A letter from Executive Producer Kate Paiz - Looking Ahead to 2014

[davidstallard]

If one really wants to know why there will be no expansion next year, one need look no further than the abysmal sales of Helms Deep.

Where can we see data on the sales of Helms Deep?

[mjk47]

If one really wants to know why there will be no expansion next year, one need look no further than the abysmal sales of Helms Deep.

Just out of interest, where would I go to look at that information?

Edit: Obviously I wasn't the only one who wondered about this.

[Longfeellow]

I didn't read through all of the posts, but I take this letter as saying "we are going broke. So instead of making new content that we cannot afford, we will work on old content so we have something to do, and show for our time"

[zalladi]

If one really wants to know why there will be no expansion next year, one need look no further than the abysmal sales of Helms Deep.

Ooo, where's the sale data posted, I must read it!

Where can we see data on the sales of Helms Deep?

Just out of interest, where would I go to look at that information?

I will take a likely stab and say that the original poster lashed out at Turbine and assumed the sales were bad, there is no public information on sales, just like there hasn't been in the 6 years of this games existence.

[Nydhogg]

a microcosm example being red ruby icons for emeralds

This bothers me a lot. And it's not the first time, for Rohan's red agates they used Isengard's green garnets icon too, until it was given its own icon later. Now HD's emeralds get to recycle Rohan's red agates icon. I expected it to be adjusted for 12.1, but alas. Happening twice in a row, I can't believe this is a bug they didn't catch before release, it's simply recycling an old icon again intentionally. What were they thinking, we'll adjust it next year if someone notices our emeralds are red?

I understand not every bug will be discovered, but I believe there have been some very obvious bugs (and more game breaking than a gem's icon) Turbine was fully aware of and released it nevertheless with the intention to look at it later. Isengard was the last expansion I preordered, now I like to go in after the first patch.

[davidstallard]

While we're asking for stuff, how about an option to re-enable fog of war on the zone maps? As an old timer, I hate having the whole map revealed before I actually explore it. Uncovering the map was part of the fun. Now I just get to uncover a bunch of flags.

[Lorabelle]

Yes, I completely agreed with this concept. As someone said, I do think we should "get better before we get bigger". I like the outline of goals for 2014. I have a minor plea of my own on the behalf of Landroval server and it's role-players, however. While this may seem insignificant to the majority of players and staff, I assure you it is an ever-growing trend that will show profits for the company.

My pleas is: Please focus on the social dynamics and graphics/cosmetics of this wonderful game. This can be done in a multitude of ways....

1.) New Emotes, please!
Even if only offering them for sale in the store, there is demand! The community wants new dance emotes, new "interaction" emotes and ways to bring more life into a 3D world. For example: Stationary emotes (while standing still)- reading, writing, eating/drinking (while sitting), folding of arms passively (like the afk look), a lean (as to be placed along a wall or beam), new sit emotes (crossing legs, sitting with an ale in hand, etc), fidgeting or restless look (embellishing mood settings perhaps to reflect the body rather than just face?). And other emote ideas: DANCES DANCES DANCES!, extending a handshake, placing a payment on a surface, being arrested (hands behind back?). Some of these might be easier said than done, but anything new would be appreciated- especially in the dance/music environments.

2.) Cosmetic and Graphic Boosts: New hair colors, New Hair styles, Facial customization and attire.
I noticed that all the expansion npcs are looking more refined than character-npcs. it would be great to share in the love of these npc's hair-styles, attire (townsfolk appeal and dresses) and facial appearance. Hair styles would be a huge way to give players a "fresh feeling". Though -new cosmetics- are highlight with each new festival and eagerly looked forward to, simply adding cosmetics from the NPCs you already have in Rohan would be stellar! The women have very nice dresses there, and the men have a nice casual "war look"- share the love! Perhaps ways to adjust facial proportions would be a big help!

3.) More interact-able buildings in Bree!!
My favorite change was what you did with Bree. The markets are GREAT! Lalia's Market is a smash! The playing stage has drawn people from the over-used Prancing Pony. -Oh how Landroval responded! In Rohan, I notice towns-homes you can walk into and more building interactions than that of Bree and old-content. While this is exactly what the RP community drools over, old habits leave the social hub in Bree. Please, please embellish Bree even more with even more existing buildings made "useable".

4.) Change dyes over to a Color Wheel!
One of the game's most loved features is coloring our clothes! It is one of the things that makes LOTRO stand out from other games, alongside it's cosmetic system. Dyes have become quite cumbersome. Is there a way we can just eliminate them for inventory space and add even a wider range of colors by just having a color-wheel option (like the hair and eyes at character creation)? This would be a massive upgrade to all gamers.

