Official Winter Events Schedule (Tentative)

[Frelorn]

December

• 4 - 6 : Hobnanigans
• 11 – 13 : Buried Treasure
• 18 - January 10: Yule Festival
• 25 - 27 : 25% Skirmish Mark Boost

January

• 1-3 : Hobnanigans
• 15-18 : VIP Events -Boosts
• 22-24 : 25% Skirmish Marks

[Figment99]

Thank you so much for the dates. It is really appreciated. I know how busy you all have been.

[Elennare]

Thanks! Winter is heeeeeere, and festivals will be too soon ^^

[Flooz]

Thank you

*runs to make sure all of my toons have a horseshoe for extra luck in the Treasure Hunt *

[Benegon]

My favorite festivals are 1. The Yule Festival and 2. Treasure Hunt so its a great time of year for me!!

[Olgomil]

Thanks Frelorn.

Sergio :-)

[Theozor]

If only the Hobspam fix was live already. Oh well, at least I have hope the spam will be gone before January.

[Seeker]

Woo Hoo!!! Buried Treasure and Yule Fest! Thank you for the schedule Frelorn. My December just got better!!! Merry Xmas.

[Eirika]

Thank you for the schedule...

Lothhil

[ElanorFb]

I had assumed that the Yule festival would have started today based on last year's schedule: December 16, 2014 and will conclude on January 13, 2015

But it seems that the dates posted here are correct. Is there any reason why more than a week has been removed from the festival?
Considering the essence scrolls for this festival are a whopping 180 tokens, that could hardly be the reason?

[Thoroval]

I had assumed that the Yule festival would have started today based on last year's schedule: December 16, 2014 and will conclude on January 13, 2015

But it seems that the dates posted here are correct. Is there any reason why more than a week has been removed from the festival?
Considering the essence scrolls for this festival are a whopping 180 tokens, that could hardly be the reason?

My theory had been that Turbine wanted to wait until after update 17.2 was released before turning on the festival. However, I've not seen anything regarding maintenance this week and Vyvyanne's comment regarding 17.2 after Bullroarer's chat server testing last week likely indicates that 17.2 never had anything to do with the delayed start of the Yule Festival. Or it means they didn't hit their target date for 17.2.

That only leaves the server transfer schedule as a reason. Perhaps they didn't want the Yule Festival starting near the same day as Snowbourne opening for transfers?

I don't know. I'm just glad we have a date before the festival starts this time.

[Thoroval]

My theory had been that Turbine wanted to wait until after update 17.2 was released before turning on the festival. However, I've not seen anything regarding maintenance this week and Vyvyanne's comment regarding 17.2 after Bullroarer's chat server testing last week likely indicates that 17.2 never had anything to do with the delayed start of the Yule Festival. Or it means they didn't hit their target date for 17.2.

That only leaves the server transfer schedule as a reason. Perhaps they didn't want the Yule Festival starting near the same day as Snowbourne opening for transfers?

I don't know. I'm just glad we have a date before the festival starts this time.

Then again, perhaps my theory about 17.2 impacting Yule Festival start was correct after all? Downtime

[ElanorFb]

I remember now there are marks in the gift boxes. I think that is the explanation for the weeks reduction of Yule festival. The other festivals are now only 2 weeks. I guess this one is at least still 3 - down from 4 weeks last year.

[Thoroval]

I remember now there are marks in the gift boxes. I think that is the explanation for the weeks reduction of Yule festival. The other festivals are now only 2 weeks. I guess this one is at least still 3 - down from 4 weeks last year.

I believe there have been Marks, Medallions, and even Symbols of Celebrimbor (hopefully upped to level 100 this year) in the boxes from the very first time that Winter-home daily quest was offered so I don't think anything's changed there. I just think they didn't want to start it until after the next game update which has unfortunately been pushed off until tomorrow due to today's power outage in Turbine's offices. I expect the festival to be turned on tomorrow shortly after maintenance if past turn on times hold.

Turbine still has the festival including the same number of weekends (4) as last year. Of course, that assumes it shuts off at 3am server time on Monday morning Jan 11 and NOT at 3am on Sunday morning Jan 10. It would be completely wrong to have a festival shut down in the middle of a weekend, but given their track record of turn off times, I plan on having my business completed NLT Friday, Jan 8 just to play it safe.

[ElanorFb]

29 days last year. 23 days this year. Putting it in those terms I feel stupid complaining about it but Holiday/winter festivals across a few different games are the highlight of my year.

[Thoroval]

29 days last year. 23 days this year. Putting it in those terms I feel stupid complaining about it but Holiday/winter festivals across a few different games are the highlight of my year.

I hear you. I only see some of my long time game friends during the Yule Festival. The shorter it is, the less I see of them.

[Thoroval]

tl;dr

Turbine is advertising conflicting Yule Festival end dates. Again. /facepalm Be aware. Finish early.

