World Transfers

[Altair6]

This question may of been asked, but are we getting any form of gold back when we loose our houses so that we can apply this gold to a new purchase?

Yes, you will get any unused rent you've paid when you transfer. And in-game mail with your old address, just in case you forget where you lived.

[guitarguy12410]

The name can't be challenged at all unless the character on the target server has been off for a year.
https://www.lotro.com/en/game/articles/world-transfers

"Naming Priorities
With the new transfer process, when you transfer your character to a new world, the world will check to see if there is a naming conflict. If there is, it will grant the name to the incoming character if the character existing on the world has not been active for one year or more. The less active character will have a -1 added to their name and a rename token granted to the character. (Rename tokens have no expiration date.) This should prevent the majority of unnecessary renames for those transferring from the impacted worlds."

I'm well aware of what the page says. I'm asking Vyvyanne or Frelorn if this scenario will be put into question.

[Fratonia]

I'm well aware of what the page says. I'm asking Vyvyanne or Frelorn if this scenario will be put into question.

It looks like the described functionality will not be changed if I understand Vyvyanne correctly:

7. Why not do names purely on seniority? A few posters have explained the complication of this already. We had to come up with a solution that would work for Transfers going forward. Going off a seniority based system would result in active players always risking that their name could be changed at any point, not just when they transferred. No solution was perfect. We went with an option that will help free up a number of names for players transferring in, while not disturbing the players who are already there and actively playing the game.

[Thurallor]

You must have missed the bit where I said that I'd transfer to Belegaer if Laurelin closes. However, I'd wager large sums of money that if Belegaer does make the cut, it will not have a DE label. The statistics suggest that there are not enough RP players to run two servers without the non-RP servers becoming more overcrowded than even Brandywine. How do you propise to square that circle?

Make them RE servers (a la Landroval) instead? A "RE" designation would have the advantage of grouping together all of the RP players on a single server, without excluding other players.

[Beorthnoth]

Make them RE servers (a la Landroval) instead?

An interesting idea, if only for the meltdown from players on Laurelin and Belegaer if it was tried

[BangoTwinkletoes]

An interesting idea, if only for the meltdown from players on Laurelin and Belegaer if it was tried

As there is no means of moving from EU to US transfers, not having any RP or RPE server at all on the EU side would be interesting a study to see how many people leave lotro in the shortest possible time.

Interestingly though, I doubt that moving either Laurelin or Belegaer it to a RPE ruleset would make that much difference. A sizable chunk of people on Laurelin, most likely the majority don't RP at all and those who are heavily invested in the RP community will continue to do so regardless as to whether there are characters called L337PlayerzPwnzNoobs running around. The harassment rules deals effectively with those who want to disrupt others RP.

As I see the server numbers reducing again in 18 months or so (because as with all MMOs, once it starts it carries on), I don't see how there could ever be more than 1 EU rp server and 1 for the US.

[Liarie]

Interestingly, I doubt that moving it to a RPE ruleset would make that much difference. A sizable chunk of people on Laurelin, most likely the majority don't RP at all and those who are heavily invested in the RP community will continue to do so regardless as to whether there are characters called L337PlayerzPwnzNoobs running around. The harassment rules deals effectively with those who want to disrupt others RP.

Obviously you're not a roleplayer. There are many, many of us who are *very* disturbed by seeing lorebreaking names in our world.

[BangoTwinkletoes]

Obviously you're not a roleplayer. There are many, many of us who are *very* disturbed by seeing lorebreaking names in our world.

I do roleplay - I just learn to deal with aspects that would otherwise kill the immersion.

[Baresira]

I have not searched for this answer, so it may have already been answered. But, what constitutes 'active'? I haven't really played LOTRO for months and months. But, I log in every few months to update the upkeep on my homes. Is that enough to be considered active?

[Trixie_Me]

I have not searched for this answer, so it may have already been answered. But, what constitutes 'active'? I haven't really played LOTRO for months and months. But, I log in every few months to update the upkeep on my homes. Is that enough to be considered active?

Log into each of your characters and you'll be fine. Characters that haven't been logged into for a year are considered inactive for the purposes of the transfer.

[peachykins]

Log into each of your characters and you'll be fine. Characters that haven't been logged into for a year are considered inactive for the purposes of the transfer.

.............

[Linnier]

Yes, in part. There will be a 1-2week notice of which servers will open for transfer next. Putting them in that order in the server announcement is a good idea (Thank You!). However the timeline will not be exact. If we run into issues, the service may need to be turned off for a bit as we correct and then resume.

This has to be the worst merge, transfer in the history of MMOs. So, not only are certain players losing their homes, now they are FORCED to wait in a queue until you see fit? Who thought this was a good idea? How is punishing the players even more a good thing...

