Below is a brief chat log of the LOTRO Roundtable chat with Jeffrey Steefel which took place at Connect. Our LOTRO Brand / Product Manager kindly took some notes.

FRIDAY

Q. Is there a way of seeing which part of the PC the game is using and how effectively it is using it?
A. We would like to know this and are looking into ways of understanding this. This would be a fantastic resource tool in helping us manage what the game is using effectively and what it isn’t.

Q. Why can’t we access US LOTRO Lorebook or their website from Europe?
A. This is something Codemasters Online and Turbine are looking into and updates will come periodically.
*Codemasters comment: Lorebook access is still on the priority list and is looking to be released in three individual phases, beginning with standard access to the American version.

Q. Would it be possible to introduce more community / neighborhood interaction and / or events i.e. grow the biggest vegetable competition etc
A. Yes, this will happen in future developments

Q. Can we have more cinematic content and drama?
A. Yes this is coming with Moria.

Q. Are there plans to modify the kinship management system?
A. Yes, this is one of many plans that make up a very long list. It’s not currently the highest priority but Turbine regards it as something which needs to be revisited over a long period.

Q. Can you develop the facility to export a list of people in a kinship?
A. Yes, discussions are in progress about this. It was commented upon at this point that something which appears to be such a simple task, usually ends up being massively complex.

Q. We would like you to develop the auction facility i.e. ABILITY fix items before selling
A. Yes, this is on the radar for development.

Q. Talking to the games master when just starting a battle is frustrating - can you do something about this?
A. We appreciate the annoyance it causes and we could definitely explore this issue further.

Q. Could you develop a mentor system such as in EQ2?
A. This has been discussed extensively but is currently weighed down by the pros and cons on both sides of the coin. In order to successfully pull off a mentoring system you need to make sure you have every constraint considered and covered.

SATURDAY

Q. Why don’t you get any kind of equity with housing system?
A. It is currently set up as a renting system as any other way would be too complex to manage.

Q. There has been no events on server since last year- can we have more?
A. There will be more and more happening in the future but GM events rely upon Codemasters Online.
*Codemasters comment: Now that we’re becoming more and more stable with our new GameMasters we can begin to look into hosting in-game events again. Things will start out small but we should be able to get things back up to a position where all the servers frequently have events running.

Q. We would like to see more choice of furniture.
A. This will change but is not a priority. The current amount of hooks and furniture was agreed on as to not swamp the user and to reduce the load it causes on the server. Now that the foundation has been placed, expansion can occur.

Q. What content is in book 13?
A. There are development diaries coming within the next few months to look out for. These will show the new content in its various different lights.

Q. What do you see as the future of the game? Will you not run out of content?
A. There is never going to be an issue with lack of content as LOTR is a massive and deep world. There is lots of content to explore before we even reach places like Mordor.

Q. How do you keep level 50 significant / important when you introduce level 60?
A. We are aware of the issues which will occur with the level cap raise and we’re putting measures in place to keep this fair for existing players and content.

Q. How do you deal with Tolkien family for approval of areas that are perhaps not in the book?
A. We work closely with them at every stage of the design process and show them exactly what we’re thinking and doing. We then follow a formal process of submission and approval.

Q. Can you give us any information on the new mount?
A. It's not a new player mount, it's a mount for monsters. Once you kill a monster its rider will fall off and continue to attack you – this is just one of the many new AI enhancements coming LOTRO’s way.

Q. The monster play system needs improving.
A. We recognise this is needed and will be giving this attention at some point in the future. The first stage of these improvements comes as the new Monster Player class in Book 13.

Q. How will you ensure the new classes don’t affect the other classes?
A. We have paid attention to this to ensure the new classes compliment rather than rival the existing classes.

