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Ooh exciting, new skills, quests, zones, and ENTS!
Here's the press release - Champions, get ready to /dance1
The greatest fantasy of all time continues to expand! Beginning in May, heroes can adventure to the shores of Evendim, the first free update to The Lord of the Rings Online.Key Features:
Well, it's been on everyone's lips: just how well is The Lord of the Rings Online really doing?
All this back-patting from Codemasters / Turbine, yet no signs that the game is performing in accordance with their congratulatory promotion.
Until now...
An EU server is opening soon - Gilrain - the first of, hopefully, many.
I must say that the servers do look rather crowded. My server last night was jam-packed with folks in Bree, making it almost unplayable!
So this is good news!
So if you are starting a new char, this is the server to join!
So, I've been playing LOTRO for seven days now. Well, actually, it was only five because the servers were down for two days.
My time in Middle Earth is now complete and it's time for my review.
Now, I want to start by saying that we live in a competitive age. There are tonnes of MMOs out there and a game has to be really good these days to compete. It has to be at least as good as its competition, and lately, that standard has been high indeed. The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar is Turbine's fourth attempt at a massively multiplayer online game - with the emphasis being on the massive part.
Launch Impressions: I don't think the launch was particularly impressive. The servers were all over the place with a great deal of down time. I couldn't play at all for two of the seven days of my play time. I know there's a good amount of patience to be had at the start of any new game, but really, that's unacceptable. I work in project management and if the servers I'd installed had these problems, I'd be out of a job. Yet we accept the shoddy service in MMOs - not quite sure why.
That said, on to the review.
I'm going to put the summary at the start, because I can start there and work backward. The game is good, with the potential to be fantastic, but there are some annoying niggles which prevent it from greatness, and which may stop it from ever being the game it deserves to be.
Note: I feel that other reviews have perhaps been overly generous, whether that's because it's the Lord of the Rings, or because of kindness toward Turbine's previous releases (that have been less than favourable), or simply because they love the game, I can't say, but here are my honest and unbiased comments.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a World of Warcraft fan. I don't even play the game. I find it the lowest common denominator of MMos. But I can see why it was so massively successul and those thoughts will filter into this review.
Atmosphere: I'm starting with this because it's so great. In this area the game has no competition. The world feels alive. It's totally in keeping with the books and there really is a lot to see and do. Nothing like seeing the party field behind Bag End for the first time, or a hulking cave troll - just like the movie (even though it's not supposed to have anything to do with the movies). The Nazgul are abroad, working their nefarious schemes and the flavour of Middle Earth is everywhere. It all looks so beautiful and it's totally immersive - far more so than any other game!
Graphic Engine: Of most importance is the game's engine. I'm going to talk about this a lot - it's the first thing you see when you start up a game and the tool you have to use every moment you play. Turbine's engine is great, but it just doesn't feel finished to me. It's neither smooth nor particularly polished. There are no apparent bugs, but when you're gliding across the floor while being attacked, that needs some work.
I am going to talk about the Warcraft engine now. The reason WOW was so very successful was that the engine was so beautiful. It was immediately accessible to whoever you were - old or new gamer. Regardless of game play, the engine was stable and polished - it just felt 'right'. Other games haven't quite managed to get that balance in their engines. LOTRO feels ever so slightly clunky and some things (like targetting) are more work than they need to be. I also had trouble with emotes and the chat engine isn't as polished as it should be (but Turbine have had trouble with that in the past)
That said, it is a perfectly serviceable engine, derived from AC2. I'd have preferred a new engine, but this one does the trick.
But by far the most irritating thing about the combat system is this: all of your powers are on a time delay, which means when you click on an icon, there's a time period between that click and the ability coming into effect. This takes away any sense of realism from the combat and makes it more of a generic point and click combat. I noticed on many occasions that I'd clicked on a potion to use it, and yet I'd died before I'd even had a chance to drink it, because the engine was off doing something else (I was swinging my staff or generally whirling about). The pacing just feels wrong here. I'd have preferred a more intuitive combat system, but this is clearly just a matter of preference and will take some getting used to.
Questing: There are so many quests in Middle Earth. Really, the world is filled with them. The Shire is crammed with quests of all kinds, from the generic take X here or kill X creatures, to the more unusual, like pie eating contests. There are a lot of new and fun quests and it's the difference in quests which makes the game interesting and really detracts from other games of its type. The epic quest line in particular is fantastic and the story is exactly what you'd expect it to be from a game based on Tolkien's work.
