Stories of development through this game

[Canus]

The old Invisiclues hint-books for Infocom text adventures had sections in the back with lists of fun things to try, and some of the Easter Eggs I like to put into LOTRO are of that variety.

So...can we get an InvisiClues-style "for your amusement" list for LOTRO...? Pretty pretty pretty pretty please?

[PerfectApproach]

Every now and then it comes up, but I don't want to elevate its importance by saying that if you don't choose it you can get it again. Why Erebrandir's horseshoe and not something else? That's my instinct, anyway.

MoL

I think the biggest problem for me for Erebrandir's Horseshoe is as follows:
1) It continues to be useful as the game progresses. It doesn't become less useful as the character progresses, like, for example, armor and weapons.
2) There is currently no way to reclaim this item or its functionality, unlike all of the other items the character can choose alongside the Horseshoe (which I believe are relics/runes).
3) There are scenarios where the player can lose the Horseshoe through no fault of his/her own.

One example is my own, where my account was compromised shortly after the Allies of the King update to Siege of Mirkwood. Everything I owned, including the Horseshoe, was sold for in-game currency and, presumably, given to another character to launder. When I submitted a ticket to have everything recovered, the items I got from the epic storyline were not reclaimable. While the GM's very kindly bestowed an enormous number of Skirmish Marks and in-game currency for me to re-purchase everything, the one-time items that I had saved from the epic storyline were irretrievable. I also recall a rather nice cloak, and a pair of shoes, that granted +Stealth bonuses that are now no longer retrievable. At the time, there was no option for character roll-backs, so I had no other recourse.

My solution would be, rather than a simple /reclaim option, to allow us to replay certain parts of the epic via the Reflecting Pool.

Sorry for the necro, but I REALLY want my Horseshoe back!

[Daniyel]

Is there any way to hear U16 soundtrack? Since Helm's Deep there hasn't been any soundtrack on Soundcloud(soundtrack by Turbine for Helm's Deep is there) or Spotify(Chance Thomas' soundtrack for Riders of Rohan is there).

osgiliath soundtrack was released in two 2-3 minute segments to youtube on the forums...pm me and ill dig up a link

[Marancil]

Erebrandir's what? Oookayy...?

[Chaddion]

This is one of the coolest threads I've EVAR seen on the forums... Please, keep it going!

[Hallatur]

Amazing thread, love going through all that was said and the level of interaction between Turbine and player base. This is a keeper.

I have two questions that have been on my mind for some time now of it is possible to get answer on:

1. During the session play At the Stone of Erech we visit a fortress at Morthond in the then young Kingdom of Gondor called Garth Lotheg. Since that time we have journeyed through that area, saw the Stone of Erech once again, now in real time, but where are the ruins of Garth Lotheg now? If I remember the session play, from the Stone of Erech on ultra–high settings you could see the silhouette of Garth Lotheg in the background where you would move latter in the instance.

2. The second question deal with yet another fortress, but this time one in Dunland. Just north of Rook's Hut, between the areas of Trum Dreng and Pren Gwydh there is a gated fortress of impressive size. There was a thread about this long time ago, back in 2011, with the idea that an instance cluster like In Their Absence is hidden behind it but apparently that was not the reason. There were even people who managed to get in their to see how large of a space it actually is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLEkqP1pp8U. What is the deal with this unnamed fortress?

Would be interesting to hear what is the idea behind these two fortresses.

[cdq1958]

Amazing thread, love going through all that was said and the level of interaction between Turbine and player base. This is a keeper.

I have two questions that have been on my mind for some time now of it is possible to get answer on:

1. During the session play At the Stone of Erech we visit a fortress at Morthond in the then young Kingdom of Gondor called Garth Lotheg. Since that time we have journeyed through that area, saw the Stone of Erech once again, now in real time, but where are the ruins of Garth Lotheg now? If I remember the session play, from the Stone of Erech on ultra–high settings you could see the silhouette of Garth Lotheg in the background where you would move latter in the instance.

