I Remember When...

[Sigram]

What a great thread!

Many of mine have already been said by others, but I'll repeat them anyway:

I remember:
-I checked my email at work and saw that I had been invited to LOTRO Closed Beta. I took that afternoon off.
-I was arming wights in the Barrow Downs capped at lvl 15 in open beta, waiting for launch, because the money from selling the loot was so good.
-Mining copper and tin in the northern Bree Fields, all alone, never seeing anyone else.
-I accidently invading a giant's home in the Bree Fields while on one of those mining trips, and running for my life.
-You had to look real hard to find an available patch of dirt to plant your Sweet Galenas field.
-Having to almost threaten my GF to get her to try the game - she has her own lifetime account now years later.
-You absolutely had to fellow with people to get certain quests done (Jagger Jack, Mudbottom, the Vigil, etc.)
-Thinking that I would never get out of the Lone Lands - they just seemed to stretch on forever.
-The joy of hearing my dwarf minstrel shout twice in succession, and discovering that he said "BARUK KHAZAD! KHAZAD AI-MENU!"
-The horrible feeling I had when I found myself in hard times, and having to cancel my founders 9.99 account because I needed every dime possible.
- The amazing feeling being back in ME, despite having lost my subscription terms. (Now we both have lifetime accounts thanks to the 199 promo at the year anniversary.
- First time setting eyes upon the inside of Moria. I felt at home.

[Argulauth]

JAGGER JACK! Oh yes...

[Aquilla]

I remember:

-Weekly pitchspork raids on Turbine Headquarters
-Fights over Krispy Kreme vs. Dunkin Donuts
-"Free Morthoron" bumper stickers & t-shirts
-Reading the definition of "MAWorking" on Urban Dictionary
-A ridiculously long thread debating the lore-appropriate color of squirrels
-An exodus of disappointed forum members when all the classes were announced as combat-specific
-Guessing that all classes would be available to men, and thinking that made a LOT of sense lore-wise (poo and you, RKs!)
-Getting my alpa invitation the day before my wedding, showing my dad, then showing my to-bewife, who was very kind but firm that I would NOT be downloading the client until AFTER the honeymoon & move
-Sitting on the bare floor of an unfurnished apartment, clothes and books still in boxes, with my monitor and on a stax of cardboard boxes, connected to my PC in the middle of the floor, downloading the LOTRO alpha client
-Almost wetting my pants the first time I went through the Old Forest. It seriously stressed me out. And I couldn't even figure out how to get out of the place
-Going back to the Old Forest at level 30, thinking I'd raze all the trees as payback for all the times they killed me. Instead, I got lost and died repeatedly again
-Going back to the Old Forest at level 40, resolute in my determination to kill trees. Then I saw the map, and I cried inside
-Coming back to the game after a few months of no activity because I got MoM for Christmas, and being saddened by the quest tracker
-Replaying the opening quest for a man several times to relive that first moment I saw a nazghul in-game.

[Hxlgg]

Originally Posted by Gilenath2

I remember the forum wars, otherwise known as discussions, between electprogeny, Ma Working, LoA, Morthoron, and countless others. I remember all the old kinships, but specifically the Elves of Imladris. Ahh the times spent with all my old friends both online and at Turbine Nation, LOTROG1 and 2.

Anyone remember the popsicle incident at LOTROG2? haha

Originally Posted by Aquilla

I remember:

-Weekly pitchspork raids on Turbine Headquarters
-Fights over Krispy Kreme vs. Dunkin Donuts
-"Free Morthoron" bumper stickers & t-shirts
-Reading the definition of "MAWorking" on Urban Dictionary
-A ridiculously long thread debating the lore-appropriate color of squirrels
-An exodus of disappointed forum members when all the classes were announced as combat-specific
-Guessing that all classes would be available to men, and thinking that made a LOT of sense lore-wise (poo and you, RKs!)
-Getting my alpa invitation the day before my wedding, showing my dad, then showing my to-bewife, who was very kind but firm that I would NOT be downloading the client until AFTER the honeymoon & move
-Sitting on the bare floor of an unfurnished apartment, clothes and books still in boxes, with my monitor and on a stax of cardboard boxes, connected to my PC in the middle of the floor, downloading the LOTRO alpha client
-Almost wetting my pants the first time I went through the Old Forest. It seriously stressed me out. And I couldn't even figure out how to get out of the place
-Going back to the Old Forest at level 30, thinking I'd raze all the trees as payback for all the times they killed me. Instead, I got lost and died repeatedly again
-Going back to the Old Forest at level 40, resolute in my determination to kill trees. Then I saw the map, and I cried inside
-Coming back to the game after a few months of no activity because I got MoM for Christmas, and being saddened by the quest tracker
-Replaying the opening quest for a man several times to relive that first moment I saw a nazghul in-game.

