Here is the BIG question...

[Thoronmir]

I played Elder Scrolls Online for a bit as well. It was kinda fun, but not. I still love the ES stories and the rich backdrop it has, I was just not too into the gameplay when it came out. Maybe it's been improved, but it didn't hold my attention well enough, same with Conan. I really should give LotRO a try, I probably would like it.

I just found ESO's interface too clunky. Even after rededicating certain key-bindings, my hands are old dogs unwilling to learn new tricks. I really can't play any game that requires two hands for basic stuff ... I need one hand free for my cigar (no, that is not a euphemism).

 

If you decide to dabble in LOTRO, try the Landroval server. It's where me and my posse hang. If you drop in, feel free to contact me via in-game mail. You may need to grab a pad and pencil to jot this down. One of my main characters there is named ... Thoronmir.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Thoronmir

[Monumenta]

Elves are gross, no Wookies no Menta.

[Warrgames]

Wanna up your geek factor over 9000? Build your own Dobsonian scope. Now we're talking geeked out

 

As to the not so big 'big' question, much like this game, I have a subscription to WoW and have for many years prior to even knowing about SWtoR, so yeah, already there, and here, shocking I know that you can do both, but I guess I'm just a special kitty cat when it comes to gaming.

 

So playing two games makes you a special kitty? So what do I get for playing SWTOR, Marvel Heroes, Master of Orion and Magic Duels (don't judge, its not nice)? Special Ed; you say?

 

I love the ES franchise but couldn't get into ES MMO. I quit 3 weeks after launch. Mainly due to all the bugs at launch.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Warrgames

[Thoronmir]

As for LoTRO it's fun but currently very top heavy last time I was there. If you like codex style unlocks and just enjoying the scenery it's a great game.

I certainly agree that LOTRO is top heavy (I assume "top heavy" means ... well ... I'm not sure what you meant, but I agree). As someone who does not PvP, Raid, grind dailies, or generally engage in any "End Game" content, yeah, there's not much for my level 105 capped characters to do in LOTRO. Sure, there's still content I haven't bothered to complete. But the only guy I'm actually leveling these days is around level 55 and hasn't entered Moria yet. So, there's that to look forward to.

 

What keeps LOTRO verdant for me is the RP. It is by far the most RP-friendly MMO ever. The advantage RPers have over other players is that, when the official content dries up, we can make our own. Of course, even among my RP brethren and sistren(?), I am unusual ... most of them do engage in End Game content.

 

So, you're absolutely right. Come to Middle-earth for the scenery and story ... maybe stay for RP.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Thoronmir

[Chiltonium]

It's hard to believe another game being easier than this one.

 

it's not. It's about the same difficulty, if you're using companions. Put your companion away and SWTOR becomes one of the hardest MMOS out there. I was getting so tired of pubstomping everything I set Khem Val to passive, good lord mobs hurt.

 

edit* I'm not saying you should have to do that. They need to tone down companions a LOT.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Chiltonium

[ikinai]

So playing two games makes you a special kitty? So what do I get for playing SWTOR, Marvel Heroes, Master of Orion and Magic Duels (don't judge, its not nice)? Special Ed; you say?

 

I love the ES franchise but couldn't get into ES MMO. I quit 3 weeks after launch. Mainly due to all the bugs at launch.

 

Well actually, being Queen of the Internet makes me a special kitty

 

But as this was in relation to SWtoR and WoW in particular I didn't feel the need to prattle on about all the games I play in that post.

[PlasmaJohn]

Easy, aka "casual" content in MMO's seems to be the "new normal" when it comes to levelling and some of the lighter end-game activities. One of the harsh lessons that Carbine (Wildstar) needed to learn was that even the hardest of the hard core didn't really want to maintain constant laser focus all the time.

 

The challenge still exists but you need to go find it. In SW:TOR all of the content seems to have taken a step down. Heroics are about the challenge of the levelling stories. TFP's are about as difficult as the old heroics. True, nothing replaced the trinity required FP's but you hit end-game pretty quick these days and HMFP's still exist.

 

The "cartoony" epithet always makes me chuckle. I find gameplay and performance far more important than some half baked attempt at realism. But if you want to argue cosmetics, well then. TOR's shadowing implementation is horrendous, many animations are wooden, and the physics are a joke.

