Looks like the code monkeys at Turbine are hard at work:

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BIRMINGHAM, UK – March 14, 2008 – Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online today unveiled Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online^TM, the first retail expansion for the award-winning massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG). Announced in Birmingham, the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online^TM: Mines of Moria^TM will expand the online world of Middle-earth to let players explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin’s Bane and more! The Lord of the Rings Online expects to open Volume II of its epic story in the fall of 2008 with an increased level cap, two new classes and the introduction of a unique item advancement system. Read the official announcement here.

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Well, to start off, I would say that my lifetime subscription to LOTRO has been well worth it so far. In a couple of more months, I can say that it’s starting to pay off (if I were to tally up a monthly subscription). In any case, I think these are exciting times for LOTRO fans all over, as subscribers eagerly wait for more than the tidbit of information available at this time.At the end of the month, Turbine will start an interactive promo wherein people (active members and otherwise) can unlock the gates to Moria through various mini-games.The expansion is actually slated for release this fall. That means that there will be many (too many?) titles to be considered this year. The fact, however, that I have a lifetime sub means that I will definitely be investing in this expansion.All I can say at this time is: Keep up the good work Turbine. You were able to do with LOTRO what you missed with DDO. You were able to tell a story that is true to the Middle-Earth universe all packaged together neatly in a product that works very well, using a tried and tested formula in MMOGs. Kudos.

I will leave you with a final thought. Let’s try to imagine what MMO gaming would have been like if you could craft specialty class based equipment (armor & weapons) that would level up as you did, effectively improving their stats and gaining fame of their own. We won’t have to do that for long, as we’ll be seeing what it’s actually like in Mines of Moria.

Thank you,

Firedorn

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