The Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep

The Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep
Developer(s)	Turbine, Inc.
Publisher(s)	Turbine, Inc.
Engine	Turbine G3
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	November 20, 2013
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

The Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep is the fifth expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It was released on November 20, 2013, after it was postponed by two days from the original release date due to a power outage. The expansion is available for download both on the web and on Steam. The new expansion increases the in-games level cap to 95, and one of the main new features is the ability to fight 'epic' scale battles such as the Battle of Helm's Deep. The Battle at Helm's Deep will be created in-game using refined technologies that Turbine created during the development of the expansion, which allow for a drastically larger amount of action and character renderings in a session. The expansion also adds modified trait trees and five new zones to explore in Western Rohan.

In Helm's Deep, Turbine has decided to provide a more accurate portrayal of the Battle of Helm's Deep from Tolkien's work, as opposed to film adaption by Peter Jackson. As a result of this, several important events that occured in the books but did not make it to the film will be depicted in-game, such as clashes at Helm's Dike in front of the fortress, and the Glittering Caves of Aglarond.

Storyline

Volume III: Allies of the King

In Helm's Deep, the previous Volume III storyline following the players in Rohan and the ride of the Grey Company will be continued. The expansion adds three new epic books with upwards of 10 chapters each, which will all follow Tolkien's work much more closely than any preceding ones to coincide with the plot arc of The Two Towers. Players will encounter Aragorn, Eowyn, and Eomer as they help restore King Theoden to his throne. Some of the most important events of the War of the Ring are depicted during the games epic storyline, such as the saving of King Théoden from the influence of Gríma Wormtongue and Saruman, and the dramatic Battle of the Hornburg which players can take part in.

New Zones

The Helm's Deep expansion adds the in-game region of Western Rohan, specifically Broadacres, Stonedeans, the Kingstead, the Westfold and the Eastfold, including Edoras, Aldburg, Dunharrow and the fortress of the Hornburg. The regions of West Rohan are depicted during the invasion Isengard's forces during the War of the Ring in the prelude to the Battle of Helm's Deep, and many settlements have been destroyed in their onslaught. Many of the more minor features of Rohan which played little part in the books and were omitted from the movies altogether appear in the expansion, such as the Púkel-Men that line the road to Dunharrow. The new regions create a new landscape link between the lands of Eriador and Rhovanion for the first time since the Mines of Moria expansion in 2008.

Broadacres

The Broadacres is under asault by the Warg-riders of Saruman, and catastrophe looms as the flames encroach on the Riders' settlements. In the north, the village of Torsbury is assaulted by Dunlendings, pressing their invasion out of the Stonedeans. A flat and fertile land of rich soil and swaying, grey-green grass, growing so high in places that it reaches the knees of a man on horseback. The land is among the least rocky in the Mark, and while a few chestnuts and elms dot the landscape, most of it is treeless. The Broadacres is ruled by Fríthild, the sole female Reeve in the Mark. A shield-maiden by birth and training, she was the only child of the former knight, Fríthgist, who raised her like a son. When Éowyn visited Edoras as a child, Fríthild treated her like a foster-sister. Ever since, Éowyn has wanted to follow her footsteps and wield a sword in battle.

Stonedeans

The men of Dunland, with help from Saruman's Orcs and Uruk-hai, control a great deal of the Stonedeans. They prepare to cross the river-gorge at Brockbridge, where a few brave men hold back an endless tide threatening to wash over northern Stonedeans. The Stonedeans are a region among the foothills of the Misty Mountains, the Stonedeans consists of crags, broken stones, tall oaks and firs, and rushing rivers. A source of many of the metals worked by the Rohirrim, particularly iron mined from the low mountains that surround Nan Curunír. This Riding among all others in Rohan is the most similar to Dunland. Historically poor and uncivilized, compared with the remainder of the Westemnet, the Stonedeans have seen many marriages between Eorlingas the Dunlendings. Rohirrim from more prosperous lands even call it "Deanland" in jest.

Kingstead

From atop Edoras, King Théoden has ruled Kingstead and the entire Mark. In recent months, Gríma Wormtongue's whispering counsel has made the once-beloved King increasingly feeble and suspicious. Now, word of his son Théodred's death has sunk Théoden into a dark and profound depression. Kingstead, royal Riding of the Mark, is among the most fertile and pleasant of all Rohan's provinces. Stretches of rich green grassland and farms are scattered between the rivers Snowbourn and Swiftwater, where the land grows damp and marshy, dotted with willow trees. Behind Edoras, deep into the White Mountains, lies the valley of Harrowdale, once plagued by Orcs that were wiped out over a century ago by King Folca the Hunter. Some whisper, however, that not all the Orcs were slain, and that some are biding their time, waiting for a chance to exact vengeance upon the Mark.

