lotro posts

One Shots: Always lovely in LotRO

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 20th 2010 at 2:00PM

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

Oh, lovely Springtime! With sunny days and balmy nights, what's not to love. That is, unless, you're stuck in a place where there is no lovely weather to enjoy. In those cases, you can rely on a game like Lord of the Rings Online to give you beautiful, sunny vistas to enjoy adventuring in when the real weather isn't quite as nice.

Today's glorious Lord of the Rings Online One Shots comes to us from Diavir, who is new in the lands of Middle-earth. He found a lovely view while out wandering the world, and sent it to us, noting: "I just recently bought Lord of the Rings Online and I've been leveling in Evendim. I can't get over how good this game looks. It's amazing how well they have translated the franchise into a great MMO."

Are you checking out a game for the first time recently? From old to new, we love to see (and read about) what you're doing! Just email your images to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. (Guild, server, or other information like that is welcome too.) Please make sure it's at least 1024px wide, and please turn off the game UI. We'll post it out here and give you the credit!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Tags: diavir, evendim, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, turbine, turbine-entertainment

LotRO tames the shrew in a new dev diary

by Justin Olivetti Mar 19th 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, in-game

"Festivals are surprisingly brutal to make!" confesses Turbine's Lauren Salk. It turns out that she loves doing them anyway, and in a recent Lord of the Rings Online dev diary, she opens up on the process of creating and adding on to one of the game's landmark holidays.

Ever since 2008, LotRO's Spring Festival has added more casual content for players to romp through and enjoy. Last year it was a hedge maze -- this year, it's all about the Shew Stomping. Lauren is careful to note that no shrews are actually killed as players step on them with special boots (they're just knocked out!), so don't feel too bad for these garden invaders. She laments how difficult it was to program shrews that attack and could be attacked by players of any level.

If shrew stompin' isn't your thing, there are plenty of other activities in which to partake. "Between the shrews, the Hedge Maze, the Feast of the Greenfields, and all the other games, you should have plenty to keep you occupied for the next month," Lauren promises. LotRO's Spring Festival runs from March 23-April 6.

Gallery: LotRO Spring Festival Housing Items

Tags: dev-diary, hedge-maze, lauren-salk, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, shrew-stomping, spring-festival, turbine

The Road to Mordor: Heroes for Shire

by Justin Olivetti Mar 19th 2010 at 1:00PM

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

Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis.

This past week in LotRO I made a server move to Landroval, rerolling as a Hobbit Burglar. I've heard nothing but good things about Landroval, which has been backed up by my short stay thus far -- the community is super-nice and the RP events are quite engaging. I enjoyed sitting outside the Bird and Baby Inn in Michel Delving and listening to a band perform just as much as I enjoyed returning to the Shire overall.

Man, I missed the Shire. I mean, don't get me wrong -- it's terrific to progress through the zones, experience the epic storyline and grow in power and abilities. But after a while, the harsh landscape wears on the soul, and I yearned to return to the zone that made me fall in love with LotRO in the first place.

Tags: featured, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, pie-quest, RolePlaying, rp, shire

One Shots: Ride on

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 13th 2010 at 2:00PM

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

Sometimes we get screenshots that almost look like they could be paintings. Such is definitely the case with this lovely, frosty screenshot from Lord of the Rings Online that was sent in to us by Ultherond (aka Alanc) from the Laurelin (EU) server. The smaller image above really loses the fine detail going on in the foreground, which is where the story lies:

I was out traveling the snowy wastes of Forochel, hunting Gauredain for my deeds, when I came across a true sight to behold. Under a beautiful, clear sky, which is as rare as it gets in a land plagued by the heaviest of snow storms, two lone riders are making for the sun setting past the mountains.

Have you captured a beautiful screenshot of your favorite game? If so, we'd love to see it. All you have to do is to email it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post it out here and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Tags: alaric, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, turbine, ultherond

The Road to Mordor: How skirmishes have changed LotRO

by Justin Olivetti Mar 12th 2010 at 3:00PM

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

Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis.

In the last couple years, MMO developers have been addressing the problem of stagnant mid- and end-game play by giving gamers various forms of repeatable content. Warhammer Online proposed PvP scenarios, World of Warcraft launched their Dungeon Finder, City of Heroes added in Mission Architect, and with the advent of the Siege of Mirkwood expansion, LotRO invented skirmishes.

While not identical in form or function, each of these systems is similar in a few ways: they are instantly accessible, they promote easy grouping, they encourage ad nauseum replay, and they offer an alternative way to gain XP and levels. Not to mention that while each of these features has seen criticism, they are greatly embraced by the playerbase and enjoyed by millions daily.

One could argue -- and I guess I am that one -- that skirmishes were LotRO's hole card for Mirkwood, the big "hook" that grabbed players' attention and imaginations. While not a complete game-changer, skirmishes have undeniably altered the face of the game and impacted many players' experiences, for better or worse. So let's face this change head-on and see how skirmishes have fared since last December's debut.

Pick up a lute and play me a merry song, for we'll need all the courage to hit the jump and come out on top!

