I'm confused on this quest pack thing. I hate questing, so what if I just want to grind mobs to level? Is that somehow impossible in LOTRO?
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
Sure what you like and dislike is opinion. Trying to characterize the mid-level content as a re-purchase, however, is not opinion, and in fact is a distortion -- sort of like when people have the opinion that lunar landings never occured. Both opinions are factually wrong. Now I guess you can STILL believe falsehoods, but then there's no point in discussing further.
What you fail to realize is that buying the box at $50 wasn't enough after the first month. You also had to buy access in the form of a subscription. The new f2p model replaces that subscription access fee with a one-time access fee. You are in no way repurchasing content, no more than you would be repurchasing content under subscription.
The mid-level content now being locked for returning players who go Premium is not a re-purchase in the sense that those who bought the box in fact OWNED the content. We do not ever own the content, even if we go the a la carte method and buy the adventure packs. We don't even own our characters.
Through payment, we get the right to access the servers and the content.
The problem comes from the fact that Turbine has changed its payment plans three years into the game that does not really lend itself to being butchered up in this way. This bothers me because I don't like it when companies make changes to their payment plans on this scale and in this fashion. It's similar to when cable companies take channels away from subscription packs you get with them and then ask you to buy another package to get the channels you once had.
Is it legal? Yes. Is it good business practice? I guess it is for the company but for the customer it doesn't seem to be that great. What happens if Turbine decides to change other things and makes you pay for accessing old content again in those new changes?
In comparison, despite a lot of stuff being restritced on the EQ2X bronze and silver memberships, everyone has access to levels 1-80. No one is missing content for levels 30-50 or some such. People are inticed to pay for removing restrictions from bronze/silver characters to make the game easier. I prefer the model of EQ2X at the moment over Turbine's in that sense. Yes there are other issues with EQ2X that I like less than Turbine's proposed shop, but that's a different post for a different day.
I'm confused on this quest pack thing. I hate questing, so what if I just want to grind mobs to level? Is that somehow impossible in LOTRO?
F2P LotrO will be perfect for you
You mean by NOT paying, I get to avoid the thing I hate most in MMOs?
*Rubs hands together and smiles*
*Makes plans to buy bagspace out of sheer gratitude*
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
one that we can enjoy for itself, not to go in denial and pretend we're helping a company just to refuse to admit we're ashamed of our investments.
you know...like "those games we loved back then"...
personally i loved mario. i think it's a great game. The old one. It's cheap, fun, kept me entertained for years. Also lets look at super-revolutionary games of even earlier.
tetris
pacman
even further back...
pong
What makes them "real games" ? well they were original for one...they had emphasis on gameplay not on graphics...they were cheap, addictive, fun, stimulating and challenging.
You'll have to forgive me if I don't think a guy with a sword, a guy with a lightsword and a guy with a mace are too different from eachother.
what's a real game? look at the big things that happened in the industry. Guys with swords were "it" once too. But now we want to move on. I don't know how or where, if I did I'd be a millionaire. I'm just here to force progress.
Basically then you are on the wrong web site (MMORPG) and if you are playing LotRO you are playing the wrong game for you. LoTRO is a MMO-RPG, what part of that don't you understand? The games you listed as examples are "NOT". Get a clue.
Sure what you like and dislike is opinion. Trying to characterize the mid-level content as a re-purchase, however, is not opinion, and in fact is a distortion -- sort of like when people have the opinion that lunar landings never occured. Both opinions are factually wrong. Now I guess you can STILL believe falsehoods, but then there's no point in discussing further.
What you fail to realize is that buying the box at $50 wasn't enough after the first month. You also had to buy access in the form of a subscription. The new f2p model replaces that subscription access fee with a one-time access fee. You are in no way repurchasing content, no more than you would be repurchasing content under subscription.
The mid-level content now being locked for returning players who go Premium is not a re-purchase in the sense that those who bought the box in fact OWNED the content. We do not ever own the content, even if we go the a la carte method and buy the adventure packs. We don't even own our characters.
Through payment, we get the right to access the servers and the content.
