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See Also: Rise of Isengard Information Links
See Also: What is the Difference between Free, Premium and VIP
See Also: A Friendly Chat with Sapience (Gamescom 2011)
Seedly's Consolidated Q&A
Trailer!
If you know how to embed the video please let me know!
Below is a consolidated list of Questions and Answers. The focus will be on answers given by the community team/devs, however player answers will be included if they answer pressing questions. Please limit replies to questions and linked answers and I will add to the main post.
Also, if the answer I gave seemed more confusing than helpful, try the CSTM post that answers many of the same questions, but in a slightly different way.
Community team, feel free to hi-jack/edit this post as needed.
Pre-order and Purchase options
How can I buy the expansion pack?
Currently, you may only pre-order the expansion pack here.
After the 27th, it appears that it will be available in the Web Store, without the preorder items. Price not known at this time
On Sept. 27th it will be available in the game store.
How long does the pre-order offer last?
Until Sept. 26
Originally Posted by MCorey
It's at the bottom of the pre-order page, in the collapsed "Click here to compare" section: 6/6/11 - 9/26/11
So when can I buy it?
You can pre-order now, but the release date is Sept 27th.
It will be available for purchase with TP, through the in-game store, on the release date.
Will I be able to buy a physical box at the store or is it download only?
Download only
Originally Posted by Sapience
Yes, Rise of Isengard is digital only.
Im a VIP. Do I have to buy RoI to play that content when it goes live?
Yes. Just like Moria and Mirkwood, VIPs have to buy the expansions.
Originally Posted by Eluros
1. I'm 75% certain that, if you're a VIP, you still need to purchase Isengard, I believe-- same as Moria and Mirkwood are, even if you're a VIP, if my sources are correct.
If I'm an F2P or Premium player, does the pre-order unlock the Moria and Mirkwood Expansions?
Not the Expansion Packs, but the Quest Packs. You'll still need some things to get everything that's included in the Expansion Packs.
Originally Posted by 0501615
Free Player to RoI Hey i have no expansions and am playing as a free player, was wondering if buying the $49.99 expansion of RiO superseeds the previous expansions, and will uncapp everything? e.g. bags, gold, virtues, etc. Also will it give me the quests in all regions
Originally Posted by Ozeagle
Buying the RoI LE will get you the quest packs for both of the expansions. It won't get you the full expansion content, you will still be missing:Runekeeper Class
Warden Class
2 Character Slots
Skirmish Trait Max Rank Increase (7-15)
Skirmish Trait Max Rank Increase (15-25)It will not uncap anything or give you any of the VIP perks. It will increase your gold cap from 2G to 5G and increase your character slots from 2 to 3 because you'll go from F2P to Premium. You will also be able to mail gold and will get 5 AH slots per character.
As for all quests in all regions, no. It will give you all the quests and deeds in:
Trollshaws
Eregion
Moria
Lothlorien
MirkwoodYou will still be locked out of quests and deeds in:
North Downs
Evendim
Misty Mountains
Angmar
Forochel
EnedwaithHowever you are also given 1000TP in the RoI LE pack, so this can be used to buy other quest packs to give you a complete leveling path from 1 to 75.
Pricing
How much will ROI cost?
Pre-orders cost between $29.99 and $49.99 in the USD or €24,99 and €44,99 in Euro. Many have commented that it may be cheaper to pay in USD using Paypal. Note that the un-even exchange rates is like due to psychological pricing.
Originally Posted by geoboy
As a canadian, I'm very familiar with US Currency/other currency pricing schemes. It's almost always cheaper to just pay in USD and let your bank figure it out.
What will the TP cost be when it hits the store?
All ROI content including update 5 is a grand total of 6990 TP
Isengard Expansion Quests: 3250 TP
Raid: Draigoch’s Lair: 1250 TP
Expansion Instances (Update 5): 1495 TP
Adds up to: 5995 TP
Also available: Derudh’s Stone (pocket item for +25% XP): 995 TP (Per Character)
Note: None of the mounts or cosmetic items from the Preorder are expected to be available after the 27th.
Also Note: There is currently no "bundle" price for the entire expansion. This is because the Update 5 instances won't be available immediately, when they are they will be free to cash purchasers of RoI, and there *may* be a bundle price announced at that time.
If I am F2P now, will I be Premium after pre-ordering RoI?
Yes. Remember that the key to being Premium has always been to spend real world money with Turbine. From the Welcome to Middle Earth Forum:
Originally Posted by Jadowyn
There is basically only one way to become premium: Spend Real Money! There are three options for this: 1. Subscribe to game - makes you VIP until your subscription ends and you drop down to Premium.
2. Buy Turbine Points - either thru a points card from a store or in the ingame store.
3. Buy an SOA or Moria key/box game and use the key on your MyAccount page to upgrade your account. No matter which option you choose though, all require that cash be given over to Turbine at some point.
Originally Posted by Celestrata
To confirm for you, yes, free accounts that purchase the pre-order will become premium accounts.
Based on this, buying RoI from the LOTRO store after launch with TP would not make you Premium (that is, unless you spent cash on the TP you bought it with).
Several astute players have noted that using the F2P workaround below to apply the RoI code to your account gives you a free day of VIP.
Originally Posted by Jasrien
Noticed after pre-ordering ROI that my account seems to have been upgraded from Premium to VIP, I only noticed because I started getting rest XP. Any idea if this is a bug or a feature, didn't notice it mentioned anywhere . . . EDIT: Looks like this happens when you "use a game card" which you enter the number of later, I seem to have gotten a "free" day of VIP out of it. Small price to pay for the inconvenience and confusion caused :-)
Originally Posted by Laerien
I want to confirm this. I'm a Premium (former vip) and received 1 day of VIP (it says game card will expire tomorrow) after use the "game card" workaround.which is more than a big deal for f2p to unlock the VIP features
Purchase Process
So wait, do I have to make a new account to purchase RoI?
No. You do have to make a Digital River account (the company processing the online pre-orders for Turbine). The popup that you get to enter information into is a different website that is handling the transactions for Turbine.
Originally Posted by Celestrata
If it's prompting you to create a new account when you're purchasing the expansion (and not applying your product key) then that's different. That's the creation of a Digital River store account, and is unrelated to your Turbine account.
Who is Digital River, can I trust them? Why are you using a 3rd party?
Originally Posted by Arbalister
Just to provide some actual facts about Digital River...
1: They aren't a Warner company.
