Printable View
...it was hard to find Old Sally, and had to backtrack others doing the quest until I found her start location.
...I didn't actually know where Rivendell was -- and died twice trying to avoid aggro at level 10.
...being afraid to go off the road to see Weathertop because all the mobs around me were double my level.
What do you remember?
-Forjo
...in one of the stress test betas, my lvl 12 self and my lvl 14 friend were res-circle bouncing all over north downs and ram duath. Eventually we got to an area that we couldn't physically make it out of. We knew roughly where the previous res-circle was, but we'd get a couple screens away from it and be one-hit by something purple.
... I was going to the Brigand HQ in Chetwood on my first character, and I didn't really understand the game and I didn't know how to get in a group, and I died over and over and over and over and over again trying to get to Jagger Jack...
I kid you not--I earned pretty much two complete Champion deeds just from all the time I spent fighting brigands in there.
I definitely remember my first Rivendell run. Not as early in level as yours, but still dangerous, and grand, and rewarding.
I remember looking on Angmar's broken sky for the first time.
I remember the thrill of soloing my first Elite Master (a random wight in Agamaur - I was well over-levelled, but still a squishy hunter, and it was close).
I remember feeling like I was in a familiar place the first time I logged on my new hobbit in the Shire...and I remember finding goblins in the woods!
I remember running around in the Shire for the first time and thinking "omg it's gorgeous!" (I still think that a year later)
I remember thinking I was rich when I passed the 100 silver mark.
I remember being afraid when I was in the Old Forest, heard something rustling, turned around, and saw a tree chasing me.
I remember saving padded shirts and pants around level 5 thinking I'd use the ones that dropped from mobs instead of repairing the ones I was wearing. :D
I remember when Archet was pretty much the whole world.
I remember hitting lvl 14 and being really excited about getting the bear pet.
I remember venturing into the Old Forest the first time... and shortly thereafter running right back out of it with my tail between my legs.
I remember mining my first silver node and feeling like I just hit the jackpot.
I remember finding Sam's old Gaffer offering a quest and deciding on the spot that this was the MMO for me.
So many things I recall, but one of my faves would have to be.
I remember the closed beta Stealth Stress test, where we had a mass of lowish level burgs. And the loud stealth detect noise going off every couple seconds. Following the orders from Patience to do certain stuff at specific times, so they could get their numbers.
But I especially remember, they were gonna erect a memorial drake statue for all the burgs who died trying to bring those drakes down. I keep checking around Overhill/Bindpole woods in hopes... not that I expect it there, but sometimes I just re-remember it. (Other pic, larger with UI)
http://i29.tinypic.com/25t867n.jpg
I remember during open beta when everyone was level 15... I all got in a group of 6 level 15s to go into the Lone Lands because one of the guildies had to do a crafting quest. We were so scared! None of us had been there before, and all the mobs were red or purple. It was completely empty and barren there. Really intimidating. I didn't even see weathertop, or know weathertop was there, I was too busy hoping we didn't get pulverized by the red half-orcs.
I remember doing the archet beginning instance on my hobbit expecting to come out in the human starting area and finding out to my shock that not only did they put the Shire in the game, but I was there. It was night time and the moon reflected off of the river and little waterfalls flowing out of Little Delving. It was so beautiful I almost cried. I ran around taking pictures of everything I saw because there was no way I could afford to pay for this game, so when open beta ended it would be the last I saw of it. It broke my heart because I was seeing the Shire for the first time, and I had so longed to see it.
Yeah, long story short, I made it happen and bought an account, but it took a lot of work.
I remember when the Old, Old, Old Forest (before the last two Nerfs) was a place to behold and you had a sense of accomplishment finding your way out alive even if you did have your tail tucked between your legs and a few scratches to show for it. (And I truly miss that paranoid feeling of jumping in your chair and looking around every time you heard the sound of rustling leaves or creaking branches coming from behind you)
I remember when making it to the top of Weathertop was no easy task and you'd have just enough time to catch your breath and take one look around at the amazing view before the mobs would respawn and you had to get back to being on your toes.
I remember when making it all the way to Rivendell on foot when you were lvl 18 was something to brag about.
I remember impaling myself over and over on Elite Signature Boss after another until I figured out the best way to take them down and felt good about it afterwards. Now that they are just Signatures they aren't generally any more difficult than the boar/wolf/bear you just got done grinding into oblivion. Where's the next Mob Boss I have to blindly grind?
I remember spending more time exploring the regions of Middle Earth than worrying about Quests and Traits and Deeds and Reputation.
I remember my first time doing Chicken-Play, the Pie Quest, the Post Quest and the Tavern League Crawl and not thinking it was tedious at all.
I remember my first time trying to catch Gollum and actually thinking I might have had a chance to do so!
I remember my first time I wandered solo into Helegrod in my lvl 30 somethings wanting to explore and within but a few seconds of running for my life screaming I died a hideous and most painful death. That for me was the best death I ever had!
I remember the very first time I saved Lalia and kept asking myself "What is this girl's malfunction?" but I still helped her despite that. Now, I just ignore her, wanting to let Darwinism to take it's course and Naturally Select her own way out of the gene-pool.
Hearing all these memorable stories about the Old Forest makes me wish I would have experienced it back in the day when it was still frighteningly scary...
Well, honestly, I think a lot of the people who don't think it's frightening say so because they've already been there a million times. My brother and my mom have started playing, and their characters are in the old forest for the first time. They're terrified of it. I've had to walk over to their computers just to help them navigate out of it. My brother still won't go in there if his map is on cooldown or he won't be able to find his way out.Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverBauble
It's easy for those of us who have been playing for a year, but it's still hard for the newbies.
They all make me sad really.
So much to love about this game. So much that is going in the wrong direction when it comes to things like the petting zoo where once the Old Forest stood. Few things compare to that first trip in there, through the secret door of the Brandybucks and how it changes from pastural music and dappled sunlight to that ominus music and the drums and darkness!
It is all so tragic that they killed it and replaced it with the Stepford Forest.
As for the good stuff...
I remember leaving the Elven pre-game area and being transported to Falathorn. That is STILL one of the most breathtaking places, that greeting pavilion!
I remember being paranoid of getting over my level so half the Shire was below my level when I arrived there lol! But I still did tons of quests there just cause it was THE FREAKIN SHIRE!!!
I remember how cool it was to see that first walking tree (Bimbol Wood (sp), behind the spider nests!)
I remember my first trip inside the Great Barrow and having to leave the fellowship eventually because I ran out of money to repair and could not even repair my broken weapon.
I remember by first hard-core fellowship fight - to get the goblin chief, at night, south of the Forsaken Inn.
I remember my first trip way up the Green Way, out of Tolkien's detailed world into Terra Incognita, and being shocked to find civilization up there in the form of Trestlebridge and again at Esteldin!
I remember my first hunting trip to Nen Harn (turtle soup) and how amazing it was to be in the wilderness alone for two days, prospecting and get my @$$ kicked by snapper turtles!!
I remember meeting Radagast the Brown and getting some tourist snapshots.
I remember tippy toeing around the first 100 yards of the Trollshawls to get my first Dwarf Iron and Lebathron, and running for my life back to the bridge over and over persuade by Purple mobs.
Of course I remember my first trip to Rivendell at L27 and the thrill of being lost on the high moor and finding the hidden valley.
