The Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor Updated Release Information

The Mordor expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online was supposed to launch on Monday, July 31st. A forum post by the game’s executive producer Severlin, however, informed us that we’ll have to wait a bit longer to walk into Mordor due to a recently discovered issue with NPC movement. This issue has since been fixed, and the expansion is now on track for release on Wednesday, August 2, 2017, or, in other words, later today at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (-4 GMT). The developers at Standing Stone Games have used this slight delay to further improve the release build with a couple of new features. Here’s what’s been added:

We’ve had some questions about what’s been up in recent days, so here seems like as good a place as any. We have been able to add some things to tomorrow’s release based on last weekend’s Bullroarer feedback, including:

• German voice overs and videos
• Adjusting the human female idle pose back to its original pose.
• Fixed a place where people could fall out of the world.
• Improved Creep 10-year Mordor Portrait Frame delivery.
• Some polish to Dor Amarth instances, High Elf, and gear.
• Corrected an issue with human female faces not changing with eye color, mouth, or other details.
• Several Epic Book quest fixes.
• Upped the Finesse on the updated Aria of the Valar armour.

And in case you have some expansion-related questions, this interview with one of the developers can probably answer some of them:

Update 20 left us at the battle of the Black Gate, where do we pick up from there?

One of the challenges we faced in Update 20 involved the question of how much, exactly, could we show of the Battle of the Black Gate? Fans of The Lord of the Rings know that the concluding moments of that battle move very quickly into some very significant changes for the titular bad guy and for the world of Middle-earth in general, which means we needed to make use of our old friend, the Pause Button.

We’ve made great use of the Pause Button over the last ten years, allowing us to stretch six months of narrative time into a decade’s worth of content, but Update 20 is possibly the most necessary freeze frame we’ve ever done. If you played Epic Volume IV Book 8 to conclusion, you’ll know that we stopped the action mere moments before the end of the battle: minutes, if not seconds, before Things Move To A Conclusion.

This means that when Update 21 releases and you begin playing Epic Volume IV Book 9 by talking to Aragorn on the Slag Hill during the Battle of the Morannon, the Battle of the Black Gate will pick right back up.

How will the Epic book work for players who might have missed out on Update 20 ?

For characters who haven’t already played through Volume IV Book 8, the Battle of the Black Gate will feel more seamless with the release of Update 21. In this case, instead of freezing the action right before the end of the battle, players will proceed right from the end of Book 8 into Book 9, with no pausing necessary.

If you haven’t yet played the Battle of the Black Gate, but would like to get ready for the release of Mordor, you can pick up Volume IV Book 7 from Aragorn’s Pavillion in the Post-Battle Pelennor Fields.

Alternatively, the new Aria of the Valar will allow you to jump to Level 105, and provides a new on-ramp for Mordor. This will enable you to begin Volume IV Book 9 without needing to catch up, and will bring you right to the climactic events that occur as the Battle of the Black Gate concludes.

Can I finish Epic Book 9 as a free player?

You can! It was very important to me that Epic Volume IV, The Strength of Sauron, which began back in West Gondor, can be completed by free players. This means that even if you choose not to purchase the Mordor expansion, you’ll still have some new content to experience involving the Quest of the Ring when Update 21 releases.

Tell us a little bit about one of your favorite moments of creating Book 9?

This has been a long time coming, and some of the elements of Book 9 have been gestating for almost a decade! Seeing it become real after living just in my head for so long has been a joy. I love creating new stories in Middle-earth, and I’m very proud of how the Black Book of Mordor is shaping up, but there’s really nothing quite like loading up our development tools and seeing Frodo and Sam again, standing where they’re standing, and trying to do the thing they came to do. For a life-long fan of Middle-earth, it’s a complete honor and a pleasure.

Finally, you can check out the release notes for Update 21 that launches alongside the expansion. A snippet:

Of Special Note:

Epic Volume 4: Book 9

Witness the fate of the One Ring and Sauron! The Epic quest line reaches a major milestone, and remains free to all players.

The Black Book of Mordor

We begin a new story in Update 21 that will continue in future updates. Travel beyond the Black Gate, seek treasure and conquest, and discover what happens when the Free People enter a land of evil and corruption.

Explore Mordor

Explore Gorgoroth, including:

• Udûn, the entryway that holds great forges, quarries, and parade grounds of Mordor.
• Dor Amarth, the rocky plain holding the broken bones of Barad-dur
• Talath Úrui, located south of Mount Doom, home to key fortresses, prisons, and military establishments.
• Lhingris, west of the Morgai ridge, home to Cirith Ungol.
• Agarnaith, a valley southeast of Barad-dur with a dense, pestilent, and bloody swampland.

Level Cap Increase

The level cap has been raised to 115.

Allegiance System

This new end-game system allows players to pledge their allegiance to one faction at a time. Pledge yourself to the Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, or Men, and unlock rewards through activities in Mordor, including a unique story arc! Players will accrue Allegiance Points which advance your character along a given Allegiance. These points can be earned through acquiring items found in Mordor, completing repeatable quests, and more.

Light of Eärendil/Shadow

Areas of Shadow can be found in varying intensity throughout Mordor. These areas weaken visitors, but the Light of Eärendil can counteract this darkness. Your character will see a Shadow and Light Rating, which will help you understand the threat posed by the Shadow. Items that grant Light of Eärendil can be found in Mordor.