Major problem with LOTRO

[Neinda]

SSG comes up with some really outstanding ideas for the game like the carryalls. The problem occurs when the new idea/system/item catches on in game and people start to use it and in the case of carryalls want more of them. At that point the great idea seems to get put on a shelf with no reason or explanation. It is a shame. Carryalls are popular and people appreciate them and would like this storage system to grow. It seems to have grown to the maximum point for now.

[SophieTheEnchantress]

Augment Bags, Collectible Bags, Cookie Jars, Gem Bags, and Ingredient Bags have existed in Dungeons & Dragons Online for over a decade (Storage Bags). 'Carry-Alls' in this game are exactly the same thing.

In DDO, Bags are available in a wide variety of sizes. A Huge Collectibles Bag holds 200 unique items. A Huge Gem Bag holds 90 unique items. A Colossal Ingredients Bag holds 1,000 unique items. A Dimensional Augment Bag holds 500 unique items.

Further, DDO has an additional type of storage called Shared Crafting Storage. This special storage holds anything that can go into a Bag and has a maximum capacity of 2,045 items.

DDO and LOTRO are not the same game. LOTRO has a much higher population. I am not a computer person. However, I find the idea that 'Carry-Alls' lag this game extremely silly. DDO players love to complain about lag but I cannot recall anyone ever blaming Bags. In fact, I vaguely remember the DDO developers pitching Shared Crafting Storage as a system that would reduce lag.

In DDO, I own multiple copies of all the super duper bags and regularly throw them around while managing inventory without a single issue. Shared Crafting Storage does have a gigantic issue--it is a mimic and eats stuff. That is a bit off topic.

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that 'Carry-Alls' are not in the store 24/7 because the people at Standing Stone Games want to maintain artificial scarcity in order to keep prices high so they can keep sheering the sheep.

I really enjoy this game, I am not complaining, and I am not calling anyone out. I am offering some additional information because frankly, I think some of you are extremely naive.

[DKenny]

...But as a game, it suffers greatly. It has two significant problems. The first is the mapping. Many places are extremely difficult to get to. You have to go through a maze-like path. Come on, spiraling paths? Hills that a child could climb (in real life) that are impassible? Where do those occur in the world? And there's no way to track where you've been (so you can retrace your steps).

But that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is inventory. There are just too many items. Most relevant are task items.....

I would say that there are much bigger problems than those. For one, for many people the game doesn't even function properly much of the time. Then there's the increasingly onerous grinding, designed as a time sink and / or to push people to the store to avoid it. Class design / balance is another problem. They never seem to get the idea of making small incremental changes, like + or = 5%, to be repeated if necessary. Too often glaring issues (e.g. a class being practically useless for group content) are left for long periods, only to be addressed with wholesale changes that often amount to butchery as they don't really understand how things work or interact. Classes go from too strong to too weak then back again through iterations that are way too far apart. Just scratching the surface there really.

That being said, I agree with items, especially task items. It was ridiculous how many different types of "slime" or "goo" they had in the game, for example.

[Vilan]

I've never understood the complaints about the task items, there's typically only about 5 task items per zone, get 1 of each item lock them, only hand in when you have more than 10 and then when you leave the zone unlock them, vendor and start again. Before the recent change that actually tells you if an item is a task item you could use the task plugin to manage things, you still can but as I said it's only about 5 a zone, even when it's more it's never more than 10, which also means a small task carry all is all you need.

Yep, I just have a small task carryall, and only because I got it free from something... the anniversary giveaways? I also got a large crafting carryall, fiddled with it briefly, and gave it to my 8 year old. I can understand cooks would want a large one for all their varied ingredients, but I'm a tailor, only need a few items. Haven't spent a dime on vault upgrades, wardrobe space, or shared storage either. When you feel like desperately grasping onto all those pixels, well, Elsa has some advice for you.

[Winzhi]

LOTRO does have issues and yes, navigating maps is one of them.

The biggest issue is not having enough group and raid content though.

[SirDaddicus]

I've never understood the complaints about the task items, there's typically only about 5 task items per zone, get 1 of each item lock them, only hand in when you have more than 10 and then when you leave the zone unlock them, vendor and start again. Before the recent change that actually tells you if an item is a task item you could use the task plugin to manage things, you still can but as I said it's only about 5 a zone, even when it's more it's never more than 10, which also means a small task carry all is all you need.

And spend 80% of your time traveling back and forth to vendors?

Besides, I go to 5-6 zones every single day. On EACH character. And task items only stack to 50 in your regular inventory. I routinely end a day with hundreds of at least 2-3 items.

[SirDaddicus]

Augment Bags, Collectible Bags, Cookie Jars, Gem Bags, and Ingredient Bags have existed in Dungeons & Dragons Online for over a decade (Storage Bags). 'Carry-Alls' in this game are exactly the same thing.

In DDO, Bags are available in a wide variety of sizes. A Huge Collectibles Bag holds 200 unique items. A Huge Gem Bag holds 90 unique items. A Colossal Ingredients Bag holds 1,000 unique items. A Dimensional Augment Bag holds 500 unique items.

