Nemo Nisi Mors

Posted yesterday by Satine, Community Relations Director from Codemasters: (link)

We will be launching our pre-order offering soon along with web pages with full details and buttons that will take you to place your order. We're just waiting on some final approvals and once we have those we'll push it all live. I would estimate that we're looking at some time next week if everything goes smoothly.

Quote from Codemasters.

Overview
In The Lord of the Rings Online™: Siege of Mirkwood™, we’re updating the Legendary Item system that was introduced in Mines of Moria™. This revision of the Legendary Item system incorporates most of the feedback we have received about Legendary Items since they were introduced.

Identification and Reforge Changes
One of the primary issues with the system is that players have to invest a large amount of time before knowing that a particular Legendary Item is "good." We have changed the identification and reforge process to front load the system a bit more. The initial legacies placed on the Legendary Item (LI) at identification are pulled from only the “best” legacies. This ensures the LI has some desirable legacies and the player can make a good guess whether that LI is worthwhile before spending time leveling it.

Item Experience Changes
The second major change is in the amount of item experience needed to level and the rewards for doing so. The first 30 levels use the same experience table currently used in the game. The first three reforges, at 10, 20 and 30, now add a legacy primarily from a second group (B) of legacies not in the identification (Group A) pool, though there is a small chance of picking a legacy from Group A. Players still get two randomly selected legacies to choose from to add to their Legendary Item.

The experience needed to move from level 30 to the maximum level of 60 (all Legendary Items regardless of Age have a max level of 60 now), is dependent on the Age of the Legendary Item. Every level from 30 to 60 is now a flat amount of experience; Third Age LI require 20,000 experience per level, Second Age take 40,000 and First Age require 80,000.

Reforges at levels 40, 50 and 60 will give an upgrade to the Tier of one of the legacies on the item. You’ll still get to choose one of two randomly selected legacies to upgrade.

As a result of these changes, Third Age items now require about one-third of the total experience to reach maximum level as the current system. Second age items are around two-thirds of the total, while First Age items will take just a little more experience to maximize the level as current items. This leveling scheme gives more moments of advancement and reduces the feel that you’re “grinding” at the current high level XP values.

Legacy Changes
With Siege of Mirkwood, each class’s set of legacies has been updated. The weakest legacies have been removed and will no longer be added to new legendary items, while other weaker legacies have been improved. Additionally, each class has gained a handful of new legacies. For the most part there are not any major changes in the legacies for each class. Champions are an exception to this as it was felt that there were too many Champion legacies with too specific an application. Their stance-based damage legacies have been replaced with individual skill damage bonuses and more general damage legacies. Other Glory- and Ardour-based legacies have been combined to affect both of these stances.

When Siege of Mirkwood launches, all legendary points on all Legendary Items will be reset. Each existing Legendary Item will also be converted to the new experience tables. For the most part this will result in items gaining additional levels. Any reforges gained during this process will be saved. Players may have multiple reforges available at the Forge Master.

Legendary Item Advancement Scrolls
In addition to the normal item leveling process players will now have the opportunity to further customize their legendary items as they are upgraded. There is a new set of legendary item scrolls that can be found in loot and during deconstruction. Each type of scroll will allow further upgrades to the legendary item on which they are used.

Scrolls of Empowerment
These scrolls allow the player to upgrade the Tier of any Legacy of their choice on one of their Legendary Items. There are no limits to the use of these scrolls other than availability and having a Legacy available to be upgraded.

Legacy Exchange Scrolls
These scrolls allow the exchange of one existing legacy for the Legacy on the scroll. So far the Wise have only been able to decipher scrolls that grant Legacies that increase basic Statistics, Might, Vitality etc.

Scrolls of Delving
These scrolls increase a Legendary Item’s maximum advancement level by 10 up to level 70. No item experience is granted. The extra ten levels have to be earned. Only one of these scrolls can be used on any one Legendary Item. A legacy upgrade reforge is granted at level 70. Legendary Items from level 60 to Level 70 are treated as having reached maximum level for deconstruction purposes.

Scrolls of Renewal
These scrolls reset the legendary points spent on the item to zero allowing the player to re-spend the points in any manner.

Relic System Updates

Crafted Relics
Every legendary item now has a fourth relic slot. This slot will only hold a new type of relics that are not part of the relic combining system but are instead created by Crafters. Each craft can make relics that give a bonus to a particular stat, morale or power. In addition, all crafters can make Greater Crafted relics once they reach Supreme Master rank. These Greater Crafted relics can only be used by the Crafter that made them and give a small bonus to Melee, Ranged, Tactical or Healing skills.

Tier 9 Relics
A new Tier of relics has been added to the relic combining system after Tier 8. These new relics give the same style of bonuses as the other relics.


Addendum
Heritage Rune Changes (Legendary Item XP Runes)

Heritage runes found in Mines of Moria™ will have a maximum target item level of 60. You will be able to use these heritage runes on any legendary item of stat level 60 and below. Moria heritage runes *cannot* be used on stat level 61+ legendary items found in Siege of Mirkwood™.

We will be introducing a new set of heritage runes which can be used on all legendary items with Siege of Mirkwood.

Legendary items received that fit the following requirements will produce both a Moria heritage rune and a Mirkwood heritage rune upon deconstruction:

• The legendary item must be at experience level 60 (or 61-70 if a level unlock scroll was used on the item).
• The legendary item must be either a first age or second age item.
• The legendary item is stat level 60 or below.

This change will allow players to produce a Mirkwood heritage rune from deconstructing their maxed out first age or second age legendary item from Moria for use with their new Mirkwood legendary item. Please note that the Mirkwood heritage rune received from these deconstructions will be a rune of lesser experience value than the Moria heritage rune received.

New screenshots: http://community.lotro-europe.com/screenshots.php

Also:

Story Instances:
Now that you’ve read the overview of the Skirmish system, let’s start next with what Skirmishes are at their very core: instances. We believe instanced spaces are some of the best content in LOTRO. Instances allow us to create a directed experience, set up interesting interactions with NPC's, and fine tune battles. Almost more importantly, instances allow us to tell stories. You can't set the Prancing Pony on fire in public Bree, or have Elrond’s sons join the battle against invaders in the public portions of the game. Instead, as instances, you can expect Skirmishes to contain all of the things you've seen in other instances: monsters, quests, NPC interaction, bosses and interesting locals. Because they are Skirmishes, each of these things will have a twist that we'll talk about now, and in future weeks.

Location, Location, Location:
Beyond dialogue, there are many tools to telling a story. Location, weather and scenery all add to a storytelling experience. Because of this, we chose pre-existing locations from around Middle-earth for Skirmishes to take place in. As instances, the return to these locations will take place separate from other players, allowing us to add any number of special changes. The Defence of The Prancing Pony is one that we are especially proud of. For the first time, you will be able to fight bandits in the familiar streets and alleys of Bree, a Bree covered in deep snow-drifts! We've taken this opportunity to utilize and re-imagine a number of popular or underused locales from around Middle-earth.

War Comes to Middle-earth!
Skirmishes represent the increasing military action spreading around Middle-earth. The Free Peoples have begun to mobilize and have set up Skirmish Camps near most major cities. There, commoners band together to defend their homes. You, the LOTRO players, have always represented the more heroic citizens of Middle-earth, and it's time you helped down on the front lines. Players will be able to bring their considerable power into the midst of battles for strategic locations, and to defend against the advances of the Enemy. You will not be alone; each player will be able to bring a personally trained Soldier into battle. More on that in the "Soldier" section later!

Strategic Combat:
The skirmishes and battles for Middle-earth will often take place around “Control Points.” These points represent important locations of strategic importance in the particular Skirmish. In some Skirmishes you will be tasked with taking each point back from the enemy; in others they will indicate from where enemy attacks will come. They will all be recognizable by the Skirmish Banner that flies over them. Red indicates the control point is in the hands of the enemy. Banners will turn green once the control point is re-taken by the Free Peoples.

Repeatable Adventure:
Much like our other story instances, Skirmishes can be replayed if you are so inclined. With Skirmishes though, the Reflecting Pool is not needed; the new Skirmish-join UI will be all you need. We’ll talk more about that system later, but for now it’s important to understand that this repeatability has been a fundamental part of the design of Skirmishes from the start. To further this goal, we decided to keep Skirmishes on the shorter side. While LOTRO has many enjoyable large instances, the time commitment for these is sometimes too much for players. Skirmishes are designed to take between 20 and 40 minutes, longer for larger group sizes. We hope that they will feel like “Popcorn” experiences -- fun and enjoyable, so why not have some more? Our intent is that players will find the time to do a quick Skirmish before logging off, or as their kinmates gather for an event, or log on for just a half hour and have a complete adventure.

Epic Story:
Lastly, Skirmishes will not just be a series of disconnected adventures. A number of them are parts of the Epic book, tying in the battles of the Free Peoples with the larger War of the Ring. Once they have been played, they can be replayed just like any other Skirmish.

Next Time: Randomization and Scaling
We’ve established the basics of what Skirmish are; instances with LOTRO’s high storytelling standards. For the subsequent diaries, we’ll be talking about what makes them unique. The first topic we’ll be covering will be the randomization and scaling of Skirmishes. In later installments we will also talk about Rewards, Soldiers, and Accessibility, and then have a Summary / Shout-out. Stay tuned!

From LOTROSystems: "Legacies on existing legendary items won’t be removed even if that legacy no longer appears on new legendary items. When you log in to Siege of Mirkwood your legendary items will still have all the same legacies that they have on Live today."

Orion on his blog about upcoming changes to the Reputation Factions. Interesting stuff coming halfway 2010. Very much worth reading.

http://my.lotro.com/orion/2009/10/16/factionreputation/

Note especially:

At Kindred players will earn the last title for the group, gain access to further rewards and receive a travel skill - sharing a cool down with all racial-based travel in the game that will take the player to the group’s chosen home. This travel skill will require the use of a travel ration. We are aware that this will likely cause crossover into player skills, but the time investiture into these reputations is significant and we feel that this is a legitimate reward to offer.

Siege of Mirkwood Trailer:

Have you guys pre-ordered it yet, and recommend I do so?

I did and only if you want the "free" goat.

I did it to, the CE edition.

I preordered last night. I actually really want the cloak o crap for Chase while I'm levelling. Even if it is only a 30 min buff every 8 hours. Should be mildly useful until I have a horse.