LOTRO introducing Lothlorien soon

By Oli Welsh Published 2 March, 2009

Plus new raid, revised early levels, XP boost.

Turbine has created a new test server for its Lord of the Rings Online MMO, and loaded it with the game's next big content update - the first since last year's Mines of Moria expansion - Volume 2: Book 7. That means pre-release patch notes giving us some idea of what will be in the final update.

The storyline continues with the addition of Elven haven Lothlorien, where players will be reunited with the Fellowship of the Ring, but not before they've earned faction standing with the Galadhrim. Over 50 quests, 9 chapters of story and 4 instances are involved. For high-level players, there's also a new 12-man raid in the Waterworks of Moria.

Turbine's also showing new and lower-level players some love with a revamped new player experience, a new quest guide and a speedier levelling curve. Elf and Dwarf new player progression has been "completely redesigned", there are new quests and travel routes and a re-structure of existing quests to improve flow.

The quest guide works with the quest tracker to provide map support. The overall amount of experience needed to reach the current level cap of 60 has been reduced (this works retrospectively, so you might find you suddenly gain up to 3 levels after Book 7 lands).

There's also a "revive" feature that allows you to resurrect yourself in place, rather than retreating. It's on a half-hour cooldown to begin with, increasing to one hour at level 10 and 2 hours at level 40. It doesn't work in group instances.

As for the usual round of tweaking, there are plenty of adjustments to most classes - new boys the Rune-keeper and Warden unsurprisingly getting the most attention - and a rebalancing of Monster Play in the Ettenmoors. Furthermore, both creature difficulty and weapon damage are being reduced in the high levels to make skill more of a factor than gear.

Sounds like an extremely comphrehensive update, as LOTRO players have come to expect from Turbine. We'll have more LOTRO action on Eurogamer soon.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • DFawkes #1 3 years ago

    "this works retrospectively, so you might find you suddenly gain up to 3 levels after Book 7 lands"

    That is made of win. I know I usually like earning levels, but they're earned in advance that way. Plus the quest tracker working with the map sounds like the same kind of thing as WAR, which was probably my favourite map system.

  • iokthemonkey #2 3 years ago

    I wonder if I'll be level 60 then... /hmm.

  • berelain #3 3 years ago

    Yet more examples of how Turbine are actively pushing forward what it means to subscribe to an MMO, by giving players huge amounts of new content, great revisions to existing gameplay and great new ideas and features.

    Seriously, LOTRO might not have the massive subscriber numbers of certain other MMo's out there, but its far and ahead the best in my opinion.

  • Dizzy #4 3 years ago

    Best MMO by far and these updates keep it at the forefront.

    Now remove the rep horse links and tweak the sheer amount of rep item drops and the game will be perfect.

  • ZuluHero #5 3 years ago

    what server are you on Iok? Im thinking of going back to LOTRO.. are populations still healthy?

  • iokthemonkey #6 3 years ago

    I'm on Eldar. And yeah, populations are VERY healthy.

    What's particularly good is that everybody at the top-end came back for Moria and has stuck around. Moria also introduced 2 new classes, so it's common to see a lot of lowbies, too, as people have rolled new characters to try out them, too.

    So yeah, overall it's pretty populated.

  • ZuluHero #7 3 years ago

    I'm glad you said Eldar - Thats where my level 25 minstrel currently lives :)

  • iokthemonkey #8 3 years ago

    It's a top server. /yes

  • Wendelius #9 3 years ago

    Good news and, as always, looking forward to the update. Turbine has been great about adding great content regularly.

    Wendelius

  • levitate #10 3 years ago

    I'm currently on Eldar too with my three low level toons. The population surprised me, it's bustling with activity from what I've seen so far. It's not hard to get a group and the friendly people I've met outnumbers any other MMO I've played so far. Including That Other One.

    This update sounds great, I'm glad I decided to stick around for a little longer.

  • r4z0rbl4d3 #11 3 years ago

    Sounds awesome to me! Turbine, you rock!

  • iokthemonkey #12 3 years ago

    I think the thing about the community is that - pre-WoW - a lot of MMOs had similar, helpful communities, as playing an MMO was much more of a "hardcore/hobbyist" thing. When WoW went global, it introduced a lot of people to the MMO genre and - as a result- the populations rose. That meant an influx of people moving from older MMOs to WoW but also of non-MMO players into the game.

    Now I'm not for one second saying "All WoW players are ungrateful idiots" but when you get a larger/broader population playing your game, one thing you get an increase in is the level of idiocy and self-serving tools who think you're there simply to help them "WIN TEH GAEM."

    This of course isn't restricted to WoW. I've met a few tools in LOTRO, too. However, I think as LOTRO simply ISN'T as mainstream as WoW, the amount of idiots is lower (simply because the population/broadness of player-base is lower.)

    That's not an anti-WoW comment.

