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LotRO downtime today for Book 11 Patch 1
Book 11 provided a huge chunk of content for Lord of the Rings Online players. Player housing, Balrog raids, the Harvest Festival, revamps to the Lore-master and Burglar classes, the introduction of Gollum, the list goes on. And with every fat patch comes a swarm of bugs that make it to the Live servers.Today, Turbine is stomping on a number of those bug with Book 11 Patch 1. Servers are down from 7am - 1p EST while the new patch is implemented on the Live servers. Along with usual pathing problems, stability adjustments and mob AI tweaks, fixes include DirextX 10 support coming out of beta, fixes to the Hooks in housing used to place decorations and nerfing some Conjunctions used in Player vs Monster Player combat.For a complete list of patch notes, check out LotRO's Lorebook wiki.
LotRO dev chat is silent on new info
Stratics hosted another developer chat, this time with the Lord of the Rings Online staffers. The topic was Book 12, but unfortunately not much was revealed that we didn't already learn in the LotRO German dev chat earlier this month. Without the class developer on hand, all Guardian and Burglar revamp questions were deflected. As were most other inquiries. It seems that the developers couldn't answer many questions at all. But here is the little that I was able to glean from them.Housing improvements in Book 12 include being able to use Bound items for decoration and house items will be able to be rotated on their hooks. There is also a "high likelihood" that alts will be able to use the recall to home feature of other characters on the same account.
Cinemassively: Video blogging as a form of expression
I know what you're thinking. This isn't Machinima! That's the beauty of vlogging, though. It could be. Vlogging, short for video blogging, is just that; a spoken blog entry recorded on film. It might consist of words on your screen, footage of your real life typist, Machinima of your avatar, or all three. It's also not limited to any platform, either. You could even vlog in WoW or LotRO.Michael Verdi, previously mentioned on Cinemassively for his Coca Cola Virtual Thirst video in Second Life, is best known for his vlogging site, freevlog. He is also an author of a book on vlogging, Secrets of Videoblogging. In this video, he uses all three methods discussed to showcase what goes on in his work with Millions of Us, a development company in SL and other worlds.I'll admit that the main reason I can't stop watching the video is the background music, created by Bart Cheever, VP of Production at MoU. However, it's also nice to see how surprisingly normal they all look. We see them chatting about business, bouncing around ideas, goofing off, and wearing their signature jumpsuits. While I'm sure their creative process isn't all fun and games, this gives us a glimpse of their routine. How do you choose to express yourself?
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.
Fellowships versus soloing in LotRO epic storylines
Many of you will have completed Lord of the Rings Online's latest epic storyline from Book 11 by now, and you may have found that you could accomplish this task all on your lonesome. This topic was raised on LotRO's official forums, and whilst the initial poster was against the idea of a solo-able epic quest, the overwhelming response of the thread was that of people who had finished soloing it and loved it, or those that didn't realize it could be done alone and were keen to log in and get started.To date, most of the Books have been composed of a mix of solo and fellowship portions, and this was reinforced for future books later in the thread by a member of Turbine's LotRO team, MadeOfLions (fantastic name by the way), who said, "we're letting the needs of the story dictate the group sizes, rather than the other way around", and also that Book 12 should be a return to a more fellowship-oriented quest line.It's nice to have a mix between the two formats, solo and grouped, because let's face it -- a fellowship isn't always available -- and with Book 11 giving my class of choice, the Minstrel, a little more solo-power, I enjoy having only one life bar to watch over for a change.
One Shots: Representing the Shire
I can already hear the complaints of the non-LotRO fans in the audience. Two Lord of the Rings Online shots in a row? In my defense, I can only say that I take submissions and this happens to be what I'm getting. This shot, sent in by reader Ronald, is taken in the town of Budgeford in the Shire. This precise sort of pastoral landscape is what embodies the Shire -- or that and nosy, busybody (albeit charming) Hobbits. The Shire's boisterous community is lacking from this shot, but I can only say it's all the more peaceful for it.But perhaps you have a screenshot of your own that you think expresses a unique or memorable moment in your favorite MMO? Send them to us with a description (including game name and location) and you may see it posted here for tomorrow's One Shots.%Gallery-9798%
Tom Bombadil skips his way into the Lorebook
Tom Bombadil is one of the most mysterious and bizarre characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth canon. Nobody, not even Tolkien himself, knows exactly what he is or what he represents, but he's depicted in such an impacting way that some readers theorized he might even be a manifestation of Middle-earth's God himself. Most Tolkien aficionados reject this theory, but nevertheless it speaks to the power of the character.Bombadil lives in the game world of The Lord of the Rings Online as an important quest NPC in the Old Forest, and he's the subject of the latest official Lorebook entry from Turbine. The entry matches the excellence of previous ones and is worth a read if you want to know a little bit about this pivotal figure in LotRO's lore.
