By now, many of you have probably seen the screenshots, read the previews, and checked out the databases concerning Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. These compliations are slowly building up throughout the internet and at our very own LotRO community site, and even include some efforts by creative folks posting recruiting videos on YouTube.  wow guides Now it's Ten Ton Hammer's turn to doll out a preview. Other sites have given you a taste of what you¡¯ll experience in the blunt-force trauma sort of way that generalized previews often use, but you already know the basics, so I¡¯m not going to repeat those to you. At Ten Ton Hammer, we're going to be trying something different, and I hope you enjoy it. For this hands-on preview of LotRO, I¡¯ve decided to jump into more of a storyteller role and give you my very first impressions as I take my initial few steps in Middle Earth. If you¡¯re looking for details on monster-play or the founder¡¯s system, look elsewhere. Here you¡¯ll find the gut feelings of a Middle Earth fan and learn just how the world looks through my eyes in the crucial first moments of my testing experience. Welcome to Middle Earth From the moment I started the my LotRO client, I knew this wasn¡¯t a normal MMO that I was playing. The first image you get on your screen - aside from the Turbine logo animation - is of the One Ring falling slowly through the air, fire reflecting off its golden surface. Gandalf the Gray, his pointy hat and long flowing beard easily recognizable, appears after the ring reaches its downward descent and narrates the introductory movie that gives the player a concrete setting for the period of time that I am going to be adventuring in. As Gandalf narrates, four characters ¨C an elf, a human, a dwarf, and a hobbit ¨C fight off a band of orcs and Uruk-hai. Gandalf lets the player know that it is your duty to stop the forces of darkness that are spewing forth from shadowy realm of Angmar. If you succeed in your mission, you¡¯ll clear the path for the Ring-bearer to continue on his quest. In all my gaming years, rarely have I experienced an intro movie that prepares a player so perfectly for what their task is in the game ahead, while also providing entertainment at the same time. Even though the movie isn¡¯t as pretty as something you might see from the Blizzard crew, the whole presentation actually educates the viewer as he is watching. wow gold By the time you finish the movie, you actually understand what your goals will be in the game, rather than just being set loose in a giant sandbox. Your mission is this: you need to help the forces of light, defeat the armies of evil! It's a long road that your characters embark on. and this is just the beginning. Marching on to the character creation screen, I was strangely surprised at the lack of overall options available. Though the selection UI is quite pleasant to view, I was expecting a few more options in order to adjust my features to reflect my ideal image of a Lord of the Rings character. With upcoming games boasting totally morphable bodies and features, I was hoping for a bit more from the folks at Turbine. Despite the lack of options, the selection process ended up being fairly streamlined