Oh and remember seeing a wooly mammoth alive in a snowy pass. Spectacular, even if I sometimes wish they would have left oliphants in Far Harad where they belong,
As a newbie, I wanna agree that the Old Woods are delightfully creepy! Not super hard, though I can see how it could be very hard, but the ambiance is wonderful. I look around whenever the music alters a little, expecting to see a wolf or spider coming my way!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrysoprase
Oh the atmosphere is still creepy and yes the unknown is scarier than something explored. So partly we miss that unknown. But no doubt the agro has dropped a great deal. The fear is in the music now, not in any real fear of getting defeated, even with L15 characters.
I remember
- When I could DF with no cooldown and no 'traveling rations' so that I could insta travel across zone by just knowing where the rez circles spawn.
- When I died for the first time to Pampraush in Limael's Vineyard
- The big floor hole in Gondamon... I still have a habit of running around that spot
- When I ran into Kheledul in Ered Luin thinking it was another dwarf city to get more quests... 2nd time I died
- The 3rd time I died in the 'Original Closed Beta Old Forest'(tm)... Biggest Spider/Tree/Wolf train EVER (this was before DF)
- When the level 30 elite wolf was incorrectly placed just east of Gondomon and I was curious enough to fight it at level 12 (and promptly die)
And Finally...
- When I first saw Hayoo's ( http://www.visionsofthering.com ) first overhead maps of bree-town that he teadiously cut-pasted and got so excited to put these in the FIRST google maps of middle earth ( http://www.arda-online.com/map ) before all the copy-cats came around (I'm looking at you Turbine Lorebook /reported)
I remember running in the LL at lvl 12 or 13 during early open beta (I like to explore :D) and thinking how creepy it was seeing those purple half-orcs just standing around. Then, if one got after you that "arrrggggh" yell they do freaked me out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrysoprase
One day I just took off and said I was going to make it to Rivendell and I did. That memorable trip still makes me smile. I went at night with the trolls on the road and everything. It was awesome. After I got there, I didn't want to leave.
Edit: forgot something - those wargs in LL - first time I ever fought one and it howled at me, I jumped. I still think the howl the wargs do can send a chill up your spine if the setting is right. A+ on the warg howl, Turbine
When I tried to get my friends to escort my alt cook to the Trollshaws at lv 15 to complete the final cooks quest and having the first boar in eyesight come running over and insta kill my cook all the way back to the Shire. :(
- Fighting wights in Ered Luin. First character. Baby hunter shredding through them. Tab, kill, tab, kill, tab... hmm.. the portraits different. SPLAT. Learned real quick about Elites and Signatures.
- Getting to Rivendell the first time. Just standing at the top of the entrance in total awe.
- The Old Forest (pre-nerf). Trying to do the "Fresh Water" quest.... talk about train. I think I had 4 trees, 8 spiders and a couple wolves on my tail. Didn't complete that quest that time. Did find out you can go out to the west and around the mountain to avoid most of the aggro.
- Thief Takers Bane. When it was a challenge. The feeling of accomplishment when we finally beat it after 9 attempts.
- Trying to get to Carn Dum before people had learned the routes. Ended up in the back of the caves. 6 man fellowship. Killing spiders.... until Mommy showed up... we almost beat her too, until the rest of the family decided to join us.
- Loremaster and Captain pets could path correctly... err wait that still hasn't happened.
- Getting to the top of Weathertop the first time.
- Getting to the Bruinen Fords the first time.
- Finding Lobiella in front of Bag End. And wishing I could attack NPC's. :)
There's a ton. Looking forward to all the new stuff coming out soon.
From the moment I first started playing LOTRO 13 months ago that was the first major accomplishment I wanted to achieve...go to Rivendell. It saddened me that I had to wait so long until lvl 18, but even then it was more than a challenge and accomplishment to get there. Basically you set aim for the Eastern horizon and kept running and running until you got there, stopping for nothing. I thought I was a goner when a Troll in the Trollshaws got in a lucky hit as I sped by and knocked me off a cliff causing fall damage (and reduced run rate), but somehow I still got away, refusing to give up. You know what, feasting my eyes upon Rivendell the very first time was worth every bit of the effort!Quote:
Originally Posted by Doronlas
I'm sure everyone felt the same way which is probably why Turbine probably cleared the roads to Rivendell so that anyone can walk the entire way now without encountering a single mob along the entire journey. You still see them hovering a few feet off the road, but as long as you don't leave the path it's a cake-walk now.
I wonder if I hadn't ever been to Rivendell if it would give the same sense of awe and satisfaction seeing it now knowing that everyone+dog can get there easier than making it to Gum Drop Mountain.
I guess I've never been too fond of the "I'm paying for the game therefore I'm entitled to go anywhere I please, even at lvl 1" mentality as opposed to earning your way and paying your dues to get there. Good things usually are worth waiting and working for. But I guess as a business Turbine has to think about catering to all customers.
- When there was only Bree-land and the shire
- When Garth Agarwen was as popular as The Rift
- When you got your crafting tools from Fornost
- That 6-man Helegrod attempt before the raid mechanic was in game
- When it took 12,000 ore to GM metalsmith.... every wipe
- When Rain of Arrows had no cooldown, 100% crit chance and 100% crit modifier
- When Swift Bow had a shorter induction than quick shot
- When Guardians could AoE force taunt 3 targets with unlimited range
- When Captains could actually heal themselves
- When FM's had no immunity timers
- When almost everything was BoA with no N/G/P system in place
- When you ran to Rivendel just to buy the elven armor and actually used it in combat
- When you could name your characters whatever you want (Legolas, Leader of the Lore Police kinship :P)
- When people still took you seriously and respected you more when you carried a kinship tag named "Pink Alpha Fairies"
- When you at least knew everyone was over the age of 18 (err mostly)
- When a champ could solo anything by using his horn
- When you could "farm" 10g a day while watching TV
- When you couldnt even buy a stack of rich iron for 5g- noone was selling
- When most mobs/zones were named "Delete_Me" or "Fix_Me"
- When you checked the Rammas Deluon after every update to see if EA was open yet
- When Guardians had 2g+ repair bills
- When a critted one-shot could sell for 70g
I remember in early closed beta, nobody had reached level 40, and few people had gone to rivendell. it was awesome. I think on the last day of closed beta I lead about 15 people over there. And also when every purple was heavily prized. And when a LOT of weapons glowed blue (that was cool)
EDIT: reading the post above, yeah. Swift bow being insta cast or almost.. when money was SOOOO easy to come by, and then impossible to come by, before they balanced it. And all the stuff Solitude mentioned
Ooh, I also remember when about 6 of us were level 15 in open beta and wanted to quest in the Barrow Downs... we went there and walked on top of a barrow where about 6 wights spawned. We killed them and they dropped so many things that you could roll on that we just stood there, farming them. It was HARD. I was trying to tank them, and it was scary because they kept popping out of the ground and casting fear on us. To this day I steer clear of those mounds.
Oh man... so many memories!
I remember my first time in the game. My first MMO ever, too, so I was very confused. I could barely figure out how the fellowship function work. It wasn't until my second Open Beta character that I discovered the bard and traits. Man.
I remember the opening scene, with Amdir and the Ringwraith. I was so excited, and terrified. It was amazing.
I remember seeing Bree for the first time, completely empty. I wandered all throughout the town looking for the Prancing Pony. I finally had to get out my map and research everywhere because I couldn't find it.
