"Feeling Virtuous" - VPX Bonus?

[Laurelinarien]

I see we have a +10% VPX buff active but there was no announcement for this and it's not listed in the LOTRO Events Schedule.

How long will this last?

Edit: I found the answer in social media...

[Lord.Funk]

I see we have a +10% VPX buff active but there was no announcement for this and it's not listed in the LOTRO Events Schedule.

How long will this last?

Edit: I found the answer in social media...

It was also mentioned in Cords Stream last Friday. However it should of course also have been posted in the Event Schedule, as this is after all the official game forums and web-site. It's not even listed in the LoTRO Beacon issue 138, where other such bonuses like XP or Crafting XP weekends are usually listed. At least I can not see it to date.

The only bonuses listed there are:

• LOTRO Bonus Days bring you a +25% XP Boost, now through November 24th!

As well as the 25% sales and the Weekly Coupon Code MAKEME.

[Ballie]

Is that why the new virtue pills from hobbit presents aren't stackable? So you can't save them up to use during such events without buying more pack space or carry-alls from a pay wall?

Creating a 30% (off the top of my head) hole in the virtue system met by the generosity of a week of 10% on the week's completions. Maybe a push to double valar this week and get 1,430,000 vxp towards the 2m target and upset those who've already taken the plunge or levelled beyond their use before realising...

Quick to promote a meagre player gain, slow to admit the prior detriment.

Yeah promo on Twotch, Twotter and Façade book, crops always ripe for harvesting.

[Cordovan]

I added it to the events schedule this afternoon after forgetting it began today. Also called it out in the schedule thread earlier, put in social, and in the launcher. We do need to update the schedule, though.

[Cakellene]

How about putting things on primary tool for communicating with players. AKA forums.

[istvana]

((How about putting things on primary tool for communicating with players. AKA forums. ))

Could it be Cord considers the stream more important than communicating with the bulk of the player base here? So he is using this to try and *force* people to watch the stream by reducing the communication levels here. Thus decreasing our knowledge of what is going on while increasing the stream's audience.

What little information we have on race changes and server transfers was dribbled out there while the questions were and still are totally ignored here. Now this.

I do see a pattern recently.

[Lord.Funk]

To me personally it is not a big issue. I see Event Schedule was updated 26th 10.42 PM CET, meaning late evening almost at the end of the day in Europe. Still nothing in "Announcements" sub-forum which usually mirrors the launcher (it's now 03.27 am on the 27th cet). It did not pop up in the launcher either until very late here. It does say it was posted in the launcher at 26th 21:42:02 +0000 (not sure if that adapts to show local time or not).

Again not a big deal and nothing to make a huge fuss about in my opinion. Barely a blip. Getting outraged and all worked up about it seems like getting outraged simply for the reason of being outraged over something. Like quarreling over who squeezed the toothpaste on the middle rather than from the end, when the marriage is about to fall apart and we should be upset over more important issues that needs fixing (but that is just my opinion).

To question it is ok I think (in my opinion it is alway ok to question something in a constructive and polite manner), but not some hyperbole or conspiracy therories needed to do that. It's just an announcement after all. This bonus lasts until the 2nd of November, so nothing to stress about. Still I of course understand and support the opinion that news should always first and foremost be announced on these Forums, or the web-site itself and the launcher of course. No one should have to resort to 3rd party social media to get the latest information first. This is the official web-site and should be the official and main source of information. I understand and support those that think that 3rd party social media should only be like a complement, not the main source of information.

[Lord.Funk]

Is that why the new virtue pills from hobbit presents aren't stackable? So you can't save them up to use during such events without buying more pack space or carry-alls from a pay wall?

Creating a 30% (off the top of my head) hole in the virtue system met by the generosity of a week of 10% on the week's completions. Maybe a push to double valar this week and get 1,430,000 vxp towards the 2m target and upset those who've already taken the plunge or levelled beyond their use before realising...

Quick to promote a meagre player gain, slow to admit the prior detriment.

Yeah promo on Twotch, Twotter and Façade book, crops always ripe for harvesting.

Now this is a valid point. In my opinion much more important to raise an issue about the underlyng system and real motive behind the Virtue System revamp, than when and where this announcement was posted. But hey, that's just my opinion and how i prioritise things, of course others have other opinions and priorities.

[Cakellene]

((How about putting things on primary tool for communicating with players. AKA forums. ))

Could it be Cord considers the stream more important than communicating with the bulk of the player base here? So he is using this to try and *force* people to watch the stream by reducing the communication levels here. Thus decreasing our knowledge of what is going on while increasing the stream's audience.

