Author: Meldarion
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Somebody once used the phrase "It takes a village....". I believe it was Hillary Clinton, but that's not actually important. While I really do not dig politics, sometimes politicians can say things that ring true and potentially change the world we live in; causing people to pause for the moment and reflect. This statement, and the speech she used it in, has that same potential when we choose to stop and reflect on what it means to us.
I can see the blank stares now, and the chiding "Wow, Mel, you've really gone into left field here". But give just five minutes to hear me out.
I opened this piece this way, because I surf a lot. (stay with me :)) Across a broad ocean of fansites, you're liable to bump into me almost anywhere: Cruising the forums here; checking out an article there. No telling where I'll end up next.
But, you know what? I've come to discover some things in my travels. There's a select few fansites that I really dig and where I always find myself making the rounds upwards around 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes even more when I've nothing else to do. These fansites, in my opinion, form the core of the LotRO community.
This community is really special, in my humblest of opinions. While the Official Turbine site is, of course, the central focus, many fansites have much to offer and I've seen some fantastic content. If it weren't for many of these other sites, I think that Turbine, the game's developing company, would be in a world of hurt.
While gameamp is where I keep my heart and my home, sites like LotroSource, Lotr.Ogaming, Arda Post, and TenTonHammer have all become my stomping grounds; my neighborhood, so to speak. This is because everyone puts out good content on a regular basis. Some publish more frequent than others, but the fact remains that, no matter the frequency, I have found quality on each and every site. I feel that we here at the gameamp site put out good quality content as well. We strive to have a presence throughout the core community, and although we are the relative newkids to LotRO as far as fansites go, I've felt welcome everywhere.
But, that's become the hallmark of the Middle Earth community. It's a relatively friendly place with no strife between fansites. No one saying they are better than the other; rather quite the contrary. I've noticed there's no lack of hospitality and I find it a wonderful thing to see each site advertising content that sits somewhere else. Do we have it made, or what?
Now, the fans may be a little terse at times, and every once in a while, you can see a little stress in a post from a staffer. But what can one expect from the community at large, when the game we cling to as our future in the MMO world has been delayed for this long? It's tough, but most everyone is a trooper and the waiting will be worthwhile once we have the game in hand. Yes, sometimes it does take a village, or a community, to raise this baby about to be born of Turbine later this year. As far as community goes, this MMO is in good hands; I honestly believe that.
So, while we wait, patiently or not, for Middle Earth to become a gaming reality, we can keep one another company in the ways that we can all relate together: discussion on forums, tense moments notwithstanding, and enjoying the wonderful articles, opinions, fan fiction, and fellowship that comes seemingly built into the LotRO community. Might as well get it while we can, now, because once we've hit the shelves, I have a feeling that this baby's gonna take up much of our attention as there'll be a lot of Middle Earth to catch up on.
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