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Stratics Talks Crafting and PvP With the Devs

Stratics recently had a chance to ask the Devs for EQ2 some questions. These questions focus on crafting and pvp...

Recently, we had an opportunity to ask some very specific questions of the Developers on things related to PvP and Crafting. We took this opportunity to get "down and dirty" on some topics that have been buzzed about in the community, and frankly, I'm rather pleased with the responses! There is more insight to some of the things we as players perceive as issues, while the Developers see them as game-play effects and logical conclusions to an action.

On hand to provide responses:

Ben "Beghn" Skelly, Tradeskills Designer
Chris "Archonix" Junior, PvP Designer
Chris "Aeralik" Kozak, Gameplay Programmer
Jason "Dymus" Roberts, Lead Designer
Ryan "Blackguard" Shwayder, Community Manager

The questions and responses regarding PvP and Crafting... interesting combination, I know.

Get clicking to find out what questions were answered! Have you joined the EQ2 Ten Ton Hammer community yet? What are you waiting for? It only takes a moment to register and then your ready to jump into the forums and share your thoughts with us!

As I wandered the gaming exhibition area of the Penny Arcade Expo, I wondered what exactly people would want to know about Lord of the Rings Online. There has been a flood of information released by Turbine in the past weeks and most of the games major systems have been talked about. The systems we don’t know about were not going to be shown at PAX. What is a reporter to do? It is not easy for me to place myself in the position of an unknowing fan because I actually receive a bit more information about the game. That’s right, I know stuff. The desire to share all I know is very great. Unfortunately, I am limited to telling you about what I saw or could have seen at PAX. This may sound very restrictive, but there are so many small details that are to be learned. I will try to touch on and grade a few major areas of the game. These grades are based only on the current version that was on display at PAX.

GameSpot sits down with Codemasters and Turbine at Leipzig to see an advanced build of this Tolkien-inspired MMORPG.

Did GameSpot give this look at the game a thumbs up...or down? Keep reading to find out.

LEIPZIG, Germany--Based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set for release on the PC. We've seen quite a lot of the game over the past year, and as it moves into beta phase at the end of September, more people will be able to see just how it's shaping up. As you'd expect from a game based on such a classic piece of literature, The Lord of the Rings Online has a firm emphasis on story. Playing as one of seven character classes, you will follow a path that frequently crosses that of the fellowship of the ring, with plenty of familiar names and places along the way. We visited Codemasters at Leipzig to see an example of the first few character levels and what players can hope to expect as they work their way deeper into the game.

Check out the preview at GameSpot. Don't forget to stop by our own Lord of the Rings Online community at LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer. Share your thoughts with us in the forums there.

Got Questions?

The "blue names" have started to make their presence known on Turbine's forums for Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. The developers have started fielding a few questions, and we've compiled all of the answers into one convenient location for you!

"Lead Game Systems Designer Nik 'Mithral_Miser' Davidson:
A lot of us went out of our way to get clearance to talk about more than we were able to before.

Ask me any one question you want, and I'll answer it. Pull no punches. This isn't a PR exercise, this is us excited about really getting a chance to talk about the game that we've been pouring our lives into."

Keep reading to see answers to many more questions. Also, Ten Ton Hammer's Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle will be attending the LOTRO Gathering II on August 5, 2006. Ethec is certain to get some face time with the LOTRO devs. If you have have a question you want him to ask, post it in our forums on LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer!