Is LOTRO Worth Playing in 2023?

[@BrightlifeMMOs]

It sure is, in my opinion! What a great game. And great streamers and KZbinrs like Bludborn out there is an added bonus :)

[@Bludborn]

Yooo, thanks bro. I appreciate ya!

[@rdsturgill83]

Want to add both of you have great and amazing community as well

[@Bludborn]

Thank you for the kind words. That’s much appreciated!

[@Very-ImportantPerson]

I recently bought a high end gaming PC and always wanted to play BDO and GW2 on ultra. Those games bore me. I downloaded LOTRO and I'm having a blast. The areas, the combat, the feel of the game, it all has a great charm. There's something about this game.

[@Bludborn]

I'm glad to hear you are enjoying it! There is definitely a certain degree of charm about the game eh?

[@WordsOfTheTeacher]

Hey now GW2 is incredible

[@Bludborn]

I wanted to like it so bad! I just could never get it to stick for me.

[@emilywagner6354]

The only experience I have with other MMOs/games is watching other people play them, so I can't really compare LOTRO gameplay to anything else, but I have thoroughly enjoyed LOTRO for 14 years and I'm in no danger of leaving anytime soon. Some of that could be due to the fact that I love Tolkien and this is my best chance to "live" in Middle-earth, something I've wanted to do since I read LOTR for the first time when I was 11. But if you can lower your expectations for the elderly graphics (which I still think look great for their age), I think people who love Tolkien and enjoy excellent story-telling will enjoy LOTRO.

[@Bludborn]

As long as you’re enjoying it, then I’d say it’s worth it!

[@NorthernStrider]

in short LOTRO: - fantastic epic quest line - breath taking scenery - you'll live in middle earth - faithful to the lore - lovely housing system - amazing crafting system - friendly community - community made celebrations - good group/raid instances/delves - minutiae details makes complete sense but: - lags a lot - old combat - a lot of running - main map is confusing(a lot of quit moments when you get lost) - filler quests burns you out(quit moments here too)

[@Bludborn]

All valid points. Thanks for the comment!

[@Allen2142]

I'll say that lotro has one of the best mmo communities around. There are moments where player passion boils into tirades about how to fix the game, but they're always helpful whether it means explaining the systems, crafting obscure items, or just helping you find the objective of a quest. Landroval also always seems to have player run community events going on too :D

[@estel-randir]

I’ve been an on and off LotRO player since SoA, decided to come back to it again, and I love the game! Just finding community is a struggle. Lots of lonely wandering going on, but I miss the group camaraderie circa MoM. Still, such a great overview of this game I’ve loved for a long time. Hope to see more and more join us.

[@Bludborn]

If they can make some of the fixes mentioned here, like they are planning, then there may be some hope with it. Welcome back btw!

[@lynn-myl]

Gladden server, Black Bunny Kin is a cool kinship. Always someone on and willing to do stuff. :)

[@Drademdar]

I'm considering returning after having been away for several years. Now that my favourite class (blue Warden) looks to have received some needed upgrades at last, and they may fix the lag issues, it's time to return to this great game. I began playing Lotro at launch with an LM and spent countless hours over the years. But quit because the Warden had been in the gutter for so long, and the lag seemed to worsen every year. I only hope my lifetime subscription is still valid.

[@Bludborn]

Hey! Thanks for the comment. Sounds like the right time to come back for you. Your lifetime account should be just fine!

[@Raspotnik]

I just started and I love it. Reading the quests. Exploring the world. Just chillin. I even choose an RP server this time around. Cant wait to RP my character and just nerd out.

[@Bludborn]

Niiice. Love to hear you are enjoying it!

