Hey folks!

In this new Fluent's World video, I take a leisurely trip through the Trollshaws in the game Lord of the Rings Online and continue to work on my Speechcraft skills! Best of all, the video has been recorded in glorious 4K resolution on the highest graphical settings, so details are crisp. 

Check it out!

Hey everyone! In this fun little video I take a look at Rivendell and take a trip through the legendary Trollshaws in the online RPG, Lord of the Rings Online! I talk a bit about what makes the game interesting and my time spent with it, and show off a bit of the Trollshaws and the road to the Lone-Lands!

If you'd like to see more videos like this, please let me know in the comments section! I can showcase various aspects of the game, like showing off different zones, places to find quests, tips & tricks and more. 

Enjoy!

Here are 12 new screenshots of the upcoming Lord of the Rings expansion: Siege of Mirkwood.

MMORPG.com previewed the upcoming expansion to Lord of the Rings Online named Siege of Mirkwood.

Siege of Mirkwood is due to launch in the fall and is a digital expansion at a $19.95 cost. "We looked at the consumers for the last expansion and found that there were more digital consumers." Digital downloads were a much larger percentage than they had expected, I was told, and the numbers large enough for them to decide that this was the way to go for Siege of Mirkwood. This expansion ends the epic story of Moria and the land mass that players will be able to explore is Southern Mirkwood. Dol Guldor, Elves and Olog Hai, oh my! What about Northern? Well yes, if there's Southern Mirkwood, Northern will follow. Soon. Okay, it's not Rohan, but we'll get there eventually.

In a video interview with Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel some more information is given about the recentely announce add-on for Lord of the Rings Online.

Turbine brings us their next expansion to the world of Lord of the Rings Online, which will be available this fall. The expansion is named Siege of Mirkwood and is the ninth and last chapter of the second volume Mines of Moria.

The game will increase the level cap to 65, a new region including the legendary evil fortress of Dol Goldur, major enhancements to combat and Legendary Items and the introduction of Skirmishes, a new system where players will train customizable soldiers and take them into battle as part of the War of the Ring.

Ten Ton Hammer takes us through the past and present of The Lord of the Rings expansion Mines of Moria to show in what ways the game has changed.

Book 8 also introduced a new chapter to the epic storyline and some new and long awaited features to the game, and by long awaited I mean swift travel between Tinnudir and Eavespires in Evendim. If you haven't had the pleasure of swimming Lake Evendim a half dozen times or more times you truly can't appreciate what a blessing this is. There was nothing worse than having to take that 15 minute swim across the lake only to realize your quest sent you right back...and then back again with a stop midway across. It was maddening.

Aside from a ton of bug fixes and game adjustments, the crafting system got a big revamp. The level requirements on many items were changed and the optional ingredient for crafting items got reworked and now there are new optional items available. Guild crafting recipes have been added to help add to the variety of items you can make.

Moria is a great expansion and added a lot to LOTRO and Book 7 and 8 built onto the epic storyline and provided several new raids and instances of their own. With all three updates the crafting system gained an extra tier and got a major revamp while the games landmass was increased by a huge amount. Now much of the LOTRO community is enjoying the new content and anxiously awaiting the next major announcement, the news of an expansion that will bring us Helms Deep.

Ten Ton Hammer has a video available for the recently launched update of Lord of the Rings.

MMORPG takes a look at the upcoming Book 8 update for Lord of the Rings Online with a focus on the raids.

Overall I was rather happy to see a range of new raids added instead of just big or small ones. You may not be able to please everyone all the time, but maybe they'll make a whole lot of them happy. Also, even if you're not into the raids I would highly suggest you do these 4 at least once each for the visuals. Turbine's artists keep turning out lovely areas and these raids are no exception. Just wait until you see the goblins in The Crafting Halls; you'll see they've been improving their models as well as their environments.

Ten Ton Hammer have written down their experiences with a guided tour through Scourge of Khazad-dum also known as the 8th book to the second volume of Lord of the Rings Online.

With the release of Volume II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm, players will be introduced to a new mechanic in the instances I got to see. Every mob (not just bosses) has its own set of corruptions (or buffs). Some of these make them highly resistant to melee, ranged, or damage by magical means. While providing an added challenge, this new system should also make combat more interesting for players as well. Those "trash" mobs you were used to beating the snot out of with little thought on your way to a boss will now require a little more attention in terms of tactics.

