Thread: when shall Vol III end?

I thinked about that the first volume ended with *SPOILER* death of mordirith and the second with freeing of bori/death of mazog *SPOILER END*. i think vol 3 will end with the grey company meeting up with aragorn. what do you think?

I always assumed the volumes in LOTRO corresponded with the Books in LOTR. So Vol 3 ends after Saruman has been dealt with.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Portal:Th...Rings_Chapters

Originally Posted by BigLotroFan

I always assumed the volumes in LOTRO corresponded with the Books in LOTR. So Vol 3 ends after Saruman has been dealt with.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Portal:Th...Rings_Chapters

No, it's been said by the devs (sorry no link) that the volumes and books of LOTRO do not correspond to Tolkiens volumes and books.

So it's basically up to the devs when they feel something warrants the closing of a volume and the start of another.

The ending of Shadows of Angmar was pretty clearly tied to the Eriador region and us leaving it. Same for Vol 3 and Moria. I would guess a new volume would start with the proper entry into Rohan.

On a Tuesday

I was hoping it would be before RoR, but I seriously doubt we will get another update before the expansion goes live.

More importantly, when am I getting that 5TP?

Seriously though, I thought it should have ended when we parted ways with the rangers. At least, as a "part 1" the same way all the other volumes had multiple parts. The current epic involves different characters and takes place in an entirely different place now.

Originally Posted by Thorcar

On a Tuesday

well played, sir!

Originally Posted by raltar2

I was hoping it would be before RoR, but I seriously doubt we will get another update before the expansion goes live.

Update 7 will be in June if Turbine sticks to their release schedule, then 7.1 and 7.2 in July and August, and U8 (RoR) in September.

Volumes correspond to major releases...

SoA - Volume 1
MoM - Volume 2
Isengard - Volume 3
Rohan - Volume 4

Originally Posted by Kril

Volumes correspond to major releases...

SoA - Volume 1
MoM - Volume 2
Isengard - Volume 3
Rohan - Volume 4

Except that Volume III began long before Isengard.

The title from the deed says "Friend to the Heir of Isildur" (and the whole volume is called Allies of the King) so we may assume we need to meet up with Aragorn before it's over, and that will be after Helm's Deep.

Originally Posted by Kril

Volumes correspond to major releases...

SoA - Volume 1
MoM - Volume 2
Isengard - Volume 3
Rohan - Volume 4

Volume 3 came out shortly after SoM in a free update and then there were about 2 more books before Isengard... so it would be inaccurate to say that they correspond with major updates. And SoM (considered a major update, we did pay for it) was only 1 book, the end of Volume 2 (which also took place completely outside of Moria, just was still tied to it through the dwarves and Mazog).

Really, I agree with whichever above poster said that this volume will probably end when the rangers reunite with Aragorn at Helm's Deep, and then we'll get Volume 4 which will take us toward Gondor.

I can't see Volume 3 ending before Saruman is dealt with, and Rohan is made safe, which pretty much limits it to after Helm's Deep. I think that is the most logical point for ending it, for a number of reasons:
- The most imminent threat has been dealt with; The Eriador-centric Vol. 1 ended with Angmar's fall, making Eriador relatively safe, Vol. 2 ended with the attack upon Dol Guldur, which was the most imminent threat for the Iron Garrison. As big a part as Saruman has played in Volume 3, ending Volume 3 with him still in power would, to me, be like ending Volume 1 with Mordirith still around.
- There will be a moment of relative peace; Obviously Sauron is still a threat, but the places we have visited during Volume 3 so far will be safer with Saruman out of the picture, allowing everyone involved to...
- ...stop and regroup for a while, before heading into the next adventure. Note that this is pretty much what happened in the books; Everyone, save for Gandalf and Pippin, took this moment to regroup for a moment and consider their next move. By extension, this would also be the best point to put in an epilogue, allowing us to finish up all the loose plot-threads (of which there currently are quite a few).

Perhaps most importantly though, is that that will be the best "high-point" to end the Volume on; Ending it after Helm's Deep and the fall of Isengard allows it to end, not only with a grand finale, but also on a somewhat victorious note. Ending it at a point before that, would probably come across as a shallow, and uneventful, victory; "Ok, great, we won this victory here by the Great River, but Rohan is still threatened, and Saruman is still going strong."
I just can't see Volume 3 ending without some sort of (relatively, obviously full victory won't be achieved with Saruon still in the picture) big victory. As much as I trust the developers and storywriters, I can't see a convincing and satisfying ending to Volume 3 coming before the events in Rohan have been dealt with.

My guess we wrap it up with update 7. but as to what it will pertain I'm clueless

Only MoL knows for sure--and he's not talking. Maybe he'll give us a clue.

