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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 haunted tour of Middle-earth
Despite what the brochures may tell you, Lord of the Rings Online's Middle-earth isn't all puppy dogs, sparkly rainbows and ice cream wagons. In fact, when you take a moment to stop screenshotting the living daylights out of the Shire, you'll quickly realize just how dark, cold and brutal this world is. Middle-earth is a realm where good is under siege by evil, and in many places, the evil is winning. You can see this in many places that formerly held beauty, but now are covered with the decor of death: bones, blood, cages, pikes and filth. Evil isn't just Freddy Krueger-style splatter, either -- there are plenty of spots that are haunted by the spectral spirits of the beyond, and if you dare venture into their domain, you should probably have your will made up in advance. So in honor of one of my favorite holidays -- Halloween -- I want to take you on a haunted tour of Middle-earth, covering some of the most notorious spooky, scary and outright creepy places I've found. Grab your torch and let us push back the darkness together!
The Road to Mordor: A look back at Volume 1
This past week I finally finished Volume 1 of the epic storyline for the very first time in my LotRO career. Yeah, I know, welcome to 2008, right? My inner survey department says that 60% of this column's readers finished Volume 1 a long time ago (and perhaps many times since), and are currently sitting there with a bemused expression as if to say, "Oh, isn't that quaint as a duck's burp?" The other 40% probably gave up on the epic storyline somewhere around North Downs -- AKA The Zone That Saps Your Will To Live. While it may be old news, Volume 1 is still quite relevant in the LotRO landscape for many reasons. One, it's what I've spent the past month of my life playing through, and I always assume that everyone is experiencing the same thing I am due to being a raging egomaniac. Two, ever since it recently received a makeover that allows any and everyone to solo all the way through it, there's been a newfound appreciation for the quest line, even from veterans who gave up on it long ago. And three, with all of the new people coming into the game this year, it'll be the very first thing they experience. So as I sit on my high (grey) horse and look back over all fifteen books that comprise this massive Volume, I'm struck by a number of thoughts: some good, some bad, some itchy. Let's reminisce, shall we?
The Road to Mordor: Free Frodo for life!
Turbine? We need to talk. When you're going to drop one of the biggest game-changing announcements since launch, doing so an hour before I'm posting an article talking about how LotRO's been so quiet -- when I have no time to rewrite it -- is a good way to see if you can get my head to explode. Do you know what it's like to have to wait an entire week to talk about something this huge? I literally crawled up a wall, that's what it's like. Whew! Has there ever been a week this crazy in Lord of the Rings Online's history? If there has been, I wasn't there to see it. I've been reading and digesting a mountain's worth of forum posts on the subject, not to mention all of the chatter in the blogosphere: Sneaky Hobbits, LOTRO Weekly, The Green Dragon Inn, Harperella, Overly Positive, Screaming Monkeys, FlexYourGeek, Game By Night, Simple-n-Complex, Multiplaying, Stargrace, Casual is as Casual Does, Spouse Aggro, The Stone Kingdom, Doc Holiday, Mordor or Bust, Player Versus Developer, Nomnom.info, A Ding World, LOTRO Reporter, A Casual Stroll to Mordor, Spinksville, Kill Ten Rats, Tobold, No Prisoners No Mercy, Mordiceius, Yeebo Fernbottom, Ardwulf, Tish Tosh Tesh, Of Course I'll Play It!, Broken Toys, The Ancient Gaming Noob, NecroRogIcon, Psychochild, Keen, Blue Kae, MMO Gamer Chick, LevelCapped, Bio Break, Games and Geekery, Rainbow MMO and The Pix'led Life all had an opinion, for and against, and weren't shy about sharing.
One Shots: A merry welcome
While the weekends are a great time to catch up on that to-do list, they're also fabulous for spending some richly-deserved downtime, immersing yourself in experiences you love. Considering how many Lord of the Rings Online One Shots we seem to get, we'd guess there are quite a number of our readers who enjoy spending some weekend down-time there. Today's cheery slice-of-life comes to us from Mauro M. who tells us about his recent adventuring decision. "I've tried lots of MMOs in the past -- including Lord of the Rings Online -- but I was always dragged back to World of Warcraft after a while. However, my heart had always been with LotRO (had to leave the game back when it came out because my computer couldnt' handle it). That is past! I've since upgraded my computer, and the game looks more beautiful than ever! I am totally immersed but I've been wondering if I will keep my subscription. However, after visiting Tom Bombadil, feeling the warmth of his cosy little house, and reading his invitation to "stay and make merry!" I think that's just what I'll do! Mister Bombadil! I'm here to stay!" From big to small, we love to hear your thoughts and tales on your favorite MMOs. If you'd like to give us a peek into your MMO life, then just grab a screenshot you think fits it, write up a quick note and send it to us along with your name and the name of the game to oneshots AT massively DOT com. We'll post it out here for everyone to check out and give you the nod for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
A Lord of the Rings Online Hero's Guide to the Old Forest
Have you considered traveling into the Old Forest, only to turn back at the first sound of a tree creaking maliciously or a wolf growing threateningly? Fear not, for you are not alone. In fact, many heroes and adventurers find themselves lost and slightly afraid of what's within those dark, ancient woods. And even though Tom Bombadil isn't far away, sometimes he can be a bit tough to find. Which is why Turbine has kindly composed a hero's guide to this potentially nasty locale.The guide itself is composed of lists of monsters, crafting tips and quest lines for the entirety of the Old Forest. Plus, at the end of the guide it even points players to their next destination. So if you've been stuck in this region of Middle-earth for a while (as many are always likely to do) and want to level beyond your teens, this guide is most certainly for you.
The mysterious River-maiden Goldberry gets a Lorebook page
Ahh, the Old Forest. Lord of the Rings Online players have mixed emotions about this area: fear, respect, probably a very healthy portion of loathing as they stumble around in circles for far too long trying to get through it. It is here that you may stumble upon Goldberry, who has just been given her own page in the Lorebook.Goldberry is a River-maiden, but no one really knows what a River-maiden is. Appearance-wise, they resemble the races of Man and Elf, but much about them remains a mystery. Goldberry is married to Tom Bombadil, but only after failing to capture him once and having him come back to her later on -- if at first you don't succeed, hey? Bombadil is all kinds of crazy, so a visit to these two in the Old Forest is sure to yield some fun quests. You can view Goldberry's new lorebook page to find out a bit about the tasks she has for you, and also see the map of her location, if it's any help at all in the unforgiving forest.
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.
Tom Bombadil featured in LOTR Online
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar web site has been updated with some background info on the home of Tolkien fan favorite Tom Bombadil. While Peter Jackson may have felt this mysterious denizen of the Old Forest was unnecessary to the film's overall plot, Bombadil and his wife Goldberry will be most welcome by the virtual inhabitants of Turbine's forthcoming MMO. Shadows still has no release date, but the beta is expected to launch by the end of the summer.See also: LOTR Online creature feature LOTR Online playable classes updated
