A return to LOTRO

I played LOTRO when it first came out and while I truly enjoyed it, I did miss a few things from World of Warcraft. A strong PvP system, hunters with pets, the warlock class, etc. So when a real life friend discovered WoW and asked me about returning to that game I decided to do it, even though I had a life-time membership with LOTRO.

I have to admit, I really enjoyed WoW and had alot of fun with the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. I finally hit the level cap with my Paladin, the first level capped character I've ever had in any game. I was a bit lost for a bit there. What do you when there no more experience to gain? I kept busy with daily quests, PvP, and helping lower level players. I avoided end game raids and the like because I'd solo'd my character all the way to 80 and I was a bit gun shy of content where others would be depending on my not screwing up.

Then along came the economic melt-down we're all facing these days. Though $15.00 or so a month wasn't going to break us, I had a hard time justifying it when we kept tightening our belts everywhere else at home. Finally practical reality won out of casual pursuits and I closed my WoW account.

Being basically a gaming / MMO addict it didn't take long for me to reload Lord of the Rings Online. I already had a lifetime membership so playing the game would be effectively free at this point. When it was finally fully installed and updated (I have to admit that I splurged on the cost of the Mines of Moria expansion) I was treated to some real surprises.

The game was always beautiful to look at. Having been back to WoW for awhile I'd forgotten how good LOTRO was visually. I actually found myself running around just looking at the landscape with my daughter. Another treat for me was the complete lack of in-game SPAM. While I'm sure gold farmers exist in this game as they do everywhere else they apparently police LOTRO better because there's no random tells asking if I need gold or want my character power-leveled.

One of the best surprises was finding out that so many people I'd known and gotten along with so well were still there (or had returned semi-recently as well). LOTRO has a strong fan base of diehard players, the bulk of which are surprisingly casual and non-elitist. Additionally, in my opinion it's a much more mature environment than most games as I run into many more older players than younger. I have to admit, at 40+ years old, it's nice to be one of the younger (marginally) people I know in- game and not the "wise" old man of the group.

While the game still lacks some of the classes that I like in WoW they added a few. I can't speak to the Rune-Keeper as I've not given that a try yet, but the Warden is a unique class all its own that's rapidly becoming a clear favorite of mine with it's rare choices in primary weapons and it's sofisticated gambit system.

As a result of all of the above I'm hooked again. I had to start over as I couldn't remember how to play my old level 38 Guardian (Gillimer) or level 21 Burglar (Epicurean) but that's just fine with me. It was an excuse to try classes I'd ignored before or had just become available in the recent expansion, like the Warden.

If you're like me, a fan of Middle-Earth, an older gamer, and someone who appreciates a visually stunning game then I can't recommend Lord of the Rings Online strongly enough. Why not give their 10 day free trial a shot?