2. The second question deal with yet another fortress, but this time one in Dunland. Just north of Rook's Hut, between the areas of Trum Dreng and Pren Gwydh there is a gated fortress of impressive size. There was a thread about this long time ago, back in 2011, with the idea that an instance cluster like In Their Absence is hidden behind it but apparently that was not the reason. There were even people who managed to get in their to see how large of a space it actually is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLEkqP1pp8U. What is the deal with this unnamed fortress?

Would be interesting to hear what is the idea behind these two fortresses.

Hmm, I thought Ost Dunhoth was the former Garth Lotheg. I think that all of the ITA instances have models present in the normal landscape.

[robbie1435]

Hmm, I thought Ost Dunhoth was the former Garth Lotheg. I think that all of the ITA instances have models present in the normal landscape.

OD has a different design than Garth Lotheg (Comparing the screenshot to actual in game atm)

[robbie1435]

1. During the session play At the Stone of Erech we visit a fortress at Morthond in the then young Kingdom of Gondor called Garth Lotheg. Since that time we have journeyed through that area, saw the Stone of Erech once again, now in real time, but where are the ruins of Garth Lotheg now? If I remember the session play, from the Stone of Erech on ultra–high settings you could see the silhouette of Garth Lotheg in the background where you would move latter in the instance.

Here is my guess. There is a big area called "Anfalas" which can be seen to the West of West Gondor on the big map. My guess is that Garth Lotheg is somewhere in that area.

[OldMadeOfLions]

Would be interesting to hear what is the idea behind these two fortresses.

These are some real blasts from the past! I actually don't remember if the Dunland fortress was ever intended to be anything significant, but chances are it was a World-builder's sketchpad: a place to try out techniques and building styles before doing it 'For Real' in accessible landscape.

The Stone of Erech sessionplay served as our first foray into the lands that would become Gondor (and it turns out that we hadn't left enough space for Rohan, and had to move Erech from its original spot). We intended to revisit Garth Lotheg in 'present time' at some point, but asking around it sounds as if we forgot to do that. So if we never do revisit it, the forces of Sauron razed it to the ground, and little trace of it remains.

It being visible from Erech would have been a limitation of needing to build them at the same time. In reality I think Garth Lotheg would have been much further east.

MoL

[cdq1958]

OD has a different design than Garth Lotheg (Comparing the screenshot to actual in game atm)

Okay, but to my eyes, they were similar enough.

[kickman77]

These are some real blasts from the past! I actually don't remember if the Dunland fortress was ever intended to be anything significant, but chances are it was a World-builder's sketchpad: a place to try out techniques and building styles before doing it 'For Real' in accessible landscape.

The Stone of Erech sessionplay served as our first foray into the lands that would become Gondor (and it turns out that we hadn't left enough space for Rohan, and had to move Erech from its original spot). We intended to revisit Garth Lotheg in 'present time' at some point, but asking around it sounds as if we forgot to do that. So if we never do revisit it, the forces of Sauron razed it to the ground, and little trace of it remains.

It being visible from Erech would have been a limitation of needing to build them at the same time. In reality I think Garth Lotheg would have been much further east.

MoL

Wow thanks for another cool answer. I always point to that session play when people complain about the swan wings in GOndor I am like Hello.. they were there years ago in that instance.

Your answer also explains why the stone of ereoch looks so different (landscape wise) but I want to add my name to one of those who wants to revisit that area in :modern" times to see what its like.

[robbie1435]

MoL; Can we have a swan session play? :P

[Thurallor]

One thing I've been curious about over the years. Whenever you're following some NPC for a quest, and you kill a few mobs, and it's time to move to the next location... instead of proceeding in the correct direction, the NPC will often double back for a few meters, before turning around. Lore-wise you could say he's just finding his bearings. But there has to be some technical reason for it.

[middlediscworld]

One thing I've been curious about over the years. Whenever you're following some NPC for a quest, and you kill a few mobs, and it's time to move to the next location... instead of proceeding in the correct direction, the NPC will often double back for a few meters, before turning around. Lore-wise you could say he's just finding his bearings. But there has to be some technical reason for it.

That's a very good question. Especially for one like Laila in the barrow downs - I failed that one on level a few times - fairly sure I went back eventually.