[@Stands-In-The-Fire]

Really good breakdown of a lot of key points. Both positives and negatives, as all of us know there are both here. I think another positive point, at least for me, is that Lotro has some classes that are a bit more "out there" compared to a lot of what you get in most MMOs, particularly tab-target themeparks. Minstrel, Loremaster, Captain and Warden come to mind. The game has flaws and rough edges to be sure, but if we wanted nothing but slick polished product we'd all collectively be playing like.... 2 or 3 games and variety would be right out the window. It heavily comes down to how an individual person weighs different positives and negatives, as well as just at the root whether that person wants a huge, sprawling quest-based MMO. And with what we've seen post-EG7 compared to the darkest of the Daybreak days, the game appears to be in a better position than it's been in some long while going forward. Not that that's a high bar, but still.

[@Bludborn]

Always appreciate the comments Stands! Thanks for elaborating too.

[@Domaister420]

I just had a small break of like 3 months to play classic wow & and Hardcore Classic Wow. When i heard that they brought landscape difficulty to the game/regular servers, it immediatly brought me back since i want a bit more challenging leveling experience (like i had it when the game went f2p in 2011). Anyways Itll be always my most loved mmo/rpg of all time. Graphics? Pah Slow Progression? Pah Even lags? Pah I love it. Always will. And also F*off AGS , no matter what happens

[@Bludborn]

We’ll I see where you stand on things! 😃 thanks for the comment and your thoughts!

[@Tatsu9522]

I mean sure. The graphics arent modern. But to me it is like it fits to the whole Middle Earth universe. Its the same as I cannot imagine a remake of the original movie trilogie. Besides that it gives me goosebumps everytime I am playing it because it is SO atmospheric. Love that game.

[@Bludborn]

I like your take on it. Thanks for the reply!

[@Tatsu9522]

@@Bludborn No worries buddy. Keep on

[@fredrikmedin9884]

I played again today after 6 months off, i bought 6 months VIP before i took a time of. just because i want to help the creators. But for new players, if you have someone to play with the experience is so much better then running around alone.

[@Bludborn]

MMOs are almost always better in groups.

[@joshbralee7752]

I have never played this as im a console gamer but being a massive lotr fan im gonna cop a pc to play

[@lordwellingtonthethird8486]

This game just has so much emotional backing for me. It was my first MMO I maxed out a character. I come back now and then just came back and I don’t know I just love the connection I feel.

[@Vandakai]

Imagine LoTRO with BDO's Graphics and Combat system 🤤😭😭😱

[@Bludborn]

Could be pretty hot. Ngl

[@HierophanticRose]

I enjoy the feel and aesthetics of the world. Im sick of the mobile looking super exagerated sci-fi - fantasy mix poppy MMO aesthetic. Middle Earth is a universe with a lot of verisimilitude

[@Bludborn]

I dig this.

[@herrdave920]

In the Communication section you forgot to mention that Developers were deleting threads with negative feedback about the controversial avatar update (35.1), started handing out permanent bans like candy and turned off World Chat (on Brandywine) for days after the update dropped.

[@Archivaris]

short answer: yes long answer: yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees :D lifetimer playing since it al began, and i higly recommend it. it does have issues with lag...but they are working on that at the moment! but that should not let you discourage from playing. It is fun, has a friendly community and all are really helpfull

[@Bludborn]

I see what you did there. 🤣

[@Illthallion]

Great video BB - nice editing too ./salute

[@Bludborn]

Thank you!

[@VampguyN85]

My two petpeeves, are the wardrobe system costs points, when it's a free offer in Eso and Ffxiv, and I constantly lag and crash at least 3 times a day. It gets super frustrating and I can lose progress when I solo fellowship instances from crashing. And I will not be able to complete some festival deeds, like drunk fence walking in spring becayse of the horrific lag. Also if you just start the story first time now you won't catch up by Umbar. It's massive. My account is 6 years old and I just got to the trollshaws and hit level 59 from festivals. Tho I take breaks to juggle ffxiv, eso and nms events and some new world.

[@Bludborn]

I guess it just depends on your playtime. I would think if I only hit the epic, I could get through it in the 4-5 months we have. Maybe.

[@TheUnwise]

Lotro is my home.

[@geneericmueller]

Great video and commentary as always, though I thought the gold cap was removed for all players?

[@Bludborn]

That may be possible, I was just going off the information on the site.

