LOTRO: Brawler Class Preview
Standing Stone Games are currently previewing the new Brawler class and major revisions to the Legendary Items system on the Bullroarer test server. So I decided to take a look today. As ever, they have made it very clear that both of these are very early builds and therefore subject to change. In fact some elements of this “first look” have not even been fully integrated into the game. For example, the quest arc prior to entry to Moria is still linked to the existing Legendary Item system and as of yet has no suitable rewards for the Brawler class. Players using the test server need to visit the Eyes and Guard tavern in Archet to obtain a suitable LI. It is also the same for Brawler related gear. Most quest lines do not at present provide suitable gear for this new class. Also many icons and tooltips associated with both Brawlers and LIs are temporary placeholders or recycle existing content.
Standing Stone Games are currently previewing the new Brawler class and major revisions to the Legendary Items system on the Bullroarer test server. So I decided to take a look today. As ever, they have made it very clear that both of these are very early builds and therefore subject to change. In fact some elements of this “first look” have not even been fully integrated into the game. For example, the quest arc prior to entry to Moria is still linked to the existing Legendary Item system and as of yet has no suitable rewards for the Brawler class. Players using the test server need to visit the Eyes and Guard tavern in Archet to obtain a suitable LI. It is also the same for Brawler related gear. Most quest lines do not at present provide suitable gear for this new class. Also many icons and tooltips associated with both Brawlers and LIs are temporary placeholders or recycle existing content.
The Brawler is a melee class. It is supposed to be “inspired” by Helm Hammerhand. Brawlers do not rely upon standard weapons but instead use Battle Gauntlets and heavy armour. The main focus for Brawlers is damage per second, off-tanking and providing support. Any race in Middle-earth can be a Brawler with the exception of Beornings, which are their own hybrid race and class combination. They have two primary lines of specialisation. The blue line (The Fulcrum) is for tanking and support. The red line (The Maelstrom) is a damage specific line. The yellow skill tree (The Fundament) is to augment and bolster the other two. As with the Champion class, which generates and uses Fervour, the Brawler gains and expends Mettle. There is a meter on the skillsbar. Brawler skills include light and heavy attacks, buffs and debuffs, self heals and special AoE attacks.
Rather than create a Brawler and auto level straight to 130, I decided to play through the tutorial and progress through Bree-land for a while. That way I could assess and come to grips with the basic skills as they were earned. Despite this being a very early build the Brawler plays quite well at present. The basic skills of heavy and light attacks are done as different kinds of punches. The animations are okay and it all feels quite tangible. Your blows do damage and the mobs react to them in a timely fashion. However, beyond the actual mechanics, it is very much a matter of taste as to whether you find this sort of fisticuffs “appropriate” in a MMORPG such as The Lord of the Rings Online. I personally find it somewhat incongruous that the Brawler class has been extended to Elves and Hobbits. Punching your way through early content seems plausible but is it credible to “beat” one’s way into Mordor?
As for Legendary Items 2.0, I only took a cursory look at this new system. The streamlining of weapons with four types of socketed items (“traceries”) that accommodate growth without having to replace the weapon is a step in the right direction. But because I’ve never fully come to grips with the existing LI system I cannot assess whether the new systems offer commensurate results to what I have already. Ultimately I need to be able to compare the stats that I have on my primary character on Laurelin, to those on Bullroarer. I am assuming that at some point when the LI changes are approved, players on the live server will get a replacement weapon or a refund of points. If we have to start from scratch without any recompense there will be “community problems”. Essentially, I expect my stats to remain the same when the new LI system is released. If I lose anything or feel that something is not a like for like replacement, I will consider SSG to have failed.
The other two things of note associated with this preview is that SSG have announced the name of the next expansion for LOTRO. It will be Fate of Gundabad. I hope it is more substantive than War of Three Peaks. It is also interesting to see that Bullroarer opened a day early exclusively for “content creators”. It’s something that lots of other game developers do, so it’s not in any way anomalous but I personally wasn’t aware of any major, heavy hitting LOTRO streamers. I always got the impression it is a somewhat niche market and no one had audiences in the 100K range. As for the wider issue of this preview itself, I think it’s too early to really make a definitive assessment as to the success or failure of either the Brawler Class and the revised LI system. I will certainly check again when the second preview goes live and there is more information available and better in-game integration.
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.
Thoughts on “Classic LOTRO”
Cordovan (AKA Jerry Snook), Community Manager for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, stated in the last Developers Live Stream that “the idea of a formal classic (server) is never off the table”. Naturally, this comment has led to a lot of speculation on the official LOTRO forums. Many players by inference have concluded that the original code does exist for the game as it was at launch or immediately thereafter. As you can imagine this has resulted in much debate as to whether a classic LOTRO server based upon the original Shadows of Angmar release could be created. Assuming that this is the case and technically developer’s Standing Stone Games can do this, it raises the question of whether they should or not. Because a classic server is a different beast to the previous legendary progression servers. 14 years has seen a great deal of change within the MMO industry and with LOTRO as well. Let us take a moment to reflect.
Cordovan (AKA Jerry Snook), Community Manager for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, stated in the last Developers Live Stream that “the idea of a formal classic (server) is never off the table”. Naturally, this comment has led to a lot of speculation on the official LOTRO forums. Many players by inference have concluded that the original code does exist for the game as it was at launch or immediately thereafter. As you can imagine this has resulted in much debate as to whether a classic LOTRO server based upon the original Shadows of Angmar release could be created. Assuming that this is the case and technically developer’s Standing Stone Games can do this, it raises the question of whether they should or not. Because a classic server is a different beast to the previous legendary progression servers. 14 years has seen a great deal of change within the MMO industry and with LOTRO as well. Let us take a moment to reflect.
A classic LOTRO server would differ greatly from the game as it stands today. In the original version of the game the world map was subject to the “fog of war” meaning you had to explore each region of Middle-earth for the map to show what was there. Players did not get a mount until level 35. It cost a lot of gold and was tied to the successful completion of a specific series of quests. Talking of which, there was no quest tracker with quest locations marked on the in-game map. Players were given a broad location such as “visit southern Chetwood” and had to find things for themselves. The trait system was radically different, skills had to be bought from trainers as you levelled and gear came from quests, crafting or players trading via the auction house. There was no barter wallet so storage frequently became an issue. The current cosmetic system also didn’t exist back in 2007, so the level of sartorial elegance was much lower. And perhaps the biggest difference was that the game was still heavily focused on group play and not all PVE content was soloable.
LOTRO in 2007 was very much a product of its time. Clearly, as the forums show us, there is a percentage of the existing LOTRO community that would be happy to play such an iteration of the game. However, it would take a lot of developer resources to bring Shadows of Angmar back in a form that is playable on contemporary PC architecture and hardware. Modern screen resolutions and the need for a fully scalable UI are just a few examples of technical problems that would need to be addressed. Gamers often use World of Warcraft Classic as an example of how an older version of an MMORPG can be brought back. However, a completely different development team was established to achieve this and the project had the financing of Activision Blizzard underpinning it. SSG do not currently have such resources at their disposal. Are their current owners EG7 going to fund such an undertaking such as classic LOTRO server, with its limited appeal, or spend their money modernising the existing game, upgrading the current engine and porting it to console? The latter seems like the more fiscally prudent business decision.
I personally would not be interested in a classic server. I enjoyed the game, as it was back in 2008 when I started playing, by default. It’s systems and mechanics were what they were back then but I cannot in all honesty say that I want to give up all the quality of life improvements that have come to LOTRO since then. Furthermore, I was at a point in my life where I could sink time into an MMO as was required by the genre back then. Those days have gone. I think the most I would ever do in classic LOTRO would be to log in to the game, recreate my existing Lore-master and potter around Bree. I do not think my interest would endure beyond a few hours of nostalgia. If a classic server follows the business model of the existing legendary servers it will require an active subscription for access. I don’t consider that to be worth my while. And then there’s the entire issue of the presence of the LOTRO store in a classic version of the game.
If LOTRO is to survive, it needs to modernise and requires a major overhaul. There are systems and mechanics to fix and some that need to be removed. If EG7 can afford to do this as well as provide a version of classic LOTRO, then so be it. But I don’t think that is the case and therefore I believe the first option is the most likely option. However, this entire debate is yet another example of what I call “gaming myopia”. Some gamers habitually forget that video games are consumer products and not public services. There are dozens of products that have been discontinued during my lifetime that I’d like to see return but the realities of business mean that none of them ever will. Producing classic LOTRO at the expense of the existing game would be a mistake. Churn and new customers are a reality that drive business. Do potential new players really want a game from 2007? I think not.
NB: This subject last became a talking point within the LOTRO community last November. The matter was addressed by SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions). Whether Cordovan’s recent comments indicate a policy change or whether he was just talking theoretically, I will leave to readers to decide.
EG7 to Consolidate All Titles on its 4Game Platform
EG7 is very slick when it comes to corporate communications. Earlier today the company posted their Q1 Report Presentation and Q&A on YouTube. Although specifically designed for the company’s investors, CEO Robin Flodin stated that he was aware that many gamers watch these presentations and are welcome. However, he did point out that any major game related news would always come via their appropriate outlets, thus making it clear that there was not any consumer information in his briefing. He then went on to discuss how well EG7 was faring financially and even to the layperson, it is clear that the company did very well last year. However, there were two nuggets of information that were interesting from a gamer’s perspective. The first was that EG7 is going to consolidate all of its games on their current 4game platform. The second was that the company was developing a new AAA MMO linked to a major intellectual property.
EG7 is very slick when it comes to corporate communications. Earlier today the company posted their Q1 Report Presentation and Q&A on YouTube. Although specifically designed for the company’s investors, CEO Robin Flodin stated that he was aware that many gamers watch these presentations and are welcome. However, he did point out that any major game related news would always come via their appropriate outlets, thus making it clear that there was not any consumer information in his briefing. He then went on to discuss how well EG7 was faring financially and even to the layperson, it is clear that the company did very well last year. However, there were two nuggets of information that were interesting from a gamer’s perspective. The first was that EG7 is going to consolidate all of its games on their current 4game platform. The second was that the company was developing a new AAA MMO linked to a major intellectual property.
