Lord of the Rings Online devs help players explore hidden lore

Have you ever been wandering around in the world of Middle-earth, only to stumble upon something grand? A hidden ruin, perhaps, or something you recognize instantly from the books? The Lord of the Rings Online forum-goers are calling these "hidden nuggets"; a lengthy thread on the official site is acting as a trading hub for in-jokes and special places, Lore-specific areas going back and forth like trading cards. Berephon, the resident "Lore-monkey" gets in on the act, confirming some notes and correcting misconceptions. Most interesting is his reference to their purposeful tweaking of some of the direct-from-the-books tales. They didn't have a license for every part of the original trilogy, meaning some minor changes were necessary to keep things distinct.

Two other threads caught our eye as we were enjoying the 'hidden nuggets.' In a continued Lore theme, players are discussing some of the open-ended portals the developers have left into the rest of the world. Much speculation surrounds where the developers will take us next, a discussion we've had on the site before. For example, that "huge door south of Michel Delving" ... where will it lead? Developers jump in once in a while, offering their own views on future map expansion. A final thread worth checking out is great if you're a LOTRO fan heading to Gen Con this August. Some of the development crew will be on-hand for a "Challenge the Lore-masters" event; a great chance to go one-on-one with your fellow Tolkien nerds. The event is likely full up, but onlookers are always welcome at those sorts of get-togethers.