Hello All,

As we know Turbine is experiencing many issues with the current hardware and it is causing more lag than normal for many users. These are SERVER side issues. They continue to release minor updates and with each we seem to be getting small boosts in performance.

The following are things that can be done to improve CLIENT side lag for those with sub optimal computers and/or connections;

I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING THAT MAY SCREW UP ON YOUR COMPUTER. USE THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

BEFORE YOU LOG ON

1) Go to C: > Users > [YOUR USER NAME] > App Data > Local > The Lord of the Rings

You may see some zip files and other crash logs. Delete them all (has to be done when not logged in). Turbine is uploading these to the server to track why you crashed. This process can slow down your connection and thus cause lag; especially if your connection is not stellar to begin with.

If you cannot see the App Data folder you need to go to View and select Show Hidden Folders or Show Hidden System Files.

2) Run SpeedTest (www.speedtest.net). Click Begin Test. Copy down the Upload value (i.e. 25.67 Mbs).

3) Go to C > My Documents > The Lord of the Rings and right click the file UserPreferences.ini and choose Open With Notepad.

Find the section that says [NET]. Where it says Connection Speed= change the number to 100 times your Upload value that you got from SpeedTest. Save the file.

4) Close all programs that you do not need.

5) Turn off all Antivirus Programs. You can turn them back on after you are done playing. If you are uncomfortable with this at least turn off Real Time scanning.

6) Ensure your firewall has lotro.exe added to the exception list.

7) End all processes that are not necessary. To do Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del) and click the Processes Tab. Look for things that you know are not essential and right click them. Choose End Task.

8) Buffering utilities (if any exist) should be disabled entirely. This includes “gaming” buffering functions such as provided in some Killer NIC drivers, but not the default TCP or UDP buffers for most Broadcom, Realtek or Intel NIC drivers (leave those alone). As a side note, there are some advanced routers that set speeds for down and uplinks to the ISP. These should be set as close to the actual speeds you have from your Internet Provider to prevent the router from buffering between perceived mismatched speeds. (Added by Ogmios of the LOTRO forums).

9) Run LOTRO as Administrator (especially important in Win 10). To do this navigate to where you installed LOTRO (default is C: > Program Files (86) > Turbine > The Lord of the Rings) and right click on TurbineLauncher.exe and choose Run as Administrator.

OPTIONAL (BUT RECOMMENDED):

Do a clean install of your graphics driver. To do this use a free program called DDU (AMD and NVidia friendly). Download it here: http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the newest version. It should auto download. Unzip it and install.

Step 1: Go to NVidia or AMD and d/l the version of the driver you would like to install. Do not install it, just d/l it (remember where you saved it).

Step 2: Close all programs.

Step 3: Run DDU. It will ask you to boot to Safe Mode, say yes. Your computer will reboot. Choose Clean & Restart.

Step 4: Your computer will reboot. Your screen will look funny (basic resolution etc.).

Step 5: Find the driver you d/led. Double click the exe file (install it). When it asks if you want to do a Quick or Custom / Advanced install, choose the latter. If there is an option for Clean Install, use that.

You may need to repeat this process experimenting with older driver versions (keep in mind that LOTRo is built on a much older engine than the newer drivers are designed for).

IN GAME

a) Go to Options > Graphics and then Click Overall Graphics Quality. Lower it to what you find acceptable. The lower it is the less lag there will be. Click Accept.

b) Go to Options > Adv Graphics and lower Landscape Draw Distance, Landscape Shadows, Stencil Shadows, and Player Crowd Quality. Click Accept.

c) Go to Options > UI Settings and uncheck everything under Special Effects Options. Click Accept.

d) Go to Options > Combat Options and uncheck Play Optional Combat Animations. Click Accept.

e) Go to Options > Social Options and check Only Show Dispellable Effects. Click Accept.

f) Go to Options > Troubleshoot and move the Maximum Frame Rate all the way to Max. Click Accept.

g) Go to your character screen (default is C key) and click the Cosmetic Outfits. Make your cloak hidden (unclick the eye icon).

h) Do not use cosmetic pets.

If you have found this information to be helpful please consider making a small donation to buy me a coffee (or beer).