When Lord of the Rings Online first went free-to-play, I jumped on board, curious to see how well Turbine, the celebrated developer of other MMORPGs such as Asheron’s Call, could capture Tolkien’s legendary Middle-Earth. It’s not an easy task, as Middle-Earth is such a foundational part of my love for Fantasy that it would be near impossible to do justice to the world with a digital playground. Naturally, wanting to start life in The Shire, I created a cute Hobbit Minstrel named Cabenting, and jumped in feet first.
For hours afterwards, I was lost in Middle-Earth. Not just a digital playground version, but the Middle-Earth. I was in love.
So, it was with a certain amount of excitement that I read about the latest expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, Riders of Rohan.
From the official press release:
Riders of Rohan expands the online world of Middle-earth where players join forces to ride into the Plains of Rohan. Riders of Rohan launches in the Fall of 2012 with an increased level cap, the vast plains of Rohan including iconic locations such as Amon Hen and Fangorn Forest, the new Mounted Combat system and much more!
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NEW FEATURES:
Experience the Riders of Rohan – Join with the Rohirrim and ride across the sprawling Plains of Rohan; witness the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen; forge alliances with the Ents of Fangorn; and aid Éomer, adopted son of Théoden, as he seeks to protect his homeland from the growing Shadow.
Introducing Mounted Combat – Ride into Combat atop your loyal War-steed as you defend the people of Rohan from the forces of Isengard and Mordor. Customize your War-steed’s armor and level its skills over time to aid you in mounted defense of King Theoden’s lands. Mount your steed and gather your fellows to fight against Warbands, contingents of roving warg riders that have been scouted all over the Plains of Rohan! It falls to you to head off and defeat this new threat before they over take the land.
Advance to level 85 – Continue your legend in the next chapter of The Lord of the Rings Online. Experience new adventures in the epic story, and gain new skills and deeds as you face new challenges on your journey to 85!
Aside from The Shire, I’ve always had the strongest connection to Rohan of any of Tolkien’s lands. From the rolling seas of grass, to the noble warriors and their equally noble steeds, to my mega-crush on Eowyn, I’ve always found there to be a certain sort of romance to the Rohirrim and their land. Giving Cabenting the chance to re-trace the footsteps of fellow Hobbit Peregrin Took, or to stand at the top of the epic falls at Amon Hen remembering a fallen friend, already sends goosebumps running up my arms.
Mechanically, the ability to do combat from horseback seems like a big (and natural) step for the game, and also helps to separate it from its biggest competitor, World of Warcraft. Plus, who wants to dismount their horse every time they come across a baddie in the games’ largest realm? As much as Cabenting loves his Morian Mountain Goat, there’s no way he’ll be able to pass up the opportunity to ride a properly armoured steed, violent notes of music raining down from his lute, slaying beasts left and right.
Riders of Rohan will go live sometime this autumn. The Lord of the Rings Online is a free-to-play MMORPG. For more details and to sign up, visit the official LOTRO website.
