The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Preview

Turbine’s The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion pack is the subject of a new two-page preview on Games Radar.

Your entry into Moria takes place a few weeks after the Fellowship passes through, as you join a plucky bunch of Dwarves in their expedition to break past the Hollin Gate. It’s not as simple as kicking down a door – a vicious squid-like monster called The Watcher attacks, and you must beat a retreat. To ward off the creature and gain access to Moria, you must return with a legendary weapon. For Turbine, it’s these items that anchor its new advancement system – one we reckon its competitors could be copying wholesale very soon.

Overall, legendary weapons are meant as a distinct avenue for driving up players’ attachment to their loot. You’ll gather ingredients to start, and take them to a specialist NPC called a Forge Master. Once they’ve identified your materials and melded them into a legendary weapon, the weapon will level alongside your character, gaining experience that can be put into (legacies) to improve characteristics.