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The Road to Mordor: Six wonders of the newbie world
As I reported last week, I've recently rerolled as a Hobbit Minstrel in an effort to refresh my attitude toward the game, to get a different perspective, and to continue my series in which I go through all of the single-player quests in the game. It's been, in a word, smashing. Having been away from the tamer lands of Eriador for so long, I had forgotten the charm and serenity that these lowbie areas exude. Plus, it's always fun leveling up a brand-new character, since there are plenty of goals and ways to develop your character that your level-capped toons have long since surpassed. As I've been plugging away at Bree-land quests, I began to make a mental list of exactly what's so special about the low-level game in Lord of the Rings Online. The mental list became an actual one, and after a period of milling and refining, I've baked it into a nice loaf of observations to share with you.
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!
The Daily Grind: Where would you vacation in an MMO?
MMOs are often the place we go to get away from the routine of life, where we can explore exotic worlds and cull all life from them in pursuit of the almighty ding. Even though this virtual exploration is fun, from time to time the locales call to us strongly. "Come!" they say. "Visit us! Ignore the rampaging orcs and rest under the shade of our death trees!" I sometimes wonder where I'd vacation in an MMO if I was given the chance. I'd probably say either Lord of the Ring Online's Shire -- during any given pie festival -- or on Guild Wars' sandy beaches. Either of those would be supremely relaxing and probably superior to hoofing it around Vegas or Disney World (cue MMO "theme park" joke). So where would you vacation in an MMO if the laws of reality would bend to suit your travel plans? Would it be somewhere gorgeous, somewhere interesting, or somewhere with locals you'd love to meet? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
PAX East 2011: Delving LotRO dungeons deeply
Right now, Lord of the Rings Online is in a brief respite between the insanity of PAX East and the upcoming March 21st release date for its next big update, Echoes of the Dead. To say that there's a lot coming with this update is a vast understatement, so it was great to get a sneak peek at the five new instances before they went live. Earlier this year, players started to get rumblings about a major upcoming event as five mysterious relics popped up all over Middle-earth in Evendim, Forochel, Enedwaith, North Downs and the Trollshaws. By finding all five, players completed a special deed and got the title "Calm Before the Storm," foreshadowing dire events to follow. All anyone could do after that was prepare for an uncertain future. It turns out that LotRO's players had good reason to prepare, because as of next week, five new dungeons will open their doors for business -- the business of eating adventurers alive and spitting out their bones, that is. Spurned Gaunt-lords have returned to make life for the Free Peoples of Middle-earth harder by transforming the very landscape into their hellish domain, and it's up to you to thwart their schemes. Hit the jump as we traveled to these new instances at PAX East with LotRO Executive Producer Kate Paiz!
One Shots: There and back again
Say the words "there and back again" to any Lord of the Rings fan, and you'll likely immediately conjure up images of the Shire in his mind. It is one of the favorite areas of several Lord of the Rings Online players we've spoken to, and it's the very spot we see in today's sunny One Shots. This image comes to us from Massively reader Ocho, who decided to send in a screenshot of "the ever picturesque Shire in Lord of the Rings Online" for us all to enjoy. With puffy white clouds floating over green grassy fields and friendly Hobbits to talk to, we can think of infinitely worse places to spend some free time! Have you captured a lovely landscape shot while out on your travels recently? We're always on the lookout for great images captured from all around the MMOGsphere, but we need readers to help us out. All you have to do is snap a screenshot in your favorite game and toss it into an email with your name, the name of the game, and a note about what we're seeing in the picture. From there, send it over to us at oneshots@massively.com. We'll dig through the One Shots mailbox and publish the best images from our awesome readers. It's just that easy. %Gallery-112285%
The Road to Mordor: Rating Eriador
Lately I've been playing world traveler with my level 43 Lore-master as he's bouncing all over Middle-earth in what used to be the high-level zones of the game: Trollshaws, Angmar, Forochel, Misty Mountains, and Eregion. Once again, I'm struck by just how cohesive this place feels -- it's not a collection of Sonic the Hedgehog-themed areas (Green Zone 1, Lava Zone 4, etc.) but a world that connects together in a tangible, real way. Even though it's fiction. Until November 2008, Eriador was the only place in Middle-earth that we could explore, and although some criticized Lord of the Rings Online for not shipping with, well, every locale in J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginarium open for business, it was a smart decision. The devs could take this section of the world and focus on building depth and detail instead of spreading it thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. As a result, Eriador remains a wonderful starting point -- not to mention the bulk of any current player's journey -- and many of us have grown attached to these familiar sights and sounds as a result. Today I'd like to take a brief overview of all of Eriador's zones (we'll leave Rhovanion for another day) and rate them from best to worst in terms of zone design, questing, and that slippery cool-factor that's hard to define. Where would I suggest a summer vacation home and where would be an ideal spot for a penal colony? Hit the jump and let's run it down.
