Prizes Valued at $25,000 Await Fans of The Lord of the Rings Online™
 

 

 

WESTWOOD, MA – October 9, 2008-In conjunction with today’s launch of The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ Pre-order Program, Turbine, Inc. announced the start of The Treasures of Moria Instant Win and Sweepstakes* with prizes valued at $25,000. Instant Win codes will be available in specially-marked retail boxes of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria available for pre-order at participating retailers nationwide beginning today or by visiting www.lotro.com/moria. Players who redeem Instant Win codes will automatically be granted one entry into the Sweepstakes for a chance to win the grand prize of $10,000! The Treasures of Moria Instant Win and Sweepstakes begins today and is scheduled to continue until March 31, 2009. Visit www.lotro.com/moria to see the Official Rules.

“Mines of Moria will deliver breakthrough content and features that further establishes The Lord of the Rings Online as one of the world’s leading MMOs,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “Moria is a dark and dangerous place filled with epic treasures and we invite players across North America to join us in the greatest underground world ever imagined and perhaps grab some loot of their own!”

How to Enter:

Buy any specially-marked retail box of The Lord of the Rings [ul]

• Online: Mines of Moria Pre-order, Complete Edition or Collector’s Edition game or visit www.lotro.com/moria to get an Instant Win code without purchase
• Visit www.lotro.com/moria to enter your Instant Win code
• Discover if you have been selected to win prizes and complete verification
• Be automatically granted one entry into a $10,000 sweepstakes drawing held at the end of the promotion 

  The prizes include:

  $10,000 Cash (U.S. Dollars)
  Two Alienware® Gaming Media Entertainment Packages
  Logitech® Z-5500 THX Speakers
  NVidia® GeForce™ 9600 GT cards
  Logitech® G15 Keyboard & Logitech® G9 Laser Mouse
  Alienware® Ozma 5 Headphones
  Alienware® Orion Backpack
  The Lord of the Rings Online Lifetime Memberships
  The Lord of the Rings Online 30-day game time cards
  The Lord of the Rings Online T-shirts
  2GB Flash Drives

  The Lord of the Rings Online is the ultimate interactive adventure. This award-winning massively multiplayer online role playing game delivers an online experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy of all time. Mines of Moria expands the online world of Middle-earth to let players adventure into the largest and most dangerous online underground environment ever created while extending the challenge to new heights with two new classes, ten additional levels and hundreds of new quests. Players will be able 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. For more information on The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, please visit www.lotro.com/moria

  About Turbine
  Turbine, Inc. is a premier creator, operator and publisher of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. Turbine is one of the largest privately-held online gaming studios in North America and was recently chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the OnHollywood 100 Top Private Companies, a power list of the top private emerging technology companies in digital entertainment and media. Turbine has created some of the world’s most popular and award-winning online games, including The Lord of the Rings Online™, Dungeons & Dragons Online™ and Asheron’s Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com

  About Tolkien Enterprises
  The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien’s works for more than 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

  * NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) AND CANADA 18 YEARS AND OLDER ELIGIBLE ONLY. VOID IN QUEBEC AND WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion ends 3/31/09. For Official Rules, prize descriptions, free method of entry and odds disclosure, visit www.lotro.com/moria. Sponsor: Turbine, Inc., PO Box 747, Westwood, MA 02090 USA

  “The Lord of the Rings Online,” “Shadows of Angmar,” “Middle-earth,” “Mines of Moria,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to Turbine, Inc. Turbine and the Turbine logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Turbine, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For generations, the Dwarves of Middle-earth have dreamt of returning to the great mansions of Khazad-dûm, reopening the mines of Moria, and reclaiming their majestic, ancestral homes-and the mithril buried below them-beneath the Misty Mountains.

In the Third Age, more than one expedition has dared to brave the depths of Moria, from the doomed kin of brave Balin to the desperate Fellowship of the Ring. Some have entered Moria with plans of taming the place, others in hopes merely of passing through it alive, but all have suffered dreadful losses along the way. Now, a new expedition of hopeful Dwarves has set out to brave the deep places of the mine and its mansions and conquer the evil within. Its leaders hope to enter the legendary halls via the fabled Hollin Gate hidden amidst the cliffs and holly trees where Eregion meets the mountains, and set in the Walls of Moria.

