Major Overhaul: Lord of the Rings Online Dev Reveals Game Features in Desperate Need of Revamps

Highlights

Lord of the Rings Online's development team plans to revisit aspects of the game, such as the war steed system and crafting, to provide a better gameplay experience.

To enhance player enjoyment, the war steed system could greatly benefit from improved handling and a reduced distinction between war steeds and regular horses.

In order to make it more accessible and useful for all levels of play, the crafting system will undergo a revamp. This will enable players to create competitive gear and engage in crafting as an interesting and integral gameplay element.

Lord of the Rings Online has been a continually evolving MMORPG for the past 16 years, with numerous expansions and major updates that have captivated dedicated players for over a decade. However, the work is never truly complete and the Lord of the Rings Online development team is eager to reevaluate various aspects of the game in the future.

In an interview with Game Rant, Robert Ciccolini, the executive producer of Lord of the Rings Online, discussed certain features in the game that he believes could benefit from further adjustment. In particular, he expressed a desire to reexplore the war steed system introduced in the Riders of Rohan expansion, as well as the upcoming revamp for crafting in Umbar, the setting of the next expansion.

Lord of the Rings Online's War Steeds Need Some Work

Ciccolini noted that the war steed system introduced in the Riders of Rohan expansion is not very enjoyable at the beginning. Controlling the mounts without unlocking any relevant skills is quite challenging, and even after investing points for improved movement, the difference is only slightly noticeable. One idea the team is considering is to adjust the progression of war steed handling in a way that it starts off with good handling and improves to even better, rather than starting with poor maneuverability and only reaching a satisfactory level.

The initial experience of playing with the war steeds feels unsatisfying, but as players acquire skills, it becomes more enjoyable. We want to change this so that it feels satisfying from the beginning and becomes even more rewarding later on. We will likely experiment with these numbers.

Additionally, I believe that the distinction between war steeds and horses should be eliminated. I hope to see your horses and warhorses become more interchangeable. Our goal is to ensure that players do not feel like we are depriving them of something, as one of the reasons they enjoy warhorses is because they are slightly faster. Conversely, one of the reasons we dislike warhorses is also because of their increased speed.

The issue arises when the warhorse's greater speed poses difficulties for the server to keep up. While we may not want to remove the speed entirely, we should exercise caution when combining the two, if we decide to do so.

Lord of the Rings Online Is Getting a Crafting Overhaul

One aspect that has long been requested by players, and is also a desire shared by Ciccolini, is the ability to have a more interchangeable relationship between war steeds and standard mounts. Due to the significantly higher speed of war steeds compared to other mounts, players often feel compelled to exclusively use them, even when they have more thrilling mounts in their collection, such as the Winter Elk or the Rescued Steed of Agarnaith.

In the upcoming Umbar expansion of Lord of the Rings Online, Ciccolini acknowledges that the game's crafting mechanics have taken a backseat when it comes to endgame gearing. This is primarily because players have access to more superior options from group content. However, to address this issue, the crafting system will undergo a significant revamp. The goal is to make it more readily available and valuable across all levels of play. Professions will no longer be tied to vocation choices, enabling players to fill some of their end-game slots with competitive gear created by fellow players, if they so desire.

We are redesigning the crafting system to separate professions and vocations. By providing adequate support, crafting will become an intriguing gameplay element on its own, allowing players to create high-quality gear. We want crafting to be a core system that feels fresh and encourages players to re-engage. Our focus is on reinventing existing systems rather than introducing new ones, ensuring that crafting does not get overlooked.

It's reassuring to see that the developers of Lord of the Rings Online are attentively listening to player feedback and actively addressing areas of concern. Although specific changes to systems like war steeds or hobbies may not be immediate, players can anticipate continuous improvements through regular major updates each year.

Lord of the Rings Online is free to play on PC.