Bingo Boffins and Episodic content

[HunterGreen]

I'm way behind on Bingo quests, so pardon me for going back to an old thread, but I just finished the Lothlorien quests. Here's a transcript of Pennasseth's dialogue:

No, do not go just yet? I have given to you a book of history, for if Bingo is to understand our people, he will need to know from where they came, and the trials they faced in their journeys to this point. But that is not all! There are so many names and places described in that book that I fear your friend will be quite overwhelmed and confused.

To that end, take too this book of maps. With it he will obtain a full understanding of the many places in which Elves have lived, and perhaps he will also attain an appreciation for the great scope and vastness of this MIddle-earth, and the lands beyond.

Is it just me, or does that first paragraph sound like a not so subtle nod to The Silmarillion? And does the second paragraph sound like The Atlas of MIddle-earth?

Good catch.

[cdq1958]

I'm behind on these now. I've now gotten a few other of my alts through the Wildermore parts. Humfrey Rumming did not appear to me to have had any differences based on the character's class. My LM main never thought highly of Mr. Rumming, and, it seems, neither does our Bert.

[ShireDweller]

He's correct. Once items were added to the floor, it got too big for the thin furniture space.

I just got caught up on the Bingo quest line today, and I was very disappointed to see that the hatrack changed from thin to small furniture.

It was wonderful to have the hatrack take a thin slot since small furniture slots are in such short supply in our houses.

I would gladly lose the eggs on the hatrack to be able to keep it as a thin furniture item.

Please consider offering a trade-in option to exchange the small slot version for a thin slot version, similar to the way we are able to get two different sizes of the popular swan fountain quest item reward.

[Giftel]

Like so many here, I also loved last week's Bingo quest. When I took my alt in for a second round I purposely stayed under the dragon too long when he was in flight, just to see what would happen. I 'failed' Bingo and had to start over from the mouth of the cave, which was also fun. Thanks to MadeofLions for this entertaining quest.

[gerbilsrcute]

Yes....Bingo quests are fantastic...though admittedly I also fell behind. My beorning just hit rivendell and I have no idea where my hobbit is on the quests...but I am still enjoying them nevertheless

[KM3161]

Now that Bingo has made it to Maur Tulhau and met up with The Stoors Hobbits, does he go to Hoarhallow in the Moors to meet the other Hobbit settlement ?

with only a few more quests left for Bingo's adventure I wonder if he will actually go swimming along the way home

I'm hoping also that there is another Episodic questline ready to go when this one is over.
Either with Bingo heading north, or a whole new line involving different characters.

[wispsong]

I just did the Marton quests again and for me it doesn't make sense to have her there. We defend HD before we continue to Isengard where we meet her and she gets her name. Do I miss something? Are we at a point in the story where HD is over and we go back? But that would interrupt our journey with Bingo. Please help my confusion on this point. I'm eager to see an explanation why Mercy is there. Don't I have the story memorized correctly?

[OldMadeOfLions]

I just did the Marton quests again and for me it doesn't make sense to have her there.

If you see Mercy here it means you already did the quest with her on this character, so your personal timeline is post-Helm's Deep. If you don't see Mercy, it means you didn't already do Helm's Deep and your personal timeline is likely before the battle.

MoL

[wispsong]

If you see Mercy here it means you already did the quest with her on this character, so your personal timeline is post-Helm's Deep. If you don't see Mercy, it means you didn't already do Helm's Deep and your personal timeline is likely before the battle.

MoL

Thank you for your answer. So in my timeline with Bingo HD is already past the battle and I was in Isengard?

I thank you for this quest chain. I enjoy it very much. Wish I could level a new character with him through the story but Mirkwood (Hilltop Assault) throws me off.

Looking forward to more of this.

[OldMadeOfLions]

Thank you for your answer. So in my timeline with Bingo HD is already past the battle and I was in Isengard?

Did you do the Mercy quest? Because if you did, you must have already done Helm's Deep. You're past Helm's Deep if you did Helm's Deep already, and if you didn't do Helm's Deep then you don't need to worry about being past Helm's Deep because you didn't do Helm's Deep.

MoL

[Phantion]

MoL, I want you to know that the Bingo storyline has delighted me every week! I love it! Its wonderful- fantastic job.

I also want to say I'm a bit sorry that similar types of episodic content aren't being considered. I love this opportunity to do something fun and new every week and such. You know, there is a way to do it, without necessarily having it be 'Bingo only with an Elf or a Dwarf.'

