Post by Morreion on Aug 5, 2010 8:17:18 GMT -5
Developer Diary: Enedwaith (LOTRO.com)
Eregion, the region due north of Enedwaith, had a heavily Elvish influence, being an ancient abandoned Elf-home. However, along the southern border Dunlending influences were beginning to be seen, especially in the way of small fortifications of an invading force in service to Saruman the White. For those conscious of the differences in naming convention, the names of these fortifications were based on Welsh (and modified to actually be readable to folks who do not count w or y as common vowels).
And this is where we enter Enedwaith and northern Dunland. The flavour and language conventions for the region and the Dunlendings were strongly influenced by Medieval Welsh and Briton (Old Welsh) language and folklore, in keeping with our practice of mimicking Tolkien’s use of real-world languages and cultures.
And this is where we enter Enedwaith and northern Dunland. The flavour and language conventions for the region and the Dunlendings were strongly influenced by Medieval Welsh and Briton (Old Welsh) language and folklore, in keeping with our practice of mimicking Tolkien’s use of real-world languages and cultures.
Developer Diary: Instances 2.0 (LOTRO.com)
These issues and debates crop up most frequently with instances. Instances are large, complex, expensive pieces of content to make. They are completely hand-crafted experiences and game play, requiring organized group testing, multiple passes for balance, challenge, and fun. It takes a very large amount of time to go through the full process of getting an instance into a shippable state. Despite all of that, each instance meets with varying degrees of success. Even when a space ends up successful with solid gameplay and fun, like Orion’s recent rebuild of Garth Agarwen, it suffers because it is set at a single level and only accessible to a small portion of the playerbase. This creates a lose/lose situation. We have great content that the majority of players aren’t in a level band for, and the players who want to play it are left with something not in their level range and an unrewarding experience as a result.
This was one of the challenges we set out to tackle with the Skirmish system. We were able to construct spaces that are available to as many players as possible and succeeded in knocking down many of the barriers that limit the impact, accessibility and audience for the content we produce. Now, we’ve looked at the Skirmish technology and started tinkering with applying it in other places to spread those benefits.
This was one of the challenges we set out to tackle with the Skirmish system. We were able to construct spaces that are available to as many players as possible and succeeded in knocking down many of the barriers that limit the impact, accessibility and audience for the content we produce. Now, we’ve looked at the Skirmish technology and started tinkering with applying it in other places to spread those benefits.
Featured Player: Harperella (LOTRO Player Profile)
Today’s Featured Player is Harperella, of the Lonely Mountain Band. Harperella has become a social coordinator of sorts on Landroval. She is the hostess of the LMB’s weekly Ales and Tales, as well as, other notable events such as Weatherstock, The Minstrel Mash, and Magical Mysteries. In addition to her busy in-game schedule she has somehow found time to create several LOTRO-themed comics including: Harperella’s Harrowing Tales, Tales from the Wood, and Rolling Thunder. Be sure to read more about Harper in her recent interview, and congratulate her on being a Featured Player!
LotRO’s Death Penalty Just Doesn’t Fit; Do MMOs Still Need Death Penalties? (Game By Night)
LotRO is so bad because it effectively incapacitates you for ten minutes. You’re useless. Trying to quest is an exercise in futility, so you’re left with crafting and chatting. As much as I like chatting with my guildies, I get bored staring at my character’s back– as he stares at the horizon, counting down the seconds on the debuff timer.
More often than not, I just log out. I enjoy the heck out of LotRO, it’s true, but I’m not especially compelled to go an extra yard for it right now. There’s nothing of interest coming my way until Freemium and those Epic Book quests will still be there the next time I log in. And with more games going F2P all time time, it’s easier (and more rewarding) to just go play something else. Tonight, I got in and played for about an hour. It was that special brand of LotRO-Good and I’m happy I didn’t die right away.
More often than not, I just log out. I enjoy the heck out of LotRO, it’s true, but I’m not especially compelled to go an extra yard for it right now. There’s nothing of interest coming my way until Freemium and those Epic Book quests will still be there the next time I log in. And with more games going F2P all time time, it’s easier (and more rewarding) to just go play something else. Tonight, I got in and played for about an hour. It was that special brand of LotRO-Good and I’m happy I didn’t die right away.
