Transcript: LOTRO Developer Twitter Chat - Thursday March 21, 2013

[Sapience]

This is the official transcript from our developer chat of March 21, 2013.

Please note we’ve been as open as possible with our answers, but please be aware that development priorities are prone to shifting. Our answers reflect our current plans and expectations, but are subject to change.


The following members of the LOTRO Team will be answering your questions.

• Aaron “Rowan” Campbell - Senior Producer
• Derek Flippo – Design Director
• Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti - Lead Systems Designer
• Lauren “Budgeford” Salk - Senior Content Designer (Region Gameplay and Content)
• Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey - World Builder
• Evan "Verizal" Graziano - Associate Systems Designer (Classes, Items, Mounted Combat)
• Rick “Sapience” Heaton - Community Manager

From Twitter.com/lotro

Please note: Responses that required multiple tweets have been condensed here for easier reading.


Q1: Drunken_Valar – Any plans to update the stability of the game?

A1: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
With Update 10 we hit some unexpected issues that required us to close “Flight to the Lonely Mountain” The engineering team is tracking those down, and we hope to have them fixed soon.
We’re also looking at ways to add more monitoring to the game servers to help us track down bugs. We continue to push the boundaries of our game engine with new features like mounted combat. Those are great for new gameplay, but also create new challenges for our engineers.
----

Q2: Rsmuppet – What sources do you use in checking lore, story, and history of Middle-earth?

A2: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
For all things Tolkien, we have experts who pour through pages upon pages of text to make sure we are as accurate as possible. We also have almost every book written by or about Tolkien and LOTR.
-------------------------

Q3: Cris - May we expect a more realistic series of emotes or an update of those that we already have?

A3: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
I would love to add a few new player emotes to the game. Which kinds of emotes do you have in mind?
----------------------

Q4: ISS_21 – Will there be a level cap increase with Update 11?

A4: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
No.

A4a: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
No level cap increase at this time. U11 features solo end-game content and rewards.
------

Q5: Midford - Can you guys focus not just only on new content, but also the bugs?

A5: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
We always fix many bugs each update! If you see something broken, feel free to /bug it in game so we’re aware of the issue.
--------

Q6: Elemiire - Any plans for a 'combine all' and / or 'refine all' option for the Relic Master? Carpal Tunnel isn't fun.

A6: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
This is a very good suggestion. I'll ask around and see if it is a viable option.
--------------------------------

Q7: Raowyn - Any plans towards making landscape barter tokens upgradeable to the endgame factions tokens and/or shared accross the entire account?

A7: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Although there are no immediate plans, shared tokens are something that I could certainly look into for the near future. I’m probably going to steer clear of upgradeable tokens though, at least for the time being.
----

Q8: OverlordGate - Can we expect new instances within the new area of U11 this summer?

A8: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
No instances this time. Instances were the focus of U10, and U11 features a new region & epic.
-----

Q9: Nasami - Since Dale and Erebor now appear in instances, is there ANY chance of them at least being added as instanced missions, or even better - zones?

A9: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Currently we have no plans to make Erebor part of our open world. As for instanced missions, you'll have to consult Budgeford.

A9a: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
Our content focus is actually on another part of Middle-earth at the moment. No plans for Dale or Erebor currently.
-------------------------

Q10: LS - Zalladi - Are there plans for a new skirmish due for release?

A10: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
No plans for a new Skirmish currently, but we have new “stuff” in the works. Handwavy vague!
-----

Q11: FatMeff With the upcoming class revamps, what sort of juicy changes are you making to the Burger? I MUST know!#LOTRO #DEVCHAT #BURGERTIME

A11: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
Lots of extra cheese!

A11b: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
I like Bacon.
----

Q12: Joene - In the last dev chat you mentioned you might revamp vanilla zones if time allows. Which zone(s) do you consider that need the most attention?

