Tell the Community Team - New and Revamped Systems - 4/8/10

[Brongdha]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

Housing

First off, get rid of hooks. Let us put our trophies anywhere and put as many trophies in/around our houses as we can fit. Make 4 categories for items: Ceiling, Wall, Floor, and Yard. Welcome mats and furniture would fall under Floor.

Let us expand our houses and/or buy bigger ones to begin with. We should be able to buy more rooms, a basement, an attic (a ladder up to the attic), and a bigger yard. The more rooms/bigger yard the house has, the more the upkeep costs.

Another thing... for the old raids/instances that rarely get run anymore, I think there should be an alternate way of getting the housing trophies that come from those. Not the new raids and instances, just the old ones that don't get run often. This would include open raids such as Bogbereth and Fergandir (I think that's his name - the guy in Imlad Balchorth).

Set a price (higher for bigger houses, lower for smaller houses). Make it so each week's payment goes toward the payment of the whole house (that's what the set price is). Once we've paid for the house, we don't have to pay rent anymore. Once we fully own the house (don't have to pay rent anymore), allow us to sell the house or put it up for rent (if it's up for rent, we choose whether the renter can eventually buy it or not).




Crowd Control

Get rid of CC pots (or put them on long cooldowns... like 10 minutes).

Make dazes last for full duration on the first application ,then give the dazed a 1-minute immunity to dazes on expiration. Take the current icon from stun pots and put it on the immunity effect (blue dot).

Make roots last for full duration on the first application, then give the rooted a 1-minute immunity to roots on expiration. Make a green dot for the immunity icon.

Make fears last for full duration on the first application, then give the feared a 1-minute immunity to fears on expiration. Make a purple dot for the immunity icon.

Make conjunctions last for full duration on the first application then give the conjunctioned a 1-minute immunity to conjunctions on expiration. Keep the shield icon, but make it stop the stun effect also.

Make stuns last for full duration on the first application, 67% of duration on second application, 33% of duration on third application, then after the third application give the stunned immunity to stuns for 2 minutes. Give 5-second immunity to stuns after the first and second applications (purposely shorter than the current 10-second immunity). Keep the red dot immunity icon.

Lower the immunity from SoP:R to 10 seconds and make it able to remove and stop all forms of CC. Make Snap Out of It, Find Footing, Turn the Tables, and Resilience able to remove all forms of CC and give Snap Out of It 10 seconds of immunity.

Make all brands and insignias usable in combat and make the user immune to all CC. Charge! and CBR should be immune to all CC including CJs.


if a dazed target gets hit with another daze, the daze breaks. Same with roots and fears.

However with CJs, it doesn't affect it at all. With stuns it lowers the duration to the next tier. If hit with another stun on the 3rd stun, it doesn't affect it.


I feel as though crowd control isn't really used for its purpose... to control the crowd. This should fix that (imo) without making it ridiculous like it was before DR.

The reason I have stuns set apart from the other CC is because that's the primary CC used to actually kill people. The other ones (CJ as exception) are used for CC - Crowd Control.

Question 2

If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

Get rid of spirit stones altogether. Introduce something new: Kill Points (name can be different).

They will work similar to destiny: for every 4 points of infamy/renown gained, 1 kill point will be awarded (destiny is 1 for every 2). These points will be used to buy/trade/barter/whatever-you-want-to-call-it for armor/jewelry/pots/other accessories.

With this system, there are rewards through PvP, not PvE, and there is still the grind to get the items; it's not given at a certain rank. I believe the problem going from SoA to MoM was that there were already quite a few high-ranked individuals who would have only needed to farm the delving a couple times before aquiring enough stones to barter for the new gear, thus they added brilliant stones for another grind. This would solve that issue without it being a seemingly-impossible task. Every time an exansion or update comes out, another grind wouldn't need to be put it, it would already be there. People would just need to kill more enemies to get the new gear.