For those who may not be aware, most game publishers have a bespoke platform that allows customers to install and manage all the titles that the company produces. Activision Blizzard has Battle.net, EA has Origins, Ubisoft has Uplay and Good Old Games has Galaxy. Then there are the big digital stores such as Steam and Epic Games which similarly have their own “launchers” as they are known. So it makes sense the EG7 is to add all the titles it acquired when it bought the Daybreak Game Company. When and how this change will happen is not yet known. Will players be required to reinstall LOTRO or DDO also remains to be seen. However, Standing Stone Games’ existing launcher for LOTRO is dated and painfully slow. The other advantages of consolidating all products on a single platform are more effective marketing and dissemination of information. As and when LOTRO is added to 4games, it may well lead to an influx of new players.
The news of an AAA MMO being developed is very intriguing although somewhat vague. Robin Flodin referred to it being based upon “one of the greatest brands in the world”. Whether he was referring to franchises that EG7 already hold or something that they’ve recently acquired is a matter for speculation. As fellow blogger Wilhelm Arcturus pointed out in his post, Daybreak currently has a license for a Marvel game. Or has the recent closure of Amazon Game Studios Middle-earth based MMO, cleared the way for another? Are EG7 considering a LOTRO 2.0 or something similar? Whatever the outcome, things have certainly gotten a lot more interesting since the company acquired DGC. In the meantime let us see how both these two items of news are received by the LOTRO community. The consolidation of LOTRO, DDO and other titles onto the 4games launcher is an especially interesting development and needs to be handled well.
LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 30 - Preview #1
On Wednesday evening, Standing Stone Games made Update 30 The Blood of Azog for the Lord of the Rings Online available on the Bullroarer test server. The preview includes the forthcoming raid The Fall of Khazad-dûm and the continuation of the Epic Story from War of Three Peaks. They are also testing some balance changes to all classes in the game. According to community manager Cordovan “we've had to reconsider the balance of certain major group buffs and debuffs that were overpowered in the context of large fellowships. This has led to the reduction of several of these effects in order to hopefully allow for a wider breadth of class compositions in such content. We are balancing this work by not just focusing on nerfs, but DPS increases and other buffs as well”. As ever with content on Bullroarer, it is subject to change and may be altered further before final release.
On Wednesday evening, Standing Stone Games made Update 30 The Blood of Azog for the Lord of the Rings Online available on the Bullroarer test server. The preview includes the forthcoming raid The Fall of Khazad-dûm and the continuation of the Epic Story from War of Three Peaks. They are also testing some balance changes to all classes in the game. According to community manager Cordovan “we've had to reconsider the balance of certain major group buffs and debuffs that were overpowered in the context of large fellowships. This has led to the reduction of several of these effects in order to hopefully allow for a wider breadth of class compositions in such content. We are balancing this work by not just focusing on nerfs, but DPS increases and other buffs as well”. As ever with content on Bullroarer, it is subject to change and may be altered further before final release.
As I am not part of an active raiding guild, I specifically logged on to Bullroarer to look at the next instalment of the main story. Prince Durin is unhappy with the escape of Gorgar, son of Bolg and the sealing of the gates of Mount Gundabad by Hrímil Frost-heart. He is keen to launch a further assault against his foes, however Glóin hopes that a lesson in history might temper the Prince’s plan. Hence through a clever narrative contrivance, the player experiences the Battle of Azanulbizar in 2799 of the Third Age, through the eyes of Hermáth Stormhammer, a hero of Durin’s Folk. Effectively this is like Mordor Besieged in Update 25 Minas Morgul. This revised map of Dimrill Dale is a cold and harsh zone where the snow falls heavier the higher you climb toward Moria and the Redhorn Pass. As well as PVE quests there are also missions set in Azanulbizar (T.A. 2799).
The new zone extends from the Misty Mountains in the North West to the borders of Lorien in the South East. The entrance to Khazad-dûm is heavily fortified by Azog’s Orcs. A central road runs diagonally through Dimrill Dale, running parallel to the Mirrormere. A further two paths can be found hugging the mountain walls on either side of Dimrill Dale. There are six Dwarven camps in the area, four of which have stables. The major camp is Amdân to the South, on the road that leads to Rohan. You will find Dwarves of many different clans here. Within a short distance of all of these Dwarven camps there are comparable Orc fortifications, which block the roads. There are ongoing battles between both factions in strategic places such as Zirakazhar and Atrad-Zarakh. There are a few wild animals such as wolves, bears and birds in the area. Attempting to pass through the Orc encampments is problematic due to mob density.
As ever, the new zone has a great atmosphere and a suitably rousing soundtrack. There is a rather good preface to the new area in which we witness the history of Thror and Nár and their ill-fated quest to reclaim Khazad-dûm. Thror meets a suitably unpleasant fate at the hands of Azog which then leads to the Sixth War of the Dwarves and Orcs. I tend not to play too much content during these Bullroarer previews but from what I’ve seen the PVE quests are structurally very similar to those in the previous mini expansion. I’m sure that SSG will supply a good story as ever but I am concerned that many of the quests will be repeatable and of the “kill so many things” variety. There will naturally be a new reputation faction to complete and barter rewards. From what I’ve seen, Update 30 The Blood of Azog seems to be standard new LOTRO content. That is not a value judgement but a statement of fact. SSG continues to follow their established formula.
LOTRO: Password Reset for Dormant Accounts
Here’s a nugget of information that passed under the radar, or at least it passed under mine. The following post appeared on the official LOTRO forums last week regarding resetting password on dormant player accounts. “As part of our effort to keep people's game accounts secure we have reset the passwords for all game accounts that have not been logged into in more than two years. Your game account and all of its data remains intact! In order to log in, you will need to reset your password through the Forgot My Password? reset procedure. To further help protect your account, we also recommend that you regularly update your password details, and never share your password with anyone. If you need further assistance, please contact Account Support”. Cordovan (Community Manager).
“Is it secret? Is it safe?”
Here’s a nugget of information that passed under the radar, or at least it passed under mine. The following post appeared on the official LOTRO forums last week regarding resetting password on dormant player accounts. “As part of our effort to keep people's game accounts secure we have reset the passwords for all game accounts that have not been logged into in more than two years. Your game account and all of its data remains intact! In order to log in, you will need to reset your password through the Forgot My Password? reset procedure. To further help protect your account, we also recommend that you regularly update your password details, and never share your password with anyone. If you need further assistance, please contact Account Support”. Cordovan (Community Manager).
I am not directly affected by this situation as I regularly log in to The Lord of the Rings Online, regardless of whether I am actively playing or not. I do so to take screen captures for posts, check on new content added to the game or to see if there have been any messages left by kinship members. However, I know lots of people who have not logged into the game for 24 months but do not consider themselves “done” with the game. From a players perspective, two years may not seem like an especially long period of time to be absent from LOTRO. Real world events may mean that they can’t play at present or they may be awaiting a specific expansion or some new content. However, from a game developer’s point of view, an account that has been inactive for two years is not only not playing the game but not spending money. Such data must be very telling and certainly must give SSG food for thought.
Dormant, not Dormouse…
I understand why SSG has decided to reset the passwords on such accounts from a security perspective. But I also think that this situation presents a golden opportunity to do some proactive public relations work and marketing. In the past Cryptic, developers of the MMORPG Star Trek Online, would email players with dormant accounts and offer them incentives to return to the game. This would sometimes be a rare ship that wasn't available elsewhere. I’m not sure how effective this approach was but you would see these unique ships in-game and know that it belonged to a returning player. Would it really be too much to ask for SSG to adopt a similar approach and to offer an incentive to those players who have drifted away from LOTRO to return? Alternatively, if targeting lapsed players is too controversial (as there would naturally be complaints from some current players), why not run a welcome back event with benefits available to all? As ever with LOTRO and SSG, such obvious ideas remain conspicuously absent.
LOTRO to End Support for Windows XP
"The Lord of the Rings Online will be deprecating support for Windows XP and earlier operating systems as of June 8th, 2021. All of your characters and progress will remain, and you can continue to play the game by running LOTRO on a Windows 7 or newer operating system. Players who need to can contact Account Support at help.standingstonegames.com. Thank you" Cordovan. If my time working in IT has taught me anything, it’s that once someone has found a computer setup that works for them and that they’re comfortable with, they’ll move heaven and earth to keep it. Not everyone is an early adopter. Not everyone upgrades just because an upgrade is available. Money is also a major factor. £100 may be a trivial amount to one person but a month’s wages to another. Bearing all this in mind, it is fair to say that not everyone upgrades their hardware or software willy-nilly. Hence it is not unusual to find PC’s running Windows XP in peoples homes.
"The Lord of the Rings Online will be deprecating support for Windows XP and earlier operating systems as of June 8th, 2021. All of your characters and progress will remain, and you can continue to play the game by running LOTRO on a Windows 7 or newer operating system. Players who need to can contact Account Support at help.standingstonegames.com. Thank you" Cordovan. If my time working in IT has taught me anything, it’s that once someone has found a computer setup that works for them and that they’re comfortable with, they’ll move heaven and earth to keep it. Not everyone is an early adopter. Not everyone upgrades just because an upgrade is available. Money is also a major factor. £100 may be a trivial amount to one person but a month’s wages to another. Bearing all this in mind, it is fair to say that not everyone upgrades their hardware or software willy-nilly. Hence it is not unusual to find PC’s running Windows XP in peoples homes.
However, Microsoft officially ended support for Windows XP on April 8th, 2014. So I am quite surprised that Standing Stone Games has still been supporting LOTRO on this operating system for so long after it was formally retired by the manufacturer. Considering there have been four further iterations of Windows since XP, SSG are certainly justified in their decision to draw a line under this particular version. Certainly, if the game is to evolve and have the graphical upgrade that has been suggested, along with a port to the current generation of consoles, it cannot be restricted by a requirement to run on older hardware and software. I doubt if they’ll do it but I would be very interested to know exactly what percentage of LOTRO players are still running the game on this operating system. I suspect it may be more than what many people think.
