New server names?

[Palantir]

Turbine wants your help in picking the new server(s) name.

Here are you choices:

1) Crickhollow: Crickhollow was a village in Buckland located a few miles north of Bucklebury Frodos new home).
2) Calembel: Calembel was a city of Gondor and the capital of the province of Lamedon.
3) Dwarrowdelf: The Dwarrowdelf was founded by Durin 'the Deathless' in the far distant past, long before the creation of the Sun and Moon.
4) Hornburg: The Battle of the Hornburg is also referred to as the Battle of Helm's Deep.
5) Imladris: Sindarian name for Rivendell.
6) Ithilien: The Rangers of Ithilien, also known as the Rangers of the South and Rangers of Gondor, were an elite group of the Southern Dúnedain warriors who scouted in and guarded Ithilien (town, city, outpost).
7) Osgiliath: Osgiliath was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Gondor.
8) Orodruin: Another name for Mount Doom, our final destination.
9) Pelennor: The Pelennor Fields were the townlands and fields of Minas Tirith, the second capital city of Gondor.
10) Riddermark: Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark
11) Redhorn: While this is a name of an Indian Deity, Turbine is most likly refrencing Red Horn Pass out in Eregion, in front of Moria's Western door, or the Redhorn Lodes inside of moria.
12) Tookland:The Tookland lay to the south of the East Road, with its chief and central township at Tuckborough in the Green Hills
13)Zirak-zaen: Zirak is just short for "Mt. Zirakzigil" (Silvertine).

Top three as of now are-
Riddermark 17%, Crickhollow 14% & Imladris 11%

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?t=345375

So what are main comments / concerns so far?

The new server names are- "too mainstream, too recognizable than the original servers." While current servers are "2nd name places which require research to figure out what they are referencing."

The more recognized new "name" servers will be where new players will go, hurting the older (smaller) servers which have odder sounding names. There will also be a big move (transfers) to get off of those small odd named servers (like Elendilmir & Meneldor) & onto the better cooler named servers.

Which server would you want to be on:
old "Elendilmir" (a pair of jewels), or the new "Oroduin" (Mt Doom) & Riddermark (Rohan)?

I can see their points, I'd want off a small low population server with an unknown LotR name.

However I don't even know what "Zirak-zaen" is supposed to mean as Zirak is just short for "Mt. Zirakzigil" (Silvertine).

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I can't think of a single thing that should matter less. It's like naming networks at work; no one votes on it because no one actually uses the names in conversation. You pick a server and go to work on it. Once you're there, who cares what it is called? Just apply some names from M.E. lore and be done with it. Like they don't have far more important things to worry about - like that giant BFC-sized "to do" list that is choking them.

 

[Redwolf]

Elendilmir is actually a large server.

I prefer no to use the names that are associated with particular beauty such as Imlardis and Ithilien. It should be more of a run of the mill thing. Riddermark is fine.

 

[Palantir]

Makes no nevermind to me either since I won't be switching but players are already calling for "free transfers or even paid transfers if neccessary" to get off the current unpopulated (boring) servers.

As I mentioned I think the big point is that the existing "name unknown" servers will be totally avoided by the influx of new players who will naturally gravitate to a name they know from the movies. Thereby dooming those small servers to be small forever or become ghost servers.

The interesting part is that Turbine is having their "veteran" players name the servers for the new players that the vet players may not be allowed to transfer to, which is also causing a stir.

I can see Turbine already ringing up the dollar signs in their heads on allowing paid transfers from old to new servers then "redirecting" new players back on to the old servers then renaming that server... :devious:

 

[Palantir]

Reading more of the comments on Turbine about this:
It seems that some players like the idea of naming the new server(s) "popular & easiliy" recognized LotR names specifically because it WILL draw F2P players TO them & away from the older servers.

Their hope is that new players (who will play the game just because it's free) will go to what names they heard / saw in the movies, while players who now get a chance to play & really like LotR will go to the older servers because "they" will understand what the more obscure server names mean. (Heck I bet alot of those "older" players don't even know what their server name refers to)

Either way it still goes to show the core players unrest if something so minor is creating such a big stir.

 

[Palantir]

In case you're interested here are the server names the EU players had to select from (see pic) for their new F2P servers, most are water source names.

 

[Palantir]

Turbine has announced there will be FOUR new servers. their names are:

Crickhollow: Crickhollow was a village in Buckland located a few miles north of Bucklebury Frodos new home).
Dwarrowdelf: The Dwarrowdelf was founded by Durin 'the Deathless' in the far distant past, long before the creation of the Sun and Moon.
Imladris: Sindarian name for Rivendell.
Riddermark: Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark.


The forums for them have been opened.

 

[Redwolf]

Are you guys going to roll somebody new on there?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Turbine has announced there will be FOUR new servers. their names are:

Crickhollow: Crickhollow was a village in Buckland located a few miles north of Bucklebury Frodos new home).
Dwarrowdelf: The Dwarrowdelf was founded by Durin 'the Deathless' in the far distant past, long before the creation of the Sun and Moon.
Imladris: Sindarian name for Rivendell.
Riddermark: Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark.


The forums for them have been opened.

Far better choices than the ones in the screenshot you posted. Well done, Turbine.

 

[Palantir]

Are you guys going to roll somebody new on there?

Not me, I have too many Alts already plus I like Landroval.

