Lotro Quest and more infor

Here we look on Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar developed by Turbine. Since most people decided to check out this game earlier in the day, by the time I got there, I had a computer all to myself and plenty of people to answer my questions. Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is the first massive multiplayer online game to feature the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. This is not the Peter Jackson style. After talking with some of the people who worked on the game, it was obvious that a lot of care and effort was put into keeping everything true to the novels.

It's a tall order, creating a massively-multiplayer online game set in the best-known fantasy world ever created. You've got to get the places right, the languages right, the characters right, and the history right, which must contained in account. And at the same time, you've got to make a game that's fun to play and that fits with its famous source material. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar delivers on both. Once you delve into its polished mixture of story, setting and game player, you may not find anything new, but you're going to find a lot of old that you'll really like.

Some people was dieing in Beta test, played it and found it was very boring and somewhat lackluster which does not grip you even though it throws you in the deep end straight away. It may well get better in the long run and yes its only beta but personally I would of thought most folk would be somewhat disappointed within the first 10 minutes and leave never to return.

The game, LOTRO quest, itself is set during the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Put people in the camp of Tolkien dorks that, at least at the outset, considered this a bad idea. If the Big Story is taking place all around us, and we don’t get to play as thosecharacters–then just how epic are we supposed to feel? Here is a link, you may be charmed

For the game to last past a few hours of story and exploration, it's got to be fun to play. And here developer Turbine sensibly decided that if it ain't broke, they shouldn't fix it. Like World of Warcraft, LOTRO's game mechanics are solidly designed, easy to learn, and very polished. The game features seven classes with roles so well-understood that they are even identified as "buffer," "crowd control" and "tank" on the character-creation screen (or at least they were during the beta test.)

If you need more information, please looking for Fansite of Lotro, including busy friendly forums, news, guides, and a forum signature generator.

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Lord of the Rings Mithril Miniatures

Mithril was founded in 1987 and has been dedicated since then to the creation of miniature figures, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth as portrayed in his famous works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It has been our intention to faithfully recreate the characters from these works and imbue the miniatures as much as possible with the atmosphere and feel of Middle-earth. To this end Much painstaking research has gone into this range, both in costume and character appearance, so as to make and retain an authentic and consistent feel to the figures and above all to remain true to Tolkien's original vision of his strange and magical world.



The Mithril Classics series represent key personalities and generic types selected from Mithrills huge range of over 500 Middle-earths subjects. While most releases are available for a limited time only and are then withdrawn from production, the Classics series is the core range which is continuously produced, and means that the most important figures like Gandalf, Bilbo and Aragorn are always available to the collector.



The "M" series and the "Classics" series are supplied undercoated ready to paint. The "LR" series are supplied without undercoat to allow the finishing and assembling the figure to be completed before undercoating.

A small selection of the more than 500 Miniatures

Our Review

We received a package with several Mithril Miniatures of various shapes and sizes. The Miniatures come neatly packed with instructions for the more complex figures. The figures are very detailed and of great quality. They come unpainted and unassembled and for many Mithril fans that's the great attraction and challenge: to assemble and paint the miniatures as beautifully as possible. If you have the time for it, it's a great hobby in which your skills will grow gradually. A lot of Mithril fans have perfected their skills in the years and proudly show their work on the internet. We definitely recommend it to any person who has the time to invest in this great hobby.

Is Pre-Written Lore a Blessing or Curse?

Many MMOs in today’s market are rich in creative lore. They use countless races, creatures, and people that help make the land rich in story. The creation of the lore is flexible and has always allowed for more story adaptations to be added later, but Lord of the Rings Online comes with a pre-written lore and guidelines that the developers must follow in order to stay true to the Tolkien story. Will this help them over the long term by providing a rich land of lore already written, or will this prove to be limiting in what type of content we could see in the future?

