Lord of the Rings Online: Expectations and “Accomplishments”

PAX has just concluded, and while we’re (already) anticipating next year’s expo, we’ve got some juicy tidbits for us to get ourselves busy with. If you weren’t able to go to the PAX (tsk-tsk, shame), it’d be best to know that one of the shining stars on the game floor was Turbine Entertainment’s booth. Their main dish: Lord of the Rings Online.

System designer Nik Davidson explained during the expo that LOTRO had not tried to “reinvent the wheel” when it came to the technicals: controls, interface, etc. But more than that, they tried to steer clear from two fundamental aspects of MMOs: empty quests and the idea of end-game assumptions. They designed LOTRO with the aim of making everything you do mean something substantial to your in-game character and, ultimately, your gaming experience.

With that said, they’ve also introduced the concept of “Accomplishments.” These are goals that each character must achieve, and once they do, players can earn titles and traits, which they can swap/trade/purchase from other players. These Accomplishments are “exploration-based” rewards; it could be as simple as finding a secret entrance to a castle.

They’ve also incorporated a “Monster Play” function as a solution to PvP. Because, quite frankly, in Middle-Earth, PvP would be near impossible since not just any elf could shoot an arrow through a hobbit’s brains, despite having the urge to. Things like that are not possible, and hence, they came up with Monster Play. These are accessed in certain areas in the map where players can explore in multiple forms (separate from your regular character) and attack other players as lowly enemies. Yes, you can become an orc and satisfy your urge to bash other people’s heads in!

PAX has just concluded, and while we’re (already) anticipating next year’s expo, we’ve got some juicy tidbits for us to get ourselves busy with. If you weren’t able to go to the PAX (tsk-tsk, shame), it’d be best to know that one of the shining stars on the game floor was Turbine Entertainment’s booth. Their main dish: Lord of the Rings Online.

System designer Nik Davidson explained during the expo that LOTRO had not tried to “reinvent the wheel” when it came to the technicals: controls, interface, etc. But more than that, they tried to steer clear from two fundamental aspects of MMOs: empty quests and the idea of end-game assumptions. They designed LOTRO with the aim of making everything you do mean something substantial to your in-game character and, ultimately, your gaming experience.

With that said, they’ve also introduced the concept of “Accomplishments.” These are goals that each character must achieve, and once they do, players can earn titles and traits, which they can swap/trade/purchase from other players. These Accomplishments are “exploration-based” rewards; it could be as simple as finding a secret entrance to a castle.

They’ve also incorporated a “Monster Play” function as a solution to PvP. Because, quite frankly, in Middle-Earth, PvP would be near impossible since not just any elf could shoot an arrow through a hobbit’s brains, despite having the urge to. Things like that are not possible, and hence, they came up with Monster Play. These are accessed in certain areas in the map where players can explore in multiple forms (separate from your regular character) and attack other players as lowly enemies. Yes, you can become an orc and satisfy your urge to bash other people’s heads in!