The LOTRO Store has got some new items added to it included in today’s update. See the official announcement of these additions on the LOTRO forums. Special thanks to @aurora_u on twitter for sending us this forum link!
Rapid Crafting Boost – Drastically reduce in the induction time from 7 seconds to 0.5 seconds
This crafting boost is an interesting twist on the craft accelerator we already have. Instead of double exp for your crafting, the time to craft has been drastically cut so you can do more. The only downside I can see using this over the accelerator would be you would need a lot more materials to burn through.
Although perhaps they can be used in conjunction so you can get double exp and burn through your crafting tiers with ease. (Note the craft accelerator is on sale this week if you were thinking of trying this)
100% XP Boost – gives 100% XP on monster kills, quest completions, and Legendary Item experience
If I had to make a guess, I’d say the 100% experience boost is intended for those folks pushing to get the last levels on their characters to prepare them for Rohan. it’s nice that it works on not just monster kills and quests but boosts your LI as well.
Shared Storage Upgrade
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY! That’s all I really have to say about that. (Wardrobe space soon, please??)
Vault Upgrade
More shared storage and vault space is what had really caught my eye since I’m always so desperate for more junk to hang on to. Go-go gadget pack-rat!
Milestone Skills 7-11
The milestone skills must be infinitely more popular than I imagined. Do we really need 11 milestone locations? Typically I had heard of 2-3 being a good number but I can’t imagine Turbine would bother adding more if there wasn’t a demand for it.
3 skills have been added for Weavers
It didn’t list what these skills are but more skills seems like a good thing, right?
1 skill added for Stalkers
Again, no listing of what the skill is but there’s a new one!
Apparel Dummies
Also mentioned in today’s patch notes are new apparel dummies.
Apparel Dummies now exist in hub cities throughout the world. Each dummy displays a hand-selected cosmetic outfit, and clicking on the dummy will take you to the offer for that outfit in the LOTRO store.
CSTM reader, Draculetta, shared with us a picture of what these new apparel dummies look like.
I actually like this idea. I’m sure some will claim it’s another reminder of the store in game but I think it’s an inventive way to remind people of store options that can fit into the game world (and doesn’t involve a “Buy more XYZ” button).
Plus, I think some players really would appreciate being able to buy full outfits like this to get a look they desire. It’s the reason clothing stores put together outfits on their mannequins. So fashion dummies like me can see (and then buy) the entire ensemble.
What do you think about today’s store updates? Anything catch your eye?
July 9, 2012 at 10:49 am
I like the idea of the dummies a lot. Everybody is always complaining on how disturbing store buttons are, so I think this type of atmosphere-preserving in-game store presence will be way better for everyone.
July 10, 2012 at 5:26 pm
I like the idea too. But they have to place them better. The dummies in Bree are right besides some forges.
July 9, 2012 at 11:01 am
I don’t understand how people can justify these dummy’s, like there would be dressed out dummy’s in middle earth during a time of war……..
July 9, 2012 at 11:09 am
I haven’t made it in game yet, but my understanding is they are in or outside the outfitter vendor buildings. Seems entirely logical to me for clothes merchants to display their wares.
July 9, 2012 at 11:16 am
Just saw some of the locations on the official forums and they are right infront of Elrond’s house and in settlements in angmar, moria etc. that is just ridiculous with their stupid sparkling effect.
July 10, 2012 at 11:13 am
This actually isn’t very much of a stretch at all. Haberdashery has been around since time out of mind, and those who make clothes – especially fancy nice ones – display them for people to see so that they can buy them.
Frankly, that there is **no** markets or salespeople doing this in places like Bree is genuinely inauthentic.
July 9, 2012 at 11:19 am
As I posted in patch notes section the dummies have the potential to be expanded into stables for the store horses. And of course a move into the subtler store links are much appreciated. They could have put a store icon above each one but thankfully they didnt.
The more I think about the dummies the more openings I can see for things turbine can do with it. Such as tie ins to cosmetic competitions where you make a costume from ingame bits and it becomes an outfit of the month.
For prospectors, foresters and the crop bit of farming those speed scrolls will help a fair bit, certainly I tend to farm the amount I need then set a run going and pop off to the shops or something.
Shared storage was something you mentioned in the podcast a couple of weeks ago, wasn’t it? nice to get more spce even if it is only 10 more slots.
