To solo or not to solo, that is the question. Is it nobler to suffer the sling stones and arrows of thine enemy whilst standing amongst his troops, without the sturdy shield or trusty arms of friends; or, is it best to form a wall of shields, linked by devotion and gilded by strength, to bolster the focus of my blade?

It's a good question. It's a hard question. It's a question with many answers.

It seems whenever you set out to design a massively multiplayer online game one question – one sticky, important question – finds its way into the discussions of designers and fans. This question draws hard battle lines, across which terrible words are exchanged, mothers' names are dragged through the mud, pets are sacrificed on altars of dark forces and hyperbole becomes the ultimate weapon of choice. It is a question that, at its very core, is somewhat of an oxymoron: 'Will your massively-multiplayer game support solo play?'

Different games have taken different approaches: some games have evoked social play through deep crafting systems, player-versus-player conflict, and group-centric endgame content. Other games have allowed extremely skilled solo players to become self-sufficient gods unto themselves. As with any organic entity – make no mistake, MMOs are organic entities – each MMO and the genre as a whole have evolved over time to incorporate the different personalities of players. Some players desire to detach themselves completely from the real world when playing their games, becoming lost in the actions of their avatars and disassociating themselves from human contact altogether. Others become the social butterfly that they cannot be in the 'real world.' Play styles are as varied as the number of players in the game world, and we as designers must do our best to accommodate them all. However, we are not super-human, nor are we graced with an endless amount of resources or time with which to construct our games. Instead, we have windows of opportunity to glimpse the current mood and mindset of our fans and determine the course of the single question, 'Can I solo in your game?'

A Prelude to an Answer

So you want to know something about The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. Excellent! If only I could deliver all of the juicy information which you seek! How wondrous would the outpouring of gratitude be, and how greater still the rancor that followed, as shortcomings and disagreements were debated until the coming of the Last Battle!

(Translation: before I was a developer, I was an MMO fan first, then an Online Community Rep. Be nice to Patience!)

If I could do that I would, but I cannot. NobOrBob and his Balrog, Snuggles, keep our darkest secrets, er, secret. What I can do, however, is give you a glimpse of LOTRO from a great height, as if borne by a Great Eagle.

First, we are building a world. Not just any world, mind you; we are building Middle-earth, perhaps the most beloved, history-filled, and well-described fictional world to exist, ever. There are books written about the books and books written about the books about the books, and books about – well, you get the picture. We need to get the story right. We need to be conscious of the story and world in every choice we make; slip once and there'll be a Nazgûl hot on our trails (not an envious position for one to be in, I fear).

Second, we must appease the millions of Tolkien fans who have lived, breathed, and dreamt about this opportunity since the words "Middle-earth" and "Online" were first uttered in the same sentence.

So, getting back to the matter at hand: here's an anecdote relevant to this topic. Tolkien's work shows that soloing is bad. Everyone who solos, dies. Boromir? Dead. Gollum? Dead. Frodo? Would have died but Sam wouldn't let that n00b solo. Okay, I am only mostly correct...but the books do set the precedent that if you're not a Wizard and you try to solo the most difficult monsters, you die. So, what does that mean for the game?

Only Elves and Wizards Can Solo!

Man! I knew that would keep you reading! Luckily, it's not true.

The following is a definitive statement: In The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, you will find solo adventures throughout the world.

Yes, there are solo quests. Yes, there is solo content.

Bread and Butter and Scones and Biscuits and...

Okay. You'll have solo quests in the game. I bet they're all delivery quests.

Wrong!

At the heart of The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ lies our solo quests and content. Yes, an epic tale is taking place in Middle-earth. The world is changing and not for the better, but that story is not at the heart of every matter that needs doing in the world. Middle-earth is evolving and even the smallest things you do as a character can impact someone, somewhere; they may even affect people you haven't met. News of your deeds will spread, and your name may become synonymous with "hero" all throughout Middle-earth. This is not to say that the world will change in an immediately perceptible way, but you will be sure to catch someone's eye.

Not all quests will have you fetch and grab, or kill and collect. Some may have you solving riddles for sporting souls engaged in a battle of wits, or scouting enemy encampments to assess their threat and strength. Perhaps you'll need to face a ravaged land where Orcs make their way through the devastated wilderness only to succumb to your skill! That story is your own, and your reward is the adulation of figures who revere you and all you have done.

This is only the beginning.

Fellowship Play

So what about playing in Fellowships?

Yes, there will be Fellowship quests. Yes, there will be Fellowship content.

At the heart of Tolkien's work is an underlying theme: The people you can trust in life are your friends. They lift you up when you fall, they bolster you when you are weak, and they protect you when you are unguarded. They are, without a doubt, the most important thing in the world. You will have moments that require the assistance of your friends to succeed.

Fellowships are what drive epic moments. When something truly momentous is about to occur, you will know and you will need help. People will warn you when these moments are at hand; they hate to see their heroes fall! They know if the strength of one hero is great, so too must be the combined strength of many. In these moments, you will face truly great foes or beasts of the dark – and you shouldn't try to face them alone.

What about instances?

Will there be instances in LOTRO?

Instancing, as a topic of interest, has seen many discussions amongst industry insiders and fans, and certainly has been the topic of discussion on our development team. Opinions vary wildly and often times form a sort of council of Elrond: some of us think that the instance is a tool by which we can further the cause of our games, and others worry about the impact of instancing on social play and the sense of a shared, living world. In the end, we must make decisions that are beneficial to the greater whole. Yes, there will be instances. Yes, there will be solo instances. Yes, there will be fellowship instances.

