So I have bought the game - I have a few days off to try and play it but yes ...

Installed Christmas Day morning by 11am.

I expected a few patches ...

12 hours downloading - 12 hours? What was on the DVD I *paid* for?

And so to register an account.

Yup.

Succesive crashes or "Service Unavailable" messages.

I have retyped certain bits maybe 20 times.

Point being - this so sucks. I have a full time job and this is my only chance to have a bit of a play with a new game. And its getting cowed up due to the usual incompetencies in the MMO world.

I can't tell you how angry I am.

The Patchs really are a piss take, took me a good few hours to download them all... but bare with it Callum, its so worth it.

One has to expect a bunch of patches to any online MMO . There are fixes and then of course the updates for each new "Book" (epic quests) that comes out. We're expecting Book 12 after the New Year sometime. So you can expect another large download again.
As Araidus has said it's an awesome game. It gives me a nice alternative to playing UO when I need something different and I really do hate leveling. But there is something just fun about running around Middle Earth, so I just take my time and reach each level whenever I get there. Hell, I've been in since beta and my highest level char just hit level 25!
Maddox and Dip will look on me in gamer shame LOL

Play the games you have fun with.

Silverfoot, your given special consideration because your an rper. Everyone else.... thats another story.

well, patches only took 2 or less hours for me, same with the client download, i was able to play it basically, after i woke up saturday, the 22nd. and i already have a level 16 guy, been constantly killing wights, spinners, goblins and stuff like that, just now finished the ered luin section of the world on most of the quests, though i left quite a bit undone, may go back later though, not sure, and i'm sure i'll probably be sent back there on other quests.

*bows*

I didn't have this problem at all. I d/led the game within about an hr and a half and had no probs playing right away. I do have a pretty nice computer and decent connection so maybe that's got something to do with it. I would stick it out and keep at it if I were you, this game is so definately worth it imo.

I loaded LOTR in on x-mas eve and have been playing with no problems since. The patch took about 12 hours though.

Well if you new guys buy the gold edition not the bog standard edition all us beta testers got, then you wouldnt have 12 hr downloads. Which you also get a nice free horse with too!

Plus what did you really expect over christmas Callum? They have announced already there is a skeleton crew staffing the game and servers this week and next, so give em a break matey.

Give them a break?

hmm

*thinks*














Well...












ok Raul seeing as its you.













Well I did buy the Gold Version with 45 days play and a little miniature and a free cloak of something or other.

Anyhow finally got in today and leveled up to 3 in a short period.

Will give my views later on this week.

[and it was the online account setup thing I was most annoyed by - the d/l was just irritating]