Ask The LOTRO Team – Answers to your questions – February 6, 2014

[Widmore]

Q2: Which areas are being revamped for update 13?
A: [Budgeford] - We're hitting the North Downs, Trollshaws, and Misty Mountains with Update 13.

[vr00mie]

I've been hoping for a way to add maybe one extra vocation to your character after reaching a certain goal of some sort.

Expect the "goal" to be XXX Mithril Coins

[LethalLethality]

Expect the "goal" to be XXX Mithril Coins

If it is, it is, and I won't buy it. But unlike most people, I'm not an eternal pessimist looking for the worst in answers, so until they give more information, I'll hope it's something attainable.

[vr00mie]

I'll hope it's something attainable.

I've always been a hope for the best, expect the worst kinda guy, and unfortunately, Lotro has given me my expectations, and not my hopes the last couple of years...

[mphunk]

Just a silly question?

If the Moors are not getting a new map or any attention (other than some troll catapult idea)-that would mean the area is not being currently developed?

So why even have a "Ettenmoors Developer"?


PVP! PvP! Map Developer Man. Make me a map as fast as you can. Scrounnnnnnge it up, make it look like Bree! Then put in the the store for Daarlin and me. $19.99 USD.

[DelgonTheWise]

If it is, it is, and I won't buy it. But unlike most people, I'm not an eternal pessimist looking for the worst in answers, so until they give more information, I'll hope it's something attainable.

This is an "extra". To not expect "extras" to have a cost in TPs or mithril coins seems naive to me. I'd not be at all outraged if this extra cost one of those two currencies. If the price is right, I'd pay it too, as there is a big advantage for rep gated recipes etc as I'm no longer willing to keep alts at "end game"...

[LethalLethality]

This is an "extra". To not expect "extras" to have a cost in TPs or mithril coins seems naive to me. I'd not be at all outraged if this extra cost one of those two currencies. If the price is right, I'd pay it too, as there is a big advantage for rep gated recipes etc as I'm no longer willing to keep alts at "end game"...

I'll pay TP, maybe, depending on cost. But I won't use MC, plain and simple, no matter the cost.

[Tarmas_Eldar]

After everything we have seen and heard for at least the last year, anyone still harbouring genuine hopes of new traditional instances, large new areas or any significant changes to Ettenmoors is frankly deluded.

This game is being run on a skeleton budget by a skeleton staff while Turbine focuses its efforts on Infinite Crisis. There's only so much money to go around and old games get the leftovers not the choice cuts.

The devs we have are doing their best in an impossible situation. There aren't enough developers, designers, testers or support staff. The hardware has zero additional tolerance (and frequently exceeds it in Ettenmoors).

This isn't to say that the producers of LOTRO escape all criticism. They may have been given crumbs to turn into a meal, but they then proceeded to blow what little they had on wholly unneeded additional tech (Big Battles) when skirmishes/traditional instance mechanics would perfectly well have done the job, plus a dramatic revamp of the classes which no-one was asking for and which will most likely not be fully worked through for years.

The LOTRO of 2007-2010 (pre-WB) is gone and not coming back. Players have simply to decide whather what we have is worth their time and money or not. I suspect that the answer to that depends largely on how attached to Middle Earth you are. If you're not a Tolkien junkie, well 4/4/14 awaits you. If (like me) you are then you'll most likely stick around, making the most of the occasional bone the accountants and producers allow our dedicated devs to throw us.

[EmyrSelyf]

Now while I'm not really a PvMP player this sounds like another idea that nobody ever asked for. What people want is balancing (beyond stats), performance and (at least some) better accessibility for non-veterans. Adding a completely new feature to a unstable and unbalanced system like Moors sounds like (yet another) recipe for disaster.

If you want to know what else they are working on for the Moors, then ask a question. (and be specific.) Certainly don't assume that the answer to different question, than the one asked, is no. In this case, especially, when the theme of the year seems to be making existing things work better.

They are no doubt working on things that the questions didn't manage to hit on. If any of this brings out new players to the Moors ( e.g. "Ettenmoors Pass") or old players more often, then it will be more likely to get more attention in the future.

As far as the catapults go, maybe that will be a way for those unfamiliar with the Moors but familiar with BB to get their toes in. (I'd love to see a troll smash a catapult to small splinters and send those smelly hobbits flying.)

[LethalLethality]

If you want to know what else they are working on for the Moors, then ask a question. (and be specific.)

