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The Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part one)
It just may be the dream of every MMO geek to command the attention of his or her favorite dev team, bombard them with questions, and be shown secrets previously kept behind closed doors. Well, my friends, today that dream came true for this geek, as Turbine graciously sat down with Massively for over two hours to conduct an all-access tour to the fall's hot new LotRO content -- including the details behind the controversial and anticipated F2P switch. Aaron Campbell (Producer), Allan Maki (Senior Designer), Elliot Gilman (Senior Designer), Brian Aloisio (Designer), Joseph Barry (Designer) and Jonathan Rudder (Lore Guru) were on hand to fly me through the new content -- and reveal a few big surprises. To say that I had questions is an understatement; I fear that I sounded a bit like a six-year-old who peppers parents with unending "Why?" queries. Expecting to hear "no comment" a lot (after all, this content is in beta), I was surprised when the Turbine team enthusiastically answered all of my questions and then some. This is a team who know this F2P move is bringing some apprehension and concern, and they're trying to assuage that with as much information as possible. So join me as we go through the first part of this tour, looking at an enhanced new-player experience, instance scaling and the addition of Enedwaith to Turbine's Middle-earth.
The Road to Mordor: Rune-keepers under siege
Let's start today's column with a couple presuppositions, shall we? Number one: There is no set standard for being a "true" Tolkien fan. There's always someone out there who knows more than you, thinks that he is more faithful to the source material, and considers himself better than you in this regard. Like any fans, Tolkien-ites (Tolkkies?) are diverse. They may share the same passion, but they come to it from different backgrounds and with different standards. Number two: Turbine is not out to molest the corpse of good ol' J.R.R. by turning Lord of the Rings into a farce. Yes, it's all well and good to say as such when you want to be melodramatic on the forums, but the truth of the matter is that Turbine's done an excellent job sticking to both the lore and the spirit of Middle-earth as much as possible while still fashioning a game within those boundaries. It's not in their best interests to make a mockery of this franchise. These presuppositions converge on one of the most fiercely debated additions to LotRO, the Rune-keeper. Following the launch of the Mines of Moria expansion, fans responded with everything ranging from "Hey, it's a pretty cool class to play" to "IT'S THE END OF THE MIDDLE-EARTH!" hysteria. Seeing how passionate people are on this subject, I thought it would be worth looking into today, to answer the following questions: does the Rune-keeper have a place in LotRO, and does it break the lore and rules that Tolkien established?
PC Gamer's reader poll honors EVE as the #3 PC game of all time
Reader polls always tend to be an exercise in popularity, bucking conventional wisdom and surprise upsets -- and perhaps never so much as a recent annual PC Gamer poll that asked readers to rank the top 100 PC games of all time. EVE Online scored a surprising #3 spot on the list (falling from last year's #2 position), behind only Fallout 3 and Half-Life 2. This certainly is a testament to EVE's devoted and outspoken fans. Several other MMOs appeared in the top 100, including World of Warcraft (#10), WURM Online (#20), World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (#25), Lord of the Rings Online: The Mines of Moria (#31), Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (#36), RuneScape (#45), Guild Wars (#72), World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (#97) and EverQuest (#100). Of course, reader polls should always be taken with a grain of salt (mmm... salty goodness), as large organizational efforts and promotion from one studio or group of fans is often enough to create a skewed result. Still, it's a decent list, and terrific to see so many MMOs given the top honors.
The Road to Mordor: The highs and lows of Middle-earth
Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was also the most trite way to open an article, especially if you were to be submitting it to your English teacher. Still, I've never encountered a week in LotRO that's given me such a bipolar experience, and I'm going to need your help to work it out. You with me? Good, then grab a cup of red tea and let us spin such a yarn that cats all over the world will be attracted to it. The week began with a switch back to my Captain -- I like to juggle characters, but my cappy (Captain Crunch, thank you very much) is the flagship character of my account, the one in which I've poured the most time and interest. Crunch had just hit level 45, which meant she was eligible to start Volume II, Book I. This is generally recommended at level 45, because the book nets you your first legendary item (and your second, by the end of it). I figured, might as well get cracking on that infamous LI grind I hear so much about, so away I went!