Everquest was the first MMORPG I ever tried. When I logged in for the first time I was greeted by a world rich in lore, diverse races, creatures, lands, and characters. Over the many years I spent in Norrath, I saw the world go through many changes that often times added or altered the story-line. This may not be the case for LOTRO. It has a pre-written story line that limits how far the developers can alter the world, but to their credit they have created a unique story-line integrating the player into Middle-Earth without actually altering the original Tolkien story. The epic story lines are a creative approach to dealing with the limitations of lore and it allows the player to become part of the story without changing the original lore of the books. This is one of the most creative aspects of LOTRO and one the developers deserve credit for approaching creatively.

How will pre-written lore affect the characters of the world? In Everquest there were many dragons that were the source of countless raid beatings. Dragons are a common theme in many fantasy MMOs, but were not a common theme to Tolkien’s story-line and it is safe to assume we won’t be seeing a lot of them as we do in other MMOs. Will this type of limitation prove to be a burden for the developers of Turbine in the long run? Perhaps, but thus far they have shown a great degree of creativity in integrating content to fit the Lord of the Rings lore. This may prove to limit certain creatures such as dragons or gods from making an appearance as they did in Everquest, but a creative approach can solve many problems and Turbine has proven to be very resourceful in that area.

What will happen when Frodo reaches Mount Doom? Where will we go from there? Those are two great questions I don’t have an answer to, but one thing is for sure and we are likely years from having to find out. There are plenty of areas left on the Middle Earth map that have yet to be developed. The developers have a ton of content possibilities sitting right in front of them. We have the benefit of visiting areas the fellowship never set foot in and that also provides the developers with additional leeway when it comes to lore creation for an area. Some places might have been mentioned in the book, but never really emphasized. This will allow the developers to maybe bend the lore just a little bit and provide us with a few things other MMOs have that don’t fit into the Lord of the Rings lore.

The question still remains though. What happens at the end of this journey? When Frodo destroys the one ring in the fires of Mount Doom, what happens next? Will the developers be allowed to create additional content after the war is over? That is indeed a possibility. After Aragorn returned to Gondor he fought for the reunification of the kingdoms and over the next several years fought many battles to do so. Once the ring has been destroyed the developers could very well have us aiding in the reunification of the kingdoms. This could provide a slew of new content even more flexible than the old. The one thing that is for certain is that there is no shortage of content.

There have been many concerns about the limitation of lore, but I feel the lore won’t be a problem. The limitation is minimal, and the continuation of the story could go on longer than our life times. The developers at Turbine are creative and resourceful and they have a lot more to work with than most people realize. With the current Lord of the Rings lore and the post war of the ring story potential, we will have no shortage of new and potentially creative content in the future. Is pre-written lore a blessing or a curse? With the right approach, it is most certainly a blessing.

A Beginner’s Guide to the Quests and Story of LotRO

So I made my character… now what?

Well, there’s a lot to be done. But one of the key features of LotRO is its intricate quest system and delicately woven story. This guide will help you become familiar with both.



The Story of LotRO Story? What story?

If you’re one of the millions who have read the books or seen the movies, The Lord of the Rings has a deep and intricate timeline that follows the trials and hardships of many different characters in the fight against the Dark Lord Sauron. There’s plenty of info on the lore of Lord of the Rings to be found at the Encyclopedia of Arda.



How is that handled in the game though?

Through the use of quests and cinematic events, the story crafted by the Turbine and numerous Tolkien Experts will be played out by you, the player.



Okay, so where does my character fit in?

As a dwarf, elf, hobbit, or human, you are one of the many free people of Middle-Earth. Your character’s path does not follow in the footsteps of the books’ characters, but rather down a different path that was only oft alluded to in JRR Tolkien’s notes and appendices. Without spoiling much of what you’ll see in LotRO, there is a mounting dark force on the rise in Angmar, and it is up to you and the friends you make in the game to thwart it.








I’m familiar with the books, but when does my character begin his “life”?