This raises the question as to what players affected by this change will do. A license key for Windows 10 can cost anything from £35 to £140. There are deals to be had from grey market vendors if you search online. However, if you have a PC that came with Windows XP installed, it will be between 12 and 20 years old. Are the hardware specifications of such systems going to cope with the latest iteration of Windows 10? If so, the need to upgrade an operating system could end up as a need to buy a new PC. Will people do that just to play LOTRO? Linux enthusiasts will happily inform anyone with a pulse that it will run on an abacus and that it also supports LOTRO. But not everyone wants to go down such an alternative route. In the meantime, I’ll be keeping an eye on the LOTRO forums to see what sort of feedback this announcement generates and how supportive SSG are of those affected by this imminent change.
LOTRO: EG7 Community Update
Last December EG7 announced that it had purchased Daybreak Game Company and its portfolio. It subsequently became apparent that DGC was not just the publisher for Standing Stone Games but in fact their owner. Something that many players had suspected for a while. After an investor briefing was published, it became clear that EG7 were not just another corporate body out to asset strip and make a fast buck but were in fact genuinely interested in growing and improving the games that they now owned. For players of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, a wave of cautious optimism spread throughout the community. Hints at a graphical overhaul for the game and a potential console conversion were well received. Further news and specific details have been eagerly anticipated.
Last December EG7 announced that it had purchased Daybreak Game Company and its portfolio. It subsequently became apparent that DGC was not just the publisher for Standing Stone Games but in fact their owner. Something that many players had suspected for a while. After an investor briefing was published, it became clear that EG7 were not just another corporate body out to asset strip and make a fast buck but were in fact genuinely interested in growing and improving the games that they now owned. For players of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, a wave of cautious optimism spread throughout the community. Hints at a graphical overhaul for the game and a potential console conversion were well received. Further news and specific details have been eagerly anticipated.
Yesterday, EG7 published a press release as well as a YouTube video, in which CEO Robin Flodin discusses what the company has been doing for the last 4 month in relation to its current portfolio of games. The written statement is somewhat broad in its scope and conciliatory in its tone. Robin Flodin uses a lot of management speak. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We all use the terminology of the industry that we work in. However, it is far from vague and does indicate how EG7 see their role and what their future remit is. “Many of these games, while successful and continually supported, have had their unique challenges. Many of these challenges are long standing and important, but due to their scope or other situations, haven’t been feasible to address. All of us want this to change”. He then further states “I want to assure you that this effort is a priority for me, EG7, and Daybreak. We have been listening to the community feedback and to all of your questions and concerns. This is an ongoing effort and as we make progress, the goal is to develop specific plans to create an even better game experience for all of our players”.
The video is a little more specific and proves illuminating as to the company’s policy and approach. Here Robin Flodin makes some direct comments about the company's intent. “We’re trying to make these companies better. We’re trying to help them improve in areas where we think we can create value”. He admits where they feel DGC has gone wrong which is a candid and unexpected statement of fact. He references mistakes made with the handling of H1Z1 and Planetside 2 and it would appear that the code for H1Z1 is currently being audited to see what can be done with it. Possibilities range from revamping the game and rolling it back to the iteration players liked best or to repurpose the code into another title. This is an interesting development because it shows that EG7 are not just going to arbitrarily dismiss and close games that they own. It would appear that they have a far more long term business mindset than DGC.
So what does this mean for LOTRO? Well both these statements, although not specific to the game, do inspire a degree of hope. It seems to me that EG7 see themselves as troubleshooters and facilitators who wish to invest, encourage and empower the various companies that develop their portfolio of games. The idea seems to be to foster improvement and growth, based on consumer feedback. If we are to take such policies at face value, the I think the most practical thing to do is to give EG7 a year and see if there are any noticeable changes. With regard to LOTRO let us see if they can encourage Standing Stone Games to be more innovative. I don't expect to see any major change in content design immediately but it is not unreasonable to expect a wider discussion about future development and an improvement in community relations from SSG.
EG7 doesn't strike me as corporate pirates. They seem to want to improve the titles they own and keep both customers and their investors happy. However, their position is very much one of enabling and supporting the existing developers. This approach is fine if the only previous problems a developer has experienced were a lack of funding and confidence from their owners. What concerns me with regard to encouraging and enabling SSG, is that they don’t strike me as being the most imaginative thinkers at senior level and appear to be somewhat entrenched in their views. Therefore there is still potential that they may steer LOTRO off a cliff if left unchecked. Perhaps what SSG requires is an injection of fresh talent and for LOTRO to be put in the hands of those who have a more aspirational view of its future potential. As ever, only time will tell but it is pleasant to have some hope in the interim.
LOTRO: The Further Adventures of Bilbo Baggins
I was hoping that 2021 would be a good year for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. New owners, along with hints at a revised community relations policy and a recent roadmap for future content have all been positively received by the game’s stoic community. Furthermore, the recent demise of the LOTR based MMO by Amazon Game Studios has eliminated any immediate competition. Sadly, two things have occurred recently indicating that developer’s Standing Stone Games are still tone deaf to the player feedback and lacking in any tangible long term vision for the game. The first was a statement made by Executive Producer, Rob “Severlin” Ciccolini, regarding Legendary Items in the game and the subject of grind. The second was the new “Further Adventures” quest arcs, as described in February’s Executive Producer’s Letter, which uses the “missions” system that was added to the game in Update 28.
I was hoping that 2021 would be a good year for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. New owners, along with hints at a revised community relations policy and a recent roadmap for future content have all been positively received by the game’s stoic community. Furthermore, the recent demise of the LOTR based MMO by Amazon Game Studios has eliminated any immediate competition. Sadly, two things have occurred recently indicating that developer’s Standing Stone Games are still tone deaf to the player feedback and lacking in any tangible long term vision for the game. The first was a statement made by Executive Producer, Rob “Severlin” Ciccolini, regarding Legendary Items in the game and the subject of grind. The second was the new “Further Adventures” quest arcs, as described in February’s Executive Producer’s Letter, which uses the “missions” system that was added to the game in Update 28.
According to Mr. Ciccolini you cannot remove Legendary Items from LOTRO for the following reasons. “We want players to have things to do while they are leveling. I know that some players are ‘Oh, this is too grindy and sometimes we overdo it,’ but ‘grindy’ doesn’t scare me as much as ‘I don’t have enough to do.’ ‘I don’t have enough to do’ is worse because players want to play the game but they don’t really have goals to pursue. [If the LI system is removed], a couple things happen: One, players become much more reliant on weapon drops and if they don’t get the weapon drop they want, their DPS will lag […], and two, a weapon drop is one-and-done; we want to make sure that when [players] get a weapon they can then develop it”. (This quote was taken from Q&A with Severlin live stream on Friday April 16th)
There’s a lot to unpack in that statement and none of it is good. LOTRO players can be very innovative with regards to finding things to do in the game. Levelling alts, crafting, role playing, completing deeds, trading on the auction house, furnishing their homes, min-maxing, exploring the world, enjoying the festivals and hanging out with friends are but a few I can think of. So claiming that without grind there would be no “goals to pursue” is spurious to say the least or alternatively a statement of unparalleled ignorance of one’s own game. However, even if we accept this statement, offering grind instead or real content is hardly laudable. Plus as fellow blogger Wilhelm Arcturus said in comments left on the YouTube Q&A video, if SSG pursue a course of action justified by this erroneous supposition, it simply proves that they’re “committed to bad game design”.
Frankly, I often get the impression that SSG simply does not understand what attracts people to the MMO genre per se. They seem to see their own games as far more of a live service rather than an example of a massively multiplayer online game, in the classic sense. I also feel that the major decision makers over at SSG are somewhat behind the curve with regards to modern developments and changes in the MMO genre and are possibly very entrenched in their ways. Their attitude toward community relations certainly seems archaic. It may also be a case that the ebb and flow of staff over the years has left them with serious skills gaps. All the new content that is added to the game has a tendency to be very formulaic and simply variations on existing themes. I don’t think that the staff actually know how to create certain content anymore and integrate it into the game.
Which sadly leads me to “The Further Adventures of Bilbo Baggins”. This is the first of a series of self-contained, episodic story arcs that use the “missions” system. Launched yesterday and currently available free using the redeem code SAVEBILBO, this new content is simply underwhelming and lacklustre. It is entirely built upon existing game assets and offers nothing new other than the very simple narrative. Each instalment requires the player to port to an instanced section of the existing game world and kill a few waves of standard mobs. It is not especially difficult or fun to be honest. It’s all somewhat disappointing and mundane. I find it most concerning that SSG intends to charge for this content after the promotional period ends and have more material of this kind in development. Overall this is a very inauspicious content update and does not bode well for the remainder of the year. Let us hope that the imminent 14th anniversary celebrations are more creative.
LOTRO: A Golden Opportunity
Back in Summer 2019, Amazon Game Studios announced it was co-developing a new free-to-play MMO set in Middle-earth, along with Athlon Games. The latter was at the time a subsidiary of Chinese publisher Leyou Technologies. However, in December 2020, Tencent bought Leyou Technologies which led to a series of contract renegotiations and reviews of ongoing projects. According to Bloomberg these negotiations did not go well and as a result, the new MMO has been cancelled. A spokesperson for Amazon recently stated that “we have been unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time. We love the Lord of the Rings IP, and are disappointed that we won't be bringing this game to customers”. Hence, Amazon will not have a complimentary game for their upcoming $1bn Lord of the Rings television series. At this point, possibly the only people who are happy with this outcome are Standing Stone Games, the developers of The Lord of the Rings Online.
Back in Summer 2019, Amazon Game Studios announced it was co-developing a new free-to-play MMO set in Middle-earth, along with Athlon Games. The latter was at the time a subsidiary of Chinese publisher Leyou Technologies. However, in December 2020, Tencent bought Leyou Technologies which led to a series of contract renegotiations and reviews of ongoing projects. According to Bloomberg these negotiations did not go well and as a result, the new MMO has been cancelled. A spokesperson for Amazon recently stated that “we have been unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time. We love the Lord of the Rings IP, and are disappointed that we won't be bringing this game to customers”. Hence, Amazon will not have a complimentary game for their upcoming $1bn Lord of the Rings television series. At this point, possibly the only people who are happy with this outcome are Standing Stone Games, the developers of The Lord of the Rings Online.
