Stories of development through this game

[DiogoVP]

Rohan housing was another one. One of the world devs was tinkering with it in his spare time but it never came to fruition (apparently, it's very difficult to make housing neighborhoods)

Well, I am going to tell one my wildest dreams... 3 neighborhoods (1 in lothlorien, 1 in rohan and 1 in gondor), but they would be blank: no houses, no trees, nothing... the only things that wouldn't be blank would be the spaces around the neighborhoods. So everything inside the space of the neighborhood would be designed by players. Those housing neighborhoods would be specially made for kinships. And you could pick types of bushes, trees, houses and place wherever you want in the neighborhood. You could place NPCs, create crafting halls, guild halls, kin houses, skirmish camps, vaults, auction houses, as well as places for bands, spars, task boards made by requests of kinship members, kinship mail. All of these would be unlocked as the kinship gained ranks. And that is my wild dream, because I know it'll never happen. But the idea is so good that I decided to share. So, completely out of curiosity, how difficult would it be to make an area of which players would design their whole landscape (with already existing 3D objects, of course)?

[HunterGreen]

This has been answered before but I can't find the thread.....

Edit: Found it.
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...ds+explanation

Well, it's been discussed, but it'd be cool if a blue name confirmed that it was the intent. Though I wonder if they can't confirm it here for the same reason they can't confirm it in game.

[ISS_21]

I love so much of the Silmarillion, but unless something also appears in LotR, we just can't use it. Simple as that.

Fortunately, there's plenty of awesome in LotR.

MoL

Is there really no chance to get at least a licence for a part of it? I mean how awesome would the battle of Gondolin be, either as instance cluster or - even though i dont enjoy them as much - big battles.

I really hope, that by time (after mordor most likely) theres an attempt to get an agreement to get such epic thing happen :-)

[HunterGreen]

Is there really no chance to get at least a licence for a part of it? I mean how awesome would the battle of Gondolin be, either as instance cluster or - even though i dont enjoy them as much - big battles.

I really hope, that by time (after mordor most likely) theres an attempt to get an agreement to get such epic thing happen :-)

Perhaps after Christopher Tolkien goes into the Uttermost West -- or wherever it is he'll go -- his successor may have a different feeling about licensing the rest of the legendarium. But while he's in control of it, there's a snowball's chance in Orodruin.

[MourneBlade]

Well, it's been discussed, but it'd be cool if a blue name confirmed that it was the intent. Though I wonder if they can't confirm it here for the same reason they can't confirm it in game.

Your right, it was a great discussion. I thought a Blue name had commented on it, I should have looked over the whole thread again.

[DiogoVP]

I have a lot. What would you like to know?

MoL

I have been playing my beorning through Moria, Lothlorien and now in Mirkwood. While some quests say Mazog is son of Azog, others say he is son of Bolg. Who is his true father? Is it revealed at the end of the epic book? Or maybe we'll never know? I am glad this isn't a relevant topic though, but it's quite confusing.

[Gandolf_TheOld]

I have been playing my beorning through Moria, Lothlorien and now in Mirkwood. While some quests say he is son of Azog, others say he is son of Bolg. Who is his true father? Is it revealed at the end of the epic book? Or maybe we'll never know? I am glad this isn't a relevant topic though, but it's quite confusing.

I doubt that Azog or Blog is the father of the Beorings

Azog according to LOTR Wikia
Blog is also an Orc.

[robbie1435]

I doubt that Azog or Blog is the father of the Beorings

Azog according to LOTR Wikia
Blog is also an Orc.

I think he meant to include something Mazog in there

[DiogoVP]

I think he meant to include something Mazog in there

ROFL. Exactly! Edited my post now lol

[robbie1435]

Now that the weekend is over, are the devs gonna rejoin the discussion? :P

[OldMadeOfLions]

But the idea is so good that I decided to share. So, completely out of curiosity, how difficult would it be to make an area of which players would design their whole landscape (with already existing 3D objects, of course)?

This would essentially involve porting our own development tools to the in-game client, and then opening it up for players, and also coming up with a storage solution for saving the created landscape of every neighborhood (and all of its contents) a player might make. Very difficult, and not something I expect we'll do for LOTRO.

MoL

[OldMadeOfLions]

While some quests say Mazog is son of Azog, others say he is son of Bolg. Who is his true father?

Mazog is the son of Bolg -- my guess is that if there are quests that refer to him as the 'son of Azog,' it's intended in the symbolic sense. Mazog is properly the grandson of Azog.