There are several elements in this game that are brilliantly designed- and yet some players might not quite 'get' or understand it- streams and rems of quests and zones that, on the surface, don't have much to do with each other, while other things are hinted at or explained only individually.

Here's an idea I'd like to through out-there: Why not invent NPCs who have specific missions or quests, who may or may not journey with the player Bingo-style, but who have something to achieve, as opposed to Bingo who just wanted to go on an adventure?

I'd love to quest with a Lothlorien Elf from Nanduhirion to the Caves of the Avorrim in Belfalas- for example. That would be a fun journey- to have an Elf actually wonder what in the world happened to long-lost Amroth and Nimrodel, and for players to quest with that Elf from the Nimrodel or Nanduhirion sub-zones in Lothlorien to Cerin Amroth and then to the Vineyard docks, down the Anduin and East Wall and Entwash Mouths into Gondor, then down into Eastern and Central Gondor, to the Gilrain area where players meet the first of the five River Ladies. Then from there, up into Western Gondor, to the ruins of Edhellond and vibrant Dol Amroth, and to the Caves. Dorthaneth's quest-text could be..... tactful and well-designed so that it doesn't step on any toes; she's just a strange shroud-wearing female Elf in so far as the game is concerned, nothing more and nothing less. It could be a 'solve the mystery' type of thing, and even though it might not have a 'definitive conclusion,' it might keep players interested and give everyone something fun to do.

There are other places in-game that could use this treatment. How about starting in Great River and going on a quest to find the Ent-wives. No, the player wouldn't have any companions for this, no Ents running around with players throughout the world (*though the thought of having an Ent end-up journeying with the player from Fangorn to the Old Forest amuses me). Have it start with that Ent in the Brown-lands and then transition to the Limlight Gorge Ents, then to Leaflock in Wildermore, then to the Eaves of Fangorn, then to the Entwood, then to the Gravenwood in Dunland, then to the Mournshaws in Enedwaith, then to the wood-troll area in Eregion, then to wood-troll areas in the Trollshaws, then to Talath Gaun and Agamaur in the Lonelands, and then have it finally culminate in the Old Forest with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. It would connect all these disparate areas together in a storyline that makes sense- rather than letting players pick-up the bits and pieces along the way. It would also get across the notion that all these lands were really filled with one huge Fangorn-style forest at one point- of which only scattered remnants remain. Druedain Forest and the Gilrain area also count with this-

Of course, the only trouble with these ideas, is that they'd need to have starting-point level-restrictions- I'd say the Lothlorien one should begin at level 55 and the Great River one at level 70. But hey! Players who are just starting-out already have Bingo Boffins! Its funner to have different adventures or storylines open-up based on one's level anyways. It gives folks additional reasons to level their characters and play-through-the-game.

Another biggie would be a 'discover the lost Kingdom of Arnor' type of quest-line. Sure, Volume I and the zone quests do a number on it all, but they also do not do several important things. I loved it when Orchalwe in Evendim, for example, reflected on what Annuminas -used- to be like, before it got all ruined. Very often, we only get to know the differences between the function of a citadel in a given city, versus the rest of the shambled ruins around them. I.E. We can tell the differences between Ost Elendil and the rest of Annuminas, and from the docks from the upper areas in the city, but what do we really know about these places? In Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith, everything has a purpose and gets labeled, and anything that doesn't have a name or an identity of its own can pretty much be assumed to be city-housing. But I'd love a quest-line that involves exploring Eriador with one of the Dunedain and finding-out what these places actually used to be. There's deeds in Breeland that takes you to find all these ruins and landmarks, but they really don't tell you anything about these places, other than their more recent functions among the rangers. You know, I'd love to -witness- a ranger burial ceremony at those Breeland ruins that were described being for that purpose among the rangers. I'd love to witness a Dunedain oath-taking ceremony. I'd also love to learn what these places used to be and what their 'alive' era functions-were. We know in Dol Amroth the differences between the library, the wharf, the warehouses, the Court of the Fount, etc. etc. etc. But all we get in Ost Baranor is just a shamble of ruins with Blackwolds hiding in them. What functions did these places serve? Was Ost Baranor a barracks? A fortress? Did it have citizens dwelling there, and if so, what were they doing? It would be really really fun, now that we've been in Gondor, to make a rhyme to reason to what Arnor used to look like as a Kingdom- and Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur respectively. We know what purpose Amon Sul served- it had a Palantir and served as a watchtower-fortress. But we don't really know all that much about the place that became the Blackwolds' Roost, or about Ost Lagaros in the North Downs, etc. We know the ND had five towns and there are markers representing them, but we don't know much more about these places other than that they were towns, and some of them are pretty strangely-designed at a first or second run-through, like those ruins in Meluinen that are half-drowned and half-filled with dirt. I'd love, through quest-text, to give players the ability to envision what these places would've looked like if they were as lively as the Gondorian zones we've visited so far. It would be fun.