Edit: Vyvyanne has announced the datacenter move will be Jan 11 so that's one more reason to finish your festival turn-ins early. Hopefully the festival will stay on until Jan 11 @ 3am server time (2 hours before the servers come down for the move), but I wouldn't bet on it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it shut off at 3am on Sunday morning.

---

The "tentative" Yule Festival end date as stated in this very thread: Jan 10, 2016

The end date according to an official Turbine newsletter I received: Jan 12, 2016

The end date according to the Yule Festival article on the LOTRO site: Jan 10, 2016

Jan 10 has two votes and Jan 12 has one vote so you might conclude that it ends Jan 10.

So which date is it?

You may say perhaps the graphic stating Jan 12 is from last year. Well in addition to the fact that the picture file name has "yule15" in it, last year's conflicting end dates were Jan 13 and Jan 15, not Jan 10 or Jan 12

As a reminder about last year, the Yule Festival was tentatively scheduled with an end date of Jan 15, 2015. Other sources (newsletter graphics, article header, etc.) had an end date of Jan 13, 2015. Since only the tentative date stated Jan 15 while other sources stated Jan 13, and Jan 13 was a Tuesday which is closer to when Turbine usually ends festivals, it would be reasonable to conclude that the festival would end on the 13th (actually at 3am server time on Jan 14). It didn't. If I remember correctly the festival actually ended at 3am server time on Jan 16 which would indicate the original, tentative end date of Jan 15 was actually correct despite being stated in only one place. The festival was definitely still up Jan 15. Many people tried to get confirmation regarding last year's festival end date (I tried both public post and PM in late December) with no response.

I don't understand where the communication break keeps happening. Make a policy. For example, take the enddate@3am server time shut off and advertise the end date as the day (or 2 days even) before that enddate. Advertise the same end date through all resources. Turbine does a good job consistently advertising start dates as the day after a festival startdate@10am server time (unless they don't advertise a start date at all). It shouldn't be this hard. /facepalm (a second time because it's an awesome /facepalm!)

As I've stated, I'm cautious and will be completely done on Friday, Jan 8. I always take the earliest date Turbine advertises, subtract 2 days from it, and finish on that earlier date. I take anything beyond that as bonus.

[Thoroval]

Adding to the uncertainty, this week's LOTRO Store Sales page currently states the Yule Festival is "Now – Jan. 12th". So that's now multiple votes for Jan 10 and multiple votes for Jan 12 with the datacenter move smack in the middle on Jan 11. Yay? (still epic)

[Vyvyanne]

It is the 12th. We have extended it to match the newsletter. As we prefer to err on the side of the later announcement when there are communication mishaps like that. However, be prepared that some things might reset on the festival with the datacenter move.

[Thoroval]

It is the 12th. We have extended it to match the newsletter. As we prefer to err on the side of the later announcement when there are communication mishaps like that. However, be prepared that some things might reset on the festival with the datacenter move.

A response! /faints

Just so there's no misunderstanding, can you confirm that by "Jan 12" you mean the shut off time is precisely 13 Jan @ 3am server time? That's what I would expect, but... there's history... (I'll still be complete Jan 9 as I've pre-planned)

I hope the datacenter move goes well and within the planned times, but I'm not planning on doing anything on Jan 11. Too many things could go wrong that day.

[Vyvyanne]

A response! /faints

Just so there's no misunderstanding, can you confirm that by "Jan 12" you mean the shut off time is precisely 13 Jan @ 3am server time? That's what I would expect, but... there's history... (I'll still be complete Jan 9 as I've pre-planned)

I hope the datacenter move goes well and within the planned times, but I'm not planning on doing anything on Jan 11. Too many things could go wrong that day.

That is the plan, but I can not guarantee it will be precise. There will be a lot of changes to the servers between now and that time after all.

[Cirethnyl]

Festivals used to be prolonged very often, it was a good custom, I miss it. Yule Festival in particular lasted longer in some years than others. I'd love it if Yule Festival was prolonged this year too!

[Pfeifenkraut]

It is the 12th. We have extended it to match the newsletter. As we prefer to err on the side of the later announcement when there are communication mishaps like that. However, be prepared that some things might reset on the festival with the datacenter move.

The festival just ended, it turns out that the 10th was the last day after all. Festival ended at midnight PST of the 10th/3 am EST of the 11th. There's a lot of people in Frostbluff using the /tantrum and /cry emotes right now, heh.

[Anavalar]

The festival just ended, it turns out that the 10th was the last day after all. Festival ended at midnight PST of the 10th/3 am EST of the 11th. There's a lot of people in Frostbluff using the /tantrum and /cry emotes right now, heh.

Quite a few unhappy folks indeed. /cry

[Tarlywyn]

Yep, logged back in for the server day start (3am) and no winter festival .