MoL

[BangoTwinkletoes]

This would essentially involve porting our own development tools to the in-game client, and then opening it up for players, and also coming up with a storage solution for saving the created landscape of every neighborhood (and all of its contents) a player might make. Very difficult, and not something I expect we'll do for LOTRO.

MoL

How about something along what Cryptic have put into Star Trek Online and Neverwinter - not quite a fully-functioning toolset but good enough for creating our own storylines and quest arcs !!!

[kickman77]

How about something along what Cryptic have put into Star Trek Online and Neverwinter - not quite a fully-functioning toolset but good enough for creating our own storylines and quest arcs !!!

\

I was just going to type the same thing, and not meaning disrespect especially since madeofLions I have praised your work over and over but on STO, the foundry user created missions are sometimes leaps and bounds above what the developers over there come up with. I know they are not as constrained by the Lore as Lotro is but any chance of seeing a contest or something done that could let users come up with a quest chain within the world (hint: akin to the new episodic content we are getting) and letting players go through a few of them?

On the other hand, one of the things I fell in lvoe with in Lotro (outside of the story) was the cosmetic system and Mounts (just took advantage of the sale and got the Rivendell and Thorins account wide steeds) and would love to see another type of contest to design a cloak or steed or something along those lines. (maybe even replace some of those old cloaks from level 1-60 that have the same basic pattern)

[LabadalofDorlomin]

Mazog is the son of Bolg -- my guess is that if there are quests that refer to him as the 'son of Azog,' it's intended in the symbolic sense. Mazog is properly the grandson of Azog.

MoL

Firstly, this thread is awesome, big up to the T's employees who've engaged and shared.....

I would like to know who designed Ettenmoor and how it changed from original intention through first design model to what was shipped originally. Also, the reason for slight place movements like Arador' end etc. (I get the feeling that last one was to do with the session play we had a while back)

I know I've hailed the world builders and MoL for his epic story arcs but I have to say that it's great to hear from other people who are equally as engaged in making this game amazing.
Please, please can we hear more stories from all of you...

[OldMadeOfLions]

How about something along what Cryptic have put into Star Trek Online and Neverwinter - not quite a fully-functioning toolset but good enough for creating our own storylines and quest arcs !!!

I love the idea of player-created content, and have played around with lots of in-game toolsets over the years, but I think there are several reasons that it wouldn't be a great fit inside LOTRO. One of the primary reasons is that, since this is Middle-earth, we need to get approval for the things we put in-game: storylines, art, character behaviors, etc. The pipeline for that doesn't really encompass player-created content very well. As a game with a license, we need to be careful with what we put in the game. Don't let me catch one of you trying to add Turin Turambar to Bree...

Another reason it's not a great fit for LOTRO is because our systems weren't made for creating everything you would need while in-game. Making NPCs, quests, items, monsters, rewards, everything you need to get a functional quest -- that's all made in external tools. We'd be building everything (to let you build anything) from scratch. It would be an incredible amount of work.

So, I love it! But probably not for LOTRO.

MoL

[DiogoVP]

Mazog is the son of Bolg -- my guess is that if there are quests that refer to him as the 'son of Azog,' it's intended in the symbolic sense. Mazog is properly the grandson of Azog.

MoL

Oh, I've just a found one of the quests that refers Mazog as brother of Bolg, here: https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Que...Al_Left_Behind
To quote, it says "'If Mazog, son of Azog and brother of Bolg, has decided to abandon rule of Moria, it can only be because he feels Moria will no longer be fit to rule". But this is far from relevant, I guess. hehe
Thanks for the reply and answer! I'll assume he's son of Bolg!

This would essentially involve porting our own development tools to the in-game client, and then opening it up for players, and also coming up with a storage solution for saving the created landscape of every neighborhood (and all of its contents) a player might make. Very difficult, and not something I expect we'll do for LOTRO.

MoL

I thought it'd be very difficult indeed.

Now I might be asking something that it isn't your place to answer, but do you guys have any plans for revamping the scenery of the older areas somewhere in the next 3 years? (After Rohan, the sceneries after Rohan are much superior imo, because of all those details, better quality of the textures, beautiful bushes and flowers all over). With us coming back to these older areas with episodic quests and Scouring of the Shire in like 3 years, a landscape revamp would be wonderful!

[one_ring12]

Don't let me catch one of you trying to add Turin Turambar to Bree...
MoL

That would be awesome! We could also take Húrin and bind him to some mountain in Angmar! And Elros visits Pelagir! Valar spawn randomly all over!!!!