These are all bits and pieces of 'lore easter eggs' at it were that it would be fun for players to get caught-up on, that's all. I'm sure there are a couple more hiding out there- the world's so well-designed, *smiles*. Anyways, you're great, MoL- excellent job with Bingo

[Ardineck]

Here's a question:

At the end of all the questing (one year), will Bartleby or Bingo have one central location where we can barter for everything? I understand phasing in Bert as we go, but if we forget where one thing or another is (while we're still working through the quests), it's going to be quite troublesome tracking him down through each area to see if we've missed something. It would be nice if, at the end (depending on how the story wraps up), wherever Bingo and Bert end up, there is one permanent location (after WE complete all the quests, of course) which contains a barter option for all the items.

[cdq1958]

Here's a question:

At the end of all the questing (one year), will Bartleby or Bingo have one central location where we can barter for everything? I understand phasing in Bert as we go, but if we forget where one thing or another is (while we're still working through the quests), it's going to be quite troublesome tracking him down through each area to see if we've missed something. It would be nice if, at the end (depending on how the story wraps up), wherever Bingo and Bert end up, there is one permanent location (after WE complete all the quests, of course) which contains a barter option for all the items.

This would be nice! Still, the wiki has all of the places where Bert phases in since this started up to last week's quest.

[Laire]

Here's a question:

At the end of all the questing (one year), will Bartleby or Bingo have one central location where we can barter for everything? I understand phasing in Bert as we go, but if we forget where one thing or another is (while we're still working through the quests), it's going to be quite troublesome tracking him down through each area to see if we've missed something. It would be nice if, at the end (depending on how the story wraps up), wherever Bingo and Bert end up, there is one permanent location (after WE complete all the quests, of course) which contains a barter option for all the items.

This would be really fantastic. I would love to see this at the end of the quest chain.

[Gwinthilnel]

MoL, I want you to know that the Bingo storyline has delighted me every week! I love it! Its wonderful- fantastic job.

I also want to say I'm a bit sorry that similar types of episodic content aren't being considered. I love this opportunity to do something fun and new every week and such. You know, there is a way to do it, without necessarily having it be 'Bingo only with an Elf or a Dwarf.'

There are several elements in this game that are brilliantly designed- and yet some players might not quite 'get' or understand it- streams and rems of quests and zones that, on the surface, don't have much to do with each other, while other things are hinted at or explained only individually.

Here's an idea I'd like to through out-there: Why not invent NPCs who have specific missions or quests, who may or may not journey with the player Bingo-style, but who have something to achieve, as opposed to Bingo who just wanted to go on an adventure?

I'd love to quest with a Lothlorien Elf from Nanduhirion to the Caves of the Avorrim in Belfalas- for example. That would be a fun journey- to have an Elf actually wonder what in the world happened to long-lost Amroth and Nimrodel, and for players to quest with that Elf from the Nimrodel or Nanduhirion sub-zones in Lothlorien to Cerin Amroth and then to the Vineyard docks, down the Anduin and East Wall and Entwash Mouths into Gondor, then down into Eastern and Central Gondor, to the Gilrain area where players meet the first of the five River Ladies. Then from there, up into Western Gondor, to the ruins of Edhellond and vibrant Dol Amroth, and to the Caves. Dorthaneth's quest-text could be..... tactful and well-designed so that it doesn't step on any toes; she's just a strange shroud-wearing female Elf in so far as the game is concerned, nothing more and nothing less. It could be a 'solve the mystery' type of thing, and even though it might not have a 'definitive conclusion,' it might keep players interested and give everyone something fun to do.