2: Hardly "some 3rd world company" - "Founded in 1994 Digital River is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with offices in other US cities as well as Cologne, Germany; London, England; Shannon, Ireland; Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Shanghai, China, São Paulo, Brazil, Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan); and Tokyo, Japan."
3: Yes, they had some information stolen from 200,000 accounts in 2010. They also processed 300,000 transactions a day, average, for that year. They had revenues of more then 360 million US.
4: Why is Turbine suddenly using them? It's not sudden...they've been using them for years. So have Microsoft, Adobe, VMware, Autodesk, Acer, Lenovo, Logitech, Nikon,
Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony, Western Digital, Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft, THQ, CapCom and Mattel, ACD Systems, Data Robotics, En Masse, Kaspersky, Kodak, Netgear, Nuance, Pentax, SanDisk, Smith Micro, THQ, Trend Micro and Wizards of the Coast. So if you've bought online from any of those... I'm not saying DR is good, bad, or indifferent. I just can't handle the misinformation that's being flung around about them. If you don't trust your CC info to someone online...then don't. But keep that in mind when you decide to buy from any of the above, too.
5: Why does Turbine need them to accept payments? Because they handle transactions in 190 countries and 40 currencies, with 40 localized payment methods. And, in case no one noticed, Turbine now processes payments for European players...so, probably, they wanted to make sure they could get paid... For more, you can find their 2010 Shareholders Report here.
I made my Digital River account and finished the purchase, where is my code?!?!?
It will be emailed to you, but it is also on the page. It is in white text on a white backgroud. Highlight all the text on the page and you will see it.
Originally Posted by Xhiu
it is very confusing cuz on the site it says~ look on this page for your unlock code. The page is completely white and so are the letters. *I* had to highlight it to see it. Yes, I did get the code in the mail but it was very very scary when the DR site says here is your code and you see a blank page. (well other than the notice saying here is your code)
Originally Posted by Sapience
The code is sent via email. I would check your spam filter just to be safe. Sometimes they can be overly aggressive.
Can I give RoI to a friend as a gift?
Yes. Simply buy a pre-order code and send it to them!
Originally Posted by BellusDuFenna
You should be able to do this, since you are actually buying it from Digital River (a third-party seller), who then provides you a code to apply to your account. Just buy the expansion through DR, then send your buddy the code provided via email or whatever.
Originally Posted by hucklebarry
Yes, this works. You can change the quantity at checkout and they will send you however many codes you need (all in one purchase if you like).
When I apply my RoI code on the Turbine Account website, it asks me to choose my subscription method but Im F2P. Do I have to sub to apply the code?
No. Some of the forum users in this thread found a work around.
Originally Posted by jwetze1
Found a work around for when you get asked to resubscribe an existing account. Select the Gamecard option Make sure you uncheck use current CC if you have one on file Under the Gamecard entry box check mark the box that says you don't have a card atm. Hit submit. Doesn't bill you and all items are applied to your existing account
Confirmed by Celestra:
Originally Posted by Celestrata
Just to clarify for those of you who are having trouble adding the code to your account, it's a little tricky and I have some information to lead you through the process.
When you guys reach the account page, insert your product key and make sure you're applying it to your current subscription. Do not create a new subscription. That last part is important.
After you tell the system that you're applying it to your current subscription, it will prompt you for a payment method. Either use the payment method you already have on file, OR, for those of you who are free/premium and do not want to have payment information on file, choose "Game Card" and then check the box that says "I don't have a game card right now, I'll add one later."
After all of that, conclude the process and it will add the game to your account without requiring you to add payment information.
More info from Victorie:
Originally Posted by Victorie To upgrade an existing account: Log into https://myaccount.turbine.com/
Enter your key.
Select "YES" to upgrade. If you are on a reoccurring VIP subscritpion, simply select that plan again, agree to the TOS and submit. If you are Premium or Free and don't want to upgrade to VIP:
Select "Game Card or Other Payment Option"
On the next page, check off "I don't have one now, I'll give you one later."
Agree to the TOS and submit! For any players who may have ended up with 2 subscriptions, please contact the Account Management department for assistance. Contact options are in my signature. Please be aware that we are experiencing high volume at this time, so turn around is longer than normal. All tickets and calls are answered in the order they are received.
Oh Snap! I think I applied the code to the wrong account...what do I do now?!?
The only recourse is to file a ticket online or to call the account support team. To submit a ticket, go here (und hier, et ici) or you can call the support team to speak to someone (1-781-407-4020 Noon-8:45pm EDT Monday-Friday). (Mein Deustch ist besser als mein Fanzosisch, aber der Deutsch-Seite ist nicht Deustch... )
If you are over-seas and dont want to pay for international calling, you can always use Google Voice or Skype.
Originally Posted by Sapience
[...]I am going to assume you applied your key to the wrong subscription. If so, you will need to contact account support and file a ticket or you can call. That's the only way to have the issue resolved.
I cant seem to pay with Paypal. How do I get it to work?
IE9 seems like it is not playing nice with Paypal at the moment. Firefox is being reported as working.
Originally Posted by Glandys
After many times trying, I found out that the problem is IE 9. If you install Firefox, it will work. This I did and in the first time it worked. Now I have the premium with all goodies on my lifetime account.
Originally Posted by Hrodberht
Several people have noted that only verified PayPal accounts appear to be working.
Visa Gift Cards.
As an alternative payment method, some people have asked if Visa (or Mastercard) gift cards work - the question came up because they don't seem to have a billing address associated to them.
Originally posted by Fawulf
Buying with a Visa Prepaid...
Is it possible to pre-order RoI and also the 12-month game time with a Prepaid Visa card? I'm a little unsure as how to go about using this thing, as I simply bought it off the shelf at my local post office with no registration or anything (it's apparently activated within 24 hours of purchase). Do I just select the "credit card" option then enter my card number and expiry date? Just want to clear this up before I do anything! Cheers.
_____________________________
Well that's the thing I'm mostly concerned about; since I didn't have to register the card there's no address or name to it! The pack it came in doesn't say anything about that either, apart from giving it 24 hours to activate after purchase. I'm pretty certain it is a "gift card" as it's non re-loadable so once I spend the amount on the card it's to be destroyed. Funny how they fail to mention that on the package but it's in tiny font on the back of the card... I guess I won't find out until I try purchase something, eh?
______________________________
Ah, it worked! Thank you very much for the responses fellas.
Who should I contact with any payment issues? Turbine, or Digital River?
