This afternoon Turbine hosted their second Dev Chat over Twitter. For those not able to attend or give it their full attention, I’ve compiled a listing of the questions and answers from the chat.
Sapience did say they’d have a transcript. I’ll put a link to the official transcript in case you don’t trust my copy/paste skills.
All these come from the @LOTRO account and are limited to 140 characters so if they seem a little brief, there is a reason!
I’ve stripped out the mentions to the question asker and hash tags and such to try to make it as clear of an answer as possible. Some answers took more than one tweet so I’ve just compiled into a single answer.
Basically, any Update 10 info you can spare please.
HoarseDev – We are removing Dread from defeat on landscape.
RockX – In U10, Fate’s potency is increasing. Power pools are being standardized. Both the new instances/raids and existing Scaling Instances are receiving new loot. New Armour Sets are coming in, along with 1 st Age LIs. Wardens are being switched to use Agility as their main stat (there will be a grace period to allow you to get gear).
Any news of when you are going to release the 2nd part of the instance cluster?
Sapience – Update 10.
Can we please get an ETA for Update 10?
Rowan – It will be on Bullroarer next week!
When are the class updates planned to happen?
HoarseDev – We are laying the groundwork now (and there’s lots of it). Later this year, we’ll see the big changes.
Will class updates also bring updates to creep classes?
HoarseDev – We need to see if the freep changes entirely explode in a fiery train wreck first.
My Kinship doesn’t show up in Mylotro, will be any fixing for us?
Sapience – We’re aware that some kinships have this problem. We’re actually looking into some major changes for this year.
Will housing get a much deserved revamp?
HoarseDev – This is also on the docket for later this year. We’re testing out some ideas now and we’ll see what shakes out.
Can we please have some competitions for the community to design cosmetics for our charaters and warsteeds?
Aubergine – We would love to! We are working with the various parties needed to set something like this up.
With the DG & ITA clusters both getting scaled, are you planning to regularly scale more old content in future updates?
Eldorudo – We’re always looking to give old content new love and you can look forward to seeing more of this in the future.
What about server transfers? Any news on making it easier?
Sapience – I spoke to Customer service about this and they recognize it as a gap in our service offerings. They’re currently investigating ways to make it as easy as a name change. No details, but it’s being looked at.
Will Galuhad’s Kinship proposal ever be considered?
HoarseDev – That’s a tall order (and a great proposal).Kins need a lot of work. That work sits behind the class work and housing. After we bang those things out, if I’m not summarily executed, I would like to get Kins to where they ought to be
What are your plans to improve server stability and preventlag-spikes?
Sapience- Performance tuning is an ongoing process. It’s something we work on with every patch and update. It’s a difficult problem with no simple solutions
Will we have our faction rep mounts appearance for use as warsteed cosmetics?
Aubergine – At this time, there is no plan to re-visit rep mounts as war-steed cosmetics.
Are there any plans to update the character models and animations?
Sapience – I spoke with our Art director, here’s what he said…
Tinkering with avatars can be risky. Players become very attached to the ‘look and feel’ of their character. It’s very personal. That said, we are discussing the best way to make upgrades and changes. We’ll be very interested in player feedback and suggestions as to how to go about making such dramatic changes. But yes, it’s something we’re currently investigating.
Any idea when the destiny point perks replacement will be implemented?
HoarseDev – This hasn’t been forgotten.We’re trying to get these back in a good spot rather than slapping them back in somewhere clunky.
Are the beard shaving and beardless legolas sapience community update videos still in the works?
Sapience – Yes! At least the Legolas beardless one. Turns out making the shaving one was more challenging than I expected.
What’s the reasoning of effectively removing player interrupt skills from the game?
RockX – we standardized the times to make it more of a mechanic to react to an event, instead of just allowing constant spam. Now it requires an active decision.
Will Update 10 include a new epic book?
Eldorudo – Update 10 will not include a new epic book, but there is a super sized epic being worked on for Update 11!
What can we expect for loot in older scaling instances in the future?
RockX – Older scaling instances can expect to see their loot revamped with the opportunity to get rare through legendary gear.
How about seasonal changes in the homesteads?
AngryKoala – It’s something we’d like to do in both homesteads and major towns, but we’ll have to see
Are there new mounted combat things on the horizon?
Eldorudo – We’re looking at some exciting things for the new region. We have some tricks up our sleeves.
Will we ever get an option to change race?
HoarseDev – We don’t have any plans to add this.
I just want to tell Rockx that I take back everything I said about the captain
shield. I’m in love with my new shiny.
RockX – Awwwwwww.
Sapience – Really? Awwww?
Hoarsedev – Nerf it!
Will we be able to buy more wardrobe space anytime soon?
Aubergine – It’s something we’re looking into. There are technical issues around storage and inventory.
Would you guys made the Ost Dunnoth gear medallions/marks purchasable?
RockX – Yes. It’s already in the works.
Can we get some info on the landmass?
Eldorudo – It will be comparable in size to Great River. It will support mounted and unmounted combat.
Any chance of more warsteed items not from the store?
