How Tales of the Shire Can Incorporate Other Regions of Middle-Earth

From the moment it was first announced last September, Tales of the Shire has made its whole purpose very clear. A life-sim that puts players in the hairy feet of their own custom Hobbit, Tales of the Shire is a cozy game through and through, borrowing elements from games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley to give players the ultimate Hobbit experience. From decorating Hobbit homes to planting fruits and vegetables, Tales of the Shire will see players gradually make the village of Bywater their home.

But the world of Middle-Earth is a vast one, and it would be a shame for Tales of the Shire‘s smaller scope to restrict players from experiencing at least a little more of what Middle-Earth’s world has to offer. But while players might not be able to venture out past The Shire’s emerald boundaries, the rest of Middle-Earth could find its way to the player’s doorstep.

How Tales of the Shire Can Bring The Rest of Middle-Earth to The Player

Traveling Merchants Can Bring Their Wares to The Shire

Coming in at just under two minutes, the recent Tales of the Shire announcement trailer gave fans a pretty good overview of what they can expect from the cozy Lord of the Rings life-sim. At around the 50-second mark, fans can spot an area that seems to be a sort of commercial hub, with three market stalls lined up next to one another. These market stalls appear to be selling various fruits and vegetables, which the trailer quickly shows can be used as cooking ingredients.

If players can’t leave The Shire, then it might be a fun idea to bring other regions of Middle-Earth to Bywater, and this commercial hub could be the perfect spot for it. Much like Animal Crossing‘s wandering merchants like Redd and Sahara, Tales of the Shire could have its own set of revolving merchants, some of whom could come from different parts of the world, and offer unique items only found in those regions. For instance, an Elven vendor visiting from Rivendell could sell the player some Lembas bread, while a trader from Gondor could offer some shiny silver pieces of decor.

Adventurers Could Pass Through Bywater

Tales of the Shire‘s announcement trailer also hinted that the game’s social elements will play quite a major role, showing the player-character talking with various other Hobbits hanging around Bywater. It would be fun to see some travelers from other regions of Middle-Earth pass through The Shire, appearing briefly in town and allowing the player to interact with them. These interactions could lead to some unique quests themed around the specialties and traits of each region, such as a Rohirrim adventurer tasking the player with scouting a new area, or a Wood-Elf from Mirkwood requiring the player to grow a new type of plant in their garden.

The Tales of the Shire trailer also showed the player character inviting an array of Hobbits over for a feast. While the in-game purpose of this hasn’t been detailed yet, it could be another great way to incorporate other regions of Middle-Earth, with players being able to invite the aforementioned travelers back home for a quick bite, perhaps even making them a unique dish based on their region’s usual cuisine.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality. 

Created by

J. R. R. Tolkien

Current Series

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Where to watch

HBO Max

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