A Look at LOTRO's 2023

[TesalionLortus]

The instance cluster takes place in a re-imagined version of the city and does not replace the original, existing instance. It's a new piece of landscape/dungeons built with modern world design in mind.

Ahh, okay. Sorry, Scenario, but that sounds just a tiny bit too inconsistent to me... I don't like the idea of the world becoming... *disjointed*, like "re-imagined" here or there as in a brand new take, but the old one still existing in the other place. I like things being consistent if they can be. Which they could have been here. At least that's just an instance but still... the idea that you guys waste time redesigning old stuff that worked (honestly, what was wrong with the old Carn Dum visually? It felt great and everyone says it) it just doesn't sit right with me..

[YamydeAragon]

Too many teases, too few detail. Will love to know what ones of the new or revamped announced things are VIP, FTP or require a purchase for everybody. I am mostly excited about Revisiting Carn Dum new instance. The original Carn Dum have always being 1 of my favorite instances, maybe cause i love that huge open spaces, spaceful yards full of rivals, to be able to see the sky as well as to walk under them & all the 3D dinamic on the paths & be surounded by imposing buildings it have. Maybe i simply feel nostalgia of another era. Of those screenshots are mean anything, a Carn Dum taken back by wild exotic vegetation looks wicked. Cant ignore the relation between certain garden at Gundabad.

[Fadil]

A Look at LOTRO’s 2023

The Return to Carn Dûm features a new end game instance cluster with two 3-player instances, a 6-player instance, a new raid, and all of the spoils and rewards that you expect to find in a new space. Additionally, we are expanding the Delving system into the Library and School at Tham Mírdain and revising the reward system slightly to make the repeatable nature and rewards of the Delving system more appealing. We are also making some more balance tweaks to the Delving system in an effort to smooth the difficulty transitions as you progress toward the higher tiers.

This sounds excellent, and I'm correct that that will be added very soon, right?

Anyway, the fact you're going to spend time on a crafting revamp is great news. Not entirely sure what "breaking apart vocations" means, can we for example only be tailor or metalsmith per character now?

[maartena]

There will be - details can be found in the spring/Q2 section of the letter. The return to Gondor is not our Autumn offering.

"As we move into the spring and summer months, our focus will shift to the growing threat posed by the enemies soon to be unleashed in our next major expansion. Gondor, now experiencing relative peace, needs assistance in rebuilding and assessing strange goings on. We will be introducing a new version of Gondor, no longer dawnless and harried by enemies on all sides. Yet still, threats linger that must be opposed."

I can see that this is easily misinterpreted as Gondor being the next expansion, but with your added explanation its clear we're going back to Gondor for level 140..... in a "new version" of Gondor.

Will it be an overlay, like Blood of Azog, Mordor Besieged, etc that plays in a different time?

[Scenario]

Ahh, okay. Sorry, Scenario, but that sounds just a tiny bit too inconsistent to me... I don't like the idea of the world becoming... *disjointed*, like "re-imagined" here or there as in a brand new take, but the old one still existing in the other place. I like things being consistent if they can be. Which they could have been here. At least that's just an instance but still... the idea that you guys waste time redesigning old stuff that worked (honestly, what was wrong with the old Carn Dum visually? It felt great and everyone says it) it just doesn't sit right with me..

We opted for this direction in order to maintain the nostalgia of the originals while also providing a vision of what the space could be if it was built to modern standards knowing what we know about building these kinds of locations now. The stories of these instances also are not specifically tied to the original stories that occurred in the instances and epic story from Shadows of Angmar - further making a departure from the original space feel comfortable.

[Menergroth]

So is new premium housing off the table for this year?
And biomes reffer to new zones?

[YamydeAragon]

Ahh, okay. Sorry, Scenario, but that sounds just a tiny bit too inconsistent to me... I don't like the idea of the world becoming... *disjointed*, like "re-imagined" here or there as in a brand new take, but the old one still existing in the other place. I like things being consistent if they can be. Which they could have been here. At least that's just an instance but still... the idea that you guys waste time redesigning old stuff that worked (honestly, what was wrong with the old Carn Dum visually? It felt great and everyone says it) it just doesn't sit right with me..

I do recall that quite a big chunk of Carn Dum, between the 2 old instances there, was left as open landscape after its gates got closed. That area don't have quest & could do for quite a few interesting things, all in the same flavor of the original area. Also after the last Angmar update, many terrain areas turned accesible (former none climbable hill sides & mountain tops) to players & could get some kind of new content added without replace the old content anyhow. There is even some new town that seems vacant (for now). Just need to give the new content a look & backstory that sound like stick & expand with the original stories.

