Episode 37: Alternated, Repeating

Welcome to another Episode of Through the Palantir! This time we dive into Update 9 Preliminary (aka Bullroarer) release notes. Conclude the prediction I made last episode, wade through a ton of "stuff I've done," discuss the Fellowship and Warband maneuver systems, and read some letters that I found in our email box. It's a nice long episode so get comfortable for another trip, Through the Palantir.
-Ivan



You can download Episode 37 here.

Episode 36: Definitely Enlightening

Welcome back to another Episode of Through the Palantir! In this episode we discuss the first major patch to Rohan, how to Drive your Warsteed and not run into a tree, listener feedback and much, much more! Also, this episode only clocks in at a little over an hour so you won't need to warm up for a sitting marathon before tackling it. Enjoy!



You can download Episode 36 here.

Episode 35: Rise of Rohan

Welcome, my Lords, to the exit from Isengard! In this episode of TTPalantir we finally tackle the launch of the newest expansion of LOTRO. With Release notes, patch notes, and 2 weeks to digest, experience, and play Rohan there is a plenty of discussion and dissection of what we have found awaiting us on the rolling plains of the Mark. Get ready for a ton of game news!
-Ivan



You can download Episode 35 here.

Episode 34: Workin' for Ondor

Welcome to another installment of Through the Palantir! In this episode we have special music, special topics, a special main topic, special announcements about special accomplishments made in-game by a special host, and a bunch of mundane game news. This is an episode that is sure to have you humming for weeks because of multiple (yes MULTIPLE) earworms that WILL get in your head, but it's all worth it so come on in and catch the tune, the news, and our distinct viewpoint from Through the Palantir!



You can download Episode 34 here.

Episode 33: Don't Panic

It's a light episode for Through the Palantir this time, with a blisteringly fast turnaround for our standards! In this Episode most of the discussion centers on the main topic: getting started with Groups and Instances as well as a discussion of proper behavior in PvP communities. But as always there's plenty more than just that but you'll have to listen for yourself to find out what it is. Welcome, to another episode of Through the Palantir!



You can download Episode 33 here.

Episode 32: When Raids Go Wrong

Welcome to another journey Through the Palantir. On this Episode Ivaneus talks about Ivan, to such lengths that it puts Drilorin's podcast about talking about himself to shame! Also there is discussion of how to handle things as a raid leader when the raid is having trouble, discussion of game news, and more that you'll just have to find out about for yourself. Welcome to Episode 32.
-Ivan



You can download Episode 32 here.

Episode 31: Absolutely Nothing

Welcome to another Episode of Through the Palantir. This time Ivaneus will Delve into the wonderful worlds of: Dev Diaries! Expansion Betas! Kinships! And Email! There's a lot to be heard so grab the podcast at all the usual places and enjoy.
-Ivaneus



You can download Episode 31 here.

Something has Awoken in the Dark . . .

What is this stirring?

Something that has slumbered has arisen and now reaches for the surface and sunlight.

That which has not seen the light of day rises to claim its place.




Episode 16 shall be completed.


The lost anniversary episode is coming!

Episode 30: Long and Rambling and Ranty

Join Ivaneus on an extended look into the plethora of Class specific Developer diaries that have been released in anticipation of Rohan. Also included is a whole lot of what has been going on lately and a main topic that will blow your mind. This is a shorter Episode from Through the Palantir, so enjoy it while it lasts.



You can download Episode 30 here.

Riders of Rohan Delayed

You've heard about it, I've heard about it, and unfortunately I recorded my next episode a few days before the announcement so I'm going to talk about my thoughts on the matter here on the Blog to get some form of more immediate response.

First the facts: The launch date has been moved from September the 5th to October the 15th, giving a total of 41 more days to wait for the launch of Rohan. To tide people over, Turbine is giving 500 Turbine Points and a bag of store goods to people who have pre-ordered Rohan.

