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The Road to Mordor: Baggins of Bag End
It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years to the month since The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring came out in movie theaters. It's even harder to process that Peter Jackson will be bringing us back to Middle-earth with the two Hobbit films starting a year from now. The Jackson trilogy, while beloved by many (including, I assume, gamers), hasn't gotten a lot of space in this column to date. The general consensus from the community is that the films and the MMO are separate interpretations of the same source material, and never the twain shall meet -- nevermind all the other LotR games, like War in the North. While that may be true, they do meet in the hearts of those who simply love this franchise. I adore the movies, am a huge fan of the game, and like (yes, just "like") the books. But I think that it's worthwhile to go to the films for LotRO players because they do give a different perspective and perhaps clarify a few plot points that shoot over our heads in-game. If nothing else, if the movies can revitalize our excitement about exploring the lands of Lord of the Rings Online, then they've done well by us. I mention all this because this past week saw the release of the first Hobbit trailer, which I must have watched a good dozen times, and it got me pumped up once more for this game world. In today's column, I want to use this trailer to springboard a discussion of how LotRO and the films share a common bond and how the Hobbit movies use many elements that Turbine's been working on for years now. Plus, a bonus Hobbit Tribute Tour!
The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die
A couple of weeks ago I decided to embark on a long-planned project to play through the entirety of Lord of the Rings Online -- or at least a whole heck of a lot more than I ever have previously. My thought was that in the rush to level and progress, I had been skipping much of the content that makes LotRO so unique, and I wanted to force myself to slow down, take it all in, and get over the desire to hit endgame as quickly as possible. Thus, I created Slyppi, a brand-new level 1 Hobbit Burglar with the intention of experiencing the game in full. My rules with Slyppi are thus: She will clear out every solo quest in a zone (including the epic storyline but excluding tasks) before moving elsewhere. She will go through all three newbie zones and ignore the fact that the quests aren't giving her much XP. She will take detailed notes, package them up, and send them back to me for the purposes of turning them into a guide to the interesting out-of-the-way quests and places in Middle-earth. If you're anything like me, you probably die a lot, usually in very embarrassing ways (hey, that cliff wasn't there a minute ago...). Since we all have a death warrant on our heads, we might as well get the most out of our journeys, which is why I've come up with 10 things that you should do in the Shire before the inevitable occurs. Why 10? Because it's two in computer-speak!
Bag End's IDS12-I subwoofer -- small but mighty
Bag End is one of those brands that's fairly well known in pro circles, but almost unheard of by general consumers. The no-frills enclosures would definitely be a hard sell in most domiciles -- unless you live in the Bat Cave or something -- but the bass performance is nothing to sneeze at. The latest IDS12-I mates a 12-inch INFRA cone to a 220-Watt onboard amp to deliver flat response all the way down to 18Hz. Pretty impressive for a little 15x18x15-inch box, and more than enough to rock the Shire, eh? Just make sure you've got XLR cabling or at least an adapter -- balanced inputs only need apply.
Bag End puts more power behind its Infrasubs
We remember back in the day when Bag End introduced its ELF (Extra Low Frequency) subs to the home audio market. The promise of really low bass -- +/-3-dB response from 8Hz to 95Hz -- from enclosures less than 2-feet on a side seemed impossible. You read that right -- eight Hertz. Fast forward to present, and the Hobbit-esque ELF that fit in with the "Bag End" name has now been recast as Infrasub. The company's Infra dual integrator system (basically active equalization) that allows the Infrasubs to apparently disregard the cabinet's resonant frequency does require lots of power, though. This is an ideal setting to bring in class-D amplification, and now Bag End has done just that by integrating its P-500 amp into the Infrasub-12 and Infrasub-18 models, delivering 500-Watts (100-Watts more than the previous amp) in a lighter, cooler, more efficient package than before. If you visit the Newseum and like the bass delivery, put these subs on your audition list.
Lorebook spotlights Gamgee handiwork at Bag End
Most of us love Hobbits. Really, how could we not? These are people for whom pie-eating is a cornerstone of society. It's hard not to be envious of that laid-back lifestyle.And few Hobbits have lived more comfortably and extravagantly than Bilbo Baggins, the old proprietor of Bag End. His adventures with Gandalf and the Dwarves netted him a personal fortune, and he spent no small part of that fortune on his gardens.Those gardens -- maintained by Ham Gamgee and his son Samwise -- are the subject of the most recent featured article in LotRO's Lorebook. Sneak up to Turbine's window and start droppin' eaves to learn more!