A12: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Unfortunately we have no vanilla zones scheduled for revamp. On a personal note, I would love to revamp Trollshaws. The World team also mentioned North-downs (Drachyn) and Enedwaith (Iceman).

A12b: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
My personal wishlist, IF time allows: Bree, Ered Luin, Misties, Trollshaws, Forochel, North Downs.
------

Q13: AC - Levanas - When we would to hear about new expansion? Like it's name or possible release date?

A13: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
Kate Paiz already mentioned Helm’s Deep… that’s all I can say at this time.
----

Q14: ISS_21 – Will there be mounted combat instances?

A14: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
All content now incorporates some Mounted Combat gameplay, but there are no group MC instances atm.
-------

Q15: Midford - Can we get more news on the Player Council?

A15: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
The official announcement, information, and how to apply will be posted tomorrow.
-------

Q16: Fexalicious - Will there be raider representatives in the upcoming council?

A16: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
Yes. One of the questions on the application is about your preferred playstyle.
--------

Q17: Levanas - When we would to hear about new expansion? Like it's name or possible release date?

A17: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
I can only say our 6th Anniversary is coming. Keep an ear to the ground!
-------

Q18: Radspakr - Any news on improving (or actually including) tanking gear especially vitality jewellery to better match the might and will drops?

A18: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
A lot of tanking gear was released with Update 9. Although I might typically veer away from changing pre-existing gear. I see no problem with taking a look to make some of the tanking items more beefy.
-------

Q19: Avengingbananaslug - Are there any plans to rework the legendary item system?

A19: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
At this time, no, there are no plans to rework LI.
------

Q20: Bamatram - any news on when u11 will be hitting bullroarer?

A20: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
Update 11 is on Palantir! We’ll bring it to Bullroarer when it’s ready.
------

Q21: Brya - When can we get auto-loot in place for skirmishes?

A21: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Although I can’t really commit to an exact date at this time this is something that is being planned for the near future
-------

Q22:Thodorin – Do you plan to improve localization and fix some of the translations errors?

A22: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
Yes! We continue to fix bugs.

A22a: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
Our translation team is working on improving translations with every update and patch. There are also players who routinely submit suggested translations to the team.
-----

Q23: Hurant - Can healers expect items with proc on heal in the near future? Especially the golden Rohan final ring upgrades or mooncandle necklaces?

A23: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
There are two new healer rings being released with Update 10.1 – one that is might-based and another that is will-based, both with on-heal procs
------

Q24: GingerAJ - With us now receiving items, that have effects when causing or receiving damage, will we receive items that activate on other effects?

A24: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Simply put…yes. Although there is no set timeline, you should start to see a larger variety of proc effects being released with future updates.
-------

Q25: Elemiire - Will you fix the 'procs' on the Upgraded Rohan Rings to benefit healers and support classes?

A: 25: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
As mentioned above, there are two new healer rings being released with 10.1
---------------

Q26: Nasami - Cosmetic gear slots? My LM has found some gorgeous staves, only to lose how they look because she found better quality gear. Please?

A26: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Unfortunately due to tech limitations, this is not really an option
---------------------

Q27: Nasami - Verizal: Is there a way to make war-steed riding 'smoother'? The regular mounts' gait looks so much more natural than the war-steed's gallop...

A27: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
This is another tech limitation that we are forced to deal with. Given their inclusion in combat, the war-steeds have a heavier set of restrictions that they must abide by in order to keep combat, itself, as flowing and functional as possible.
-------

Q28: OverlordGate - Which instance cluster will be scaled and revamped next and when can we expect it?

A28: Derek Flippo
Right now we’re focusing on prototyping Helm’s Deep instanced content for the upcoming expansion pack. After we’ve shipped the expansion we’ll evaluate the remaining potential revamps vs. making new instances.
-----------

Q29: Nyrion – Any plans to change the virtue system? Slayer deeds in particular?