(I'm not saying I want this anymore, but it's something I suggested a while back that could work and a lot of other people liked it. A lot of people in PvMP like to PvP rather than PvE for their rewards. "I'm here to PvP, not PvE" - many PvPers


A different idea I just had regarding Kill Points: Instead of removing spirit stones and replacing them with kill points, leave the spirit stones in to barter for armor/jewelry/pots/etc. but have the Kill Points be used to buy passive bonuses. Make those passive bonuses expensive and only work in the ettenmoors. You choose what the bonuses could be (not huge bonuses, but small ones), but they could be something like -0.5% incoming ranged/melee/tactical damage, +0.5% ranged/melee/tactical damage, +50 acid/fire/shadow mitigation, etc. (they wouldn't all go together; -incoming ranged damage would be bought separately from -incoming melee damage). There could be 3 tiers of each bonus, with each successive tier costing more kill points. These bonuses would stay through expansions, as they are passive (and each expansion could add another tier).

Question 3

Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)

PvMP. I have to spend way too much time grinding stuff to get the perfect weapons to go out and be the best I can be. Reduce the grinding!

[Joon007]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.
1.Please please please add a prompt (on the main options menu) when clicking to exit the game that asks: "Are you sure you want to leave LoTRO?" Or: "You will now be leaving the game, if you are sure click continue otherwise click return." I can't count how many time I've left the game accidentally attempting to switch characters. Don't you realize we're a nation of sleep deprived individuals?
2.More female hairstyle choices from different braided looks to longer styles (it's enough already with short to medium) with bows, ribbons, flowers etc.

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be? An inherited trait system. If you get at least one character to say level 50-60 then all other alts on that server will inherit the access to the traits of the main. That way people who DON'T want to re-grind them (me) don't have to but the people who do can do so if they choose. It is limited to the traits that are already attained when the alt is created not any future traits that the main hasn't added.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Exploring new areas. (what new areas?)
2.

[micahsherrill42]

Question 1

1 i'd like to see graphic and audio profiles offered. i have to switch graphic and audio options all the time depending on whether i am doing group instance content or soloing. a quick way to switch between two setups would be very useful.

2 i'd also like to see trait profiles offered. some of the classes i play need to retrait quickly for the role they will play in a group. also, switching between two trait profiles should cost less than retraiting from scratch.

Question 2

i would like to see some new housing features. one idea would be a guestbook. if people who visited your house could sign a guestbook and possibly contribute to social deeds in the process it would be very interesting. another housing feature that would be very useful is a way to summon a guest to your house. it is so inconvenient to have to find the right neighborhood and house in order to visit. a way to bring someone over would mean people might actually see my house.

Question 3

1 i would like to do more pvmp, but i don't get to often and it isn't really a part of any of my other game goals.

2 i would like to see more of the older instances, but some are hard to get groups together for and there isn't much incentive atm for max toons to go in.

[thorswitch]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

1. The Kinship system: It would be great if Kin leaders could customize both the number and the name of various ranks within the guild, so that there could be room for merit promotions for members who have helped out a guild, but aren't ready or don't want to be officers. Also, Allowing for at least one officer level aside from the founding character who could promote characters to officer would be good, so that either the founder can promote characters from any of their alts, not just the one that signed up as the founder, or so other, trusted officers could be promoted to a positing allowing them to promote others to officers.

2. Housing: Allow players more flexibility in decorating by allowing some alterations of where large or small house or yard items are placed (for example, allow one slot to be used as either large or small, and if that slot is filled with a large, then a different slot would be restricted to just small in order to maintain balance - but that way if someone wanted a large item near their entryway instead of a small one, they could do that.) Also, allow some large wall items to be converted into large furniture items so that the player can place some items in the middle of the floor - perhaps on a carpet or just so the room doesn't end up looking completely empty except for what's around the rims. I know that some 'special items' can be put in the middle of a room, but the only one I've found is the hobbit breakfast, and it'd be nice to have a more options.


Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

A limited form of "sidekicking" where a higher level character can group with a lower level character and temporarily raise that lower level characters stats and ability strength (but not adding any new abilities) so that the lowebie can be useful in combat. Rather than having it just be an automatic thing, though, have it work on a token or relic type system where either the higher or the lower character have to have earned/obtain a relic/token that allows the higher character to magically imbue them with the stat and ability boost (sort of like the elvin rock thingy solo players can get for their Volume I Epics.) This token could be earned through various kinds of game play, lotteries, possibly crafted but needing a rare drop to craft, earned by higher level chars through PvMP (say as a reward for reaching a higher rank,) skirmishes or other such mechanics. The idea would be to make them obtainable enough that people would be willing to try and get them so that they can team with lower level guildies or if they've got an instance group that's one short, they could recruit a lower character and boost them up, but not so easy to get that sidekicking becomes even semi-normal. By allowing ways for both the lower and the higher level character to earn the tokens, higher players who want to be nice can carry a few, and lower players can earn their way onto teams without necessarily costing the higher characters anything, depending on how whomever wants to play.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)

