LOTRO: Executive Producer’s Letter February 2021
Rob Ciccolini, posted an Executive Producer’s Letter for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, yesterday. This road map for 2021 pretty much confirms much of the content he broadly referenced in his recent live stream Q&A session. The letter doesn’t contain any major surprises but it is useful to have a more comprehensive time table for what is coming to the game this year. As ever, he thanked players for their ongoing support for LOTRO and Standing Stone Games endeavours. It is too early to determine whether SSG has successfully improved their communications policy but the letter has been fairly well received on the official forums.
The most immediate content release coming to LOTRO is Update 29: Wildwood which was previewed on the Bullroarer test server last month. As this is an addition to an existing area in the game, this update will be free. This content update, coming this month, will be followed by the Spring Festival, which will feature new seasonal instances featuring Grimbeorn. I tried one of these, again on the test server, and it was suitably droll and whimsical. It involves escorting Grimbeorn’s “Big Bees” around the meadows of Lossarnach so they can pollinate the flowers, while you fend off hordes of Goats!
Next up on the road map, Standing Stone Games are planning to release the first of what they are calling “Further Adventures”. These are quest arcs that make use of the existing Mission system that will feature new stories involving major and minor characters in Middle-earth. The first of which involves Bilbo Baggins. If it is well received by LOTRO players SSG will produce more. They’re also keen for player feedback regarding other characters that could feature in such content.
Summer will see the release of Update 30: Update 30: The Blood of Azog. The next installment of the War of Three Peaks. According to SSG “Durin Stonehelmson prepares to lead the Gabil'akkâ beyond the frozen gates of Mount Gundabad. At the urging of Glóin, Prince Durin sends word to the Lonely Mountain to muster even more Dwarves to Elderslade before the reclamation begins. As you aid in this effort, you'll discover the tale of Hermáth Stormhammer, a hero of the Battle of Azanulbizar. You'll experience important moments in the history of Durin's Folk firsthand, such as the taking of the Oakenshield, the death of Azog, the ever-present danger of Durin's Bane, and more! Update 30 will feature a new Interlude, new Quests, new Missions, and a new Raid in a Quest Pack that is free to VIPs!”
The next major expansion will be launched in Autumn. Specific details are lacking at present but Update 31: Gundabad concludes the story of The Legacy of Durin and the Trials of the Dwarves. Whether the new Brawler class is included in this release remains to be seen The River Hobbit race is conspicuously absent and judging by previous comments made by Rob Ciccolini, will more than likely not be available until 2022. The tailend of this year will see the Legendary Servers, Ithil and Arnor, updated to feature the Mordor expansion. There is ongoing PVMP development, focusing on class balancing and SSG are also tinkering with the Legendary Item system, although it seems to be more of a case of streamlining, rather than a major overhaul.
I, like many other LOTRO players, welcome any news about the games development in its 14th year. An expansion and two content updates is not in any way unsubstantial. However, it has been a while since LOTRO has seen the addition of a wholly new system or game mechanic. Missions, which were added with Update 28, are essentially a variation on an existing theme. Namely solo instances. They do not supply a great deal of narrative content and they are not especially challenging in their present form. LOTRO is at present locked into a cycle of supplying “more of the same”. New content simply see’s new reputation factions, new gear, essences and collectibles added to the game. Familiarity and providing a “set menu” does have its appeal, especially within the MMO genre. A clearly defined progression path with known parameters offers stability to the playerbase.
However if LOTRO truly wants to stay relevant and continue offering players an engaging virtual Middle-earth experience, isn’t it time to focus resources on creating something completely new for the game? Sadly, I cannot see resources being used to develop such a thing. Converting existing content so it can be accessed by console players is a sound business decision opening up a substantial new market. The success of The Elder Scrolls Online and Star Trek Online on Xbox and Playstation prove this. So I assume that this sort of work will take priority over the creation of new mechanics, systems, classes and races. Perhaps there are long term plans for such future development and SSG are focusing on the most immediate needs of the game. I still have a degree of optimism that the acquisition by EG7 may drive some substantial changes. As ever, it’s a question of watching and waiting.