Turbine purchased by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
In news that rocked us back on our heels, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just announced the purchase of Turbine Inc. Previously the largest privately-owned MMO studio in North America, Turbine is now a member of the Time-Warner family. This means that Asheron's Call, Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online have been folded into this deal. This comes after a Warner Bros. spending spree, in which they picked up TT Games, the assets of Midway, and a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios.
Lord of the Rings Online to get hardware upgrade
The folks at Turbine are planning a significant hardware upgrade for Lord of the Rings Online, and are asking players to help test it out. The Bullroarer server currently has the new hardware, and is open to anyone who currently has an active subscription. You can copy up to five of your characters over using the character copy tool in order to join the test, and you'll find some nice bonuses in exchange for your time: all of the content from Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood is on the Bullroarer server. If you don't own the expansions, this is an excellent way to check them out. Turbine has one more thank you gift for players: everyone who plays on the Bullroarer server for at least an hour between now and Friday will be entered in a drawing for a Best Buy gift card. One person will receive a $250 card, one will receive a $150 card, and five people will receive $100 cards. The Bullroarer server can be downloaded here.
Turbine releases Siege of Mirkwood launch video
In case you haven't heard, Turbine launched Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood today. "Today we unveil LOTRO's second major expansion and let players enter the legendary forest of Mirkwood and experience the climax and conclusion to Volume II of our epic story. The response from our players and the press has been nothing short of outstanding and serve as a real validation of LOTRO's position as one of the world's premium online games," said Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel. Besides closing out Mines of Moria, Siege of Mirkwood also brings about an increased level cap, the much-talked-about Skirmish system, and some major gameplay changes and improvements. Many Lord of the Rings Online players have been anticipating this and will be heading for Mirkwood at the first opportunity, but if you're not one of them, the launch video may tip the scales for you. Follow along after the jump for a look.
The Digital Continuum: LotRO's feature future
There are many wonderful features within Lord of the Rings Online, especially with Siege of Mirkwood edging upon the horizon like a merchant's ship carrying treasure chests full of shiny new features. However, for many a person, the game just doesn't click into place. Whether it's because of a missing feature or the pace of combat, some people find themselves unable to acclimate a groove. So let's talk about features and changes that would help attract fresh blood while keeping the old guard happy -- because changing the core of an MMO is never truly a good idea, but bring in fresh blood doesn't hurt.
Moral relativism in Lord of the Rings Online
It's one thing to accept that in the average fantasy MMO, you're going to be killing a truly astonishing number of creatures. That's not the most commendable concept ever, but it at least falls under the header of expected. But every so often, you find yourself stopping to think about the real-world ramifications of what you're doing. The Angry Bear took a closer look at the activities that Lord of the Rings Online is currently moving through in the Mines of Moria, and come to some rather interesting conclusions about the game's stance of invading the homes of other sentient creatures, killing them, and claiming everything they'd owned for several thousand years as rightfully yours. Of course, Lord of the Rings Online is hardly the first time you've been tasked with invading someone's home for little reason other than it being convenient, but the argument outlined here is rather compelling and interesting. It also comes to an interesting conclusion after all the moral sides of the argument are fully explored, one that puts you largely back in the same place you started -- but it's still an interesting argument to consider. Take a look at the full piece, and perhaps tread a bit more lightly the next time you venture into Khazad-dum.
Server merges in LotRO? Heck no!
The longer you are exposed to the One Ring, the stronger the hold it begins to have over you. It would appear Turbine has been able to harness this magic and set it loose upon the unsuspecting gaming population because The Lord of the Rings Online is continuing to grow even two years after its release.When VG247 caught up with Live Producer Aaron Campbell and asked him about any potential server merges, he had this to say: "If anything, The Lord of the Rings Online is growing. We have no plans to merge servers." Since Turbine nefariously refuses to release subscription numbers for any of their MMOs, I guess we'll have to take his word for it.Is it really that difficult to believe though when you consider the steady stream of content Turbine releases in the form of new Books? They also launched a strong second anniversary campaign, which included a digital download of the original game plus the Mines of Moria expansion for only $9.99. This pricing is still available.
