The Lord of the Rings Online Interview

OGaming is offering up a two-part interview (Part One and Part Two) with Turbine’s Jeffrey Steefel about their upcoming Middle-Earth MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. A bit of what was talked about:

Q: Obviously, the real Fellowship had a profound effect on its world. With so many different Fellowships striding around the game, how do you make each feel important, and how can they truly affect the way the tale plays out in any meaningful way?

A: Our experience with the Asheron’s Call series has given us a number of tools to let thousands of players take part in an evolving story. With LOTRO, we’ve added to that toolset even more.

Your Fellowship will have certain experiences that they will encounter that will alter the world for them. After that, the altered world will be public for anyone who has reached that point in the adventure. Fellowships will have special capabilities based on Fellowship combat events, the composition of the party and their associated traits and accomplishments (deeds they have done). And familiar characters and others around the world will respond to your achievements you will become (known) in the world.