Severlin Chat reactions

[Joedangod]

What make me sad is what they don't want to do kinship rewamp.

Huh? Thought they said that they were looking to do a kinship revamp.

[Elmagor]

Huh? Thought they said that they were looking to do a kinship revamp.

Well, I heard that too, but other player just tell me what I heard something wrong and they don't have plans for it right now. I don't sure, because we don't heard anything about it for years. Maybe you right and I was right in first place, and someone just have problems with translation from voice.

[Once_of_Bree]

Huh? Thought they said that they were looking to do a kinship revamp.

That's what I heard too but of course that leads immediately to the "When?" question which is anyone's guess

[Joedangod]

Ripped from the youtube transcript:

"uh what about kinship work in the future
oh yeah we definitely want to do kinship
work in fact we're already talking about
it"

Really wish youtubes speech-to-text was better with the formatting (it formats lines of text based on timestamp which is kinda awful to look at).

[BigLotroFan]

Disappointed yet not surprised that Gundabad is delayed again.

Confirmation (or shall I say recognition) of the Brawler class and saying it is inspired by a valar (likely Tulkas). I look forward to it.

It seems the Eye of Sauron server is not going to happen. I am not VIP so it doesn't affect me, but it's another thing that was "planned" that doesn't seem to be happening. This sort of thing is why I don't get excited for producer's letters or understand why others do. Very little is ever said in them and half of what is said is either delayed or scrapped...meh.

[SavinDwarf]

Overall I felt the session was informative. I do have one concern. Let me start with an old saying:

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

- Lewis Carroll

From a customer perspective if we don't know what you are trying to do, then don't be surprised when we start to guess and then disagree with the results we see. LOL

This applies to a number of things that were discussed. For instance, Legendary Items. Many of us understand this is difficult and a lot of ideas may sound good but then not work out. But it wouldn't hurt if you let EVERYONE know in a statement what you are trying to accomplish. It could be in something like release notes and reference on the logon splash screen. Documenting something like that (even if its only a couple of paragraphs) will not only help the customers but you can stick it on the virtual wall and it will help the developers as well. AND YES, I know that it will cause a storm of forum message and make Cordovan life difficult *smile*, but it won't be any worse than it is already (I hope LOL).

[Symbolika1]

I have a question^^...as I'm french, with accent and so, I didnt get at all what Severlin exactly said, or wanted to say while evoking lifetimers? As i'm one of them, i would appreciate if somebody could decrypt me that part of the interview.
Thanks in advance, cause right now, as I understood, the ssg team is looking on how to stop that ? I'm confused, hopefully i'll be inlighted here *cheer and be well *

[Seregthol]

The lack of action regarding LIs after years of waiting is a horrible joke! Year-after-year it keeps getting ignored! And the whole time newer players and customers who want to equip alts (imagine that!) get so frustrated with the ridiculous grind that they quit!

[Symbolika1]

The lack of action regarding LIs after years of waiting is a horrible joke! Year-after-year it keeps getting ignored! And the whole time newer players and customers who want to equip alts (imagine that!) get so frustrated with the ridiculous grind that they quit!

Yes... I do so, each time I reach my breaking point, touching the nonsense of this pixel tic-tac tic-tac ...See I wanted to buy a Valar because of fresh restart (part cause of LI taking me off game again ), and buy with cash the expesions cause the last I have is my Mordor pre-purchase, but I'm just petrified with what I will have to pay so much attention to with that "monster-grindy"-weapon, with, as i said earlier in this thread, a few Encyclopedia open in front of me, brainstorming the statistics while my toon sigh and shake its head negativly...

[Cordovan]

Any work done on the VIP program would be to improve value to it. Thanks for the responses and feedback, and we're reading.

[ItaOperor]

Any work done on the VIP program would be to improve value to it. Thanks for the responses and feedback, and we're reading.

You say that whilst hiding a quest pack that should be free to VIP behind the paywall of a supposed 'mini expansion'

So I'm sure you'll forgive me if I have absolutely no trust in what you're saying here.

[zaboch]

Any work done on the VIP program would be to improve value to it. Thanks for the responses and feedback, and we're reading.

Some general ideas:

• 10-25% discount on LOTRO store items
• Weekly Virtue XP bonus pool (anything between 2000-10000, depending on level)
• Passive Marks/Medalion/Seal earnings boost (10-30%)
• Additional trait page access

These are just off the top of my head, would think more about it.

[DroboTheDwarf]

You say that whilst hiding a quest pack that should be free to VIP behind the paywall of a supposed 'mini expansion'

So I'm sure you'll forgive me if I have absolutely no trust in what you're saying here.

So much THIS, you took the words right out of my mouth. The new area is something we should not have had to pay for, maybe the decision was out of their hands and maybe not. All the same it is a slap in the faced to paying players.