[Dolamrothdame]

One thing I've been curious about over the years. Whenever you're following some NPC for a quest, and you kill a few mobs, and it's time to move to the next location... instead of proceeding in the correct direction, the NPC will often double back for a few meters, before turning around. Lore-wise you could say he's just finding his bearings. But there has to be some technical reason for it.

I think he's taking a moment to get his morale/power back up.

[TharbadThief]

One thing I've been curious about over the years. Whenever you're following some NPC for a quest, and you kill a few mobs, and it's time to move to the next location... instead of proceeding in the correct direction, the NPC will often double back for a few meters, before turning around. Lore-wise you could say he's just finding his bearings. But there has to be some technical reason for it.

To me it seems like the NPCs are moving back to the point they were 'aggroed', i.e. they notice the enemy. Maybe it's because they could get stuck while the combat is going on if they move around the area and thus couldn't continue straightforward to the next coordinate in line. Perhaps there are other reasons too why they are programmed to do that.

Some NPCs don't attack enemies at all but instead stop, bury their face in their hands and start to cry in a very annoying fashion (like Lalia). In those cases they also do not move back but proceed after the severe psychological shock they just had to endure.

[robbie1435]

One thing I've been curious about over the years. Whenever you're following some NPC for a quest, and you kill a few mobs, and it's time to move to the next location... instead of proceeding in the correct direction, the NPC will often double back for a few meters, before turning around. Lore-wise you could say he's just finding his bearings. But there has to be some technical reason for it.

I think it has something to do with the way that these NPCs work. Each one has a "track" that it moves on. It moves on that track throughout the whole instance, only breaking it when it enters combat. Because it leads the track that it is supposed to follow, when the engagement is over, it moves to it's Last Known Position on the track that it is supposed to move on. This is why some NPCs will walk over rocks during instances rather than walking around them. They have to stay on that track to complete the instance/quest, so when they break the track, it would only make since that they return to the last know location of the track.

~Glorg

[Hallatur]

Hmm, I thought Ost Dunhoth was the former Garth Lotheg. I think that all of the ITA instances have models present in the normal landscape.

No, Ost Dunhoth and Garth Lotheg are in different area; Ost Dunhoth is in Lich Bluffs in south Enedwaith while Garth Lotheg is in Gondor in the area of Morthond (but according now to MoL it should actually be more to the east so maybe in the Belfalas are since that peninsula has not been added into the game yet Additionally, Garth Lotheg has a very different architecture than Ost Dunhoth, as you may remember from the session play or form the images Garth Lotheg has monumental faces and large statue at the entrance bridge.

Here is my guess. There is a big area called "Anfalas" which can be seen to the West of West Gondor on the big map. My guess is that Garth Lotheg is somewhere in that area.

That was a possibility since that area is not in the game, but as MoL has stated apparently its more to the east from Stone of Erech which leaves only the peninsula of Belfalas between West and Central Gondor currently in–game.

These are some real blasts from the past! I actually don't remember if the Dunland fortress was ever intended to be anything significant, but chances are it was a World-builder's sketchpad: a place to try out techniques and building styles before doing it 'For Real' in accessible landscape.

The Stone of Erech sessionplay served as our first foray into the lands that would become Gondor (and it turns out that we hadn't left enough space for Rohan, and had to move Erech from its original spot). We intended to revisit Garth Lotheg in 'present time' at some point, but asking around it sounds as if we forgot to do that. So if we never do revisit it, the forces of Sauron razed it to the ground, and little trace of it remains.

It being visible from Erech would have been a limitation of needing to build them at the same time. In reality I think Garth Lotheg would have been much further east.

MoL

Thank you MoL for the response, you rock!

Not a blast from such a distant past after all.

There were a lot of theories about the fortress in Dunland which was interesting. It would be amazing if Turbine could just open the gates to that fortress and populate it with some scholar nodes and maybe add a treasure cash location when you get to add those (with RTs) to this area. Pretty please.

Instead of believing that the forces of Sauron razed it to the ground and no trace was left (since if like you say little trace of it remained we would be abel to find it in current West or Central Gondor). But now you have a fantastic opportunity to revisit Garth Lotheg with an interesting storyline when Turbine decides to add the Belfalas peninsula into the game. Those broken bridges in West and Central Gondor deserve to lead somewhere after all.

