Middle-earth is a beautiful place. The folks at Turbine did not disappoint when they brought Tolkien’s creation to life in a virtual setting. For this week’s Westfold Wednesday, we’d like to share some of our favourite locations and talk about which ones we’re dying to see.
ALICE
My first favourite place has been Duillond in Ered Luin. There is a balcony there, where you can admire the entire valley and the river Lhûn. I love this place at night, because you can admire many stars, but also during the sunset, because everything’s purple and blue. But the moment that I mostly enjoyed Duillond has been a foggy and rainy day, because everything had pastel colors and it was so romantic.
Another favourite place is Bree-town Hall Courtyard. It sounds weird and I don’t know why I like so much this square with a view of the jail, but I like being there especially at nighttime.
In the Shire I have several favourite places, one is the bridge near the Mill, because I can see Bag End but also Hobbiton. Another place is Bywater, it’s a beautiful scenery and I love to stay there fishing.
Finally a place that surprised me a lot, despite its name, is Scary and its neighbor places. When the sun shines in the sky, it’s a beautiful place.
BRITTA
I love every region in LOTRO’s Middle-earth for various reasons, but there are several locations which really stand out:
Forochel is one of my favourite places to visit and quest in. I am a big lover of snow and ice, and the scenery does not disappoint. Not only is the night sky a beautiful sight to behold, but the attention to history – such as finding the ghost of Arvedui, the last king of Arthedain, near the wreckage of his ship – makes Middle-earth feel truly real.
Although the atmosphere is miserable in Angmar, I’ve always found it to be a perfect contract to the other spots in LOTRO. My first time in Angmar, I was completely mesmerised by the blood-red sky and haunting soundtrack. I never get to spend as much time there as I’d like, but now that I have several lower-level alts, I’m hoping at least one of them will make Angmar a priority.
The Mines of Moria are a world of their own, and easily my favourite spot in the entire game. Seeing the Mines in a virtual world really reinforces just how large and how magnificent they are. That being said, it’s very easy to get lost in Moria, especially the first time through; but in getting lost, you end up stumbling upon beautiful spots you may never have seen otherwise.
Now that we’ve gotten our wishes to see Rohan, I hope that sometime between now and 2017, we will be able to visit Gondor (particularly Minas Tirith) as well. I cannot even begin to imagine how beautifully it will be portrayed in the game.
MARIA
There are many places that I love so it’s a tough decision to point out which is the most favourite. I can still remember when I first started playing LOTRO that the Shire seemed to be endless and full of wonders. Only after I began to explore Bree-land I realised how small the Shire actually is. One of the places outside the Shire that enchanted me early on and still does is the Old Forest. Especially at night! Even though I was frightened every time I entered the forest, I was still mesmerized and secretly happy to quest there. Nowadays, my main character’s level is so high that no beast in the forest pays any attention to her which means I can enjoy the beauty without the constant fear of getting killed.
Another place I love in Bree-land is a particular alley in Bree. The alley I speak of is close to the Combe Gate. A few days ago, I passed this alley a night and somehow fell in love with it. The detail makes me feel as if there are truly people living in Bree. I don’t know how to describe it. I just love it.
The last place I want to highlight is a corner in Thorin’s hall. This beautiful waterfall got me by surprise. If I could, I’d join those two dwarves and would sit there for hours, talking and fishing.
One place I’m dying to see are Bilbo’s Trolls in the Trollshaws and Lothlorien. I love exploring forests in Middle-earth so yeah, Lothlorien would be a dream!
MYLA
Beggar’s alley in Bree certainly isn’t the nicest place ever, but there’s this small area that brings a smile to my face every time I stop by. There are three children running in a grassy yard, laughing and having fun. The first time I noticed them was when I was touring Bree for one of my characters and I immediately felt worried. I just thought “I almost got killed! There are children here!! CHILDREN, RUN.” It’s nice to see a little good in this poor place in Bree.
One of my favorite places in the Shire (and believe me it was hard to choose since I have MANY) is right in the middle of Waymeet and Bywater where you can overlook Hobbiton, especially during the day when the sky is blue. The view is just so beautiful, and it makes me very happy but sad knowing that I can’t just step onto the road and make my way over to Bag End.
Whenever I’m in Rivendell I always stop by Bilbo’s room, everything about it makes me happy. The décor, the colors… the hobbits.
When it’s nighttime and I look out my window to see the dark sky, I sometimes think of Forochel and the beautiful lights that come out at night. When I first saw it I made sure to take screenshots from as many angles as I could.
There’s something about the closeness and maze like atmosphere in Oatbarton that I absolutely love. It doesn’t hurt that there’s so many hobbits around! It took me a while to make my way around this area, but once I got the hang of it I was riding through with ease. All of Evendim is beautiful but Oatbarton is my absolute favorite place there.
What places do I want to see? I WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING. I can’t wait till I can set foot into Meduseld and ride along the fields in Rohan on my war steed! Basically, I just really want to go to Rohan. Right now I’m questing in Moria and really want to see Balin’s tomb… though I’m sure I will cry. Oh, and Fangorn! I saw some screenshots of it already and I really want to see it for myself. And Caras Galadhon, I’m only a few levels away from being able to quest in Lothlorien and I can already tell that I’m going to be taking soooooooo many screenshots. Also Helm’s Deep!! Seriously, just bring me to all of the places in Middle-earth, and I’ll be happy haha. As for places that don’t exist in game yet, I hope I’ll be able to see the Grey Havens one day! It would be bitter sweet I’m sure. And imagine Minas Tirith, oh man.
What are some of your favourite locations in LOTRO? Leave a comment below or Tweet us using the #WestfoldWarrior hashtag!
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