Mines of Moria at PAX08: Within the Mines

by Shawn Schuster Sep 2nd 2008 at 4:00PM

The underground area that contains the Mines of Moria is not simply a vast series of dark tunnels and crowded zones; this entire map was created with the lore in mind. Until you see it for yourself, it's really difficult to describe exactly how large this is. Not only is this a completely seamless world, with no zoning in between, but Jeffrey Steefel describes it as the largest underground space ever created in any game. It's treated as a landscape, both above and below your character, which helps alleviate any hardware performance problems that would arise otherwise.

The entrance to the mines is 200 steps, just as it describes in the books. Once you enter, you will soon notice the effect that generations of Dwarven life has had on this underground kingdom. The architecture changes from an angular Dwarven style to a bit of an Elvish influence from the age when the Dwarves and Elves were allied.

One interesting thing that Steefel touched on was the fact that in a later Session Play quest, you will fight the Balrog. He wouldn't go into detail, but we can only speculate that you will play as Gandalf in one of the most memorable and intense scenes of Lord of the Rings storytelling.

However, there's much more than just the mines. Follow along for what lies beyond Moria>>