Aubergine – Yes. We’ll talk more about it after Update 10.
Will update 10 eliminate forced emotes?
Aubergine – No, but players will have the option to opt out.
Will hunters get more survivability, akin to the survivability of almost every other (non tank) class?
Hoarsedev – Future updates to classes will make things like this a choice but not a given. Would you trade damage for survivability?
What does standardizing power pools mean?
HoarseDev – Powerpools will seem less random between similar classes. This will clear the way to make overall class updates easier in the future.
What was the reason for getting rid of Symbol drops in Durch and Twins?They actually created a lot of raid activity.
RockX – We wanted to reserve major rewards for completing an instance. It also lets us standardize how these things are earned. They’re still available on challenge mode.
Will this region come with U10 or U11?
Sapience – U11.
Will the forced emote opt out be store cash in or not?
Aubergine – It will not be in the store. It will be a free option for all players.
There is a lot of talk about balance on the moors. Are you currently looking into this for better balance between sides?
Hoarsedev – there’s always a lot of talk about balance in the moors. it is built to shift back and forth. Next month we’ll bring a Pvp dev to talk more about it.
How many people from the art team hide in the restroom to doodle possible looks for Minas Tirith?
Sapience – 2 people just said 7. So we’ll go with that.
Other classes don’t have to give up DPS to survive, why do hunters have to do so?
Hoarsedev – With upcoming class changes ALL CLASSES will have some difficult choices
Is there an ETA for a revamp to the forums? What’s been done to the main lotro site looks really nice.
Sapience – No ETA, but yes there are many changes coming to the forums and community sites. Soon. The real one, not Sapience soon.
Please tell us more! What do you mean all classes have to choose?
Hoarsedev – We’ll talk more in future chats. 
Can we expect to get 2nd ages relatively easily once 1st ages arrive on the scene?
RockX – Second ages will be available for Marks, Medallions, and/or Seals.
Sapience hasn’t made a reference chart for developer vagueness yet has he?
Sapience – I can barely understand when they speak english, I can’t translate that stuff!
January 24, 2013 at 4:14 pm
Very fruitful Dev Chat IMO. Some nice content teasers, neat changes and even an INCREDIBLY ominous statement.
“ALL CLASSES will have to make difficult choices.”
An end to the Champ/Mini/Warden reign of terror?
January 24, 2013 at 4:47 pm
Everything here makes me very happy. And I’m especially feeling vindicated for my (oft-teased) focus on fate and fate gear.
HOUSING LATER THIS YEAR!!! OMG OMG OMG
January 27, 2013 at 12:14 pm
I know! My lore-master is carrying around a bunch of fate and I can just see the eyebrows.
January 24, 2013 at 5:07 pm
“[Kinships] sits behind the class work and housing. After we bang those things out, if I’m not summarily executed, I would like to get Kins to where they ought to be”
YAHOOOOOOO!
January 24, 2013 at 5:45 pm
“Wardens are being switched to use Agility as their main stat (there will be a grace period to allow you to get gear).”
Whoa! That sounds like a big change. Been stacking might for a while now. Wonder if there will be an exchange program for the current might gear we have.
Evarden
January 24, 2013 at 8:00 pm
My thoughts exactly!
That was quite the bombshell they dropped on us and I’m still not sure how it’s supposed to work out.
January 24, 2013 at 8:43 pm
and it will also make it harder for Hunters and Burgs to get the gear they need in Skraids if wardens are forced to roll on it was well.
Hopefully the implement the new loot system everywhere soon
January 24, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Two components of this, according to the official forums:
1) Hytbold gear is having Might exchanged for Agility. The new gear is going to be designed with Agility in mind from the get-go.
2) The aforementioned “grace period” is going to count *both* Might and Agility for your mastery ratings. So, you can wear your Might jewelry with your new Agility armour and not be crippling yourself. The grace period is going to last for a while. No specific time range, but longer than two weeks.
January 25, 2013 at 1:06 am
This is the only change I am not happy about. I have spent a while grinding out might jewelry and relics and now it is all worthless. I don’t really see the point in the change anyways… Might worked fine as a stat.
January 25, 2013 at 6:56 am
Doc Holiday will have a thing or two to say on this!
January 25, 2013 at 8:24 am
I was always surprised that wardens didnt get converted to agility back with RoI’s stat revamp and class reworking.
Will make life easier for the ones designing gear not to have to remember might on the medium. But prepare yourselves for the inevitable drama when a warden dares to take that agi ring from the hunter who’s unaware of the change.
January 25, 2013 at 7:23 pm
My main is a level 40 hunter, so I won’t be sad if that nearly useless Might gets taken off the medium armor.
January 24, 2013 at 7:41 pm
HOUSING! ZOMG!!!1… i tried to read the rest of it… i seriously did. but i couldn’t stop thinking about housing finally getting updated!
January 24, 2013 at 9:24 pm
Excellent as always Goldenstar! Thanks for doing this. I had to work to day so couldn’t make it. Lots of excellent questions and answers, the future looks promising!