A29: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
We’re considering changes to slayer deeds to get them to fit in with future class changed.They may no longer be directly tied to specific skills, but rather, give you progression you can choose.
-----

Q30: JeauxLOTR - Who is the RK Developer and when will they begin to engage the RK Community?

A30: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
While there are principle designers for each class, I do want to stress that this is a team effort. That said, Jinjaah is the principle on RK.
----

Q31: Tulcavaryar - Any plans to help hunters and burglars get their mitigations above 40% more easily?

A:31 Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
That will be dependent on what build you choose =)
------

Q32: MrWarg - Can we have more details about the class revamp please, specifically the implementation of skill trees?

A32: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
Three trees per class. Some degree of blending at a higher cost than sticking with a pure build. Bonuses granted based on an early-level specialization choice that grows as points are spent. You can have multiple specs. You can respec.
-----------

Q33: Zalladi - When will the next 'Player-designed relic' poll be started?

A33: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
That’s up to Sapience.

A33a: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
Wow, I'm in charge of something? *marks calendar* Soon™! Seriously. Look for a post after PAX East.
------------

Q 34: Somehow we missed a number and skipped to 35. This is left blank for consistency with the chat.
----------------

Q35: Nendis_Nenar A Housing-Question: Will empty houses from inactive players be available to rent again?

A35: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Yes.
--------------

Q36: @andrewscorgie Having seen the improved maps for bree and surrounding areas, will all maps be given a more modern look, as they do look dated #LOTRO

A36: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
We generally update maps as we revamp zones.
--------------

Q37: @bob101910 Any idea how much the new region in U11 will cost? #LOTRO

A37: Aaron “Rowan” Campbell
Wildermore will be free for VIPs.
----------------

Q38: @Honvik Any idea if you will bring in a PvP tournament system I.e 12v12 or smaller PvP warzone #devchat#lotro

A38: Derek Flippo
We have no plans to add additional PvMP content.
------------------

Q39: @MikeWestYYC Do you feel the current state of LOTRO is not challenging enough (too easy) to keep new players engaged? #LOTRO

A39: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
Our present classes don't require difficult choices in how to play. Future changes should increase the challenge level. Because you won't be able to do everything as any class.
-------------------

Q40: @ArtsySuvi Scarycrow, Bree looks awesome! You said you'd try to revamp the Prancing Pony interior; will we be seeing that soon?

A40: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Yes I do plan to revamp the interior for the Prancing Pony. This is a personal project of mine. So when I have time, I'll get on it.
-----------------

Q41: @Mithrandir99 any plans to give us cappies mounted helpers? #LOTRO

A41: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Although captains aren't getting mounted helpers, all classes will be seeing new mounted traits and skills with U11.
----------------

Q42: @PArriola Will we be able to have crafting in houses?

A42: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Yes we will be adding crafting facilities to housing.
-----------------------------

Q43: @Zyaxis the DMG and heal from conjunctions has not kept pace with our skills. Any changes coming ?

A43: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
We're looking at both the balance and timing of conjunctions. A43a: An update should come with the class changes.
--------------------------

Q44: @jordan_rose72 is content meant to be this easy or is it a bug?

A44: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
Content is not 'this easy' for everyone. The goal of most landscape content is to let everyone play and enjoy it. Instanced content is intended to be more difficult.
------

Q45: @angelohouston Is it fair to say that you guys are now firmly committed to this "tree" revamp? #Lotro #Devchat

A45: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
Yes.
------

Q46: @pieeatingchamp will you be making tweaks to fate/power use because since U10 my warden barely uses any power fighting 10+ mobs #LOTRO #DEVCHAT

A46: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
10.1 will bring adjustments to fate and power to bring the stat down to a more managable level. Fate's contribution will be reduced. Skill costs will also be reduced. All classes underwent a round of balance.
-------------

Q47: @MMOHippieChick RE: A 39. This sounds suspiciously like forced grouping. Me no likey.