The first instance Aaron brought us to was, a 3-man instance called The Mirror-halls of Lumul-nar. This isn't the first time the LotRO team has created an instance designed for a smaller number of players than most MMO veterans are used to. Since they've proven to be quite popular with their player base, the team decided to create a few more. It's another example of how a company can cater to the wants of its customers without losing that intense sense of adventure found in areas requiring larger groups. Not only does it take less time to gather a group of three players, but it also ensures that the entire group will be engaged with what's going on.

Harkening back to the dungeon crawls of old for Pen-and-Paper RPG players around the world, your party is going to have more than just the monsters of the Mirror-halls to worry about as you attempt to make your way through. Scattered throughout the dungeon are massive mirrors on rotating stands. You may not have to use *every* mirror in the halls, but you will be required to have that first beam of light you discover in the beginning travel the full extent of the Mirror-halls. Just as there should be with any puzzle of this nature, there are multiple ways to accomplish this goal. It should provide a good challenge for any group daring to risk its dusty hallways.

A trailer for the Lord of the Rings Online add-on Scourge of Khazad-dûm has been released. It does however not show that much as the video devotes more time on company logos instead of showing something about the game itself.

MMORPG had a talk with Craig Alexander, Turbine's VP of Product Development and Meghan Rodberg, Senior Manager of Online Community Relations of Lord of the Rings Online at the recent LOGIN Conference in Seattle.

Currently, the Mines of Moria are open for players. The storyline is set in Moria itself, and at this point in time, the narration has changed from Gandalf to Galadriel as the Fellowship has already passed through Moria and Gandalf is presumed lost. The chronology however, is not the same for all players as the game makes use of instances to advance the epic storyline.

“The nice thing about MMOs is that we can go back and change things as the story moves forward,” said Meghan, referring to how for players that have advanced through the storyline no longer see members of the Fellowship wandering around in the public landscape. They still can be found by new players playing through the beginning story, but the quest now takes them into an instanced area.

Eight new screens from the free update for Lord of the Rings Online named Scourge of Khazad-dum can be found on Massively.

A very positive review of the Lord of the Rings expansion Mines of Moria can be found on IncGamers.

LotRO is one MMORPG we think gets constantly overlooked, but maybe gamers are waking up to the fact that this is solid MMO. This is not only one of the best looking MMOs on the market, but one of the most playable and enjoyable thanks to its Tolkien tie-in. LotRO may not have the PvP appeal  of others, despite new tweaks in Moria, but it delivers on so many other levels.

Recent figures show that LotRO is slowly growing its subscription base, and I can see why. Mines of Moria is not only a great addition to LoTRO but a fantastic expansion that will keep current players hooked, and with any luck, entice new gamers to finally enter Tolkien’s universe.

Kevin VanOrd reviews MoM. Once again the expansion is praised and scored 8.5/10.

The bowels of Middle-earth have no right to be this interesting to investigate, yet Moria's dim passages are a dungeon crawler's delight, surpassing even Shadows of Angmar's charming landscapes for sheer exploratory value. There isn't much for new players, though if you've avoided The Lord of the Rings Online until now, consider this: The expansion pack includes the original game, a value rare in MMOG expansions. Nevertheless, LOTRO veterans have the most to gain, thanks to awesome new areas, new story chapters to probe, and the giddy trepidation that comes with not knowing what ghoulish ogres might be lurking around the corner.

High praise indeed from GameZone 9/10.

Turbine should be extremely proud of what it has created here. This is a visual treat that sparks dreams and nightmares. Yes, there may well be things that go bump in the night, but usually that bump means its getting closer and hunting you. It is wise to not venture too far into this cavernous kingdom without a group.

The vision of the dev team is truly impressive and it is backed up with a musical score that is magnificent and totally in tune with the surroundings and circumstances. Yes, there are a lot of cut scenes, but LotRO is one of those games that does have numerous side quests, but the main goal is to make you a part of the living adventure that comprised Tolkien’s classic trilogy. In that regard, the cut scenes are bliss.

