Lord of the Rings Online's Incredible New Player Experience

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Don't Worry! I have found the Mount After the Introduction Questline!

[@joezar33]

Didn't that new class for LOTRO just recently came out ? it's some kinda Sailor class

[@CaffeinatedDad]

@@joezar33 yes Corsair of umbar! It seems like it was mixed reviewed though

[@christopherstanfield1558]

Not sure if someone else has mentioned this, but you can also do a quest in Bree at level 15 to get the riding skill without needing to spend Lotro points. I believe it’s at the Hengstacer Farms.

[@melmartinez7002]

It's also worth mentioning that you don't actually, technically have to spend actual $$ in order to accumulate LOTRO points for the store. You get awarded a few points each time you complete deeds. If you are frugal and don't waste them on stuff you really don't actually need at low levels, they will eventually pile up -- especially if you are a completionist who is compelled to do all the side quests. That said, it is really worth it to spend a little $$ in order to be a VIP subscriber for at least once - just do a month if nothing else - because that permanently unlocks a bunch of cool convenience benefits that remain even if you go back to FTP. Plus, spending at least a little helps support the game.

[@christopherstanfield1558]

@@melmartinez7002 good points. It’s also worth noting that with the recent changes to the free to play model a couple of years ago that all content up to and including Helms Deep is free to all players. At least from what I remember reading.

[@andrewmeyer3599]

@@christopherstanfield1558 Yeah, they made a pretty big chunk of the game free for players

[@mihoru_master7699]

and it reset in each character you make so exemple if you did make a character and did all the thing to get the turbine point (which gonna be long long) you can make a new character adn do the same since turbine point are account wide@@melmartinez7002

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I did see that! I was a bit impatient and marched all the way to mosswood to get a little extra part 2 completed. I have a mount now!

[@colingroot1877]

As a fellow caffeinated dad, I have been playing lotro for years and still not reached the level cap nor am I even close. However, playing one of a few hours at a time when everyone else is asleep has provided me with a fantastic MMORPG experience. Mainly because PvE and story driven quests are the main focus and because solo players can play almost the entire game, including instances. It helps that I am a huge lotr fan, reading the books almost every year. And the game is consistent with the lore. I can recommend this game to anyone. The only downside is that it has a pretty steep learning curve because of all the systems that you have to keep track off. Once you get the hang of it, it is totally worth it and also makes it that the game as considerable depth.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I mean to be fair any MMO is going to have a learning curve but this is actually really interesting to me. I loved the movies, I played the old version of the hobbit and it was one of my favorite games. I should probably read the books for a well rounded approach

[@colingroot1877]

​@@CaffeinatedDad if you spend a lot of time on your commute I can definitely recommend the audiobooks. There's one version (free to download) that uses sound effects from the films to make it that much more enjoyable. If you Google fellowship of the ring Phil dragash you'll find it.

[@sascenturion]

Definitely should read The Book! ..My copy is a dog eared,stained,worn out 30yr old piece of literary genius and is one of my most loved and prized possessions 😊👍 My son wants it when i make my will ..but i might be buried with it 😂

[@cb2000a]

I have played for many years and have 3 characters at the old level cap (before latest expac). Also, played other MMO's, but this one is the best. The storyline is heads above other MMO's.

[@quiverdog]

I totally agree with you. Its about the experience in Tolkien's world like seeing parts of the books on My PC than smashing throu levels

[@kevorka3281]

I tried this MMO like a decade ago and I had a group of people bring me to the inn to watch them play stuff on their instruments to welcome me. Seems like a very cool community.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Thus far the community has been incredibly engaging and kind!

[@JoseLuisVibes]

I also started playing recently and what a journey it has been. The world is immersive like no others, and I have played my good share of mmos. One small tip that made a BIG impact on how the world looks was the following. On the graphics options, if you scroll down where it says COLOUR, reduce the BRIGHTNESS to 0.94 and increase the CONTRAST to 1.15. This simple trick added such a beautiful contrast with the colors almost like a reshade. Also for new players that also start in Archet, on the same house where you had the quest to go take a nap, at the end of the hallway there is another quest giver that will give you a horse and the riding skill for free. Hope this helps and welcome to Middle Earth!

[@morrowoblivion13]

Captain from the arkenstone server here. Welcome aboard and I hope you have a great time 😊

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Thus far the whole journey has been great! I did trek to find the mount quest but man I have been loving the gameplay!

[@Caerulean]

Oh no, you missed the free riding skill and starter mount in the intro. D: Look up the A Little Extra Never Hurts quests. ;) Part 1 gives you free LOTRO points and then Part 2 gives you the riding skill and the starter mount. Great video! And welcome to LOTRO! The difficulty options are a favorite of mine~ They were just added to the free servers earlier this year.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I found the part two! I have mount riding now!

[@Caerulean]

Awesome!@@CaffeinatedDad

[@TLPagut]

I also started my LOTRO journey for the first time over the weekend. I hope you continue playing! This was a great video that mirrored my initial impressions.

[@morrowoblivion13]

Captain from the arkenstone server here. Hope you have a great time 😁

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Thus far I am having a great time! Glad it resonated with you!

[@HhankFfrank]

Another Captain from the Arkenstone server here. I also hope you have a great time

[@flixfeliks]

started 2 month ago. Still playing and it becomes better and better. The early game is typical mmorpg stuff but its getting soo good + all the storys

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I like the early mmorpg stuff. Crafting, questing, simple combat. You Cant beat that!

