Hint-A-Week: Hidden Treasures

One of the things I like best about LotRO is the depth of the world. The developers have spent a great deal of time maintaining a balance between the source material and the lore of Tolkien.

However, that balance doesn't stop the developers from having a bit of fun. There are all kinds of things in the world, and you often happen upon them unexpected.

There's a snowman hidden in the wilds of Ered Luin, for example - not to mention the Sand Castle on the beaches of Evendim, the Yule Tree in the withered forests of Angmar, and the Hobbit trapped in the hedges outside the Bree North Gate.

Just the other day, I was riding from my house in The Shire Homestead to Hobbiton. It's a path I've taken too many times to count, but I caught a glimpse of a field off in the distance, and it looked suprising like a heart. I veered off the path, and the closer I got, the more it took on the heart shape. It's just a small thing, and I'm not even sure it is an intentional one (though, it's safe to say that most things in game are intentional), but it reminded me again at just how much vigilence pays off, and how much you can miss if you're just in a hurry to get to the end game.

The Shire alone is filled with vignettes that are worth taking the time to witness - a marriage proposal in Overhill, the drama of teenage hobbits in Waymeet, the adventurous hobbit in his canoe outside Budgeford.

And then there are the quests. A player, Sypster, wrote an article on non-to-miss quests in The Shire: everything from chasing a Black Rider to saving a Huorn from spiders. There's even a merciful quest to help an Angmarim from Angmar.

But it's more than that. It often pays to go off the beaten track and just explore the wilds. There are places of near breath-taking beauty. Most of my favorite places involve water and waterfalls. I love the place where the lake in the northern area spills into the river that is eventually spanned by the Trestlebridge. Starmere lake near the border between The Shire and Bree-Land is striking. And then there's the valley where the Bruinen crosses into Eregion. It's a great fishing spot - serene and safe.

So, this week's hint: slow down and enjoy the ride. You never know what you might find in some dusty corner of the world.