Also the devs could add a whole new territory to the North of Carn Dum.

[TesalionLortus]

We opted for this direction in order to maintain the nostalgia of the originals while also providing a vision of what the space could be if it was built to modern standards knowing what we know about building these kinds of locations now. The stories of these instances also are not specifically tied to the original stories that occurred in the instances and epic story from Shadows of Angmar - further making a departure from the original space feel comfortable.

Well, the screenshot is certainly something that we wouldn't be able to see as players, from so high above, so I guess it doesn't exactly need to feel too different then, when viewed from lower perspective, within its walls (and I guess creating them as instances to begin with... needs a design aimed at those instances, not the exact same pathing from the old ones). So, in that sense, maybe makes sense. I guess my core dissatisfaction about it stemmed from the fact that I would rather see something like a full blown Western Angmar as part of this, maybe with a dungeon (or a few) there, in addition to some in revisited Carn Dum, and overall I don't really care as much about seeing the entire Carn Dum recreated with modern mindset - because even the parts of it on landscape do feel perfectly okay to me and like they aged well, given the place's history. It makes me remember now from your Stroll that you did mention something that you would probably design it as more functional city today but the matter of the fact is it does feels natural to me, in its current form, it really does feel like a city that's been ruined and then constantly being rebuild, with new sections added on the outskirts as it grew in power again and so on, so it's a bit labyrinthy (rather than this condensed functional "city") and I thought that fitted the bill perfectly.

But still, regarding the new one, what I said about it in the other thread, if these black Dol Guldur towers are supposed to be final... please do reconsider, at least retexture them to match in color, because it really does feel like they don't belong.

[Scenario]

I guess my core dissatisfaction about it stemmed from the fact that I would rather see something like a full blown Western Angmar as part of this, maybe with a dungeon (or a few) there

Our scope for Update 35 has always been this instance cluster, specifically to address the calls for new endgame instances after a year focused on low level gameplay. It was never planned for or intended to have open world landscape associated with it. Shipping a whole new region after an expansion pack (mini or otherwise) AND during a time when many people are rightfully taking time off for the holidays to rest and recover and spend time with their families is a very tall ask.

[YamydeAragon]

So is new premium housing off the table for this year?
And biomes reffer to new zones?

I have heard the devs call before "Biomes" the new landscape areas. I wonder if will be a VIP areas or a expansion (whatever size may be). Definitely any area that open to Southern Earth continent must be a huge Expansion, with a totally new kind of Architecture (maybe some piramids far in the distance at start) & exotic fauna never seeing before at Middle Earth. Those Umbar shores must look like the tradding ancient tradding cities that where at the North of Africa

***Suddenly feels like an older times explorer planing a trip to the old continent, yet uncharted.***

[FarmerLister]

I don't really post at all on the forums, but I've been a longtime on-and-off player since 2009 and I just wanted to say that almost all of this sounds seriously excellent. I'm excited! LOTRO has always had a place in my heart and this is one of the reasons.

I want to say that I'm particularly happy about the new version of Gondor postwar - I love Gondor both in the books and in the game and I'm really grateful that it's getting some attention, especially for roleplay or immersion purposes (though I imagine there will be quests and things as well!). I hope we get some new cosmetics and things. Could we pretty please get the Citadel Guard hauberks and more outfits from the NPCs in Gondor as well?

I am also excited to see Umbar and its denizens, the Corsairs, Haradrim, and Black Númenóreans! You basically guaranteed my purchase of the expansion just by virtue of it being there - it's that fascinating to me.

The new class is intriguing to me as well, and I'll be curious to see what it is. Will there be any new races? I've been dying to be a bonafide Dúnadan for over a decade now.

[YamydeAragon]

Well, the screenshot is certainly something that we wouldn't be able to see as players, from so high above,...

Carn Dum Tower Balcony, There is even a deed that require to go there.

[Scenario]

I have heard the devs call before "Biomes" the new landscape areas.