Firstly I am fine with waiting. Turbine told us straight up that what happened was that the Beta uncovered some glaring defects and they have made the right call in announcing immediately that they have to take more time to fix the stuff in the Beta (after all, Betas are about catching and repairing these things so it's only right to actually do that). I'm not chomping at the bit waiting to get into Rohan, level to 85, level a horse, level new Lengendary Items, purchase more levels of Audacity, and generally do more grinding.

Having more time beforehand for Turbine to put out the Summer festival (and for players to enjoy it), for me to work on character advancement, finish instances and deeds, and get around to more of the things I want to get done at 75 suits me just fine.

Which leads into the second part, Turbine giving presents to those who pre-ordered Rohan, and no one else.  Once again I must concur with their decision. The pre-order people have put money down and already declared that they are ready and eagerly waiting for Rohan. It is only right that they be given something to atone for missing the self-imposed deadline Turbine had set. Those who have not pre-ordered (myself included) have already shown that they are not in a great rush to get to the new zone. We don't need to be placated for having to show a little patience, because we aren't in a rush to start with!

Overall I believe that Turbine has handled everything correctly and that this entire incident will transpire and progress smoothly, with minimal stress and headaches.

Sincerely,
Ivaneus of Through the Palantir

Episode 29: Fat Orcs are Best

And so are fat podcasts! This one clocks in at just a bit over 3:40:00 so get ready for a chunky episode that's full of news, analysis, Reavers, and squishy water! It's the Reaver Roundtable and our guests are large and in-charge of the madness (and therefore, also responsible for it). Also up is a look at the Riders of Rohan Dev Diaries including a massive one about changes to the Ettenmoors. Enjoy it all on this episode of Through the Palantir.
-Ivan



You can download this episode here.

And check out a blog post from one of guests that was inspired by the Roundtable here.

Episode 28: That's Already Eight Strikes Against It

Welcome, to the Warg Roundtable! After delays of epic proportions it has finally arrived! Enclosed within this episode lies: An explanation for its tardiness, Update 7 Dev Diary and Updat analysis, What I have done and where I have been, and Wargs wargs wargs! Also, be sure to check out the blooper reel for all ~24 minutes of its goodness.
-Ivaneus



You can download Episode 28 here.

Episode 27: The Defiler's Wrath

Join Ivaneus on this Episode as he sifts through his adventures in LOTRO, the game news, lag, and a lengthy interview with some returning guests to provide some insight into LOTRO. In this episode we cover the Weaver class, Update 6.1, and more so get ready for some meaty dialogue and one absolutely tremendous blooper reel on this Episode of Through the Palantir!



You can download Episode 27 here.

Status Update

Hey Everyone, I know nothing's come out for quite some time, but I assure you that that will soon be rectified. I am in the final stages of editing for Episode 27, with the Weaver Roundtable; I have the Warg Roundtable in the beginning stages of the editing process, and I am recording the Reaver Roundtable later today. Additionally, I was slowed down by internet troubles so I lost a week's worth of working on the Weavers and because I had to sift through the garbled mess that was attempt #1 for the Warg Roundtable to see what was salvagable I lost more time putting the Weavers further behind release schedule.

Still, Episode 27 should be live hopefully by Saturday morning (in the US, evening for me) and then I will be able to concentrate on churning out the Roundtables as fast as possible.

In the meantime, have a look at the shenanigans that occurred in the chat room for the Warg Roundtable(s) and enjoy the sneak-peak at what is to come.

Sincerely,
Ivan

Episode 26: Fair Enough for the Black Arrows

Still behind schedule, but continuing on all the same, this episode of Through the Palantir is bursting at its digital seams with Update 6 Developer Diaries, news, analysis, and a whopper of a Roundtable populated by Black Arrows and with Merric sitting in for the ride! I advise you to pack a lunch because this episode is anything but short. Enjoy! -Ivan

You can download Episode 26 here.