The problem comes from the fact that Turbine has changed its payment plans three years into the game that does not really lend itself to being butchered up in this way. This bothers me because I don't like it when companies make changes to their payment plans on this scale and in this fashion. It's similar to when cable companies take channels away from subscription packs you get with them and then ask you to buy another package to get the channels you once had.
Is it legal? Yes. Is it good business practice? I guess it is for the company but for the customer it doesn't seem to be that great. What happens if Turbine decides to change other things and makes you pay for accessing old content again in those new changes?
In comparison, despite a lot of stuff being restritced on the EQ2X bronze and silver memberships, everyone has access to levels 1-80. No one is missing content for levels 30-50 or some such. People are inticed to pay for removing restrictions from bronze/silver characters to make the game easier. I prefer the model of EQ2X at the moment over Turbine's in that sense. Yes there are other issues with EQ2X that I like less than Turbine's proposed shop, but that's a different post for a different day.
It's funny you mentioned the cable comparison..because that happened to me last month...which is part of what led me to my original post. Right in the middle of watching a HOUSE marathon on Sleuth channel (VERIZON FIOS)...ok..i'm a loser..but the show rocks...the show cuts off and a message says I do not subscribe to the channel. I've had the channel on my package for about 2 years. Customer Service tells me exactly what you stated and offered to re-bundle my package...at a cheaper rate. Translation: We'll give you a good rate with the new bundle on a new 2yr contract(my original contract expired) then when the discount runs out..which is only for a limited time...they jack the price even higher than anything I paid prior. It's bullshit and it's happening with more and more businesses..not just mmos and cable companies. The workers and consumers of this country have less and less rights every day. Just my opinion.
Sure what you like and dislike is opinion. Trying to characterize the mid-level content as a re-purchase, however, is not opinion, and in fact is a distortion -- sort of like when people have the opinion that lunar landings never occured. Both opinions are factually wrong. Now I guess you can STILL believe falsehoods, but then there's no point in discussing further.
What you fail to realize is that buying the box at $50 wasn't enough after the first month. You also had to buy access in the form of a subscription. The new f2p model replaces that subscription access fee with a one-time access fee. You are in no way repurchasing content, no more than you would be repurchasing content under subscription.
The mid-level content now being locked for returning players who go Premium is not a re-purchase in the sense that those who bought the box in fact OWNED the content. We do not ever own the content, even if we go the a la carte method and buy the adventure packs. We don't even own our characters.
Through payment, we get the right to access the servers and the content.
The problem comes from the fact that Turbine has changed its payment plans three years into the game that does not really lend itself to being butchered up in this way. This bothers me because I don't like it when companies make changes to their payment plans on this scale and in this fashion. It's similar to when cable companies take channels away from subscription packs you get with them and then ask you to buy another package to get the channels you once had.
Is it legal? Yes. Is it good business practice? I guess it is for the company but for the customer it doesn't seem to be that great. What happens if Turbine decides to change other things and makes you pay for accessing old content again in those new changes?
In comparison, despite a lot of stuff being restritced on the EQ2X bronze and silver memberships, everyone has access to levels 1-80. No one is missing content for levels 30-50 or some such. People are inticed to pay for removing restrictions from bronze/silver characters to make the game easier. I prefer the model of EQ2X at the moment over Turbine's in that sense. Yes there are other issues with EQ2X that I like less than Turbine's proposed shop, but that's a different post for a different day.
How is it being butchered? You say it so vaguely that I don't know which part you're even talking about. You say the payment plan has chenged so much? You can still subscribe just the same way you have always been able to.
How is it being butchered? You say it so vaguely that I don't know which part you're even talking about. You say the payment plan has chenged so much? You can still subscribe just the same way you have always been able to.
Just think about it a little bit: the game is getting cut up for F2A players or people on Premium memberships. I'm not talking about people who subscribe. I never meant people who subscribe if you reread my posts.
Someone who has bought the original box + expacs but goes Premium will have the entire middle part of their content locked. They'll have to rebuy it piece-meal or work for it through Turbine points or whatever. There is no natural flow through one area to the next in the original areas of the game unless you subscribe.
Considering that LotRO was designed with the intent of being an immersive world, I think that locking content in such a way, compelling F2A or Premium players to go through the cash shop goes counter to that.