There are other places in-game that could use this treatment. How about starting in Great River and going on a quest to find the Ent-wives. No, the player wouldn't have any companions for this, no Ents running around with players throughout the world (*though the thought of having an Ent end-up journeying with the player from Fangorn to the Old Forest amuses me). Have it start with that Ent in the Brown-lands and then transition to the Limlight Gorge Ents, then to Leaflock in Wildermore, then to the Eaves of Fangorn, then to the Entwood, then to the Gravenwood in Dunland, then to the Mournshaws in Enedwaith, then to the wood-troll area in Eregion, then to wood-troll areas in the Trollshaws, then to Talath Gaun and Agamaur in the Lonelands, and then have it finally culminate in the Old Forest with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. It would connect all these disparate areas together in a storyline that makes sense- rather than letting players pick-up the bits and pieces along the way. It would also get across the notion that all these lands were really filled with one huge Fangorn-style forest at one point- of which only scattered remnants remain. Druedain Forest and the Gilrain area also count with this-

Of course, the only trouble with these ideas, is that they'd need to have starting-point level-restrictions- I'd say the Lothlorien one should begin at level 55 and the Great River one at level 70. But hey! Players who are just starting-out already have Bingo Boffins! Its funner to have different adventures or storylines open-up based on one's level anyways. It gives folks additional reasons to level their characters and play-through-the-game.

Another biggie would be a 'discover the lost Kingdom of Arnor' type of quest-line. Sure, Volume I and the zone quests do a number on it all, but they also do not do several important things. I loved it when Orchalwe in Evendim, for example, reflected on what Annuminas -used- to be like, before it got all ruined. Very often, we only get to know the differences between the function of a citadel in a given city, versus the rest of the shambled ruins around them. I.E. We can tell the differences between Ost Elendil and the rest of Annuminas, and from the docks from the upper areas in the city, but what do we really know about these places? In Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith, everything has a purpose and gets labeled, and anything that doesn't have a name or an identity of its own can pretty much be assumed to be city-housing. But I'd love a quest-line that involves exploring Eriador with one of the Dunedain and finding-out what these places actually used to be. There's deeds in Breeland that takes you to find all these ruins and landmarks, but they really don't tell you anything about these places, other than their more recent functions among the rangers. You know, I'd love to -witness- a ranger burial ceremony at those Breeland ruins that were described being for that purpose among the rangers. I'd love to witness a Dunedain oath-taking ceremony. I'd also love to learn what these places used to be and what their 'alive' era functions-were. We know in Dol Amroth the differences between the library, the wharf, the warehouses, the Court of the Fount, etc. etc. etc. But all we get in Ost Baranor is just a shamble of ruins with Blackwolds hiding in them. What functions did these places serve? Was Ost Baranor a barracks? A fortress? Did it have citizens dwelling there, and if so, what were they doing? It would be really really fun, now that we've been in Gondor, to make a rhyme to reason to what Arnor used to look like as a Kingdom- and Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur respectively. We know what purpose Amon Sul served- it had a Palantir and served as a watchtower-fortress. But we don't really know all that much about the place that became the Blackwolds' Roost, or about Ost Lagaros in the North Downs, etc. We know the ND had five towns and there are markers representing them, but we don't know much more about these places other than that they were towns, and some of them are pretty strangely-designed at a first or second run-through, like those ruins in Meluinen that are half-drowned and half-filled with dirt. I'd love, through quest-text, to give players the ability to envision what these places would've looked like if they were as lively as the Gondorian zones we've visited so far. It would be fun.

These are all bits and pieces of 'lore easter eggs' at it were that it would be fun for players to get caught-up on, that's all. I'm sure there are a couple more hiding out there- the world's so well-designed, *smiles*. Anyways, you're great, MoL- excellent job with Bingo

These ideas are fantastic! I hope they take them into consideration!

[greendarner]

I was in the Hall of Fire (Rivendell) the other night on a character who has gone way beyond that point in the story. What did I see upon the hearth, or I should say, WHO? Willem Whisker of course!

He's supposed to have moved on; he should not be here. Then I got to thinking ... it would be hilarious if Bingo were to return via Rivendell again, perhaps to leave a copy of his manuscript with Bingo, whereupon he discovers Willem Whisker was just ditching him. Willem has moved the family back to Rivendell!

[Sito_Origami]

Hmm, up early for a change on a Wed and thought I'd log in to do this week's episode. I thought it updated at 3am EST? Bert Bartleby is keeping mum today, and Bingo is still sitting at the dinner table from last week...

