Thread: Edoras... the new raid or the new hub.

When the Western half of Rohan is release, what do you think will be the role of Edoras? Will it still be populated or will it be emptied by the time we get there. Would Edoras become the new Galtrev/Bree/21st or should it be Helms Deeps that is the new hub?

It Edoras is going to the new Hub with people still there, it would make sense for Helm's Deep to be the new raid/end game content...

or...

...they could empty out Edoras and make it a Dol Dinen type of landscape content or some type of end-game raid.

They could also make Helm's Deep a hub with battle looming from the west.

What direction should they take Edoras in? In it's glory days or as a ghost town deserted?

I think Edoras will be populated but the npcs will be preparing for evacuation or danger. Helm's Deep will be some sort of fighty zone.

As a rule of thumb, no iconic, well-known location that everyone want to see is ever going to be raid-only zone. Devs are not that dumb.

As for Edoras, it wasn't in enemy hands during the War of the Ring, so every scenario that has enemies patrolling in the streets of Edoras is stretching the lore a bit too far.

Originally Posted by JuaQuins

or...

...they could empty out Edoras and make it a Dol Dinen type of landscape content or some type of end-game raid.

People have been gone from Edoras for maybe a week, why would you think it has been overtaken by enemies?

I'd like to see Edoras as a new city with a size bigger than Bree. Actually we have very small amount of friendly city landscapes in the game. Bree, Caras Galadhon, Thorin Halls (with Thorin Gate), Galtrev - that's all. Michel Delving is too little, Rivendell... it's hard to name it city.

Finally a raid that won't take place into a deep place or a dungeon, or a castle.. err wait that's is called skirmishes.., nevermind..

Raiding Edoras? Gods be good.... I'd quit playing lotro the very instant.

if Edoras is smaller than bree, i'd quit Lotro for sure.

Unfortunately, we are unlikely to get Edoras with the Rohan expansion (they certainly would have noted that in the press release). And we are definitely not getting Helms Deep (confirmed in an interview).

But this is not to squash speculation about how they will design Edoras. My take: it is almost fully evacuated but still populated by those reluctant to leave, so it will be a hub but not a major one. This does raise the question of what the major hub of the Rohan expansion will be . . .

Since we are not getting edoras in this expansion it's a bit premature to say. However, I expect we will get to Edoras AFTER the battle of helms deep. Citizens will be returning to their homes. But since all the armed men have ridden to the war-camp at Dunharrow we will need to perform various duties to defend the people against the evils that remain. We will fight against wights near the paths of the dead, we will hunt down orks and dunlendings that were burning the westfold but avoided getting killed at helms deep. We will skirmish with the mordor army that attempts to block the road south. We will collect all the chickens that farmer Olbride lost while he was fleeing.

I think we'll see Edoras as a hub and Helm's Deep as some sort of session play/raid. I'm not sure why people are worried whether Edoras is bigger than Bree or not...I don't remember Tolkien ever saying it was or wasn't. Frankly, I'd would be surprised if it was. Why would a culture based on the horse build a big city?

Originally Posted by ScionofAngmar

Unfortunately, we are unlikely to get Edoras with the Rohan expansion (they certainly would have noted that in the press release). And we are definitely not getting Helms Deep (confirmed in an interview).

Yeah, the OP implied that... he's merely speculating about the future design of Edoras.

Originally Posted by Ironcrown

I think we'll see Edoras as a hub and Helm's Deep as some sort of session play/raid. I'm not sure why people are worried whether Edoras is bigger than Bree or not...I don't remember Tolkien ever saying it was or wasn't. Frankly, I'd would be surprised if it was. Why would a culture based on the horse build a big city?

I'd be appauled to see Edoras turned into a Dol Dien. First, it wouldn't make sense, even in MMO logic. And second...well why? Helms Deep will definatley not the Hub and Dunharrow isn't an anticipated location albiet important, but Edoras is something we've been wanting to see since launch (I'd think.)

And size? I think the book mentions seeing hundreds of roofs. Besides, think about it. Eodras had a Garrison of a thousand men (more or less, I can't tell if Tolkien was being specific.) That's a thousand familys plus a thousand horses. Edoras would need to be huge to hold that many people/animals. And even if Bree was a 'hub' of sorts for Eriador, it was still smaller than alot of the Shire's towns I think. If Rhad_EU (the guy with the squirriel avatar) is online he should be able to answer this better

Originally Posted by Gui_Incognito

Yeah, the OP implied that... he's merely speculating about the future design of Edoras.