Turbine expands on LotRO's Lua scripting (Massively)
Ever since hearing the news that Turbine will allow players to create mods for Lord of the Rings Online using the Lua programming language, the community's been abuzz about what this means for LotRO -- good and bad. Would this allow for the creation of game unbalancing add-ons, or perhaps the rise of a LotRO edition of WoW's controversial GearScore? Or does Turbine have a specific vision in mind for the scope of mods?
Lord of the Rings Online: Going Free to Play
Lord of the Rings Online is one of the more popular subscription-based MMOs on the 'Net today. Recently, however, Turbine announced that LOTRO will be moving to a free to play model beginning this fall. MMORPG.com's Garrett Fuller caught up with Turbine to talk about the changes. Check it out!
Lord of the Rings Online will offer the epic storyline for free up to the Mines of Moria expansion. The in game shop expands from there and players will be able to buy content packs. Once you purchase a pack, every character on the account will have access. Turbine is also very serious that the Free to Play model is not a Pay to Win model. They sell no gear in the game shop and nothing that can disrupt the balance of the game.
Lord of the Rings Online: F2P Session
MMORPG.com writer Jaime Skelton recently had the opportunity to spend time with Lord of the Rings Online producer Aaron Campbell. During their session, Jaime was treated to a firsthand look at the upcoming free to play scaled instance Enedwaith. See what she thought of the new material and her thoughts about LOTRO's F2P model.
LOTRO's current subscribers, or those who resubscribe to LOTRO after a hiatus, will not feel much different in the game outside of the addition of the new store. Subscribers (VIP) will have access to all of the same game features they do currently, plus receive a token of 500 Turbine Points per month to spend as they will. Like DDO, players (VIP and free) will be able to earn Turbine Points through completing deeds and some quests. The idea, as it was explained to me, is so subscribers don't lose anything - they only gain the option to pick up some additional perks. Turbine indicates that it isn't so much that LOTRO is going free-to-play as it is that they are integrating a hybrid model which adds options for players who want to play LOTRO without a subscription.
Free players, on the other hand, are given the ability to start with quests from Bree, Ered Luin, and the Shire - about 800 quests in total. The world, however, is free for F2P players to roam; so is the epic quest line that drives the main story of LOTRO. In fact, F2P players won't even have a level cap - it's completely possible to get to level 50 by simply exploring the world, killing creatures of level and completing the epic story line, although this will be a very slow way to do it. Though I had no chance to see the free-player experience first hand during the play session, the team indicates there's been a bit that's changed to make the new player experience more interesting.
Free players, on the other hand, are given the ability to start with quests from Bree, Ered Luin, and the Shire - about 800 quests in total. The world, however, is free for F2P players to roam; so is the epic quest line that drives the main story of LOTRO. In fact, F2P players won't even have a level cap - it's completely possible to get to level 50 by simply exploring the world, killing creatures of level and completing the epic story line, although this will be a very slow way to do it. Though I had no chance to see the free-player experience first hand during the play session, the team indicates there's been a bit that's changed to make the new player experience more interesting.
Beta journals testify about the LotRO store (Massively)
While the new version of Lord of the Rings Online is still under NDA lockdown, Turbine's opened a crack in the door to allow a few beta testers to jaw about the LotRO store. On the EU site, beta testers were encouraged to submit their thoughts and experiences with the new store for non-testers to assimilate, with four stories chosen to be posted.
Will free-to-play help LOTRO out the way it has DDO? (Ten Ton Hammer)
When you open the flood gates to free-to-play you have to be ready to take the bad with the good. Sure you will have all the new players you want in game. You will also have all the asshats that tend to follow free-to-play games. LOTRO has been a bit of an anomaly in the MMOG market. The community is more mature, respectful, and good natured than any other MMOG community that I know of. You can throw that out the window with free-to-play. This more than anything else about the change saddens me to see it go.
Now it must be said that there are some good things that will come with the conversion. To start, while it is a shame to see the old community die, there will be a lot of new blood playing the game. One of the hardest things to overcome for a new player entering into an already aged MMOG is the ability to find groups to level with. With the free-to-play model this will not be a problem. There should always be plenty of people to group with now... if you can handle grouping with the occasional asshat that is.
Now it must be said that there are some good things that will come with the conversion. To start, while it is a shame to see the old community die, there will be a lot of new blood playing the game. One of the hardest things to overcome for a new player entering into an already aged MMOG is the ability to find groups to level with. With the free-to-play model this will not be a problem. There should always be plenty of people to group with now... if you can handle grouping with the occasional asshat that is.
