Starting March 22^st, 2013, we invite players to apply for the LOTRO Player’s Council. Don’t want to join yourself? Recommend a fellow player you feel will be a positive addition to the council. We may also select players based on their in-game and community behavior and extend an invitation even if they have not otherwise applied or been nominated. Membership in the council is intended to be yearly, and new members will be added annually. Council members will be announced on or before April 19^th.

 Requirements for Applicants and Nominees

• Be 18 years of age or older at the time of their application, nomination, or selection for the council. Must be an active player of The Lord of the Rings Online for at least the previous six months.
• Must maintain an active play style during the council’s term of service. (“Active” to be determined by Turbine at its sole discretion).
• Account must be in good standing with no significant violations of Turbine’s Terms of Service, End User License Agreement or Community Guidelines. Accounts must remain free of said violations during the period of service.
• Applicants may be from any geographic region officially supported by The Lord of the Rings Online.
• Council business will be conducted primarily in English. Therefore we request applicants have the ability to communicate with the team and each other via written and spoken English.
• The ability to interact with other members of the Council and Turbine employees in a mature, constructive, and mutually respectful manner.

Acceptance and Participation

• Council members must agree to the terms of our NDA and agree that any information will not be shared out of the program at any point during or after their service. Violation of the NDA will result in immediate removal from the council and exclusion from all future NDA programs including beta tests. A current list of all council members will be posted to the official forums. Council Members will be identified only by their forum/community name and server name. Real names will not be disclosed to the public without member consent.
• Council members serve for the stated calendar year. The 2013 Player Council will serve for all of 2013, etc.
• Each Player Council will be asked, near the end of their term, to nominate fellow council members to a Small Council. This group will be responsible for bringing ideas and suggestions about the performance of the Player Council to Turbine’s attention. The Small Council will meet face to face with Turbine employees.
• Members of the press or those acting in a journalistic/editorial capacity are not eligible to participate on the council.

Members of the Player Council shall …

• Serve for the calendar year in which they are elected. Participate in private chats and other scheduled events with the LOTRO Team.
• Provide feedback to the LOTRO Team as requested.
• Comment, from time to time, on aspects or elements of upcoming changes before they have reached an Alpha state and prior to their testing on the Palantir private preview server.
• Participate, from time to time, in the Palantir Private Preview Program (and be subject to the rules of that program as well).
• Assist the Community Team in identifying suggestions and recommendations from the community that match the goals set for the Council.
•  Make suggestions and recommendations in accordance with goals set for the council by the LOTRO Team.
• Participate in and help design focused feedback surveys for the council and the general community.
• From time to time, be asked to help draft a report on the council’s activities for publication to the entire community.
• Recommend players to participate in the Small Council.
• Be guaranteed access to all Beta tests during their term.
• Be provided with a Turbine Point stipend on a quarterly basis.
• Be provided a private discussion area for interacting with the LOTRO Team.
• Courtesy invitations to player parties or other similar events that take place during their term. (travel and other expenses associated with these events are the responsibility of the individual).

The Small Council Shall…

• Participate in a face to face meeting with the LOTRO Team and Turbine staff if asked. Location to be decided by Turbine. (Travel expenses to be provided by Turbine.)
• Provide feedback to Turbine and the LOTRO Team on the performance of the Player Council.
• Suggest changes, improvements, or revisions to the Player Council.

 

LOTRO Player Council Application

If you would like to apply or nominate someone to participate in the LOTRO Player Council, please submit an email to LOTROCOUNCIL@TURBINE.COM with the following information:

• Real Name
• Email address
• Country
•  Are you over the age of 18?
• Primary Character Name
• Primary Class
• Primary Server
• Primary Kinship or Tribe
• Forum Name
• Do you use any of the following? If so, which?
  • Twitter, Facebook, Google+
• What is your primary play style/focus?
  • PvMP
  • PvE
  • Solo
  • Raid
  • Role Play
  • Other. Please explain.
• What issues are you most interested in discussing?

 

LOTRO Player Council FAQ

What is the LOTRO Player Council?

The LOTRO Player Council is a group of players selected to provide targeted feedback and valuable suggestions to the LOTRO Team. This will involve participating in surveys, focused discussions, as well as highly structured and targeted developer chats. Often the topics covered will be elements of game design at their earliest stages, well before they are committed to development or appear in our test programs like Palantir.

How many members will be part of the council?

The LOTRO Player Council will consist of not less than 30 and not more than 50 players at any point during the term.

What is the “Small Council”?

The small council is a group of 5-7 council members who will be tasked with providing feedback on the LOTRO Player Council and making recommendations for how to improve it in the future.

Does Turbine determine the makeup of the LOTRO Player Council?

All members of the council will be selected by Turbine in accordance with the eligibility requirements listed in the application. Any player who meets the requirements may apply for a place on the council. Any player may nominate another player for a position by submitting an application on their behalf.

The forums are only a small portion of the playerbase, how will the larger community be heard?

We will extend invitations to some players based on internal research, participation in other feedback groups, and other means we feel appropriate to determining their ability to be a voice of the general playerbase on the council.

What if I don’t live in North America?

You may still apply to be on the Council.  The goal is to create a diverse group that accurately represents the playerbase in terms of geography, playstyle, and interests.   We do ask that all applicants be capable of participating in the council in written and spoken English.

Will my participation be kept private?

The LOTRO Player Council will be covered by a Non-disclosure agreement that all participants must agree to before being added to the council. However, we will publish a list of all players participating in the council.  This list will not reveal your real name, but either your forum name or character name at your choosing.

I haven’t played LOTRO in a long time, but I really want to be part of this!

We’re very sorry, but the Player Council is for active players who have been playing LOTRO regularly for at least the previous six months.  Once you meet those criteria, we’d be happy to have you apply!

How do we know Turbine will listen to us?

All feedback and suggestions provided by the council will be reviewed and considered by the LOTRO Team. When possible, we will make note of the fact that certain features, changes, or additions are suggested by the council. We may also discuss some aspects of council actions in Developer Chats or developer diaries.

How will the Council be held accountable to the full community?

The role of the council is to serve as a representative body that provides feedback as requested and suggestions as appropriate. It is not an elected body answerable to a constituency. Our expectation is that members of the council appreciate their role as a special representative group and seriously consider the interests of all community members when making their suggestions and providing their feedback.  We believe the size of the council is sufficient to insure the majority views are well represented.  

How long will the council serve? Can you be on the council forever? Who has oversight of the council?

The council will serve for a period of one calendar year. No player may serve on two consecutive councils. Towards the end of each year the council will be responsible for making recommendations for a small council that will be responsible for suggesting changes and improvements to the council system. 

What about players not accepted into the council?

Applicants who were not selected for the council may be called upon to fill vacancies in the council should they arise. In addition we may, from time to time, reach out to the applicant pool for feedback to check the accuracy of council feedback or to provide additional feedback. Also players not selected must reapply in the future; applications are not carried over from year to year.

How can the general community help bring issues to the attention of the council?

The existing suggestion forum is the best place to start. The council will work to bring outstanding suggestions from the larger community to our attention.  We recommend well written, well considered suggestions as the most likely to catch the council’s eye. Other methods may also be made available.

What if I’m chosen for the council and people harass or grief me in game because of my participation or if they don’t like suggestions the council made?

Harassment is harassment and a violation of the EULA, TOS and Community Guidelines. Players engaging in this behavior for any reason are subject to action based on the existing prohibitions against harassment.

 

Click here to discuss the LOTRO Players Council.