Call Turbine (1-781-407-4020 Noon-8:45pm EDT Monday-Friday). According to a couple of posts, the arrangement that Turbine has with DR is to refer support calls to Turbine.
Originally Posted by Baloran
well, that's what DigitalRiver replied:
Thank you for contacting the online store.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you with this issue . Please contact Turbine Entertainment directly with your request:
Support Hours: 12:30pm to 8:30 PM EST
Sincerely,
John Bert B.
Customer Service
paypalcs@digitalriver.com
I'm really angry - paid for an expansion, I haven't received. DigitalRiver is the seller. DigitalRiver received my money. DigitalRiver sent me the order/billing confirmation with (only one) activation-code. and now they can't help me with this issue and I should contact Turbine?!?
Originally Posted by Wandabar
Trying the phone call again now. The person says the phrasing a little differently -- 'we no longer provide customer service' for Turbine. Pretty much she wants me to wait and call Turbine on Monday, for what is obviously a problem with Digital River's payment processing. I'm on hold while she checks around to see if anyone else there knows more about this (who am I kidding? I'm probably just waiting for her to get back from the bathroom or something).
Purchase and Key Entry Walkthru
A good walkthrough of the entire process, from the forums;
Originally Posted by yorkiemum
Click pre order now. You will be prompted to create an account (not LOTR, but for digitalriver, people selling the pre-order) so remember that info (specially pw)
Choose your payment method, may be other than your sub, if are subscribed. You will get an email, it may not be right away.
It looks like this:***Thank you for ordering from Turbine on June 10, 2011. The following email is a summary of your order. Please use this as your proof of purchase. If you paid by credit card, please look for on your credit card billing statement.
Note: If your order contains download products, you can complete the download by looking up your order using the information and link below. When the order summary appears, click on the Download link next to the product name. If your order contains physical products, you will receive a separate email notification when your products have shipped.
(can't D/L till sept tho- but page has other info)To look up your order, please visit: www.findmyorder.com ***
Click that link. Enter either the order number and digitalriver pw or the second option last 5 digets of cc and something else.
You'll see a page "order details" , has Turbine at the top, it is not a digitalriver page.
Look down to product name. you'll see something like this, depending what you ordered: *****The Lord of the Rings Online™: Rise of Isengard™ Legendary Edition - Digital Download ****NOW CLICK SELECT ALL, You need to highlight the area next to that sentence if you don't see the code you'll need. It is like white ink on white paper. Save that number.
Go to https://myaccount.turbine.com
Log into your account. Enter than code/number into the upgrade tab.
Follow the instructions.You will be asked if you want to use existing account or create a new one. Choose YES. You may be surprised to see cc or account info. It seems as tho you are being asked to create a new account. What I found was simply that it is confirming your details or allowing you to change them. ( tho it's just confusing) Leave your details as they have been.
IE: if you have a sub for 14/mo on cc, check that. Or if you want to pay with a different card or different sub, change that now. IF you are on FTP and have no account with the online store, I'm not sure yet what you'd see. I suspect it would be much the same info you have now. If anyone upgraded while on FTP, could you add some info here if you remember it.
"OK" to you agree.Though it seems you may be creating a new account, this is where it ends. I was not asked anything needed to create a new account. I believe they just drag you through your old details (what ever they may be) and/or give you a chance to upgrade details for the upgrade.
If you are prompted to continue and create a new log in or account name and PW, I would exit. I don't think the process goes that far just for the upgrade. This is from memory (and second time) so it may have some glitches. It would be nice if there was a real FAQs from the devs.
I don't see it yet and this is a seriously frustrating way to upgrade a video game.Once I clicked OK to my cc/account details, the screen changed to this:
You have successfully upgraded your subscription! Thank you for your patience while we process your request. Changes to your subscription may take up to one hour to be processed. You may not be able to log into the game or forums during this time.
You have activated The Lord of the Rings Online™: Rise of Isengard ™ Pre-Order. As soon as you log into the game, your characters will have access to:
1,000 Turbine Points for use in the LOTRO Store
All three exclusive Rohirrim Style Mounts with a blanket & emblem in the colors of green, red, and white
All three sets of matching Rohirrim Style set of armour in the colors of green, red and white
All three sets of matching cloaks in the colors of green, red and white
An exclusive in-game Isengard title
A 25% XP Boost for all your characters on your account that will last up to level 65
Access to the Path of the Fellowship Quest Pack (which includes Trollshaws, Eregion, and Lothlorien) in addition to Mines of Moria and Mirkwood Quest PacksAn email receipt has been sent to you that provides additional details about your purchase.
This subscription will automatically renew at US $14.99 per month plus any applicable taxes. Recurring subscription fee and any applicable taxes will be charged against your credit card monthly in advance after the free period. All subscription payments are non-refundable.
Your subscription has been credited with 1000 points.
Edit: I added the RoI to another account that is free to play, although it does have a cc for online store. This was the simplest. There was no mention of account type or the cc info for on-line store. Once at the LOTR account screen, it was "apply code" and click submit button. Then screen explaining the upgrade.
Strange order cancellation Email.
On Sat, June 10th, people started posting that they'd received the following email:
Thank you for your order from Turbine on June 7, 2011. We have not yet received payment during the past 3 days and your order has been canceled. If you have already sent payment, please disregard this notice as your order will be processed when your payment is received. If you have not yet sent payment, your order will not be processed. If you still want to complete your purchase you must place a new order. If you have questions about your order, please visit: www.findmyorder.com Please note: This email message was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming email. Please do not reply to this message. Sincerely,
Turbine Customer Service
www.findmyorder.com Your Order Information:
Order Number: XXXXXXXXXXXX
Order Date: June 7, 2011
Product SKU Product Name Qty Ordered Amount
These emails aren't actually sent by Turbine, if you look at the sending address, it's Digital River sending them. It's been confirmed that they are talking about *failed* attempts to purchase the preorder, possibly just the Paypal problems that people have had. If you check the order numbers against the email you got confirming your purchase (the one with the key code in it) you'll see they are different numbers. Just ignore them, don't panic.
Originally Posted by Arbalister Re: Strange Order cancelation pre-ordering RoI
Just checked my mail, and yeah, those will be failed attempts. Those emails are from Digital River, not Turbine, and, in my case, the 3 failed attempts I had were all Paypal tries. I never even got to the screen immediately after the one where you enter billing info, and select paypal - the continue button there did *nothing* that I saw at my end. I know that this is the case, because those 3 attempts I used a different email address then the one I used for the CC transaction that worked. So, I wouldn't worry about it
I got an email saying my payment didn't go through, I have a record of the payment and I have a key, and the ingame items. RoI doesn't show up in the Game Version History on myaccount.turbine.com.
