220 replies to this topic

[AgamemnonV1]

http://www.lotro.com...1775?lang=en_US

Well, this is interesting. My eyes may be decieving me, but it seems like they are planning to release this content before June, which is very unlike Turbine's current update schedule timeline.


The Great River Region

Travel along the shores of the mighty Anduin in the expansive new region coming in Update 6! The signs of war are all around you as Isengard and Barad-dûr put their dark plans into motion. Push back the Easterlings, dangerous brigands and an ancient enemy of Rohan, as they gather for an attack on Rohan and Lórien. Explore seven new areas along the upper Anduin including the green plains of Parth Celebrant where treacherous shades roam, unable to rest.

Easterlings? "Dangerous" brigands? And an ancient enemy of Rohan? Well, I must say. The only one I'm excited about seeing are the Easterlings. I very much doubt they would introduce new art resources if they didn't plan on using them extensively later on. Something tells me we'll be seeing a lot of the Easterlings in the future. As for "an ancient enemy of Rohan", this sort of sounds like a new creation in the works. Given they talk about "treacherous shades", I'm guessing this is the "ancient enemy" they are talking about. Given the region we'll be in (Field of the Celebrant), I'm sure it'll have something to do with the battle that took place when Rohan was being born, when Eorl the Young was driving back northeastern invaders.


The Great River Quest Pack is free to VIPs!

Well...this is a surprise. Turbine doesn't even give us a chance to speculate; they come right-out and say the quest pack is free for VIPs. To be honest this is the biggest thing to this update. I had honestly believed they would charge for every landscape update, considering it's what Sapience said after Enedwait. Something must've changed.


Epic Story

The latest chapter in LOTRO’s free Epic Story awaits! Travel to Lothlórien to seek Galadriel’s wisdom after experiencing troubling dreams. Investigate the grim tidings along the Great River but be prepared as the evidence may point to a foe more terrible than your darkest nightmares.

I've got nothing on this. Nazgul? Ivar-like creative liberty? All of the sudden I've got flashbacks to Enedwait, where people are deathly afraid of evil...goats.


Soldier on Landscape

Get the helping hand you need with LOTRO’s new Soldier on Landscape! This new feature allows you to summon your faithful skirmish companion in the field. Customize your skirmish solider to help you tackle even the toughest challenges!

Nothing we don't already know, except maybe that we weren't sure when it was coming. Given the way it's worded here, it sounds like we'll be able to summon our skirmish soldiers where ever we want in the landscape (I'm guessing instances/raids are excluded). That last bit there, however, almost sounds like they expect you to be using your soldiers regularly...I really hope the content isn't designed with that in mind. I really don't want to level my skirmish soldier in alternate roles to accommodate for different situations. Although, if they are any sorts of smart, that's exactly what they'll do and then offer all the soldier stuff on the store.


Instance Finder Update

You spoke, we listened, and now we’re making Instance Finder better than ever! Instance Finder will soon allow you to queue for the specific instances and skirmishes that you want to do. You can also choose to change loot rules and remove players with a fellowship vote. The rewards are being enhanced, too, granting additional XP for skirmish completion and scaling currency bonuses for when you queue for a larger range of instances.

Basically they're turning it into the Matchmaking system from the Xbox. Not necessarily a good thing--the last thing I want to happen in a skirmish is to get votekicked right before the loot box is opened simply because I didn't realize I was playing with butt buddies the entire time and just used me so they could finish the skirmish. Then again, they ruined my favorite skirmish (Fords of Bruinen), so I doubt I'll be using this feature much anyways. Well, if I want to upgrade my soldier if he's expected to be used with the new content, I suppose I'll have to...

[Valandir]

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

The Great River Quest Pack is free to VIPs!

Well...this is a surprise. Turbine doesn't even give us a chance to speculate; they come right-out and say the quest pack is free for VIPs. To be honest this is the biggest thing to this update. I had honestly believed they would charge for every landscape update, considering it's what Sapience said after Enedwait. Something must've changed.

Nope. Turbine always said, that "Updates" (not AddOns) will be free to VIPs. Ok, they tell a lot of BS which will get changed afterwards, but this one thing has always been true. Fortunately.

[Thrabath]

I think they will try to stick to the "an update every month" as long as possible

Probably something like:
Jan: 5.1
Feb: 5.2
March: 6
April: 6.1
May: 6.2
June: 7
July: 7.1
August: 7.2
October: 8 (Xpac)
November: 8.1
December: 8.2

[Eleasar]

hmm... but for non vip i wonder why i should buy the questpack. I am at max level, the most interesting quests are ringquests anyways - and no instances were mentioned to be added. Well maybe they come at one point and i need the questpack to be able to join them - but they can be sold separately too.

Soldier in normal environment? It is way too easy already to level. If we can use it all the time it will just get boring leveling some alt or such.

[Wayshuba]

Hmmm. Looking at this with my skeptical Turbine glasses, I see they metion the Quest Pack is free to VIPs and are clear that the Epic Story is free....

