Spring Series - Lord of the Dragonflies

It's been a crazy two weeks for me and I wasn't able to make a special post this past Monday, April 21st, but I would like to take a moment and wish Material Middle-earth a Happy Second Anniversary!

Anyway, I'm more than certain there's no such thing as the Lord of the Dragonflies in the lore. It's just that I've been so hellbent on using that Cloak of the Dragonfly, I had to name this outfit after it. That cloak is probably the most unique-looking one in the game due to the crazy assortment of colors found in it. I've literally spent the past two months focusing on it, making it the central piece to an outfit. That seems to be the only way to work with it, otherwise it looks shoehorned when added to a nearly finished outfit. Kudos to those of you have successfully integrated the Cloak of the Dragonfly into your creations!

Woodland Sentinel - Morghann of Gladden

Have I ever been a major stickler for the lore? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. When it comes to dressing up my characters, I've never adhered to it. Your character doesn't need to be an elf to wear something elvish nor a dwarf for something dwarvish. Sometimes it's about your character's background. Sometimes it looks too good to pass up! If you're like me, sometimes you'll get sick of using the same model for specific colorings and stylings. For some reason, my cappy always wears something in indigo, violet, or purple that's suitable for the race of Man. I've decided to shake up the status quo and throw on something green and elvish. *GASP*

Let it be said, however, that I have the utmost respect for those outfitters who willingly and consistently remain within the confines of the lore.

2014 Anniversary Festival Rewards & Steed

Beautifully themed pattern this year...except that we have another robe. I'm feeling a little let down again regarding festival cosmetics, as all we saw last year were robes, robes, robes, and, you guessed it, robes. I was hoping that we'd be seeing new dresses and tunics this year, as those are far easier to accommodate cosmetically in our outfits. What's done is done, and there no sense in me getting all huffy and puffy over these. I'm already well on my way to collecting these pieces of gear!

...and can we talk about the beauty of the latest tablecloth steed?

Beneath each picture is the name of the piece and it's respective token cost. The far right screenshot in each cosmetic set is dyed red to reveal the dyeable potions.

Reveller's Robe of the Odogil (10 Anniversary Tokens)

Update 13 & MME Plans

Today's a big day for LOTRO. The patching for Update 13 is well under way and I wanted to take a few moments to discuss my plans for Material Middle-earth for the next several months. As some of you may know, Aaron "Rowan" Campbell, the new Executive Producer for LOTRO, released his latest letter addressing the community and upcoming changes to LOTRO. I'll mention a couple of points from it, as they are relevant to this blog and all things cosmetic. If you're looking for other information, you'll find it in the letter.

Rowan's April 2014 Letter:
New Class, Housing, and Upcoming Locations:

First of all, it excites me to hear about Beornings being our new class. All I can think about are the new skill animations for blog pictures...is that bad thing? I've been blogging for LOTRO for so long now, that I tend to see many things from a cosmetic viewpoint. (Minimal details have been released regarding the class, but as it stands, the Lore-master has some competition.) I sit here wondering how the bear forms will appear, even though the transformation has been explicitly mentioned as a possibility. Will we be able to choose the color of our fur or will our hair color at creation dictate it? Although this might sound like too much, will the bear forms look substantially different from Lore-master pets? I'm trying to not get my hopes up and make a proverbial mountain out of this mole hill sized but of information, but I can't help it!

Secondly, hearing that there will be no major housing updates makes me sad. This isn't to say there won't be any changes to the system, but who knows what they will be. As some of you have noticed, the full title for this blog is "Material Middle-earth: A LOTRO Outfitter's & Housing Blog" and I had hoped to feature player houses again, something I haven't done in well over a year. Originally hearing about the major updates former EP Kate Paiz mentioned in her letter I decided to put houses aside and wait. Nearly a year went by and only the storage and upkeep systems changed. I had been hoping for a free-hook system, allowing players to place their decorations wherever they'd like. I was even hoping for updates that would revitalize the housing community, making neighborhoods places where you'd frequently encounter other players. I've even been eagerly awaiting the day where the Hytbold furniture is properly categorized by hook type. I might not display homes any longer, as too many are left abandoned or have foreclosed as it stands...and that would lead to a slight alteration in the blog's name.

