Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-wish-lists-past-and-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-wish-lists-past-and-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-wish-lists-past-and-future/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Road to Mordor
Hobbits love making lists, don't they? In The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo had a lengthy list of friends and relatives to invite to his eleventy-first birthday party, and he didn't have the luxury of Facebook to help him out. I love lists as well, although I try to save most of that for my Perfect Ten column.

At the beginning of the year, I sat down and drafted up a "wish list" for Lord of the Rings Online's 2011 year, populating it with 11 changes and additions I was hoping to see by now. To my surprise, Turbine actually pulled off quite a few items on the list, and I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and examine which of my goals the team met and which remain elusive.

Also, since 2012 kicks off tomorrow, I'll look forward as well and draft up a dozen -- yes, one more over the year before -- wish list items that I'd love to see come true in the new year. It's my column; I can cry if I want to, after all. Let's get this party started!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Wish lists, past and future originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bilbobilbo-bagginsclassclass-deedscosmetic-weaponsexpansionf2pfeaturedfellowship of the ringFellowshipOfTheRingfree-to-playhousingiconiconsinstance-finderlegendary-itemslilondonlord-of-the-rings-onlinemines-of-moriamounted-combatplayer-housingrise-of-isengardrohansummer-festivalturbineturbine-entertainmentvirtuesvoice-oversvolume-2wardrobewish-listSat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fiesta Online celebrating third anniversary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/fiesta-online-celebrating-third-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/fiesta-online-celebrating-third-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/29/fiesta-online-celebrating-third-anniversary/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Three years ago today, Fiesta Online's first server opened to the public, and gamigo has just announced plans for the title's birthday celebration via a new press release. The festivities will run through August 18th and include "special events and major contests."

First up is the Birthday Cooking Competition and Come Party With Me events on the the Fiesta Facebook page. There's also the Fiesta Birthday Quest and Fiesta Online Summer Festival events, as well as new and exclusive track suit and mini gift items in the game's cash shop.

Fiesta is free-to-play and features five classes as well as PvP, in-game weddings, and an estate system that allows for decoration and personalization.

MassivelyFiesta Online celebrating third anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3-year-anniversaryanniversarybirthdaycome-party-with-mecooking-contesteventsf2pfiestafiesta-onlinefree-to-playgamigooutsparkpress-releasesummer-festivalthree-year-anniversaryFri, 29 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Allods Online patch 2.0.04 includes... underwear?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/25/allods-online-patch-2-0-04-includes-underwear/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/25/allods-online-patch-2-0-04-includes-underwear/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/25/allods-online-patch-2-0-04-includes-underwear/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Players have already been treated to a couple of sneak peeks at the new features coming to gPotato's Allods Online with the upcoming patch 2.0.04, and yet the stream of information continues! The game's team released yet another small preview of what's to come with the update on the site today, and from the looks of things, it would seem that Allods players will have their hands full.

Allods' Summer Festival arrives with patch 2.0.04, providing players with a plethora of new daily quests as well as the opportunity to procure brand-spankin'-new vanity items such as wings and undergarments (yes, undergarments). Even mounts will get in on the festivities with new mount color patterns available only to "elite players" who can conquer the challenges of Twilight Isle. The update also brings training dummies, changes to the Astral system, and more. For the full details on this upcoming addition, check out the official site.

MassivelyAllods Online patch 2.0.04 includes... underwear? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allodsallods-onlineastralastrum-nivalf2pfree-to-playgibberlings-in-lingeriegpotatopatch-2.0.04patchespreviewpreviewsrevelationsummer-festivaltraining-dummiesundergarmentsunderwearupdateswtf-is-that-oh-god-my-eyesSat, 25 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lord of the Rings Online's Summer Festival is here!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/lord-of-the-rings-onlines-summer-festival-is-here/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/lord-of-the-rings-onlines-summer-festival-is-here/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/21/lord-of-the-rings-onlines-summer-festival-is-here/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hear ye, hear ye, Free Peoples of Middle-earth! Summer is upon us, and that can only mean one thing: Lord of the Rings Online's Summer Festival is kicking into full swing. Throughout the course of the festival, you citizens of Middle-earth can "show your skill with reins or rod in the time-honored racing and fishing challenges [and] take part in new challenges too, and discover what new rewards are to be won!"

