LOTRO to go 'free to play' in the autumn....

I was actually going to get a lifetime sub....although I doubt it will go free to play in Europe.

DDO is still a monthly sub with codemasters.
 
spudbynight said:
I was actually going to get a lifetime sub....although I doubt it will go free to play in Europe.

DDO is still a monthly sub with codemasters.
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It says this in the article

"Warner Bros. has announced that Turbine's The Lord of the Rings Online MMO will relaunch worldwide this autumn as a free-to-play game."

And

"European LOTRO operator Codemasters Online is on board with the change and the new service will launch in autumn across North America and Europe."
 
Apparently this was one of the better online MMO's so I'll probably try it out.
Coming out just in time for my third year at uni... brilliant
 
Gutted for the lifetimesub people who took the offer up the other week.

That's pretty ****.
 
Got a lifttime sub ages ago, its free to play to lvl 50 now, with 50-65 for subscribers only, subscribers(and lifers) get VIP subscription and a set amount of points for the "store" a month, apparently you can earn points as you play aswell.........

The problem is, while the newest area's get the most play, the kinds of players this encourages to take up are the ones who don't play, but pay their way to everything.

I'm someone who personally doesn't really like raiding, its too much time and effort even if its pretty casual in Lotro, I just hate looking for pick up teams constantly to get through raids and don't play often enough to be in a half decent guild.

But theres people who play free to play/partial paying games, and those that don't, they tend to be different types of people and this will likely change the community/types of people playing. It could have a good effect, it could bring in mostly pratts who ruin half the game and flood chat with spam.

It doesn't look too good for the quality/style the games moving in, its already become painfuly easy vs when the game launched.

I don't know if the game will make it to the "end", IE, mordor they are at the current rate, years and years away from finishing the game and by then it will look old, feel a bit crap and if it continues getting easier at the same rate, barely worth playing.
 
[RB];16685280 said:
Gutted for the lifetimesub people who took the offer up the other week.

That's pretty ****.
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Theres still subscription, only 60-65% of the game is free, upper level stuff, expansions, are subscription so lifetime sub, assuming it does go for 4-5 more years and eventually gets to the "end" will probably be quite cheap.

Though subscription SHOULD reduce, but probably won't. At the moment I'm paying for the whole game, if 70% of it goes free, I'm only paying for 30% of the content, lifetime subscription cost should really come down dramatically aswell.
 
drunkenmaster said:
Theres still subscription, only 60-65% of the game is free, upper level stuff, expansions, are subscription so lifetime sub, assuming it does go for 4-5 more years and eventually gets to the "end" will probably be quite cheap.

Though subscription SHOULD reduce, but probably won't. At the moment I'm paying for the whole game, if 70% of it goes free, I'm only paying for 30% of the content, lifetime subscription cost should really come down dramatically aswell.
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That's not too bad then.

Sort of a full on 'try before you buy' type of affair.

I just thought if it was fully free, Codemasters/Turbine had effectively conned a lot of honest people into parting with £75.
 
I just brought a lifetime sub, not at all upset, I still get points to spend in the store monthly and you still have to pay for the high level stuff
 
You could look at this in a way as an extended free trial because you cant hit max level without subscribing so you cant experience most of the game anyway
 
Oizu said:
You could look at this in a way as an extended free trial because you cant hit max level without subscribing so you cant experience most of the game anyway
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To be fair, in terms of area's, Moria's big, but all basically the same, its great first time through but dull as crap the 2nd-12th time, Mirkwood is very closed in and fairly dull(though I got a bit bored of Lotro after leveling a couple alts really fast, so have barely got half way across Mirkwood).

A lot of the content 1-50 is superb, its a huge world, with a LOT of quests.

While 50-65 takes a while, Moria is quite compact and direct, 1-50 has so much travel, open space, different area's. Its a LOT of content for free, its well worth playing through with a more direct/fun damage type class for really anyone, Lotro fan or not, its a great world with some really good main quest lines. Worth running around even as a lvl 10 guy just to see the sights once.
 
I think if its free to play 1-50lvl and 50+ whatever lvl sub only is a great idea. Don't get me wrong, I know its bad in general but I've tried LOTR free trial recently and in few hours of gameplay I saw 3-4 other players. This put me off from getting the sub as I didn't want to play on my own.
 
I see this as a positive move, the one things that all MMO's need to make them viable/fun and engrossing is server population! No matter how great an online game is, if there is hardly anyone about, you are less likely to stay. If this free play increases all the server population by x2 or even more, then its good for all players concerned.

So this life time subscriber is happy with this news.
 
Hmm was tempted by the half price life time sub recently (my normal sub actually ran out today to my surprise) but I don't think I will now.

I wonder where this puts people like me come Autumn who own both expansions and have level 50+ characters.

EDIT: details off lotro turbine website

lotro.jpg


Premium is just free to play after one purchase, VIP = Subscriber. Looks like with my account I'll be able have quest access the three starting areas, Erid Luin, Bree & Shire + Mines of Moria & Mirkwood as I own them, as well as the epic story chains in other areas.

Dont know what will happen with my characters as right now I have 9 slots (made one of each class) but with the new system i would have the basic three plus 2 for Mines of Moria and 2 for the adventurer pack, not to mention inventory bags going from 5 - 3.

In other words I wonder how they will handle old subs/people going from VIP to premium.

In terms of core game play subscriptions give you 2 extra character slots, 2 more inventory bags and free quest access to the other areas of Eriador (lvl ~20-50, 8 areas in total), monster play and full traits. Along with other supporting features like full auction features, destiny points and rest XP.
 
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i have a life time sub (didnt get it cheap either)

and tbh i still think this will be good for the game, can't wait.

will be easier to tempt friends to try the game and hopefully should increase the player base.

+ i get the 500points a month to spend on goodies in the store.

roll on autumn (unless we have a better than average British summer!)
 
I'm really annoyed - not because I think the lifetime sub is a waste, still think I'll get my money's worth given the way it's done, but it was pretty underhanded to do it the way they did, they knew full well this was coming.

The ftp model works really well in D&D online, so I don't doubt it'll be good for the game, I'd just like to have been given a choice.
 
Turbines last game benifited from going F2P, Dungeons and Dragons Unlimited, was also voted the best free MMO of 2009, but now at least ill be able to try out LOTRO, only played the beta of it.
 
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