creeps or freeps can easily find you.
@@CalestoBella I have no idea 😂. It’s uploaded as 1080, BUT the game graphics are quite old… so either something is wrong on your end OR those are just the game’s graphics lol
The game is free to play and you don't 'need' anything in the store to play it. However, one thing that stands out in LotRO is that you can grind deeds in game that gain you coins you can spend in the store. So if you're patient, you can get a lot of the perks without spending a penny of real money.
@@C-TofficialMusic it’s in the works! That first video took me almost a month 😅 (granted a lot of that was just playtime). But yeah I have 25+ hours of footage. Just trying to figure out the best way to turn it into an entertaining video
Why am I getting so many video recommendations for LOTRO? I'm sorry but this shit looks ass. I'm not into RP like at all, and that seems to be the only selling point. Tried it way back and combat was ass, game felt jank. I did hear rumblings about them redoing the whole game of some kind but haven't heard anything since. If it gets redone I will give it another go.
graphics aren't everything in game look at most of latest games that have been coming out complete trash most of old school games are better then this day and age of games
Holy cow! Thank you all SO MUCH for watching the video and supporting the channel! And welcome to all the new SUBSCRIBERS!! It really means a lot to me. Can’t wait to see where this journey takes us! 🙏🏻😊
Nah this guy's editing and story telling is like a 5 year youtube veteran, props to you man
@@Shiro710_ oh man, thanks so much for saying that. That’s such a huge compliment and it means a lot 🙏🏻
@@Z-MACxit’s true 👌🏻
Only 5? RUclipss has been out for 19 years, and I'm guessing RUclips itself is probably older than you, I think this is more of the work of a 10 year vet.
Regardless, it's a great video
@@newenglandpats1031 thanks mate! Really appreciate those kind words 😊🙏🏻
I picked it up about a year ago and have since experienced one of the most welcoming and passionate communities that I have ever seen. This game really is one of a kind and I recommend anyone try as you get majority of the game for completely free. Great video!
@@justabreeze1234 100% agree. The only thing I regret is not trying it out sooner. Thanks so much for leaving a thoughtful response to the video 🙏🏻
Just a message for anyone watching after August 2024, the Before the Shadow expansion has been made free to everyone, so the more modern starting experience is available to all if that’s what you’re looking for
I might be wrong but at one time the son has exclusive rights to all Lord of the Ring lore and anything that is published. It has to be approved by him if there is a change in anything or story. So they are real strict with characters story and lore.
This brother is making videos like he has been on RUclips since for ever! Here's a well-deserved like to help you with the algorithm, my man!
@@WardenCommander. hey thanks so much I really appreciate it 🙏🏻
Subbed. Thanks for giving this game a fair shake, I've seen other creators get started on it and the minute they realised there's a lot of reading, they ridiculed it and went for the "look at this old-ass game". And yeah, it's an old-ass game. An old-ass game that - if you are a fan of Tolkien's work - keeps you entertained for years on end.
@@gfimadcat oh dude, yeah there’s a lot of reading BUT… LOTRO has a TON to offer new players if they’re willing to stick with it. Funnily enough, I didn’t love the combat at first, but now that I’m level 20, it doesn’t bother me at all. I actually enjoy it!
@@Z-MACx it's... clunky. But clunky in a good way, I feel. It's still sort of rooted in the turn-based system that all MMO's sort of stem from, instead of desperately trying to hide the fact that there's a lot of random dice throwing going on behind the scenes :D And yes, you do get used to it - I honestly find it way more relaxing, you actually have "time" to trigger a skill instead of being super twitchy. It's probably also a reason LoTRO's average player age is quite high, the game's flow and mechanics really do cater to a somewhat ... more seasoned, shall we say, crowd :D
Great video, definitely looking forward to what else you put out! Always enjoy finding a new smaller channel.
@@Fingerthief thanks so much man! I’ve been having a blast so far. Appreciate you hopping on board and supporting the channel 🙏🏻
Gray video and narrative. Well done mate!
If you want to play an Orc, you can. They are available in Monster Play which is the game's PvP, but there is PvE in the battlegrounds as well if you want to quest as an Orc (or spider or wolf)
Sounds like orc mischief to me..