I think (and this isn't an official answer, so don't take it as such) that it's a similar case to the one above - either its a notice about a failed transaction with a different transaction number, or an erroneous message. People have said that the order number matches the one in the email that delivered their key. My thought is to take a wait and see approach, at this point. However, you *can* verify if your account is set for RoI:
Originally Posted by Arbalister
You can easily check. Look at this post. Easiest way is to start the client, uncheck "Enter last-played world..." and log in (might not have to do this) and the next screen, is "select a subscription to play." On that screen, go to the top of the window, and hit the little, single down arrow button. Go to about, and click "Copy Log to Clipboard." Open something like notepad, and ctrl-v to paste the content of the clipboard. In the spew of data, look for "Product Tokens" In there, somewhere, these are the applicable tokens:
IsenSTD,
LOTROIsenXP,
LOTROIsenMount2,
LOTROIsenCloak2
*note: Those are from my account log...and I only bought the Heroic pack, with the green set. So I'd expect others to see LOTROIsenMount1, LOTROIsenMount3, LOTROIsenCloak1 and LOTROIsenCloak3...or all 3 of each. :-)
Bonus Pre-Order items
Hey, I didnt get all my loot!!! I want my stuff!!
This appears to be pretty common and is likely linked to having full inventory bags. Many posters have noted that clearing out your inventory, logging out, and restarting the client will clear up the issue.source
Originally Posted by Beorthelion
Yeah on a couple of my characters my bags were full so i made plenty of room and relogged...got my loots
Originally Posted by MCorey
Several people have reported that relogging cleared the issue (the remaining items appeared after exiting the client and relaunching).
Originally Posted by Sapience
1 If you had a full inventory you may need to clear it and log out and then back in.
2 Check your mounts panel. They may have auto-applied
How much pack space do I need free? What about storage (Vault/Wardrobe) space?
When you first purchase the pre-order, for each "set" of items, you need 1 space for a gift box containing one colour of armour (so, up to 3 spaces) plus one space for the +25% XP pocket item plus one for each cloak. The mount requires a space, initially, but it auto-moves to your skill list when you log in. So, for the legendary pre-order you need 10 spaces - 3 gift boxes, a pocket item, 3 cloaks, and 3 mounts.
After you log in, when you right click on them, each gift box expands into 5 items. So, the legendary pack will require 19 spaces - 15 cosmetic armour pieces, 3 cloaks and a pocket item.
Note that the armour pieces are cosmetics - you can move them to your wardrobe, or to your character sheet as an outfit, then either store them in a vault, shared storage, or a clothes mule, or delete them from entirely (at the moment reclaim doesn't work to get them back, but any new character you create will have them) If you move them to the wardrobe, you'll require 18 slots for the Legendary pack, 6 for the Heroic- but those items will be available to all your characters. The pocket item isn't a cosmetic, it'll use a storage slot (pocket, pack, vault, shared storage) if you keep it.
Help! I got the wrong color horse/armor!!
Originally Posted by Sapience We're aware of the situation and are working on a fix. You'll get the color your ordered once we've made the changes.
Hey, the Turbine Account page is down! How do I apply my code for my free stuff?
It is down while they fix the above mount color issue.
Originally Posted by Sapience
I't's not overrun. We closed it while we address an issue where players are purchasing one color mount and getting a different one. It should be back shortly. Once it's availalbe you can enter your keys normally.
Originally Posted by Sapience
Everyone who received the wrong color outfit should be fixed. Everyone who orders from here on out should get the right colors. Notes: If your inventory is full and you didn't get an item because of it, clear up some space and log out. When you log back in your missing items should be there.
Mounts may appear either in your inventory or in your mounts panel. If you don't see it in one, check the other.
Can I get any of the pre-order items in the store later?
No. They are only available by pre-ordering.
Originally Posted by Sapience
Let me be very clear that the bundles as they exist will not be availalbe in the LOTRO Store. The mounts are not going into the LOTRO Store - either as a package or as a stand alone purchase.
Originally Posted by Sapience
Except the you won't be able to buy them in the store.
When do I get my pre-order items?
As soon as you apply the account code on the Turbine Account site. source
Originally Posted by Sapience
The items will be delivered to you immediately.
XP Bonus
How does the XP bonus work?
It is a pocket item that when activated gives a +25% bonus to monster kills
Originally Posted by Eldarond1980
It is indeed a pocket item that grants 25% bonus xp to monster kills, this means you don't have to use it if you don't want to. It only works up until you hit level 65 so even after Isengard goes live it will still work (lvl 1 -65). The tooltip does currently state it only works up until Isengard, but thats just a tooltip error which has been confirmed. It will appear on all new characters you create so it's not just for existing characters.
This was confirmed:
Originally Posted by Celestrata
Unfortunately the text on the item is currently wrong. It should state that the boost lasts until level 65, but it will last beyond the release of Isengard. Otherwise, no, there is no time limit on the boost. As long as you have the pocket item equipped, you will have the boost.
Does this stack with the Blue Bar XP bonus?
Yes!
Originally Posted by Celestrata
It does. If you have rested/blue EXP and exp boosts from the store, they will all stack together with the +25% exp pocket item.
Map Packs
Are Moria and Mirkwood quest packs or the whole expansion?
You only get the quest packs in the pre-order bonus. The expansions are sold separately.
Originally Posted by Sapience
Correct. if you want the Moria and Mirkwood expansion they are seperate. Of course if you purchase the Legendary option for Isengard you will have the Moria quests and can just buy the two character slots and Rune-keeper and Warden classes when you wish. Mirkwood is a separate purchase.
Im already VIP. Why would I want the quest packs in the pre-order bonus?
If you ever stop being VIP, you will already have all the quest packs you got in the pre-order.
Originally Posted by Celestrata
Additionally, I should note here that if VIPs purchase the legendary pack and apply the code to their account, you are given the Path of the Fellowship quest packs as if you purchased them out of the store. So, if you should ever fall to a Premium subscription, you will retain access to the Path of the Fellowship quest packs. They are officially yours.
Originally Posted by Sapience
Also, a note about the quest packs for VIPs. If you are currently a VIP and purchase the Legendary edition, you will be given the quest packs the same as if they had been purchased in the store. In short, if you purchase the legendary pack, and later drop to Premium, you will keep access to those quest packs.