What little information we have on race changes and server transfers was dribbled out there while the questions were and still are totally ignored here. Now this.

I do see a pattern recently.

Which sucks for those of us with hearing disabilities.

[istvana]

A slight delay on this bonus doesn't bother me. I do check the icons so when an event is going I know it immediately unless they don't provide an icon.

What bothers me is the trend not any one occurrence. Thread after thread people ask for information and there is no reply and someone says that "well Cord said in his stream xxxxx".

And it isn't that he tries to boost the stream by saying it there first then promptly says it here. *Nothing* has been said here.

It isn't that he can't get to the forums to post - he posts afterwards in many other threads.

It isn't that he is too busy - over days and weeks and even months there surely is time to post even a short reply.

[OghranNasty]

Which sucks for those of us with hearing disabilities.

As well as those with time constraints.

[MithrielWielder]

Hmm, wow, chill out everyone, not everything they do has to be viewed as sinister. Lots of people don't use the forums, and its not the primary method of communicating with players. The buff icon was clearly viewable by all players, and that is the primary method of communicating. It's also on the launcher. Let's just thank them for the bonus and play the game.

[scorrp10]

Yeah seeing that heart icon was a bit of a surprise. Seeing what it was, I dusted off my deeds book... Moria warg and worm slayers, 4k vxp each and I was halfway through Advanced on those. After a bit of greystomping, I am 11k vxp better off (1k from bonus). Not too shabby...

[scorrp10]

Oh, and this wholesale slaughter of mobs 70+ levels below me has made me much more Valorous and Compassionate!

[maartena]

Which sucks for those of us with hearing disabilities.

It should be noted that Cordovan's voice is good enough to be easily recognized by Youtube's CC system. If you wait till the video is uploaded to Youtube (which is typically 10 minutes or less after the live stream ends), and enable Closed Captioning, you can pretty much follow 99% of it. The chat log also helps, as people type in their questions and reactions to what Cordovan is saying.

It's not super ideal, but it works well if you have hearing problems. I have watched Cordovan's stream once in this manner when I was waiting somewhere where sound would not be appreciated, and I did not have headphones on me.... and it works surprisingly well.

The biggest issues, of course, is that you need to watch the whole thing to get all the info. There used to be some people who would post a summary of what was said in the live stream, but as it is all based on volunteerism, and those people are no longer posting it.... it all depends on whether someone has the time.

I guess the MOST important things get announced, and the things they don't have a clear answer on themselves sort of get ignored. Like the transfer mechanism.

[istvana]

Maartena - you make some valid points but this *is* the official forum and if anything is said like "no current timeline for restoring world transfers" shouldn't it be said HERE? Where if we care about an issue we can read the threads on that issue or better yet use dev tracker?

Taking two minutes a day - far less time than it takes to find and plow through a stream.

[Cordovan]

Maartena - you make some valid points but this *is* the official forum and if anything is said like "no current timeline for restoring world transfers" shouldn't it be said HERE? Where if we care about an issue we can read the threads on that issue or better yet use dev tracker?

Taking two minutes a day - far less time than it takes to find and plow through a stream.

We have certainly said this on the forums, but to repeat: There is currently no announced timeline for the return of Character Transfers. As soon as we have more information to pass along, we will.

[Thornglen]

We have certainly said this on the forums, but to repeat: There is currently no announced timeline for the return of Character Transfers. As soon as we have more information to pass along, we will.

Most of us understand that getting transfers back is not as easy as flipping a switch, and yes it has been said before that there is no current timeline for the return, but...

I think the last time it was said on the forums was before the expansion launch. At that point I think the phrasing was something like "it won't be before the expansion" or something to that effect. Which some people unfortunately read as saying transfers would be back with or soon after the expansion. I know it does not say that, but coming back with information after the launch (even if that was to say there was still no timeline) could have helped some.

I know it seems like a waste of time to come here and update with, essentially, 'there is no update', but transfers are something that can have a direct effect on someone's ability to play their characters. Especially if returning to the game after a long time away and you find that your friends have moved to another server or that your characters are on one of the servers that closed.

With holidays here I'm sure there will be more people who have some free time to spend in LOTRO, so situations like that may come up even more frequently over the next month.

https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...orld-Transfers

Having an official update on the forums that is easy to find can go a long way to help keep people up to date and let them know they have not been forgotten. And maybe get the news back on the launcher. It has not been noted there for some time.