Oh... the old days were truly quite wonderful. The flame wars/discussion on the old forums were spectacular. My first ban was very memorable. I think I have Morth and ep to thank for that one.

For some reason I always remember ieatglue and sssuuu and their continuous talks on who had the better emu. *rides away on an emu*
sssuuu also had those great weekly contests. I forget what they were called... And then Tgyr (I'm butchering his name... only because I can't remember it entirely) had the Weekly Round-ups.

And then everybody left. /sadpanda

And Aquilla, I swear I died a little inside when I saw the Old Forest map. That place was just perfect before the map. You could get lost in there for hours before finding your way out/dying. Same goes along with the quest tracker. Such a shame, really.

[Argulauth]

Originally Posted by Hxlgg

And then everybody left. /sadpanda

And Aquilla, I swear I died a little inside when I saw the Old Forest map. That place was just perfect before the map. You could get lost in there for hours before finding your way out/dying. Same goes along with the quest tracker. Such a shame, really.

Yeah... I miss my old friends from those days. It's sad that there are so few of us left, but that's just how things work I guess.

And I just feel like I should add my agreement to the Old Forest Map/Quest Tracker train of thought. There is a certain virtue to not knowing where you're going - leave a little mystery in the world. That's the point of Tom Bombadil and the Old Forest anyway, isn't it?

[Jerkan]

Originally Posted by Gilenath2

I remember the forum wars, otherwise known as discussions, between electprogeny, Ma Working, LoA, Morthoron, and countless others. I remember all the old kinships, but specifically the Elves of Imladris. Ahh the times spent with all my old friends both online and at Turbine Nation, LOTROG1 and 2.

Anyone remember the popsicle incident at LOTROG2? haha

Nope, apparently i was drunk at the time.

[Hxlgg]

Originally Posted by Argulauth

Yeah... I miss my old friends from those days. It's sad that there are so few of us left, but that's just how things work I guess.

And I just feel like I should add my agreement to the Old Forest Map/Quest Tracker train of thought. There is a certain virtue to not knowing where you're going - leave a little mystery in the world. That's the point of Tom Bombadil and the Old Forest anyway, isn't it?

That was the entire point of the Old Forest (and many other areas, for that matter). I would love to have the option of not having maps. Maybe not having maps, but having to earn the maps to the area you're in. Automatically have the maps for the starter areas, but not for others. Maybe have them built into the reputation system or something. Fact being, people in Middle-earth did not have maps for everywhere they were going and when they did, the maps took quite some time to make and were rare to find.

[Aquilla]

Aye, as far as the maps go, that was something I was very surprised by. In my other MMO, you had to physically explore an area to add it's details to your map. LOTRO does that with quick-travel, but it's just not the same.

As far as "the old day" go, I was actually getting a little misty-eyed yesterday looking at MAWorking's MyLOTRO page. He has all kind of old images, and a few of Tgyg's Forum Roundup. I'm debating maybe picking that up, but one can only list so many "More PvMP"or "SoM's a ripoff!" posts before they become redundant.

I also remember periodically sending Hoops & Yo-Yo e-cards to first Patience, then Sapience when I felt like they'd had a pretty rough day.

I always felt like, and still do in a way, as the "New Kid on the Block" when I knew how long people like Morthoron, ep, Khafar, had been around talking about the game. I think what I miss the most, though, is the anticipation that you (or at least I) couldn't help but be optimistic about. Even in beta, there were always new ideas, looking to the future at what the game could become. It seems that now everyone focuses on what the game isn't.