A47: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
Each class on its own should be good enough at what you choose to do. You will have to approach challenges based on your build's strengths. This is specifically NOT intended to force grouping.

[Fredelas]

I think it would be equally interesting to see a list of questions that weren't answered, either due to silliness, lack of time, or just not having the right developer around to answer them this time around.

[cossieuk]

Just seen the chat on Twitter, what happened with question 13 and 17, they are the exact same question from the same person.

[Sapience]

I think it would be equally interesting to see a list of questions that weren't answered, either due to silliness, lack of time, or just not having the right developer around to answer them this time around.

It would be a complete waste of time especially since they're all public. Feel free to go look.

[Fredelas]

It would be a complete waste of time especially since they're all public. Feel free to go look.

Thanks for the tip! It's much easier than trying to copy and paste a big list. I just had to click on the "All" link at the top of the Twitter search and they all came out in order.

https://twitter.com/search/realtime?...VCHAT&src=typd

[MrWarg]

Q32: MrWarg - Can we have more details about the class revamp please, specifically the implementation of skill trees?

#LOTRO


A32: MZ - Three trees per class. Some degree of blending at a higher cost than sticking with a pure build. #LOTRO


A32a:Bonuses granted based on an early-level specialization choice that grows as points are spent. #LOTRO


A32b: You can have multiple specs. You can respec

From the answer given it sounds as if the new kill trees will allow for the saving of spec builds a la the mounted combat system. Would this assumption be correct?


Also, when it is said that there will be some degree of blending, I presume this means that the degree of blending will be limited by the number of points available to spend? Tying in with that would it be correct to assume that each skill tree's abilities, etc come fairly early on in the skill tree with additional points being spent on that branch enhancing those early abilities rather than a steady stream of new abilities?

[Sapience]

Just seen the chat on Twitter, what happened with question 13 and 17, they are the exact same question from the same person.

With two DIFFERENT answers.

It should have been one question with two answers instead of posting twice with two different replies. Guess we're not perfect.

[furtim]

One nitpick/follow-up:

Q29: Nyrion – Any plans to change the virtue system? Slayer deeds in particular?

A29: Matt "Hoarsedev" Zimmitti
We’re considering changes to slayer deeds to get them to fit in with future class changed.They may no longer be directly tied to specific skills, but rather, give you progression you can choose.

The question was about Slayer Deeds that give Virtues, while the answer was about Skill Deeds that give Class Traits. Slightly different things.

I believe Nyrion wanted to know about all the "kill 3000 boars in Evendim for +1 Enthusiam" deeds in the game. Most of them are pretty ludicrous now that leveling goes so much faster than it used to, especially around mid-game.

[Nyrion]

One nitpick/follow-up:



The question was about Slayer Deeds that give Virtues, while the answer was about Skill Deeds that give Class Traits. Slightly different things.

I believe Nyrion wanted to know about all the "kill 3000 boars in Evendim for +1 Enthusiam" deeds in the game. Most of them are pretty ludicrous now that leveling goes so much faster than it used to, especially around mid-game.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Frankly Class deeds have similar issues, albeit to a lesser extent. Slayer deeds should at the very least be brought down to Dunland/GR/Rohan levels, if not lower.

[Cavar]

I didn't even notice one of my questions was answered in the Dev Chat. Woo!

A few follow up questions:

1. Can you make warsteeds remember the last discipline (ie: riddermark) I used instead of always defaulting to red dawn?

2. Please make legacy scrolls of the same type taken from a decon'd LI stackable. they waste too much bank space.

3. Can you make ALT+F filter out the items instead of graying them out? Or at least gray out the name instead of just the icon. It would make it a little easier to find what I'm looking for.

[D3str0yer]

Q38: @Honvik Any idea if you will bring in a PvP tournament system I.e 12v12 or smaller PvP warzone #devchat#lotro

A38: Derek Flippo
We have no plans to add additional PvMP content


Wow... This was one of the most disapointing statement I've read from a blue name in quite some time...

