Un petit compte rendu...

<Satine> Good evening and welcome to tonight's European Dev chat. Thank you all for coming!
<Satine> Before we get started I'd just like to make a couple of announcements. First of all, in case you've not had internet for the last few days, LOTRO has finally launched! With lots of great reviews such as 9.2 out of 10 from CVG and comments like "...If  the MMOG gameplay encountered by millions of players in WoW is vanilla ice-cream, this is Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia?" from Eurogamer, we're absolutely thrilled with the launch so far!
<Satine> Secondly, we'd just like to extend a really warm thank you to all our players, fansites and guilds - those who have been with us since the start and those new arrivals to the world of Eriador. Your support has been phenomenal and on behalf of all the teams involved, we thank you.
<Satine> Ok, so without any further ado, let's crack on with the introductions!

<Amrac> Welcome to the fifth European IRC dev chat!
<Amrac> For the next hour you have your chance to get answers to all your questions concerning LotRO directly from the developers. Please send your questions (preferably in English) to our team-members, who are marked with a + in front of their name.
We?ll forward your questions to the devs and they will answer as many questions as possible here in the channel. .

<Tens_LOTRO> Hey everyone, this is Tens, Lead Worldbuilder for LOTRO (but soon to be working much more closely with the Game Systems Team).
<Scenario> Hey everyone! My name is Matt "Scenario" Elliott. I am one of LOTRO's Worldbuilders - responsible for building death traps, dance floors, and all manner of landscape in between!
<LOTRO_Rowan> Hello again everyone, this Aaron "Rowan" Campbell Turbine's International Producer. I enjoy intense games of freeze tag and solving user interface issues.
<amlug> Hi, my name is Jared "Amlug" Hall-Dugas. I'm a Content Designer on LoTRO and work on some of the larger instances in our game, quests, and other design as well.
<LOTRO_Patience> Hi everyone! I'm Meghan "Patience" Rodberg, Community Manager for LOTRO at Turbine. I'm also very, very tired, but I'm excited that we've finally launched on both sides of the pond! Thanks for coming to chat with us tonight.
<Satine> And I'm Satine, the Senior Community Manager for LOTRO Europe!

<Finion-Lotro> I have a question for the Dev chat. This is to anyone who wants to answer, Are there any plans for additional pets for Lore-Masters? or (cheeky double question) will we ever be able to tame any beasts we find in the wilds of Middle Earth?
<LOTRO_Patience> Since this is the first launch of LOTRO, we're going to see how people like the first three... yes, three, not two, pets for Lore-masters before implementing more. Taming in the wild is something we talk about a good deal. We'll be revisiting the classes over the coming months to add more fun things for them.

<SubZero_> Question to Devs: Will we be able to pay the Lifetime Account by direct debit in Germany?
<Satine> We offer a wide range of payment options and I know one of them is ELV. If you wish to confirm on what payment methods we accept then please contact the billing team using the online form at http://www.codemasters.com/cog, thanks!

<[AK]Spanner> Q: When will we see the emote accomplishments re-introduced to the game?
<LOTRO_Rowan> Emote accomplishments exist in the game now. Bow to your neighbor today and find some new titles!

<Demonix> Question: I read that the music system in game will be changed soon. Can the dev's give us any details about it?
<LOTRO_Patience> We've made several improvements to the music system that are in testing now, including percussion instruments, sustained notes for wind instruments, the ability to enter music into the game in ABC notation system, and at least one more octave. More details will be coming soon, but these are definitely the things our players asked for the most!
<LOTRO_Patience> We may also add more instruments in the future... possibly even including voice.

<Meeko007> Can we please get more blond hair variables in the character creation options for Rohan and L?rien? also, plz add the option to hide gloves. It gets so annoying to make a toon and then cover them up with all this armor and everyone soon looks the same! Thanks
<Tens_LOTRO> Our Artists are very keen on adding more options to avatar hair. If Floon was here he?d tell you as much.
<Tens_LOTRO> As for addition toggles for gloves, shoulders, etc. - that?s something that we?ve been discussing internally very recently. So, yeah, it?s definitely on our radar.

