This is a very special episode of the podcast this week! We have the very first crossover with our sister site LOTRO Players News!
Drac is joined by LOTRO Players News Hosts Pineleaf (Also of DDO Players) and Teriadwyn we have a chat with several members of the Standing Stone Games Team
Community Manager Cordovan Bill Champagne LOTRO Lead QA (Darth Celtics)/LOTRO/DDO Music Composer Artemist Content Designer/Music Composer
We cover a wide range of music topics, form LOTRO to DDO we also spend the last part of the show talking about the new DDO Raid “The Dryad and the Demigod” and how music plays a major part in the raid!
EG7 released a presentation to highlight this acquisition, and we learned some very interesting things from it.
You can click on all the pictures to see a full-page view of it, I’ve broken down the information below the pictures.
Jack Emmert is listed as the CEO of Standing Stone Games. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the individual within an organization who oversees the current technology and creates relevant policy. A CTO should have the business knowledge necessary to align technology-related decisions with the organization’s goals.
We have numbers that we have never seen before
They were very open with numbers as well. more so than Daybreak ever was.
72 Million in Bookings. (Bookings are When a customer commits to spend money with your company, that is a “booking”. A booking is often tied to some form of contract between your company and the customer. … In the case of licensed software, the revenue is recognized when the software is delivered and accepted by the customer.) According to the report this is customers who have purchased an account so VIP.
And 39 Million in Game Level EBITDA (EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization and is a metric used to evaluate a company’s operating performance. It can be seen as a proxy for cash flow. In finance, the term is used to describe the amount of cash (currency) that is generated or consumed in a given time period.)
LOTRO had 9.9 Million Bookings and 108 Thousand Active Monthly Users
All data is of September 30th 2020.
Upgrades coming to LOTR?
Summary:
Planning visual and technical updates for LOTRO for PC and nextgen consoles to capitalize on Amazon’s highly publicized large investment (~$500mm) in LOTR TV series
That is a lot of information to take in, very interesting for sure, EG7 is a publicly-traded company, so we will see more of these numbers in the future. as they are always looking for investors and must report earnings.
Daybreak Games invites you to relive the legend with the introduction of Lord of the Rings Online’s new Legendary Server! Starting this November, the LOTRO Legendary Server will offer a brand new way to experience the iconic MMO. Features include:
New beginnings, historic tales: Whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit to Middle-Earth, the Legendary Worlds server sets all players on an even footing to allow players to adventure with new friends – or reconnect with old ones – on the path of Frodo, Gandalf, and the Fellowship of the Ring.
Rolling content: The Legendary World server starts out with only the initial Level 50 and below content, with a focus on the Shadows of Angmar story. Gradually the level cap and story content will unlock over time.
Much more than vanilla: Races and classes that were introduced in later updates including the High-elf, Rune-keeper, Warden, Beorning and more will be playable in the Legendary Server. Additionally, all the bug fixes, gameplay and UX/UI improvements made to LOTRO over the years will be kept.
The Legendary Server is a subscriber-only experience available to VIP and Lifetime VIP subscribers. Visit here for more information: http://www.lotro.com/legendary
We are excited to announce a new way to experience The Lord of the Rings Online: Legendary Worlds! Relive the tales of Middle-earth, chapter by chapter, visiting iconic locations and adventuring with new friends – or reconnecting with old ones – on the path of Frodo, Gandalf, and the Fellowship of the Ring.
Join us this fall on a Legendary World and make a fresh start with a brand new character; see Tolkien’s bustling realm anew, whether for your first or fiftieth time. Initially, the Legendary World will begin at the very start of the game and run through Angmar, then open new regions and levels over time. Relive the legend: where everyone is here and the story is now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Legendary server and a standard server?
On standard servers, players can reach the maximum level cap (currently 120) with no restrictions, and players adventure in the story beyond the destruction of the One Ring.
The Legendary server starts out with only the initial Level 50 and below content, with a focus on the Shadows of Angmar story. Gradually the level cap and story content unlocks over time, allowing players to relive the early Lord of the Rings story anew, together!
Do I need a subscription to play on the Legendary server?
The Legendary server is available to VIP subscribers along with Lifetime VIP subscribers.
Can we transfer characters off or on to this server?
Players cannot transfer characters onto this server. There are currently no plans to allow transfers off of Legendary worlds until these servers have caught up with our other live worlds.
Will I be able to access the LOTRO Store on the Legendary server?
Yes, but some items may not be available until the Legendary server advances further in the Story / Level cap.
Will there be Trait trees?
Yes.
Can I play a Rune-keeper, Warden, or Beorning?
Yes.
Can I play a High-elf?
Yes.
Will I get anniversary gifts when I make a new character?
Yes, you will still get your anniversary gifts. However, some level restricted pre-order items such as the Aria of Valar from Mordor will not be available until the Legendary world advances further in the story.
Will I be able to keep playing on my non-Legendary server as well?
Yes, the Legendary server experience does not impact your ability to play on other worlds.
Will Standing Stone Games continue to develop the non-Legendary worlds?
Yes! We have no intention of adjusting our frequent, regular, and active development of the non-Legendary game worlds, and have plans for them well into the future.
Can I transfer my Shared Account items from a Legendary server to a non-Legendary server?
No, sorry. You also cannot transfer shared account items onto a Legendary server.
Is there PvMP on the Legendary server?
There will be no PvMP available at launch.
If I purchase an account-based service or item from the LOTRO Store on the Legendary server, does it apply to the non-Legendary servers as well?
Yes. Additionally, previously-purchased account-based items will be available on both worlds.
Do I need to download a different game client to play on the Legendary server?
No. The Legendary server will be available from the Select Game World menu when logging in through the regular LOTRO client.
Can I access all of the LOTRO world and content on the Legendary server?
Eventually yes, but not at launch, as we focus on the Shadows of Angmar story. The character level cap will be 50 when the Legendary server opens, and areas of the game world and content above level 50 will not be available at first.
When will content beyond Shadows of Angmar become available on the Legendary Server?
Currently, we plan on expanding the content on the Legendary server approximately every 4 months.
Will legendary weapons be available on the Legendary server?
Not at launch. Once the Legendary server unlocks the Mines of Moria story, you will be able to get a legendary weapon.
Can I play instances and skirmishes on the Legendary server?
Traditional and scaling instances appropriate to the Shadows of Angmar story and available at or below level 50 will be open on the Legendary server immediately. Skirmishes and instances designed to play above level 50 will not be available on the Legendary server until the story advances.
Is there a separate European Legendary server?
No. Players from all territories can play together on the Legendary server, and German and French speaking players can play on Legendary using the localized game clients.
Will the Legendary server have festivals and anniversary events like the other worlds?
Yes, most festivals will be available for all worlds, including Legendary. A very limited amount of events might occur in a region that the Legendary world has not yet advanced to, but would become accessible once the Story / Level cap advances into those areas.
Can I use character boosts on the Legendary server?
While the use of Experience potions and items is permitted, players will not be able to use or purchase character level boosts (example: Gift of the Valar) on the Legendary world until a later time once the Story and level cap has advanced further.
If I previously purchased Expansions or Quest Packs, will I be able to access them on Legendary once the server progresses to them?
Yes, any previously purchased Expansions and Quest Packs will be honored and allow you access on Legendary once the server reaches that point in the Story.
Is the Legendary server a “Classic” or “Vanilla” server?
By most descriptions, a “Classic” server is an attempt to recreate LOTRO exactly as it was at launch, using only assets and content that was available in 2007.
A Legendary server runs alongside existing servers, and therefore contains many of the changes that have been made to the game over the years, such as UI improvements, bug fixes, changes to game systems, etc. In cases where we have updated or changed the layout of regions, the Legendary server uses the updated version of the regions. In cases where we have changed items or player abilities, the Legendary server uses those updated abilities. Some content or gameplay that isn’t appropriate to the Legendary server’s
If you are attending Gen Con in Indianapolis this year (August 2 – 5), or live in or close enough to the Indianapolis area to want to attend, we’re hosting an official player meetup on Friday, August 3rd from 7:00pm-10:00pm Eastern at Social on McCrea! Besides hanging out with fellow Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online players, you’ll have an opportunity to chat with us, pick up swag, win prizes, and have serious fun!
Details:
Where: Social on McCrea
When: Friday, August 3rd 7:00pm-10:00pm Eastern (-4 GMT)
What: A meetup of LOTRO and DDO players, along with some SSG employees, and perhaps even a few special guests. Swag, fun, giveaways, and more! We might even have a few secrets to spill. There is a cash bar available. Must be over the age of 21 to enter the establishment.
For those who were at Gen Con last year, this is the same place we crashed last year, but this time it’s official! We’ve rented Social out for the three hours for a private event. There’s a good chance some of us will continue to hang out after 10:00pm, but that’ll be informal and dependent on schedules.
If you are planning on going to the meetup, or Gen Con, I’ll be at both! If you want to know more about Gen Con and all things related, I’m covering that for our sister site DDO Players
There is a wonderful interview up over at LOTRO.com with fantasy artist, Ted Nasmith.
For those that do not know,
Ted Nasmith is a Canadian artist, illustrator, and architectural renderer. He is best known as an illustrator of J. R. R. Tolkien’s works — The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.
Sample from the interview :
You’ve done 2 pieces for Lord of the Rings Online – the art for our Battle of the Black Gate update, and now for our Mordor Expansion! What are you exploring with these pieces?
I wanted both of these works to reflect both the dynamic ‘in-motion’ experience of the online version of the books in game format, while focusing also on the aesthetic beauty and intricately designed ‘sets’ players’ experience, hoping I’ve blended my characteristic realism effectively with the architecture that game designers have established.
There’s a good chance some of us will continue to hang out after 10:00pm, but that’ll be informal and dependent on schedules.