Those of you lot who are the gambling sort can place your bets on the keg races, as four Dwarves face off to see who is stoutest of stomach and fleetest of foot. If you'd prefer to show your own skills rather than placing wagers on others, then get behind the reins at the the horse races. After all that excitement, wind down with a scavenger hunt, or go drinking with the Ale Association or the Inn League for fun and profit. And what would any festival be without music and dancing? For the full details on this upcoming event, check out the announcement on LotRO's official site.

MassivelyLord of the Rings Online's Summer Festival is here! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playlord-of-the-rings-onlinelord-of-the-rings-online-summer-festivallotrolotro-summer-festivalsummer-festivalturbineturbine-entertainmentTue, 21 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: A year in Middle-earth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-a-year-in-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-a-year-in-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/31/the-road-to-mordor-a-year-in-middle-earth/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What a difference a year makes, eh? One year ago, and you didn't have to put up with me yammering at you every Friday like a hyperactive badger with a personality disorder. One year ago, and we weren't free-to-play-anything, Turbine was its own company, the festivals were nowhere near as cool as they are today, and shrews freely roamed the land without fear of reprisal.

So in my last Road to Mordor (of the year, stop rejoicing over there!), I thought it'd be great to look back at the wild rollercoaster that was 2010 in Lord of the Rings Online. I also thought I'd get an easy column out of all this, but that was before I had to read through 1,337 posts and my eyeballs began to lose pressure.

January

Stuff happened. Let's move on.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: A year in Middle-earth

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: A year in Middle-earth originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarybilboclosed-betacodemasterscontestcraftingddodungeons-and-dragons-onlinee3end-of-the-year-2010enedwaithexpansioneyeball-pressuref2pfall-festivalfree-to-playfrostbluff-theatrehaunted-burrowisengardisengard-private-preview-programjeff-jungejeffrey-steefelkate-paizlord-of-the-rings-onlinelore-masterlotrolotterieslotterylua-scriptingmoddingmodsoath-of-the-rangerspaxpax-2010pax-primeqareputation-mountsrise-of-isengardrune-keepersapienceshrew-stompingshrewssiege-of-mirkwoodspring-festivalsteed-of-nightsummer-festivalsyp-is-so-dreamytalk-like-a-pirate-daythe-road-to-mordorthird-anniversaryturbineturbine-entertainmentvaultvolume-iii-book-1wardrobewarner-broswbwinter-homeyule-festivalFri, 31 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Entitled]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/the-road-to-mordor-entitled/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/the-road-to-mordor-entitled/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/the-road-to-mordor-entitled/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A few days ago I asked the Massively community members what in-game titles they loved the most. Titles have been on my brain for the past week, as I've started to realize just how many -- how bogglingly, terrifyingly many -- exist in Lord of the Rings Online. I hadn't really given them a lot of thought before, because who really stops to read every small paragraph that magically floats above people's heads? "Frodo, Ring-bearer of the One Ring of Power, Fellowship of the Ring, Formerly of Bag End, The Shire." Yeah, we get it. You're Mr. Fancy Pants.

But really, titles are kind of neat, if only for the player who puts one on like a fine three-piece suit before an evening on the town. A title tells the world not only of your great (or not-so-great) accomplishments, but also a little about your personality -- after all, you chose that particular title to wear above all the others. A title can tell me if a player is really proud of his crafting achievements, or if he's a raider, or if he has a decent sense of humor.

