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While playing one of the Free Peoples (elves, dwarves, hobbits, and men) is usually what comes to mind when one wants to role-play in The Lord of the Rings Online, there is another part of the game that is sometimes overlooked - Monster Play. Once you reach level 10 on a server you are able to play instead as a servant of Sauron and participate in the game's PVP system (known as PVMP). Those of us looking to role-play a character on the evil side of the story can become an orc, a spider, an uruk, or a warg.

Most people participating in PVMP choose a name for their monsters that reflects its "pwning ability" in the Ettenmoors rather than actually abiding to the lore. You frequently see names such as "Pewpewpew" and "Hobbitmuncher". However, for those of you who wish to choose a name that is lore-appropriate, this guide will help you in doing that! So if you want a creative name for your monster rather than "Saruon" or "Wormtongxx" keep reading!

So far I have explained the common naming conventions for the Race of Men, the Hobbits, the Elves, the Dwarves, and Monster Characters. But what if you are planning to role-play a character in the Lord of the Rings Online that doesn't fit within the boundaries of creation set by Turbine? For instance, when you create a human character you can select between four nationalities: Dale-land, Bree-land, Rohan, and Gondor. But what if you want your character to be a Dúnedain, or a Lossoth? This guide will give you examples of naming in different cultures of Middle Earth, both ones made up by Turbine and discussed by Tolkien. Keep in mind that for some races there are very few examples of naming. However, this guide should help you find a more appropriate name for your character than "Stabbitypwn" or "Bobsteve".

Keep in mind that it is highly improbable that any member of a number of the races below would be obliged to helping innocent hobbits or fighting the forces of Angmar -- many of these races, such as the Gauradan and Lossoth, are reclusive and do not care about the outside world. However, as a role-player it is up to you to decide if your character has motivation to help the Free Peoples of Middle Earth. It is not unheard of to role-play as an "evil" character who does little or few quests, as difficult as that may be. Some races of Middle Earth, such as the Easterlings, are not included. This is because these races serve Sauron and it would be odd for them to want to even be as far north as Bree-land, let alone being welcomed by the people of northern Middle Earth like our characters are. Also, there are next to no examples of naming conventions for these races. The races that are covered in this article are: the Dúnedain, the Gauradan, the Hill-men of Angmar, the Lossoth of Forochel, and Captain Heralds. It will also go into choosing a surname for your character.

Have you decided to roll a burly dwarf in the Lord of the Rings Online and need a name to match? Not keen on making yet another "Thorinn", "Duurin" or "Gihmli"? Have you already chosen one of these unfortunate names and are looking for a change? This guide will walk you through choosing the perfect name for your dwarf. If you are a role-player or simply confused about finding a surname, this is a great way to learn a bit about dwarf culture, language, and names.

Khuzdul is the language of the dwarves. When a dwarf is born he is granted a name by his parents in this language. However, the dwarves are extremely secretive about their language. Their Khuzdul name is usually known only to themselves and their immediate friends and family, and therefore is rarely shared with anyone. If you are a role-player you may choose a name formed from this language for your dwarf, but keep in mind that out in the world of Middle Earth he (or she) will go by a different name meant for outsiders and everyday use. A dwarf wouldn't be caught dead using his private name with an outsider, and neither should you!

Looking to create an elf in the Lord of the Rings Online but not sure what to name it? Want to avoid naming it "Legolazs" or "Elronde"? Have you unfortunately already used one of these names but are looking to change it? You're in luck! This article will show you how to find a decent, lore-appropriate name for your elf. And if you are not playing LOTRO but are looking for a name for an elf in World of Warcraft or a similar game, this guide might be a handy tool.

Since elves are a very popular race in LOTRO, and there are a lot of famous elves in the lore that many players wish to emulate, finding a decent name can be difficult. It is important to remember to follow the naming rules of the game, which means you cannot choose a name that is close in spelling or sound to any of the actual characters from the books (such as Legolas, Arwen, etc). If your name is too similar to one of these characters, it will be changed. A good way to make sure that you are not accidentally stealing a name from the books is to use it in a Google search or consult a book such as the Complete Guide to Middle Earth.

Having the most available classes and arguably the best racial abilities in The Lord of the Rings Online, the Race of Man is also the most popular. So it can be hard to find a decent name for your human. Everyone wants to be a hero, for their character to be great and achieve fame and glory. But can you do this without naming your character "Aragorrn" or "Boromier"? You bet! This guide will take you through finding the perfect first name and surname for your man or woman.

Unlike the other races, a member of the Race of Man's name relies heavily on its origin/nationality. A man from Dale's name is going to sound nothing like the name of a man from Bree. The conventions for both the first names and surnames are highly varied between each culture. This is mostly due to the fact that men live such short lives and live so far away from each other, and also due to war, which has separated members of the race greatly. The cultures of the four nationalities are so varied that if you want a lore-appropriate name for role-playing, you will have to choose the name first based on your character's chosen nationality. With the other races, this isn't as important.

