Lord of the Rings Online MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

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There will be a number of bounty missions given in the Barrow Downs, completion of which will net the player a rare crafting recipe. Once again, it's about providing players with the ability to choose multiple ways to go about getting what they want. Aaron stated the effort in Barrow Downs is an experiment, but with any luck, the players will enjoy the new changes and thus will be able to see other areas receive a similar treatment in the future.

With a magic snap of his fingers (at least that how I imagined it happening), Aaron whisked us off to the Halls of Crafting, a 6-man instance. Any time I witness something in the game created by the dwarves, I'm always amazed at the job the art team has done. The size and scope of these places are absolutely massive and with their towering ceilings and creepy lighting, they *always* give me an instant sense of just how ancient the place I happen to be standing is. It's a testament to just how far a determined team can utilize size and space.

The Halls of Crafting are a perfect example of this. These are the ancient crafting halls of the dwarves where some of their greatest artifacts were created within the great bellows. The rooms are staggering in size, so be prepared to do some running. One of the bosses we battled, named Thaguzg, was one seriously ugly mob. Unfortunately this ugliness doesn't just stop with his looks. As his minions rush from all corners of the room to aid him, he gains more and more buffs. The more minions that make it to him, the more buffs that start to stack. Let’s just say it was really clear that you do *not* want to let all his friends get to him or you can kiss your sweet caboose goodbye in a hurry.

Lastly, we went down into the depths of Moria, in the Foundation of Stones zone to find the entrance to the new 12-man instance, Dâr Narbugud. The evils from the depths below are ready to reach out and take a greater role on the surface and it's up to you to stop them. Dâr Narbugud is the capstone to the entire plotline for this, so be prepared for a significant challenge.

The monsters within Dâr Narbugud were a treat to witness for sure. They may not have been utilizing a new engine in the instance (I had to ask), but the art team has been slaving over their desks and the results are obvious from the moment you enter Dâr Narbugud. With the use of some new textures, they've created some of the most interesting and detailed monsters I've seen in the game yet.

That may have concluded my tour of Dâr Narbugud but even all that didn't include everything you'll see with the upcoming release of Volume II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm. Thanks to Aaron and the team at Turbine for giving us a sneak peek. I for one can't wait for the new content to hit the live servers.