Dev Chat 27 2 08

STRATIC Dev Chat Transcript 2/27/2008

*AmpliFied_SouL* Hello everyone ! I'd like to ask if there will be any new 12/24 man raid coming, with book 13.
<Scenario> We will not be adding any new 12- or 24-man raids for Book 13.

*xanderian* Will we see any new 6-Man-Instances in Book 13?
<Keth_Turbine> Rhidden is trying to answer your question but his computer is locking up....
<Keth_Turbine> that and he's taking lessons from Tens.
<Rhidden> Book 13 will have new story instances related to the continuation of our epic story. We will also be revisiting Annúminas and making some changes to those instances.

*InterestedOne* Hello! Will we once be able to buy decorations for our mounts (likesaddle, tack, rein)?
<Keth_Turbine> We aren't planning on that sort of system right now, but it is an interesting idea.
<Keth_Turbine> However, we do plan on having another horse variant showing up in Book 13.

*Flushie* Will we have more Emotes for our Characters in the future and will voice emotes be included? We really need some more animations too!
<Turbine_Tens> Hey everyone! This is Ryan "Tens" Bednar here, the Systems Lead on LOTRO, and Iâm here to tell you that you can expect more emotes in the Book 13 / Book 14 timeframe.

<Turbine_Tens> (Among other things.)

<Brannoc> *Meeko* Hi! Great job on Chap 12! Can you make it possible that the show itemsfeatures are static per outfit/armor display? Its a royal pain in the .... to switch from my armor image to mycosmetic image and still have to open the character window to turn off/on the cape or shoulder pads, etc..thank
<Keth_Turbine> Hey Meeko, I hope I understood your question correctly.
<Keth_Turbine> In Book 13, we are going to have the option to turn offhelm/cloak/shoulders/feet/hands per Outfit. So one outfit could have a cloak and no shoulder pads, while another could have shoulder pads and no cloak visible.

*[Morthond-DE]Cordesh* Good Evening, my Name is Cordesh from the GermanFansite Morthond.de. My Question is: Will we see InGame-Events on the one year anniversary in april?

<LOTRO_Saffron> Plan! We have them! I would keep an eye on the websites for our future announcements!


*[EN-Snow]Gwalchmai* Hey kiddoes. You have made it easy to log in to standard server, thanks for that. Next step: Is it possible to go straight to the Vault, and then get the option to accessing the house escrow from there? I dont think most will ever get to use the Escrow, but uses the vault multiple times a day

<Keth_Turbine> Actually that's a pretty good idea. I'll enter a bug and see if our Engineers can accomodate that request.
<Keth_Turbine> Thanks!

*littlegandlf* Hello Turbine!I heard some rumors about Turbine's visit to China in early March.Is that going to be the anouncement of the "Lotro Asian Release" Or anything relates with the anouncement in "Connect2008"?

<LOTRO_Saffron> WeÂve already announced our plans and we're really excited to release in China, Korea, and Russia!

*Godot* About Book 13, I have seen a lot of cold and snow (Misties galore) so how will the new region be different? And will there be some kind of city in it (not just a small camp or such) ?
[21:20] <Scenario> So - those of you who have completed the Book 12 quest line will know where your Book 13 adventures will send you. For this region, we were challenged to develop a biome plan that was distinct from other similarly themed regions and I think we've done a pretty decent job of that.
<Scenario> We've got a couple of Dev Diaries in the works that will cover our design process and decisions for this region.

*vendolis* Is there any plan on making more character slots available, either with an expansion or via micropayment?
<Turbine_Tens> We do have plans to increase the maximum number of character slots available to players, although the specifics and exact timeframe of that change are both still to be determined.


*darren* Hi. are their any plans for new ettenmoors session classes? also, are their any plans to balance the current troll and ranger session classes?

<Keth_Turbine> Well, no plans for any new sessions out in the Ettenmoors, but there are plans for another Monster Play class in Book 13.
<Keth_Turbine> It'll be the Orc Defiler, and he'll serve a much needed Healer role for Monster Players.