Thanks.

[istvana]

Thank you for the update. As mentioned above your last comment here said that they would not be restored until at least when the problem with currency stacking could be fixed which was fairly generally taken as a reference to the reduction of certain currency amounts at the time Minas Morgul was released. Though we understood that you were *not* saying that it would be restored then but rather at an unspecified time no sooner than then. Thus it seemed fair to request an update - the suspension may not affect most people but those it does affect it affects a lot. The update is appreciated.

[DavidmeetHal]

I spent some serious deeding time last night, I think the bonus is a good thing.

[Lord.Funk]

I spent some serious deeding time last night, I think the bonus is a good thing.

So first they revamp the Virtue system to be a massive grind, start raising stat caps and giving less stats to gear in comparison, so we basically have to max our virtues to keep up stat wise. Then raise the virtue caps as well. Then add VXP boosters to the store so we can buy our way around grind they creatd and put in the game. Then throw us a time limited 10% VXP boost and that is a "GOOD" thing ???

It's like me emptying Your kitchen and then throwing You back two cans of beans. Then raising the electricity bill to heat up the stove. Would You be greatful to me and call that a "GOOD" thing too ???

Each to ones own and You are of course entitled to thinking it's a good thing, just as I'm entitled to not exactly call it that.

[DavidmeetHal]

So first they revamp the Virtue system to be a massive grind, start raising stat caps and giving less stats to gear in comparison, so we basically have to max our virtues to keep up stat wise. Then raise the virtue caps as well. Then add VXP boosters to the store so we can buy our way around grind they creatd and put in the game. Then throw us a time limited 10% VXP boost and that is a "GOOD" thing ???

It's like me emptying Your kitchen and then throwing You back two cans of beans. Then raising the electricity bill to heat up the stove. Would You be greatful to me and call that a "GOOD" thing too ???

Each to ones own and You are of course entitled to thinking it's a good thing, just as I'm entitled to not exactly call it that.

Well, that's how I feel. I've been having fun going through old areas on my main the last two nights. If that means I'm delusional or some kind of sheep that doesn't know any better, than so be it. Game=fun, and I had fun.

[scorrp10]

You know, I generally pull no punches with most issues that plague this game, but I think Virtues are fine. The only thing that sucks about them is extremely poorly implemented UI. It is a quagmire. It shoulkd have been a pool, from which we then assign as desired - same as traits, pre-imbue LIs, BB points etc. The revamp generally eliminated useless stats from the lineup, so most virtues actually have desirable benefits. And ability to concentrate your VXP intake on specifics is way better than prior system. People pre-revamp got about 1.5x their deeds worth of VXP. People post-revamp should have MUCH easier time maxing the 5 virtues they need. Sure there are passives, but those amount to a total max of about 11k mastery and/or about 11k morale.
Out of most other aspects about MM expansion, virtues are probably least problematic. In fact, once I finished all MM deeds and done first weekly meta, I had all slotted virtues maxxed. No boosters. Speaking of which, virtue tomes always were a thing at a store - not that anyone bought them. Those new boosters: one seriously need to have a lot extra LPs burning a hole in the pocket to go for those. Anyone who does not have at least 5 slotted at max likely has a mile-long list of still-available explorer and quest deeds.
In other words, it is quite easy to obtain the bonuses that truly matter. Maxing out the passive is indeed a humongous grind, but it is literally nothing but a bragging rights sort of thing - the passive bonuses are insignificant.

[MithrielWielder]

So first they revamp the Virtue system to be a massive grind, start raising stat caps and giving less stats to gear in comparison, so we basically have to max our virtues to keep up stat wise. Then raise the virtue caps as well. Then add VXP boosters to the store so we can buy our way around grind they creatd and put in the game. Then throw us a time limited 10% VXP boost and that is a "GOOD" thing ???

It's like me emptying Your kitchen and then throwing You back two cans of beans. Then raising the electricity bill to heat up the stove. Would You be greatful to me and call that a "GOOD" thing too ???

Each to ones own and You are of course entitled to thinking it's a good thing, just as I'm entitled to not exactly call it that.

What you are complaining about is level cap increases (you know, when they decrease relative masteries, mitigations, and virtues to 1/2 their former level and wipe out existing instances and raids), not vxp bonuses.

[webrender]

In my opinion, the virtue system was basically dead for years, the new system made it useful again and scalable for future updates. It's not impactful to the point of making or breaking a build, but it's another route to progress a character as we explore, deed, and quest our way through Middle Earth.