[@boxonothing4087]

if you have even only a little bit of attachment to the source material, be it books or movies, the game is a treasure trove of iconic locations. While they don't always look like you would expect them to, they always feel legit. It's a flawed but enjoyable game, and if graphics are an issue there's still the option to improve them with ReShade. It has excellent world design, and simply wandering around asking yourself "what's over there ?" can be satisfying. It takes the "it's about the journey" concept, and runs with it.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Oh for sure! I've throughly been enjoying the journey thus far. I made the long trek to get the starter horse from mosswood recently and I loved seeing all the different zones!

[@jediwarlock1]

Incredible MMO, the Epic Book quest chain/Chapters, takes you through the entirety of the game and the LOTR story, in your own shoes. And it usually has a very strong endgame for Raiding and higher tier raids for those who seek the challenge. Classes matter a lot in this game, and each brings something important for grouping, definitively an MMO that went under the radar, but is so in depth and a truly epic journey. It only gets better and better the more you play. Moria, the second expansion for this game is truly insane, you'll spend 2 weeks in the darkness of Moria, until you one day see daylight again, such a magical experience.

[@kokocaptainqc]

moria is the very first expansion...anything added before that is just a regular update....you love the game so much that you dont even know that lol

[@WheezinJuice]

@@kokocaptainqclol bug off dude made one tiny mistake and you’re that rude?

[@kokocaptainqc]

@@WheezinJuice basic knowledge my little SJW

[@urbansamurai261]

​@@kokocaptainqctouch grass

[@htuan9204]

i spent 2 weeks there any was literally shocked at the first moment stepping out of that Mine: the dreamy autumn forest of Lothlorien, it was beautiful

[@jannecapelle_art]

áh im glad you mentioned the music! i especially love the guitar type music that plays in a lot of human cities - it adds so much to the experience

[@reinorshine7325]

I've just recently came back and really "started" the game last week, and I'm having a blast! I am enjoying it now because I am playing it slow and steady. Trying to complete all side quests first in one area before doing the main/story quests may be boring for some, but I'm having so much fun! The massive open world in this game just amazes me, and the details and intricacies of the map and everything, chef's kiss.

[@melmartinez7002]

As you go up to higher level zones, some of the 'side story' quests can have some very moving themes. Especially in Rohan there are some very tragic moments during the build-up to war. And then in the post-war "Kings Gondor" / "Umbar" expansion, several of the stories step into post-war trauma. There are, of course, lots of quest lines that are lighter in tone to balance those! The newer zones (as well as some of the older zones that have been revamped) also increase the level of detail in graphics, sound (Lots more NPC voices) and story in ways that really help make LOTRO feel like a 'living world'.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That's what has been so great about it. It's simple and it's good fun. I have this giant world I can do whatever I want in!

[@harrr53]

Veteran player here. Started in 2008. There is a tonne of content, and a beautiful world to explore if you like exploring. If you like Tolkien's books/movie, this game is great as a recreation of Middle Earth, with all the landmarks, landscapes, and attention to detaIl. It's really a great moment when you are a little lost in the Trollshaws (west of Rivendell) and you bump into the trolls that were turned into stone in the Hobbit. Moria (released as the first expansion in late 2008) is still great. The game is very solo friendly as you level (although its a pity that a lot of the group content at each of the previous level caps is now hard to experience because most of the player base is at higher levels), but once you get to level cap there will be a lot of group stuff happening, and the community is, in general, helpful and friendly. I really recommend joining a kinship (equivalent of a guild), early on. A nice active and social guild. It makes a big difference to have a kinship chat to get advice, and help when stuck on something. Finally, buying the riding skill is just a shortcut. You can get it without paying, it just takes a bit longer. But at risk of sounding like a grandfather....it was worse back in the day. On release, when the level cap was 50, you only got a horse at level 35, and that was after doing a few specific riding quests to earn the horse, and then you have to buy it. At the time it cost 4 gold and 200 silver (traditional in-game currency that drops off mobs, there was no store or microtransactions at the time)....only, you were unlikely to have 4 gold at level 35 in those days, you had to go and kill a bunch of mobs or sell stuff or get a donation from higher level friends to buy the damn horse.

[@MrMatsudi]

"Spears really get to the point." Ah yes, you truly are a dad. xD Gave me a chuckle.

[@marteronde]

so you may have been told this but just in case of not you have a "filter" option where you can filter out items, and sounds, very good for screaming classes like warden so you dont have to listen to the 5 or so scream sounds and just keep the "enyalië valeriandë" that still dont play more often. in the item menu so can you click the cog and combine all bags into 1 bag, or make a bag smaller, or so on. lotro devs (SSG) is very progressives of them and let you use a whole lot of pluggins that you can use to altert the looks/feels + add information, for warden i have come to find that having a "buff duration" list is pretty nice in order to keep track on what you need to refresh you can auto loot everything, option in the option, easy found by using the search function, profanity filter if that is your jam or not. all in all this has been a very comfortable video, i raise my cup of coffee for you and hope you have a continued good stay (and yes despite me getting riding for free both from account bound perk + store bought "a little extra" quest i find the added "buy riding skill" option in the shop to be a big irritation, sours the experience the redeeming quality is that all "premium" currency is earnable, and you can technically play everything, buy everything, and experience everything, for free. it is just going to cost you time.)

[@justabreeze1234]

Dude I bounce between LOTRO and GW2 and love your content! Glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself and hope you play it again from time to time!;)

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Glad you enjoy it! I am planning on leveling some more and talking about the story and my experiences after so many hours

[@BryannMax]

I love this game. You can even play the game while having the real middle earth map to see the locations. Every river, every mountain, every path is reallisticaly recreated in the game. You can even spend hours to go from one point to the other in the world, if you want.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I just did this! It has been great fun!

