UPDATE 08JAN11
This will be the last update unless something drastically changes. I had previously been using this website to determine server sizes. They record hourly logins. However, from actually playing on the different servers, I have found that the number of logins doesn't necessarily determine the population size. Prior to F2P, Brandywine, Elendilmir, and Landroval were the largest population servers, and I feel that they still are. There's always a lot going on in these servers, and you can almost always get a group any time. Compare that to some time my husband and I have recently spent on Firefoot; we haven't been able to get groups for anything. There just aren't a lot of people on. Also, I think there's a reason Turbine is still not opening transfers to the "Big Three."
So I am going to list population sizes prior to F2P because I think that as a whole, populations across the board have increased, but I don't think some of the smaller servers have as active of a population as the numbers may lead people to think. Take this guide with a grain of salt. These are my opinions, and nothing is backed by Turbine.
This is meant to be a helpful resource to give a bit of brief detail about each of the 15 servers. Each server name links to that server's forums. An asterisk (*) denotes a newly-created server for F2P launch. I highly recommend reading mmorsel's Choosing a LOTRO Server for a more general guide to servers and beginning your adventure in Middle-earth. All servers have varying amounts of role-play, raiding, and PvP; so for example, you do not need to join Elendilmir to raid, however, they have more raiders overall. Please note that ALL servers are open to ALL account types: VIP, Premium, and Free. Welcome to LOTRO!
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ArkenstoneLore: A wondrous large white gem sought by Thorin Oakenshield in
The Hobbit. It was discovered beneath Erebor (the Lonely Mountain) by Thorin's ancestor, Thráin the Old, and shaped by the Dwarves. The Arkenstone became the family heirloom of Durin's line, but was lost when the dragon Smaug captured the mountain from the Dwarves (T.A. 2770). The Arkenstone shone of its own inner light, but having been cut and fashioned by the Dwarves, it also reflected and multiplied any light glancing upon its surface with marvellous beauty. It was also called the Heart of the Mountain.
Population: Medium
Community: "Welcome to the Ark, you are now a Stoner. There's a great community here that is helpful. Have fun and enjoy." -
Ark_Guard
Fun facts: Alberos, the host of
LOTROCast hails from Arkenstone. A series of
Machinimas about LOTRO were created by
Lunna the Burg of Arkenstone. The native population call themselves "Arkenstoners."
Brandywine
Lore: The fourth-longest river in Middle-earth behind the Anduin, the Celduin (or Running), and the Greyflood/Hoarwell (or Gwathló/Mitheithel). Originating from Nenuial (Lake Evendim) in northern Eriador, the river flowed through the easternmost reaches of the Shire, forming its eastern border except for Buckland which lay between it and the Old Forest. Its only major crossings in the Shire were the Brandywine Bridge (originally Bridge of Stonebows) on the East Road, Bucklebury Ferry, and Sarn Ford in the Southfarthing.
Population: Very High
Community: Largest population server prior to F2P. Large population of veteran LOTRO players. Some PvE raiding and active PvMP.
Fun facts: Chris and Bill from LOTRO Reporter hail from Brandywine. The native population call themselves "Winos." Mascot is the Popul, and they hold an annual
Popul Festival.
*Note: You can no longer use the premium service to transfer characters to this server; however, you can still create a new character on this server.
*CrickhollowLore: Crickhollow was a village in Buckland. After selling Bag End, Frodo Baggins moved to a house in Crickhollow. Meriadoc Brandybuck and Fredegar Bolger prepared the house ostensibly for Frodo to occupy in retirement, but the purchase of the house was intended as a ruse to allow Frodo and Samwise Gamgee to leave the Shire unobtrusively. Merry and Pippin lived for some time after their return to the Shire in the house at Crickhollow.
Population: Medium
Community: Brand new. Crickhollow is a role-play friendly server.
Elevensies happen on Crickhollow every day at 11 am/pm EST at the Bird and Baby Inn in Michel Delving.
Fun facts: This server was created with the launch of LOTRO Free-to-Play September 10, 2010 (Head-start September 7, 2010). The native population call themselves "Crickits." Candace from The Green Dragon Inn plays on Crickhollow.
*Dwarrowdelf
Lore:
The grandest and most famous of the mansions of the Dwarves. It lay in the central parts of the Misty Mountains, tunnelled and carved through the living rock of the mountains themselves, so that a traveller could pass through it from the west of the range to the east. It was founded in very ancient days by Durin the Deathless, who came upon a shimmering lake beneath the mountain Celebdil, with a crown of stars reflected in its waters. He named that lake in the Dwarvish tongue, Kheled-zâram, the Mirrormere, and there he started the building of Khazad-dûm. Dwarrowdelf (meaning Dwarf-delving) is the name in the Common Speech for the mansions of Khazad-dûm.