It's great to see the love of LOTRO being showcased. Plus nice to see the player base growing again. Really enjoying the legendary servers. More players means larger improvements I would like to believe.
dude how do you only have 225 subscribers?? seriously man, this was awesome. keep it up!
hey thanks so much man! i really appreciate you leaving the comment. Just taking it 1 day and 1 subscriber at a time 🙂
@@Z-MACxu just got another ;)
@@kongkarry hey! Thanks so much for supporting the channel. 🙏🏻 Glad to have you on board!
Are you an LOTRO player?? Or just looking for a new mmo to play?
@@Z-MACx just looking for something new.. big fan of lotr tho :)
Hey Bro! Great job with this Video! I am a 17 year player of this game and it's 100% worth Playing! Now, I am a Content Creator for the Game! This Video Popped up in my feed and you did a very good job giving a positive overview of it! It's very refreshing to see a real review of something and not just copy paste info like so many others do. So Great job! :D We play on the server crickhollow and my kinship/Guild is same name as the channel! Voice of the Rings. :) Cheers! Keep it up! Hope you and everyone have so much fun playing this game! Lot of new updates coming out for it today! P.S. with my channel I also do Voiceovers and acting in the game. (like you said about a lot of lore and reading hehe) also, LAG will be going away with 64-bit update to servers happening like right now. :D
@@VoiceoftheRings oh hey! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, I recognize you and I’ve actually watched a couple of your videos since the algorithm has been showing me a bunch of LOTRO themed content recently. Thanks for taking the time to say hello and leave a comment. And thanks for those kind words 🙏🏻. I’ve enjoyed my time in LOTRO thus far. Such a beautiful, well-crafted game
@@Z-MACx For Sure! keep it up man! You make very good Fair and positive detailed reviews! You have a knack for it! You could totally become one of those channels that dose reviews for tons of games etc. Cheers! :D
I love vids like this, where the person obviously really cares about what they are making the video on. Great quality, and I am so happy I found your channel. I'll def give the game a try!
@@infinityfabrik could you sense my inner LOTR nerd coming forth?? 😂 that’s great! Definitely worth giving it a chance
3:38 Voice acting is something you will find later in the game, in the recent espansions there's a lot of it, almost everything has voice acting!
@@saultre4859 oh that’s awesome to hear! I’m looking forward to it. thanks for clarifying!
Have loved playing Lotro for many years. A relaxing escape with many ways to enjoy middle earth.
Thank you LOTRO is a truly magical game.
@@TheReallyPersistentGamer couldn’t agree more! Currently exploring the area around Bree, leveling up to progress in the main story 😊
Thanks for leaving a comment 🙏🏻
Just as an FYI, it is not developed by Standing Stone Games. It was originally developed by Turbine, and it was later acquired by SSG which is currently the continuing to develop it.
@@a.plipps thanks for that clarification. As a new player I guess there’s no way for me to have known that, I checked multiple sources and all of them state Standing Stones Games. Kinda strange they wouldn’t mention turbine as the original
Thanks for leaving a thoughtful response! 😊
@@Z-MACxwell technically the dev team from turbine are SSG. At least they were when they originally switched to SSG so from a round about way you are correct that SSG developed the game.
I love playing this when ever I want to play an MMO, but I also just want to chill. This game never makes me feel like I have to do anything other than what I want to do. And it is so much fun to just do trivial things like crafting, farming or even running some mail and pies around. :D
As someone who has been playing for 10 years, and only lvl 74, I can tell you that the beauty of the game is just to explore. I tried to rush and level fast but was bored. I couldn't enjoy the scenery and map and there are so so so many easter eggs everywhere in the map. Places where you think that there is nothing you suddenly see a hole or a cave which leads into a secret instance or a deed or just a strange scenery. You really need to open your eyes and take you time to explore and enjoy everything that the devs has created. The story and the quests are also so fun and many are funny and really enjoyable. Really dont rush this game and try to reach the endgame fast, this is not that kind of mmo
Have you been to the cat room in Bree? Yep there is a place in Bree full of cats.
Such a huge world I think one of the biggest maps in square kilometers
@@cavetroll666 it’s INSANE!! I couldn’t believe how big it was when I looked at the numbers. So much to explore!
Dude i started playing on the legendary server and It's amazing! I have so much fun! I love your video. I subbed!