People have complained that the quests are too vague, but who wants handholding? There are other games like that that walk you through the quests (even telling you exactly where to go on your minimap). When a quest giver says: "oh, somewhere to the north", people this is GOOD. It means you have to explore, to take time finding that person. Really, if you can't be bothered to look, then you're in the wrong game. I hear people ask all day long where X is - something I found after two minutes of exploration.
It seems people want spoon feeding throughout their games.
Classes: I've only played the Loremaster to level 15, and I thought the whole statement of 'there are no wizards in this game' was an utterly shameless promotion. Loremasters are absolutely the same as mages in any other game. They've got fire spells which they throw, and debuffs and all the staple spells of wizards. I just fail to see how they're any different. Loremasters seem very weak, and they're not perhaps as much fun as I'd hoped they be. Certainly, most other classes can kill things in a fraction of the time of the loremaster - but I have a feeling their time will come at higher levels.
The classes are fun, and lots of them make naughty sex noises in combat - which is good for any game!
Monster Play: Is phenomenal. Such a great concept. If Turbine don't improve and enhance it with as much care as they've done the rest of the game, this will be a concept lost on many, but for now it's fantastic and filled with potential. The PVPers will love Monster Play - if they ever get to see it!
Lag: I've encountered some lag in Bree and other populated areas. I don't tend to experience lag in other games, so this was something of a disappointment. I get the feeling Turbine doesn't know how to properly code towns (they had lots of problems with AC2), hence the lag. I've heard this will be cleared up over time, so I can only hope so as right now Bree is a hard place to visit at busy times.
I also dislike the fact that all the buildings are instanced (update: it's actually called "zoning" - consider me corrected!). I know I've mentioned this before but it takes away from the atmosphere. I know Turbine have a problem with buildings in their engine (which was just another reason to code a new engine for this game), but it's purely cosmetic and I'm in favour of anything that makes the game run more smoothly (so long as it's not instanced worlds or zones).
Overall: LOTRO is a good if not, brilliant game. It's evocative and atmospheric and absolutely true to Tolkien's work. It's a decent distraction from other games and there's some true gems in there that really make this game stand out. Deeds are great fun, there's so much to do, not only do you level up, but you can collect deeds from various areas, which give you new titles. Collecting them all would be an achievement! Crafting is decent, and the questing is a joy to play.
I got lots of comments about my very first comment on day one that "People were comparing LOTRO to WOW", well that's only natural, and my experience so far is that I've tried to get my WOW playing friends to sample LOTRO and, they've all said: It's good, but the game play isn't as good as WOW. So this is a serious hurdle the developers have to overcome.
My friends like the game and the look of the world, but they universally felt that it doesn't play as well as Warcraft. In this day and age, to be competitive a game needs to be AS GOOD as the benchmark (which is Warcraft). The engine needs to be supremely playable and fun, too. It needs to be sturdy and resilient and I'm just not sure if LOTRO is up to that challenge. As I've said it's perfectly serviceable, but I think it'll turn off a lot of people by being just that little bit fiddly.
It's like having a car with power steering. You can never go back to standard drive, if you do, driving becomes hard work. Well it feels the same here.
So there you go, my review! Now that my 7 day trial has expired, will I be returning to Middle Earth? Absolutely! It's a great game with great potential. I think I'll give it a month, and then come back with the June patch. Maybe then Turbine will have had the time to correct those niggles, and you never know, maybe the combat will be on a more realistic timer - giving you some real oomph in combat (where blows feel like they're connecting). There's so much to see and do, I feel it would be an injustice not to get to Rivendell and to see all those sights that I've only dreamed about for so many years...
From here, Middle Earth can only go from strength to strength.
Score: The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar scores a meaty 8 out of 10. Good, but with room for improvement!
To all those staunch Warcraft players I say this: give this game a try. It's well worth the price of the box for a genuinely thrilling month of play in a truly atmospheric world.
This is the last of my postings on The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar for the moment, I hope you've enjoyed them! I hop to see you all in Middle Earth in the near future.
Disagree with any part of this review? Let me know. Post your comments below.
Rather than do another day’s write up of my time in Middle Earth, I
thought I’d try something different. So, for all those people saying
"there’s nothing to do in The Lord of the Rings Online", I say you’re wrong.