[robbie1435]

Now for my biggest question:

After Mordor, are there any plans to have players rebuild Archet? I hate seeing it burned down

Psssst... This is one I've always wanted to know about. :P

[Gandolf_TheOld]

I think he meant to include something Mazog in there

I believe you are correct, as authenticated by a MOL post after yours.

A wonder what a little missing fact can change when it is included...

[TearMaker]

I love the idea of player-created content, and have played around with lots of in-game toolsets over the years, but I think there are several reasons that it wouldn't be a great fit inside LOTRO. One of the primary reasons is that, since this is Middle-earth, we need to get approval for the things we put in-game: storylines, art, character behaviors, etc. The pipeline for that doesn't really encompass player-created content very well. As a game with a license, we need to be careful with what we put in the game. Don't let me catch one of you trying to add Turin Turambar to Bree...

Another reason it's not a great fit for LOTRO is because our systems weren't made for creating everything you would need while in-game. Making NPCs, quests, items, monsters, rewards, everything you need to get a functional quest -- that's all made in external tools. We'd be building everything (to let you build anything) from scratch. It would be an incredible amount of work.

So, I love it! But probably not for LOTRO.

MoL

I understand the problems behind player created content but would you consider holding a competition to allow a player to create a small story line?
I know there are limitations and strict rules under license but with a little guidance it could work.

It wouldn't have to be anything which spoils upcoming secrets. maybe just a side quest arc. Most players know what is coming up ahead of us in a broad sense.

You could ask for people who enter to supply an initial idea of maybe no more than a couple of paragraphs and you could then take it up from there.

Just an idea

Don't let me catch one of you trying to add Turin Turambar to Bree...

Hey "Labadal"ofDorlomin has limped to Bree

Remember "a man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it."

[LabadalofDorlomin]

Hey "Labadal"ofDorlomin has limped to Bree

Remember "a man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it."

Indeed I have lol..... not sure that story line would pass MoL muster though hehe

[BangoTwinkletoes]

I love the idea of player-created content, and have played around with lots of in-game toolsets over the years, but I think there are several reasons that it wouldn't be a great fit inside LOTRO. One of the primary reasons is that, since this is Middle-earth, we need to get approval for the things we put in-game: storylines, art, character behaviors, etc. The pipeline for that doesn't really encompass player-created content very well. As a game with a license, we need to be careful with what we put in the game. Don't let me catch one of you trying to add Turin Turambar to Bree...

Another reason it's not a great fit for LOTRO is because our systems weren't made for creating everything you would need while in-game. Making NPCs, quests, items, monsters, rewards, everything you need to get a functional quest -- that's all made in external tools. We'd be building everything (to let you build anything) from scratch. It would be an incredible amount of work.

So, I love it! But probably not for LOTRO.

MoL

I understand and appreciate the lore & story continuity constraints that you and your colleagues have to work under, though personally I'd love nothing more than to create a little instanced side quest where one can beat Horn around the head with a bat shouting "You're a pathetic wimp!!" before showing his backside my boot!

Anyhow, has anyone here used the old Neverwinters Nights toolset for creating content? That was fun and demanding but no doubt nothing compared to Turbine's own systems

[Tarlywyn]

Anyhow, has anyone here used the old Neverwinters Nights toolset for creating content? That was fun and demanding but no doubt nothing compared to Turbine's own systems

LOL yeah. I vaguely remember creating some questline in NWN, which I repeated while recording some time mesurements for a school statistics assignment. My teacher then informed me about how statistically irrelevant the measurements were, due to the non-randomness of the set computer program actions, and biased towards follow on runs due to successive quickening of actions. Sorry - try again .

[cdq1958]

I understand and appreciate the lore & story continuity constraints that you and your colleagues have to work under, though personally I'd love nothing more than to create a little instanced side quest where one can beat Horn around the head with a bat shouting "You're a pathetic wimp!!" before showing his backside my boot!

Anyhow, has anyone here used the old Neverwinters Nights toolset for creating content? That was fun and demanding but no doubt nothing compared to Turbine's own systems

I've never played NWN and don't plan on ever playing it; but I have played a game that did add a system that allowed for player created content. Yes, SWG added the Chronicle system before it shut down. That system allowed players to create quests and quest arcs for other players to play. There were strict limits to it, given that Lucas Arts had to allow it and got huffy about things that didn't fit. It was an alternative advancement system. You started as a rank freshman after doing a quest for C3P0. You 'leveled' up by making and playing these 'Chronicles'. Players could make packages and trade these. The higher your rank, the more intricate the story or mission could be. Guess what most of these were like. :P

If LoTRO could do this, I'd expect something akin to SWG's Chronicle system, not EvE.