Thread: Feedback: Producer's Letter April – 2011

On April 24, 2007, The Lord of the Rings Online opened its doors. Four years later, not only is LOTRO stronger than ever, but still growing! Read more in the latest Producer's Letter from Aaron “Rowan” Campbell and post your comments here!

Not a word about the new PvMP zone (or, now, lack thereof). I'm guessing we'll never see it at this point.

It seems kinda light to me, reiterating what we already know.

I believe they mentioned a revamp of Monster Play with or just after the coming Xpac. But I am certain it isn't a high priority considering it isn't a primary aspect of the game. But, I expect some changes, probably Ettenmoors level scaling and a new area or two ... have to wait and see.

Well, I am excited about the new 24 raid instance...

Please put out letters that actually discuss items that haven't already been announced. Your letters are more like a summary for those that have lived under a rock for long periods of time. Truthfully, hate to sound like a troll here, but really, I wasted a couple minutes of my time reading the letter.

Just calling it as I see it.

so many words, so very little said

Nice to see a recap of things past. But nothing really new.

Is it safe to say that there are no scheduled updates between Update 3 and Rise of Isengard?

Thanks for you answers.

Also a bit disappointed with this letter. It indicates to me that after update 3, all of their resources are going to be put into the next expansion. Otherwise, there would have been more forthcoming info about another update between now and then, as has been done in past letters. Looks like we're in for at least half a year without any new content (although I certainly hope not)

Nothing said about content between update 3 and ROI, nothing said about PvMP expansion, and nothing about the class updates due champs, guards and wardens. Nothing new here. Also noticeably absent is any mention of the store, lol.

Well, considering the letter is on lotro's anniversary, it's naive to think he wouldn't put a bit of nostalgia in there. C'mon people, not every Turbine post is going to mention everything said previously PLUS lots of new uber shiny stuff. Let's all calm down a bit.

Originally Posted by Skofield

Well, I am excited about the new 24 raid instance...

QFT

Also, I might head over to one of the french or german servers for a bit... I'll get to learn a new language while also playing lotro. 2 birds, 1 stone!

A little light on details. However, I don't think people should start crying about the end of the world and the sky falling regarding content updates. I think the LOTRO brass are intelligent enough to realize that you need to have at least some content updates between Update 3 and Isengard. However, I wouldn't expect major updates in that time. Turbine should dedicate most of its resources to Isengard in order to make it a quality expansion.

Originally Posted by geoboy

Also noticeably absent is any mention of the store, lol.

This is a good thing, though. Everybody seemed to hate when Kate Paiz would mention the Store in her Producer's Letters.

Now then, I was a little surprised to see not a shred of new information in this Producer's Letter. While I have nitpicked Kate's letters in the past on my podcast, I have always respected that she provided new information in every letter, and to date Turbine has pretty much followed through with what she'd say in those letters. This one was a rehash of known information, and while that's fine overall, it doesn't sit well compared to Kate's previous letters. Not a major issue, just a bit disappointing to me.

As was stated by other posters, there was no mention of an update between Update #3 and RoI. this could be good or bad, really. If RoI comes in September, then that's not a huge timeframe, and I would be okay with it. But if - as many expect to happen - RoI doesn't come out until November or December? I don't think having no content from late May until Nov/Dec is going to fly. Expect calls of "It's just like 2010 all over again!" should this occur, and I'm sure Turbine is quite aware of that.

So, taking that all into account, I'm going to call it right now: RoI will out in September, unless Turbine pulls an Update #4 out of their hat sometime this summer.

Hehe some of you may be sad about the lack of information in this letter (honestly I doubt there will ever be a major announcement here)

I'm just glad the store wasn't advertised this time round :P
That makes this one better then last months in my book.

Massively lacking of the essence of the P.L's. While Mrs. Paiz took the time to give us a discourse on what we not now already, this only names a few facts that everyone knows. I don't say that this is bad, but a little bit more information on what we can expect between Update 3 and Isengard would have been more than nice. Especially, since Update 3 clearly ignored the three left out class revamps. Can we expect at least one other Update till November or is this fraction of players left out till RoI?

Other than that I am very happy that the mess and treatment by Codemasters is over now for european players and that we can expect to be treated on the same level as the US players. Thank you for taking control.

