On test server...

[palenen]

Im a Tolkien nut with majority of the middle-earth books. Not a fanatic. I dunno, i could be. They have added a Balrog to the new 12 man raid thats on test server. This really kicks me in the ass that Turbine would do this. I cannot believe they would break the history and story line so much.

sorry to vent.

[jimli]

I thought that the books sort of left open that there could still possibly be a couple of balrogs left like the one the dwarves awakened in Khazad Dum.

I can't remember if that one was considered THE last balrog or not. I could be wrong.

You had to know Turbine was eventually going to have to throw a balrog in the game. The demand for one is too great.

Honestly, in my discussions with Novus and the time in closed beta, this game started out as trying to capture the Tolkien niche of players and has since slowly but surely moved away from that market. I remember a number of people left as closed beta was ending because they didn't like the ever increasing looseness with the lore the game was taking.

In it's defense or maybe not so much...the people directing the game now are not the same people who originally helped develop it. Those people were very big Tolkien fans and very much wanted to stick as close to the lore as possible. However, Novus mentioned to me a while ago that it's not the same people developing and maintaining the game now.

[Resonance]

In my opinion they do have to be a little flexible in how they present the lore of the books in the game, otherwise its just another fantasy MMO that nobody has a real interest in playing.

I'm thinking the Nazgul fight in Book 5... from reading the books there is no way 6 ordinary freeps could take down a Nazgul, but a Nazgul weakened by its experience at the ford and distracted with trying to bring a dead dragon back to life...OK I can accept that, if just for the chance to beat on one. I expect, or at least hope they will try to do something along those lines to explain why 12 ordinary people could succeed where 1 Maia could not.


Doesn't Tolkien Enterprises still have to review and approve content changes like this?

[jimli]

I am not really sure how much input Tolkien Enterprises has. Of course on the other hand, maybe they don't care that much as they are too busy counting their licensing fees.

I agree there had to be some wiggle room given to even make a game out of it. But it just seems to me that with each new content addition they are getting more and more bold with their divergence from the lore.

But that's just me.

I do have to agree though, that a 12 man raid on a Balrog is rather far-fetched. A full raid I might be able to buy, but not a 12.

[palenen]

Re-thikning about this a bit. Im assuming they only have to review, if they actually use content from the books. Since this was not in the books, They can do what they will.

Now, we never knew that there were a few Balrogs that escaped their defeat across the Blue Mountains. Unless of course you know the other books, Silmarillion/Lost tales etc. Just the one in LOTR. Been trying to find and look up but I seem to remember a converstaion between Gandalf and Sarumon about 'There are fouler things deep in the earth." Or something like that. Can't find it in the books. Could be a PJ movie thing.

I still disagree that free peoples are able to battle this demon but I do understand the want and cause of it being in game.

[jimli]

I am pretty sure the Fellowship of the Ring book includes Gandalf saying some similar to the movie quote. But probably not those words exactly.

I know they don't have license to the Simalrillion, but you almost have to rely on the information it contains because it sets up LOTR. So from that standpoint, they could really use the fact that a few Balrogs escaped to justify them existing.

I still have a problem with 12 man raids taking it on though. There's just no way to justify that.