Lord of the Rings Online Is Releasing Two Aptly Named Legendary Servers, Treebeard And Shadowfax | M

System · June 2021

Lord of the Rings Online Is Releasing Two Aptly Named Legendary Servers, Treebeard And Shadowfax | MMORPG.com

During a stream last Friday ahead of all the E3 hub-bub, The Lord of the Rings Online hosted another Chat with Severlin stream, seeing the EP of the MMO answer community questions live. During the stream (in fact, almost at the outset) the executive producer let it be known that there are two new legendary servers coming to LOTRO.

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Dharkarai49 · June 2021

Don't these servers die extremely fast ? They don't seem to last any longer than EQ1 and EQ2 Timelocked Progression servers.

Scot · June 2021

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Sovrath · June 2021

Am I wrong that they just shut one down?

lotrlore · June 2021

Sovrath said:

Am I wrong that they just shut one down?

Happening tomorrow.

Viper482 · June 2021

Sovrath said:

Am I wrong that they just shut one down?

Read the story?

FrodoFragins · June 2021

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

Greymantle_12 · June 2021

I would love the idea if they brought back a vanilla classic server with the difficulty that comes with it. The leveling content is way to easy for my taste. Without challenge I would get bored quick. I would play if they brought back the challenge that came with vanilla even if the content is modern. Good Luck not enough for me to return.

Po_gg · June 2021

Yep, I'm kinda on the fence too with this one.

Difficulty is a good move, I use the turtle stone since years and a user-friendly version of it will probably give access to more people - my remarks in the previous threads were more on toning down the expectations of it, but still a welcoming addition

And it's smart to test-run it on a separate server first, from scratch, before adding it to live and for characters all around the leveling curve. Bullroarer is fine, but not exactly crowded, can't make an actual, wide population stress test there.

Actually it was even hinted back then, that the plans are to start a new legendary server with the mechanic first.

On the other hand, what Scot (and others too) said. Splitting up the population even more has its harms on the longer run. Even more so if it ain't about 1 new server (to test the difficulty slider) but two.

I honestly don't see the point of a fast-paced new server, maybe just me. There's Anor...

shava · June 2021

Did you give these guys permission to duplicate this article?

https://interreviewed.com/lord-of-the-rings-online-is-releasing-two-aptly-named-legendary-servers-treebeard-and-shadowfax/

shava · June 2021

Po_gg said:

what Scot (and others too) said. Splitting up the population even more has its harms on the longer run. Even more so if it ain't about 1 new server (to test the difficulty slider) but two.
I honestly don't see the point of a fast-paced new server, maybe just me. There's Anor...

For myself, I'll start over because I have a lifetime sub, but ended up not playing for years. I think the community on a slow-progression server would suit me just fine.

I suspect they are thinking this brings people back, or in, not that it's going to have a huge influence on existing servers, maybe?

Po_gg · June 2021

shava said:

For myself, I'll start over because I have a lifetime sub, but ended up not playing for years. I think the community on a slow-progression server would suit me just fine.

I suspect they are thinking this brings people back, or in, not that it's going to have a huge influence on existing servers, maybe?

Slow-progression communities (kinships) exist on most servers already, and they're a great bunch

Having the entire server on the same footing can be fun too, however.

At least in the first month, when everyone's together... but eventually players will be spread over the leveling course.

Don't forget, the slow progression they're talking about ain't for the character, but for the server. (*)

Treebeard is planned to get the content updates in a slower pace than Anor had, while Shadowfax will get to Mordor maybe even before Anor.

Ideally players will choose accordingly, but I'm certain there will be "rush to the levelcap" players on Treebeard as well, so after a while it won't be much different than playing in a slow-level kinship on one of the live servers.

(*) ed. ofc it's in characters too, with the difficulty slider. What I meant is, that's optional.

In practice, what SSG does now is repeating the LS launch, with a few tweaks based on the experiences on the first attempt.

-Launch two servers to prevent the hour-long login queues of Anor (which has led to Ithil's launch as a quick fix).

-Separate them in speed, to answer the issue presented around every content upgrade: one group yelled it's too soon, the others yelled we're bored, when can we continue.

This time there will be a slow advancing, and a fast advancing server.

-And, as an extra, they add the difficulty slider to test it in wider use, see the results and feedbacks, before add it onto the live servers. It'll mostly help Treebeard, players can advance in much slower pace if they want.

Scot · June 2021

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

I don't understand the problem. If you want to go slow, why would you have any issue with being left "way behind".

FrodoFragins · June 2021

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

I don't understand the problem. If you want to go slow, why would you have any issue with being left "way behind".

Seriously?

