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The Daily Grind: What MMO milestones have you managed recently?
Last night I poked my head out of Moria and into the woods around Lord of the Rings Online's Lothlorien for the first time. This was significant not only because of my Tolkien fandom but because Moria was as far as I'd ever gotten in Turbine's fantasy MMORPG. The recent announcement of Helm's Deep has compelled me to push toward the game's Rohan content, and I'm sure my avatar appreciates it since he's been stuck in that giant smelly armpit of a dwarf mine since 2009. Anyway, how about you, Massively readers? What's the last significant MMO milestone you achieved? 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!
Riding into Rohan: LotRO maps out 2012
In the words of Frank Sinatra, 2011 "was a very good year" for Lord of the Rings Online. Executive Producer Kate Paiz and Director of Communications Adam Mersky sat down with us to talk about the future of the game, but before they got to the juicy details, they wanted to give a quick recap of the previous year for the game and the studio. The big emphasis for LotRO in 2011 was the unifying of the global community and the release of the game's third (and best-selling) expansion, Rise of Isengard. While the aforementioned unification of the NA and EU sides of the game presented many challenges for the team including localization, it paid off in spades. Turbine plans to continue to add more payment options for those used to methods other than the ones currently available. The team was most proud of unveiling Saruman "in all of his glory" and the inclusion of free players into the sphere of Monster Play. "The game definitely grew last year," Mersky said in response to a question about the current number of players. He noted that the playerbase has changed somewhat in the past two years, becoming more casual in some respects. But it's time to move forward! Turbine is prepared to take LotRO players on a dizzying chase around the wilds of Middle-earth with a few significant changes and additions to the game -- and the release of the brand-new expansion later this year, Riders of Rohan. Mounted combat, ho!
The Road to Mordor: Soundtrack bonanza!
One of the probably-not-very-interesting things about me is that I'm somewhat of a video game soundtrack aficionado. Ever since MP3s became all the rage, I've been collecting my favorite tunes from console and computer games, often replacing the in-game score with my own personal soundtrack. MMO soundtracks, as a whole, are hit or miss with me. While there are many incredible pieces out there, a bulk of what you find is low-key atmospheric stuff that isn't meant to be on anyone's Top 40 playlist. Lord of the Rings Online has its up and downs as a soundtrack, but overall it really does evoke the spirit of Middle-earth. It's hard to imagine playing the game, especially the early levels, without hearing these tracks. I've collected both the soundtracks to Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria and have been saving them for a special occasion. Today is that special occasion. These were composed by Chance Thomas (who's scored many Lord of the Rings-related games) and Stephen DiGregorio. Ranging from bombastic to sinister to folksy, this score covers the gamut of themes and emotions related to the journey of the Ring. It's cool to listen to it independently of the game, as you can appreciate the score for what it is -- and see how the pieces evoke memories of your times in LotRO. Instead of individually reviewing all 40 or so tracks, I'm simply going to pick my 10 most favorite to share with you!
The Road to Mordor: A look back at Volume 2
Last year, I spent a column giving my reflections, thoughts, and observations on the entirety of Volume 1 of Lord of the Rings Online's epic storyline, and today I'd like to do the same for Volume 2. Since these stories are at the center of LotRO's player experience, it's important to see how they function and hold up in today's increasingly story-centric MMO environment. I've gone through Volume 2 twice, once before the "solofication" of the recent update and once after. The second journey was, by far, much more enjoyable since I didn't have to sit there for weeks hoping to find enough players on the same part of the Fellowship portions to continue the tale. Being able to go through it at my own pace was vastly more enjoyable, especially when I could dedicate huge chunks of time to knock out several chapters in one go. And this is a good thing, as this volume of the epic story not only gives you one of your legendary traits but greatly helps you build reputation toward a faction that will give you another one (the Iron Garrison Guards). As such, Volume 2 will continue to be an important part of any character's journey. So let's dig into this puppy (not... a literal puppy, you understand) and see what Volume 2 has to offer. If you haven't yet gone through this part of the epic story, beware: Here be spoilers!
The Road to Mordor: Re-evaluating Moria
When I first left Lord of the Rings Online, it was early in 2008 and we were constrained to Eriador and Eriador alone. Angmar was the most dangerous spot on the map, level 50 was the cap, and getting your legendary traits was an almost inhuman feat. When I returned in 2010, I discovered I had missed out on the release of not one but two expansions and a huge amount of new content in the world. As a previous player, I felt as though everything I had known was completely different, and there was nothing as unknown or intriguing as the Mines of Moria. Expansions have a funny way of making or breaking MMOs, you see. They can exemplify some of the best qualities of the genre: they represent the persistent growing world; they give our characters new challenges to overcome; and they can introduce new features that significantly change how the game is played. Of course, they can damage the game's reputation by creating a worse endgame than before, by screwing up the good aspects of the game, or simply by being unpopular. So how does Mines of Moria fare two-plus years after its release? Today, I want to take a look back at what will probably be the single largest expansion that LotRO will ever see and examine how its purpose has changed from 2008 to 2011. Also, we'll probably make fun of Dwarves.
One Shots: The gold(en) standard
With so many well-known, picturesque locales in Lord of the Rings Online to choose from, some players might have trouble picking which one of myriad places is their particular favorite. Not so with today's One Shots contributor, Floisorin Shattershield, who feels that the beauty of this golden, enchanted wood in Lord of the Rings Online is second to none. Floisorin expounds further upon his particular choice: "I've traveled far and wide; I've solved the problems of every region in the known world. I have seen it all, and yet very little rivals the beauty of Lothlorien. A true masterpiece." Have you been exploring parts of your favorite game that we haven't seen here recently? Images from all MMOs are welcome! Send shots of combat, poses, landscapes, or whatever strikes your fancy to us here at oneshots@massively.com. Make sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a note telling us just what's special about the screenshot you've sent in. We'll post your image here on Massively and give you credit for sharing it with us. %Gallery-112285%
The Road to Mordor: The final ding
It happened far sooner than I'd hoped. I tried to put it off, to ignore the creeping bar, to spend my days in frivolous activities instead of fighting evil -- but to no avail. It was a simple quest turn-in somewhere deep in Mirkwood, and with only two elves to witness the event, a stream of white light erupted from my head. I was level 65. For me, it's always been extremely disconcerting to hit endgame in any MMO, which is probably why Lord of the Rings Online marks only the fourth game of my MMO career in which this has happened. I like the feeling of leveling up, gaining experience, going on a mostly solo journey through the lands. But once I ding that final level, the XP gains go away and the questions arise. What do I do now? Should I become concerned with raiding? I wasn't before! Is there a purpose to keep on questing at this point without XP? Am I going to avoid fighting mobs unless I absolutely have to do so? What is there to do? Will I get bored? Who replaced my wallet with a ketchup packet before I sat down? Join me after the jump as I take you through these questions and more on my journey to discover a life after the final ding.
The Road to Mordor: Do-over! Do-over!
This past week I took a break from kowtowing to the haughty elves of Lothlórien and their super-secret elf club to start up a couple alts. It was ultimately a good decision, as I ended up both digging my new lore-master and getting to sample first-hand the many changes that Turbine made to the new player experience. In mega-patches like this recent one, revamping the starter experience tends to be overlooked by all. Unless they're itching to roll an alt -- like I am -- current players won't be on hand to witness the changes, and completely new players to the game lack the knowledge of how it used to be in order to appreciate how it's been improved. But unsung improvements or no, Turbine's done an excellent job of smoothing out an already-engaging lowbie journey with a startling number of tweaks. I certainly didn't expect there to be so many, but since I have done the 1-20 run umpteen times in the past few years, it felt like a breath of fresh air to me. So what's all sparkly and different? Is the road to Mordor paved with good decisions (see what I did there)? Reroll a baby-faced adventurer with me and hit the jump!
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.
LotRO Book 7 arrives on the EU servers
For those Lord of the Rings Online fans in Europe who have eagerly and patiently awaited the new Book 7 content, you can now rejoice in the fact that the Book 7 patch has finally gone live on the EU servers! That's right, no longer will you press your longing face against the front window that reaches across the pond, as you can now enjoy (or at least start the download for) the Leaves of Lorien content patch.If it's been so long and you can't quite remember what this patch has to offer, check out our dev tour, our tag page and the official patch notes containing loads of information on the epic questline, new Lothlorien map, the Spring Festival and more!
