Even as Lord of the Rings Online shuts down its underpopulated Ithil legendary server this week, Standing Stone Games is preparing to launch a pair of new progression servers for the community to enjoy. The twist? This time each one will come with a speed adjustment.
According to SSG, Shadowfax — named after Gandalf’s swift horse — will be an accelerated progression server, while Treebeard — named after a ponderous Ent — will feature slower-than-usual leveling and more lengthy content unlocks. These servers will also allow for the new difficulty adjustment settings, allowing an unprecedented control over a player’s challenge and progression.
There’s no date currently announced for these servers, but they could launch soon. In the meanwhile, the Midsummer Festival is coming this week to keep players occupied.
Rob Ciccolini did confirm that the higher difficulty settings award better XP and that the team is contemplating some cosmetic rewards to show off personal achievements. He said that the team is working on new character customization options for later this year or early 2022. Other projects in the works include purchasing new server hardware, playtests for the Brawler class (and its “brutal punching style”) and tackling lag (“Outside of delivering you awesome story, lag is our number one priority,” Ciccolini said.)
