Spotlight on expansions: A glance at Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan

Spotlight on expansions: A glance at Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan

Hobbits and Humans rejoice, for come September a new expansion to Lord of the Rings Online will be upon ye! 

Okay, role playing aside, this is big news for fans of this MMO. Based on the very popular fantasy series penned by JRR Tolkien, this MMO has been a top awarded staple amongst role playing enthusiasts looking to have fun in an massive multiplayer game. Let’s take a look at some of the swag that will come with their new Expansion Riders of Rohan and a brief history for those looking to know more about LOTRO.

A MMO based on the Lord of the rings? You don’t say!

Yes, there still maybe some out there who do not know what LOTRO is all about. For anyone still scratching their heads, Lord of the Rings Online is one of three big MMO titles released by Turbine, now a part of WB Games, and is amongst the most popular MMO games played today. Released in November 2008, its first expansion was Mines of Moria. This was followed by the Seige of Mirkwood and Rise of Isengard expansions.

In June of 2010 the game transitioned to a free-to-play model, which served to boost its already high popularity amongst MMO players. Winner of PC Gamers 2011 MMO of the year, it is no surprise that many are looking forward to this latest expansion pack. Turbine and WB game have reported healthy subscriptions since their crossover  to free to play, and with the looks of the new expansion even from the concept art they may be in for another big boost in sign ups this year.

An expansion packed full of goodies

Riders of Rohan was officially announced January 25th this year. This expansion will feature the music of award-winning composer Chance Thomas, and will include the following features:

  • The addition of three new areas – East Rohan, Amon Hen and the Eaves of Fangorn Forest.
  • A level cap raise to 85
  • A new Mounted Combat system

The pre purchase comes in three forms:

Base Edition for 39.99 which gives players:

  • 1,000 Turbine points
  • The Steed of the Eastemnet
  • Friend of the Mark (an exclusive in game Rohirrim title for pre purchase players)

Heroic Edition for 49.99 nets you:

  • The above features
  • Evendim, Moria, and Lothlórien Quest Packs
  •  Hauberk of the Eastemnet (cosmetic chest piece armor)

Legendary Edition for 69.99 you will receive:

  • 2,000 turbine points
  • The Steed of Eastemnet
  • Armor of Eastemnet – a full set of cosmetic armor
  • Friend of the Mark – a 6th inventory bag which gives 15 additional storage slots for your character
  • A crystal of Remembrance that adds one legacy slot to your legendary weapons
  • Exclusive Rohan content, which will allow a player to learn the lore of the war steeds and upgrade their mounts using an exclusive skill.

But wait, there is still more!

Other bonuses for pre orders are as followed:

  • Rohan Elite Guard statted cloak, which gives a bonus power up type to your hero.
  • A Rohan solider background for the game which allows you to customize your soldiers appearance to look like a Rider of Rohan.
  • An Outrider’s token, which gives an in game experience boost of 25 percent.

You can pre purchase as early as today for other in game goodies, which can be unlocked now to enjoy while you wait for the September release. All in all a good deal for all budget types and fans new and old of the Lord of the Rings Online  series and MMO game play. The mounted combat alone has piqued my interest in playing this expansion once it is released. I wonder how many others I will see running about Middle Earth when Riders of Rohan drops this fall? If the trailer is any indication I’d say lots…

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