    Think of it like this: if you go to the cinema and go see the latest blockbuster, there'll be more chance of encountering the cell-phone idiot than there is if you go to see a subtitled art-house film, simply as the former attracts more viewers (hence a larger spread of types) and that the latter takes a little more "work" or is a more definite choice compared to the choice of "I'm gonna go to the movies. I wonder what's on?" mentality.

    Anyway, what I mean is LOTRO has a kind of pre-WoW feel to the community and most players seem more old school.

  • whiteycat #13 3 years ago

    Having recently quit WoW for this I completely agree with iok's last comment.

    As a fairly casual MMO player (just dont have that much time), lotro seems a much better fit for me. Generally more helpful community, a friendly guild and the main storyline and quest system makes me feel like i'm actually achieving something even if im only on for an hour.

    My lowbie characters are on Eldar too, population round the starter areas is just about right, not too many but plently of people always there.

  • ZuluHero #14 3 years ago

    good analogy Iok :)

  • hiddenranbir #15 3 years ago

    Vol I Book 15 Chapter 8: Arel will disappear when you mount her.

    hehehehe

  • HMAN #16 3 years ago

    If you don't play the game atm you probably see this and think its awesome that Turbine are continuing to bring out new content. Tbh this patch has really annoyed a lot of the community and could see a fair few people leave (myself included).
    Firstly they normally have new Books (patches) every 2/3 months. So far we are almost 4 months since the release of MoM and all we have are the patch notes.
    Secondly they promised a new 12 man raid with 6 bosses in Book 7. What have we received? Another crappy 1 boss in a room encounter.
    Thirdly they have focused on changing content that doesn't need changing i.e. the Ered Luin changes and the overall reduced XP
    They have nerfed weapon dps accross the board to bring the tactical caster classes back in line with melee and ranged dps. They have lowered mobs health and damage. Essentially they have changed an already easy game into Hello Kitty online.
    This patch should not be seen as good old Turbine coming through again. They have made a lot of idiotic changes no one asked for and failed to deliver actual content. If you are thinking of playing LOTRO and are big on end game content look elsewhere. Levelling is fun but there is literally nothing to do at end game

  • iokthemonkey #17 3 years ago

    Regarding the DPS/mobs thing, remember HMAN that prior to this they included a nerf to player damage and introduced changes to Wound states, which made the game harder, especially for tank-classes, so maybe this is simply a case of redressing the balance.

    EDIT: BTW, "nothing to do at end game." Personally I've only ever played one MMO that had more "non-levelling" content and that was SWG. There's stuff to do in LOTRO, including Deeds, housing stuff, weapon modification/levelling/forging, etc outside of levelling.
    Edited by 1 at 02/03/09 @ 12:30

  • HMAN #18 3 years ago

    Yeah theres loads to if you are into your casual/fluff content. If you want to do the traditional end game MMO practices of raiding/PvP it ain't the game for you.
    The deeds/weapons IXP is just a pure grind. No fun whatsoever and this is coming from a person who plays a Champ as his main (I can forget about grinding on my thourghly borked Minstrel, although at least that seems to be changing for the better)

  • iokthemonkey #19 3 years ago

    Yeah theres loads to if you are into your casual/fluff content. If you want to do the traditional end game MMO practices of raiding/PvP it ain't the game for you.

    ---

    Precisely the reason I play LOTRO. :)

    And yeah, maybe weapon XP can be a grind, but there's also the collection of Relics, etc, which I still find interesting and I enjoy that whole combination outcome thing...

    There are also the Epic books, which are pretty cool and I've enjoyed working through.

    Each to their own, I suppose.

  • Slabbathepave #20 3 years ago

    This is great news. Improvements all round. I'll continue to play.

  • Feet #21 3 years ago

    Quite frankly I see the lack of "traditional end game MMO practices of raiding/PvP" as a glowing endorsement to the game rather than a negative. If all the good stuff is in the leveling than that is the way it shoudl be. It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. I can understand that once you're at the destionation you have little to do and that being frustrating, but if you've completed a game then you've completed a game. Traditional what you do next is uninstall and play something else.

  • HMAN #22 3 years ago

    Don't get me wrong. I love LOTRO. I've played since release and really enjoyed it but its been constantly dumbed down. Few prime examples. Much of Bree Land was made solo (Bk 1 particularly suffered nerfs). Then there was Thief Takers Bane in Evendim which was one of my favourite quests. Very hard when it came out and you felt you had achieved something by completing it. Now you can 3 man it on level.
    Then theres the promise of the new raid. I loved the Rift and was looking forward to a replacement which I could get stuck into with my kin.
    When it comes to relics thats yet again just a huge time sink. I've played since MoM came out and only have 2 T8 relics

  • iokthemonkey #23 3 years ago

    I've played since MoM came out and only have 2 T8 relics

    ----

    Really? I've only got so far as Tier 4s at the moment but that's more to do with the fact that I didn't pay much attention to how the Relics worked and sold about the first 20 or 30 Legendary weapons I got... :)

  • Bleh #24 3 years ago

    Looking forward to this patch. All in all it sounds pretty good.