[@mrbeardbro5155]

every time i see that scene in lotr i get shivers, so freaking good

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Between this scene and the rohirrim arriving at the battle of helms deep.... my two favorite shiver scenes!

[@shadram_nz]

You can get the riding skill for free - it's set up as a "here's how to use the shop" tutorial, if I remember correctly, but you can at least get your first mount without spending real money.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Oh That is awesome! Ill have to go back in and look!

[@Stands-In-The-Fire]

As somebody who knows you from your GW2 content, it's cool to see you dipping into Lotro to see what my "home" MMO is like. It's definitely janky and has things that haven't aged well, and just straight up tech limitations from coding and engine choices made a decade or more back that the current devs struggle against. But, the good far outweighs the bad in my opinion, so hopefully you stick with it and vacation in Middle Earth now and then when Tyria gets tedious. One thing I'll say, if you do stick around: your Virtues are way more important than it seems early on. Even after the recent stat-squish, they are absolute make or break by the mid-levels or so. The different Deeds you are finding, things like Slayer and Exploration achievements, those generally will have a second tier once you complete the initial one, that will give you XP towards whichever Virtue you have selected to level. It's a secondary progression system, but it will be a large part of your filling-out of stats over time.

[@greg83083]

There's a series of quests where it turns you into a chicken and you have to run across different parts of the map. There's a part called "There and Bawk Again" and it makes me laugh every time

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That's actually fantastic! Lol I had no idea!

[@theradhattah1435]

Sees channel name, instantly relates, subscribes. Not to mention fantastic vid. Going to download this game and give it a try

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Dude if you don't have alot of time to play this is the game for you!

[@artdoyle9599]

I played this for 3 years between GW1 and GW2 and loved the game. I still occasionally bop into the game to see what is happening, but when you get to the really high levels if you don't keep up with it is highly complicated.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I can see that. Personally I'm loving the simplistic playthrough right now but kaybe trying it some of the end game

[@troygeorge9883]

I've seen the "Charge of the Rohirrim" scene about 32,168,731 times and I still cry at it. Every. Single. Time.

[@Nightree]

You should have received the riding skill for free at the beginning in the intro from the guy in the lodge, john brackenbrook. It used to be behind a pay wall but not anymore. He even gives you a free mount.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I'll have to take a look again! I don't want to miss that!

[@sobanjahangir3910]

Tbh i thought that it was an old schoool outdated game but seeing how it still stood its ground i might try this tomorrow

[@kokocaptainqc]

the wow community created that narrative when it came out to keep their people from trying and it just never went away...its just gaslighting

[@MrPeteBeale]

Thanks, I really enjoyed this video, after plating WOW for 15 years or so yo have convinced me to give this game a try, it is downloading now!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's great! Reminds me of older wow with a heavier emphasis on story and personal progression! Thank you for the kind words!

[@MrPeteBeale]

@@CaffeinatedDad Well, I am two days in on LOTRO really enjoying it so far. I am still finding my way around the game, UI, combat etc

[@SheonEver]

Heyyy this actually looks pretty good. I inexplicably never heard about it back in the day, even though I used to try out pretty much every major MMO that came out.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True! I felt like it got swept under the rug because of other popular titles. Honestly it has been a great time thus far and I really want to explore more of the games features!

[@kokocaptainqc]

they also had terrible marketing back then + the wow community was all up in arms each time a game came out so they convinced everyone that it was garbage and people believed it without even trying

[@sinconspicuous]

I love playing LOTRO and i have been playing it since 2018, sometimes I leave and come back. The new updates have been great, which includes the landscape difficulty but also just being able to choose 3 crafting jobs (instead of one profession with 3 set jobs) was a gamechanger for me. I haven't reached the end game yet (I have two level-boosted characters though from their 15th anniversary event where they gave out a bunch of stuff for free) and I am an altoholic. Right now I am playing the landscape difficulty, fearless, on my Beorning, and having a great time!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Ahh the bear! I've been enjoying my playthriugh, putting roughly 20 plus hours atm and I have enjoyed all the aspects the game has to offer! What excites me the most is actually how long the game is. Easily hundreds of hours without any pressure to finish it all!

[@hayleyclare82]

LOTRO is absolutely the most in-depth and complete game I know about. So many systems and sub-systems fom crafting, the player music system to Legendary weapons, skirmishes, crafting and ancillary aspects that truly round the game out. The small criticisms you make eg riding were unfair. There is a quest for riding skill around lvl 10 iirc. Everything has an answer if you look to find it. LOTRO is DEEP and there is a lot ahead of you. I hope you stick it out and perhaps learn i little before you criticize things unwarrantedly. I have played every class to max level and tbh The Warden is not one of my favorites, I find the class awkward and clunky. The Loremaster is my main but i love my Hunter, Runeekeeper, and Burglar too. so many different classes and each one gives its own unique flavor to the LOTRO. GL for your travels through Middle Earth.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I appreciate your comment! The game has been great fun for me to play this far! Regarding the riding skill and not digging deep, I approached this video with the same idea of what most new players would do, and look for a hook to play the game. I may have very well missed the mount due to my style of play

[@keylorv1533]

I recently started playing it.. And oh man, I've missed so much.. I was searching for a good MMO to spent my free time, and none of the other ones like WoW or Final Fantasy gave me that fun I was searching for

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It is truely a simplistic and fun game. I may come back to it for a few streams just because u want to sit down and play it!

[@twocatsyelling723]

3:20 - FF14 puts new interface widgets in the middle of the screen, too. I think it's deliberate so they can be sure you'll see it. Then move it as you see fit.

