Yeah, their first free update (might even call it an expansion). this is from the newest newsletter:
"It's been an incredible launch month with hundreds of thousands of you packing your bags and moving to Middle-earth. We've hit number one in several countries including the UK, Germany and North America and the press have also been wowed giving us a slew of high-scoring reviews.
But we're not content in stopping there. Recently Codemasters Online Gaming and Turbine announced the launch of the first free update to LOTRO – Book 9: Shores of Evendim, the first of many planned free updates to the world of Middle-earth.
Shores of Evendim introduces an entirely new landscape region, over 60 additional quests, the Battle for Helegrod raid, nine new monsters and major enhancements to monster play and the music system.
As the Fellowship prepares to leave Rivendell, Aragorn must re-forge Narsil, the Sword of Elendil. Gandalf has asked for help in Aragorn’s search of the lands of Evendim for an ancient jewel that once belonged in the sword’s hilt. This powerful relic must be recovered before the Dark Lord Sauron finds it. Players are challenged to secure the valuables of the abandoned city, defy Angmar’s encroaching grip on Annúminas, and aid Aragorn in his quest to re-forge Narsil.
Discover Evendim - About 100 miles north of the Shire, in northern Eriador, lies Evendim, a vast region dominated by the Lake Nenuial, the ‘Lake of the Twilight’. On the southern shore, the ancient abandoned city of Annúminas -- the former capital of the kingdom of Arnor _is well known amongst the Free Peoples. For according to the Legends, amidst its ruins lay a great wealth and powerful artifacts now threatened by evil creatures and the nefarious forces lurking in Angmar.
Over 60 New Quests - The story continues for players as they aid the Fellowship and encounter new adventures, characters and monsters including the Rogmûl!
Raid in the Battle for Helegrod - Challenge the fearsome dragon Thorog in a massive 24-player raid in the Misty Mountains.
Major Updates to the Music System - In addition to the new percussion and bass instruments, players can now utilize a new music notation system that enables them to compose music offline and upload it to your character in-game.
New Collectible Armour Sets - Seven new sets of epic armour enable players to gain progressive bonuses for each piece of armour worn from a set.
Nine new monsters - plus the first encounter with an Ent!
Are you ready to help Aragorn on the next stage of his quest?"
Well I am still only drooling at screenshots and videos of the game, so I don't know how the patching etc is done. But I believe ti to be sometime during June.
Strangely the only thing i can say bad about LoTR is that the world is really really small. I fear they eventually will run out of stuff without having to make up junk or tweak the story beyond recognition. WoW when you really sit and look at it is huge and the idea of the th origional dark portal leaves open the idea of more expansion.
Well now it's coming with an expansion to the world already after only 1 month after release, if they keep this up then it won't be so small. Remember that it is a LotR game and they can use Middle Earth, and not only the parts we saw in the movies, but the rest as well.
From experience of beta, I'd go with an update happening upon the launcher. Another update of this size is scheduled for a mid-summer release, and a much larger one near fall.
There's enough quests to keep you going and the trait and title systems are very fun. Believe me, in beta I spent a good amount of time killing Wargs or Orcs just to get a title such as "Orc Slayer"or "Warg Hunter" at the end of my name. If you kill so many, say Orc or Wargs, as displayed on the meter given, you can get a special "trait" or special to use.
Yeah, I probably need to get a new computer first. The game looks so fantastic though. Might have to buy it anyway and put up with my shoddy comp, till I can get a new one.
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"All morons hate it when you call them a moron." - Holden Caulfield
looks a great game but ive already got WoW and on end game content so i dont think id want to change and i doubt i could afford both, if i had the money tho would be an awsome game to play i reckon, although i am a lover of the first age in Lotr and the hobbit adventure myself
If u enjoy WoW and don't mind the raid oriented End game then there isn't really much reason to switch to LotRO, only reason would
be if u are a Tolkien fan.
However I myself hate raiding and think the solo possibilities of LotRO sounds very interesting, especially the fact that all instances has a Solo tier, a Fellowship tier and a Raid tier. Meaning that even I who don't like raids can experience all the instances (always annoying how I never got to see Kel'Thuzzad in WoW).
Well in the broad context of LoTR middle earth is very small; its one contenent and the only other land really spoken of is the retreat of the Elves which can be assumed is another continent where no one can return from.
Most of the story in Middle Earth is in the past and they are choosing to focus on LoTR which is at the end of the age of that history.
hmm yes i too am especially annoyed at the same fact that Morri brought up, i too am annoyed that i never got to see Kelthuzard, it ruins it a little when you cannot experiance certain content because to get there takes so many other people and time.
by the sounds of it, this is ofcourse when the Witch king has more or less just been corrupted and has his old home Angmar, hmm, i wish they would open it out into the territory of the first age, it just seems so much more exciting because dragons and balrogs and maia and the like were so much more common.
i would certainly in a game visit Valinor and the Vanyar elves, especially as an evil creature when you unlock it
there were humans, just mostly primitive until they spent some time with the elves, then they even surprised the elves in battle. I think humans were certainly better fighters than a lot of the highborn, not as good equipment maybe but they were more ferocious.
maybe they will add expansions consisting of the first and second age events and characters. An instance against morgoth would be nice
That would be cool, not sure if i remember anything spoken of tiem wise. In WoW they held precident with the bronze dragon flight as keepers of time allowing peeps to go back and fight in battles in the past which is really fun.
hmm yeh that is a good idea from Blizzard, has anyone actually got attuned for Mount Hyjal yet i wonder, u seen wat u need to do for that place, i doubt its going to be done in a long while lol
Exactly, i never got attuned to Naxx, it was beyond my reach by a long shot. I guess tahts the idea of the game, you can struggle at your own pace to achieve what you can.
KMC Community Forums
May 16th, 2007 08:05 PM