Changes: Vision. Direction. Motivation.

I have been thinking a lot lately about what I do here with this podcast and how much of a difference it actually makes.

Sure there's a few people who listen, and handful that check the blog, 1/30 of my attempts at humor work, and we no longer have to worry about Matthrim speaking, but there's still a lot to be desired. For instance, my YouTube channel has, in just a few short months, sextuple the amount of regular followers that the podcast does, has surpassed the blog and podcast for content, and overall has proven to be a more effective method of disseminating information, as well as being a far more interactive experience for its followers.

Sure its focus is more "limited," "narrow," or "singular," but these are hardly negative things when painting your objectives in broad strokes leads to your schedule being outlined with crayon. Spitefully.

As these things kept occuring to me I realized that all the passion for podcasting is gone. It has just become a drudgery and exercise in frustration. In addition it seems to continually eat into my limited time and prevents me from accomplishing other goals I have such as reading War and Peace or feeding the pet dog. I also realized that I spend an inordinate amount of time creating a single episode for consumtion. I can spend almost three hours recording, 5 hours editing, and 2 or 3 more hours trying (and failing) to upload what has turned out to be a mere 2 hour long podcast.

With this realization I finally came to my ultimate conclusion, I should quit podcasting.

But that now leaves me with a spare 10-16 hours a week in which to do other stuff (to say nothing of time spent scheduling the podcast, looking for guests, or avoiding getting to the podcast by trying to empty the refrigerator) and nothing to fill the void. I still want to be able to provide some kind of service to the Lord of the Rings Online community and my YouTube channel just doesn't fill those kinds of hours.

So I went looking for inspiration.

And I found it in the community of my home server, Landroval, and its Role Playing community roots and heritage.

You see, there is a major aspect of avid role playing that receives little to no recognition, and yet is vital to its very existence, and that is the creation of characters and their personal stories that detail their lives, adventures, and give us insight into their motivation and beliefs. And the primary place that these back stories (and current stories sometimes) are expressed is in fan fiction.

Writing and the Engelish lgnguaae is one of my oldest loves and I realized that not only could I offer my help with writing and editing, but that I could re-purpose the Through the Palantir blog into a great home for budding fan fictions and authors within the universe provided by Turbine and Warner Brother's vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. This would not only keep this blog from becoming yet another dead hyperlink on the internet, but fill a niche that is currently empty while allowing people to find new ways to connect and get to know one another's in game avatars in a deeper and more personal way.

This is an official announcement!

Through the Palantir is now becoming the first and foremost archive and home for Lord of the Rings Online fan fiction and a haven for the writers of these works. I myself shall offer my services not only as a host and editor, nor even as another author, but also as a ghostwriter for anyone with a story to tell, but not a lot of time to write it, will to write it, or writing skill.

Any of these services will be available by request and I will have more than enough time to handle everything as we become established in this new role and start to re-aquire more members to the TTPalantir Team to help shoulder the load.

This will by no means be an easy transition, and some will not like it. But the benefits are impossible to ignore. Instead of being a slow, underrated podcast serving up the same news as LOTR Reporter or A Casual Stroll to Mordor but several weeks behind those podcasts, we will be providing service to an unserved area of the community. One that has taken refuge on My.Lotro and other personal blogs and mostly been lost to the depths of archives and ignominity. Until now.

I look forward to moving into this new venture and having you come along with me. With some hard work, we'll make the Lord of the Rings Online Community better and a more open and accessible one.

Let's get to work.

-Ivanues of Through the Palantir, the ultimate LOTRO fiction archive

April Fools!

Episode 25: Warleaders are Whacko

After (and in spite of) many delays due to flying into a different country, equipment failure, and manually building a wall for a week episode 25 has arrived! Join Ivaneus and his guest Warleaders, Buppkiss and Burglartarget, as they plump the depths of the class in their roundtable discussion, and talk about Dev diaries and other news before Update 6. But with Merric mysteriously missing from the roundtable the minds of these miscreants will be moved in a myriad of tangents and directions that you will not want to miss a moment of! So ready yourself for your podcast listening experience and embark on yet another journey Through the Palantir.

