I now pronounce you Dwarf & Hobbit...oops!

[The Saucepan Man]

It's not a crime to make money, you know ...

Originally Posted by davem

I suspect money is the over-riding issue - they snapped up the rights in order to make money.

Yes, and I suspect that they paid hansomely for those rights. Incidentally, who granted them the rights? The Estate? Saentz?

In any event, the rights originally lay with Tolkien himself. Once they were sold, he (and, by succession, the Estate) gave up any right to complain about what was done with them (subject to the terms of the contract by which they were granted).

Originally Posted by davem

I suspect where politics is an issue is for some of those objecting to the ban on same sex marriages in the game - who seem to have little or no interest at all in Tolkien's creation, & the ethics & philosophy underlying it - & who are more interested in political correctness than in Tolkien's work.

Its not an issue of political correctness. Homesexuality is a fact of life, not a cause. Is it right that this game should either exclude gay people or else force them to play a role with which they do not feel comfortable?

Originally Posted by davem

But, would that be a great loss? I wonder - if players were bound by the 'hard' rules Tolkien gave ...

I may be wrong, but I am not aware of any instance of Tolkien explicitly stating that same sex relationships did not exist in Middle-earth. Not am I aware of any "rule" in M-e preventing Dwarves and Hobbits falling in love.

Btw, do Balrogs have wings in this game? Can they fly?