Speaking of liking, something I like about the server - Today I was in an instance (Epic Quest) that locked up on me- small area but no exit, couldn't open the only door, no mobs to kill and the NPC just stood there with no ring overhead. So I sent a "message" to the GM and within 3 minutes I was contacted about it. He attemped to re-start the area - no mobs appeared but I could see the NPC talking etc and then she died...

He explained after some time that he was unable to re-start it and I would have to exit- cancel the quest and start all over. Real pain in the butt because I was deep into that instance escorting / protecting a dumb NPC.

So of course on my next attempts to do the quest I couldn't keep aggro off her further on (running my 63 Burg) vs. 8 mobs at once as she kept running ahead stupidly to fight everything she saw in the area and she died. (What a dingbat- I'll have to find help in this one)

They have to start making these escort quests - class dependent and run based on how the escorting class fights and not run everyone like a Champion is doing the escorting!


Anyway- the very quick response by the GM and his obvious attempts to get it going again were appreciated even if I had to start over, so I'll just stay there.

 

[Redwolf]

It just occurred to me:

They have one of Hobbits, Dwarfs, Elves and Men each.

Guesses as to where the server population will end up at are left as an exercise to the reader. I think Imlardis will be lacking and who knows how many Hobbit friends we really have. I think there's a very distinctive type of players who likes Dwarfs. Riddermark will be the most popular.

I think I'll reserve slots for a human Lore-Master and a human Guardian on Riddermark but I am seriously tempted to spend the weekend running around making useless social analysis of the growing populations.

I have no intentions to be number #399 out of 2887 Dwarf Guardians doing metalworking on Dwarrowdwelf, out of 3001 total players. Maybe I read some Dwarf stuff from the Silmarillion on the weekend and change my mind...

 

[Palantir]

They have one of Hobbits, Dwarfs, Elves and Men each....

Oh- nice catch there, I didn't realize that. You may be right about how the race populations will divide up on them but it would be nice to some confirmation. Of course all bets are off when F2P kicks in as I think most new players will just choose a cool sounding name (assuming they are not steered to certain servers by Turbine).

I am seriously tempted to spend the weekend running around making useless social analysis of the growing populations.

Well I for one would be interested in your findings if you choose to do it- plus if you post them at Turbine you might win back some "goodwill."

But I just don't know if it will make any real difference in playing based on what your server is named.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

players will just choose a cool sounding name

Exactly.

 

[Palantir]

Found out that some older players are jumping to new servers so they can be the "IN" crowd.
The first to do "A, B & C" plus the first to do "X,Y & Z" and form that special community of the "first" players to do stuff on a new server.

Swell, but after a month how will you be able to tell which of the 100's of level 65's were "the firsts?" I guess if you formed the first Kinships then all those eventual 65's would know who they were. Although why that will matter I don't know. It's not like you will get a special title that no one will read anyway (or can't buy in the store!).

Heck when you have level 10's & 20's buying & wearing what was once special level 65 "Raid" outfits or level 65's who have never done a raid wearing the same outfits does it really matter if you got that gear "first" and how would anyone but you know anyway- or would anyone else even care?

 

[Redwolf]

Found out that some older players are jumping to new servers so they can be the "IN" crowd.

I did join Riddermark to hang out with the b00bs but it turns out that while the intro areas are crowded nobody is actually playing after that Even the AH doesn't have anything.

I got the impression that this was more about making sure you get to have the names you want.

The intro for humans is now longer to do than before, that probably played a role also.

 

[Palantir]

I got the impression that this was more about making sure you get to have the names you want.

Yes there was that comment as well, everyone name grabbing.
I saw that the 4 new servers are listed at the top of the server list where you can select the server you want to play on.
If it stays like that so much for helping out the older under populated servers but then those players may be abandoning them for new servers anyway in hopes they are more populated.

 

[Redwolf]

http://status.warriorsofnargathrond.com/?numbers=yes

Arkenstone last queue: 7209
Brandywine last queue: 16475
Crickhollow last queue: 4484
Dwarrowdelf last queue: 1900
Elendilmir last queue: 11139
Firefoot last queue: 5414
Gladden last queue: 5563
Imladris last queue: 2551
Landroval last queue: 11937
Meneldor last queue: 5488
Nimrodel last queue: 5675
Riddermark last queue: 5451
Silverlode last queue: 6843
Vilya last queue: 5278
Windfola last queue: 5040
Bullroarer offline
total assigned queue numbers: 100447

 

[Redwolf]

So Imlardis (Elves) and Dwarrowdelf (Dwarfs) get the short stick and the other new servers (Crickhollow for Hobitsens and Riddermark) are as popular as the old unpopular servers.

I expected that low result for Imlardis but I was sure that the Dwarf fan club would make a much better ruckus than the Hobbits.

I think after all the Dwarf noise is just from them being noisier and there is a large contingent of Hobbit huggers.

 

[Palantir]

So thats how many players are "currently" on each server? Nice link.

I agree that dwarf players are more vocal but there are more lovers of hobbits than dwarves.
This is of course based on Vet players expanding: we'll have to see how many F2P'ers jump on the Elf / Imladris bandwagon, I expect more than any other race. But I think more hobbit players will clearly show up then dwarf players. I still don't have a Halfling yet, but I do have a dwarf (guardian) just because hobbits didn't fit into my main background story and, I don't think I could handle another alt.

 

[Redwolf]

So thats how many players are "currently" on each server? Nice link.

That's not clear. It snoops on the queue depth of the login queues but that doesn't necessarily mean it corresponds to currently logged in people. Apart from other factors and Turbine theoretically be able to "fake" these numbers it might not count logouts and just go straight up until some form of cleanup.