Shadowfax please consider slight extension

[TheProvenence]

I understand perfectly it is a fast server considering other is 6 months content re release and current is 2 only it makes big difference i think it would be better to make 3 - 6 rather or maybe 2,months 3 weeks, its too fast and there are 5x less population i never seen more than 140 at very best usually is on average 80-90 , for quite a lot of time it can be in 60s and 70s on entries,filter.

not to mention how desolate is even 3 weeks extra may gives just a bit more time to push it, could you please extend shadowfax to mid july maybe or make it just a b it longer

again i know its fast server as it should i feel like other is too low and this one is too fast

[Thymir]

The sentiment within our kinship (A Turn of Events, the biggest kin on the server), is almost universally that Moria couldn't come fast enough. 2 months is spot on what we'd like!

[Harvain]

SSG has stated they'll be sticking to their schedules for the Legendary Servers. Plus these Servers remaining as fixed servers for the foreseeable future.

Anor for August 18th, pending anything.

Shadowfax is aimed for early September, pending anything.

Treebeard doesn't have a proper window yet as it will be either a 5 Month or 6 Month window. This would make Moria be Nov/Dec or Dec/Jan. We'll know more as we get into October/November for this.

[Frisco]

That's the thing about these new servers. The issue is that different level caps beg for different lengths of time. But instead of realizing this and adjusting intelligently, SSG just slapped two equally-flawed one-size-fits-all release schedules on two servers and called it a day.

Treebeard will sit too long at the boring caps, and Shadowfax will blow past interesting caps where there's more to do at endgame. I can't imagine making either server my permanent home and spending a lot of money on permanent character upgrades.

They should have left the release schedule similar to Anor with a few minor tweaks. Cut a month off SoA and Moria (until they get around to fixing and balancing content), and don't delay at all like they did when they left Anor at 85 and 95 for ~6 months due to COVID/Bombadil. Maybe cut 95 and 100 down to 3 months as well. Otherwise, timing there has been pretty on the spot. Not that there aren't a million things that need fixing from L1-115, but the release timing was the least of the issues on Anor, at least.

[Harvain]

That's the thing about these new servers. The issue is that different level caps beg for different lengths of time. But instead of realizing this and adjusting intelligently, SSG just slapped two equally-flawed one-size-fits-all release schedules on two servers and called it a day.

Treebeard will sit too long at the boring caps, and Shadowfax will blow past interesting caps where there's more to do at endgame. I can't imagine making either server my permanent home and spending a lot of money on permanent character upgrades.

They should have left the release schedule similar to Anor with a few minor tweaks. Cut a month off SoA and Moria (until they get around to fixing and balancing content), and don't delay at all like they did when they left Anor at 85 and 95 for ~6 months due to COVID/Bombadil. Maybe cut 95 and 100 down to 3 months as well. Otherwise, timing there has been pretty on the spot. Not that there aren't a million things that need fixing from L1-115, but the release timing was the least of the issues on Anor, at least.

Tbh, from what I've seen playing daily on Treebeard is that people like that there will be a while for said server to have content ungated. Now granted this is comments in July/August. There will also always be an element who want the newer stuff ASAP but these seem to be more in the minority atm.

In September/October/November, Treebeard might see lower numbers and more people commenting about when is the gated content coming.

Fixes are a whole other issue as the main focus is the Landscape Difficulty with Shadowfax and Treebeard. Shadowfax being the quicker way to get Data on this System while Treebeard is the long term Data gathering for this System with the overall goal of the Landscape Difficulty being added to all Live Servers. Fixes are in the eye of the beholder, not to say there aren't things that need fixed, improved, adjusted, etc but the overall goal is to keep Landscape in both a playable state for players to progress and the Landscape Difficulty to offer an individual Player the option of a bigger challenged for said Landscape.