Codemasters releases trailer for LotRO Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm
Things are looking pretty good for fans of Lord of the Rings Online with the frequent content updates that Turbine has been cranking out. Codemasters has just released a teaser trailer for Lord of the Rings Online Volume II Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm that shows what awaits your Fellowship in the Mines of Moria this summer. Massively recently had the opportunity to go on a dev tour of the new content and get some info about the quest revamps, 3-, 6,- and 12-man instances, and a preview of the Summer Festival, which is well worth a look if we don't say so ourselves. LotRO's Volume II Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm is slated for a June release and we've got a video embed of the Book 8 teaser trailer for you after the jump.%Gallery-64417%%Gallery-64288%
Latest LotRO test realm patch notes released
There's something really exciting about a new set of patch notes, especially when it's for a fantasy MMO like Lord of the Rings Online. Turbine have just released the latest patch notes for the Bullroarer test server for volume 2 of book eight. These notes will hit live servers -- barring the usual changes, updates and revisions -- in June. The notes themselves are quite comprehensive with plenty of class-specific alterations across the board. There will also be two new events added to the Summer Festival, one taking place in the Shire and another near Thorin's Hall. Lothlorien Gift Boxes are among some of the items being changed, as are the cost of First Age Legendary items. Indeed it seems there's something for everyone, whatever the class or level. You can check out the full patch notes here.
The Isengard Private Preview Program needs you
Lord of the Rings Online CM and Senior Quality Assurance Analyst Kehleyr popped on the forums yesterday to let players know they are reopening applications for the Isengard Private Preview Program. A bit like City of Heroes' Training Room test server or WoW's PTR, Isengard is a lot more private but you will get the chance to try new content and help the QA folks iron out bugs.Kehleyr explains that applicants will have to have an active account, be over 18 and sign an NDA but if you're a huge fan of LotRO in good standing (as in never received a temporary ban), then you can apply. Head over to the forums to see the full details.
Help stress test LotRO to win cool prizes and meet devs
Isn't it funny? People are always clamoring to get into closed betas but once an MMO launches, test servers are usually pretty empty, even for special events. Turbine has decided to offer some great incentives for players to participate in their upcoming Lord of the Rings Online performance test and is giving away several high-powered computer accessories and making sure the devs are online to interact with. Subscribers and even trial-account holders can log into the Bullroarer public test server between 9:00PM and 11:00PM Eastern on Thursday, May 14 and have a shot at winning: Two (2) first prizes - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition CPU + OCZ Platinum 4GB DDR3 SDRAM Five (5) second prizes - OCZ Vertex 60GB MLC Solid State SATA II Hard Drive Ten (10) third prizes - ATI Radeon HD 4890 Video Card Twenty (20) fourth prizes - Signed copy of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria In order to qualify, you must play the entire two hours of the event and be a resident of the United States. Disconnects will not disqualify you as long as you log back in immediately. You can download the Bullroarer client here. Good luck!
Lord of the Rings Online launches in Korea and Russia
Turbine has issued an announcement regarding the regional availability of their number one title. Just ahead of Lord of the Rings Online's second birthday, the folks over in Russia and Korea are now able to join in the Tolkien-inspired fun with new localized versions of the game. Pictured above are the logos for the two new regions, Korean on top and Russian underneath. Noticeably, the Korean logo is in the Mines of Moria format that we've all become used to now, whereas the Russian logo takes after the original logo from vanilla LotRO (Shadows of Angmar). We aren't sure whether this means that Korea's LotRO is Moria enabled and Russia's is not. Perhaps a couple of our readers could translate the sub-headings and shed some light on the issue (and yes, they did! See the comments for info).Korean company NHN is handling their region's version following a deal from December of 2007, and IT Territory made a similar agreement to bring the game to Russia in January of 2008. Both of these companies made statements emphasizing their high expectations for the success of LotRO in their respective markets, but the real test of that begins now. .