5.) Offer the community a chance to "design looks" through contests!
You have proven you like to be interactive with your community and allow them to partake in their game experiences. And, if the demand is high for cosmetic armor for male and females, let the community do the work for you! There is a high level of talented individuals who have time to burn on their LOTRO hobby. Spare your wages and let the community take a load off your shoulders! We could submit artwork to suggest what we wish to see, and Turbine could choose one or more looks they favor and turn it over for festivals or in-store purchases! This is a similar arrangement to the mannequins you have players create, and that has already been a huge success!


I believe the more care players are able to put in appearance, the more immersed they feel. Attention to detail and game-graphic upgrades will only increase subscriptions and sales! And while the role-playing communities all over the servers may seem like a trivial lot, they are the most easiest wallet to please. These communities will gladly play for enhancements, but offer little demand on game-content and progression. They play night and day, often with a subscription and money to burn! Do not over look us (Role-playing/Fun gurus of gaming)! With all this being said, playing the devil's advocate, these requests require a lot of Turbine's time and effort. For this, price tags on our behalf would be expected and paid via the store should you be willing to pay your staff to deliver it! Do not take this as a plea for free content, rather a lucrative suggestion for your company.

[PypeRings]

While we're asking for stuff, how about an option to re-enable fog of war on the zone maps? As an old timer, I hate having the whole map revealed before I actually explore it. Uncovering the map was part of the fun. Now I just get to uncover a bunch of flags.

Perhaps it is time to recall an old developer axiom:

Every inconvenience is some player's game play.

[rosey21]

I didn't read through all of the posts, but I take this letter as saying "we are going broke. So instead of making new content that we cannot afford, we will work on old content so we have something to do, and show for our time"

So because they decide to take a year off from producing an expansion, that automatically seals it there going broke, OK...

Whatever the reason/s are this needs to be done. Quite frankly this should have been done this year & HD put out next year. By them continuing to push out an expansion year after year, there getting more & more behind on many other things that are not getting the proper attention they deserve.

[Amariel28]

I didn't read through all of the posts, but I take this letter as saying "we are going broke. So instead of making new content that we cannot afford, we will work on old content so we have something to do, and show for our time"

Do you have definitive proof of this? If so, could you please link the source for us? Otherwise you are reading into this what you want to see. There is nothing wrong with Turbine wanting to revamp other content. I think it's a great idea. Even if it is just "fluff" content, it still means a lot to other people. Especially if they decide to add new things to character creation. Then give every player the option for a one-time change upon login to that character. Either take it or hit cancel.

And the revamp of Bree was nice. Wouldn't mind seeing a few other places redone, even if just a little. Also now would be a good time to fix the "fog" effect in Forochel! *hint hint*

[mjk47]

I will take a likely stab and say that the original poster lashed out at Turbine and assumed the sales were bad, there is no public information on sales, just like there hasn't been in the 6 years of this games existence.

Surely not? I can't imagine what on earth would make you think that.

[Galuhad]

“Take a break from expansions”
We’ve heard a lot of you suggest we take a break from the annual expansion cycle, and we agree! We’d like to take the time to revisit some older systems, add more region content, and just generally have more Middle-earth to explore throughout the year. When the Players Council last visited, we asked them what they thought of a year that focused on more content and more opportunities to refine and improve existing systems. They echoed the sentiment we’d heard from many of you and were unanimous in their support. They were also very passionate on one point; VIPs should get this new content for free. (Again, we agree!)

I think this is a good decision. Rift has weekly updates, they're not usually anything big, but it's nice to know that there's always something to look forward to in the near future. While I would not expect Turbine to provide the same for LotRO, monthly updates like what we had in the old SoA days would be wonderful to look forward to. They needn't be big with new landmasses or content, but small quality of life improvements with new items etc would be good. Not commiting to an expansion for 2014 should free up a lot of dev time to really improve on the quality of the existing product - something I'm very happy to hear. Perhaps Turbine can take this opportunity to revamp the kinship system?

More Content, More Often – Free for VIP.
In the past we’ve focused on yearly expansion packs that brought big changes and lots of new content at the end of the year coupled with smaller updates throughout the year and a new region in the spring. In 2014 we’re going to focus on a steady flow of content throughout the year. We’re planning on adding new content on a quarterly basis in 2014. Players have expressed a desire to explore a bit deeper into Fangorn Forest and to see Isengard flooded in the battle with the Ents. Both of these are slated for our first quarterly update in March.
Later in the year we’ll be seeing more iconic locales and moments from the lore including the Paths of the Dead and the Dead Marshes. We will also take our first steps in Gondor!
If you’re a VIP, these regions and content will all be free with your subscription.