*poro* here it goes, have you yet decided whether the lvl cap will go up on (upcoming) first expansion pack? Or are you going to introduce somekind of alternative level system (like one in Anarchy Online) for expansions? Or will we be wiser after Codemasters Connect?

<LOTRO_Saffron> We're excited about our future announcements at Connect08. I suggest you get your tickets now to find out in-person!

*{Ez0}Honvik{GA}* is there any plans to add a guild bank with features for members to donate money, show items, add items, remove items etc?
<Denour_Turbine> We are currently in the process of getting some new engine technology that will allow us to modify some of our existing systems to be more extensible. After this technology has been completed, the ability to implement guild style banks and the like will be possible, and I am sure we will be discussing the feature in the future.

*PuNiShErA* Hi, I'm 100% sure that will ask this question: Will the Auction Hall search problem be fixed any time soon?
<[CM]Liquilla> we're currently looking to put a fix to the auction house in place between the first or second week of March. We understand the severity and the issues its causing for players.
<[CM]Liquilla> we're currently looking to put a fix to the auction house in place between the first or second week of March. We understand the severity and the issues its causing for players
<[CM]Liquilla> so we want to get this out as soon as possible
<[CM]Liquilla> but we dont want to run into additional problems on the way, so we want to make sure the fix is tried and tested before we throw it out the door 🙂

*xanderian* Are there any plans for new high end item sets? or 2Handed Hammers and 1Handed Clubs? Burglars in my kinship would love to see some more maces as well 😉

<Keth_Turbine> Well there's quite a few new sets in Book 13 coming your way. The art is pretty hot (no pun intended) and we've really been trying to make sure the sets serve a role we haven't filled with any sets yet.
<Keth_Turbine> Beyond Book 13, we are looking to do a more extensive revisit to our existing sets to make them more compelling.

*Godot* I have heard of the possibility of "mounting" boats in the near future, true or false ?
<Turbine_Tens> False. The new mounts will not be boats.
<Scenario> Nor will they be eagles...

<Turbine_Tens> But that's a good guess! 🙂
<Keth_Turbine> They will be chairs.
<Denour_Turbine> GAH!!!

*[HdRo-DE]Anrangar* 1) are there any plans in the future from turbine to support player driven In-Game RP-Events ?
<Denour_Turbine> I think the implementation of the outfit system was a step in the right direction to assist role-players. It's so good, that Keth is wearing a dress as we speak! Remember though, Middle-Earth is a stage, and as role players, you are the actors! So have at it.
<Keth_Turbine> I look awesome in my dress and pitchfork.

*Vetaro* Hello! I've got a question about visual things. I still have the feeling that light armour (like for loremasters) has only two styles with different colourings. They were used on the beginner-armour as well as on the rift-set for loremasters. Will there finally be any new styles for these pieces of equipment?
<Keth_Turbine> Hey Vetaro, I'm not sure on what we currently have for Light Armour meshes, but I'll wager it's more than 2.
<Keth_Turbine> anyway, we do have a new light armour mesh set coming in Book 13.

*Rhade* I have a question for Housing: If I longer time may not be online, will my items in the house that I have and what I have invested a lot of time, simply erased. Would a retention fee once bahlt be (eg 500 silver), not fair? The current solution is no incentive to buy a house.
* Denour_Turbine boggles
<Denour_Turbine> Alright, so let me take a moment to clarify the changes coming to housing...
<Denour_Turbine> If you do not pay your maintenance, you will no longer lose your house. The house will be put into a locked state, and you will have to pay in order to access it again.
<Denour_Turbine> The items that you had in storage, decorations and the like will remaing there, but you will not have access to them until you unlock the house.
<Denour_Turbine> The only way items will be put into escrow at this point is if you abandon your house.