Tags: city-of-heroes, dungeon-finder, featured, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, lotro-skirmish, lotro-skirmishes, mirkwood, mission-architect, pvp-scenarios, siege-of-mirkwood, skirmishes, tolkien, Warhammer-Online, world-of-warcraft

The Daily Grind: How do you like to play?

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 11th 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, The Daily Grind

We complain that MMOs are getting narrower and smaller as time goes by, with terms like "themeparks" being thrown around without much affection. But there are still a lot of ways to enjoy yourself in pretty much every game under the sun and games that cater to a wide variety of playstyles on top of that. There are games focused on a strong PvP game (Warhammer Online, EVE Online), games with a focus on PvE content (City of Heroes, Lord of the Rings Online), and others with a split between both (World of Warcraft, Guild Wars).

Even within that wide spectrum, however, there's a fair variety of options. You could focus on the PvE game in EVE Online if you wanted, or even just head off into another direction like roleplaying if you so desired. With all the different ways to enjoy yourself, we ask you today: how do you like to play? Do you prefer PvP, PvE, a mix of both? Or do you prefer alternate progression like crafting or exploration, eschewing the rails that are set down for you by the development team?

Tags: city-of-heroes, coh, content, eve, eve-online, guild-wars, gw, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, play-focus, playstyle, pve, pvp, roleplaying, tdg, the-daily-grind, war, warhammer-online, world-of-warcraft, wow

Peek inside Lord of the Rings Online's QA team

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 7th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Bugs, Game mechanics, Patches

Working on a QA team is simultaneously one of the more important and least glamorous parts of any game's development. On the one hand, QA has the important job of trying to make sure that everything plays smoothly and correctly; on the other hand, a QA team has best done its job when there's very little that the player notices as missing. Lord of the Rings Online has recently posted a QA team diary, with Amanda "Brynhildr" Cosmos discussing the process involved in testing the recent Volume III update for the game.

Contrary to some popular beliefs, testing generally doesn't consist largely of playing the game -- it's more about finding areas of the game that might be a bit weak and straining them to the breaking point. As the diary points out, it's also about investigating the smaller areas of gameplay that might not be immediately apparent from looking at the big picture. Travel routes, pricing on small-scale consumables, and minor text quibbles aren't easy to spot unless you're looking specifically for places that can be shored up. The full diary is worth reading not just for Lord of the Rings Online players, but anyone interested in seeing what the QA teams are actually responsible for in an MMO's production.

Tags: amanda-cosmos, brynhildr, bug-fixes, bugs, development, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, patches, qa, qa-team, quality-assurance, travel, turbine, turbine-entertainment, volume-3-book-1

The Road to Mordor: 10 reasons why LotRO is worth picking up over shiny new MMOs

by Justin Olivetti Mar 5th 2010 at 11:00AM

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

Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis.

Hey dol merry dol, Lord of the Rings Online fans! My name is Justin Olivetti, and I have the pleasure of joining you on this winding, epic road to Mordor. I play a Captain on the Gladden server, and some of my favorite activities in LotRO include wandering accidentally into signature mob camps, exterminating the local fauna in the name of Deeds, and trying to cobble together the perfect pirate costume for show.

So I know that LotRO is one of the best MMORPGs out there, and you know that as well, but with all the newer MMOs bursting out of the gate on what seems like a weekly basis, how can you convince your friends, loved ones and everyone in your social network that a three-year-old title is worth giving a try if they missed it the first time around?

Never fear -- I am on your side, and ready to equip you with ten terrific reasons why the lovechild of Turbine and Tolkien deserve an even greater number of folks exploring the lands of Middle-earth. So hit the jump and let's spread the word!

Tags: cooking, featured, fishing, hobby, housing, lore, lotro, middle-earth, monster play, MonsterPlay, role-playing, rp, skirmish, titles, tolkien

Turbine Drops New LOTRO Crafting Screens

by Jef Reahard Mar 4th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Crafting, Professions, News items

Turbine continues to whet our Hobbit-sized appetites for the newest Lord of the Rings Online update. The company has released a handful of screenshots centered around the crafting tweaks included in Volume III: Allies of the King, Book 1: Oath of the Rangers.

While that title alone is quite a mouthful, it pales in comparison to the meaty morsels coming your way if you're in touch with your inner artisan. Updates include new and more powerful recipes for Cooks, new class items for Weaponsmiths and Woodworkers, Jewelry stat rebalancing, and new crops for Artisan, Master, and Superior Farmers.

Hit the gallery below to view the new screenshots, grab a second breakfast, and get ready to churn out those level sixty-five recipes.

Gallery: LotRO Volume 3, Book 1 gallery

Tags: crafting, gallery, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, lotro-volume-3-book-1, screenshots, turbine

The Daily Grind: Are you attached to your characters?

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 4th 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Player Housing, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying

They're not real and we all know it. All your character is in an MMO, really, is just a little mobile indicator for what you're wearing and what you're doing. There's no need to spare them a second thought. Of course, there are games like Champions Online and City of Heroes which give you dizzying amounts of control over what they look like. Or Lord of the Rings Online and Final Fantasy XI that let you decorate your house. Or Star Trek Online letting you detail both what sort of ship you ride around in and who your co-workers are...

