Orion posted a really great developer diary that details the upcoming changes for the Lone Lands, which I am really excited about. Overall, I’ve been happy with the changes to Archet, Bree-land, Ered Luin and the corresponding Epic Quests. Things flow more smoothly and the aspects of those areas that felt a little murky have really come into their own. The revamps of those areas have certainly improved things, but the updates to the Lone Lands sound significantly more interesting to me.

Also discussed is infamous Garth Agarwen instance. Personally, I wandered into that area once and never ventured in again. I always feel a little lost in it and the strength of the enemies didn’t feel worth the pay off. Garth Agarwen was the first instance Turbine designed from the game and it could certainly benefit from what Turbine has learned since then. An entire page is dedicated to the changes in Garth Agarwen and I recommend reading it. The area is being split up into clusters and the entire thing just sounds like it will flow better and be more fun. I always felt like I was just “dropped” into that area, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of mobs who seemed to have no real goal beyond standing in my way. It sounds like things will be significantly improved there.

Read the rest of this entry »