A good example is there is 2 threads about Fix Champions for Level 50 especially and for said 2 Legendary Servers and then a thread about Skills that have not been "scaled for X amount of time" in LOTRO's history. These 2 things aren't going to happen as an update for these concerns some players are pointing out to SSG. We have the Legendary Item Revamp + Gundabad Expansion (with a Level Cap increase) which will be drastically changing how the game plays once the game has the first series of LI Revamp Update(s) and then the Gundabad Expansion is released with it's overall Update to the game as well.

LOTRO will need to be in Post-Gundabad before truly looking at the overall "State of the Game" for Classes, Levels, etc with the above mentioned changes and can then make appropriate adjustments where they deem such is needed. Post-Gundabad in this case really will be 2022 pending any form of key issues/problems with changes coming to the game that affect various parts of the game and must be hotfixed asap. Another key factor is that Shadowfax by the end of the year should receive at least 2 if not 3 gated content releases (more than likely just 2 with Early September being targeted for Moria and then what should be November for the next Gated Content Release pending anything) and then Treebeard will either get 0 or 1 gated content releases in 2021 pending if such occurs in Nov/Dec or Dec/Jan for the 5 to 6 month window for such. Players would be past Level 50 and Level 60 on Shadowfax and Treebeard possibly at Moria for a Level 60 cap in time for or during key changes to the game being added for the Legendary Item Revamp, Gundabad Expansion and Post-Gundabad Updates.

[Frisco]

In September/October/November, Treebeard might see lower numbers and more people commenting about when is the gated content coming.

There's no "might" about it. We've already seen this exact scenario play out on Anor. 3 months into SoA and the population plummeted. Most of those people who stuck out a full 4 months of L50 were gone 2 months into Moria. Anor went from 800-1000 peak population to 150-200 by the end of Moria. And, to its credit, stayed at that number pretty steadily until TB/SF launch. We'll see if it recovers for Mordor this week.

Anyway, TB is already half the population of Anor at this point in its life cycle, and I'm not sure the longer level caps are going to do it any favors. There's just not enough to do at L50 or 60 to justify 12 months. For some it will be fine, but there are plenty who are admittedly on TB only temporarily until the next update on their home server. And there are some who never went through this on Anor who maybe don't realize how little there is to do at these first couple caps. I hope it's not a ghost town in 6 weeks, for the sake of those who enjoy it. But I suspect it might be--or at least whittled down to the core people who are intent on making it their new home server or who are feeling that sunken cost.

[Harvain]

There's no "might" about it. We've already seen this exact scenario play out on Anor. 3 months into SoA and the population plummeted. Most of those people who stuck out a full 4 months of L50 were gone 2 months into Moria. Anor went from 800-1000 peak population to 150-200 by the end of Moria. And, to its credit, stayed at that number pretty steadily until TB/SF launch. We'll see if it recovers for Mordor this week.

Anyway, TB is already half the population of Anor at this point in its life cycle, and I'm not sure the longer level caps are going to do it any favors. There's just not enough to do at L50 or 60 to justify 12 months. For some it will be fine, but there are plenty who are admittedly on TB only temporarily until the next update on their home server. And there are some who never went through this on Anor who maybe don't realize how little there is to do at these first couple caps. I hope it's not a ghost town in 6 weeks, for the sake of those who enjoy it. But I suspect it might be--or at least whittled down to the core people who are intent on making it their new home server or who are feeling that sunken cost.

It is what it is. Newer things will always have more activity regardless of game.

Anor tbh was unique and also not what many thought it was even though SSG made such clear. Some wanted and still want a "Classic LOTRO" Server based on how the game played during it's original release. That's why Anor and the other Legendary Servers had and continue to get mixed feedback for those who tried them and those who haven't and never will.

Shadowfax is getting to Moria here in September, Early September pending anything. Treebeard will be at Moria in Nov/Dec or Dec/Jan. SSG won't for the foreseeable future change this as Shadowfax & Treebeard are two fold for what they are doing. 2 more Servers to play on and then ongoing Live Test Servers for the Landscape Difficulty to the game. Eventually one day said Landscape Difficulty will be added to all Servers.

SSG at least here in August have stated they are happy where the 3 Legendary Servers are and are doing and haven't shown any signs of changing their plans for them in what remains of 2021.