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Poll: Would Tolkien Approve of LOTRO?
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Much as I love playing LOTRO, Tolkien would not approve. Between the lore breaking liberties taken (I’m looking at you RK’s) and his distain for commercial fiction (he started a sequel to LOTR and stopped because he felt it would have no purpose other than entertainment) I can’t imagine him approving of a video game. I do hope he would appreciate the degree to which Middle Earth has been beautifully brought to life. The world builders are speculator artists who have been very accurate to his descriptions of Lothlorien, the Shire, Moria, Minas Tirith…
Oh I don’t think he would approve of it at all, from what I know he even disliked the Dutch translation of LOTR, of which he read drafts and then communicated what he wanted changed. I’m sure he didn’t like any adaptation of his writing, so LOTRO – Merrevail, Amarthiel, Gwindeth, even the Iron Garrison Guards/Miners – I’m afraid he wouldn’t like it at all, even if it’s canonically possible.
But maybe he would like it better than Peter Jackson’s adaptation!
I think he would have written book about what he thought was incorrect.
Now, now, don’t be so hasty. If you read Letters to Tolkien, there was a proposal for a cartoon adaptation of Lord of the Rings in about 1958. From the letters it sounded awful, fellowship riding on eagles everywhere, some of the fellowship deleted others added. He questioned if the screenplay writer even read the books. But he told his publisher he would only do a movie if one of the following conditions were met. Either it had to be faithful to the books, or he had to get paid a lot of money. And don’t forget, he did sell the IP for Lotr and the Hobbit. I think his son is much more protective of the material than his father was.
That is certainly true. Christopher Tolkien is definitely more protective of his father’s work than JRR Tolkien ever was.
Thats really interesting comment. Thank you 🙂
In general, LOTRO is highly faithfull. Almost all things that are not in books were added to fill the gaps, and create playable world in which we have something to do.
IMO LOTRO is great extension to Tolkiens books made with much much bigger heart and respect then movies. I never forget that feeling when in first day I went outside gate of Archet, saw field full of grass and ruins behind them and thought: “Thats start of great journey”. Such a lovely feeling… IMO Turbine did great job enriching Tolkien world, filling empty spaces, creating whole regions from a few sentences.
Someone suggested here that Tolkien wouldn’t like Iron Garrison guards. But Tolkien had send group of dwarves to retake Moria (Balin and company), so yet another group is really possible and it fits canon.
And there are so many details from the book in the game. Nob in Prancing Pony, bushes around house of Bill Ferny in Bree, Aragorn’s and hobbits camp under Weathertop (where Frodo was wounded). The camp is there, although you need to know details from the books to recognize this place cause none quests send us there afaik. And these are just 3 small elements from hundreds!
I think Tolkien would love this adaptation. Can’t say that about movies.
Many things LOTRO has added are canonically possible yes, which makes it so amazing! But if that means Tolkien would approve, I don’t know, not of every addition I guess? (Definitely not the Merrevail though.)
Have we had a poll on which LOTRO lore addition people love best? For me, I adore the entire Grey Company story, as I never realised their importance in the book 🙂
For me it would be story about Dunlendings. That many tried to resist. It makes them more human and more tragic. Not just evil wild people who joined Saruman to kill Rohirrims, but also victims of Saruman. It makes whole story much less black and white, and the same much more realistic.
Oh, and Forochel, Turbine used Tolkiens other (more scientific) interests as a guide and made Forochel people similar to Finnish people, as Tolkien liked their language.
Yes, I think he would approve of the game and the movies too for that matter. Maybe not at first or on premise, but say you could sit down with him in a room for a day or so and show him LOTRO and Peter Jackson’s films. There would be only one thing, I think, that you would have to say to him before showing him both interpretations of his work.
“You set out to create a myth, and isn’t one of the things that makes a myth a myth is that it gets retold and reinterpreted in different ways over the years?”
does it matter?
only for those who care. ;o)
Tolkien: Let me recapitulate, this machine is a modern computer, LotRO is a computer game?
Guy: Yes sir, welcome!
Tolkien: So, this “LotRO” is based on my books? the “online” is there because we are on the internet, a machine for simulations as you say.
Guy: Yes… well, it is a game, there are real people with you right now.
Tolkien: What is a Hobbit Present? now i have some type of armor, i cannot understand the origin.
Guy: Is just a random gift, sir.
Tolkien: I think this is a dwarf with a long beard, let´s talk with him… hum, interesting, he repeats some lines and offers me a ring over his head? actually there are rings everywhere!
Guy: No.. i mean, yes, he and other characters have missions, the rings.
Tolkien: I need recover his shield from a group of goblins, hum, interesting, childish lines… hah!
Guy: Test my war steed.
Tolkien: Ah, you have a big horse and…. what type of horse is this? oh my god he is colliding with everything!
Guy: Calm down, click to stop sir.
Tolkien: So, when everything moves in a strange way, we are under some “lag”, a spell I supose?
Guy: No, this is part of Gondor and few places…
Tolkien: Lag? I never wroted a character or location called “lag”.
Guy: Ow..