Twenty Questions with the LOTRO Dev Team

[marlwyn]

Well Q18 opened my eyes O.O

[morrowbreeze]

What has been sort of bothering me and possibly others here is lack of advertising in general for this franchise. Other than the f2p frenzy, there has been no national advertising. (At least as far as I can tell).

LOTRO is an awesome game and is a perfect fit for many,many players. One would think there are more out there that advertising would benefit from. The Hobbit movie even had a MMO advert but it was not LOTRO! Whats the deal?

[Supercoolcat]

I was really expecting something on this topic seeing as a decent amount of players routinely experience either crashes or freezes not related to possible problems on their end or the loss of group chat that sometimes occurs directly in the middle of raiding or group gameplay. Players seem to have been sent to a group of unhelpful tech support people and then on to a list of unrelated help-forum pages.

[Legonist]

We had to stop somewhere. Ten was originally the cut off, then we doubled it. This isn't' a one-off by the way. This may not be a weekly feature, but we'll try to do them frequently enough that we keep a steady stream of information coming out.

The whole concept behind this was the "I always wondered" type of questions we see a lot of that no one has every really answered, or never answered with an in depth "here's how we make the sausage" answer. obviously there are limits to how much of that kind of thing we can answer, but we'll try to do so more often where we can.

What we didn't include, intentionally, are quesitons we've answered so many times that a quick search of the forums would turn up many responses. Things like lag questions (many, many, many answers), Paid services (there's a sticky in the account support forums), Helms Deep (we've said we have a schedule and will release info accordingly), and other similar questions.

Well you seemed to have avoided class questions and the main reason why i left was the outright neglecting of some classes, namely my main class the hunter. For a year there was literally nothing said, done or mentioned about the hunter class and 3 months ago when the new hunter dev came he said post your ideas here and now he is gone again. Detailed answers about classes which haven't had any positive change since SOM and are ignored in fellowships fairly often. Someone could have made a post in each class forums every week or even once every month or every few months for goodness sake just to show you care at all but you didn't and that's what hurts.

[Nickysmom]

Thanks to everyone who had a part in putting the 20 Questions and Answers together. I hope we can look forward to more of this kind of thing. Question 18 was particularly illuminating to me.

[Yula_the_Mighty]

...well, it's your game, but most of the players I know are against it and don't like those players.

This is a "who you play with situation." Most of the people I know are in favor (or are neutal) of multiboxing. Some of them multibox. I can't think of anyone that I know that is opposed to multi-boxing does not like people that multi-box.

I remember the big discussion about Forced Emotes. Turbine put in a "Disable Forced Emote" option. I am happily using my Forced Emotes after the option was added. It turned out to be a tiny Pfft. I finally ran into one character in Bree that had the disable on. Based on my own testing the usage can't be over 1% of the characters on Meneldor.

[LethalLethality]

This is a "who you play with situation." Most of the people I know are in favor (or are neutal) of multiboxing. Some of them multibox. I can't think of anyone that I know that is opposed to multi-boxing does not like people that multi-box.

I remember the big discussion about Forced Emotes. Turbine put in a "Disable Forced Emote" option. I am happily using my Forced Emotes after the option was added. It turned out to be a tiny Pfft. I finally ran into one character in Bree that had the disable on. Based on my own testing the usage can't be over 1% of the characters on Meneldor.

I disabled forced emotes during the spring festival, because people were activating one that causes everyone else to fall over for a couple of seconds which was annoying as hell when trying to get the giant shrew.

[karakedi]

I'd like to thank the LotRO team for undertaking this initiative. It's informative and, I think, helpful in quashing rumors. I look forward to more of these Q&A posts, and as frequently as possible.

[bohbashum]

that already exists.
if you have a rating of 0 you reward the player who kills you with 0 base-glory.*
if you have a rating of 2000 you reward the player who kills you with 200 base-glory.*

*) approximately, total glory depending on buffs and other factors.

nope, the numbers just arn't that simple. it takes way too many deaths to get to 0 rating. you can go from 2.000 to 1.000 is one death, but to reach 0 you need an extreme about of deaths. which is absurd considering your rating also multiplys it and other sources too.

like I said I wanted them to update it to make it clearer and much more punishing quicker at about 10 deaths. completely remove the factor where your rating manipulates how much drops. rating is only about the amount that drops from your.

and ofc, this is by no means a solution or an answer because clearly you could still cheat. but I suspect turbine will be running in circles trying to define a rank farmer with a clear line. I don't think they'll get to the finish line too as even WoW still has to take "cheating" where they still judge on individual circumstance.

this is an alternative to make it harder to cheat. not a solution to stop cheating. other alternatives could be the design of the moors reward system is flawed. are super high ranks really a good gate to obtain BiS PvP and PvE items?

no matter what alternative solution it won't fix the probably, but a 2 way approach to making it harder and punishing those CLEARLY doing it is better. (when you make it harder to do, it's easier to spot...)

Rating 2.0
here is how I believe it should be working. don't mind my derpy maths, I was just trying to keep it very readable. if you do think there is a flaw, please tell me.

Formula
this is how I believe it *should* be worked out.
( (rank + 10) x ((multiplier) +1) x contribution ) Rating = glory
______10________100

- Rank

rank can range from 0-15.
rank information is gatherd from the dying playing only.

the first section works out between a minimum of 1, maximum of 2.5

- Multiplier

this is the multiplier earned from taking keeps and DoF bosses.
multiplier information is gatherd from the killing player only.
this can range from 0-200, assuming each keep is 20% and DoF are two 30% and one 40%
the second section works out between a minimim of 1, maximum of 3

- Contribution

this is dependent on how many people have tags that target before it died (or healed those that tagged)
this can range between 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.1 (there has to be a limit, I just chose 0.1)

- Rating

this is an up to date kill-to-death ratio that depends on your last 10 deaths to last 100 kills (not kb's)
rating information is gathered from the dying player only.

each kill is worth +0.01, each death is worth -0.1
rating has a maximum of 2, and minimum of 0.
this is the final multiplier so everything depends on that.

- glory
this is infarmy or renown earned from the kill.
the maximum multiplier is 15, the minimum multiplier is 0

if you run over some examples, and assume a player drops 10 glory normally. you come out with some fair numbers imo. a *normal* spar will still give <100. in a *normal* circumstance where everything is the middle ground. you'd still come out with 17.5glory per kill which seems very fair. the biggest factor to think about is it only takes a maximum of 20 deaths for you to no longer drop any glory at all, at which a newly made char is only 10 deaths

imo there are a lot of number issues that could be changed (multipler too high and natural drop too low) but I just kept it close to the same multipliers already in-game so you can see how simple it should be.

put all this in place, then add in a slower delete process (takes a day to delete a toon) and thats just stopped huge chunk right there. you'd need to constantly make mulipler accounts to cheat, at which point it would be so much easier to just leech off other players. no need to ban anyone, no need for GM's to waste time, let the community manage it's self again.

[Frisco]

Thank you for addressing this, it seems like everyone is saying we won't get an instance cluster because the HD announcement did not include "instance cluster or raid" in it, when, as far as I can tell, every expansion pack in the history of LOTRO has never included "instance cluster or raid" in the actual announcement, and it was only after that when information was starting to be released that the clusters and raids were announced.

That question and response was talking about scaling old instances, not about new HD instances:

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

The question wasn't what was concerning, it was the answer:

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.

Granted, that can be taken a few ways if you stretch it, so I suppose it still falls under speculation. It's easy to see why people would take the answer to mean the most likely scenario, though. Only time will tell if all the noise that group players have made over the last couple years has put enough of a dent in the bottom line to make them reconsider the content timeline that has been followed for the last two expansions.

[OnlySaneMan]

Rank Farming, which doesn’t require mutli-boxing by the way, is another matter entirely. We’ve run several investigations to figure out how best to address it and so far haven’t been happy with the results. False positives, which could lead to potentially banning Top Tier PvMP players because they accumulate more renown/infamy than most rank farmers over the same period of time, are a major concern.

It’s a much more complicated matter than simply checking a database and banning those who rapidly accumulate infamy and renown. It’s a complex issue [...]

No, it isn't. In contrary, it is extremely easy: every time a player gets reported for rank cheating, go and check immediatly if the report is correct. If you see the player abusing a train of 15 orc reavers or 10 spider weavers, ban him or her pemanently. Case closed. You don't need a degree in quantum mechanics to spot these cases. They are entirely obvious and evident.

Rank cheating has permanently destroyed any meaning of playing in the Ettenmoors and the damage can never be undone at this point. The economic harm can be considered devastating, too: how many players have turned their back on PvMP permanently (because it is uttely pointless by now) that might have bought PVPM related stuff in the shop? New player willingly to spend money tend to avoid the Ettenmoors ATM entirely, too, because they get shunned, belittled and humiliated if they have a rank below 12+ by now. Their only resort for them is ... to cheat by Multiboxing to get a high rank. Full circle.

