LOTRO Livestreams - Notes on what was said

[Beaniemooch]

This is the best news I've heard all week. Cheers!

P.S. Sapience, the minstrels are apparently having a southern-style garden party in the minstrel forum. I've brought you some nice sweet tea up from the party to show our regard for the effort "all y'all" are making on our behalf.

*Drops off the fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies* I'm looking forward to the upcoming notes.

[Decaran]

On the minstrel issue, I just spoke to Egg, she's in the process of checking in some Minstrel changes for update 14.1 and she'll be posting them once she's finished. Most likely today, maybe Monday.

*cheers*

Better start making something for the party in the minstrel forums! I'm not well-versed in Southern American cooking though

[SouthernBelle0927]

*Drops off the fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies* I'm looking forward to the upcoming notes.

*Adds sour cream potato salad, a platter of deviled eggs (in honor of Egg's efforts!), and freshly frosted hummingbird cake to the table*

Three cheers for Deviled_Egg!!!!

[Sapience]

Let's not spam the thread with food comments please. I don't really want to have to go and clean it all up.

[SouthernBelle0927]

Let's not spam the thread with food comments please. I don't really want to have to go and clean it all up.

Oops! Sorry about that. *looks chagrined*

You've got a bunch of excited minstrels on your hands. Does your note about Egg's changes mean that Bullroarer's going live again soon, or she's just giving us an advance look at what's coming when it does go live?

[Sapience]

Oops! Sorry about that. *looks chagrined*

You've got a bunch of excited minstrels on your hands. Does your note about Egg's changes mean that Bullroarer's going live again soon, or she's just giving us an advance look at what's coming when it does go live?

No there won't be a bullroarer build. As always the 0.x updates are mainly bug fixes and some tweaks here and there. She'll be posting to let you know what is coming.

[donxavier]

Not all that crazy about the Dead Marshes. Would rather Turbine invest their resources into a new starter area for the Beorning class. That seems a more logical addition than a small place, with an extremely limited number of quests, whose content will be devoured and forgotten about in a few days time. A new starter area, however, would give the Beornings a graceful transition into this already established world instead of clumsily dropping them into one of the old SOA areas like Bree. Even if the new area only took us as far as level 5 and THEN transitioned us across the Misty Mountains on some errand of need, it would still make more sense than a strange and labored side visit to the Dead Marshes that only seems to exist to keep us occupied until U15 comes out. Am I alone in this viewpoint? Would anyone else rather see Turbine mothball the Dead Marshes, for now, in favor of a new starter area? Personally, I wouldn't mind if that meant they had to delay the Beorning class until later next year.

[Warmutkan]

No there won't be a bullroarer build. As always the 0.x updates are mainly bug fixes and some tweaks here and there. She'll be posting to let you know what is coming.

For reference, that thread is here.

[frickinmuck]

Not all that crazy about the Dead Marshes. Would rather Turbine invest their resources into a new starter area for the Beorning class. That seems a more logical addition than a small place, with an extremely limited number of quests, whose content will be devoured and forgotten about in a few days time. A new starter area, however, would give the Beornings a graceful transition into this already established world instead of clumsily dropping them into one of the old SOA areas like Bree. Even if the new area only took us as far as level 3 and THEN transitioned us across the Misty Mountains on some errand of need, it would still make more sense than a strange and labored side visit to the Dead Marshes that only seems to exist to keep us occupied until U15 comes out. Am I alone in this viewpoint? Would anyone else rather see Turbine mothball the Dead Marshes, for now, in favor of a new starter area? Personally, I wouldn't mind if that meant they had to delay the Beorning class until later next year.

I think it's important we re-visit Frodo and Sam, and for my part - seeing the Dead Marshes... it's just one of those iconic locations that needs to be experienced or the game will feel like it's missing something, for me. I would prefer it if the Dead Marshes was actually an open landscape zone, but I'll take what I can get. I don't understand this as 'a way to keep us occupied,' I see this as a next phase in the story, which they chose to add between 14 and 15 because it fits there nicely. I have no doubt MoL will do an amazing job of it.

As for the Beorning, my understanding is that we will be getting an intro experience, similar to rescuing the hobbits before arriving at Archet. That's plenty enough for me. I'm less concerned with how my Beorning arrives, than with where I might go and what I might do with it once it's here. The starter experience is always forgotten for me by the time I reach level 10. I don't want to see too much time/resources invested on something that I will likely never return to again.