We consider biomes a collection of assets that represent a specific kind of environment. The trees, rocks, terrain textures, bushes, flowers, etc that are all used in combination to create the look and feel of a particular landscape. Sometimes new biomes are associated with new landscape areas - or the phrased can be used as part of an introduction of updated assets into an existing area. Regions usually include a number of biomes - which can range from subtle variations of a core look to wildly different sets of assets all together (the Lonelands, for example, has 3 or 4 different biomes associated with it - scrub lands, southern swamp, blood swamp, ruins, etc)

[TesalionLortus]

Our scope for Update 35 has always been this instance cluster, specifically to address the calls for new endgame instances after a year focused on low level gameplay. It was never planned for or intended to have open world landscape associated with it. Shipping a whole new region after an expansion pack (mini or otherwise) AND during a time when many people are rightfully taking time off for the holidays to rest and recover and spend time with their families is a very tall ask.

Well, I mean, I would be fine with waiting for it longer, for example. If there was a landmass.

[YamydeAragon]

We consider biomes a collection of assets that represent a specific kind of environment. The trees, rocks, terrain textures, bushes, flowers, etc that are all used in combination to create the look and feel of a particular landscape. Sometimes new biomes are associated with new landscape areas - or the phrased can be used as part of an introduction of updated assets into an existing area. Regions usually include a number of biomes - which can range from subtle variations of a core look to wildly different sets of assets all together (the Lonelands, for example, has 3 or 4 different biomes associated with it - scrub lands, southern swamp, blood swamp, ruins, etc)

I recall that biome definition from biology classes. I do get very excited when i see that the devs have dared a completely different kind of place.

[provamail10]

There will be - details can be found in the spring/Q2 section of the letter. The return to Gondor is not our Autumn offering.

Will the new Gondor include Harondor, Anfalas, etc., or only the current landmass? Many thanks!

[Scenario]

Will the new Gondor include Harondor, Anfalas, etc., or only the current landmass? Many thanks!

Rest assured, we will have more details to come on what the update includes as we get closer to its release.

[miriadel]

thank you for making this roadmap layout. This is the good way of showing us customers what the future will bring, I'll eagerly await all the dev diaries.

UMBAR hell yeah!

[provamail10]

Rest assured, we will have more details to come on what the update includes as we get closer to its release.

LOL!!! I'm assured more details will come in due time, but I wanted them now! I tried with no luck.


Many thanks!

[Skyfoot_A]

We consider biomes a collection of assets that represent a specific kind of environment. The trees, rocks, terrain textures, bushes, flowers, etc that are all used in combination to create the look and feel of a particular landscape. Sometimes new biomes are associated with new landscape areas - or the phrased can be used as part of an introduction of updated assets into an existing area. Regions usually include a number of biomes - which can range from subtle variations of a core look to wildly different sets of assets all together (the Lonelands, for example, has 3 or 4 different biomes associated with it - scrub lands, southern swamp, blood swamp, ruins, etc)

Not to belabor the point, but it doesn't answer the original question of does "New Biomes" mean new regions/landscapes with the expansion?

[drongo]

It's possible that the new class could be like the Beorning i.e. a new race + new class.

So it could be River Hobbits.
But it could also be Haradrim.

Fun times. Thank you for the latter.

[Belnavar]

Great job with this letter, Orion, and the roadmap for 2023. I liked when Tolero gave a visual roadmap for DDO in 2022, and this is a step up again on that. While I understood the rationale of the old producer's approach of quarterly letters (it helps avoid overpromising and underdelivering, a criticism levelled at some letters in the past), I think knowing what's coming for the entire year (even in vague terms) both builds excitement and allays any player fears for the future of the game. It also gives a clear indication of timeframes for the cycle of content (where players know they will be staying at the 140 level cap until late 2023 and can thus go out and grind gear, knowing it won't be outdated in a month or two).

I'm excited for all the new content, systems, revamps, and more. I think the graduated approach to PvMP and crafting changes is a good one (rather than one big update), and I particularly can't wait to see Umbar and the new biomes.

Keep this kind of communication going

-Bel

[DavidmeetHal]

"There was an overwhelming consensus that we wanted to head south to less traveled shores. Across the salty sea, beyond the Bay of Belfalas to the shore of the Corsair Kings, Umbar. And that, dear readers, is a tale for another day.

Until next time, I remain Orion.'


OH MY GOODNESS! I hope I'm still alive at the end of the year to see this.

[JOliver]

I don't post much, but I wanted to say thank you.

I look forward to the updates this year.

[CloudCastle]

Very excited about Umbar! My son has been itching for a "pirate themed" expansion ever since he heard about the "sea water" clue, and we are both hoping to meet up with our old pal, Jajax again..

We are speculating on what the new class could be and are pretty stumped, so looking forward to more info on that.

Just wondering though, are river hobbits still in the works as a playable race or have they been scrapped?