Ask any Lord of the Rings Online player about Evendim and you'll get back one of two responses: "Evendim? More like EVERswim!" and "Nice place but too spread out for my tastes." LotRO's lakefront-themed zone was identified as one of the sticking spots in the leveling track, which is why the dev team went back to overhaul Evendim and bring it up to code.
In a new dev diary, Joe Barry explains the purpose and execution of this revamp. Previously, Evendim attempted to cover too much territory as a level 29-50 zone, and as a result it was more of a hindrance than a help to players looking to get over the 30s hump. With next week's Echoes of the Dead update, Evendim will be transformed to a lean, mean leveling machine, tightened up to serve levels 30-40 exclusively.
The team added over 100 quests and two new quest hubs in its attempt to streamline the experience. Additionally, Turbine's experimenting with different ways to deliver quests to you, such as having a journal unfold new quests as you complete previous ones. Finally, quest rewards are designed in a way to deliver class-specific gear, which can be augmented by a bartering system put in for this patch.
You can read the full dev diary over at Lord of the Rings Online!
Reader Comments (13)
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 1:40PM wondersmith said
Sounds like a lot of quests are being replaced. Maybe I should play through them all before the update, then play through the zone again after the update, thus doubling up on rewards and reputation? Muhahaha!
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 1:55PM aurickle said
The dev diary sounds very promising. I've always appreciated the beauty of Evendim but hated the quest progression. It seems that could well change after this revamp!
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 2:00PM (Unverified) said
The water in LOTRO is still the most beautiful I have seen in any MMO. Even AOC does not do it as well as LOTRO does. The lakes in Evendim show this so beautifully!
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 2:01PM (Unverified) said
Oh and why does it say "Univerified" next to my posts?
I have been posting here for years now, but somehow my account is not working correctly anymore?
Anyone who can help me with that?
I have been posting here for years now, but somehow my account is not working correctly anymore?
Anyone who can help me with that?
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 2:14PM Deity said
Evendim always struck me as an "unfinished" zone with lots more potential. Nice to hear that the zone is getting some love.
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 2:21PM Lenn said
Great stuff. Luckily I still have a few alts under 30, so I can experience the new content the way it's meant to be.
I always liked Evendim (the water a poster above mentioned being a strong selling point), but the whole questing experience always seemed a little messy, especially now that we've been spoilt with the revamped Bree-land and Lone Lands zones offering a much tighter experience.
I always liked Evendim (the water a poster above mentioned being a strong selling point), but the whole questing experience always seemed a little messy, especially now that we've been spoilt with the revamped Bree-land and Lone Lands zones offering a much tighter experience.
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 2:57PM cowboyhugbees said
I just hit 31 with my main, currently suffering through Agamaur in the Lone Lands.
Should Evendim be my next stop? Or Trollshaws?
Should Evendim be my next stop? Or Trollshaws?
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 4:53PM Harley Dude said
How about revamping North Downs and cutting down on some of the group quests there?
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 5:05PM Anciegher said
I just can't get over the animations and look of the character's in this game. Had it not been for that this game could be awesome.
Posted: Mar 16th 2011 8:19PM Harley Dude said
@Anciegher
Yeah it's funny how the world can look so gorgeous, but the character models look like poo. I find myself thinking the same about TOR.
Reply
Yeah it's funny how the world can look so gorgeous, but the character models look like poo. I find myself thinking the same about TOR.







