Continuing our recurring interview series, I shot some questions over to Cheeky Hobbit. Being one of the most prominent and outspoken members of the community, Cheeky Hobbit is a respected member on both the official game forums as well as here on Middle-earth Center. Read on below…

Middle-earth Center: How and where did you first hear about the Lord of the Rings Conquest?

Cheeky Hobbit: It was on Gamersyde. I visit the site quite regularly, and happened to visit it the day Conquest was officially announced. As soon as I read the news, I searched the game on Google and it led me to the Pandemic forums and (evenually) MEC.

MEC: Can you tell us anything about your LotR history? Did you read all the books, which games did you play?

CH: I’ve read all of the LotR books – I consider them to be the best fantasy novels ever written. With regards to games, I have played most (if not all) of them. I enjoyed The Two Towers and Return of the King a lot and believe that, to date, they are the best ever LOTR games. I’ve also played the Battle for Middle Earth games, The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring.

MEC: You’re quite active throughout the Conquest community. How do you feel about the community around the game as it is now?

CH: Unfortunately, talk surrounding the game is rather low at this moment in time. I’m sure that, once more information is released to the public, the community will pick up again. The MEC community hasn’t been affected too much as far as I can tell, but the Conquest community at the Pandemic forums certainly has.

MEC: What would your ideal LotR game be like?

CH: Well as a fan of the genre, I would love there to be a LotR open-world RPG game. I just feel that the richness of Middle-Earth, combined with its deep lore, is ideal for a game of that type. That is why I truly hope that the White Council game gets put back into development.

MEC: What is your feeling about LotRC, is it shaping up to be a good game (in your opinion)?

CH: Yeah, I’d say it’s shaping up well. I feel that a lot of people are trying to make the game something it’s not, or are anticipating the game with unrealistic expectations. I feel that if people maintain reasonable expectations and take the game for what it is, they’ll have a lot of fun with it. I’m sure I will anyway.

MEC: LotRC might be shoved ahead to a (Janurary) 2009 release. How do you feel about this?

CH: If a delay is necessary in the sense that it will improve the game to some degree, then I’m all for it. The LotR fan within me is saying “no, I want it now!”, but I am willing to wait. I personally don’t believe in set release dates – games should be released simply when they have been finished.

MEC: Which part of the game do you think you will play most? Are you a multiplayer or a singleplayer guy?

CH: I’ve always been a singleplayer guy. There’s no doubt that playing online with your mates online is incredibly fun, but for some reason I just get more joy out of a game’s singleplayer aspect. But I’m sure I’ll be playing both sides for months to come once the game has been released.

MEC: Thanks for your time.