The West-gate

This is the West-gate of Khazad-dûm, which once welcomed friendly travelers from the Elven settlements of Eregion into the great halls of Moria. This was during the happier days of the Second Age, before the rise of Sauron, before the Rings of Power brought the Elves of Eregion to ruin. The name Hollin is a reference in the language of Men to the many holly trees of the realm, and two holly trees planted long ago still flank the West-gate to this day.

By moonlight, and when the proper words are spoken, silvery letters etched and painted into the gate become visible, welcoming travelers to the Dwarf-hold and prompting them for the password that will allow them entrance. These letters were crafted by the Elves of Eregion from ithildin, a substance derived from mithril, and added to the gate in an era when travel between Eregion and Khazad-dûm was common, before the coming of Sauron in the Second Age and the ruination of the Ring-forges of Eregion. When the proper password is spoken, the doors open themselves, even if no Dwarf stands there to guard them.

When your hero arrives in the wake of the Fellowship’s passage through Moria, the Hollin Gate stands buried behind holly logs and boulders hurled there by some powerful force. With hard labor and customary ingenuity, a recently arrived expedition of Dwarves intends to excavate the Hollin Gate. For this, the diggers need your help.

When you first reach Eregion, make your way immediately to Echad Dúnann in the east, south of the Redhorn Pass, and seek out the expedition of Dwarves scratching away at the rubble burying the Hollin Gate. On this path, you can marvel at both the towering Walls of Moria and the inky Black Pool. You could wander elsewhere, but if you are eager to enter Moria you should begin your undertakings with the Dwarves as soon as possible. Your destinies are intertwined.

The Black Pool

At Echad Dúnann, you’ll find a great stone arch where the road meets the edge of the vale containing the Hollin Gate. Beyond that arch, the Dwarf-expedition toils, and the next great part of your hero’s tale awaits.
The road runs east through the archway to the now-dry Stair Falls, beyond which sits the cold and eerie Black Pool, from which the Sirannon stream once flowed. Its dry course is now stalked by crebain and wargs that may harry you along your way.

At the Stair Falls, follow the expedition’s trail off the road and around the stony rise to the northern bank of the Black Pool. There you’ll find Dwarves laboring with carts, scouting the path, and idly throwing stones into the ill waters. These are your allies and quest-givers during the reopening of the Hollin Gate.

As one eager Dwarf in the Hollin expedition camps says, “The real glory lies behind the Walls of Moria.” To find that glory, to lay eyes on Moria proper, you must find a way past the beast that guards the threshold, through the Walls of Moria, and into the kingdom of Khazad-dûm itself. The way is perilous, but the Dwarves have a plan

It is here, at the Hollin Gate, where the heart of Volume 2, Book I of The Lord of the Rings Online unfolds.

The Hollin Gate

The vale between the arch at Echad Dúnann and the Hollin Gate itself is a public instance where you undertake epic quests to aid the Dwarves’ expedition and secure entry to the mines of Moria. The area is populated by clusters of hostile creatures and by richly characterized Dwarves-camped out alongside their wagons on their journey toward Moria-which take part in an epic mix of essential quests and optional side excursions. This mix, and the freedom to enter and leave the instance as you like, gives you a degree of control over the length of time you wish to spend in the instance before unlocking the Hollin Gate and seeing Moria itself.

Quests within the instance include sorties against Half-orcs, an investigation into fearsome black Wargs dwelling near the dead banks of the Sirannon, strikes against craban spies watching the expedition’s every step, and encounters with new creatures like humungous cave-lizards. Along the way, you’ll get to know the Dwarves of the expedition-some brave, some foolish-and perhaps find your first glimpse of the great beast that guards the threshold to Moria. You’ll also get to see the game’s new dramatic camera in action.

The tale of your triumph at the Hollin Gate is not an anecdote but an epic. No ordinary weapons will do. Seek out legendary weapons up to the task of overcoming the evil that blocks the threshold into Moria and test their mettle by wielding them in battle against the wide array of foes lurking in Eregion.