@@Krunkeridleios ahh I’m jealous! I wish I had started on a legendary server! I’m sure there were a lot more people running around. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and for supporting the channel 🙏🏻
@@Z-MACx Would you recommend me starting the normal servers aswell?
@@Krunkeridleios no I think starting on a legendary server would be the better experience.
LOL IF NO MIDDLE EARTH NO LOTR RUBBISH GAME I DONT LIKE IT IM BIG FAN OF LOTR BUT AS A MMORPG IS RUBBISH
I really love this game, it's so cozy.
@@silentslayergaming8469 YES! Cozy is a fantastic word to describe LOTRO. Thanks for leaving a comment! 🙏🏻
That actually is the perfect description :D Cozy. The game is indeed cozy. And if your computer/gfx card can handle it, crank the detail up to Ultra and be cozier. (I mean, for a 16-odd year old game it still looks visually stunning)
Before the Shadow just became free! Arguably a much better tutorial than the old one
@@nathanielpickett439 no way!! Of course I start playing right before that happens 😂
I've picked this up recently and it has immersed me almost as much as WoW did back in the day. No other MMO has managed to do this for me until now. Shame I missed it for so long, I played it for a few hours in 2008 and got suckered back into other games.
The same thing happened to me, I played it a little years ago, but it seemed very rough to me. But I don't know if it's because of my age, or because I enjoy MMOs in a different way, because now MMOs like GW2 and Lotro seem wonderful to me.
Just a few days ago I paid for the Lotro subscription and entered the Legendary Mordor server, the experience so far is a pleasure.
Sorry for my Engish
Been playing since April 26th, 2007. Even bought lifetime. I LOVE this game. The amount of care put into the lore is incredible!
@@blockmasterscott couldn’t agree more! I’ve really enjoyed my time in the game so far 😊. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙏🏻
I just started last week as well and love the pacing. It feels really good. This video is great, buddy, great start! You've got another a sub and am excited to follow along.
@@CoreyLance1 Corey! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and supporting the channel. Glad to have you on board 😊
So glad to see the LOTRO resurgence lately!
You get a like, not only because LOTRO is the subject, but also because of the very cool narration! You deserve to get a bigger channel, and maybe this might become a LOTRO one!
@@apollolinaire2607 thanks so much! I’ve been blown away by all the support I’ve received from this video. I definitely plan to make at least a couple more videos surrounding LOTRO. I’m absolutely loving my time in the world and currently embarking on the start of my crafting journey in game 😊
I had a friend named CMAC once, so I'm subscribing 😊
Great vid!
@@crypt_hound 😂 Well hey, Here’s to CMAC! Thanks for supporting the channel it means a lot 🙏🏻😊
I'm a new player, and have loved just hanging out taking my time questing in the Shire, even though I can move on to Bree at this point, and enjoying the scenery. It's a wonderful game
Captain from the arkenstone server here. Hope you have a great time 😁
Nice video. Good quality 👍
@@Eddmundd thanks again! Appreciate it 😊
I used to love traveling by foot or by pony across the Shire on my hobbit minstrel. I had a great time.
Just started a couple weeks ago. Fantastic video my friend!
@@barnesdrb oh no way! I hope you’ve been enjoying it as much as I have. And thanks so much! Really appreciate those kind words 🙏🏻
I can't tell you how badly I want to like this game.
I'm a freak for anything Tolkien, read all the books, Silmarilion, all the appendices, etc.
3 things keep me from playing:
The atrocious UI
The abysmal graphics
I'm so late to the party, people have been playing it since I was in elementary school
I can't help you with the graphics, but have you tried customizing the UI recently? The default set up is pretty bad but I was able to customize almost everything to my liking. ALSO... they just opened up some "Legendary Servers", which are basically fresh start servers a couple weeks ago. Might be worth checking out!
I've tried three times to play this game and just as you say.
Visual Updates "are happening" however these occur slowly. Newest Latest Content always are using the "most Modern Visuals" that LOTRO offers.
User Interface is planned to have Updates, they talked about working on such back in June 2024, needs more work. No ETA here in August 2024 on when UI Updates will start happening.
The nice thing about LOTRO is you can play at your own pace. So unless an Individual prefers to "play with the pack" than there is no rush to get with everyone.
I'm not a graphics enthusiast myself, but I am pretty sure if they revamped the graphics and did an overhaul on it the game would be exploding with new players right now.
