Sun
29
Mar '09
Who made who?
Rog posted in Lord of the Rings Online · World of Warcraft
Without going on at length about it, I think this screenshot comparison speaks volumes on its own. It's sort of a UI evolution.
(click for the full image that demonstrates it best)
1999 = Asheron's Call
2002 = Asheron's Call 2
2004 = World of Warcraft
2007 = Lord of the Rings Online.
Note: Kudos to Jim @ MMOG Chronicles for compiling this image.
(12:06 pm)
Mar 30, 2009 8:58am
All I can see when I look at the toolbars is to get a sense of how UN-creative LOTRO is.
Not only does the toolbar match AC2, Turbines old game, but then they took the WoW experience bar and copied that as well.
LOTRO continues to come off as a wannabe!
Mar 30, 2009 10:02am
I originally created that image to show people that WoW was not the first MMO in existence and the tool bar that WoW uses was really a copy of AC2 who I think was the first to use the tool bar that is so popular today.
As to LOTRO being a wannabe. LoTRO is trying to take people from WoW and if they changed the UI drastically people would quit without even trying it. People do not like to learn new stuff. This style of tool bar works very well and LoTRO is far different then WoW. I would say that LoTRO offers the best PVE experience to date.
Thanks for the link
Mar 30, 2009 3:42pm
It's similar when people think the Warhammer IP was copied from Warcraft. Our own memories get priority over logical reason sometimes. Most people played WoW first, so they naturally think it was first, until something like this clears it up.
Except Openedge, he has some kind of other screwed up logic where the sky goes blood red whenever LOTRO gets mentioned. Something about his PC sucking when he played or something.
Apr 1, 2009 10:37am
Nothing like that Claque.
The game is just bad, but many who are blinded by WoW-itis think it is good.
It does NOT run well, looks ugly in the UI dept. (to Jim...sorry, but WoW's interface in the screen shots is quite different in look and feel than AC2...while LOTRO matches AC2's look and style, and then drags in some more from WoW)and ruins a perfectly good IP with droll questing.
And I will not even mention the badly made character models or half cranked animations that look very unrealistic.
LOTRO is the most likely candidate for copying in the above simple screenshot...and only the blind are too...uh, blind...to see it.
Apr 3, 2009 6:42am
Gee, why am I not surprised to see Openedge bashing LotRO? He's sometimes worse than Syncaine and his WoW-is-the-DEVIL!!!!-syndrome.
Apr 5, 2009 7:46am
[...] Who Made Who? @ NecroRogIcon — Hmm… I think Desert Bus made them all. [...]
Apr 5, 2009 1:35pm
@Jim: I'm glad to link, I would have emailed you if I had your address.
I left the image to speak on its own, but to put it in words: To me this is just an example of prior art.
I posted it in answer to "OMG they copied WoW" sentiments I hear often lately.
It's silly really, because dynamic button bars and exp indicators outdate all of these games. It's just a matter of elements of style at this point, so I don't know how much credit I would give to either Turbine or Blizzard. I would argue it's almost natural progression in an evolving genre.
Apr 6, 2009 1:49pm
"It does NOT run well, looks ugly in the UI dept. (to Jim...sorry, but WoW's interface in the screen shots is quite different in look and feel than AC2...while LOTRO matches AC2's look and style, and then drags in some more from WoW)and ruins a perfectly good IP with droll questing."
The whole point was that AC2 was the first to do the whole bar on the bottom thing with menu links and all that. Of course LOTRO matches AC2 they are made by the same company. If some thing is not broke don't fix it. WoW may look different but it is the same. Just has square buttons instead or round.
Apr 22, 2009 10:30am
here's a short list of where WoW got most of it's ideas.
http://www.massively.com/photos/seven-games-that-inspired-world-of-warcr...