The Mines of Moria expansion is a great reason to play LotRO – more so if you are a Tolkien fan. Sure, there have been other expansions for existing MMOs that have gotten a lot of hype, but Mines of Moria certainly has to rank up there with the best MMO expansions of 2008.

Another good review for Mines of Moria.

There are three new areas in The Mines of Moria: the Mines themselves, and the bordering zones of Eregion in the west and Lothlorien in the east. Though the two outside zones have their own content, the real star here is the Mines. This vast, sprawling zone is easily one of the most impressive MMO environments we've ever explored, both in terms of overall layout and mood. The scale here is simply ridiculous and it's a credit to the art and technology teams that they've created a space that really feels like a giant underground kingdom. Even in the most open of areas, of which there are many, you never lose the sense that there's an entire mountain just hanging over your head.

Given the associations fans have with the book and the movies, it's commendable that Turbine has come up with a Moria that is at once both familiar and unpredictable. The dwarves' geometric stone work provides a sure sense of magnificence and history, with lots of little details that emphasize the disrepair and dustiness that have taken hold since the kingdom was originally lost. The areas controlled by the goblins are even more rundown and ramshackle, and this contrast works well to highlight the personalities and agendas of both races. Treasuries, libraries, throne rooms, waterworks and a host of other specific locations reveal that Turbine has tried to design Moria as a coherent, functioning kingdom, and not as an arbitrary collection of generic rooms.

Full of praise for Turbines new addition to LotRO (4.5/5).

In the end, Mines of Moria proves that while innovation is nice, it plays second fiddle to vision. The Lord of the Rings Online has never been about acquiring "phat loot" or farming raids or offering the most finely tuned PvP in the MMO space. Like the license it bears, LotRO is about the journey -- exploring Middle-earth and having exciting adventures within the world Tolkien created. Mines of Moria brilliantly enhances and refines this vision, taking the first and greatest dungeon crawl ever created and bringing it to life for thousands of players. What pushes it over the top into the realm of genius is that it takes a playground made for thousands and makes it feel like your own personal adventure.

Short and positive 9/10, concluding:

Moria is an evolutionary expansion in which Turbine has honed what it does best: storytelling, an enjoyable, constantly changing levelling curve, and atmosphere in big, rocky buckets. It won't convert anybody, nor win back anybody who grew tired of the semi-linearity of the LOTRO storyline - but if you're desperate to follow the trail of the Fellowship and see what exactly made the dwarves such moaners, or just continue your online Ringbearing, then Moria is an absolute joy. With Volume Two, Turbine has created a harmonious, tight and seamless addition to the LOTRO game-world, and one that will no doubt lead into another year's successful expansion.

Also out today is LotRO latest - Mines of Moria.

Grab a drink and a snack, get comfortable, and delve into the release notes for The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria! The development team has been hard at work making new systems, updating old systems, revamping the UI and monster play, and creating the mother of all dungeons: Moria! Click here for the release notes!

Blue's has prepared the table. The dinner is two Mines of Moria trailers:

Two new fly-through trailers from Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria show off two of the new areas being added by the upcoming first expansion for Turbine's Middle-earth MMORPG. There is a clip showing off Nud-Melek on AtomicGamer, FileFront, and Gamer's Hell. The other clip is a fly-through of Silvertine Lodes, available on AtomicGamer, FileFront, and Gamer's Hell. Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is set to launch one week from today on November 18.

FileFront has a couple of new screenshots for the Lord of the Rings Online expansion pack, Mines of Moria.

Duck over to Worthplaying for a 56Mb trailer and seven screens from LotRO: Mines of Moria.

In addition, GameSpy has a new preview:

Our beta adventure began in the same area that will go live when Mines of Moria ships -- Eregion. Eregion is one of two new outdoor regions (the other being Lothlorien) in Mines of Moria. Unlike Lothlorien, though, Eregion is no place for the living. It's mostly a disaster area, a blasted brown heath filled with scrubby vegetation, wild animals and the destroyed remnants of the Forges where all the Rings of Power save Sauron's One Ring were forged. At the time of Mines of Moria, however, Eregion is no longer abandoned. It's become the home for rampaging tribes of orcs scouring the Elven ruins for any sort of artifact of power that might give Sauron an advantage in the upcoming war. Players will be able to explore this content via quest given from an Elven encampment called Echad Dunann.

