Summer LOTRO Executive Producer’s Letter

[Sezneg]

How likely are people to accept having to rename a character they've played for 7+ years because the name is already taken on all surviving servers?

You could scout ahead to servers and create characters in an effort to lock up your name.

[Feraxks]

How likely are people to accept having to rename a character they've played for 7+ years because the name is already taken on all surviving servers?

Its not like they have much choice, but they'll probably just run around with the "-1" after their name like I've been doing for the last 6 months.

[jerry77]

while im glad to see talk of free transfers..... i cant be the only person who took a typical 6mo break from the game to come back to find my beloved elendilmir a near ghost town! its crushing to see lotro suffering due to the horrible plan they executed to go from the huge fellowship raids we had to mere "super ninja solo mode" stuff!


so now i have to wait to transfer so im not out another pile of $$(seriously, ive spent more since f2p rollout than when i sub'd), paying to transfer because turbine slashed and burned lotro would just be pouring the salt on the open wound!

[Silmelin]

Lots of interesting things to look forward to

I'm a bit worried about character names when it comes to server moves, but hopefully people who have a name on a server won't have to worry about someone transferring and taking their name

• Adventures of Bingo Boffin: Also set for a summer release is this new episodic quest in which you will follow the trail of a new Hobbit friend Bingo Boffin as he traverses Middle-Earth. Each week a new episode of the quest will unlock showing you where Bingo is off to next.

Frelorn, could you please explain a bit more about how these episodic quests work? Actually, what I really want to know is if it's some kind of limited time thing, or if you can just skip it on some of your characters and the quests will still be there to do in the future? Or will we have to do the first quest on all our characters the week it goes live, and the next week we will have to do the second quest part, because we will miss out on doing them if we don't?

I haven't done any episodic content in a game before so I have no idea how this will work, so I'm worried that I won't be able to do all the quests

[Dmira]

Based on your proclamation on cost effectiveness can we assume you've done the research to determine how much the "several things" you would propose would cost?

I would put forth the notion to you that Turbine has the best possible data on its game, consumption of the product and subset system and costs to add new features and or enhance others. While I find the company completely shady, it is not out of the realm to suggest that they understand how best to maximize their profits and deliver a decent product. They have been at it for years, people still play. The fact they are not producing the products you want is frankly your issue.

If you are choosing to consume a product you dont like, why on earth would they change anything?

Hi, Thorgrum. Glad to see you didn't quite like you indicated you were the last time I checked the forums. You're right. Turbine's decision not to produce the type of product I wish to consume is my problem, and their's. I have discovered several other MMOs that I enjoy, and the companies producing those games now receive the bulk of the money I used to spend with Turbine. A new store, no matter how spiffy it may be, is not going to make me spend more. But that's just me. As always, I wish Turbine the best and will continue to maintain my VIP status simply because I love playing their lower level regions. And I wish you the best and am glad to see you are still here. Take care.

[Reximus]

I don't see how releasing a brand-spanking new store is going to keep Turbine in business for the next few years.

That's OK, lots and lots of people have no idea how business and their vendors and those relationships work, nothing to be ashamed of.

It certainly isn't going to attract people back into the game. Sure, it may let those of us who are still here to buy things easier, but really, wouldn't it be more cost effective to come up with something that, I don't know, might interest players or (gasp in horror) actually get them to give the game another try? I can think of several things Turbine could do to improve the game and potentially attract people back. A new store isn't one of them.

Turbine doesn't run the store, it's run by a third party vendor. As Frelorn states they are changing vendors, because a new vendor gives them new advantages, the one we know of already is that they will accept more payment options, that is why there will be a store update. Since the store is customer facing, changes will be noticeable, so they announced them. Sometimes business change vendors because they get a better deal or better tools or easier administration. Not all business decision are about getting more customers.

[Jewl_of_the_lake]

Other features to be considered:

* Mount vendor. Tired of being halfway the map and ur bag is full? Nps, just summon ur vendor mount and you're good to go again.

* Full kinship revival. Let people donate gold into the kinship bank and have a tab where we can see what goes in and what goes out of the kinship bank. Atm not even God himself knows what's being taken out or brought into the kinship bank. Give leaders and officers alot more options to choose from inside the kinship tab. There has been a post bout it for years but it's completely ignored although this would be a very good benefit towards the game.

* Implement cosmetic weapons already. People are waiting for this forever. Time to do something bout it. (I want my 2H 1st age lvl 60 on my lvl 100 champ).

