Quote Originally Posted by Maxwise View Post
I had hoped to read a hint in the Producer's Letter about future content AFTER Gundabad. Is it just me? We're at a point in the story where both The Black Book of Mordor and Durin's Legacy are wrapped up. Ahead of us are regions hitherto unexplored in Lord of the Rings video games (as far as I know). Where will we go? Is this what Volume V will pursue or are the stories to come part of another, new epic story?

As for where: is the plan to venture into Rhun, where several events during The Black Book pointed?

Or will we venture south into Harad? Perhaps towards Umbar? The Galadriel Mirror quest hinted at jungles for the Brawler but that fizzled out to some garden inside an Angmarim stronghold in Gundabad. Regardless, jungles would be an exciting landscape to see in game!

Maybe our path will take us deeper into Mordor, such as Nurn or Lithlad?

A little light shone on this would be appreciated. The story and zone developers always do a great job so I know I'll be happy with whatever direction we march in. It's all so exciting, venturing into new landscapes, cultures, and (possibly) new kinds of enemies!

Yeah- and RE- "The Black Book of Mordor" as "wrapped up": It never came across to me that way. It was a story that basically did several things (SPOILERS for those unfamiliar with Black Book):





A- It "wrapped up" the story of the Mouth of Sauron and the fall of Barad-dur.
B- It "wrapped up" the story of Minas Morgul, Gothmog, and those elements going back to Volume 1.
C- It "wrapped up" the tales of Ugrukhor (*but - not - why he was looking for his "bugdatish") and Rukhor (*in the Remmorchant raid).

But then, it "set up" several storylines that were --- not --- completed or "wrapped" up at all in Black Book at all: the hints of further stories in Nurn involving the Nurnhoth; the following Masters of Mordor are still on the loose as they merely vanished or escaped:

1- Lhaereth. She flees following the Bar Nirnaeth instance; she isn't slain, she escapes. Given her role in Black Book, this is a significantly unresolved storyline.
2- Borangos the Horror. The last we hear of him, he's simply vanished from Talath Urui, but there was this whole business involving him connected to some hidden power in Orodruin itself that isn't further explored; similarly, Urudani Stone-Maiden is still out there and not yet thwarted.
3- Karazgar. His fate is AWOL following certain events in Vales of Anduin and some hints in some areas of Elderslade. His tale is far from over.
4- Ayorzen. We know he escapes back into Talath Urui to rejoin his Easterlings, but we have little word of what becomes of him.

So, when we consider that Black Book really only resolves Gothmog, Ugrukhor (*well, except for why his search was important), and Rukhor, and that it set-up Legacy of Durin, especially with Hrimril, I'd look at it as the "middle" volume in a 3-part story involving Mordor, with the first part really being Volume 4 / "The Strength of Sauron," the second part as Black Book, and with a third part that is completely missing.

You're right to mention Rhun, Harad, and Umbar as potential directions. I have a feeling they "left those pieces on the chessboard" sort to speak for a reason.

You know, I just had a really amazing thought: Maybe Scenario and his fellow Devs could place graphical versions of their villains in a BR-only, concealed version of the chess-board in Erebor Housing and bounce ideas off each other, *laughs* It's a delightful mental picture of them moving a Lhaereth NPC around with a Karazgar one with X number of other characters, like: "And then, Karazgar does indeed flee to Rhun, and he sows up troubles in the Fields of Celduin on the way. Meanwhile, Lhaereth still has his knowledge of how to do the Second Great Plague, and she goes to Area TBD in Nurn....."

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I have to say: I share Scenario's excitement! I'm so looking forward to being able to finally ride from Ered Luin through Eriador without any missing gaps!

I definitely am looking forward to learning more about the next level-cap area too.

Cheers!