<Mukke> Will storage be extended at some point? Perhaps as an expensive ingame service (talking gold coins here).
<amlug> Storage will eventually be expanded. We've discussed how and when to do it and we'll be addressing that in the months to come.

<Mich666> You told us before about some patches adding content for levels 25-35... Do you mean Shores of Evendim by it or will there be another content patches before the Shores?
<Scenario> The Shores of Evendim is out first planned content patch. Much of Evendim will be focused towards level 27-40 players, with some high-40s content. We also have Helegrod - which is designed for level 50 characters - and a few other exciting pieces of content for those who are at, or near, the level cap.

<Alphi> Thanks a lot for the game, it's simply Wonderful. But, Do you envisage to offer few additional days for players who have not received their game yet?
<Satine> Why thank you Alphi. We're all delighted that you like it We are aware of some customers having issues getting their copies of the game and are reviewing the situation. I'll post to the forums as soon as I have any information.

<FearMyPain> hi, what will be the lotro highend content? what can i do when i am lvl capped -> 50, how big will the raid instances be and how much time will i have to spend there?
<LOTRO_Patience> Sorry, amglug's having trouble in the channel
<amlug> There is a LOT to do at end-game. We have many large six-man instances and we will be releasing a 24-person Raid for our first major free content pass. We have worked pretty hard on presenting our players with many tough fights in the Helegrod Raid.
<amlug> I've personally put in some nasty surprises for truely adventurous players. Also, we are continuing to improve and support monster play and landscape solo play for end game users. We do not want you twiddling your thumbs waiting for something to do!

<arnath> Elite units seem to deliver very little exp compared to the effort you have to put into killing them. I've entered the Great Burrow on multiple occassions, and when at the required level (23 i believe), i gained 5-10 exp per elite monster? Also, if you are brave enough to face this foe solo, you receive perhaps 50 exp, this doesn't seem very fair. Is there an alterior motive, or is this a balancing issue in progress?
<Tens_LOTRO> Elites generally give you better loot, so that?s always going to be your primary motivation for fighting them. Additionally, the quests that require you to encounter Elite mobs usually have better rewards.
<Tens_LOTRO> XP for Elites is definitely something we have our eyes on, but we?re also looking into other mechanics to further draw players towards our fellowship oriented content.

<JayPea> As the american and european servers are handled by seperate entitites, how much scope is there for the builds being subtley different from one another. eg, if the euro's go on strike because of the price of horses, could we get a different configuration? thanks.
<LOTRO_Rowan> To build you the best game possible, we focus our efforts on creating a convincing world of Middle Earth. It really is One Game to Rule Them All, regardless of where you play it.

<qah-shurikn> my question for the devs: is it planned to add more content in monsterplay for the future, like more ranks, new areas, something like competition modes, and so on....
<LOTRO_Patience> In the Shores of Evendim content update, we'll be making some changes to monster play, like updating our monster skills so they're more competitive in order to deal with the higher level heroes we expect to be playing in the Ettenmoors. In the future, you can expect bigger changes to improve monster play even more, but that's where we'll start in June.

<Sykes> Why are the horse fields in west-breelands quite so barren, is something planned for them later?
<Scenario> The Horse-fields of Breeland is an area that was developed during the later beta phases in response to feedback from our players. The Horse-fields are home to the Hengstacer Farm, from which there are several quests available (including the means to a mount). As we progress into our Live Updates, we can always return to an area to introduce new things to do in locations that have room to spare.

<SubZero_> will there be bagpipes in the next content patch?
<Tens_LOTRO> Unfortunately, that?s not in the works for the Shores of Evendim prop - but its something that, personally, I?d really love to see... or more-so, hear

<Mukke> Is the level cap (50) intended to stay "forever", or is it intended to go up, as the fellowship closes in on Mordor? (ie. as expansions are added.)
<LOTRO_Patience> Hi Mukke! The level 50 cap is not intended to last for the lifetime of the game, by any means. Further expansions to the game will include higher levels and higher level content as well.
<LOTRO_Patience> However, we have no plans to directly raise the level cap in the "nearish" future. It will stay at 50 for a bit.