[Thoroval]

I thought it updated at 3am EST?

I think it activates at 10am server time.

[OldMadeOfLions]

I think it activates at 10am server time.

This is correct! 10 AM EST. There have been weeks when I've wished it was earlier so I could run through and double-check that everything was working, but I had to wait like everybody else.

MoL

[Thoroval]

10 AM EST.

Well, technically 10 AM EDT...

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

*SPOILER ALERT*











Next week's quest: 'Through the Blockade'. I would love it if this meant that Turbine had secretly been working on a Minhiriath zone, including Tharbad, between the gate in the Windfells (the blockade I'm assuming the title refers to...) and the Southfarthing (or Andrath), although I feel this may be a bit much to hope for - although simply being ported from the Windfells to Andrath/the Southfarthing Gate would be a tad disappointing!

[Feirlain]

MoL, I want you to know that the Bingo storyline has delighted me every week! I love it! Its wonderful- fantastic job.

I also want to say I'm a bit sorry that similar types of episodic content aren't being considered. I love this opportunity to do something fun and new every week and such. You know, there is a way to do it, without necessarily having it be 'Bingo only with an Elf or a Dwarf.'

There are several elements in this game that are brilliantly designed- and yet some players might not quite 'get' or understand it- streams and rems of quests and zones that, on the surface, don't have much to do with each other, while other things are hinted at or explained only individually.

Here's an idea I'd like to through out-there: Why not invent NPCs who have specific missions or quests, who may or may not journey with the player Bingo-style, but who have something to achieve, as opposed to Bingo who just wanted to go on an adventure?

I'd love to quest with a Lothlorien Elf from Nanduhirion to the Caves of the Avorrim in Belfalas- for example. That would be a fun journey- to have an Elf actually wonder what in the world happened to long-lost Amroth and Nimrodel, and for players to quest with that Elf from the Nimrodel or Nanduhirion sub-zones in Lothlorien to Cerin Amroth and then to the Vineyard docks, down the Anduin and East Wall and Entwash Mouths into Gondor, then down into Eastern and Central Gondor, to the Gilrain area where players meet the first of the five River Ladies. Then from there, up into Western Gondor, to the ruins of Edhellond and vibrant Dol Amroth, and to the Caves. Dorthaneth's quest-text could be..... tactful and well-designed so that it doesn't step on any toes; she's just a strange shroud-wearing female Elf in so far as the game is concerned, nothing more and nothing less. It could be a 'solve the mystery' type of thing, and even though it might not have a 'definitive conclusion,' it might keep players interested and give everyone something fun to do.

There are other places in-game that could use this treatment. How about starting in Great River and going on a quest to find the Ent-wives. No, the player wouldn't have any companions for this, no Ents running around with players throughout the world (*though the thought of having an Ent end-up journeying with the player from Fangorn to the Old Forest amuses me). Have it start with that Ent in the Brown-lands and then transition to the Limlight Gorge Ents, then to Leaflock in Wildermore, then to the Eaves of Fangorn, then to the Entwood, then to the Gravenwood in Dunland, then to the Mournshaws in Enedwaith, then to the wood-troll area in Eregion, then to wood-troll areas in the Trollshaws, then to Talath Gaun and Agamaur in the Lonelands, and then have it finally culminate in the Old Forest with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. It would connect all these disparate areas together in a storyline that makes sense- rather than letting players pick-up the bits and pieces along the way. It would also get across the notion that all these lands were really filled with one huge Fangorn-style forest at one point- of which only scattered remnants remain. Druedain Forest and the Gilrain area also count with this-

Of course, the only trouble with these ideas, is that they'd need to have starting-point level-restrictions- I'd say the Lothlorien one should begin at level 55 and the Great River one at level 70. But hey! Players who are just starting-out already have Bingo Boffins! Its funner to have different adventures or storylines open-up based on one's level anyways. It gives folks additional reasons to level their characters and play-through-the-game.