[@bankaiiibankaaa4573]

One thing I have to agree is that triple A means nothing nowadays.

[@Bludborn]

It sure doesn’t.

[@randalthor6872]

awesome vid bro! instasubbed :) I haven't played this game since 2010, but I'm downloading it now!!! So excited to finally play through the story this time Thanks for motivating me

[@Bludborn]

Love to hear it! Report back and let me know what you think!

[@moosecat00]

Enjoyed the video, only had a few minor gripes. 9:18 isn't entirely true, they've updated bridles and mounted combat skills last year iirc. At least it's something. You also quickly glossed over "The Grind" and "Group Content." It would pertinent for a new player to know that the grind is significantly more severe than your average mmo. For instance FFXI from 2002 took me about a month to clear the final boss of the final expansion with a fresh character solo. By comparison in LotRO solo free to play 1-140 has no documented success. It's been tried, but it hasn't been done. It's not that it's not possible, but beating "Only Up" blindfolded would be a much more doable experience. LotRO is not a game designed to be free to play. It's meant to be free to try. As for "Group Content" you definitely want to help bridge the gap for new players. Give some direct comparisons, raid length expectations. Should a new player expect gatekeeping and if so at which tiers? After all gatekeeping is a hot topic in the MMO sphere since the meta is shifting towards MMO's you can simply play. Play in the sense of do whatever whenever, without needing to worry about reset timers, daily and weekly chores, ducks in a row non-sense. Effectively the opposite of a game where you need a ton of consumable and buffs to simply perform. Purely analyzing the length of the video it is a bit off-putting to see "The Grind," "Group Content," and "Content Types" as short as they are when compared to "lag" and "communication"

[@Bludborn]

All awesome points and thank your taking your time to put all that feedback out there for me. I do appreciate it!

[@shaun9156]

Absolutely

[@azraphel777jahguardian6]

here i am watching this while downloading 🤘🏻 36yrs old gamer here and it would be my first time entering this world. getting tired of modern games now looking for a nostalgic touch and this might be it ! i still remember the glorious days of the lotr games that released on ps3 co-op with my brother. one of the best! i was supposed to play wow hardcore but the way they handled D4 turns out blizz-activi is one hell of a villain . i wont be supporting them for a while

[@Bludborn]

Game has stayed fairly consistent with its look and feel over the years. I don’t think they really try to be something they’re not… a lot, anyway. I hope you enjoy your time in Middle-earth!

[@ziusthefirst5387]

What I think? Love love love LOTRO! Middle Earth My Home Away From HOME.

[@k.t.1641]

Love your video! Everyone gushes about it but almost no one wants to talk about ALL the glaring issues. If this game wasnt called "lord of the rings" it would NOT be as protected. So many people just mention the "good feels" it brings them and I get it. Im on of them. But my god does it feel like its been on life support for years. So many abandoned systems. So many extremely outdated things like UI etc that could of been fixed years ago. You think the store would be updated for stuff that people want like good cosmetics. INstead its stuck in the 90s even AFTER the update to the store ui. I feel like a team of 3 friends run this game and just check on it in their spare time lol. I would give it a pass like everyone else seems to but I cant ignore alot of issues it has and Im not going to ever say its "underrated" like everyone else. Its where its at for a reason. Its just so frustrating seeing a good game sit there with apparently no one knowing what to do with it anymore.

[@Bludborn]

Thanks for the kind words and also for taking the time to share you perspective!

[@stevenv2190]

Interesting - plays very well at 5760 x 1080 on three monitors.

[@Bludborn]

It plays well, it’s just UI on higher res is rough. Servers can be incredibly inconsistent even off peak times.

[@baceff6478]

Been playing since 2007 and always will, but the stretch from Gundabad until now has been the worst span so far content-wise for end-gamers. And it shows with current game activity. It seems they learned their lesson that we don't need update after update of lower level content when it was fine the way it was though, which is promising

[@theallianceslayer]

What class should I play if I will be playing alone for most of my time. I raid in WoW every week but I don’t plan on grinding in LOTRO for raids if it takes too long, so I just want to explore and quest solo

[@Bludborn]

If that’s the plan then you could just play whatever. Each class has enough ability for landscape and story progression. I almost always encourage new players to play something that is similar to what they enjoy in other games, unless the goal is to play something completely different. It’s also not too bad to get into T1 raiding. Don’t rule it out.

