A Look at LOTRO's 2023

[Elmagor]

A few people have mentioned lag/performance, and so far you guys have ignored its existence completely - both in the letter itself and the responses on this thread. This leads me to believe that you have nothing to say right now that wouldn't cause more worry or disappointment than hope. The silence is loud.

Before I even started reading the letter, I said to myself, "Please, acknowledge the lag problem, at the very least."

You guys seem to avoid the "lag problem" like some plague unleashed by Lhaereth (which is a good story, btw - Lhaereth, not your failure to deal with lag).

Are we waiting on some third-party vendor (contract) to "update/upgrade" or replace the servers maybe this year, maybe next, or what light can you shed on this years-long issue?

Otherwise, Umbar, crafting updates, other landscape stuff, etc. sounds ambitious and hopeful. Speaking of ambition, I'm tempted to begin doubting that you believe everything in the letter can actually be accomplished this year, otherwise, you'd have said something like "exciting." Maybe I'm too cynical in this one department, but honestly, I'm ok with delays if it means more polish. How's the hiring been going for SSG?

Finally, thank you, Orion, for stepping up and wearing these new hats and dealing with all the BS inherent to the forums.

Orion Lead Systems Designer, not engineer, so why he need fill another person's job and go deep into technical details?

[SSG_Orion]

Btw, @Orion does the "I'll be taking a look at mounted combat and whether it can be fixed" still hold for 2023?

Yes, it will be looked at. No, there are no plans to address Mounted Combat directly.

[aleczander]

Orion Lead Systems Designer, not engineer, so why he need fill another person's job and go deep into technical details?

When was the last time an engineer came on the forums to give us said information? Yeah, that's why someone (not necessarily Orion) needs to do so.

[Elmagor]

When was the last time an engineer came on the forums to give us said information? Yeah, that's why someone (not necessarily Orion) needs to do so.

Because they have ETA for content, but how you can make ETA about lag fixes?

P.S. So no kiniship revamp or new housing in plans? Kinship revamp was discussed in last 4 years at least and still pushed more into future

[Pontin_Finnberry]

but how you can make ETA about lag fixes?

Really can't much as its a can of worms to fix, also I don't know why others say they are avoiding/ignoring lag/performance, they aren't, lag has been talked about a number of times that its being worked on and has been for a long time now, severlin a few times during live streams has gone into some detail about lag and the issues, adding lag to this letter isn't going to say anything new that hasn't been said for a long time now, as we already know they looking into it, but its not flick of a switch and boom lag gone.

[Cordovan]

We have spent a lot of time and energy investigating and resolving sources of degraded game performance over the past two years, and that work will continue in 2023. Much of the work is centering on how the game communicates with itself, to become as efficient as possible, and to improve the various game systems when we can in cases where older design perhaps didn't fully consider the ramifications of a game entering its 16th year and the amount of things that would be added to it. You've already seen some of this work, including things like land block loading and the way some deeds query the system, well, also the updated Legendary Item system really, but there is always more work to do. While no one change or fix will permanently remove lag from the game, our ongoing work will chip away at it.

[Ainworth]

OK, I do not like to talk about LAG, but here goes.

First, what is the "objective" definition of LAG?

IMO, If there is a base definition where you can start the discussion from there.

But if is dependent on the end-user's equipment then one person's LAG will be another's baseline connectivity.

[Belechael]

After-Battle Gondor is in the Spring, as the post and graphic says, not Autumn. Before the Shadow with its TWO new landscape zones was just released TWO months ago, and you're already demanding more? Good grief. Two landscape updates per year has been standard since just after launch. This schedule is entirely on par with that.

You obviously have a reading comprehension issue. It's ok. Lots of people do.

[Elmagor]

After-Battle Gondor is in the Spring, as the post and graphic says, not Autumn. Before the Shadow with its TWO new landscape zones was just released TWO months ago, and you're already demanding more? Good grief. Two landscape updates per year has been standard since just after launch. This schedule is entirely on par with that.

