LotRO expansion announced: "The Mines of Moria"

Hey, mines, yeah. That's something I haven't seen in any MMO ever made in existence. *eyeroll*

It's cool that they're folding more of the world into the game, but this is where parts of the LOTR story don't map well to an MMO. Moria was great because it was like a crypt being unsealed - there was a sense of foreboding and paranoia. The idea of a bunch of raids grinding Moria just seems wrong...

While I don't play LoTRO anymore, I can see something like this being a good thing. However, I see it more of something like the beginning of the 4th age, with the Dwarves mounting up to reclaim Moria from the dark things which inhabit it. That'd even give a lore base for grinding it!

It's about &$#@ time. Though I expect it won't be released until the holidays.

Live the legend! Enter a world beneath Middle-earth that no traveler has ever fully explored.

Except the other hundreds of players who went there before you and the other who-knows-how-many who are already camping orcs & goblins when you arrive.

That said, this is one of the areas I've been waiting to see implemented, and could see it making it worth checking the game out, at least. Hopefully they supply a pretty meaty amount of content with the expansion, and not just Moria itself. I trust they will (from reading about it, the free "chapters" (or books, or whatever they're called) have been fairly significant updates, so the paid expansion will likely be quite solid.

Nice. I am really jonesing for this game after listening to the latest conference call. I'm going to be putting bootcamp on my MBP pro to run the title.

Ulairi wrote:

Nice. I am really jonesing for this game after listening to the latest conference call. I'm going to be putting bootcamp on my MBP pro to run the title.

I installed the LOTRO trial in my new MBP last weekend and LOTRO looks and plays great!

Expansion sounds pretty neat - I hope they offer the 9.99/month pricing plan they were offering during the holiday season... Then I'll be signing up!

Added another link with more info - Turbine is holding no punches! With WAR, AoC, and WoW xp on the horizon - LOTRO could be the one that comes out on top - never know...

It will be interesting to hear more about the 2 new classes (warden and runeholder). It sounds like another mage and an animal pet class. There is also a new monster pet class that is a healer that heals in unique ways.

It will be interesting to see how they implement the legendary weapons (weapons gain xp and abilities) and when they intend to let players access the ability. (level 1? 15? 50?)

Its really too bad that no one has implemented a pet system like that. Where any class can choose from a variety of pets and have them level up and learn new abilities with you. The hunter class in WoW may have been easier to balance if they were a mage with arrows and heavier armor. And then every class has access to the hunter's pet system. You could then theme the pets according to class. Paladins/Priests - spirits; Druids - flora; Hunters - animals/insects; Warlocks - demons; Rogues - venomous creatures; Shaman - golems; Mages- elementals; Warriors - rage manifestations

dhelor wrote:

Hey, mines, yeah. That's something I haven't seen in any MMO ever made in existence. *eyeroll*

Fool of a Took!

That's a joke, right? I think Turbine's done a marvelous job of pointing out that the Mines of Moria initiated the topos for the entire genre. Now if you want to go back to Homer, Virgil, and Dante, and call it hackneyed on that basis, I'll grant you the point and say, "Well, they're still fun, so nya."

fangblackbone wrote:

Its really too bad that no one has implemented a pet system like that. Where any class can choose from a variety of pets and have them level up and learn new abilities with you. The hunter class in WoW may have been easier to balance if they were a mage with arrows and heavier armor. And then every class has access to the hunter's pet system. You could then theme the pets according to class. Paladins/Priests - spirits; Druids - flora; Hunters - animals/insects; Warlocks - demons; Rogues - venomous creatures; Shaman - golems; Mages- elementals; Warriors - rage manifestations

That is interesting Fang - kind of how it works in SWG now with the "Creature Handler" expertise tree...

Delicious!

now I can take my 50 champ to Moria and bash me some subterranean goblins and orcs!!

I'm so stoked to get my hands on it, but they still have Book13 and Book 14 content updates to come!

so FANTASTIC!