Enter Eregion

In the time of the War of the Ring, Eregion remains a lonely and lovely wilderness. Elven remains stand forlorn amid holly-trees and ferocious beasts. Above it all tower the peaks of the Misty Mountains, most notably cruel Caradhras-whose stormy and treacherous pass could be circumvented in ancient days by a journey through Khazad-dûm-and the spike of Celebdil.

In the valley at the feet of the mountains, however, the Hollin Gate sits within a steep and rugged landscape of sweet berries and wild honey, all of it in a shadow cast by the servants of the Enemy. It is into this shadow that you must venture to prove the worth of your weaponry and your courage, steeling yourself for the journey through the Hollin Gate and into Moria itself.

The Servants of the White Hand

The lands surrounding the Hollin Gate fairly teem with bog-lurkers, wood-trolls, and dragon-kind. Some of these creatures have laid claim to the lands for many long years, thriving in the abandoned wilderness. Others have crept in at the urging of dark masters. Saruman’s Half-orcs, for instance, roam the place, in league with worms in the area, breeding them in preparation for an attack on the Free Peoples.

The agents of the White Hand walk openly here, moving against the Free Peoples in Eriador, enacting whatever sinister plans Saruman draws in Isengard. Moria may become a bastion of hope and might for the Free Peoples, or it may become a source of new scourges roused by the Enemy and sworn to the service of the master of Orthanc. Everything depends on the success of those who risk their fortunes and their lives to reopen and explore Khazad-dûm.

Already the Enemy’s minions stake claims to sites across the land. The banner of the White Hand snaps in the wind within striking distance of the Free Peoples. Moria is beset from within and without by foes who would see it forever in the grip of darkness.

Fighting through Hollin

The bravery to begin the journey into the long dark of Moria is not enough. The minions of the Enemy must be held at bay if the Hollin Gate is to be kept open for adventurers and the Wise. This means battling not only Saruman’s twisted Half-orcs but overcoming the unique and horrifying threats that guard Moria itself. Something, after all, must have brought down the boulders and holly trees that closed off the West-gate of Moria, and none can deny the dreadful aura of the Black Pool. Something stirs in those grim waters, and no regular weapon wielded by ordinary hands can clear the way into Khazad-dûm. This is a task only for heroes true and bold.

Thus, when you are finally ready-or hope you might be-you must return to the Hollin Gate and win one final battle for the right to enter the Mines of Moria.

The perils of the final conflict for the Hollin Gate still wait for you, as do the legendary artifacts you’ll need to overcome them. But you can be sure that it will take a strong arm and a resolute heart to win that battle and throw open the doors to the mines of Moria. The fate of this ancient Dwarf-realm is up to you.

Into Moria Itself

The first sight of Moria’s interior is a prize in itself. The narrow stairs of the West-gate give way to the proud Dwarf-halls in a grand entryway tinged with melancholy beauty. Khazad-dûm may no longer be intact-it has been scarred and cracked and worn down by the ravages of time and its builders’ horrid foes-yet still it is a marvel to behold.

Inside you’ll find the familiar faces of Dwarves from the expedition, tending to their tents and stables. They, like you, walk the passages of Moria thanks to your victory. Its grandeur tempered by mystery and fear, its pride counterbalanced with defeat, Moria’s vast size still stands secondary to the epic scope of its continuing tale. The story of the Mines of Moria is not yet finished, and in its lofty heights and crystal-lit halls, in its shadowy pits and crackling furnaces, anything may yet be possible-with your help.

For more Lord of the Rings Online news, just keep your eyes on www.3zoom.com!

The Rune-keeper

Brian “Zombie Columbus” Aloisio

The Minstrel sings words of Power and the Lore-master finds Power from ancient secrets, but there are more paths than these. Middle-earth is a land where language has Power, and such words are comprised of rune-letters. Put them together in the right order and the world can be changed in subtle and sometimes grand ways. There are some who greatly specialize in such linguistic arts: they are known as Rune-keepers. Their kind had a hand in curiosities like moon-letters, and marvels like the west gate to Moria. In these troubled times, even these normally secluded linguists have stepped up to fight against the Enemy.