Oh 100%. But I was also told the current version of the game IS a revamp of the original graphics lol.
The Visuals are always being updated however the whole game has never received a Visual Update. This means that Visuals will vary such as certain Older Content being noticeably more "dated" than Newer Content.
The goal "is" to improve anything & everything for LOTRO however there won't be a large scale major update for an overhaul. It's piece-meal updates where they do what they can, update, onto the next Project. This has led to things taking a long time for various Projects.
The problem with LOTRO is that it features a beautiful huge world with very small player base, so most of the time it feels like you're playing a single player game. It feels very emptly.
The way SSG shoves the cash shop down players throats is horrendous 🫣! Typical annoying FTP monetisation tactic, shame because many people love the IP !
I really need to get back into this game... This game and Guild wars 2 always feel like my comfort food mmo's...
@@apex403 guild wars 2 might be my next stop! :)
You deserve more followers, you earned my follow anyway ^^
@@leufiak hey thanks so much! I really appreciate you supporting the channel. 🙏🏻Welcome aboard!
Just started playing again after 15 years :D Love it! Im on the Legendary EU Server
@@MissYaonia that’s awesome! Kinda regret not tying it out sooner but then again… I wouldn’t have ever made this video if that was the case! 😂
Great job! I loved the video and it was VERY WELL executed! Got a sub out of me for sure.
@@ChiefRockie welcome aboard friend! Glad to have ya and thank you for the kind words 🙏🏻
High quality for low subs. I hope ur channel grows. well done
@@VitoPlaysGames thank you so much! That’s a huge compliment and I really appreciate it 🙏🏻
Subbed! I haven't played LOTRO before so I'm currently looking into it :) love the Tolkien universe so I regret not having done this ages ago.
@@SunnyThief glad to have you on board! It’s a great time to get started. And I just found out that the Before the Shadow expansion is now f2p! I’ll have to circle around and try that tutorial out at some point
@@Z-MACx oh thats sick!
I hope you do delving someday. It's lotros version of wows mythic plus
I picked it up a few times because it's one of my cousin's favorite games. He's been playing since it launched. And though I do love the environment, the music, the charm... I just can't seem to get into it. I think it's too overwhelming for me. Last time, I started as a Hobbit and I got as far as Bree before I stopped playing. Yet when I see video's like these, I really do want to try and jump into it again to give it another chance. If anyone has any tips on how to approach this huge chunk of an MMO (or any MMO for that matter), feel free to leave a comment please
@@FBWL-u1r hey thanks for watching the video and leaving a thoughtful response :).
My advice would be to just take it one day (or play session) at a time. Don’t get hung up on reaching max level or the end game as fast as you can. There IS a ton of content, but just start exploring and chipping away a couple hours at a time. If you’re consistent with it, you’ll find that the game starts to unfold for you. Joining a friendly Kinship is helpful as well! Keep me updated on your progress!
Super voice - hope you will reach higher audience soon
@@111bernadette111 hey thanks so much! Really appreciate it 🙏🏻
Ok, ok... downloading the game and subbing a VIP sub for 3 months..
@@LostToPixels 😂 see if you can get on one of the legendary servers! I’ve heard they’re a ton of fun
@@Z-MACx They are!
Every Tolkien fan needs to play this.
@@Arccanos agreed! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 🙏🏻
there is a way to play as an orc in 'monster play' aka this game's version of pvp, but it's not as popular as the standard play style
@@Tithenannis I saw that! I haven’t tried it yet but I definitely plan on it. Thank you for leaving a comment! I appreciate it 🙏🏻
Make monster play great again 2024, it used to be balanced like the free people but now its more dificult and they removed two locations :(
@@morgulzag987there was a osgiliath pvp map
@@morrowoblivion13 yea was a pvp area until it was removed last month and should be more new locations to roam in.
@@morgulzag987 true 😎
lotro is awesome !
100% worth playing in 2024
As a totally blind gamer and massive Tolkien fan I've wanted to play this since it came out. In 2024 making this accessible should be possible. Wow has been modded no thanks to blizard, why not this game?
How has wow been modded to allow for a blind person to play?
@@indivestor it is mapped by sided volunteers so that I can navigate to a waypoint using an audio beacon system. I have a live stream that I did demonstrating it, the audio isn’t the best and I’m not sure why.