If you are a hunter and have problems with stealthed mobs, these tricks could help you: Loremasters have a skill to increase your stealth detection (+2) - Sign of Power: Vigilance, Level: 32, 40m Range. This sign provides you with a...Click here to read full

If you are a hunter and have problems with stealthed mobs, these tricks could help you:

• Loremasters have a skill to increase your stealth detection (+2) - Sign of Power: Vigilance, Level: 32, 40m Range. This sign provides you with a heightened vigilance against those who would hide from your gaze.
• Hunters also have Deed: Heightened Senses, Trait: Heightened Senses. Your exceptional senses allow you to track creatures over a greater distance, even if they are using Stealth, and to more easily detect creatures using Stealth. Tooltip: Increased Tracking range, Track stealthed monsters, Increased overall stealth detection

Source

With the increased brigand activity around Bree-land, Chief Watcher Grimbriar has established a more rigid watch-schedule on the gates of Bree-town. Guarding the West-gate stands old Harry Goatleaf, an ill-favored and sour-tempered man with a...Click here to read full

With the increased brigand activity around Bree-land, Chief Watcher Grimbriar has established a more rigid watch-schedule on the gates of Bree-town. Guarding the West-gate stands old Harry Goatleaf, an ill-favored and sour-tempered man with a penchant for prying into other people’s business.

There are rumors around Bree that Harry has been consorting with strangers out of the South; he is also often seen drinking with Bill Ferny, who is alleged to have connections with at least one brigand band. Harry has done his job well, however, and as no one has been able to prove any criminal intent on his part, Grimbriar has left him on his post.

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Harry Goatleaf is the watcher who let Frodo and his companions into Bree-town after they escaped from the Barrow-downs with the aid of Tom Bombadil. In The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, it remains to be seen if any of the rumors about him are true...

Detailed information about * New Lotro Hobby System -Fishing * Major updates to the Looking for Fellowship system * War Mammoth -  a mounted creature * Monster Play -The Defiler * Book 14 * The Mines of Moria can be read at Lord...Click here to read full

Detailed information about

* New Lotro Hobby System -Fishing
* Major updates to the Looking for Fellowship system
* War Mammoth -  a mounted creature
* Monster Play -The Defiler
* Book 14
* The Mines of Moria

can be read at
Lord of the Rings Announcement by Stuart-Renton
LOTROVAULT.IGN.COM

The header image has been changed again. Do remember to force refresh the lotrolife.com home page. We'll be posting a new pic every day from now on so keep doing this every day. For those of you that do not know what am I talking about check...Click here to read full

The header image has been changed again. Do remember to force refresh the lotrolife.com home page. We'll be posting a new pic every day from now on so keep doing this every day. For those of you that do not know what am I talking about check http://www.lotrolife.com/news_full/change_of_season/211 .

Lotro Moria Concept Art Ice Giant Moria Bridge Moria...Click here to read full

Lotro Moria Concept Art

Ice Giant	Moria Bridge
Moria Entrance	Burden Mammoth
Balins Tomb Door	Moria

Turbine and Codemasters announced today that they will kick off a major promotion that invites everyone to unlock the Mines of Moria by visiting http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com. Visitors can learn more about Mines of Moria and play special...Click here to read full

Turbine and Codemasters announced today that they will kick off a major promotion that invites everyone to unlock the Mines of Moria by visiting http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com. Visitors can learn more about Mines of Moria and play special mini-games that will be periodically released over the coming months. Certain players who participate can complete special deeds through game play and other means to unlock exclusive previews, assets and special in-game items that may help them when they delve into Mines of Moria this fall. The Unlock the Mines of Moria promotion is scheduled to begin at the end of this month.

See our other screenshots.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORIA ART CONCEPT CLICK HERE TO SEE SCREENSHOTS FROM UNLOCK THE MINES OF MORIA Today, at Connect 08 in Birmingham, executive producer Jeffrey Steefel revealed the second volume of the Tolkein-licensed massively multiplayer...Click here to read full

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORIA ART CONCEPT
CLICK HERE TO SEE SCREENSHOTS FROM UNLOCK THE MINES OF MORIA

Today, at Connect 08 in Birmingham, executive producer Jeffrey Steefel revealed the second volume of the Tolkein-licensed massively multiplayer RPG, The Mines of Moria. The first official Lotro expansion will be released later this year.

The Mines of Moria will take Lotro players into the goblin underground world with new famous bosses from Tolkien lore - The Balrog and The Watcher. The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria will expand the online world of Middle-earth to let players explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin's Bane and more! The Lord of the Rings Online expects to open Volume II of its epic story in the fall of 2008 with an increased level cap, two new classes and the introduction of a unique item advancement system.