Class Summary

Role: Healer or Damage Dealer (DPS)

Equipment: Light armour, Rune-stone

Races: Elves, Dwarves

Skill Level: Advanced

The Rune-keeper joins the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, adding his unique skills to the fight against the Enemy. Scribing words of Power upon special Rune-stones, the Rune-keeper can harm foes or assist allies. Cirth-based writing, favored by the Dwarves, are associated with influencing the elements of Middle-earth, allowing the Rune-keeper to battle foes. Elvish tengwar Runes and words are commonly used more for inspiring allies, keeping them healed and in the action. Rune-keepers even dabble in foretelling, allowing them to change what will happen next in a fight. Through these skills, they can perform such feats as foreseeing that a blade will not Wound an ally, or that a foe will fall to fire.

Is this Magic?

A question I know some of you will be asking is “Does the Rune-keeper use magic?” The answer is a little yes, and a little no. In Tolkien’s world, and in our world, ‘magic’ is a term for explaining things that are not well understood. A perfect example of this is when Sam was offered to look in Galadriel’s Mirror:

‘And you? ‘ she said, turning to Sam. ‘For this is what your folk would call magic. I believe; though I do not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem also to use the same word of the deceits of the Enemy. But this, if you will, is the magic of Galadriel.’

Rune-keepers utilize the Power of writing and of words to change small bits of the world. There are some who would call this magic, while others would call this the natural way of things.

It is worth mentioning that of the races of Middle-earth, only Elves and Dwarves have such innate Power. No Man or hobbit scribe could harness the power of runes in these ways; such talents are not part of their nature. Yet to an Elf, such things can be as natural as breathing.

Tools of the Trade

A linguist by trade, the Rune-keeper does not train with any conventional weaponry, or even armour. Instead, he wields Rune-stones. These he covers with the writings he uses to work his trade. These stones are tied to the elements whence they came (for instance, volcanic rock tends to have a fiery touch to it) and modify some of the Rune-keeper’s skills. Rune-keepers also utilize rune-satchels for holding their supplies. These supplies include various writing implements, scrolls of powerful words, and extra Rune-stones. All of these help the Rune-keeper focus his abilities.

Class Design

Game design boils down to a sequence of choices. Some choices are made for you, either by fundamentals of the game or by other people, and some you get to make yourself. Each choice influences the options available at the next choice, until the design has been finished. I was given the task of designing one of the new LOTRO classes with these few choices already made:

1. The new class is called “Rune-keeper”

For the class name, we wanted something that evoked more of the mystical side of Middle-earth. Using Rune-letters to make words of Power fit nicely with other classes who use such words, but with different ways of presenting them. The Rune-keeper would be a mystic linguist, capable of writing and presenting words of Power on Rune-stones.

2. Rune-keepers are capable primary healers

Adding an additional primary healer would allow fellowships a variant on the Minstrel, and allow players who enjoy healing roles to try out a different style of play.

3. Address the desire for a “glass-cannon” class

Many MMO’s have a class with high offensive power, but lacking in defence; a “glass-cannon.” LOTRO did not ship with such a class; the Hunter wore medium armour and neither the Lore-master nor the Minstrel were offensive powerhouses.

With all that, we are left with a class capable of acting as both a primary damage-dealer and a primary healer. This is a very strong combination of class roles, so caution was required. It’s very easy to make such a class too powerful; quick and easy access to high-end heals and damage skills is very potent. On the other hand, overly segregating the two roles can become frustrating. If changing between them required a trip back to town for a full trait respec and gear change, why even make it a single class? The solution we came up with is the Attunement system.

Attunement

The Attunement system is our solution for the Rune-keeper’s hybrid nature. Attunement is a spectrum, with nine steps of Healing (Nestad) Attunement on one side, and nine steps of Battle (Dagor) Attunement on the other. Over the course of a battle, the Rune-keeper will shift his position on this spectrum by the skills he uses. The closer he gets to one side, the less he is attuned with the other.

 

 

 When a battle starts, a Rune-keeper will typically be in the Steady (Thalas) Attunement state. This is a position of readiness that allows a few minor healing or damaging skills to be used (though all utility skills are available). The grey rune in the middle of the Attunement meter that looks like a “b” is the first rune-letter of Thalas in Tengwar.

 

 

 If a Rune-keeper uses skills that damage foes, Attunement will shift towards the Battle side of the scale. As that end of the scale is approached, new damaging skills will unlock and some damaging skills will deal additional damage, but healing skills will be blocked. Here, the symbol that looks like an “f” is the first rune-letter of Dagor in Cirth script (which all Battle-attuned skills use.)

