In response to concerns that the gift boxes didn’t initially impress, Standing Stone said that there’s more to this anniversary than meets the eye: “When developing for our 10th anniversary, we made a decision to focus on both items and content. What this means is that the 10th anniversary has far more playable content associated with it than any other anniversary we’ve had. We also have more than thirty items available in the scavenger hunt. We appreciate the feedback on the gift boxes themselves, though. I would caution that I’d wait until you see the fireworks before passing judgement, though, as they are pretty sweet.”
Meanwhile, former composer Chance Thomas continues to share his top 10 fan favorite pieces of music from the game on the official channel and has hinted that there will be a “surprise announcement” when the countdown reaches number one.
Thomas handled much of the game’s acclaimed soundtrack, including the base game, Mines of Moria, and Riders of Rohan scores. He was not called back to work on the Helm’s Deep expansion or subsequent Gondor updates, and so some players are speculating that this announcement will concern his triumphant return for this year’s as-yet-untitled Mordor expansion. Check out the next two entries in his musical countdown along with Thomas’ notes on what makes these pieces special!
“Over the years, I’ve had a number of players write to me and share their experience of coming upon Rivendell and hearing this music for the first time. So many have thrilled to the look of Rivendell in the game, and to the sound of its music. Positive feedback like this from LOTRO’s players has always been deeply satisfying to me. I worked a long time on this particular theme. It had to be just right, not just in the melody, but in the orchestration, the recorded performances, the mix. I wrote this theme long before the movies came out, vividly envisioning Rivendell from Tolkien’s descriptions in the literature. Ah, those were the days…”
“I have a good friend who is an accomplished screenwriter and author. When he wants to get serious about his writing, he pulls this song out and goes to work. I still remember the first time he told me that, I was so surprised and flattered. I didn’t understand the connection at first. But the more I thought about it, the more it makes sense. Getting to work is what this song is all about. Learning to ride mounts for the first time in the game, working at it, practicing, and finally mastering mounted gameplay with the joy of riding across the plains of Rohan. Now that’s what it’s all about!”