Originally Posted by Clover

Re: Feedback: Producer's Letter April – 2010

** April 2011 **

Nice informations, but we need Screenshots of Isengard

Time warp?

Isn't it April 2011?

Sorry, couldn't resist because seriously at first glance I thought the thread had been necro'd.

Did I miss something? is Kate no longer LotRO's producer? I can understand there may be more than one person in a similar role, just curious if there may actually have been a change.

Otherwise, nice walk down memory lane, but not really interesting.

Kate is executive producer right? Aaron is also a producer.

Unfortuanetly, I do have to quote Comic book Guy:
Worst Producers Letter Ever.

The past few have been really informative, gave the community an understanding into the
developement and what was coming, this was just "walk down memory lane".

For those of us that have been there, we walk that path every year at the anniversery,
and for the most part, F2P's new to the game don't care what happened in 2007, they
want to know whats happening next to know if they should subscribe, buy more TP, etc.

Now that the level cap increase is confirmed to be to level 75, will the items (e.g. Legacy replacement scroll), that have been created when the level cap was supposed to be 70, be updated (to level 75 instead of currently level 70)?

Woohoo, no plug for the Store!

I can't say I'm surprised at the brevity or the lack of new info in the letter. It really seems like par for the course at this point.

Yay for +10 levels as opposed to +5, and yay for 24man dragon raid. Hopefully you guys will come up with some fun and effective ways to tease out info for ROI like you did for Update 2. The mysterious relics, hints by Sapience, and spacing of the dev diaries all did a lot to engender eagerness and excitement over Update 2.

I'll echo other's, he lack of a store plug was nice. It was in very poor taste last time around.

But the letter doesn't really tell most of us anything new. At least not the forum goers who are up to date on all this. For the rest of the gaming population, it might have new info, but for the average lotroer, I think it's kind of white noise.

Well, I was hoping to learn something new about the game. Instead, all I learned is that four months into 2011, some people still can't help themselves from typing 2010.

Originally Posted by Majesto

Well, I was hoping to learn something new about the game. Instead, all I learned is that four months into 2011, some people still can't help themselves from typing 2010.

That and Turbine still needs to hire a proof reader

"We’ll have more details soon about this upcoming expansion."

Probably the most intriguing part of the letter...

Originally Posted by MotoMorrashi

Please put out letters that actually discuss items that haven't already been announced. Your letters are more like a summary for those that have lived under a rock for long periods of time. Truthfully, hate to sound like a troll here, but really, I wasted a couple minutes of my time reading the letter.

Just calling it as I see it.

haha i thought the same thing. after the first two paragraphs i skimmed over the rest since ive already read it multiple times before.

seems like just another marketing technique.

how about something with actual substance?

I thought it was a fine Producer's Letter on the whole. Being the anniversary letter, some reviewing of past highlights is to be expected. I do agree it was on the light side concerning future content, but it did cover the major things to come and the important business side news of taking control of European service. With one update just released and another on the heels of the letter, it's a balancing act of how much else to say versus what to leave for future letters.

The complete lack of Store plugs was nice. It kept the focus on the game (past and future) and the players (unifying the North American and European communities). That's where I want to see it.

Originally Posted by Elderban

Not a word about the new PvMP zone (or, now, lack thereof). I'm guessing we'll never see it at this point.

True. But at least he mentioned 'troll' as a feature of yesteryear. I haven't seen one in a very long time (at least on BW). Other than that it was blah, blah, blah. (I'm sure it means more to those that pve thought so I am in no way raining on anything he said on that subject...just sour grapes from me. I know my place as a customer)

I like Rowan, but...

WE WANT KATE...

WE WANT KATE....

WE WANT KATE.....

and so on and so forth....

Originally Posted by geoboy

Nothing new here. Also noticeably absent is any mention of the store, lol.

Hold your horses...I think I found it:

"As a producer, I’ve had the honor to attend gamer events and conventions in Europe over the last few years – such as gamescom by purchasing a Writ of Passage from the Store for swift traveling across the world."

Let the QQ begin...

Nothing relevant for the last year or maybe nothing worth highlighting.

No mention of one of Isengards main features being canceled -> New PVMP Zone. A official statement would be nice.

