The Road to Mordor: Seven player events you must attend
More than any other MMO I've played, Lord of the Rings Online seems to draw out player events like crazy. Maybe it's the setting, Tolkien's world-building, the renaissance fair outfits, or the disproportionately large RP crowd, but LotRO seems to be graced with far more of these kinds of player-driven initiatives than elsewhere.
As such, today I wanted to scout around the forums and official calendar to highlight a few of the many, many events that festoon this great game of ours. These are great to check out, particularly when you're a little bored with the same-old, same-old of questing, raiding, skirmishing, or PvMPing. The ingenuity and spirit of these events is often quite infectious, and I never regret going to one once I make the effort.
So check out seven great player events in LotRO, coming to a server near you!
The Galloping Gala (May 4th and 5th on Landroval)
Horse racing is at the heart of this player event, as Windy Acres Ranch and the Lonely Mountain Band host the Galloping Gala on Landroval. Over the course of two days, players can check out (and participate in) a variety of races, a mounted fashion contest, a horse parade, a concert, and a fireworks show. It's going on right now, so check out the schedule and see how you can get plugged into the fun!
Galloping Gala (May 9th on Meneldor)
This Galloping Gala is a grand one-hour chicken race starting at Sanderson's Farm in the Shire. Sponsored by The Inklings, this race is meant to show comradeship with kinships across several servers.
Actually, the Galloping Gala has events running across numerous servers, so chances are that it's coming to a horse track near you!
Green Dragon Fridays (Fridays on Laurelin)
Hobbits one and all are invited to the Green Dragon Inn in Bywater, The Shire, every Friday evening for some hearty and frothy roleplaying. The organizers of the weekly event ask that all participants engage in some manner and have something prepared to share with the rest of the crowd.
Weatherstock IV (June 16th on Landroval)
Weatherstock, the premier multi-band one-day concert, is back for its fourth year of rocking out on the summit of Weathertop. Player bands are encouraged to sign up and bring their best tunes, as the top 10 acts will compete against each other for various prizes. Check out the official Lorebook page for more information.
Finer Things in Life (Saturdays on Windfola)
What are the finer things according to the makers of this RP event? Why, they're "the drinking of ales, the smoking of pipeweed, and the singing of song!" Stories and music are the centerpiece of this traveling gathering, so bookmark the Lorebook page to keep tabs on where it will take place in the future.
Saturday Night Social (Saturdays on Imaldris)
Music and song have kept the Saturday Night Social going strong for well over a year now! Check out the best of what the player music system has to offer by attending one of these gatherings.
Ales and Tales(Mondays on Landroval)
Many players take an evening out of their leveling schedules to kick back with a mug of beer and listen to the finest music, poetry, and stories that the Landroval community has to offer. Ales and Tales moves locations on a weekly basis and takes players on a leisurely tour of Middle-earth's most scenic vistas.
Know of any other great one-time or recurring player events we should attend (I didn't even get around to all of these)? Let us know in the comments!
When not enjoying second breakfast and a pint of ale, Justin "Syp" Olivetti jaws about hobbits in his Lord of the Rings Online column, The Road to Mordor. You can contact him via email at justin@massively.com or through his gaming blog, Bio Break.
