Project Koala

[KongoOtto]

Scenario mentioned in a casual scroll through Breeland the Brandy Hills are part of Project Koala and that the hills are designed for exploration and free roaming so the player could do what ever they want.

Personally i found that concept very interesting since i love Nen Harn. A quite mediative place where you could go and forget about all worries in the world.


40:34


So what is Project Koala?

And are any other places like this planned?

Thanks

[TesalionLortus]

This sounds like old news since this region was designed ages ago. And Eriador back then had quest design that was a LOT MORE scattered overall, without the quest hub to the quest hub routine, but it is more streamlined today. Either way... a "secluded" space within one or a few larger zones, specifically designed to be free-roam doesn't really introduce much freedom to the game overall.

"Project Koala" should actually include all of Middle-earth, eventually, and I recently described a way how it can be done with minimal cost/time/effort, without disturbing anything that's already in the game (unless they feel like they want to speed up the process and spend more time on it, then why not)

[Bole_Fun]

some old project in Turbine era?

[KongoOtto]

This sounds like old news since this region was designed ages ago. And Eriador back then had quest design that was a LOT MORE scattered overall, without the quest hub to the quest hub routine, but it is more streamlined today. Either way... a "secluded" space within one or a few larger zones, specifically designed to be free-roam doesn't really introduce much freedom to the game overall.

"Project Koala" should actually include all of Middle-earth, eventually, and I recently described a way how it can be done with minimal cost/time/effort, without disturbing anything that's already in the game (unless they feel like they want to speed up the process and spend more time on it, then why not)

Yeah i quess the streamliming or routing of questlines happend around Enedwaith if i remember correctly.

Surely "Project Koala" would be from early lotro / MEO era.

I'm just interested in that develpment process.

[Aeroniel]

In the North Downs Casual Stroll, Scenario mentioned that Nen Harn was one of their first landscape expansions, or open areas for exploring without much in the way of questing. He said they called these landscape expansions Project Koala, with Koala meaning "quality". If you want to hear him talking about it, it's at about timestamp 54:22.

[Scenario]

Project Koala was the "code name" we gave to the initial Bree-land region expansions - with an aim at providing content-light explorable spaces. Far Chetwood, Brandy Hills, Starmere Lake, Nen Harn and the Weather Hills were all a part of that effort.

[Strider5548]

Project Koala was the "code name" we gave to the initial Bree-land region expansions - with an aim at providing content-light explorable spaces. Far Chetwood, Brandy Hills, Starmere Lake, Nen Harn and the Weather Hills were all a part of that effort.

FWIW it's things like this that make this game special. LOTRO is failing the playerbase on several different fronts, but one thing that has been consistently amazing for 15 years is the world and storytelling. Thank you for taking on projects like this, for continuing to fill out the world map, and putting an effort into the little things that many of us find value in.

[Nonde]

So what is Project Koala?

In rl it is establishing and protecting green corridors that enable koalas and other wildlife to escape fires and find food so a good code name for undeveloped space!!

[auximenes]

Project Koala was the "code name" we gave to the initial Bree-land region expansions - with an aim at providing content-light explorable spaces. Far Chetwood, Brandy Hills, Starmere Lake, Nen Harn and the Weather Hills were all a part of that effort.

I love all of those areas, especially the Far Chetwood. They remind me of Turbine's old AC series which were much more sandbox-style. They make the world feel more alive than mile after mile of enemy camps.