LOTRO: Changes to Embers, Motes and Figments Currencies
I dislike an excess of currencies in the MMORPG genre. I believe that such systems are implemented with a deliberate intention to obfusticate and dissemble. Especially if such currencies are bought with real money. Consider the following scenario. A player buys a specific currency and then uses that to purchase a second, different currency. They then use that to obtain an ingame item, The sole intention of such systems in video games are to disassociate the player from the fact that they have made a purchase which has a real cost. These are manipulative and predatory business practises but such is the nature of the video games industry and they are commonplace. You have to keep your wits about you when spending money ingame. Sadly those who don’t, end up falling foul of such practises.
I dislike an excess of currencies in the MMORPG genre. I believe that such systems are implemented with a deliberate intention to obfusticate and dissemble. Especially if such currencies are bought with real money. Consider the following scenario. A player buys a specific currency and then uses that to purchase a second, different currency. They then use that to obtain an ingame item, The sole intention of such systems in video games are to disassociate the player from the fact that they have made a purchase which has a real cost. These are manipulative and predatory business practises but such is the nature of the video games industry and they are commonplace. You have to keep your wits about you when spending money ingame. Sadly those who don’t, end up falling foul of such practises.
Which brings me on to The Lord of the Rings Online. A game with a plethora of barter currencies and unique monetary systems. Since 2017 and the release of the Mordor expansion, the game has had a bespoke currency that has been exclusively used for the provision of endgame gear. Five years on and this system has been overhauled several times and replaced with a new tier due to increases in the games level cap. At present Embers are the premium currency. This can be used to obtain level 140 gear, jewellery and essences. Motes are an older currency which can be used to obtain gear, jewellery and essences between levels 20 and 130. Figments of Splendour are the lowest tier of these currencies and iare mainly used to obtain cosmetic items, housing items and pets.
For many LOTRO players, Embers are the most important of these three currencies as they can be used to obtain very good gear. Effectively gear bought with Embers is the next best thing to that gained from raiding. When my primary character reached the new level cap recently, I replaced all their armour, jewellery and essences with gear bought with Embers. It is important to point out that Embers are obtained either by playing endgame content or by opening Adventurer's Steel-bound Lootbox. You have to buy Black Steel Keys to do so. Keys are paid for with LOTRO points. LOTRO points cost real money. It is also worth noting that items that are purchased with Embers can be deconstructed. If a lootbox gives an item you do not require or like, it can be “disenchanted” back into Embers. Hence Embers are an important part of Standing Stones Games ongoing monetisation of LOTRO.
Today, SSG announced that there will be changes coming to Embers, Motes and Figments currencies in Update 32, which is scheduled for February. Changes that SSG claim are designed “to clarify the value of each currency, better control their distribution, and improve the overall player experience when it comes to acquiring and spending these currencies”. Here is the short version of the proposed changes, specifically those associated with Embers of Enchantment, to give them their full title. If you want to read the more detailed account please click on the following link.
Embers continue to be our cap level currency used to barter for cap level gear.
The only gear in-game that will disenchant into Embers will come from Adventurer's (level cap) Lootboxes.
Embers will no longer barter into either Figments of Splendour or Motes of Enchantment.
In Update 32 and other large item level jumps we will version all existing Embers of Enchantment in your wallet into Motes of Enchantment. Any gear that could previously be acquired with Embers will also change to require Motes at the same time.
The Embers of Enchantment cap is being increased to 100,000 with Update 32.
According to LOTRO Producer Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia), these changes are because of the imbalance between players undertaking level cap content that drops high end gear and those playing older, easier content, to obtain items that are disenchanted into Embers, that they then use to purchase level cap gear. However, as many LOTRO players have pointed out, the biggest obstacle for running top tier, endgame content, is the prohibitive time specific weekly lock. Ultimately both of these problems are of SSG own making and they are now trying to correct them by implementing a further flawed solution. Downgrading a player’s store of Embers, whenever there’s a level cap or gear change is a mistake. Taking away anything that a player has paid for is bad for business. Sadly, many of the problems and PR disasters that SSG have faced over the last five years have been of their own making. There is of course the chance that this isn’t a mistake but an intentional decision driven by a desire to increase monetisation. Whatever the reason, this decision is not going to be well received.
LOTRO: What Happens Next?
Around the middle of May, it was announced on the official forums that the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online had a new Producer, Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia). This news was hardly “shouted from the rooftops” and I only found out about it when Raninia was recently “interviewed” by LOTRO streamer Louey7. So what do we know about Mr Brodiskiy? Well he comes from a mobile game background, having worked on such titles as Archer: Danger Phone and Marvel Puzzle Quest. He has experience as a game producer and in QA. According to the introductory post he made on the forums “Sev remains the Executive Producer, I'm coming in as support under him. I'll be spending my time exclusively on LOTRO, and am hoping to be reasonably communicative”. As mentioned, he recently appeared on a live stream and answered some questions regarding what’s happening with LOTRO in the next 6 months or So. He also alluded to 2022.