Massively's Community Detective, Issue #6: Lord of the Rings Online
If you've been playing MMORPGs for any length of time, or you keep up with the latest happenings around the industry, you're probably familiar with Lord of the Rings Online's Landroval server. In addition to being the "unofficial" roleplay server for Turbine's Tolkien-based MMORPG, Landroval is consistently mentioned as one of the finest communities in online gaming. Whether it be in forum discussions on various gaming websites, chats with gaming buddies, or even internal discussions here at Massively, Landroval is almost always referenced when someone asks about a friendly server that offers a dense and mature population. For this week's issue of Community Detective, we decided to put Landroval to the test. While the community lived up to its billing, we did encounter some curious inconsistencies with regard to Turbine's customer service. Head past the cut for our findings and impressions.
One Shots: A great day for a walk
We're huge fans of breaking away from the computer and going to have fun under that giant fiery ball in the sky. We know it sounds weird, but sometimes you just can't resist when the weather is nice. Of course, when it's too hot and yucky outside, that's when we're all for staying in and enjoying the sunshine in our favorite MMOs! Today's cheery Lord of the Rings Online One Shots shows off this adventurous hobbit, Vultan from the Landroval server, who sent in his travel postcard from Middle-earth. Perhaps he's setting off to see if there really is anything at the end of the rainbow? It seems like it would be a very hobbit thing to do when presented with a nice day and an open road.Places and players - big and small - we want to see images of them all! There's only one thing; we need you to send them in to us so we can post them. So gather up your best screenshots (or your worst if they're funny) and email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post them out here and give you the credit! %Gallery-9798%
One Shots: Come on Book 7!
You can imagine the sheer excitement of Lord of the Rings Online players today as they get ready to log in and get their Book 7 gaming on. With so many great new things coming, it's definitely one heck of a good time to be a Lord of the Rings Online player! As such, we figured today was a great day to bring you this gorgeous LotRO screenshot sent in to us by our regular (and gladly welcomed back) contributor, Johanis. In this one, we check in with his alt as he writes: Here is Baylu...my Warden surveying a beautiful day in The Shire. We definitely love the look of the lands of Middle-earth.If you're going to be heading out and enjoying all the new Book 7 content, why not grab some of those delicious screens of LotRO goodness and send them back here to your friends at Massively? We love to see new areas and new adventures, but we need players to send them in. Email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the game, and a bit about what we're seeing in the image. We'll post it here and give you the credit for showing it off! %Gallery-9798%
Know Your LotRO Lore: Celebrating the holidays Hobbit style
Welcome to Know Your LotRO Lore, a new weekly column here at Massively showcasing the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's world as it intersects with Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online.For some, the holidays are already over, but for many they've just begun. Throughout Middle-earth, none are known better for their love of celebrating those holidays than the Hobbits. We've talked about the Hobbits here before on Know Your LotRO Lore, but with the winter festivities in full swing, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to explain more specifically about just why those Hobbits are so infamous for their partying.
Know Your LotRO Lore: Concerning Hobbits
Welcome to Know Your LotRO Lore, a new weekly column here at Massively showcasing the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's world as it intersects with Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online.Known as essentially the main characters of Tolkien's books, Hobbits are an interesting bunch that have been admired and copied in stories for generations. They are a race of small home-bodies that prefer a good meal, good ale and a nap to most other activities. In some circles variations are known as Halflings, Bobbits or Kender, but despite being a "branch" of the race of Man, these peaceful hole-dwellers have very distinctive features that set them apart from most others in Middle-earth.If you're curious about the origins and lore of the Hobbits both in the books and the game, follow along on our journey through the link below. We'll cover their migration to the Shire, their peculiar lifestyle, their interpretation in LotRO and even if Hobbits are real. Hobbit Origins >> %Gallery-39552%
LotRO Summer Festival goes live
Way back in early July, we wrote up a complete guide to this year's Summer Festival in Lord of the Rings Online, and now players have the chance to experience this festival on the live servers! This festival comes about 6 weeks later than it did last year, but is packed with much more to do and see. There's Horse races in Bree and The Shire, there's the Inn League initiation, there's dance-offs, fireworks and much more. Just remember to talk to the Town Crier in any major town for more information on the specific events. He's the one with the giant purple flag on the radar map. Also be sure to check out our complete Summer Festival guide and most importantly: have fun!
The Ranger Amdir featured in latest lorebook entry
Amdir, a Ranger found in the town of Archet, is the subject of an update to the Lord of the Rings Online lorebook.The Nazgûl entering the Shire seemed to cause an increase in the Blackwold brigand troubles in Bree-land, and so Amdir was sent to Archet to investigate. Here he attended to the problem of some missing Hobbits, and got himself deep into some nasty business because of it.He should be familiar to those whose adventure began in Archet, and he is featured in both the Hobbit and Man starting instances, as well as the Epic prologue quest for Bree-land. Without giving too much away, we'll say that he is very involved in this storyline. View the lorebook entry to see some of the quests he's involved with, and the map of his location.
One Shots: St Patty's day casualty?