I feel a little like Sam, I guess. Watching Frodo board the boat at the Grey Havens. I'm staying behind because my place is here, and I know it, but it pains my heart to be without the people that made it feel like home.

Ah well, stiff upper lip. I'm renewing my commitment to do my best to make it that for those that are still here, or the new ones that are coming aboard. SoM is sure to bring in at least a few of those who had left, and perhaps attract a few fresh faces. The game has recently been revitalized for me after, doing some reflection last week due to THIS THREAD, I turned off the quest tracker and went through and actually READ all of the quests in my quest log I was working on. Say what you will about lore-appropriate gameplay, their stories and people are still very Tolkienesque to me.

So getting back to things I remember...

"I remember people worrying about player names like "Legomyegolas," so, first day in beta, I made an elf hunter named "Legomyegolas." I was reported to the GMs by my own kinsmen.

[LOTRDiva125]

So many good memories...

- Mapping out of the Old Forest countless times because I was hopelessly lost.
- A full raid of kin lvl 15s trying to find a lvl red wight to kill for a kinnies metalsmithing quest, most were purple and boy did we get a lot of aggro.
- Feeling like a country hobbit getting lost in the big city (Bree).
- Finding the Prancing Pony and being SO excited.
- Seeing Weathertop for the first time and thinking "that's how it should look!".
- Refusing to go to Forachel the first few weeks it was released, we were just coming out of a long snowy winter in Minnesota and I couldn't handle any more.
- Seeing the Balrog for the first time.
- Kinmates clearing the fumerales in the Rift so I could show my local LOTR fan club the balrog.
- The first time I saw Elrond's library and I wanted to move in.
- Thinking I was rich in closed beta when I got to 100sp. A friend gifted me 1 gold and I couldn't image how he could accumulate such wealth.
- Meeting my husband delivering pies in the Shire, having a wedding under the party tree so all our in game friends could come. Yes, we posted the event on our wedding website
- Trying to figure out why farming traits was so important to my hubby, I just equipped whichever ones had the highest number.
- I still stop by the Brandywine bridge anytime I'm in the area just to hear the music.
- Encountering dread outside the Last Homely house and my confusion disappearing instantly when I saw Frodo standing there.
- Having a high fever but still going to the End of the World party. Chasing Devs around Rivendell while dying dozens of times. The devs stayed hours after the time the event was supposed to be over, kept lvling people. I remember everytime we finally killed one of the Uber devs there would be an announcement in the channel, "Want something even tougher?" We did
- When I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer at the End of the World Party I ran up to Bag End, sat in one of the chairs overlooking the Party Tree, drank an Ale I'd picked up in Bree and typed in the say channel, "Well I'm back". Logged.
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[Aquilla]

I remember how sad my wife got when I explained to her that, even if she became a burglar, she could neither mug nor otherwise steal from other players.

"Then what's the point?" she replied.

[Elessar]

- Beta invite. Woo Hoo!
- Closed Beta last day party at the Party Tree in the Shire, and the mad dash to Rivendell that followed.
- When you got the quest reward "Adso's Axe" at Adso's actual camp, instead of Buckland.
- Before the Barrow Downs became Barrow Town.
- When the game was actually very hard, and retreat was inevitable.
- When getting all the title's in the undefeatable quest chain meant something.
- When getting to lv50 took more than 5 days. >>>

Originally Posted by logothesia

Actually, I'm one of the thousands of players who feel that leveling in this game is too slow, and I want it to be faster. 5 days played from 1-50 was too long for me.

What planet is this guy from?

[TheScyphozoa]

By 5 days, he meant 120 hours.

[luckyphil]

Originally Posted by Sigram

What a great thread!
-I checked my email at work and saw that I had been invited to LOTRO Closed Beta. I took that afternoon off.

I remember taking time off work to do the same and feeling so rewarded. There was something so magical (and call me lame but I still feel there is) about being in J. R. R. Tolkien's world.

So many that others have mentioned but I'll agree with the countless comments on how good the Old Old Forest was. Visiting the it for the 1st time and getting killed in like 2 mins yet still thinking it was awesome. Good times.