[Cordovan]

I have a question^^...as I'm french, with accent and so, I didnt get at all what Severlin exactly said, or wanted to say while evoking lifetimers? As i'm one of them, i would appreciate if somebody could decrypt me that part of the interview.
Thanks in advance, cause right now, as I understood, the ssg team is looking on how to stop that ? I'm confused, hopefully i'll be inlighted here *cheer and be well *

We have no intention of messing with anyone's Lifetime VIP.

[thinx]

On Ex-VIP perks: Be careful here.

People that bought one-time VIP paid money to unlock features like trait slots, virtue slots, gold limit and quick travel. They did this on purpose and it was money SSG/Turbine would not have received if it would not have provided these unlocks.
Taking it away from them means they need to unlock it again by another one-time payment (until someone says "well, let's take it away from them and let them pay again).
In addition it would make all premium chars 2nd-class in all content. Playing without trait slots is definitely not fun, so we need to buy an unlock for all alts immediately. Most people I know would immediately need to spend a few 1000 LP for traits and virtues on many alts.

There is only one non-store permanent unlock: Quick travel. It is possible to consider this as "active-VIP-only" bonus, but taking this away is a major cut.

I do not know if I would stay then. Taking away my bought unlocks is not nice. I was on the edge of buying a one-time VIP for 2 accounts and this is definitely postponing it until there is a clear statement. And playing without quick-travel is IMO a real problem.
There are a few interesting concepts on today's market and a few more on the horizon. Sorry, but LOTR lore is not enough to justify everything. I do not know where exactly my limit is, but there is one.

There is no sense in making premium weaker to "improve" VIP. Make VIP what it was promised to be. People pay for convenience and content and this is what they get. A few quest packs between expansions and freedom from store-pushing grind.
I reduced my payments to a minimum at the time it was clear that any sensible payment would not bring an acceptable convenience level. This was between Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith. First, there was no expansion to buy - and afterwards, the business with solvents, stat tomes and ILI started. Before it was not necessary to buy convenience - and afterwards, it was no longer possible to buy convenience by spending money in a sensible way.

[Symbolika1]

We have no intention of messing with anyone's Lifetime VIP.

Ah! Thank you for answering! Clear and simple answer!

[Arnenna]

On Ex-VIP perks: Be careful here.

People that bought one-time VIP paid money to unlock features like trait slots, virtue slots, gold limit and quick travel. They did this on purpose and it was money SSG/Turbine would not have received if it would not have provided these unlocks.
Taking it away from them means they need to unlock it again by another one-time payment (until someone says "well, let's take it away from them and let them pay again).
In addition it would make all premium chars 2nd-class in all content. Playing without trait slots is definitely not fun, so we need to buy an unlock for all alts immediately. Most people I know would immediately need to spend a few 1000 LP for traits and virtues on many alts.

There is only one non-store permanent unlock: Quick travel. It is possible to consider this as "active-VIP-only" bonus, but taking this away is a major cut.

I do not know if I would stay then. Taking away my bought unlocks is not nice. I was on the edge of buying a one-time VIP for 2 accounts and this is definitely postponing it until there is a clear statement. And playing without quick-travel is IMO a real problem.
There are a few interesting concepts on today's market and a few more on the horizon. Sorry, but LOTR lore is not enough to justify everything. I do not know where exactly my limit is, but there is one.

There is no sense in making premium weaker to "improve" VIP. Make VIP what it was promised to be. People pay for convenience and content and this is what they get. A few quest packs between expansions and freedom from store-pushing grind.
I reduced my payments to a minimum at the time it was clear that any sensible payment would not bring an acceptable convenience level. This was between Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith. First, there was no expansion to buy - and afterwards, the business with solvents, stat tomes and ILI started. Before it was not necessary to buy convenience - and afterwards, it was no longer possible to buy convenience by spending money in a sensible way.

There has never been any freedom from store pushing grind for VIPs. Their grind is the same as everyone else's, lways has been, and therein lies part of the problem. Some players (myself included) bought up all content, and still subbed - for years, knowing the content we bought was included in the sub, so it's not just about this whole WoTP thing. Its a trust thing, its too many straws, too close together. Too much - the same, as non paying players, convenience aside, but most of us can play the game without the convenience.

I'm in a position where I can compare a lifetime, premium, free and VIP account all side by side, and apart from paying - there is very little difference. The grinds are the same for my VIP account (ex VIP now), my premium account, my free account and my hubby also has the same grinds, as a lifetimer. He hasn't paid anything in to the game for a few years now, because the game has got lost for him and he rarely logs in even. He can run around with all the VIP perks that I was paying for, and our grind was the same uphill climb. My premium and free chars face exactly the same, but without the perks. Therefore, from my perspective, VIP is only providing convenience now, and I don't need, or want to pay more for that, than I pay for content.

[Laurelinarien]

Some general ideas:

• 10-25% discount on LOTRO store items
• Weekly Virtue XP bonus pool (anything between 2000-10000, depending on level)
• Passive Marks/Medalion/Seal earnings boost (10-30%)
• Additional trait page access

These are just off the top of my head, would think more about it.

