Why I Still Play LOTRO

In this video, Bludborn discusses why he continues to play Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) after 17 years.
He begins by acknowledging that many people ask him why he still plays the game, and he provides a thoughtful and detailed answer. Bludborn first emphasizes the significance of the Lord of the Rings franchise itself, explaining how his love for the books and movies drew him into the game. He describes the unique experience of exploring Middle-earth and interacting with iconic locations and characters.
Bludborn also discusses the role of nostalgia and time investment in his continued enjoyment of LOTRO. He recalls the countless hours he has spent playing the game and the sense of accomplishment that comes with achieving goals and overcoming challenges. He also highlights the allure of fresh starts on legendary servers, which allow him to relive the early days of the game and experience a sense of nostalgia.
Another important factor for Bludborn is the social aspect of LOTRO. He values the friendships he has formed with other players over the years and the camaraderie within the LOTRO community. He emphasizes that the people he plays with make the game enjoyable and meaningful.
Finally, Bludborn expresses his excitement for the future of LOTRO. He looks forward to exploring new content and experiencing the game's continued evolution. He believes that the game's potential for future growth and development keeps him returning.
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[@emilywagner6354]

I didn't know LOTRO existed until the Mines of Moria release, and to be honest, I almost quit the game before my 10-day trial period ended, but then something hooked me and I've been playing obsessively ever since. I don't stay up until 3AM playing anymore (because I'm old, lol), and I'm kinda burned on the end-game experience, but older content still brings me joy. I would not consider myself a real "gamer." I'm more of a dabbler. But I have been a huge Tolkien fan since I read The Hobbit and LOTR way back in the 70s. So I still play LOTRO because it's Middle-earth, and it's the best chance I'll ever have to live in this beloved world where I have wanted to go since I was 11.

[@Bludborn]

I hadn’t heard that story before. Thanks for sharing!

[@Othraerir]

how good are all the stories and side quests, amazing game.

[@taylemgames2652]

100%. LOTRO end-game is blech. LIs and Essences are just terrible.

[@FreeBander]

I have been playing LOTRO from Day 1 on the Landroval Server.I've met alot of great people over the years in the game.I have a lifetime account and glad i have it.I have the 17 year Title Merrymaker.Great Game for sure.

[@Bludborn]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for the comments!

[@Stands-In-The-Fire]

I think a lot of people who don't play MMOs (or just play them casually/solo/occasionally) vastly underestimate how much of a hook the last part can have. The people are so often the reason for sticking around when something is a World as much as it is a Game.

[@czar8206]

Getting through Moria is one of greatest accomplishments of the game imo makes you appreciate just what the fellowship went through and after getting through the mine you get rewarded with my favorite zone in the game Mirkwood... after being stuck in the mines for what seems like forever you finally get out and its amazing and just keeps you going and exploring

[@glynnebradley]

Been playing since release. Have three lifetime accounts (mine, my spouse's and one for the kids that doesn't get used since they're busy raising families). You summed up the reasons that apply to me quite well. Chiefly being there's always something to do. Thanks for what you do here and on the other platforms.

[@Bludborn]

Thanks for the reply and kind words. 😀

[@tequila6955]

I just came back to LotRO after years away and it is still outstanding.

[@TheRuhutta]

Aww man Blud this vid hit me hard, LOTRO has been almost my entire "memorable" life to date. Being on in my mid 20s and having started playing between 2007-2008 like yourself, this game just has a hold on me haha. Loved all the times I played with you doing the Umbar instances and out in the Moors, and ofc watching your streams. Taking a break from the game due to some heavy burnout, but I'll be back for sure. As always, great video homie!

[@Bludborn]

Thanks Ru!

[@BacchusZA]

Good video Blud :) Like you say, it's hard to quite playing after so long and so much time invested, when you have been playing since the very beginning. And it's also the best and most faithful realisation of Tolkien's world, one where *you* get to determine where you're going and what you're going to do, and what you're going to see today. There's not another game like it out there, even though there's a veritable sea of MMOs, including newer and "shinier" ones, to choose from.

[@Bludborn]

Thanks! Always good to hear from ya sir! Hope you’re doing well. 🙂

[@Laverty318]

I remember having to call my buddy on the home phone to ask if he wanted to log on. Miss this game

[@Bludborn]

Not the home phone! LOL

[@mooreaper]

I play LOTRO based on many of the reasons you shared, the nostalgia, the IP, and most certainly the fact the game treats itself as a world that leverages an IP.

[@AthenaKeatingThomas]

I saw each movie as it came out of course and loved them all. I watched them a number of times over the years. Then around 5 years ago I found LOTRO. I didn't get hooked immediately but I grew to like it during my trial. I played it for a few years until I got through most of the content with my main. Then I watched the movies again. It made an enormous difference after having "experienced" so many different places in the game. I loved the movies even more! I'm sure I'll be picking up LOTRO again when I have more time to game. There'll be new stuff to enjoy!