However, the wording on Soldier on the Landscape is very ambiguous in true Turbine fashion. I bet that will require an unlock from the store for each character that wants to use it. And of course the content will be designed with having the soldier available (or will require grouping on the landscape and therefore be a convienance, not an advantage). In fact, I bet all the encounters on the landscape are made tougher so a soldier (or grouping) will be needed and so everyone will need to buy the soldier on a landscape unlock. Marks my words that exactly what this is really about.

Sorry for being skeptical but I don't think Turbine would do anything for benefit of their customers unless they can make a buck at it.

[Thrabath]

I almost can't imagine them to let VIP's pay for such an unlock; For non-VIP it propably will

Although i won't be suprised if my imagination wasn't good enough and they will let VIPs pay

[Shadow]

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

http://www.lotro.com...1775?lang=en_US

Well, this is interesting. My eyes may be decieving me, but it seems like they are planning to release this content before June, which is very unlike Turbine's current update schedule timeline.

Guild Wars 2 beta testing began this month. According to a poll at the guildwars2guru forum, the majority feel there will be a quarter 2 release of the game. I have a hunch that this may be partially a reason for the timing of update 6, much as the release of update 5 may have been an attempt to stave off losses to SWTOR.

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

http://www.lotro.com...1775?lang=en_US




Well, if I want to upgrade my soldier if he's expected to be used with the new content, I suppose I'll have to...

I'm considering retiring some of my squishies for that very reason. I'm not going to get on another grind treadmill, so it may just be my level cap guard from henceforth.

I just hope we don't have to contend with braindead skirmish soldiers in the landscape. If this feature is implemented half-arsed with bad AI, ROR will be known as Retards of Rohan.

[Agra]

Wayshuba, on 16 February 2012 - 16:57, said:

In fact, I bet all the encounters on the landscape are made tougher so a soldier (or grouping) will be needed and so everyone will need to buy the soldier on a landscape unlock.

MMORPG or MSORPG?

Less soloplay would be desirable.

[Dalthalion]

Just keeping a picture of the "free-to-VIP" claim for posterity.

[Moderate Peril]

Update 6 raises a lot of questions, many of which have been touched upon here already.

For me the big question is why the fuck do I want to go back to see that bit of scrag Galadriel? Why do I have go and tit about along the shores of the Anduin?

I and a few other people would like to go to Rohan and by that I mean the important places. Not some tedious backwater part of the country, filled with yet more feckless peasants who want me to shovel shit and pick up nails.

Turbine seem hell bent on prevaricating and visiting the most inconsequential parts of Middle Earth, in the pitiful hope of increasing the games lifespan.

I still stick to my prediction that this year is going to be the deal breaker for a lot of fans of this game, as I suspect that the next set of updates and expansions are simply going to fail to meet everyone's very high expectations.

[Raedwulf]

Shadow, on 16 February 2012 - 17:03, said:

Guild Wars 2 beta testing began this month. According to a poll at the guildwars2guru forum, the majority feel there will be a quarter 2 release of the game.

Really?

Yes, yes, yes!

Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!

*Ahem*

I'm quite pleased to hear this.

[AnonymusBosch]

Agra, on 16 February 2012 - 17:28, said:

MMORPG or MSORPG?

Less soloplay would be desirable.

If this is tied to the store then I would be surprised if they do not have "solo"-only instances that require people to use their least-favourite skirmish pet (e.g. the Warrior). Look at the linear questing in RoI. If you can't get past a certain instance then you are stuck for that zone. Then you do loads of skirmishes or you use up lots of points in the store to build up the skirmisher so you can get through the instance.

If it is all store-related then I predict new Skirmish soldiers appearing e.g. "Village Idiot", "Turbine Fanboi" etc etc. All will have to be levelled up.

Thankfully I am not a lifer so I do not feel a need to put myself through such bs.

[Talisman]

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

Well, this is interesting. My eyes may be decieving me, but it seems like they are planning to release this content before June, which is very unlike Turbine's current update schedule timeline.

Not sure why you would think this. The pattern was set last year. Update 3 - Echoes of the Dead (with the In their Absence/Ost Dunhost instance cluster) was released in March 2011, and Update 4 - Lost Legends of Eriador (Inn of the Forsaken, Hall of Night, Attack at Dawn, & Icy Cravasse) was released in May 2011.

It makes sense that they would stick to a similar schedule.

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

The Great River Quest Pack is free to VIPs!

Well...this is a surprise. Turbine doesn't even give us a chance to speculate; they come right-out and say the quest pack is free for VIPs. To be honest this is the biggest thing to this update. I had honestly believed they would charge for every landscape update, considering it's what Sapience said after Enedwait. Something must've changed.

Again, the precedent it that non-expansions are free for VIPs. This has been true since the start of the game (from my understanding). Content released between expansions (including zones like Evendim, Forochel, & Enedwaith and additions like The Rift and Goblin Town) has always be free. Enedwaith coincided with F2P, but the 2011 clusters were also free for VIPs.

I've never seen anything shady in their release pricing. The worst I can say (and it is pretty bad) is that it's not always **clear** how you can get stuff, especially in relation to the store. CSTM did a much better job of spelling out what comes in the varios xpacs, quest packs, etc.

