Where we pit two incredible MMORPGs against each other in seven distinct categories to determine the ultimate winner. In this episode, we have two giants of the genre facing off: Guild Wars 2 and Lord of the Rings Online. Both games have their strengths and weaknesses, and it will be fascinating to see how they match up in the categories of combat, leveling and world-building, character immersion, PvP systems, PvE systems, end-game grind, and monetization. 

 

• Combat
• Leveling & Worldbuilding
• Character RPG Immersion
• PVP Systems
• Group PVE
• Endgame
• Monetizatoin

 

 

↖ Combat

Combat in Guild Wars 2 is a hybrid tab-targeting and action combat system. Players can use the tab button or mouse to select a target, but success in combat also relies on using dodge rolling and rotating through skills. Positionality is important, and players must pay attention to enemy positions to succeed. Attacks feel weighty and significant with big, bold numbers, and group and boss encounters are fun and challenging. Each class has its unique role and elite specializations, which allow for customization in the endgame.

Combat in Lord of the Rings Online employs a traditional tab-targeting combat system, but the combat is customizable based on class preference. Each class has its unique flavour and plays a specific holy trinity role, but each class does so in different ways. The combat creativity in LOTRO is high, and the class combat is varied. However, the downside of LOTRO's combat is the lag that exists in the game, which can make it frustrating for players in certain regions.

 

Overall, both games have respectable and fun combat systems. Guild Wars 2 emphasizes the variety of combat styles with elite specializations, and the positionality and dodge rolling mechanics make combat engaging. Lord of the Rings Online emphasizes the uniqueness of its classes and the variety of combat styles. However, Guild Wars 2 wins this point by a hair due to its engaging combat system that keeps players excited and challenged throughout encounters.

 

↖ Leveling & Worldbuilding

When it comes to leveling and world building in MMOs, there are a few key factors to consider. The first is the overall enjoyment of the leveling experience, which includes the story and quests. The second is the quality of the world itself, including its visual design, immersion, and depth.

In the case of Lord of the Rings Online, the leveling experience is long and designed to allow players to explore Middle Earth fully. The quests are well-written and the storytelling is top-notch, making for an enjoyable journey through the game. The world itself is beautifully designed, with stunning vistas and a high level of immersion. However, the game can suffer from lag issues, which can detract from the overall experience.

 

Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, offers a fast leveling experience that is focused on getting players to endgame content quickly. The visual design of the world is the game's biggest strength, with beautiful environments and attention to detail. The game also offers a variety of ways to level up, including map completion and world versus world PvP. However, the storytelling is not as strong as in Lord of the Rings Online, and the cutscenes can be lackluster.

 

Overall, while Guild Wars 2 has a beautiful and well-designed world, Lord of the Rings Online wins in the leveling and world building category thanks to its immersive and detailed recreation of Middle Earth, as well as its excellent storytelling and quest design.

 

↖ Character RPG Immersion

Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO) offers a classic three-tier progression tree system, where you have three trait trees to choose from, and that will really shape the foundational elements of your class. You also get certain traits based on your race. The gearing grind is traditional, where, as you level up, you want to get better gear, and as you get to max level, the real end game is to get better gear so that you can do better stuff. The outfit system in LotRO is a bit limiting, as you do have to buy additional slots to really take advantage of it. However, you get two free outfit slots, and these are very easy to switch between.

In Guild Wars 2 (GW2), the character customization at the beginning is a 9 out of 10. You can create anything you want in any way possible. The mastery point system in GW2 works a lot like the champion point system for Elder Scrolls Online. Once you hit max level, you begin to really delve into your character's mastery systems through mastery points and training, and these things help your character through little passive bonuses to mount speed and ways to interact with the map. The mounting system is great, with tons of different mounts that all do different things to help you traverse the maps better.

 

In terms of combat, both games offer immersive experiences. LotRO has a more traditional combat system, with skills on a hotbar that you use to defeat enemies. The combat is slower-paced, which some people may prefer. GW2, on the other hand, has a more action-based combat system, with skills that can be used on the move. The combat is faster-paced, and you have to be more aware of your surroundings.

 

Both games offer different playstyles for combat, so it really comes down to personal preference. If you like a slower-paced, more traditional combat system, LotRO may be the game for you. If you prefer a faster-paced, action-based combat system, GW2 may be the better choice. Overall, both LotRO and GW2 offer great character immersion and combat experiences. It really comes down to personal preference in terms of which game you will enjoy more. Try them both out and see which one fits your playstyle better!

 

↖ PVP Systems

Player versus player (PVP) systems are an essential aspect of many MMOs and can add a lot of excitement and competitiveness to the game. 

Guild Wars 2 PVP System:

Guild Wars 2 has a world-class PVP system that offers a range of options for players. The world versus world (WvW) system is one of the main highlights of the game. Players join one of three massive teams fighting for keeps, castles, supply camps, and more massive zerg-like battles. It is easy to get into and accessible to all players. Another PVP option in Guild Wars 2 is arena PVP, where players can enjoy five versus 5 battles. It offers both rated and ranked PVP for those who are more competitive. Overall, the PVP system in Guild Wars 2 is outstanding and is considered one of the best among MMOs.

