Middle-Earth Online Developer Diary
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Some details are easier to get right than others or at least have clearer precedents. A telling detail comes in how Tolkien revised The Hobbit to remove a reference to tomatoes. As his understanding of the Shire matured, Tolkien decided "tomato" no longer fit with the linguistic and historic origins of that land. This (and other corroborating information "corn," anyone?1) helps us decide what plants and animals belong in Eriador. Shifting our gaze from the trees to the (Old) Forest, we rely on the texts themselves, with their voluminous Appendices, to chart the way.
But Tolkien's first goal wasn't to provide reference works for game developers (if only!), and the information found beyond the books themselves covers only some areas of knowledge. (And some of this even contradicts itself, reflecting the ongoing evolution of the world in the author's imagination.)