Gamespy offers a preview from the beta of Moria and concludes:

Our initial experience in the Mines of Moria beta once again displayed why LotRO has become a second home for a certain segment of MMO players. Travelling through the instanced version of the door to the Hollin gate, we were able to once again appreciate the amazing job that Turbine's artists do in bring Tolkien's world to life. The first view of the unnaturally still Black Pool where the Watcher waits was dramatically revealed simply by sending the player up a long flight of stairs to behold the vista. As players travel around the pool delivering lunches to the Dwarf workers, one can see evidence of the torn up trees and idle Dwarves tossing stones into the pool -- something sure to make anyone familiar with what waits under its waters wince. There's even an optional series of side quests involving a rival expedition of half-orcs that hints at the brutal politics being played out amongst Moria's claimants in the wake of the Balrog's death. After this first taste, we can't wait until November 18th when the door to The Mines of Moria finally opens.

18th of November for LotRO's first expansion according to Eurogamer.

Codemasters Online plans to release Lord of the Rings Online expansion pack Mines of Moria on 18th November across Europe and North America.

The add-on hails the arrival of Kazad-dum, the dwarven kingdom set under the mountain where the big, fiery balrog lives.

More importantly, Mines of Moria increases the level cap by 10, adds two new classes, and offers up plenty of fresh monsters, quests, and shiny loot.

Strategy Informer has let us know that they've received a batch of fresh Mines of Moria screenshots for our viewing pleasure.

Here's a pair of Mines of Moria previews.

• Strategy Informer
• TenTonHammer

Let's take a quote from the latter:

Our first stop in the Mines of Moria was - ironically - the First Hall, and it instantly took my breath away. As a reporter, I typically record all of my interview / tour sessions, and literally the first words out of my mouth were "Wow." Unlike other indoor content that I've seen in other massively multiplayer games, the sheer scale in this first area was incredibly. As I ran through the hall, it was almost overwhelming to try to gauge just how enormous the environment was compared to my character, and I continually moved my point of view to see just how large the area was. As you can see from the screenshots provided by Greg "Darkgolem" Stanley, every piece in Moria is absolutely huge and absolutely beautiful.

GamesRadar serves up a preview of LotRO: Mines of Moria -

Your entry into Moria takes place a few weeks after the Fellowship passes through, as you join a plucky bunch of Dwarves in their expedition to break past the Hollin Gate. It’s not as simple as kicking down a door - a vicious squid-like monster called The Watcher attacks, and you must beat a retreat. To ward off the creature and gain access to Moria, you must return with a legendary weapon. For Turbine, it’s these items that anchor its new advancement system - one we reckon its competitors could be copying wholesale very soon.

Five new screens from the LotRO expansion, Mines of Moria, are up at Worthplaying.

Jeffrey Steefel interviewed at Eurogamer talks past, present and future of LotRO.

Eurogamer: Will there come a point where you have you have to take pretty big creative freedoms in with the licence in order to proceed? If you keep up the pace, you're going to get through the trilogy fairly quickly.

Jeffrey Steefel: It'll take us years, honestly, because of the way that we do things, and that we go into so much depth. We're spending so much time in Moria, which is really just one quick stop along the way in the books. We don't really worry about running out of content.

In terms of being able to push things more the further in we get, I think the fiction allows that in some respects. Things get crazier, more warlike, more out of control the further you get into Middle Earth and the War of the Ring, so that opens up a lot of prospects for us.

We're slowly trying new things; the addition of the Rune-Keeper in Moria, a straightforward magic using class, is a pretty big step in that respect. It's not something that a pure Tolkien lore person would accept, it just couldn't exist in Middle-Earth. On the other hand, this is an RPG, it must exist.

So, our Middle-Earth needs to diverge slightly from the literary Middle-Earth, and Tolkien enterprises has been okay with that, I think that they're comfortable with us allows us to push those things a little further.

Turbine has announced that Mines of Moria will go into beta and that you now can register to be elig.ble to participate in this beta. Here is the information:

THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™: MINES OF MORIA™ ENTERS FINAL STAGES OF BETA

Turbine Invites Players to Sign Up For Chance to Participate in Beta Program

WESTWOOD, MA – August 29, 2008 – Turbine, Inc. announced today that The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ has entered the final stages of its Beta Program and that players across North America and Europe are invited to sign up for a chance explore the dark majesty of the world beneath Middle-earth™.  The Mines of Moria Beta Program is by invitation only and over time more and more players will be invited.  Beginning today, players can register for a chance to participate in the Beta Program by visiting http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com.