 

Will I play Legion? Unlikely but that has everything to do with me being burnt out on the Fantasy genre and little to do with its cosmetics or perception of e-peen measuring opportunities.

[Chiltonium]

Easy, aka "casual" content in MMO's seems to be the "new normal" when it comes to levelling and some of the lighter end-game activities. One of the harsh lessons that Carbine (Wildstar) needed to learn was that even the hardest of the hard core didn't really want to maintain constant laser focus all the time.

 

The challenge still exists but you need to go find it. In SW:TOR all of the content seems to have taken a step down. Heroics are about the challenge of the levelling stories. TFP's are about as difficult as the old heroics. True, nothing replaced the trinity required FP's but you hit end-game pretty quick these days and HMFP's still exist.

 

The "cartoony" epithet always makes me chuckle. I find gameplay and performance far more important than some half baked attempt at realism. But if you want to argue cosmetics, well then. TOR's shadowing implementation is horrendous, many animations are wooden, and the physics are a joke.

 

Will I play Legion? Unlikely but that has everything to do with me being burnt out on the Fantasy genre and little to do with its cosmetics or perception of e-peen measuring opportunities.

 

Heroics challenging? O_o Have yet to see one I actually NEED to help my companion with. I do, to speed it up, but the companion could solo them, easily.

 

The other extreme is ditching the companion and getting absolutely pooped on. Really need to tone those things down.

[CKNORTH]

Easy, aka "casual" content in MMO's seems to be the "new normal" when it comes to levelling and some of the lighter end-game activities. One of the harsh lessons that Carbine (Wildstar) needed to learn was that even the hardest of the hard core didn't really want to maintain constant laser focus all the time.

 

The challenge still exists but you need to go find it. In SW:TOR all of the content seems to have taken a step down. Heroics are about the challenge of the levelling stories. TFP's are about as difficult as the old heroics. True, nothing replaced the trinity required FP's but you hit end-game pretty quick these days and HMFP's still exist.

 

The "cartoony" epithet always makes me chuckle. I find gameplay and performance far more important than some half baked attempt at realism. But if you want to argue cosmetics, well then. TOR's shadowing implementation is horrendous, many animations are wooden, and the physics are a joke.

 

Will I play Legion? Unlikely but that has everything to do with me being burnt out on the Fantasy genre and little to do with its cosmetics or perception of e-peen measuring opportunities.

 

It's funny about the realism compared to the "cartoony" factor of wow. While you are 100% correct on SWTOR shadows, UGH. I find the mix of realism on LOTOR quite amazing. Even though very dated now. Shadows, trees, rain and rainbows. Are still amazing and the game runs extremely smooth. So the question on realism is it can be done extremely well with even older games. But get on a speeder taxi in Corscant and wholly collision issues with shadows Batman!

[Chiltonium]

It's funny about the realism compared to the "cartoony" factor of wow. While you are 100% correct on SWTOR shadows, UGH. I find the mix of realism on LOTOR quite amazing. Even though very dated now. Shadows, trees, rain and rainbows. Are still amazing and the game runs extremely smooth. So the question on realism is it can be done extremely well with even older games. But get on a speeder taxi in Corscant and wholly collision issues with shadows Batman!

 

I like it in Age of Conan

[GeneralRhodes]

Don't know about that but i'm considering getting back to a 21 old game called UO.

 

UO is 19 years old. It was released in september 1997

 

That said, i've moved on to running and developing a Meridian 59 server, which is 2 years older than UO. Ironically one of the system designers for SWTOR is the original designer on that game

[AlaricSevGirl]

I'm quite used to the combat in ESO, just as I was in SWTOR. The thing with ESO is that it keeps getting better whereas SWTOR, slowly keeps going downhill. Everything is too damned easy. You can't make your own hybrid build and KOTFE... Well. KOTFE is no longer your story. It's BW's story. You are nothing in it really. If you pay attention to what is going on in it. I have a friend who played one character through to the chapter where Aric shows up (11/12?) only because I made her (she has a trooper who romanced Aric). Otherwise, she just doesn't feel it and many others feel the same way too I'm sure.

