Both Turbine and Codemasters have announced that applications to the Isengard Test Server are now open for European and American players alike.
As it says on the Official Lotro forums, to stand a chance at being one of the select few to take part in this preview program you need to:
- Have a valid and active subscription to The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Have a clean forum and game history
- Be able to interact with the community in a mature and constructive manner
- Be able to communicate well through forum posts and bug reports
- Accept the terms of the Private Preview Program Non-Disclosure Agreement, the full contents of which will be provided during the registration process should you be accepted to the program.
It is nice to see that they are making Isengard’s purpose clear. This is not just a cheap way of seeing new content before everyone else does, like for example World of Warcraft’s PTRs whose content is available for all to see within hours of it opening, but a genuine effort to get reliable members of the community involved in making the game better. Apparently places are extremely limited, so I would assume community members who have participated in forum discussions (read: not trolling) will be picked first.
Already several people on the forums have shown their interest in joining up, which only goes to prove how successful a testing strategy this is for Turbine. True, they may not get the numbers a PTR open to all (like Bullroarer but with deeper content) would pull in, but instead they will get a small number of elite testers who care about the direction the game is taking. I must say I would love to be one of them however, I have not really played the game long enough to deserve such a place.
If you are interested in applying for a position, you need to send an e-mail to LotROIsengard@turbine.com or isengardeurope@codemasters.com depending on the region you are from. In this e-mail you should include your real name, user name and forum name, the e-mail address you used to sign up to Lotro with, and crucially an explanation of why you want to participate in the program.
Good luck to all those who attempt to set out on a trip to Isengard, and I hope you experience some excellent content on the horizon!
I signed up for it, we’ll see what happens. The only thing that kind of stinks is that even if I get into it, I can’t talk about it here lol
~_^ That’s what I thought hehe…another reason I didn’t try and sign up.
But, if (more likely when, knowing you) you get in you can use your secret knowledge to relate to things currently in the game, and know whether they’re going in the right direction etc.
If you suddenly go quiet we’ll know something’s wrong! Hehe.
I don’t think the amount of time you played should be a measure of your eligibility to apply, personal or otherwise. When I beta tested LOTRO, it was my first MMO, I hadn’t played before, etc, etc. Total noob, but a noob perspective is one of many they wanted. That’s probably still the case.
*Nods* Very true Jaxom, and you’re right, a new player’s perspective is just as important, if not MORE important, than an experienced one. If the game can’t be attractive to new players it will be made so. I suppose what I meant was being fairly new, I hadn’t really participated in forum chats (not having the knowledge to). On the European sign up thread they ask you to supply your ‘best forum post’ etc, so I couldn’t really in good conscience make up something like that.
Still, I look forward to seeing everything that comes out of this once the NDA lifts. ^^
They’re taking the hobits to Isendgard!
Sorry, with the picture, I couldn’t resist.