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LotRO's team fields live dev chat
A gaggle of Turbine developers sat down this afternoon to field scores of Lord of the Rings Online questions from the community in a live dev chat. Among the topics discussed were mounted combat, earlier zone revamps, class updates, and PvMP options. One of the burning topics concerned possible player housing improvements. Turbine said that it needed to address the vacant neighborhoods first, but was moving in that direction: "All I can say is that we have a lot of devs interested in doing some serious home improvement." We have the full chat transcript for you after the jump, starring Senior Producer Aaron Campbell, Lead Systems Designer Matt Zimmitti, World Designer Matt Fahey, Senior Content Designer Lauren Salk, Senior Content Designer Joe Barry, and Community Manager Rick Heaton.
A look at the Farmer's Faire in Lord of the Rings Online [Updated]
A riddle for the Lord of the Rings Online players in the audience: If you have every hobbit in Bywater gathered around tables and eating relentlessly, what do you have? Why, the Farmer's Faire, of course. (Or an average hobbit meal-time.) For those of you not familiar with this combination farmer's market and summer event, Lauren "Budgeford" Salk has written up a rundown of the events at the Faire as well as an explanation of what goes into improving the holiday events as the years go on. Players who wish to enjoy the festivities will need to be on-hand to help Mayor Whitfoot sample all of the fine wares of the festival and add seasoning to some of the more bland offerings. They'll also be asked to run security, turning out hobbits who have become too drunk and possibly quelling a wine-induced bit of mischief. Salk goes on to explain how she and the rest of the team make a point of polishing and updating event content every year to ensure that even veterans have something new to enjoy. If you can't wait to find out more about dealing with overstuffed hobbits, there's plenty to devour in the diary. [Update: Farmer's Faire has been postponed until July 26th.]
Lord of the Rings Online explains Moria revamp
Since the word came down recently that Turbine is revamping much of Lord of the Rings Online's Moria, players have been buzzing about the merits and scope of such a project. Content Developer Lauren Salk posted an article on the official site explaining the reasoning behind the decision as well as the specific changes involved. Salk said that Turbine wanted to respond to player complaints about the difficulty and pace of Moria's leveling experience. She admits that the quests did not always lead to the best places and resulted in a frustrating stint underground instead of an amazing journey. Salk confessed that the zone even frustrated her mother, who never made it all the way through. With Update 7, LotRO will update half of Moria, while the latter half will come later on down the road. In addition to a smoother quest flow, additional quests, and an easier difficulty level, Turbine's adding tasks for all to enjoy. Travel through Moria will become more pleasant, as the lighting will be adjusted, additional stable routes added, monsters moved out of the major pathways, and a no-reputation goat made available from the start.
LotRO blog interviews content developer Lauren "Budgeford" Salk
When it comes to MMO development studios, Turbine has always been on the ball. Using a hybrid subscription model, Turbine has managed to triple revenues from its popular fantasy MMO Lord of the Rings Online. With the possibility of playing LotRO free of charge, more players than ever have been gracing this Tolkien wonderland with their presence and enjoying the game's new seasonal festivals. Content developer Lauren "Budgeford" Salk is responsible for these popular festival events, which have proven to be a big hit with players. LotRO blog "A Casual Stroll to Mordor" published an insightful interview with Lauren today on what exactly goes into the content development process. The interview asks what it's like to be the only female content developer at Turbine and goes into detail on the challenges she faces in her everyday work. Often when we're enjoying the content in our favourite MMOs, we don't see all of the technical expertise that goes into creating it and the problems that can crop up in development. Head over to A Casual Stroll to Mordor to give the interview a read.
LotRO kicks off Fall Festival
'Tis the season for scary jack-o-lanterns, Harvestmath, and hobbits that go bump in the night. Turbine is kicking off its annual Halloween-themed Fall Festival celebration in Lord of the Rings Online, and we've got the new screenshots to prove it. Whether you're looking for new quests, new deeds, or new loot items, the LotRO team has a little something for your trick-or-treat bag. Check out Lauren "Budgeford" Salk's official dev diary for all the details, including info on how you can explore one of Bilbo Baggins' locked cellars as well as the Haunted Burrow. Be sure you also have a look at our Harvestmath screenshot gallery below. %Gallery-105424%
LotRO dev diary explores the heart of Bilbo's darkness
When we first got a peek at the new Haunted Burrow that is coming with next week's fall festival in Lord of the Rings Online, we knew our purpose in Middle-earth: to abandon our quest for Mordor and spend the rest of our days zipping around Bilbo's cellar in a sheet going "WOOOO!" to everyone else. And we bet we're not the only ones. "That old Mad Baggins has done it again..." begins the most recent LotRO dev diary by Lauren Salk. The concept is that while installing another oven at the Party Tree in the Shire, hobbits found a secret entrance to Bilbo's legendary cellar -- a place where, according to rumors, his vast fortune was stashed. The idea for a hobbit-themed haunted house started last April and progressed steadily since then, as brand-new art, clever challenges, and a whole lot of love for the Halloween season were implemented. If you like the silly-slash-spooky decorations, Salk is the bearer of good news indeed: "You'll probably be happy to know that you can get a good portion of it as deco for your house!" For shrieks and giggles, head on over to read the LotRO dev diary and whet your appetite for the fun to come.
LotRO tames the shrew in a new dev diary
"Festivals are surprisingly brutal to make!" confesses Turbine's Lauren Salk. It turns out that she loves doing them anyway, and in a recent Lord of the Rings Online dev diary, she opens up on the process of creating and adding on to one of the game's landmark holidays. Ever since 2008, LotRO's Spring Festival has added more casual content for players to romp through and enjoy. Last year it was a hedge maze -- this year, it's all about the Shew Stomping. Lauren is careful to note that no shrews are actually killed as players step on them with special boots (they're just knocked out!), so don't feel too bad for these garden invaders. She laments how difficult it was to program shrews that attack and could be attacked by players of any level. If shrew stompin' isn't your thing, there are plenty of other activities in which to partake. "Between the shrews, the Hedge Maze, the Feast of the Greenfields, and all the other games, you should have plenty to keep you occupied for the next month," Lauren promises. LotRO's Spring Festival runs from March 23-April 6. %Gallery-86629%
