LotR Online OS X Client in Beta

For those Mac users wishing to take up the Tolkien-derived F2P fantasy MMO in time for The Hobbit, Turbine has announced an OS X client (download here).

While the press release promises this will allow people "to play the game natively on Mac OS X", there's no confirmation if this is a full-blown native client or if it's done via virtualization, like CoH and Cider.

Actually, they've stated more than once that it's a native port. Here's a link to a recent interview: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/10/31/lord-...-a-mac-client/.

Word is that the download is 16G!

LotRO is my second favorite MMO, and as of Dec 1st, my main one. It's a great game with tons of polish. I know a lot of people here don't like fantasy settings* or the themepark style MMO, but for what it is, it's one of the best examples of the genre.

A good way to describe it is "WoW for grownups". I've played several MMOs, and CoX and LotRO both have the best communities that I've seen- mature and friendly with a minimum of the rude idiocy that WoW is famous for.

Like CoX, it's a game where oftentimes the journey itself is more fulfilling than the destination. Its writing is hands down the best I've seen in any MMO. Players actually want to read the quest descriptions.

LotRO's expansions always have challenging endgame raid content(comparable to WoW, etc.), but the game also offers much more. Apart from CoX and CO, it's a roleplayer's dream due to the rich lore and attention Turbine gave to a variety of non-combat stuff you can do. You can hang out at the Prancing Pony and listen to other players play actual music in the game's unique music system(it's not uncommon to witness someone pull out a lute and start jamming out to some Led Zeppelin). You'll sometimes find groups of Elven and Hobbit PCs dancing in the Shire. The game features a really good crafting system that lets you grow your own pipweed, brew your own beer(which you can get really drunk on!), and make dyes for clothing(LotRO has a good cosmetic outfit system that does give you some control over your appearance).

It has a far better F2P system than we had, so it's definitely worth checking out.

* Please don't be ignorant enough to call Tolkien's work "generic fantasy". Virtually everything in the genre except Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber and C.S. Lewis(his predecessors and contemporary) is a direct ripoff of his work. It'd be like saying that Batman is a "generic superhero".

LotRO certainly offers a well-crafted environment. It's worth checking out if one isn't turned off by fantasy in general. But as much as I wanted to love the game and stick with it, I found it to be tediously paced. There was much I wanted to explore but never got around to due to the inexorable grind. And the crafting systems were overly involved and terribly dull. Beautiful game, though.

LOTRO is a fantastic game. It can be both sedate and frantic. It has the most content of any game I have known. Also you can earn game cash to buy game stuff without laying out real world money. If you are new to it, it is worth reading the quests before accepting them. If you have read and enjoyed the books you are sure to find yourself appreciating this game. Like any game there is a learning curve to get used to it and you soon find ways to make much fun. Highly recommended.

LotRO is also my new stomping ground. I'm looking forward to (trying to) film in it, though admittedly I am desperately wishing it had the same demorecord feature that CoH does. *sighs*

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Thank goodness Transgaming wasn't involved.

Now if it had super sidekicking so it was easier to play with friends (especially given the limited number of characters you get as F2P) I'd be poking at it more as I've already got one level and gear segregated fantasy MMO and that one I'm actually paying for.

Hmmm... always nice to see more Mac MMOs.

I remember buying LotR Online when it launched, was never too big on it. Felt too slow (at least the solo experience) compared to City of Heroes insane combat.

It also felt a bit low-fantasy and mundane, sort of fitting for the world portrayed in LotR, though. I both, appreciated that women had more practical armor (no bikini plate) and disliked that there was no super cool armor looks (that I noticed.) Say what you want but I sort of love the insanity found in high level WoW armors, specially helms and shoulderpads.

At this point in time, though, I'm rather sick of fantasy. But who knows, maybe once I watch The Hobbit Episode 1/3rd I may get in the mood to give it a try.