In a sense, Tornquist has the edge over other players in the field in terms of the creation of worlds, even if it's because his team was not shackled by the stereotypes that we associate in fantasy game. Fantasy worlds are always filled with the typical Tolkiensque typical suspects: enchanted forest and grunting trolls, pointed-eared Elves, and so on. In Lord of the Rings Online it's impossible to escape these old-fashioned conventions. What does Turbine's Chris Pierson make the conventions seem fresh and new given their ubiquity in the world of modern fantasy?
"That's an essential challenge when working with Tolkien," says Pierson, "because he was the modern originator of a large amount of these commonplaces. Even the most radically different fantasy elves are usually defined by the ways in which they differ from Tolkien Elves. In a way and unlike a story where the designers are trying to WoW Classic SoD Gold make a fresh image for the world they inhabit, we're required to put the whole 'trope notion and believe in the original source. We're not trying to reinvent the Troll. Doing so is in some ways untrue to the content. In many cases it's more of making things more focused to its traditional (Tolkienic) idea, drawing from his descriptions as well as those sources that inspired him such as the Anglo-Saxon or Norse folklore. It is possible to make them fascinating in the context of a Tolkien roleplay by playing them right and immersing them as deeply in the original information as you can. Any other thing or the 'that's all it is you're done!' reaction you're trying get off of your player likely to be thrown out the window and you've made a mistake."
Other developers don't have to adhere to Tolkien's particular vision, but his influence is clearly felt. In World of Warcraft Season of Discovery, Annie Vander tried to break away from the stereotypes rather than to dismiss them completely out without a second thought. "We have Ogres within World of Warcraft Season of Discovery, sure they're massive and hulking however, they're actually an ancient race who live in tribes, and have great respect for the bond that exists between hunters and their pets. They're a classic fantasy trope that we've incorporated to buy WoW Classic SoD Gold the world of Tyria and they're definitely not an ordinary "bad guy" race, they're not here to tick an item or take up space. They're a people which operates with its own distinct rhythm. When you speak to an ogre, even if they fight you and you can see that they differ, and what a place they play within the global community."