Thank you so much for providing this insight, the part about having to move the Stone of Erech was particularly interesting.

This thread is amazing!

[OldMadeOfLions]

To me it seems like the NPCs are moving back to the point they were 'aggroed', i.e. they notice the enemy.

Each one has a "track" that it moves on. It moves on that track throughout the whole instance, only breaking it when it enters combat. Because it leads the track that it is supposed to follow, when the engagement is over, it moves to it's Last Known Position on the track that it is supposed to move on.

Yep, that's basically what's happening with these guys. Sometimes it can look a little silly, but since we often have scripts that need to run when an NPC arrives at a certain location on that 'track,' it's very important that they not skip any portion of it.

MoL

[Almagnus1]

Yep, that's basically what's happening with these guys. Sometimes it can look a little silly, but since we often have scripts that need to run when an NPC arrives at a certain location on that 'track,' it's very important that they not skip any portion of it.

MoL

They need a better sense of direction, and the ability to smartly skip long chunks of the track where things don't happen >=(

Perhaps make a check on leaving combat to see if which is closer to:
* Last position on track
* Farther down the track prior to next event on track
* Next event on the track

If (for some reason) they couldn't figure it out, it would default to last position on the track, as it does now. The problem is that many of us (myself included) get frustrated when we see the NPC get out of combat, run halfway across eriador back ot their last position, then crawl all the way to my current position without hitting a single event along the track.

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

These are some real blasts from the past! I actually don't remember if the Dunland fortress was ever intended to be anything significant, but chances are it was a World-builder's sketchpad: a place to try out techniques and building styles before doing it 'For Real' in accessible landscape.

The Stone of Erech sessionplay served as our first foray into the lands that would become Gondor (and it turns out that we hadn't left enough space for Rohan, and had to move Erech from its original spot). We intended to revisit Garth Lotheg in 'present time' at some point, but asking around it sounds as if we forgot to do that. So if we never do revisit it, the forces of Sauron razed it to the ground, and little trace of it remains.

It being visible from Erech would have been a limitation of needing to build them at the same time. In reality I think Garth Lotheg would have been much further east.

MoL

I'm glad the question about Garth Lotheg has finally been answered - I remember seeing it from Erech in the session play, and hoping that we'd get to visit it in the future - hopefully we'll manage to get there if Anfalas ever opens up!

As for the Dunland fortress, back before an invisible wall was added in, I was able to make my way inside the fortress, and for a kin event, I took all the kin inside, so we could explore within. Our old kin leader was headed off on army service, so we named the fortress in his honour (Ost Trubadurixx - admittedly not a very lore accurate name!), and would occasionally revisit it - my favourite part of it is the giant stone face that had fallen to the ground within. We initially thought that it was going to play host to an instance cluster too, but it serves just as well as a memoir for times gone by within the kin

Talking about old fortresses, there are several that are visible just off the map that I wanted to ask about, one of which has become particularly apparent since the draw distance was increased. The first is the old fortress on the Lune, which has always been a tantalising location, just out of reach of most players, which guards the entrance to the Far Downs - was there ever an intention to make this into anything more, or does it simply represent the hope that we may, one day, end up seeing the lands between Ered Luin and the Shire connected?

The next question relates to the lands beyond Andrath in the south - some fortresses can clearly be seen down there, in Minhiriath, and I wonder if the lands down there are a place that we'll ever end up exploring (alongside the Southfarthing to the west)? And could this potentially connect up with the North-South road in the Windfells?

Another area I've always been interested in is Northern Ered Luin - was there ever a plan to go beyond the gate near Skorgrim's old tomb? I was rather upset when the tomb got moved into the Berghold, though I understand why this was done, in order to finesse the new player experience.

Also in Ered Luin, in the Vale of Thrain, is a location which is billed as the entrance to Sarnur - its a gate, at the top of a long path up a hill, just south of the Goblin Camp where the actual entrance to Sarnur lies. For this path to be put in, there must have been an intention to have something on the other side of this gate - or was it, like the gate to Northern Ered Luin, just to add flavour? Talking about Sarnur, there appears to a shining golden gate on top of the goblin ruins which allow access to it, which can be seen on ultra-high graphics from the point where the Vale of Thrain meets the Low Lands - what's that about?