[@OJimenez]

Also recently started LOTRO for the first time in years. Also...."Aragon"? C'mon man lol. Loved the vid.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Gah I misspelled it didn't I? Lol thank you for the kind words!

[@OJimenez]

@@CaffeinatedDad All good dude. Keep making great content.

[@kokocaptainqc]

the map is only tough to understand if you have no sense of direction whatsoever and its actually surprising how many people are in that category

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I may be in that category lol ive gotten better at utilizing the map. I know which direction to go, how to isolate specific quests. It has become alot easier

[@morrowoblivion13]

Lotro captain from the arkenstone server here. Welcome aboard and i hope you have a good time and day😊

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Thus far I'm having a great time!

[@morrowoblivion13]

@@CaffeinatedDad awesome to hear 😎. And do you have a name for your legendary weapon?

[@morrowoblivion13]

​@@CaffeinatedDadidk if you know. You can get a house in the game(I am making a video series of the types of houses lotro has by giving tours of people's houses) and there are music bands(usually on south bree across from the auction house)

[@jerod4036]

It looks like a decent game, I might give it a try when I have more free time. Reminds me a lot of when I played Pirates of the Caribbean Online, which as I found out a few days ago, was entirely remade by fans after it was initially shut down by Disney 10ish years ago.

[@gingerbard343-pd7qr]

How can u download it??

[@jerod4036]

@@gingerbard343-pd7qr It's been remade under the name The Legend of Pirates Online (TLOPO is the abbreviation for the website)

[@jjswigger8591]

i looked into that game it looks so bad you have like 2 spells lmao

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I actually saw that as well and I am curious of going in and trying it because it kinda looks like fun ngl! Actually my next target is ffxiv!

[@Reece589]

Interesting..might give it a try when I need a break from GW2

[@morrowoblivion13]

Lotro is free to play. If you do not like it. You can just uninstall. So you are not losing anything.😊

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's casual, similarities to vanilla wow but honestly a great time!

[@kokocaptainqc]

take it as the ''vacation'' mmo

[@The-Apothekari]

started playing for 2 weeks now, and im already hooked haha

[@zer0homer]

LOTRO is cozy and has a lot of proper LotR vibe in it.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's good simple fun too!

[@erichess4279]

Also you can earn the Lotro points by completing the deeds.

[@Tinacrafts2]

Oh this was a fun recap! I came back after two years off (WoW player) and also rediscovered fun stuff. VIP aid a HUGE help with three months/10 month. You get 500 LOTRO coins monthly and daily hobbit gifts. Glad they changed the ability to pick and choose professions. Playing with housing is a blast. I’m just having trouble focusing on epic quests vs crafting. And what’s with dailies? Slow and steady is my pace now. 😉

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It really does have alot of great aspects about the game. Simple and lots of fun!

[@goonerlee]

Such an awesome game. Best map screens ever. Smashed my hand up years ago so I struggle to use mouse and keyboard for long periods of time now so can't play it anymore. I so wish it had a mod like WOW that let me use a controller.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

This game is just quietly a gem. It's small and simple but it does mmos and adventures perfectly!

[@Nino-bu9mj]

thanks for making this video caff! i didnt even know there's a lord of the rings mmo out there

[@lincolnjohnson4428]

I just started playing last week. I am a long WoW mythic raider. And boy, this game is a hidden gem. The combat is a little outdated, and movement is odd. But the story rivals FF14, and its super chill with a great community. I am having a blast.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's surprisingly good given that it's got a number of years on it!

[@tolanbex3410]

FYI the riding skill is free there is a starter quest that introduces the cash shop by giving you the points to buy the riding skill and also reward you with a basic horse

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I think I passed by that one unfortunately. Can I still acquire it after the tutorial?

[@morrowoblivion13]

​@@CaffeinatedDadthe quest should also be at the horse farm close to the North Downs near bree

[@johndeeregreen]

@@CaffeinatedDad it should have been the 2nd quest after the dream with Galadriel.. not sure if it's available after Archet burns.. it isn't for the elves/dwarves afaik.

[@ArthurKraft-c3w]

Speaking of UI, you can use this to save your UI. In the Chat box /ui layout save/load (in case you have more characters or reroll your current one) name of file I play a Man warden as well. Man racial buffs is sword, so the spear is not going to work out. Sword and Board. Go Red Tree. I play on Treebeard VIP Legendary Server.

[@IrondragonGamingYouTubeChannel]

back in the day you didn't have the skill tree and you had access to every skill. that game was my WOW

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I really read this like "Back In My Day..." old times voice lol

[@IrondragonGamingYouTubeChannel]

@CaffeinatedDad oh yeah man! I feel old af watching this game play. But I could tell you so many stories about this game! Pvp used to be fucking wild! We had huge fights on old forms with both creep and freep absolutely shit talking eachother. We get on the next day and my guild leader would be like focus this fuck and forget everything else Game grinding was a huge problem too. We spent solid weeks leveling up "ventures." I'm not even sure if that is in the game anymore. Oh and crafting... my God.... so I play gw2 now. I have been since launch and compared to the crafting in lotr I fucking cried the first time I crafted a bunch of 1 item in gw2. I'd spend fucking hours crafting ingots in lotro and your crafting tools had fucking durability! So after 15 minutes or so you needed to go repair it! Then right back to it. Never getting faster. And the mounting animation I can still hear the whistling in my sleep after all these years lol! But honestly man I fucking loved that game. Met great people and had great memories. I read the Tolkien books for the first time and it's incredible how much this game brought the books to life for me. The effort the creators of this game shows more then any game I've played since (for an mmo)

[@dynjarren5454]

16 years I'm still playing, and strictly the Warden class since 2008

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I have been enjoying the experience immensely!

