If you decide to purchase your copy of the game digitally, there are some notes that need to be made. First, your access game keys will be automatically added to your account. No punching in numbers everywhere, which saves some time. Also, there's no need to worry about not having those game keys. You will be sent copies of your game keys to your registered email. On a personal recommendation and should be common sense: KEEP YOUR KEYS. Save the emails, save copies of the email, write them down in a record book. They are your accounts identification in the event something happens and they are the only piece of information that verifies you are the rightful owner of the account.

The second thing to consider when purchasing the game digitally is obtaining the client itself. Turbine provided no links in the emails that lead to the client download. It's also not apparent on the games homepage as to where the client can be found. However, after searching Turbine's FAQ page, I found the tiny link to the client. It's my hope Turbine corrects the obscure position of downloading the client in the future. For now, if you do purchase the game online, check their support pages for the client download page. Once you have located it, take note: Even on high speed connections, the client is near five and a half GB and will take some time to download if Turbine servers are under high traffic hours. Purchasing a hard copy will save you the download time and move you right into installation.

The third issue is the initial patch. You will have a rather large significant patch process after installation. While this is the norm for MMO's, LotRO gold initial patch seemed much larger, and took much longer, than what seemed normal. While this can be annoying for those who have patience issues, it does provide a good time to pick up that game book and begin reading. It should also be noted that my patching process took place the day after the initial release of Mines of Moria. without much doubt a high number of users were also patching clients which added to the sluggish process at that time.

While time was an issue for me then, it wasn't exactly unexpected either and therefore I can't say it's an issue that hurts the game, or Turbine. It is however something you should be aware of when it comes to installing your copy of the game. Once you've installed your copy, patched it, and you've done all your registering, it's time to get started on your journey through Middle-Earth.
 

As you begin your game you're treated with an opening cut scene introducing you to the story of Shadows of Angmar. It's a visual treat to say the least and if you're lucky enough to have a 5.1 sound system, the intensity makes the scene even more enjoyable. For those players expecting an experience directly related to the movies, you may be let down, but don't let that be a deal maker. LotRO gold has a more overall feel and style of Tolkien's books, rather than Jackson's trilogy of films. However, Turbine has found a way, in many aspects, to combine the best of both.