Mounts and Cosmetics
What do the pre-order cosmetics look like?
[pp_gal/0/ You can find pics here!]
Also, there are player pics in this thread
Originally Posted by Celestrata
While players prepare screenshots in-game for your consumption, you can check out the "media" section of the Isengard page to see the cosmetics, horses, and cloaks in action shots. The characters in those images are wearing the pre-order stuff, and there's a variety of angles and close-ups to see them in.
Do I get my pre-order mounts/cloaks/items on all characters?
Yes.
Originally Posted by Sapience
The mounts/cloaks/etc are account wide and each new character you create on that subscription will also receive the items.
Originally Posted by Celestrata
Good question. All of your characters will get your Isengard pre-order items, and that includes any characters you may make in the future. Once you apply this key, you will always have your items.
Do I get to choose a different color on each character?
No.
Originally Posted by Sapience
Whatever color you choose is applied to all characters.
Can I /reclaim the pre-order items if I delete them?
Tentatively no.
Originally Posted byJiiro
The /reclaim command doesn't work with these items yet. Just checked, I'd guess they'll be adding it soon though. Also you can place all the items in your wardrobe, so if you place them all in there you won't need to have them using up spare vault space.
Originally Posted by Harperelle
I can confirm that your _cannot_ use /reclaim to get these items back if you destroy them. I get about a bag’s worth of goodies every time I create a new toon. I get the Cloak of Durins Crown, Cloak of the Coldwell, Cloak of Sunset something, Harbingers Cloak, Cloak of Eorlingas, 3 Ithildin coins, a nimblefoot goat, a Mount of the Gap, an armor of eorlingas present, and the +xp pocket item. If I try and delete all of these things, I cannot destroy the coins or the present. I opened the present and destroyed all the armor. Then I used the command /reclaim all and got back 4 items. Just the Cloaks from previous offers, not the Eorlingas cloak.On the other hand, if you destroy your cosmetic goodies, you can always log onto an alt (even a newly created one) and post the cosmetics to the wardrobe.
If you ever do use /reclaim, its important to use the /reclaim all version. Otherwise it will only reclaim one item and then puts the command on a 7 day cooldown for that character. I suppose its necessary to prevent players from making an infinite money stream from selling cosmetics, but it is very annoying when you want your Cloak of Durin's Crown back and /reclaim just the Cloak of the Coldwell.
--Harperella
What are the stats on the bonus horses?
+62% run speed and 200 morale
Originally Posted by Crell_1
Mounts are +62% 200hp, (tooltip is bugged and says 100, but they have 200hp /confirmed)
Do the new mounts require the riding skill (that I have to buy if Im f2p/premium)?
Yes. Every mount but the Founder's Bree mount requires the riding skill.
Originally Posted by Yula_the_Mighty
All of them require riding except for the whistle mounts and the founders Bree horse - the slow one.
Can I dye the new cosmetic items?
No. None of the pre-order items are dye-able.
Originally Posted by Crell_1
None of the preorder cosmetics are dyable.
Questions about the New Content
What are the major features of the new update that we know about?
Massively has released the most detailed article yet, which has the finer points summed up below:
Originally Posted by Belnavar
Check it out: http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06...ard/#continued
Highlights:
- Tier 7 crafting
- Virtue cap increase to 12
- Mobile quest-givers (similar to new ones in Evendim, I imagine)
- Phasing in quests
- Scalable instances will be scaled to 75
- 'tug-of-war' between Saruman and Free Peoples over loyalty of various Dunlending clans
- Store items/access for Creeps in PvMP -Bel
Originally Posted by Belnavar
Massive Online Gamer takes a look at Rise of Isengard (new info)
See: http://www.massiveonlinegamer.com/announcements/1244
Highlights:
1. Location Names - Bonevales, Trum Dreng, Pren Gwyth, Tal Methedras, Dunbog, Wolf's Cleft, Barnavon, Gravenwood
2. Public dungeon - Mines filled with bugan
3. Multiple Dunlending tribes (presumably also rep factions) - Falcon Clan, Ox Clan, Boar Clan, Dragon Clan
4. We will meet Saruman as he uses his sway to influence a Dunlending auction
5. Hundreds of NPCs wandering around main war camp in Gap of Rohan, preparing to invade Rohan
6. We will meet the Rohirrim for the first time at one of their camps
7. The epic story will offer at least two branches of quests, while choices made in another quest line will affect cosmetic rewards, similar to Yule Festival quests.
8. Tier 7 crafting will include new node types (this was almost a given, but it's nice to have it confirmed). -Bel
Also the first Dev Diary is out, by Graalx2, with information about the stat changes coming with the expansion.
That doesn't seem like much of an expansion for $30. Moria was way bigger!
Not necessarily. We have 2 new game mechanics confirmed (phasing and mobile quest givers), a 10 level increase, the first virtue increase since launch (more Melee and Tac. Def FTW!), and a new crafting tier. Plus, we have 4 months till launch and have yet to hear all the planned class revisions.
Originally Posted by Sapience
I'll simply address the OP with a comment similar to one I made elsewhere. Just because you don't know what's coming beyond what we've shared, it doesn't mean there is nothing other than what we've shared coming. Or if you prefer: Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
What are they going to do to my class??
No changes are final yet, however Orion has been busy with post after post of proposed class changes. Go make your voice heard in threads the devs are tracking!
Captain and LM blog with Captain and Lore Master threads
Burg and Warden blog with Burglar and Wardens (Wardens also got a separate blog and thread on Potency)
ZC started a thread with teasers about Hunter changes
Minstrels have three blogs up and afeedback thread that Orion has been pretty active in
Then, Champions have more than a few blogs right now (I needed more words) and there is a final feedback thread too
To my knowledge, no updates for RKs or Guardians have been mentioned yet.
The astute reader will note that EVERY FREAKING WORD in the champ's sentence is a link to a different blog by the champ dev regarding changes. Am I bitter? Well...maybe just a little... It must be all that time cowering behind my shield...
Kelsen also has a HUGE number of blog posts about Moors changes, covering everything from Creep class changes to Freep rewards for PvMP. Check out his profile and he is pretty active in the Monster Play forum. His sticky at the top gives a good once-over of his vision for the moors.
Will there be a new PvMP zone in RoI?
According to a Dev interview, more than likely no.
"As far as a new region," Adam said, "That's probably not going to happen at Isengard, but it could happen sometime in the near future."
Is there going to be a Beta? Do I get to be a part of it by pre-ordering?