Well, that all depends on your race. As an elf, your very first steps will be taken centuries before the Fellowship from the books is formed, and as a dwarf you’ll begin just before The Hobbit’s events take place. The cinematics of each race’s beginning quests will bring you up to date, along with the men and hobbits, just as Frodo and Sam are leaving the Shire. It is at this point that the game’s story truly begins.



Questing in Middle-Earth



Okay, so I get the story bit, but how does LotRO’s quest system work?

As you travel throughout Middle-Earth, you’ll meet many a varied Non-Player Characters (NPC), all of them ready to give you tasks to complete. These tasks are called quests, and NPCs that have one for you to undertake will be denoted by a golden ring above their head. Also, you’ll see nearby quest-givers on your Mini-Map, also denoted by a golden ring. You’ll receive your 1st quest very early in the game, and thousands more as you continue on.

One of the many quest-givers in Middle-Earth.



Why do I care about quests? Can’t I just go around and kill things, or make stuff?

Sure you can, but you’d be missing out on a lot of the content that’s been put into the game. Not to mention some of the best rewards (both money and items) are given out when completing a quest. Also, you’ll find gaining a level to be a lot more friendly if you help out the NPCs with their numerous tasks.



I have a quest, but I forgot what to do. How do I check what needs done?

For just such a situation, you have your Quest Journal (default key = “L”). Pressing L will bring up the Quest Journal, and it’s here that you’ll be able to keep track of all of your current tasks, as well as ones that you’ve completed over the course of your character’s life.





The Quest Journal



Each quest is color coded according to the difficulty it will be for your character’s level. Gray is the easiest, then comes green, then light blue and blue. White is even with your character’s level, yellow is slightly above, and orange, red, and purple are considerably above your current level.



You said something a bit back about rewards? And money too? Do tell!

Yes, you heard me right. Some of the best items and a lot of money are there for the taking, if a player is dutiful enough to complete some of the quests. Aside from using the Quest Journal to figure out what needs done, you can also see what rewards will be given upon a quest’s completion.



Is there anyway to keep track of them without having the Journal open?

Of course there is! When you highlight a quest, the menu down at the bottom of the Journal gives you several options. “Add to tracker” will make that particular quest’s objectives show up on your main screen off to the right on the “Quest Tracker”.





The Quest Tracker



What do these little symbols by the name of the quest mean?

Those symbols indicate different types of quests in LotRO. The symbol that looks like a bunch of people means that the quest will likely require a Fellowship (group of players) in order to be completed. The golden ring means that the quest is an “Epic” quest, while having both on the same quest means that it is an Epic quest which will likely require a Fellowship to complete.



What the heck is an “Epic” quest?

Epic quests, more often than not will be quests that directly relate to the main story of LotRO. They are catalogued in your Quest Journal under categories similar to a book (i.e. – Prologue, Chapter 1, etc). They often involve a private instance, where the story can play out, and many will require a fellowship to complete, though certainly not all of them.



I’m playing with some friends, and we want to quest together, but how do the members of my Fellowship and I share quests?

If the particular quest you want to do is shareable (meaning there are no prerequisites that must be completed first), all you and your fellows must do is simply highlight the quest in your quest journal and click the button labeled “share”. If any of the Fellowship’s members can take on that quest, they’ll be prompted to do so.



I can’t find the place my quest is asking me to go to… help!

First, breathe. Second, read the quest again. Every quest has been handcrafted to promote exploration but at the same time to make sure to give the player enough information to go by. After reading the quest, take a look at your map. If you still have no idea in which direction to set forth, try asking in the Out of Character Channel (default command = “/ooc”) and ask for a little help. There are thousands of other players out there, don’t be shy!



Is there anything else I should know?