[@woolta00]

Pro tip: If you press Cntrl + R, you can block the shouting audio. Very useful for captain and wardens with all the shouting.

[@Doug111973]

Just dont go into it thinking World Of Warcraft, rush to max level and the game begins.. you will find epic adventures at every level in lotro. The main story line is very entertaining. Liked and Subscribed, hope to see more Lotro!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That's what I've been doing! Just playing through at my own pace and soak it all in! Hey thanks for joining the caffeine club!

[@morrowoblivion13]

And please for the love of galadriel please do not use the valar boost to rush to max lvl. Imagine you're a totally new player and used the valar power boost. You would end up with having a mess of buttons and you might not know what they do because you did not learn your class.

[@Doug111973]

@@morrowoblivion13 actually, I would use it, but not on your main. Make a hunter, and grab all the gathering skills, and use your Valar. Then you have a toon to farm materials, and do the lower level deeds for LP. Hunter is best for this for the ports, and quick kills. Make gold selling gatherables, or use them to skill up crafters :)

[@morrowoblivion13]

@@Doug111973 that is so true. 😁

[@youtubehelge5049]

You can actually disable the scream from the warden. There is a tool to disable sound effects.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I've grown so damn accustomed to that scream though...

[@randalthor6872]

I only just came back to this game after having been away since 2010 : ) I started a few weeks back and I swear I might have seen you running around in Archet as I was just starting out with my character. Were you playing in Gladden server by any chance? Oh, and INSTASUBBED!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I am on Gladden! I have been running around on my warden. The game has been great fun! Thanks!

[@absurd.gaming]

This was a pleasant surprise. Hope this one does well for you!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's been great fun thus far!

[@LightS_bRight]

Arkenstone server has a massive pvmp community, yet the newest update did not update the monster player side only Free people side. Don't rush into end game, there is tons of content, and ways to earn store items. The stories and quests are worth read, but you also have the ability to skip. Have fun

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Thats my plan, I want to make it in no short form, the most difficult I can and take my time while doing it.

[@morrowoblivion13]

Captain from the arkenstone server here. Awesome to see another person from arkenstone here in the comments section 😊. And feel free to join the fraid or craid 😊

[@brewaytheboss8558]

This has been my main Game for 15 Years. Next to GW2. Cool to see you trying! :) If you enjoy you should check out Echoes of Angmar, which is a Vanilla Version of the Game.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Oh I've been really enjoying myself! Albeit it's a bit slow as far as leveling goes, it has been Alot of fun!

[@kokocaptainqc]

echoes of angmar is not approved by lotro's team tho and in direct competition

[@wahyufajar4027]

you can get a free riding skill + mount from a quest in the starter area by the way

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I think I have the item but I thiught it was temporary. I'm going to dive into it again this weekend

[@division2232]

There is like a hc mode too! So every 5 or 10 levels since lvl 1 without dying u get a tittles. And enhancing the dificulty also rewards you with some tittles and stuff too. So its amazing combo. Plus doing quests and exploring the world while learing your class. This mmo is one of the best when it comes to having best leveling experience..🎉

[@morrowoblivion13]

Yeah there is lotro hardcore. It is a private server. The hardcore in retail lotro is what I like to call adventure mode. You see ranger(you know what he looks like because he dressed differently) in the beginning town like archet. You can increase the difficulty with that guy(WARNING ⚠️) do that at your own risk as the mobs will have more health and hit harder plus having abilities they never have before.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That's what I'm excited about! Leveling through all the zones and doing my best to soak it all in!

[@kokocaptainqc]

@@morrowoblivion13 stop lying theres no lotro hardcore server

[@morrowoblivion13]

@@kokocaptainqc there is too. Look up echoes of angmar(classic lotro) hardcore. Heck there are KZbin videos on it. 😁

[@jdzabalad]

"Note never to sleep in this game again" It won't happen for a long while, but Volume III Book 6 is waiting for you

[@Triaz357]

I love tanking in MMOs. LOTRO Warden is still my favorite tank I have ever played in a game. I need to revisit the game.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I have found I can take quite a bit of damage without needing ant support. Then on top of that I can bleed enemies essentially to death. It's a good time!

[@invertedsponge55]

I'll die on this hill, but imo if they invested the time to modernize the map and quest objective tracker, the game would be infinitely more noob friendly.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Nah I can agree with that if they wanted to attract massive amounts of need players then I think they would do incredibly well with a mild face-lift across the game

[@charlestoth3273]

Riding skill for RMT is optional early unlock, you eventually unlock riding through playing

[@Vikingr4Jesus5919]

