Post by Morreion on Mar 20, 2010 7:00:39 GMT -5
The Road to Mordor: Heroes for Shire (Massively)
Number 2 is great:
Good list. The Shire is perhaps my favorite MMO zone of all time. It is very lovingly detailed, full of lore, and has a whimsy that catches the personality of Hobbits very well. Bravo, Turbine!
Man, I missed the Shire. I mean, don't get me wrong -- it's terrific to progress through the zones, experience the epic storyline and grow in power and abilities. But after a while, the harsh landscape wears on the soul, and I yearned to return to the zone that made me fall in love with LotRO in the first place.
...So as I spent the past week reacquainting myself with the Ranger-protected lands of the Shire, I puzzled out just what makes this zone so unique, so beloved and so attractive for many players.
1. Easy on Eyes and Ears
3. Major Hobbit Focus
4. More of a Peaceful "Prologue" Than Other Starter Zones
5. Very Iconic for the Franchise
6. It's RP-tastic!
...So as I spent the past week reacquainting myself with the Ranger-protected lands of the Shire, I puzzled out just what makes this zone so unique, so beloved and so attractive for many players.
1. Easy on Eyes and Ears
3. Major Hobbit Focus
4. More of a Peaceful "Prologue" Than Other Starter Zones
5. Very Iconic for the Franchise
6. It's RP-tastic!
Number 2 is great:
2. Non-Combat Focus
Let's be honest -- war and hardcore conflict are almost unknown entities to the Shire, to the point that some players have issues with Turbine putting in what few enemy mobs and creatures there are. The Shire stands unique in LotRO and other games in that its zone features a great amount non-combat quests -- like hide and go seek! -- as a matter of course.
The two most notorious of these, of course, are the postal delivery and the pie recovery quest chains. Players love to grouse about how annoying and time-consuming these are, and how it doesn't make them feel like a hero. I think that's kind of the point -- you aren't a huge hero at this point, you're most likely a Hobbit who is making a name for him or herself by doing a very Hobbity task. Personally, I kind of like them and find the challenge of avoiding nosey or hungry Hobbits a fun change of pace.
Let's be honest -- war and hardcore conflict are almost unknown entities to the Shire, to the point that some players have issues with Turbine putting in what few enemy mobs and creatures there are. The Shire stands unique in LotRO and other games in that its zone features a great amount non-combat quests -- like hide and go seek! -- as a matter of course.
The two most notorious of these, of course, are the postal delivery and the pie recovery quest chains. Players love to grouse about how annoying and time-consuming these are, and how it doesn't make them feel like a hero. I think that's kind of the point -- you aren't a huge hero at this point, you're most likely a Hobbit who is making a name for him or herself by doing a very Hobbity task. Personally, I kind of like them and find the challenge of avoiding nosey or hungry Hobbits a fun change of pace.
Good list. The Shire is perhaps my favorite MMO zone of all time. It is very lovingly detailed, full of lore, and has a whimsy that catches the personality of Hobbits very well. Bravo, Turbine!