What about housing, they just get what is left? Names, oh sorry you had to wait too long, here is a -1 for you.

This entire process is nothing but a complete disaster, and going to drive off tens of thousands of players.

[Lolorndinfey]

Great update, Vyvyanne. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

If it's not asking too much. Can you do three? Would make our job a lot easier in the Harlequins. Believe it or not we have more than 60 toons combined as a band and playing toons.

It's ok if not. Had to ask.

We can leave a few in storage and grind out the TP if not, or just pay some real cash for a job well done by you guys. Keep up the good work.

And guys. Let's toss some cash Turbine's way. Server moves can't be cheap. Let's make sure Vyv has the ammo to go to her bosses and say, "See? worth it".

[maartena]

This has to be the worst merge, transfer in the history of MMOs. So, not only are certain players losing their homes, now they are FORCED to wait in a queue until you see fit? Who thought this was a good idea? How is punishing the players even more a good thing...

What about housing, they just get what is left? Names, oh sorry you had to wait too long, here is a -1 for you.

This entire process is nothing but a complete disaster, and going to drive off tens of thousands of players.

Would you rather see forced server mergers like other MMO's have done, where you have no choice of where you are going? This is actually one of the better merges I have seen, I have been part of server merges where they just threw everyone of one server on top of another server, and you had no choice. If your name was taken, oh well.

At least here, if you know your name is taken on one server, or your favorite neighborhood is full on one server, you have a choice. You can pick a server where the name and house aren't taken. Even better, you can get on your intended target server NOW, create a toon, level it up, make some money, and buy the house of your dreams even BEFORE August 3d.

Why don't you do that?

[Srale]

Again you are missing the point. Turbine didn't see the need to provide servers for Italians or Spaniards in the first place because they deem that player base too small for own servers. Those players made a choice to play on an English server. They might as well have decided to play another game that provides different language servers. For the rest see above. I don't want to repeat myself.

This is the last thing I will state on this topic.

And this is what it come to DE player base - you are now also too small for own server. Now, I write this from position that Laurelin will survive - maybe it will not. In any case I will adopt and continue my journey in Middle Earth.

[maartena]

I'm not sure if this question has already been asked because i wasn't gonna take the time to look through all 18 pages of this thread to see :P

But I was curious about the name issue. I've heard of many cases where say you have person A and person B. Person A is a lvl capped player person and person B is a troll. Person B makes a toon on another server with the same toon name as person A so that person A has to change their name upon coming to the server, even though person B's toon is only lvl 5 or 10. I would hate to have to change the name of my main due to some troll who decided to make my name on another server and logs in after seeing this current naming solution purely to troll me and make me change the name of the toon I've had for years. I'm not sure if this has already been brought up but I was curious about this aspect of it.

That is exactly how it is going to be. If you are concerned about names, you yourself will have to go out and create characters of low level to ensure you get that name. When you move to that server, you either delete the name-place holder before, or you do it afterwards by deleting the name-place holder, and then using the rename token.

There is the danger of name-trollers, and some ##### on Riddermark already proclaimed in World chat he had been reserving some names of people that he said he rather not want to play with anymore, and was hoping that therefore they would not pick that server.

My suggestion to solve this is to allow only those that have the "Novice" rank to be allowed to claim a name, in other words: need to complete the intro. At least then those who are serious about a name will complete the intro, which takes around 30 minutes at most as a dwarf/elf, or 15 if you have the beorning class. I don't think however this will be the case.

Coincidentally, I created a new toon on Gladden yesterday (not to reserve a name, just wanted to play) and i noticed a SHARP increase in the number of level 1's popping up near Brackenbrook, so there are definitely people rapidly claiming names.

[Trixie_Me]

Would you rather see forced server mergers like other MMO's have done, where you have no choice of where you are going?

Yes. I honestly would. I think whole process is unfair to those that are forced to move - particularly if they are going to do the transfers in stages. If everyone is in the same boat, everyone has the same chance at getting that name they've used for years (and developed backstories for), and getting that house they claimed, etc.

[Urzah33]

Well... I know there will be just 5 EU servers left, but it would have been a great idea to keep 6: one for each languages RP and not RP. It would have pleased ALL of the players, whatever the language!
I can understand that Estel is probably less populated than others RP servers, but LOTRO is one of the very rare games where we can roleplay in game with almost anybody in a RP server.

I dont complain... I understand, but I'm very sad. I got characters on Brandywine since the opening of LOTRO and when the two continents have merged, I discovered Estel... I love to RP, as much with my kids and friends but also with poeple I met randomly. But I cant do it in English... cannot write easy enough to do it in English so if we, french (and I suppose german too) loose our RP server, it will be sad for roleplaying...

