Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online

The Road to Mordor: Gated communities

by Justin Olivetti Jul 30th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Patches, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

This past week, many of us were shaken out of our self-absorption with LotRO's F2P switch as we were suddenly joined by -- of all things -- the good folks at EverQuest II. I don't think anyone could've predicted two such high-profile MMORPGs moving to a subscription/free-to-play hybrid model this year, which makes LotRO and EQII comrades-in-arms for the time being. Both titles are currently in testing, with their F2P release coming this fall.

Other than the mutual surprise of two game communities that were taken off guard (except for that one guy who, y'know, totally called it and won't stop crowing about it), there are a number of similarities as both SOE and Turbine look to replicate DDO's F2P success and bolster both the number of players and number of dollars coming in to both games. However, there's certainly a major difference in how the freebie players will be handled: LotRO is integrating them with subscribers on normal servers, whereas EverQuest II Expanded will segregate the free players on their own unique servers.

So I thought that this would be an excellent time to talk about one of the crucial factors of F2P switches, which is the potential growth and/or fracturing of the game's community. Which MMO has the better idea, LotRO or EQII? Hit the jump for my thoughts.

Wall Street Journal examines SOE's and Turbine's switch to free-to-play

by Rubi Bayer Jul 30th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest II, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

The growing trend toward the free-to-play business model in the MMO industry has caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal.

The feature story in the paper's weekly Digital Media section is entitled "First, Give Away the Game," and focuses heavily on some of the recent free-to-play announcements from high-profile MMO developers. Warner Brothers President Martin Tremblay spoke to the WSJ regarding DDO's dramatic turnaround last year as well. "The game was almost dead," said Tremblay, saying that DDO is now "very healthy" financially, thanks to the switch to free-to-play. He stated that the change was "a big reason" for the decision to acquire Turbine, and the reason Warner Brothers plans to follow the business model for other games. "This is the way we believe customers want to consume games in the future."

It's an interesting look at the growth of microtransactions and the F2P model in the Western market. The full story can be read on the Wall Street Journal's Digital Network.

Latest LotRO free-to-play screens show new starting areas

by Rubi Bayer Jul 29th 2010 at 1:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play

Part of the transition to free-to-play for The Lord of the Rings Online includes some cosmetic changes here and there. We got a glimpse of that a few weeks ago, and now Turbine is giving us a look at another area that's undergone some changes.

The man and hobbit starting areas will have a new look when free-to-play arrives this fall. You'll see some familiar faces, and you'll still have the standard assortment of shadowy figures, backstory, and angry creatures to fight, but things will look a bit different.

Check out the newest addition to the gallery below for a look at the new man and hobbit starting areas.

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online free-to-play screenshots

LotRO dev diary dishes on scaled instance rewards

by Justin Olivetti Jul 28th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play

Do you have a lot of questions about the upcoming scaled instances in Lord of the Rings Online? Good, because Turbine has a whole truckload of answers for you! In the second of a hefty five developer diaries devoted to the subject, LotRO's Joe "jwbarry" Barry tempts players with sweet, sweet candy. Metaphorical candy, that is, taking the form of instance rewards.

The greatest problem that they had with rewards, Barry shares, is that itemizing a dungeon across a huge level range became a massive headache, requiring them to make "a prohibitive" amount of items. Instead, the LotRO dev team is taking a cue from its successful skirmish system, and reprogramming the scaled-instance mobs to drop tokens instead of loot. Players can then use these tokens to purchase armor sets, cosmetic items and even legendaries.

Barry spends the rest of the article discussing the stat-tracking feature (again, similar to stat-tracking functions with skirmishes) and how the team went back through the dungeons to raise the quality of the entire experience where needed. You can read the full dev diary over at Lord of the Rings Online's site.

Codemasters offering free LotRO store points at Gamescom

by Rubi Bayer Jul 27th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play

If you're attending Gamescom this year, you've probably got a pretty heavy schedule planned. There will be plenty to do, but you might want to carve out some time to head to the Lord of the Rings Online booth, because Codemasters has a nice gift for those attending.

The news of LotRO's impending free-to-play status was pretty big, and Codemasters will be offering signups at its booth this year. If you've not signed up to join the game when it becomes F2P, do so at the Codemasters booth in hall 8.1, booth A31 and get a little thank-you gift in the form of 10 € worth of LotRO store points.

The offer is available every day of Gamescom.

We've got your key for The Lord of the Rings Online F2P beta test!

by Seraphina Brennan Jul 26th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, New titles, Free-to-play, Giveaways

Step right up here friends, I said step right up! How would you, yes you, like to try out the title that has been 'causin a ruckus among us? That's right, friend, I'm talking about the one, the only, the hobbittastic Lord of the Rings Online™! But I'm not talkin' about the one that's already out there, friend! I'm talkin' about the one that's coming -- the free to play version! Are you gamer enough to take it on?