While I'd say that -- like LotRO's hats -- a good bulk of the titles in the game are cosmetically useless, there exists quite a few that are worth procuring if you're into titular collection. Today we're going to look at some of my favorite titles in the game, as well as how to nab them. Please don't pee your pants in excitement.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Entitled

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Entitled originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazelingblind-leapercarnivorecodemastersenedwaithf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreemiumfrodogloomglenslord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-hatslucky-duckminstrelmoriaparachuting-bearspeeing-your-pants-is-coolrewardssauronslug-squasherspring-festivalsummer-festivalthe-peculiarthe-undyingtitletitlesturbineTurbine-EntertainmenttutorvegetarianFri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: I am not under the alfluence of incahol]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/05/one-shots-i-am-not-under-the-alfluence-of-incahol/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/05/one-shots-i-am-not-under-the-alfluence-of-incahol/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/05/one-shots-i-am-not-under-the-alfluence-of-incahol/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The worst part of having a great night of partying is always that blasted morning after! Whether you're talking about real-life overindulgences like cookout food and frosty beverages, or in-game happenings like too much ale at the Summer Festival in Lord of the Rings Online, there's always that period where you're staggering around. Today's drunken screenshot comes to us from Ocholorin on the Elendilmir server, who writes in:

"Hi. My name is Ocholorin, and I'm an alco... What? Just a game? Oh! Then I'll have another!"

There is something to be said for virtual hangovers fading much faster!

If you've captured an amusing screenshot from an in-game event, we'd love to see it. All you have to do is to email it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

MassivelyOne Shots: I am not under the alfluence of incahol originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breedrunklord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroocholorinone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotssummer-festivalturbineturbine-entertainmentMon, 05 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Live it up at LotRO's Summer Festival!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/29/live-it-up-at-lotros-summer-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/29/live-it-up-at-lotros-summer-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/29/live-it-up-at-lotros-summer-festival/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The halcyon days of summer are upon us, and between trips to the beach and leveling up our cooking skill at the grill, it's a perfect time to celebrate the outdoors. Of course, Lord of the Rings Online is all about the outdoors -- the hobbits have yet to perfect internet access -- and to encourage players to sample the lazier side of the season they've brought back the Summer Festival. Earlier this week LotRO Europe announced the festival's return, so it's great to get confirmation that Eastern-earth (aka Northa America) was going to see it as well.

This annual event encourages the Free Peoples of Middle-earth to take a break from the grind and engage in a few of the languorous activities that the game has to offer. Horse races, fireworks displays, fishing for tokens and scavenger hunts are all par for the course! There's also regular festival events that pop up at the four big yearly celebrations which include learning new dances and boosting your rep with either the Ale Association or the Inn League.

Hit the jump for a few links to help you plan your Summer Festival fun!

Continue reading Live it up at LotRO's Summer Festival!

MassivelyLive it up at LotRO's Summer Festival! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-casual-stroll-to-mordorale-associationguideinn-leaguelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-weeklylotro-wikisummer-festivalturbinewallpaperTue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Summer festival returns for European LotRO players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/25/summer-festival-returns-for-european-lotro-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/25/summer-festival-returns-for-european-lotro-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/25/summer-festival-returns-for-european-lotro-players/#commentsFiled under: , ,

June 29th is just a few days away, and if you're a Lord of the Rings Online player in Europe, that means it's almost party time! The Summer Festival is returning to Middle-earth, bringing all of your old favorites such as Keg Racing and Taste of Hobbiton.

You've got plenty of time to participate in the celebration, because it's going on for quite a while. Events will last until July 29th, and you'll find celebrations taking place at several locations throughout Middle-earth. Visit the Shire, Ered Luin, Bree-land and Thorin's Hall to participate.

Check out the Lord of the Rings Online official announcement for all of the current information.

MassivelySummer festival returns for European LotRO players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemasterslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-europesummer-festivalFri, 25 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Forum diving]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/the-road-to-mordor-forum-diving/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/the-road-to-mordor-forum-diving/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/the-road-to-mordor-forum-diving/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

[Special note: Obviously, the news that LotRO is going free-to-play hit after this article was already written, so stay tuned as we dissect what it means for existing and potential new customers next week!]