1. PvMP - really want to work on this!

2. Larger raid groups

[Stradius]

Question 1
1. Housing and Neighborhoods... I see that's a big item on the responses so far. I'd love to see Neighborhoods have a little more uniqueness so that maybe the people who live in them could form a community around their "home neighborhood". Another housing suggestion. Please add flats or apartments in the cities: Bree, Michel Delving, Thorin's Hall (at least). That would be cool and maybe a cheap alternative for the mid-level characters. Crafting workshops would be nice (attached to homes... or replacing them).

2. Heads and hair. There's not enough variety and everyone looks like clones. And if you would please give us some real range. I'd like to play a character that's hard on the eye sometime. :-)

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

Enhanced Immersion Mode. I'm a casual player and a long-term one. My highest character is still below lvl 50. I appreciate the content more than the action usually. Mission stories and arcs that make sense along with amazing environments that I can really feel like I'm immersed within. No joke... most of the time I come to LOTRO for a mini-vacation to unwind from Real Life. It has a special place in my heart for that alone.

Immersion Mode would allow me to disable about half of the interface tools that are provided for player convenience and also that would empower more realistic role-playing for the RPG servers too. Examples: hide most of the chat channels, keep only say and maybe tell. Hide the Radar, the stats, et cetera. I know I can turn off a lot of this stuff myself but it would be convenient and easy if you could give me an "Immersion Mode" like F12 to hide everything.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Everything. I'm a busy person in Real Life. But I still appreciate all you devs and designers do. So I buy everything you sell. :-)

[jeffm]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

1. Housing. Looks are great, utility is bad. Utility = hooks concept is really awful, enough said; and, why go there? Give us reasons to use the house for other than decorating and a vault and slightly lower prices.

2. Character creation is just poor/seriously dated. Very difficult to make original-looking or good-looking characters. One small example: why do male elves get leaves in their hair and females don't? IMO the mood system just borked the artists ability to give us a good facial creation system; etc. etc. Example: Why can't I make a really old female man lore-master with a hunchback, gnarled fingers and scraggly hair?

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

A wallet type system for all festival, barter, reputation and like items to get them out of inventory/vault. Every expansion/new level cap adds to the problem with inventory space. Leaves, feathers, marks, branches, tablets, on and on and on and on and on and on.... my gosh, where to put them all? I applaud your creativity, but ... "Help!!! I'm being smothered by my miscellaneous stuff!"

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)

1. Exploring new zones/regions. Mirkwood was pretty small for a purchaseable expansion. Evendim/Forochel type regions are what I'm talking about. Fill in the regions in Eriador that we are missing, etc.

2. Redo all the wonderful older instances to make them repeatable/re-doable at current level, kind of like scalable skirmishes with level-suitable monsters and rewards.

[popnjay]

What systems do you feel could be expanded or revised?

1. The Reputation System. It seems to me that there should be better benefits to earning the rep. Sure, being able to buy some gear is ok, but the gear itself is rarely as good as crafted. How about access to swift travel anywhere in that reps region that has a stable if you are kindred? Reduced costs at the vendors? Skill Maps so that non-hunters/wardens can go back to areas a little easier. Thier needs to be some incentive to completing that grind.

2. Housing. Who wants a house in Thorin's hall anymore? Its so far from anything. A stable with swift-travel network enabled would make housing more attractive. Also, "Family housing". My wife and I have different accounts so we can play together. Why cant we group accounts for housing and get a larger or even kin-sized house for storing stuff we share. More storage in houses would be nice too.

If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?
Mounted combat. Horse armor, lances, the whole works. But you are probably already working on that for Rohan.

Interactive crafting, and weapons that really can grow with the toon through re-forging and enhancments. Real complexity utilizing all tiers of materials for different "characterisitcs", chance for higher crits in one area based on materials and "mastery points" spent that need to be re-earned by the crafter.

Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Weapon Crafting. LIs have made this moot.
2. PvP. The moors is too cyclic as to being attractive to freeps, thus it has huge ups and downs in terms of enjoyability and challenge.

