Mac Client Release by release
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With the release of the LOTRO Mac Client (Beta Version) there are many overlapping areas of information between First time users and on-going activities. The information is split to improve readability.
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Overview
- This page contains references to the historical "release notes" and events effecting the Mac Client.
Update 13 - 14 April 2014
- The new Mac download on "lotro.com" is now up and running.
- The DDO Mac Client downloads now via Akamai. There are some rough spots, with patching for update 21, but they are easily worked around -- see the Mac Technical Support thread at DDO for details:
The U13 release notes state:
Akamai Netsession With today’s release of Update 13: The Breaking of Isengard, we have introduced a replacement for our Pando-enabled client and downloader. We now use a non-peer-to-peer version of the Akamai NetSession client for the LOTRO launcher, and wanted to update you on how we plan to utilize this service in the future. The Akamai NetSession client allows us to quickly and reliably deliver fresh LOTRO client installations to you, and assist in the repair of missing or corrupted files in current game installations. The client utilizes Akamai’s large network of edge servers to deliver this content to you from a location which is deemed geographically closest to you, and ensures that we are able to efficiently and effectively get you what you need to play LOTRO. Although some versions of the Akamai NetSession client used by other software providers utilize Peer-to-Peer technology, we have decided not to use P2P for LOTRO. What this means is that Akamai NetSession will NOT use peer-to-peer when delivering LOTRO-related content. Once you install the LOTRO client, or patch your game to Update 13, it will be possible to uninstall Akamai NetSession from your computer, and NetSession will not reinstall unless it is necessary to deliver a deleted file or a fresh installation. Typical game updates will not require the use of Akamai NetSession.
- In reality, the Mac Client download uses the Happy Cloud system, which grabs its data from Akamai. See:
- and
- for more information
News 1 October 2013 -- Happy Cloud Returns
Apparently last week, (11 September, 2013) Turbine "brought back" "thehappycloud "as the downloader for the Mac Client. (And presumably the PC CLient as well, but I have not investigated.)
https://www.lotro.com/en/game/download
So far, I have only begun testing the "Play Instantly" On Mac option.
Thehappycloud Interface is much "cleaner" than the old PMB interface.... and one bonus -- it begins playing Chance's Riders of Rohan theme as the download begins! (Bummer, it simply loops the opening track. But that itself is a convenient way to determine that the download is still in progress.
Estimated download time on my 2meg DSL is 188 minutes (3.1 hours) MUCH faster than PMB, and I believe either equal to or faster than the Steam Download.
The Happy Cloud downloader is a 6.5Mb "pkg" download -- LOTRO_Mac_360.pkg.
Note that this downloader is different from the full Happy Cloud interface.
There are 3 numbers posted next to the "download speedometer" ... Downloaded: xxx Minimum Buffer: 2983.8 MB Full Game: 17594.5 MB
One presumes (since I haven't gotten there yet) that the "Minimum Buffer" number represents how much of the Full Game needs to be downloaded before you can "play instantly."
More later..
"Play Instantly" option does not work "instantly"
- This issue has been fixed (Update 13.0 time period)
So far, when the Happy Cloud interface announces "Game is ready to play" -- it isn't.
The interface goes off into never never land with a "swirlie" trying to load the game.
However, the download does continue.
The time mentioned is strictly for that first 2983.8 MB portion of the download.
News: 31 August 2013 -- PANDO shuts down
PANDO shut down on 31 August. Apparently purchased by RELOADED TECHNOLOGIES https://www.reloadedtech.com
Reloaded appears to operate a network of download servers similar to those operated by Valve https://www.valvesoftware.com aka Steam.
No further details are available at this time (1 September 2013)
Mac Client for Bullroarer again available
On 5 September 2013, Turbine again made the Mac Client for Bullroarer available.
- If you have received an invitation to the Beta of Helms Deep on Bullroarer, and want to use the Mac Client....
- First visit the Bullroarer Forum -- FIRST! (Note that you will only be able to see the Bullroarer Forum if you have been invited into the Closed Beta.)