After getting 4 low level landscape zones, of course 140 levels want to see 140 level landscape zone, why not?

[SophieTheEnchantress]

Thank you for the letter and pretty pictures. To my eyes, it all seems very hopeful.

I wish all of you at Standing Stone Games great luck and success in the this new year. May the wisdom of the stars continue to illuminate your path to happiness and prosperity.

[Arnenna]

While all the details are not ready for full reveal yet, I can say this. The changes will not extend pre-Mordor to start. We will NOT be requiring you to raid to craft top end gear. Stay tuned, we want to get your feedback on our crafting ideas and will be putting more thoughts out on this system update soon.

A lot of players have been waiting for a decent crafting update for a very long time. I hope they will move down to pre-Mordor at some point, even if not to start with. It's needed. I'm glad that you've decided to not go the route of needing raid items to craft. That killed the Ironfold tier. There are some purple pieces of gear on that tier for level 120, but the crafting in the Vales of Anduin is a dead duck.

I look forward to more news. Crafting was always such a massive part of my game, crafting for alts, crafting for kinnies/friends/strangers out in the World. Now, I can't remember the last time I crafted anything beyond some fire oils and hope tokens. It's been years.

[ShireDweller]

I have been hoping for sunlit Gondor ever since the region first came out. I know it had to be dawnless at the time to be story-appropriate, but I was disappointed that it remained so even after I got far enough into the Epic Story that it didn't make sense anymore. I'm really looking forward to seeing the new version.

[orangeman]

Any new area that takes us away from those lazy, conniving, greedy dwarves will be a welcome change. Just fed up with having to deal with them for the last couple years. Pirates, er, Corsairs will be a very welcome change. Thank you. It will be worth the wait.

[Arnenna]

Any new area that takes us away from those lazy, conniving, greedy dwarves will be a welcome change. Just fed up with having to deal with them for the last couple years. Pirates, er, Corsairs will be a very welcome change. Thank you. It will be worth the wait.

Playing in the land of men will indeed be a welcome change from Dwarf content. But, that said, we have had plenty of Men related content, mixed in with some Elven content and an overload of Dwarves.

It's really time for some Hobbit content.

I know we had the addition to the Shire, but it would be awesome to play some hobbit content at level cap.

Apart from that lovely little Hobbit village Lyndelby in the Wells of Langflood, and a few sessions in Mordor, the last time we had Hobbit content to play with was Enedwaith.

[Fealhach]

Thanks for the Letter.

Looking forward to Umbar. The land directly south of Gondor is an arid, barren and desert land so that will make an interesting change from all the lush greenery we've been used to. Hope to see vast, empty (except for a few pockets) and inhospitable lands where those conditions do have an impact on adventuring (like an opposite of Forochel). The port city of Umbar will be especially interesting with its long history and cultures of the Numenoreans, Black-numenoreans, Gondorians, Corsairs and Haradrim. It's a real melting pot and a place unlike we have encountered so far in game. Once we have finally subdued the Corsairs perhaps it could become the base where all our southern adventuring commences from.

Cheers

[Fr0striven]

OK, I do not like to talk about LAG, but here goes.

First, what is the "objective" definition of LAG?

IMO, If there is a base definition where you can start the discussion from there.

But if is dependent on the end-user's equipment then one person's LAG will be another's baseline connectivity.

This is a good point/question, because I can tell you that I finally went and purchased a new PC (basically the best specs I could get around $1,500 USD), and have a direct ethernet connection, and I'm barely seeing any lag now for the past 7 or 8 days, including in raids. This is even in cases where people in my party say things like "the lag is so bad right now!" and I'm having zero issues. THere have been some hiccups that I've seen, but nothing like comments where I see people say the game is unplayable. It's llike playing an entirely different game now because I'm on high settings and experiencing minimal lag, finally.

[Celebrawn]

So, no new area this year until the new Gondor in Autumn. And I can hardly call that new area.

