In the Mood: LOTRO's Dread System - Background
Author: From:www.buyfastgold.com
Background
One of my favorite moments in The Lord of the Rings book is the section involving the Balrog. Not so much the scene involving Gandalf standing on the bridge of Khazad-dûm, although that is a good scene. No, my favorite part is the reveal of the Balrog, and Legolas¡¯ response to it. Legolas, who prior to this has always seemed so unflappable, "wails" that a Balrog has come. That one word, "wails," drove home to me the power and terror of the Balrog. That is a testament to Tolkien's amazing ability as a writer. This section, though, isn't the only place where terror, or dread, is found in the books. You could think of Shelob's cave, Mordor, and many more. Even Gandalf's telling of the history of the Ring to Frodo implies terror.
Of course, the books aren't only about feeling terror and dread. Hope and the rekindling of hope are much more important concepts. A concept Tolkien mentioned in his letters was that of the "eucatastrophe." A catastrophe is a sudden and widespread disaster, while a eucatastrophe, in his mind, was just the opposite. It is a sudden and unexpected turn for the better, and there are many such memorable moments in the books. For instance, there is the sudden appearance of Gandalf and Erkenbrand at Helms Deep, the ride of the Rohirrim and many more.
The question is, though, how do you convey emotion like that in the game? What we needed to do was derive a game mechanic from this book concept, and that is where the Mood system comes from.
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