Stories of development through this game

[Ziane]

Who decided to make Sara Oakheart SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SLOW? Can we flog them for it?

Yes, a public flogging

[robbie1435]

We're doing awesome QAs?

1) Are there any plans to send us to Southern Gondor/Harad?
2) I know it's a ways off, but what are the current thoughts on how we'll be in Mordor?
3) The Tower Hills(Aforementioned). Is it possible that these could be added?
4) Mount Gundabad. Any chance of this being thrown in the mix somewhere, maybe a 12 or 24 man raid?
5) MOL, what was your favorite zone to produce and why?
6) Frelorn, assuming you play the game in your spare time, what classes is your favorite
7) MOL, how are you planning for Minas Tirith to work? Will it be phased like Helm's Deep? Big Battles maybe? Will we join up with Aragorn and push to the city?
8) MOL, what is, in your opinion, the best raid/zone/skirmish Turbine has made?

.

The players want to know :3

[OldMadeOfLions]

For the map hooks in the old world content (South Farthing, Grey Havens), were those put there with the original intention to add those places to the game or were they always there for decoration of the map?

They're there to tease the possibility that we might eventually go there, but obviously we haven't yet for many of them. When we do add a place that has a label on the map, we'd definitely want to hook it up to the existing label. As a Middle-earth fan, I love the idea that eventually we might be able to go everywhere on the map.

MoL

[Arbor]

I have some questions for this thread and hopefully they get answered... and Frelorn can we get this made into an official QA thread maybe (eventually stickied or something because so far its interesting)
[*]Is there anything anyone has put into the game to represent themselves... Like a signiture on a wall or something of that nature?

There have been npcs placed in game that represent some real life people but it's not my place to say who. I'm currently not in game (aside from the E&G Tavern) but one day I hope to get in there.

I think the one positive thing I've contributed is asking for the Moria geode to be made into a housing item. Before I went over to IC for a few months, I had a parting list of suggestions and that was one of them. It's still easily my favorite item in the game.

[robbie1435]

There have been npcs placed in game that represent some real life people but it's not my place to say who. I'm currently not in game (aside from the E&G Tavern) but one day I hope to get in there.

I think the one positive thing I've contributed is asking for the Moria geode to be made into a housing item. Before I went over to IC for a few months, I had a parting list of suggestions and that was one of them. It's still easily my favorite item in the game.

The Moria geode housing item... This is definitely a curiosity.


With a contribution like that, you should already BE an NPC. Seriously, I'd always wanted a moria Geode :P.

[Snowlock]

[*]Why was the area between the Shire and Ered Luin left out of the game? Will it ever make it in?

This was the Tower Hills (basically). I want it in too. Level banding would make it problematic I spose (though some fool/visionary could suggest someday they get rid of levels).

[OldMadeOfLions]

Developed ideas that never made it...
Developed ideas that made it to beta, but received negative feedback...

I suggested a Treasure Hunting hobby once, and wrote a spec for it, but it was met with mainly negative feedback and never went anywhere. Also, the original version of the 'Horn of Gondor' sessionplay was fully-implemented and got into either Alpha or Beta, but it was poorly received and I burned it down and made a new one. Sometimes it happens. Taking criticism is one of the most important parts of doing this job well, and I think it's important to learn that early!

MoL

[Arbor]

There was a PVP related idea that was developed for quite a while but it was ultimately shot down for one reason or another before any players saw it (I think it was lore-breaking more than anything though there could have been another reason). From what I remember, it was a weird and ambitious project and it was a shame it never saw the light of day.

Rohan housing was another one. One of the world devs was tinkering with it in his spare time but it never came to fruition (apparently, it's very difficult to make housing neighborhoods)

[Herwegur]

I think the one positive thing I've contributed is asking for the Moria geode to be made into a housing item. Before I went over to IC for a few months, I had a parting list of suggestions and that was one of them. It's still easily my favorite item in the game.

Thank you for this so much! As a huge fan of Moria, this is a very special memento and holds more questing memories than critter trophies from its dungeons (though I love these too). Grabbed it the first moment it went live and now it proudly adorns both my yard and indoors. The amethyst is looking great amid Falathlorn foliage.

