Inside Middle-Earth Online
Interviews

With the recent success of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in the theaters it is no surprise that Middle Earth Online is one of the most highly anticipated MMOÆs to be released this year. Turbine Entertainment has thus far done a magnificent job with the graphical rendering and storyline from what weÆve seen and heard. With the cooperation of the Tolkien family, this is going to be a fantastic experience for the fans of the books. MMOG Hell was lucky enough to be the first to interview the new Senior Producer Tim Holman. Here is what he had to sayà

Exclusive Middle-Earth Online Screenshot

Exclusive Middle-Earth Online Screenshot


MMOG Hell: What will MEO have that will make it different from other MMRPG?

Tim H.: Middle-Earth Online will have many features that will set it apart from other MMORPGs. First, MEO gets to draw from one of the greatest fantasy works of all time, TolkienÆs The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Also, we make use of many exciting technologies, from private encounters to a new time-based character advancement system, just to name a few. You can read about these features and more by visiting the Middle-Earth Online community site at www.middle-earthonline.com.

MMOG Hell: Have you finished plans for the user interface?

Tim H.: The plans are finished, but the UI isnÆt. Creating an un-obtrusive, intuitive UI is a high priority. The user interface is a part of the game that will continually evolve and improve throughout the entire development process.

MMOG Hell: So far you say there will be four good classes available to play, any plans for evil classes?

Tim H.: MEO currently features four playable races. Each race will have multiple classes and each of those classes will have a virtuous path and a corrupt path.

MMOG Hell: Will MEO have PVP on every server or will there be separate servers for PVP?

Tim H.: The PvP system in MEO is something we are devoting a lot of time to, but weÆre not ready to talk about it yet. Our goal is to deliver an exciting PvP experience that stays true to the spirit of Tolkien. Whether it will be server based or not remains to be seen.

MMOG Hell: Will faction be a part of MEO? If so, what will affect it?

Tim H.: If you consider corrupt and virtuous characters as factions, then the answer is yes. There will be certain conflicts between the corrupt and virtuous classes, although none of these conflicts will be direct PvP.

MMOG Hell: How will a player gain experience? Will there be a cap on what level one can achieve?

Tim H.: MEO does not use experience points. Characters can raise their stats, skills and vitals by actively participating in combat, crafting and quests. MEO also features a time based advancement feature that will allow players to increase their characterÆs stats while they are not logged in the game.

MMOG Hell: Will players be able to set up their own merchants or will it strictly be NPC's?

Tim H.: We currently have no plans to allow crafters to set up NPC merchants. Players will be able to hock their wares to other players and NPCs in the social centers located around Middle-earth. Or they can find a good sales-hobbit to do it for them!

MMOG Hell: How many servers will be made available for play? Where will be the locations?

Tim H.: There will be lots of servers, although the final numbers and their locations have not yet been announced. Fans can rest assured that we will make it possible for everyone who wants to play to find a server!

MMOG Hell: Will wizards be a class in the game? If so, what type of spells will they be able to learn?

Tim H.: Wizards will not be a class in MEO. There were only five wizards in Middle-earth, and players will not be able to play them. They may be able to meet one of them, howeverà

MMOG Hell: Will the storyline of MEO follow the books by Tolkien?

Tim H.: MEO will feature a unique main storyline based on the wonderful locations and characters Tolkien described in The Lord of the Rings. This allows players to experience their own adventures while visiting areas, viewing creatures, and meeting personalities that were only touched on in the books.

MMOG Hell: When will MEO go beta?

Tim H.: Sometime after Alpha! The date of our Beta has not yet been announced.

MMOG Hell: When do you plan to release MEO to the public?

Tim H.: MEO is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of this year.

Thanks Tim!