Today's One Shots signals the return of one of our regular contributors, Lockwood! He sent in today's One Shots (with a few more you'll see in upcoming days) with the following note: [This shot was picked] after several minutes sifting through the many shots I've taken (and realizing that the best ones contain water and/or detailed backdrops) is of the Shire.What we want to know is that's that green thing underwater in the foreground? Is that a reflection, a great big leaf, a monster, or an unlucky traveler caught up in a St Patrick's Day accident? In any case, we're glad to see Lockwood sending in more beautiful Lord of the Rings Online vistas for us to share (and wallpaper!) If you've seen something interesting, off the wall, curious or beautiful, we'd love to see it! Just drop it in the mail to us at oneshots@massively.com. We do the work, you get the glory! It doesn't get any easier than that. %Gallery-9798%
TTH features in-depth LotRO resource gathering guide for The Shire
There's an odd feeling of satisfaction that comes from a really productive resource-gathering run -- knowing that you've spent your time at maximum efficiency and have picked up what you need to break into a new tradeskill tier, and can retire to the crafting area for the simple combines. Well, TenTonHammer can help streamline this process, with a series of resource gathering tutorials for Lord of the Rings Online that joins their other guides, and we'll first have a look at The Shire.The guide is more than just fluff, with a resource chart that rates each area of The Shire's usefulness for any particular material that you wish to harvest. You will find both tier 1 and 2 resources in this zone, and the guide has a breakdown of various areas with some specific tips as well -- for example, Rushock Bog is supposedly the best place in The Shire to harvest ore, whereas the southern Shire areas are just very poor for resources in general, so steer clear. The full guide contains other tips that will fill your bags to the brim with useful materials in no time, so have a look before your next resource run.
The life of a Hobbit: Pies and Postal quest guides at TTH
As everyone knows, a large portion of a Hobbit's existence is occupied with consuming pies, and nosing around other Hobbit's business. But behind the scenes, there are the middlemen that allow this to continue. Who delivers these pies? Who moves the mail that other Hobbits have the pleasure of trying to sneak a peek at? If you know where to start, you could very well be fulfilling these duties, and be rewarded for your efforts to boot.TenTonHammer has made a guide that covers the Lord of the Rings Online Shire delivery quests, including the Postal Delivery and Pie Delivery quest lines. These quests involve sprinting around the Shire -- sound familiar? -- trying to avoid the Nosey or Hungry Hobbits (depending on which type of delivery you are making) and steering clear of water to get your package to its destination. Of course, it's much easier when you've got a game plan, so check out the guide before you begin your courier career.
Yule-tide quest guide for non-Hobbits
The Lord of the Rings Online Yule-tide festivities are comprised of a single level 1 quest resulting in a snow-covered tree for your front yard. Not quite on the scale of the Harvest Festival, but something fun to do and the reward looks great on your virtual lawn.The problem is that all the running around you do in the Shire can take forever if you didn't level a Hobbit. Massively has come to the rescue with your Yule-tide quest guide for Shire newbies. It's all you need to know to claim your tree and get back to farming for that Rift armor.OverviewLobelia Sackville-Baggins wants to play Grinch to the Hobbits' Yule-tide celebration. Somehow she has claimed the official title of Yule-planner and declared only wilty vegetables and an early bedtime for all, instead of an all night, multiple-course banquet meal and never-ending keggers of ale. It's up to you to find out how she wormed her way into the job and how to save Yule-tide for all the gluttonous, alcoholic, pipe-weed lovin' Hobbits. Head to Hobbiton and pick up Yuletide Woes quest from any named Hobbit in town Talk to all named Hobbits in area and find Invitation at Ted Sandyman's mill Take Invitation to Mayor Whitford in Michel Delving Find Bylaws book in the Great Smials library in Tookland and return it to the Mayor Find 10 Hobbits in Hobbiton to sign petition to dethrone Lobelia Present petition to Lobelia Talk to Gamgee to receive reward
LotRO lorebook heads north, finds civilization
Turbine have returned to their Lord of the Rings Online lorebook groove with a spotlight on Ost Forod, one of the main outposts in the Evendim region. Last week it was wolf-men, this week it's brigands and tomb raiders. No, not Lara Croft.Northeast of Lake Evendim (which in itself is north and east of the Shire), Ost Forod is a trading village not so much built on the bones of an ruined fortress as part of one. But by the time you visit, there's more than a little bit of trouble in paradise.Turbine have really flexed their creative muscles for the whole Evendim area. Even if you're not a fan of LotRO, you have to admire Turbine's phenomenal handling of the enviroment; they're living and breathing lore so well it's not always obvious what's Tolkien and what's Turbine.
Brigands in the Shire
If you're looking to pad out your deed log (and the traits that go with it) you'll want a steady supply of the appropriate foes. There's no great brigand presence in the Shire, but they're there nonetheless. That extra point on your Justice trait certainly isn't a bad thing. Your two primary hunting grounds for brigands are in Green Hill Country, in the South-eastern portion of the Shire.