Hey my fellow LOTR fan and LOTRO enjoyer. Just wanted to say, if Warden is your first class, you're in for both a challenge and hefty reward at the end of it. Why? I'll briefly explain. LotRO Executive director Jeffrey Steefel described the Warden as a character "for players who want to anticipate what they'll need 10 seconds from now as opposed to right this second." That planning-ahead gameplay alone makes the Warden an advanced class, as you will feel it when you prepared poorly vs very well before a battle. That is where both the challenge and reward are high. Where you may only need 3 good group runs to get a good basic grasp of, say, a Captain, mastering a Warden's full potential can take the longest. Because unlike most other classes, the Warden's attacks are not in plain click-and-hit sight. You only have 3 basic attacks (shield, shout, stab) and 2-3 javelin attacks (depending on if you go by melee stance or ranged stance). However, 2 of those 3 make 1 combination. And each combination has 5 'gambit levels', all 5 can be applied to the same enemy or groups of enemies (meaning a Warden can tank whilst applying a lot of group DoT) and then 5 gambit levels of another combination. The DoT literally runs out of time before you run out of attacks. And then some Gambits are unique that may require 3 basic attacks. THE GOOD NEWS is you don't have to learn these all by memory, you can look up the Class panel in-game, go to Skills, and see the Gambits panel that'll teach you all the abilities possible. But I am not kidding when I say that where most classes have between 10-20 attacks (combinations or stacks included), the Warden has easily 40 different attacks, one for each type of scenario like a true all-rounder! There's in-combat healing gambits, in-combat buff gambits, pre-combat buff gambits, pre-combat healing gambits -- some work on your fellowship too. And the in-combat healing and buff gambits is what turns a seemingly all-rounder Medium-Armoured Class into some of the best tanks in the game, should you want to go for that. Or he's one of the nastiest bleed-stackers against enemies (I've once stacked 10 DoTs on a training dummy, both bleeds and Light damage DoTs). And because some heals you can buff "off" of all your surrounding enemies (can be up to 7-to-10 different enemies if you've upgraded your Legendary Items well), it means that the more enemies you have the faster you heal yourself. Keep applying the self-heal buffs and stack DoT group bleeds on your enemies, and wow can a Warden hold his ground! The Warden is what I like to see as the Class that can plug in the gaps wherever the Fellowship is struggling for a moment in battle. Does the main Tank need a brief break before getting over-stacked by an enemy's bleeds? The Warden can taunt and give him a moment respite in battle. Does the healer struggle for a moment or need some heals themselves? The Warden can group-heal with moderate prowess (heals stack on other classes' heals). Do the Light Classes need extra protection? He can taunt enemies to himself and place a damage decreasing shield on all Fellowship allies within reach for 15 seconds (can be improved with the Legendary Items). Those 15 seconds don't look like much but the 2.5% all-damage reduction can be a game-winner. Do the enemy archers harass your teammates? The Warden can throw javelins that work as 'taunts', to distract the enemy archer he hits. Is an enemy boss more vulnerable to Light damage? The Warden can stack DoT Light Damage like there's no tomorrow. Is an enemy about to induct something nasty but is too far off for most classes, and you have no Hunter to do it for you? The Warden can "Ambush" with a javelin, stunning most enemies for a few moments. (after a special combination, you can have a single-shot Ambush ready without induction time.) Does the Red Captain, the damage buffer, need to buff someone else's damage? The Warden can buff his own combat prowess (e.g. speed up attack speed and increase finesse) Does the enemy deserve a taste of their own medicine? The Warden can challenge them and cause moderate damage-deflect right back in their face (the more enemies the more deflect). Do you want to solo-adventure without the need for tanks or heals or dps-ers? The Warden can literally fill whatever you need and quite satisfyingly so! I could go on! I just want to encourage you, and any who think of playing the Warden at some stage, to give yourself that time to get to learn it, because by now after nearly 2 years of having my own High Elf Warden I am blown away by his capabilities and potential. I've tanked stuff solo that is supposed to be for 3-players, and it's always been a blast to know I can jump in wherever my team struggles for a moment. It's a hard class to master, but that's what makes it all the more satisfying when you DO get the hang of it! (I'm on Crickhollow US Server, btw, and my warden is called Aemdirion.) I hope you will all enjoy LOTRO for many more years to come! Namarie.

[@belstar1128]

i recently got into lotro and guild wars 2 after quitting wow and ff14 but to be honest i like lotro more. i think guild wars2 reminds me too much of the modern wow. while lotro reminds me more of the old wow that i fell in love with back in the 2000s. this game is more casual than vanilla wow but not a simple as modern wow or guild wars 2 guild wars 2 feels too easy right now but i have not done a lot of content yet. the big downside of lotro is that the game is so old the community is quite small it appears like i am late to the party while guild wars feels more vibrant and popular. but with lotros old school design there is more interaction with the players. while in guildwars 2 nobody every tries to talk to me in game but there are plenty of players. so i would play lotro if you want a more oldschool mmo without going full y2k everquest or runescape style .while guildwars 2 is more for fans of more fast paced games

[@ckcarr2965]

As a casual myself, if you find an mmo similar or "better" than gw2 I'm all for it! Maybe even a fps kind lf mmorpd, I don't know if one exists. The only mmorpgs ive play is Dofus and only an hour or 2 of WoW. Wouldn't mind watching a video of your first time playing ESO or FFXIV if you haven't already

[@vynze]

I'd love to play it, yet somehow neither the launcher or steam version work on my pc. They both stop the installation / download process at some point without any fix

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I've heard this a number of times as the chief complaint from the game. Something going wrong with launcher

[@terrylandess6072]

While this is your experience, Ctrl + Backslash will give you the UI options to move ANYTHING on the screen and the classic options menu will do the rest which is everything else. Size, colors, transparency. Without starting with that kind of information one wonders if 'beginner' videos actually help or hinder new player decisions.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That's a pretty cook trick! I had no idea!

[@Mysfi]

Lotro is a great option for casual gaming in Middle Earth, just keep in mind that the game pushes Store all the time to your face and while this game can be played without paying anything, you should buy the month pass as this boosts your gaming experience.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I noted this in my third new player video. It was possibly my biggest critique. The game is great for casual playthriughs, though!

[@KalTarMadrin]

For added challenge try getting to level 20 on Fearless 3 without dying once to recieve the Undying title.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I saw that! I like the idea of the challenge!