-Ivaneus

You can download Episode 25 here.

Episode 24: Defilers, Discourse, and Defacement

Defiler Roundtable! Update 6 Dev Diaries and Previews! New Communication Methods! All this and more is contained in this more than two hour long episode of TTPalantir goodness. So get out the spoon and dig in because this one is chunky and choc full of in depth discussion and analysis from your host and the roundtable guests and is not to be missed! -Ivan

You can download episode 24 here.

Slight Delay

Hey everyone, once again the podcast has been held up a bit longer than I would have liked. This time it is due to Roundtable scheduling. The first Roundtable has been giving me trouble with getting participants to get back in touch with me so I can coordinate schedules and get the thing running etc. so I have shoved it back. The second table, however, has come along more smoothly and should be recorded this weekend (along with the rest of the next episode) so you can expect a new episode sometime next week (hopefully Monday or Tuesday).

In addition I thought I'd take this opportunity to make a couple announcements about the roundtables. Although these announcements are being made on the blog first they will be in the next Episode so that no one misses them. 1) If you are interested in participating in one of the Monster Play Roundtables, send me an email at the Through the Palantir gmail account. This lets me easily get back in touch with you and give access to things like schedules and outlines via Google's myriad of features. However I must also say that if you express interest but fail to reply to queries about availability etc. in a timely manner then I will schedule without you and you will not be on the podcast roundtable.

2) Merric of a Casual Stroll to Mordor will be on as many of these roundtables as possible. I invited him along and gave him permission to record and do whatever he wanted short of live streaming. This means that everything will be released after editing which means we have slightly more freedom to get de-railed, sidetracked, and generally have fun while recording. More importantly, it means that we will also be reaching a larger audience which is fantastic according to me since the primary goal is to have the roundtable out there as a resource for everyone in the community.

3) When scheduling falls through I will change the order of Roundtables. I am already doing this with the Warleader Roundtable and Defiler Roundtable by pushing the Warleader's back and going forward with the Deffies. But in the future I will try to actually bring Roundtables further up so that the podcast schedule does not slip up. But since it is already too late for that this time around, I will be recording the Warleader roundtable and releasing a (probably) shorter episode within a week of the Defiler one. This means that if you are/were interested in participating in either of those roundtables you have a very short window in which to get in for the Warleader one, and for the Defiler's you basically have 1 day for me to be able to squeeze you in (but I have plenty of Defilers so it's not a problem).

That's all for now and I shall have the next Episode out very soon. Expect to hear our alternate intro music for a while along with some fun new stings.

-Ivan

Episode 23: Everything Worth Mentioning

Once more Ivaneus has come forth to share his knowledge and views on the Lord of the RIngs Online in his own manner. This week we tackle Update 5.1, the Riders of Rohan announcement, wrap up the Ettenmoors Geography, and tackle player email and blog comments. So sit back, relax, and have a happy and prosperous year of the dragon as we go Thorugh the Palantir.

-Ivaneus

You can download Episode 23 here.

Episode 22: A Lull in the Holidays

Join Ivaneus, Ivan, and me in this episode of Through the Palantir as we discuss the Instance cluster from Update 5, what we have done since December, and a new sponsor?!? Is that even legal?!?! Possibly. You'll just have to listen and find out for yourself! Also included is a new newbies rundown of the Ettenmoors as well as Ivan's thoughts on ideal group composition in PvMP and an abudant lack of emails, comments and messages to respond to. Looks like Ivaneus will have to delve into the horros of real life to find more things to talk about. So pull up a chair, pop some Apirin (or painkillers) and get ready for another trip Through the Palantir. Enjoy. -Ivaneus

You can download Episode 22 here.