Finally, now that the draw distance has been expanded, I noticed something new to the south of the wolf area near Celondim (which I think is called Nen Hilith). On the cliffs to the south-west, on a mountain, there seemed to be dwarvish buildings - I thought originally, given the distance, my eyes were deceiving me - but checking the TerrainMap plugin (like the old lorebook map), there are very clearly some dwarvish buildings there - I'm impressed, if these are just for flavour, that they were added in just on the edge of the line of sight, and so most people are likely never to see them!

Feel free to talk about as many or as few of these as you like - I'm just inherently nosy and curious

[cdq1958]

To me it seems like the NPCs are moving back to the point they were 'aggroed', i.e. they notice the enemy. Maybe it's because they could get stuck while the combat is going on if they move around the area and thus couldn't continue straightforward to the next coordinate in line. Perhaps there are other reasons too why they are programmed to do that.

Some NPCs don't attack enemies at all but instead stop, bury their face in their hands and start to cry in a very annoying fashion (like Lalia). In those cases they also do not move back but proceed after the severe psychological shock they just had to endure.

That's what I was thinking when I tried to pay attention to the NPCs more.

[cdq1958]

No, Ost Dunhoth and Garth Lotheg are in different area; Ost Dunhoth is in Lich Bluffs in south Enedwaith while Garth Lotheg is in Gondor in the area of Morthond (but according now to MoL it should actually be more to the east so maybe in the Belfalas are since that peninsula has not been added into the game yet Additionally, Garth Lotheg has a very different architecture than Ost Dunhoth, as you may remember from the session play or form the images Garth Lotheg has monumental faces and large statue at the entrance bridge.



That was a possibility since that area is not in the game, but as MoL has stated apparently its more to the east from Stone of Erech which leaves only the peninsula of Belfalas between West and Central Gondor currently in–game.



Thank you MoL for the response, you rock!

Not a blast from such a distant past after all.

There were a lot of theories about the fortress in Dunland which was interesting. It would be amazing if Turbine could just open the gates to that fortress and populate it with some scholar nodes and maybe add a treasure cash location when you get to add those (with RTs) to this area. Pretty please.

Instead of believing that the forces of Sauron razed it to the ground and no trace was left (since if like you say little trace of it remained we would be abel to find it in current West or Central Gondor). But now you have a fantastic opportunity to revisit Garth Lotheg with an interesting storyline when Turbine decides to add the Belfalas peninsula into the game. Those broken bridges in West and Central Gondor deserve to lead somewhere after all.

Thank you so much for providing this insight, the part about having to move the Stone of Erech was particularly interesting.

This thread is amazing!

I see that I was mistaken and I don't recall any large sculpted faces in either instance. Oh well, like I said about my old eyes :P. I also guess that I let my 2nd Age imagination get a bit wild, too; for there would have been lots of Numenorean fortresses in that part of Eriador and Elendil and his sons would have known of them, some maybe better than others.

Given MoL's response, yep, somewhere along the southern coasts makes more sense now.

[Yuffie67]

I have a theory that she may be Nimrodel, and that she's mourning over Amroth. But its only a theory..

I'm not sure who she is really, but when i noticed veil, And her relation to princess (name spelling escapes me) I assumed she was in a perma mourning.. Elves doing weird things and all.
People do it in real life, I just assumed a age-less elf was taking it abit to far. XD lol.



I was always curious over Ruins Across Ered Luin, (to east (south of shire) You can see them across river by spider den, and looks like a place to head on over and just look around, darn invisible walls.
Seems out of place in map books.

And Hobbies.. I posted collections hobby long ago. Got some good feed back. Butterflies with saron eye, replica swords with neat bits of lore info. Something for people to find stuff, get lore info on area.
Part of idea kinda turned into treasure hunt event. Really wish we'd get one more Hobby.

Also to Dev's who added the 2 Cats in Gondor.

THANK YOU!

Waited 7 years to get my cat. (Cat by Party Tree in Shire) use to sit by it all time, and chill.
Took 7 years to get her! and her little friend. =3

Now I just need that Green Dragon Painting in shire, or The Map of Lonely mountain. =3