LOTRO still exists today, 14 years after its launch, for several reasons but a major factor is that it is the only Tolkien based MMO in existence at present. Players endure the game’s numerous rough edges and age because of their dedication as fans and the simple fact that there's nowhere else to go. I, as well as many other LOTRO players, were curious to see what sort of game Amazon Game Studios could produce. If it had provided certain key elements of game play, along with a good artistic interpretation of Middle-earth, then I would have definitely considered playing it. But that is no longer an option. LOTRO remains the only MMO of its kind for the present and as a result I’m sure the current player base will remain loyal. However, I don’t think that SSG should be too complacent. The current situation is a bit like living in a small town which only has one mall to hang out at and one night club to go to. No matter how poor or inadequate they are, they'll get a degree of patronage purely by default. Hardly an edifying business model.
If you’re familiar with my gaming history, you’ll know I enjoy LOTRO but I clearly recognise it is far from perfect. It's age is one reason as the game was conceived and designed to serve the needs of the MMO genre of 2007. Over the years it has been revised and augmented. It has reached a point in its life cycle where it has an established player base and sufficient revenue to continue producing content. However, possibly due to staff changes and a reticence to tinker with fundamental aspects of the game, we have reached a point where nothing radically new is being added to LOTRO. To invoke a food based analogy, if the MMO genre is comparable to the fast food industry, then LOTRO is a sandwich shop. Its sandwiches are different to its competitors but beyond that, all it can offer its customers are different fillings. If you want a tea cake, forget it.
With the immediate competition out of the picture for the present and new owners EG7 genuinely interested in developing and supporting LOTRO, SSG appear to have a golden opportunity to refine and improve LOTRO. By developing some of the features that have been put on hold over the years and removing those that have proven unpopular, arcane and unwieldy, much could be done to increase the game’s longevity. Furthermore, a renaissance in their communication strategy could be instrumental in rebuilding community bridges and getting the player base onboard with a long term plan. Yet my past experiences with LOTRO leads me to believe that such an opportunity is likely to be squandered. I have seen no evidence thus far that SSG have a plan and even if they do, their continuing Johnny Tightlips routine is counterproductive. If Amazon’s new MMO hadn’t been cancelled, I wonder if things would be any different?
LOTRO: Producer Q&A 2021
Executive Producer Rob Ciccolini (AKA Severlin) made a surprise appearance on the latest The Lord of the Rings Online livestream this week and conducted an impromptu Q&A with those viewing. As ever it did not contain any major revelation regarding the long term plans for the game but it did include some interesting nuggets of information. The fact that he engaged with players is a talking point in itself. Communication has been a major complaint from LOTRO players for several years now. Perhaps the negative PR from last year regarding the server outages and the so called “mini expansion” have finally appeared on senior staff’s radar. The fact that LOTRO has a new owner may also have contributed to this “revised” approach to community relations. Here is a breakdown of what Rob Ciccolini had to say, courtesy of Massively Overpowered:
Executive Producer Rob Ciccolini (AKA Severlin) made a surprise appearance on the latest The Lord of the Rings Online livestream this week and conducted an impromptu Q&A with those viewing. As ever it did not contain any major revelation regarding the long term plans for the game but it did include some interesting nuggets of information. The fact that he engaged with players is a talking point in itself. Communication has been a major complaint from LOTRO players for several years now. Perhaps the negative PR from last year regarding the server outages and the so called “mini expansion” have finally appeared on senior staff’s radar. The fact that LOTRO has a new owner may also have contributed to this “revised” approach to community relations. Here is a breakdown of what Rob Ciccolini had to say, courtesy of Massively Overpowered:
There are plans for LOTRO continuing for a decade and more: “We want it to go on forever.”
A spotted leak of a “landscape difficulty NPC” is part of a project to let players increase the challenge level while questing, but that’s still in the works for all servers.
The Wildwood content update is cool because it fills out content in the mid-levels but has missions for endgame players.
“The more we round out the map in development, the more it feels real.”
Again, Gundabad expansion is confirmed for later this year with a continuation of the main storyline.
The Guardian class update and tank class balance changes are “ongoing.” But a lot of the attention from the class team is focused on the Brawler right now.
No teasing on the Brawler just yet. It’ll probably be part of the pre-order for Gundabad. “Doing a new class is a big deal!”
The studio would love to do more racial housing, but nothing immediate. Definitely not before the expansion.
There will be Update 30 in the summer before Gundabad. It will be an endgame patch that includes a smaller raid. It’ll be handled as a normal quest pack.
There is no release date for Wildwood yet. It’ll be a regular quest pack that’ll be free for VIPs.
He feels communication is “improved,” which is why he’s doing these Q&As.
There will be more talk about “modest changes” for PvMP coming in the producer’s letter.
Producer’s letter is almost ready and will be here within the month.
LOTRO market gifting is coming in the near future, but there is no ETA for it yet.
Scrolls of Empowerment controversy: The team wants players to stay at their level of content rather than going back to farm easier spots.
Apologized for the delay on legendary item revamp, as it’s gotten delayed twice now for different reasons. They are excited to do it, want to do it, but it’s slow in coming because of how much engineering resources it’ll take.
Look for the legendary item revamp “later this year” that will include UI changes. The time frame for this depends on what engineering says when they get in there. They just want one system from level 50 onward that’ll make for leveling alts better.
Transferring from closed game worlds will be happening in “the near future.”
River-hobbits are confirmed to be an upcoming race, but don’t expect to see it until 2022.
They are aware of attack speed and animation issues, but they have to deal with this carefully and delicately since it affects so much.
There are possible plans to create a level 130 Valar boost, but this is not confirmed yet.
No further plans to expand LUA support.
The anniversary event is indeed coming.
The team wants to put more resources into crafting, possibly after Gundabad.
There is more work being done to reduce server lag, especially during raids. New chat server hardware is being worked on.
Kinship revamps are on the list, not at the highest priority but it’s there.
SSG has no plans for Europe-based servers as it doesn’t have the resources to support both.
The studio “learned a lot of lessons” from the War of the Three Peaks “mini-expansion” debacle such as giving VIP players more value from these (“We’re not trying to squeeze them,” he said of charging VIP players) and making the more expensive bundles better.
The team wants to give players more ways to get good gear, including essences.
No new instruments are being announced, but it’s definitely something the team loves to do.
The team has discussed a stat squish, but it’s a “big deal” that requires an entire game rebalance. It would also invalidate every single class guide if this happens. Not saying yes, not saying no.
SSG’s goal is to have something fun for players to do “every 13 weeks,” something cool and interesting as 13 weeks seems to be the point when players start to fall away without further stimulation. It’s why the team wants to get out the as-of-yet-unseen Unfinished Tales quests.
There’s a lot of discussion about investing into the engine and graphics of the game. This comes from EG7’s excitement about improving that.
There are more character customization options in the works, perhaps prior to the expansion.
SSG knows that 4K support is heavily requested, but it requires specialists to do it right. They’re looking into the viability of doing that.
SSG has a number of positions open as it is expanding the team.
Scaling UI is something the team wants to do.
The team looks at the player engagement data from patches to help figure out what should be developed in the future.
The legendary servers should be going to level 105 in the next few months.
GMs are getting more tools to help players better and more quickly.
SSG wants to revamp its website, it knows that it is old.
There are plans for more of these AMAs!
There are a few points that I would like to pick up on. Firstly Mr. Ciccolini’s claim that communication has improved strikes me as a little premature. I think we should give this a year to decide if things have gotten better. But at least he has shown up and engaged with the community so it’s a start. Secondly, I am cautiously optimistic about the proposed Legendary Item changes. If the developers can rationalize the mechanics and make the overall system less arcane, then they’ll impress the hell out of me. I still like the idea of a weapon that levels and grows with you as you progress through the game but I don’t want the process to be an insufferable grind. I also don’t want it to be a means to strong arm me into paying unnecessarily. It is unethical and frankly insulting to artificially create a grind and then monetise the very means to escape it. Thirdly, I am definitely interested in a level 130 Valar boost. I have several alts I want to progress but don’t wish to drag through Mordor.
However some of the other issues discussed are a little more nebulous and I suspect will be difficult to address without a lot of financial investment and the employment of specialist staff. Tinkering with graphics and upgrading the game engine are major undertakings. However, if LOTRO is to remain competitive with other MMOs, a more contemporary visual style along with support for 4K, as well as a scaling UI, would be beneficial. However, let us not forget that some people do not like change. Alterations to the Hobbit run animation along with the last character model upgrade resulted in a small but vocal group of players brandishing flaming torches and marching on the Winter Palace. If changes are made, will SSG be able to offer an option for a “classic” game aesthetic?
I am hoping that Standing Stone Games will be more transparent with regard to their actions in the months to come. I don’t expect to see the details of the corporate balance sheet but I would like to know what’s being planned and how things are going. If problems occur I’d like to be treated as an adult and told that there is an issue. It’s only a small percentage of players that tend to lose their shit when there are delays and frankly they’re best ignored. The rest of us tend to have a positive view of the game and want to get behind and support its ongoing development. Hence I hope we see more of Mr Ciccolini in 2021 and we get a clear road map for the next 12 month soon. Hopefully SSG will be a little more sensitive to player sensibilities and feedback. The whole Scrolls of Empowerment debacle is still present in many player’s minds. I still balk not only at the level locking of scrolls but the fact they put a cap on how many you can stockpile at once. SSG needs to get a lot of things right this year if they want to genuinely repair community relations. Let us hope that process has now officially started.
LOTRO: Proposed Changes to Scrolls of Empowerment in Update 28.3
2020 was a tumultuous year for Standing Stone Games and their MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. The initial success they enjoyed at Easter through offering so much free content was tempered by the server outages over June and July. Their systemic communication failure throughout this period did not help matters. However, the news regarding Enad Global 7 and their acquisition of Daybreak Game Company in December was well received by fans. A graphical overhaul and a console port were both mentioned in an investor presentation. The New Year started well with the news that the first six expansions for LOTRO have been bundled together for the bargain price of £47 (including VAT). However, matters have taken a turn for the worst after a post on the official game forums caught players attention.
2020 was a tumultuous year for Standing Stone Games and their MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. The initial success they enjoyed at Easter through offering so much free content was tempered by the server outages over June and July. Their systemic communication failure throughout this period did not help matters. However, the news regarding Enad Global 7 and their acquisition of Daybreak Game Company in December was well received by fans. A graphical overhaul and a console port were both mentioned in an investor presentation. The New Year started well with the news that the first six expansions for LOTRO have been bundled together for the bargain price of £47 (including VAT). However, matters have taken a turn for the worst after a post on the official game forums caught players attention.