January 25, 2013 at 2:11 am
Update 11 will bring a large new region with new mounted combat content and a super sized epic book. Sounds like Western Rohan.
Yum.
January 25, 2013 at 2:55 am
I think it will be only part of western rohan, possibly including Edoras. If you look at the interactive lotro map on my.lotro.com the remaining area of Rohan (between snowbourn and Isengard) is HUGE. Much larger than the Eastemnet. I think it’s too big for one expansion so a section of it can be a quest pack.
Either that or it’s the mountainous region between the Great River and the Wold. That will clearly be a quest pack at some point but not sure if now or later.
January 25, 2013 at 8:39 am
I was just running the Edoras epic instance and I notice that they had 12 banners on the walls. As four of them represent the lands under the Eastement Reeves, I presume that the other eight are the lands under other reeves. My guess is therefore that the new landmass is central Rohan.
January 26, 2013 at 1:03 pm
The new free area is at West of the Wold ant South of GR. Moutains, woods and snow. Size of Great River, so now West Rohan. West Rohan is the next expansion which is coming around in September.
January 29, 2013 at 1:40 pm
I would like it very much if they would NOT do an expansion this year. New quest zones sure, but leave us level capped at 85 and virtue capped at 16. I have too many alts I want to bring up to speed and a new expansion will kill those plans! And also, what makes you think it will be a free area? When was the last time Turbine gave us any area for free? Was it the conversion of the Lonelands back in November of 2011??
January 29, 2013 at 1:56 pm
I think he means free for VIP. VIP do get quite a few free new content. Enedwaith & Great River regions being the latest of the areas that have been added to the game that VIP players do not have to pay (extra) to access. They are included in their subscription.
January 27, 2013 at 2:58 am
I could see the new area being from Edoras to the Firien Wood perhaps. Remember how the Riders Four keep talking about Aldburg (which is in the Eastfold).
January 25, 2013 at 9:07 am
things I loved seeing: Housing revamp and the warden stat reworking.
the switch from Might to Agility makes more sense for a Warden if you ask me given the fact that a lot of wardens work as DPS and not as a tank. They also use weapons that fly like arrows (spears and Javelins) so another reason I am glad to see the switch. I never understood why Wardens were might to begin with.
however with any information about updates people are already complaining. Shame most people can never be happy with change.
January 25, 2013 at 9:55 am
“the switch from Might to Agility makes more sense for a Warden if you ask me given the fact that a lot of wardens work as DPS and not as a tank … ”
For those that *do* work as a tank it’s about survivability. Remember we’re medium armour wearers.
“They also use weapons that fly like arrows (spears and Javelins)… ”
True, but we use our main-hand weapons a whole lot more.
A couple of years back there was a lot of commotion about Warden’s being weak at tanking and some of the changes made then were to improve that ability. Those of us that love our Wardens will adapt to this change but for tanking it’s not necessarily a good thing.
January 25, 2013 at 2:36 pm
I have a level 75 warden that’s been sitting in the sidelines since RoR. Maybe the new tanking style with Agility will be evade,evade,block parry, kind if like a burg tank.
January 25, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Equalizing power pools ? I have played a game that did this recently and I’m sure a fair bit of you have too. The shift caused everyone to stack the regen stat. It looks like they are planning on the same philosophy here too with the return of Fate. Lol, you can get more detailed answers out of a CIA press conference though . Talk about saying something but saying nothing. That PVMP question made me sad.
January 27, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Agility as main stat for Warden is nothing more then for DPS mode I think, maybe a little for Tanking (Evade rating), but even in these days I can get Evade to 10k ish rating which is near 21% evade rating. As I do not concern about DPS as a Warden, agility as stat doesnt bother me, because Warden isnt a DPS class im more concerned about Warden’s have to mix up agility in tank build.
Apart from that, Wardens such like my main rolled on Earring of the Defiant (38 MIGHT, 150 vitality, 421 max morale), Ring of Lasting Victory (75 MIGHT 150 vitality, 211 max morale), all contain might, not to speak of Knight Platinum Stud (150 MIGHT, 75 vit and 384 crit) and Earring of War Unleashed (150 MIGHT, 384 crit and 768 Physical Mastery) from skirmishes
If they change main stat to agility, what about Vitality, in tanking perspective that should be main stat for Wardens/Guards, as it contributes to resistance rating, but also and mostly to Tactical/Physical mitigation. If you change Might to Agility, what about the Physical Mitigation you get from your might, while tanking? Parry and Evade will be mixed up a bit.
Will Hytbold sets be updated? what about the might/vit jewellery I mentioned above here will still useable, as Might will be crap stat I assume now……, can I just vendor those might items I’ve grinded hard for?
There needs to be something instead to make it worth the grind again, imo this should have been done at update 9, update 10 or 9.2 or whatever it is, is too late to introduce this on this level cap.
January 27, 2013 at 11:45 pm
Looking forward to Update 10. It’s great that we’ll get to see Dale and the Lone Mountain. Stinks that the only way we’ll see either of them is by participating in a raid. Maybe a some point down the road they will open the land mass to all players.