[@johnwayne4911]

if i wanted to just go through the main story quest all the way to mordor, could i do it with minimal grind? or is there still grind to it

[@Bludborn]

Eh, a small amount. Nothing crazy. The grind comes from min/maxing with virtues, legendaries and optimizing gear sets. Leveling is the least grindy part of the game.

[@luvanecho]

what is the song playing in the first couple minutes of the vid?

[@Bludborn]

Echoes of Youth by Squiid

[@luvanecho]

@@Bludborn ty! i was diggin the drum n bass vibes lol

[@Bludborn]

I dig it too. Some ppl complain about it, oh well!

[@hummingbirdcity]

I had an issue with .dat files through steam and had to re-download from the launcher and it still said I had .dat file issues, so I gave up. Never had a game not wanna be playable so bad.

[@jandvorak3535]

I've tried to play it. I've just gave it 2hrs and than quit, uninstalled. The UI is practically unusable in high resolution. I'm usually gaming at 4K on 43'' monitor. Half of the UI ignores scaling settings (in-game), so text is barely legible. Some of the UI components can be moved to better positions, some refuse to. I simply could not imagine to look at it any further. Even those 2hrs gave me a significant eye strain.

[@KwBeee]

It's a AAA experience in my books!

[@leisure_leaf866]

Is this famous youtuber Bludborn??? :o

[@Bludborn]

Hardly either of those things 😂

[@spencerhulme1203]

Thank you! What a brilliant representation of the game, thoroughly enjoyed the explanations and updates!

[@pop2561]

I would be happy if they totally revamped lotro like a remaster all new graphics qauilty of life things I think it would bring in a big player base but they got advertise it like crazy its so old not many people remember or know about it

[@belfastclrq]

The UI and the lag make it hard to endure, despite being a quite decent mmorpg.

[@Bludborn]

We agree on this.

[@Meilock]

yes

[@Bludborn]

Right to the point. I like it.

[@choonblaze]

@@Bludborn fanboys

[@Bludborn]

I don’t mind the engagement 😉

[@hado33_]

Why do none of these is lotro worth it videos talk about the end game? Thats all I want to know about is how serious / competitive the end game is.

[@Bludborn]

Higher tier endgame content is sort of competitive. There are a handful of guilds that go after world first types of achievements when new stuff drops. PvP is not competitive at all and is about what you would expect from a casual game that offers PvP. No real benefits, just something to do if you like that type of content.

[@cavetroll666]

totally worth playing :)

[@mekal177]

have tried to played this multiple times but end up qutting because i hate getting paired with higher level players that trivialize content in dgs

[@Bludborn]

That's a bummer. What server were you playing on?

[@EmeraldView]

LOVE Lotro.

[@fredrikmedin9884]

Open up 2-3 more regular servers and open up action house to all servers. Almost to many players now on this servers that are now. The took away to many servers in my mind. not fun trying to log in and it is to much players. Just that creates lag to. specially for us in europe. maybe you have the same problem?

[@Bludborn]

The lag really has nothing to do with the amount of players right now. The servers cap at like 2500 concurrent and we arent even close to that. there are other issues they have found and are working to address.

[@trainsworth]

This is the content the doctor ordered.

[@Bludborn]

He had a fever. It was content or cowbell. I chose content.

[@revoktorment440]

So like wow they raise lvl cap at every expansion making all you did before it useless?

[@Bludborn]

If your time and enjoyment is useless, might not want play mmos

[@revoktorment440]

@@Bludborn mmos that don't raise the lvl cap at every expansion are pretty great

[@Bludborn]

So are the ones that do. If it ain’t for you, that’s okay.