[@Bludborn]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@ThePaladinsTavern]

Great video, man! I'm always impressed over how professional and intelligent your analysis is in your videos and streams. Keep up the great work!

[@JUANORQUIO]

WoW! That’s Awesome And Incredibly Exciting!

[@LemtheBeast]

Great video man! New to your channel, never played LOTRO but keen to give it a whirl!

[@Bludborn]

Thanks for the comment and hope you check it out!

[@christiansvenjimmiekarlsso1876]

Thats what i like about LOTRO, it makes the books come to life a bit! I tried it when it came out but WoW had me hooked. Started playing first maybe 2010, and has been on and off since then!

[@GasFayce]

I agree with everything you said! My only regret is that I didn't purchase a lifetime sub at $99 when I had the chance! Huge fail on my part! But being a Tolkien geek I will play this game until the servers shut down, or I do, whichever comes first!

[@Bludborn]

I wish I had the lifetime too 😭😭😭

[@j72ashley]

My buddy I got into the beta got the lifetime sub and hasn't logged in for years. I almost got it but other games took priority. I do look forward to catching up with content soon

[@rubytolle6569]

I've been playing LOTRO for 9 years for reasons you have shared in this video, plus the fact that they keep adding to it, patching problems, etc. There have been a lot of new expansions and added levels since I started playing. I really appreciate that SSG has not just left this game behind like so many others have done with their games. I play on Arkenstone, Evernight and recently started on Angmar VIP. I have many alts and, at one time or another, I've played all classes. I have played WOW, Guild Wars 2, Black Desert, ESO and several other games, but I keep coming back to LOTRO and that's where I have stayed now for going on three years. With all they are adding to LOTRO, I doubt that I will ever leave again for other games.

[@andytorres2395]

I also start in 2007 and revisit it ever few years. I'm having a blast on Angmar though and have found myself super invested.

[@TheOrderofDylan]

What a great thoughtful video! Excited to come back to the game. I really missed this world.

[@Bludborn]

Thanks Dylan! It still shocks me a bit who I am able to connect with around LOTRO!

[@Grimaldo354]

It has infinite playability, there's no rush to grind, its relaxing, its fun, there's really no downside. Even it's graphics are way ahead of its time, and plus like you said: its LOTR. That's the greatest fantasy universe of all time.

[@nightowl835]

well said blud and agreed with on all points!

[@Bludborn]

Thanks Nightowl!

[@PontinFinnberry]

Playing LOTRO since November 2010, I first saw the free to play ad. with Gandalf saying, "You Shall Not Pay!" (I look back at it now and think its kind of a cheesy ad.), and never left, what keeps me going is its set in Middle-earth and and get experience what Tolkien wrote about and explore it, another one is the community and online friends who keep me around, i do a lot of fun things with my kinship, planning events, running instances, group leveling alts and so on (just two days ago our kinship turned 14 years old), now Its not a perfect game, LOTRO has its issues here and there, but its fun with friends or even solo and keeps me around it.

[@Bludborn]

PONT! Thanks for sharing your story!

[@TheReallyPersistentGamer]

Great Video! I find the general peacefulness of the world a wonderful change from so many dark depressing games.

[@Hiusku]

Tbh, I envy you a little. I started my Lotro journey aroud... Rise of Isengard or Riders of Rohan. Back then, I joined one of oldest kinship's from my country and it was a blast. Doing dungeons in Moria, fighting Watcher for the first time are still one of my best memories of the game. Like you, I meet some of my kin friends IRL, first time I did something like that and it was a blast... but later, they show up less and less, my best buddy (we meet like 14 years ago in same hospital) also stopped playing. My kin died and I play alone for some time. Later on I join another kin, full of players, weekly events and so on but it wasn't the same, I don't connect with them the same way. So, even in kinship, I played alone. I did most dungeons and raids with PUG's. Today, I don't play Lotro, I jump in from time to time and I always buy new expansion to support SSG, there is still something magical about this game... but I feel that I don't have mental strength to play MMO's (don't know if Destiny 2 counts as MMO). Now I mostly play single player games or some COOP games (Deep Rock Galactic, Darktide etc). Maybe one day I will find my place in Lotro again but for now... I can't find myself in Lotro.

[@sirgozer]

Brother, great video.

[@Bludborn]

Thanks Gozer!

[@HappyWolf182]

I played World of Warcraft from release day 2004 off and on through 2015 and completely missed out on LOTRO! I've always been a huge fan of LotR but was too loyal to WoW to even try lotro back then. I just made my first character tonight and the game feels fantastic! Super nostalgic feeling and the appearance actually looks decent imo. People in the game seem waaay less toxic/elitist compared to WoW.