All right, most of us put a little more thought into our characters than just mobile gear indicators. Roleplayers tend to get even more so, but even if you're avidly not into the RP scene, you can't help but form some connections. So how attached are you to yours? Do you spend a long time staring at the character creator? Do you play the same character transplanted into new settings? Or do you mostly just click through based on whatever looks cool and take what you get, even if it winds up being hideous?

Tags: champions-online, character, character-creation, city-of-heroes, city-of-villains, co, coh, cov, cox, ff11, ffxi, final-fantasy-11, final-fantasy-xi, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, opinion, roleplaying, star-trek-online, sto, tdg, the-daily-grind

Lord of the Rings Online adding Facebook Player Feed

by Rubi Bayer Mar 2nd 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, News items

Lord of the Rings Online is adding to their presence in the social networking scene. Now you can let your Facebook friends know about the achievements of your Lord of the Rings Online characters via the new Player Feed.

The Player Feed is a Facebook application installed in the usual way. It uses your my.lotro account information to keep track of your characters as you choose, giving you a series of checkboxes to control which servers, characters, and achievements you want to display. It lets your friends know when you log on and log off -- everything after that is up to you. (To prevent the Player Feed from spamming Facebook every time you switch characters, it will wait for a short period of time after you log out to send that notification.)

Check out the post on the LotRO site for all the details.

Tags: facebook, facebook-apps, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, my.lotro, player-feed, turbine

LotRO Volume III: Book 1 releases today

by Rubi Bayer Mar 1st 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, News items

Lord of the Rings Online Volume III, Book 1: Oath of the Rangers went live today, to the delight of LotRO fans. This major update builds on the skirmish system introduced in Siege of Mirkwood by introducing four new 12-player Skirmishes as well as Duo Mode to the game. New skills and recipes have arrived with the update as well, and the Spring Festival will return on March 22. Take a look after the jump for a roundup of our Oath of the Rangers coverage so far, then head into Middle-earth to check it out for yourself!

Tags: lord-of-the-rings-online, lord-of-the-rings-online-volumeIII, lotro, oath-of-the-rangers, turbine

One Shots: Majestic

by Krystalle Voecks Feb 27th 2010 at 2:00PM

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

In just two days, Lord of the Rings Online players will be treated to a great chunk of new content in Book 1: Oath of the Rangers -- and of course, we got a sneak peek! In the meantime, players are finishing up story arcs, or running new alt characters through familiar lands such as the beautiful spot we see above. This One Shots comes to us from Dylan G. who writes in: [Here's a picture of] my level 17 human minstrel. This is my character standing in front of Duillond. [Lord of the Rings Online] amazes me every day with the awesome landscape and world it has.

Whether new or old, we love to see screenshots of the MMOs you're playing. Just send those in to us here at oneshots At massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Gallery: One Shots

Tags: dylan-g, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, turbine, turbine-entertainment

The Road to Mordor: Massively tour of LotRO Volume III Book 1

by Dan O'Halloran Feb 26th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Previews, Crafting, Hands-on, The Road to Mordor

Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis.

Lord of the Rings Online Volume III: Allies of the King is kicking off Book 1: Oath of the Rangers on the live servers this Monday, March 1st. Massively got to sit down with a LotRO dev for a tour of the new content. But before we jump in to that, a quick note about content patches.

There have been some complaints on the official forums that this content update doesn't include a new land mass to explore. But the history of content updates for LotRO shows a pattern of only adding land mass every other update. Since the last update was a full expansion with the introduction of Mirkwood, it follows that this one would not include new lands.

That being said, there are many new areas to explore. The devs have created new instances in the "old world" for you to enjoy as part of the new Volume III epic quest line. So while this update doesn't deliver Rohan, it does have new dungeons to explore as well as a new Skirmish.

The tour (with some mild spoilers) starts after the jump!

Tags: allies-of-the-king, aragorn, elrond, lotro, lotro-vol3-bk1, lotro-volume-3-book-1, oath-of-the-rangers, rangers-of-the-north, rift-skrimish, shrew-stomping, spring-festival, turbine, volume-3-book-1, volume-iii-book-1

Lord of the Rings Online taking new members for Isengard private preview program

by Rubi Bayer Feb 23rd 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, News items

Lord of the Rings Online fans found an interesting post in the official forums today: "The Isengard Private Preview Program is taking applications for new members."

If you're a Lord of the Rings Online player who is interested in previewing and testing new content for bugs (and can keep a secret), it's your lucky day. You need to have a current LotRO account with Siege of Mirkwood access, of course, and the program is currently only open to those with Turbine accounts.

If you fit the bill, head over to the forum thread and take a look at the first three posts. They include the official announcement, a "how to apply" guide, and a FAQ. You'll find everything you need to do to apply as well as a full list of requirements to participate.

If you're interested, Turbine is accepting applications now, so best of luck!

Tags: eyes-and-guard-inn, isengard, isengard-private-preview-program, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, turbine