Could I take this chance to implore for more Moria-related housing items? A cluster of crystals perhaps, or dwarf tapestries/statues that are piled up in the 21st Hall Auction House, or even a small solar mirror? Like the ones in the Reflector deed.

Or more housing items in general, regardless of their origin?

[Sezneg]

I suggested a Treasure Hunting hobby once, and wrote a spec for it, but it was met with mainly negative feedback and never went anywhere. Also, the original version of the 'Horn of Gondor' sessionplay was fully-implemented and got into either Alpha or Beta, but it was poorly received and I burned it down and made a new one. Sometimes it happens. Taking criticism is one of the most important parts of doing this job well, and I think it's important to learn that early!

MoL

There was a PVP related idea that was developed for quite a while but it was ultimately shot down for one reason or another before any players saw it (I think it was lore-breaking more than anything though there could have been another reason). From what I remember, it was a weird and ambitious project and it was a shame it never saw the light of day.

Rohan housing was another one. One of the world devs was tinkering with it in his spare time but it never came to fruition (apparently, it's very difficult to make housing neighborhoods)

PLEASE tell the world how to bird came to be added to the moors, and why. Or convince Jinjaah to do so!

[Arbor]

Thank you for this so much! As a huge fan of Moria, this is a very special memento and holds more questing memories than critter trophies from its dungeons (though I love these too). Grabbed it the first moment it went live and now it proudly adorns both my yard and indoors. The amethyst is looking great amid Falathlorn foliage.

Could I take this chance to implore for more Moria-related housing items? A cluster of crystals perhaps, or dwarf tapestries/statues that are piled up in the 21st Hall Auction House, or even a solar mirror?

Or more housing items in general, regardless of their origin?

Send me some locs (type in /loc in chat) of what you'd like to see and private message me. Please don't go overboard; just limit it to top 5 or 10 things. I can only suggest it, nothing more but I think we're always looking to add new housing items to the game

[kickman77]

Send me some locs (type in /loc in chat) of what you'd like to see and private message me. Please don't go overboard; just limit it to top 5 or 10 things. I can only suggest it, nothing more but I think we're always looking to add new housing items to the game

I know you said PM youi but... I would so love to see the Gate of Moria as a wall decoration that takes up an entire wall somehow... as well and a little maqee (however its spelled) like we get in the grand stairs of The Bridge of Khazad Dum

[Beastnas]

There was a PVP related idea that was developed for quite a while but it was ultimately shot down for one reason or another before any players saw it (I think it was lore-breaking more than anything though there could have been another reason). From what I remember, it was a weird and ambitious project and it was a shame it never saw the light of day.

This is interesting, any elaboration on what it was?

[bucko39]

I suggested a Treasure Hunting hobby once, and wrote a spec for it, but it was met with mainly negative feedback and never went anywhere.

MoL

What? That is crazy talk...negative feedback from whom?

The majority of people I know that play the game would LOVE to see some additional hobbies and the treasure hunting idea sounds interesting.

Was it similar in design to the archaeology hobby in WoW?

[Arbor]

This is interesting, any elaboration on what it was?

I hesitate to say more in case of saying something that I shouldn't but while it was a cool idea, I could easily see lore-ists being up in arms because you'd have characters interacting that you wouldn't normally see together.

[Gandolf_TheOld]

C'mon, give us something more specific. We all have stories to tell.

Granted, I work in QA so my stories will be different from the developers.

Roll the dodecahedron, highest roll starts with one story, the next highest go the next day and so on...

[EdhWong]

I hesitate to say more in case of saying something that I shouldn't but while it was a cool idea, I could easily see lore-ists being up in arms because you'd have characters interacting that you wouldn't normally see together.

Is it linked to these images still here in the *dat files ?

[Spartan118]

There have been npcs placed in game that represent some real life people but it's not my place to say who. I'm currently not in game (aside from the E&G Tavern) but one day I hope to get in there.

I think the one positive thing I've contributed is asking for the Moria geode to be made into a housing item. Before I went over to IC for a few months, I had a parting list of suggestions and that was one of them. It's still easily my favorite item in the game.

