LOTRO Reporter – Predictions Show 2012

Welcome to the Predictions show. We drag Bill out of retirement to see who’s predictions were better from last year.

Listen now:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:32 — 57.9MB) | Embed

Last Year’s Predictions:

Chris – Ent play darn-it! It’s gotta happen this year!
Chris – Content will be coming in 3 month intervals – Next major content release will be in March.
Chris – New expansion announced in May-June. Released September/October. Taking us into Rohan.
Chris – Mounted Combat.
Chris – No new classes with any expansion.
Bill – cross server Instance Finder queuing (not sure if this is a cave, or if devs will realize the ppl complaining about cross server instance joining are a vocal minority)
Bill – New PVMP zone (it has to happen eventually!)
Bill – Update 6 in February, another RoI – like expansion in June (incl. Update 7), update 8 in late 2012 (Nov/Dec)
Bill – Shape of mounted combat will be a game-within-game, and not just swinging your sword/casting spells/singing songs from your horse
Bill – Creep mail! (via Isanni)
Bill – Legendary Item revamp (again).  Simplification trend – will make LI’s more cookie-cutter and easier to upgrade/replace.  Fewer relic slots, and simpler/tighter legacy lists

Final Score:
Bill: 2
Chris: 3

Predictions for 2013

Cari’s Predictions:

• War Goats in mounted combat in Rohan
•  Rohirrim style cosmetics and hair styles will be made available in the store for purchase.
• PvMP will get some love in the next expansion with a tie in to Helm’s Deep.
• Another instrument will be added. Perhaps a violin type.
• The Instance Finder will be cross server.
• There will be a store option to purchase summonable pets ala the style of the Avarc in Bree. Some kind of clickable summonable thing.

Chris’ Predictions:

• War-Steeds will get tons of emotes through the store
• Continued release schedule: Updates every three month and expansion in Late Summer/Early Fall
• Helms-Deep! Spring 2013
• This year will see the addition of one more class with the expansion.
• Heavy Hobbit tie in post update 9.
• For F’s sake, I just want my damn Ent Play!

Layanor’s Predictions:

• The new expansion will be announced in April and will be the Wilderlands. This will include north mirkwood and new areas such as dale, and a explorable lonely mountain instance cluster. The Wilderland will be huge and will allow more warsteed combat. The new 12 man raids are already in this area.
• West Rohan will be an add on area and Helms deep will be a single 12 man raid. Much like the great river area. This will come out around July.
• The second hobbit movie 13 December 2013. So I am going to guess a flashback raid with Smaug. They have already with Durins bane
• The classes feel like they are just being rehashed over and over again. Even the revamps feel stale a few days after. There will be a new dwarf only class or elf only class.
• Everyone wants a housing revamp. And Turbine has said it is too big of a job to do it. So they will leave the old areas open as is. And open a new instance for higher level players. Houses in Moria, Lothlorien, Rohan, and Enedwaith will open up.
• Legendary items will get a update. Not a major one, just a UI update, such as a legacy tree of some sort to make the system make more sense from the casual player.