Yes, you're right; the OP did say the "Western half" of Rohan. A failure of reading comprehension on my part.

Depens on what side of the lore fence they want to fll on. Excuses for not doing something have always been lore based, yet on the flip side we have seen many lore breaking instances in terms of locations. We were at Rivendell when the compnay left, even though it was supposed to be 'secret', we were at Caras Galadhon simultaneously with the company which doeant mame sense since we got to Moria after the company had gone through and now dwarfs had suddenly taken up residence again (tookthe company three days to get from 21st hall to Caras Galadhon). So they were long gone from Eregion when we got there as well. Mirkwood was a side step for us but it too is lost in lore as it was where the war for the ring actually started as Dol Guldur sent massive amounts of orcs and men to the elf stronghold which helped Gollum escape. But the timeline isnt crystal clear on when we got there so it still might work. But IMO we got Mirkwood way too soon as the real battles start there in March 3019, so well after Helms deep and even a couple days after Minas Tirith. So Mirkwood will have to be pahsed or maybe changed to help that out, or a second mirkwood expansion that includes Erebor, Dale as well as the other battles that happen in Mirkwood once Dol Goldur empties. We got it sometime around Feb 22 or 23 of 3019. So not a lot earlier than the day we are on now which is Feb 24 3019.

So we have a definite date now, so that gives us some reference, it also shows how fast things happen. Since we dont have all of Middle earth yet we are either going to miss them or have to see if Turbine puts stuff in pre timeline and lets us 'live' it out until we get caught up.

But it seems like we are a long ways away from the fellowship again, when in fact we are right in step with them. But that is why we ant get Edoras now because if we did we would get there before anyone else and that would be weird. But March 7th or so would be a 'safe' date for when we could arrive at Edoras. But Theoden wont be there as he will be back at Isengard. So will be interesting to see if they phase Isengard for people who have gone past that in the games time line once they get that far. Again, a possible other reason why they are holding Edoras back. Now if they make it March 6 then Pippen and Gandalf will at least be there. But we also might ride with the grey company and finally catch Aragorn on those days. Or I guess we could do it all. But by then the battle for helms deep is over, so that has to be accounted for as well but as I have said in other posts I figured helms deep to be a skirmish or a session play type thing, they basically have 18 months to figure it out.

But Edoras is never in any battles that I know of. The question is how long will that expansion cover in the time line? I would guess we get to Edoras, do some menial tasks which will 100% include collecting Simbelmyne and more than likely some sort of manure and then we might get to Dunharrow which will be the set up for Gondor I would imagine. Assuming they dont side step and add some of the places I mentioned above in before hand as expansions instead of updates. Those battles if done 'right' could deserve their own expansion, but since the first Mirkwood was done the way it was finishing it off should maybe be free.

Like I said all depends on how they want to skip around the time line. I say with 90% certainty we get Edoras as a quest hub and we get there sometime after we catch Aragorn. But we will know what day it is, If Pippen and Gandalf are there it will be March 6, if they arent it will be after that as they left Edoras on the 7th, and thus wouldnt be there when we got there. I dont think we get there before then because if we are traveling with the sons of elrond and the grey company then that is pretty specific in relation to time. We dont HAVE to go with the grey company to helms deep and that gives us license to see Edoras, but we cant get there before we find Aragorn. And that does have a specific day.

Originally Posted by Floin

And size? I think the book mentions seeing hundreds of roofs. Besides, think about it. Eodras had a Garrison of a thousand men (more or less, I can't tell if Tolkien was being specific.) That's a thousand familys plus a thousand horses. Edoras would need to be huge to hold that many people/animals. And even if Bree was a 'hub' of sorts for Eriador, it was still smaller than alot of the Shire's towns I think. If Rhad_EU (the guy with the squirriel avatar) is online he should be able to answer this better

Bree was really just a large village, so the game's version is off; Turbine turned into a stereotypical hub town for Eriador, it's too fancy by half. Edoras was probably bigger than Bree was in the book. In the game, though, I reckon they should make them about the same size.

Upon reaching Edoras and entering Meduseld I expect to find to find Théoden on this throne attended by his faithful counselor, Gríma Wormtongue.

When you consider the effort that Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had to make to enter Edoras and Meduseld, I anticipate that we may have to prove ourselves before gaining entry in much the same way that we did to gain access to Lothlórien and Caras Galadhon.

Originally Posted by oldbadgerbrock

Upon reaching Edoras and entering Meduseld I expect to find to find Théoden on this throne attended by his faithful counselor, Gríma Wormtongue.