[@whitehawk4510]

Agreed! Nothing gets the blood pumping like hitting single digit morale at 18! 😅

[@Wibtlol]

I love the game and in particular the landscapes. It feels real. The one thing that kills me is I always feel alone. It always bothers me after a few hours. There are not many other people running around leveling like me. Also the lag. It can be bad.

[@HasegawaRayven]

"Oh wait, that one has a spear, there you go" But in FFXIV you passed over Lancer for Marauder?

[@CaffeinatedDad]

My very first time playing ff14 I played as a Lancer but only got 2.5 hours into the game! I wanted a fresh start!

[@John7No]

I liked LOTRO very much. Played it since its release. When it became difficult for me to invest time when with the Mines of Moria expansion and the introduction of weapon leveling etc. I just did not had the time for this approach. It is though my favorite and I had a great time with it.

[@Sharkistas]

Did you play more? I want to see more videos of u on lotro 😮

[@danaolsongaming]

1:00 RIP "Undying"

[@yeti2237]

Huh

[@danaolsongaming]

@@yeti2237 You get a title for not dying before reaching lvl 20 called "Undying." It was pretty exclusive in the early days but it's significantly easier to get now.

[@erikmagnuson4499]

I've been playing this game since 2007. What a journey it has been. Regarding the mount skill, the conception of the original developers was that nobody could get a mount until they hit a certain level. I don't recall if it was level 20 or level 35, but it meant that every player had to walk or run everywhere. This was by design as they wanted to push the aspect of exploration the game had to offer. When the game went F2P, that is when the riding skill was placed behind a pay wall, although if you are VIP, you can still do the original quest that unlocked the riding skill for free by going to the Hengstacer Farm in Bree-land. I'm glad to see that players now have the ability to ramp up the game difficulty. In the early years of the game, it was notoriously difficult, and after a barrage of complaints from players that kept getting killed by bears and boars, the difficulty was dumbed down to the point where landscape combat was brainless. That is when I started to lose interest in the game. I have not yet tried adjusting the difficulty as I have been away from the game this year, and I believe this is a relatively recent development.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I think so to. The new adjusted difficulty is what I crave in games. I want it to be difficult and I want it to be a pain to deal with because that makes it more engaging for me!

[@kokocaptainqc]

back then? it was level 35 and used to cost you 4g and 220s which was a small fortune and you also had to take a horse to west bree, one to michel delving and one to othrikar THEN do the race track....i remember this game and its events more than my own life lol now they give the riding skill in the intro from the store intro quest ''a little extra never hurts''

[@glec9507]

You do not have to pay for riding skill, you can do tasks to get coins for the store or you can get to level 20.

[@jediwarlock1]

You dont have to buy the riding skill, you can get it the regular way around lvl 30-35 by having to beat a track on a horse within the time given to be given the riding skill.

[@hajsza]

I haven't played LOTRO for about 2 years now so maybe it has been changed, but at the time when I played a lot, only players who subscribed for at least a month could get the riding skill without LP. But my opinion is that it is worth subscribing, because it unlocks a lot of useful features (virtue and trait locks would be removed and it is something I value a lot, also the fast riding system) on all the characters that were active during the subscription period.

[@jediwarlock1]

​@@hajsza From the wiki itself: Other Ways to Obtain Free Quests, Other Purchases You can earn this skill via an in-game quest (no purchase required). It has been like that since the beginning of the game, it never changed. And yes I do agree buying a sub at least just one time is good for all the permanent unlocks.

[@TheScyphozoa]

@@jediwarlock1 You are mistaken. The racetrack quest has only ever been available to subscribers. It's now obsolete though, because of the level 5 quest "A Little Extra Never Hurts" that's available even without subscribing.

[@jediwarlock1]

@@TheScyphozoa Oh really, well then if that is correct then I must only admit I was wrong. That must be because F2Players only get free quests until level 25-30ish? Anyway, Its 100LP for the riding skill right? By 30-35 you should easily have made enough LP just by doing quests and leveling to purchase it.

[@kokocaptainqc]

@@jediwarlock1 you get it in the intro from either Jon brakenbrook for Archet intro or Dwalin in the Thorin's hall intro and its free....if you miss it you can take a travel from south Bree to Mossward then enter the blacksmiths forge and get it there

[@cavetroll666]

Been playing since 2007 and I'm still enjoying it 🙃

[@LostHorizons0]

I love Tolkien but I tried playing I can’t get past the controls it’s like point and click style I thought it was gonna be like eso in terms of mmo movement.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Its a bit dated to be sure, but the game was a simplistic good time at least to me!

[@LostHorizons0]

@@CaffeinatedDad I’m fine with old graphics I don’t mind any of that I mean morrowind is older and the controls are fine. It’s more I was hoping it would be a game With normal wasd movement and it feels more like a RuneScape point and click deal which is a deal breaker for me unfortunately

[@awnstar2139]

I love so much this game since day 1, that i have created and played almost every class with each of them having a crafting profession so i don't need to buy anything from auction house and or also love crafting really a lot! Sadly for me doing so i got so overwhelmed with all those awesome quests 😍on all of my characters having this awesome and simple crafting mechanics 😍that i can't play anymore. I guess my solution will simply to erase them all and i just choose one class🤩, but there i know I'll get stock again🤨...what class may i choose🤤... /sight😮‍💨 only by sharing this I'm already tire 🙄. Thanks for sharing Mr!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I've seen quite a few passionate people about this game and it's one I'm only just getting the feeling for. Lots of people have told me that the game is great and provides tons of hours of playrhriugh enjoyment so I can understand your point

[@awnstar2139]

@@CaffeinatedDad Btw, did you know that if you don't die from level 1 to 20 you get an awesome title!! I love those! Also I got surprised si ce day one all the UI customization we have and the Garde-robe to bank your looks if I remember well🤔.. many games back then and even now have hard time having that..! Guild Wars 2 ♥️ did awesomely great on that🥰. Thanks for replying and have a great time!!