Originally Posted by bigsix66

Only MoL knows for sure--and he's not talking. Maybe he'll give us a clue.

Someone in this thread has it correct! But that's all I'll say.

MoL

Originally Posted by MadeOfLions

Someone in this thread has it correct! But that's all I'll say.

MoL

Someone besides Thorcar's "On a Tuesday"?

Well Vol I was two parts entirely seperated too. Moria and Mirkwood have been two parts of the same Volume too.

I'd personally would love to see an epilogue, like Eregion and the end of VOL I was with the conclusion of the Angmar story.

AND not the grind abomination which featured VOL II with killing orcs all over the world. And Instance tie ins.

*SPOILER DO NOT READ FURTHER*


I want my vengeance upon the falcon clans leader (not the clan itself!).
I want to chase witches over the mountains.
I want to free my fellow ranger in the depths of Orthanac tower jail.
I want to get rid of Nola so she can continue her doomed road of blind hatred
I don't mind spa(r)ring Gun Ain a third time and having her swearing fealty to me
I want to see Aragorns face once he hears all events accounted when i was rescuing derpy cre.....i mean the Grey Company from Eregion over Enedwaith through the Gap Of Rohan and how stupid some of them died.

I dunno, I really enjoyed Vol II, (So far) It get's better I think, although the FoS bit is a little irritating and going from Lorien to Moria and back within one quest -.-

But I enjoy the Moria story way better... Vol I was really annoying and I rarely bother finishing it until I'm much higher level.

-Tails-

Originally Posted by MadeOfLions

Someone in this thread has it correct! But that's all I'll say.

MoL

Oh, I get it! bixsix66 is

Originally Posted by MadeOfLions

But that's all I'll say.

Or, maybe he won't give us a clue. Meanie.

Originally Posted by Malachi108

Oh, I get it! bixsix66 is [correct].

Well, there's a first time for everything.

IIRC, there was something posted earlier about us going to Amon Hen not long after the events that broke The Fellowship. We could bump into Aragorn briefly then (maybe while they are preparing Boromir for his funeral or while they are gathering their supplies afterward). He sends us off on some errand after we pledge our friendship to him and fill him in a bit on a few events.

Originally Posted by SungXe

Well Vol I was two parts entirely seperated too. Moria and Mirkwood have been two parts of the same Volume too.
*SPOILER DO NOT READ FURTHER*


I want my vengeance upon the falcon clans leader (not the clan itself!).
I want to chase witches over the mountains.

These first two!! It is really annoying to spend a large amount of time and effort on a quest line only to have a satisfactory resolution snatched away.

While I know that some people have disliked how the Great River has taken us away from Isengard and Sauruman and left threads hanging -- and I too, want some revenge! In a greater perspective, it has enlarged Volume III a great deal while opening the stage for Rohan proper...

how? Wadu's sword -- or Nona's now -- has a history connected with the people of Rohan and the history that came before. This is a great narrative device to pull back the camera a bit to realize that A) stories that are taking place now have a history steeped in lore B) there is a much larger stage to the story, both past, present, and forthcoming, and C) we've reconnected to the path of the fellowship.

Volume III could have a lot more to come. I certainly don't mind the detour as it has told the story from another perspective. I do hope, however, we get some satisfying conclusions...there are LOTS of threads and threats, that I just don't want to see washed away by the marching of the Ents on Isengard and the battle at helms deep. But I also hope we don't linger too long there either. Rohan awaits, and Gondorshortly thereafter and final chapters of the War of Rings aren't that far in the future!

The fellowship breaking would seem a good place to end it, as everything up to that point has been leading to the war, and now it is about to begin. From that point on the actual story forks and there is a lot to cover:

Frodo & Sam leave on their own and meet Gollum (do we bump into him again before this?) and then join Farimir (presumably we will be there for this) before going off again through the marshes and then up the stair (will we see any of this?).
Merry & Pippin are hobbit-napped by the orcs then escape into the forest to meet the Ents (I can't see how we will be able to get deep into the forest for this) then they all go to Isengard to defeat Saruman (we have to see this, but how?).
Aragorn, Legolas & Gimli chase the orcs, meet the riders, see the burnt orcs, discover the hobbit tracks into the forest, meet Gandalf, restore the king, ride with the people to helm's deep, have the battle in helm's deep then go on to see Saruman trapped by the Ents (how could we possibly miss any of this?).

