One thing that really sets LOTRO apart from its Warhammer and Warcraft rivals is its PvP - or apparent lack thereof. “If you’re a hero of Middle-earth, then you shouldn’t really be fighting another hero of Middle-earth,” explains Blincoe. “Plus, orcs really don’t have a social life, and they wouldn’t go about questing either. So we had to think of a different way of doing it.”

Enter Monster Play - the feature that lets you play as the opposition without having an elf pal-up with an Uruk-hai to kill a field of coneys. Essentially, you’ll be able to sit in the bad boots of Sauron’s minions parallel to your own character - you won’t be able to level-up, but there will be quests to do and “monster points” to earn, which then can be spent on perks for your main character - or indeed on playing as bigger varieties of monster.

But when the time comes, which race and class should we be? Dwarf, elf, hobbit or human? Captain, burglar, champion, lore-master, minstrel, hunter or guardian?

“We’ve now come to a point where every character is fun to play,” Blincoe says. “I’m working my way through as a Man Burglar at the moment, which sounds rather rude, but when it goes live I’ll be playing as a Dwarf Guardian as I just love the way he roars.” Roaring dwarves and man burglars eh? Can’t wait.