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RETURN OF THE KING, Part One
Lord of the Rings Online the One MMO to Rule Them All
LQGaming Services:: Besides eliciting oohs and aahs from nerdy, introverted types, what can you do game-wise with the title given your access to the literary works that no other Lord of the Rings game can pull off?
Jeffrey Steefel: Well, I guess I jumped ahead a bit and addressed this some in the last question, but there's a lot more. For example, did you know that the Witch-King from the movies was actually from the realm of Angmar? And that Angmar has, in the past, been a huge base of evil for Lord Sauron? Well, we have resurrected this dark realm to the North from centuries past, and you will spend more time fighting the Witch-King's minions in his ancient home! In general, we let you be a part of the huge, untold story of the War of the Ring, part of which even Gandalf himself recounts in the books.
LQGaming Services:: You talk about letting players form their own Fellowship. Why would I want to, and how does group play differ from solo, apart from having to put up with a bunch of whiny Hobbits as traveling companions?
Jeffrey Steefel: Fellowship describes THE Fellowship, but it is also a symbol for the very essence of why the free people of Middle-earth have repeatedly defeated evil through several ages. This is a world where deeply diverse races set aside enmity and band together against a common evil, in order to survive and flourish. So banding together in these Fellowships is an essential part of LOTRO.
And while solo play is a big part of our game, just as Aragorn or Gandalf often were consumed on solo journeys and activities, there is a great deal of adventure in LOTRO that will be best experienced in a group. Leveraging individual race capabilities and individual traits, Fellowships can be unique and quite powerful. Not to mention that as this is a mature MMO, playing with other people is part of the fun! And, as we all know, you should never underestimate a hobbit.
LQGaming Services:: Where in Tolkien's world does the tale take place, at what point in the overarching story's chronology, and why have you chosen this particular place and time?
Jeffrey Steefel: LOTRO takes place during the Third Age, and spans all of known Middle-earth. The launch product will cover most of the lands described in the Fellowship of the Ring (as well as many surrounding territories), and likewise takes place during the time of the first book.
"Expect to encounter dozens of familiar monsters from the Tolkien bestiary: We're talking Orcs, Trolls, Wraiths, Goblins, Huorns and more. As for players being monsters, hmmm."
LQGaming Services:: Gamers can play as men, elves, dwarves, hobbits - why not a ring-wraith, orc or balrog? What are the chances we'll encounter creatures like these during our adventures? And why shouldn't we greet them with a handshake and a smile?
Jeffrey Steefel: First of all, Middle-earth would not be Middle-earth without its creatures. You will encounter, sometimes to your peril, most of the fiends you might expect, including creatures like Orcs, Trolls, Wraiths, Goblins, Huorns. dozens of familiar monsters from the Tolkien bestiary. As for a handshake, well, that depends on how much you need that hand. As for players being monsters. Hmmmm.
LQGaming Services:: Tell us about player characters: Classes, skills, how do they advance? And just how customizable are these guys - can I change the color of the hair on my hero's feet?
Jeffrey Steefel: LOTRO avatars will be unique in many ways. Certainly, you'll be able to choose one of the four main races and from seven classes (take a look at our site for details - http://lotro.turbine.com). You will also be able to custom create things like hairstyle, color, face shape, facial attributes, complexion, special features like scars, and to some degree body shape (we have to make sure you can't make a hobbit that is taller than an elf!). I must confess the foot-hair slider will be glaringly absent, though.
We'll also have a wide range of armor sets, clothing, and weapons to open up lots of gameplay possibilities. But it's the way that skills, classes and what we are currently calling "traits" interact that truly determine how player characters will be unique in Middle-earth. The way in which you collect these characteristics and abilities and combine them provides a huge amount of diversity, and will depend on what feats the player has accomplished. It will be common for two players of the exact same class, race and level to have differing abilities. This will be "fun" for us to tune and balance, but well worth it!
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