Lately, it feels like we're in a holding pattern for Lord of the Rings Online. The last major content patch, Volume III: Book 1, is fading into distant memory, and we're pushing into summer without definite news of the next update -- or better yet, the next expansion. Players are also nervous about any changes or new directions the game may take after the recent acquisition of Turbine by Warner Bros., and the silence certainly doesn't help any.

However, there's always hope in the darkest places of Middle-earth, and the same can be said for the game itself. The Summer Festival should be around the corner, and as for new news, Sapience handed out a bit of vague encouragement on the forums: "You guys know we're preparing an announcement. I can't give you a specific date as to when we'll make it, but I can say I just ran into Adam Mersky coming out of an E3 planning meeting and he was pretty stoked!"

While we continue the wait for the next step forward for LotRO, I thought it'd be a good idea to head over to the official forums and do a little diving for some of the more interesting topics and discussions bouncing around the LotRO community today.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Forum diving

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Forum diving originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>13371337-speekadam-merskyburglarclass-feedbackcodemasterscosmetic-outfitdx-11e3easter-eggseueuropeforumsiconsleet-speaklord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-lotterymicrotransactionsofficial-forumsprofanity-filterrivendellsapiencesummer-festivalturbinevolume-3-book-1volume-iii-book-1warner-brosweathertopFri, 04 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO dev diary looks at this year's Summer Festival]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/25/lotro-dev-diary-looks-at-this-years-summer-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/25/lotro-dev-diary-looks-at-this-years-summer-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/25/lotro-dev-diary-looks-at-this-years-summer-festival/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Now that the Summer Festival has begun in Lord of the Rings Online, a new developer diary has been posted that tells us a bit about some of the events, and what's different from previous festivals. This year, party invitations have been sent to each player's mailbox. This is more than a formality -- handing in the invitation will net you a Summer Festival Guide and Fishing Guide, to help with your enjoyment of the festivities and to make sure that you don't miss out on anything that's going on. There should also be an extra little present along with the two guides.

The developer diary goes on to talk about two big events that are taking place during the Festival, The Keg Races at Thorin's Hall and The Taste of Hobbiton. Each of these events has four contestants, and you can learn a lot more about them at the diary. Lastly, it unfortunately looks like the Festival Run Horse Races won't be held this year. However, it's not all bad news: "The festival run token is still being offered as a reward to those who can generate a sizeable quantity of barter tokens. This means the Lithe horse and pony will still be available to those who look forward to owning this eye-catching mount."

MassivelyLotRO dev diary looks at this year's Summer Festival originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemastersdev-diarydeveloper-diaryfestival-run-horse-racesfishinglithe-horselithe-ponylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-summer-festivalsummer-festivalthe-keg-races-at-thorins-hallthe-taste-of-hobbitonturbineThu, 25 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO Book 8 launches today in the US; Thursday 25th slated as tentative European release]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/23/lotro-book-8-launches-today-in-the-us-thursday-25th-slated-as-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/23/lotro-book-8-launches-today-in-the-us-thursday-25th-slated-as-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/23/lotro-book-8-launches-today-in-the-us-thursday-25th-slated-as-t/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The time has finally come for players of the US/Oceanic version of Lord of the Rings Online to experience Volume 2 Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm, as the large patch makes it to the live servers today. The information-packed official update notes are long and dense; here is a small sample of the changes and additions:

  • The Epic Book 8 quest line, involving the thwarting of Gorothúl, sorcerer of Dol Guldur
  • The Summer Festival, including two new events, located at The Shire and the area outside Thorin's Hall
  • A huge crafting revamp
  • Numerous class tweaks
  • A barter system for First Age Legendary Items
  • Changes to Lothlorien Gift Boxes
  • A boat NPC for Lake Everswim... er, Evendim!
Of course, to get the full scoop on these changes and more you'll want to sift through the actual notes, or for a more visual take, you can check the dev tour we were given late last month that looks at some of these things.

The other good news is that we now know that Thursday the 25th is the tentative release date for Book 8 on the European servers. It was first spotted on the LotRO-Europe Twitter, and later backed up by Community Officer Faya on the forums. We're expecting official confirmation of the European launch date within the next 24 hours.