  • Dizzy #25 3 years ago

    >So far we are almost 4 months since the release of MoM

    Errr??? MoM is more content then a lot of full MMOs.

    I guess you are one of those people that stormed through MoM in 72 hours?

    For those people we have Korean MMOs with infinite levels.

    >I've played since MoM came out and only have 2 T8 relics

    Yeah.. true they are a bit of a grind. I just got my first T5.

    Wel 8 tiers of 5 combos each means you will need 15625 T1s for 1 T8. Some crazy grind that is.
    Edited by 1 at 02/03/09 @ 13:13

  • BadgerFiend #26 3 years ago

    RP [En] Laurelin is a nice hive of activity too should anyone fancy dipping their toes in the RP pool. Prancing Pony is always bustling and there seems to be a nice mature crowd.. Just my 2 copper.. :p

  • Spekingur #27 3 years ago

    @berelain; Turbine are nowhere the first to give out free 'high' content patches and will never be the last. If any game is pushing the traditional MMO subscription system then I'd think it would rather be Eve Online that should get that recognition. Since you have never had to pay for an expansion in that game - as of yet.

    @HMAN; you say 'a lot of the community' in such a way that one might think that you claimed to speak for the whole of the LOTRO community. Somehow I doubt this very much.

  • FransCoehoorn #28 3 years ago

    Very pleased to hear that Eldar is still full of people enjoying LOTRO. I might return after all.

  • Dizzy #29 3 years ago

    >Turbine are nowhere the first to give out free 'high' content patches and will never be the last.

    I think you need to learn your MMO history. AC was the first MMO with almost monthly free updates.

    >If turbine is doing some of that with LOTRO again then I frankly should've tried it.

    Yes sometimes LOTRO feels like AC. The wide open spaces and exploration excitement of bumping into a ruin of a castle that actually has no quests attached to it.
    The level range that you can tackle content seems to be broader than some games. Being 5 levels lower than a mob is pretty do-able and being a few levels to low for an instance can also work provided you have some correct level players with you. To be fair, WotLK now also is a lot more flexible in the level requirements than before.
    Moria is simply amazing and unique in the MMO world. Never has a giant dungeon been done so well and realistically. After a few weeks you *want* to see some sunshine and you start to feel cold and alone in there. Very frightening ;)
    Edited by 3 at 02/03/09 @ 15:57

  • Spekingur #30 3 years ago

    I stand corrected then. Turbine did in fact release free content patches/updates with Asheron's Call. I believe though that you had to buy expansion packs, such as is with LotRO.

  • hiddenranbir #31 3 years ago

    Early content is becoming easier because it is getting difficult for people to get big groups for them. Usually by this point, the only low-level characters are existing customers on an extra character.

    Besides, if lotro did get a wave of new users, then the ease of early-game content will help them progress at a reasonable pace and reach the majority of the existing player base, which are going to be hovering near the end game.



    By the by, I need to get my life sub in, beats me buying 1 month subs every few months.

  • AOFanboi #32 3 years ago

    <em>Yes sometimes LOTRO feels like AC.</em>

    Sometimes? LOTRO == AC3, at least to those of us who played AC2. Lots of engine nuances and the like are close to their counterparts in that underpopulated but original take on the genre (where you played some of the AC1 "monster races" as heroes).

  • berelain #33 3 years ago

    @Spekingur - I never claimed Turbine were the first to bring along content updtaes to a subscription MMO. My point was they they consistently have provided more and better content than any other MMO developer I can think of; even before MoM came out LOTRO had almost doubled in size thanks to the content patches, and whilst never gigantic, Eriador was never a small place to begin with...

    @HMAN the community you speak of sounds more like the hardcore gaming community which LOTRO was never rally ideal for anyway. The reason I love the game so much is because there is almost as much stuff to do when you're *not* actively levelling your character and questing as there is traditional MMO content. The 'fluff' if you like it the real draw of the game for me. I don't have the inclination or the time to repeat massive endgame raids over and over again in order to hopefully win a roll for a piece of Phat Lewt that may or may not drop. I'd much rather spend time, as my Kinship do, playing Hide & Seek in the Shire and having impromptu concerts in the middle of Bree. Its a far more natural feeling way for me to spend my time in the game world.

  • Spekingur #34 3 years ago

    @berelain; all I wanted to point out that they weren't the first (although it seems that they might have been with Asheron's Call as Dizzy pointed out) and won't be the last. This is something I dearly like about Turbine however and I'd like to see more MMO companies that don't want to go from the standard subscription based method. Or even go into what CCP has been doing with Eve Online, which I hope they'll continue doing in the future with Eve and any other MMO they might dabble in.

  • iokthemonkey #35 3 years ago

    For some reason I hadn't logged into LOTRO for a couple of weeks, as I was under the impression I'd somehow hit a dead-spot for quests.

    Which was an odd idea, as when I logged in I saw I had eight blue quests active and another 2 white ones still to be attempted.

    Very strange...