Lastly, I'm glad to hear mentioning of the Blackroot Vale, Osgiliath, Dol Amroth, the Dead Marshes, Minas Tirith as future locales. As someone who chooses specific places to take screenshots of outfits, these places will create many more opportunities not only for myself, but for the lore fanatics. Maybe this means we'll get some Gondorian fashion to compliment the zones! I'll admit, I'm having second thoughts about the Dead Marshes, if it's only to check on the status of Sam and Frodo. It sounds to me that'll be more of an instanced space for the Epic questline. Honestly, I wonder if that means we'll get a glimpse at Emyn Muil, the craggy, rocky labyrinth on the far side of Nen Hithoel. I hope so! I'd also jump at the chance to see the Swan Knights!


Upcoming Plans for MME:
Blog Format, New Outift Series, Potential Contests, Retirement:

Lately, I've been thinking this blog could use a graphical facelift and possibly some reorganizing. I'm not entirely sure how flexible Blogspot is in terms of customization or if I'll need to go learn a specific web-based language. My roots are so deep at Blogspot, that moving would be detrimental. I remember the the very first layout of this blog, filled with blues, purples, blacks, and golds...all done with MS Paint. Some three months down the road, with the announcement of Rohan, I changed the theme slightly, using PSP 7, to fit the upcoming expansion area and that's what I still have running here. Now that we're on the path to Gondor, I find myself wondering if I should make my blog more Gondor-friendly or something a bit more universal and pleasant. Something is certainly in the works. I'm also going to be looking at a more efficient tag categorizing system to make the sidebar more user friendly, and updating the screenshot guide.

Speaking of something new in the works, I've been tinkering with a once-used posting style. I don't know how many of you were around when I posted outfits for the Harvestmath season in 2012, but I'm planning on reviving entries featuring three outfits. Please note that these special posts will be themed on a specific type of gear (i.e. robes, dresses, or tunics) and will contain simplistic outfits using two to three pieces each. These are for those ensembles that don't deserve six screenshots each or a full-length entry. You'll know it when you see it. Those posts will be titled "Simple Fashion -- [insert style here] Ideas" and will appear every one to two months. I'm hoping this will revive some interest and transform seasonal/festival rewards into year-round attire.

The very first post for MME was a cosmetic contest for Forgotten Darkness. Unfortunately, it was one of a kind. I've gotten lazy in that regard and there have been no other contest outfits featured here. Time willing, I might display some server-based contest winners here. I've been invited to judge several player-sponsored events on Gladden and a couple on other servers. I've even been known to hand out a few prizes myself. This is a BIG maybe, as I've already got a lot on my plate. Outfit submissions are still out of the question...I know for a fact I can't accommodate those players, as much as I'd like to. I've seen many beautiful cosmetic displays over the years!

Depending on what comes along with Update 14 (if the quarterly update schedule holds true that would be late July), I might not retire from my cosmetic career entirely. With all these ideas and tidbits Turbine has been dropping, I've found my levels of interest in LOTRO slightly increasing. I still have enough materials to get me through July and August. Despite the game-altering changes that arrived with Helm's Deep, there are definitely some new and exciting possibilities approaching. Time will tell!

Spring Series - Floral Queen

Here's the next installment in this year's Spring Series. You've probably noticed, or you will now that I've told you, these season-themed outfits are brightly colored and very casual. For the most part, I've been on this lengthy stretch of outfits geared towards combat and adventuring. This week, and perhaps next week as well, I'm showcasing a social outfit. I've caught wind that some RPers from Landroval and Laurelin follow this blog and I'd hate to leave them feeling excluded. I've attended various events myself, such as the weekly Ales & Tales and the Eriador Music Society's concerts. Many players come well dressed and sometimes in large groups wearing the same outfit!

Kheledûl Contessa - Lanael of Gladden

Originally, I had planned out the nine outfits that would lead to the retirement of Material Middle-earth. With the recent change in plans, I've been able to sneak several additional ones into my posting schedule. The one you see here this week is one of them. : )

The outfits featured here have been rather extravagant the past couple of months. I've been asking myself if it's absolutely necessary to fill every available cosmetic slot when I make something. Looking back at the past few posts, I've pretty much used every space. I've tried to follow the adage less is more, but it doesn't always work. Based on experience, filling spaces for the sake of filling spaces has resulted in fashion overkill. This week, I've opted to keep this one simple and let the beauty of this Long-sleeved Dwarf-make Dress speak for itself. If anything, Brosh's Cloak was included because it matched the stylings and coloration of the dress so well.