New Lottery Schedules and Info!

[Lebenedh]

There are a number of issues related to the community sites we'd like to resolve before we bring lotteries back.

That said, the lotteries, like the community sites themselves, we be considered Beta when they return.

I'd much rather see the Community Sites improved (and there's ample room, IMO) as a priority and wait for the lotteries to return than the reverse. Thanks for the update, Sapience!

[Thane9]

I'd much rather see the forums fixed.

Oh wait...I'd MUCH rather see the game fixed.

In order of accending importance.

Lottories
Community Sites
Forums

THE GAME WE PLAY!!!!!!

Until the game functions and is fun to play it wouldn't matter if I won every lottory every day for as long as I play.

[BellusDuFenna]

I've been trying to give updates as I learn new things, roughly every week or two.

At the moment I can safely say it's unlikely lotteries will return before the November Update is released. There are a number of issues related to the community sites we'd like to resolve before we bring lotteries back. Mostly because we'd like to limit the number of external issues that would negatively impact the lotteries themselves.

That said, the lotteries, like the community sites themselves, we be considered Beta when they return.

Thanks for the update, Sapience. I understand the web guys have to square things away before the Lotteries are brought back, but like I said before, two months does seem like an awful long time. Considering it won't be before the November update comes out, and then the Holidays will be rushing in, I'm going to chock the Lotteries up for a Q1 2011 return at this rate. That may seem pessimistic, and certainly not meant as an insult to Turbine's web team, I'm just being practical.

[sirwillow]

I'd much rather see the forums fixed.

Oh wait...I'd MUCH rather see the game fixed.

In order of accending importance.

Lottories
Community Sites
Forums

THE GAME WE PLAY!!!!!!

Until the game functions and is fun to play it wouldn't matter if I won every lottory every day for as long as I play.

While in theory that's nice, in reality it's two entirely different groups working on the game and working on the forums/ sites/ lotteries. You wouldn't want an html programmer doing game coding and vice versa. One group works on the game, the other works on the sites and all of their sub groups.

As far as those fixes you're referring to, have you checked out Bullroarer yet? Some of those fixes you're possibly wanting are there.

[Unique]

While in theory that's nice, in reality it's two entirely different groups working on the game and working on the forums/ sites/ lotteries. You wouldn't want an html programmer doing game coding and vice versa. One group works on the game, the other works on the sites and all of their sub groups.

As far as those fixes you're referring to, have you checked out Bullroarer yet? Some of those fixes you're possibly wanting are there.

How dare you use reason and logic. The web team should be sitting on their hands until such time as the game team gets all the bugs fixed and adds enough content to make EVERYONE happy.

/sarcasm off

[Stardawn]

I've been trying to give updates as I learn new things, roughly every week or two.

At the moment I can safely say it's unlikely lotteries will return before the November Update is released. There are a number of issues related to the community sites we'd like to resolve before we bring lotteries back.

Is it must me, or have the my.lotro and forums.lotro.com sites just become so insanely slow to load? I'm noticing it on all my PCs, my MAC, and my iPhone. Super slow. I hope that some optimization is coming along for the web content delivery systems.

BTW thx for the update Sapience; appreciate all your hard work.

[Griffthewiz12]

thanks for the updates

[Maldare]

Does the lottery being currently disabled also include the widget not showing? I can't even see the lottery widget on my main page.

Thanks

[Fredelas]

Does the lottery being currently disabled also include the widget not showing? I can't even see the lottery widget on my main page.

Thanks

That is correct. The Lottery widget has been removed entirely, until such time as the Lottery system can be redesigned to work with the F2P account and subscription restrictions. (For example, they probably don't want characters on a Free subscription to be able to participate in lotteries, as an incentive for them to upgrade.)

[Falrik]

I'm just wondering how many turbine points it's going to cost to buy more chances to win the lotteries when they are back up and running.

[Sapience]

I'm just wondering how many turbine points it's going to cost to buy more chances to win the lotteries when they are back up and running.

None. You can only enter a character once per lottery. However, there will be store items placed into the lotteries. So you'll have chances to win things from the LOTRO Store simply by entering your character in the lottery.

[robnkarla]

None. You can only enter a character once per lottery. However, there will be store items placed into the lotteries. So you'll have chances to win things from the LOTRO Store simply by entering your character in the lottery.