Seriously guys....turbine is fairly regular with updates and usually does not advertise the additions well in advance. Its been this way for years now. They will add more stuff before RoI.....keep your pants on.

Originally Posted by Haudroch

A little light on details. However, I don't think people should start crying about the end of the world and the sky falling regarding content updates. I think the LOTRO brass are intelligent enough to realize that you need to have at least some content updates between Update 3 and Isengard. However, I wouldn't expect major updates in that time. Turbine should dedicate most of its resources to Isengard in order to make it a quality expansion.

This ^ /chars

Forgive me for being nostalgic... But there was more between 2007 and 2009 that could've been included. Like how you had to suck it up and play it or leave it as Turbine actually had a spine then, and forced you to play their way, or hit the highway. And it was actually fun! How about the old Great Barrow maze that was all one big maze where you went in through a door without having to make any prefference selections. Fornost the the OLD way. Raids may be the in thing. PvMP, PVP, and PveP whatevers. But it ain't so much MY thing! :P Oh, and I love the spoiler on the new level cap. The expected that I have been working on my main for. I saw THAT one coming before it was announced. I still await the announcement of flying mounts. Will it be Eagles or Dragons? Hmmm... You will probably do both. The day you give into the masses and start making motor vehicles though, will be the day I throw my hard copy of The Shadows of Angmar into the garbage like old worn out frisbees.

Originally Posted by WulfiamKnightstar

No mention of one of Isengards main features being canceled -> New PVMP Zone. A official statement would be nice.

Agreed. Finding out about it from a third party is pretty bad, not getting any official word as to why is even worse. I'm guessing they're hoping that it just blows over.

Originally Posted by nimrodblack

Seriously guys....turbine is fairly regular with updates and usually does not advertise the additions well in advance. Its been this way for years now. They will add more stuff before RoI.....keep your pants on.

i doubt it.

they have ROI taking up resources.

they have resources devoted to bringing EU into the fold.

they have already canceled the promised pvmp update.

they just dont have any more to devote to a update 4.

we will get hotfixes and patches along with summer and fall festivals.

thats it.

Not a very informative letter really. What concerns me is this repeated mentioning of a 24 man raid. I don't have a problem with there being a 24 man raid in the game, however there is no mention of any new 12 man raid coming with Isenguard and with the level cap increase the existing 12 mans will become obsolete.

Can any dev shed a light on this and tell us there is also a new 12 man raid for Isenguard in the works... pretty please?

The letter is just fine. It's about stuff in the past, since that is the entire and total point of this anniversary letter. It is intentionally a walk down memory lane. This letter is sort of a surprise, since we recently had a producer's letter and it didn't feel like time for the next one. And yet despite getting an extra bonus letter, people are griping about it.

I can't figure out why people are so upset that they aren't talking details about future stuff. Sort of like people freaking out because Kate used the word "store" three times in a very very long letter; apparently one is not allowed to mention a feature that is in the game and which many players are interested in. So how will they announce Isengard purchase options, will they say "you can upgrade via the feature-that-shall-not-be-named"?

We had a huge content update with update 3, we've got new upcoming skirmishes and a raid (likely part of an update), and a new expansion. Which sounds like great news. And yet people are still panicked that there's no new content like we're wandering in the wilderness.

Lighten up, it's just a game. Do you really want this to be like other MMOs where producers and devs refuse to say anything for fear of starting another rage war? As the veterans should know, we get the information when it's ready and not before and we should be glad that Turbine is still talking to us.

I really, really, really hate being negative, but...

Why was this letter released?

The first two producer's letters were good; they provided solid information about the development plans for the near future. The last two, however, have been mostly fluff, and seem more suited to a newsletter "feel-good" piece.

Somewhere along the way, it seems the someone forgot the purpose behind the letters. Each producer's letter should have more meat (or bacon) to it.

Originally Posted by jewahe

I really, really, really hate being negative, but...

Why was this letter released?

The first two producer's letters were good; they provided solid information about the development plans for the near future. The last two, however, have been mostly fluff, and seem more suited to a newsletter "feel-good" piece.

Somewhere along the way, it seems the someone forgot the purpose behind the letters. Each producer's letter should have more meat (or bacon) to it.

One word, Anniversary...don't like it, don't read it. *shrug*