 

Lord of the Rings Online PVP System:

On the other hand, PVP is one of many attractions in Lord of the Rings Online. Players can participate in player versus monster player (PvMP), where they can play as a free player (elves, men, dwarves, or hobbits) or as a monster player (orcs, orgs, spiders, etc.). In PvP, players play on an open world map, but the system needs to be more balanced in many ways. The keeps are easy to capture, and there are only a few of them available. There is no rated or unrated PVP system in Lord of the Rings Online, which makes the PVP experience lackluster.

 

Overall, the winner of the PVP category goes to Guild Wars 2, which offers a fantastic PVP system with both WvW and arena PVP. Lord of the Rings Online's PvMP system needs to be balanced and offer more options for players.

 

↖ Group PVE

When it comes to group PvE, Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) excels in encounter design, providing challenging and engaging boss fights that are accessible to players of all group sizes, from duos to full-size raids. LOTRO also offers a diverse range of content for smaller groups, making it a great choice for players looking to experience Middle Earth with just a few friends. However, one of its weaknesses is player population, with some mid-game content needing to be more populated.

On the other hand, Guild Wars 2 (GW2) shines in terms of player population, with its open-world meta-events providing an enjoyable way to experience massive group content together. However, it falls short in high-end instanced content like raids, dungeons, and fractals, where it hasn't quite figured out what it wants to be. Its fractal system, while similar to World of Warcraft's mythic plus system, needs to connect with some players.

 

Overall, in terms of group PvE, LOTRO is the better choice for those looking for challenging and engaging encounters that cater to all group sizes. However, for those looking for a more populated game with enjoyable open-world meta events, GW2 might be the way to go.

 

↖ Endgame

Endgame grind is a crucial aspect of any MMORPG, and the question of whether it respects your time and rewards you well is what makes or breaks an endgame experience. Lord of the Rings Online and Guild Wars 2 are two games that have different approaches to endgame grind.

Lord of the Rings Online has a traditional endgame grind where you run content to get better gear for your player, which allows you to run even better content to get even better gear. The system is well-done, with engaging and fun raids, player housing, and roleplaying opportunities. However, a significant part of the endgame grind revolves around leveling up your legendary items, which can be a bit of a grind without significant rewards. While the system respects your time, the rewards may be less exciting.

 

Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, has an immensely rewarding endgame with grinds that respect your time, thanks to their engaging and fun nature. The rewards, such as the sky scale mount and legendary weapons, are awesome and make the grind worth it. Guild Wars 2 is a horizontal game, meaning that there are many paths to success, and you don't necessarily have to engage in the raiding or legendary weapon grind to progress.

 

Overall, Lord of the Rings Online is a vertical game that has a well-done traditional endgame grind, while Guild Wars 2 is a horizontal game that has an immensely rewarding endgame with engaging and fun grinds. The choice between the two depends on whether you prefer a structured or open-ended approach to endgame content.

 

↖ Monetization

When it comes to monetization, both Lord of the Rings Online and Guild Wars 2 have done an excellent job. However, there are some differences in their Monetizatoin systems that are worth noting.

Subscription Fee

Lord of the Rings Online has a subscription fee, which gives players access to all the expansions up to the most recent one. This subscription fee also makes the game more playable and easier to run. 

On the other hand, Guild Wars 2 does not have a subscription fee, and every expansion comes with a box price that players can buy in-game or out-of-game.

 

Pay-to-Win

Lord of the Rings Online is pay-to-win because players can buy the trait series in the cash shop. This gives them an advantage over other players who have to grind for these traits. However, it's worth noting that most players prefer the fulfilling grind of Lord of the Rings Online and don't typically buy these traits.

 

Cosmetics

Both games offer cool cosmetics in their cash shops. Players can buy extra bag slots, extra bank slots, cool mounts, and outfits in Lord of the Rings Online. In Guild Wars 2, players can purchase mount skins, outfits, and account upgrades.

 

Fear of Missing Out

One advantage of Guild Wars 2 Currency system is that there is no fear of missing out. Since there is no subscription fee, players don't feel pressured to play the game to get their money's worth. They can buy the expansions at their leisure and not feel like they're missing out on anything. This is not the case with Lord of the Rings Online, where players might feel like they need to get a subscription.

 

Overall, both games have fair and enjoyable Monetizatoin systems. Lord of the Rings Online's subscription fee gives players access to all the expansions and makes the game more playable, while Guild Wars 2's lack of a subscription fee means there is no fear of missing out. Lord of the Rings Online's trait series in the cash shop could be seen as pay-to-win, but most players prefer the fulfilling grind of earning these traits in-game. Ultimately, the choice between the two games comes down to personal preference.

 

 

Conclusion:

To conclude, after carefully analyzing and comparing the various categories, Guild Wars 2 emerged as the winner in this guide of MMO Fight. However, it's worth noting that the competition was extremely close in all categories except for PvP. Ultimately, choosing a favourite MMO is a personal preference, and We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Let me know which game you think won and in which categories you differed from my assessment.