Several new crafting instance screenshots for Lord of the Rings Online
The new crafting instances are certainly a big part of the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online Volume 2, Book 7 update, which is why Turbine has released several new screens showing off the content. We're fairly certain that we're not missing the point when we get excited about shiny, pretty swords and images of a Dwarf mining with a mighty pick axe.That's normal, right? We're not entirely certain, but it seems like the kind of thing a balanced person would get all hot and bothered over. In any case, you can find plenty of sweetly sized images to salivate over (or is that still just us?) in our gallery just below. Enjoy!%Gallery-46767%
Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel on implementing LotRO's lore
Lore is something that can engross a person anywhere from several minutes to several hours. In the case of Lord of the Rings fans, it probably leans towards hours and hours. The core books written by Tolkien alone are quite exhaustive in detail.With Mines of Moria's release well behind us on the calendar, Kill Ten Rats interviewed Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel about how the expansion's team took Tolkien's lore and crafted it into what now exists within the game world. It's an enriching read for anybody interested in adapting lore into MMOs, or anything Lord of the Rings related in general.Of course, KTR and Steefel aren't the only Lord of the Rings Online fans addicted to extensive storytelling. We've got our own regular column dedicated to the very subject of all things lore related, with a huge focus on the virtual Middle-earth and its backstory.
LotRO dev diary, "Solving Problems and Making Friends, Part II" live
Earlier this week Matt "Scenario" Elliott posted part 2 of his "Solving Problems and Making Friends" dev diary on the Lord of the Rings Online official site. Right after Mines of Moria released, Elliott took a break from management and returned to the design trenches for a month. The second installment picks up in the fourth week of his life as a live designer.It's a short read, but an interesting one for anyone interested in how a design goes from concept to execution on a live MMOG. At one point, Elliot admits that time management is as important as the idea itself: "Nearly everything we dream up has to be scaled down to fit realistically within our schedules," he wrote. "In my case, I had a couple of ideas that either fell on the floor during planning or were cut due to the unnecessary complexity they added."
Will 2009 be the best year ever for MMOs?
Tipa is wondering if the upcoming 2009 MMO titles will make this year the best yet for MMOs. EVE Online will be receiving its highly anticipated Apocrypha expansion pleasing the "impact PvP" crowd. Free Realms will soon launch to the delight of families around the world, providing another option in the "kid friendly" category. Champions Online will be zipping up its latex suit to compete in the superhero sub-genre. Cryptic has another potential hit on their hands with Star Trek Online, which may ride the hype wave generated by the blockbuster film coming out this summer.And those are just the big titles we're pretty certain are releasing in 2009. There could be even more (Darkfall Online is already out and doing fairly well)! Many people thought 2008 would be the best year for MMOs but the new titles fell somewhat short of expectations. Pirates of the Burning Sea never really left port and while Warhammer Online and Age of Conan sold nearly 1M copies each, their subscription retention rate was quite dismal. It seems expansions were the biggest winners last year with Wrath of the Lich King for WoW and the Mines of Moria for LotRO.
Explaining LotRO Volume II: Book 7 crafting instances
If, as a Lord of the Rings Online player, you're either confused or completely in the dark where it concerns the upcoming Volume II: Book 7 crafting instances for Lord of the Rings Online, LotroLife has got you covered. The guide is pretty in-depth about everything an aspiring crafts-person needs to know about running the six different crafting instances being added to the game.Thankfully, it looks as though an explanation about the timers for these instances was also added after multiple inquiries on the topic. So if for some reason you're still left with a question or two, you may just get it. Although since author KatashiTakishiro figured this whole thing out via trial and error, that may be the best course to figuring every in and out in the end.