When you consider the effort that Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had to make to enter Edoras and Meduseld, I anticipate that we may have to prove ourselves before gaining entry in much the same way that we did to gain access to Lothlórien and Caras Galadhon.

you guys have to stop basing all your knowledge on the movie. They went to the gate, were led up to the door of hall, disarmed and walked in. There was no fight no foolishness like the Movie had, there was some banter, Gandalf sang a song and flashed his staff and that was it.

No way we go there and have to 'prove' ourselves that doesnt make sense on about 50 different levels. For one Grima is in charge not theoden for all intents and purposes. Not Saruman as the movie implies either. So proving ourselves would just be allying ourselves with Grima somehow. He is even trying to stay in charge after Gandalf releases Theoden still trying to trick and deceive the king.

Nah we will go after the battle when Rohan is a little more open for help and willing to accept people a little more freely. The metaphor of Rohan is there for all to see that is why they portray it the way they do.

Originally Posted by heatherjewel

So proving ourselves would just be allying ourselves with Grima somehow.

Not at all. We "proved ourselves" to the White Hand in Galtrev, too, how did that turn out? We kick-started a revolution and drove the White Hand overseers out. Point being, we can prove ourselves to Grima and be allowed entrance, only to turn around and start undoing his work in secret once we gain entrance.
If there is a need for us to prove ourselves to Grima to be allowed entrance in the first place (assuming we arrive when he is still there, a possibility I would not rule out), that is debatable. I'm just saying that if we have to prove ourselves, by no means does that have to mean that we're allying ourselves with Grima.

Bree:
"The village of Bree had some hundred stone houses of the Big Folk, mostly above the road, nestling on the hillside with windows looking west."
(From the Fellowship of the Ring.)

So Bree has about a hundred houses within the walls, surrounded by a gated wall. It is quite implied that unlike the ingame Bree, in the books they don't have such things as a guard or anything such - Butterbur mentions that they even had a fight, right in the middle of Bree, when the Hobbits visit Bree on their way back. Edoras, on the other hand, is the capital city of Rohan, described by Legolas:

"I see a white stream that comes down from the snows," he said. "Where it issues from the shadow of the vale a green hill rises upon the east. A dike and mighty wall and thorny fence encircle it. Within there rise the roofs of houses; and in the midst, set upon a green terrace, there stands aloft a great hall of Men."
(From "King of the Golden Hall", in the Two Towers.)

It is implied in later description that the city is actually somewhat empty as the four (Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli and Legolas) enter and climb the hill. However, as mentioned earlier in this thread, while Théoden discusses and eats with his new guests, the King's heralds had managed to find more than a thousand men suitable for military service from Edoras and the lands near by. By comparison, around year 1100 the population of London was 11,000. Serviceable ratio for an army would be, by a rule-of-thumb, 1:10, but we may assume that at a desperate moment almost everyone is saddled up (text mentions "young and old"), putting the population of Edoras and villages immediately next to it to at least 5000, or about the half of size of London at the similar time in history. Naturally, since we're talking about fantasy literature, all such comparisons are essentially worthless, but this gives a rough lower bound.

As a conclusion, I assume that Edoras (and the surrounding villages) thus have a greater population than Bree (and its surrounding villages).

Originally Posted by Macfeast

Not at all. We "proved ourselves" to the White Hand in Galtrev, too, how did that turn out? We kick-started a revolution and drove the White Hand overseers out. Point being, we can prove ourselves to Grima and be allowed entrance, only to turn around and start undoing his work in secret once we gain entrance.
If there is a need for us to prove ourselves to Grima to be allowed entrance in the first place (assuming we arrive when he is still there, a possibility I would not rule out), that is debatable. I'm just saying that if we have to prove ourselves, by no means does that have to mean that we're allying ourselves with Grima.

It just doesnt make sense. When they arrived there was no mention of outsiders there, as it was Gandalf was very well know to them (not in a positive light either) they got in mostly because they had Rohirim horses that were given to them by Eomer. So to think they would allow elfs, hobbits, dwarfs, and men in to run around willy nilly makes no sense on any level. I know Turbine likes to reinvent things but to me that would just be way over the top. Goigng there at all is pushing the envelope but since we came withthe grey company that gives us an in now that Aragorn has revealed himself and the sword to Sauron through the palantir. So we get in by proxy through Aragorn and the grey company. Aragorn only got in fully through valor at Helms deep and with the ultimate show of strength by letting Sauron know the heir had returned. I doubt collecting chickens or picking flowers or cow turds will compare to that.