Also 15:45 - it does indicate where you are on the map - a little red triangle :) Easiest way to spot it is to just turn with the arrows keys and look for the spinning triangle :D
@@gfimadcat if I’m not mistaken, you’re unable to see the red triangle whenever you zoom out to see the larger map. So if you’re in Bree and zoom out to the larger world, there’s no indicator to tell you what location your character is in. You have to know where you are, click on the region, then you can see the red triangle. Is that wrong?
But hey you got to 15:45 in my video! Thanks so much for watching 🙏🏻😊
@@Z-MACx Ah! Yes you're correct, only if you're zoomed into the zone you are actually in :) But there's logic there, opening the map opens your current zone by default, but it does force you to remember what it is so you can get back to it if you end up zooming out :D
@@gfimadcat that happened to me a couple times 😂. As a new player, I didn’t know the region I was in so I had to keep clicking around to figure out which part of the map I was in lol
the legendary Mordor server is waiting for me, open for less than a month, it is located in Europe, with a lot of people. Let's go to The Journey
Z-MAC
Thank you so much for the informative video! You really did persuade me to try the game (again), my first attempt was in 2016.
But what I really want to see and learn about in detail is how/what/when to buy the game and it's expansions, which edition is worth it? maybe explain the some of the edition's rewards and what difference are they from lesser editions etc...
@@perfectheretic hey! Thanks for leaving a thoughtful response and I’m pumped you’ve decided to give the game another shot.
one thing I would suggest (and I wish I did this) is joining one of the legendary servers (Angkor and Mordor). You do have to pay $15/month BUT they’re basically fresh start servers with some extra stuff thrown in. I’d check it out if you’re interested!
Only drag out I'm having is the lotro point grind lol but this is a great game
@@Wayne-s3n it’s not a game for adrenaline junkies that’s for sure. I think as I’ve gotten older and life has become more stressful, it’s a great way to unwind and relax in the evening before hitting the sack.
The biggest let down of this video was looking at your sub count and not seeing more subs. Great job, keep it up
@@Kasper_Walker well thanks for saying that! I’ve been shown a lot of support on this video and it means a lot 🙏🏻
Here I go downloading it again...
I started it this week, hoping I can like it. I mean it seems great but the UI is making me wanna quit. Trying to ignore it and just get on with it lol. Praying for that new UI update to come sooner than later. Yup UI stuff bothers me lol
Yeah the UI is sooo bad. Either it's too small or too blurry.. or out of position.
@@kamilholzer2185 yeh I hear it is fine if u game in 1080p but anything above and it's tiny and I can confirm. It's tinyyyyyyyy lol
nice game but they could improve the UI friendliness, inventory management for non-paying players
@@darknovember I agree. The inventory does get quite cluttered with some of the random “trophy” items. That’s a valid point
You can customize the u.i and everything else in the options. And you can put all your inventory bags into one. I forgot how to do it though. And there is a search bar in your first inventory to search all your bags for stuff you want/need.
ThX for your brilliant video!
Would you recommand to start a legendery server as a new player?
And you maybe know a mod or something for killing the tiny letters and play comfortable in 4k? Any support?
@@LiLei-mi4nh hey yeah if you’re willing to pay the sub fee, the legendary servers are a better option. Although, they’ve been open now for 2 months so it’s not going to be quite as exciting as what it used to be
I tried this out yesterday but got overwhelmed and my UI was all messed up. Thinking it was my resolution being 2560x1440. I'll downscale to 1080p and try again.
@@enviping hey! Yeah my resolution was a little weird at first. I was able to get it fixed and worked with the UI for a period of time to make the playtime more enjoyable. It’s definitely worth tinkering with for 10-20 mins for the possibility of enjoying LOTRO for hundreds of hours 😊
16:10 i think its because before as a f2p the mount were temporary. When i watched Josh Strife Hayes review on this game a while back the mount wasn't permanent unless you paid thats prob why it asks if you are sure cause its back when it was a temporary mount. Don't hold me to this im like 60% sure of this
If you meet a hobbit name Bufird, I’ll make second breakfast. Then supper and dinner. Lotto is great.
@@UpstartApollo9 😂😂 that’s amazing. I will take you up on that! I’ve never had second breakfast before 🍳
Thanks for leaving the comment and giving me a good laugh 😊
Some mention might be made of the incidental music, which ranges from pretty good to first-rate. Turning music off misses part of the fun.
