On LOTRO

I've been playing LOTRO about four months and it is my first MMO, so there has been a duel learning curve for me. First I've had to figure out the mechanics of the game, while at the same time figuring out the conventions of MMOs. For example, I kept seeing player characters standing around marked "AFK", found myself marked AFK during bathroom breaks. I realized that "AFK" meant "inactive, but logged in", but it took seeing it defined on "The Big Bang Theory" to realize figure out that it means "away from keyboard". I'm sure that there is a lot I don't understand about both still.

I'm playing as a premium player right now, and probably will be forever. I dislike the idea of an ongoing cost involved in the VIP membership and prefer to be able to time my expenditures. I also prefer the idea that once I buy content, it's mine forever and not dependent on continually paying more. So far I have shelled out Turbine Points for the Lone Lands, the North Downs, Evendim, and the Trollshaws. combined with the three starter areas, this gives me plenty of content for the present, although I am excited about exploring the other areas eventually.

I'm playing on the Landroval server. I run three characters, a 33rd level Human Champion, a 7th level Elven Minstrel and a 1st level Human female Hunter. I created a few other characters and discarded them before I settled down to leveling up the Champion. I only recently started to play alternate characters. I started the minstrel as a means of getting easier access to all of the instruments for the music system. (More on music in a later post), and the hunter as a means of getting access to other crafting goods. I also have decided that I'm going to get the Hunter to level 20 without dying so that I can have the "Undying" title. Accordingly, this is my fourth creation of the hunter. First time she died at level 17 and the second time about half way through level 19 (Arghh!!!), and tonight she died at level 13. I'm going to give a couple more tries and then decide to live without the Undying title.

So that's me. If you happen to see Falleleb the Champion, Ringon the Minstrel  or Ulael the Hunter, running around give a me a wave.