A LotRO book 7 guide to earning the Lorien elves' trust
Finding safe passage below the leaves of Lothlórien is no easy task, especially when it requires you to earn the trust of the Galadhrim. So it's a very good thing indeed that LotRO Life has you covered with a very well put together guide on this very subject!Trust us, you really want to complete the quests suggested in this guide. We tried to just stroll into the Golden Wood without actually earning and trust and got a mouth full of Elven arrows. It wasn't pleasant, and subsequently now we're eating all our meals through a straw.Oh, and if you're wondering why we'd do something so very stupid, then you really need to see the Golden Wood screens in our Lord of the Rings Online book 7 gallery and dev tour gallery.%Gallery-47129%%Gallery-46767%
LotRO's Book 7 Lothlorien patch files available early
Turbine has announced (via Twitter!) that the Volume 2, Book 7: Leaves of Lórien content update for Lord of the Rings Online will go live this Tuesday, March 17, 2009. But you can get your hands on the update files now. Turbine is giving North American, Australian and New Zealand players an opportunity to download the patch files early via direct download or torrent. The downloaded files can even be grabbed from a different computer and then you can transfer those files to your LotRO machine. No early files have been posted for European players yet.What awaits you in LotRO's first major content patch since the Moria expansion went live in November? Turbine offers a quick list of the major features on Vol 2 Book 7 as well as updated Patch Notes. The LotRO Follower blog offers a list of what changed during Testing by comparing the patch notes when the PTR went live and now. Massively has its own tour of the new content as the enchanted lands of Lothlórien are opened up to players. And, of course, there are plenty of screenshots below to tide you over until the content goes live in a few days.%Gallery-46767%%Gallery-47129%
LotRO Book 7: Leaves of Lorien arrives in North America Tuesday March 17
We've been writing quite a bit about Lord of the Rings Online and its upcoming Book 7 content patch of late. Turbine was kind enough to give us a developer tour through LotRO Volume II: Book 7, explaining the new content like Lothlórien's new areas as well as crafting and battle instances. The only thing we didn't know was the exact release date... until now, through the magic of Twitter. The folks at Turbine have just twittered the final piece to the puzzle: "Aren't you glad you're following us? You're the first to know that Book 7: Leaves of Lorien arrives in NA on Tuesday, March 17!"%Gallery-46767%%Gallery-47129%
Know Your LotRO Lore: Lothlorien
With Lord of the Rings Online's Volume II: Book 7 content releasing this month, it would only be fitting to spend this week's Know Your LotRO Lore catching you up on the land of Lothlórien. As discussed in our Turbine dev tour earlier this week, Lothlórien plays a key role in the Elven resistance against Sauron. Understanding its lore is crucial to appreciating how closely Turbine has re-created this area for us in the game.Follow with us through the link below to find out more on this Elven wonderland, and be sure to read through all of our previous Know Your LotRO Lore articles in preparation for your time in the game and the upcoming content.%Gallery-39552%
Massively's developer tour through LotRO Volume II: Book 7
Lord of the Rings Online has a new free content patch releasing very soon, and Turbine was kind enough to give us our very own dev tour of the new content. We've seen some tidbits of information here and there, across the forums and other fan blogs, but it's always nice to get the info from the perspective of the people who created the game, while they warp you around to closed instances, secret locations and encourage you to jump out of trees with your borrowed immortal character (that never gets old).So on our tour we soaked up as much as possible to unleash on you, our favorite readers (yes, I'm talking to you!). We learned about crafting and battle instances, the new quest guide, Lothlórien's newest cities and environments, and the epic quest line. You can bet we took a billion screenshots along the way (ok, 18), including a new complete map of Lothlórien which shows the areas east of the Nimrodel. Follow long after the cut for more on LotRO's Volume II: Book 7.
Turbine releases first screenshots of LotRO's Volume II: Book 7
The upcoming content patch for Lord of the Rings Online, named Leaves of Lorien, has finally been given a face. If you're running around on the Bullroarer server already, you may have seen the beauty of the new content, but for everyone else, we've started our Volume II: Book 7 gallery below. Take a look at the six newest screenshots provided by Turbine earlier today.Make sure to keep your eye on Massively for our upcoming coverage of the Book 7 content as we inch closer to release. In the meantime, there are also the Book 7 preliminary patch notes to peruse and a test server to explore!%Gallery-46767%
LotRO Book 7 dev diary: Lothlorien quest notes
Lord of the Rings Online's Volume II: Book 7 is right around the corner, and the developers at Turbine are breaking out their best teasers for the new content with a recent dev diary. This diary, entitled "Lothlorien Quest Notes" gives us some comprehensive details about what to expect with the upcoming free content patch.Over at the LotRO fansite MMeOw, they take their own look at this dev diary and what it means to them. "Book 7 is a new "on ramp", as has been stated previously in the forums. This means it doesn't require you to have finished the previous Volume II books to start it. It's still heavily recommended that you finish Books 1 through 6, however, so you'll get the full effect of the storyline." Check out the complete dev diary for more information.
LotRO's Hero's Guide series reaches Lothlorien
If you're lucky enough -- and skilled enough -- to make it through the depths of Moria's great mines, your reward is something quite spectacular waiting for you on the other side. Discovering Lothlórien in Lord of the RIngs Online's Mines of Moria is truly an awe-inspired experience, as you're seeing the side of the mines that were first discovered by Durin in the First Age. From the intricately-carved East Gate to the flowing waters of the Nimrodel and into Lady Galadriel's garden, Lothlórien is certainly a welcome sight.Turbine punctuates this with their newest developer diary for the Elven area. This five-page article describes the look and feel of the zone, as well as what monsters you can expect to encounter and what quests you will take on. As always, be sure to check out the previous Hero's Guide articles for more on the Mines of Moria's locations.