Another biggie would be a 'discover the lost Kingdom of Arnor' type of quest-line. Sure, Volume I and the zone quests do a number on it all, but they also do not do several important things. I loved it when Orchalwe in Evendim, for example, reflected on what Annuminas -used- to be like, before it got all ruined. Very often, we only get to know the differences between the function of a citadel in a given city, versus the rest of the shambled ruins around them. I.E. We can tell the differences between Ost Elendil and the rest of Annuminas, and from the docks from the upper areas in the city, but what do we really know about these places? In Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith, everything has a purpose and gets labeled, and anything that doesn't have a name or an identity of its own can pretty much be assumed to be city-housing. But I'd love a quest-line that involves exploring Eriador with one of the Dunedain and finding-out what these places actually used to be. There's deeds in Breeland that takes you to find all these ruins and landmarks, but they really don't tell you anything about these places, other than their more recent functions among the rangers. You know, I'd love to -witness- a ranger burial ceremony at those Breeland ruins that were described being for that purpose among the rangers. I'd love to witness a Dunedain oath-taking ceremony. I'd also love to learn what these places used to be and what their 'alive' era functions-were. We know in Dol Amroth the differences between the library, the wharf, the warehouses, the Court of the Fount, etc. etc. etc. But all we get in Ost Baranor is just a shamble of ruins with Blackwolds hiding in them. What functions did these places serve? Was Ost Baranor a barracks? A fortress? Did it have citizens dwelling there, and if so, what were they doing? It would be really really fun, now that we've been in Gondor, to make a rhyme to reason to what Arnor used to look like as a Kingdom- and Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur respectively. We know what purpose Amon Sul served- it had a Palantir and served as a watchtower-fortress. But we don't really know all that much about the place that became the Blackwolds' Roost, or about Ost Lagaros in the North Downs, etc. We know the ND had five towns and there are markers representing them, but we don't know much more about these places other than that they were towns, and some of them are pretty strangely-designed at a first or second run-through, like those ruins in Meluinen that are half-drowned and half-filled with dirt. I'd love, through quest-text, to give players the ability to envision what these places would've looked like if they were as lively as the Gondorian zones we've visited so far. It would be fun.

These are all bits and pieces of 'lore easter eggs' at it were that it would be fun for players to get caught-up on, that's all. I'm sure there are a couple more hiding out there- the world's so well-designed, *smiles*. Anyways, you're great, MoL- excellent job with Bingo

These ideas are fantastic! I hope they take them into consideration!

I agree.

I like the idea of mini-arcs.

One idea could be escorting an elf (or elves) from Imladris to the Sea for their final journey. It would be a bit sad though seeing another elf (or elves) leave, and I'm not sure it would be all that challenging as it would go from a high level area to a low one.

EDIT: (Maybe add the whole mini-arc quests thing as stated in the first quote to the various 'Explorer of Eregion' NPC types around the world to give them something more for players to do )

[Sito_Origami]

thanks for pointing out the time for me, much appreciated. A quiet little episode this week, but after the coins and the dragons I think anything was going to feel like a let-down... Nice to visit this corner of the world, I don't think I even knew about the waterfall here. Eager to see how this all wraps up.

[HunterGreen]

*SPOILER ALERT*











Next week's quest: 'Through the Blockade'. I would love it if this meant that Turbine had secretly been working on a Minhiriath zone, including Tharbad, between the gate in the Windfells (the blockade I'm assuming the title refers to...) and the Southfarthing (or Andrath), although I feel this may be a bit much to hope for - although simply being ported from the Windfells to Andrath/the Southfarthing Gate would be a tad disappointing!

I expect that teleport to be the very thing, because developing that whole region just for this one quest is a bit lopsided. But at least we'll finally have some in-game establishment that that route exists and is passable.

Of course, if MoL was feeling ambitious it's possible they created a little instance to be somewhere on the midway point. Even that seems like a lot of work for this though. Most instances use existing land, or a variation on it. Instances that have their own setting are rare and usually part of the epic (e.g., that fort you help Isildur raid).

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

I expect that teleport to be the very thing, because developing that whole region just for this one quest is a bit lopsided. But at least we'll finally have some in-game establishment that that route exists and is passable.

Of course, if MoL was feeling ambitious it's possible they created a little instance to be somewhere on the midway point. Even that seems like a lot of work for this though. Most instances use existing land, or a variation on it. Instances that have their own setting are rare and usually part of the epic (e.g., that fort you help Isildur raid).

Yep, I know its a rather ambitious hope - I thought of it more as an excuse to create the new zone in preparation for the Scouring of the Shire, rather than created simply for Bingo, however.

Even if we don't get a zone though, a nice instance at Tharbad, or in the Southfarthing-proper (that we've not seen yet) would be glorious, although I know that would have meant considerably more work than using pre-existing landscape.