This would end volume 4. Volume 5 would then cover:

Palantir debacle
Gandalf going to Gondor
Denethor/Farimir
Muster of Rohan
Grey Company's return, meeting with Aragorn, giving him his banner and sword
Paths of the Dead
Ride of the Rohirim
Siege of Gondor
Battle on the plain, including killing nazgul
Aragorn etc arriving to save the day

So there is a HUGE amount of content to cover in the Epic story, and a lot of it happens at the same time in different places. I just hope they can do it all justice.

We really can't meet up with Aragorn again until Dunharrow. He was completely surprised by the Grey Company, remember. And I dunno about the rest of you, but Moondog isn't THAT ditsy that he would forget to mention them if he happened to encounter Aragorn ahead of time.

I reckon we'll be back in the Fellowship's wake, and we'll necessarily arrive at Amon Hen just after the fellowship breaks. (the three hunters are the last to depart from there, so we can't really get involved in the events thereof either )

Originally Posted by Moondog548

We really can't meet up with Aragorn again until Dunharrow. He was completely surprised by the Grey Company, remember.

Good point, but thats a problem for MoL.
Maybe he was just surprised any of them survived - they do insist on making bad choices!

The other two volumes were done by 2 years...
How long will Volume III last? It has been more than 2 years since its first book, and it has been only 6 books yet...

Originally Posted by Stu_NZ

Good point, but thats a problem for MoL.
Maybe he was just surprised any of them survived - they do insist on making bad choices!

If the story was kept in line with what the Professor wrote, then there wouldn't be any bad choices.

Even by discarding, or whatever you want to call this process, the Professor writings, some of us would expect a completely different behavior from Halbarad and the sons of Elrond, but I digress.

The story of Vol III can not end soon enough to put it behind us, it was that bad imho.

well the world is ending 2012 due to the apocalypse...

so when we go "poof"

Originally Posted by Belechael

The story of Vol III can not end soon enough to put it behind us, it was that bad imho.

Better than Vol II, I would say. But I'm not really a fan of dwarves and their plight in Moria. Especially with war on the horizon when they go in to reclaim it.

Originally Posted by PerinStone

Someone besides Thorcar's "On a Tuesday"?

I stand by my answer

Originally Posted by Stu_NZ

Grey Company's return, meeting with Aragorn, giving him his banner and sword

Banner only, he already carries Andúril. Depending on whether you did a certain questline ending with a very grumpy turtle, you may have even witnessed its reforging.

Originally Posted by Thorcar

On a Tuesday

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!

So this is the theory I have: Lord of the Rings is not 3 books, its 6, Fellowship of the Ring is two books, Two Towers is two books, ect. Volume I kind of followed the same time frame as part one of the Fellowship of the Ring, and Volume II finished it. Volume III starts kind of at the begginning of the first part of the Two Towers, so it will probably end around the time the second half of Two Towers starts...

Well, iirc, once you get to Two Towers, the books are divided almost evenly in two between the Sam/Frodo/Gollum story and the rest of the Fellowship. I HIGHLY doubt we'll be following Sam/Frodo/Gollum so all epics will follow the latter, in addition to the Grey Company/Rohirrim and (possibly) Faramir's group (after Frodo has passed, of course)

Originally Posted by Moondog548

We really can't meet up with Aragorn again until Dunharrow. He was completely surprised by the Grey Company, remember. And I dunno about the rest of you, but Moondog isn't THAT ditsy that he would forget to mention them if he happened to encounter Aragorn ahead of time.

I reckon we'll be back in the Fellowship's wake, and we'll necessarily arrive at Amon Hen just after the fellowship breaks. (the three hunters are the last to depart from there, so we can't really get involved in the events thereof either )

We have to remember that the death of Theodred (1st Battle of the Fords of Isen) took place on Feb 25. The Fellowship breaks up on Feb 26th. Seeing as we were there with Theodred on the 25th, I'm not sure how we could get to Amon Hen on the 26th. The timeline now leaves little wiggle room for Turbine but I sure look forward to how it is handled.

Originally Posted by FundinStrongarm

We have to remember that the death of Theodred (1st Battle of the Fords of Isen) took place on Feb 25. The Fellowship breaks up on Feb 26th. Seeing as we were there with Theodred on the 25th, I'm not sure how we could get to Amon Hen on the 26th. The timeline now leaves little wiggle room for Turbine but I sure look forward to how it is handled.

Turbine utilizies the pause button, though. Repeatedly. Remember, in the immediate aftermath of the fords we had a strange dream which caused to grab Nona, head northwards, pass through Moria and Lothlorien again to start roaming the Great River region.

Just to say that unless the Falcon Clan don't get their comeuppance before Rohan (or at least at the beginning of it) I know that there will be a great many sad faces in my kin :P That and Lothrandir are loose ends that we feel ought to be resolved, though of course we trust MoL to sort that out in his own way