The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria

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The Lord of the Rings Online:
Mines of Moria
Official logo for Mines of Moria
Mines of Moria
Released November 14, 2008 (EU) & November 18, 2008 (US) (release notes)
Nickname MoM
Level cap 60
Region added Eregion, Moria and Lothlórien
Production
First announced March 14, 2008
Pre-order period Unknown
Soundtrack Mines of Moria - Original Video Game Soundtrack, by Chance Thomas and Stephen DiGregorio
Developer Codemasters
Expansion Chronology
- The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood


The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is LOTRO's first expansion. With this expansion, players could for the first time venture beyond Eriador, crossing the Misty Mountains in the footsteps of The Fellowship of the Ring. The expansion was originally sold in DVD boxes in game stores.

On April 13, 2022, the expansion was removed from the Store in anticipation of Update 33, which will make its contents available for free to every player.

This page aims to give an overview of the release history and the main features of the expansion. A full overview of all game changes can be read in Mines of Moria's release notes.[1]

Content

The Rune-keeper is a master of words, and uses those to either damage his enemies or inspire his allies.[2]
The Warden is a more "tank-y" class and is a master of martial combat, and must strike his blows in such a way to best finish off his enemies.[3]
  • ancient dwarven treasure
  • new traits, virtues, skills, class quests
  • expansion of crafting system
  • legendary items, that level-up with the player and can be customized by advancing the item's virtues, adding runic legacies, modifying its titles...
  • dynamic lighting & player lights
  • World-changing instances
  • Environment-aware AI
  • Epic high-level instances:
    • New adventure instances and raids
    • Expanded PvMP areas
  • Leaderboards and achievement rankings

Production and sales

March 14, 2008, Codemasters officially announced the development of Mines of Moria at Codemasters Online Connect 2008.[4][5] It was scheduled to release in the fall of 2008.

The expansion was promoted through web-based mini games. Playing these games unlocked the trailer and game art.

Other pre-release promotions involved collaborations with gamer websites. Players could get the following free in-game cosmetic items:

Expansion editions

Mines of Moria was originally sold in three versions: a base version called the Complete Edition, a Special Edition with some extra goodies and the most expensive one, the Collector's Edition. The original boxes can sometimes still be found online on retailer websites. Note, however, that the product keys of the EU version (recognizable by the Codemasters label) do no longer work due to changes in ownership of the game.[9]

Mines of Moria Complete Edition
Complete Edition Special Edition Collector's Edition
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
3 Ithildín Coins* 3 Ithildín Coins* 3 Ithildín Coins*
Mines of Moria poster Mines of Moria poster Mines of Moria poster
Middle-Earth map Middle-Earth map Middle-Earth map
Starter Guide Starter Guide Full color Collector's Edition Starter Guide
Mines of Moria soundtrack The Lord of the Rings Online Audio Library with the Mines of Moria soundtrack
Replica of the One Ring in a bag made of velvet Gold-plated replica of the One Ring complete with chain and pouch
Replica of an Elven Cloak Clasp 22" x 22" cloth map of the Mines of Moria
60 days of playtime Community badge for the LOTRO forums
Pre-order only
Pre-order product key**, unlocking:
Mines of Moria soundtrack***
Cloak of the Sunset, Cloak of Durin's Crown,
Hauberk of the Mithril Guard & Deep Miner's Helm
Title "Moria Expeditionary"

* The coins automatically appear in the inventory of every character upon using the attached key. Right-clicking them begins the quest Ithildín Coin with unique selectable rewards.
** This product key still works: it bestows the in-game items and title retroactively, as long as the code originates from an American order. Codemaster (EU) pre-order product keys do no longer work.
*** The soundtrack was officially released on November 17, 2008. The album was largely the same as the earlier released Shadows of Angmar soundtrack, but with seven bonus tracks added onto the end, including one from the Mines of Moria expansion.

Players who tested the expansion in Beta received a Ranger's Cloak. Mines of Moria was released in Europe on November 14 and in Northern America on November 18, 2008.

Gallery

References

  1. Release Notes: Volume 2: Mines of Moria Launch: Official Release Notes LOTRO.com, archived from the original on October 18, 2010. Consulted February 17, 2020.
  2. Keth/Turbine, LOTRO EU House of Commons DevChat, June 25, 2008
  3. Keth/Turbine, LOTRO EU House of Commons DevChat, June 25, 2008
  4. LOTRO.com: The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria unveiled at Connect 08 LOTRO.com, archived from the original on October 3, 2008. Consulted on February 23, 2020.
  5. Codemasters Online Connect '08: Mines of Moria presentation part 1, part 2 and part 3 Turbine, recorded by David Perry from the audience on March 14, 2008.
  6. MMORPG.com: Get a free in-game gift MMORPG.com, 5 November 2008.
  7. LOTRO Forums: FREE Stuff: Hauberk of the Mithril Guard LOTRO Forums, 22 April 2011.
  8. GamesRadar: Win an exclusive cloak for Lord of the Rings Online GamesRadar.com, 18 November 2008.
  9. LOTRO Forums: Question regarding 'Mines of Moria: Complete Edition' and its contents LOTRO Forums on March 30, 2019.

See also (external links)