Originally Posted by heatherjewel

It just doesnt make sense. When they arrived there was no mention of outsiders there, as it was Gandalf was very well know to them (not in a positive light either) they got in mostly because they had Rohirim horses that were given to them by Eomer. So to think they would allow elfs, hobbits, dwarfs, and men in to run around willy nilly makes no sense on any level.

There was no mention of there being outsiders at Lorien during the timeframe the Fellowship stayed there. It certainly doesn't make sense for there to be hobbits, dwarves, and men, running around willy nilly in Lorien, and had such a thing happened, it would most certainly have been mentioned in the books. We are allowed to visit Lorien anyway, because that's pretty much a necessity of the game; The fact that the presence of outsiders should have been mentioned, is pretty much glossed over.
Edoras is unlikely to be different. Had there been outsiders there at all, it would have been mentioned. I would class this as a case of gameplay thrumping lore; Had there, at any point close to Gandalf's and the Three Hunter's visit, been outsiders at Edoras, it would have been mentioned. However, that point will be brushed aside, so as to allow us to visit Edoras.

I'll put it this way. I find it much more unlikely that there wouldn't have been any mention of outsiders in Lorien, at the same time as the Fellowship, than that there wouldn't have been any mention of outsiders in Edoras, before members of the Fellowship got there. If we can be in Lorien at the same time as the Fellowship, despite there being no mention of outsiders, then I certainly do not see why we could not be in Edoras before them, despite there being no mention of outsiders.

Originally Posted by heatherjewel

Goigng there at all is pushing the envelope but since we came withthe grey company that gives us an in now that Aragorn has revealed himself and the sword to Sauron through the palantir. So we get in by proxy through Aragorn and the grey company. Aragorn only got in fully through valor at Helms deep and with the ultimate show of strength by letting Sauron know the heir had returned. I doubt collecting chickens or picking flowers or cow turds will compare to that.

I'm not sure I'm getting your point. You doubt that anything we could do would compare to the valor shown by Aragorn at Helm's Deep, and his showing himself before Sauron (though I should note that it is unlikely that the Rohirrim even knew about that). Okay, no argument there. However, he was already let in before performing said deeds, so why would we need to do something comparable to be allowed entry, when he didn't do a whole lot himself to get in in the first place?
I certainly see the logic in having us allowed entry by Aragorn speaking for us, but, again, Aragorn got in before performing any of the deeds you mentioned. So, why would we need to do something comparable to get in? You're setting a bar for us to pass to be allowed entry, based on what another character did, despite the fact that said character performed said deeds after already being allowed entry.

Originally Posted by Macfeast

There was no mention of there being outsiders at Lorien during the timeframe the Fellowship stayed there. It certainly doesn't make sense for there to be hobbits, dwarves, and men, running around willy nilly in Lorien, and had such a thing happened, it would most certainly have been mentioned in the books. We are allowed to visit Lorien anyway, because that's pretty much a necessity of the game; The fact that the presence of outsiders should have been mentioned, is pretty much glossed over.
Edoras is unlikely to be different. Had there been outsiders there at all, it would have been mentioned. I would class this as a case of gameplay thrumping lore; Had there, at any point close to Gandalf's and the Three Hunter's visit, been outsiders at Edoras, it would have been mentioned. However, that point will be brushed aside, so as to allow us to visit Edoras.

I'll put it this way. I find it much more unlikely that there wouldn't have been any mention of outsiders in Lorien, at the same time as the Fellowship, than that there wouldn't have been any mention of outsiders in Edoras, before members of the Fellowship got there. If we can be in Lorien at the same time as the Fellowship, despite there being no mention of outsiders, then I certainly do not see why we could not be in Edoras before them, despite there being no mention of outsiders.

Just because it is not mentioned in the book does not mean that there were not any outsiders there. In almost every case in game, we arrive after the fellowship was already there, so the books would have no reason to tell us of outsiders arriving afterward. Also, the book does not cover every hour of every day, so perhaps there were outsiders and perhaps Aragorn or Gandalf knew about it but it was obviously not important to the story, so of course it would be left out.

And it's not like there are thousands of outsiders running around Lorien. Just remember that your player character is supposed to be the only one there, you're unique. For all intensive purposes, the other players do not exist. The npc's only ever address your character and not the characters around you.

We're not getting to Edoras in 2012 anyway, so I see little point in speculating.