Leveling slower doesn't mean you don't want to experience dungeons and endgame. It means you want a slower leveling experience and slower release schedule. The point is to still be able to find groups for content when you get there.

The slow server enforces it for everyone and lets like minded people create their own community and economy. Something your solution would ruin for the slow ones.

I don't even know who wants their fast server as they already move to new expacs quicker than they originally promised.

Scot · June 2021

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

I don't understand the problem. If you want to go slow, why would you have any issue with being left "way behind".

Seriously?

Leveling slower doesn't mean you don't want to experience dungeons and endgame. It means you want a slower leveling experience and slower release schedule. The point is to still be able to find groups for content when you get there.

The slow server enforces it for everyone and lets like minded people create their own community and economy. Something your solution would ruin for the slow ones.

I don't even know who wants their fast server as they already move to new expacs quicker than they originally promised.

Right, so you don't think the slower community was sustainable? There was not enough of them as they reached each dungeon etc to take part?
Bear in mind that the same thing would be happening to those levelling faster, they would not all be levelling at the same rate. It just seems to me that this sort of issue is unavoidable, no matter how much you divide the playerbase that issue is there.

FrodoFragins · June 2021

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

I don't understand the problem. If you want to go slow, why would you have any issue with being left "way behind".

Seriously?

Leveling slower doesn't mean you don't want to experience dungeons and endgame. It means you want a slower leveling experience and slower release schedule. The point is to still be able to find groups for content when you get there.

The slow server enforces it for everyone and lets like minded people create their own community and economy. Something your solution would ruin for the slow ones.

I don't even know who wants their fast server as they already move to new expacs quicker than they originally promised.

Right, so you don't think the slower community was sustainable? There was not enough of them as they reached each dungeon etc to take part?
Bear in mind that the same thing would be happening to those levelling faster, they would not all be levelling at the same rate. It just seems to me that this sort of issue is unavoidable, no matter how much you divide the playerbase that issue is there.

You are moving the goalposts. I am specifically addressing your idea to mix them all together. That is not sustainable as the ones that want to go slow get left behind and leave the servers altogether. There were far more people criticizing them for releasing new content too fast rather than too slowly. the content locusts will always be there. I see the slow server, if truly slower in leveling by at least 25%, as being better at building a community.

The community clamoring for another legendary server is pretty tiny though, especially after one is being shut down. I guess they are hoping that these changes, plus difficulty sliders, will bring enough people back to make it worth their while. If I were to play on one of them it would be the slow server. But I just don't see the point unless they made a separate client and tried to mimic what the game was like at release.

Scot · June 2021

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

I don't understand the problem. If you want to go slow, why would you have any issue with being left "way behind".

Seriously?

Leveling slower doesn't mean you don't want to experience dungeons and endgame. It means you want a slower leveling experience and slower release schedule. The point is to still be able to find groups for content when you get there.

The slow server enforces it for everyone and lets like minded people create their own community and economy. Something your solution would ruin for the slow ones.

I don't even know who wants their fast server as they already move to new expacs quicker than they originally promised.

Right, so you don't think the slower community was sustainable? There was not enough of them as they reached each dungeon etc to take part?
Bear in mind that the same thing would be happening to those levelling faster, they would not all be levelling at the same rate. It just seems to me that this sort of issue is unavoidable, no matter how much you divide the playerbase that issue is there.

You are moving the goalposts. I am specifically addressing your idea to mix them all together. That is not sustainable as the ones that want to go slow get left behind and leave the servers altogether. There were far more people criticizing them for releasing new content too fast rather than too slowly. the content locusts will always be there. I see the slow server, if truly slower in leveling by at least 25%, as being better at building a community.

The community clamoring for another legendary server is pretty tiny though, especially after one is being shut down. I guess they are hoping that these changes, plus difficulty sliders, will bring enough people back to make it worth their while. If I were to play on one of them it would be the slow server. But I just don't see the point unless they made a separate client and tried to mimic what the game was like at release.

Fair enough, I see the picture more clearly now, you don't think the slow crowd would even stay. Thinking about that I agree, I have seen that be a big bone of contention with one of the guilds I was in. But these are not legendary servers, that is interesting because if this works it will show that you don't have to be a player who wants old school to want to slow down.

The difficulty sliders do seem to potentially put a spanner in the works though, that effects progression and players will set different levels?

Viper482 · June 2021

There is a decent community in this game that uses a cheap store bought item that can stop your experience to go as slow as they want. I can see why there would be a desire to have an entire server dedicated to this, but not sure if that community is big enough to warrant one.

FrodoFragins · June 2021

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

FrodoFragins said:

Scot said:

Diverging the progression path is a good idea, but splitting the player base is not. On the whole I would say splitting the player base will be more problematic than having two groups of players calling for something they cannot have.