[Thoronmir]

It's funny about the realism compared to the "cartoony" factor of wow. While you are 100% correct on SWTOR shadows, UGH. I find the mix of realism on LOTOR quite amazing. Even though very dated now. Shadows, trees, rain and rainbows. Are still amazing and the game runs extremely smooth. So the question on realism is it can be done extremely well with even older games. But get on a speeder taxi in Corscant and wholly collision issues with shadows Batman!

Wait until you log into LOTRO ... they recently enhanced the environmental renderings. More grass and bushes, I think. You can toggle the new effect off if it's too big a burden on your machine.

 

I always thought the most realistic character modeling in any MMO I played was in Age of Conan. Aside from a grittier, less "cartoonish" appearance overall, the women could walk around bare-breasted. How that game didn't become a WoW-killer, I'll never know. I should add, the men could walk around shirtless as well. No double standard in Hyboria.

[CKNORTH]

Wait until you log into LOTRO ... they recently enhanced the environmental renderings. More grass and bushes, I think. You can toggle the new effect off if it's too big a burden on your machine.

 

I always thought the most realistic character modeling in any MMO I played was in Age of Conan. Aside from a grittier, less "cartoonish" appearance overall, the women could walk around bare-breasted. How that game didn't become a WoW-killer, I'll never know. I should add, the men could walk around shirtless as well. No double standard in Hyboria.

 

Awesome, I recently replaced my old PC I bought for SWTOR back in 2012, and it finally runs SWTOR with out the horrid fracturing of graphics and crashes of my previous PC I also put in a GTX 950 in it. So I am really looking forward to seeing LOTOR now! And as for AoC I have never played it. Been focused on Star Wars since launch with a few breaks in wow. After wows pre patch it just didn't feel like the wow I remember. Can't place it but it just had that Erie feeling of "the King has left the building"....

[PlasmaJohn]

Heroics challenging? O_o Have yet to see one I actually NEED to help my companion with. I do, to speed it up, but the companion could solo them, easily.

 

Well re-read what I wrote I equated the planetary heroics to the difficulty of the pre-4.0 story missions. This is done at-level with a fresh legacy and whatever green drops I'm picking up. No they're not hard, but I don't have nearly enough presence or influence that my companion can solo them for me.

[CorellianWannabe]

Wait until you log into LOTRO ... they recently enhanced the environmental renderings. More grass and bushes, I think. You can toggle the new effect off if it's too big a burden on your machine.

 

I always thought the most realistic character modeling in any MMO I played was in Age of Conan. Aside from a grittier, less "cartoonish" appearance overall, the women could walk around bare-breasted. How that game didn't become a WoW-killer, I'll never know. I should add, the men could walk around shirtless as well. No double standard in Hyboria.

 

The combat was horrible, balance was a joke, crafting beyond the minimum required a guild, gear would give a whopping 1% boost to a stat, etc. Those are probably contributing factors as to why it didn't become a WoW-killer.

 

I would imagine that anyone technically savvy enough to install and launch an MMO could see all the breasts they wanted on the internet. It needed more than pixelated chests to save it.

Edited August 31, 2016 by CorellianWannabe

[CKNORTH]

The combat was horrible, balance was a joke, crafting beyond the minimum required a guild, gear would give a whopping 1% boost to a stat, etc. Those are probably contributing factors as to why it didn't become a WoW-killer.

 

I would imagine that anyone technically savvy enough to install and launch an MMO could see all the breasts they wanted on the internet. It needed more than pixelated ******* to save it.

 

Speaking of gear and trying not to raddle the SWTOR train, but I had a hobbit burgler at lvl 52 who used Frying Pans as weapons with 3 Damage for about a year! Ah yes cosmetic weapons and armor FTW! Lol. Anyhow carry on!

[Thoronmir]

The combat was horrible, balance was a joke, crafting beyond the minimum required a guild, gear would give a whopping 1% boost to a stat, etc. Those are probably contributing factors as to why it didn't become a WoW-killer.

 

I would imagine that anyone technically savvy enough to install and launch an MMO could see all the breasts they wanted on the internet. It needed more than pixelated chests to save it.

While I'm serious about preferring Conan's character modeling, the rest of my comment was a tad facetious. Even pixelated knockers couldn't keep me around for more than a couple of months after release ... for all the reasons you cited.

[beattlebilly]

Wait, you're bagging on a game that has LASTED for 11 years? Yea, I don't play WoW anymore, I lost interest in it, and I did find it numbingly easy sometimes, but can you seriously sit here and put down a game that has lasted that long? SWTOR is 5 years old, are you going to stop playing it if it lasts that long?