It is a break of spirit and I fear that the F2A carrot-on-stick will compel more players to opt for this style of play over immersion and RPG-like worlds.
How is it being butchered? You say it so vaguely that I don't know which part you're even talking about. You say the payment plan has chenged so much? You can still subscribe just the same way you have always been able to.
Just think about it a little bit: the game is getting cut up for F2A players or people on Premium memberships. I'm not talking about people who subscribe. I never meant people who subscribe if you reread my posts.
Someone who has bought the original box + expacs but goes Premium will have the entire middle part of their content locked. They'll have to rebuy it piece-meal or work for it through Turbine points or whatever. There is no natural flow through one area to the next in the original areas of the game unless you subscribe.
Considering that LotRO was designed with the intent of being an immersive world, I think that locking content in such a way, compelling F2A or Premium players to go through the cash shop goes counter to that.
It is a break of spirit and I fear that the F2A carrot-on-stick will compel more players to opt for this style of play over immersion and RPG-like worlds.
If you're not talking about subscribing players, then there's nothing being butchered, as the game was only available to them before the change.
You don't go premium, premium is simply an account that has subscribed or spent money on the game at some point, as opposed to an account that has never spent anything. There comes certain small perks once that happens. Even those of us that bought the original box aren't re-buying anything, so much as paying a one time, subscription fee to permanently unlock that content. So, yes, the full experience of the flow is restricted to subscribers or those who drop a little more than a single month's price to unlock them. The epic quests are apparently available for everyone, just not all the stuff on the side.
The game still felt as immersive up to the point that I played during beta. What would you suggest to improve upon the model to prevent the de-immersion? ...why the hell is immersive show up as misspelled? That's annoying the hell out of me.
I don't really think it is a break of spirit to allow players to experience the first chunk of the game, the entire epic story quests and much of the gameplay, but not the mid-level side stuff.
Regarding Codemasters. As Papadam said, they are also opening new servers, I don't know how many but I know of at least one german and one english.
In the light of Codemasters having been delayed, they have also opened up all old accounts so people can play for free.
This means if you are a former subscriber (or just had a trial) with Codemasters and you were looking to return for f2p, you can actually still return and play for free, except you still get all the old content. If I was bold, I would say that is a better deal than the 'real' f2p vresion :P
So I think it is fair to say the Codemasters are trying to make amends.
I think it is important to let people know, in the midst of all this doom and gloom
Yes they are also letting people create trial accounts which as access to all SoA content that will run until new version released and have added enhanced XP and free stable travel.
I thought the mmorpg communtiy would have had an absolute fit over lotro going pay to win.
Some people were screaming that early on, and some still will do so. However I must ask, what excatly is there to 'win?' This isn't a PvP focused game, and never was; the little bit of PvP there is was already slanted in favor of the Free People.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
It just tickles me that the 'SAY NO TO F2P' lot are basing it seems all their 'information' with LOTRO on the F2P market as a whole - LOTRO is vastly a different system to all the easten 'gimped at high end if you don't pay more then the normal monthly sub' system.
It doesn't help that Turbine originally marketed it as free to play, before they started refering to it as a hybrid model. Those who write game related articles took up that free to play moniker and ran with it (on this website and others).
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
I think designing raids so that you need to have bought permanent stat boosts and heal pots to get through them is a rip off, yes. And before you claim that you don't have too; I have already been kicked out of a pug Helegrod raid because I refused to buy HoT pots in the cash shop.
That is more a reflection on the character of the people in that raid, rather than the game itself. You'll find those types in any MMO (the WoW add-on Gearscore, and the guilds that live and die by it, is a perfect example).
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
A measly 17 bucks per customer that already bought the game at retail and and a couple of months or more subscription money.those poor developers sure deserve to get payed [b]again[/b] by those customers.