Essentially, it’s important to remember to take as many quests as your journal can hold (40), and to take the time to read the quests’ directions. The experience, money, and rewards gained from doing quests are nothing but beneficial to the status of your character. Also remember that not every quest is intended to be done by yourself. Find some friends and tackle the ones that give you fits. Last but not least, the grand and epic story the developers have crafted is only going to be played out if you’re diligent enough to do the quests. So go forth, and make JoBildo proud.

'Rings' fans can head online for a richly satisfying game

All right, Tolkien geeks. It's time to bust out those credit cards.

The massively multiplayer online game for Windows, "Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar" launched April 24 and, after two weeks of intensive play, we're happy to report that the Shire is safe.

(enlarge photo)

For a monthly charge, online gamers can take on the guise of a Tolkienesque dwarf, man, hobbit or elf.

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Turbine Inc., the game's developer, has remained faithful to the J.R.R. Tolkien books to an obsessive degree, crafting for online players a world that is as rich and detailed a digital re-creation as any fan could desire.

For more casual gamers, the game will feel like a retread of arguably the most successful PC game out right now, "World of Warcraft," which boasts 8 million subscribers worldwide.

Like "Warcraft," "Lord of the Rings" costs about $15 a month to play in addition to the $50 initial cost of the game (the first month of play is free). Would-be adventurers get to create characters to play in a vast online world, completing quests, exploring graphically gorgeous realms and interacting with thousands of other players. You can choose to be one of the four races of Middle Earth — Man, Elf, Dwarf or Hobbit — and select from classes including Burglar, Captain, Champion Guardian, Hunter, Lore-Master and Minstrel. Each race and class has different strengths, weaknesses and abilities. As you progress in the game, you'll also be able to choose vocations that allow you to create goods that can be used, sold or traded.

For veterans of "World of Warcraft," the game will feel very familiar. The interface includes a chat window, a list of ongoing quests and spaces where you can set up buttons to do specific tasks — casting certain spells or using potions, for instance.

A map is available to guide you as you make your way from town to town, fighting monsters, collecting rewards and completing increasingly difficult quests.

On a well-equipped PC with a fast Internet connection, the game ran very smoothly withfew hiccups. While such massive games can suffer from birthing pains, the first two weeks of "Shadows of Angmar" have been remarkably smooth. I didn't notice any server outages as my hobbit minstrel, Perfuncto, progressed through 11 levels. There were no major bugs or system crashes, and every few days the game self-updates with fixes and tweaks as it's launched.

While the first few levels of the game move swiftly — you feel as if you're a minor character swept up in the story that begins with "The Fellowship of the Ring" — it soon shifts to the grinding, quest-driven gameplay typical of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.

That'll be a disappointment for some gamers. Instead of protecting the One Ring or fending off Smeagol, you'll be collecting chickens for farmers, slaughtering swarms of gnats and delivering mail among postmasters to earn experience points in the game's early levels.

Many of the quests are easy but involve lots of walking or tedious item collecting. So many of the early quests work this way that it's not necessary to socialize or join a community of other players, one of the chief draws of an online game like this. You'll feel for a while like you're in a single-player game.

By the time you progress to later levels, the myriad professions, crafts, deeds, traits and skills to acquire can be overwhelming. The time to progress at these skills isn't minutes or hours — it's days, weeks, months. Playing such a multiplayer online game is a major time investment.

Where "Shadows of Angmar" shines is in its presentation. The game's locales and landmarks will be familiar to the hardcore Tolkien fans, and they are expertly rendered. Streams are dappled by midday sunlight. Willow trees bend in the breeze. Running into a dark forest induces claustrophobia as the foreboding soundtrack kicks in and you are plunged into darkness.

Turbine's storytelling approach is also notable: Instead of presenting the "Rings" world in full, this is only the first chapter in what will be ongoing updates. The next chapter, "Shores of Evendim," will be made available in June, free to players.

"Shadows of Angmar" will be a treat for Tolkien fans who also happen to like online games. For those who prefer their "Rings" experience to be a little less work, there's always the Peter Jackson films.