All right, circus barker speech aside, our friends over at Turbine have supplied us with a special code for those of you who want to get in on the Lord of the Rings Online beta! However, there is a catch to this code -- it can only be used for 500 Massively readers who will be invited to the beta when the next wave of invites goes out.

Want more information, as well as the code you'll need to enter when you sign up for the beta? Not a problem, just skip past the break for all of the information you'll need!

The Road to Mordor: A look back at Volume 1

by Justin Olivetti Jul 23rd 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Lore, The Road to Mordor

This past week I finally finished Volume 1 of the epic storyline for the very first time in my LotRO career. Yeah, I know, welcome to 2008, right? My inner survey department says that 60% of this column's readers finished Volume 1 a long time ago (and perhaps many times since), and are currently sitting there with a bemused expression as if to say, "Oh, isn't that quaint as a duck's burp?" The other 40% probably gave up on the epic storyline somewhere around North Downs -- AKA The Zone That Saps Your Will To Live.

While it may be old news, Volume 1 is still quite relevant in the LotRO landscape for many reasons. One, it's what I've spent the past month of my life playing through, and I always assume that everyone is experiencing the same thing I am due to being a raging egomaniac. Two, ever since it recently received a makeover that allows any and everyone to solo all the way through it, there's been a newfound appreciation for the quest line, even from veterans who gave up on it long ago. And three, with all of the new people coming into the game this year, it'll be the very first thing they experience.

So as I sit on my high (grey) horse and look back over all fifteen books that comprise this massive Volume, I'm struck by a number of thoughts: some good, some bad, some itchy. Let's reminisce, shall we?

Beta journals testify about the LotRO store

by Justin Olivetti Jul 23rd 2010 at 1:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, Previews, Free-to-play

While the new version of Lord of the Rings Online is still under NDA lockdown, Turbine's opened a crack in the door to allow a few beta testers to jaw about the LotRO store. On the EU site, beta testers were encouraged to submit their thoughts and experiences with the new store for non-testers to assimilate, with four stories chosen to be posted.

Although these stories come with the caveat that they were hand-picked to be shared, they seemed free to share both likes and dislikes about the store. Some of the positive mentions include the speed of the store's delivery to player inventory, the sheer amount of items available, fun items like emotes and mounts, and general ease of use. They report that cosmetics are a big hit with beta testers.

On the flip side, the authors were critical of the unfinished feel to the store and the fact you can't see the items you're purchasing in the dressing-room window. Generally, however, the four testers are upbeat about this new LotRO feature. You can read their full thoughts at LotRO EU's site.

Turbine releases new LotRO Enedwaith images

by Rubi Bayer Jul 22nd 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play

The latest Lord of the Rings Online developer diary gave fans nine pages of information on the new zone in the game, Enedwaith.

While details and explanations are great, it's always nice to get a good visual of what the developers are talking about. The new round of screenshots from Turbine gives a better glimpse of some of the views we got earlier this week, including a second glimpse of the Druggavar, Harndirion and the Gloomglens.

This is a large area with plenty to see -- the varying climates and landscapes along with plenty of new art guarantee you'll be exploring for a while before you've seen it all.

Check out the gallery below for the latest look at several of the newest areas of Enedwaith.

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Enedwaith screenshots

One Shots: Guys?

by Krystalle Voecks Jul 22nd 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, One Shots

There you are, wandering along, enjoying your day in your favorite MMO, when out of nowhere some monster decides that you look like a tasty snack. As you're close to a town or encampment, you perhaps think, "Aha, I'll just run over here and get some help." Well, sometimes, that help isn't coming, such as in today's Lord of the Rings Online One Shots sent in to us by Andrew (also known as Pojoh on the Firefoot server). He writes in to tell us his tale of indignation:

"My burglar was running through the early part of Mirkwood and heading back to an elven camp to cash in a quest, when he was set upon by a foul goblin. Well, I was close to the elven encampment so I thought, 'hey, I'll run right up to the legion of Elven Guards, no way will the goblin reach me there.' What I didn't realize was that apparently the elves were SO entrenched in a meeting, that they couldn't help out a hobbit. Needless to say, I dispatched the goblin fiend, but not without being a bit perturbed by the laziness of some elves."

One Shots needs screenshots! If you'd like to contribute to the cause, send in your screenshots to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. Please make sure your image is at least 1024 pixels wide, and has as few visible UI elements as possible. It may wind up as the next one posted here on Massively!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Newest LotRO dev diary explains instance scaling

by Rubi Bayer Jul 21st 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, Free-to-play

The skirmish system in Lord of the Rings Online brought a lot to the table, but one of the most popular new features was scaling.

