November 18th, 2008

Lord of the Rings Online - Mines of Moria Expansion Available!

Lord of the Rings Online is getting closer and closer to the amazing atmosphere of the Lord of the Rings movies, the first expansion proving exactly this. Mines of Moria, because this is the name of the expansion pack I just mentioned, is now available across the U.S. and Europe, allowing you "to explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin’s Bane and more! In addition to extending the challenge to new heights, Mines of Moria will introduce two new classes, ten additional levels, hundreds of new quests, and the highly anticipated Legendary Item system."

If you forgot about Lord of the Rings Online, here's what the press release says: "The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) has established itself as one of the world’s premium MMOs for successfully integrating story into a game that features innovative and entertaining advancement through an immersive and breathtaking world. Mines of Moria will raise the bar with the introduction of Legendary Items, a massive new system that will let players advance unique and powerful weapons and items that grow in might alongside their hero. These unique and powerful weapons will be by our players’ sides to aid in the challenging adventures that await them as we continue to journey through Middle-earth through the next several volumes of the game in years to come."

To be honest, I don't know anyone playing this game, although I happen to encounter new WoW players (too!) often, and each time I hear about Lord of the Rings, I remember the single player RTS with the same name, a game that left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth.

Anyway, let's see the feature highlights of the Mines of Moria expansion now, shall we?

Ø Forge Legendary Items! – The Mines of Moria introduces Turbine’s revolutionary new item advancement system to LOTRO. Players can now forge unique weapons and class-related equipment and evolve them to build a legacy the likes of Bilbo’s Sting and Gandalf’s Glamdring™. These legendary weapons grow in power along with the player through their adventures and are customized by advancing the item’s virtues, adding runic legacies and modifying its title.

Ø Speak Friend, and Enter – Moria, called Khazad-dûm by the dwarves, was their capital and the grandest of cities. This enormous underground world in north-western Middle-earth comprises an immense network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls beneath the Misty Mountains and represent one of the largest and most dangerous online underground environments ever created. Starting today players can journey through hundreds of new adventures and battle goblin hordes and the Nameless of the Deep in the ancient city underground which has served as the foundation for the modern-day dungeon-crawling adventures.

Ø The Epic Story Continues! — The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria begins Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online storyline. Players will experience six new books rich with new characters and content and face the fiery wrath of Durin’s Bane, battle the Watcher, bring aid to the Lady Galadriel and more.

Ø Increased Level Cap — Players can now advance their characters up to level 60, opening access to a wealth of new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. The crafting system also now offers a new Tier and gives players the ability to join crafting guilds to create even more powerful items.

Ø Discover Two New Classes — The Rune-keeper and the Warden, the first new classes to be introduced since the launch of the game, offer players the opportunity to create all-new characters and experience LOTRO in exciting new ways.

I guess that if you're a fan of the movies, the online game is also "a must," and this reminds me that, one fine day, I won't be able to keep avoiding this and enter the Mines of Moria to live the adventure myself, once again.