Yes, there will be a beta. The beta for RoI will be a closed beta initially, so pre-ordering gets you ahead in the line, but you still have to pass the normal beta review process.
Originally Posted by Sapience
It means when the Isengard beta starts, those with pre-orders will be among the first applicants we consider. You'll still need to apply but as part of our review process the pre-order flag on your account will put you ahead of others. We've done this in the past with previous expansions. To be very clear however, just because you pre-order you are not 100% assured of a beta spot. Our usually selection process applies. As a general rule players banned from preview programs, the game, or the community sites, or with other actions against your account may not be eligible. Players who are known to have violated the NDA in the past are immediately excluded.
Originally Posted by Sapience
I'll clear it upPalantir
Private preview program. Applications only. Applications only open on occasion. Few accepted.Bullroarer
Public test server. Available to everyone when it is opened. Only opened when new content or patches require final testing and tuning. Sometimes used as a closed Beta server.Closed Beta - Sometimes we close Bullroarer to everyone expect those specifically invited to participate in a beta test. This is usually reserved exclusively for expansions. Rise of Isengard will be a closed beta.
What are the new areas going to be?
They are Dunland, Gap of Rohan*, and Nan Curunir. Rohan proper is not a part of this expansion.
Originally Posted by Berephon
Rohirrim is not a zone, it is a people (the people of Rohan to be exact.) The regions are Dunland, Gap of Isen, and Nan Curunir (which contains Isengard, a location within Nan Curunir.)
Originally Posted by Berephon
Whoops, have to correct myself. Gap of Rohan, not Gap of Isen. Probably where the article's author got confused.
- Ya got me too Berephon
Will there be any new instances?
Originally posted by Lowj:
On to the BIG one: instanced content in RoI launch. Sapience confirmed that there will be no new 3/6/12 man instances at launch, nor will any of the instances that currently don't scale be converted to scale to level. He also confirmed that yes, they ARE actually working on an instance cluster at this very moment and that progress is good, but when asked whether that would be released around Christmas or possibly later he simply said "Sure, or maybe even before Christmas. I really can't say anything more specific on that subject." I then asked him whether the instance cluster would be considered part of the original RoI purchase or whether it would have to be purchased separately, and he said that he simply couldn't comment on that yet (sorry Crell_1). Take that non-comment as you will - it may mean a plethora of things, but to me it only means that they either haven't decided or don't want to discuss it yet. I'm not making any assumptions either way, but that's me. He went on to explain that the scaling of ALL instances is a work in progress, that they plan to keep moving forward with that. This would (eventually) include raids as well. As a side note, he said that any instance that is scaled will retain its original level as a minimum, so (for instance) DN will never be available to run at any level lower than 60. I asked specifically about The Rift and he grimaced. He said that The Rift was a special case... Since Rift seems to be the absolute all time most loved raid in this game, one that many players have extremely fond memories of and love for, they are still very unclear on how to properly handle its scaling. He said that if they were to eventually scale it, they would have to do it in a way like they did for Helegrod (i.e. split it up into separate instances) and that this would most likely be a huge disappointment and cause tremendous dissatisfaction with many players - even though, as he mentioned, it really already is just that: a series of separate instances. So while they do VERY much want to scale the Rift, it is something they are still thinking about, trying to find a more 'natural' way for it, to preserve as much of the original 'feel' as possible. It is important to note, in regards to the ongoing process of scaling instances, that it doesn't have priority over, say, the upcoming instance cluster, which to me sounds very logical and reasonable.
Originally posted by Celestrata
Re: Rise of Isengard .... No new 3 man 6 man or 12 man gamescom confirmation
While Isengard itself will not launch with any instances, it does not mean that there isn't an instance cluster in the works... I can't say any more than that, but I think some of you will find some good news in the thread linked above.
NEW: Update 5 (RoI is update 4) will be 5 new instances
Originally posted by Sapience
Five New Instances in Update 5
We are currently preparing five new instances for release post Isengard. Rise of Isengard will be released on September 27 along with a 24 Player raid. There will be 3 Three player, 1 Six player and 1 Twelve player instance released in Update 5, the first update after the release of Rise of Isengard. These instances will be free to any player who has pre-purchased the Rise of Isengard expansion or who purchases after launch via the Turbine Web Store.
Originally posted by Sapience
Re: A friendly chat with Sapience (@ Gamescom 2011)
Some additional information for you. We've started an official discussion thread on the subject of the five new instances coming in Update 5. Rise of Isengard is Update 4 (for those counting).
Originally posted by Sapience
Update 5 will be available before the end of the year.
Originally posted by Stephen1981
Re: Five New Instances in Update 5
sapience when you say turbine web store you mean in the in game LOTRO store ?
Originally posted by Sapience
No. The Turbine web store is the same store we use for the Isengard preorder.
There's more information in this thread but to sum things up, quickly:
There are 5 new instances coming in the update immediately following Rise of Isengard, possibly before Christmas. Anyone who buys RoI from the Turbine Web store - not the in-game LOTRO store - will have access for free. From the wording, it appears that the expansion pack will continue to be available in the Web store (note, not as the preorder bundle that is there now) after the launch on Sept 27th. As yet, there is no information on how the RoI content will be available in the LOTRO in-game store.
What is the "phasing" of which you speak? Am I going to be all alone in a burnt out town because I chose not to do a quest?
Phasing is a way of changing how NPCs and the landscape appear to each player individually. This way, when you save a town it stays saved. This is a different tech than the dynamic-layering tech. You will still be in the same game space as other players, you may just see it differently than them based on your progression.
Originally Posted by jwbarry
Phasing does not use layers. If you and your buddy are on different phasing states and are both in an area configured with phasing you can still see and interact with each other. Your clients will just see and display different visual states of the area. Currently phasing involves visuals relating to npcs, appearances, decals and particles. Future implementations may involve physics or combat, but those are not currently supported.
A Friendly Chat with Sapience (Gamescom 2011) - by Lowj
I went to Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, yesterday and managed to meet up with Sapience, who as it turns out is a very friendly and enthousiastic guy! I had hoped to get a quick 5 minutes with him but he actually kept chatting with me for over half an hour :D
As you may be aware, before I went I asked (in another thread) whether there were any questions you would like answered. I got some great feedback on that (some ok feedback, some downright nasty) and managed to add quite a few questions to the ones I had already planned asking. So here's a short recap of my meeting with Sapience and (most importantly) his answers. Please understand that I asked a whole bunch of stuff but there were a number of questions that he simply could not comment on at all, since it was covered by the NDA, so for most of those I didn't even bother writing it down here. Happy to answer specific questions later, though.