 

And I don't know what game you're playing, but SWTOR isn't exactly that difficult of a game either.

[Rolodome]

I tried it for a time, briefly. Gameplay felt pretty polished, but it was so.... I don't know what the words is exactly... plain? It was like eating one of the made batches of vanilla ice cream. It tasted good for a time, but it's still vanilla ice cream. I'd take a mediocre chocolate, or mint chocolate chip, over it any day. I want something that "wows" me, not "WoWs" me.

 

Plus, the graphics... I just can't get into them at all. I'm already not a big fan of the cartoon part of the graphics in this game, but at least they attempt some manner of realism here. I find games like Minecraft completely unappealing for this same reason. Graphics are so boringly dull.

[CKNORTH]

I tried it for a time, briefly. Gameplay felt pretty polished, but it was so.... I don't know what the words is exactly... plain? It was like eating one of the made batches of vanilla ice cream. It tasted good for a time, but it's still vanilla ice cream. I'd take a mediocre chocolate, or mint chocolate chip, over it any day. I want something that "wows" me, not "WoWs" me.

 

Plus, the graphics... I just can't get into them at all. I'm already not a big fan of the cartoon part of the graphics in this game, but at least they attempt some manner of realism here. I find games like Minecraft completely unappealing for this same reason. Graphics are so boringly dull.

 

The main reason why Minecraft is so popular is due mostly to Nostalgia, it's also why games like EQ and UO, and DAoC are still around. The horrid graphics...

 

Sure wow has been around a long time, most good games are still going and they will contunue to do so cause people are nostalgic and enjoy playing games they like. Problem is when the game evolves most of the nostalgia part gets stripped away. Side affect of better technology and keeping a game current with that tech.

 

Want a game that is truly timeless these days is basically like dusting off the IBM 2-3 and playing all those games that had offline mode. Extremely rare but some are still out there...

Edited August 31, 2016 by CKNORTH

[ImmortalLowlife]

I have NO desire now, nor have I ever gave a flying (rhymes with duck) about WoW or any other mmo. If it wasn't for BW & The SW ip, I wouldn't even be playing THIS. I just bought that new Madden tho... Time to take the Colts back to the super bowl!

[Quraswren]

How many kiddies, nerds, and *****hats have stopped SWTOR to go play a 11 year old game with cartoon toons and play the easist game ever? Yes, I am say WoW, the stupid, easy, boring game evah.

 

I couldn't bring myself to pay for it. I got in the beta and it's still just as bad as it has been since midway through cataclysm, all of MoP and WoD.

 

So wow-legion was easily skippable.

 

Doesn't mean SWTOR isn't just as bad but at least here I get enough free CC to make it worth the stay. Otherwise I'd be gone from here too for no more than SWTOR currently offers.

[Thoronmir]

I tried it for a time, briefly. Gameplay felt pretty polished, but it was so.... I don't know what the words is exactly... plain? It was like eating one of the made batches of vanilla ice cream. It tasted good for a time, but it's still vanilla ice cream. I'd take a mediocre chocolate, or mint chocolate chip, over it any day. I want something that "wows" me, not "WoWs" me.

WoW was the first MMO I tried. I had a great time, mostly because of the people I met. We had a great RP Guild on Steamwheedle (the leaders of which, several years later, formed an RP Guild on Ebon Hawk). But I left WoW about nine years ago.

 

A few months ago, I tried WoW again. I even stumbled into one of those old WoW friends from long ago. Well, we stumbled into each other on the Battle.net thingy because she was only playing Overwatch now. I played WoW as a weekend distraction. I lasted several weeks. By the time I got my new Dranei Hunter to level 50, I'd remembered why I left in the first place.

 

I don't mind going back and replaying old games. I still have a PS-1 and a PS-2 because there are very old console games I still play once every few years.

[Thoronmir]

I have NO desire now, nor have I ever gave a flying (rhymes with duck) about WoW or any other mmo. If it wasn't for BW & The SW ip, I wouldn't even be playing THIS. I just bought that new Madden tho... Time to take the Colts back to the super bowl!

I'm waiting for final roster updates at the start of the new season to really dive back into Madden. And my Titans will stand in your way!