I don’t get it - the explanation to #20 is bizarre and otherworldly. Just ban the f***ers, if you spot one. You have eyes, do you?

[VeryBeary]

This "twenty questions" post was really informative and greatly appreciative. Just right in size.

Many thanks.

[commodore1]

I have to give you props, I love Mounted Combat 2.0. the refresh and class changes / riddermark line was an amazing accomplishment. I nary hear any complaint about classes being miss-matched on Mounted Combat now. congrats and thank you. looking forward to a bright future for war-steeds.

P.S. This post does not include my thoughts on close quarters forestry war-bands,

Not everyone feels the way you do. I think it is a horrible mechanic and I wonder if they feel like some of the players that it was a huge waste of dev time and lotro resources? Even with the changes I feel less like a guardian and more like a handicapped champ instead. I don't use it for anything other than getting somewhere faster than a stable ride. I still ride up to things and dismount because guardians are more tankish on foot. its still like driving a super tanker on ice!

[RockX]

Just a couple of points of curiosity...

Re: Q15 (other games played). Are any of the Minecraft players doing so on Raspberry Pis?

And while we're at it...any particular reason none of Turbine's other games show up on the partial list of other games played?

While I can't answer the Minecraft question (as I don't really enjoy it), there are certainly Devs and team members who play other Turbine products on a regular basis. For example, I'm an avid player of both DDO and LOTRO, and have been since before I started working for the company.

Sapience just can't see my monitor from his desk

[Saromil]

Q9: Will there be a significant effort to balance PvMP this year?
A9: We are going to need to pivot on the Freep class changes coming later this year. It will be a significant amount of work and it will not be easy. - HoarseDev

Q10: Will there be enhancements for PvMP such as mail, bank, more skills etc.?
A10: Most likely not in the near term. - HoarseDev

So in other words, you guys still do not give a **** about PvMP. It is an ENTIRE MODE OF GAMEPLAY. If it's sooo hard to balance the skills out then have a team dedicated to taking these things into account. Many of the issues could be corrected very easily, but instead you would rather focus on giving out prizes to VIP players who log in freep-side.
Well, at least you're finally coming out and saying you aren't doing anything with PvMP in the near-future, gives me a great excuse to stop playing.

[Al.]

While I can't answer the Minecraft question (as I don't really enjoy it), there are certainly Devs and team members who play other Turbine products on a regular basis. For example, I'm an avid player of both DDO and LOTRO, and have been since before I started working for the company.

Sapience just can't see my monitor from his desk

Thanks for answering questions.

Any chance the LI system introduced with Moria gets a revamp soon?

Any chance to make Hobbit presents access less intrusive, its for the people that don't like them, I personally love them.

[Annariel]

This is a very good example of how someone multiboxing in the 'moors WILL have an unfair advantage over another (solo) player.

If people want to multibox in PvE areas, then fair enough, but PvMP is player vs player - not player vs player plus bots. It is competitive and having bots that heal the main character or do extra dps against the multiboxers target gives an unfair advantage - there can be absolutely NO way that multiboxing in the 'moors cannot give the player concerned some advantage over a player that doesn't use bots.

I don't do PvMP, but isn't it supposed to be 'player(s) vs player(s)'? That is, there's no rule against teaming up, is there? I can see how a single player is at a disadvantage with respect to a multi-boxing player, but I don't think it's more of a disadvantage than if it were a single player against a (well-organized) group of friends. I'm pretty sure a well-organized group of friends would be more efficient than a multi-boxer. So unless 'having friends' is an unfair advantage, I don't think multi-boxing should be thought of as such.

[edjepredje]

I don't do PvMP, but isn't it supposed to be 'player(s) vs player(s)'?

That's right Player vs. Player. So how can you, afther saying that, consider external-software driven ''multi-boxers'' to fit into that? If i see the same RK on my server (Gilrain) with his same cappy ''bots'' on follow healing/buffing him again, than fair Player vs. Player action is the last thing that comes in my mind.

but I don't think it's more of a disadvantage than if it were a single player against a (well-organized) group of friends. I'm pretty sure a well-organized group of friends would be more efficient than a multi-boxer. So unless 'having friends' is an unfair advantage, I don't think multi-boxing should be thought of as such.

What do you think happens if that one multi-boxer just happens to have a raid of 11 others with him ( not multi-boxers ). That's thats right, unfair advantage and you will find yourself needing SO much effort to take just him and his ''bots'' down, that the rest of the raid can just faceroll yours......