It would appear that the latest test build on the Bullroarer server also includes some changes to both Reputation Accelerator Tomes and Scrolls of Empowerment. If these alterations are carried over to the live game they will not be well received. Here are the details as they currently stand.
Physical Mastery and Tactical Mastery values on Legendary Item Titles are being increased across all tiers.
Scrolls of Empowerment from the Rangers of Ithilien Quartermaster now cap at max-tier 35.
Scrolls of Empowerment from the Dol Amroth Quartermaster now cap at max-tier 35.
Scrolls of Empowerment from Narnaith in Minas Tirith now Cap at max-tier 44.
The quest "March on Gundabad: Additional Steps (Daily)" now awards 2 Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier cap of 83.
The quest "The War Effort: Threats to the Battlefield" now awards 3 Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier cap of 83.
Note: These changes will not affect items that are already in the player's possession, be they in the inventory, vault storage, housing storage, mail, or elsewhere.
Tradeable, unbound reputation granting tokens now have appropriate region quests gating their usage.
Small Reputation Accelerator Tomes offered on Skirmish Vendors now Bind to character on acquire and have a Max Usage Level of 100.
Scrolls of Empowerment are essential in levelling your Legendary Items. I cannot easily explain the esoteric nature of this game system because it is an utter mess in its present state. Let it suffice to say that SoEs boost the legacies on your weapon, increasing stats that the player has chosen, through 83 tiers. Obtaining SoEs has always been a chore in LOTRO. Despite new content being regularly added there is seldom any that offer these items in any respectable quantity. Hence most players farm older content from Minas Tirith to gain these. However, in Update 28.3 (which is currently being tested on the Bullroarer server), the SoEs that are currently gained from Ithilien, Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith are to be gated at specific tiers. If the legacies on you Legendary Weapons fall within these parameters you can use them. If not then you cannot. It is this issue that is the potential problem. As it stands at the moment, due to the chaotic state of the entire LI system, players use an expedient workaround to gain a resource they need. This change will cut that resource off for many players whose legacies on their LI are over halfway towards the cap.
It would appear that these proposed changes are due to SSG trying to manage LI progression on the two Legendary Servers. Content is released at a slower pace and as they stand at present, the level cap on both Anor and Ithil is 100 where it is 130 on the live standard servers. From a development point of view it is not cost effective to have to maintain two systems, so I can see why SSG have gone down this route But once again we are presented with something potentially being taken away and not replaced with something comparable. SSG are proposing to make the required SoEs available via repeatable content but that is only available in their latest “mini expansion”, War of Three Peaks. If you do not own this, then you cannot access it. Naturally there are store based alternatives available to unlock legacy tiers. If these changes are made to the live game then players will have to purchase War of Three Peaks or look to the store. This is far from a benign incentive.
With regard to the proposed changes to the Small Reputation Accelerator Tomes, this is another example of removing a benefit without an equitable replacement. The barter currencies used to acquire these items are accessible across your account. Therefore a player could use marks earned by a high level alt to buy a rep booster for a newer, lower level alt. Making these items bind to character diminishes their benefit. Again, there is naturally a store alternative. This proposed change is not as potentially damaging as the one regarding SoEs. But ultimately the degree of inconvenience, be it big or small, is not the point. There is a fundamental principle of quid pro quo at stake here and it is being eroded. Hopefully, the feedback on the forums will alert SSG to the PR disaster that potentially awaits them. However, given their track record, I suspect they may well just blithely walk into it.
Update:
As of Thursday 14.01.21 SSG have revised their plan regarding SoEs and made the following statement via the official forums.
Regarding Scrolls of Empowerment:
We really do want to make the process of acquiring these scrolls more varied and more meaningful at a given end-game, but we also want the acquisition process to be appropriate to the level of the content. We'll be fixing a math error quickly discovered by the community regarding how we set tier limits on scrolls from Gondor, which makes them largely useless for Imbued items unless your character is on a Legendary World with a level cap below 115. We also intend to address a gap in available scrolls for solo landscape players at level caps 105, 115, and 120.
Here are our current 28.3 plans for Scrolls of Empowerment:
Scrolls of Empowerment available to barter from the Dol Amroth Quartermaster will cap at max-tier 44 (since this content predates imbuement).
Scrolls of Empowerment available to barter from the Rangers of Ithilien Quartermaster will cap at max-tier 59.
Scrolls of Empowerment available to barter from Narnaith in Minas Tirith will cap at max-tier 59.
Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier of 59 will be added to daily and weekly quests on the Quartermaster (Host of the West).
Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier of 69 will be added to the Restoring the Three Kingdoms quest in Northern Mirkwood.
Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier of 79 will be added to the Protecting the Beornings, Elves, & Woodmen quests in Vales of Anduin.
The quest "March on Gundabad: Additional Steps (Daily)" will award 2 Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier cap of 83.
The quest "The War Effort: Threats to the Battlefield" will award 3 Scrolls of Empowerment with a max-tier cap of 83.
LOTRO, Daybreak Game Company and Enad Global 7
It has long been suspected that Daybreak Game Company owned Standing Stone Games and was more than just their publisher. However, being a private company, DGC has been exempt from public scrutiny. Infact, they’ve gone out of their way to keep their cards close to their chest in recent years. Press releases and tweets have been posted and then deleted to try and cover their tracks. To quote Lord Melchett from Blackadder, DGC “twist and turn like a ... twisty-turny thing”. It’s all been somewhat unseemly but at the same time great fun to speculate about. However, on Monday 1st December, Swedish games company Enad Global 7 (EG7) announced that they were buying DGC. Furthermore, as EG7 are a publicly owned company, information about them is freely available. Hence an investor presentation was posted on their website, rich with details of their new acquisition.
It has long been suspected that Daybreak Game Company owned Standing Stone Games and was more than just their publisher. However, being a private company, DGC has been exempt from public scrutiny. Infact, they’ve gone out of their way to keep their cards close to their chest in recent years. Press releases and tweets have been posted and then deleted to try and cover their tracks. To quote Lord Melchett from Blackadder, DGC “twist and turn like a ... twisty-turny thing”. It’s all been somewhat unseemly but at the same time great fun to speculate about. However, on Monday 1st December, Swedish games company Enad Global 7 (EG7) announced that they were buying DGC. Furthermore, as EG7 are a publicly owned company, information about them is freely available. Hence an investor presentation was posted on their website, rich with details of their new acquisition.
Now the foibles and machinations of DGC have become a source of interest for numerous game journalists and bloggers over the years. I therefore strongly recommend the following articles by Bree Royce and Wilhelm Arcturus, as they dissect and delineate the information published in EG7’s investor presentation. Both make for very interesting reading, giving details of the “health and wealth” of the various titles that have been up to now, owned by DGC. I however, will simply focus on the details pertaining to The Lord of the Rings Online, as this is the MMORPG I have the strongest connection to out of all the games listed. Finally, we have some indication of LOTRO’s business performance and its playerbase. In terms of monthly active players, the game has 108,000, of which 37.9% (41,000) subscribe generating nearly $10 million per year. Overall, yearly revenue is $26.7 million. LOTRO has the third-biggest playerbase out of DGC’s (now EG7’s) game portfolio.
So business wise, LOTRO is looking quite healthy. Furthermore, the forthcoming Amazon Prime, Middle-earth based TV show is being cited by EG7 as a potential means of raising consumer awareness of the IP. Something that can then be capitalised upon to promote LOTRO. Any sort of proactive marketing has long been absent from this MMO. Many players were baffled by the lack of any tie-in with the Hobbit movie trilogy, when they were released. Perhaps we will now see a change in policy over the next 12 months. It certainly seems that EG7 has provisional plans. Perhaps the most interesting of these is a proposed graphical and systems overhaul of the current PC version of LOTRO, along with further large content updates and a conversion of the game for “nextgen consoles”. Something that was originally mooted back in 2010, when the game first went free-to-play.
The significance of a console port of LOTRO should not be underestimated. The data in EG7’s investor presentation shows that the console version of DC Universe Online is a popular title and a robust source of revenue. Let us not forget that The Elder Scrolls Online, Neverwinter and Star Trek Online have all increased their players due to the success of their respective console ports. In fact the innovative revision of the UI in STO to accommodate the use of game controllers, actually offers greater functionality than the PC version. LOTRO suffers from a cluttered UI and an excess of quickslots and at present this can only be addressed with plugins. Therefore, a revision of the game may well prove beneficial to all players. Whether the game will support crossplay is another matter. However, I would like to see a console port of LOTRO made available as it would definitely bring new players to the game and re-invigorate the existing community. Let us see whether EG7 proves to be the “new broom that sweeps clean”.
The Problem With War of Three Peaks
Some readers may see the title of this post as an inference that there is only one problem with the latest “mini expansion” for The Lord of the Rings Online. That is not the case. However, I don’t hold developer’s Standing Stone Games responsible for the debacle over the pricing for the three different editions. That is something I lay at the door of financiers and publishers, Daybreak Game Company. For the purpose of this blog post, I wish to focus upon the lacklustre content of Update 28: War of Three Peaks and how it becomes quite clear which material was developed as part of a regular content update and what was then added to potentially try and justify the term “mini expansion”. Furthermore, I see this drop in quality as being a real threat to the future prosperity of LOTRO. I am a long time fan of this MMO, albeit one with a sense of perspective. I’m halfway through the new zone and I’m not having fun. I’m sure I am not alone in this.
Some readers may see the title of this post as an inference that there is only one problem with the latest “mini expansion” for The Lord of the Rings Online. That is not the case. However, I don’t hold developer’s Standing Stone Games responsible for the debacle over the pricing for the three different editions. That is something I lay at the door of financiers and publishers, Daybreak Game Company. For the purpose of this blog post, I wish to focus upon the lacklustre content of Update 28: War of Three Peaks and how it becomes quite clear which material was developed as part of a regular content update and what was then added to potentially try and justify the term “mini expansion”. Furthermore, I see this drop in quality as being a real threat to the future prosperity of LOTRO. I am a long time fan of this MMO, albeit one with a sense of perspective. I’m halfway through the new zone and I’m not having fun. I’m sure I am not alone in this.
