Rock, Paper, Shotgun

A little while back, I attempted an interview with Turbine’s producer Jefferey Steefel about their reliably successful MMO Lord Of The Rings Online. It was intended for a preview of the upcoming expansion Siege Of Mirkwood, and for another publication. I wasn’t, ah, entirely illuminated by the answers I got, so I sent some follow-up questions intended to further solicit his thoughts on the extent to which the players have shaped the game, and why it’s proven to be such a survivor in what are broadly dark times for the MMO industry. Alas, the responses didn’t arrive in time for that piece – but now I have them, and it seems a shame to waste them. PC gaming website to the rescue! If I’m honest, I suspect speaking to some of LOTRO’s more dedicated players (is that you? Please, share your thoughts below) would have given a significantly more useful sense of why it’s a diamond in the MMO rough, but here’s sir Steefel’s thoughts on the matter….
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Lord Of The Rings Online doesn’t seem to be getting a huge amount of press these days, but it’s nevertheless trundling onwards, with Turbine seeming to put a huge amount of work into expanding the game. The attitude of the few LOTRO players I know seems to reflect that: they’re not talking up their game to any great degree, but they seemed pleased enough with how it has been handled, and how Turbine have delivered more stuff since launch. Siege Of Mirkwood is the second expansion, which apparently concludes the quest arcs set in motion by last year’s Mines Of Moria. It’s also supposed to introduce randomised, scaleable instances, which sounds like a useful notion, as well as doing the obligatory level cap raise, this time to 65. It’s due for a December 1st release, and the official trailer sits under the nether-click. It’s got elves in, and a Ring Wraith fortress. Spooks.

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How do you besiege a mirky wood? Expect to find out shortly, when Turbine release its Digital Download pack for Lord of the Rings online. It’s a digital download pack rather than something you can buy in the shop, and features… oh, lots of stuff. Raised level cap. Jump-in Skirmish Feature (Which sounds a little like what Warhammer does). Kicking over Dol Guldur, which is a place which has always deserved a good kicking. Lots of stuff, but there’s some interesting bonuses for this. For example, any returning (or current) player who upgrades their sub for multiple months before October 31st will get it for free. Which strikes me as smart. I’m particularly affectionate towards Mirkwood today, as my girlfriend has given me a amusingly photoshopped picture of Beorn in bear form with a Kenickie badge on his ursine lapel. See more of its features here, catch a glance at the first grabs here and watch some footage taken with a camera at Pax below…
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