Population: Medium
Community: Brand new
Fun facts: This server was created with the launch of LOTRO Free-to-Play September 10, 2010 (Head-start September 7, 2010)
Lore: Token of royalty of the North-kingdom of Arnor. The Elendilmir was a white star-shaped gem on a silver fillet worn on the brow of the King. The gem was Elvish crystal and the silver band was mithril. The Elendilmir came to be named after Elendil, who brought it to Middle-earth after the downfall of Numenor. It had been an heirloom of the Lords of Andunie passed down from Silmarien, daughter of the fourth King of Numenor. When Elendil established the North-kingdom of Arnor, the Elendilmir was worn in place of a crown.
Population: High
Community: Large population of veteran LOTRO players. Unofficial Oceanic Server. Large PvE raiding and active PvMP community. No peak server time - busy around the clock due to high North American, Australian, and New Zealand population. Elendilmir is home of the LOTRO
PvMP Monster Manual mentioned in several official LOTRO interviews.
Fun facts: Mascot is [item]Jewelled Bell[/item]. The 'jingle, jangle' of the
[item]Jewelled Bell[/item] came directly from the Elendilmir populace; it was started by player
Margaret with the phrase "[Jewelled Bell] goes jingle, jangle" and grew until
+Patience had the usage and description added! Elendilmir's nickname is "The Big E."
*Note: You can no longer use the premium service to transfer characters to this server; however, you can still create a new character on this server.
FirefootLore: Horse of Eomer. Firefoot was Eomer's mount during the War of the Ring. On the way to Helm's Deep, Gimli the Dwarf rode on Firefoot with Eomer.
Population: Medium
Community: "If you're looking for a bunch of people who don't take themselves too seriously, and there are a lot of them on Firefoot, this is a good server to join. If you don't have a thick skin, and can't take a joke, this server is probably not right for you." -
bennyw2784
Fun facts: Firefoot boasts the first North American defeat of the Lieutenant of Dol Guldur (normal-mode).
GladdenLore: The Gladden Fields (in Sindarin Loeg Ningloron) were a marshland in the vale of the Gladden river, and on the banks of the river Anduin. It was there that the One Ring was lost by Isildur and found again by Déagol.
Population: Medium
Community: "Welcome to Gladden! There are a lot of nice people here, so I hope you feel right at home." -
VMalcom "We're pretty quiet in the forums." -
ForumulaTroll
Fun facts: Pobo the Hobbit is
Bad to the Bone. Gladden is the (unofficial) mature server. It is home to
The Old Timers Guild, a cross-game guild that is restricted to players 25 years and older, has thousands of members, and has been around a good number of years.
*Imladris
Lore:
An Elven refuge in the western glens of the Misty Mountains, known to Men as Rivendell. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth (four or five thousand years before the events of The Lord of the Rings). In addition to Elrond and his family, notable Elves who lived there included Glorfindel and Erestor. Rivendell is a direct translation or calque of the Sindarin name Imladris, both meaning "deep valley of the cleft".
Population: Medium
Community: Brand new. Based on the forums, it is expected that Imladris will be a role-play friendly server.
Fun facts: This server was created with the launch of LOTRO Free-to-Play September 10, 2010 (Head-start September 7, 2010)
LandrovalLore: The great eagle who flew with his brother Gwaihir to the aid of Frodo and Sam in Mordor. His name comes from the Elvish for 'wide-winged'.
Population: High
Community: Large population of veteran LOTRO players. Unofficial Role-Playing server (RP is accepted and encouraged, but not mandatory). Many community events based on role-playing and music including the weekly
Ales and Tales, and the annual
Weatherstock celebration: a battle of the bands competition, which was featured this year on
BBC News. Also home to the player-created
Bree-land Times newspaper. Landroval's unofficial "RP" status also spills over into PvMP with their incredible roleplaying Tribe, Shadowclan, led by
Gobblemoss, hosting epic PvP events like
The Oathbreakers and
Axes of the Dwarves. They've also been the home for other PvP servers doing "RP" events like Brandywine's Infestation. Landroval has two French-speaking kinships,
Quebec Best Company and
French Connection. Landroval has also a Brazilian Portuguese-speaking kinship,
House of Telperion.