Further, DDO has an additional type of storage called Shared Crafting Storage. This special storage holds anything that can go into a Bag and has a maximum capacity of 2,045 items.

DDO and LOTRO are not the same game. LOTRO has a much higher population. I am not a computer person. However, I find the idea that 'Carry-Alls' lag this game extremely silly. DDO players love to complain about lag but I cannot recall anyone ever blaming Bags. In fact, I vaguely remember the DDO developers pitching Shared Crafting Storage as a system that would reduce lag.

In DDO, I own multiple copies of all the super duper bags and regularly throw them around while managing inventory without a single issue. Shared Crafting Storage does have a gigantic issue--it is a mimic and eats stuff. That is a bit off topic.

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that 'Carry-Alls' are not in the store 24/7 because the people at Standing Stone Games want to maintain artificial scarcity in order to keep prices high so they can keep sheering the sheep.

I really enjoy this game, I am not complaining, and I am not calling anyone out. I am offering some additional information because frankly, I think some of you are extremely naive.

Agreed. I play Guild Wars 2 regularly, and they also have built many inventory management systems.

The thing that's really interesting is I think you're right that they're not in the store because they want scarcity to raise prices. Well then, doggonit, RAISE THE PRICES. I'll pay $50 for a large Task Item Carry-All. Why won't they sell it to me?

[SirDaddicus]

I would say that there are much bigger problems than those. For one, for many people the game doesn't even function properly much of the time. Then there's the increasingly onerous grinding, designed as a time sink and / or to push people to the store to avoid it. Class design / balance is another problem. They never seem to get the idea of making small incremental changes, like + or = 5%, to be repeated if necessary. Too often glaring issues (e.g. a class being practically useless for group content) are left for long periods, only to be addressed with wholesale changes that often amount to butchery as they don't really understand how things work or interact. Classes go from too strong to too weak then back again through iterations that are way too far apart. Just scratching the surface there really.

That being said, I agree with items, especially task items. It was ridiculous how many different types of "slime" or "goo" they had in the game, for example.

That's a good point, but I picked on this one because it's an EASY fix, and would actually make them real money. I didn't want Cardolan and Swanfleet, because I don't have any sub-level 32 characters. I ONLY wanted that bag. But $100 is too much.

[BenBragol]

The biggest problem is stability and latency/stutter issues. Everything else is secondary imo.

[SirDaddicus]

The biggest problem is stability and latency/stutter issues. Everything else is secondary imo.

That's pretty big. But that requires them to spend money to fix it. Lots of money.

This is a huge problem but would be trivial to fix. (It's basically a policy decision.)

[SirDaddicus]

That's pretty big. But that requires them to spend money to fix it. Lots of money.

This is a huge problem but would be trivial to fix. (It's basically a policy decision.)

Well, they fixed it. They SHOULD have said something in advance.

[Daguest]

The task system is literally janky system built on top of dated mechanic. Task items used to be trash loot we sold before task item existed. Then SSG decided to make them into the task mechanic, for one reason or another. But they couldn't be bothered in adding any way to filter and now at first glance what's task items and what's not. Before tasks, you say that brown-ish icon, it meant trash item to be sold. Now you need to check whether it's actual trash or not. And when you move from one zone to another, then you need to remove all the previous task quests and take the new ones.

I'd agree that revamping the task system would be great, but they wouldn't be able to sell task carry all, so it's unlikely we see it happen.

[TesalionLortus]

I'd agree that revamping the task system would be great, but they wouldn't be able to sell task carry all, so it's unlikely we see it happen.

Not able to? Come on. They only have to make the task system more convenient = able to turn in like barter, or something similar. The bottom line - can't be a cumbersome searching in my bag for which is which nor 15 quest bestows/finishers with multiple clicks. But keep the items as they are and can even add more if makes sense = different task types (can't think of any other type that could be added than gathering from nodes though - which could extent to nodes on waters and rivers). On top of that, gotta make the system inclusive, useful for levelling while free-roaming, and perhaps attach some different rewards too, to some items, so it isn't just a "rep grind" system. You could even go as far as offer scalable XP for certain "universal" node items to gather that would be scattered around the entire Middle-earth and not just tied to specific lvl range. That way, people can go back to enjoy lower lvl zones and still be rewarded, if they're fine with fetch in the wild activities. Of course some of these would have to be bound/locked behind lvl requirement vendors/quests, depending on what is offered, so no insta level-up to cap from hoarded items funneled to your alts. And with all that said, the rep exchange would still need those daily limits, to make sure completionists keep hoarding their stacks for their completionist alts - but the important part to figure out is you don't limit those XP or fluff reward options as much, for flexibility of gameplay, to provide more utility and fun behind the system. But it's certainly possible to make the system attractive and work better (so I'm willing to bother, as a non-completionist/casual) yet keep completionist hoarders hording like now = task carry alls even more in demand (I really don't think anyone uses tasks regularly or hoards as much... other than a completionist, the way it's set up right now)

[Galadh]

And he doesn't realize the maps used to have "Fog of War", you had to open up the areas on your maps by exploring.

[auximenes]

I miss the 'fog' but I understand why they got rid of it, to shave a little off your characters' data footprint.