*foo* Are you going to add more areas just for the cause of exploration (nearly no quests but nicely designed landscape there  after all, middle earth seems to me like a rather empty place after having read the books)

<Scenario> The Book 13 region, while not a void of questless tracts of land, is quite large and should make the explorers out there happy. 🙂

*Performer* I'd like to know if we can expect Additions to the Outfitsystem in Book 13 (or beyond), like more Clothing, Hats, Sandals, Things to hang on the Belt, ...
<Keth_Turbine> Yep, there will be some more outfits coming your way in Book 13, although nothing quite so crazy as sandals.
<Keth_Turbine> Sandals are crazy, I tell you!
<Keth_Turbine> CRAZY!!!!
<Denour_Turbine> Hippie
<Keth_Turbine> exactly, only dirty hippies wear sandals.
<Brannoc> get a job!

<Brannoc> *Meeko* can it be made possible for one more rank in kinships, that of 1st officer who would be allowed to promote/demote and kick members? Kin leaders cannot be online 24/7
[21:39] <Turbine_Tens> That's a great suggestion Meeko. We'll look into it.
[21:40] <Turbine_Tens> We've run into similar issues with our Kinship Leaders as well 😛

*Valde* Good evening, The system of relationship is brilliant... But children with a single parent, it's sad! Shall we see again one day the wedding system?

<Turbine_Tens> Only after we've first introduced the "Reproductive System."
<Turbine_Tens> But that might get us an "M" Rating...
<Turbine_Tens> And our engine might not support it...
<Denour_Turbine> Support reproductive system?
<Denour_Turbine> Definately not...
<Turbine_Tens> But we'll see what we can do 😉
<Denour_Turbine> The animations would be blippy...
<Turbine_Tens> Yeah, we'll need more Havok support. Definitely.
<[CM]Liquilla> reproductive system sounds good o.O
* Denour_Turbine swats Liquilla
<Denour_Turbine> NO!
<[CM]Liquilla> doh!

*jetman666* hi there. currently with the light/med armour there is a large gap between 35 and 42 have you any plans to fill this in a little? fighting lvl41 mobs with 35 armour is a little taxing?


<Turbine_Tens> That's not a gap in itemization that we're currently aware of, but we can certainly investigate it.
<Turbine_Tens> Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

*[HdRo-DE]Anrangar* will the new mount a carriage ?

<Turbine_Tens> Cabbage? What, that's crazy!?
<Turbine_Tens> So no.
<Turbine_Tens> 🙂

*Jalada* sorry if this has been asked before, I've come in half way and don't follow the dev chats. But will there be a possibility to officially share a house with someone (i.e. so they have the return to house skill and it listed on their character info) rather than just giving them full permissions? Thanks.

<Denour_Turbine> Right now you can use the housing options to give other characters full access to your house. We are however going to continue to reserve the ability to recall to a house to the owner. We consider that a privilage that one obtains for actually purchasing a piece of realistate.


*Anon6735* I have a question regarding Sets for Minstrals, At the moment all sets are light armour, yet, Minstrals have the trait to wear medium armour. It doesn't make sense that all throught the game Minstral can wear medium armour and once they reach fifty, they go back to light armour which has a Lower defence stat? are there any plans to bring in a minstral "Medium armour set"?


<Turbine_Tens> It's something that we've certainly discussed, but we have no plans to revisit any of the existing Minstrel Sets at this time.
<Turbine_Tens> But it's definitely a possibility for "The Future"

*nocomment17* hi! do you think you could allow people to send more items in the post?

<Denour_Turbine> Remember that new piece of technology I was talking about earlier? That will make sending more than one item in the mail possible. We'll discuss allowing multiple attachments internally after the technology as been completed.

*Guest15* Hi Everyone. Is the new area in Book 13 going to be larger or smaller than Evendim?

<Scenario> Larger! Both in playable space and visuals. Stay tuned for our upcoming Dev Diaries.
<Keth_Turbine> It's awesome!

*Performer* Are there Plans to add Headgear that doesn't replace Hair, like Circlets, Crowns or Bandannas ?

<Turbine_Tens> Yes! Circlets that don't replace hair are coming with Book 13.
<Turbine_Tens> You can thank Floon for those. 🙂

*littlegandlf* May we get Lambas in the game:)
<Scenario> Isn't that a boss in Urugarth?
<Keth_Turbine> I believe they took Lambas off the market, due to all the transfat in it.
<Rhidden> The keeping and giving of Lembas is a privilege of Elven queens!