I can understand the need to cater to new players (Cardolan) and save workhours by not introducing a new area, but I will miss the on level questing for my level cap characters

Spring: "Landscape updates"

[Pontin_Finnberry]

Something I wonder, will the new expansion connect to existing lands of Gondor, or will it be a new region separated from old gondor, and just connect to new Gondor without dawnless day?

[CheatCat]

The letter should have a hint about the new class... I don't see it... Astronomer? I don't know.
Either way, making a new class usually nerf another one, so care must be taken if such are added. I am rather fine with the selection of classes there are today, and now some trait trees have been removed so I fear this is going to continue.
About the level increase, I am not excited about it too. I think 140 is way enough. Especially with only a single road to go to the next level. I like what you have done with those alternative start routes, which could be expanded.
And crafting... How will the tools work? Will we be back at individual tools and universal tools (often gated behind expansions)? Because right now I don't see any possible way for a metalsmith to craft all different combinations unless they can craft universal tools. Or remove the tools? Forges etc might already have sufficient tools so why carry around tools? I think many of us want to craft end-game stuff so think a little about it. And weapon skins perhaps. Maybe merge some crafting tiers, 15 tiers will feel daunting. Maybe have 1 crafting tier for every 20 levels (that would be 8 tiers so I guess it is no-way)?

[Edelhardt]

Thanks for this letter, I can only say that I'm really looking forward to what is coming this year. It is fantastic that there are so many plans for a game that is in its 16th year! My new hobbit LM has just about finished Moria after having levelled up in Swanfleet, Cardolan, Yondershire and the Angle with a sprinkling of Missions and Adventures, and the entire experience is refreshing and totally different from what it was in the past.

By the way, I wouldn't mind if in future there would also be an alternative levelling path for Lvl 60 onwards. Having to go through Dunland, Rohan and gloomy Gondor again for the umpteenth time scares me.

[Hydranova]

For the Carn Dum and updated Gondor stuff, any word on if those- or at least landscape content if not the instances- will be purchasable with LP from the start, like the Angle and Yondershire? It'd be nice to be able to spend the pile of LP I've hoarded for content when it comes out rather than months down the road.

[Galuhad]

I love that crafting is getting a huge amount of attention this year, thank you I'm looking forward to seeing how things evolve. I'm really hoping that we'll be able to expand beyond having just three professions per character.
I'm also really excited to see what happens with Carn Dum. The original instance, to this day, remains my all-time favourite. Cannot wait

[auximenes]

My new hobbit LM has just about finished Moria after having levelled up in Swanfleet, Cardolan, Yondershire and the Angle with a sprinkling of Missions and Adventures, and the entire experience is refreshing and totally different from what it was in the past.

That's as modern of a new player experience as you can get. Must have been fun.

[Arabani]

I do not think that breaking Vocation System is a good idea, it brings a lot of issues (instruments being only one of them). Once again, do not try to fix what is not broken. This particualr aspect of the crafting system has been working absolutely fine for 15 years. Literally noone ever asked for this change. Do not do unneeded and even useless work. Fix the crafting itself firsts, make it relevant and desirable. Make gold relevant and economics actually working, then care about additional options, lilke profession combinations at one's will.

P.S. The new class in openly stated in the letter -Corsair.

[gildhur]

Apart from that lovely little Hobbit village Lyndelby in the Wells of Langflood, and a few sessions in Mordor, the last time we had Hobbit content to play with was Enedwaith.

*Yondershire has entered the chat*

Something I wonder, will the new expansion connect to existing lands of Gondor, or will it be a new region separated from old gondor, and just connect to new Gondor without dawnless day?

After-battle Gondor will almost certainly be a separate layer on top of the existing Gondor regions, like After-battle MT is. Assuming Umbar will also be post-War, it should logically connect to the After-battle Gondor region(s), possibly even Midsummer MT depending on how far in the timeline they place it.