* Scale old dungeons and raids also to lvl 100 so we not bored of doing the same stuff over and over again. Who wouldn't love to run dungeons and raids from back in Moria right @lvl 100? Everyone would.

* Flying mounts? no? yes? The lore makes it possible so why not.

* Race change? why not. People are tired of playing the same race for years now.



Just my 2cents on this letter.

No the lore does not make flying mounts possible, the Eagles are sentient beings not a taxi service and the fell beasts are a product of the enemy.

[bucko39]

No the lore does not make flying mounts possible...

Please not this argument...again.

[voodooalien]

Ohhhh how exciting! I am really looking forward to seeing how this all shakes out. Thanks Frelorn and the Turbine team. The information is much appreciated and as always - please try and remember that outside of the vocal complainers there are many quieter folks who are happy to receive news like this!

Lothil, BW

I and many others would be the quieter folks who are happy to receive the news and that Turbine is moving forward with pvp and other aspects of the game. Thank you, I look forward to seeing it play out

[siipperi]

This is something the team is looking into.

Sounds interesting, as a fairly high ranked, I think it encourages us veterans come back but also might lead to more depression when seeing you arent even 1/5th done with ranking progression.

Osgiliath exclusive ranking icons or portraits would be cool as well. Maybe seperate ranking + icon for osgiliath but you also get points to main wartab?


Hey, don't forget creep love.

[Almagnus1]

while im glad to see talk of free transfers..... i cant be the only person who took a typical 6mo break from the game to come back to find my beloved elendilmir a near ghost town! its crushing to see lotro suffering due to the horrible plan they executed to go from the huge fellowship raids we had to mere "super ninja solo mode" stuff!

I would rather see the migration be open to specific servers, like our beloved Jeweled Bell (**jingle jangle**), and closed to the biggest servers like BW and Landy, so the load gets spread out.

While I would love to see LotRO as a single shard MMO, there's no way to make that work without Turbine and the community having a collective aneurysm.

[siipperi]

I would rather see the migration be open to specific servers, like our beloved Jeweled Bell (**jingle jangle**), and closed to the biggest servers like BW and Landy, so the load gets spread out.

While I would love to see LotRO as a single shard MMO, there's no way to make that work without Turbine and the community having a collective aneurysm.

I think awfully lot of people would be pissed off if you shut down rp server.

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

I think awfully lot of people would be pissed off if you shut down rp server.

I don't think he was suggesting shutting it down, rather preventing migration to it. That said, for the US migrators, they should have the option to go the RP server if they should choose - but preventing migration to the very busiest servers (like Brandywine) might be worth considering - but then I know very little about how over-populated/laggy it is.

[Emere]

Check out this thread. :https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...em-adjustments

Thank you vury lots! ~hugs~

[Almagnus1]

I think awfully lot of people would be pissed off if you shut down rp server.

I'm suggesting to point those migrating to a smaller server, rather than letting everyone on the NA servers end up on BW and Landy. Although given Landy's flagging, it probably should remain open for the migrations.

[Thorgrum]

Hi, Thorgrum. Glad to see you didn't quite like you indicated you were the last time I checked the forums. You're right. Turbine's decision not to produce the type of product I wish to consume is my problem, and their's. I have discovered several other MMOs that I enjoy, and the companies producing those games now receive the bulk of the money I used to spend with Turbine. A new store, no matter how spiffy it may be, is not going to make me spend more. But that's just me. As always, I wish Turbine the best and will continue to maintain my VIP status simply because I love playing their lower level regions. And I wish you the best and am glad to see you are still here. Take care.

I never said I was quitting, I said I was reducing my playing time. Posting good bye messages or "I quit" is a violation of the ToS I agreed to when I registered an account. I would never break the rules so blatantly. I highlighted a very important part of your post, I know I am.

Here's the rub, everyone else here likely thinks they are as well and thats part of the problem. The poop storm drives traffic, traffic increases the chances for consumption, consumption increases revenue which is good for turbine.

The last thing they want is for you to become apathetic to the point where you really do pull your consumption. So the conditions are encouraged by which, hope, still has a place in the thought processes and thus postings of people on the forums. Thats a good thing, however at the end of the day you, I and they are the ones responsible for consuming the product. If its isnt good enough you have to stop, otherwise youre sending the clear message that the status quo is okay. I'll likely never play one of my free people toons again after being resold imbunement (I paid for it at MoM). I might play my WL again someday if they make creepside more interesting.