Well you can't really combine them. The players that like going slow will be left waaaay behind due to the way stuff is released. You could combine the slow xp ones with the normal ones, but not the fast ones with a faster release cadence.

Both servers are doomed to be low pop pretty quickly though. A private WOW server started with slower leveling but eventually was forced to allow normal leveling and generous rest XP to boost the pop.

I don't understand the problem. If you want to go slow, why would you have any issue with being left "way behind".

Seriously?

Leveling slower doesn't mean you don't want to experience dungeons and endgame. It means you want a slower leveling experience and slower release schedule. The point is to still be able to find groups for content when you get there.

The slow server enforces it for everyone and lets like minded people create their own community and economy. Something your solution would ruin for the slow ones.

I don't even know who wants their fast server as they already move to new expacs quicker than they originally promised.

Right, so you don't think the slower community was sustainable? There was not enough of them as they reached each dungeon etc to take part?
Bear in mind that the same thing would be happening to those levelling faster, they would not all be levelling at the same rate. It just seems to me that this sort of issue is unavoidable, no matter how much you divide the playerbase that issue is there.

You are moving the goalposts. I am specifically addressing your idea to mix them all together. That is not sustainable as the ones that want to go slow get left behind and leave the servers altogether. There were far more people criticizing them for releasing new content too fast rather than too slowly. the content locusts will always be there. I see the slow server, if truly slower in leveling by at least 25%, as being better at building a community.

The community clamoring for another legendary server is pretty tiny though, especially after one is being shut down. I guess they are hoping that these changes, plus difficulty sliders, will bring enough people back to make it worth their while. If I were to play on one of them it would be the slow server. But I just don't see the point unless they made a separate client and tried to mimic what the game was like at release.

Fair enough, I see the picture more clearly now, you don't think the slow crowd would even stay. Thinking about that I agree, I have seen that be a big bone of contention with one of the guilds I was in. But these are not legendary servers, that is interesting because if this works it will show that you don't have to be a player who wants old school to want to slow down.

The difficulty sliders do seem to potentially put a spanner in the works though, that effects progression and players will set different levels?

I believe difficulty sliders are only in the open world and there to let you make it more challenging. I have no idea how that impacts world leveling grouping with different sliders.

I think they are still technically Legendary servers, albeit with altered progression speeds.

I'm not sure the timing of their release is great. There's a fair bit of competition right now in the MMO world.

Po_gg · June 2021

Scot said:

But these are not legendary servers, that is interesting because if this works it will show that you don't have to be a player who wants old school to want to slow down.

Yep, you don't have to, as Viper said there are lots of players who play "slow" on live servers since years now, with the turtle stone.

Taking it slow and smelling the roses, there's no direct connection with the need for old school.

(But you're right, these aren't "proper" legendary servers, but for a different reason, SSG's being lazy and/or honestly don't have the code anymore. I believe it's strictly the former

I'm certain the code they have, just don't want to put any more effort into these servers than the absolute minimum)

Scot said:

The difficulty sliders do seem to potentially put a spanner in the works though, that effects progression and players will set different levels?

They do, virtually. Hence my long posts about it's just a user-friendly version of the turtle stone.

LotRO has (and always had) built-in modifiers for level differences, beyond the obvious damage and mitigation (higher aggro range, miss chance, etc.), just it's nigh impossible to experience that during a regular leveling course - game has way too much xp, therefore players always outlevel the content. Which makes it over-easy.

Turtle stone stops the xp gain, with it players can keep themselves on-level, or if they want extra challenge, under the level too - I often say I used to play 1-2 levels below the content, as I've found that's the optimal difficulty for my playstyle and preferences.

It physically keeps you on a set level, and that's the drawback: it's difficult and time-consuming to adjust it right, where you feel comfortable with.

Not to mention during a leveling course you need to do that adjustment continuously, as you go.

Questing around level 50 mobs as level 48 is fine, but when you need to move on to 51 you need to plan ahead, put away the stone and start to gain xp so when you get there, your actual level will also bump into 49. (IF the preference is to stay 2 levels below the content)

Difficulty slider makes it user-friendly, since it's virtual. Instead of facing a level 50 mob as 48 (with the turtle stone), players can be anywhere around that physically. The slider makes them appear as level 48 with the proper setting (or down to even 40, which would be deadly without a group), and it's easy to adjust.

One can play as usual, no xp is "going to waste" (a frequent argument against the turtle stone), and still have the appropriate difficulty all the time.

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Lord of the Rings Online Is Releasing Two Aptly Named Legendary Servers, Treebeard And Shadowfax | M

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