I can't wait to see what Turbine has in store for Book 12. Honestly, what could top a Balrog?

Every few weeks the editorial staff at Ten Ton Hammer gets on the conference call line with LOTRO's executive producer, Jeffrey Steefel, and we march out the ways that the game has been changing and what's in store for the players of the Middle Earth-based game. Our latest chat with Steefel features an in-depth discussion about Book 11, exploring areas of the upcoming update that were previously under wraps or merely rumored about until now. In our chat we cover the updates to the Loremaster and Minstrel, Gollum, the Balrog raid, housing, cowbells, pets, item balance, kinship vaults and much much more! So sit back, grab a pint, and light up some pipe-weed while you enjoy our interview with Jeffrey Steefel!

This is a Raid, with a capital 'R.' It's a twelve man encounter with three major components to it, one of which is huge. The goal is for someone not to be able to waltz through it on their first time. We've been testing this on Isengard and there's always one group that will wipe and wipe and wipe and never get through it. Afterwards we'll say "Cool, we've got a hard encounter." Then another group will come through and they'll beat it on the first attempt with four guys. We'll just shake our heads and go back to the drawing board. But that's the life of planning out a raid.

Read the whole interview now! You won't regret it!