The Lord of the Rings Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows and OS X set in a fantasy universe based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It takes place during the time period of The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings Online was developed and is maintained by Turbine after Jeffrey Anderson secured the rights from Vivendi. Originally subscription-based, it is free-to-play, with a paid VIP subscription available that provides players various perks. Four of the more prominent are access to all game regions and content not part of an expansion pack, the ability to swiftly travel between major towns, the removal of the currency cap that would otherwise hamper the economic freedom of a player, and the ability to send currency through the mail system, and make cash-on-delivery payments.
Source: Wikipedia, "The Lord of the Rings Online", available under the CC-BY-SA License.
Expansions (updates are free unless shaded):
| Expansion |
Release Date |
Character Level Ceiling |
Major Sub-system additions |
New areas |
Other
|
| Free update |
Jun 2007 |
|
|
Evendim |
|
| Free update |
Aug 2007 |
|
Reputation
Bartering |
|
|
| Free update |
Oct 2007 |
|
Housing |
|
|
| Free update |
Apr 2008 |
|
|
Forochel |
|
| Free update |
Jul 2008 |
|
|
Eregion |
|
| Mines of Moria |
Nov 2008 |
60 |
Legendary Weapons |
Moria
Lothlórien |
Warden class introduced
Rune keeper class introduced
|
| Siege of Mirkwood |
Sep 2009 |
65 |
Skirmish system |
Mirkwood |
|
| Free update |
Sep 2010 |
|
|
Enedwaith |
|
| Update 1 ("Journey to Winter-Home") |
Nov 2010 |
|
Barter wallet
Tasks |
|
First post Free-to-play (F2P) expansion
Moria, Lothlórien, Mirkwood, Enedwaith opened to F2P
Ered Luin revamp
F2P level cap raised to 65
|
| Update 2 ("Echoes of the Dead") |
21 Mar 2011 (U.S.)
24 March 2011 (Eur.)
|
|
|
|
Volume III Book 3 added
Evendim revamp
|
| Update 3 ("Lost Legends of Eriador") |
23 May 2011 |
|
|
|
new instances and skirmishes
|
| Rise of Isengard |
27 Sep 2011 |
75 |
|
Dunland
Gap of Rohan
Isengard |
Volume III Book 4 added
|
| Update 5 ("Armies of Isengard") |
12 Dec 2011 |
|
|
|
Volume III Book 5 added
Barter currencies unified
|
| Update 6 ("Shores of the Great River") |
12 Mar 2012 |
|
|
The Great River |
Volume III Book 6 added
|
| Update 7 ("Shades of the Past") |
14 May 2012 |
|
|
|
Revamp of Fornost Instance
Moria revamp
|
| Riders of Rohan |
Oct 2012 |
85 |
Mounted combat |
East Rohan |
|
| Update 9 ("Against the Shadow") |
17 Dec 2012 |
|
Open Tapping/Remote Looting |
|
Moria revamp Part II
|
| Update 10 ("Against the Shadow Part II) |
6 Mar 2013 |
|
|
|
|
| Update 11 ("Treachery of the White Hand") |
13 May 2013 |
|
|
Wildermore |
Volume III Book 10 added
|
| Helm's Deep |
Nov 2013 |
95 |
Epic Battles
Trait Trees |
West Rohan |
|
| Update 13 ("The Breaking of Isengard") |
14 Apr 2014 |
|
|
Entwood |
Increased mail & inventory storage
Epic story update
|
| Update 14 ("Paths of the Dead") |
14 Jul 2014 |
100 |
Essence System |
West Gondor |
Volume IV introduced
|
| Update 14.2 |
15 Sep 2014 |
|
|
Dead Marshes |
|
| Update 15 ("Gondor Aflame") |
5 Nov 2014 |
|
Beornings |
Central Gondor |
|
| Update 16 ("Ashes of Osgiliath") |
4 May 2015 |
|
Imbuement System |
East Gondor |
Volume IV Book 3
|
| Update 17 |
|
|
|
|
Volume IV Book 4
|
| Update 18 ("Pelennor Fields") |
11 Apr 2016 |
105 |
|
Far Anórien |
Volume IV Book 5 & 6
|
Current Areas:
| Area |
Release Date |
Character Levels |
Other
|
| The Shire |
Apr 2007 |
1-13 |
Included in launch
|
| Ered Luin |
Apr 2007 |
1-15 |
Included in launch
|
| Bree-Land |
Apr 2007 |
1-24 |
Included in launch
|
| Lone-lands |
Apr 2007 |
22-35 |
Included in launch
|
| Trollshaws |
Apr 2007 |
30-50 |
Included in launch
|
| Misty Mountains |
Apr 2007 |
39-50 |
Included in launch
|
| Angmar |
Apr 2007 |
40-52 |
Included in launch
|
| Ettenmoors |
Apr 2007 |
PvP |
Included in launch
|
| Evendim |
Jun 2007 |
32-40 |
Free update
|
| Forochel |
Apr 2008 |
39-52 |
Free update
|
| Eregion |
Jul 2008 |
45-55 |
Free update
|
| Moria |
Nov 2008 |
51-60 |
Mines of Moria expansion
|
| Lothlórien |
Nov 2008 |
55-60 |
Mines of Moria expansion
|
| Mirkwood |
Sep 2009 |
61-65 |
Siege of Mirkwood expansion
|
| Enedwaith |
Sep 2010 |
55-60 |
Free update*
|
| Dunland |
Sep 2011 |
66-75 |
Rise of Isengard expansion
|
| Great River |
Mar 2012 |
70-75 |
Free update*
|
| Eastern Rohan |
Oct 2012 |
75-85 |
Riders of Rohan expansion
|
| Western Rohan |
Nov 2013 |
86-95 |
Helm's Deep expansion
|
| West Gondor |
14 Jul 2014 |
96-100 |
Free update*
|
| Central Gondor |
5 Nov 2014 |
96-100 |
Free update*
|
| East Gondor |
4 May 2015 |
96-100 |
Free update*
|
| Far Anórien |
11 Apr 2016 |
100-105 |
Free update*
|
- All update content is available to VIP players. After F2P (Free to Play) model went into effect, not all features of all updates were "free."
Sources:
LOTRO website, "https://www.lotro.com/en/explore/"
LOTRO blog re Update 14, http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/12/lord-of-the-rings-onlines-update-14-opens-west-gondor-raises-l/
LOTRO site re Update 14,https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?552272-Update-14-Paths-of-the-Dead-Release-Notes-amp-Known-Issues&p=7200888#post7200888
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