<DJMonkeyPants> Are there any plans to make items cheaper to repair/improve drops and generally make life cheaper for Middle Earthians?
<LOTRO_Patience> Hi DJ! Yes, we're still going through the costs throughout the game and drop rates to improve things. Expect to see quite a bit of change in the Shores of Evendim update.
<LOTRO_Patience> This includes costs in the travel system, too.

<Lliane> Will there be changes to the repair costs of armor? atm its way to high. Im at about 1g repair costs a day and if i group up with other people i dont have enough money to repair my armor which shouldt be that way.
<LOTRO_Patience> Hi Lliane, we recently made some changes to the repair costs and will continue looking at the data to see if further changes are needed. We know there are certain circumstances where repair costs can hurt!

<Colin_The_Grey> my question, will high end sets only be attainable in raid instances or will there be other mechanics to obtain these items?
<amlug> The high end sets will be attainable in both the raid instances and on landscape. There are definitely set pieces dropping out in the public landscape. Keep an eye out for them!

<SubZero_> Are there plans on something like /time to show ingame middle earth time in the future?
<Tens_LOTRO> Funny you should ask that. '/time' and an in game time-of-day UI are both coming in the Shores of Evendim update.

<Yuriin> my question: - Is there any possibility at all that you would consider opening up monster PvP server wide on specific servers, P v MP is so innovative it would be such a shame not to expand it beyond a single area
<LOTRO_Patience> Hiya Yuriin We don't have any plans to open up monster play outside of the Ettenmoors at this time, though in future expansions we'll expand on monster play and where it can take place.

<Skarr-> Will there be a Addon-System in a future patch that allows to customize Interface components in the way they work and adjust their look&feel, like it is possible in other MMORPGs like WoW or DAOC ?
<Tens_LOTRO> The LOTRO UI currently supports skinning, however, additional modding support is something that we're currently looking into, specifically scaling.
<Tens_LOTRO> But you'll have to wait until a future update for that

<shiraa> +many users think, lotro is too easy, what do you think about it?
<amlug> many users have not yet had the pleasure to enter Carn D?m!

<Buceph> With the huge response from the media and the numbers on the servers it's plain to see LOTRO is doing well, are there definite numbers for Europe, America or worldwide and can we see them?
<Satine> We're obviously absolutely delighted with the reception LOTRO's had and this is of course reflected in the take up numbers, which have far exceeded our hopes and expectations

<LND|Heidy> Does it gives more Skills for the Herolds, that they are more different. At them moment one is like the other.
<LOTRO_Patience> Tens typing. Please hold.
<LOTRO_Patience> Poor guy.
<Tens_LOTRO> Right now you can currently customize the way your Herald looks through the use of Captain Armaments.
<Tens_LOTRO> We?re hoping to do more with this mechanic in the future, but right now we?re sorting out the best way to expose more customization options to Captains.

<Masta22> Question to the devs: Are there plans for additional weather effects such as snowstorms and thunderstorms?
<Scenario> Ah weather! Weather has been a feature that we've turned on and off a couple of times over the course of Beta. You can expect to see rain and thunder storms return with the Shores of Evendim content update.
<LOTRO_Patience> At our launch event in Seattle, two fans came dressed as a Captain and Herald, complete with banner. It was great.

<arnath> I have read on multiple occassions that houses will be introduced for players. But where will these houses be situated? There doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough space in all the cities combined to accomodate the multitude of players?
<LOTRO_Patience> (Tens typing again... )
<Tens_LOTRO> We?re still in the planning stages, but Housing is high on the list of features we really want to implement.
<Tens_LOTRO> Expect more on that "sometime somewhat, but not very, soonish"

<Dedin> Question: The buff and debuff icons are quite small and its hard to differ between a buff and a debuff... are there plans to change the gui regarding buffs/debuffs?
<amlug> In the Shores of Evendim update, we have made several filter changes to buffs and debuffs to allow players to hide buffs and debuffs that may be impeding their experience while in Fellowships and Raids.
<amlug> We are constantly looking at ways to improve UI and will refine in the future, as always!