 

 

 Likewise, if a Rune-keeper starts using healing skills, then Attunement will shift towards the Healing side of the scale. As that end is approached, new healing skills will unlock and some healing skills will restore additional morale, but other damaging skills will be blocked. Lastly, the green symbol here that looks like an “m” is the first rune-letter of Nestad in Tengwar script (which all Healing attuned skills use.)

Looking over the skills a Rune-keeper has will help illustrate this. Here are some example skills:

 

 

Scribe’s Sparkis a basic Rune-keeper Battle skill. It deals lightning damage to a target, and its damage increases by 4% for every step of Battle Attunement. Using it shifts Attunement one step towards Battle.

Prelude to Hope is a basic healing skill that shifts one step towards Healing. It receives a bonus to its healing amount based on Healing Attunement.

If a Rune-keeper alternates between these two skills, his Attunement will end up staying at the Steady midpoint. However, if Scribe’s Spark is used 9 times in a row, full Battle Attunement will be achieved. This will unlock a number of Battle-aligned skills, and increase the damage of Scribe’s Spark by a total of 36%!

 

 

 Finally, there are various utility skills not associated with Healing or Battle. These skills are Steady skills that always pull Attunement toward the middle. Their advantage is that they have no Attunement prerequisites.

The system may be a little confusing to read about, but while in game the link between skills and Attunement is fairly easy to see. The net effect of this system is that the Rune-keeper can shift from damage to healing focus and back again during a fight, but it takes time. Don’t expect a quick spot-heal from a damage-dealing Rune-keeper!

Gameplay

So far, we’ve gone over the lore aspects of the class, the higher-level design, and the Attunement system. All that’s left to share is a bit about the Rune-keeper’s skill families and how they work.

First, the Damaging skill families. All skills here shift Attunement towards Battle, and some require a high Battle Attunement to be used.

Fury of the Storm – These lightning damage skills are mostly quick instants that can be used while moving. They have unpredictable effects, like the storms they are derived from.

Wrath of Flame – Fire damage-over-time is the style of this family. Most skills have longer casting times. Maintenance is required to keep the Flames burning hot, but very efficient damage can be generated.

Chill of Winter – These chilling skills deal frost damage in smaller amounts than the other two families. However, many skills hit multiple targets or debuff the Rune-keeper’s foes.

Next are the healing skills. There is only one skill family, but it is rather large. All the skills here require Healing Attunement.

Words of Grace – One of our goals for theRune-keepers has been to make sure his healing skills work differently than the Minstrels. Rune-keeper healing is mostly done through heal-over-time (HOT) effects. Maintenance on a single target is rewarded with a number of different, smaller heals affecting the target at the same time. Group maintenance is also done through HOTs. This leads the Rune-keeper to be wonderful at maintaining high morale, but he cannot quickly react to new threats like the Minstrel can (though, he does have a few tricks to help him out).

Finally, there are the utility skills. All of the skills in these two families shift the Rune-keeper towards the Steady Attunement, which is the middle of the scale. This makes these skills interesting strategic choices, since access to higher Attunement skills can be temporarily removed by using them

Visions and Foretellings – The small amount of prophecy the Rune-keeper is capable of lies here. His talents generally allow him to predict an event, and then see that it comes true. For instance, he can see that a foe will meet their end in flames. This will cause later fire attacks against that foe a chance to see that end come
about!

The Middle Path – This family contains all the tricks of the Rune-keepers trade. Neither damaging nor healing, these skills help keep the Rune-keeper running smoothly. There are some tricks to escaping from enemies or temporarily disabling them. Other skills help keep enemies from getting upset with you in the first place.

And so:

I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of what went into creating the Rune-keeper. Adding a new class into the mix we already have has been challenging and rewarding. I hope that everyone who tries the class out finds something they enjoy in it!

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Codemasters Online and Turbine Inc are proud to unveil a new movie for the upcoming The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ expansion pack due out later this year! This is your chance to get a first look at the Flaming Deeps, a brand new area within the dark depths in this breathtaking fly-through movie available for download from our downloads section.

View the video (in a zip file) right here!