The New Hobbit Hole

[HairOfTheDog]

What video games do you play?

I just downloaded the DEMO version of the Fellowship of the Ring Game... and have tried it out just a few minutes.

I started out in Bag End.. where am Frodo and I have to figure out how to sell Bag End to Lobelia SB... I got lost in the Shire and never found her yet.

I jumped ahead to Weathertop, where my role changes from Frodo to Strider... Strider was eaten by Wargs. I can't figure out his weapons. I am afraid all the hobbits were eaten too. [shrugs]

I am gonna try it again without skipping ahead. Have to find Lobelia.

If you want to download the game, it is here:

http://www.fileshack.com/ (free demo version - 131 MB)

[ItsOurTimeNow]

131 MB? That'll take me some time to download on a dial-up, but I'll give it a shot.

Right now, I'm cycling through Age of Empires II, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (I LOVE strategy games), and Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast.

Next on my plate is Neverwinter Nights, Lord of the Rings, and possibly Elder Scrolls III.

I think someone ought to look into creating a LOTR strategy game - players could choose between building a kingdom of Orcs, Hobbits, Elves, Men, Dwarves, or Goblins. Each race would have its own strengths and weaknesses...its own special set of weaponry, etc.

I mainly use my PC for gaming...the new Dell I bought came with a GForce IV MX 420. I've still only got 128 RAM...I desperately need to bump that up in the near future.

In terms of other gaming, I haven't left the arms of PS1 yet...I'm having way too much fun with "The Legend of Dragoon" and "Driver".

Et tu?

[HairOfTheDog]

I have played a lot of Unreal Tournament and before that Quake III Arena... Player versus player games.

I still haven't found Lobelia yet in the Shire, and I am afraid Aragorn got eaten again. The game plays OK! - I have mostly been wandering around. It is a lot less intense and bloody than Unreal Tournament! You can kinda just walk around and get the feel of it.

[HairOfTheDog]

I have GForce too... and 128.

[Corin Stormhands]

Afternoon all. Just checking in between church and rehearsals. I want a nap, but am I afraid I wouldn't wake up in time. Plus, I need to get some things done here...

Maybe I'll see you tonite.

[Overtaxed]

Rain delay at the races so I'm torturing the kitty with the whistle.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

After waiting in a half-hour queue, it started the Demo download...and clocked it at over 6 hours.

Looks like this'll be a "download through the night" type of thing...lol

[HairOfTheDog]

Dude.... You need cable. :~D

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I live in the sticks...it just (two months ago) became available out here. At $50 a month, plus a $200 cable modem purchase...it'll have to wait a while.

DSL is still a pipe-dream (no pun intended)...any of the state's DSL carriers aren't in my area yet.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I still haven't found Lobelia yet in the Shire, and I am afraid Aragorn got eaten again.

Have you had a chance to fondle much pork, yet? ;-D

[HairOfTheDog]

I am in the sticks too... Mine is $45 I think... and I used the cable modem provided by the cable company for free. You may not have to buy a modem.

I know that can barely live without it now that I have it. (Especially for online gaming) but also for downloads of stuff and just even visiting FR threads with a lot of pictures. I still carry my old dial-up account, but my lines are so bad I get about a 22K connection... It is an emergency measure only!

[HairOfTheDog]

I avoided the pigs... I didn't know I was supposed to fondle them! Is that what you do bear? ;~D

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Is that what you do bear?

LOL! No, I was thinking of the game review I posted to the HH about a week ago... the reviewer said she kept accidentally picking up pigs! "Fondling pork" was the way she described it. ;)

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I searched everywhere and still couldn't find Lobelia.

And on the way to Weathertop, I have managed to figure out how to kill the Wargs... but then orcs came! The music is good on it. When things are bad, you can tell by the music ;~D

I got to Weathertop, but I got killed before I could look around much.

[HairOfTheDog]

Uh huh... sure. I did not fondle any pork!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Here is my proof! (Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a specific post here in the Hole?)

Anyway, I'm sorry you keep getting killed!

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes, I have tried to search the Hobbit Hole. It isn't a great filing system! Best I have done is the "find on page" feature in IE, where I would guess you searched for the word "fondling" in each of the sections! ;~D

I have run into a couple of flaws in the Demo.... The sound went tweaky on me twice now, where I have to restart the game... not a big deal because you can save the game at any point and not have to re-do the whole thing...

And the graphics are not as sophisticated as Unreal Tournament, but they are adequate, and it is cool to see and explore things that are Tolkienish... like the various rooms of Bag End.

On the way to Weathertop, the Hobbits do run around and help me kill wargs... and if I leave them alone, they do a pretty good job without me. I don't think they can die, which helps!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

My state only has one cable provider, so you have to purchase the modem from them. Free Market Capitalism at its best!

It's insanely frustrating going from my PC at work, which is on a T-3, to a 50k dial-up at home. A 5,000kb song will take around 20 seconds to download at work, but almost 20 minutes to download at home...lol

[ItsOurTimeNow]

LOL...I remember that. She said that she couldn't find her way out of Bilbo's house, so she just started attacking the hearth with her walking stick...LOL

Man, I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and download the demo

[HairOfTheDog]

Well - she is exaggerating a bit... Nothing breaks when you whack it, (you can't kill the children either - (don't ask!)) and you can't pick up the pigs...