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

The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) has been going strong for over two years, and a lot has changed with the game. Turbine has been releasing free content updates pretty regularly, and the first expansion went live last November with “The Mines of Moria”. To a returning gamer this new content can throw you off and make you feel like a newbie all over again, so this week we are going to take a look at some of the changes that have happened since launch. There are a lot of things to cover, and this will only be the first article to cover those changes. Let’s get started!

Book 9: The Shores of Evendim
The first free content update for LOTRO was Book 9: The Shores of Evendim. You would think by the name alone that the entirety of this patch was focused solely on the new landmass of Evendim; however, that was not the case. Along with the introduction of Evendim, players were treated to LOTRO’s first raid instance located in the Misty Mountains known as Helegrod. This 24 man raid instance had several phases, including a showdown with a rather nasty dragon. To quote a passage from the lore:

“The ancient keep of Helegrod was home to mighty dwarves during the times of Moria. The dragon Thorog coveted the riches that lay within and assaulted the city, slaying dwarves beyond measure. Durin the Fifth strapped to his back Mírdanant, a gift of Eregion to his grandsire which passed from father to son through the long years. He strode with a small company of dwarves to the gates of Helegrod. Durin bellowed a challenge, and Thorog responded in kind! The battle was joined! So fierce was the fighting between dragon and dwarf that the very gates of Helegrod were split asunder.”

While the new raid area was a great addition, many players were itching for the new content located in Evendim. The late 20s to mid 30s level range seemed to be a spot when many struggled to find quests or content for advancement, forcing them to resort to the old trade of grinding mobs for experience. Evendim provided a fresh infusion of content for levels 25+ and alleviated some of the congestion for that level range. Not only that, Evendim is a huge place, and often times you would need to swim to get to where you needed to go. This became one of the least favorite things about Evendim for many players. Where’s a hobbit paddle boat when you need one?

Despite the slow travel times associated with swimming, Evendim was a strong addition to a new game and remains a popular spot for that level range. Along with a large assortment of quests, the new dungeon known as “The Tomb of Elendil” was opened for play. Some other notable features included the addition of seven sets of class specific epic armor, more instances, loads of new deeds and ton of class changes.

Book 10: The City of Kings
Book 10 introduced some new mechanics to the game that gave players a lot of additional things to grind. I’m looking at you reputation dungeons. That’s right; our old friend the faction-based grind is back. With the addition of a reputation dungeon in various parts of the world, players are able to start grinding reputation with the Elves of Rivendell, The Council of the North (Angmar), Rangers of Esteldin, The Longbeards of Thorin's Hall,  The Men of Bree, and the Mathom Society (Hobbits). As you earn reputation with each faction you also gain access to faction specific items.

The main focus of content for this update brought a new high level area into play with the opening of Annúminas, the ancient city of kings. Located in Evendim, this area offers higher level players the chance to take on troops from Angmar and fight their way to and through three event driven instances.