Let’s start with what I like about the Elderslade region. It’s a rugged environment with several interesting hidden areas. It is also not too much of a chore to navigate and there are several points where you can take a shortcut to where you need to get to, rather than follow the roads. That is something that doesn’t happen too often in LOTRO these days. Usually, the environment is designed to funnel the player from Ato B and hems them in. The storylines are enjoyable and again show that the writers are well versed in the lore of Middle- earth. I especially like the quest arc that has you travelling with Léothred, a historian from Rohan. His revised history of Fram and his slaying of Scatha the Worm was especially well conceived. I liked the way it involved Karazgar, the Weeping Warrior to fill in the gaps in existing lore. I also like the themes that recur throughout the main Epic Story and the way the distrust between the Longbeards, Zhelruka and Stout Axes Dwarven clans is frequently an impediment to their success.
Sadly, the positive aspects of Update 28 do not necessarily compensate for the bad. For example, a common trick that SSG relies upon to increase content, is to create an area, divide it into numerous subsections and then densely populate it with mobs. The player will then be presented with a litany of fetch and kill quests forcing them to navigate throughout all areas. These sorts of quests cease to be a challenge and tips over into being tedious. Sometimes quests can be auto completed but on other occasions you find yourself at one end of an area and having to battle all the way back to hand in and finish. It’s the inconsistency here that is annoying and the feeling you’re being taken for a mug. As for the reusing of the twin phase map concept, this is not a bad idea in theory. It worked well with the Minas Morgul expansion and being able to access Mordor in the Second Age. But here it feels like an excuse to simply pad out the mini expansion with even more superfluous kill and fetch quests. Then there is the poison gas that blights specific areas of War of Three Peaks and its associated mechanic. It is simply a nuisance and adds nothing to gameplay.
A new addition to the game is the Mission system. I was hoping that these would be a variation of skirmishes with the focus on tactical gameplay. Sadly they lack that systems creativity and are little more than straightforward instances that require you to complete a basic set of criteria. IE Kill so many enemies and then a boss. The only difference here is that if you do not quickly kill the enemy, they will call for reinforcement. They also lack the story elements that skirmishes have and do not feel in any way different from the regular instances that occur in the story. Yes, you can do them with companions but you are offered no real incentive to do so with regards to the rewards. And talking of such, the new gear available in the game just feels like an increase for its own sake. The new reputation gear doesn’t seem to offer anything more than a basic increase in stats over the gear you have already. It’s all very uninspired and unengaging.
And therein lies the problem. It all feels too much like busy work for its own sake. Now it can be argued that this is the foundation of the entire MMORPG genre but I would counter that with the assertion that a good developer tries to mask busy work with a veneer of narrative engagement and a soupçon of panache. If you’re immersed in a story and doing something that doesn’t immediately strike you as busy work, then that is a MMO working well. Sadly, such things are conspicuously absent here and I keep saying to myself, “remind me again why I’m killing another dozen Angmarim?” or words to that effect. I’m in danger of getting bored to the point of abandoning the game in pursuit of another that is more entertaining and gives me a sense of accomplishment and not frustration or annoyance. If SSG wants to bounce back from this low point, then I hope that the next official expansion is a lot more inventive and enjoyable. A lot of people play this genre of games to escape the mundane nature of their chore driven lives and don’t want to have to endure something similar while playing a game like LOTRO.
LOTRO Classic
In the last month or so, I’ve spent some time perusing the official forums for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It suffers from many of the shortcomings you find on fan driven gaming forums, insofar as it’s monopolised by a small cadre of partisan minded players that are not an especially broad cross section of the LOTRO community. However, a wide range of thoughts and ideas about the game are discussed on these forums. Sometimes, if the planets are in the correct alignment, staff from Standing Stone Games will even deign to reply. Recently, a particularly interesting question that has frequently been raised by players finally got addressed by SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions). Namely, will there ever be a release of LOTRO Classic? An “old school” server with the game as it was when it launched in 2007. The fact that they actually answered is the main surprise here. Everything else about the actual reply is par for the course and embodies everything that is wrong with SSG and their community relations. Here is the original question and the subsequent answer.
In the last month or so, I’ve spent some time perusing the official forums for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It suffers from many of the shortcomings you find on fan driven gaming forums, insofar as it’s monopolised by a small cadre of partisan minded players that are not an especially broad cross section of the LOTRO community. However, a wide range of thoughts and ideas about the game are discussed on these forums. Sometimes, if the planets are in the correct alignment, staff from Standing Stone Games will even deign to reply. Recently, a particularly interesting question that has frequently been raised by players finally got addressed by SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions). Namely, will there ever be a release of LOTRO Classic? An “old school” server with the game as it was when it launched in 2007. The fact that they actually answered is the main surprise here. Everything else about the actual reply is par for the course and embodies everything that is wrong with SSG and their community relations. Here is the original question and the subsequent answer.
Question by LotroVidz: Also most of the devs seem to not be original devs from 2007, so how can they know without asking the player base? MOL didn't even understand why players ask for a classic version of the game. He doesn't seem to understand how much of a different game the original Lotro was.
Answer by Made of Lions: Hi there, original dev from 2007 here. No, I understand it. I also love a lot of the games I played years ago (the amount of money I've spent buying digital versions of the games I loved from the 90s is downright embarrassing), so I know what it is to look back at something and miss it. I would personally love to see a version of LOTRO from launch, to run around in old-timey Eriador and see it in all of its 2007 glory. I stood in line at my local Gamestop on launch day to buy the strategy guide I also helped compile, and I remember running around Breeland listening to players be... stumped... about the location of the Hanging Tree, which was harder to find back then. There's just something about a brand-new MMO, when it's a vast and undiscovered world of mystery and full of promise. You won't find a bigger fan than me, and I would have a great time running around Original Recipe LOTRO. That would be a great afternoon.
But it doesn't have the longevity you remember. It's a snapshot, frozen in time, and from our perspective it's a snapshot that would remove tens of thousands of fixes, some minor, but many serious. "But I liked it better before!" you say. "I want a version that only has what I like, and doesn't have anything that I don't! I want you to restore Frodo's Burden to the slow and frustrating experience it started as." I hear you, and I understand, but our Engineers have plenty on their plates already without being tasked to revert LOTRO to the years-old state that best suits your taste. Engineers in particular are allergic to undoing their own fixes, since those tend to be the most important when compared to the kind of things Content usually has to fix. Frodo's Burden, alas, will remain in its adjusted state. MoL
It can be difficult sometimes to accurately interpret the tone that may or not be present within any written response. Some people believe that there is a degree of condescension present in Jeff Libby’s reply and that again we see SSG dealing with customer questions as if they’re an inconvenience or nuisance. Whether that is true or not is something that we have to decide for ourselves. Semantics and diplomacy aside, the statement does raise some interesting points.
Does the original code for the Shadows of Angmar version of LOTRO still exist? Are there backups of previous server builds or would all previous patches and content updates have to be manually “unpicked”?
Assuming that an earlier version of LOTRO could be made available, exactly how would SSG monetise it? This is an important question as there would naturally be costs incurred when running LOTRO Classic. Would the VIP subscription yield enough revenue to make such a venture viable? There was no store present in LOTRO in 2007 and the game as it was then has no immediate means of running store based transactions in-game.
Would producing and maintaining LOTRO Classic be a wise division of SSGs development resources? Is SSG just too small a gaming developer to be able to sustain multiple servers with multiple iterations of the same product?
Would LOTRO and the player community be better served by SSG focusing their finite resources on a major bug fixing project? Would the overhauling of problematic systems and developing new kinds of innovative content attract new and lapsed players back to the MMO and extend the games lifespan?
But I think the biggest issue with Jeff Libby’s response is his point that players may well think they’d like to play LOTRO Classic but they don’t really want it, because their judgement is being clouded by nostalgia. I consider this to be a patently false axiom. A similar argument was perpetuated by Blizzard for years, when players asked for World of Warcraft Classic. It proved totally wrong and we now have such an iteration of that game and it appears to be doing fine. Many LOTRO players would love to get their hands on some of the older systems that have now been replaced, or play through some of the instances and raids before they were nerfed and split up. One of the major appeals for roleplayers is simply being able to exist in a virtual Middle-earth. The game as it was in 2007, although technically smaller, felt bigger than it does now. Travelling around originally took longer and players did not immediately have access to mounts. LOTRO Classic may even tempt some newer players to come and see how much the games changed over time.
The LOTRO Community can be myopic and even a little partisan. But many have grown old with the game and are fully aware of what they’d be getting if a version of LOTRO Classic became available. They are fans but not necessarily fools and it is disingenuous for anyone at SSG to patronise them. I’m of the opinion that SSG could, if they wanted too, produce a form of LOTRO Classic. They just don’t want to as I’m sure it will be a lot of hard work and that the issue of integrating the in-game store is a major problem for them. But because of the way that SSG handles communication and interacts with its community, this question is never going to go away. If they clearly, politely and categorically said that they can’t or won’t produce a form of LOTRO Classic and then gave a sound reason, then the player base may well move on. But candid and direct communication is not their style. However, there may be a small ray of hope. Ultimately, the decision regarding LOTRO Classic may not be SSGs to make. If their “publisher” Daybreak Game Company felt that there was money in such a project, there could be a complete U-turn on this subject.
LOTRO: Update 28 - War of Three Peaks
Players of the popular MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online were informed just 24 hours ago by developers Standing Stone Games, that the new “mini expansion” would be released today. Under normal circumstances, Update 28 - War of Three Peaks would have just been marketed as a content update and have been free to VIP subscribers, lifetime account holders and purchasable with LOTRO points by F2P players. However, these are far from normal circumstances. From March to May this year, LOTRO enjoyed a major renaissance as the lockdown brought players back to the game. SSG felt so confident in this surge in the playerbase that they made all previous updates available for free. However throughout June, July and August the game suffered major technical problems that lead to the majority of game servers being down for weeks. During that time many players took their business elsewhere or at the very least deferred subscribing until the technical issues were resolved. This left a major hole in SSG’s finances, hence the latest update miraculously became a chargeable “mini expansion”.
