December 3, 2008 - It's been a couple of weeks since Turbine first opened the Mines of Moria and, after sampling its delights, we're more certain than ever that it greatly enhances the already superlative experience of The Lord of the Rings Online. With new classes, new legendary items, new story chapters and one of the most iconic locations in the fantasy genre, it's a sure bet to please most MMO fans. You'll be stepping into the Mines of Moria as part of a dwarven reclamation project, intended to recapture and restore the Mines in the wake of the Fellowship's foundation-rattling passage through the ancient dwarven kingdom.
The content in The Lord of the Rings Online is more linear and more focused on narrative than you'll find in most other MMOs. Where games like World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online have plenty of interesting story arcs in their varied quest hubs, they tend to present them as independent theme parks; you show up, ride the rides and then move on to the thrills that are lying just down the road. Being based on the richest and most celebrated fantasy book of all time, The Lord of the Rings Online has more opportunity (and greater need) to connect all the elements of the story into a cohesive whole. To be fair, there are still plenty of interesting diversions and peripheral encounters, but the chapter-by-chapter progression of the story makes the overall context of your adventures just as engaging as the actual gameplay.
The overall design or Moria is spectacular.
Fortunately, this is a trend that has been amplified in The Mines of Moria. The expansion pack adds lots of atmosphere and detail to the game world in one of the whole genre's most ambitious and successfully realized locations, the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-Dum. The whole mission to reclaim the Mines has attracted not only the attention of the dwarves, but also a few of Middle Earth's resident villains who have sent their orc and goblin forces in to stake their own claims. The player's involvement increases from basic pest control duties at the beginning to uncovering the strategies and battling the bosses of the various factions. Along the way there are loads of quests that help you connect with the history of the Mines and, in a few rare cases, even take part in solo instances of Khazad-Dum's past. Of course, you can play the game just as easily by focusing solely on the objectives, but you'll be missing out on a lot of the story that gives the quests a sense of substance and significance.
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.
Though you start out killing bugs and such, things get dangerous very quickly.
The vast changes in scale and the sometimes twisted nature of the pathways and levels of Moria make it relatively easy to get lost on your way from A to B, and that provides a great sense of adventure and uncertainty. Winding your way down dark, narrow tunnels or climbing massive wooden scaffolding on the side of a bottomless chasm, you never really know what you're going to find around the next bend or on the next level. And what's particularly great about this type of design is that Moria often reveals stunning vistas that give you a far off glimpse of an interesting area with no clear path leading there. It's almost like the game is daring you to find a way to the new location.
And obviously, the confusing and daunting architecture is only one of the dangers in Moria. Players will encounter a number of terrifying and deadly creatures right from the start, from the goblins who can swarm on a player at a moment's notice to the deep claws who can literally toss players right off the edge. From there players will graduate to even tougher opponents and even encounter a number of bosses who have their own dynamic strategies that change during the course of combat. Trying to read your boss opponent to find out just how best to attack them while also dealing with their hordes of rank and file minions requires careful attention and coordination.
To help you face the challenges, Moria introduces the new Legendary Item system. These items are basically the next level of epic loot for the players, but unlike the static weapons and equipment found in most games, these Legendary Items can be customized by the player and even level up with use, gaining new abilities as they grow in power. We've gone over the actual mechanics of these items in previous coverage so for now we'll simply say that they come with a greater sense of unique purpose and individual identity than is found in other epic loot. That the player has a chance in shaping how they work and progress makes them even more attractive and helps them to become an extension of your character rather than a tool to be sold as soon as something better comes along.
For those players who aren't as interested in the high level content, the Mines of Moria also adds two new classes, the Rune Keeper and the Warden. We've had a chance to play through each of the classes, both in the beta and in the live game and have really enjoyed the new gameplay mechanics that they bring to the combat. We have to admit that the Rune Keeper still seems a bit out of touch with the overall character of magic in Tolkien's story, but it's a concession that most MMO players are willing to make for the sake of fun gameplay.
The Rune Keeper's powers may be a tad heretical, but they're still way fun.
The main appeal of the Rune Keeper is his ability to attune himself to different combat styles bases on the needs of each encounter. With a full set of healing and nuking abilities (although weighted much more heavily towards nuking at the lower levels), the Rune Keeper will amplify the effectiveness and power of whichever group of spells he chooses to use. So if, for instance, he begins a fight by focusing on combat spells, he'll gain access to even more powerful combat spells and will increase the effectiveness of those he already knows. On the other hand, he'll lose access to some of his healing abilities until the fight is over and his attunement resets.
The Warden is the more interesting of the two new classes, and the one less likely to send Tolkien purists into a dither. Taking the form of a basic tank, the Warden has his own unique gameplay mechanic. By combining different combat moves, the Warden can unlock powerful combos that have a variety of interesting effects. It can be kind of hard to keep track of all of the moves required to unlock particular gambits during the heat of battle, but even with some fairly random chains built up, you're bound to unlock something useful. With a little practice, you'll find the gambits that you like the most and will be able to work them into your attack patterns relatively easily.
Unfortunately, players who take on the new classes have a long way to go before they're ready to enter the depths of Moria, but it's a journey well worth taking.
Everyone knows what the most vulnerable part of a frog is.
Closing Comments
The Mines of Moria builds on the strengths of the existing game by presenting loads of atmosphere, engaging quests and a meaningful story. To that extent, it won't surprise anyone who's already played the core game. What is surprising is how much better Turbine has managed to make it this time around. Moria is wonderfully realized from top to bottom and, though the entry quest requires a bit of a grind, it's a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The new legendary items add a lot of depth and definition to your character, and the two new classes fill a few holes in the current roster of characters. Turbine's done a great job here and has certainly raised our expectations for Volume Three.
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