It definately is amazing what some people think! $17 for a one time fee, versus a continuing subscription of $15 per month, both for a game you already 'bought.' Gee, which is going to cost a customer more now? Besides, you never actually bought anything except for a game box and an installation disc. Here's a hint: Try reading the EULA/ToS next time when you install a MMO game; you were leasing the game.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Purchase quests as well as other things one needs in order to advance in the game? No thanks and that doesn't seem like "free to play" to me...more like an enhanced demo at best. I'll pass...same with DDO once it became F2P as well. Kudos to those who want to tough it out though. I think it's probably best if one makes an official subscription like any other P2P game because I feel that this F2P label is misleading.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
I'm confused on this quest pack thing. I hate questing, so what if I just want to grind mobs to level? Is that somehow impossible in LOTRO?
Not at all, just grind to your heart's content!
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Purchase quests as well as other things one needs in order to advance in the game? No thanks and that doesn't seem like "free to play" to me...more like an enhanced demo at best. I'll pass...same with DDO once it became F2P as well. Kudos to those who want to tough it out though. I think it's probably best if one makes an official subscription like any other P2P game because I feel that this F2P label is misleading.
It is misleading, because in LotRO you can still pay a subscription and bypass all of the purchasing of quest packs and related charges. In other words, paying a subscription now is pretty much just like paying a subscription before, only now you get free points to use in the store every month. In point of fact, this is a hybrid model and not the standard free to play model.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Regardless of what blabber is spewed here in the whine section, the F2P is already a smash hit. The servers are packed. There are people questing together and soloing everywhere. New kinships (guilds) have sprouted up all over the place. OOC and RP chat is alive and kicking. Soon this game will be 2nd only to WOW in North America subscription and players wise.
Regardless of what blabber is spewed here in the whine section, the F2P is already a smash hit. The servers are packed. There are people questing together and soloing everywhere. New kinships (guilds) have sprouted up all over the place. OOC and RP chat is alive and kicking. Soon this game will be 2nd only to WOW in North America subscription and players wise.
Sure, maybe number 2 until this fall, when Vindictus offically launches. And if not by then, then at least by next year, when GW2 hit stores.
After buying the SOA boxed set, all of the expansions (and extras) as they came along, and then paying a monthly subscription for over 2 years, I bought a lifetime subscription.
I am not upset that new folks can come along and unlock the game for life for only $70.00 (or $100.00 whatever it is). It is peanuts what they have to pay compared to what I paid. I'm just glad they have the opportunity to enjoy LOTRO.
I'm here and always will be (except for death or disaster) on the Meneldor server to help (in game) anyone who needs it . Enter Middle Earth and enjoy the experience, and if you are like me, stay.
If you're not talking about subscribing players, then there's nothing being butchered, as the game was only available to them before the change.
You don't go premium, premium is simply an account that has subscribed or spent money on the game at some point, as opposed to an account that has never spent anything. There comes certain small perks once that happens. Even those of us that bought the original box aren't re-buying anything, so much as paying a one time, subscription fee to permanently unlock that content. So, yes, the full experience of the flow is restricted to subscribers or those who drop a little more than a single month's price to unlock them. The epic quests are apparently available for everyone, just not all the stuff on the side.
The game still felt as immersive up to the point that I played during beta. What would you suggest to improve upon the model to prevent the de-immersion? ...why the hell is immersive show up as misspelled? That's annoying the hell out of me.
I don't really think it is a break of spirit to allow players to experience the first chunk of the game, the entire epic story quests and much of the gameplay, but not the mid-level side stuff.
To me if I had a subscription to the game at one time and came back as a Premium without access to stuff I did once before, it would be a non-immersive experience because there would exist a huge hole in the content that wasn't there before.
My way of improving the lack of immersion is to not limit the content itself in the way they have done. I would have a B2P model instead but with a small trial for people to see if they like the game enough to get it. I would keep restrictions in place that would induce people to pay money either through the cash shop or by getting a normal subscription. They have this already in place, but it could be added upon to increase revenue if they see fit and then they can always lock new content they add to the game (new books, adventure packs, etc.). And of course I'd keep in place the P2P payment scheme.
I find that the current model is better for a game like DDO that lends itself to have dungeon instances locked until you purchase them somehow.
I disagree with you about your last sentence. To me it is a break of spirit because the original world is no longer an open world.
Comments
I'm confused on this quest pack thing. I hate questing, so what if I just want to grind mobs to level? Is that somehow impossible in LOTRO?