[NivWizard]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

1. The Captain's Herold needs some 'love' since the skirm solders can get so many cosmetic options, be nice if the Herolds could also take advantage of that. Wouldn't effect the game balance and most of the code probably already in place for the solders.
2. Following the above, be nice is some of the captain specific quests also could be used as places to give the Herolds back stories.

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

Yes, cross hair, type targetting system for special attacks. Something like 'normal' 1st person shooter combat. Usefull for special skill shots for hunters, but also could be used for 'dart' games at festivals .. and hint hint... javelin for future horse combat.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)

1. Festivals, I tend to try each event once but never seem to get far in any of them.
2. PvMP I just can't seem to get into it. I know many love it, but it's just not my style.

[Vellandar]

Housing

There are so many items that use large furniture hooks it sucks having to choose. Why can't you do like Ultima Online did and have each item take up so many squares of floor space. That way we can put stuff anywhere we want, not just where you think we want it.

I would also suggest adding an armoir or dresser that can hold cosmetic items. Make it about 100 since there are outfits for all seasons now.

I would like to see crafting stations available, even if only for kinship houses.

I would like to see more chests available..I would like chests to take up a large floor slot so we can choose how many to have. I could understand your limiting how many items a house can hold if each neighborhood were not instanced but I think with memory as cheap as it is these days you can afford to make a bigger database for more items.

And since this is a wish list, how about a house for each character instead of each account?

Thanks.

[bronthos]

Housing - that was actually what brought me here from Wow. I had housing in Ultima Online and loved it so when you guys got it I was all aboard!

There are a few things I would love to change with how housing works.
1 - No more hooks. Place items where they fit. If I have so much stuff I can't get in that is my problem. I decorate my own house in real life, I don't need your advice on where to hang my stuffed goldfish.
2 - More storage. More chests or just more slots in the existing ones. Charge me a few gold each. I don't care.
3 - House for each character, not account.
4 - Special storage for cosmetic items. Special dresser or closet.
5 - Let me install ALL the wallpapers and music I have and pick from a dropdown to change.
6 - Crafting stations. Even if only in kinship houses. I would even be happy if there was just a crafting station somewhere in the neighborhood!


Bank slots
Why is there such a gap from 30 to 45 before I can buy a bank slot, and then one every 5 lvls to 60?


Bigger Bags!!! - player crafted or rare drops..I don't care just give me bigger bags!

Thanks for the opportunity to finally tell someone my ideas!

PS. Just remembered I would like to see INSTANT LOG OUT if in a city or house...25 seconds is very long when bopping around toon to toon.

[Quartermane]

Question 1
1) Expand the Fellowship Manouver feature: Ideas include more variety of FMs, follow on FMs for succes, long FMs that require success in one set first, than an completely different set after to get even more benefits, 12 man FMs, etc. Also include more FM capability in boss fights. FMs are what make fellowships in this game really kick butt. Everyone cheers when a tough FM is completed... give us more to cheer about.
2) Provide the ability to hang items like weapons and armor in your house. I like to be able to take a weapon I will no longer use and hang it on my wall with a note saying what adventures this item took me thru. It could also make a house seem even more unique and special.

Question 2
Native game-based(NOT A WEBSITE) kinship enrichment tools: Our kinship has privately owned website, with raid planner, forum, and everything. Sadly, many people do not like to visit external websites for various reasons, even though the website is a very good and effective from a technical standpoint. People just see the external website as a chore to visit.
A set of tools for internal kinship communcations, knowledge management, and other features to include raid/event scheduling/signup/management would be HUGE for LOTRO and for kinship members.
This set of tools could also include features such as
- DKP management
- Kinship quests (quests established by the kinship leaders for prizes and such)
- Kinship photo albums (to capture game moments and history)
- In game reminders for people for events that are upcoming

Question 3
1) Game events: The seasonal events are fun. More of events like that would be nice even if they are sporatic. Even better, random events that require many players to attend to. Such as an dragon terrorizing Bree. CALLING all players!!! Bree is under attack!! We need every sword who can get here!! Those kind of events can really get everyone excited to play LOTRO to see what will happen next.
2) Complex crafting. I enjoy making stuff for others. But I do wish there were more complex recipes out there that would make players more unique. Rare recipes that were either very good in stats and/or just made the player look incredible.


