“Turbine has had to balance creating an innovative and entertaining game with a lore beloved by many. They’ve had to balance creating a story that make you feel part of Tolkien’s epic quest, with classes that appeal to players, and with game play that is entertaining. I think that what these Lore Lawyers need to understand is that if Turbine stayed true to the ‘Tolkien Lore’ this game would probably be very boring.”
~ Alberos
Quote of the Day
Bio Break 
Have insomnia? Read a few chapters of a Tolkien book.
Syp
Thanks for making me one of the quotes of the day!
Alberos
It’s a bang on quote. It’s a faithful representation within the constraints of gaming entertainment and there was nothing that slapped me, a LOTR lore enthusiast, in the face screaming “BLASPHEMY!”.
I also disagree with the insomnia quote from Tizlor, even though (I assume) it was made in jest. Quite the opposite, it made my sleepless nights WAY more sleepless.
I read it through for the second time last year when on holiday in Portugal – blasted through the Two Towers and Return of the King in a week.
I recovered my sleep in the sun – not a good idea for a pasty Scottish lad…
I think there’s a way to make a great online game that is closer to the lore… but you have to get away from the DIKU class-based gear-relevant system. So, if it’s a given that you have that framework, yes, something has to bend, and adherence to the lore is about all that can give at that point. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but neither is lore divergence a foregone conclusion. Game design can bend, too.