[@gscgold]

I am a long time on and off again player of Lotro, I am back more than ever. WoW just doen't fill that need for me anymore like it did and it hasn't since Legion, I play the start of every expansion and after getting to max level I log out until mid expansion then play 2 weeks then log out until end of expansion and it's been like that since Cata except for Legion which I played the whole time. I first played Lotro in 2010 when they had a free to play for 2 weeks deal I think it was right before they went free to play and I lost that account so made another and I still have it because a friend of mine Gave me Mines of Moria expansion he had and never played. I just started a new free to play account because my main account is just loaded with everything I will ever need. I wanted to experience the Journey that is Lotro again from a fresh start..I am loving it, it will take me a year at least to go through the epic quest lines if not longer and I'm ok with that.

[@themeathouse739]

How did you fix the windowed screen issue?

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I changed it under video options once you are in. It trys to do like a windowed setting

[@brianharms2398]

Use control+\ to move the UI parts wherever you want.

[@tamantije2463]

I started following you because of GW2, but I couldn't find you on twitch. Whats your twitch channel name?

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Caffeinated_Dad_gaming . Only just started dual streaming twitch and KZbin last week!

[@rogergoldwyn3851]

I love Lotr and I just returned to the game yesterday though I am not a OG player I must say I have never seen a more empty world is this normal?

[@Iymarra]

Depends on your server. Landroval and Brandywine are the go tos I believe.

[@morrowoblivion13]

Depending on the server you are looking for. And what time of day is it. For example the people living in the u.k are 5 hours ahead of those living in the East coast of the u.s.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I've not run into too many problems with this tbh!

[@jediwarlock1]

@@Iymarra Arkenstone is the main PvMP and Raiding server. Most players are on Arkenstone. Landroval is the main RP server. Brandywine and Evernight are also up there among the top, but most endgame players migrate to Arkenstone.

[@Daniele_1210]

playing this masterpiece since 15 years

[@dharkbizkit]

Hearing that you didnt knew it even existed, kinda hurts as a person, that bascially lived in that game during its vanilla time. Because in 2008, I breathed this game together with my wife. thats so long ago by this point, that it feels like a different life. I was 23 when i played this, iam almost 39 now..

[@KurtDavis1965]

Turn on auto loot! They added that after I started and it was a great QOL improvement

[@lukasmerten7697]

I've played with the thought of starting out in this game with my gf, but it seemed the game is rather dead with a hundred people playing. Is that true or is it expected to get more lively, maybe with the NPCs in the game?

[@WalkingLegacy]

It would be amazing still, if they just spent a bit of time updating and modernizing it. Love the game, but I hate that the UI doesn't scale past 1080p very well.

[@morrowoblivion13]

There was supposed to be a 30 million dollar investment into the game by the publisher but they cancelled that.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Yeah I can understand that. It's a shame that it hasn't grown the way it possibly could have

[@jesushope2421]

LIKE A quirky josh strife hayes but a dad. subbed

[@CaffeinatedDad]

This is high praise!

[@jesushope2421]

come try WOW sod bro its new, its different@@CaffeinatedDad

[@xytraz]

gonna jump straight in after watching this

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's a good time!

[@scottyboi___8305]

I don't know your taste in memes and references ate so far peak I'm watching you 🥸

[@TwoKnowingRavens]

Lotro is the best MMO ever made in the 3d space. Ultima Online is the GOAT. Lotro does stuffer from dated models , and many weird currency/collectibles but recent updates have begun to address that. But it's easily the best in terms of immersion, lore, replay, and the best world Middle Earth done as lore accurate as possible in most cases.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Honestly I want to log in and spend more time in the game. It was simply relaxing!

[@iridradiant]

GW2 and FFXIV are my go-tos, but I do have a soft spot for this one too. Decently made for the time period it came out.

[@jjswigger8591]

sooo u hate pvp lol

[@eurasiacentertutorials9518]

If I had time I would consider LOTRO but GW2 and other single player games occupy what little free time I have.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It seems very good for casual plays. I've been able to pick it up and put it down a few times and not feel like I've fallen behind

[@frankbonfilio7443]

Pretty brave playing a Warden right off the bat!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It was a curve to be sure lol I love it, though! It's interesting gameplay

[@bootskanchelsis3337]

Been playing for over 12 years myself.

[@Tawarth13191]

What did you think of the lag? I am a veteran player of this game and that is my main gripe about this game. Also sidenote, you play on the same server as me :)

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Haven't experienced much lag yet. Only a bit here and there when really updating the game tbh. Also hey there!

[@Trigarta]

Lotro is a great game, it's gotten old of course. The worst, to me, is defintely the UI and the map. Those things really need an overhaul!

[@GamingDualities]

They also had MOBA called LOTR Conquest. but they scraped it. it has insane potential. total war arena was also removed. msot MOBA studios are totally otudated and only care about conqeust dota players. such a huge niche on the market

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Ahhh that sounds so good! Yeah there's quite a few games that have some really good potential that just never receive the light

[@OdeeOz]

***TIP SAVING UI & RELOADING for other characters. Type the following without quotes once you have your UI set up to your liking... /UI LAYOUT SAVE "name" ...You change Save to Load for other characters. For "Name" I use the characters Class.*** 👍👍🤴⭐