Whilst this is exciting, I don't think it's entirely important to have so much new landmass - otherwise you may as well bundle it together and call it an expansion. I am sure many people would like to see a new raid/instance cluster and other ways to progress at the end-game than just running through new quests and then finding nothing to do afterwards.

Housing
As I said earlier, Housing is still high on our list of objectives for the year, and the conversation thread can be found here. We’ll be talking more about this throughout the year.

Looking forward to seeing what happens here. Housing is one of the few ways in the game that has the opportunity to provide players with means of creativity. I just hope that the amount of dev time spent on it produces something utterly amazing, that won't leave us feeling disappointed.

We are working on one more secret surprise, but I won’t do more than tease its existence now, other than to say that the class changes have made it possible for us to consider making a new addition to the game… which we will talk about later in the year.

Interesting. I am generally quite excited to see what this will be. My first guess would be a new class, but will look forward to hearing more news on this secret surprise. I just hope it isn't something we have to wait months and months to hear about

I really appreciate hearing about Turbine's plans for the game, whether everything makes it or not, it's nice to have the contact and to feel like we're being heard - and also to discuss ideas more freely with us (like the topics for housing, inventory, and events). Thank you.

[Faitha81]

Good news that we might skip a expansion a year but the lack of any announcement for new instances and raids is a major disappointment !

[Beltharas]

Its nice that the Producer's letter contained some substance this time round and that people who are interested in housing, festivals, and landscape content are being well looked after.

However I see no mention of instance/raid based content. Could Turbine perhaps comment if there is anything on the roadmap for 2014 in terms of raid/instances? A simple yes/no would be fine.

Just a simple yes/no - I would be very happy with that (for now) as well. Could we please get a heads up about this?

[Belnavar]

Firstly, I am very happy to see this letter now at the end of 2013 rather than at the beginning of 2014. A December Letter really is better than a January one, especially since it takes advantage of the general holiday feeling.

One thing I had hoped, when penning this letter last year, was that at the end of 2013 I would be able to write about the great changes we’d made to housing. But, as you are aware, we had to delay the bigger housing changes we have been working on to 2014. We had some very good discussions with the Player’s Council about what we should include in the housing revamp and there are a lot of excellent ideas out there. It takes time to develop those ideas into good, fun housing features, and while we could have rushed something out just to say we’d done it, instead we decided to take more time and make more meaningful changes. We will continue our conversation around housing with the Player’s Council, and I look forward to giving you an update later in 2014.

I am glad to see this has been mentioned. Housing was one of four major points listed in the last Producer's Letter, and something people have been looking forward to for years, so it was very disappointing as the weeks and months went by and very little on this was done, and even less was heard about. I fully understand that this was likely a major undertaking, and the priority of the expansion and class revamps likely meant less development time on housing than anticipated. Hopefully 2014 brings some really good changes to housing.

I think it would have been far wiser to release this Producer's Letter before Massively broke the story that the housing update was officially pushed back until next year (even though that reality was fairly obvious to most players by now). Getting the Letter now rather than in January does help, but the priority should always be on communicating major changes to content plans directly to the players as soon as possible. I would strongly encourage more communication from Turbine in the coming year, as this appears to me to be something that many players find universally lacking.

I wrote more of my thoughts on this here yesterday: https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...t=#post7039990

The release of Helm’s Deep was definitely a high point of the year for me! The new Epic Battles system allows us to explore momentous parts of the story and the Class Revamp gives us richer character development in the future. We know the class changes were dramatic, but we feel the game is in a much better state now because of them. Looking forward, balancing the class changes in both PvE and PvMP will be a focus for us, and Update 12.1 will be the first of many updates that address those balance concerns.

Helm's Deep was/is a great expansion, and both the Epic Battles system and the Class Revamps are definite highlights. Epic Battles are very fun to play, especially in a group, and the Class Revamps were very much needed. There is a lot of balancing work needed, without doubt, especially in terms of making content more challenging in order to fully realise the potential of the changes. Despite some player concerns, I think the changes were generally well received, and some of those who had concerns will likely grow to love the changes after further refinement.

There are a few things missing with Helm's Deep, however, such as repeatable quests. RoR had Hytbold and some generic repeatables, while Wildermore had its own dailies. Stuff like this help extend the life of an expansion, giving players a means of acquiring more items from the reputation vendors. At present our only option is warbands.