Indeed. Sapience even stated not long ago that people need to be direct with their questions, and not ask vague questions in hopes of getting answers to everything. If you want an answer to something specific, ask a specific question.

https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...86#post7085786

Originally Posted by Tirian-Hammerfist

My question regarding Moors revamp/rebalancing - 'no, reference to come' was your answer, yet Jinjaah has mentioned that a rebalancing will be taking place at some point, and my question was attempting to find out when it was, and what would be included. So, your response is wrong.

This is actually a great example of how people ask a highly specific question and we reply to that question and then people suddenly change the question or make it broad instead of specific. It is also why I flatly stated in the 20 questions thread that NO compound questions should be asked. You want a specific, direct, answer you should ask a specific direct question. Compound questions, or questions you ask with high specificity that you then later revise to be broad and claim the answer no longer applies (true because you're asking a different question) aren't really valid comparisons.

The question was EXTENSIVE Revamp or balance. To which the answer is no. there will be no EXTENSIVE revamp. Balance as Jinjaah (and frankly I and others have been saying since we announced class changes back in January of 2013) is something we constantly look at and PvMP balance was something we'd look at once class changes were done and sorted. So you have been given, multiple times, highly specific answers to this. Which, in the context of what was said above in terms of answers are pretty much what we've said. Not verbatim, but when paraphrasing you aren't going to quote verbatim.

I think some have made a new game of splitting hairs and trying to spin things to match what they want to hear or make the answer given seem less vague by changing the scope of the question after the fact. Any number of topics of late are clear attempts of this. I think it's long past time that practice end.

[bcowan]

If you want to know what else they are working on for the Moors, then ask a question. (and be specific.) Certainly don't assume that the answer to different question, than the one asked, is no. In this case, especially, when the theme of the year seems to be making existing things work better.

They are no doubt working on things that the questions didn't manage to hit on. If any of this brings out new players to the Moors ( e.g. "Ettenmoors Pass") or old players more often, then it will be more likely to get more attention in the future.

As far as the catapults go, maybe that will be a way for those unfamiliar with the Moors but familiar with BB to get their toes in. (I'd love to see a troll smash a catapult to small splinters and send those smelly hobbits flying.)

It looks like to me (on the surface) that an Ettenmoors Pass for premium players that cost TP would be a a great way to "re-populate" the Moors for some of the smaller servers and be a great way for people that have never been out there to "get their feet wet" and try PvMP out. Some will like it and become VIP to get permanent access OR some will continue to be Premium and pay TP to visit as they wish. It would be a win either way for Turbine from a business model/revenue generator perspective. HOWEVER, I could see some people, who are not Lifetime and have basically unlimited TP, to drop their VIP and just spend their accumulated TP to go to the Moors whenever they want to, thus causing Turbine to lose money. I am sure all of these things are being considered from a financial point of view. To me the best idea would be to "gate rank" in the moors for Premium players behind TP purchases. Let's say you are a new player to the moors and you have accumulated enough Renown to hit Rank 1, you must now spend TP to unlock it, like a Premium crafter does. When you hit Rank 2, you must spend TP again to unlock that rank, and so on. The benefit to VIP is not having to unlock rank. The first 6 ranks in the moors are fairly easy to obtain and would cause people to spend/buy TP to rank up once their renown is at the right level. PLUS having more people "out there" will allow ranking to occur faster = more money to Turbine.

Someone tell me what is wrong with this idea?

[GSO86]

Thank you for answering so many questions

A new raid is not planned for 2014:
If this means no new instances at all including 3man 6man instances then I'm very disappointed. How will lotro compete with all Of the other titles coming out this year with fresh content and such? PVEers will lose interest.

No new pvmp map is planned:
Another year without a new map... You know what fine. I'm ok with putting a new map on the back burner as long as the current pvmp probs get fixed or improved. Any word on improving grams to have everything that gv has? (Mailbox vault etc) . Ps. Scrap the catapult idea... It's unwanted and not what the players think is a priority.

Revamping north downs, trollshaws, and misties:
I may have to purchase and level another alt to experience these changes.

Dwarf warden:
Dooo etttt!

No mention of new creep class/race:
I thought I saw several people ask about a possible new race or class in the moors. Something along the lines of a special surprise in store for monster players. I would have really liked this question to have been answered.

[nogrod]

Q4: Have you found a way for Kin members to contribute Mithril Coins so that the leader can purchase additional storage?
A: [HoarseDev] – It’s on the table. We’re looking at a lot of ways that Kinships can work together.

I'd settle for a fix to the issues created when they changed housing storage. My kinhall, lost all of its storage and every item in its chests and we're STILL waiting to get that resolved.

