Note: Tasks will be released in the November update as a Beta preview. We look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions as we continue to refine this new system.

Foreword

The advent of free-to-play in The Lord of the Rings Online™ created a host of challenges that we needed to address. One of these was the way that the content flow through the world would be broken apart after players get beyond the first levels. We made the decision early that we were not going to restrict a character’s ability to gain levels at a fixed point; instead we were going to allow players to move through the various levels of the Shadows of Angmar content unimpeded. Another early decision was to make the Epic Story 100% free. We feel strongly that our story is the best aspect of our game, and we truly want to share that with new players.

While the Epic Story ended up on the free side of the equation, not all of the game content could, so we assembled the Region Packs starting with the Lone-lands. Since the launch of Free-to-Play, this decision has been one of the more hotly discussed topics amongst the Free player population and we knew that we needed to do something to augment the way that the truly Free-to-Play populace advanced through the game.

The result is the addition of over 250 new quests that are 100% free to all players!

What you say!?

When the new update arrives, you will find that there are a host of new quests available starting at level 8 in the Shire and Ered Luin and at level 14 in Bree-land. These quests are a little different than our standard quests and we need to clarify those differences to make certain that their place in the game is well understood.

What is a Task?

A Task is a free repeatable quest that players can use to augment their leveling. Tasks are collection quests that use the standard trophy drops from the monsters throughout Middle-earth as the required quest item. This means the items you would normally collect for defeating enemies on the landscape can now be turned in to complete Tasks or sold to vendors for coin as before. Tasks provide limited experience rewards and will sometimes grant reputation rewards, but do not offer standard quest rewards like coin or items. While completing a Task does not contribute to a region’s deeds, it will advance a new Task deed that offers its own nifty rewards in the form of unique cloaks. Furthermore, Tasks are very limited in terms of when players can accept and complete them. They are only bestowed at the required difficulty level and 4 levels higher, making them far more restrictive than other types of quests within the game. For example, a player with a level of 8-12 can accept a level 8 Task, but a level 13 player would not be eligible.

Though Tasks are infinitely repeatable there are daily limits. The limit or quota begins at 5 per day and can be increased to 10 by completing Task deeds or by purchasing increases on the LOTRO Store. Though there is a limit on the number of Tasks that you can complete in a given day, you can also reset the daily quota by using a Task reset token – purchasable through the LOTRO Store or earned by completing Task deeds. You cannot reset your daily Task limit more than 5 times every day.

 

Task Bulletin Boards

Task Bulletin Boards, a new addition, are found in social settlements throughout Middle-earth. Each has a standard appearance and function so you will always be able to quickly identify them. Bulletin boards function the same as a quest giver, with the exception being they do not speak. We leave that to the NPCs who will be standing very near the Task bulletin boards. These NPCs will provide players with information on the Task system and what it means to players.


 

Trophy Drops

Tooltips for the various trophy drops found on all monsters in the word have been updated to show they can be used to complete Tasks. You’ll now need to decide whether to save these for use in Tasks or continue to sell them to vendors for coin.

Quest Journal

You can track your Tasks in the quest journal as you do every other quest, but we have added another field to the journal just beneath your quest count to show you the number of Tasks that you have completed and the number of Tasks that you have available. As you earn more daily Tasks the latter number will increase. When the daily quota is met, the area will change to allow you to purchase resets if you so choose.


 

Conclusion

Tasks are something new that hopefully will provide all players with a little something extra toward their character’s progression. We hope that you find the inclusion of this new system beneficial and look forward to seeing you in the game.



http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/devdiaries/901-developer-diary-tasks