I was in the beta, back in 2007. I think it's now slightly worse than it was then.
Hasn't this been in maintenance mode for around 5 years or so?
They've been releasing new content regularly. The Minas Morgul expansion came out late last year.
They've had two expansions since moving from WB/Turbine to Daybreak/Standing Stone Games, the latest came out in late October or early November last year. They do keep adding content, so I don't think it qualifies for a typical definition of maintenance mode. On the other hand, since Warner Brothers ditched them, it has always felt like they didn't quite have the resources one would hope to see keeping an MMO going, that SSG could disappear at any moment, and that all of the time since 2016 has been bonus time.
guess i should go to the wedding before i can't.
guess i should go to the wedding before i can't.
I think the wedding itself is part of a questline that will stick around.
I just came back to LOTRO after an almost 7 year absence, last time I played seriously was right around the time that Helm's Deep came out.
So far I have been enjoying myself but I haven't gotten to the Mordor or Minas Morgul content yet.
If anyone else is playing on Landroval let met know. I have 8 or 9 toons that I bounce around between on the server and think it would be fun to connect anyone in the GWJ community on Landy. My two main characters are a 87 Burglar Tarabren and a 107 Captain Taralyn-1. Feel free to friend them, I will likely be on the burglar in the near future as I try to get her caught up in the story as she is what I would call my "main" despite the fact that she is currently not my highest level character.
Well they suckered me into getting the new expansion. How? They made it part of the Yule festival, and I LOVE the Yule festival. Cunning bastards.
Bright spot is the mission system in this new expansion is quite fun.
This made me curious about my characters. I have a 26 Runekeeper and a 23 Captain. It’s funny, I own the xpacs up to Isengard and have dipped in since the beginning but those are the highest characters I’ve ever had. I logged in and had rewards for being around for over a decade.
My account is under an old email so I don't think I can recover it.
Its still an absolute delight I pop into weekly, but more of a social thing than anything else, long since gave up on progression. Music community on Landroval are an awesome bunch still. Think it will be my chill out/comfort food until they pull the plug.
Perfect description, ShynDarkly. I feel the same. It's been years since I played regularly, having previously been a VIP subscriber and member of an active kinship through the Isengard content, then playing solo off-and-on through Rohan and Gondor.
It's still fun to roam the countryside and soak in the sights and sounds, explore some of the new content, and knock out Yule Festival quests.
I might make it a goal this year to play at least through the xpacs I’ve paid for. That would be up to Isengard I think. Each time they released one I’d buy it and think “this is the time.”
New expansion?
I think there was an update they called a “mini-expansion” and charged for. Bit of controversy around that.
Every time i login i look around and just in awe at how they captured the landscape and just how much it fits my imagination. Then i see a mob or a character model and instantly get snapped back to the reality at how bad the game has aged.
Anyone else still playing? With the new expansion featuring a lot of new lowbie content (or so I’ve been told), I’m working my way through the Lone Lands with a dwarf champion. On Landroval if anyone wants to group up.
The one thing that’s holding me back is the amount of grinding for deeds. I hear it’s still bad so any words of warning/advice are appreciated.
I still drift in most weeks, not really doing much of the xp side though. Deeds are ... deeds. Some are awful grinds, some less so - its better now than back in the day, as many of the mobs associated with them are also the mobs needed for daily task turn-ins; so its almost preferring you not to sit and grind away with one toon in one spot for hours, as the daily cap per toon is pretty low.
Avoid those that either need a party or involve killing rare spawning things; memories of getting the resurrect deeds done and throwing second account alts off high bridges just to rez them at the bottom still give me nightmares 
I never really bothered with deeds in and of themselves. I played the epic story line and other side quests that caught my interest, but I let the deeds come as they may. Reputation never seemed a factor until Central Gondor for that play style.
Of course, if you're a completionist, that would make things quite different.
There is even less reason need to chase specific deeds these days then there used to be. Virtues are no longer tied to specific deeds, you just pick one at a time that your virtue XP will level up.
Yeah, only reason to do deeds is pretty much the turbine points (or whatever they call themselves now)
This MMO is still my go-to for chill relaxing and questing. It feels more comfortable than pretty much any other MMO to me. WoW is too railroady, ESO worldbuilding never grabbed me that much, and I dislike final fantasy entirely.
The weird thing for me is I love, LOVE all the single player Elder Scrolls games. ESO however.......bleh.......
The weird thing for me is I love, LOVE all the single player Elder Scrolls games. ESO however.......bleh.......
It suffers from what all MMO's do, it creates a world but then you can't really progress through it. That and it tried to straddle the line between class based and open skill system to its detriment.
This made me curious about my characters. I have a 26 Runekeeper and a 23 Captain. It’s funny, I own the xpacs up to Isengard and have dipped in since the beginning but those are the highest characters I’ve ever had. I logged in and had rewards for being around for over a decade.
I might make it a goal this year to play at least through the xpacs I’ve paid for. That would be up to Isengard I think. Each time they released one I’d buy it and think “this is the time.”
Well, I haven’t done this so far. What I have done, just recently, is start a character on the Treebeard server. This is the “slow” one of the two new progression servers. They will be adding an expansion every 5-6 months. So right now and until December or so, they level limit is 50. I thought this might be an interesting way to finally dig into this game but pace myself. I made a new captain and have gotten to level 28, so I’ve gotten farther in the last week or so than I had in fourteen years. Pushing to get out of Lonelands and North Downs and actually see a new zone, though, something new to me.
Good for you. Lonelands and North Downs were rather bleak, IMO. Things open up once you get past level 30. More zones to explore (The Trollshaws, Evendim, The Misty Mountains) and better scenery await!
In case anyone is interested, LOTRO is once again giving away 26 quest packs and selling eight more for cheap.
I slowed down a bit, but I’m still going on my captain. Level 36 and bouncing back and forth between Evendim and the Trollshaws.
Thanks for the heads up. I added the Mordor expansion to my collection. Gotta jump on those deals when they come, even if you don't play regularly.
My oldest son (19) has completed the epic quest line. He's been playing for ten years and finally passed me by. I'm so proud.
So I'm back in. I took a break to give Final Fantasy XIV a try, and while I do love it, I began playing LOTRO during the Yule festival several years ago and now, in my brain, it's become something of a holiday tradition. Glad to be back, there's something comforting about this game.
I may jump back in after they get the graphics upgrade next year. It just looks so bad now and the gameplay isn't fun for me.
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