Lions and Tigers and MMORPGs update

Right after I published that blog-post a few months ago, I saw two online articles that interested me.

One was kind of a pat-myself-on-the-back, self-congratulatory article about how awesome The Lord of the Rings Online game is. 10 Reasons LotRO is worth getting instead of a newer game.

The second was a disturbing article on how video game designers craft gaming experiences on purpose to get players addicted to playing the game (one supposes as a marketing move; addicts keep playing/paying more). I think anyone who does anything as a leisure activity should probably read the article; understanding our own motivation and human behavior, especially the concept of Skinner Boxes, is an important aspect of the examined life.

A friend asked me to elaborate on my original comment about LotRO versus WoW. The article above really does a good job capturing many of the simple reasons I love the game, but here are some specifics. Two recent quests I completed on Lord of the Rings Online were thoughtful, amusing, heartfelt. In one, my character was tasked with helping an in-game character with completing something that his family had made an oath to fulfill, the protection of an heirloom treasure for the Dwarven Race. When all of the steps were finished, I was then asked to go back to the home of the in-game character, the Dwarf City of Thorin's Hall, and return the now-complete treasure that the family had sworn to protect. After arriving, I was told by the chief treasurer that the the gold I had returned was insignificant, that what really mattered, what was really valuable, were the family names I had learned tracking down all the people who had helped discharge the obligation. He made careful note of their names, and assured me that no one would forget those brave dwarves.

I did Dwarven Family History!

Another story arc was a delightful allusion to the history of J.R.R. Tolkien himself. I encountered a hobbit just north of the town of Oatbarton named Ronald Dwale. He sent me on a number of simple quests (finding his pipe, retrieving his son's lost lead dog from a beach), and then complained that some rough big people (some of Sharkey's Men) had chased him away from his home. He was forced to drop the first page of his book, and needed my help to find and return the page.

Upon receiving it, he asked me to deliver a message to three friends who were waiting for him at the Bird and Baby Inn in Michel Delving; Jack Lewisdon, Carlo Williams, and Owen Farfield. The message is that he needed to miss the meeting of authors in order to work on his book. Upon travelling back to Michel Delving and passing the message along, the three Hobbits admonished me to make sure that Ronald was in reality working on his book, and not playing silly games.

The entire encounter is ripe with tidbits from Tolkien's real life. My favorite line is Ronald's final comment on his book, "In a hole there once lived a boar. No, wait, that's not right."

The whole game is for sale cheap right now (this purchase comes with 30 days free playtime, though monthly fees are still $10 if you buy a multi-month plan).

Come and see.