Please recognize the pvp community of this lovely game, this will both increase your $$ and players will be happy. I Just fail to se how thats bad. Me among with many other would love to have cross-server pvp "warzones".

[Nasami]

Q3: Cris - May we expect a more realistic series of emotes or an update of those that we already have?

A3: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
I would love to add a few new player emotes to the game. Which kinds of emotes do you have in mind?

/em readbook (or /em readscroll)
/em sleep
/em craft (you're not actually making anything, but it'd be neat for being able to do those in, say, the Way of the Smiths)
/em write (scribbling on a scroll or something)

----------------------

Q6: Elemiire - Any plans for a 'combine all' and / or 'refine all' option for the Relic Master? Carpal Tunnel isn't fun.

A6: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
This is a very good suggestion. I'll ask around and see if it is a viable option.

Oh please God, yes. Something similar for reputation would be wonderful as well.

--------------------------------

Q9: Nasami - Since Dale and Erebor now appear in instances, is there ANY chance of them at least being added as instanced missions, or even better - zones?

A9: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Currently we have no plans to make Erebor part of our open world. As for instanced missions, you'll have to consult Budgeford.

A9a: Lauren “Budgeford” Salk
Our content focus is actually on another part of Middle-earth at the moment. No plans for Dale or Erebor currently.

Bummer - hopefully it will be added to future plans.

-------------------------

Q26: Nasami - Cosmetic gear slots? My LM has found some gorgeous staves, only to lose how they look because she found better quality gear. Please?

A26: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Unfortunately due to tech limitations, this is not really an option

Also bummer.

---------------------

Q27: Nasami - Verizal: Is there a way to make war-steed riding 'smoother'? The regular mounts' gait looks so much more natural than the war-steed's gallop...

A27: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
This is another tech limitation that we are forced to deal with. Given their inclusion in combat, the war-steeds have a heavier set of restrictions that they must abide by in order to keep combat, itself, as flowing and functional as possible.

Three of my questions answered! But still bummer. Still, understandable.

Still hoping that we can get our reputation steeds reskinned over for warsteeds.

-------

Q35: Nendis_Nenar A Housing-Question: Will empty houses from inactive players be available to rent again?

A35: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Yes.

Thank God.

--------------

Q42: @PArriola Will we be able to have crafting in houses?

A42: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
Yes we will be adding crafting facilities to housing.

BOOYAH, BABY!

Looking forward to seeing what else you do to improve housing!

[t-town-colt]

U11 features solo end-game content and rewards.
------
I am ok with this in theory but honestly I think this is going to be a place for soloers to do content nowhere near as difficult as raiding and get similar rewards (if not the same). I really hope they find a way to make this fair (reward based on difficulty).

Also U11 is bringing no new instances. I would have liked to see some more instances, but I dont need them. Hopefully the new epic is entertaining

[Jaliki55]

Here's a question I would love to see answered:

@lotro Why did you have FA drops enabled, only to disable them in yesterday's patch? #LOTRO #Devchat

[Cavar]

One nitpick/follow-up:



The question was about Slayer Deeds that give Virtues, while the answer was about Skill Deeds that give Class Traits. Slightly different things.

I believe Nyrion wanted to know about all the "kill 3000 boars in Evendim for +1 Enthusiam" deeds in the game. Most of them are pretty ludicrous now that leveling goes so much faster than it used to, especially around mid-game.

Yeah, some slayer deeds should be adjusted. Killing 360 total worms/crawlers in the Trollshaws takes FOREVER because they are so spread out. I went through two 1 hour slayer tomes to complete those two deeds alone. Thank goodness I got them from a lootbox or lottery.

240 should be the max total kills we need for any slayer deed.