[SouthernBelle0927]

I think it's important we re-visit Frodo and Sam, and for my part - seeing the Dead Marshes... it's just one of those iconic locations that needs to be experienced or the game will feel like it's missing something, for me. I would prefer it if the Dead Marshes was actually an open landscape zone, but I'll take what I can get. I don't understand this as 'a way to keep us occupied,' I see this as a next phase in the story, which they chose to add between 14 and 15 because it fits there nicely. I have no doubt MoL will do an amazing job of it.

I agree. That was an important episode in the story, and we need to see how the ring and the journey are changing Frodo and affecting his relationship with Sam--and we need to see how Gollum/Sméagol's presence is contributing to those changes. I can't wait to see what MoL comes up with.

[cdq1958]

I agree. That was an important episode in the story, and we need to see how the ring and the journey are changing Frodo and affecting his relationship with Sam--and we need to see how Gollum/Sméagol's presence is contributing to those changes. I can't wait to see what MoL comes up with.

Speaking of that, if you're new to the game and have gotten into Lothlorien, go by Frodo and Sam on the Hill of Cerin Amroth. Note both the fly text and watch Frodo and Sam talk. Be sure to get close enough to Frodo ....

[Socialz]

Thanks for the transcript. It does miss some questions though (e.g. updating of relic system/item system,
so you could combine a number of relics at once or use a number of consumable items at once - such as
reputation or LI experience so you won't have to click a million times).

[frickinmuck]

Thanks for the transcript. It does miss some questions though (e.g. updating of relic system/item system,
so you could combine a number of relics at once or use a number of consumable items at once - such as
reputation or LI experience so you won't have to click a million times).

I assure you, every word is there. If you missed something it's probably because you skimmed.

[karakedi]

First off, huge thanks to Rowan and Sapience for a superb interaction with your players, and special appreciation to Frick for her comprehensive and accurate transcript. This kind of dialogue is an important contribution to the morale and health of our community, and it bodes well for a continuing cooperation between our passionate devs and our equally passionate community to shape our Middle-earth.


Everything in the stream was interesting and valuable, but I'd like to select three excerpts for comment:


Excerpt 1. Rowan – The big things that are changing, upcoming for U15 – first off, there will not be a second level cap raise. Which he thinks is huge. They’re going to take that energy and reinvest it in updating and – daresay – fixing the LI system.


Comment: This is indeed huge. Speaking for myself, I'm delighted to be off the treadmill for a while, have a chance to build up alts (after my main character is done), try out the new and revised systems that are in the works for U15 and U15. This of course includes the forthcoming new class.


Excerpt 2. You mentioned starting experience for Beornings – does that mean a whole new area for them to start in, or will there be storyline that takes them into one of the existing starter zones?
Rowan – This means one of the introductory instances that will give us a storyline and give us context as to where we are and why. MadeOfLions is heading this up. They’re hoping to introduce some new cultural dynamics and relevance for us as Beornings so we understand where we come from, but they’re not introducing those parts of the world as an open landscape or anything.


Comment: This is outstanding news for those of us who enjoy immersion whether to a greater or lesser degree. I've been hoping for context, cultural dynamics, information about relevance, and background since I first heard about the new class. Bravo!


Excerpt 3. Someone suggests that creep skinchangers should turn into werewolves
Rowan – He’ll take that back to the team.
Sapience – Tolkien mentioned werewolves. So there is maybe a possibility..
Rowan – Doesn’t know if they actually have access to that source material. If that’s in the Silmarillion, they probably don’t.


Comment: Though the primary material about werewolves is in the Silmarillion, there are at least two places where werewolves are mentioned in LotR in a way that suggests that they still existed in the Third Age. There is a good discussion of Tolkien werewolves here: http://forums.theonering.com/viewtopic.php?t=82914.


Note however that Tolkien's werewolves were not shape- or skin-changers, unlike the lycanthropes of European tradition.

[tanlis]

As always, thanks for all the effort frickinmuck.

As a software developer, I understand how hard it is to catch bugs and test stuff. Beyond making sure all changes get noted in release notes, what do you feel can be done to reduce the amount of bugs like broken quests from making it into production?

[Thurallor]

As a software developer, I understand how hard it is to catch bugs and test stuff. Beyond making sure all changes get noted in release notes, what do you feel can be done to reduce the amount of bugs like broken quests from making it into production?

You already know the answer: Reduce the scope of the new features/content and allocate more resources to testing. You'll have bored players, but at least you'll have a rock-solid, bug-free piece of software.

This is not a mission-critical system that will cost human lives if it fails. Most of the bugs that make it through are mere inconveniences. I think by and large this is a good compromise for greater quantities of fun content. (That's assuming they go back and fix the new bugs in subsequent updates. Some of the long-standing bugs that aren't fixed can be annoying.)