Originally Posted by Malachi108

We're not getting to Edoras in 2012 anyway, so I see little point in speculating.

Why not? Everything in-game now was speculation at one point. I'm sure even turbine is already speculating about what the next expansion after RoR will be. Of course they should be concentrating more on getting RoR out and in working order than speculating about the next expansion. But there is no reason for us not to!

Besides, they may get some of their ideas from consumer speculation.

Originally Posted by Malachi108

We're not getting to Edoras in 2012 anyway, so I see little point in speculating.

I would imagine we will I suspect Edoras Helms deep and the other areas will be released as an update similar to how ROI was delayed. So either Dec of 2012or possibly Jan 2013. But since Turbine is corporate now I would expect Dec since that is when they can fudge quarterly numbers.

On the topic of Edoras and outsiders: It isn't exactly a closed city, but since the western neighbours of the Rohirrim are their enemies and there's no one to come from north (there's Lórien on one side and Dol Guldur on the other side of the river) or south (assumably impassable mountains), the only "outsider" visitors that could come would be those from Gondor, or like the Rohirrim refer to Minas Tirith, Mundburg. Who indeed are welcome.

In the Two Towers, Gandalf scolds the gate guards for speaking Rohirric and not questioning travellers in Common Speech (Westron) and it is revealed that after Eómer returned with news of meeting Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, Wormtongue had the king to imprison him (by tricking Eómer to threaten to kill Wormtongue on front of the king) and then ordered (again through the king) to let only people who know Rohirric to pass the city gates. (Naturally, this does not quite work, as both Aragorn and Gandalf do speak Rohirric, so their party is let in.) However, by extension of having been specifically ordered to do so, it can be deduced from the gate guards' dialogue that under normal conditions, people are let into Edoras. So, lore-wise, the only time player characters would be denied entry would be if they arrived after Eómer's return and before Gandalf ousting Wormtongue. (Assuming that Wormtongue hadn't managed to get some other orders specifically targeted against player characters in question.)

Originally Posted by KosMos18

Just because it is not mentioned in the book does not mean that there were not any outsiders there. In almost every case in game, we arrive after the fellowship was already there, so the books would have no reason to tell us of outsiders arriving afterward. Also, the book does not cover every hour of every day, so perhaps there were outsiders and perhaps Aragorn or Gandalf knew about it but it was obviously not important to the story, so of course it would be left out.

He mentioned hobbits and Dwarves specifically. Hobbits were a 'folk of legend' to the Rohirrim, and Dwarves were generally disliked as they tended to be among Northmen. On top of that the Rohirrim were superstitious about Elves, as they had no dealings with them. So, most player-characters would most certainly draw attention, so that 'nobody noticed' thing won't wash.

And it's not like there are thousands of outsiders running around Lorien. Just remember that your player character is supposed to be the only one there, you're unique. For all intensive purposes, the other players do not exist. The npc's only ever address your character and not the characters around you.

Logically there have to be enough player-characters to do group content and raids. So, not just one. And depending on who that one is, it would be bad enough just to have them running around. It'd be an instant howler to have even so much as one hobbit in Edoras before Theoden meets Merry and Pippin at Isengard, because it's made very plain then that the folk round there hadn't seen a hobbit for a very, very long time.

Originally Posted by KosMos18

For all intensive purposes...

For all intents and purposes*

Sorry to nitpick but these types of expression errors just bother me, 'once and a while' being the worst.

Originally Posted by Gui_Incognito

For all intents and purposes*

Sorry to nitpick but these types of expression errors just bother me, 'once and a while' being the worst.

you shouldnt of said that. :P

Originally Posted by heatherjewel

you shouldnt of said that. :P

*shakes fist

Probably as a hub, with the vault, ah, etc. What I'm concerned about is it lagging like Galtrev. I'm wondering though, if it's not part of the expansion, what will be the hub in the expansion? It's my understanding that Edoras is the only city in Rohan.

Originally Posted by heatherjewel

you shouldnt of said that. :P

My chuckle of the day.

Originally Posted by Nymphonic

Probably as a hub, with the vault, ah, etc. What I'm concerned about is it lagging like Galtrev. I'm wondering though, if it's not part of the expansion, what will be the hub in the expansion? It's my understanding that Edoras is the only city in Rohan.

A city perhaps, but certainly not the only settlement.

Originally Posted by Reniannen

A city perhaps, but certainly not the only settlement.

There is likely many villages. Of the more notable ones, there's at least Aldburg southeast of Edoras.

