LOTRO - The Lord of the Rings Online

LOTRO: Why I Play, and love, Lord of the Rings Online

I originally 'penned' this post on LOTRO when I first began to play it alongside SWTOR. Being the risk-averse and self-conscious type I was worried that people might not use my blog anymore when I began to play - and write about a different MMO. What actually happened was I made friends in both MMOs and ultimately most of blog developed to be around The Lord of the Rings Online. So, in a brief "overhaul", I'll introduce you to LOTRO and say why I love it.

What is LOTRO?

LOTRO (official site hereExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab)) is an acronym for (The) Lord of the Rings Online and is an MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game). Technically it's an MMORPG - adding in Role-Playing. And, despite Amazon in recent years trying to make a Middle-Earth MMO, LOTRO remains the only one.

Long-Lived

LOTRO Anniversary Event 2023 Guide | 16th Anniversary Celebration

In 2024, LOTRO celebrated its 16th Anniversary, meaning it has been around for a very long time! And, in a forum postExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), Scenario said the team still has the same again (or more) that it could work on!

Middle-Earth Races

As with other MMOs, you can choose different races to play. Being based on Tolkien's work, there are a bunch to choose from: Hobbit, Elf, High Elf, Dwarf, Stout-Axe Dwarf, Race of Man (and Woman) and Beornings.

LOTRO Online?

I love hearing people call the game by this, given the last 'O' in the acronym stands for "Online". This LOTR-based MMORPG is by definition online. Unless they're in maintenance.

Then you'll sometimes find folks with a mock-up of a sign for "Lord of the Rings Offline" in their social feeds!


LOTRO Classes

As you would expect with an MMO, there are plenty of combat styles to choose from.

  1. Beorning: Beornings are both a race and a class. Deal damage in human form then transform into your bearskin and wreak havoc! Can also play as a healer or tank.
  2. Brawler: Punch your enemies, beat them up and smack them down. Enough said!
  3. Burglar: Sneaky little hobbitses! (Or Elvses, Womanses, Dwarveses etc). They use stealth and daggers. 'Nuff said.'
  4. Captain: fight with an NPC companion and support a group in fellowship quests.
  5. Champion: fly face first into battle with two weapons or a two-handed one. Pick your destruction method.
  6. Guardian: Sword and Shield or a two-handed weapon: it's your choice.
  7. Hunter: Master of the Bow and Cross-bow. Also rather adept with melée weapons when attacked at close range.
  8. Lore-Master: A friend to nature in the same vein as Radagast, you have an animal, bird or spirit companion that fights with you. One heals you too.
  9. Mariner: Weild swords or cutlasses in an unusual combat mechanism where you have to watch your balance.
  10. Minstrel: deal destruction or heal allies with your songs and instruments.
  11. Rune-Keeper: the closest thing LOTRO has to "shooting lightning from your hands" is to use Rune-stones. Go fry your foes.
  12. Warden: complete complex combat moves with shock and awe. Can also tank in some situations.

And most of those also has three trait trees, allowing you to customise your settings to a fighting style that suits you.

For more detail check out my LOTRO Classes Guide.

What I Love About LOTRO

So here are some of the reasons why I love LOTRO and why it's now my main MMO.

Tons of Free-to-Play Content

The Beautiful Levelling-Up Animation in LOTRO
LOTRO have always had a good F2P model. For a long time, you've been able to acquire content (like expansions) by completing deeds and earning LOTRO Points.

In 2022, they made all content major zones up to Level 95 quests available for F2P-ers. And you can still earn other areas or features too.

Slower Levelling

StopAndStare - Myrlas and Lamuna in a deep Orange Dusk over the Lone Lands in LOTRO
Compared to the other MMOs I've played, levelling is much slower in LOTRO. Or rather, you can choose content that helps you to level slower.

They even have a Stone of the TortoiseExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), which allows you to stop earning XP if you want to keep on-level. Take time to #StopAndStare, enjoy the views and then do quests when you feel like it.

Role Playing

LOTRO Dualboxing (Multiboxing), How to get started with Duoquesting
Whether you choose to role-play with other players, or with in Middle-Earth solo, you can RP your way. A "speech bubble" system lets you "talk", a rich emote system gives your characters expression and Dualboxing can be set from the client by default. These features have helped me write and "illustrate" my LOTRO FanFiction episodes.
Using LOTRO's Speech Bubbles for Role-Playing

I Could Talk About More...

But I wanted to give you a flavour so you can try it for yourself! And, as you can jump in with a Free-to-Play account, there's no risk in doing so, either. Other features I could have gone into detail are:

  • Wardrobe: collect outfits and share them with all your characters.
  • Plugins: Through a LUA API, LOTRO Plugins and Add-ons are made by the community to enrich your experience.
  • Earnable Mounts: While you can buy mounts from the Store for LOTRO Points LOTRO Points, there are many, many Festival Mounts and earnable Reputation Mounts.
  • Music System: In-game bands sometimes play concerts, using LOTRO's music system. Keep your eyes peeled in community hubs like Bree for concerts!

And probably loads more I've missed!

Recent LOTRO Posts


TL;DR Why I love LOTRO

The Lord of the Rings Online offers an immersive experience into Tolkien's Middle-Earth. With a huge array of races and classes to try, along with customisations on fighting style, you really can make the system work with what you find the most fun. The community comes together in many different forms, whether at Kin events, official festivals or for concerts. And, above all, you can rest and relax in LOTRO and take things at your own pace. You can get started for freeExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) if you want to experience this for yourself. I play another MMO too, but LOTRO is my "digital home". Welcome to Middle-Earth!

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