That's all I have... Hope some of it is useful in your planning.

[morifexx]

Question 1:
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.
1. Housing/Kin Houses - Both need to be expanded in both size and workability. Kin houses also need a shared Kin Bank. Please don't spam, but the best system I saw was in WoW. It had both accountability, transparency, and accessibility. Finally, add some kin-related quests which unlock ports to other areas of interest (21st Hall, Loth, Rivendale, ect)
2. Virtues - I believe it's time to finally raise the level to at leave 12 (if not 15) for virtues. They should also be reworked as working through determination and the like can be a pain

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?
1. AH - (stolen from a previous post) WTB section in the Auction house. Integrate the AH with the lorebook database. Let people drag an item they want, and potentially set a quantity. A player wishing to sell can click something like "Fill Order", they now will have one hour to craft the item and put it in the auction house. The crafter will receive their pay as soon as the order has been filled.
2. Mentoring - Lots of previous posts, so nothing new there to say that hasn't already been said.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Previous books/dungeons
2. PvMP

[Ayeffkay]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.
So should we take this as an admission that Turbine knows that we hate them and they're slated to be fixed, or an admission that Turbine knows that we hate them and any further complaining is pointless because they're here to stay? Clearly these systems are such huge sore points that they overwhelm any other list of problems so it would be nice if something were done about that.
1. Itemization is a system right? The loot sucks any more. In SOA there were items people wanted in nearly every instance:
Carn Dum - Hill Defender, Auger, and of course class quest items.
Barad Guluran - Afraig's Amulet (BOE), Captain's Arm, Bane of Forvengwath, Forvengwath's Despair), Udunion's awesome furniture drop. Also don't forget Karstiona's earring from the little single boss instance next door.
Rift - The set was great, but there were also drops like Textured Gold Necklace (BOE), Jewelled Bell, Wig-Feld, Wanir-men, Lash Fragment, Glorfindel's rings, Haematite Band, Twisted Golden Bracelet, Gilechor, Earring of the Dragon, Threkrand, the list goes on
Helegrod - The set, the turn-ins for Mirdanant, the Bow from Storvagun's quest, Coldbear's axe
Battle Instances - Earring of Certitude (BOE!)!
Ettenmoors - The set was good, Tordram was the best mainhand for Champs for a long time, some of the jewelry was great.
Urugarth - Class quest items, Flightsong (BOE)
Even Fornost had that pocket item people wanted
Not to mention lots of great stuff from crafting, some worthwhile quest items like Phial of Swirling Waters and Cleaver of Barad Durgul.
Now when you look at Moria, there were a lot of useful items in Grand Stair and Watcher, and 1 in Forgotten treasury, 1 in Dark Delving, 2 in Forges, 1 in Fil Gashan, 2 or 3 in Skumfil, 0 in 16th hall, 0 in Turtle, 1 initially in HoC, 1 in HoM, 1 in WW. 2 good and 2-3 ok pieces of jewelry in DN and sets that only a few classes wanted.
In SoM with the exception of Saelchol from the Warg Pens, and that's reaching, and Mirist from BG boss 1, every good item drops from chest 3 or 4 of SG. Even the sets are underwhelming. The Crafted items are underwhelming. The quest items are underwhelming. The only quest reward of any worth is the scroll of empowerment and all this is because you've made all armour and and nearly all weapons completely obsolete except for.. ****, we weren't supposed to talk about LIs or Radiance.
FIX REWARDS.
2. Fellowship Maneuvers need a lot of love after 2 years stuck outside in the cold. If, as theorized, healing FMs are too powerful and break encounters, scale back the healing. Add new FMs. And for the love of god revise the completed FMs list interface. You can't even fit a whole FM on the screen at once!