Also on distances and large cities: That is a design issue. If like NPCs and functions (crafting stations) are grouped logically, they can occupy a larger area, but distance running around is somewhat minimized. For Edoras, we might have the city surrounding the hilltop divided into basics - some consumable vendors (inn?) and vault - right after entry, and then the next quarters being a crafting area (weapon/armor vendors for show & to sell craft-grind trash to) on one side and a "lower level" quest area (quest NPCs, perhaps a "garrison" type area with a skirmish camp near) on one side. Going up the hill would be a central area (trainers and stables - or even the quest NPCs here, with the "garrison" reserved for the skirmish NPCs) and finally, the Golden Hall (higher-level quest NPCs). By appearance, the Golden Hall is central, but actual center connected to everything is the stables area.

The back side of the city might be a questing area - for example quests where the player is chasing Gríma's spies (say, for Eómer - and these don't necessary need to be aggressive, there could be some detective-work and the possible combat part initiated by talking to the NPC in question to keep the city "civil"). Increase the distances between these zones a bit, but make them compact so there's little running around when you're doing a specific activity. The routes in-between don't need to be just pipes, either - there could be some open areas (just off the travel route, perhaps a back yard of a tavern with a stage, a field to train horses, etc.) designed to be able to house a crowd for events (RP, music, etc. - preferably slightly off the beaten path so the crowd doesn't lag people who don't join the event, but still easy enough to get to without having people running thru the band playing).

Of course, this all is just hand waving. We'll see what it's like when it's done.

i hope it will be a city, because after the battle at helm's deep i bet there were some citizens that went back. and leave the primary city undefended? theoden would be mad. thoug hthey might make an instance in which you defend it from attacks that would be good.

Chris Perry at PC Gamer got the skinny from game’s executive producer, Kate Paiz on Rohan and he writes

Rohan is a vast kingdom, allowing players to level to the new cap of 85 while exploring its expansive terrain. And this massive zone will only cover the East plains of Rohan, so you’ll have to wait for the next expansion to visit the legendary Helm’s Deep–which is located near the Western border of the region.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/01/25/mu...ides-to-rohan/

Review these two maps.
http://bmoats.bravepages.com/LOTR/Rohan%20Map.jpg
http://earing.80port.net/images/maps...0-%20Rohan.jpg

It's pretty safe to assume that Turbine is going to divide Rohan in half using the Entwash river. If that's true then Riders of Rohan will take place in the lands east of the river in East Emnet, while Helm's Deep and Edoras will be located west of Entwash in West Emnet for the expansion after ROR.

Helms Deep will be the new Ettens!!!!!!

New Monster Player classes, Uruk-Hai.. Dunlanders etc...


yea.... hmmm would be nice...

^^

*When* we get Edoras, I expect it to be much like Bree in the layout, as it should be the launching point to the end game (Minas Tirith, etc). However, I expect Meduseld to be much like Caras Galadhon, in that you can not enter unless you have a specific reason/quest or better reputation.

I would not be surprised to arrive there when Theoden is still under Grima's/Saruman's control. Seeing him in that state a few times for quest content, and performing tasks (albeit, under coercion) for the good of Saruman. I then suspect an "instance" in the quest line will occur. We will either take part in what happens to Theoden, or simply 3rd person view it, and then from that point we will be helping Theoden. However the throne will be empty either because Theoden himself is assisting in the battle/mustering/war in Gondor, so we will not see Theoden again except in instances.

I'm no programmer, and no lotro-prophet either, but that seems to be consistent with how things have rolled thus far.

But I reeeeeeealy want to see Meduseld, and look forward to the rest...

Chris Perry at PC Gamer got the skinny from game’s executive producer, Kate Paiz on Rohan and he writes

Rohan is a vast kingdom, allowing players to level to the new cap of 85 while exploring its expansive terrain. And this massive zone will only cover the East plains of Rohan, so you’ll have to wait for the next expansion to visit the legendary Helm’s Deep–which is located near the Western border of the region.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/01/25/mu...ides-to-rohan/

Review these two maps.
http://bmoats.bravepages.com/LOTR/Rohan%20Map.jpg
http://earing.80port.net/images/maps...0-%20Rohan.jpg

It's pretty safe to assume that Turbine is going to divide Rohan in half using the Entwash river. If that's true then Riders of Rohan will take place in the lands east of the river in East Emnet, while Helm's Deep and Edoras will be located west of Entwash in West Emnet for the expansion after ROR.