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 8 Dev Tour

New Hobbit eventOn your mark...Go go go go!Turning in your tokensDwarven race event

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 8

MassivelyLotRO Book 8 launches today in the US; Thursday 25th slated as tentative European release originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcodemasterslaunchlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-book-2.8patchscourge-of-khazad-dumsummer-festivalturbineTue, 23 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO dev tour: Massively's look at Book 8]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lotro-dev-tour-massivelys-look-at-book-8/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lotro-dev-tour-massivelys-look-at-book-8/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lotro-dev-tour-massivelys-look-at-book-8/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Once again, Turbine has been kind enough to offer us a sneak peek look at the newest Book update to Lord of the Rings Online. This newest one, Volume 2, Book 8, introduces two new 3-man instances, a 6-man space and their largest instance to date: an enormous 12-man instance with six bosses! In addition, there's a revamp of quests in the 15-25 level range, many crafting system improvements and the Summer Festival, complete with new events and a different way to win the festival horse.

This dev tour was given by Aaron "Rowan" Campbell, Live Producer for LotRO and Adam Mersky, Turbine's Director of Communications. It focused mainly on the new instances, as we were shown the highlights of each space, including the incredibly difficult bosses at the end. Follow along in our 26-image gallery below for more on what we saw in Book 8.

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 8 Dev Tour

New Hobbit eventOn your mark...Go go go go!Turning in your tokensDwarven race event

MassivelyLotRO dev tour: Massively's look at Book 8 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelldev-tourfeaturedinstanceslotrolotro-book-2.8rowansummer-festivalturbineFri, 29 May 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Midnight riders]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/one-shots-midnight-riders/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/one-shots-midnight-riders/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/one-shots-midnight-riders/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It seems that the recent festival has brought in more Lord of the Rings Online pictures in from far and wide. Today's One Shots shows off a kinship riding off for adventure courtesy of a ride from the last festival! Rhedbjerd writes in and tells us more about this particular screenshot: This one didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, but it's a pic of the Laer En Tul Acharn kinship crossing the Ford of Bruinen in the central Trollshaws on the way to Rivendell. You can't really see it, but we're all on the summer festival horses. What impresses us is that you can see the horses reflected in the water too. Nice touch!

Do you have a screenshot showing your guild, kinship, battlegroup, or [insert group name here] heading off into battle, adventure, cat herding or shenanigans together? Grab those screenshots and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name/group/server and a quick description. We'll post them up for all to see and give you the credit!

Gallery: One Shots



MassivelyOne Shots: Midnight riders originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroone-shotsrhedbjerdscreenshotscreenshotssummer-festivalturbineThu, 02 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO's Summer Festival returns until September 1st]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/lotros-summer-festival-returns-until-september-1st/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/lotros-summer-festival-returns-until-september-1st/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/23/lotros-summer-festival-returns-until-september-1st/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


That's right, after the recent uproar on the forums, Lord of the Rings Online's Summer Festival is back until September 1st, 2008. So if you never finished gaining all of your dance emotes, gathering quests or winning that festival horse, you still have a chance through next weekend.

The main reason for this extension is the fact that many of the bugs and problems with the festival, such as the broken music box and gaudy horse saddle colors, were fixed in a patch after the festival had finished. As expected, many players weren't happy with this, so Turbine decided to go for the extension. So now is your chance to read up on our Summer Festival guide and enjoy yourself for another week of festivities!

MassivelyLotRO's Summer Festival returns until September 1st originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemastersextendedlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrosummer-festivalturbineSat, 23 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Newest LotRO patch fixes Auction House bug]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/newest-lotro-patch-fixes-auction-house-bug/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/newest-lotro-patch-fixes-auction-house-bug/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/newest-lotro-patch-fixes-auction-house-bug/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The first official patch to Lord of the Rings Online's Book 14 has arrived today, and with it comes mostly bug fixes, gameplay balance issues and crafting improvements. However, some of the most pressing changes were ironically added at the very bottom of the patch notes page.

