Next new LotRO area it's NOT Rohan

Palantir

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Turbine released some questing notes for the expansion:

I'm sure they mentioned the next Volume name before but it's: Volume III: Allies of the King.

The next Epic Story Quests are all Solo -
"Epic Book 2 is essentially a “road trip” experience, and consists of fifteen soloable chapters that explore the first leg of the Grey Company’s journey."

Soloable- same as they went back & did for Epic Book 1. I just hope they didn't do it simply by giving you the "Superman Buff Stone" again. :angry:
Each chapter should have @15 quests so the continuing Epic Story sounds like a good one. :D

They also have implimented "Vanishing NPC's."
"Make use of new client-side technology in order to place the Grey Company in Rivendell when your quest state requires them to be there, and remove them when your quest state says they have moved on. ... In simple terms, the way this new technology works is that it scans your quest log to determine what NPCs you have been directed to interact with, and if it finds any of these special ones in the vicinity, it draws them for you but for no one else."
{Makes me think Redwolfs "layered world" comments have some validity... :p}

They also created "Repeatable Session-Plays" so you can replay the Sessions where you go back in time to see significant events and take part in them.

"Just go to the Spire of Meeting in Rivendell and you’ll see a new tome resting on a table there: the Chronicle of Events."

•Chronicle: The Fall of Moria
•Chronicle: We Cannot Get Out
•Chronicle: The Prisoner of Sammath Baul
•Chronicle: The Fate of Laerdan
•Chronicle: Daughter of Strife
•Chronicle: The House of Isildur (NEW)

I guess it's an ok idea, there are no rewards for doing them you just get the ability to re-visit them.
But I'm not that keen on Session play, while I think the idea of getting to watch the events unfold is great having to do some tedious tasks or a quest while in them just to keep the story going is pointless. The events have already happened we're just seeing them unfold so how is my going back there and running around killing slugs and kicking orcs as "him" or fighting as long as possibile as "him" till I die in a no-win situation going to impact anything? You're not going to change anything if you "win or lose" (nor do you get anything) so besides watching the story I'd rather not be involved.

http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/devdiaries/786-developer-diary-volume-iii-book-2-quest-notes
 

Palantir

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So this is Enedwaith...

Did a quick ride around the whole area, which didn't take very long really. It looks good but a bit on the "colorful" side for my tastes: it's not as natural (real looking?) as some of the older areas of the game. Although the graphics per Turbines usual attention to detail (buildings etc.) are nicely done.

It doesn't seem to be as big of an area as they suggested it was: feels like just half of Evendim or the North Downs in size- but probably isn't.

The path to the southern end is rather easy if you take your time & go slow. I can see now how a 20th level could make it all the way to the southern end as most of the blind & deaf mobs just ignore guarding the road completely. Riding randomly along here & there we were able to avoid contact with probably 99% of the mobs (which are lvl 65+) and as usual are scattered widely apart for that 1:1 action. I did however engage one mob for a screenshot.

Just a few shots.

1. View of the Southern section.
View attachment 31017

2. The way south out of the new area heading to Dunland is blocked by a ravine. Tiles are the "Old South Road" / "The Greenway" which runs by Bree.
View attachment 31018

3. The place is full of Bull! Or rather big and mad bulls to be more accurate.
View attachment 31019

4. The way north to Tharbad & eventually Bree is thru this wall.
View attachment 31020
 
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Michael Dorosh

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Attachments aren't working.

I'll go check it out this morning, though I suspect the updates may take forever...
 

Michael Dorosh

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Getting to Enedwaith: From Echad Mirobel, Eregion travel south-east following the river on the Tham Mirdain (the Library) side of the river.
Found this online (Turbine site is down for maintenance, naturally enough) while I'm waiting for the updater to load.

Is this accurate?
 

Palantir

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It's up, although I notice their current "announcement" screen is dated with June & July info so something is still messed up.
 

Palantir

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Getting to Enedwaith: From Echad Mirobel, Eregion travel south-east following the river on the Tham Mirdain (the Library) side of the riverIs this accurate?
More or less- just follow the river south from EM, although I just swam the river once I saw the first place to climb up the far bank past the waterfall.
 

Michael Dorosh

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So this is Enedwaith...

Did a quick ride around the whole area, which didn't take very long really. It looks good but a bit on the "colorful" side for my tastes:

Read this:

The new zone of Enedwaith has also been released to introduce some fresh air to the final stages of the levelling process. While many of the zones have an overcast feel to them, Enedwaith is a riot of colour and the artists at Turbine have taken to the task with abundant enthusiasm.
From this review: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-15-the-lord-of-the-rings-online-re-review?page=2

Guess the colours were deliberate - wonder if they had "complaints" about the "realistic" colours of the "overcast" areas of M.E....:rolleyes:
 

jayedub7423

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So does this new zone have quests and towns and stuff? I've been out of the LOTRO loop for awhile.
 

Palantir

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First the graphics are top notch again and, they made the area really colorful much more than any other in the game. That may not necessarily be a good thing but it IS colorful...

There area is pretty much like the other areas: no real "towns" but there are Ranger camps, a Halfling community and Dwarven area (have not been there yet). I see it as a "rest area" on the road to Rohan & not a major quest location like Angmar or Moria.

After my first scouting of the new area when it went live I have not been back, nothing grabbed my have-to-do attention. My 60's are all still questing in Mirkwood, completing some back quests I missed and working on the final Epics in Moria/Mirkwood.
 
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