Conclusion to The Rift loot guide
We've reached part four of TenTonHammer's guide to the equipment obtained in Lord of the Rings Online's new raid zone, The Rift of Nurz Ghashu. In this final update, it is Hunters, Captains, and Burglars whose eyes will light up, as their new class-specific armor sets are examined in detail. The three classes will receive the "Doom-Hunter" set, the "Armor of the North Star", and the "Thrill-Seeker" set, respectively. As with the other Rift gear we've had a look at, these sets are some of the best equipment in the game. Each gem that is handed in for gear will be needed by each class, and will always result in the same slot of armor. For example, a Sparkling Diamond is what is used for the glove-slot armor of every class. This does make it a bit easier to keep track of than in some other games, where the same quest item may equal different types of armor for different classes, and a whole raid can stall while people struggle to figure out if it's something they need or not.So if the thought of slaying a Balrog isn't enough of an incentive for you to try and assemble your guild at The Rift (it isn't?) then hopefully the lure of these epic lewts will draw you to this exciting new content. Part four of the guide -- for hunters, burglars and captains -- is found through the related story link, and if you didn't get to see our previous posts, here is our coverage of part one, part two and part three.
LotRO gets gold edition, Europe only
All that is gold does not glitter -- unless you happen to live in Europe. As of this week, Lord of the Rings Online: Gold Edition is now available across Europe, but it's been confirmed as exclusive to the region.The Gold Edition contains all the bells & whistles you'd expect: a Book 11 version of the game with a 45 day subscription, three unique in-game items for use in the Book 11 Housing, and a unique in-game mount -- the Bree Horse.But what's slightly unusual is that you can use the new mount a full ten levels earlier than you gain the Riding trait in LotRO, without paying a dime for it. Admittedly, the Bree Horse comes with different stats -- but it still must be a little vexing to those outside of Europe.Is the Gold Edition going to be enough to convince you to pick up LotRO? Or if you're elsewhere in the world, do you wish this had got a release where you live?Further details about the Gold Edition can be found in the recent LotRO devchat.
Stretching the metaphor - the world and the economy
A metaphor is an analogy which is intended to assist in our understanding of something by indicating points of similarity between them. Our virtual worlds are all metaphors to one degree or another. Many artificial constructs are. The problem with metaphors is that they're generally not readily reversible, and it's far too easy to get caught up in them and stretch them far too far.
LotRO landmarks: Ost Guruth
The environments that Turbine have created for Lord of the Rings Online are obviously crafted with love, always including intricate little details for the fans, so we don't blame them for wanting to show them off. The official LotRO website is running a series called "Exploring Middle Earth" where different landmarks in the game are showcased and described for aspiring travelers. If you've been occupied with the flood of brand spanking new content, this is a nice way of revisiting the roots of the game. The most recent episode features the fortress-ruins of Ost Guruth.Ost Guruth is situated in the Lone-lands, and is a questing hub for levels 20-30, featuring portions of the game's Epic storyline -- but it's more than that too. Exploring Middle Earth hopes to give players an understanding of the lore and history of their favorite zones, and to that end, we learn that the ruins you see now at Ost Guruth belie a mighty past. They were in fact a castle that ended up being a casualty of war... but we won't spoil the details here. You can enjoy the full article via the related story link.Oh, and since we're just now catching up on Exploring Middle Earth (and the earlier entries were from prior to Massively's launch), check out others in the series such as Barad Gúlaran and The Eavespires.
Massively's massive giveaways: Win a lifetime of Lord of the Rings Online
For our latest series of giveaways, we're about Turbine! If you're not familiar with Turbine's games, we're already giving away copies of LotRO, copies of DDO, and copies of Asheron's Call -- so if you're interested in giving any of these games a spin, here's your chance to get started! But while we're out of games to give away, we're just now getting to the best prize of the bunch: a lifetime subscription to Lord of the Rings Online! To win this fabulous prize, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 9:00 PM EST tomorrow, November 8th. We'll pick one commenter to get a lifetime's worth of Lord of the Rings Online. (To be eligible to win you must be a US resident of age 18 or older -- please check our official rules for full details!)
Massively's massive giveaways: Don't fear the Ringwraiths
For our latest series of giveaways, we're looking at you, Turbine! If you're not familiar with Turbine's games, we're already giving away copies of LotRO, copies of DDO, and copies of Asheron's Call -- so if you're interested in giving any of these games a spin, here's your chance to get started! We're out of games to give away, but no fear -- we have other swag to offer! Right now we're giving away two Lord of the Rings Online t-shirts (sized XL) to two lucky commenters. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us where you'd wear your swanky new t-shirt between now and 7:00 PM EST tomorrow, November 8th. (To be eligible to win you must be a US resident of age 18 or older -- please check our official rules for full details!)