Please Sapience and/or Player Council, Rank-farming is just one way of ''doing bad things with the hammer''. This multi-boxing is also going way out of control, do something about it.

P.S. For people who might be more intrested in this issue or can't really see why there is so much discussion about it, here is the story of my server about multi-boxers:

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.p...p-from-Turbine.


~Edhun of Gilrain

[bohbashum]

Q17: When the devs play LOTRO themselves do they ever come across other players who unwittingly praise/criticise content they have worked on in front of them and if so how do they feel about that?
A17: ALL the time, especially immediately following an update when lots of people are playing new content all at the same time. And it feels like one might expect! Accidentally eavesdropping on praise of our work pretty much validates our existence as designers, and it’s a great feeling. Nothing feels better!

I'm an avid player of both DDO and LOTRO, and have been since before I started working for the company.

[Hurin]

Any chance the LI system introduced with Moria gets a revamp soon?

There were two phases of a grand LI system revamp announced.

They did indeed implement phase one (legacy swapping, etc). Then the game went F2P and they monetized all aspects of the LI system. Guess what then happened to phase 2. . .

--H

[deximus]

Multi-boxing. In pve sure, who cares, no one is hurt.

For PVP however, and I'll make this as simple as possible so that Sapience can easily understand... it's CHEATING!!! It ruins the game play for people that play the game "as intended".

Analogy: Sapience joins a softball league. Pays his entry fee. Practices and becomes fairly good at it. Then one day he's at bat. Suddenly there are ELEVEN balls coming at him from the pitchers mound. Come on Sapience... why did you strike out? I mean you don't want to unfairly stop the guy who paid 11 entry fees so that he could pitch 11 balls at once right? He paid to play too!!! Stop complaining Sapience, "while it may be unsportsmanlike to use multiple pitchers at once, it's not against the rules Sapience!"

Cut the &&&& guys, multi boxing in the moors IS CHEATING and it's &&&& that you allow it.

[Crell_1]

There were two phases of a grand LI system revamp announced.

They did indeed implement phase one (legacy swapping, etc). Then the game went F2P and they monetized all aspects of the LI system. Guess what then happened to phase 2. . .

--H

You realize legacy swapping came AFTER free to play right?

All that we can't do is turn a minor into a major, and pick our passives (for LIs that have passive stats).

[DarkCntry]

Multi-boxing. In pve sure, who cares, no one is hurt.

For PVP however, and I'll make this as simple as possible so that Sapience can easily understand... it's CHEATING!!! It ruins the game play for people that play the game "as intended".

Analogy: Sapience joins a softball league. Pays his entry fee. Practices and becomes fairly good at it. Then one day he's at bat. Suddenly there are ELEVEN balls coming at him from the pitchers mound. Come on Sapience... why did you strike out? I mean you don't want to unfairly stop the guy who paid 11 entry fees so that he could pitch 11 balls at once right? He paid to play too!!! Stop complaining Sapience, "while it may be unsportsmanlike to use multiple pitchers at once, it's not against the rules Sapience!"

Cut the &&&& guys, multi boxing in the moors IS CHEATING and it's &&&& that you allow it.

How is that analogy even close to what you're talking about? The analogy would be closer to if the pitcher threw the ball and there are 11 people there to hit it...however, even that doesn't immediately make it unfair. Besides all of that, the rules are plain in baseball, a team up-to-bat and a team in the field...funny thing though, at any given time there are 4 players max on the at-bat team ever on the field to the 9 in the field.

Multiboxing is honestly nothing different than running into a group of people all talking to each other on voice chat, capable of immediately coordinating and moving to a specific action. So tell me, why is it different when there's a team of BAs all communicating with each other doing the exact same thing, with the exact same amount of precision, as someone multiboxing? The only difference is that it's far more readily available for someone to multibox than there is to always have a coordinated team.

As a disclaimer, I don't multibox...

[Fortinobrand]

Fascinating! I especially enjoyed reading about the QA team.

I think it would make an interesting developer diary in the time between major updates if someone from the QA team could pick one specific bug and walk us through its discovery, investigation, resolution, testing, and deployment from start to finish.

Agree 100%. Let's start with Draigoch. The New Technology Game Changing center of a year of media hype...and of course fundamentally defective and "resolved" via the Wall of Silence tactic. Let's hear about that process.

[whheydt]

That's over 3 months. A "near future" like that is what I want my doctor to mean when it's my time to go.

Believe me, that's NOT what you want to hear from your doctor. I had one tell that if they'd didn't operate, my likely life-span was another six months. The operation was 13 years ago.