So, since we're still in the idle speculation stage:

1) Will Lorien include Mirkwood?

2) What's the third region? Mirkwood? Rohan? Northern Rhovanion incl. Erebor?

So I registered but not seeing where I unlocked my first deed. Apparently there's a teaser movie but I can't find it.

I'm sure that I am missing something obvious

TinPeregrinus wrote:

So, since we're still in the idle speculation stage:

1) Will Lorien include Mirkwood?

2) What's the third region? Mirkwood? Rohan? Northern Rhovanion incl. Erebor?

Here are my guesses:

1) Lorien will indeed include Mirkwood. (Lorien itself is just too small.)

2) The third region is Rohan. (The story possibilities set up by the Sharky plotlines seem to me to demand that we see Isengard.)

I have to say, LOTRO really is a step beyond WoW. It's got a lot of depth and subtlety to it, especially in the pvp variants, while still maintaining the usual conventions of the genre. You can play it hardcore, or casual, and enjoy it either way. Turbine has paid attention to the small details and that really pays off in gameplay.

Ulairi, if you want a clan, we are at www.eldain.com. Just post a bit about yourself with a request to join, reference GWJ, and remember we are on Landroval server. Hope to see you there!

Robear, you've played both WoW and LOTRO extensively. What is it about LOTRO that keeps you from coming back to WoW like so many others have done (I guess I'm asking for more detail than in your brief post above)? I'm must admit I'm a WoW junkie so it is unlikely I would switch games but I'm curious if maybe there is already another game out there that could give WoW a run for its money and just isn't getting the run it deserves just because WoW is the 800-lb gorilla.

Copingsaw wrote:

but I'm curious if maybe there is already another game out there that could give WoW a run for its money and just isn't getting the run it deserves just because WoW is the 800-lb gorilla.

I think LOTRO actually is getting the run it deserves, especially at the moment. Turbine picked, or lucked into, a very good time to announce the expansion, given the delays and uncertainties surrounding the games coming online, and WoW's finally beginning to show its age a bit. Obviously we'll have to see what happens with Age of Conan and Warhammer Online, but when you compare LOTRO to Tabula Rasa and Hellgate, it seems obvious that LOTRO actually managed to get as much traction as they possibly could have gotten in a Wow-dominated market.

Robear wrote:

I have to say, LOTRO really is a step beyond WoW. It's got a lot of depth and subtlety to it, especially in the pvp variants, while still maintaining the usual conventions of the genre. You can play it hardcore, or casual, and enjoy it either way. Turbine has paid attention to the small details and that really pays off in gameplay.

Ulairi, if you want a clan, we are at www.eldain.com. Just post a bit about yourself with a request to join, reference GWJ, and remember we are on Landroval server. Hope to see you there!

I submitted an application this morning. Thanks! I hope to see you, too.

Copingsaw wrote:

Robear, you've played both WoW and LOTRO extensively. What is it about LOTRO that keeps you from coming back to WoW like so many others have done (I guess I'm asking for more detail than in your brief post above)? I'm must admit I'm a WoW junkie so it is unlikely I would switch games but I'm curious if maybe there is already another game out there that could give WoW a run for its money and just isn't getting the run it deserves just because WoW is the 800-lb gorilla.

Well I cannot answer for Robear; however, having played both in depth now LOTRO reminds me why I started playing MMO's in the first place. WoW basically is Diablo 3 with an MMO overlay too me. LOTRO is close to WoW, but keeps just enough of the old MMO style that attracts me. Also LOTRO has an awesome community, reminds me of my SWG days. I was just going play LOTRO until AoC launched, but now I am not sure. AoC if it launches in May will be bugged to hell and I just do not have the time to waste testing another MMO launch.

Turbine has really something special here and coming into there one anniversary they have a solid MMO that keeps getting better. They will never have WoW numbers, but that is just fine with me. With the two more books and the expansion this year I might be in Middle-Earth for a long time to come!