While Sapience was putting away the Dutch salty liquorice I had just presented him with (come bearing gifts, it's a good conversation starter!) I was speaking with a colleague of his who mainly works on DDO (the lovely Tolero). We spoke about the difference between DDO and LOTRO and how DDO is often about puzzles and such, so I mentioned how much I enjoyed the Inn of the Forsaken instance and similar quests. By then, Sapience had returned and he explained that that the people who design an instance get quite a bit of room to play around, and that this particular instance was obviously created by someone who has fond memories of the Goonies :D
F2P/Premium Accounts and PvMP
I then asked some questions (thanks Crell_1) about F2P/Premium accounts - whether there are any plans to add Destiny Points functionality to those account types and whether they will have access to Freep PvMP after RoI launches. Sapience said that the DP functionality is being considered for F2P/Premium but so far it hasn't been decided if they will add it or not. Asked about Freep access to Ettens for F2P/Premium he gave me a puzzled look and said that this was actually the first time someone had asked him that question (kudos to Crell_1 for that!). He said that while he does have a strong hunch about what the answer would be, he didn't know for sure and therefore really couldn't answer it. That's open to interpretation then, although my personal "hunch" is that it may be available, but with similar restrictions. Plenty of room to think either way though, so I guess it's fuel for yet another debate. To be completely honest, I'm not 100% sure if I asked about what would be available in the Creep Store, but I think I did and I think the answer was that it was under the NDA and therefore not something that could be discussed as of yet.
New PvMP Zone
Then we spoke briefly about the new PvMP zone (thanks Sentinelx1337!) that was mentioned a good while ago. Sapience said that while this was indeed something they want to bring into the game, there are no specific plans for it yet, meaning that even internally they have no estimated launch date for it.
LOTRO Roadmap?
Moving on, we talked for a while about the possibility of Turbine releasing a "roadmap" sorts to the LOTRO community, much like they have done for DDO in the past ([COLOR=Lime]thanks Khafar![/COLOR]). Sapience of course was aware of what they did for DDO and said that he personally likes the concept, as do several other people on the LOTRO team. He went on to explain that there is a difference between the LOTRO and DDO communities, which is mainly that the DDO community (as opposed to ours, which is totally true, let's face it) doesn't take "plans" put forward as scripture. He said that the DDO players don't mind if something takes a little longer than expected but are generally only interested in simply knowing that it's in the works. But apparently it is something that they have considered (are considering) doing for LOTRO as well, perhaps at a later date.
Are there 3.6.12 man instances included?
On to the BIG one: instanced content in RoI launch. Sapience confirmed that there will be no new 3/6/12 man instances at launch, nor will any of the instances that currently don't scale be converted to scale to level. He also confirmed that yes, they ARE actually working on an instance cluster at this very moment and that progress is good, but when asked whether that would be released around Christmas or possibly later he simply said "Sure, or maybe even before Christmas. I really can't say anything more specific on that subject." I then asked him whether the instance cluster would be considered part of the original RoI purchase or whether it would have to be purchased separately, and he said that he simply couldn't comment on that yet (sorry Crell_1). Take that non-comment as you will - it may mean a plethora of things, but to me it only means that they either haven't decided or don't want to discuss it yet. I'm not making any assumptions either way, but that's me.
[EDIT: Update! Sapience has confirmed that the instance cluster will consist of three 3-player, one 6-player and one 12-player instances. They'll be part of the upcoming Update 5, to be released "before the end of the year". The instance cluster will be FREE to anyone who has bought RoI either pre-order or (after Sept. 27th) via the Turbine Web Store - which is not the in-game Store!]
Any Scaled Old Instances?
He went on to explain that the scaling of ALL instances is a work in progress, that they plan to keep moving forward with that. This would (eventually) include raids as well. As a side note, he said that any instance that is scaled will retain its original level as a minimum, so (for instance) DN will never be available to run at any level lower than 60. I asked specifically about The Rift and he grimaced. He said that The Rift was a special case... Since Rift seems to be the absolute all time most loved raid in this game, one that many players have extremely fond memories of and love for, they are still very unclear on how to properly handle its scaling. He said that if they were to eventually scale it, they would have to do it in a way like they did for Helegrod (i.e. split it up into separate instances) and that this would most likely be a huge disappointment and cause tremendous dissatisfaction with many players - even though, as he mentioned, it really already is just that: a series of separate instances. So while they do VERY much want to scale the Rift, it is something they are still thinking about, trying to find a more 'natural' way for it, to preserve as much of the original 'feel' as possible. It is important to note, in regards to the ongoing process of scaling instances, that it doesn't have priority over, say, the upcoming instance cluster, which to me sounds very logical and reasonable.
LUA Improvements for Plugin Authors
I mentioned reading about an update to the API for the Lua plugin system - Sapience confirmed that this will indeed be in RoI launch! He says it's still being finalised and that the dev working on it has a lot of other things to do before September 27th but he's confident that it will be completed on time. He went on to say that the UI skinning community will be thrilled to find a tremendously useful update on their tools and available skin definitions.
LI Update Part 2?
On to the LI system. I asked whether he could say anything about whether we would see any changes in that, mentioning the "Phase B" that some people (bastiat1 for one, thanks!) asked me to inquire about (which I myself didn't recognise as a term that's been used by Turbine and apparently Sapience didn't either). He said that it's almost certain that RoI launch will see a decent change in the LI system, but he couldn't go into further detail since it's still under NDA. Sorry I can't report anything specific about this, although I will say that to me it didn't seem like it would be a huge (i.e. significant) update/revamp.
Any Upcoming Kinship Improvements?
One of the things that I've long thought are VERY much in need of an upgrade in LOTRO, as do many of you, is the Kinship system (Galuhad, you're truly a star and let's just say that the folks at Turbine are certainly aware of your proposal!). I spoke to Sapience about this at length. He explained that he agrees with me/us and so do many others on the Turbine staff. And for what it's worth... it IS on the to-do list, even though that list is awfully long. The main problem with it is that, as Sapience explained it, revamping the Kinship system would be a HUGE task, not something they can just whip up in a short time. It would require a rewrite of a significant portion of the client and therefore it's subject to being weighed time and again... is it as important to as many people as (in the current situation) a new instance cluster? (The answer for this current version is obvious: no, it isn't.) So while this is, again, something that many do feel strongly about and would love to implement, it's really a matter of how they spend their budget, which is (contrary to what some on here would seem to think) limited, finite. Paraphrasing his words: if I have one dollar to spend, I have to decide whether to spend it on something that 85% of the player base wants, and that the other 15% will actually also enjoy using, or something that a minority wants very badly, but doesn't mean as much to a big chunk of the rest. Take that as you will, I'll just say that while I'm certainly part of that minority that wants it very badly, I completely understand that Turbine are a business with a budget and that some things just don't have priority as much.
