Lord of the Rings Online: Beta Journal

A notice was posted for all to see. It was a call for various skilled folk to get together and put those talents to work! Cooks were needed in large numbers to practice their vocation. I had just the hobbit for that task!

I quickly made my way to Combe. I was certainly in the mood to cook up something delectable. Upon approaching, I noticed many other people already in the crafting area courtyard. Though the presence of so many people in one place caused a bit of a hiccup for my screen, a couple of clicks later, I had it under control. Everything was running surprisingly smoothly. A small icon appeared in the corner of the screen to warn me that my gameplay might be impacted due to high server load. Other than the initial stutter and the warning icon, I hardly noticed a problem with upwards of sixty characters being on screen at once. Impressive!

The stress test could have been considered well underway before cooking began. People of all races lined the walls around the crafting yard and several of us began dancing to pass the time. I have to say, no one can bust a move quite like a group of hungry hobbits!

After initial greetings, laughter, dancing, and general merrymaking, we got down to business. My little hobbit began to churn out the tastiest mushroom pies on this side of the Brandywine. There were people everywhere with a bowl and spoon in hand, mixing furiously! All types of foods were being made in the courtyard around me, and the demand on the vendors became a bit overwhelming. Honestly, if I had been the provisioner in charge of selling flour, onions, mushrooms, and other basics, I would have run screaming from the town. She was a trooper, though, and in the end my little cook had enough mushroom pies to feed a hobbit army. Now that is something!

In the end, it appeared to be a successful event. My hobbit's pack was heavy with tantalizing fare, and nothing crashed. The vendors seemed a bit frazzled, but they made it through as well. In no time, the crafting area was again a calm, quiet corner of the town where folks could practice their skills in peace.

We, the cooks of Middle Earth, did our best to bring down the world, but to no avail. Better luck next time!