<HAEJAE> Will there be any end game content which can be done three man, with NPC "henchmen" in your party?
<amlug> In our next update, I added a fun little instance that is for solo players and lets the players fight alongside a group of NPC henchmen, so the answer is yes, yes, and yes!

<Shadowsong> cooking is in the game as there are seas. i remember so many nice hours fishing and meeting some new friends - its a must! will there be fishing ingame?
<LOTRO_Patience> Hi Shadowsong! My favorite question, much to the dismay of Mithril_Miser. We will be doing fishing, though it won't be as soon as the Shores of Evendim update. Evendim will actually be a great place to fish - it's a huge lake.
<LOTRO_Patience> Anyway, we will be implementing fishing in the game at some point. It gets talked about all the time, and we know a lot of people want it.

<Bereanor> Will we see the Hair from our Heros under the Helmets in the future?
<Tens_LOTRO> Sadly, for a number of performance and art related issues, hair under your helmet is something that?s remarkably tough for us to do.
<Tens_LOTRO> We'd love to try, but its probably not going to happen in the near future.

<Promo> will you add more classes in the future?
<Tens_LOTRO> It's always a possibility

<MagicSN> Are there any plans to include need/greed/pass instead of roll/pass only into the item drop dialog and will the time the dialog is up be lengthened? Also will the problem if a window pops up while you are chatting (which currently makes your character jump up and down) be fixed? And is there any chance of a non-fullscreen-map or an outfitter-like functionality to appear?
<amlug> I can answer your first question, MagicSN. We have need/greed/pass functionality in the Shores of Evendim update as well as improvements to Master Looter and Raid UI as a whole. It is something that the players wanted and we agreed with and delivered!

<Terala> When will Tens get his own secretary ;-)
<Tens_LOTRO> In all seriousness, its been proposed I'll have to bring it up to Ringleader.
<Tens_LOTRO> Feel free to /bug it
<Tens_LOTRO> (just kidding )
<Tens_LOTRO> (sorry QA)

<Masta22> Will you be adding "drums" in the near future?
<amlug> There is a percussion instrument coming in for the next update along with several other music improvements!
<amlug> So very very excited for that!

<skoogen> is the financial balance for cooking and farming getting addressed especially at lower levels?
<LOTRO_Patience> Hi Skoogen! We know farming (and cooking) aren't very balanced right now, so the systems team has already made some fairly sweeping changes to the system to make it a lot more fun, if not as profitable when selling to vendors.
<LOTRO_Patience> They've spent a bunch of time over the past few days working on exactly that!
<LOTRO_Patience> We'll also be making sure that farming is much more valuable to other players, specifically cooks. And we're adding beer! Yay beer!
<LOTRO_Patience> So yes, we're addressing cooking and farming, with the focus on farming. We think the farmers will be pleased with the changes.

<Satine> Well that's all we have time for tonight. Thanks all for coming this evening, we've had some great questions from you all. In closing I would like to advise that the slots for these dev chats will be changing so please keep your eye on the news page and forums for word on that! http://www.lotro-europe.com/news.php
<Satine> A big thank you to all the devs who took time out of their incredibly hectic schedules to be here with us today!
<LOTRO_Patience> Thanks everyone for coming! Have a great night!!
<amlug> goodbye all. Thanks for playing! We love this game as much as you do!
<Tens_LOTRO> Thanks for coming everyone! See you all in Middle-earth!
<LOTRO_Rowan> Thank you all, and enjoy Middle-earth!
<Scenario> Thanks for sending us all your questions! Have a great evening!
<Amrac> Thanks a lot to the devs for taking the time to answer all those questions! It was again great to have you here