[@wholesomejoe]

I just started playing, even though I've tried it here and there over the years. I think the reason why I've returned is because all other MMOs have moved on from the traditional slower paced MMO model to "get to the end as fast as possible, skip all the good stuff, play solo all the time"

[@kharekelas4259]

The Battle for Middle-Earth series also are very great games! And I'm also a huge fan of lotro, though haven't played it after the West Rohan expansion.

[@Lord_Afgul]

Hear hear!

[@Misosykkuno]

I've been playing for over 2 weeks and its a lot of fun I've come from world of warcraft and play that since end of vanilla to shadowlands i wish i played lotro sooner but since of 64 bit server i said f it why not and its been a blast ill keep playing the music is a master peace as well I love the world as well

[@Bludborn]

Hell yeah! Welcome to Middle-earth! Thanks for sharing!

[@thechad865]

Been playing since launch with a few breaks for life events (damn kids.) Still playing and enjoying. Arkenstone baby!

[@JuliusWise]

No one is playing Gollum hahaha, Nice video man

[@BobtheMoneythedbr]

I love lotro

[@Bludborn]

Facts.

[@MountainOMakeBelieve]

I'd love to get into LOTRO but I'm married and don't have time or a dedicated PC anymore

[@Domi809-]

Is a great game I usually take break I’m out for a 1 year but I’m back for the new expan in November 🤭

[@BobtheMoneythedbr]

Rofl at the golem game reference

[@Bludborn]

I just couldn't help myself LOL

[@aidynoconnor582]

For those who are looking to experience Lotro as it was at its absolute peak, the Echoes of Angmar server (which will be launching soon) is the only true vanilla server project. It's an opportunity for the players who were there back when the game first launched, to re-live the adventure before the game devolved in quality with some of the later content, and an opportunity for the players who found the game late in its life and never had the chance to experience it early on, to finally play it in its original state.

[@charliemiddleton2024]

Sup, Blud?

[@Bludborn]

Suuuuhhh

[@TheLotroNerd]

Use lossless scaling to get better fps.

[@smigget3415]

I really love lotro. It gives me my lotr fix. But the lag stresses me out. Whenever I'm really into a zone, travelling and questing, I'm pulled out of the moment by stuttering or slow environmental loading. Even with a decent modern gaming laptop, even with 64bit and a server in the EU, lotro does not run properly. And it is sooo tiring.

[@werskantti]

No endgame, 1 raid per expansion, 4 instances. Been playing on/off since Rohan and enjoyed the journey, but when servers and backend spaghetti doesnt allow us to run lag free in instances Umbar was letdown. Never say never, but most likely I wont be coming back for new expansion IF there is no endgame content

[@JohnDoe-xl1ig]

Personally, I don't think it's a good game, it's just only middle earth themed MMO. If it wasn't lord of the rings, it would have been shut down 10-12 years ago. I bought it week it went live in 2007, and I quit after first month. 2000-2010 was the ERA of the MMORPG and if you bring up a list, I could probably name off a handful of games I enjoyed more than LOTRO that were just better games overall. Still, it was hard to compete with WoW back then because WoW had everything you wanted from MMORPG at that point in time. LOTRO felt like the much inferior product because it was, outside of pipeweed, the Shire, and traveling to Bree on your hobbit rogue with your newly acquired cape... and upon entering Bree in 2007 the chat was lively with Intel vs AMD debate and endless array of LFG because nothing in those days could be completed without atleast 2 of players.

[@Bludborn]

Hey that’s all good. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Have a good one!

[@ssjalin]

Game store is a greedy mess and mob difficulty is a joke, despite scalable difficulty.

[@Friiqi]

first

[@af6756]

The game poses no challenge whatsoever and your HP bar never gets reduced below 90%. Leveling is not fun this way.. I don't get you people. It's like a single player game played on less than minimum difficulty.

[@wally9935]

You can change the difficulty brah

[@LightS_bRight]

Landscape difficulty is a thing

[@af6756]

Done that and it helped a little but landscape difficulty is only active in open world content. You go from killing mobs in 10 secs to 1 - 2 secs whenever doing epic quests for example. How immersion breaking is that 😔

[@LightS_bRight]

@@af6756 true, that's something to bring up in forums. People probably have already talked about it. I heard legendary servers are tougher too. Which is subscriber lock servers.

[@khatack]

That is a good question. That game is crap and wasting time with it is shameful to say the least.

[@kharekelas4259]

The Battle for Middle-Earth series also are very great games! And I'm also a huge fan of lotro, though haven't played it after the West Rohan expansion.

[@TheRuhutta]

Well worth it if you ever decide to come back! They have delved quite deep into Middle Earth these last few xpacs, you really get a feel for EVERYTHING that Tolkien had/has to offer in his creation of our favorite world.

[@Bludborn]

I have both of them sitting on my shelf right now!