Double xp thingy’s are meh to me as I enjoy the levelling aspect too much and if you outlevel areas it’s never as much fun. I’ll stick to the pocket item as and when I want to use it.
July 9, 2012 at 11:25 am
The dummies sure look out of place in places like aughaire, they seriously should be in a few hubs only, bree, TH, the shire, crafting rooms where they exist not everywhere IMHO
July 9, 2012 at 11:27 am
Wow. From the descriptions of the outfit dummies and their locations, I’m a little afraid to log in tonight.
I think someone hit the overkill button if these things are sitting in the middle of Aughaire.
July 9, 2012 at 11:58 am
The craft speed boosts only last for 1 minute, and they appear to be 150/1 or 300/3.
Note that you can therefore buy one 10-minute +50% XP boost and three 1-minute speed boosts for the same price as five 10-minute +50% XP boosts (ignoring sales). That probably would work out to the same amount of XP increase.
Of course, storing the 120 items you make in each minute of super-crafting will be the tricky part.
July 10, 2012 at 11:19 am
If you want to craft non-stackable items, you have to empty your bags before crafting.
Hopefully, you have enough space free in your vault or shared storage.
Regards
Stephan
July 9, 2012 at 12:05 pm
If they are by the vendor area in Aughaire, I don’t have any problem with it, after all they gotta make a living too!
July 9, 2012 at 12:09 pm
So they did slow down crafting to add a store item?
Sure looks like it.
July 9, 2012 at 12:23 pm
While I can see how it’d be easy to make this statement there’s no sign crafting inductions were lengthened recently to encourage the use of an item like this. Additionally they’ve added more bulk recipes lately. I only wish they’d made it some kind of permanent character/account level ability.
July 9, 2012 at 1:46 pm
I’m all for the xp booster. I’ve hit level cap with three characters, and have three more to go. I’m starting to not enjoy doing the same quests for the fourth, fifth or six time, but I don’t want to give up on the three who aren’t there yet, so boosting the xp to speed up leveling sounds great to me.
July 9, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Nothing stood out as being a new warg skill. Anybody know what it is.
July 9, 2012 at 2:54 pm
So… just tried out the crafting accerator on my cooking and…
I AM NEVER MAKING TRAIL FOOD WITHOUT IT AGAIN.
I apologize for the yelling, but spending hours each week just to have trail food for raids was seriously detrimental to my sanity.
July 9, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Regarding the Weaver and Stalker skills. I don’t think these are actually new skills for the class, rather, new to the store. I remember some discussion with spiders and wargs that some of their skills were not available for purchase. This probably corrects those omissions.
July 9, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Good to know. Thanks LF!
July 9, 2012 at 3:22 pm
I think the dummies are a very cool idea! I love it~! It’s a shame that some items are only available as a bundle though, and not available as individual pieces.
July 9, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Shared Storage???? YES!!! Happy Dance!
July 9, 2012 at 8:21 pm
I love the idea of the dummies for store purposes but I hope they can eventually be bought for your personal houses. I really liked having them in my houses in Skyrim and is a great way to display armour sets that you have completed for yourself and your friends.
July 9, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Regarding the “apparel dummies”. the only problem I see with those is
1. some of the locations could have been not quite so in-your-face, I was a little shocked to see them right after I finished the Hobbit Intro and found them right there in Needlehole. I can understand somewhere in M.Delving or maybe near all the other clothing vendors but in Needlehole??
2. animated fairy dust on them, it’s a bit distracting.
They should put them indoors next to the other vendors. Other than that I don’t have a huge problem with them.
July 9, 2012 at 9:52 pm
My mistake….it’s Little Delving I am refering to in my post above this one, not Needlehole.
July 10, 2012 at 11:59 am
They’re apparently in the starter instances too – because of course the best people to get to buy things from the store are the new ones who don’t yet know about the variety of cosmetic items that can be gotten in the world without paying real money, and who cannot have gathered any TP that would allow them to buy things without spending real money.
July 10, 2012 at 10:07 pm
They’re in Lorien, Michel Delving, Rivendell, Bree, Aughaire and Moria?? C’mon Turbine, that’s a LITTLE much.