Fun facts: Merric and Goldenstar from A Casual Stroll to Mordor and Ivan, Drilorin, and Matthrim from Through the Palantir hail from Landroval. Mascot is a Chinchilla.
*Note: You can no longer use the premium service to transfer characters to this server; however, you can still create a new character on this server.
MeneldorNimrodelLore: A river of Lothlórien. It began in the foothills of the Misty Mountains under the Celebdil peak, and then flowed through Lothlórien until it met the Silverlode. The river was named after the Elven lady Nimrodel who dwelt beside the stream.
Population: Medium
Community:
Fun facts: Bor from Gondor Awaits hails from Nimrodel.
*Riddermark
Lore:
Rohan is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy. It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry. The Rohirrim call their homeland the Ridenna-mearc, the Riddermark or Éo-marc, the Horse-mark, also simply the Mark and call themselves the Eorlingas, the Sons of Eorl.
Population: Medium
Community: There is a large interest in PvMP on this server.
Fun facts: This server was created with the launch of LOTRO Free-to-Play September 10, 2010 (Head-start September 7, 2010)
SilverlodeLore: A river of Lothlórien rising in the eastern Misty Mountains near the East Gate of Moria. It then ran through Lothlórien where it met Nimrodel and emptied into Anduin. The Company of the Ring followed this river when they travelled from Moria to Lothlórien. Silverlode was called Celebrant in Sindarin and Kibil-nâla in Dwarvish. It also formed the northern boundary of the Field of Celebrant.
Population: Medium
Community: Silverlode has a Spanish-speaking kinship, Lotro-Latino.
Fun facts: This server is sometimes referred to as "Dramalode."
VilyaLore: The Three Rings are magical artifacts forged by the Elves of Eregion. After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power. The third ring, Vilya, was made of gold and adorned with a "great blue stone". The name is derived from the Quenya vilya meaning air. It is also called Ring of Sapphire, Ring of Air, Ring of Firmament, or Blue Ring. When Sauron laid waste to Eregion, Vilya was sent to the Elven-King Gil-galad far away in Lindon, where it was later given to Elrond, who bore it through the later years of the Second Age and all of the Third.
Population: Medium
Community: Vilya is reputed to have a healthy EU community: people from the EU that want to play on NA servers rather than Codemaster's servers.
Fun facts: Vilya has Jilla, Vilya's Ambassador of Happiness, Goodwill, and Fuzzy Kittens' and Somesuch!
Vilya's user-created global channel is UNITE (/joinchannel unite). Vilya is the "Silly Hat Server."
WindfolaLore: A grey horse of the Rohirrim, whose name came from their tongue, meaning 'wind-foal'. Windfola was the horse that carried Éowyn (in the guise of Dernhelm) the long miles from Dunharrow to the Pelennor Fields, secretly accompanied by Meriadoc Brandybuck. Windfola was in the charge of the Rohirrim into the Battle of the Pelennor.
Population: Medium
Community: Windfola is reputed to have a healthy EU community: people from the EU that want to play on NA servers rather than Codemaster's servers. Windfola hosts a weekly RP event,
The Finer Things in Life, every Saturday at 9pm EST.
Fun facts: More people have found love together on Windfola than any other server. Windofola is the server of endless
Goat Jokes. Cithryth of
LOTRO Weekly plays on Windfola.
(*) denotes a newly-created server for F2P launch.
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General observations of high population servers versus lower population servers:
1. In general, you see more folks running around and in chat on high population servers.
2. PUGs are easier to find for more quests and instances needing a fellowship on high population servers.
3. The Auction House sometimes has more stuff available on it with prices sometimes lower on high population servers.
4. Log-in queuing is more likely on high population servers, especially after major patches like we have coming up.
5. Crafting nodes for scholars and prospectors particularly can be harder to find causing waiting until the nodes respawn, taking longer to get crafting levels on high population servers.
6. Crafting shard dropping monsters are very hard to find, even knowing where they respawn and roam, as competition for them is very high on high population servers.
7. Monsters/NPCs that are needed for questing can be gone causing waiting for a respawn on high population servers.
8. Chat can frequently be more immature with more offense given and taken on high population servers than low population servers, and folks with honest questions are more likely to get snarky responses.
9. Low population on servers generally creates a more immersive world.
10. In general, Role-playing servers have a more mature community.
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With the expected influx of new players, I thought it would be beneficial to have a brief description of the servers to assist people in choosing the right server for themselves. I don't know everything about all the servers, so please reply if you would like to add something to your server's description.