So we have you to thank for that? Awesome, I love the geode, it looks really awesome. I dont suppose we could get a smaller ver of it though to put inside? :P
I too would like to have more Moria housing decorations. I think what I personally would like most is some kind of Door of Durin painting, or tapestry or something like that. I always liked the way the Door looked for some reason.
Im wondering if you guys know if there was supposed to be more to Hytbold than is in the game. The whole process of rebuilding it, sort of feels like the team intended it to be more than to just reward you with a title (which I still proudly display :P)

[YamydeAragon]

That there was a city called Carn Dûm from which evil men came is one of the few things we know about Angmar, so it was a very easy place to make the centerpiece dungeon in Shadows of Angmar. Our goal at the time was to make it the most challenging dungeon in the game, and in 2007-speak that included making it very, very long. Carn Dûm runs could upwards of four or five hours. We would run internal playtests of it (and its sister-dungeon, Urugarth)...

...Eh that is funny, i remember running Carn Dum & Urugard instances when they where not instances, same goes to Fornost. & That was in 2008 not 2007, when did you said that it happened? Was it on the test server? ***Contused***

[YamydeAragon]

There was a PVP related idea that was developed for quite a while but it was ultimately shot down for one reason or another before any players saw it (I think it was lore-breaking more than anything though there could have been another reason). From what I remember, it was a weird and ambitious project and it was a shame it never saw the light of day.

Rohan housing was another one. One of the world devs was tinkering with it in his spare time but it never came to fruition (apparently, it's very difficult to make housing neighborhoods)

Thanks for adding the Moria geode to house items. I swear you that i got breathless when i saw it for 1st time at my 1st day at Moria, ages ago. & thanks for adding all those fresh looking Rohan housing items. When you get some spare time can you add a few more decorating slots to houses or at least suggest it up there? Even using the biggest furniture posible, the houses have too much empty space as it is & there is so much pretty furniture available but we can't add anymore stuffs on the houses.

[Thoroval]

I suggested a Treasure Hunting hobby once, and wrote a spec for it, but it was met with mainly negative feedback and never went anywhere.

The concept sounds very cool to me. Too bad it didn't happen. We really could use another couple of hobbies.

[Valamar]

I think the one positive thing I've contributed is asking for the Moria geode to be made into a housing item. Before I went over to IC for a few months, I had a parting list of suggestions and that was one of them. It's still easily my favorite item in the game.

In case you never noticed --- visit the Wiki: https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Globe_of_Arda for a full description of the Moria Geode or rather the Globe of Arda.

The details of its "discovery" and appropriate credits are given there. It includes translations of the various runes - these runes are written in Angerthas Moria.

Should there be any other information you can add, please post it and I'll see that it gets added.

[BelamanthDE]

I know the Dwarven Quarter of Bee was a side project of ScaryCrow who is no longer on the team, but do you think you could open it up the public at some time? Even if all doors were locked, I would love to just stroll through there.
Oh, and whatever happened to epic quest videos? Not one in the whole of volume 4?

P.S. How / Where does one get the Moria geode housing item? The two chars I still have time to play are out of Moria for years now. I still have some alts in the Moria range, and this info could perhaps motivate me to dust them off again.

[Olgomil]

P.S. How / Where does one get the Moria geode housing item? The two chars I still have time to play are out of Moria for years now. I still have some alts in the Moria range, and this info could perhaps motivate me to dust them off again.

"The Moria Geode is a copy of this globe as a Large Yard Item or the Large Furniture Item, which can be traded from Iron Garrison Guard Traders and Iron Garrison Miner Traders in The Dolven-view, The Twenty-first Hall, and The Orc-watch." ( https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Globe_of_Arda ).

Sergio :-)

[BelamanthDE]

"The Moria Geode is a copy of this globe as a Large Yard Item or the Large Furniture Item, which can be traded from Iron Garrison Guard Traders and Iron Garrison Miner Traders in The Dolven-view, The Twenty-first Hall, and The Orc-watch." ( https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Globe_of_Arda ).

Sergio :-)

Thank you so much for this link! What an interesting tale!

/salute