Just saying. 6 servers would have been a great compromise between condensing population and keep the community happy!

Regards,

Urzah

[BangoTwinkletoes]

Yes. I honestly would. I think whole process is unfair to those that are forced to move - particularly if they are going to do the transfers in stages. If everyone is in the same boat, everyone has the same chance at getting that name they've used for years (and developed backstories for), and getting that house they claimed, etc.

Being a roleplayer myself with several of my chars having well developed back stories, I honestly fail to see how a change of name could completely invalidate a character back story, as in my experience it is the overall story and plot is where the complexity is. In any event, if a name is that important there are always phonetic nuances that can be applied to ensure that a char's changed name at least sounds similar.

The only time where a name is truly significant is if the character is given say a name in Sindarin or Qyenya that translates to a specific aspect - which in that case the phonetic nuance is no longer available - but quite honestly what are the chances of two people having exactly the same Elvish name derived from the same backstory.

[Gandolf_TheOld]

This question may of been asked, but are we getting any form of gold back when we loose our houses so that we can apply this gold to a new purchase?

Read the announcement

[Ellyllon]

This has to be the worst merge, transfer in the history of MMOs. So, not only are certain players losing their homes, now they are FORCED to wait in a queue until you see fit? Who thought this was a good idea? How is punishing the players even more a good thing...

What about housing, they just get what is left? Names, oh sorry you had to wait too long, here is a -1 for you.

This entire process is nothing but a complete disaster, and going to drive off tens of thousands of players.

I don't know about 'the worst,' because I did not like being force-moved (ha!) on, say, SWTOR, but things like housing & names matter, (to me, in the same way that pvp matters to others, which is to say - not at all to me.) If you've had them 7 or 8 years, then it's even more discouraging. If you're on one of the last closing servers, it will be slim pickings. I waited a long time for my Shire house to open. For a long time, you couldn't get *any* house in the Shire. I can deal with the names better - I never got the ones I wanted to begin with, but the housing? I hope they have that worked out, because saying 'some are available still' is not all that reassuring.

I really don't get why the surviving servers get to move first. That seems strangely unfair. Moving 2 at a time, every 2 weeks, may help smooth the transfer process, but if you're on one of the last to move, it's not going to be pleasant. Not everyone will be ready to move immediately, but those who are, and who have to wait a month or more? Not good.

[Ellyllon]

That is exactly how it is going to be. If you are concerned about names, you yourself will have to go out and create characters of low level to ensure you get that name. When you move to that server, you either delete the name-place holder before, or you do it afterwards by deleting the name-place holder, and then using the rename token.

.

Unless they free up the names from inactive account holders before the transfer, this is a fairly weak argument. If you're on a server which doesn't get the first transfer, you will stand a far lower chance of getting your name on the new one. The names are only released if that character moves over, not if you make a L1 to hold it. You can't do that, unless it's currently free.

[Trixie_Me]

The only time where a name is truly significant is if the character is given say a name in Sindarin or Qyenya that translates to a specific aspect - which in that case the phonetic nuance is no longer available - but quite honestly what are the chances of two people having exactly the same Elvish name derived from the same backstory.

I don't think the same backstory is a requirement. But it's very easy to see how two people researching Sindarin or Quenya names can come up with the same name independently. My first character in EQ1 (2000!) was named Laire. I doubt the Laire we see posting on the forums came to her name in the same way I did.

It's a moot point really. They're 5 days away from going down this road, regardless of how unfairly the burden has been distributed. The best we can hope for now, IMO, is that rename tokens be allowed to overwrite inactive character names. If that isn't possible at this point, I truly believe the transfer service should stay off-line and the process re-evaluated.

[BangoTwinkletoes]

I don't think the same backstory is a requirement. But it's very easy to see how two people researching Sindarin or Quenya names can come up with the same name independently. My first character in EQ1 (2000!) was named Laire. I doubt the Laire we see posting on the forums came to her name in the same way I did.

It's a moot point really. They're 5 days away from going down this road, regardless of how unfairly the burden has been distributed. The best we can hope for now, IMO, is that rename tokens be allowed to overwrite inactive character names. If that isn't possible at this point, I truly believe the transfer service should stay off-line and the process re-evaluated.

and interestingly, it's going to show just how many have gone inactive & left the game over the past few years - people will be surprised just how many names are going to be available for use.

[Trixie_Me]

If you're on a server which doesn't get the first transfer, you will stand a far lower chance of getting your name on the new one.

I agree that this is a major problem with the process as I understand it.