Buried in all of the news that LOTRO is changing its business model was the word that one of the game’s most iconic locales — the Shire — is set to receive a sizable expansion called Yondershire. Personally, I’m pretty stoked to see the map expanded, but I know well enough that some players truly hate it when developers tinker with areas that are well-ingrained into the community’s memory.
We’ve seen this in plenty of other places, too. The most notable example, of course, was World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm expansion, which up and retooled most of the base world’s zones. While some players embraced the new direction, others felt that a vital part of their past history with the game was desecrated in some way. Or just ask a Guild Wars 2 player about old Lion’s Arch some time.
How do you feel when an MMO you play changes a well-known zone? Is it something devs should shy away from — or should we accept it as a part of MMO development?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
