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TTH resource gathering guide: Ered Luin
Ahh, Ered Luin. Not a bad harvesting zone, not really a good one either -- just average. The next in the series of the Lord of the Rings Online resource guides at TenTonHammer examines the fairly ordinary Ered Luin. Although it doesn't really shine for any particular resource, if you happen to be there anyway (for example, if you're leveling a character there) there is no reason that you shouldn't know a little more about where to find what you're looking for.The guide's resource chart for Ered Luin shows that only one area scores an "Excellent" rating for any material, and that is Light Hides at the Vale of the Thrain. The Lowlands, north of Gondamon, also has a decent supply of Rowan wood. Apart from these exceptions, most other parts of the zone rate as "Fair" for each resource type -- but don't expect to find tier 2 materials in any great number. The full guide has some notes for each area, so take a look if you are thinking of hitting up Ered Luin for resources.
MMOGology: The sappy, holiday special edition
The most defining characteristic of a massively multiplayer online game is the very fact that it's massively multiplayer. Until the advent of the MMOG (and yes, I'm including MUDs as MMOGs) playing video games was either a solitary experience or one you experienced with a few existing friends. MMOGs are wonderful in that they allow us to meet new people across the globe; breaking the physical boundaries of our real-world environment that would otherwise prevent our interaction. The relationships formed and fostered during our time gaming often end up transcending the game itself.Take my friend Rob, for example (Please! Ha!) Rob and I have been friends since middle school and went to college together in Florida. After college Rob got married and eventually moved to Atlanta, Georgia. MMOGs have been great for us because they've allowed us to stay in touch while enjoying a hobby we both love. When we started to play Dark Age of Camelot, Rob met a guy online named Josh who lives in California. Josh played a tank class and Rob played a healing class. Since both of these guys are arrogant goofballs with a similar sense of humor they hit it off right away. As they played together, learning their classes as they went, they became excellent players of their respective classes. Over the years they've stuck together through Star Wars Galaxies, City of Heroes, Everquest 2, Lord of the Rings Online and, of course, World of Warcraft. Although they do mix it up occasionally they almost always stick to the same roles of healer and tank. As a result of knowing their roles, and knowing each other so well, they typically dominate whatever game they play; whether it's in PvE or PvP. But more than just becoming great gamers, they've become great friends.
LotRO quarterly wallpapers available for January through March
We're approaching the end of December, and if you downloaded the Lord of the Rings Online calender wallpapers last quarter, then you may be worried about what you're going to do when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, rendering your wallpaper obsolete. Thankfully, Turbine has come through for you once again, releasing 3 brand new wallpapers with overlaid calender for you to start the year off on the right foot. As with last time, the old wallpapers can now be downloaded sans calender, so that you can continue to enjoy the imagery without looking like a behind-the-times slacker.We have added the new wallpapers to our LotRO wallpapers gallery, and you can download all wallpapers past and present in ultra-high quality at the official wallpaper page.%Gallery-8208%
One Shots: Snow dwarf?
Reader Peneros from Watchers of Middle Earth sends in this holiday glimpse of Lord of the Rings Online. Apparently, this snowman (or is it a snow dwarf?) isn't out in the open, so Peneros explains how to find it: When traveling south out of Thorin's Hall, you normally follow the road, or you can take the mountain path to the left shortly after you leave to find this nice surprise hiding amongst the snow.Do you have any screenshots of your virtual persona on the verge of a grand accomplishment? Tell us all about the monsters you've slain and the foes you've vanquished -- so we can feature your story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. %Gallery-9798%
Gollum wisshes you a merry Christmases
Lord of the Rings Online and Turbine are nearly done for the holidays, but not before a Christmas-themed wallpaper featuring none other than Gollum ... or is it Sméagol? No prizes for guessing what he wants for Christmas. Not that there was Christmas in Middle-earth, it was more Yule-tide, but ... oh, you know what I mean.Follow the link to download the full image at either 1600 x 1200 or 1024 x 768 resolution, or if you're the kind of LotRO fan to prefer something in-game, check out Dan O'Halloran's excellent Yule-tide quest guide.
Lorebook spotlights Gamgee handiwork at Bag End
Most of us love Hobbits. Really, how could we not? These are people for whom pie-eating is a cornerstone of society. It's hard not to be envious of that laid-back lifestyle.And few Hobbits have lived more comfortably and extravagantly than Bilbo Baggins, the old proprietor of Bag End. His adventures with Gandalf and the Dwarves netted him a personal fortune, and he spent no small part of that fortune on his gardens.Those gardens -- maintained by Ham Gamgee and his son Samwise -- are the subject of the most recent featured article in LotRO's Lorebook. Sneak up to Turbine's window and start droppin' eaves to learn more!
Winners picked for final week of Turbine's DX10 screenshot contest
Turbine's DirectX 10 screenshot contest for the LotRO community has finally come to an end. Three winners and one runner-up have been selected for the final week.Airak and Eoheryn of Landroval, and forum member Fatty_Lumpkin were the three winners. The honorably mentioned screenshot (included above) was taken by Rendo Gnollen. Why did Turbine pick three winners and one honorable mention instead of just saying there are four winners, since there are no prizes anyway? Who knows.Turbine also assured everyone that there will be another screenshot contest next year, and that DirectX 9 users will also be eligible.
LotRO and TBC honored in GameSpy 2007 awards
GameSpy recently released the latest iteration of its annual best-of list. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar was ranked #6 in the best PC games of 2007 list. World of Warcraft's The Burning Crusade expansion also got some attention. It came in at #5 on the same list -- just an inch ahead of LotRO. However, LotRO also walked away with a bigger prize -- the title of PC MMO Game of the Year.Both LotRO and TBC failed to beat blockbuster first-person-shooter fare like BioShock and Call of Duty 4 in the overall PC list, but still, this was a pleasant cap to a strong year for both titles, especially LotRO, which saw promising sales figures and a warm critical reception right out of the launch bay door this Spring.TBC and LotRO are also nominees for various "gamers' choice" awards. The voting for those awards comes to a close today, and the winners will be announced tomorrow.
One Shots: The Hunter's Lodge
Though this image, taken from the inside of a bear's mouth (notice the teeth), looks rather ominious, there's really nothing frightening in this image from Lord of the Rings Online. Taken in the Hunter's Lodge in Archet (the starting zone for both Human and Hobbit players), a creative camera angle has given us this bears-mouth view of the scene, as sent in by our own Dan O'Halloran.Do you have a collection of iconic images from your favorite game? Show us your unique look so we can feature it on our next edition of One Shots! Send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. You may see it featured here tomorrow, same time, same place! %Gallery-9798%
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
Lorebook describes things older and fouler than orcs
Another Lorebook entry has been featured on the official Lord of the Rings Online website. This time we get to learn a bit about the Rogmul -- a monster found in high-level encounters.While Turbine has worked hard to stay as faithful to Tolkien's literature as is practical, they've had to extrapolate a few new things from the texts to fill up the game world. For example; the Neeker-Beekers of the Midgewater Marshes are based on an odd sound described in one one line from the books.The Rogmul are also a Turbine invention. They're lesser demons that serve the Balrogs. "Wherever a Balrog is or once was," says the Lorebook, "it can be wagered that a Romgul or two is not far away."
Cinemassively: The Search
It isn't often that I come across quality movies from Lord of the Rings Online. No offense to the players of this MMORPG, but so far, I've only found movies of characters playing their musical instruments. While The Search isn't perfect, I applaud ulfalhad's effort to break the mold.Part one of the story begins within the walls of Minas Tirith. The hero, a brave warrior doomed by the war, goes on a journey for love. As his lady patiently waits, not sure of when he's coming home, he forges on. In part two, he looks back once more on his trek through dangerous lands. I hope to see more of his adventures in the future!You can check out part two after the jump ...
LotRO Lorebook now includes item effects
Turbine have updated the Lord of the Rings Online Lorebook again, and this time it's something awesome: the Lorebook now features full item effects.Hurrah! This is a great step to making the Lorebook really useful, rather than just for... well, lore. Further updates are planned -- according to Aylwyne, item set pages have been implemented, and will be going into the Lorebook shortly after the holidays. One minor problem with the item effects currently, though: if an item has a use effect, the cooldown is listed properly but not what the use effect actually does. You'll have to look elsewhere for that.
