It definitely looks small, and can feel small when you're running from area to area (Ered Luin to Misty Mts like you said), but I find that when I'm out and about it feels quite large and grandiose. There're rolling hills, high mountains, deep cliffs, and lots of little nooks and crannies to explore.

But that said, it's smaller than your average world, but I know for a fact that it'll be expanding VERY soon. ;) This Turbine, not Blizzard. It won't be months before we see new content added.
 

I thought the opposite, the zones felt bigger to me, and running seems to take a lot longer, though safer, it's not like WoW where if you run to an area a few levels above you mobs come charging onto the road. (I am too cheap to pay for the horse transportation).

However like everyone is saying I like it smaller and better than bigger with less effort put into each area.

I am Yunkor on landroval. I was trying out Gladden too, which seems good for the most part...but already experienced the typical griefers there. He is a dwarven guardian, which so far is more fun than a WoW warrior. He is 15 now so I am going to try out some hobbits. maybe a burglar and a minstrel.
 

The zones definitely feel bigger that those in WoW. It seems like there's not really any terrain cut-off distance... I could see mountains from very far away.

Now if only my computer would get a semi-decent frame rate when there are lots of character models around... :-/
 

As a converted WoWer (just cancelled my wow account yesterday) I do find the zones to be a bit small, but considering I only have a level 10 captain right now I can't say for sure. I will also probably try out some new classes and races after I hit 15. Even the zones may be physically smaller, they feel HUGE. I love it so far and expect myself to playing it more and more until the wife complains =]
 

To me it's not so much how big the land is in square miles, but how many players per square mile I'm going to come across.
One of the great things when I first started WoW was the feeling of being in the wilderness; now I can't go anywhere without seeing other players (and Outland feels very crowded).
We all want to group at some point, but when I'm playing solo or teaming with a group, I want to be alone.
 

I have to say as well that although the physical size is smaller, it certainly did not feel like it. In some of the starting areas, the shire in particular, i feel an overwhelming sense of 'holy crap this is huge' and 'i'll never be able to keep track of all of this in my head.'
 

Makes perfect sense to me: Make the initial game world small, release 2 expansions in one year, and people will spend money on box sales for content that they should have gotten at launch but were suckered into buying later in the form of an "expansion" pack. This game is going to be funny to watch over the next few months.
 

You don't need a WoW-sized landmass until you have a WoW-sized player base (number of active toons per server)...
 

"Makes perfect sense to me: Make the initial game world small, release 2 expansions in one year, and people will spend money on box sales for content that they should have gotten at launch but were suckered into buying later in the form of an "expansion" pack. This game is going to be funny to watch over the next few months."

You have no idea what you're talking about, so be careful. The developers at Turbine have repeatedly stated they don't even know when they'll be back on store shelves yet. The majority of content, new zones, new quests, new everything will be coming in free updates.
 

That seems incredibly counter-productive to me. A lot of LOTRO players are there because they love the IP. That's going to lend to a lot of people who want to explore and see stuff. I just don't believe that they small area will cater to the players curiosity.

I'm disappointed.
 

I'm really intersted in this game...is there anyway I can transfer my rogue to a LotRO server so I can gank hobbits while they peel potatos?
 

Sometimes, from the comments I read, I'm left with the impression that the appeal of LOTRO to old-school WoW players is mainly a new and simple start. That, plus the inevitable draw of the LOTR tie-in. The same kind of stirring of a fanbase will happen in MMOs in a few years when some Harry Potter MMO is released by someone.

I mean, the long-time raiders ground out the top gear for what? To see it all wiped away with the release of the BC. They may not have felt that way initially, but at some point in the grind to 70 they had to start to realize that this was a whole new start -- new rep grinds and profession grinds only to lead to... Attunements and gearing up just to get access to raiding. Again.

LOTRO is just like starting a BE or Draenei alt, but without the pre-knowledge of the inevitable eventual grinding and raiding, again, and in a new-feeling, but familiar environment. And there is the ever-present hope that Turbine will be better that Blizz in the area in which you feel that Blizz failed.

I'm not done with WoW yet, but I could see getting to the point where I'd just like to wipe the slate clean and begin again. Frankly, I'm in just the right generation to "get" things like the whole "Area 52" spoof and all of the old rock-n-roll take-offs, and that's very entertaining -- and I'm thinking that sci-fi spoofs are unlikely to ever be seen within LOTRO! The way I look at it, I can't lose -- if LOTRO begins to be a real threat to WoW, then it's quite likely that WoW will move to implement things that make LOTRO a success.

Doeg
 

This is one of the reasons why I won't play LotRO. I wouldn't say that I'm a purist, but I think there's a sense of scale that will be absent in a game based on Middle Earth. There is no way to make the game to the size that Middle Earth is... For me, anything else would seem like a watered-down version.
 

Seriously don't judge the game based on one report of square miles. Has anyone ever judged a game like that?

Instead, ask beta testers how much content there is, how long it takes, what the end game is like, etc. I haven't heard anyone complain that the game is too small or that there is not enough content to launch.

Like everyone in this thread who's tried it has said, regardless of what some report on "square miles" says, it feels huge. So try it out if you are interested, but don't not even try it because you are afraid of what it might be.

(anonymous above should look at Turbine's previous record to see all the free updates they've provided in other games)

Having played it, the only thing that annoys me now is the stupid names people pick, which bothers me more in LOTRO than it does in WoW, but then that's just my problem and no game is going to get away from that. What is cool about LOTRO that WoW doesn't have is you can turn off names of players you don't know, so you will still not miss your friends, but not see names of the idiots. I haven't played around too much with that setting yet.

As far as comments about end game, raiding, yes, I wonder what will happen with expansions/updates too, but the same argument still applies to wow. And most wow end game dungeons are still in beta when you think about it.

Truthfully I don't see any game that has an end game that escapes those kinds of problems or is even worth sticking around for, certainly not WoW. And if LOTRO keeps me occupied for another 1.5 years like WoW, then fine it's money well spent. (Though I've never played CoH I hear it's much better in some ways due to not being item based, but then people don't seem to play it much anymore)
 

CrazyFlanger: I'm really intersted in this game...is there anyway I can transfer my rogue to a LotRO server so I can gank hobbits while they peel potatos?

You can roll a warg and gank the hobbits of Hoarhollow in the Ettenmoors. Pretty satisfying, I must say.
 

Lets not forget that WOW has Horde and Alliance only areas that make large sections of the world inaccessible to one side or another. Essentially, LOTRO is all "Alliance" and is therefore not really 1/4 the size, but more like 1/3.
 

Oh, BTW, people like Crazyflanger are exactly the reason I cancelled my WOW account. I'm so glad he won't be playing LOTRO.
 

"Oh, BTW, people like Crazyflanger are exactly the reason I cancelled my WOW account."

People with a sense of humour you mean?

PS - don't sit down, I think you have a stick up your ass.

WS
 

Maby you dont travel as fast in LOTRO as you do in WoW(In terms of Runing speed). That will make the world feel bigger and pretty much be bigger.
 

I disagree I've been playing WoW for months, gotten a few 70s then quit. After being bored out of my mind looking for new mmo's like trying Age of Conan and FFXI I stumbled upon LOTRO which is the most amazing game I have played. After hours of comparison to me Middle Earth is GREATLY larger than WoW with the BC. It may just seem like that to me but I think the environment was created with extremely more consideration than WoW.