It was a big hit, and the developers are now adding it to the rest of the game in the form of instance scaling. If you're curious about how it will work, Content Designer Joe "jwbarry" Barry has written out a developer diary explaining the system.

One concern was making these instances available to the widest possible number of players, while still maintaining quality, challenging content. Joining instances like you would join a skirmish was another detail to be worked out, as was the overall method of scaling.

The full developer diary provides some great insight on how instance scaling will work, as well as the thought process behind the design -- it's a must-read for anyone interested in trying instance scaling.

Turbine point cards coming to a Gamestop near you

by Rubi Bayer Jul 21st 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Microtransactions and cash shops are common in many games these days, but the downside of a lot of them is that you're out in the cold if you don't have a credit card.

Many developers are finding ways around this problem, and Turbine's the newest member of that list; Gamestop will soon be selling Turbine Point Cards. Turbine Senior Community Specialist Tolero posted a photo of a couple of the cards in $10 and $25 increments, with the promise that we'll be seeing them in stores "very soon." It's not entirely out of the question that we'll see them in stores by the end of July.

It will be interesting to see if there will be cards for both games once Lord of the Rings Online goes free-to-play -- we'll keep an eye out!

Turbine expands on LotRO's Lua scripting

by Justin Olivetti Jul 20th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Previews, Free-to-play

Ever since hearing the news that Turbine will allow players to create mods for Lord of the Rings Online using the Lua programming language, the community's been abuzz about what this means for LotRO -- good and bad. Would this allow for the creation of game unbalancing add-ons, or perhaps the rise of a LotRO edition of WoW's controversial GearScore? Or does Turbine have a specific vision in mind for the scope of mods?

Yesterday on the LotRO forums, Narrel, Turbine's Games Systems Engineer, posted a clarifying note about why the company chose to implement this and where it plans to go with it. The devs' main priority with Lua scripting was to empower players to tweak and modify the user interface more to their liking, as the default UI cannot be all things for all folks.

While it is going to prohibit mods from botting or macros, Turbine will open the field for players to work with the inventory layout, information that the HUD displays, quickslot bars, target info, fellowship info and raid vitals. "We are very excited about this feature," Narrel said, "and look forward to the day when it goes live allowing players to have a much more customizable experience with our graphical interface."

LotRO's devs have some real estate in Enedwaith to sell you

by Justin Olivetti Jul 19th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play

All eyes in Lord of the Rings Online are set on the expanding frontier of the game, as both the Fellowship and players alike begin to head south this fall. This means a brand-new zone, Enedwaith, and all of the secrets and discoveries that it holds. We previously got a glimpse of this new area through a sneak-peek tour, but it's still great to read a nine-page dev tour of Enedwaith by Turbine's Jonathan Rudder.

It's interesting to note that Enedwaith is comprised of several "biomes" or self-contained ecosystems that range from rolling prairie to winter tundra to jagged bluffs. Each area has its own theme and unique critters, including the terrifying shadow wolves. And before you ask, yes, Turbine threw in a few demonic goats free of charge. As players progress through Enedwaith, they'll encounter the united Grey Company of Rangers and assist in their quest to help Aragorn.

Turbine's proud of the amount of content in this region, claiming that it has more quests and deeds than North Downs (which was the previous non-Moria record-holder for a zone), and it has more new and unique art per square meter than Moria. Read through this hefty dev diary for the complete skinny on Enedwaith!

The Road to Mordor: Frolicking in Forochel

by Justin Olivetti Jul 16th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, The Road to Mordor

Call me weird, but I am an absolute sucker for winter zones in MMORPGs. For me, the season of winter always evokes a lot of powerful feelings as the landscape is transformed, homes are a sanctuaries for warmth, and hardiness becomes a desirable trait. A zone filled with ice and snow screams to me desolation and death -- more so than a fire or volcano one -- but in a beautiful way.

It's no wonder, then, that I've become entranced with Forochel in Lord of the Rings Online.

Added to the game in April of 2008, Forochel became a bit of an anomaly in the LotRO experience. It was a (then) max-level area that was off the beaten path, created to cater to solo players seeking adventure. In fact, if the epic story hadn't taken us to Forochel in Volume 1 Book 13, I doubt many players would have sought it out on their own. It's a shame if that's the case, because Forochel offers both breathtaking vistas and a unique questing experience that should be encountered at least once in your LotRO career.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
GenCon Indy	Aug 5-8, 2010
SOE Fan Faire	Aug 5-8, 2010
Xsyon Prelude Launch	Aug 15, 2010
GamesCom Expo	Aug 18-22, 2010
Earthrise Launch	Q3 2010
Dragon*Con	Sep 3-6, 2010
PAX Prime	Sep 3-5, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Launch	Sep 30, 2010
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LEGO Universe Launch	Oct 26, 2010
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