Hands down, hottest female avatars of any game past or present.

So, I finally played Lord of the Rings Online. Before playing, I perused the web site. I read how the game worked. I rediscovered the mythology with the help of the Encyclopedia of Arda.

Then I played it. If I wanted to play World of Warcraft, I'd play World of Warcraft. LOTRO is WoW with a different skin and some added quest and talent features. Over-simplified? Perhaps, but my opinion stands.

What a huge disappointment! Tolkien deserves much, much more.

Sometimes, when I'm not putting projectiles into hostile organisms, I think about my life. I revisit my misspent youth, think about how I should have studied harder in high school and college, regret that I did not work harder at the jobs I've held. It makes me sad.

Then I remember how much fun I've had over the past 38 years and it's all better! Game on!

Well, this pretty much settles the debate. I played a Ranger in Star Wars Galaxies, an Adventurer (ranger) in Anarchy Online, a Ranger in Lord of the Rings Online, a Hunter in World of Warcraft, a Soldier (ranger) in Tabula Rasa, Recon in Battlefield 2142, and a Ranger in Everquest 2.

True Neutral Human Ranger (6th Level)


Ability Scores:
Strength- 14
Dexterity- 17
Constitution- 15
Intelligence- 14
Wisdom- 16
Charisma- 15

Alignment:
True Neutral- A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Rangers- Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge...

I'm back in Norrath after about a year absent, maybe more. It's good to be back traveling the paths less taken.

The changes to Ranger are pretty nice, as are the new additions to the game. I'll reserve judgment on the new expansion until I've actually played that content.

OK, so NOW I see what all the fuss is about. This game rocks!