Westfold

Ravaged and burned by servants of Isengard, the Westfold has crumbled into disarray. Its leaders scatter and lose skirmishes as they attempt to regroup. The great refuge of Helm's Deep is the Rohirrim's last hope, and it is upon these sparsely defended walls that the enemy hordes will soon assault. Rocky meadows dotted by elms and alders, many chopped and hewn by raiders, the Westfold is cut by the rushing river of Swiftwater. Three other rivers, the Deeping-stream, the Grimbrook, and the Woodwell, flow from the White Mountains, their banks peppered with stony outcroppings. Helm's Deep is protected by a raised and semi-fortified earthwork known as Helm's Dike and the ancient Númenórean keep, the Hornburg. Beyond the Hornburg, the mighty Deeping-wall shelters the rest of the valley. The Deeping-stream runs through the wall's base.

Eastfold

Located on the far side of the realm, away from Isengard, the Eastfold has seen little of Saruman's savagery, but is not at peace. Long thought destroyed and starved for vengeance, the Orcs of the White Mountains stir once more through Sauron's dark will. Eastfold's lands divide into three areas: the Folde, the Fenmarch, and the Everholt. The Folde is rich farmland that has long served the realm. The Fenmarch blooms with wildflowers, tussocks, reeds. Everholt is an old oak forest and royal hunting ground running uphill to the White Mountains. Home of Éomer, Third Marshal of the Riddermark, Eastfold is among the oldest Ridings in the Mark; it was the seat of Eorl the Young when he first became King. The capital moved to Edoras during the reign of his son Brego, but the Eastfold remains the site of many important moments of Rohan's history.

Epic Battles

One of the most important new features of the expansion is the new game mode called 'Epic Battles'.. Players of The Lord of the Rings Online will be able to participate in an epic battle as early as level ten, where they will be automatically enhanced to level 95 to partake in the battle. The Battle of Helm's deep is the first of a series of large-scale engagements between the Free People's and the forces under Saruman and Sauron to be represented in-game. This new addition replaces the more traditional endgame content such as raids or instances, and during it one can play solo or in groups of two, three, six, or twelve.

Each Epic Battle features a Primary Objective in the defence of the Hornburg and survival of Rohan. In addition to these Primary objectives, there are also Secondary Objectives that provide unique opportunities, such as saving injured soldiers while Uruk-hai invade, or rescuing horses threatened by White Hand assassins. Every objective, Primary or otherwise, rewards a Medal: bronze, silver, gold, or platinum. The best medals will award the player things such as rare armor and accessories, and points to spend on epic battle promotions.

There are three classes that players can choose to play as during an epic battle, and these are the Vanguard, the Engineer, and the Officer. The Vanguard can use powerful attacks and defenses to defeat the enemy in battle, as well as being able to call on several Epic Battle abilities such as a volley of arrows or to stun surrounding enemies. The Engineer's role is to strategically place siege equipment to use against the enemy, lay devastating traps, and apply powders to projectiles that add effects to weaken the incoming enemy. Engineer's can also use the deadly siege weaponry stationed at Helm's Deep such as to scatter enemy forces before the walls. The Officer heals troops on the brink of defeat and grants defensive benefits to reinforce their allies defenses. As a veteran, the Officer commands from afar, orders troops to counter enemy assaults, and can raise banners of war to embolden the defense.

Gameplay Enhancements

An important new features of Helm's Deep is a modification of the games class 'trait tree' system. Beginning at level 6, Trait Trees offer a selection of powerful Specializations (Specs) that enhance your character. You gain more Trait Points by leveling-up and completing Deeds, and higher levels unlock additional builds to switch between when outside combat. Each class has unique Specs that embody a clear combat style, whether it's the Minstrel healing Spec or the Champion Morale tank Spec. As you allocate points you'll receive several bonuses, like enhanced passives, new powerful Skills, and significant Skill upgrades. This enhancement to the class system enables players to develop their characters along one specialization if they choose, or mix and match traits from all three trees, as described by Associate Producer Hannah Foell:

"We're moving to a trait tree system for classes. We thought it made a lot of sense for us. It's an understood system - we did it with mounted combat and we found it to be very successful. And it something our players already understand, so it's a system within which we can work. Each class has three different trait lines that you can spec out, so you specialize very heavily in one line at a time. And then you can specialize in a couple of different other ways and save them as different specs and then you can switch between them as much as you want."

In addition to this, there have also been a multitude of in-game enhancements to coincide with the increase of the maximum level to 95. These changes include new legendary items, virtues, and a tier 9 crafting expansion. Other changes are additions to housing chests, a mithril coin system, a removal of travel skill material requirements, and modifications made to the games combat engine.

Soundtrack

Composer Chance Thomas was not hired to compose the soundtrack for Helm's Deep even though his previous compositions for the game were positively received by both fans and critics. A week prior to the original release date of November 18th, Turbine uploaded the entire soundtrack for the expansion to Soundcloud. The soundtrack is a similar orchestral score to previous releases from The Lord of the Rings Online, with an atmosphere of desperate conflict and impending violence.

Critical Reception

Currently, there have been no critical reviews made of Helm's Deep.

See Also

• The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard
• The Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan