Update 9: Against the Shadow and the Rohan Instance cluster

[Deinok]

I guess this whole thread is a joke, I mean, common sense says if it's true, LOTRO's facing his last expansion. RIP LOTRO.

[Dragonetti]

I'm interested to see how much this new 3-person instance, The Seat of the Great Goblin, will overlap the old level 50 6-person instance, Goblin-town: Throne Room. Will it be the same instance scaled to 85? A bit more structured and a challenge mode added? Or will it be a completely different experience utilizing new textures, models, layout and gameplay? My gut tells me the Throne Room instance will remain untouched and the new instance will be completely separate with some overlap.

[Thorgrum]

Thanks for the update Sapience.

Once they go live on bullroarer more information from testers will garner a better opinion.

[Souku]

the question I want answered requires a simple yes/no:

Will a multi-boss raid be released before the next level cap increase?

SoA had Rift, Moria/Loth had DN, Mirkwood had BG and OD, RoI had Orthanc...

the only reason I go through the grind of a level cap increase + gear reset is because I enjoy (for the most part) the multi-boss raids and conquering them with my kinship.

[ColorSpecs]

I honestly don't get this mentality. You would have rather waited for not only the entire cluster, but the entire expansion, until February? So what would you have done until then? I, for one, would rather have part now, part later, than nothing now and all later. I really don't understand the "all or nothing" approach.

-Bel

First of all, because it is a rip off. What they are doing to us with these instance clusters as free content updates is effectively both reducing the amount of content released at the xpac and reducing the amount of free content updates they release in a year.

Second, it creates huge gaps when there's nothing interesting to do for some players like me who dont' care to grind out a bazillion alts and can't even pvp because of the broken servers the Ettenmoors sit on. After our Main character is leveled and geared the next step is to hit the instance cluster but that next step will now have been 4 months down the road from when I hit level cap.

Its a really shady business practice at best and if you think about it for a second it really highlights how little content Turbine is actually delivering anymore.

[smoothie91]

Splitting the instance cluster in two? --> good decision, saves a lot of complaining about bugs
Instance cluster locations? --> happy with the ones that go over where we've already been, should be good.
The Dale/Erebor instances --> don't really mind, I just hope the regions get a proper expansion themselves at some point.
Make up of the instances - how anyone can comment on the quality of a raid BEFORE doing it I do not understand. The guys that make this game more than probably play it a lot as well, they will understand the importance of a challenge.

[Galbril]

Not to be mean, but this game has proven, time and time again, that it is catering to the Bozos that play and not to the serious gamer.

I am just one "Bozo" but I think this is why raiders get a bad rep.....:P

[phillbvi2]

While I’m excited about these new instances, I think a lot of people don’t realize that Turbine just played a shell game on us. These are NOT the original instances intended for Rohan’s release. How could they be, unless turbine intended to give us Erebor with Rohan… which they would have mentioned when they announced Rohan. What happened here was that with the decision to split Rohan into two separate expansions Turbine decide to move the original instance cluster to the second Rohan expansion. Which makes sense… Helms Deep anyone? Erebor was probably already the next planed land mass to capitalize on the movies so Turbine probably said, “Hey, let’s base the instance cluster on Erebor to really capitalize on the movies.” I like it, and think it’s cool but they played a shell game on us and are hoping that no one noticed.

[apb8808]

30$ to 50$ for a quest pack set in Rohan and Mounted Combat. How generous and considerate of them to give everyone these instances free of charge, ya know despite the fact that many paying customers were expecting them months ago. Loved that emphasis.

Why call it RoR instance cluster? None of those instances are in or near Rohan. People do want to see those regions, but done right not simply as an instance. As already stated the name of some of these instances implies putting the epic timeline into question, not that it is a concern I'm sure.

"Update 9: Against the Customers and the Blatant Cashgrab cluster"

[Jamesm429]

As a raider you are wasting your money if you are supporting Turbine, it's been obvious since Isengard that the f2p crowd is where the cash comes from.

I really wish I had gone out to a nice dinner instead of flushing that 50$ down the toilet.

As a end game raider I will say this loud and clear, please don't try and speak for all of us.

[WiltenRose]

For my part, I'm happy we're getting some Hobbit stuff. I do hope we'll get some landmasses over there as well eventually. I'm not turned off by the 3 single-boss raids, but I'm not someone who generally has a lot of time available to do full multi-wing raids either.

Here's my 2 cents, though:

We have GOT to get scaling on old instances! There is so much content that just sits on the shelf because it's locked at an old level cap. If they would just scale everything then we would have endgame content coming out of our ears. /sigh

[Yzuki]

I only play this game for multiboss raid content and PvP...and it looks like both are down the tubes now.

[Kingault]

I should've just stayed with DDO... I should have never come back.

[Cindir]

As a end game raider I will say this loud and clear, please don't try and speak for all of us.

Just curious - but over the past 6 months, what have you been doing as a raider? Has there been enough content to raid weekly in this game recently? Is it doing the same thing over and over again? How often do you raid?

(and I honestly don't know because I don't raid at all, so am curious)

[Meng0st]

So we are stuck with Hytbold till update 9 to then get 1 3man instance with more than likely &&&& loot and which will get quite boarin aswell after a few runs of it unless it super hard which i be guessing not.
SO now hardcore endgamers got to wait for 3x12 man 1 boss raids would much prefer 2x12 man 1 boss and 1x12 man full raid a bit like MoM that i wouldn't mind thats if many of them havent left for other MMO's that offer endgame instaces/raids when an expansion is launched

[Rowan]

The instances are all set in the War of the Ring (our current timeline, not the Hobbit). It will make sense when you get the quest from Gandalf.

The 12-man instances are the Battle of Dale, and could be thought of as wings of the same raid. We separated them to give context to the story as the battle proceeds over the course of a week.

Smaug is dead, but the Easterlings have new challenges in mind for you (and new engines of war).

We are going to Dale and the Lonely Mountain as part of this story, but will not be adding new landscape in the area with these instances.

I hope this helps!

[Smugo]

The 12-man instances are the Battle of Dale, and could be thought of as wings of the same raid. We separated them to give context to the story as the battle proceeds over the course of a week.

I take it that the locks will be separate then? Also, I assume we'll need to complete the first instance before moving on?

[Kril]

The instances are all set in the War of the Ring (our current timeline, not the Hobbit). It will make sense when you get the quest from Gandalf.

The 12-man instances are the Battle of Dale, and could be thought of as wings of the same raid. We separated them to give context to the story as the battle proceeds over the course of a week.

Smaug is dead, but the Easterlings have new challenges in mind for you (and new engines of war).

We are going to Dale and the Lonely Mountain as part of this story, but will not be adding new landscape in the area with these instances.

I hope this helps!

Given the time line, and distance we'll be travelling, are you finally caving into the demands for ridable eagles?!?!?!

[EazyPeazy]

Honestly I am really dissapointed. Raid in 3 months and singlebosses ones. Lot of players left in Rohan and now many more will follow. For me utter fail and betrayal from Turbine side. Cancelling my sub and I really regret money I spent for RoR.

[Rowan]

Given the time line, and distance we'll be travelling, are you finally caving into the demands for ridable eagles?!?!?!

*Cough, cough* Didn't we do that when Saruman knocked you off his tower?

We are making some compromises with time and space to tell a good story.

[Ferthcott]

Thanks, Rowan.

So...

"Turtle Trio" model: no,
Helegrod model: yes-ish?
Time travel: no,
Travelling speed: um... Avanc mounts? :P

[Nyrion]

*Cough, cough* Didn't we do that when Saruman knocked you off his tower?

We are making some compromises with time and space to tell a good story.

Considering you've been doing that since the beginning of SoA, I'm not too bothered.

'sides, more of Middle-earth we can see before the end the better.

[Armaius]

It occurs to me that these Lonely Mountain/Dale instances will be the first instances in LotRO that won't actually have actual physical entrances in the game.

Also, the devs are being forced to utilize their Timelord powers more and more - to get all the way from Rohan to Dale and still be within the timeframe for the books.

Out of curiosity, is an Erebor landscape addition in the cards for the future? (Not for update 9, mind you, but at some point so distant that there isn't a set date). I remember noting that the Rhovanion map had a spot for Northern Mirkwood, and there was also the matter of Gladden Fields, which was labelled like it was a map that wasn't in the game yet.

[Malachi108]

We are going to Dale and the Lonely Mountain as part of this story, but will not be adding new landscape in the area with these instances.

I hope this helps!

I am perfectly fine with not getting that landscape NOW, as long we get it in some far future. There are still 2 more Hobbit movies to go

Anyway, this is great news for people like me. We're not just getting new content, we are retracing Bilbo's steps through familiar zones first, culminating in fan-lowed areas with increased publicity attention in February. Combine it with other... rumors floating around and things look pretty interesting indeed.

P.S. I am a very casual player. I could only beat Fangorn's Edge challenge once at 75, did Foundry no more than 6 times total and never defeated Saruman yet, even on T1. And yet, these news still excite, because even still wearing L75 teal gear 6 weeks after Rohan release, I would still be able to go to those places for some cool story moments. Getting challenges done can wait until later.

[MrWarg]

Out of interest, and given the current sentiment in this thread, would it be possible for Rowan or someone else in the know, to comment upon how Turbine views raiding in LOTRO going forward? How does Turbine see raiding fitting into the overall game? With no new muti-boss raid coming is this something Turbine is moving away from?