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Protect Isengard with the new LotRO Guardian dev diary
It's time for another Lord of the Rings Online developer diary, and this time around the Guardian is up to bat. So what's in store for the plate-wearing, shield-toting class come Rise of Isengard? Well, of course Turbine realizes that many Guardians are tanks first and foremost, and it will ensure that Guardians are able to continue tanking with the best of them. On top of that, however, some passes are being made to increase Guardian DPS, which Turbine feels is substandard. In order to accomplish this, they will be raising Guardian DPS "in a behind-the-scene fashion." This means that many abilities, such as Guardian's Ward, will simply "do more damage inherently as the Guardian levels up from 65," and Guardians will also be granted some additional damage from their shield abilities thanks to increased Shield Use rating from new Legendary Traits. If you're interested in the finer details, the full list of skill changes can be found in the full dev diary.
Gamescom 2011: LotRO's Rise of Isengard screen captures on display
If you're not in Turbine's Rise of Isengard beta, A Casual Stroll to Mordor has some Gamescom screen caps you might be interested in seeing. Even if you are in the testing phase for Lord of the Rings Online's next expansion, it's worth a look-see if only to glimpse a few things you might've missed. The screens were captured on a cell phone camera, so the quality isn't worth writing home about, but they do show off an early version of the Isengard map as well as new wound pots, Forthbrond Village, a portion of the Gap of Rohan, the tower of Orthanc, and Saruman impaled on a giant spike just like in the movies! OK, just kidding about that last part, but it was funny seeing you lore-monkeys twitch.
Midnight launches for Lord of the Rings Online
Can't wait to get your hands on Frodo? Wait, that came out bad. Um, ready to start your journey to Mount Doom as soon as possible? Gamestop/EB Games is holding midnight launches in select cities for Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Those waiting in line will have a chance to win t-shirts, signed posters, game subscription codes and various bits of other phat lootz swag. Here's where the cosplayers should start getting giddy: Three fans wearing the best Lord of the Rings-themed costume will win a special prize. Also, various members of the development team will be at the locations answering questions about the game. All events are from 11 PM to Midnight on Monday, April 23 at: Boston - Prudential Mall Chicago - 920 Church Street, Evanston, IL Los Angeles - Store TBD New York - Broadway and 33rd, 1282 Broadway Seattle - 248 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA If you don't know if you're ready to start the quest to get rid of that precious ring, the open beta for LotRO is still going on until next Monday. The game has received decent early buzz and has been a top-seller in the PC category on Gamestop.com for a while. We'll find out in a week if LotRo has what it takes to put a dent in the unstoppable megahit World of Warcraft.
Lord of the Rings Online team confident entering MMO market
Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar has the unpleasant honor of entering into the MMO market where the shadow of World of Warcraft looms over all. From what we've seen and heard, the Turbine developed game is the first real contender to enter the market in a long time. It may not usher an immediate deathblow to WoW, but the fellowship of the ring has a long journey and they're ready to battle.Joystiq spent some time at Turbine meeting with the team behind LotRO. One of the key things that stood out was the polish of the product and the fact that those we spoke to weren't being deceitful in their presentation of the game -- a rare occurrence to say the least. The team knows they've got something good on their hands.
