LotRO Vol 3 Book 2 Patch 1 notes hit the test server

This month’s free-to-play conversion for Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online brought a boatload of changes to the game, both functional and behind the scenes. It’s no surprise the first patch afterwards, Vol3 Book2 Patch 1 is more of a list of bug fixes than new game content. This new patch is currently on Bullroarer, LotRO’s public test server.

  • LotRO Status:
    • Vol 3 Book 2: LotRO went Free To Play on September 10, 2010.
    • Vol 3 Book 2 Patch 1: Bug fixes, on the public test server, no live date announced.
    • Next expansion: Isengard (via PC Gamer)

LotRO Release Notes – Volume III, Book 2, Patch 1 (BULLROARER ONLY)

The following release notes apply only to the Bullroarer Test Server. All changes and updates listed are subject to change before being released to the live servers.

Release Notes

General

  • Several references to the Lorebook within the game have been updated to read “MyLOTRO” instead of “Lorebook”. Clicking on the “MyLotro” button on the start menu or radar ring will now take you to your MyLOTRO page and provide access to all Community Sites from directly within the game.
  • Players who last logged out while in the Fornost or Great Barrow instances before Volume III, Book 2 went live can now log in again.
  • You should no longer see an interior map from an area you have left while out in the world.
  • Players in the Archet and Ered Luin starting areas can now transfer to the same layer as your fellowship leader.
  • Teleporting between Housing areas and Dynamic Layers now works properly.

Captain

  • The Captain’s Armaments for the Man-at-arms, the Squire and the Pilgrim will now allow the summoning of Heralds of Hope and Victory instead of always summoning Heralds of War.

Champion

  • The Champion legacy that increases Critical Damage magnitude will now affect the second and third attacks for all skills.

Skirmishes

  • All daily quests have had their minimum bestowal levels correctly set.

The Ettenmoors (PvMP)

  • Tomes of Deed Acceleration no longer advance monster play kill deeds.

Raids & Instances

  • Leave Instance now works correctly for session players.
  • In certain cases the instance, ”Rise of the Fallen Son” could not be completed. This has been corrected.
  • The Blind One, Zholuga, and Nornan somehow opened up the cabinet with the bag of extra-steroid-infused Monster Chow. We’ve installed child-proof locks on the cabinet, so the Blind One, Zholuga, and Nornan are back to their old selves. Or, to put it another way:
    • Reduced the Damage-over-Time effects in the Turtle Raid to their previous values.
    • Reduced the effects “Virulent Contagion” & “Paralyzing Contagion” in Dar Narbugud to their previous values.
  • Haudh Iarcith
    • The door to the epic area now requires a minimum level of 45 to open.
      Westernesse protection has been removed from several monsters.
      Addressed an incorrect loot assignment.
      Spawn timers on the bosses have been dramatically reduced.
  • Great Barrow: Thadur
    • Removed some adds from the boss fight.
    • The Challenge quest should now work properly.
  • Great Barrow: Sambrog
    • Adds will now correctly clear when the boss resets.
  • Great Barrow: Maze
    • The challenge quest now correctly fails when the fight is reset.
  • Helegrod: Drake Wing
    • Deeds will now correctly update while you are in a raid.
  • Helegrod: Spider Wing
    • Deeds will now correctly update while you are in a raid.
    • The deed, “Zaudru’s Brood” now requires 100 kills.

Items

  • The set bonus on the level 65 Armour of the Aurochs Hunter set has been fixed to properly reduce the cooldown of “Penetrating Shot” when all 6 pieces are equipped.
  • The level 65 Annúminas armor will no longer accept dyes as the armor does not support them.
  • “Map to Thorin’s Hall” will no longer play a cinematic when used.
  • The deed “Helegrod — Drake Wing” no longer advertises the deed acceleration item. This deed cannot be accelerated.
  • Novice’s Mark will no longer conflict with the run speed perks purchased from the Destiny Panel or the LOTRO Store.
  • Fixed some auto-consumed skill-granting items that were not setup to auto-consume if the player was mounted when purchasing them from the LOTRO store.
  • The “Veteran Esquire’s Heavy Mail” had its name accidentally changed to “Veteran Recruit’s Heavy Mail” and its level reduced to 27. This item now has the correct name and its level increased to 37.
  • “Comagol”, “Rangers of Esteldin” kindred rep sword, now has “Rangers of Esteldin” faction requirement instead of “Wardens of Annúminas”

Town Services

  • Vendors that sell steeds no longer repair items.

Wardrobe

  • Items with unique color palettes can now be cosmetically equipped from the wardrobe correctly.

Quests

  • In Volume I, Book 1 Chapter 11, you are no longer able to interrupt the scene with Sambrog while he’s talking.
  • In Volume I, Book 3 Chapter 5, you will no longer see the message, “Drukordh has been defeated!”, until you’ve actually defeated him.

LotRO Vol 3 Book 2 free to play patch goes live for everyone

The Head Start launch for current LotRO players went live on Wednesday, but today LotRO is free-to-play for new players as well. Well, in North America, at least. The European launch has been delayed and no date has been announced. There are still some outstanding issues with the revamped community site, but the in-game LotRO Store is up and Turbine Points are being rewarded. On the down side, part of the new Great Barrows instance is down for the count. In the meantime, you can distract yourself with this new national ad campaign for the game.

LotRO F2P servers are up, plus new community site

The Lord of the Rings Online Vol 3 Book 2 patch has finally landed, the servers are up for the Head Start (maybe) and a new LotRO.com community site has launched at the same time (sorta). As might be expected that are a few bugs, for both the game and the new community site. There’s also some issues with the Turbine Points being awarded (or not awarded.) If none of these links work, well, the new community site will be back up Soon ™.

LotRO Store is down before it launches

The servers were supposed to come up today for LotRO‘s free-to-play conversion, but late night patching revealed a status message from Turbine operations that the LotRO microtransaction store had to be taken down. While the code is sorted out, check out the WarCry dev chat from yesterday (including the announcement that the dreaded Radiance mechanic is going away) or simply watch the eye candy of the game’s latest trailer.

LotRO free to play conversion Vol 3 Book 2 patch notes are live

Servers are down while the code to transform Lord of the Rings Online from subscriber based to free-to-play. While you wait for them to return, you can read the extensive, official patch notes. Also in this patch: new landzone, Enedwaith; new Epic questline; many older instances like Helegrod and Great Barrows can be scaled to level like Skirmishes; character creation revamp; Skirmishes can be started at 20 instead of 30 and ton more. Head Start players can log in tomorrow and new players on Friday.

Official LotRO Store starter guide and Head Start date

Turbine’s subscriber-based fantasy MMORPG, Lord of the Rings Online is going to free-to-play this month. In anticipation of dealing with a player base that hasn’t dealt with this model before, the devs have posted a starter guide to walk everyone through the new microtransaction based store. The F2p switch over Head Start goes live this Wednesday, September 8 for former and current subscribers as well as closed beta participants. New players will be able to log on Friday, September 10.