“Mines of Moria extends the world of Middle-earth into the dark heart of the Misty Mountains where players will explore one of the largest underground worlds ever created.  The Legendary Items system where players can craft unique and powerful weapons and armor that will grow in power and value is just one of the breakthrough features that will further establish The Lord of the Rings Online as one of the world’s premium online games,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online.  “Player enthusiasm continues to exceed our expectations at every milestone and we are very excited to enter this stage of our Beta Program and take the next major step toward our launch.”

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 epic and powerful fantasy of all time.  Mines of Moria expands the online world of Middle-earth to let players adventure into one of the largest and most dangerous online underground environments ever created while extending the challenge to new heights with two new classes, ten additional levels and hundreds of new quests.  Mines of Moria introduces Legendary Items, a revolutionary new system that Turbine believes will redefine high level gameplay for all MMOs by eliminating the grind of endless raiding for high-end gear and allows players to forge weapons that grow in power with their hero.  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.

GameSpot has a rather short preview from this year's Games Convention of Lord of the Rings Online's upcoming expansion pack Mines of Moria:

Although you'll be playing below ground, the sense of scale in the mines is still very impressive. We saw a huge staircase in the first part of the demo, and it took about two minutes to climb. The lighting and overall detail also made us want to explore more, although we sadly didn't get to see any of the city. Turbine also promises a better item-advancement system through something called "legendary items." The developers have implemented feedback from players who said that it was a bit complicated, and you will now be able to level up and forge new weapons in a more efficient menu system.

The Mines of Moria expansion pack is looking polished at this stage and will launch before the end of the year. This will leave the team free to concentrate on the next pack for the same time next year. When asked about how far they were aiming to go, the Turbine rep said, "We'll get to Mordor eventually!"

Oil Welsh's 3 page hands on with the LotRO expansion.

It might be a little more compact than the usual sprawling sky-kingdoms and parallel dimensions, but Moria will still take you through the best part of ten levels, to the raised level cap of 60. The expansion's other major additions are two ambitious and unusual new classes - the Rune-Keeper and Warden - and a Legendary Item system that opens avenues of customisation and advancement of the scale of entire characters to pieces of weaponry and armour.

Beyond that, crafting guilds will offer new depth to the tradeskills, the Trait system of class specialisation will be expanded, there will be a new raid, new instances for smaller groups, new 'session-play' interludes, and an overhaul of the player-versus-player Monster Play battlegrounds, and deeper integration of the game with its website. Mines of Moria stops short of the epic revisionism of World of Warcraft's Burning Crusade, but it still presents a hefty chunk of changes.

Turbine has revealed the box art for the Complete Edition of the upcoming release of the expansion pack Mines of Moria.
The cover depicts the scene from "The Lord of the Rings", where Gandalf confronts a Balrog in Moria.

A trailer for the upcoming expansion pack Mines of Moria for Lord of the Rings Online is available at GameTrailers.

Turbine has sent out the following press release announcing a partnership with Warner Bros. to bring two editions of the expansion pack Volume II: Mines of Moria to North American retail. Both editions will include the original release The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, including the content additions that have been released since launch.
A digital download option of Mines of Moria will be made available for existing customers:

WESTWOOD, MA - July 31, 2008 - Turbine, Inc. announced today its partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to distribute The Lord of the Rings Online^TM: Mines of Moria^TM at retail in North America.  As part of the announcement, Turbine unveiled its fall product lineup which includes two titles that will be available at retail, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Complete Edition and The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Collector's Edition, as well as a digital only title for existing subscribers, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Digital Expansion. 

"We are excited to self publish The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria and to partner with Warner Bros. to distribute the title at retail this fall," said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "Mines of Moria introduces breakthrough content and features including our Legendary Item system that will revolutionize the way players advance and customize their unique heroes."