Players of the popular MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online were informed just 24 hours ago by developers Standing Stone Games, that the new “mini expansion” would be released today. Under normal circumstances, Update 28 - War of Three Peaks would have just been marketed as a content update and have been free to VIP subscribers, lifetime account holders and purchasable with LOTRO points by F2P players. However, these are far from normal circumstances. From March to May this year, LOTRO enjoyed a major renaissance as the lockdown brought players back to the game. SSG felt so confident in this surge in the playerbase that they made all previous updates available for free. However throughout June, July and August the game suffered major technical problems that lead to the majority of game servers being down for weeks. During that time many players took their business elsewhere or at the very least deferred subscribing until the technical issues were resolved. This left a major hole in SSG’s finances, hence the latest update miraculously became a chargeable “mini expansion”.
A month ago the new update was previewed on the Bullroarer test server and it became clear that it was just more of the same. IE Just another zone with multiple quest hubs. Essentially the same sort of material that SSG have been producing for the last few years. So if this was to be sold as a “mini expansion” then there would have to be some additional content included as well to justify selling it. Hence, the LOTRO community braced themselves as they awaited the pricing details for the War of Three Peaks, as Update 28 has been formally named. SSG usually sells three versions of an expansion. A Standard Edition, a Collector’s Edition and an Ultimate Fan Bundle. It should be noted there have been controversies in the past over previous legitimate expansions and their respective value for money. Oddly enough, SSG decided not to announce the price or exact content of all three editions until today when the “mini expansion” formally launched. However, marketing emails were sent out to some players so the pricing of the three editions became known by midday.
As you can see, the pricing for this mini expansion” is broadly comparable to the previous full expansion Minas Morgul. Considering that War of Three Peaks is just the size of a regular content update, the prices are exorbitant. The Standard Edition is the only one that I will even consider buying as there are insufficient extras in the other two versions to justify their cost. There has already been a degree of “pushback” over on the official LOTRO forums as players voice their displeasure at the pricing and the entire way this situation has been handled. I suspect that if the outcry is big enough, you may find SSG adding additional content to the Collector’s Edition and Ultimate Fan Bundle to try and redress the balance. But there are wider issues here beyond the mere price of this “mini expansion”. Are we about to see a major restructuring of the games business model? If so, is this change in policy down to SSG or their publisher (and potentially owners) Daybreak Game Company?
Charging all LOTRO players for future content updates may well become the “new normal”. Up until now, content updates have been free to subscribers and lifetime account holders. F2P players would purchase Quest Packs for new zones. However this may not have proven especially profitable. When I play LOTRO I subscribe a month at a time. The monthly fee is £9. Quest Packs cost on average 795 LOTRO points (approximately £8). During the course of a month I could play through two or three zones, making a subscription a lot more economical than buying all the respective Quest Packs. Furthermore, lifetime account holders have always received (up to now) access to all new content updates free of charge, so SSG has never made any revenue of this type from this section of the LOTRO community. It has often been argued that lifetime accounts for LOTRO were sold too prolifically during the game’s early years and as a result there is a large percentage of players that do not have to spend any money except for major expansions. If these current practises cease and everyone who plays has to buy new content three times a year then there is scope for SSG to increase their revenue.
However, if the sale of all new content became mandatory, it would invalidate the need for a monthly subscription. At present the only real advantage of subbing is free access to new content and the following additional services. Mailbox Field Access. Custom character portrait frame. Access All Character Trait Slots. Daily +100% XP*. 500 LOTRO Points per month. Free weekly Gold Hobbit Present.Access All Quest Packs and Skirmishes*. Access All Monster Classes. Many of these could be sold individually via the LOTRO store or bundled into a “starter pack” or something similar. The stipend of LOTRO points is a nice bonus and one that I enjoy but it is totally dependent on a subscription. It therefore isn’t really “free” but more of a quid pro quo. It should be noted that the MMORPG Star Trek Online removed subscriptions as of Spring 2018. Many of the benefits that came with subbing to that game simply became one off purchases.
All things considered, perhaps the release of War of Three Peaks as a “mini expansion” is more than just a short term fiscal adjustment, designed to fill a shortfall in the quarterly balance sheet. It may be part of a complete recalibration of the business model for LOTRO and a way to ensure that all players pay equally for the new future content that comes to the game. If that is the case then SSG needs to ensure that all updates meet a high standard. The LOTRO community is very supportive of the game and has more than its share of “whales” who buy cosmetic items prodigiously. However, potential changes such as these indeed to be implemented carefully and require adept community relations, marketing and PR to effectively sell them to the players. Skills that SSG are not renown for. It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the weeks to come. Firstly with the immediate reception of the new “mini expansion” and its respective value for money. Secondly, whether SSG formally announce a revision of the game’s business model. All of which could be a turning point for LOTRO but whether for good or ill remains to be seen.
LOTRO: Even More Community Management Problems
Video games are a somewhat unique consumer product, in so far that we, the customers, broadly seem to have a far more personal relationship with them compared to other recreational activities. For example, I subscribed to several online streaming services that produce TV and film content. However, I never worry about how well their business model is performing, nor do I particularly concern myself with their public relations image. I simply “pay and consume” and as long as I have no technical problems that impede my access, then that is the extent of my relationship with them. I also enjoy Hendrick’s Gin but I don’t worry about the manufacturer, William Grant & Sons. But for some reason, my relationship with video games is different. I am far more au fait with the activities of both the developers and publishers, as well as their overall corporate standing. I suppose it’s because video games are an interactive activity and that make things more personal.
Video games are a somewhat unique consumer product, in so far that we, the customers, broadly seem to have a far more personal relationship with them compared to other recreational activities. For example, I subscribed to several online streaming services that produce TV and film content. However, I never worry about how well their business model is performing, nor do I particularly concern myself with their public relations image. I simply “pay and consume” and as long as I have no technical problems that impede my access, then that is the extent of my relationship with them. I also enjoy Hendrick’s Gin but I don’t worry about the manufacturer, William Grant & Sons. But for some reason, my relationship with video games is different. I am far more au fait with the activities of both the developers and publishers, as well as their overall corporate standing. I suppose it’s because video games are an interactive activity and that make things more personal.
Hence, as a long time player and supporter of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online I worry about the games long term future. It can be cogently argued (and I have done so myself in the past many times) that it is pointless adopting such a stance but I think this ultimately is just a foible of the human condition. It is in our nature to form communities around the things we love irrespective of whether such communities genuinely have any impact and traction. So bearing this in mind, I think that LOTRO is at a crossroads and that a triumvirate of problems could coalesce and have a very negative impact. The first of these three are technical issues that stem from the fact that LOTRO is a 13 year old game. If a subscription game doesn’t run reliably and consistently then some players take their business elsewhere. The next problem is the business model and the way that Daybreak Game Company is squeezing too hard. Update 28 becoming a “mini expansion” is a succinct example of this. And finally there’s the community relations and communications. They’re poor and often conducted in a very peremptory tone.
There has been a conspicuous lack of information regarding The War of Three Peaks since the preview on the Bullroarer test server on 23rd September. I don’t think the player base was especially impressed with what is essentially just another content update. However, SSG recently stated that the “mini expansion” would be coming in the next week or so. But when asked for further details community manager Jerry Snook stated that SSG would not reveal details of the three different versions of the new content update until the day of its release. If this were any other developer I would’ve been surprised by such a response but after years of such indifferences from SSG, I simply shrugged. They’ve always been shocking at marketing their own content. In recent years, teaser videos have always been hastily produced and hardly make the new content look exciting. Information has always been confined to the forums and never shouted from the rooftops. So the fact that SSG feels disinclined to market The War of Three Peaks is frankly par for the course. I used to think they were just bad at this stuff. I now think they just take their customers for granted.
In the past decade there have been several occasions where the future of LOTRO has appeared to be in doubt. Whether this was the case or not is another matter. However, due to the lack of communication that habitually blights this games community management, we’ve worried about license renewals, corporate takeovers and server relocations over the game’s lifespan. Ultimately, LOTRO has survived and continues to so due to its devoted community. They love the game and its realisation of Middle-earth. The fact that there is no alternative is another major factor. Yet SSG seem to be oblivious to this and have basically given a key role that is supposed to act as a conduit between consumer and vendor to a very grumpy man who always gives the impression he’d much rather be doing something else. They need to fix this problem, along with the technical issues and the business model. God help them if The War of Three Peaks is a dog’s dinner. You can’t keep kicking your community indefinitely, because eventually it will turn on you and leave.
LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 28 Preview #1
I spent several hours last night exploring the preview of Update 28: War of the Three Peaks on the Bullroarer test server. I usually take a look at all new content for The Lord of the Rings Online in advance, as it always makes for an interesting blog post. However, this preview has proven a little more controversial than usual, as Update 28 is not going to be free (as all prior updates have been). Standing Stone Games announced recently that it is to be sold as a “mini expansion”, which caused a stir among the LOTRO community. Hence my excursion on the public test server was not just to ascertain the scope of the new zone but to ascertain whether there was sufficient content and value to justify being sold as a “mini expansion”. Sadly, from what I have seen, I do not believe that to be the case.
I spent several hours last night exploring the preview of Update 28: War of the Three Peaks on the Bullroarer test server. I usually take a look at all new content for The Lord of the Rings Online in advance, as it always makes for an interesting blog post. However, this preview has proven a little more controversial than usual, as Update 28 is not going to be free (as all prior updates have been). Standing Stone Games announced recently that it is to be sold as a “mini expansion”, which caused a stir among the LOTRO community. Hence my excursion on the public test server was not just to ascertain the scope of the new zone but to ascertain whether there was sufficient content and value to justify being sold as a “mini expansion”. Sadly, from what I have seen, I do not believe that to be the case.
The new region, Elderslade, is North of Misthallow in the Wells of Langflood. As the road winds further into the hills the trees give way to rocks, grass and shrubs. The flora changes from shades of green to yellow hues. The first main Dwarf encampment is Annak-Khurfu in the South of the zone. It delves into the hillside and is in the same aesthetic idiom as Skarháld. You’ll find Durin and Gloin inside and a wealth of PVE content including the new “Missions”. These are instanced solo or duo, narrative driven quests. Outside of Annak-Khurfu, the stable-master provides access to all the other regional Dwarf camps as well as the War of the Three Peaks zone. This is a separate phase of the entire Elderslade region. Wyrmgraf is a ravine to the East of the zone, filled with worms and drakes. This leads to an instanced network of caves. To the extreme North, at the end of the road lies Car Bronach. Its iron gate blocks further passage. And to the West of the region you find the Gates of Gundabad. Ancient Dwarf ruins infested with Orcs, Goblins and Trolls. There is also an Iron Crown settlement in the centre of the map called Zudramdan. The overall design of the zone is suitably dour and bleak, due to its altitude.