RoI Zones and Maps
I thanked Sapience for taking all this time to talk to me (I really think that more than half an hour is extraordinary, since I'm just a fan, not a journalist) and he said that I'd forgotten to ask one question... THE MAPS! Hehe... Well in case you hadn't heard yet, or seen the (pictures taken of) screenies: the landmass being released in RoI is indeed 3 separate maps, not one. It's Dunland, Gap of Rohan and Isengard. And truly... it is quite big! Oh and I'd personally like to add that while I was initially taken aback somewhat by the leaked screenie of Orthanc, I now have to say that I will probably need to wear a diaper the first time I take my own character(s) there. It is BIG and scary as hell! Sapience mentioned that the whole outrage about there being only one map (etc. etc.) shows once more why there is a need for a NDA; Beta is continually updated and what seems like a finished product on any given day can be completely different the next. So I guess the most sensible advice (as many have shared) would be: don't judge it until you see the finished product.
Conclusion
That's it, save for some random banter and chuckles. I'll close by mentioning that from my experience, I have to say Sapience truly is a nice person. I had a great time talking to him about LOTRO and his work. I'd say we're lucky to have him as a community team manager - he's a very dedicated and enthousiastic guy (leading an also dedicated and enthousiastic team) and that's something that goes a very long way, imo. Flame on, if you will, just my personal opinion :)
As said I'm happy to answer any further questions as far as I can recall with confidence what was said, but this is certainly the bulk and the most important information.
Information from Beta Testers, after NDA Lifted
Current Beta Discoveries and Things to Plan For.
Originally posted by Ardineck
Current beta discoveries/planning for RoI
This is a list of the things that the lifting of the NDA has revealed, but as it mentions in the title, it's still in beta stage, so it's subject to change before final release on Sept. 27th:
Tier 7 crafting name: Westfold
Wood resource node: Birch
Ore resource node: Skarn
Scholar materials: Dunlending and Gondorian scraps of text
Jewels and shiny metal: Green garnets
Cook ingredients:
Tailor hides/leather:
Ingot combinations (khazad bronze, westernesse, white gold):
special craft item (shards, mithril flake):
crafting critical items for each profession:
new "best" token name:
new "best" LI Symbol: Worn Symbol of the Elder King (WSEK?) for level 75 First Age and Worn Symbol of Celebrimbor (WSOC?) for 75 Second Age
new "best" empowerment scroll: Scroll of Greater Empowerment
new guild rep level: Master of the Guild (takes 45k more reputation, so start saving up those rep. items!)
new faction rep: Men of Dunland and Theodred's Riders
Rep-wise Kindred is Kindred and Guild is Master of the Guild.
epic quest beginning: Zudrugund (Nar's Peak) for both forks of the epic quest
New LM pet: Limrafn with the following skills (Flashing Flank Attack guaranteed flank, Nature's Light returns 5% damage for 30 seconds,
Nature's Gift returns 10% max morale but sacrifices your pet, NO auto-attack option)Players will be on "friendly terms" with half-orcs.
On crafting guild reputation: since MoG costs 45k rep. and each Large Supreme version will earn you 5k, you'll need at least 9 of them to get to the next level. You can, of course, cut down on that number by crafting ALL items.
Large Supreme - 5k
Medium Supreme - 2.5k
Small Supreme - 700 rep
Large Master - 4k
Medium Master - 2k
Small Master - 600 rep
Medium Artisan - 1.5k
Small Artisan - 500 rep
Medium Expert - 1.2 k
Small Expert - 400 repIn my opinion, it's never worth using the crafting materials on smalls, unless you're using them in a recipe, but if you haven't saved up larges, you might be desperate. Something to remember about that, these are the numbers for EXISTING rep trade...there is the MoG level which will likely have it's own Small, Medium, and Large. I'm no mathematician, so I can't figure out the approximate increase, but maybe someone out there actually knows the numbers already.
The report is also that the useful and worthwhile recipes are all faction reputation linked, meaning low level alts will not have a chance to craft the important stuff.
LIs: Legacies from level 65s will not work on level 75s as expected. You will also need to level multiple level 70 weapons up to level 30 in order to get the rune types needed for level 75s, but it could be assumed that they will be awarded in quests, as drops, and available to barter with enough reputation. Just like crafting gets a new tier, relics and shard will likely get an increase to 7 and the extraordinary relic shard cost will be high.
PvMP - there will be Freep cloaks available that can be useful even as low as Rank 4 and the level 75 Freep PvMP gear is comparable to much of the other gear, meaning it's actually not a waste of time or just for fun anymore. Grinders in the Ettenmoors may actually get raid worthy or raidable gear by trading Tyrant's Crests, Chieftan's Brooches (20 per piece) for a class set AND you can trade your level 65 piece for a level 75 piece, presumably with a lesser cost. Also mentioned were ring sets, off-hands, and relics (class specific).
Skirmishes - though there haven't been any new skirmishes listed as released, you will likely have to grind out some more SMs. You can trade a Veteran Fourth Mark and 5.5 SMs for Superior Fourth Marks, but you'll need around 100 of them to get about 4 of the 6 available pieces being released for level 75 PvE. Skirmish marks will also be tradeable for scrolls according to some pictures I have seen, so why you'd want to trade in SMs for S4M instead of grinding those out in instances might depend on the drop rates OR if you can get a group together for a skirmish. It's not clear if they'll drop solo, but it seems unlikely. It's also possible that for one S4M and 2.6k SMs you can get one of the Scrolls of Greater Empowerment. For me, I first concentrated on getting a number of things together before I started worrying about the tiers, but some people might just go ahead and do all that work up front. Symbols are able to be traded for in the current release (at least the Celebrimbors) but it's not clear if any of them will be able to be skirmished for in RoI. Either way, there is a lot of work to be done and the first person with a full set pretty much will HATE skirmishes and instances until there are new ones released.
A special thanks to hallasan and mudoz for collecting some of the information
