Join Ten Ton Hammer on a journey into one of the most legendary forests in Middle Earth
Expansion
time is always a time of eager anticipation and quiet dread
amongst gamers, as the promise of new and exciting content is tempered
by the uncertainty of change. Even the most stable and venerated games
of the genre aren’t immune to this mixed bag of emotions. To
help alleviate your concerns and illuminate the darkness of the
unknown, Ten Ton Hammer has gotten hands on with the newest addition to
the storied world of
Lord of the Rings Online,
with a behind the scenes in game look at
Siege of Mirkwood.
Join Medawky, fresh off his guided tour of the new content, for a
preview of what’s coming and a review of what is already in
place in the current pre-open beta build.
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At the dock, ready to
venture into Mirkwood with my tour guide- Live Producer, Aaron Campbell.
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Even though open beta is still a couple of weeks out it is fairly
obvious that the bulk of the content is in place for the upcoming
expansion. With many sites dubbing this a
“mini-expansion”, I was surprised and delighted by
the overall depth and scope of this newest installment to the
franchise.
With only close to two hours of hands on time I
can already tell you that the aforementioned branding of
Siege of Mirkwood
is a complete misnomer, this is no mini-expansion but rather a vast
enhancement that will add a whole new layer of playability to the game.
While it is true that there isn’t an entire new continent or
other worldly realm being created to explore, the addition of one of
the most feared and foreboding forests from the works of Tolkien can
hardly be dismissed, but the real star of the show is the skirmish
system.
My journey into the new area began on a lonely dock where I boarded a
small boat with my tour guide, Live Producer Aaron Campbell, and pushed
off for the far
My journey into the new area began on a lonely dock where I boarded a
small boat with my tour guide, Live Producer Aaron Campbell, and pushed
off for the far shore.
One of the first things I noticed after disembarking was the stark
contrast between the two shores.
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"We want you to feel the
contrast immediatley" - Aaron Campbell.
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Elvish Army base camp
that is established after instanced assualt encounter.
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Players will gain access to the new content via the completion of a
“D-day” like encounter where the southern shore of
Mirkwood is invaded by the player and NPCs pushing in from Lothlorien
to form an elvish beachhead and encampment that will serve as the
initial quest hub.
The camp lies under the looming shadow of Dol
Guldur, former home to Sauron and the current residence of an army of
Orcs, Trolls, and other minions of The Dark Lord of Mordor, led by
three of the Nazgûl.
Dol Guldur will serve as the focal point in the
culmination of the story that began with
Mines of Moria,
as players ultimately
ascend to the top of the keep to put an end to the evil that resides
there. Featuring the full scope of group content by way of three, six
and twelve player instances, the stronghold is even more impressive on
the inside than it is on the out.
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The fighting is intense
just to reach the entrance to Dol Guldur
|
You will need to arrive at
the place together, as even the outside is heavily guarded by some
menacing looking foes. The inner courtyard was large and it gives you
the sense of just how big the place really is, as you wander through a
portcullis into a large opening where high up at the top of the tower
the ominous fell be
Dol Guldur will serve as the focal point in the culmination
of the story that began with Mines of Moria, as players ultimately
ascend to the top of the keep to put an end to the evil that resides
there. Featuring the full scope of group content by way of three, six
and twelve player instances, the stronghold is even more impressive on
the inside than it is on the out. You will need to arrive at
the place together, as even the outside is heavily guarded by some
menacing looking foes. The inner courtyard was large and it gives you
the sense of just how big the place really is, as you wander through a
portcullis into a large opening where high up at the top of the tower
the ominous fell beasts swirl.
Posted Wednesday, October 28, 2009 by Khalus
View in Forums »
Sounds good, but with my play-style I'd be done with all the content in a week or two. I don't enjoy raids at all, so I stick to 6-man and under instances and events. I do however plan to return someday and continue with my Minstrel, but I'll definitely be waiting until well into the next expansion or further to guarantee myself several months of content to catch up on.
Course with FFXIV and SW:TOR in the not so distance future looming above us all, it will be tough to wanna return to LOTR...