The Rift loot guide part three lists Minstrel, Lore-master goodies
Ten Ton Hammer has been giving us the lowdown on all the shiny new gear LotRO players can acquire in The Rift of Nûrz Ghâshu, the new raid instance Turbine added to the game in the Book 11 update. First they listed the coin rewards. Second, it was the gem rewards for Guardians and Champions. They've just launched part three and this time they're covering all the sweetness Minstrels and Lore-masters can acquire with the elusive gems that drop in the instance.Lore-masters can get a new armor set awesomely and appropriately called "The Elder Days," which gives mad stat boosts as well as some shadow damage mitigation. Minstrels can gather up the pieces of a suit of armor called the "Armour of the Wandering Bard," which provides similarly sweet stat bonuses and tactical critical modifiers. There are new weapons for both classes as well.It's excellent gear, and all this on top of all the other lovin' Minstrels and Lore-masters got in Book 11. We'll let you know when part four of the guide hits the streets.
Massively's massive giveaways: More from Middle Earth
For our latest series of giveaways, we're looking at you, Turbine! If you're not familiar with Turbine's games, we're already giving away copies of LotRO, copies of DDO, and copies of Asheron's Call -- so now's a good time to catch up on their gaming resume. We're out of games to give away, but no fear -- we have other swag to send your way! Right now we're giving away a copy of the official Lord of the Rings Online strategy guide from Prima Games. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow, November 8th. We'll pick one commenter to get a copy of the official game guide. (To be eligible to win you must be a US resident of age 18 or older -- please check our official rules for full details!)
Massively's massive giveaways: Into the Shire we go!
For our next series of giveaways, it's all about Turbine, makers of Asheron's Call, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and Lord of the Rings Online. If you haven't had a chance to enjoy any of these games, you're in luck: because we have copies of all of them to give away. We'll start out with the most recent, Lord of the Rings Online. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 11:00 AM EST tomorrow, November 8th. We'll pick two commenters to send a copy of LotRO to! (To be eligible to win you must be a US resident of age 18 or older -- please check our official rules for full details!)We have more giveaways planned throughout the day -- so keep checking back for more prizes from Turbine!
LotRO's official forums just got more efficient
You asked, they delivered; it's nice when that happens once in a while. Turbine has opened up server-specific Kinship and Trade forums for The Lord of the Rings Online on their official community site. Up to this point the general topic forums for the different servers have been filled to the brim with posts by people recruiting into or looking for kinships. Many servers attempted to clean up the clutter by sticky-ing threads dedicated to kinship recruiting, but it didn't solve the problem completely.Now you can advertise your outrageously priced Tolkien-ganja on the forums while also looking for a hobbit-only RP guild dedicated completely to farming and smoking said pipe weed. No, really, that sort of stuff actually exists in LotRO.
LotRO reps talk demographics, casual play, console plans
Yesterday Gamasutra published a five page interview about The Lord of the Rings Online with Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel and Adam Mersky.According to the interview, one third of LotRO players are over 35 because the license drew people new to MMOs -- people who came for "The Lord of the Rings first, the MMO second." Fans of LotRO often claim the game's community is more mature than that of competing games. "Sometimes game communities can be rough, just because of the nature of the competitiveness and the nature of the age range of people playing, and this is a pretty mature, fun place to be a part of," said Steefel.Steefel and Mersky also talked about the challenges of dealing with gold farmers, what the real definition of "casual games" might be, the pluses and minuses of adapting a famous work of literature, the competition, and Turbine's option to produce massively multiplayer games for consoles. As is the case with most Gamasutra interviews, the discussion is an excellent read if you want an inside look.
LotRO Vault maps Goblin Town, where Gollum be sneakin'
Turbine's Book 11 update for The Lord of the Rings Online included an impressive amount of content. It had player housing, a new instance called The Rift of Nûrz Ghâshu, and class updates for the Minstrel and Lore-master classes. It also introduced Goblin Town , the place where Bilbo was captured in The Hobbit, into the game-world.LOTRO Vault has posted a map of Goblin Town. From the Slave Pens to Gollum's Cave, they've got it all covered. If this is all new to you, you might want to also check out LOTRO Vault's directory of Book 11 screenshots of High Pass and Goblin Town too. Gorgeous.The Book updates keep chipping away farther and farther into the eastern parts of Eriador. Could Moria be next? We hope so. We wants it!
Furniture catalogue for LotRO housing
If you're the proud new owner of a Lord of the Rings Online abode, and are going through the pains of organizing and decorating, then this guide may be right up your alley. Hot on the heels of Book 11's player-housing, LotroLife.com have started a furniture catalogue to help make life easier for citizens of Middle Earth who are settling in to a new home.The catalogue, still in beta and being added to, contains a listing of house-items by type. Clicking through to a category, and then an individual item, will bring up a picture of said item, a short description, the cost, and exactly where to get a hold of it. Very handy! The items can also be selected directly from a drop-down menu.As more things will undoubtedly be added in the future, the site may be worth a bookmark if you feel you may have an ongoing affair with decking out your place. After all, the next time your neighbours visit to smoke some pipe-weed, you want them leaving jealous, don't you?