Given the inherent distrust/fear the playerbase has when it comes to the Store, I just don’t think the whole dummies thing was a good idea. And, I’m sorry, I don’t buy that this came from a player’s suggestion. If so, then why did they sneak it into this update without telling anyone first? We were left to discover it in the patch notes.
We already have ads on the login client and loading pages. Do we really need an in game in your face advertisement as well, which is what this is. Not to be doom and gloom but I think this is only the beginning of a worsening and troubling situation.
July 11, 2012 at 5:37 am
I liked your last sentence
“Not to be doom and gloom
BUT
I think this is only the beginning of a worsening and troubling situation.”
If this doesn’t meet the criteria of “doom and gloom”, then what is?
July 10, 2012 at 1:53 am
This is why I dont play lotro anymore, it’s become ridiculous. Bring back the days where I paid 14$ a month (Like i STILL do) and not have the store. Game was doing fine before F2P.
July 10, 2012 at 9:59 am
yet your posting on a LOTRO site… SMH I don’t get people….
July 10, 2012 at 7:22 pm
wait… you don’t play LotRO anymore, but you’re still paying $14 a month?
July 11, 2012 at 11:20 am
Ah no it wasnt… Not everyone is into the subscription model & whether you want to believe it or not f2p is doing allot better then subscriptions were.
July 10, 2012 at 1:54 am
WoW is looking awfully interesting these days.
July 10, 2012 at 10:43 am
I see a new poll in our near future: ‘How many Milestone Skills did you buy (or are you planning to buy)’
Only if it hasn’t been asked before of course
July 10, 2012 at 7:42 pm
I kinda like the dummies tho it perplexed me to no end when I stumbled on them last night. I didnt know they had just put them in as I hadnt been in that area for ages. I only wish they had the option to see how dyes look in the view.
Are they lore breaking.. yah, but its a more benign way of shoving the store in your faces then usual. Their placement could be more palatable if they were in with all the vendors and sellers, like a village bazaar. Not stuck helter skelter around the world.
Will have to go peek at the new skills your talking about.
July 11, 2012 at 12:03 am
I think the Apparel Dummies are stupid, talk about sticking something in your face, right where nothing should be there, only to push the latest department store special.
If we must have them (and I’m pretty much resigned to the fact we must), then remove the tinker bell dust and stick them all in houses. That way, when Aragorn goes riding by, Legolas won’t joke that ‘Gold armour would really work for you in the fires of Mt Doom.”
July 11, 2012 at 7:56 am
Apparel dummies are good idea, but its practical implementation is way below the average.
Getting rid of sparkles (we dont need Edward Cullen wannabes), getting lore-appropriate mannekens (racial stuff in racial areas) and placing them in logical places intead of highest player traffic places (not placing these mannekens in warcamps and outposts, but in Vendor halls, skirmish camps, open-air markets (inside stalls), in Mathom House, Bree Hunter Lodge and other similar trading related places would do wondres for acceptance.
Instead it looks like a half a day work passed to some intern, to slap togeter some mesh and the drop it in highest traffic areas, so ‘players could see them’.
July 11, 2012 at 7:56 am
Having played a bit since the patch in a variety of areas I’m going to have to agree that the placement and frequency of meeting the dummies is kind of extreme. When I first read I was thinking they’d be in the main race hubs plus lagtrev, 21st hall, lorien and stangard.
So good idea but execution was poorly done.
Question about the oufits on offer. Are all the various parts store exclusive or are we being sold stuff thats obtainable from the ingame sources?
July 12, 2012 at 8:25 pm
So 100% XP Boost – gives 100% XP on monster kills, quest completions, and Legendary Item experience
Will it not be available after RoR?
July 12, 2012 at 10:58 pm
Most likely it will be available. You won’t see it in the store at the moment thoug because the Quest Exp wasn’t awarding the the correct amount of XP so they pulled it from the store. Hopefully temporarily.
July 16, 2012 at 1:46 pm
It’s really brilliant of Turbine to put lots of dummies with obnoxious sparkles in outrageously inappropriate places so we’d all freak out. Now they can remove the most ridiculous dummies from Lorien, Angmar, etc and (hopefully) remove the sparkles so many players will feel as if they’ve ‘won’. However, in reality Turbine wins the ‘right’ to put tacky, lore-destroying Store Hubs in the midst of Middle Earth and many players will just go along with it, convinced they’ve been ‘heard’. *sigh*