All good ideas, especially the last one since I despise having only 2 when most classes we raid with require us to spend MC to unlock the actual number of tabs needed (no matter the class, we all need more than 2).

I'd add a QoL change: let VIPs Kin Leaders get a house sooner - 3 months is a loooong wait.

[zaboch]

All good ideas, especially the last one since I despise having only 2 when most classes we raid with require us to spend MC to unlock the actual number of tabs needed (no matter the class, we all need more than 2).

That's what I meant with it. It adds a free page to VIPs

[Oddessia]

First off THANK YOU to Sev, Cord, and all the other staff members that I know were lurking in twitch chat, for taking the time to chat with us! Personally I really enjoyed the hour, I found it informative and absolutely worth my time. I miss communications like this and so am very pleased to have had the chance to tune in. Thank you, thank you. <3

I liked a lot of the answers, and of course disliked some but that's pretty standard. I have stressed over some decisions SSG has made in the past and in the end it always worked out and I was fine, so I'm not going to stress overmuch on these either. Not to mention, I think a lot of what was said is a ways out, and is fluid. Do I take Sev's answers as a concrete, set-in-stone statements? Nope, and that relieves some of my worry.

Am I concerned slightly for VIP+content going forward? Yep, however since what Sev said is likely very fluid, changeable, and definitely vague, I'm not going to panic. What it *sounded* like to me was:

-More frequent but smaller content releases (so same overall content at end of year but spread out more.)
-Some of them will be free, some not. (so VIPs will be paying for some content that they would not have had to previously. But we get it more often...)

Sounds (to me) like its simply a way to get people to pay more. The content amount at the end of year would likely be the same, but instead of 2 areas free for VIPs, it will be maybe 5 releases - 2 of which are free for VIP. All said and done = what was free for VIPs before will be less free. Of course I don't like this. Not one bit, I'm sure no one does. WHY this was the path taken - I don't know and I hope I'm wrong about what I understand.

BUT...since its a ways off, and things are constantly changing and being developed, this could drastically change by release time. Or evolve into something we really like. Or be not at all as bad as we think. Who knows. For now I'm just going to do my best to chill out over it. I love the team, I love the staff and I really understand and appreciate the insane amount of effort and work they do. I know you guys are doing your best with the resources you have(and doing 2 games), so thank you.

VIP IDEA:
-Include some of the older expansions (ROHAN!?) into VIP status when subbing for a year.

-Ods

[gildhur]

Any work done on the VIP program would be to improve value to it. Thanks for the responses and feedback, and we're reading.

Honestly, Wenda Cranesbill and her subscriber bonuses make VIP insanely attractive. The only change I would make to VIP at this point would be to make her bonuses permanent - provide the Jug buff on all characters, and make the Town Services item a UI button, instead of requiring a trip to town to refresh them. It shouldn't be inconvenient to access convenience services.

Keep up the good work.

[Elmagor]

The lack of action regarding LIs after years of waiting is a horrible joke! Year-after-year it keeps getting ignored! And the whole time newer players and customers who want to equip alts (imagine that!) get so frustrated with the ridiculous grind that they quit!

That's actually don't true in all. They add SoE and Crystals for Motes/Embers. They add them and Crystals of Remembrance in Remmorchant/other 130 instances. They add SoE/Crystals for missions and all of that was in last year

[YamydeAragon]

Any work done on the VIP program would be to improve value to it. Thanks for the responses and feedback, and we're reading.

Thanks! Here is 1 idea to improve VIP account services: Give relevance to DP (Destiny Points) again. That way you don't have to create a lot new weekly buffs.

• This can be done by adding DP reward to all repeatable weekly quest wrappers that are level 100+ (without remove the few ways we already got to earn DP) & let us choose on what buff we wish to use the DP.
• Also take a look at those DP buffs that have not being updated in many years. Some of them are pretty weak cause have a fixed number, but changing the buff to % bonus is a easy fix that will give a descent buff to high level toon but not too overpowered on low level toons.

[Elmagor]

Since it's already known what Gundabad shifted from Spring 2021 to september-fall of 2021, it's really imporant to keep playerbase during whole year. Even if overall improvements in coding and game mechanic can be interesting, it's really importan to keep communication with community and advertise that changes, otherwise players go to other games what have more major updates and never returns.

[wispsong]

That's actually don't true in all. They add SoE and Crystals for Motes/Embers. They add them and Crystals of Remembrance in Remmorchant/other 130 instances. They add SoE/Crystals for missions and all of that was in last year

And all of that to little and to late. There are still no ways to get enough just questing through a region. 90+% are locked behind repetitive end game. That is not going to help characters just questing through. They need to add resets (free levels) ten below the new cap with each increase. I personally won't go further then the Gate of Mordor on new characters if I even get that far on free levels. While I have some characters with maxed crystals none has even reached the mote cap on scrolls yet. I have given up years ago on the ILIs and won't fuss much about the new virtue jump either. Eventually I will stop buying new content because I won't be able to do it.