The next Expansion "Before the Shadow"

[Aurora7]

4 Reasons for next expansion

5. River Hobbits

Because:

A New race & class combinations starting this fall
B New 1-30 area
C New starting zone
D Next housing area is NOT human and NOT dwarf. (As per Scenario in the recent Q&A) Only elves & hobbits remain.

Interesting times.

[Arnenna]

I agree that performance in the existing newer areas is not necessarily much better. But I think you missed my point.

My point was that on the surface doing a level 1-30 release didn't make a lot of sense. This is not the level range where more content is needed. Not so many current players will pay for this and not so many new players will pay for this either if they can do the perfectly good zones like The Shire, Breeland, Ered Luin, Lonelands, North Downs, etc for free. So why is SSG doing this - because they are idiots? No - they aren't idiots and they must have a reason that seems good to them. No guarantee it will work out but they *must* have a plausible reason. So I took some guesses.

1. Maybe they have a way of doing totally new zones in a way that produces a lot less lag given the same number of players. Something that they cannot do in the older zones by slapping bandages on places like Bree. I have no information that this is so - but I have no information that this is *not* so and it would be a very good explanation for the decision. To give new players a better performing gateway into the game. Would I love this - sure, it would give all of us hope for brand new high level areas in the future. Do I expect this .... well, maybe not but it is a possibility.

2. Very similar theory - maybe they have a way of making the new zones look a lot prettier. At least they think it is a better look than they can give to the existing lower level zones with bandages. So they think it will give a much more attractive gateway into LOTRO. As with guess 1 - it seems a much better *guess* as to why they are doing all new level 1-30 zones than "they are idiots".

3. Final theory - they took a look at what new MMO players, perhaps younger ones, seem to prefer in the set-up of quests, cities and mobs. They decided that the current 1-30 zones wouldn't really "grab* this population no matter how much they liked Lord of the Rings. So they redid everything in a way they felt, rightly or wrongly, the targeted demographic would prefer.

4. Why will new players pay for this content when they do not have to? Many have asked. Now I come to a guess that I have a high level of confidence in. They will not pay for it. SSG will have at least one package and maybe more than one that will give them the mini-expansion for "free". Thus - subscribing may give all the expansions other than the latest *and* all mini-expansions including the latest. Oh what a great deal!!! So a new player can subscribe and start off in the wonderful new areas or not subscribe and start off in the stale and outworn areas (but not pay a thing to do so). You heard it here first! If not a subscription package - a "starter" package that will include account wide riding, the new mini-expansion and some other conveniences.

Note that I was way off base in my guess about the "big announcement" and my crystal ball is in the shop for repairs.

Seems to me that there is a lot of speculation around this being developed to catch a new influx of players. That may be so, but it's very "eggs in one basket" if that is the case, and risky to alienate your existing customer base in favour of one that hasn't even arrived yet and may never get here.

I'm more inclined to think it has something to do with what current players have asked for over a time span. River Hobbits have been asked for plenty and players are eagerly waiting for them. I predict this will be another version of High Elf, and the new River hobbits will come as part of this new mini expansion in it's higher versions.

[alwaysbroke]

Seems to me that there is a lot of speculation around this being developed to catch a new influx of players. That may be so, but it's very "eggs in one basket" if that is the case, and risky to alienate your existing customer base in favour of one that hasn't even arrived yet and may never get here.

I'm more inclined to think it has something to do with what current players have asked for over a time span. River Hobbits have been asked for plenty and players are eagerly waiting for them. I predict this will be another version of High Elf, and the new River hobbits will come as part of this new mini expansion in it's higher versions.

It's not going to attract a new influx of players. SSG won't be able to fix the problems in time. Miniumum viable product is what we'll get again. It's going to be a spectacular influx of resentment... because fans don't like SSG. I can't wait to see the fireworks.

[istvana]

" because fans don't like SSG."

Actually the great majority of us do. Though none of us thinks they are perfect. You seem to enjoy posting one extremely negative comment after another but people that enjoy trolling the forums are a rather small minority and quite a few of them don't even play the game - they enjoy the drama here more.

[Arnenna]

It's not going to attract a new influx of players. SSG won't be able to fix the problems in time. Miniumum viable product is what we'll get again. It's going to be a spectacular influx of resentment... because fans don't like SSG. I can't wait to see the fireworks.

I don't dislike them. I don't like some of the decisions made for the game, but I highly doubt they are the main influence behind them. They just make the changes, and . . . take the flack for them. If we had someone else to vent to, I'm sure we would redirect our frustration.

[Celebrawn]

Before the shadow - could refer to some tie-in with Rings of Power as that is set before the shadow of Sauron returned to plague Middle Earth in the Third Age.

Thank the stars it doesn't.

I have to say the world builders are on a roll lately with the new low level areas they've been adding. Looking at the leaked maps, it's nice to see how this will interconnect all these regions in Eriador, and the roads we've been wanting to be extended now ill be. The road south from Bree, the road west out of Enedwaith, and the new areas will also be connected to The Lone Lands, Trollshaws, and Eregion, with another road that will hopefully lead west into the Southfarthing at some point, and a road going south to "Minhiriath", though I'm doubtful they'll come up with any reasons to add the parts of Eridor to the south and west by the sea.

The only downside is, those of us who have all the classes already will have to make a duplicate character to run through this. Too bad we can't downscale to match the region in this game.

I know one memeber that must be pulling his hair out that we're going to these places. If i read through the whole thread I'm sure I'd find it.