For me it was always more than a map, I need more than that to keep me engaged at this point. I never was an advocate for a new map rather and advocate for making the PvP better. A new map, with out real improvements to game play and risk reward mechanics is akin to slapping lip stick on a pig. What bothers me, and this is 100% my fault, that I was fooled more than once. I believed them when they promised a new map the last time and enhancements and bought ROI because of it. I stuck with it, HD and the trait trees was the last screw job for me really. I knew then this was no longer a game I really wanted to play and stopped spending money in it.

If you arent there yet what is there to say? Enjoy it for what it is and excerise your power (your consumption) to illustrate clearly your displeasure. Anything less than that is just noise and as stated, just increases traffic.

[Vyvyanne]

Frelorn, could you please explain a bit more about how these episodic quests work? Actually, what I really want to know is if it's some kind of limited time thing, or if you can just skip it on some of your characters and the quests will still be there to do in the future? Or will we have to do the first quest on all our characters the week it goes live, and the next week we will have to do the second quest part, because we will miss out on doing them if we don't?

I haven't done any episodic content in a game before so I have no idea how this will work, so I'm worried that I won't be able to do all the quests

The way Episodic quests work is that each week a new quest in the series will become available. You can join in at Quest 1 at any point and play up to the latest released quest, but just like a TV series, once you have caught up, you will have to wait until the next week to find out what happens next.

[Tarlywyn]

The way Episodic quests work is that each week a new quest in the series will become available. You can join in at Quest 1 at any point and play up to the latest released quest, but just like a TV series, once you have caught up, you will have to wait until the next week to find out what happens next.

Was just about to post wanting to know the same as the poster you replied to. Thanks for clarifying we don't have to tune in each week, but rather have it as a omnibus if we so desire at a latter time.

[PKCrichton]

The way Episodic quests work is that each week a new quest in the series will become available. You can join in at Quest 1 at any point and play up to the latest released quest, but just like a TV series, once you have caught up, you will have to wait until the next week to find out what happens next.

That is a cool concept. I'm curious to see how and where it goes. This could add a nice weekly break from our normal routines. One we could possibly setup to run with friends each week.

Can you say if this content will be Solo and Group friendly or will it be purely Solo? I know that when Solo only instances were put into the region questing it put a major damper on running regions with friends. So maybe keep in mind into the design that even if there is an instance involved with a piece of Episodic Content that we may like to be able to go into it with a friend or two

[Silmelin]

The way Episodic quests work is that each week a new quest in the series will become available. You can join in at Quest 1 at any point and play up to the latest released quest, but just like a TV series, once you have caught up, you will have to wait until the next week to find out what happens next.

Great news! Thank you so much Vyvyanne, for taking away my worries. Much appreciated!

I'll take it slow with one or two characters first and leave the others to do their quests later Can't wait to check it out when it arrives!

[DanteIL]

The way Episodic quests work is that each week a new quest in the series will become available. You can join in at Quest 1 at any point and play up to the latest released quest, but just like a TV series, once you have caught up, you will have to wait until the next week to find out what happens next.

Interesting! I guess that makes the rest of the 'ordinary' quest chains more like Netflix, where you can binge and do them all in one sitting if you'd like

[Laire]

How likely are people to accept having to rename a character they've played for 7+ years because the name is already taken on all surviving servers?

I cannot find the quote now, but I do remember them saying that they were also taking that into consideration for players who have to migrate, about who gets the preferred name if said character has not been logged on for several years.

There will be a few edge cases where there are two players with the same name who both still play, I warrant. That will be the worst case scenario.


Thank you also for answering my question about character slots, Frelorn. Appreciate it.

[Gandolf_TheOld]

The way Episodic quests work is that each week a new quest in the series will become available. You can join in at Quest 1 at any point and play up to the latest released quest, but just like a TV series, once you have caught up, you will have to wait until the next week to find out what happens next.

You mean no bingeing like with Netflix's House of Cards release of Season 3?

[Tarlywyn]

You could scout ahead to servers and create characters in an effort to lock up your name.

The trouble with this is it is just a guessing game at the moment as to which servers will close, and which will stay open. I don't have the will to try and lock in 20 names on different servers - if my alts become a [name]-1, I think I'll just live with the -1.

[XinaLotRO]

If this fixes the bugs in the store's item listings, I will be very happy.
It's hard to want to buy anything when shopping is bugged.

I look forward to reading the list of servers that will be merged.