There's so much content in this game, that my biggest problem is deciding what to focus on next! An exceptional game!
I've been a Tolkien fan since I read The Hobbit in elementary school, and for years I've been eagerly awaiting a computer game that could provide a realistic portrayal of the detailed world that he created. Although I had read through the Lord of the Rings trilogy more than once prior to the recent blockbuster movie releases, I'm not exactly what you might call a Tolkien "super freak," as I have not read any of his other books dealing with the history of Middle Earth. However, I do count myself as a devoted fan of his work, and I think that I can speak for most Tolkien fans when I say that Turbine has done an excellent job in bringing the region of Eriador to life. For those who have not read a great deal about the game, Eriador is the region of Middle Earth that includes locales such as the village of Bree, the Shire, Weathertop, Rivendell, and Ered Luin (the Blue Mountains). It is currently the only area of Middle Earth that is accessible to players.
I'm extremely happy that Turbine chose to focus their efforts on smaller regions rather than trying to tackle the whole of Middle Earth all at once. So far this strategy has allowed the development team to create stunning detail in Eriador, and it helps to keep a nice population of players in what should always remain as the busiest areas of the online world. The much anticipated "Shores of Evendim" content update, scheduled for June 2007, is just the first taste of what expansion will mean in this game. Honestly, I had never heard of Evendim before playing LOTRO, but I'm pumped about getting to explore the lake region next month. I can only imagine the excitement leading up to expansion into areas such as Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor. Now don't get me wrong, Eriador is a massive, sprawling area that covers hundreds of square miles. So there should be no concern about finding enough to keep busy as you get started, but the level of detail that has been poured into this relatively small area is impressive.
The gameplay is packed full of content, including solo quests, fellowship quests, social activities, and crafting. Players will have the opportunity to create a character within a designated race (human, elf, dwarf, or hobbit), of a specific class (burglar, champion, guardian, captain, minstrel, loremaster, or hunter), and with a chosen vocation (armsman, armourer, explorer, woodsman, tinker, historian, or yeoman), each of which has access to three grouped professions (cook, forester, woodworker, prospector, metalsmith, weaponsmith, scholar, jeweler, farmer, or tailor). It's enough to be extremely intriguing to some and slightly intimidating to others, but all in all, the depth makes for an incredibly enjoyable and diverse experience.
I went into the game with a serious interest in the crafting element, so I created a dwarf guardian who is also an armourer. As the main "tank" class, his armor smithing skills contribute directly to his guardian abilities. And being a dwarf, he has convenient access to some of the better forging materials and facilities. As a member of the armourer vocation, he has access to the prospector, tailor, and metalsmith professions. So he can mine for metal ores, he can do the appropriate smelting and refining, and he has the ability to create cloth, leather and metal armor as the finished product. However, the developers of the game wanted to make sure that there is some interdependence among players in the online economy, so each vocation will be dependant on other players for certain materials. In my case, my character is dependant on the forester profession to obtain processed leather, which is used in all three types of armor. He literally cannot make any usable armor without obtaining processed leather from a character with forester abilities. It can't be purchased from NPCs or looted from the corpses of monsters. This element helps to foster mutually beneficial relationships between players that can last for quite a long time.
For those who are a bit reluctant to engage in a lot of PvP interaction, there are a significant number of solo quests to satisfy the need for story-driven role play. In fact, it is possible to advance several levels and experience hours upon hours of gameplay without ever speaking to, or cooperating with, another player character. However, if you have any desire to pursue the quests involved with the epic storyline of the game, you will have to team up with other players quite frequently. The game is designed with fellowships in mind, and there are a lot of really cool quests and game features that are only accessible when you are traveling through Middle Earth with a few of your closest friends. Several online sources have agreed that the "ultimate fellowship" consists of a guardian, a minstrel, a burglar, a captain, a hunter and a loremaster. But it's really interesting to try different combinations in different situations as well. The champion class is definitely no slouch.
Much has been made of the music system in the game, but I have to say that I'm not all that impressed with it at this stage. Players can choose to express themselves musically on either the clarinet, the horn, the flute, the harp, or the lute. The game launched with a 24-note range, basically two octaves with accidentals available on the lower octave. with which to compose musical masterpieces. However, sustained notes are not possible, so player-created music sounds very "plinky plunky." This is generally alright for the lute and the harp, but playing a horn, clarinet, or flute without the ability to hold longer notes makes a Middle Earth concert sound like the winding of a jack-in-the-box. Although the music system has a scheduled expansion along with the update in June, Turbine needs to make some serious improvements to make music a serious passtime in LOTRO.
Other social activities provide a light-hearted element to the game. Players are able to enjoy a drink with friends in a city's tavern. They can blow various special smoke rings, each shape determined by the variety of pipe weed consumed. I've even heard rumors of pie-eating contests and games of freeze-tag at the fairgrounds north of the town of Bree. Not to mention the long list of "emotes," or body motions, that can be performed for the amusement of others. Somewhat corny at times, but generally a lot of fun, and useful for those who are serious about role play.
So what is wrong with the game? One of the features that I would change if I had the opportunity is the music system, because of the limitations I've already mentioned. Another item that is a bit unrealistic is the massive population of wild animals in the areas around Bree. I realize that there are a lot of "Go kill that animal" quests that are given in the area, but it's a bit ridiculous at times to look across a small area of open field that is populated by three bears, four wild pigs and two wolves. The respawn rate can also take away from the game experience at times. I'll never forget the feeling of jogging half way across Eriador with a group of fellow adventurers in order to kill a dreaded troll. We gave him everything we had and barely took him down with all of our limbs intact. And as we gathered around to congratulate each other and decide which quest to tackle next, we looked with pride upon our field of victory, only to see the beast materialize out of thin air. I realize that the game designers are only trying to reduce the "grinding" associated with commonly shared quests, but certain monsters could take a bit longer to respawn. After all, this game is meant to maintain a feeling of epic accomplishment, right?
Overall, this is an excellent game with a great future. As more and more players come online, and as new regions of Middle Earth are opened for exploration, the immersion factor is bound to increase. Activities like mass raids and Monster-play will become more and more frequent, and the game will continue to evolve. I only wish I had gotten in early enough for that lifetime subscription.