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expands the online world of Middle-earth^TM to let players continue the ultimate interactive adventure in the largest and most dangerous online underground environment ever created.  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.  In addition tothe Legendary Item system, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria features groundbreaking dual height map technology that creates a seamless, vast, and epic environment that brings Moria to life like never before. The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria extends the challenge to new heights with two new classes, ten additional levels and hundreds of new quests.

 "Turbine has an impressive track record of creating and publishing high quality massively multiplayer online games," said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.  "We look forward to working with Turbine and we will leverage our experience in distributing successful premium titles with the launch of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria this fall." 

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria - Fall 2008 Product Lineup:

• The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Complete Edition will include the original The Lord of the Rings Online^TM: Shadows of Angmar^TM game (Volume I), all content updates released since launch, and The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria (Volume II).  The Complete Edition will be available at retail stores nationwide and offers new players who wish to journey through the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth the full, award-winning  experience.
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Collector's Edition will feature the content of the Complete Edition as well as compelling digital and physical items for collectors.  Limited quantities of the Collector's Edition will be available at retail outlets in a unique leather-bound book packaging and will include:

• 3 exclusive tokens that can be exchanged for the player's choice of 8 different in-game items
• 22" x 22" premium quality cloth map of the Mines of Moria
• Special gold-plated ring complete with chain and pouch
• Mines of Moria poster
• The Lord of the Rings OnlineArt and Music Collection with the official Mines of Moria Soundtrack
• A full color Collector's Edition Starter Guide

• The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Digital Expansion is a digital upgrade that will allow existing subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar to continue the ultimate interactive adventure into the vast, terrifying and unparalleled world beneath Middle-earth.

 The Lord of the Rings Online is the ultimate interactive adventure.  This award-winning massively multiplayer online role playing game delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy of all time. From the picturesque surroundings of the Shire to Moria, the most fearsome underground realm ever imagined, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before.  For more information on The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, please visit www.lotro.com/moria.

 Gamespy get to venture into Khazad-dum and write a lenghty preview.

It is the original dungeon crawl: The Black Pit that inspired a million Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules and acted as the template for every party that ever trudged into the depths of an underground world, torches at the ready. It is Moria and while the perilous journey of Frodo and his friends through the ruins of Khazad-dum takes up only a small portion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien's tantalizing glimpse of forgotten chambers and mysterious caverns where nameless horrors and fabulous treasures wait has fired imaginations ever since.

Jeffrey Steefel talks about taking LotRO forward.

There was a lot of criticism about the way Blizzard handled raising the level cap in WoW. What did you learn from that and how you are applying that to LotrO?

Steefel: It's one of the biggest challenges that a developer faces as you're expanding the game. You know you want to enhance the advancement curve, which means you need to create things that are more powerful, but you don't want to create a situation where you negate or nullify everything a player has been doing they've been doing up until that point.

Things are going to change - it's inescapable, in order to move forward. The big difference is we're going to engage the players through the whole process. In a lot of the free updates we made tweaks to classes, and there certainly were people who were upset at some of the changes, but overall our experience was that people were happy with the way that process was handled.

WarCry has released the first part of an - with their own words - epic interview. The interviewed is Jeffrey Steefel who answers different questions among one which touches the geographical setting of Mines of Moria:

WarCry: It's interesting that in most open-world MMOs there's a focus on crossing landscapes, but [Moria] is one case where you'll have depth, too ...

Jeffrey Steefel: Vertical. Yeah, "vertical" is a word we're using a lot in the development of Moria. "Think vertical." Because you're right: ... The MMO-space sort of tends to be very conventional world, oddly, in terms of the terrain itself. So we're definitely thinking in three dimensions in Moria which will be part of the fun, I think, for the players; like "where am I?" ... We're having discussions like "What does the radar look like in Moria?" "What does the map look like?" Is it just a top down map of Moria, because we've got multiple layers? How are we going to display that? You can't make the map of Moria be exactly like the map of Bree-land, for example, because there's many, many levels; so what does that mean? It's interesting to kind of change your perspective the way it will become for players.

Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer on Lord of the Rings Online, talks in a video Q&A session with Ten Ton Hammer about the upcoming expansion pack, Mines of Moria, and the free updates coming with Book 13 and 14.

Five pieces of concept art from the newly announced expansion pack to Lord of the Rings Online is up at WarCry.