LotRO updates and takes a trip to shores of Evendim

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jun 5th 2007 at 11:00AM }

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is apparently the #1 selling PC game in North America, Germany, UK and France and they're about to give players a free content update. Book 9: Shores of Evendim is the first in the expected quarterly content updates. The content update will go live June 13, some features include:

Discover Evendim, a region dominated by the Lake Nenuial, the 'Lake of the Twilight'. Amidst the ruins are powerful artifacts now threatened by evil creatures and the nefarious forces lurking in Angmar. What, you thought there would be cute puppies?
Over 100 new quests
Raid in the Battle for Helegrod, challenging the dragon Thorog in a 24-player raid in the Misty Mountains.
Major updates to the music system, players can now utilize a new music notation system that enables them to compose music offline and upload it to your character in-game.
Seven new sets of epic armor enable players to gain progressive bonuses for each piece of armor worn from a set.

We haven't received any player numbers for LotRO, so we don't know if Turbine has hit the magic million user mark, but from all accounts things are going solidly with the game. LotRO: Shadows of Angmar follows the adventures of the fellowship through the first book in the trilogy and fills in the gaps of the story. A few more content updates are expected before the full expansion pack next year.

[Via Press Release]

Tags: lord of the rings, lotro, shadows of angmar, shores of evendim, turbine

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ Jun 5th 2007 11:11AM

OK, thanks.

Buckshot @ Jun 5th 2007 11:19AM

1 million!?! They will be lucky to hit the 20k mark. I think vanguard has a larger player base. Just what every gammer wants, a worse copy of WoW with no PvP.

Ted @ Jun 5th 2007 11:19AM

Asian gamers aren't interested, so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't stand a chance at challenging WoW.

Jdoki @ Jun 5th 2007 11:26AM

Solid game, good fun. Can't wait for the new content.

Strange that they won't give out subscriber numbers - yet they keep stating they are above expectations.

The Euro servers are filling up nicely and I'm having a blast since leaving WoW.

Chyld989 @ Jun 5th 2007 11:30AM

"1 million!?! They will be lucky to hit the 20k mark. I think vanguard has a larger player base. Just what every gammer wants, a worse copy of WoW with no PvP."

Actually, a lot of people DO want a game like WoW without the PvP, since a lot of people don't like PvP.

And with what I've been hearing about Vanguard, I highly doubt they have a large player base. Just enough to keep them alive, would be my bet.

Buckshot @ Jun 5th 2007 11:52AM

"Actually, a lot of people DO want a game like WoW without the PvP, since a lot of people don't like PvP."
Yeah, those people are known as pussies :)

Buckshot @ Jun 5th 2007 11:54AM

"And with what I've been hearing about Vanguard, I highly doubt they have a large player base. Just enough to keep them alive, would be my bet."

It's a decent base, should be larger with the $ony relaunch this fall. It's a great game, just not designed for older pc's, need to be current. Probabalyy the best MMO I have played since SWG was destroyed with the NGE.

Dienamite @ Jun 5th 2007 12:08PM

LOTRO does feature PVP, it's called Monster Play.

StrangeBum @ Jun 5th 2007 12:14PM

Personally this is the first game that really pulled me away from WoW. I have never been a huge fan of PvP, except for in FFXI which I still had some of the most fun PvP battles in ever.

But for this game makes for a nice diversion from the more cartoony style of WoW. And I mean, the LotR universe still has alot of story and character to it, IMO.

Ed @ Jun 5th 2007 12:59PM

it's funny how people complain about pvp in WoW, ignoring the fact that it's OPTIONAL.

Chyld989 @ Jun 5th 2007 1:16PM

"Yeah, those people are known as pussies :)"

So because I dislike other people screwing with my game, that makes me a pussy? Alright, next time you're playing a game if I show up at your house and kill your power...you can't complain, right? 'Cause then you'd be a pussy =P

"It's a decent base, should be larger with the $ony relaunch this fall. It's a great game, just not designed for older pc's, need to be current. Probabalyy the best MMO I have played since SWG was destroyed with the NGE."