[Sapience]

First off, huge thanks to Rowan and Sapience for a superb interaction with your players, and special appreciation to Frick for her comprehensive and accurate transcript. This kind of dialogue is an important contribution to the morale and health of our community, and it bodes well for a continuing cooperation between our passionate devs and our equally passionate community to shape our Middle-earth.



Excerpt 2. You mentioned starting experience for Beornings – does that mean a whole new area for them to start in, or will there be storyline that takes them into one of the existing starter zones?
Rowan – This means one of the introductory instances that will give us a storyline and give us context as to where we are and why. MadeOfLions is heading this up. They’re hoping to introduce some new cultural dynamics and relevance for us as Beornings so we understand where we come from, but they’re not introducing those parts of the world as an open landscape or anything.


Comment: This is outstanding news for those of us who enjoy immersion whether to a greater or lesser degree. I've been hoping for context, cultural dynamics, information about relevance, and background since I first heard about the new class. Bravo!

I just want to clarify this a bit more and sort of redirect the thinking on it. We're talking about a new player tutorial section. The part you do before you end up in Archet if you play as a Man for example. Not a full on new area like Archet itself.

[anthonyx]

I just want to clarify this a bit more and sort of redirect the thinking on it. We're talking about a new player tutorial section. The part you do before you end up in Archet if you play as a Man for example. Not a full on new area like Archet itself.

That is still strange. How does a Beorning appear in Archet. I hope I can go bear mode in towns! This will mess with my RP mates

[Leixy]

That is still strange. How does a Beorning appear in Archet. I hope I can go bear mode in towns! This will mess with my RP mates

haha, unfortunately, this is definitely going to be the case of the level 1 SoA players winning an argument over the lore players.

I still think Turbine would have been better suited that during Character creation a Beorning player would choose to start as lvl 1, or as level 50 with beorning quests near the misty mountains/eregion.

That way the:
1. RP community would be happy with their beorning starting in a more racial appropriate area,
2. The end-gamers would be happy they can skip SoA,
3. and the SoA players would be happy they start in Archet with the other players at lvl 1.

[frickinmuck]

I still think Turbine would have been better suited that during Character creation a Beorning player would choose to start as lvl 1, or as level 50 with beorning quests near the misty mountains/eregion.

I thought it was a bit crazy to be doing a level 50 start when level 50 is already available via the Gift of the Valar. I am glad they're doing it from level 1. People will still have the option to level via the Gift of the Valar to 50 if they wish. If the bungle price is good, it's a viable option for those who prefer it.

[Jillymala]

Personally I'd rather see them give us the option to start it at lvl 50 for the same price.
Just give it to us as a naked class with only the skill points instead of with all the bells and whistles that Gift of the Valar has.
We'd still need to do all the deeds and class quests etc. Nothing would change, there would just be a level difference. I think people would be happy having that as an option option. I know I would

[Sapience]

I thought it was a bit crazy to be doing a level 50 start when level 50 is already available via the Gift of the Valar. I am glad they're doing it from level 1. People will still have the option to level via the Gift of the Valar to 50 if they wish. If the bungle price is good, it's a viable option for those who prefer it.

Personally I'd rather see them give us the option to start it at lvl 50 for the same price.
Just give it to us as a naked class with only the skill points instead of with all the bells and whistles that Gift of the Valar has.
We'd still need to do all the deeds and class quests etc. Nothing would change, there would just be a level difference. I think people would be happy having that as an option option. I know I would

The original concept was to have the class purchase include the Gift of the Valar. This of course would mean the cost of the GOTV would have been included in the price of the class. With the change, the class can now be less expensive and start at level 1 and we're exploring the option of a class + GOTV bundle which would have been what the original level 50 start would have been.

Best of both worlds.

[Madmanthief]

I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised to see a Beorning start in Archet, especially when in character selection you can choose a man/woman of Dale, or Rohan. Don't they come from Rhovanion ?

For all intents and purposes what would they be doing in Breeland ?

Maybe they start there because they were sent to find help from other lands, an emmisary of sorts but gets caught up in the troubles already there.

[Comstrike]

The only choice for a new hairstyle: Fros.

(Dwarves could have them for their beards. Hobbits their feet.)

[Warmutkan]

The original concept was to have the class purchase include the Gift of the Valar. This of course would mean the cost of the GOTV would have been included in the price of the class. With the change, the class can now be less expensive and start at level 1 and we're exploring the option of a class + GOTV bundle which would have been what the original level 50 start would have been.

Best of both worlds.

Thank you for sharing this when you didn't need to. It'll put some aggressive speculation to rest in some other threads about this (okay, it won't, but a guy can dream).

Nice to see the team consider as many play styles as they can reasonably manage.