@@majkus it won’t be in the next video (since I’m reviewing a “new” MMO), but one of my kinship members invited me to one of his live concerts and some of us were able to sync up our dancing while watching. It was awesome!
I think it can do with an update on graphics but beyond that... its nice game
@@garefieldgames4056 hey thanks for leaving a thoughtful response! I appreciate it
Visual Updates for Older Content has been happening but it's a slow process.
Look up reshade for LOTRO on YT.
The new legendary servers are amazing
@@Kress_SK I wish I would have started a character on them! Seems like it would be so much fun ☺️
@@Z-MACx The best time is now, farmers faire happening, and lots of people on
Shout out to Turbine (the original developers)
Screw Turthrongorm. Missed out on a great friendship.
@@Raviis 😂😂😂 right??
@@Z-MACx 🤣🤣
The problem with this game, that the devs focus on quantity over quality...
LOTRO is old tech and if you have a high resolution monitor IT SHOWS ... can't get the UI usable unless I go back to 2K which sucks for a 5K2K monitor.
I really tried getting into it. Even bought a subscription. But the lag and the frame rate issues really turned me off to the game.
@@Kfo221 when did you last play? They just recently introduced some 64 but servers that have really helped with the lag
Guys, Im just wondering, is LOTRO promoting and paying these youtubers for these kinds of videos? Ive seen like 10 videos from last months about how Lotro is Worth it and Im wondering if it is paid or these guys just love Lotro (anyways Im glad it is still alive!)
@@frodolucanius not paid. I’d tell people if it was.
@@Z-MACx thats awesome man, im glad the community is still strong
I really want to!! But i just cant play old games anymore :(
i come back when they give ALL content back for free Just like 2021/22
All I want for Christmas is a current gen LOTR MMO. Cannot stand the UI and general input delay. I have tried many times to come back to LOTRO.
Well I think AGS has one in the works BUT... I highly doubt it will be made with the same care and preservation of Tolkien's original work as LOTRO. It's going to interesting to see how people take to it whenever it is released.
@@Z-MACx couldn't agree more!
UI Updates are planned but no ETA for such.
"Input Delay" or "Lag" is something they continue to work on. The Angmar & Mordor Legendary Servers while not perfect do have Performance noticeably much better than the Main Servers. So while it does require a VIP Subscription it might be worth checking out.
@@Z-MACx This is a brilliant take - and poignant too. I would be surprised if it pays homage to Tolkien's work at all honestly.
random arelith neverwinter nights video @23:19 lol
@@user-ob4kn3rp3j 😂 good catch. I clearly didn’t catch it in my final edit lol
i just picked it up today and i’m having fun! unfortunately it keeps freezing and locking my pc up and idk how to fix it 😞
@@vampieee nice! Yeah I’ve had some issues with lag here and there. They’re working on resolving that issue right now and it’s been getting better.
It was developed by Turbine
Really sad that the massive paywall is still present.
Not really. I've been a free player and never really had a problem.
as soon they get their stuff together with the server lag, i´m in without hasitation. I get back into lotro at least once a year. die due to lag and logg off again.
@@beddospecht8381 that’s fair. When I initially played, the lag was pretty bad. But after the 64-but servers it improved drastically.
@@Z-MACx sure. But i wont start anew.
If all servers went 64bit we can talk x)
@@beddospecht8381there doing that to more populated servers. I can only think it's for stress testing.
Its really heartbreaking for me that i barely cant enjoy any other game than WoW. I tried LotrO hundreds of times and it never lasted more than a hour. I just dont like the graphic style. Graphic overall i dont care about. WoW Classic graphic is anything but good but its still my favorite graphic style and combat style i just love this game. Still i always try to find something new but no game just give me the fun i have with wow. Its so sad man.
@@Funnymilani I’m planning on making a classic wow series in the future! :)
Sorry, I can't stand the graphics ...
Facts.
I started playing yesterday evening. The start of high elves is sooooo long and sooooo boring, just standing by, reading walls of text with no voiceover. Very hard to suffer through, my wife turned it off after few minutes. I made it to Rivendell but barely and I have worries to continue, that it will be the same, silent reading with boring combat. 😔
@@kamilholzer2185 yeah it’s a much slower pace than most modern games and it’s not for everyone. I found it to be relaxing and cozy playing in the evenings to wind down before bed
It's not always like the High Elf Intro. That was setup as is due to it being the "Tutorial + Intro" for anyone playing a High Elf. So it has to cover basic mechanics, etc.