- BETA - HELM'S DEEPBETA - HELM'S DEEP - ANNOUNCEMENTS BULLROARER: Client Download Link
- In that message is a link to the Mac Client download -- "Bullroarer Installer for Mac" -- Click on it to begin the download in your browser.
- Note: this is NOT a PMB download. It is basically the same link as the original RoR Beta link -- i.e. via Akamai.
- The download is a 17.74 GB .dmg file, dated April 2013.
- The file can easily be downloaded directly with Safari. I do not know how well Firefox and Chrome succeed -- they had problems in the past with this download, assumedly because of its size, and the subsequent time involved.
- Remember TURN OFF TIME MACHINE BACKUPS DURING THE DOWNLOAD!
- On my 2meg DSL line, Safari projected the download time at roughly 30 hours. Which proved to be "mostly correct."
- Using Safari, it is possible to stop and restart the download using Safari's download manager (download Icon in the upper right corner of the toolbar.)
- I say mostly correct because of "pauses." I am not certain, but I believe that most of the pauses were because of Time Machine, which I kept forgetting to turn off!
- On my 2meg DSL line, Safari projected the download time at roughly 30 hours. Which proved to be "mostly correct."
- Once the "lotrohigh.dmg" is downloaded, click on it to mount. ALLOW IT TO VERIFY! This will take 30-45 minutes depending upon your system. If the verify succeeds, you are good to go. If it fails. That means the download was not successful, and must be re-done.
- Copy (drag) "The Lord of the Rings Online" application to where ever you want to store it -- if you want it on an external disk, for example.
- The application file itself will be 21.12 GB in size, dated October 2012.
- You will then get the sequence of Gatekeeper pop-ups... "The Lord of the Rings Online(tm)" is an application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?"
"DDO Mac Client"
DDO also has a Mac Client for both the live game servers and Lamannia (the DDO equivalent of Bullroarer).
- The DDO and LOTRO clients are "the same" -- both have the same features and problems.
- I currently have all four clients installed on an external hard-drive on my iMac and can run them all with "no problems."
- DDO is a much smaller client, coming in at just over 10GB compared to 21GB for the LOTRO client.
Release Notes Summaries
- 5 May 2014
- none specific to the Mac Client
- 14 April 2014
- none specific to the Mac Client
- 10 February 2014
- none specific to the Mac Client
- 23 January 2014
- none specific to the Mac Client
- In January of 2013, Turbine changed the download procedures for the Mac Client. The standard download now also uses PMB, the same as the Windows Client. -- see below.
- 16 December 2013
- none specific to the Mac Client
- 20 November 2013
- Loading music files to play (with /play “filename”) will now work properly on Mac.
- Update 11 (13 May 2013) has no fixes specifically related to the Mac Client.
- Note that you MUST accept (re-accept) the EULA and TOS after updating with the Update 11 patch. This must be done in ENGLISH!
Update 10, release on 6 March 2013, included the following fixes directly related to the Mac Client. " Update 10, Against the Shadow,Part II Official
One small note at the end "officially" describes them:
- Graphics and Effects
- Resolved a number of issues with openGL rendering.
- Graphics and Effects
Initial testing has shown that:
- OpenGL fixes have resolved graphical glitches related to High Quality Lighting and Specular Lighting
- OpenGL fixes or other work appears to have enabled more environmental details (more grass moving etc.) with higher detail settings.
- The inability to type in the chat window when changing from Windowed mode to Full Screen or vice versa has been fixed.
- OpenGL fixes have resolved graphical glitches related to High Quality Lighting and Specular Lighting
LOTRO Mac Client Released - 1 November 2012
Turbine announced the general availability of the Mac Client (Beta Version) on 1 November 2012.
- It is a direct download from Turbine via Akamai. (No Pando or Happy Cloud involved).
- The Mac Client download from Turbine is a .DMG file -- 17.74 GB in size!
- Download time is approximately 2 hours on a 15MB FIOS link. (Download speed for many is only 2.9MB/Sec for some unknown reason, probably ISP throttling.)