After a successful freshman year, Turbine continues its journey through Middle-Earth in this highly anticipated expansion pack, The Mines of Moria. The Fellowship has left Rivendell, and players continue to indirectly aid the famous group on their mission to destroy the One Ring. At last weekend’s Penny Arcade Expo, LOTRO Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel took me on a tour through the ancient dwarven city, and talked about the expansion's many new features.

The first thing you notice when entering Moria is that it’s enormous. The ceiling is a few hundred feet above, and the cavernous rooms span as far as the eye can see. It feels like you stepped into Peter Jackson’s film. The LOTRO team has worked hard in creating such awe-inspiring sights because they have to impress not just gamers but Tolkien fans. “We knew when we were setting out to build it that it would have to be extraordinary because the expectations are pretty high,” said Steefel.

With an area as big as Moria, it could take forever to get from one end to the next. Steefel pointed to some yak-looking creatures and explained that they’re new rented mounts for swift travel. However, at the moment they’ll only be available inside Moria. As we continued our journey, Steefel also noted the change in architecture from one room to the next, reflecting the different civilizations that have lived in Moria for centuries.

The add-on doesn’t just offer new areas to explore. The level cap is raised to 60, and there are two new classes: The Warden and the Runekeeper. Steefel described the Warden as a medium tank that wears light armor, whose primary weapon is either a javelin or a spear. The Warden has some minor stealth capabilities and ranged attack. The Runekeeper is a magic user, somewhere between a healer and a nuker. Steefel addressed concerns that the Runekeeper is a wizard and thus violates Tolkien lore, of which LOTRO has always strongly supported. “We’ve been working with the lore for a long time, and we’re positive we know how to put (magic) in the game so that it makes sense,” Steefel said.

The new classes have unique combat systems. The Runekeeper uses the Attunement system, in which using certain skills more often open up more similar skills, graying out opposing skills. Therefore, using DPS skills open up similar, stronger skills while the healing-related skills become unavailable. The Warden uses a Gambit system, in which certain skill combinations unlock a special skill.