[Jaliki55]

Yeah, some slayer deeds should be adjusted. Killing 360 total worms/crawlers in the Trollshaws takes FOREVER because they are so spread out. I went through two 1 hour slayer tomes to complete those two deeds alone. Thank goodness I got them from a lootbox or lottery.

240 should be the max total kills we need for any slayer deed.

I think they keep it high so they're not giving away so much free TP. Its a cheap business trick that ruins the fun and value of attaining these deeds.

[Fredelas]

I'm particularly fond of our current "buffet" method of selecting class traits. It has me a little worried that the design and development teams are set on implementing class traits as trees, presumably similar to how mounted combat traits are currently chosen.

To me, this doesn't offer interesting decisions. Instead, I just make whatever choices are necessary to get to the delicious pie at the bottom of the tree. The only real decisions are what to do with the points left over.

I would vastly prefer a system where players could choose options based on a course of selections. For example, choose one drink, one appetizer, one salad, one main course, and one dessert (where there are three of each to choose from). If more complexity were desired, some of these choices could have synergistic effects with each other; for example, a particular wine might be better suited to one choice of main course.

[Yaksha42]

Not a single question/answer about the rate of first age drops in T1 raids, or the recent change to move them to T2.

[Cavar]

Q6: Elemiire - Any plans for a 'combine all' and / or 'refine all' option for the Relic Master? Carpal Tunnel isn't fun.

A6: Matt “Scarycrow” Fahey
This is a very good suggestion. I'll ask around and see if it is a viable option.

God, this will be awesome.

Though it will just mean I'll see my gold disappear quicker. I spent over 70 gold on combines this past weekend. I'd really like to see a price drop on this because 70 gold is just silly.

[Sandgorgan]

Q19: Avengingbananaslug - Are there any plans to rework the legendary item system?

A19: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
At this time, no, there are no plans to rework LI.

Wow, it's like the suggestions forum has been on ./ignore since moria

[Yulin-Gladden]

-------------------------
Originally Posted by Sapience
Q26: Nasami - Cosmetic gear slots? My LM has found some gorgeous staves, only to lose how they look because she found better quality gear. Please?

A26: Evan "Verizal" Graziano
Unfortunately due to tech limitations, this is not really an option
Also bummer.
------------------------

I'll say it although I know I'm probably wishing on a star....

.....but I'd pay TP to have some of the very slick looking weapons in earlier stages of the game available at the same stats as some of the end game gear. There was a sword I found in Mirk that had the look of the one Arwen used in the movie, looks 10 times better than the swords in Rohan for my elf.

ah well....

[Thodorin]

Q22:Thodorin – Do you plan to improve localization and fix some of the translations errors?

...
A22a: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
Our translation team is working on improving translations with every update and patch. There are also players who routinely submit suggested translations to the team.

Thanks for this information. Does this mean that cooperation with the group of players from the Rohan-beta was continued in the background? How can someone report bigger problems to these players? Is there a collective topic where you can post problems, which will then forwarded?

[Sapience]

Q22:Thodorin – Do you plan to improve localization and fix some of the translations errors?

...
A22a: Rick “Sapience” Heaton
Our translation team is working on improving translations with every update and patch. There are also players who routinely submit suggested translations to the team.

Thanks for this information. Does this mean that cooperation with the group of players from the Rohan-beta was continued in the background? How can someone report bigger problems to these players? Is there a collective topic where you can post problems, which will then forwarded?

I don't know about a public thread, but the short answer to your question is yes.

[Sapience]

Here's a question I would love to see answered:

@lotro Why did you have FA drops enabled, only to disable them in yesterday's patch? #LOTRO #Devchat

It was a bug. Nothing more. Nothing less. Sorry, but it really is just that simple.

[tanlis]

Sapience,

Are we going to see any updates to the Mac client? It's pretty solid, but there are still some bad behaviors such as downloading all of the loading screening for each language when nothing has changed. The password input box not being defaultly selected are the ones off the top of my head and many more called out in the Mac forum.