Around the middle of May, it was announced on the official forums that the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online had a new Producer, Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia). This news was hardly “shouted from the rooftops” and I only found out about it when Raninia was recently “interviewed” by LOTRO streamer Louey7. So what do we know about Mr Brodiskiy? Well he comes from a mobile game background, having worked on such titles as Archer: Danger Phone and Marvel Puzzle Quest. He has experience as a game producer and in QA. According to the introductory post he made on the forums “Sev remains the Executive Producer, I'm coming in as support under him. I'll be spending my time exclusively on LOTRO, and am hoping to be reasonably communicative”. As mentioned, he recently appeared on a live stream and answered some questions regarding what’s happening with LOTRO in the next 6 months or So. He also alluded to 2022.
Briefly, here is a recap of the points that were discussed in the stream. The original summary appeared on Massively Overpowered, care of Justin Olivetti and I have further condensed it for brevity.
2021:
The Gundabad expansion is due in autumn and will be tied to the new Brawler class.
The Brawler class has a tank and DPS role. Specific race options are not yet decided.
Gundabad will feature missions and an older system that SSG is returning in a revised state.
Gundabad will include Legendary Item changes. The older LI system will be “phased out”.
The new LI system will be easier to use and for players to catch up.
2022:
The development team have proposed years’ worth of potential content, although nothing beyond Gundabad has been completed.
Trait lines, crafting and kinships may have future systems revisions.
Visual and technical upgrades are being planned, although specifics have not been decided. A possible console edition cannot be discussed at present.
Multithreading is “possible” but very difficult to achieve with LOTRO’s game engine.
There are no plans at present for level compression (like WoW).
Changing the acquisition of class trait points has been discussed.
SSG would like to have an EU-based server, but there are definitive plans at present.
Character transfers from closed worlds to live ones are being tested.
There are no planned server merges.
This is more information than we’ve seen for a while and certainly Oleg seems to be far more comfortable talking about the game than other members of Standing Stone Games. The interview was casual, upbeat and suitably vague. As previous new classes or races have been tied to expansions, it’s no surprise that the Brawler will follow suit with the arrival of Gundabad. The community knew the LI revision was coming so it will be interesting to see how simplified it will be. I wonder if the “older system” that is making a comeback in a revised state is skirmishes? Missions after all are just a variation of these and skirmishes were always a welcome alternative to traditional quests. As for next year, there seems to be a lot that is being discussed but it would appear that there may be technological restrictions. I don’t expect to see visual changes, multithread support and a console port any time soon. I suspect that SSG will focus on what can be achieved easily first. So expect skills bloat, skill points and crafting to be tackled sooner.
As ever with LOTRO much remains unanswered. Not only game specific details but wider aspects of company policy. Is Oleg Broadskiy’s employment a direct result of EG7 new ownership? Because from what I've seen of them so far (their YouTube channel has proven very informative) they are facilitators and enablers, rather than old school autocratic owners. They don't appear to have a vision for LOTRO that they wish to impose upon SSG. They seem more disposed towards supporting SSG financially and administratively, so they can take the game forward. If that is the case then LOTRO’s future development and direction is still being driven by SSG and that is what concerns me. They haven’t always struck me as that imaginative of companies and they often seem to be tone deaf to community concerns. However, more money and potentially more staff may well change this, bringing fresh ideas. Having played LOTRO for 13 years and followed the games development closely, the most I can do at present is remain cautiously optimistic.
Looking at the long term future of the game, it does seem like LOTRO is at a crossroads in its lifecycle. Fortunately there are several positive factors in the games favour at present. In recent years there have been major changes to the Tolkien Estate and Middle-earth Enterprises affording greater leeway with licencing and use of Professor Tolkien’s intellectual property. EG7 acquiring Daybreak Gaming Company and their portfolio, has revealed a lot of data regarding LOTRO and it has shown that the playerbase is quite robust, generating stable revenue. Plus there’s a very good chance of renewed interest in all things Middle-earth when Amazon Prime’s new TV show which is set in the Second Age launches at the end of 2021. Hence if the game is adequately funded, developed and promoted it could see an increase in players. A console port would be invaluable, as could revising the games engine and mechanics for the PC market.
For LOTRO to survive and thrive, it requires a development team and chain of command with sufficient love and vision. If such skills are lacking in SSG at present, then perhaps EG7 can recruit them. Potentially, if managed well LOTRO could endure for another decade. A revamped game with modern attributes, yet still founded on strong narrative gameplay should do well. Being made available on EG7’s growing platform 4Game would be a major shot in the arm. When you consider the huge international appeal of Tolkien’s work (since publication The Lord of the Rings has sold 150 million copies) it seems ludicrous that a massively multiplayer game based upon that work hasn’t secured a bigger place in the market. In many ways LOTRO is now in the best position it has ever been in to reach its full potential. However, if this process of self improvement doesn’t start soon, then the opportunity may be missed and like Galadriel the game will diminish and go into the West. As always, time will tell.