Copingsaw wrote:

Robear, you've played both WoW and LOTRO extensively. What is it about LOTRO that keeps you from coming back to WoW like so many others have done (I guess I'm asking for more detail than in your brief post above)? I'm must admit I'm a WoW junkie so it is unlikely I would switch games but I'm curious if maybe there is already another game out there that could give WoW a run for its money and just isn't getting the run it deserves just because WoW is the 800-lb gorilla.

I also can not speak for Robear but I made it to 70 and WoW and was raiding places like Grull and Serpeants' when I left for LotRO not counting a ton of other guys. I have 3 (that is current max) level 50 characters in LotRO plus a couple lower levels.

For me it is the fact that WoW was item focused and LotRO is story focused. Do not get me wrong getting items in LotRO is there but it is nothing like WoW. In fact the best made crafting gear is sometimes better and certainly on slightly weaker in all other cases then the best raiding gear.

There is a small rep gring in LotRO but it is nothing like it is in WoW and if you were to ask me it is certainly not something you need to do.

It is hard to explain what a huge difference this subtle change of being more story centric vs item centric makes to the game.

So when you boil it down for me it is because LotRO really shines in the areas we always talk about as gamers being important, story and game play.

Did I mention it is just generally fun.

Exclusive screenshot:

IMAGE(http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/files/www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/nodes/1988/moria-screenshot.jpg)

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Copingsaw wrote:

Robear, you've played both WoW and LOTRO extensively. What is it about LOTRO that keeps you from coming back to WoW like so many others have done (I guess I'm asking for more detail than in your brief post above)?

I’d be interested in your thoughts (and others’ as well) on this subject, too.

I’ve recently taken a voluntary break from WoW for work, pleasure, and family. However, the itch to play with family & friends on-line is insistent - demanding to be scratched. The time off, though, has me reflecting a bit on what WoW offers to me: raiding grind, heavy time commitment, and gear centricity. That has appeal, believe me, but not sure if that’s what I want at this moment.

Seeing new places? All that’s left (until this coming patch) is some of the later 25-man. Getting there will require quite a grind and a lot of repetitiveness to attain.

Immersive story? Most (all?) of the time, WoW feels like a hunt for the next upgrade. Defeating a boss is more about what loot it dropped than what was overcome.

Being the #1 healer (or tank or DPS or…) isn’t a big deal, either. What does it matter? It’s not a game I joined to be the “top score” in. Beyond that, with all the interchangeable players, even being the best (or amongst the best) doesn’t count for much. Someone can respec. Eight more healers are rolled, leveled, or join. Simply put, you aren’t needed because there’s always ten people ready to replace you. Gearing up is a grind, too. I am at +2200 healing, +325 mp5 casting buffed. At this point, it takes weeks to get upgrades and I am going to have to bid against friends. Even if I finally get an upgrade, it means someone like Cope, Storm, Khush, or Jut lost out on it and will be disappointed. Either way, someone loses. If I could change anything, it would be to get away from the gear dependency and number watching. I don’t want to compete against friends to be the best at anything... I want join my friends, compete against enemies, and effort to best our foes.

PvP, which is a big attraction for its pace and intensity, appears to be out of reach as it requires even more time commitment (than raiding) as well as finding like minded people. I really enjoy it, but I already find raiding to be overly life consuming and I certainly don’t want to leave good friends to achieve results.

So, without new places to see (outside of heaving raiding stress to reach just a couple), no immersive story, and no feeling of need, it finally has my eye wandering towards other worlds.

That said, I am not WoW bashing. It does so much right, plays so well, and includes a community of people that are worth being around. I doubt I’ll ever truly leave it and I don’t want to go elsewhere simply to play something new. It’s quite possible that the same failings (and possible some new ones) befalls LotR as does WoW. Thus, I’d like to hear what the appeal of a game like LotRO holds by those who’ve experienced both.