I’ve made no secret that I’m a bit of a diehard LOTRO player. I’m not a hardcore raider, or anything like that, but I certainly enjoy the game because it visually realizes Middle Earth in a way that really appeals to me. Places like Weathertop, the Trollshaws, the place where Durin’s Bane met his end — all these and more make the game addictive and appealing to me. After all, that’s why I’m building a new gaming rig.
But time marches on, and there are other massive multiplayer games that might spark my interest.
Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms
I’m a huge fan of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s spawned a successful HBO TV series, and despite long waits between new installments and ever-lengthening word counts, it still is a fantastically realised world, with relatable, human (if somewhat inhumane) characters.
Unfortunately, the game is browser-based, which is probably not a good thing. I also have reservations about how one would bring a setting steeped in politics and innuendo to a market that is obsessed with DPS and heals. I’ll watch that space, but won’t hold my breath.