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Originally posted by DrSpike
I'd like to turn it around - why don't you tell us what you think makes LotRO better than WoW.
I shall look unfavourably on graphics based arguments. You mentioned better gameplay mechanics - good to hear more about those.
I'd like to turn it around - why don't you tell us what you think makes LotRO better than WoW.
I shall look unfavourably on graphics based arguments. You mentioned better gameplay mechanics - good to hear more about those.
There's more room for strategy and true team play with the "Fellowship" conjunctions: http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Mecha...ship_Maneuvers
These take precise coordination to pull off but the payoff is well worth it when they do.
The "Deed" system. You have class deeds, racial deeds, and area/zone deed -- these are basically like Accomplishments but with various levels and a reward. For example, some are simple "Kill 300 Hillmen in Angmar" which grants a title of "Hillman-slayer" (you can choose between all the titles you earn to display with your character name), then the next level might be "Kill 600 Hillmen in Angmar (Advanced)" which would give you a Trait (more on this later). Other examples of deeds are "discover all of the ancient tombs in Evendim", "Drink 23 unique spirits" (the booze kind), "Use your Brace for Attack skill 200 times", "Find Bilbo's 8 buttons", etc. This is all independent of the quest systems, it's basically a supplemental quest system for people to earn better traits and titles for their characters.
The "Trait" system. The closest thing you could compare this to would be the "Talent trees" in WoW, but they're far different. Traits are earned via deed completion, they're things such as "Honesty", "Loyalty", "Valour", "Compassion", "Patience", etc. Each trait has many levels, each level improves on the last. For example, "Honesty" provides some stat bonuses to Fate, bonus to Power (mana), and bonus to armour. "Loyalty" bumps Vitality, bonus to Morale (hp), and bonus to armour. This encourages players to complete deeds to bump up their traits, which then buff their player. Additionally, you're only allowed to equip so many traits at any given time on your character -- you can't use them all. Further still, if you use sets of traits, you get additional skills/bonuses...this ensures that there's specialized players in high levels, there's no generic "Champion" or "Burglar", but many variations of them.
The PvP system. LOTRO has "Monster Play", which means anyone can man a max-level kickass monster (Troll, Giant, whatever) and fight against LOTRO characters using that. It provides a tremendous difference in gameplay between your usual character, and doing so produces "Infamy" experience and "Destiny points", which can be used to purchase skills and upgrades for your Monster Character, or temporary buffs which are very helpful on your player character. When you play as a Player Character, you get "Renown" experience and basically, this part functions as WoW with ranks and rewards, etc.
The housing system. All players in LOTRO can own their own house: a standard house, deluxe house, or a Kinship (guild) house. I've got a Standard house of my own in a nice neighborhood with 15 other houses. It's not overly large but there's lots of space to decorate it, The Sims-style (I know you'll love this DrSpike). You can craft furniture if you are a Woodworker, or otherwise buy from vendors or the auction house. You can display trophies on your wall of infamous mobs you've killed (if you looted their corpse and got a trophy object). You can even repaint the inside. This kind of stuff goes a long way to player immersion, even if it doesn't give you stat buffs or whatever. It actually encourages roleplaying, accordingly. My guild also has a massive Kinship house which we hang out in frequently when not questing, which is cool.
The clothing system. Like housing, it's supplemental to core gameplay. Every player can have 2 extra sets of clothing which are purely for cosmetics use only, they don't do anything but change the appearance of whatever aspects you like. Again, an immersion thing -- I've got a "winter" set of clothes I can switch to with a furry warm coat, boots, etc and another for fishing, where I wear angling gear. Doesn't take up any inventory space to do this. Just a nice touch.
The music system. Like the above, doesn't directly impact gaming -- but it is damn cool. You can play about a dozen instruments in the game, manually using the keyboard if you wish (which is challenging, but some people are really good), or you can play ".abc" files you've downloaded. Up to six people can even jam together synchronized if they all have the same file. Very good for the immersion/roleplaying factor.
The general art style. The cartoonyness of WoW grated on me.
The player base. All of the 12 year olds wanting "phat l00t" are playing World of Warcraft, the LOTRO playerbase is far more mature.
The storyline. WoW's storyline absolutely sucks compared to the Lord of the Rings, sorry.
The gameplay mechanics of the classes. For example, the Warden:
Wardens execute Gambits by coordinating a sequence of gambit icons in a new game UI element called the Gambit display. The Warden has three basic skills that may each add a gambit icon to the display.
Gambits themselves are organized into three broad categories that correspond back to the three gambit icons. The first icon in each Gambit’s activation sequence indicates that Gambit’s category. Wardens initially start with only two boxes in the Gambit display but as the Warden levels, a third, fourth, and fifth box are added. This progression allows more complex and powerful Gambits to be performed as the player masters previous skills and advances.
Spear gambits have a red Spear icon first in their sequences. These gambits all deal with physical attacks and are similar to the attack skills of other melee classes. Shield gambits use the green shield icon first in their sequences. These gambits add short term defensive buffs to the Warden and add heal over time effects. Fist gambits start with the yellow Fist icon. All of these gambits have additional threat while some of them also deal out damage-over-time effects.
Gambits themselves are organized into three broad categories that correspond back to the three gambit icons. The first icon in each Gambit’s activation sequence indicates that Gambit’s category. Wardens initially start with only two boxes in the Gambit display but as the Warden levels, a third, fourth, and fifth box are added. This progression allows more complex and powerful Gambits to be performed as the player masters previous skills and advances.
Spear gambits have a red Spear icon first in their sequences. These gambits all deal with physical attacks and are similar to the attack skills of other melee classes. Shield gambits use the green shield icon first in their sequences. These gambits add short term defensive buffs to the Warden and add heal over time effects. Fist gambits start with the yellow Fist icon. All of these gambits have additional threat while some of them also deal out damage-over-time effects.
Did I mention the fact that I don't pay monthly?
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