From: KaTHoO


"The Mines of Moria is one of the most epic settings in all of fantasy fiction," said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "No one delivers more quality content than Turbine and with our journey into Moria, we will raise the bar even higher. We are adding vast amounts of content, debuting massive new environments and unveiling numerous unique feature sets, like item advancement, which will create entirely new dimensions of compelling game play and social interaction which are unique to The Lord of the Rings Online experience."

Ten new levels will be added to the game. Two new classes, the Warden and the Runekeeper, a large number of instances for smaller groups, new monster player scenarios, a chance to join the Fellowship in Lorien and get gifts from Galadriel, a new Legendary Items system (objects that will evolve as the player progresses).

Steefel also mentioned that LOTRO would be launched in Russia, China and Korea this year. The next free update to the game - Books 13,  "Doom of the Last King", will offer a new region to explore, a hobby system with fishing. The developers confirmed that Book 14 will arrive later in this summer.

NEW FEATURES:

• Speak Friend, and Enter - Moria, called Khazad-dûm by the dwarves, was their capital and the grandest of cities. This enormous underground cavern in north-western Middle-earth, comprises an immense network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls that run beneath and ultimately through the Misty Mountains. For the first time, players of The Lord of the Rings Online will enter this ancient city which has served as the foundation for the modern-day dungeon-crawling adventures to battle the hordes of goblins and the Nameless of the Deep and journey through hundreds of new quests within six new kinds of stunning environments.

• The Epic Continues! - The Mines of Moria represents the beginning of Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online. Players can experience six new books as part of this update and participate in the release of Durin's Bane, battle the Watcher, aid Galadriel and more!

• Increased Level Cap - Players will be able advance their characters up to level 60, gaining access to new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. The crafting system will also expand, giving players the ability to craft even more powerful items.

• Discover Two New Classes - The Rune-keeper and the Warden, the first new classes to be introduced since the launch of the game, allow players to build exciting and powerful new characters in The Lord of the Rings Online in diverse new ways.
  
• Forge Legendary Items - The Mines of Moria will introduce Turbine's new item advancement system to The Lord of the Rings Online. Players will be able to forge weapons and class-related equipment and evolve them to build a legacy the likes of Bilbo's Sting and Gandalf's Glamdring. These legendary weapons will level-up along with the player, allowing customization by advancing the item's virtues, adding runic legacies, modifying its titles and forming fables.

To celebrate this exciting news, Turbine and Codemasters also announced today that they will kick off a major promotion that invites everyone to unlock the Mines of Moria by visiting http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com. Visitors can learn more about Mines of Moria and play special mini-games that will be periodically released over the coming months. Certain players who participate can complete special deeds through game play and other means to unlock exclusive previews, assets and special in-game items that may help them when they delve into Mines of Moria this fall. The Unlock the Mines of Moria promotion is scheduled to begin at the end of this month.

"We included a fix for the terrain in this patch. I certainly hope anyone who decided it was a good idea to sneak in and then log out there isn't stuck until Book 13; you know, if the server won't let them log in or something. If it was...Click here to read full

"We included a fix for the terrain in this patch. I certainly hope anyone who decided it was a good idea to sneak in and then log out there isn't stuck until Book 13; you know, if the server won't let them log in or something.

If it was supposed to be open and ready for players, it would be. It's not. Spending an hour or more trying to get through a glitch in the terrain and then claiming that because you managed to get in it makes everything okay is incorrect".

-Meghan

Yes, we know New Years was three months ago. Yes, we know Gandalf is still wearing his Christmas hat (in the picture in our header). Yes, we are getting rid of it. But, we wanted to do it in a more original way so in the next few days you'll be able...Click here to read full

Yes, we know New Years was three months ago. Yes, we know Gandalf is still wearing his Christmas hat (in the picture in our header). Yes, we are getting rid of it. But, we wanted to do it in a more original way so in the next few days you'll be able to watch LotRO version of "How Grinch stole Christmas" the LotroLife way, by looking at our header pic. We will be changing the header every day or two for the next couple of days and will post it as a comic at the end. We are also approaching one year of LotRO and our site and will be making a whole new header for "Season 2" :). To make sure you get the latest header picture "force refresh" the home lotrolife.com page (this can be done by holding CTRL and pressing F5 if you use Internet Explorer, or by holding CTRL+SHIFT and presing R key on your keyboard in Firefox).