Here is my top 10 list of things to do in Middle Earth.
10. Jam: Play music and entertain the weary masses after a long days questing! There are a good number of instruments in Middle Earth, and more on the way. You will eventually be able to sing to your fellow comrades! Will Middle Earth soon be looking for the next Pop Idol?
9. Undying: Get to 20th level without dying and earn the coveted “Undying” Title.
8. Help a Stranger: Take time out to help people under your level. Help a newcomer to Middle Earth – you might just make a friend!
7. Go on a Raid: There are several raids in the game (many in Ettenmoors) and several to come! Do battle against the mightiest foes Middle Earth current has to offer.
6. Craft Something: Max out your skills – become a Master Crafter and proudly show off your title and wares.
5. Complete your Deeds Log: When you’ve finished questing, there’s still a lot more to accomplish. There are countless deeds to perform all across Middle Earth. Your Deed Log is brimming with things to do and see in order to gain those rare titles. Can you complete every Deed?
4. Questing: There are hundreds of quests in Middle Earth of a boggling variety from pie eating contests, to slaying beasties, to the epic quest line (for which you might need a few friends).
3. Follow the Ring / Exploring: There's so much to see. So many zones and wonders. You could visit Bilbo’s Stone Trolls, explore Rivendell, or see the sights of the great battle with Aragorn and the Nazgul on Weathertop… Or you could simply follow the quest that Frodo took all the way East from the doors of Bag End!
2. Monster Play: Create a monster, earn Destiny Points, and battle for the Enemy against the Free Peoples.
1. Role Play: After all, this IS a role playing game based on the grandaddy of fantasy role playing games.
Can you think of more things to do? Let me know.
Each character has the ability to equip traits earned while playing the game. These traits give the character a number of different bonuses or abilities. Any trait combination can be equipped as long as they have enough trait slots. Beginning at 7th level, the number of trait slots a character has is dependent on level.
There is a wide variety of traits, and they have multiple levels that can be earned as you progress through the game.
Traits can be easily switched and changed by visiting a bard found in most towns - although this costs money - which is in short supply.
Virtue traits are common amongst all races and classes, and can be earned by completing general goals such as killing a number of spiders, or completing enough quests in an area. These Traits generally improve your statistics, resistances, as well as enhancing your total morale or other statistics.
Class Traits are traits specific to a certain class. These are generally earned by using a class skill or power often enough, or meeting certain conditions with these skills often enough. (Such as achieving enough critical strikes with a certain skill.) These skills tend to improve the power of certain abilities, generally making them more effective.
Racial Traits are traits that are specific to each of the races. These traits confer special abilities or improvements to the user though there are several traits in this category per race, only a relatively limited number can be used at one time. However, since the traits vary based on how useful they are for the players class, this is not an issue.
Legendary Traits are rare and much harder to obtain, as a result, they confer stronger bonuses to the user than general traits do.
These were screenshots sent in to me showing the difference from a low-end graphics card to the very highest end.
You can even click on these pictures to study them in their full size!
As a test, compare the blurry tiles in the foreground of picture 1 to that of picture 5. A HUGE difference!
1. Low Resolution
2. Medium Resolution
3. High Resolution
4. Really, oh my goodness, High Resolution
Pretty impressive, if you ask me!
Send me your screenshots! What's the best graphical settings we can see in The Lord of the Rings Online?
I've had more than 80,000 unique hits to this column in the last week.
I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has read my colum, and who has taken the time to post comments.
Keep them coming. I want to hear your news and all the juicy gossip from Middle Earth.
I was asked to join a guild the other day. But before I could join, I have to 'prove' my worth by doing a quest with them, they wanted me to do something called an ‘Epic’ Quest.
Now, I had no idea what this meant at the time, and many of you might not, either. So when I detail the quest later, there will be a * * *SPOILER * * * section written over the bits that aren't safe to read.
Now I want to savour my time in Middle Earth; I don’t want to race through the quests at breakneck speed; I’ve been pottering about so far, and as far as I’m concerned that’s more than enough for me.
For those that don’t know, I was involved in a race to 60 on the Warcraft servers the moment they went live (at midnight) and it took me until my mid 40s to realise: what the HELL am I doing? I have a life, this is a game, not a job, and I’d like to savour what content there is left in this game rather than simply racing through it.