Ah, but you can always buy more character slots for 595 TP each

[forusrname]

Is it must me, or have the my.lotro and forums.lotro.com sites just become so insanely slow to load? I'm noticing it on all my PCs, my MAC, and my iPhone. Super slow. I hope that some optimization is coming along for the web content delivery systems.

BTW thx for the update Sapience; appreciate all your hard work.

Its not you. Its related to your PC though. The new and improved forums use 100% cpu on some machines, even 100% of multiple cores at times, and anything short of a quad core full PC struggles to handle the web pages that make up the forums. I cannot figure out *what* in the web page is doing it exactly, although I have tried. Its partially related to logging in: if you are a guest its faster and uses less cpu.

The best "fix" is to use the most powerful PC you have, which is bad, because that is likely your gaming machine and you do not want to get it full of junk from the web to slow it down. Another fix is to only read the forums, never talk, by logging out of them. Or combine the two and its almost like a normal web page from modem days; with a quad core and logged out the pages load in only a couple of seconds over a T1 line...

No, I am not kidding, sadly. This is all empirical evidence, from me try to find the problem in order to see if the user end can work around it, but thats what I can tell you so far.

[BellusDuFenna]

That is correct. The Lottery widget has been removed entirely, until such time as the Lottery system can be redesigned to work with the F2P account and subscription restrictions. (For example, they probably don't want characters on a Free subscription to be able to participate in lotteries, as an incentive for them to upgrade.)

Actually, Free players in DDO were able to do the Lotteries last time I checked (which admittedly was some time ago). But the simple fact that this feature was provided gratis to Free players in that game make me think the same will most likely occur here in LOTRO. For the most part, what our Free and Premium players get closely mirror the Free and Premium experience in DDO.

[Sapience]

When the lotteries return they will be available for Free, Premium, and VIP players. Everyone will have a chance to win cool stuff.

Speaking of which, you should follow us on Twitter. We're giving away codes worth 250 Turbine Points to 30 followers. http://www.twitter.com/lotro

[CommoMP]

I don't understand how to enter into one of these things. It seems that everybody should already know how to enter, even if they have never done so.

[redgold9]

Commo, the lotteries have been disabled, so nobody can enter right now. There used to be a lottery button on our MyLotro page, we will probably see it again when the lotteries return.

[VillageStooge]

When do the lotterys come back and how do we enter them?

[sirwillow]

When do the lotterys come back and how do we enter them?

They haven't said yet. I'm sure they will make an announcement when it's time.

[GokuSS400]

When do the lotterys come back and how do we enter them?

I've been trying to give updates as I learn new things, roughly every week or two.

At the moment I can safely say it's unlikely lotteries will return before the November Update is released. There are a number of issues related to the community sites we'd like to resolve before we bring lotteries back. Mostly because we'd like to limit the number of external issues that would negatively impact the lotteries themselves.

That said, the lotteries, like the community sites themselves, we be considered Beta when they return.

As Sapience has said in the above quote, it's unlikely the Lotteries will return before the November update (which is next monday). So my guess is that the Lotteries will probably return a little while after the November Update. But this is PURELY speculation, we'll have to wait for an official word from Turbine before we mark our calendars for the return of the lotteries.

[Lemluyen]

I just saw some blurb about entering the lottery on a loading screen. dont remember if it has been here this whole time or not. Hopefully it means they'll be back soon.

[PoppaBear]

I think you mean the 100K Tp lottery which appears to be a one time promotion. I don't think it is a return to old weekly lotteries.

[Sapience]

I just saw some blurb about entering the lottery on a loading screen. dont remember if it has been here this whole time or not. Hopefully it means they'll be back soon.

I think you mean the 100K Tp lottery which appears to be a one time promotion. I don't think it is a return to old weekly lotteries.

There is a loading screen that suggests entering the lotteries. That's not a reference to the 100K point giveaway which is entirely different from our lotteries.

[thalialotr]

"That's not a reference to the 100K point giveaway ..." Whoo Hooo! It >is< about our lotteries! Returning most soonishly Cookies for all!!!

[daanrod]

are the "lotro lotto" still around? i cant seem to find them on my.lotro.com, any advice or help would be great