Filling the Gaps: following in the footsteps of the Wildwood and the Angle

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

With the Angle of Mitheithel arriving soon, I know that I am not the only one that has started wondering where the next zone which ‘fills in the gaps’ will be (following in the trend of the Wildwood and the Angle). As stated by Raninia, I know that the LOTRO devs have already come up with lots of ideas about the future direction of the game, so my aim here isn’t to convince them of next steps, but rather to speculate about areas it would be interesting to see!

I’ve come up with a few suggestions, which have a certain set of criteria:
- I’ve not included areas which would potentially be the size of a whole normal zone (so the Southfarthing, the Tower Hills, parts of the North-South Road (such as Tharbad), Anfalas, etc.)
- These zones would all be additions to existing areas (thematically, as well as physically), rather than something entirely new).

So, on to the suggestions! Please also feel free to add in your own ideas here.

Suggestion 1: The Swanfleet

Recently mentioned by Scenario, this area has a lot of potential, particularly in preparation for a Second Age Eregion. With an extended Echad Mirobel as the star, this zone would connect up the Angle to Eregion and start the process of moving southwards towards Enedwaith and towards the all important Great South Road! Recommended level of 55 (roughly the level you’d be after completing all of the Eregion quests).




Suggestion 2: Remnants of Rhudaur

In the area between the Lost Temple and Rivendell lies a potential zone ripe for a story as an Angmar-supported kingdom of Rhudaur attempts to rise again. It would be the job of our characters to stop the new king of Rhudaur in his tracks as we explore the old capital of Rhudaur. Connections here can be made to a landscape version of the Lost Temple (connected up to the North Trollshaws), the Fords of Bruinen in the south, and the road out of Rivendell north of the Bruinen (which has been inaccessible for so very long!) Other potential connections could be made to Glan Vraig in the north (although there would still have to be some kind of PVMP specific barrier there to enter the Ettenmoors) and to the Misty Mountains, north of Gloin’s Camp. Could be linked to the In Your Absence chain at Level 65, or could be set earlier around Level 40 (although there’s a glut of these).




Suggestion 3: The Deepwood

One of my bug bears about northern Rhovanion is the fact that it is ring shaped (if the ring was squished rather flat!) – there’s Eryn Lasgalen across the south, the Dale Lands and Erebor to the east, the Grey Mountains to the North and the Wells of Langflood/Vales of Anduin to the west. But in the middle of all of this is an empty area, which would greatly add to the feel of a contiguous world if it was filled in. It is one of the larger areas listed here, but fits thematically with Mirkwood. In my head, I’ve taken to calling it the Deepwood – an area which has grown wild and which Thranduil has lost control over. In the absence of the spiders, the wood-trolls dominate here, and the fabled Crown of Thorns has been bestowed upon a new King of the Wood Trolls. We could join the elves of the Woodland Realm as they attempt to purge this evil from the northern bounds of Eryn Lasgalen. This area has obviously links to Oinsbridge (in the north), Grazadh-gropor (already dominated by wood trolls in the west), Thokhat (also wood trolls, in the south), and an exit near Ravenhill to the east. Level 115.




Suggestion 4: The Goblins of Mount Gram

Back in Eriador, the dwarves of Gabilshathur and Rangers of Esteldin have encountered a new threat: vast numbers of goblins from Mount Gram. Connecting up to Gabilshathur in the north (a path through the cliffs), Dol Dinen in the south (didn't go quite far south enough in this picture) and the Ram Duath (near Ost Crithlanc) in the west, this zone would close to (but not connect with) Gramsfoot in the Ettenmoors. Level 45?




Suggestion 5: The Weather Marches

To the south and west of Mount Gram lie the Weather Marches. Sitting to the north of the Lonelands, these lands often acted as a line of defence for the kingdom of Arthedain in its battles against Rhudaur. Connecting up Dol Dinen in the north, Nen Harn and Weathertop in the west and Agamaur in the south, this zone fills in a gap which players have long explored in the past (thanks to some relatively easy climbing conditions!) and would lay the ground work for any Tales of Yore set during the fragmentation of Arnor. Level 25ish?

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

Suggestion 6: The Ruins of Arthedain

Comprising both the area that I imagine most of us refer to as the ‘North Wildwood’ and the area between Evendim, Fornost and Forochel, this zone has great potential to expand on the stories of the Fall of Fornost, also linking nicely into a potential Tales of Yore (I’d love to see the fully built Fornost!) Level 40ish?

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

Suggestion 7: Peaks of the Misty Mountains

This is potentially quite a big one and doesn’t really fit the rules that I set out initially, but I thought it was mentioning anyway! The Misty Mountains spans two regions: Eriador and Rhovanion, and there are some connections between the two – travelling through Moria, crossing from Kidzul-Kalah to Tal Caradhras, the Wolf-denes to the Northern High Pass and now Car Bronach to Angmar.

To me, there are a few problems here. Firstly, Kidzul Kalah is nowhere near Tal Caradhras: it makes much more sense for Kidzul-Kalah’s pass to lead to the Southern High Pass (near the Gauredain camp at Erforgh Cleft). This is marked on the map. Secondly, there should be a pass from Goblin Town to the Hidden Doorway in the Vales of Anduin, as this is the one part of Bilbo’s journey that we can’t yet follow (I forgot to mark this one on the map!). Thirdly, Tal Caradhras should be connected up, via the Redhorn Pass to Dimrill Dale.

This has previously met the response from the devs of ‘we can’t do this, as it is time and story locked’. This is fair enough, and I get why. But if there was a new zone, set in the future here, could this problem be solved?

My proposal is a ‘Peaks of the Misty Mountains’ zone, potentially connected up to the already existing Zirakzigil zone (if it is in the right place in the map). This would sit on the Rhovanion map and could stretch along the eastern side of the Misties (potentially as far north as the Wolf-denes to south to Zirakzigil) and play host to a number of paths from Rhovanion to Eriador. Obviously you wouldn’t be able to go far enough west to be able to see down into ‘Eriador’, as Eriador is on a whole different map, but it could be fully open on the eastern side (expanding on the work done in the revamp of Nanduhirion, linked to the Blood of Azog).

As for why our characters would want to go there? Following the end of the War of the Ring, the Wise could ask us to ensure that the pass is safe from threats – and I’m sure there could be plenty of threats emerging amongst the peaks! Level 120 (effectively level locked, so that lower level players couldn’t make the crossing for the sake of the story).

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

And finally, some areas which I think would benefit from a 'Bree-land' or 'Angmar' treatment (getting rid of unnecessary artificial barriers and making the world more connected):

Wildermore and the Great River




Lothlorien and the Great River - perhaps not all of the red circle!




Connecting up the parts of Fangorn - linking the Balewood, the Limlight Gorge and the Entwood!

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

I'm also going to just leave this one here, even though it doesn't really fit with the criteria of the post (due to its size and being a whole new zone - although sort of part of two already existing ones) and because it is divided up between three regions which are on different maps: r2: Rhovanion, r3: Gondor and r4: Mordor. Still, an explorer can dream of at least some part of Emyn Muil, right?

[padraxus]

Nice ideas and suggestions

Which map are you using? Is it a plugin or online help page?