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?
Not new but I'd want to do a lot more with the session play system.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Instances, I tend to only have time for one or two SG runs a week because I don't log in far enough ahead of raid time to get one done.
2. Crafting, I seem to only make things as I need them

[Morgado]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

1. World map dungeons like Goblin Town. The problem i've found in Goblin Town is that it was designed with the idea of having a lot of players in it at the same time, back when the original game was all there was. But now that players have moved on with the higher level cap (and mass there now), nobody is ever around Goblin Town - so it's extremely mobby for soloers and too large physically to seem like it's worth going into. The points of interest are too spread out and if you get unlucky and die, it's a pain to fight through the respawns. The only time i've ever gone in there and enjoyed looking around is going back as a 65 to mop up traits in easy mode. That's pretty sad that it's the only way i'll find the lower level instance pleasant. Instead, it seems like multiple small fortresses on the world map could be made with not too much trash - okay for a soloer to clear - with gates to small maps in them leading into inner sanctums or buildings where there are minibosses. This would be a way to take advantage of the development of the skirmish system to integrate parts of it into the rest of the game. Gate the entry at a certain level so that 65s can't go in and keep killing the thing or kill them for underleveled people and give worthwhile drops to those appropriate level folks who fight in and kill them. Scale the miniboss fights for solo or 2 people possibly using the mechanic from skirmish scaling to do it - the duo or if there were a small fellowship scaling option would open up "better" drop tables. Maybe make each fight repeatable once every 30 minutes. Some things on the map, some daily quest type things, maybe some interesting places to visit, and a few miniboss fights - could be written up as midlevels raiding frontier orc or goblin camps against the front edge of the bad guys' armies, participating in the larger war.

2. The entire bartering system is problematic. There are entirely too many different kinds of currencies floating around and each can only barter for very specific things. They are a burden on storage and tracking - it's like early 19th century bank notes without the counterfeiting problem. One quick fix to eliminate the storage problem at least is to give each player a wallet attached to their inventory. This would eliminate token collecting - instead of issuing a token, increment a value that is tracked in the wallet. The players can see how many of each type of token they have on a list of non-physical items. Bartering tokens for things like skirmish marks could still be done. We already track gold this way, and few if any tokens can be traded between players (just about all bind on acquire) - so there seems little point in making them physical items taking up storage space. Moneychanger NPCs could allow players to barter tokens for tokens, trading the values on their wallet tabs in Forex style ways. Of course it doesn't have to be very complex, but you could have moneychangers in various places - and have NPC traders who say things giving information on what the current exchange rates are in a certain place. The exchange rates and amount being bought (cap it so players can't just min-max the system) could be randomized to change every few hours within certain bands, making it possible for players to eke out small profits by becoming currency runners and communicating with informants observing what the trade scuttlebutt is saying in each town (or just monitoring the moneychangers themselves).

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

I'd never seen Hayoo's posts before someone near the start of this thread linked them. I would say the Tavern Revelries concept is very interesting because it is encourages gathering and interaction with a nice incentive system to actually make players want to do it rather than ignore it. http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?t=86442

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Fishing - The lack of incentives and amount of time it takes always pushes it to the back burner for me.
2. Fellowship Sized Instances - likewise, the amount of time investment required to find a viable fellowship and time to clear an instance is too long for the benefit obtained. The incentive is just not enough to make me feel like it's worth bothering.

[Elrath1]

Q1:
1. Mounts. Mounted travel should be a viable way to get through all but highly challenging mobs. Sometimes you just want to get somewhere and don't wish to spend a lot of time in combat. Mounts currently tend to drop you into the middle of a battle that may be a mob scene -- you ride through and pick up aggro, then are dismounted and in a fight you maybe never wanted in the first place.
2. Map terrain detail. The mini-map can be deceptive: it appears to show no obstacle to travel into an area, but the terrain is too steep, or there is a tricky path into an area but the mini-map doesn't show it. I'd much rather the mini-map be accurate.

Q2:
1. A totally new system would be flight. You have all the 3D functioning necessary to make flight possible. It would add a whole new dimension (literally) to enjoyment of the game.

Q3:
1. Grouping in any low activity area. Unless there is a high population of players in an area, I figure I will have to solo most everything. It takes too long to go put together a group.
2. Crafting. I often am dependent upon something from the Auctioneer, but often the item just isn't for sale. I tend to not do much crafting because it's too much hassle.

[Greyjax]

#2 answer - I would also like to see my/your/ the Houses be more versatile , as in "ablilty to buy more storage", Ability to add more yard,wall, ceiling, floor items " Ability to move the items to locations of my choosing " Ability to upgrade the item size ( small yard to large yard ) .

I would also love to see a supreme master of a craft who owns a home be able to buy or build the needed equipment at his/her home , like a superior forge , or workbench etc .

Adding rooms would also be nice, although i think this option if it happened should cost quit a bit

[Popps]

Question 1. No Response.