[DelgonTheWise]

I'll pay TP, maybe, depending on cost. But I won't use MC, plain and simple, no matter the cost.

Why? You can buy MC with TP in the store, what is the difference?!?

[LethalLethality]

Why? You can buy MC with TP in the store, what is the difference?!?

Because MC is like Bioware Points which serves to make you spend more than you normally would by further distancing itself from real world currency.

As is, you purchase TP, then use that TP to purchase MC, to then purchase what you want. You get no transaction history with MC, you get no dollar amount per MC, and it's an overall unsafe feeling currency that can't be tracked.

[Valkrist]

Agreed. It would be nice to move on. I know people are disappointed, and I myself am dismayed, but there's nothing to be done. Can we please just change the narrative, because months of downer negativity have been more than enough. Let's just move forward with what we have, and if some people need to take a break to go find other ways to satisfy their gaming needs, LotRO will still be here if/when they return.

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this. The way I see it, there are two possibilities:

#1: Turbine cannot produce traditional endgame content. This would obviously be due to things already mentioned in this thread, namely budgetary restrictions and lack of staffing. If this is the case, a simple and direct notice of this would cause all the uproar and 'negativity' to end. Well, perhaps be redirected, in any case But those who are still hoping for such things would no longer feel the need to do so.

#2: Turbine is choosing not to produce traditional endgame content. This could be for any number of reasons, but most likely would be because they believe there are better profits to be made focusing on other content.

I think most everyone, even those on the Turbine staff, would agree in candid moments that what is coming on the horizon is not going to bring in enough new income to turn #1 around. certainly not as far as endgame content is concerned and creating enough of a revenue stream to begin creating it again. Thus, a simple post saying that no new instances/raids/traditional end game content are in the future, even the 'foreseeable' future, would help crystallize the direction things are going in the minds of many, and help them make their decision whether to remain or leave. Obviously, there are many good reasons for Turbine not to do that, and I would not expect one to be forthcoming any time soon.

If, instead, #2 is the reason, I think those of us who want to see that sort of content have an outright responsibility to voice that desire here, as often as we can (within reason).

It has been stated, many times, that Turbine uses surveys, usage patterns and the forums to determine the type of things they should be working on with regard to their customers' desires. The Trait Tree changes were said to be brought about due to these very things, though I do not recall seeing many, if any, threads asking for them, and I may have missed them as I only visited the forums very rarely before the sweeping changes that have been made recently.

In any case, absent an 'Official Feedback' thread about this subject [which would really be nice! ], or a player-wide survey, this forum is our best, and only way really, to make clear how widespread the demand for content of this type is, wouldn't you say? I simply know of no other way. Polls are not allowed, or allowed only as a 'negative' lightning rod. What other way is there to voice our opinion? The only other ways that I can think of are to either stop spending money on this, or to leave entirely, and neither of those is something anyone involved in this dilemma wants to see.

This is purely anecdotal, but I am seeing far more posts, from far more individual posters, who are wanting to see this type of content than those who posted about wanting the skill changes we have seen. If #2 is true, this is our best bet of showing that Turbine may have misinterpreted their data and misrepresented the number of those interested in it.

If #1, I think a simple post saying no more of this type of content is planned would take care of things. There would be a flurry of angry posts from people leaving, I am sure, but it would be over with quickly, with no more reason to dwell on the issue.

I love these lands, and I want to be here forever. I want there to be something for everyone here

[LethalLethality]

It has been stated, many times, that Turbine uses surveys, usage patterns and the forums to determine the type of things they should be working on with regard to their customers' desires. The Trait Tree changes were said to be brought about due to these very things, though I do not recall seeing many, if any, threads asking for them, and I may have missed them as I only visited the forums very rarely before the sweeping changes that have been made recently.

Correcting this.

The trait tress came about because Turbine felt they needed to be changed. We're not even halfway through the story, and we had so much skill bloat, skills that had very little variance, etc that there was little they could do when a new expansion came about. You either got one new skill that did the same thing as another skill you had before every expac, or you got nothing but a level cap increase.

It was just too bloated and cumbersome, and really impacted Turbine negatively when it came to future things to do.

[Sthrax]

Correcting this.

The trait tress came about because Turbine felt they needed to be changed. We're not even halfway through the story, and we had so much skill bloat, skills that had very little variance, etc that there was little they could do when a new expansion came about. You either got one new skill that did the same thing as another skill you had before every expac, or you got nothing but a level cap increase.

It was just too bloated and cumbersome, and really impacted Turbine negatively when it came to future things to do.

