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The Road to Mordor: A Wildermore dev chat
Snow-covered zones aren't exactly new to Lord of the Rings Online, but the upcoming region of Wildermore is a little bit different than the normal Misty Mountain ski resorts. How so? Well, for one thing, it's not supposed to be snowy at all. So what's up with the premature winter in this area of Rohan -- and what are you, the player, going to do about it? That's the basic setup for Update 11: Treachery of the White Hand. The update, which should be going live next week, is what I call the intermission zone: It's the region that Turbine adds between expansions to keep veteran players from bouncing off the walls due to boredom. Lothlorien, Enedwaith, and the Great River are past intermission zones, but Wildermore might be the most fascinating one yet. Thanks to technical issues, I wasn't able to get a first-hand tour of the new region. Instead, I nabbed a heart-to-heart chat with the devs about the intricacies of Wildermore, the next step of the epic story, and plenty of assorted goodies coming with the update!
LotRO Update 11 dev diaries feature epic story, mounted combat 2.0
Hark! Is that a new update for Lord of the Rings Online on the horizon? It is indeed, my chums. And with any fresh LotRO patch comes an expected slew of developer diaries. Today we have two dev diaries to report about for players getting ready for next week's Update 11. The first talks about the next addition to the epic story, Volume III, Book 10. The diary discusses the 15-chapter storyline as well as the optional "interlude" Ranger episodes that may be played in sequence or out of order. There's even a funny behind-the-scenes moment when the devs show how badly they messed up an NPC model. Then there's a diary on what Turbine is calling "Mounted Combat 2.0." Sweeping changes are coming to mounted combat with Update 11, including retooling the movement tree into a class-specific one, the addition of more class-specific skills, and a ton of polish and iteration. Massively will take a deeper look at Update 11 tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Watch the backstory of LotRO's Wildermore zone
When Lord of the Rings Online's Update 11 drops next week, it will open the paths to a brand-new zone: Wildermore. While it's part of the Wold, Wildermore is definitely unlike anything seen in Riders of Rohan; for starters, the area is inexplicably covered in snow and jagged ice crystals. So what's up with this area? Turbine's developers have put together a video to introduce the zone and explain the main storyhook behind it. It appears that Saruman has fused an ancient relic with a giant, creating a nasty foe that will be the main antagonist as players travel through Wildermore. Don't fret, as there are good guys as well attempting to fight the snow powers that be. Check out the dev tour after the jump, and if you use the LotRO forums regularly, you may want to read up on the forum consolidation that's about to take place.
LotRO Update 11 brings five new areas on May 13
Come next week, denizens of Middle-earth will have five new areas to explore and adventure in; Lord of the Rings Online launches Update 11: Treachery of the White Hand on Monday, May 13th. The epic story will continue in Wildermore, the remote area of Eastern Rohan, where players will attempt to restore the region from the icy destruction brought by the stone giant Núrzum. The journey will take players through Writhendowns, The Fallows, Whitshaws, High Knolls, and Balewood where they will face Uruk-hai threats, marauding Warbands, violent Huorns, and Wood-trolls in an effort to protect the people and fight against growing evil and corruption. Update 11 also includes a mounted combat revamp, daily Silver Hobbit Presents for logging in, and improved VIP benefits including an improved bonus experience system. The Wildermore Quest pack is free to VIPs. Check out the adventure that awaits in the gallery below.%Gallery-187620% [Source: Turbine press release]
Update 11 hits LotRO's public test server
It's not quite yet time for Update 11 to hit Lord of the Rings Online officially, but it is time for folks to start testing it out on Bullroarer, the public test server. The testing patch notes have been posted, so let's take a look at what we may see in Update 11. There's a new LotRO launcher with several changes. A new region, Wildermore, has new quests, warbands, and endgame activities. The story is pushing players into Wildermore with Book 10: Snows of Wildermore. Mounted combat is getting a big update which will give players a class-specific trait tree for optimal maneuverability. The UI is getting worked over a bit to change the way players can view alerts. Players will now be able to pay for their housing further in advance, which will now go into foreclosure six months after they stop paying for upkeep. Read the full update notes for Update 11 on the official forum.
LotRO commits to housing revamp, player council, and more Rohan in 2013
Turbine's Kate Paiz might be brief in her Lord of the Rings Online producer's letter, but this economy of words holds a treasure trove of ideas for the year. In the letter, she outlines the primary goals for the game in 2013, including a much-requested housing revamp and further expansion into the Rohan region. Paiz outlines four initiatives for the year. The first is forming a player's council to facilitate discussion and feedback between players and the dev team. The second is adding Western Rohan to the game, initially through a region called Wildermore in the spring and later through a bigger addition in the fall. The third is the aforementioned housing revamp, which will take place later in the year. The fourth initiative is an effort by the team to make "significant changes" to classes. "We will be making some significant changes to the skills and traits of the Free Peoples classes," Paiz writes. "We'll be pruning out skills that just feel disappointing in play and increasing the potency of others. The end result will be fewer skills, but a more profound impact on moment-to-moment play."