I remember seeing the first stable pony, and someone riding it. I was absolutely amazed.
I remember seeing the first person on a horse that wasn't a stable pony. Amazed, and jealous.
I remember when I first saw Aragorn (my favorite character), in the Pony inn room with 20 other people around him. I stayed there for a while XD
I remember my first time in the Old Forest- you know, before it became stupidly easy. Honestly, they need that type of map for GA, Fornost, and CD... not the friggin Old Forest. But anyways. When the trees started to attack me, I completely flipped. I got so lost in there. I actually fell off a cliff running away from everything... into Goldberry's pool. Such relief XD
I remember when I first saw Bag End, and Crickhollow. Happiness.
I remember my first time on the summit of Weathertop. I fell off. XD It was a breath-taking view.
I remember the first time I ran to Rivendell, in my mid-20s. All the purple mobs were absolutely terrifying, but I was determined to reach it. And my first view... I was absolutely taken away by the sight. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in the game.
There are so many other memories from way back when... I cannot wait to see where this game goes.
Laire, thanks for reminding me of one I forgot too...Quote:
Originally Posted by Laire
I remember the first time my very first character made it to Duillond. After the initial awe wore off and I was able to move, I wandered over to the tower on the cliff overlooking the river and setup to take my first screenshot to show all of my friends. I did F12 to get rid of my interface, zoomed in and kept nudging the game camera further and further out until...*PLOP* I fell over the edge and died from Misadventure in my very first hour of playing. I still keep that very first screenshot as my desktop wallpaper.
I remember that it was never hard to find Old Sally but that in Beta and then in Open Beta she was often bugged and wouldn't let you continue the quest :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Forjo
I remember when the LFF and Advice channel in Bree wasn't full of gold adverts.
I remember the suicidal rental horse between Duillond and Celondim in beta that would first smash you into the side of a mountain, then run right off the cliff, plunging you both to your deaths!
I remember going with some kinsmen into Bag end for the first time looking at the decor, and getting pics in front of the fireplace.
I remember my first foray into the Great Barrows, and how lost we kept getting (since I can't think 3 dimensionally anyway). I still don't like that place as I will just get lost again.
I remember duoing trolls in the trollshaws back in beta with Swiss as his burglar, and I on my guardian. Yeah it can still be done, but I have a specific recollection of having a ton of fun participating in conjunctions for my first times really.
I remember the first time I exited Archet, and seeing all these quests in Combe. Thinking to myself "wow". then heading down the road to Staddle and thinking, "What more quests", How will I ever do all these :)
I remember when Archet was the whole world too. Way back in Alpha 0.
I remember having so many wolves aggro on you that you would die before you got half way to the hunter's lodge. Then, after they fixed it, I remember having 6 to 8 or more people waiting to jump on the next poor wolf that spawned. You HAD to fellowship just to get your wolf kills! You also took your life in your hands to visit Cal Sprigley, you were nothing more than spider food.
I remember when the quilted armour looked so much like fishnet stockings that my sister-in-law wouldn't play because that was so NOT LOTR. (She is a lifer now ;))
I also remember when Old Sally wasn't even a pig. She was a pony! :)
I remember my first trip to Rivendell. It was when they had first put it in the game and right before they were going to wipe all of our characters again. I took my level 14 Champion all the way there. The whole way looked more like the Lonelands than the Trollshaws of today, and all the creatures were "delete me" or "fix me". I got killed by a "delete me" but that was the only time I died. About all that was in Rivendell was Elrond's house and a few trees. I thought it was beautiful then. Imagine how it blew my mind when I got back there after it was finished!
I remember MEO
and I remember LOTRO closed Alpha, Alpha 2, closed Beta, Beta 2... and so on.
Oh those were the days.
First had to find her on the chicken quest. Didn't know who it was, but after a couple of hours (more than 1 session) I gave up and checked the web. Then I made a beeline to Sally, and she wasn't there. And she wasn't along the path to the farm either. I went back with my real character too to check. She appeared to just be missing. But she reappeared the next day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Forjo
Sneaking my way to Rivendell AT NIGHT as a level 6 burg:D nothing since has matched the total rush of trying get pass trolls that are 6 or 7 times your own level:D too bad the newer players cant experience that level of excitement anymore with the new aggro code.
I remember when yellow armor/weapons were good but purple was the best!
I remember when Bree was THE place to be.
I remember when rain was introduced... and how the sound would glitch out ;)
I remember a long Conga line in Bree with +Nod the last night before open beta began.
I remember Patience and her instant touch turning us all level 50 for one night... so we had half a chance against the Devs :p
I remember the first time I saw the troll in the shire... NOT stone but walking! :eek:
Like others, I too remember thinking how rich I was when I had my first 100 silver. :o
Lots of good memories, many more to come I hope.
Everybody keeps mentioning the Rivendell run. I did it with my level 10 utility jeweler a day or so after 13 released, and it still was no treat. Took me four tries. I was still aggroing every cave claw, boar, bear, and crawler in and out of sight, and I think I may have pulled a few from other zones.
No aurochs pulled however (which were the biggest pain because of the stun charge), but stags did (which I don't remember doing so before). True, the wandering stone trolls now have a 5-second threat, but the old 2-second timer wasn't really all that hard to beat. Also, there seem to be more stealthed lynxes now along the path where it picks up on the High Moor.
In comparison, when I ran my first character to Rivendell at level 8 back last May, I made it on the first try without much difficulty. Back then, though, I think there were alot more players in the area soaking up aggro.
On the other hand, from all the posts I've read, I just haven't had the heart to go into the Old Forest since 13.
I remember when I first found Bilbo, after doing my own Rivendell run at about lv 25 (squishy hunter). seeing him, my eyes welled up with tears and I took several screenshots. it was like meeting an old friend, or maybe a childhood hero.
then I couldn't find that darn first riddle item for literally months. :)
I remember being in Combe for 2 days and thinking that I was in Bree that every one was talking about. Then I was amazed at how big the real Bree was!
I remember Alpha, Closed Beta & Open Beta. And I remember the day they announced that as beta testers and founding members we would have an option to take a lifetime subscription. I remember thinking that it was a no brainer!
I remember not telling ANYONE what I was doing for fear of violating the NDA and losing the chance to beta test this game!
I remember server wipe after server wipe sometimes having to start over from scratch after less than a week and wondering if I was EVER gonna manage to keep any of the cool drops I was getting.
I remember them telling us (at the end of closed beta) that we would be able to take characters forward into launch instead of having to start from scratch yet again. And I remember mapping out what I was going to roll and how I was going to cap all those characters so I could hit launch day running! (There sure were a lot of lvl 15s running around that first day!)
I remember when it seemed like I would never have a gold to my name... it was just SO MUCH money!
I remember discovering that you could actually SIT DOWN in a chair or on a bed. This discovery was followed by my sitting in every chair I came across and taking a photo of myself in most of them!
I remember smoking for what seemed like hours on end... just because I could!
I remember when there was no information available anywhere on the internet regarding where to go or how to complete a quest. And how cool it felt to solve the puzzles and complete them on my own... without spoilers!
I remember taking countless screen caps of doors/windows without building walls, floating grass, holes in the world, mis-matched textures and stuck mobs that I submitted to the bug team (along with coordinates) so they could get things squared away. (I still think that allowing us to attach pictures to bug reports was a brilliant move!)