Instances allow for deviation from standard game play. (After reading this sentence a couple of times, I realized that it can be very frightening when presented without context.) [And this time, not just because of grammatical errors. :) –NobOrBob] Contextually speaking, instanced spaces provide designers a ball of clay from which we can sculpt highly detailed encounters, making the world ever more alive for players. They pull from the behaviors of the quest system, world interaction, and skill focus or group interaction to provide a challenging situation for players. They do not introduce new game mechanics; instead, they utilize existing game mechanics outside of the traditional "quest system" to highlight class roles and class skills to provide these challenges. In essence, instances allow designers to create awe-inspiring moments and events that give players a feeling of accomplishment. To take advantage of this we are constructing different types of instances.

Perhaps a short explanation of how we are using instances will ease tension over the word. In LOTRO we are using instances in three distinct ways:

• The first is as a highly sculpted solo experience. These instances allow the player to learn more about characters, motivations, and story. These instances often introduce key individuals or areas of the game, and at times familiar faces from the books, allowing players to learn more about an important figure or landmark.

• The second is a sculpted Fellowship instance that furthers the many chapters of the Shadows of Angmar. These instances provide an intricate web-work of storyline, tying into previous chapters and moments for all players following the main story path.

• The third type of instance is a shared Fellowship instance that provides encapsulated story to feed the larger whole. While similar in some ways, instance types two and three are still very different and highlighted below.

To explain the highly sculpted solo experience further, I'll provide a hypothetical example. A denizen of Middle-earth may request assistance from a player on a very dangerous mission. Perhaps he requires escort through a stretch of land known to harbor Men of dubious persuasion. He entreats the player to lead him and his pony through this stretch of land. Along the way, the character reveals more information about himself and others within his hometown while under assault from bands of evil Men. Whatever the goal, the steps to assist him/her in finding their way through the encounter are clear to the player.

An example of the second type of instancing, the sculpted Fellowship model, provides a furthering of the story told to every player character: the story of Angmar, and the forces at work in the north where once the Witch-king ruled. These "bookends" act much the same way as the previous example, but they require groups to defeat the difficult encounters and dangerous foes lurking in the shadows. These stylized moments provide insight and information about the great evil lurking in the north that threatens to join forces with Sauron, thwart the Fellowship, and overrun all of Middle-earth.

The last type of instance is an open Fellowship model. Open Fellowship means that there is no over-riding quest necessary to enter the instance spaces. They further the story of Angmar in smaller ways than the previous example, focusing on the story of their section of the world. There are no quests assisting you or guiding you. Foes may require a particular class, skill or set of abilities to defeat; we are being careful to ensure overlap. Encounters within the instance will require you to think your way through them, using your wits to solve puzzles and learn different patterns and behaviors to succeed. These spaces feature a critical path to find the primary foe, and secondary paths to lesser foes. They cover wider level spreads to allow for re-playability and continued advancement. While there are no quests that guide you through these spaces, it is possible that quests will direct you into these spaces. The risks within are high; but then again, so are the rewards.

Again, instances are being developed to support both solo and fellowship play behavior. If you feel that you can brave a space alone, you can try...but don't say we didn't warn you!

Raids & Something Else

Will there be raids in Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar?

At this time, the answer is no.

Does this mean that raids will never find their way into LOTRO? Not at all, raids are truly a different topic requiring their own discussion.

While there are currently no plans to incorporate raids into LOTRO, there is one more type of hybrid content style. What makes a hybrid content style, you ask? Some areas of the world require a group effort to defeat foes; after all Fellowships are at the core of the world, are they not? These areas will be difficult but survivable, and will likely feature some of the most difficult enemies in Middle-earth.

LOOT!

Some MMOs turn instance spaces into the only avenue to garner the greatest wealth available in the game. This is not the case with Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

That is all I have to say on the subject now.

In Closing

Giving the player the ability to make changes and feel as though they have an impact on the world around them is an important focus of the content we are designing in LOTRO. As you begin the game, you experience this in solo encounters, but as you grow the world grows with you. Suddenly those bands of roving Orcs you've defeated have friends, of the heavily-armed and extra-cunning variety. When you find yourself in those moments, it's a good thing to have a friend within earshot of your Horn. (Ask Boromir -- soloing sucks when you are facing an army.)

[Comments? Post them on our Forums!]

* This title in no way confirms that there is actually a Balrog in the game, or if there were, that you would be able to tank it – with or without friends! Those responsible for this title have been shot.

Allan "Orion" Maki hails from parts unknown. He spent his youth cradled in the company of the Knights of Ni and has no problem saying "Ni" to old women or Floon Beetle. Schooled by life, he rescued Princess Peach, discovered Samus Aran's identity and saved Zelda – all before the age of sixteen. By twenty, he had crumbled the Roman Empire, sailed along the Spanish Main and shot the Red Baron out of the sky.

After many failed attempts at becoming the uncontested ruler of the universe, he accepted the position of OCR on a little game named Asheron's Call. Soon after, he moved into a role as designer finishing his tenure on the project as the Lead Designer, before moving to DDO and finally to LOTRO, where he now serves as a Content Designer. His favorite color is purple – royal purple not lilac, though lilacs smell nice in spring – his favorite movie of all time is Citizen Kane and he wears a size 10 ½ shoe.