It's starting to feel like Christmas in Turbine games
Turbine is spreading the holiday cheer with winter seasonal events in three of its games. Lord of the Rings Online is introducing its first Yuletide event. From December 14 until January 3, players can embark on a quest that will reward them with a snow-covered tree for their yard. While not on the scale of other seasonal events introduced in the game, the reward will be sure to please the many new homeowners who are looking for status symbols to display in their online neighborhoods.Next, in Asheron's Call, Santa Sclavus will be traveling the lands handing out presents to the good little boys and girls. But the naughty ones will only be getting coal. Be sure to be on the lookout for the jolly gift giver and see what he has for you.FInally, in Dungeons and Dragons Online, The Festival of the Twelfth Moon has arrived in Stormreach and brings with it the Festivult Jester. Players can collect Festivult Coins from chests and turn them in for special holiday prizes. Overall, Asheron's Call looks like the most fun of the three events. A GM controlled NPC can have great fun interacting with the players if he is not mobbed by 80 at once. But we're also curious how the LotRO devs have incorporated Christmas into Tolkien lore. They have a tricky balance to maintain to meet the expectations of their customers, but not violate the spirit of Middle-earth's well-detailed culture.
Turbine announces fourth pair of DX10 screenshot contest winners
Week four of Turbine's screenshot contest for The Lord of the Rings Online has come and gone, and the fourth pair of winners has been selected.This time the winners are players Morreion and Brisbanoch. Their entries have been posted on the official LotRO forums. Morreion's screenshot is pictured here. It shows off the dynamic tree shadow effects you can enable if you're playing with a DirectX 10-ready video card in Windows Vista.Turbine's been hosting this contest to celebrate LotRO's place as the first MMO to fully support DX10 features. It's not too late to send in an entry yourself if you've got the high-end hardware needed to support DX10 -- and if you run Windows Vista. That's a big if at this point.
Turbine adding to their arsenal for gold-spammer warfare
No one likes gold spamming. It's intrusive and annoying, and takes away from your enjoyment of a game. In Lord of the Rings Online, spam in the chat channels has been cracked down on in a big way recently, so the spammers have gone back to doing a lot more mail-based spam. A recent post on the official forums clued us in on what's next for the on-going battle in the spam wars.Book 12 will include an option when viewing mail to "Report as Spam", greatly increasing the ease of reporting a character for the player, and getting the information back to Turbine much quicker than before. But the really big weapon here is a solution that should already be in place: "...and we now have the ability to delete all mail sent by a character, so some of it you'll never see at all before it's nuked." The ball is in your court spammers.
Lord of the Rings Online headed to Korea
The Korean online gaming market is getting a new fish in the pond. And it's a big one. Turbine has signed up with NHN (which controls a sizeable portion of the Korean search market) to offer Lord of the Rings Online to gamers in Korea. NHN also operates Korea's Hangame online game portal, claiming 1 million concurrent users worldwide. The company is headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, and has offices in Japan, China and the U.S. Turbine President and CEO Jim Crowley said, "The Lord of the Rings is a powerful franchise with global appeal, and we are committed to bringing the game to fans around the world. NHN is a powerful force in the Korean gaming market and we are very excited to work with them to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to Korea next year."
One Shots: Your character here!
Reader freekstyle sent us this shot showing off some of the graphical detail you'll find in Lord of the Rings Online. (And though this small image may not give much away, you can click it for a higher resolution version.) Not all MMOs offer this level of character detail, but it's always nice to play a game where you don't find that you immediately look like everyone else in the game. World of Warcraft, we're looking at you!Do you have any screenshots that show off a character that could only be yours? We want to see them for our next edition of One Shots! We can only post what you send us -- so send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. You may see it featured here tomorrow, same time, same place! %Gallery-9798%
Last scheduled downtime this year for LotRO
The Lord of the Rings Online servers will be brought down on Wednesday, December 12th from 7AM to 12PM Eastern time. The downtime is to implement a hotfix for a problem that has stopped some players from accessing their housing storage.Along with the brief note in the forums regarding the downtime is the little factoid that this will be the final downtime for LotRO in 2007 -- scheduled downtime, that is. So if all else goes to plan you can go on a 3-week bender and never have the inconvenience of logging off once. It also means that the next major content update Book 12 won't be out this month, but with no release date being set yet, this was to be expected.
LotRO devs reveal Angmar revamp plans for Book 12
The yellow sun slipped beneath the rim of the encircling hills, and the land was shrouded in shadow. In the dim half-light, two figures could be seen, walking north along a dusty road. They made no attempt at stealth. The pair could be seen for miles in every direction, but if this troubled either of them, they made no sign. Amlug: If this is another boar quest.... MadeOfLions: It won't be. Angmar was the realm of the Witch-king, and that means Evil. While most MMO companies make simple announcements about zone revamps, the Lord of the Rings Online devs have decided to go with charts, graphs and fictional accounts harshing their own work. What it all boils down to is this: the high end adventuring zone Angmar didn't get the dev loved it needed before the game launched. The devs are going to fix that in the Book 12 patch.