Question 2. Always thought that a "Kin Instance" would be good. For one example ALL of Dol Dinen could be the instance. Kin has to completely clear DD and is timed. Possibly a daily. Fastest kin in the week gets silver and kin-house trophy. Possibly change instance location each month.

Question 3. Always thought that destiny points could be used to 'ghost' your character. So that an area can be explored with immunity. No hostility given or taken. Location names shown but not saved nor credit given to character. Probably has to be level qualified -- maybe 3-5 lvls higher

[temazur42]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

I haven't played a character up high enough to have any of this (I play sporadically, at best), so I can't really say.


Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

I really don't have an idea on this one, either. Sorry.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Crafting - I think it would really help if you could "swap" out chests from the vault for your bags in inventory. Myself and all the folks I know are pretty anal about organizing our materials in the vault, and each chest usually holds items for a specific craft. Just being able to grab that bag and switch it out for another would be a nice time saver, instead of having to pull each item into a bag and swap out other items into vault storage while I craft.
2.

[DamianRocks]

For Questions 1 & 2 I say the same thing. As a girl player, the clothing/looks options are soooo limited. I mean cosmetic dresses are limited to about 4 designs, with 6 colors each. I want to look unique!

The best way to implement this would be to have cosmetic quests!

Think about it. You want some unusual maiden's skirt, then you have to do an entire set of quests to get it. That could add a whole new dimension to the game, especially for players who enjoy looking different.

Another option would be to have a tailor skill/trade that actually allows players to create clothing of their own design. Maybe they'd have to quest to find beads, straps, and other accesories.

Question 3
Activity wise, I think music is something I never have time to try and fishing seems pointless.

[Leorick]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.
1. Housing
2. Ignore list, it's hard to tell who's on my ignore list, if they were spammers or not, that note option came in way too late as my ignore list is full and I have to manually check each name to see if it's a level 1-4 toon and the last time they were on.

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?
Not qualified to answer this as I don't know programing.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Housing, because there's not much to do with it, it's there, it's finite, no flex moving objects, limited amount of objects allowed, both chests are full, need more storage.
2. I DO NOT enjoy deed grinding for the 9th time, it's fun the first couple of times, but gets redundant and very very boring when you're working on alts, and you have to redo Deeds, Legendaries, Relics, Traits, etc.

[PsycheeRose]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.
1. Loremaster Pet Necklaces:
No one really uses them for the stats... so if we want a fun pet we have to exchange our necklaces once to summon and once to fix our stats. My suggestion to this is make them rather like the key chains we have now. (May I add that I LOVED when implemented that well done!) You could call it a charm bracelet or what ever else you choose. Another plus for this would be getting all the necklaces out of our bags... necklaces that take damage and need repairing.

Also... it's time for a few new ones don't you think? The Sabers could also come in the snow leopard pattern seen in Forochel and the black panther look from Mirkwood. Bog-lurkers could use the snow pattern from Misty Mountains, lookie there 3 easy to do patterns!

2. Scholar Crit items:

Currently the scholar crit items do not make sense? You have to use a flake to make a book and another book is the crit which yields you two books.... there is no advantage here what so ever either way you use two recipes and two flakes. Either change the Crit item or give us more books!

[endurin]

Question 1
what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised?
1. Expand the social system to include more options for connecting with other players. Idea: add kin alliances. Let kin leaders form alliances with other kins. Create a new social window with tabs that lets you see members of allied kins and new chat options that let you talk to allied kins. This would increase the number of friends one can talk and fellow with. Especially since kins are getting smaller. Allow only kin leaders to change the status of an alliance.
2. Rethink the whole concept of mob levels and leveling in general. The problem is that once a toon has advanced beyond the level of local mobs, entire areas get emptied out. Similarly, areas are gated by the local mob level. This does not really make sense in the "real" world of Middle Earth, or anywhere, and one looses the great feeling of whole areas. Maybe create more varied mob levels, like Sarnur. Or even lower level areas in newer areas. The game is really driven by leveling. Is this really the best way? The problem is that players are driven by levelling mania, then when they max out they loose interest, except for "end game" content, and player attendance plummets until the next expansion. The game can't keep creating higher and higher levels. By Mordor, we'll be what, level 80, 90? That's not fun. We'll be uber toons, with limited challenging content. Frodo was probably level 7 at best, in Mordor. Gating of entire areas using mob levels and leveling should be reconsidered. It could break open the game system.