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

Epic Story

I've got nothing on this. Nazgul? Ivar-like creative liberty? All of the sudden I've got flashbacks to Enedwait, where people are deathly afraid of evil...goats.

I'm sort of disappointed that this is going to be end-game content. I'd rather it be an alternate to Enedwaith/Dunland, but I guess that was expecting too much.

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

Soldier on Landscape


Nothing we don't already know, except maybe that we weren't sure when it was coming. Given the way it's worded here, it sounds like we'll be able to summon our skirmish soldiers where ever we want in the landscape (I'm guessing instances/raids are excluded). That last bit there, however, almost sounds like they expect you to be using your soldiers regularly...I really hope the content isn't designed with that in mind. I really don't want to level my skirmish soldier in alternate roles to accommodate for different situations. Although, if they are any sorts of smart, that's exactly what they'll do and then offer all the soldier stuff on the store.

I hope this change brings with it some better controls over the landscape. Otherwise, the soldiers will be as annoying as Orchalwe in Annuminas: no means to control what he aggroes or where he runs off to.

AgamemnonV1, on 16 February 2012 - 07:26, said:

Instance Finder Update


Basically they're turning it into the Matchmaking system from the Xbox. Not necessarily a good thing--the last thing I want to happen in a skirmish is to get votekicked right before the loot box is opened simply because I didn't realize I was playing with butt buddies the entire time and just used me so they could finish the skirmish. Then again, they ruined my favorite skirmish (Fords of Bruinen), so I doubt I'll be using this feature much anyways. Well, if I want to upgrade my soldier if he's expected to be used with the new content, I suppose I'll have to...

Adding the ability to select specific instances is a good thing. As it is now, no one is using it to form groups. Instead, they advertise on the global channels and, once the group is formed, the finder is used to enter the instance. Since they are basically forcing this interface on us (I follow the forums fairly closely, and I've never seen even a hint of a suggestion), at least it should be usable.

[Brrokk]

Yum! Well, this is, mmmmm, good! Easterlings, yes! Ancient enemy of Rohan? Hmm, I suspect yet more wights. But what a great part of Middle Earth to add. Now, I make a wish: session play on the banks of the river to see Gollum find the ring! :-)

[AnonymusBosch]

Shadow, on 16 February 2012 - 17:03, said:

I'm considering retiring some of my squishies for that very reason. I'm not going to get on another grind treadmill, so it may just be my level cap guard from henceforth.

That means more heavy armour running around and fewer minstrels, with more problems finding groups.

[Hawkmoon]

Here's my question...

Will this new area be max level?  Like Enidwaith (sp) was.  

To me this is ridiculous.  Why add a new zone that is max level? If that is what they are planning.

[Spidey]

Hawkmoon, on 17 February 2012 - 00:05, said:

Here's my question...

Will this new area be max level?  Like Enidwaith (sp) was.  

To me this is ridiculous.  Why add a new zone that is max level? If that is what they are planning.

Have they ever added a new zone that wasn't max level?

[Talisman]

Hawkmoon, on 17 February 2012 - 00:05, said:

Here's my question...

Will this new area be max level?  Like Enidwaith (sp) was.  

To me this is ridiculous.  Why add a new zone that is max level? If that is what they are planning.

Considering it seems to be tied to a new book (or the start of a new volume) in the epic line, it pretty much has to be end-game.

[Silverangel]

Spidey, on 17 February 2012 - 00:21, said:

Have they ever added a new zone that wasn't max level?

  Yes, Evendim was not max level.

Eleasar, on 16 February 2012 - 15:08, said:

hmm... but for non vip i wonder why i should buy the questpack.

I'm interested in this region as a way to bypass ever having to own Isengard on my second account.  Do it like the people who skip Moria with Lothlorien.

[Hajile]

Silverangel, on 17 February 2012 - 01:22, said:

Yes, Evendim was not max level.

So was Forochel. Seems like creating new zones to give players alternative levelling paths was something that went the way of the dodo once Moria came along. Since then new zones have been exclusively about getting to the level cap as fast as possible and then treading water. It's unfocused, dull and is a waste of Turbine's resources because it makes half the content they generate utterly purposeless beyond being a venue for grind.

The opportunity is there for alternative kinds of progression. There's no sense in creating content that gives xp when the people there are already at the level cap. What about zones that give no xp, but are rather designed for legendary item progression? That way you'd be able to keep questing and keep advancing at the level cap and never have to bother with grinding, as you'd only head to these LI-centric zones once you have the LIs you want to level.

Hell, every single piece of level cap content since Moria could have been designed with this in mind. Imagine if Lothlorien had been created not filled with redundant and boring nonsense for players already at l60 to dash through on their way to the end of the story and Dar Narbugud, but crammed with LI-centric content, giving people an incentive to actually spend time there.

That sort of thing would be proper solo endgame content, and would give a feasible alternative to raiding for level cap advancement. Then, once the level cap is raised, it'd be a cinch to yank out the LI rewards and just replace them with xp, and bam - alternative levelling paths for the journey to the new cap!

It's really not rocket science to come up with stuff like this. It's such a shame the people in charge of Turbine are morons.