by Sylvia Wrigley

Created on: May 02, 2008

Lord of the Rings Online is a Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) set in the Tolkein world of Middle Earth, in the days of the Third Age - that is, the story starts at about the time that Frodo left the Shire in The Fellowship of the Rings.

The first thing you need to do, as with any MMORPG, is create your character. There are four races (Men, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits) and the classes available are to an extent limited by the race you choose. Your race also modifies your statistics which in the long-run will affect your character. Initially, it is simplest to choose a class which looks interesting and simply begin play, worrying about the detailed nuances once you've learned the basics. With a little bit of logic (a Dwarven Hunter may have less optimal bonuses compared to an Elvish one and certainly won't be the race best able to use a bow) you should find that whatever race you choose will make for an interesting and playable character.

CLASSES

* Burglar
* Captain
* Champion
* Guardian
* Hunter
* Loremaster
* Minstrel

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Burglars can be played by Men and Hobbits. They are the equivalent of the dual-wielding rogue from other games. Burglars have swift strikes which can be used to great effect against solo NPCs although they do not do as well in a toe-to-toe battle and may struggle with multiple NPCs at once.

Captains can only be played by the race of Man and have unique reactive attacks/buffs which are based on occurrences within the battle.

Champions are available to Men, Elves and Dwarves and are a popular solo class due to their ability to shift between offensive and defensive stances.

Guardians can be played by all races and is the archetypal fighter, able to take the hits and taunt the NPCs into focusing on him.

Hunters are also playable by all races and offer high ranged DPS and traps which enable the class to be strong in solo play.

Loremasters can be played by Men and Elves and are a pet class with crowd control and high damage over time. Loremasters can be complicated and are not recommended for inexperienced players but can be an incredibly powerful class both solo and in a group.

Minstrels are available to all races and they the primary healers of the game - this is the perfect class if you wish to be sought after for groups. They have separate stances to increase their damage for solo play making this a well-rounded class.

STATISTICS

As with other MMORPGs, you have a character panel which shows your character's statistics. These

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