“Take a break from expansions”
We’ve heard a lot of you suggest we take a break from the annual expansion cycle, and we agree! We’d like to take the time to revisit some older systems, add more region content, and just generally have more Middle-earth to explore throughout the year. When the Players Council last visited, we asked them what they thought of a year that focused on more content and more opportunities to refine and improve existing systems. They echoed the sentiment we’d heard from many of you and were unanimous in their support. They were also very passionate on one point; VIPs should get this new content for free. (Again, we agree!)

This is an interesting decision. I expected to hear about another expansion, since that is a guaranteed way for Turbine to pull in extra revenue, but expansions also require significant investment, not to mention a lengthy development time. This time requirement has, I think, reduced the potential development of other areas of the game, including instance clusters. Indeed, the Summer Festival is the most boring of all the festivals and receives the least amount of developer attention, largely because it is bang smack in the middle of the expansion development cycle. I imagine that development on HD was one of the reasons the housing revamp was not ready as planned. I hope, therefore, to see some of the more ignored areas of the game get some attention in 2014.

If we are getting four major content updates next year, all free for VIPs, then that represents some significant value for subscribers (as it should be), especially considering subscribers usually have to pay for the expansion also (if they are not buying it with their saved TP). I would encourage Turbine to look at other potential perks for VIPs, including perhaps a 10% bonus to Marks/Medallions/Seals accrual. Players need to know, and feel, that they are getting value for their money.

More Content, More Often – Free for VIP.
In the past we’ve focused on yearly expansion packs that brought big changes and lots of new content at the end of the year coupled with smaller updates throughout the year and a new region in the spring. In 2014 we’re going to focus on a steady flow of content throughout the year. We’re planning on adding new content on a quarterly basis in 2014. Players have expressed a desire to explore a bit deeper into Fangorn Forest and to see Isengard flooded in the battle with the Ents. Both of these are slated for our first quarterly update in March.
Later in the year we’ll be seeing more iconic locales and moments from the lore including the Paths of the Dead and the Dead Marshes. We will also take our first steps in Gondor!
If you’re a VIP, these regions and content will all be free with your subscription.

A steady flow of content should help a lot with the feeling of content draughts, especially in comparison to other games that offer more regular updates (GW2, for example, though those updates are typically on a much smaller scale than the ones we get in LOTRO).

Fangorn Forest and Isengard flooded will be very interesting to see. I presume Isengard will be done through phasing. This might be awkward, as players who haven't finished all of the quests in RoI may want to do for deeds, so they will need to be able to go back and do them even after the flooding. I am curious to see how this is done. I am, however, very excited to see new regions and quest content. These are some of LOTRO's best additions, and the Great River is particular highlight.

The Paths of the Dead, the Dead Marshes, and a first glimpse of Gondor all sound great. I know it would be somewhat lore-breaking to enter the Paths, but they are such an iconic place that I really do want to see them, and not just as session play. I hope the first look at Gondor is as good as the first look at Rohan was with Great River (I know we got an earlier glimpse of the Rohirrim in the Gap of Rohan, but it wasn't quite the same).

I also expect, and strongly encourage, that at least one instance cluster is added throughout the year, presumably with some new armour sets and First Age weapons.

Inventory and Bag Space
We know you can never have enough bag space when you’re out adventuring and inventory management and control can almost be its own mini-game at times. We think it’s time to take a new look at inventory in LOTRO and see where we can make improvements. Please share any thoughts you have on what works or what doesn’t work for you regarding inventory here !

Since this is a specific point, I presume the planned improvements are more than just adding another bag or selling more vault spaces. I use the One Bag plugin, because the six bags are chaotic. I hope this gets implemented as a standard feature, especially with automatic sorting. The bags are one of the last archaic elements of player inventory. Another thing to look at is stack size. This has improved over the years, but it's still not as good as it could be. Certainly, nothing should have a max stack size of anything less than 100.

Festivals and Events
We’ll continue to develop our festivals, new and old, and add more events for you to participate in throughout the year. If there are any festivals or events you’d really like to see us build, please let us know on the forums! A thread for Festival suggestions is here .

The Summer Festival has always been ignored, since it occurs during expansion development time. It really needs some beefing up. More variety in festivals is never a bad thing, so some additional mini games and lots of extra rewards will certainly be warmly received. Of course, hobbies are another area that needs attention. We've been waiting for mini golf in the Shire for quite some time now. Imagine how that could play into festivals, and how some of the golf courses, scenery, and so forth could be implemented into player housing too (both as in-game rewards and as additional Store purchases).

