This is a video of me on the Bullroarer Public Test server racing through Bree and Archet to give you a glimpse at the graphical changes to these areas that will be coming with Update 9.
Some of it turned out blurry and I have no idea why but it does clear up. Sorry about that. I’m sure I unintentionally set some setting I wasn’t supposed to for that section. Also it it night time. I did try to record again when it got lighter but in typical Bullroarer fashion, it was raining so I went with the clear dark night rather than gray rainy day footage.
Overall I will tell you that I am most pleased about the changes found in Bree. Archet, well Archet is still burned out and I don’t have much to say about it. Views of that is at the end of the video as well.
Bree has had a make-over that to me at least makes it seem so much more like a living city. Little things are to be found everywhere such as:
- horses in town
- vendor stalls with people standing in line
- kids running around playing
- dogs wandering town
- people washing clothes (and dogs)
- people popping out of windows
- smoking chimneys indicating people in their homes
It all makes Bree to seem much more a bustling city and makes it feel like previously we’ve been hanging out in some sort of Bree ghost town.
Some of my favorite bits are the scenes at the city end where they have a gate up and guards. On the map it is the end of the city for you to explore but through the window you can see carts and horses, people walking around and in this picture a huddle of dwarves playing a game.
Other noticeable and exciting editions is a stage outside of the Prancing Pony. I hope this is a great addition to the musicians of LOTRO. I know on our server there tends to be be someone playing outside the Pony seemingly at all times.
The map of Bree has not changed at all (that I saw anyway) and the basic set up we’ve always had is still there but the flow has had some small tweaks. Some buildings have been changed most noticeably at the west gate where they added a vault across from the stable master. Also it seems there is a new path connecting the eastern exits (horse master exit to the Staddle exit) that I don’t recall being there before. There’s an icon on the map for a forge-master near the Prancing Pony as well but I couldn’t actually locate him at that area so I’m not certain if it’s a planned addition or a misplaced marker.
I really like the new and improved Bree and can’t wait for Update 9 to bring it!
Remember that this is the beta server and all this is subject to changes before Update 9 releases!
November 28, 2012 at 9:05 am
I really, really like the new Bree, but I don’t see anything special about Archet.
November 28, 2012 at 9:15 am
Most of the changes to Archet are made pre-burning, just so’s you know.
November 28, 2012 at 9:18 am
Ah ok. Maybe I’ll go back and make a new character to see it then. I was kinda like “well maybe the graphics of the burning is a bit different…” lol
November 28, 2012 at 3:01 pm
“people washing clothes (and dogs)”
…XD
November 28, 2012 at 3:19 pm
I loved the dog washing area!
November 28, 2012 at 9:15 am
I was really surprised. It did feel more alive and I suddenly found Bree more interesting. Now we just need a reason to go back there! LOL
November 28, 2012 at 9:39 am
Sounds to me like they are bringing the older areas up to par with Rohan, which is very lifelike with the npcs doing logical stuff for a village or town. bravo!
November 28, 2012 at 9:46 am
I have the impression, that it looks a bit more comic-art like and thus less realistic than before.
Do you agree?
The addition of street life is cool.
November 28, 2012 at 3:54 pm
“Comic-art” I’m not sure what you mean. It looks more realisitc and lived in from what I’ve seen. It’s more like what we’ve seen in RoI areas and beyond, towns that feel like real towns rather than small hubs with barely any people around.
December 1, 2012 at 7:54 am
Maybe my impression was wrong, it looked so different in my memory of Bree. The colors look so highly saturated in the still picture of the video above (the guards in front of the fence).
I will double-check by having a tour through Bree each on the live-client and the Beta-client an then comment here again.
November 28, 2012 at 9:51 am
It never ceases to amaze me how good this game looks. Even by today’s standards.
November 28, 2012 at 9:54 am
What we need is a fun ‘rebuild archet’ quests series like the Hytbold ones… I know some people hate it, but I’m quite enjoying it, and it’d be nice to finally see the place fixed up after 5 years of looking like crap!
November 28, 2012 at 11:57 am
Yes! Maybe we’ll finally get one.
November 28, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Though I’m sure coincidental, I like the fact that Laurelin just recently had their “Archet Aid” event, and here it looks like we’ll have those funds in action!
November 28, 2012 at 6:56 pm
The Archet Aid event over on Laurelin must have done wonders for the little town! I’m sure it’s pure coincidence, but I do find it humorous that it will soon receive some improvements, assuming it gets pushed to live.