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be? Flying. I know, I know, who in LOTR flew? Answer, the eagle mounts for Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam!! Eagle mounts could be an awesome high level rep mount. The eagles were loyal to Gandalf and maybe Radagast. Maybe rep earned for special quests in the service of the wizards could earn you an eagle mount (especially for LMs!!). Or maybe instead of a permanent mount, one could earn a special item for one time Eagle use. See the world from an Eagle's eye point of view. LOTRO is beautiful, a birds-eye view would be awesome. This would add some of the pizzazz to LOTRO that WOW is good at.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in.
1. The wide open spaces. I feel that I take advantage of the fast horse travel or ports too much. Returning players to old areas for quests would be nice. You've done a bit of this.
2. Some of the landmark features, buildings that are visited seldom but are really neat, especially once you move past that level. Maybe you could create skirmishes into more of them, like say Goblin Town, or various parts of Moria, or the Old Forest, or some of the instances that deserve to be revisited.

[JTollers]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.
1. Loot - What happened to epic loot (orange)? The rewards for accomplishments have been really a hardship. The rate of drops and the quality and the fact that you don't even have epic loot anymore is disarming. In addition, a barter system for epic loot might be a good approach as well to commiserate investment (you've started to go here), but even make more barters for barter items, (id love to exchange my Annuminas barter items for say Moria). I want a reason to raid!
2. Kinships - More ranks, more privileges, better housing, more functionality on the kinship page amd for kin leaders. There is A LOT that can be done. Give us titles/deeds/raid buffs for accomplishments.

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

Vices - Would love to be able to earn vices, where slotting them have genuine negative effects or require you to do things at intervals to avoid side effects, the benefit to slotting a vice is it may allow you to either increase max rank of a virtue (like you get cap 11 or 12 instead of 10) or get to slot more virtues.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)
1. Festivals - sorry I am always trying to get the legendary leveled, or the rare loot drop, or running the kin, etc.
2. New quests/deeds in older content that may have been refreshed etc. I like to try to do everything on one of my toons, but first, hard to keep track of uncompleted material, and 2nd, there's not too much (quantity) to do at end game, but the things to do take a lot of time (aka grind). I miss early content.

[Cammunition]

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be? Flying. I know, I know, who in LOTR flew? Answer, the eagle mounts for Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam!! Eagle mounts could be an awesome high level rep mount. The eagles were loyal to Gandalf and maybe Radagast. Maybe rep earned for special quests in the service of the wizards could earn you an eagle mount (especially for LMs!!). Or maybe instead of a permanent mount, one could earn a special item for one time Eagle use. See the world from an Eagle's eye point of view. LOTRO is beautiful, a birds-eye view would be awesome. This would add some of the pizzazz to LOTRO that WOW is good at.

There will be no Eagle mounts.
Ever.
http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.p...ght=eagles+fly

[Turimbar]

Question 1
Excluding, PvMP, Legendary Items and Radiance gear, what systems do you feel could be expanded or revised? Please list two and give a brief description of how you would revise/expand them.

1. Chat channels. LFF, OOC, RP, Trade, advice should be global. There should be only one regional, all-purpose, channel. We should be able to creat more tabs: kinship, fellowship, raid, group of friends A, group of friends B, etc.

2. Deeds. Get rid of the "kill hundreds of uninteresting mobs for +1 virtue". Do "complete book/instance/arc/something meaningful" instead.

Question 2
If you could add an entirely new gameplay mechanic to LOTRO what would it be?

Cross-server instances/pvp. Ok, load must be distributed among several servers because of capacity/balance issues, it is fine for the landscape, but that doesn't apply to instances, and empty pvp areas are useless.

Question 3
Name two activities in game that you never seem to have enough time to enjoy or would like to spend more time participating in. (Note: Things currently in game, not new activities or events.)

1. Raiding. I'd definitely like to spend mor time participating in. It is tough to get people to raid, make them more accessible/appealing/rewarding, there's a ton of thread about it already.

2. Older quests/instances. People reach level cap without the chance to do most of the content in the game, and it's near impossible to find groups to run older content. Make the difficult level and rewards escalable so more people are interested in it.