Gates of Gundabad and Zudramdan
Overall, Update 28: War of the Three Peaks seems to be just a standard LOTRO update. It offers a single new map, PVE content and “Missions”, which seem to be a variation of skirmishes. Then there is this separate phase of Elderslade, which may be for PVP. I’ve not found a clear explanation yet but that’s hardly surprising as SSG are poor at communicating and collating information in a single accessible place. As an Update, the forthcoming Elderslade region offers “more of the same” in game terms but I don’t think that this content merits the label “mini expansion”. Apart from creating a new environment, the zone just recycles existing Dawrven, Orcish and Angmarim assets. The fact that the Collectors and Ultimate Fan Editions are to be bolstered by such cosmetic items as the Wild Boar mount indicates that maybe SSG thinks so too. And in the space of just 24 hours, players have already taken umbrage at both the proposed changes to the Guardian and a reduction in disenchanting embers from some existing instances.
I suspect that the recent downtime and the ongoing performance issues that are still blighting the game have hit SSG hard financially. They are probably obliged to hit specific financial targets set by Daybreak Game Company and have failed to do so in recent months. If that is the case then they’ve probably been “instructed” to raise revenue via alternative means and this hasty repackaging of an update into a “mini expansion” is their “get out of jail” card. Or at least on paper. Because I’m not sure if this is going to work. I have not yet renewed my subscription due to the games performance. Why should anyone pay for a game that is plagued by lag and random server disconnects. Bearing this in mind, why would I buy a “mini expansion” that is light on content and potentially just as unplayable as other areas in the game? Although I enjoy LOTRO and still have a soft spot for this MMO, I think this business decision smacks as too much of a “fire sale”. Will core fans yet again indulge SSG or are we reaching a tipping point? Only time will tell.
LOTRO: Update 28 “Mini Expansion”
Content updates are usually free for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. In recent years developer Standing Stone Games have maintained a fairly consistent release schedule. This has usually meant 2 to 3 free updates per year that add new zones, PVE content and instances. There has then been a full expansion every two years that has to be bought. These are usually available in 3 different versions which range from the base game to an ultimate edition. There is a major expansion currently in development for release in 2021. This will focus on the war between Dwarves and the Orcs of Mount Gundabad. However, it was announced on Friday during a Developer Livestream that Update 28: The War of the Three Peaks, which is due in November, has been rebranded as a mini expansion and is not going to be free but instead chargeable.
Content updates are usually free for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. In recent years developer Standing Stone Games have maintained a fairly consistent release schedule. This has usually meant 2 to 3 free updates per year that add new zones, PVE content and instances. There have then been a full expansion every two years that has to be bought. These are usually available in 3 different versions ranging from the base game to an ultimate edition. There is a major expansion currently in development for release in 2021. This will focus on the war between Dwarves and the Orcs of Mount Gundabad. However, it was announced on Friday during a Developer Livestream that Update 28: The War of the Three Peaks, which is due in November, has been rebranded as a mini expansion and is not going to be free but instead chargeable.
Perhaps the most obvious question that immediately comes to mind is whether SSG are charging for this “mini expansion” due to a loss of revenue caused by the recent server outages and performance issues? The year started well for them with the lockdown bringing a wealth of new players back to the game. Hence they saw fit to give a great deal of content away, free of charge. However, July and August saw the game servers closed for nearly two weeks with ongoing performance issues and logon problems that still persist. I’m sure I was not alone in postponing renewing my subscription during this period. And if there is no one ingame then you can kiss goodbye to all those impulse purchases that are so often made by players. Another thought that has occurred to me is whether Update 28 is an attempt to raise additional funding to address the ongoing infrastructure problems. Is there a service contract that they need to cancel early? Is there an alternative service provider offering an optimal deal for a short period of time?
I have enjoyed playing LOTRO for 12 years now. I, like many others, will often indulge this MMO and its developers, Standing Stone Games. I am not expecting any radical new systems to be added to the game, nor do I hold any hope that some of the existing mechanics will be overhauled. Updates for LOTRO are mainly narrative driven PVE content, set in new areas of Middle-earth. Occasionally new instances and raids are added but the game effectively just offers more of the same as each year goes by. Broadly, this works and keeps the player base engaged. If there are any content related gaps, the community fills them itself with events and roleplay. SSG’s greatest asset is the virtual Middle-earth that they’ve created and maintained. It is a foundation upon which their player base builds upon. But like a restaurant that has a fixed menu and a nice view, it’s lack of diversity becomes less of a comfort and more of a hindrance over time.
As soon as Update 28 hits the preview server, I will be checking it out. So far, I am not overly impressed by what I’ve seen in the teaser video that SSG released. It seems to rely on too many reused assets and recycled environments. Considering that they’re charging for this content, you’d expect something a little more creative and ambitious than what appears to be on offer. I most certainly don’t want to see LOTRO wane and fall into decline but I feel that the tide is turning against them. I don’t think I’m the only one who seems somewhat underwhelmed by this announcement and what is on offer. I have no objection to novelty mounts and will certainly enjoy riding around on a Wild Boar but I’m not sure if this is going to be sufficient justification to buy what is essentially just an average new region with recycled environments. Hopefully, there’s more to Update 28 than meets the eye. Otherwise, SSG could have another PR disaster on their hands.
LOTRO: More Community Management Problems
Not so long ago, MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online was plagued by server instability and chronic lag. Many of the game worlds had to be closed and there was over a week of downtime. As ever, communication from developer’s Standing Stone Games regarding the nature of the problem and an ETA on a fix were minimal. The issue(s) were eventually mollified but not completely eradicated. However, a recent patch this week led to extended downtime, beyond that which was initially scheduled. Since then the servers have been “unstable”. So it would appear that “the problem” is back. The only difference this time round is that SSG have made a statement sooner, rather than later. Community Manager Cordovan (AKA Jerry Snook) posted the following on the game’s official forums. “The game worlds are experiencing periods of server instability due to external issues outside of our control. We are taking steps to mitigate these environmental and infrastructure challenges, and apologize for any issues you encounter”.
Not so long ago, MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online was plagued by server instability and chronic lag. Many of the game worlds had to be closed and there was over a week of downtime. As ever, communication from developer’s Standing Stone Games regarding the nature of the problem and an ETA on a fix were minimal. The issue(s) were eventually mollified but not completely eradicated. However, a recent patch this week led to extended downtime, beyond that which was initially scheduled. Since then the servers have been “unstable”. So it would appear that “the problem” is back. The only difference this time round is that SSG have made a statement sooner, rather than later. Community Manager Cordovan (AKA Jerry Snook) posted the following on the game’s official forums. “The game worlds are experiencing periods of server instability due to external issues outside of our control. We are taking steps to mitigate these environmental and infrastructure challenges, and apologize for any issues you encounter”.
The vagueness inherent in this statement is stark and obviously very deliberate. When pressed for further details by LOTRO players on the forum, Cordovan’s reply was less vague and actually quite specific. It’s a clear example of corporate “wagon circling”. “I'm sorry, but even if it were theoretically possible to make that kind of statement, I would advise against it. If that gets me some heat here, so be it; you know where I stand. Besides opening yourself up to all sorts of issues as a business entity, you are then committing to that level of detail every time you have an extended outage. Let's say a technical answer along those lines would throw an employee specifically under the bus, or a valued contractor you intend to do business with long-term. Even if technically accurate, it would be bad precedent to set. Not to mention how it'd be picked apart over the long term. It would not work for us. When I begin to think about what the above would have meant for almost ten years of messaging with this company, my head explodes”.
This is a visual metaphor
I fully appreciate this stance. Naturally it’s not what I and other players want to hear. We’d much prefer something along the lines of “we’re going to recalibrate the flux capacitor and the game will be as good as new. Here’s some free shit”. But SSG is a business and one that is not totally independent. The nature of their relationship with Daybreak Game Company is still shrouded in mystery but most suspect they’re more than just “the publisher”. SSG relies on third party suppliers for many other services. Simply put they are not in a position to reveal anything, even if they wished to. But simply saying “we can’t talk about this for legal reasons, so you’ll have to suck it up and wait things out” doesn’t magically draw a line under the problem. Paying customers at the very least expect someone to do some “ass kissing” in these situations, regardless of whether it’s sincere or not. It’s in the unofficial but very real social contract that exists between the vendor and customer.
And it is in this area that SSG are sadly lacking. Their community relations skills are not exactly nuanced and their tone is seldom conciliatory. Many years ago, when I was running a small IT department, I learned quite quickly that bellowing at staff during a crisis, doesn’t help matters. So instead of me shouting “I can fix this problem a lot quicker if you assholes shut the fuck up”, I hired a member staff who had “good communication skills” and was adept at exuding confidence, placating stakeholders and making them feel that their concerns were important and being addressed. It would greatly improve matters if SSG took a similar approach and those currently involved in community relations were more soothing and understanding in their tone. I’d suggest the following. Make regular statements, even if they have little or no technical substance. Answer a few tweets or comments personally. Praise players patience. Do something like a giveaway or a trivia contest so that people are engaged but in a positive way.
Another visual metaphor
The upside of difficult situations, such as the one which SSG currently faces, is that they present an opportunity to learn. Sadly, SSG and Turbine before them seem to have a blindspot when it comes to reflecting upon their prior community relations disasters and adjusting their corporate behaviour accordingly. And then there’s Jerry Snook’s somewhat defensive statement. “This is not my first rodeo. If people don’t like me, fine”. That is a tacit admission of failure. Yes Jerry, we understand that you will always be damned regardless of what you do, by a percentage of the playerbase. Community relations can at times be like an endless Kobayashi Maru test. But PR is a war and not a battle. You keep trying until you change the needle on the dial. If one approach doesn’t work, you try another. And once again I have to reference the immense goodwill that LOTRO players harbour towards the game. They want a reason to be on SSG’s side. So why not give them one? You lose nothing by trying. But the consequences of not doing so are far more serious.