The Lord of the Rings Online Q&A
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Category: News ArchiveHits: 905
Q: How will instancing for a time-progressed building/dungeon work when you are in groups? Commonly in other games, higher level players help their lower level friends/guildies do quests. Will this not be possible if we have completed the time progressing quests, or will we simply go back in time by entering instances with the low levels? Because if we aren't going to be able to help the low levels, then they will have to sit and wait for other low levels to come along. If we can help them, then we are likely to run into characters doing something out of order in the storyline.
A: This is a big concern for us. Generally speaking, or goal is to give (play with your friends) a higher priority than (never contradict the player's personal storyline and time line.) The idea is and experiences we had in Asheron's Call support this approach that while a single player should be directed by the game in a sensible, story-appropriate direction, players will happily suspend disbelief and disrupt their own flow through the story in order to play with their friends. Past experience demonstrates that the ability to be social does not diminish the experience of playing through the story on your character's personal terms. The specific rules for aiding others are still being determined, but there will be functionality to support such activity.