I hope it does get bigger after Sony has their way with it. Personally I think the game is nigh-unplayable right now, but it has a ton of potential. There's a lot of things they put in the game that are almost really cool, so I'm hoping some of them get fixed. I'd definitely have to give the game a second look then.

John @ Jun 5th 2007 1:34PM

Excellent game. Best MMORPG since AC1. Destroys everything Sony ever tried to do. Vanguard? Haha what a piece of shit.

Nekretaal @ Jun 5th 2007 3:11PM

The pvp focus of Guild Wars is ruining the PvE experience. Players are abandoning that game in droves right now. WoW, ignoring this, is moving into that direction too.

I think a WoW type game with no pvp ought to do very well. The part of the community of a MMORG that primarily pvp's is very small, and it's hard to accomodate the demands of that population without screwing up PvE on a regular basis.

Foil_Goon @ Jun 5th 2007 3:37PM

News Flash, they hit over a million units sold in May being the top sold PC game above Burning Crusade. Do the math.

Buckshot @ Jun 5th 2007 3:58PM

Too many carebears here afraid of pvp, that's the only challenge left in gaming. Sending some monsters after someone is not pvp.
AC1, hahahahaha, nice one gramps. DAOC is the innovator of PvP, and some of the best pvp to date. Every game needs a FFA PvP server for the more "advanced" players.
Guild Wars, look at the title. It's designed for pvp. That's what it's based on.
If people don't want PvP better spend some time with Zelda on the WII, or Oblivion on anything.
Why play with others if you can't pwn them?

Jim @ Jun 5th 2007 5:01PM

"Why play with others if you can't pwn them?"

Because I'd rather cooperate with them to achieve a common goal, like adults.

PvP the only challenge left in gaming? Yes, of course. Everyone has finished taking down Illidan, the Witch-King and the rest of the big bads and there's nothing left to do but to eat our own young.

And, frankly, the vast majority of the players I've faced have been easier to kill than trash mobs, and they've used slightly more predictable strategies.

We get it: you want to go to war. You want forty people per side on an unpredictable battlefield. And your playstyle is perfectly valid. But it's not what I want to do, and it's not what most people want to do.

For those who do want battlefield PvP, LotRO does it better than any other game -- because it's hero character vs monster character, the hero classes don't need to be balanced against each other. You're not fighting other Champions and Captains, so there are no PvP balancing issues that turn into PvE nerfs.

You want your hero character to battle other hero characters? Fine. Play a different game. This one isn't for you, and they don't all have to be for you. Doesn't mean that this game sucks; it only means that it doesn't suit your playstyle.

The childish tribalism that drives the vacuous discourse of "hurf durf carebear" and similar sentiments? That's what really sucks.

StrikerG @ Jun 5th 2007 5:29PM

@16: Sorry Jim, that response was far far too well crafted and has too much logic for this site. You'll have to leave now. ;)

Brandon Paddock @ Jun 5th 2007 6:12PM

PvP in LOTRO (Monster Play) is actually downright awesome. There's actually a point to it, and being able to control a monster (or fight players who are controlling monsters) is just genius.

The rest of the game is excellent as well and I can't wait for the update. I'd be playing it even more if it weren't for that pesky real-life stuff (and Halo 3).

Rod Oracheski @ Jun 6th 2007 12:51AM

It's got, what, 11 servers? Figuring on 1,300-1,500 concurrent users per server, and a subscriber number that's twice the playing, and they're over 20k.

Still, I tried it and didn't like it at all. It seemed like there wasn't much for polish on it - terrible animations, for example. Didn't like the combat, the questing was pretty run-of-the-mill, and it seemed like it just wasn't worth the $15 a month or whatever they charge.

t_m @ Jun 6th 2007 2:20AM

I really want to play this.. i guess its just being a LOTR fanboy and realy wanting to explore the world i've read about.

But i'm sooooooo reluctant to get into a MMORPG.. they are just total TIME and MONEY sinks. I barely have enough time as it is, and I have a big list of other games i've bought, but not played yet.

If i start a MMORPG i'm gonna have no life. (and pretty soon, i suspect, no girlfriend).

I wish they'd release a single player version...