So that’s what I did there, and that’s what I’m doing here. Certainly, Middle Earth has a lot more content and a lot more to offer, so it’s well worth taking your time. After all, it’s the journey that counts (unless you’re currently close to 40th level in which case please don’t sleep until you’ve got to 40 and want to message me offering yourself up to my lovely spider in Monster Play – tee hee!)
So with the guild offer declined, I finally managed to get myself to Bree where I would soon find out about Epic quests on my own, without people rushing me through the content on a wild race to level 50.
The streets of Bree
Now, aside from some lag issues (which apparently are being sorted)
Bree looks amazing. Other game developers take note: this is how to make a PROPER town!
Again, Turbine have done a fantastic job of keeping Bree entirely
with the character and style of the books. It's a great place to visit!
The only thing I don’t like are the fact that all the buildings are instanced – but that’s just a personal thing. I imagine it’s got something to do with the complexities of programming and makes the game run smoother and anything that does that is OK by me!
Finally, I found the Prancing Pony.
And here’s Barliman Butterbur, a fat innkeeper who only remembers his name because people shout it at him all day…
Bree by night. Simply gorgeous!
My point here is that there's all this beautiful scenery, there are more quests than you can possibly shake a very large+5 Stick of Shaking at, yet people seem intent on racing through the content, only to reach the top level when they cry "there's no content!"
There are all kinds of quests in Middle Earth, but what strikes me as the most important quests are the Story Quests. Yes, there are the homogenous: “Take A Pie to the Party Field”, or “Kill Six Bears”, but by far the best quests, and where Turbine absolutely stands out, is with the Story Quests.
You begin with the Prologue, which sets the scene for Middle Earth and introduces some new evils to the world.
But first, some background.
Note: What follows is only the ELF introduction; I’ve not yet played any of the others, but here’s a sample of how intricate and interesting the storylines are in Lord of the Rings Online.
If you remember way back to the introduction; that’s right, when you first started up the game and created your very first elf character, you began the game at the Refuge of Edhelion when all kind of bad things were happening.
Now, the Refuge was being attacked by an evil dwarf-lord called Skorgrim Dourhand – and we will learn more of his evil later. You had to run through burning buildings, kill evil dwarves, only to finally discover that Skorgrim was seeking some mystical relics which were cloistered away deep within Edhelion.
Sadly, when Skorgrim tries to steal the relics, the building (ruined in the attack) collapses on him, killing both Skorgrim, and burying the relics forever.
Or so you thought …
Twelves Levels Later: The Epic Quest Line really is stunning. It began in Bree at the Prancing Pony, where I found Strider in his private chambers. He appraised me with his dark eyes, and at once, his face fell, as he was filled with shadow.
* * * SPOILER – DON’T READ ON IF YOU WANT TO PRESERVE THE MYSTERY OF THE FIRST PART OF THE ELF EPIC QUEST * * *
Apparently, the dwarf-lord Skorgrim was not slain in the destruction of the Refuge of Edhelion – oh no. As these things invariably do, the evil one survived to sew his wicked seeds anew, and this time, he’s hiding out with his evil cohorts in the Blackwold Camp. There he lurks, with a wicked shadow called Amdir. It is this shadow Strider could sense, and it is Amdir we seek to destroy.
Agreeing to help, I went off with Strider into the darkness of Chetwood where we met with Lenglinn and Torthann (lots of Ns at the ennd of nnames there!)
I had to accompany Torthann to investigate the shadow that surrounded Blackwold Keep. Together, Torthann and I went down into the darkness, where we encountered some bandits. Nothing too scary there, I hear you cry.
While a simple Loremaster, my combat skills were insufficient to defeat the bandits; instead I focused on keeping Torthann alive as we ventured ever deeper into Blackwold Keep.
Finally, the bandits slain, we fought our way to this huge stairway.
What I encountered on the other side surprised and thrilled me, for at the top, we encountered Amdir, Skorgrim, and a much greater threat: the Nazgul.
It seemed that Skorgrim was in league with the darkest powers of Middle Earth – which can only mean one thing: that the Eye was upon us!
