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LotRO, A Look Back: Books 12 & 13
The new year brought Book 12: The Ashen Wastes on February 13, 2008. This was the first major update that didn't include the introduction of a new region. What it did bring to the table is a mix of revamps and new features.The high level adventuring area Angmar received a major overhaul, making it significantly more solo friendly. many elite mobs were taken out of the solo area population. And the boars, oh the boars, were mostly removed in favor of more menacing mobs. Finally, the questlines were smoothed out to move players along to area more appropriate to their leve.PvMP players received a new PvE dungeon, the Delving of Frór. The Creeps and Freeps battle for control of the dungeon and should one gain access while the other was battling a raid target within, well, that's when the real fun begins. New armor and items were also made available to the player side.Cosmetic enhancements were introduced to the game in Book 12 as well. The outfit system allowed players to choose one set of armor for stats and another for display. The barber system allowed players to change their hairstyle and facial choices, even adding a few new hairstyles to the game.Finally, three classes got a revamp this time. Guardians received a mix bag as their defenses were both nerfed and buffed, they received a dps stance and gained some utility. Burglars got a buff to nearly all their functions including damage, debuffing, trickery and crowd control. Champions also got an extra pass that gave them a stance that was part offensive and part defensive. This round concluded the class revamps planned by Turbine. %Gallery-14799% %Gallery-15282%
Massively goes hands-on with LotRO Book 13 video
We could write reams of text that describe in loving detail all the features that await you in Lord of the Rings Online's Book 13 content patch. We could lay out screenshot after screenshot that could perfectly capture the chilly northlands that are being introduced, the eerie agent of Angmar who is tearing apart the land or the monstrous beasts that roam the wintry tundra.Or you can just click after the jump and watch a video that sums it up in less than 5 minutes. Plus, glimpses of Fishing, new trophies and new environmental effects.Don't worry you lovers of words and pictures, a write up is coming your way in the next day or two complete with a gallery of shiny shots to accompany the purple prose.
New Book 13 screenshots
More Last King shiny goodness! Turbine has released more screenshots from the upcoming LotRO Book 13 expansion, where folks will be treated to a Winter wonderland, full of ice, snow, and yetis. The textures in Forochel look absolutely gorgeous, and the color palette is quite a bit more varied than you'd think.To be sure, the frozen wastes are nothing to sneeze at (pun not intended) -- in addition to the standard monster fights, merely remaining out in the cold for too long will sap one's life. But hey, it can't be too bad -- look, everyone's fishing!%Gallery-18168%[Thanks, Jackie!]
Book 13 preview offers new screens and avatars
We're halfway through April, and Lord of the Rings Online's next content patch, Book 13, will be released before the end of the month. To tantalize players just a bit more before the free update is out, a new preview page devoted to Book 13 is now available at the official site. The preview looks at some of the previously discussed big features of the patch, including the Forochel area, the Orc Defiler PvMP monster class, the Fishing hobby, and the enhanced fellowing features. As well as this, the bottom of the page leads through to a gallery that has some new screens, and a large selection of avatars for use with forums, messenger programs and the like -- a nice touch! We've updated our own Book 13 gallery with the new pictures for you to take a look at.%Gallery-18168%
More information on Book 13's Forochel region
The Lord of the Rings Online development team has revealed more information about the new region for Book 13: Doom of the Last-King -- Forochel. This new, expansive land will feature their latest effort at a snowbound landscape. One of the ways in which Forochel will be different will be in its new 'cosmetic temperature system', in which you'll be able to see your character's breath the farther into the cold you travel. While this may seem trivial, you'd be surprised what a tiny effect like that can do to help immersion.Of course, the changes aren't all cosmetic. Spending too much time in the Ice Bay will have a deleterious effect on your morale. Life-saving warmth can be had at towns, by spending time over geothermal vents, and by creating campfires. And annoyingly, the announcement mentions that they've learned some lessons concerning monster moods, spawns, and patrols, but stop short of actually saying what those lessons are.For those of you who've been anticipating this new Book, go check out the full release, and judge for yourselves if it's going to be worth the wait.
LotRO Book 13 gets beautiful new screens
We've long since known the new area being introduced in the newest Lord of the Rings Online's Book 13 patch was Forochel. The fact that Forochel has an enormous water mass (that players can't swim across) makes it perfect for the new fishing mechanic being introduced to the game. If players aren't in the mood for fishing, it's not as though they can't level up on their own instead. Forochel is very solo-friendly.There's also been the recent revelation that Book 13 will have a pretty cool name, "Doom of the Last-King" and will be the first zone in LotRO to have it's own faction reputation to earn. So expect to be at an 'unfriendly' status with the Lossoth in the region, at least upon first entering. Improving your faction level with said survivors of the Forodwaith will be rewarded with treasures such as new armor sets, a new mount, weapons, housing decorations, and some class-specific items as well. All very cool stuff, but there's still some more to be seen.Today Turbine has released some rather enticing new screens for the upcoming Book 13 patch and we've got them right here for your visual enjoyment.
LotRO Book 13: Doom of the Last-King
Following the recent release of The Ashen Wastes, we now have LotRO's Book 13 to look forward to very soon. In a recent dev diary, not only has the name of the new book been revealed, but also much more. We learn about some unique creatures in Forochel, including moose, winter-worms, and Gauredain war-mammoths, just to name a few. These new creatures in Doom of the Last-King will also have their own brand of monster skills introduced specifically for them.In Book 13: Doom of the Last-King, the content team introduces something they've been waiting a long time to do: implement a new region with its own reputation. This means that your character will start out as "Unfriendly" to the Lossoth who inhabit the region. In order to improve reputation, players will need to complete quests and collect item drops for the Lossoth. This is actually the first time a region was created with reputation built-in. Lossoth reputation rewards include unique armor sets, weapons, a new mount, housing decorations, and even a few class specific items! Be sure to check out a recent dev interview for more information on Book 13, and remember, there is only one more content patch after this before the Mines of Moria expansion!%Gallery-18168%
