Latest Hi-Res Screenshots—LotRO

[Genedril]

Films were ok, as long as your left 'your' Middle Earth at the cinema door on the way in & picked it up on the way out. I'm not saying they were bad films, just they weren't really proper LotR films if you ask me.

That's always the risk you run when trying to turn a book in to a film though. If I'm honest it's a lot more faithful than many book->film conversions have been. Just wasn't even nearly close enough for me.

[Ovi]

Quite well put in your first post Genedril, that is exactly what I was thinking about when I made my post.

Like Ankh though, I too liked the films. As a conversion they were much closer than I feared they would be, it was certainly close enough for me.

I hope no one ever pulls a Sony, I think even Sony learnt their lessons from that judging by a magazine interview one of the SOE people gave. (Can't find the interview atm though!)

[Gandelf]

Also, unlike Middle Earth, its still being developed & is far from static (as long as the developments fit in with GW's view)

The LotRO universe doesn't necessarily have to be static though. Yes, it has well defined areas and places that are uniquely famous (e.g Weathertop or the Barrow Downs), but there are dozens of places that are only briefly mentioned in the books as only placenames. Such places as these will be the "bread and butter" of the game developers because they sort of a have a blank canvas with which they can pretty well do what they what. The developers will be able to expand the game in ways that are not in the books, but which will still be in keeping with the feel of the LotR. They won't be inventing new places, but adding flesh to the bones that Tolkien initially created. Already the developers have brought to life placenames from the books.

Potentially, if the developers get it right, LotRO could be bigger than any mmorpg thus far, purely because it has such a great background and a wealth of material already created by Tolkien. SWG is really the only other game that has a "history", so to speak, but the difference is that SWG is pretty much limited because that history is visual, i.e. in the form of film. LotR is literary and can pretty much develop in ways that SWG cannot, because imagination is the most powerful ingredient when it comes to interpreting Tolkien's works. Warhammer may be better suited to becoming a computer game, but LotRO has a huge advantage already and if the developers can use that advantage it will possibly wipe the floor with the other mmorpgs.

[<ankh>]

I still claim that warhammer as more usable background than LoTR.

/Ankh

[Ovi]

LoTR has more widely known background. There can't be many people left who haven't read the book or watched the films.

That is the double edged sword. More people are familiar with it therefore it may attract more people, the problem then is that it is much easier to disappoint people that know the background. You just need to look at the differing opinions of the films to see that.

I know very little about Warhammer background, I didn't enjoy my first experiences of the game (Not the games fault) and so never went back to it. I am sure that there is plenty of background, it was always a strong point of Games Workshop, it just isn't as familiar. It could be a blessing though since there are fewer preconceived ideas about what to expect.

[<ankh>]

Depends on how you see on it, it might attract more people in LoTR cos everyone knows about it - but that might also be its downside, people can easy get disapointed cos the creates had put in things they don't think should be there. And you also get bored faster if you already know everything about everything. It's also 2 different kind of worlds. Middle Earth is more like our own world while the darkness of warhammer feels more like a proper fantasy imo.

/Ankh

[<ankh>]

http://www.fz.se/filarkiv/download.php? ... 122206.wmv

/Ankh

[Shi]

so this weekend a stress test, anyone in?

[Arcsalin]

would have been if my i-net connection was working, sadly it's not at this moment in time

[Lieva]

so this weekend a stress test, anyone in?

no

me and a friend were discussing this game on wednesday
really wanna play it now.

The idea for the mobs they have seem so wonderful...not sure how it will translate to real server insted of beta as i can imagine lots of things against certain things but from the player reports - sounds good

Im going to be playing an Elf Champion with an alt of a Hobbit Minstrel
(did want to play a Hobbit Burgler but i dont think i will...i like the idea of stelthing chars but they annoy me )

Hope its not like harry potter tho i.e expectations are high but it actually sucks big time