LOTRO is a very "Story"-focused MMORPG.
Sadly i played this for 2nyears at launch. After trying it again this year, it's actually worse than it was and the ui and thi ga yavent been updated. The devs arwnt trying at all
played this game when it came out and a fuw years ago i started playing for a fuw months
the problem is that the game is kinda dead there are almost no players it feels like a single player games
@@gatedemon1 yeah it has a smaller population. Pair that with a massive world map and you don’t typically see tons of players running around. I recently joined a “kinship” (guild) and I’ve started making friends that way!
At least here in August 2024 the Angmar & Mordor Legendary Servers are really the "Most Populated" Servers right now for a variety of reasons.
If you want to have the game feel "lively" and see lots of Players, you'd need a VIP Subscription. The Mordor Legendary Server is also hosted in Europe, a first for LOTRO since 2011 when all Servers were moved to the USA.
i would play this if the pvp wasn't weird
@@FREEZarts haven’t even had the chance to try the PvP yet! Seems like most players are more focused on the pve/story aspect of the game
Everyone says ff14 and eso for story . But why? Because of voice acting? Like lotro has waaaaay better lore and story IMO. You just gotta read text is all haha
@@Eddmundd lol yeah I think it’s just a preference thing. Lots of gamers don’t want to spend the time reading, which kind of makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I appreciate it 🙏🏻😊
Maybe if one day the update graphics... looks very bad for 2024. They are doing big mistake
this game is great in terms of RPG, but the animations and combat are outdated, wooden mechanics straight from the 2000s
isint there like pay 2 win elements that increases stats
@@rashid2898 yeah there’s no question LOTRO has a lot of P2W elements. But the only reason that really matters in MMOs is PvP, which is pretty much nonexistent in LOTRO. So if you’re playing casually and wanting to experience the full journey/adventure, it’s kinda like… what would be the point of paying for boosts and stuff, ya know?
There is pay to win elements. But mostly for pvp. Since your skills as a creep(players who play as monsters like orcs,wargs,spiders) are gained through rank(idk the lotro point price for rank). So creep ranks can be bought with lotro points. To be competitive to freeps
@@Z-MACxif you notice lots of lag. That can only be because of the war in the ettenmoores(lotro pvp zone) the fraid vs craid are nuts. I can only stress this enough. You must go anonymous in the ettenmoores otherwise the creeps or freeps can easily find you.
Why did this load in 144p rofl.
@@CalestoBella I have no idea 😂. It’s uploaded as 1080, BUT the game graphics are quite old… so either something is wrong on your end OR those are just the game’s graphics lol
So you blocked my standard mmo name: Zmac
I'm not gonna play any MMORPG with an in-game store. Period.
But go ahead, make all the videos you want!
OK
The game is free to play and you don't 'need' anything in the store to play it. However, one thing that stands out in LotRO is that you can grind deeds in game that gain you coins you can spend in the store. So if you're patient, you can get a lot of the perks without spending a penny of real money.
Make more lotto content 😀
@@C-TofficialMusic it’s in the works! That first video took me almost a month 😅 (granted a lot of that was just playtime). But yeah I have 25+ hours of footage. Just trying to figure out the best way to turn it into an entertaining video
I lost my lvl 70 blue ranger Gagallen :(
@@ryamcable oh no!! What happened??? 😭
@@Z-MACxodds are the server that has his hunter is no longer around.
Why am I getting so many video recommendations for LOTRO? I'm sorry but this shit looks ass. I'm not into RP like at all, and that seems to be the only selling point. Tried it way back and combat was ass, game felt jank.
I did hear rumblings about them redoing the whole game of some kind but haven't heard anything since. If it gets redone I will give it another go.
graphics aren't everything in game look at most of latest games that have been coming out complete trash most of old school games are better then this day and age of games
@@Misosykkuno EXACTLY!
you can play a trany
@@GaniSowie oh nice! Thanks for commenting on the video I appreciate it 🙏🏻
Lotro is not a new mmo and it is one of the worst mmos