Lorebook Update: Item Effects!

[Patience]

The Lorebook has been updated with a new feature: Item effects! Our talented web developer Aylwyne has implemented this much-asked-for functionality. When viewing an item in the Lorebook, its effects (if any) are also displayed!

[Adaram]

This is great news! Looking up a quest item will now have all the information we will need to understand what we are getting for quest rewards, etc. Lorebook will probably be my one stop shop for all searches, now. Thanks!

[Hyetal]

Oh, excellent! That one was a glaring omission that we all muttered under our breath about. ;D Thanks for taking care of it, Turbine! (I knew you wouldn't let us down!)

Lorebook will probably be my one stop shop for all searches, now. Thanks!

Exactly, and that's what it was meant to be!

[ImaDecoy]

Any chance of some type of database of items becoming available to the public to display on websites? My kin uses a modified EQDKP system and I think this would be awesome to be able to actually show the items info instead of just adding the item name.

[Artie]

Eureka!

It's about danged time =]

[Numenoreanx]

At last, thank you Turbine. Other sites have had this for 6 months.

:-D

[OptimShi]

(reposted from another thread on the General Discussion board since I didn't see this one...)

Yes, definitely a great addition! Now, if you could figure out how to get set information that'd be the icing on the cake (or gravy on the turkey may be a better metaphor for the season :P)

eg. http://lorebook.lotro.com/index.php/...odlands_Jacket is part of a set. Displaying the other 2 items in the set and any/all bonuses when you have 2 items equipped, 3 items, etc.

[Aylwyne]

I'm glad you all are enjoying the addition. We all here have been dying to get this one out to you as we understand how important it is (we're all MMO players too, remember).

The biggest problem was that this information didn't exist in the game server in a format that was usable by the website. The game client takes the raw data for an item and turns it into a graphical object that's displayed on the screen. Unfortunately, we didn't want to create a system where the tooltips were captured as images on the website. That doesn't allow for easy searching.

What we did was essentially mirror the logic that the game client uses to create the website tooltips. As such, there are bound to be bugs that you will all help us find and we'll refine the system as we move through lorebook releases.

[FatMagic]

Any update on when we might be able to get a sort of API system on the Lorebook? Working towards something like the WoW Armory would be really really... reaaally useful.

I know one of the Devs mentioned in the past that the system isn't really built for that (with exposing too much info). Unless you can make a copy/2nd database with the needed data that wouldn't have the "sensitive" information included that we could extract data off!

Just hoping

[Delphar7]

This is approaching perfect.

It would become perfect if I could 'and' in which attributes I wanted in the advanced search pane for the appropriate item types (weapons/armor):

I'd like to see medium armor over level 40 that has Fate.

[Aylwyne]

This is approaching perfect.

It would become perfect if I could 'and' in which attributes I wanted in the advanced search pane for the appropriate item types (weapons/armor):

I'd like to see medium armor over level 40 that has Fate.

Yes, adding these fields to the advanced search is the next logical step with item effects. It's unlikely that this will make it into the next update as we have a couple of other big features that are currently in development. However, a more robust searching interface is definitely on the list of options for one of the next round of updates.

[greenie30]

its vur nice i like

[OptimShi]

The biggest problem was that this information didn't exist in the game server in a format that was usable by the website. The game client takes the raw data for an item and turns it into a graphical object that's displayed on the screen. Unfortunately, we didn't want to create a system where the tooltips were captured as images on the website. That doesn't allow for easy searching.

Sounds all too familiar.. I built a database driven website for game content for another MMO and getting the display similar to how the client displays it was not a trivial task! I understand the time it takes to get these systems working together so an extra thanks for the effort!

Though I'm a little jealous/embarassed that the Lorebook looks much better the system I came up with :P

[Khafar]

What we did was essentially mirror the logic that the game client uses to create the website tooltips. As such, there are bound to be bugs that you will all help us find and we'll refine the system as we move through lorebook releases.

While there may be bugs at first, Lorebook is now likely to be very complete and very accurate in the long term since it's driven straight off the item database. Very nice!

Khafar

[jmh1981]

One problem I've found is that items that have usages don't show what happens on use just the cooldown time for the usage.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/index.php/Weapon:Torchathol

That has a usage of +1 Hope for 5 mins on an hour cooldown but all it shows is the cooldown time. All other items like it seem to be the same way.

[Aylwyne]

One problem I've found is that items that have usages don't show what happens on use just the cooldown time for the usage.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/index.php/Weapon:Torchathol

That has a usage of +1 Hope for 5 mins on an hour cooldown but all it shows is the cooldown time. All other items like it seem to be the same way.

Yep, looks like that's a category of "effect" that's not yet accounted for. The reason is that internally, it's not stored as an effect on the item. Instead, that item invokes a skill when you use it and the skill is what has the actual modifiers on it. I'm not accounting for tooltips of skills that get invoked by items.

It's on the list of bugs that I'll work to address as we move forward.

[Adaram]

Thanks for making Advanced Search, by Stat, etc the next logical option. I know it won't come out right away, however, but more than happy to wait. It's still <1year from the initial launch, and to have this much information available already is quite an accomplishment!

[Dwarven-Might]

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! I LIVED TO SEE THIS!

MEGHAN, please tell Aylwyne that he is THE MAN! I love him, literally... This is probably one of the BEST news during couple weeks. I personally love Lorebook a lot and this "inconsistence" was quite an obstacle for me to use it... Groovy... Off to browse Lorebook. Now i can say that I am excited about the in-game version of it. Hopefully it will have all these stats too.

Thanks, Meghan for bringing good news, thanks Aylwyne for making it to happen!

[MithrilSoul]

Just wanted to say, nice job Devs. We appreciate the work you put into this. Keep up the great work.

[Infares]

Question: When are all these excellent "Rift (TBD)" items going live, and how might their ingredients and recipes be obtained? Are they single-use recipes? Are there critical results for these recipes? If so, will they retain their Cyan (Incomparable) status or will they be upgraded to a new tier beyond Cyan/Incomparable?

[Amoryn]

Just wanted to say, nice job Devs. We appreciate the work you put into this. Keep up the great work.

QFT

Awesome update to an already useful tool.

[gildhur]

Yes, adding these fields to the advanced search is the next logical step with item effects.

OOH, so I'll eventually be able to do a search for "30 vitality" and find all the pretty gear I need?! /GLEE

[Bry2007]

Thanks you very much for the new awesomeness look.

[Ignotus]

Not having a "thottbot" type database for LotRO has been frustrating. There are a few websites scattered around the net that help a little, but there is not a one-stop-shop yet. Hopefully the lorebook will soon fill that role.

[MithrilSoul]

Another thing on the wish-list for future updates to the lorebook would be the ability to search for weapons based on their damage types.

So, e.g., I'd like to search for all spears lvl 45 or higher that do Beleriand damage. That sort of thing.