Looking for a name for your little halfling? Unwilling to settle for "Frodow" "Samwizze" or "Bihlbo"? Have you already named your character one of these but are looking to change it to something decent and lore-abiding? This guide will help you to find the perfect name for your hobbit and avoid the wrath incurred when you turn on your role-playing flag with the name "Kneestabberxx". You will also find tips on choosing a surname. If you've already named your hobbit but are looking to construct an interesting back-story, this guide might be useful to you as well!

J. R. R. Tolkien gave each different race and culture in the game its own customs and naming systems. Looking at the names of different hobbits can tell you things about them -- where they might have been born, what family they might be a part of. This gives you the opportunity to give your character a back-story if you wish, though simply using this guide to choose a cool name is good as well. And there is nothing wrong with taking some of the names here and using them in other games! Always make sure to read the naming guidelines of whatever game you play so that you do not break any rules and face punishment. In The Lord of the Rings Online, using a name that is even close to a character from the lore (such as Frodo, Lobelia, or Pippin) is strictly against the rules. So if you want a name that sounds hobbity and not a violation of the rules, you have to get creative. Luckily, Tolkien himself was creative and named enough of these creatures to give us an idea of how to do it!

Even after reading this guide remember that the best name is the one you enjoy seeing and think fits your character, no matter how much you play it. What you think of your hobbit's name is more important than what other people think as long as it doesn't violate the naming conditions of your game.

It's been one full year since Turbine released The Lord of the Rings Online to the public. The game has seen four large content updates since April 24, 2007 which have increased the amount in land available in the game by over 50% and added everything from new raid instances to the ability to play as a chicken.

There has also been a huge advancement in the ongoing storyline of the game, which is separated into different "Books." These Books give the player a way to leave their mark on Middle-earth without interfering with the story already set by J. R. R. Tolkien, whose works the game is based off of. Here is a look back at the storyline that has progressed in the past year.

Click on the first image in the gallery below to experience each epic storyline including appearances by fan favorites such as Gandalf, Elrond and the Fellowship of the Ring.

In releasing Book 13 on its one-year anniversary, the Lord of the Rings Online finishes off its first year with five large content updates, known as Books. In addition to new epic storylines, the lore progressed significantly this past year as new Books were added. Let's take a look at all the changes made since April 24, 2007.

The game began with eight questing zones and one player-versus-monster-player zone as well as seven classes and 10 crafting professions. It also launched many promises from the developers for much-demanded features such as player-owned houses and Fishing.

At this point it was very difficult to reach the level cap of 50 due to a lack of significant content in the level 30-50 range, which Turbine promised to address. And that promise materialized with the first free content patch.

Less than two months after launch, the first content patch added Book 9: The Shores of Evendim on June 14, 2007. Not only did it include a continuation of the epic storyline, but it also released a new zone -- the aforementioned Evendim. This is the land of the Dúnedain that Elendil and his people settled in after arriving in Middle-earth from the destroyed island of Númenor. Though Elendil died away from home, and his body was never returned, a great tomb was erected for him. The tomb remains empty of bodies but contains many treasures -- treasure that certain brigands might be interested in obtaining for themselves.

Along with the new zone came the game's first large-scale raid instance: Helegrod. This was an ancient city built by Dwarves that was assaulted by the evil dragon Thorog. Wielding the powerful sword Mírdanant, Durin the fifth slayed Thorog but was killed in the process. Ever since attempts have been made to retake the city, but some evil prevents the Dwarves from reclaiming it. It is up to your hero, with 23 of his/her best friends, to defeat the evil inside once and for all.

Gameplay-wise, huge improvements to the profession of Farming and the music system were made, and the Champion class received its class review (the first one, that is). Many more quests were introduced to smooth out the leveling at higher levels and the first collectible armor sets were seen.

On August 21, 2007, Book 10: The City of Kings was released and opened up the city of Annúminas was for players to experience. Unfortunately, the city had been invaded by the forces of Angmar, and players had to fight to keep certain points of the city friendly to them. If they failed, the entire area will fall under the Witch-king's control.

Hunters and Captains both received class reviews, and a new mechanic was introduced called Critter Play. Different than PvMP, Critter Play allowed players to take on new forms in a PvE setting. The first form introduced was that of a chicken. Not to be outdone, Trolls, and Rangers were introduced into PvMP as well as a very large polish pass on PvMP as a whole.

Other new features brought to the game were factions with the major races (with rewards for increasing said faction) and the bartering system which allowed players to turn in certain monster drops for armor rewards. And of course, no Book is complete without a raft of new quests introduced for high level players to grind through.