[@wodidos]

Played it at release for a year or two but my shitty pc back then could‘t really run it well. Time to dust off my old account

[@Bludborn]

What server were you on?

[@wodidos]

@@Bludborn belegaer back then, just started a new character on arkenstone now

[@wodidos]

@@Bludborn yeah it was kinda wild logging back on after all this time. I have a shitton of lotro points on my account now and so much stuff from all the anniversaries 😂🙈 already started to level up a new character. Time to head to the lone lands tonight ✊

[@esmolol4091]

The game is plagued with game breaking lags. Most quests are braindead kill x mobs, get x items quests. Expansions are expensive and there are maaany of them. Most places in lotro are empty, meaning next to no one can be found there. Pvp is dead (called monster play, that features only one map). Besides that, it's a very immersive game with lag being the worst downside.

[@Bludborn]

No denying the lag. That can certainly be frustrating. There are thousands and thousands of quests, you’re gonna have some repeat content for sure. LOTRO is massive, even if servers were at the 2,500 player concurrent cap, many places would be empty. It’s just big. Expansions up through Helms Deep. Subscribe and get everything else minis the two most recent. PvP has been busy on some servers and only recently died off because the expansion is about to release so people aren’t playing the game until then.

[@jdphotographyky]

Some players see as PAY TO WIN "COUGH COUGH" JD

[@Bludborn]

😂😂😂

[@AFpaleoCon]

Can’t even hear you bro, this background music is ridiculous

[@brandtcarroll9316]

YES

[@alsoniagaming]

Absolutely not. If you can't install it without issue, it's not even remotely worth the time to try and get installed.

[@wodidos]

I still have my lifetime account lol

[@Bludborn]

Ooooh I’m jealous.

[@heatheromeara5115]

Spoiler alert: yes.

[@Bludborn]

Indeed.

[@thomasjones4570]

lvl 1-100 if you dont spend any real money. Yes. If you spend real money. No. Its dated and they are making it worse with each "revamp" of the shit-show they created with later expansions. SSG taking the game over completely made it worse.

[@electricfootballhero1349]

I don't find it to be worth playing. The constant 45+ second lag spikes and the hateful extremist world chat make it one of the least immersive MMOs in operation today.

[@Kaitlin24247]

I love it

[@homeagain24]

bearded women btw

[@DigitalGalleon420]

that background music is so fucking unbearable

[@Bludborn]

Great

[@BrightlifeMMOs]

You’re unbearable smh @digitalgalleon420 You fun at parties bro?

[@Bludborn]

😂😂😂

[@iuliuslovin37]

with how bad it looks and how outdated the UI looks, no it's not worth it...

[@harvain731]

UI Work is on the horizon now. For "looks" that'll always be subjective. LOTRO will never have Modern Graphics or anything like that.

[@iuliuslovin37]

@@harvain731 not asking for modern graphics but at least a decent one to look at it, feels like Wow Classic models...

[@harvain731]

@@iuliuslovin37 They are slowly doing Avatar Updates. Race of Man got theirs in April 2023. We don't know when the next Avatar Race Update will be. River Hobbits, a New Race is coming, which will have their own unique Models. As for say how NPC Models look, this falls under Visuals and most likely a lot of LOTRO will continue to very for looks. More Recent New Content has had what could be better Models where as Older NPC Models show their age.

[@homeagain24]

​@@iuliuslovin37wow classic is 10x better than this dogshit

[@choonblaze]

It was a great game but not worth to even waste a second after the woke trash that was added in April 2023

[@ohthreefiftyone]

Yeah, you should definitely quit.

[@choonblaze]

triggered

[@gdsvalentine1193]

Great community, really helpful and friendly. Try PvMP but don't play as a creep initially, they get their butts kicked due to major favouring of freeps, goes back years. VERY grindy.

[@Alfredof2342]

i wanna play this

[@Korelon7]

Unfortunately it's quite difficult to get into these days. The game feels and plays extremely outdated which is a real shame as the devs seem to really love the IP. They game really needs some kind of graphical overhaul.

[@mrsantoro8306]

SWTOR is so much better