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The New Barbershop Feature in The Lord of the Rings Online

I love The Lord of the Rings Online. I wouldn't say I was addicted, but if I had the time and didn't need to work for a living, I certainly wouldn't begrudge becoming addicted. There's something about running through the Southern Breefields at night. Stars above you, haunting music in the background; and the promise of a pint at the Prancing Pony. Hence it is with sadness that I feel the need to review the latest free content update in less than glowing terms. Well, some of the new features get a bashing, any way.

Book 12: The Ashen Wastes was eagerly awaited by LOTRO fans. Treats such as Ettendeep and Angmar Revisited were exciting enough, but this was also The Month of Avatar Customization. Now the question seems to be, is this a harmless bit of fun? Or a major waste of Turbine's time?

The new Outfit System is clever and will bring individuality to the myriad of avatars who, let's face it, all look pretty similar. At Level 20 you will now be given the option to create two new outfits, bought from vendors in the larger towns. It's clever because the outfits are cosmetic only. This means that wearing them won't affect the stats of your original equipment. Want to get your hobbit Guardian out of their clunky armor and into a nice dress? Now you can do it.

The Barbershops, on the other hand, are a different story. This idea seems clever too. At first. Simply visit a Barber and, for a small fee, you can change your avatar's hair and facial options. Great, except the new options are ugly as hell. I always believed that LOTRO's initial hair choices weren't very exciting. Most of them look like a block of wood stuck to your head and it's telling that so many players don't toggle their helmets off. So imagine my delight to discover that Turbine had designed new hair styles that could be applied to your existing avatar. The delight soon died away when I realized they had simply created more head-shaped blocks of wood. But uglier.

I think I'll stick with what I've got, thanks. There is hope on the horizon though. Turbine tells us that: "Having these systems in place opens the door for us to make even more customization options for you in the future."

They can't come quick enough.

Learn more about this author, Briana Bernard.
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