Housing
As I said earlier, Housing is still high on our list of objectives for the year, and the conversation thread can be found here. We’ll be talking more about this throughout the year.

I hope this is a significant and thorough revamp, especially given the focus on housing by many upcoming games (and even WoW's next expansion). There are so many features that can be added, and this is a system that can easily be monetised. I encourage Turbine to be frugal with monetisation, however. A few features should be given for free, a few should be given as VIP perks, and a few extra should be charged for. Value for money will be a player concern, especially for those players who are keeping an eye on what the competition is offering.

We are working on one more secret surprise, but I won’t do more than tease its existence now, other than to say that the class changes have made it possible for us to consider making a new addition to the game… which we will talk about later in the year.

I am glad I have an extra character slot ready

If I were a betting man, I would wager that this is a new class. LOTRO has been due a new class for years, and something like this adds a lot of longevity to the game, as it reopens all content again to be experience with a new twist -- and particularly gives altaholics that much extra to do. I remember some dev chats and interviews that hinted that new classes were possible with the class revamps, and if we consider the sheer volume of changes made with the revamps, including entirely new skills and animations, it showed that the developers are more than capable of creating a new class.

I expect that this will be a purchased addition, like Rune-keeper and Warden, and I have no issue with that. I will happily pay to experience a new way of playing the game.

Looking forward to 2014

-Bel

[davidstallard]

4.) Change dyes over to a Color Wheel!
One of the game's most loved features is coloring our clothes! It is one of the things that makes LOTRO stand out from other games, alongside it's cosmetic system. Dyes have become quite cumbersome. Is there a way we can just eliminate them for inventory space and add even a wider range of colors by just having a color-wheel option (like the hair and eyes at character creation)? This would be a massive upgrade to all gamers.

I'm not necessarily against this, but it would invalidate part of the Scholar crafting profession.

[Darlgon]

First read thru thoughts? Promises, Promises, Promises.

[Norwrei]

The player counsel does NOT represent us all. Personally I love and look forward to new expansions. Does this mean no more new expansions or what and if yes .. when again? Thanks.

[Skagirlcourt]

WOOT!!!! New areas and revamping older areas sound awesome!!!!! Thank you, Kate!!!

Yup I'm going to just throw caution to the wind and be excited I look forward to 2014 and all that it brings in LOTRO!

Pandothrien, Kin Leader *The Golden Mallorn*

[site400]

Surely not? I can't imagine what on earth would make you think that.

Head meet Sand.

[Norwrei]

One more thing, thanks for the letter... appreciate it, I really do.. and I like most of what you said until you got to the part about this player counsel that does not and has never represented me (I'm sure I'm not alone on these thoughts).. I was always against this counsel and never see any involvement from them on anything of significant value so don't know how they reflect our voice, the voice of the player.. no sorry just don't see it..I also don't agree with no new expansions and if this is what the player counsel wants, they sure don't echo my wishes... sure new content is good, working on old content is good too but we still need new expansions. Has this ended for lotro or what? Thanks again.

[Amariel28]

One more thing, thanks for the letter... appreciate it, I really do.. and I like most of what you said until you got to the part about this player counsel that does not and has never represented me (I'm sure I'm not alone on these thoughts).. I was always against this counsel and never see any involvement from them on anything of significant value so don't know how they reflect our voice, the voice of the player.. no sorry just don't see it..I also don't agree with no new expansions and if this is what the player counsel wants, they sure don't echo my wishes... sure new content is good, working on old content is good too but we still need new expansions. Has this ended for lotro or what? Thanks again.

No sweetheart. It just means they are not going to be bringing one out every single year like they have been. They are just adding more time in between. This way they can focus on neglected stuff and possibly have more time to plan and test expansions before bringing them out.

[Worfie]

First read thru thoughts? Promises, Promises, Promises.

This

.... maybe its the cynic in me, but this letter is all just Marketing weasel words to me.

Talk is cheap, Actions speak louder than words.

[Galuhad]

One more thing, can we please please please get some sort of official ambassador for Lua APIs and a small budget to really go all out on those this coming year? You have no idea how painful it is for us plugin authors to have little new to play with.

[vermknid]

1: Instead of a select few players you should be discussing changes to the game with the whole community. The select few only serve their own personal interests.
2: HD may have been a high point for you but those dealing with the issues would most likely disagree.
3: Housing: How can we trust you when you promised the same thing for 2013 and didn't deliver? You couldn't even be bothered to put a link in the post.

Agree wholeheartedly.

Why should news of a housing update for "later in 2014" be viewed positively when it had been scheduled for "late 2013"?