Yes, because getting trait point and adding it to a trait you already have to make it a smidge better than it was before is sooooo much better than old system Or maybe I'm failing to feel the excitement of putting a point into a stat boost that is so small it is irrelevant to the performance of my character. I've leveled a few lower level alts under the new system and it is just as dull and unexciting as people claim the old system was.

[Valkrist]

Correcting this.

The trait tress came about because Turbine felt they needed to be changed. We're not even halfway through the story, and we had so much skill bloat, skills that had very little variance, etc that there was little they could do when a new expansion came about. You either got one new skill that did the same thing as another skill you had before every expac, or you got nothing but a level cap increase.

It was just too bloated and cumbersome, and really impacted Turbine negatively when it came to future things to do.

Actually, I am pretty sure I remember Sapience saying that the forums had a part in this as well, not that what you are saying is not true as well.

As far as skill bloat, probably the worst mistake made in giving reason for the changes was listing 'skill bloat' as a cause, in my opinion. Something that is so clearly a matter of context and personal taste being used to justify the change was the worst thing that could have been done. It was a divisive reason that has polarized the community and still does to this day.

I did the new Helm's Deep content without choosing a specialization and using only 5 general skills, with no potions, food, or any equipment upgrades save from quest rewards. I could argue that all other skills are bloat because of that, but it would not be true.

I only use about 6 skills now, leaving ~14 as bloat. That is far more bloat than there used to be, in my opinion.

[LethalLethality]

Yes, because getting trait point and adding it to a trait you already have to make it a smidge better than it was before is sooooo much better than old system Or maybe I'm failing to feel the excitement of putting a point into a stat boost that is so small it is irrelevant to the performance of my character. I've leveled a few lower level alts under the new system and it is just as dull and unexciting as people claim the old system was.

I think it's fine myself. Took a couple weeks to get used to it, but I definitely understand why they did it, whether you like the change or not. Your opinion of how it plays out does not negate the reason for the change, which is making leveling in future content possible rather than just adding yet another skill, if you even get a skill,l that will go mostly unused to your hotbar.

[cdq1958]

Correcting this.

The trait tress came about because Turbine felt they needed to be changed. We're not even halfway through the story, and we had so much skill bloat, skills that had very little variance, etc that there was little they could do when a new expansion came about. You either got one new skill that did the same thing as another skill you had before every expac, or you got nothing but a level cap increase.

It was just too bloated and cumbersome, and really impacted Turbine negatively when it came to future things to do.

Adding to this. Players were so surveyed outside of the forums and the game. I was asked the questions and I gave what were to me to be reasonable answers. Think of this as a Nielsen survey. People have never been surveyed by Nielsen and thus may discount them; until they get picked for the surveys.

[LethalLethality]

Adding to this. Players were so surveyed outside of the forums and the game. I was asked the questions and I gave what were to me to be reasonable answers. Think of this as a Nielsen survey. People have never been surveyed by Nielsen and thus may discount them; until they get picked for the surveys.

Didn't realize there were surveys for it. Thanks for adding to it.

[Elflord410]

After everything we have seen and heard for at least the last year, anyone still harbouring genuine hopes of new traditional instances, large new areas or any significant changes to Ettenmoors is frankly deluded.

This game is being run on a skeleton budget by a skeleton staff while Turbine focuses its efforts on Infinite Crisis. There's only so much money to go around and old games get the leftovers not the choice cuts.

The devs we have are doing their best in an impossible situation. There aren't enough developers, designers, testers or support staff. The hardware has zero additional tolerance (and frequently exceeds it in Ettenmoors).

This isn't to say that the producers of LOTRO escape all criticism. They may have been given crumbs to turn into a meal, but they then proceeded to blow what little they had on wholly unneeded additional tech (Big Battles) when skirmishes/traditional instance mechanics would perfectly well have done the job, plus a dramatic revamp of the classes which no-one was asking for and which will most likely not be fully worked through for years.

The LOTRO of 2007-2010 (pre-WB) is gone and not coming back. Players have simply to decide whather what we have is worth their time and money or not. I suspect that the answer to that depends largely on how attached to Middle Earth you are. If you're not a Tolkien junkie, well 4/4/14 awaits you. If (like me) you are then you'll most likely stick around, making the most of the occasional bone the accountants and producers allow our dedicated devs to throw us.

Yep, pretty much this. ^^^^ The devs have been handed a bucket of cow-flop and told to make it look and smell nice for us and to somehow make us feel and believe that this is something we have always wanted and asked for. "by popular demand" , "at the suggestion of the Player Council" , and "by player request" are phrases that are being met with increasing skepticism.

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this. The way I see it, there are two possibilities:

#1: Turbine cannot produce traditional endgame content. This would obviously be due to things already mentioned in this thread, namely budgetary restrictions and lack of staffing. If this is the case, a simple and direct notice of this would cause all the uproar and 'negativity' to end. Well, perhaps be redirected, in any case But those who are still hoping for such things would no longer feel the need to do so.

#2: Turbine is choosing not to produce traditional endgame content. This could be for any number of reasons, but most likely would be because they believe there are better profits to be made focusing on other content.

I think most everyone, even those on the Turbine staff, would agree in candid moments that what is coming on the horizon is not going to bring in enough new income to turn #1 around. certainly not as far as endgame content is concerned and creating enough of a revenue stream to begin creating it again. Thus, a simple post saying that no new instances/raids/traditional end game content are in the future, even the 'foreseeable' future, would help crystallize the direction things are going in the minds of many, and help them make their decision whether to remain or leave. Obviously, there are many good reasons for Turbine not to do that, and I would not expect one to be forthcoming any time soon.

If, instead, #2 is the reason, I think those of us who want to see that sort of content have an outright responsibility to voice that desire here, as often as we can (within reason).

It has been stated, many times, that Turbine uses surveys, usage patterns and the forums to determine the type of things they should be working on with regard to their customers' desires. The Trait Tree changes were said to be brought about due to these very things, though I do not recall seeing many, if any, threads asking for them, and I may have missed them as I only visited the forums very rarely before the sweeping changes that have been made recently.

In any case, absent an 'Official Feedback' thread about this subject [which would really be nice! ], or a player-wide survey, this forum is our best, and only way really, to make clear how widespread the demand for content of this type is, wouldn't you say? I simply know of no other way. Polls are not allowed, or allowed only as a 'negative' lightning rod. What other way is there to voice our opinion? The only other ways that I can think of is to either stop spending money on this, or to leave entirely, and neither of those is something anyone involved in this dilemma wants to see.

This is purely anecdotal, but I am seeing far more posts, from far more individual posters, who are wanting to see this type of content than those who posted about wanting the skill changes we have seen. If #2 is true, this is our best bet of showing that Turbine may have misinterpreted their data and misrepresented the number of those interested in it.

If #1, I think a simple post saying no more of this type of content is planned would take care of things. There would be a flurry of angry posts from people leaving, I am sure, but it would be over with quickly, with no more reason to dwell on the issue.

I love these lands, and I want to be here forever. I want there to be something for everyone here

I love these lands as well, which is why it broke my heart a little canceling my two subs yesterday. I just can not justify to myself after reading the latest Q and A to continue throwing more money at WB/TB. One of the subs I have had, constant, since June of 2007. This is not a good-bye post, I'll still play as premium a little bit here and there, mostly with my kinship, as we are still doing 3,6, and 12 person content on a weekly basis. Not sure for how much longer though as many folks are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the direction the game has gone.

[DelgonTheWise]

Because MC is like Bioware Points which serves to make you spend more than you normally would by further distancing itself from real world currency.

As is, you purchase TP, then use that TP to purchase MC, to then purchase what you want. You get no transaction history with MC, you get no dollar amount per MC, and it's an overall unsafe feeling currency that can't be tracked.

OK, reasonable enough. I just use my lifer TP, don't spend real money for them, so this distinction doesn't bother me. Other than buying an additional saved stat tree setup for mithril coins, I've spent none of them in game in any case. I do agree that MCs are more insidious in that they are easier to spend in an integrated way in the game.

[Jillymala]

Correcting this.

The trait tress came about because Turbine felt they needed to be changed. We're not even halfway through the story, and we had so much skill bloat, skills that had very little variance, etc that there was little they could do when a new expansion came about. You either got one new skill that did the same thing as another skill you had before every expac, or you got nothing but a level cap increase.

It was just too bloated and cumbersome, and really impacted Turbine negatively when it came to future things to do.

I respectfully disagree.
I never EVER said to myself..
"oh man I have absolutely TOO many skills! I can't handle this! I hope they take some of these cumbersome old skills away and give me brand new ones instead! Oh and I bet gating the ability to use skills I have now behind a point system that I have to buy the expac for and grand every questline over and over and over again for would be absolutely amazing! Please SIGN ME UP!"
I'm so glad they sold me a main class that could heal AND dps AND be useful in a group then took it away and said "nono.. here you go .. its better.. now you can heal OR dps.. its great! Trust us!"