There and back again ...
Guest Article by Alexander "Gumawerian" McGrath
As we come to the end of 2006, one can hardly believe the efforts that have been made by both the developers and the supporting community since the beginning of the year. It has been over eight years since that fateful day when Sierra set out from its comfortable little hole in West Vivendi to embark on an adventure into the wilderland of MMOs. Yet alas, the journey ended badly, for Sierra was unable to reach the end of the mountain of financial troubles, and the company fell was forced to leave Middle-earth for ever. But all was not lost Sierras parent company (Vivendi Universal Games) had announced the addition of Turbine to its Fellowship, and after a time of darkness the task of completing the game passed wholly into the hands of Turbine, who took up the reigns of its predecessor and, with one fell purchase, cut the project from the hands of Vivendi and set out for Middle-earth alone.
That was in March of 2005, and after crossing over the mountains of code and leagues of progress, we arrived at the year of 2006, when the plot begins to quicken and some say the end of the road, though far away still, is in site.
There were several events along the way from the E3 showing in May, to the reinstatement of the popular Community Spotlight, to the announcement of closed beta in September, and the chief concern as always has been for steady progress by the developers, the close council of forum members, and of course, the ever-watchful eye of the Tolkien-licensing community
In the end, as we look back here in December, a number of subjects are still hotly debated on the forums, and they probably will be until well after launch. Chief among them, we have the ever popular (and infamous) PVP debate where evil-persistent lobbyists battle against the defenders of balance. Here, these two factions continue to argue endlessly over a myriad of alternatives to Turbines Monster Play, which itself has been the subject of many positive and negative suppositions. However, that has been part of the problem, as there are so many individuals who have their own alternatives. Everything from full no-holds-barred free-for-all player-on-player, to only slight variations of what people think Monster Play really is. In the end, however, the debate really has no hope of ending until the actual system can be experienced.
Monster Play isnt the only hot topic of the year. Lore-mongering has also been at an all-time high, with countless debates over everything from the level of magic, to the strength of player characters, to the amount of Mithril in the game. Again opinions vary wildly, and until Turbines project is unveiled, there is no end in site.
Finally, there has been a host of re-occurring subjects not just the infamous when does the game launch? or how do I download the game threads but a number of legitimate topics discussing mounts, player-housing, rarity of magical items, the effects of defeat on player-characters, and of course, the expected date for launch. None of these has been more hotly debated then Monster-Play, and so far, with the amount of debating going on in the forums, it seems Turbine has made the right call: addressing issues as they arise, and letting the anticipation run wild.
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It was a plethora of subjects like these that led to an all-out forum-war. And yes
it was in the style of FFA PVP. In other words, no holds were barred, player was pitted against player, and in the end, there was (and still is) a fair amount of post-ganking. This was epitomized by the all too common sight of many inexperienced forum newbies innocently wandering onto the site and posting such simple questions as why are there no playable wizards? can we play as evil races? or Valar forbid the infamous Im new and have no idea what Im doing but I have a beta key and cant figure out how to operate the client. What resulted was nothing short of the most brutal forum-pouncing free-for-all that the online community has ever seen and it was all accomplished by simple (albeit creative) use of text, made possible by a number of long-time forum members post-camping out on the threads.
That wasnt all of it, either many a time have the threads been left unguarded or under-manned by the few, brave forum-troll-slayers patrolling the bounds of the official Turbine site -- and trolls have become somewhat bolder as of late. In recent days, it seems the foolish and bewildered forums-trolls of old have been replaced by somewhat more cunning and snide man-o-lore types who stir the most heated of reactions from even the most seasoned members. But even now there is hope:
With the coming of 2007, Turbine hopes to (eventually) bring solace to these brave forum-goers, with the prospect of the ultimate release of the game. With some assurance of certainty, Eriador will have been completed by this time next year. And yes, that means that even you, fair reader, may have the chance you desire to take part in the development of the game from the inside out.
With that in mind, fans now look ahead to 2007, which may prove to be the ultimate year of LOTRO development. Here, as it seems the developers are set on having launch, many of the most burning questions will be answered. With that in mind, fans can plan to see the heavily anticipated concept of Monster Play unveiled before their very eyes. Demands made by members (such as the demand for dueling, player housing, and mounts) may be seen, and the overall effect of the forums will be realized positive or negative.
With that, the forum community asks you to contribute to the threads responsibly. Stand fast against the forum-trolls, no matter how cunning they may be! And when the issues come to the wire, never forget the impact that the forum-goers have had. If that impact is to your liking, than continue to be a part of it. And if you think there is cause for disappointment, let your voice be heard for if the forums have any influence over the development at all, it may be your task to make sure it is for the better.
So, with a heavy heart we at the TenTonHammer forums will see 2006 draw to a close. But never fear as our hope will be redoubled, in 2007 the ultimate year of Turbines implementation of the most highly anticipated MMO to date! See you next year!
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