You have 2 weeks left to move from the 32-bit client to the 64-bit client.

[Tralfazz]

edit 2023-01-02: The 32-bit client has been disabled. It will launch but will crash out within about a second after launching, most likely due to being rejected by the authentication server.

edit 2023-01-17: I have read several reports from people who claim they are still able to play using the 32-bit client. I am unable to do so (I checked just before writing this addendum to this post).
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Unless there's some other announcement to the contrary, the last word from SSG is that the 32-bit client will cease to function on 01 Jan 2023. If you're still using SSG's "Mac Download" version of the game (i.e. the Windows version of the game packaged with a very old version of WINE) you cannot run the 64-bit client. You need to either be running MacOS 10.14 Mojave with WINE 7.0 or higher, or any version of MacOS from 10.13 High Sierra to 13 Ventura with Crossover; in order to run the 64-bit client on a Mac running MacOS. (Other alternatives include Boot Camp/Windows but that turns your Mac into a PC, perfectly fine but be aware that it involves rebooting to run Windows; and various emulators such as Parallels, which do not run LOTRO as well as open-source WINE or Crossover.)

If you are running Mojave, here are the instructions for getting a modern version of WINE so you can run the 64-bit client:
https://forums.lotro.com/forums/show...pler-procedure
This uses open-source WINE, which is free. You must be running Mojave, no earlier or later version of MacOS will work.

If you are running any version of MacOS other than Mojave, or if you want an easier and better experience, you should choose Crossover. Crossover is essentially the "pro" version of WINE:
https://www.codeweavers.com/crossover
Crossover is Codeweavers' proprietary version of WINE with an easy to use GUI on top. It is a commercial product, so not free, but there is a 2-week free trial so you can be sure it works for you before committing to a purchase.

[Tralfazz]

There is currently a 25% discount available on Crossover purchases. I don’t know how long that’s going to last. Use code:
APPLEGAMINGWIKI

[elvenes]

or, as lotro can run on a toaster, buy a cheap windows laptop and you can play without knocking your heads on the wall going through hoops to set up lotro on a mac, or heaven forbid linux

[Bothketbog]

or, as lotro can run on a toaster, buy a cheap windows laptop and you can play without knocking your heads on the wall going through hoops to set up lotro on a mac, or heaven forbid linux

It's hardly "going through hoops" to set up Crossover. As a bonus, it allows us to play other PC titles. Don't be jelly....

[Aeroniel]

Speaking as a very non-techie person, I found the switch to Crossover and the 64-bit client painless, thanks to Tralfazz's excellent instructions.

Any other Mac user, fear not! Easy peasy.

I did worry whether I would start experiencing the lag that so many people report. Happy to say, it's still a very rare thing for me to have lag. Don't know if it's due to the Mac or my connection or what, but glad nothing changed there. And I'm playing on an old 2013 iMac, so nothing fancy.

Thanks again to people like Tralfazz and other Mac folks that are so helpful on the forums here!

[Tralfazz]

This morning (2023-01-02) I tried the 32-bit client. The LOTRO Launcher application suggested that I change to the 64-bit client because the 32-bit client would be retired "soon" but I dismissed that warning and proceeded. After clicking the PLAY button in the LOTRO Launcher application, the 32-bit client launched but crashed out without any error message within about a second – most likely its connection to the authentication server was rejected.

This is as expected, I just wanted to confirm it.

This should not be a problem for any Mac-using player of LOTRO. Any Intel-based Mac from model year 2012 through 2019 (plus a few others on either side of those model years) can run MacOS 10.14 Mojave and therefore can use open-source WINE to run the game; and any Mac, Intel or Apple SOC, that can run MacOS 10.13 High Sierra or later can use Crossover to run the game. It's more of a challenge for players with actual Windows boxes who have not been able to get the 64-bit client running on their rigs.

[auximenes]

I hope with the 32-bit client finally being retired that allows them to optimize some code to help with server lag.

[Tralfazz]

I have read several reports from people who claim they are still able to play using the 32-bit client. I am unable to do so (I checked again just before writing this). I have no way to confirm that those reports are truthful and, if truthful, correct – people do lie, but they also sometimes pass on incorrect information which they think is the truth.

Recent correspondence with SSG staff informs me that no support is being offered for the 32-bit client, all work on it has ceased, and that it will eventually be removed as an option from the LOTRO Launcher application.

[cdq1958]

I just tested this on my machine, a rebuilt one with a clean Windows 11 64 bit version installation. Option 3, the legacy 32 bit client for old Windows versions launched fine and loaded into the game world, once I allowed firewall permissions. Option 2, 32 bit client also launched fine and loaded into the game world, once I gave it firewall permissions. Both opened a dialog box suggesting using the 64 bit client, with yes, no, and never options available. Naturally, I will be using the 64 bit client, since that's the one I've been using since it was first made available.

[Tralfazz]

I just tested this on my machine, a rebuilt one with a clean Windows 11 64 bit version installation. Option 3, the legacy 32 bit client for old Windows versions launched fine and loaded into the game world, once I allowed firewall permissions. Option 2, 32 bit client also launched fine and loaded into the game world, once I gave it firewall permissions. Both opened a dialog box suggesting using the 64 bit client, with yes, no, and never options available. Naturally, I will be using the 64 bit client, since that's the one I've been using since it was first made available.

Well, I'm convinced: Some people are still able to use the 32-bit client. Besides my test on 02 Jan, I tried again earlier today and then again just before posting this – same result, 32-bit client will launch but closes itself after about 1 second. So there's something stopping it from connecting to the servers – for me, but apparently it's working for others.

Thanks for reporting your test results, cdq1958!

[Talttos]

Hi, Tralfazz and Mac users!
Just wanted to confirm that, at least me, I am indeed still playing with the 32-bit client on an iMac with High Sierra (10.13.6).
I don't know why (guess they did not switched off anything, just quit providing support), but with no problems at the moment besides the usual lag.
I will move to the Crossover solution you provided as soon as this version stops working, though... ;-)
Thanks so much for all info and help! :-)