In order of awesomeness: Summer Festival music boxes now work properly, the Summer Festival horse's blanket has been "toned down" and the Auction House has been fixed! Yes, that's right, the annoying bug that prevented spaces and dashes to be entered into the AH search box (except for dragging and dropping the name from an existing item) has now been fixed. This means we can all go back to searching for items that we didn't already own, which was not fun and caused many players to forego the AH completely until this bug was fixed. Rejoice! It is now fixed.

MassivelyNewest LotRO patch fixes Auction House bug originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auction-housecodemasterslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-book-14patchpatch-notessummer-festivalturbineThu, 21 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO weekly roundup questions Turbine's intentions with the Rune-keeper]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/lotro-weekly-roundup-questions-turbines-intentions-with-the-run/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/lotro-weekly-roundup-questions-turbines-intentions-with-the-run/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/lotro-weekly-roundup-questions-turbines-intentions-with-the-run/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In this week's Lord of the Rings Online forum roundup over at Ten Ton Hammer, some interesting points are made on the state of game, Tolkien's view of magic and the player impressions of the Summer Festival. Don't let the high-brow lore excerpts fool you though, the expected forum negativity still shines through this week.

The Summer Festival horse's appearance has been a topic of debate since the photos from Roheryn first surfaced last month. The bright green and yellow saddle has been called everything from psychedelic to nauseating. So it should be no surprise that players are petitioning for a change. Plus, the most-heated debate in this week's roundup revolves around Tolkien's view on magic, its usage by Man and the new Rune-keeper. Does this mean the new magic-user class won't be accessible to the race of Man, or does it mean the lore will need to be stretched a bit? Either way, expect a few complaints here and there.

MassivelyLotRO weekly roundup questions Turbine's intentions with the Rune-keeper originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemasterslord-of-the-rings-onlinelorelotrorune-keepersummer-festivalten-ton-hammertolkienturbineThu, 07 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO Summer Festival goes live]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/lotro-summer-festival-goes-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/lotro-summer-festival-goes-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/lotro-summer-festival-goes-live/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Way back in early July, we wrote up a complete guide to this year's Summer Festival in Lord of the Rings Online, and now players have the chance to experience this festival on the live servers!

This festival comes about 6 weeks later than it did last year, but is packed with much more to do and see. There's Horse races in Bree and The Shire, there's the Inn League initiation, there's dance-offs, fireworks and much more. Just remember to talk to the Town Crier in any major town for more information on the specific events. He's the one with the giant purple flag on the radar map. Also be sure to check out our complete Summer Festival guide and most importantly: have fun!

MassivelyLotRO Summer Festival goes live originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bree-landcodemasterslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrosummer-festivalthe-shireturbineFri, 01 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A complete guide to the LotRO Summer Festival]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/a-complete-guide-to-the-lotro-summer-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/a-complete-guide-to-the-lotro-summer-festival/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/a-complete-guide-to-the-lotro-summer-festival/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


As Turbine has shown in past Lord of the Rings Online events, they certainly know how to throw a party. The best part is the fact that these parties keep getting better and better each year! This year will certainly follow that trend as the Summer Festival quickly approaches Middle-earth. As of yet, the festival hasn't gone live, but if you'd like to enjoy the celebrations before they hit the live server, you have two choices: you can roll up a character on Roheryn or you can read this guide. That's right, we here at Massively have done all the dirty work for you so you can be fully prepared to get the most from your Summer Festival experience.

As with last year's festival, this year's event is celebrated under different names for each race of Middle-earth. For the Hobbits it's called Lithe Days. For the Men, it is referred to as Summerdays. It is Summerfest for the Dwarves and the Festival of Enedhin for the Elves. Each festival is celebrated in different areas of the map, and most of these festivals share very similar events.

Continue on with our complete Summer Festival tour>>

MassivelyA complete guide to the LotRO Summer Festival originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemastersfeaturedguidejoystiqfeatureslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-book-14summer-festivaltown-crierturbineWed, 09 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST