Letter by LOTRO Executive Producer: looking forward to 2014!

[Fordil]

Hi all!

A letter from Kate Paiz has been published on the official forums a few hours ago, with her yearly looking back on the past year and looking forward to changes in the upcoming year. If you want to read the full letter, click here to visit the forums.

For those of you who just want the main things they can look forward to in 2014: there are quite a few things to expect:

• First of all: the major housing update. There is still no specific ETA, but it is quite high on their priority list so it should come somewhere in the next few months.
  
• New content: the regular schedule of new content releases will change quite a bit. In the past years, Turbine worked to release an expansion with a lot of new content at the end of the year, with smaller updates in between and a new region in the spring. In 2014, they'll take a break from expansions and try to add 4 new "normal" questing areas (including Fangorn, the battle with the ents in flooded Isengard, a small part of Gondor, Paths of the Dead and the Dead marshes!) which will be free to VIPs (apparently they've been moaning again that they don't receive enough benefits).
  
• Revamping old content: in addition to the new content, Turbine will be looking to the older systems as well to update a few things if necessary. Nothing specific yet, but sounds good to me
  
• Possible inventory revamp: since players always have a shortage of storage space, there might come an update to the inventory system. Don't get your hopes up too much yet, Turbine is only collecting suggestions on how to improve it.
  
• Festivals and events: pretty much the same as for the inventory system: Turbine's looking to improve and expand the festivals and events in the game. If you'd really like to see a specific event in-game, you can find a link to submit your suggestion in the letter (see link at the top of this post).
  
• She also mentioned something entirely new, a secret surprise coming up somewhere next year, but she wouldn't give any more information (or as she said it: I won't do more than tease it's existance now). Apparently, creating this extra addition to the game was made possible with the class trait changes from the HD expansion... Don't know about you guys but I am quite curious on what's about to be added there.
  
• THIS IS JUST A RUMOR, THERE IS NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THIS, but there might be an update underway to the racial traits as well. Again, don't quote me on this since I've only read about it a few times on non-official sources, but I think the chances of this happening are quite realistic (as well as the virtue system which is getting more and more useless with each level cap increase).

That's it

See you in-game!

[Herebrand]

The key here is "with the class trait changes". Could she mean that a gap has been created, enough of a gap for a new class perhaps? I cannot wait for new areas to explore. Always love to see new parts of Middle-earth :-)

[Fordil]

I'd be surprised if they'd add yet another class. What kind of role could they add? We already have everything I can think of... I don't worry about it too much atm, just gonna wait and see. Waiting and expecting leads to frustration and disappointment very often, even in LOTRO. Never be too excited about anything because it won't be as amazing as it could have been if you were truly not expecting anything.