November 29, 2012 at 12:04 pm
(sorry about the double posting – I was having some issues with the site yesterday, and thought it might have been something on my side) *back to topic*
November 28, 2012 at 7:44 pm
I was thinking the same thing!
November 28, 2012 at 11:00 am
I’d like even more life in there. It always just felt dead, it never felt like this big sprawling city. This is a good start.
November 28, 2012 at 12:49 pm
That stage is definitely going to motivate Ingolemo and his band to make a come back. Watch out, Landroval!
November 28, 2012 at 4:12 pm
the textures are amazing it is almost like seeing bree for the first time….again. it looks much more like a thriving city. it is amazing how good this game still looks.
November 28, 2012 at 4:35 pm
My only thought is that I hope they update the Bree skirmishes to match the new art, otherwise it’s going to be jarring, particularly to newer folks.
November 28, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Wonder if its safe to do Roof-hopping now without worry of losing a character, or if its still possible to get on any roofs.
November 28, 2012 at 5:16 pm
I always pictured Bree as being darker and a little less cheery than what is n this game, with the white buildings, etc. Maybe I just have the Bree from the movie in my mind, but I would have liked that better I think. If anyone has played War in the North, I think they did it perfect, at least the look and feel of the place.
November 29, 2012 at 10:53 am
I would have to disagree; Bree, as described in the books, comes across a lot like the human version of the Shire. They are free, ruled by no lord (until the King returns, and he leaves well enough alone,) protected by the rangers (even if they don’t know it,) fairly prosperous (after a fashion,) and fairly innocent (Butterbur is appalled at the thought of murder in Bree, indicating such a thing is almost unheard of.) The impression we are left with is a fairly cheery place! Also, it is a town where humans and hobbits live side by side, so…Hobbits! Can you imagine hobbits living somewhere gloomy?
December 1, 2012 at 7:56 pm
In the books, Bree is described like a medieval town. Any European medieval town would have mostly wooden or clay houses, as stone was too expensive for ordinary people. This version of Bree looks and feels much more like Bree from the books than before. Before it had too much stone, and was too urban.
November 28, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Tell me the cat house is still there ;0
November 28, 2012 at 9:13 pm
That poor guy is finally out of the stocks! Bet his neck hurts after five years in there.
November 28, 2012 at 9:22 pm
I like that change, the only thing is that civilian clothes in Bree are same as Rohan civilians have; while outfits in Rohan are presumably based upon one culture (Anglo-Saxons?) and outfits in Bree are supposed to be based on a different one. It takes something away from Rohan uniqueness for me.
November 28, 2012 at 11:31 pm
The clothiers at Peasants R Revolting™ provide their wares to ALL of Middle-earth.
November 28, 2012 at 11:38 pm
I wonder if the graphical changes in Bree will be reflected in the Bree skirmishes too.
November 29, 2012 at 1:58 am
Missed on important feature:
Theatre stage with benches at the prancing pony
Bands will love this one
November 29, 2012 at 6:43 am
I not only did I mention it, there’s a large photo showing it in the post and I stopped and panned to it in the video. I thought I had it covered.
November 29, 2012 at 8:19 am
I was also wondering about the comment.
Seems Brainslug itself missed on important feature
November 29, 2012 at 8:10 am
Not only is there a stage, but the dev apparently went in and enlarged that area after feedback that there wasn’t enough room to dance!
November 29, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Looks great! I’ve always had problems with lag in Bree though, even when it’s nearly empty of players, so I’m quite worried about those folks on older machines who simply cannot afford to upgrade.
November 29, 2012 at 2:12 pm
I love the new Bree… seems a lot more “head canon” for me (ie. how I imagined Bree when I first read Lord of the Rings), and I like the extra NPC “life” going on.
However, some distances and building setups seem to have changed… does it affect the Bree skirmishes (Thievery and Mischief / Defence of the Prancing Pony) at all?
November 29, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Clap Woot! Yay! Great Video! Now to get them to address the important issues (although my crashing has subsided – knock on wood)…
November 30, 2012 at 8:28 am
It seems after so many years the woman whose farm was burned is taking revenge!
And the theatre stage is a great addition, I think there will be a need for a schedule in Landroval.
December 3, 2012 at 5:23 pm
I like most of the changes to Bree and I LOVE that we finally can go up and visit the Hobbit houses on top of Bree hill. My one complaint however is that the new house textures are so dark it makes all the building looks like they’re in constant shadow. Additionally, the viewing distance at night seems greatly reduced in Bree.
December 6, 2012 at 10:10 am
Bree looks nice, but I don’t like the smoke from the chimneys in the Bree… It looks the same, and ruin the all view =((