A cold mist enveloped the top of that stairway and the place we had found ourselves – Ost Baranor – was transformed into a realm of pure terror. We were frozen in place with fear as Skorgrim conducted his foul dealings with the wicked shadow. Thankfully, the Nazgul fled, leaving us with Skorgrim and Amdir, no longer a mere servant, for he arose from his funeral slab after making the ultimate sacrifice. The Nazgul had bestowed upon him the wicked power of the Dark Lord - transforming him into a fell wight!
No longer was he merely Amdir, but the fell shadow Cargul!
Destroying the wight, we faced the unholy wrath of Skorgrim himself…
But we were victorious. My group and I shattered his power (I had to
come back a few times, with a group, to be sure to finally defeat the
evil of Amdir and Skorgrim).
Returning to Strider, we claimed our prize, but this all goes to show how in-depth the story is. Nazgul, evil minions, and the story goes on, for Skorgrim has his own dark masters, and what is his connection with the Dark Lord Sauron?
I’m sure I’ll find out in the fullness of time.
Overall, a surprising, thrilling, and really very evocative story. One of the best I’ve encountered in any MMO.
And this is just the beginning!
There are some unfortunate reports of people being charged multiple times for their Lord of the Rings Online Lifetime subscription.
So make sure you check your credit card statements carefully in the foreseeable future.
I think this is pretty bad and Codemasters (the publisher for LOTRO) should get this cleared up as soon as possible.
Turbine have done a cracking job on this game, the last thing they need is their publisher cocking up any more than they already have.
So go check those statements!
Been charged twice? Let me know.
These are just some of the improvements mentioned in the last Developer's Chat. Consider these the highlights for your viewing pleasure!
There's no really hard and fast information here, but it is still an appetiser for what's to come...
CONTENT
And lastly, complaints about the game being too easy: Think again. You’ve not sampled Carn Dûm yet!
GAME IMPROVEMENTS
GRAPHICAL IMPROVEMENTS
GENERAL UPDATES
GRAPHICAL UPDATES
And that's it! A lot of things covered there.
A lot of updates coming in the next expansion, barely two months away!
Before I go on to my next exciting adventure, I wanted to show you just how amazing Middle Earth really is.
This is the Shire.
Just look at that rainbow!
Imagine sitting here with Gandalf, blowing smoke rings and discussing past adventures.
Enjoy the simple and awesome beauty of Hobbiton. Notice the beautiful water effects on this glorious summer’s day.
Now I’m only playing the game on a crappy low-spec PC, and I can only imagine what Hobbiton would look like on a higher setting. In fact I long to see the game with the high-resolution textures on a really meaty top-end PC.
MESSAGE FROM THE DARK LORD
Something very interesting happened when I reached 10th level: I received a message from the dark powers when I found this.
This instrument of evil allowed me to peer into the depths of the Enemy’s mind - and allowed me access to Monster Play (MP). If you don’t know, monster play is a form of PVP where a player can assume the role of a monster and engage in battle with other players.
But it's also SO much more...
Now, one thing I’ve learned about life is that people frequently dismiss things without trying them, and so many people have uttered: "Bah, LOTRO has no PVP."
I've heard it SO many times.
And boy are they wrong!
While it’s not PVP as you would expect, it’s new and innovative and fun and has a LOT of potential. In fact, it’s absolutely brilliant. I'd say it's more evocative and exciting than PVP in any other game.
Once you access the Monster Play screen (and you must be 10th level or higher), you are presented with the five monsters you can play:
Now they’re all level 50 monsters, so at the time of writing they’re FAR too potent for any normal player of Middle Earth to face – but that time will come.
Note: This is the first time I’ve been dying for those power levellers to
reach level 40 just so I can sink my fangs into their throats in
service of the Dark Lord, Sauron!
Be warned - this isn’t your Alliance vs. Horde stuff. You really feel like you’re playing a different game in a bloody and violent world. The stakes have changed, the very world has changed... Gone are the peaceful, fat hobbits - to be replaced by trolls and uruk-hai!
I was so very surprised to be wandering among the wicked minions of Middle Earth. It’s very atmospheric and yet another string to this already accomplished game’s bow.
This is me as my wicked spider Varshk.
Running really creeped me out!
When you log in as your monster, everything changes. For a start, the whole interface is darker, and you really feel, as you log into the Ettenmoors (one of the sites of the Dark Lord’s power) that you’re on the side of evil.
Here's a look at the Monster Play starter area.
And here's your first quest giver.
I wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night out...
So, as there weren't any Free Peoples players of a high enough level to engage in PVP, I had to find something else to do.
But what else is there to do in Monster Play?
Well, a lot, actually!
What surprised me the most was that you have quests to do as a monster (the Dark Lord has his dark schemes in place and you are a part of those plans to bring the shadow to Middle Earth). Quests earn you all kinds of juicy rewards (see below).
There are lots of quests - from poisoning the water supplies
of the Ettenmoors (mwa haa haa) to obtaining resources for the Dark Lord's evil schemes. Or you can ignore the quests altogether and go about gaily killing other players. Well, you can when they get their fingers out and actually get to a high enough level to pose a threat to you!
There’s a lot to do here and I had picked up 12 quests in the short
time I explored Monster Play.
It's good being mean!
MONSTER PLAY REWARDS
So, apart from the sheer joy of slaughtering the Free Peoples of Middle Earth in bloody carnage, why would you bother with Monster Play?
Well, there are lots of advantages - they come in the form of:
• Destiny Points
• Rank
• Renown & Infamy
• Rating
• Prestige
• Perks
Destiny Points: Both your Free Peoples characters and monsters can earn Destiny Points (DPs), and both your monster and your Free Peoples characters can benefit from this pool of points. DPs can be used to purchase new skills, improvements to armour, extra damage, and so forth for your monster character. In addition, Free Peoples characters can spend them on Perks (see below).
Rank: Rank is a reflection of your standing and service to the Free Peoples as a normal character, and favour earned in service to Angmar's army as a monster character. Each type of character, monster or Free Peoples, can earn up to 15 of the available ranks (note I've no idea what these ranks are - yet!).
Renown & Infamy: Renown (for Free Peoples characters) and Infamy (for monsters) are similar to experience. Each time you defeat an enemy, whether solo, in a fellowship or in a raid, you earn an amount of Renown or Infamy largely based on the rating of the defeated foe. Earned Renown and Infamy are never lost, and continue to drive you closer to ever higher Ranks.
Rating: Rating is a fluctuating number that rises and falls based on your victories and defeats in player vs. monster player combat (PvMP). The amount of rating points earned or lost depends on your rating and the rating of your opponent or opponents. A higher rating grants bonus Renown/Infamy from PvMP victories.
Prestige: Prestige is a visual representation of your Player Versus Monster Player (PvMP) rating. Prestige appears as a collection of stars surrounding your player portrait.
Perks: Perks are short-term buffs which benefit your Free Peoples characters, and can be used to boost your strength, increase your speed, and even give you more experience points. Perks are purchased with Destiny Points earned through monster play.
In Summary: There’s a lot to take in here and this is just the beginning. I know Turbine has plans to greatly enhance Monster Play, and as it’s already so fantastic (and a great amount of fun), there's so much potential.
I can see myself spending a LOT of time in Monster Play.
For those people who say: Bah LOTRO has nothing new to offer, I say look again! It has something better, something totally in-keeping with the mythology and the setting. Something far more atmospheric!
Monster Play is a brilliant idea.
Tomorrow: I really will make Bree, visit Aragorn, and face up against the evil Barrow Downs, but for now, here’s me logging as my spider on a rock. I really did feel very evil and I’ve heard there’s a MP Raid at 4:00pm today, so watch this space later for an update on how it went.
To all those Free Peoples players I say: why on earth are you reading this? You need to hurry to 40th level so I can bite off your heads and drink your blood!
But for now, I'm going to log out, skulking, on this rock
The Lord of the Rings servers were down pretty much all day yesterday, so there's no update today.
I didn't get to play at all.
More updates tomorrow - I hope!
Yes, The Lord of the Rings servers are down, and with them, as reliable as clockwork are the forums posts: "Are the servers down?"
Yes they are!
So, to all those people worrying about the server downtime, I say this: it's completely natural. We've had this in every game since time began. The sky isn't falling.
It's a new game with new tech... These things happen. Frustrating, but part of the life of a MMO.
Do what I did and go for a long walk.
And then another...
It might take Turbine a while to bring up the servers, but they'll be back.
Which sucks when you have to spend three hours trying to write tomorrow's report...
Maybe I won't see the Barrow Downs and Bree after all...
You could spend this time doing something productive, like, oh, I don't know, registering on my brand-new Forums and getting ready to win HUGE prizes!
Or something 