I remember spending entire play sessions exploring just because the chances were good that I would find a place of indescribable beauty that I had never seen before. (One of these times I wandered through the gap between two hills and came upon a small wooded area with a large pond, the surface of which was covered in water lilies. Simply amazing! I stood there and thought "they made this just so folks like me could wander in and discover it."
I remember being utterly lost in the Old Forest (and in closed beta, yeah, it was that scary) and coming across Tom Bombadil's house (quite by accident) and being awestruck by the fact that it was there and that I was there!!!
I remember the phantom bear and almost being scared off a rental pony when he roared at me on my way to Lone Lands.
I remember when the cost of a rental pony was very dear (sometime half or more of all the money you had) and you could get knocked off your ride just by opening your inventory or character screen during the trip. It felt like such a rip off to lose a good chunk of the only money you had AND get left standing in the dust midway through the trip.
I remember when the ore nodes in Lone Lands were almost flat to the ground and were really hard to find.
I remember the first time I fellowed for "Retaking Weathertop". It was (and in my mind remains) the best instance run I've ever been a part of!
I remember making my way to the Ford of Brennen and standing there in ankle deep water looking around 360 degrees and thinking "well, here's another thing they got right!"
I remember the first time I saw a "living" troll during my first run to Rivendell. I remember going there (that first time) at night, even though my kin warned me repeatedly (in kin chat) that there were trolls on the road that were purple to me and would have me for lunch... (I know... I can see one now...)
I remember heaving a sigh of relief heading down the path in that last stretch before you know that you are out of the mountains, safe and almost to Rivendell.
I remember seeing Rivendell stretched out below me for the first tine and how it was so beautiful it took my breath away.
I remember finally making it to Trestlebridge and feeling saddened by the fires and the desolation of the area. But uplifted by the determination of the NPCs that "lived" there.
I remember moving on into North Downs and being blown away by how BIG the game was... how the zones seemed to go on forever!
I remember my first pony ride from Estelden back to Trestlebridge and taking about a hundred screenshots during the ride.
I remember duoing almost every day with another hunter (during closed beta) and then finding out that she was one of the developers!
And every time I think back about how much we've seen so far, I smile and remember that the 1st expansion is coming and that we ain't seen nothing yet!
Great response.
Is this place still around? If so, where?Quote:
Originally Posted by OldBlueDragon
Hah! you reminded me of my first time in Bombadil's house. After I fell into Goldberry's spring, I ran around the forest, stumbled in the spider's area, was webbed, and died. I ended up rezzing at Bombadil's place for the first time... and I was so happy to be there. It was definitely one of the best deaths in the game for me. So awesome.Quote:
I remember being utterly lost in the Old Forest (and in closed beta, yeah, it was that scary) and coming across Tom Bombadil's house (quite by accident) and being awestruck by the fact that it was there and that I was there!!!
LOL, I remember this! I freaked out *so* much when I first saw the troll wandering right outside of Thorenhad- and running through the Ford and up the High Moor... oh, that was the time!Quote:
I remember the first time I saw a "living" troll during my first run to Rivendell. I remember going there (that first time) at night, even though my kin warned me repeatedly (in kin chat) that there were trolls on the road that were purple to me and would have me for lunch... (I know... I can see one now...)
I forgot to add this, but I also remember my first time running through Imlad Balchorth and Nan Gurth, before they nerfed both places... such a long time ago. Anyways, after dying a rather miserable death in IB and ending back up in the dwarf place, I was still determined to find GF, so went through Nan Gurth. I was *so* lost in there, and it took me about 10 minutes of wandering to find my way out- but it was completely worth it! I think it was more terrifying through there, looking for the exit out of there, than the trip to Rivendell. At least there was a very clear road in the Trollshaws XD
I also remember the 6G conj runs I would do with PUG groups to Uru and CD. Oh man, those were the days.
And I remember my first time in the Tomb of Elendil, my favorite instance. We had a 6-man group, but the minstrel went LD and never came back about a third of the way through. Nonetheless, we decided to stick it through, and got all the way to the end with no deaths. With Nornagol two of our guys died, but we still managed to defeat the instance. Definitely one of my most memorable moments in the game. I just did the instance again tonight, though we had two 50s in the group, which made it much easier. I loveee that instance.
And I remember first doing Thief-Taker's Bane! Oh God, that was the most difficult instance. Very much nerfed now, thankfully... but I'd admit the feeling of accomplishment after wiping over half a dozen times was pretty nice.
Memories, memories...
Hah, that was a great feeling, back in closed beta when they first opened East Angmar. I remember crossing the bridge into Imlad Balchorth and about peeing myself. Soon after, my breath was literally taken away when I came up over the ridge into Nan Gurth and saw the many towers of Barad Gularan. I literally stared at my screen in awe of this mighty fortress I found. I was so scared I immediately turned back and went to somewhere much safer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Laire
Ah yes, Thief Taker's Bane, was such a fun quest to work on. It took strategy and coordination to complete, and yes it was hard. I loved the feeling I got when we finally beat it.
Ghost Bear!!!
When you were able to run Stable horses off the cliff in Erid Luin.
Hrm....
When the stable horses could jump.
When farming pipweed would net you 1 gold in under an hour.
when i first passed the 100 silver mark, i felt liek the richest player ever, how times have changed in the last 13 monthsQuote:
Originally Posted by elderlygamer
the water carrying quests in bree annoyed me too. not because i had trouble completing them, but because everyone was complaining about them in ooc. then when i got to them, i passed them all first go with my hunter. i remember thinking ### was everyone complaining about, lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Fraktyl
good times, good times. i remeber failing it several times when i was helping kin, then we finally got it, and about 10 minutes later, i needed to do it myself. we got it first time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fraktyl
lotro was my first mmo too. the first character i ever created was on silverlode. i didnt understand how servers worked so on my second day playing back in open beta, i click on nimrodel expecting to seen my character from the previous days session there. boy did i get a shock. i just though, stuff it, and i made a new character on nimrodel, an elf hunter named Skorp. the rest is history. my silverlode character is still there to this day (too lazy to log on and delete him or actually play him, lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Laire
i remember questing in erid luin and agates and amethysts being so rare, you could sell them for 50s each cause everyone was looking for them
i remember being killed at level 4 by frostmantle in the elf/dwarf starter instance, then learning a month later about the undying titles by which time it was too late to reroll. im still not sure if i would have rerolled if i had the chance
i remeber hanging around helping people kill frostmantle in open beta.
i remember not having a clue in the worl what any of the acronyms that people were using meant, but by carefully paying attention to what was being said along with them, i soon learnt what such acronyms and wts, pst, lff, wtb and many more meant.
i remember going to the far chetwood with a gaurd kinmate at lvl 20ish to kill tabrurz, and then the 2 of us staying there for several hours farming him cause he droped "uber loot". of course, its not so uber now, but back then we thought we had hit the jack pot
Wow, great thread.
Like others, this is also my first MMO. Not only that, but I had vowed to not play MMOs, because I thought the monthly fee was stupid. Then I discovered ME and the wealth of content here. And once I joined my kin, I really felt at home. Now I hardly plan any other game, and I understand why the money is worth it for a serious gamer. :)
I haven't been around nearly as long as some of you guys, but I definitely remember vividly the OF prenerfs and the barrow downs. Both scared the **** out of me. I hated going in the OF sooo much. It seems like they've even changed the atmosphere in there, not just the aggro and mobs.
Barrow downs were seriously creepy to me. My first encounter with wights, and when they popped out of the ground! Yikes!
I remember hating chetwood, because I died so much there. Didn't really have a grasp of what was going on yet.
One of my happiest experiences was exploring Ered Luin, and getting to see the dwarves. I have a fascination with dwarves, and running my silly looking captain through those beautiful mountains in the snow, and coming up to Thorin's was one of my favourite experiences! And seeing the beauty of his hall. That was breathtaking to me.
I loved Weathertop prenerf. I had wanted to see a troll so bad in the game, and hadn't noticed it in the pre troll chaos. I was very surprised.
I remember my first really bad pug in the great barrow. I left when my weapon was about to break. I remember having repair costs of 60ish silver and only have 32s and being really depressed for awhile. :p
And my favourite memory of ALL was when I was wondering around the gates of Fornost and noticed that my halberd, which had +dmg to orcs, was glowing blue just like Sting. I was so excited I had to call my girlfriend (who also likes Tolkien) to tell her. It made my freaking week, and for a long time after I had a deference to +dmg to orc weapons when I could find them. (I'm hoping its one of the thing we can do with weapons in MoM. :D )
Hehe the Rivendell run stories are always funny. I made my first trip at level 8 in CB. I finally made it through the Trollshaws as it was getting dark. I absolutely couldn't find any paths up throught the High Moor. I would run up look around and some scary mob would chase me back down. I had to stand in the ford all night until daylight to finish my trip. It was very fun and felt very adventurous. :D
I also loved landing in the Shire for the first time. I couldn't explore things fast enough. :)
The last night of closed was fun too. Turbine peeps controling crazy monsters with ridiculously high morale. Drakes infesting Rivendell and Boromir wouldn't help me! I played all night until they shut the server down(and I did finally make it past the drakes to the mm without Boromir's help).
In closed beta when we were capped at 15 I remember
-making the run to Rivendell the first time.
-mining and wood harvesting while trying to avoid purple and elite purple mobs to GM before release in LL, ND and Trollshaw.
-getting a fellowship of 15's together to go into the instance in Barrow Downs just to get owned by red and purple mobs. We were trying to do those quests that were really meant for level 20ish inside there.
-Not ever using pay ponies because the price was so dang high.
-Getting lost in Old Forest until I mapped or death warped out.
LOL I forgot about IB - I think I ran around there and Nan Gurth forever with numerous deaths before I finally found GF :P It took several play sessions but I was determined to find it. My play session would start out "which way to try today..."Quote:
Originally Posted by Laire
Back then, you didn't get a huge aggro radius just because you were under level 17 (or maybe it's level 15). They added in the larger aggro radius a couple of books in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phibbus
Actually, I was about level 44 I think, when I rode my horse down from Rivendell, then thought "wow, this is the first time I've made it to the bottom without being knocked off!"
I remember when I tried to solo Jagger Jack when it was yellow...... I died so many times, then got mad and left and went and played Call of Duty multiplayer and kept running into the mines and shooting at the sky while I ran, and if anyone killed me before I reached the mines and blew up I would yell at them, and then I got banned from that server lol. :p
I remember running from the Shire to the bridge at Buckland to meet up with my friend who had started in Bree ... I thought that was the longest, most confusing run I'd ever make.
Until ...
... that same friend and I decided to try to run to Rivendell, not having any idea where to go or how to avoid mobs (and EVERYTHING was purple). We ended up in the rez circle near Thorenhad with a bear spawning well within aggro range, so it took us 4-5 defeats before we could escape the circle.
Every time I go back to the Shire, I get flashbacks to those first days of exploring Middle-Earth. It's still the most peaceful place I know :)
My second character, back in open beta, was an elf loremaster. I was doing the quests out of Duillond and Celondim, and was starting to venture out of the elf-controlled areas. I was running along a road, and there was a path that led up a hill. There were walls around the top of the hill, and I could see lights glowing. As I got to the top of the path, I saw dwarf guards. I approached them with great caution, because I didn't know if they would attack me or not. Were they good guys or bad guys? If they were good guys, could I still go in there, being an elf and elves and dwarfs not getting along? That was my first sight of Gondamon, creeping up one of the steep back door paths in the dark.
The first time I went into the old forest and saw a tree move, I almost wet my pants. I was seeing it through mist, so mostly I was seeing the outline of the tree. It got up and walked, and then it attacked the poor fools ahead of me. I screamed out loud like a little girl.
Beating the boar for the level 40 cooking quest, with my level 30 guardian. I used every buff I had, food, potions, destiny points, and it still took me many tries. I kept aggroing drakes and having to run for my life.
Getting kindred standing with the Mathom House with my loremaster, and getting the turtle pet. It bounces back and forth like a child's pull-toy being pulled fast over cobblestones.
Seeing the Brandywine Bridge for the first time, and Crickethollow. I keep coming across places, people, details, that show me I'm in Middle Earth, not some knockoff but the real thing at last. I've been wanting to go to Middle Earth for 30 years.
Wondering how anyone ever afforded stable horses, or wax.
Searching every novice woodworker npc to see if they sold rowan hafts and hammers, before I learned they were made by tier 1 woodworkers and I had to actually trade with other people to get them.
Selling my first stack of boiled light leather, offering a price of twice what the vendor NPCs would pay, having the other person think I meant silver instead of copper and still happily paying that price, and realizing I had a lot to learn about how in-game economies worked.
Dying over and over in the Great Barrow and having my equipment break. Fighting the guy for the first half of the key, only to have him bug out and leave us all stuck in combat, with no power left.
Having the guy from the level 15 captain's quest show up to help in the level 30 guardian's quest, and having him say he was helped by "a young captain," and thinking, "Hey, that was me!"
Teaming up with another level 12 hunter to get that level 15 warg in the chetwood. We successfully coordinated using our traps and our cries to keep him off us while we whittled him down.
I finished the starter quests in Archet with my hobbit hunter, got my map, and was ported to Little Delving. I tried the postal quest a couple times, got spotted by a nosy hobbit every time, and decided to see what this map did. Clicked on it, and was sent back to Archet. I had no idea how to get back to the Shire, so I ended up doing my low-level quests in the Breelands.
Dying over and over again trying to solo the quest to steal a turtle egg and bring it to the platform in the orc camp. I'd fight from the camp to the turtle nest to clear the way, grab an egg, run back, dodge aggro all the way back to the camp, and then be beat on so severely I couldn't get five feet inside the door. I finally got it, and it took me far too long to remember to swing the camera around to watch the turtle rampage.
Doing Black Fire with my minstrel, remembering other times I'd done it and people died over and over. I tend to solo, so this was the first major quest where I'd been the only minstrel and where we were going to wipe badly if I didn't do my job right. We got through the whole quest with no deaths, and no we-almost-wiped moments. I was so focused on my job I didn't notice the first hill blowing up, and that's not subtle.
I remember my wife and I running all over North Downs trying to find Esteldin, back in Closed Beta. We finally got lucky and saw somebody on a rental mount ride by, and we ran in that direction.
I remember how shocked everyone was by the hostile deer in Evendim. Heh. Deer had always been critters until then.
I remember the first time my wife and I found the Rammas Deluon (the line of statues across Malenhad that prevent passage until a certain point in the epic story). We had no idea those statues were worse than the other (common) kind, which they resemble. We ran full speed into it and both were defeated, and just started laughing and laughing... then we tried to get our friends to run into it. ;)
I remember when I got so close to the High Pass on my level 20. /drool
I remember getting my first teal item (fortified ash Bow) and thinking I was king of the world.
Trying to hunt down the right mobs for that ONE drop i needed for my 1st single use scroll for woodworking.
Critting my first Ornate BlackAsh bow for myself on the first attempt then burning through 3 scrolls for my wifes ornate black ash staff *chuckles*.
Sneaking around EL as a Elf Hunter just exploring and wondering at everything around me. Grouping up for the first time to get some group quests done in there.
My wife telling me that Yes at 14th lvl we could actually live to do a run through the shire and make it to bree alive from EL.
Meeting one of our best friends (moirain) for the first time in EL and learning that a Guardian can REAALLLYYYY help in allot of situations.
stalking wolves in the old forrest and swearing about the darn flowers that I didn't think existed. Taking a wrong turn and suddenly surrounded by 20 bears and a lake....didn't end well lol.
Doing the Horse quest for the first time swearing the horse riding challenge at the end was more difficult then getting my RL drivers license!
Seeing the vista from weather top and just smiling. Wandering around bree exploring every nook and cranny wondering if I could find places that the hobbits had been to. Meeting gandalf and strider priceless.
Stopping for a break in the trollshaws and wondering what the trail was for and finding the stone trolls from the hobbit...blew my mind!
My first troll encounter at night on the road into the trollshaws and running away screaming "It's trying to eat me!!!!"
Our first run into CD....chaos lol
The deer attacking me in evendim for the first time I've hated those things ever since even now if a furry critter eyeballs me wrong it dies! I swear the bunnies are next they've been plotting!
So many great memories and people I've met and am still meeting.
I remember when walking a random bear noise would play and there would be no bear...
Then the bear become a mod, and his reign of terror swept the land.
I remember seeing a rainbow in the sky for the first time when I was in Tuckburough during closed beta and watching it the same way you would a real rainbow for several minutes.
I remember the first time I ran through the Shire thinking, "I want to live here".
Crossing the last ridge line after a harrowing run through the High Moors to see the vale of Rivendell spread before me like a glowing tapestry.
Sunrise on the top of Weathertop and running to each of the main compass points to see the view.
Discovering a snowman on the top of one of the hills in Ered Luin. He looked like such a jolly fellow!
I remember my wife's hobbit character and my captain character sitting in the chairs on the porch of Thornleys house watching the sun go down on the last day of beta before the character wipe thinking... "Good bye, I'll see you on the other side". It was sad and exciting at the same time.
I remember back at the end of Closed beta (1...or was it 2) our kin was collected in Hobbiton for pictures and next thing we know we were being jumped by Patience on a warg. Soon to be followed my a many other assorted monsters.
I also remember the first time I actually looked at the sky in this game, I've spend hours just staring at the in game sky.
i remember near the end of open beta trying to get to rivendell by going through the midgewater marshes and weather hills,. then realisingthe next day that it was easier to take the road that went past the forsaken inn
... doing the introductory scene on my first hobbit and turning around and running away when I saw the Nazgul on the horse. Ran all the way back to the starting area and wasnt until months later that I got to read/hear the whole introductory scene.
... Seeing that first silver node in north Breelands and being excited for my jeweller :D
... the scary old forest and laughing out loud in real life when I told my daughters I got killed by a tree!
... the poor hobbit by the stables in Bree that kept dropping out of the sky repeatedly - felt sorry for them but always would try to talk to them.
... Very first monster play attempt and running from the trolls when I first saw them. Never realized they were on "my" side ;P
... Being part of my first full raid creep-side in the moors (Thanks Invicti)
... Getting a random drop of "silver voice gloves" from a normal mob in the southern trollshaws. Thought it was just a myth that could happen.
...the Lonelands weren't mob infested and were indeed very 'lone.'
...I got to see the infamous Floating Tree Oasis in the weather hills.
...Bree ooc wasn't eternally besieged by gold sellers.
...Angmar was still being developed.
...I got to see the North Downs for the first time :)
...the capes were monochromatic *sigh* I miss them. :(
OMG I remember Ghost Bear...
and how at 4am during closed beta hearing it coming from 5.1 speakers made me jump out of my chair, spinning my character around, looking frantically for what was attacking me! :D
I remember seeing my first purple mob and thinking I actually had a chance to maybe, possibly hit it...
then finding out, nope, not a snowballs chance but it could sure hit me fast and hard. Which made my first run to Riv (lvl 10) scarey, especially when making a wrong turn and running into a mountain drake.
I remember fondly how awestruck I was when I logged in for the very first time, even in beta when textures weren't quite as rich as they are now I was captivated.
There are so many memories of I remember, everytime I read this thread, I'm reminded of others. Great thread.
I remember way back in closed beta, the feeling of satisfaction after running my level 14 guardian (first ever character) up to rivendell. But the most satisfying part was my stellar ability to get past all those purple aurochs. First time I had ever seem them.
It wasn't until the higher levels that I found out they were passive.
Ahh, the good old days when none of us knew anything.
I love this thread it brings back so many memories.
The first week I was not sure this was the game for me. But said well it is beta I will stick with it. When they offered the founder and life membership, it was instant YES!!
I remember when I would stand at the Combe gate and wish I could get through it.
I remember looking up at the sky, and going WOW, look at the awesome clouds and making a mental note to self not to look at sky when on auto run while I am limping away from falling off a cliff.
This was also my start in my career of cliff falling.
My first view of Rivendell. I couldn't believe it. I just kept going wow, wow It was and is still the most awesome sight. I never tire of standing on the hill looking at it.
Same with Misty Mountians they are great.
My favorite memories of the Old Forest were "I hate this place". But I kept going back. The first time a tree chased me I thought I was having a heart attack. Then I got a friend of mine to go in with me, hehe not telling her about the trees. I said oh lets walk up this path. Since she usually went ahead of me anyhow, I stood back a bit, smiling going, I will be right there . hehehe. I still hear her screams. It was so funny.
Also how we use to get lost in there. I would say we are doomed to play the whole game here we will never get out of here.
or the time we tried to carry the water out. OMG, it was so funny us screaming and running with the bucket and dragging everything behind me, her trying to help until we died AGAIN.
It was a place you loved to hate but for me it called me back and back, well until now the way it is now.
So many memories.
Oh geez, you just reminded me. The death horse of Ered Luin. /nostalgia I rode it even though I'd received plenty of forewarning that the stable was pathed to go straight of the cliff, missing the bridge entirely. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-crunch.
Lots and lots of times when I'd reach a new area for the first time and see something exquisitely Lore-appropriate, and realized that Turbine had gotten it right, once again.
First example: making a new Elf character, and going through the opening instance, and the appearance of Master Elrond -- so wise, so noble, so beautiful, They got HIM right.
Then, starting a dwarf character and landing at the Silverdeep gate, and there was Gandalf, and they got HIM right, and then standing there talking to hm, GOOD GOD, THAT'S THORIN OAKENSHIELD! But he's DEAD! and watching their conversation for a bit and realizing they're about to start out for the Lonely Mountain.
All the people and critters and places, each come upon with a shock; as, Bag End,the Stock-brook, the Golden Perch, the Forsaken Inn Weathertop...
Saeradan the Ranger, with his male pattern baldness. :)
More recently, the salamanders of the Barandalf. They are huge amphibians (there were amphibians that size in the Devonian and Carboniferous), with their colorful shiny skins like real salamanders -- but they are also spirits of fire, as alchemists thought in the Renasissance. Yet once more, Turbine did its homework.
Gollum, and the various hints that are dropped before you actually see him.
I remember when i thought you and your fellowship members had to stay together
I remember when i thought that fellowships were a permanent deal
I remember when I did the Great Barrows with a level 40 hunter in strength stance who who not only refused to tank hetold me to tank (being 20 levels lower than him) while he spammed swift bow
I remember when I saw the white tree trinkets that i thought sombody had been to gondor
I remember when I fought a nazgul and our healer had to use sylvan shadows to come back and rez us all
I remember when we had the dev event on roheryn and I got the killing blow on one of the Bosses they put on the TA lawn
I remember when I did a Urugarth run with 3 guardians 2 champs and a captain
I remember watching the insane flame war between the mellowship and conviction over the balrog fight
I remember watching our kinship leader who had been lvl 50 since book 10 be beat by a champ in the kin who turned 50 that day
I remember when our kinship leader said that in the rift we needed to keep the elf chick healed then somone else said he means the one over there not him and the leader agreed with the guy.
I remember never doing weathertop or setting foot on it
I remember going to dwarf "hell" (Gabilzan) with a champ and LM from my kin when i was lvl 24
I remember when somone in our kinship traded their helm gem to the wrong trader in the rift and had to beg some devs to change it for him
I remember getting Stonebiter on my first try
I remember being proud of actually having a full set of purple items at lvl 45
I remember feeling pimp having a full set of purple items at levl 7
aaaah good times goood times :)
Many of my LotRO memories are contained within the link in my sig, a chronicle of events since the day my brother and I took our two hobbits to Rivendell at lvl 15, while waiting for open beta to end.
A lot of those screenshots (some being from open beta before the high-res textures) are pics of discoveries of various new things.
Rip
I remember when I first made this thread -- I was really feeling nostalgic that day. :)
Today I remember creating our kinship -- and wondering whether our alts would count to make the minimum membership.
-Forjo
There's something symmetrical about resurrecting a thread that all about nostalgia.
-- the first time I stepped outside the Archet gates to hunt wolves in the tall grass, and just stood there, looking at the scenery.
-- the fishnet padded leggings
-- Amdir of the Ever-Changing Voice
-- when three grey mobs in Chetwood could bring a L30 to his knees in seconds
-- when there were no user-controllable horses
-- opening night of Ered Luin, and emerging from the dwarf intro into Thorin's Gate for the first time, thinking I've never see so many dwarves in one place before
I remember when...
...My first character made it all the way from Thorin's Hall to Bree at Level 6. It was dark, there was a lot of dread all the way there (I don't think the dread is implemented any more), and everything that was a higher level than me scared the **** out of me. I just kept running...
...I first saw in to Rivendell. Breathtaking!
...There was no reputation/reputation items.
...There was no Evendim or Forochel
...There was no PvMP.
...You could actually do quests in the Ettenmoors without getting ganked by player creeps.
...You could actually do quests in the Ettenmoors as a creep without getting ganked by player freeps.
...There was no map to the Old Forest.
...There were no gold spammers.
...Killing Andraste for Book 1, Chapter 10 actually required a full fellowship.
...You could sneak out and around the ruins for the quest "Our Greatest Find" to avoid all of the goblins after you grabbed the statue.
...Every plant looked the same.
...You couldn't move items around on your desktop or couldn't resize anything in your UI.
...There was no housing.
...I would sneak in to higher level areas just to check them out even though I had no chance of surviving there.
I remember...
And probably hundreds of other things....
- Taking my level 10 and with 5 other regular beta testers running all the way to Rivendell without dying.
- Taking a now level 15 through the N. Downs with those same tester friends to see the entrance way to Angmar, only to be chased back out by the dozens of aggros.
- Finding the backdoor to Angmar and getting about 30 paces into an open area before dying.
- Killing my first Signature alone, stupid Warg :P
- The intros for all of the races, and the lasting effect doing them had on the world (OMG ARCHET IS RUINED!!!).
- Stepping into the Moors, running out, getting one-shotted by a random Dorf and Elf patrolling near the lumbermill.
- Running into the first battle-garment Troll in Angmar, then getting launched 6 miles away from it.
- Destroying a piece of siege equipment in Angmar.
Dread drone
RUnning to Rivendell at level 8. Previously I had never been much past Hobiton. I took quite a while and I had to stand in the Ford of Bruinen until the sun came up cause I couldn't find my way in the dark. I felt like a real adventurer that night! :) Speaking of which I also remember when Rivendell was attacked by an army of Drakes and Boromir wouldn't help me kill them so I could see what the Misty Mts looked like! :eek::D
I also remember entering the Shire for the first time. Little Delving is a wonderful little place.
I remember you did not have to be kindred with anyone to have a great deal on repairs and discounts.
Just go see your friendly grocer in Bree!!!!!!
Please bring back the Bree Grocer!!!! The town hall was always packed and it was a great way to meet new people!!!!!!!
Logging in with my very first character (My Dwarf Guardian) and standing in the square of the Dwarf starting area looking out at how realistic looking the mountains were, and just listening to the wind... I was instantly hooked.
Finding the Shire for the first time on my Elf Hunter (around lvl 12) by traveling in through the north gate from Erid Luin and enjoying the shear awesomesauceness of it's atmosphere so much, I stayed for weeks and finished every quest I could find.
Old sally was a horse..then a pig, then a horse...:)
omg, he was soo awesomeQuote:
Originally Posted by Koenigcitizen
I also remember when I left the Shire for the very first time ever as a hobbit.
I remember walking a few steps onto the Brandywine Bridge and hearing the bridge music.
I stopped, turned around, waved goodbye to the Shire and yelled, "Goodbye Shire, I'll miss you!"
I remember when I didn't have anyone on my ignore list, ingame or in the forums :(
Those were the days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roberto
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrysoprase
Open map. "Hey, this Old Forest is so easy now..."
I remember I used the Withywindle as a guide.
I remember returning to the Old Forest at level 24 to complete Idealism.
I remember when the Ram Duath quests were level 43, and you could only squeeze out to 41 in the Trollshaws, and asking for help killing spiders in the Ram Duath. (No Forochel).
I remember grinding Iron Crown Necromancers for LotB.
I remember having the key map in front of me when I made Mandola (first toon).
I remember when solo creeps ran the moors, but just bunched up.
I remember a vent-less moors.
I remember making Bucephalus and thinking 57 infamy was a lot for 3 hours.
I remember the 1 inf per kill in raid.
I remember stealth making you run swim in water (which a lot of burgs did do, only to get on my /ignore and report list).
I remember /sitting in mid-air.
I remember dancing in water.
I remember visiting Evendim in Roheryn, and thought Helegrod was where Annuminas was.
I remember begging people to boil my hides because I didn't know I could mail them to an alt.
I remember when there were no Gold Spammers...
My 2 copper *plink* *plink*
I remember going to Angmar at level 12 and it was actually a big deal.
I remember people remembering me as the guy who went to Angmar at level 12 4 months later.
I remember when I was friends with Runic Knights
My experience in this game has been long, complex, and sometimes troubling =/
I remeber the first time I was in Estilden and a occ tell came out that there was a Dragon in the forest. (bleakwind) and forming a quick PUG to go kill it. We all thought it was an in Game event no one had ever seen him before. I thought wow that was a big dragon I wonder if it is the only one in the game.
Linwe, my elf loremaster was my first character. It was so amazing to learn how to play. Ered Luin was just gorgeous. And then to finally get adventurous enough to see where "that" road lead... and find the Shire!!!
I was delirious with joy running all over the Shire seeing the sights!
I remember LONGING to get to Rivendell and finally having a go at it at level 18... I had NO IDEA where to go of course once I crossed the Bruinen-- dodging purple mobs every 5 steps... and then once I finally got there-- oh my oh my..... I was straight up dumbfounded.... just wandered around looking at every square inch of the place... and then very gingerly going up the pass into the Misty Mtns for a quicky peak...
When I first started playing (open beta) it was my very first MMO, I had zero idea what on earth I was doing . I somehow totally missed getting the prologue quest so when I would see folks in the LFF channel looking for help with chapter 'n' I could not for the life of me figure out what they were talking about...
I remember that first venture into the lone lands and being totally terrified.. I was probably around level 12 or so and nosing about to see what I might see and wandered into Minas Eriol.. promptly hoofed right back out of there!
The Old Forest scared me stupid.
The first time I saw a gold ore node I practically jumped for joy and could not wait until I could actually mine it!
I played a loremaster (heck of a choice for a newb noob!!!!) and back then pretty much no one had any appreciation for loremasters. I could not get a group to save my life... so I solo'd almost exclusively until around level 22...
then finally two dwarf champions took pity on me -- and I ultimately joined their kin which then became The Council of Eriador of which I am now part of the leader triumverate... LOL
This thread has been an awesome read.... it brings back the wonder and delight of those first-time experieces!
My first character was a lore-master too, Linwe. I deleted her at like level 12 but she was my first. I remember getting my raven, and how every single other lore-master without exception had a raven named "Nevermore" or "Poe". I didn't want to be unoriginal so I named mine "Quackenbush". Forgot completely about it until I was going over old pictures I had taken.
I remember rolling an elf champion and getting her to around level 8. I wanted to delete her, but since I wasn't going to buy the game (wasn't worth it) I decided to take her exploring. I went to the Shire and it was so beautiful. I was taking pictures of everything so I could remember it later. Of course, seeing the Shire convinced me that the game WAS worth buying =P
I remember the Battle of Rivendell at the end of closed Beta. All those drakes try to burn Rivendell! To Arms!
...this thread was only 2 or 3 pages long... it's nice to see it's still around and going strong!
Remember-on everyone...
I remember when I finally learned what the red squiggly line above a mob's head meant! /lights on :D
Sad to know how many people still don't. :(
I remember when the only way to get a colnors scale was to pay the gathering hobbits in the shire for hides.
I remember when mining ancient iron at lv 14 was cool and not gold farmerish.
I remember getting into the first instance of archet and shouting to the world IM HERE! FINALLY IVE MADE IT TO MIDDLE EARTH.
I remember freezing the first time I tried to finish the instance.
I remember finishing the first instance and realizing that no one heard my first shout out.
I remember shouting out again when I finally got to archet that I had finally made it to middle earth after all those years.
I still wonder where that first instance took place.... West of the horse farms up the hill? Or east of Chetwood up the hill?
I thought I was being so clever with "Quoth", the raven. Until I saw someone else's raven in Archet with the same name :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrysoprase
I remember in closed beta needing to kill Sergeant Applewood at the Blackwold HQ and he was not respawning. There were two or three "corpses" of Sergeant Applewood but he would not respawn... eventually a lot of people in Bree-Land at the time needed to kill him and there were constant regional/ooc/lff tells asking "Is Applewood up or is he still broken?" This went on for a couple of days... don't think I ever actually killed him.
Same thing with that stupid well in Staddle... I couldn't for the life of me put that damn clean water back in the well (it was bugged)... and had no clue that all you had to do was click the progress bar to drop it so I just stood there... and stood there... and stood there until I finally dropped it.
Also remember following the progress of the game development when it was still called Middle Earth Online... and being so excited about the game.
Yeah, I named mine "Elinore" thinking it would be a little more obscure (plus it almost sounds like a Sindarin name) but alas, I've seen a couple of others with their raven named exactly the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lohi
What is it about ravens in the Collective Consciousness of the English speaking world that make us instinctively equate them with E. A. Poe regardless of the setting? I think we need to consult a fifth-generation Jungian Psychologist for an answer to that riddle.
I'll bite.
I remember when:
-We had the 100% evade cloak
-I found the /hug emote god mode
-Back door into GA
-Back door into Fornost
-The day before Erid Luin was opened, Me and a few others used one of my favorite land seams to get to Angmar and Erid. Erid was done more or less, but Angmar was floating 5000 ft up in the air :D
-Using my favorite land seam, I farmed Helegrod months and moths before it was released.
-When I got back into closed beta after being banned for the Helegrod stunt.
-When Mad Baggins ruled. 6-Manned everything.
-Conjunctions actully were good.
-Pots were sold at a vendor and had no cooldown
Finally, I'll always remember when back in beta a 6-man Burg group could do 42 conjunctions in a span of 5m.
Had a blast taking a all burg group through fornost, and had to use a conjunction on every single mob in there before we could kill em :D
ooooh I remember the infinity pots! Also known as never die.
I remember when:
~ There was a "rest" function that acted like the best food items, but as soon as the timer ran up (like the one you have while you're eating) you got back all your morale and power.
~ Gandalf was voiced by a fellow with a high-pitched cockney accent (I am NOT kidding).
~ The game would occassionally freeze during the first phase of the beta, and if you were unfortunate enough to try jumping, you would go up but not down -- you'd just keep going up without stopping, until the game started back up again... and you came crashing back down to Middle-earth.
~ Athelas was sold by vendors, and had no cooldown.
~ I remember the "suicidal" horses at the stable in Ered Luin that were pathed to jump off the cliffs between Celondim and Duillond.
~ I remember "The lagging of Gondamon" which prevented people from travelling through the Low Lands without nearly getting stuck.
~ I remember when burglars couldn't steal anything.
~ I remember when characters mapping to Thorin's Hall ended up in the tutorial instance, even if they were level 50.
~ And finally, I can remember the first crafting fair held at the Party Tree (which may have been the only one, to my knowledge) :).
Perhaps Poe's poem is the only place they've ever heard of a raven?Quote:
Originally Posted by TsarithArcher
I named mine "Grok." (That o should have a slash through it.) Danish for what the raven says.
haha yeah i remember the jump bug ...
"oh noes I'm lagging out" ..... *jump* *jump* *slam the space bar over and over and over*
-game reloads
-a billion feet in the air
"AHHHHHH!"
-fall
But you didn't die!!! No death from falling!
I once reloaded under the world and ran around looking up on everything lol.
I remember the endless pots and being able to duo blackwing with my minstrel and a heraldless captain. Took us what seemed like over 10 minutes to kill it while the captain was melee'ing the whole time and I was healing. Even though we had those no timer potions and tons of them it still was quite close several times and actually quite a lot of fun and exciting.
Before there were enough freeps to actually flip a keep, we would wait for the server restarts (all the keeps reverted to original ownership) so that we could run into the 'moors to get and turn in quests to get tokens of valour *hoping* that the GV chest (there was only one kind) would have some nice loot.