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
~Albert Einstein
Ah thanks, totally forgot about that key, just used and it still worked.
~
But, everyone knows that there ARE no dwarf women, and that dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground!
Will the Dwarve female toons have booby sliders?
F2P LotrO will be perfect for you
If WoW = The Beatles
and WAR = Led Zeppelin
Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
The mid-level content now being locked for returning players who go Premium is not a re-purchase in the sense that those who bought the box in fact OWNED the content. We do not ever own the content, even if we go the a la carte method and buy the adventure packs. We don't even own our characters.
Through payment, we get the right to access the servers and the content.
The problem comes from the fact that Turbine has changed its payment plans three years into the game that does not really lend itself to being butchered up in this way. This bothers me because I don't like it when companies make changes to their payment plans on this scale and in this fashion. It's similar to when cable companies take channels away from subscription packs you get with them and then ask you to buy another package to get the channels you once had.
Is it legal? Yes. Is it good business practice? I guess it is for the company but for the customer it doesn't seem to be that great. What happens if Turbine decides to change other things and makes you pay for accessing old content again in those new changes?
In comparison, despite a lot of stuff being restritced on the EQ2X bronze and silver memberships, everyone has access to levels 1-80. No one is missing content for levels 30-50 or some such. People are inticed to pay for removing restrictions from bronze/silver characters to make the game easier. I prefer the model of EQ2X at the moment over Turbine's in that sense. Yes there are other issues with EQ2X that I like less than Turbine's proposed shop, but that's a different post for a different day.
Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.
You mean by NOT paying, I get to avoid the thing I hate most in MMOs?
*Rubs hands together and smiles*
*Makes plans to buy bagspace out of sheer gratitude*
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
~Albert Einstein
Basically then you are on the wrong web site (MMORPG) and if you are playing LotRO you are playing the wrong game for you. LoTRO is a MMO-RPG, what part of that don't you understand? The games you listed as examples are "NOT". Get a clue.
It's funny you mentioned the cable comparison..because that happened to me last month...which is part of what led me to my original post. Right in the middle of watching a HOUSE marathon on Sleuth channel (VERIZON FIOS)...ok..i'm a loser..but the show rocks...the show cuts off and a message says I do not subscribe to the channel. I've had the channel on my package for about 2 years. Customer Service tells me exactly what you stated and offered to re-bundle my package...at a cheaper rate. Translation: We'll give you a good rate with the new bundle on a new 2yr contract(my original contract expired) then when the discount runs out..which is only for a limited time...they jack the price even higher than anything I paid prior. It's bullshit and it's happening with more and more businesses..not just mmos and cable companies. The workers and consumers of this country have less and less rights every day. Just my opinion.
How is it being butchered? You say it so vaguely that I don't know which part you're even talking about. You say the payment plan has chenged so much? You can still subscribe just the same way you have always been able to.
Just think about it a little bit: the game is getting cut up for F2A players or people on Premium memberships. I'm not talking about people who subscribe. I never meant people who subscribe if you reread my posts.
Someone who has bought the original box + expacs but goes Premium will have the entire middle part of their content locked. They'll have to rebuy it piece-meal or work for it through Turbine points or whatever. There is no natural flow through one area to the next in the original areas of the game unless you subscribe.
Considering that LotRO was designed with the intent of being an immersive world, I think that locking content in such a way, compelling F2A or Premium players to go through the cash shop goes counter to that.
It is a break of spirit and I fear that the F2A carrot-on-stick will compel more players to opt for this style of play over immersion and RPG-like worlds.
Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.
If you're not talking about subscribing players, then there's nothing being butchered, as the game was only available to them before the change.
You don't go premium, premium is simply an account that has subscribed or spent money on the game at some point, as opposed to an account that has never spent anything. There comes certain small perks once that happens. Even those of us that bought the original box aren't re-buying anything, so much as paying a one time, subscription fee to permanently unlock that content. So, yes, the full experience of the flow is restricted to subscribers or those who drop a little more than a single month's price to unlock them. The epic quests are apparently available for everyone, just not all the stuff on the side.
The game still felt as immersive up to the point that I played during beta. What would you suggest to improve upon the model to prevent the de-immersion? ...why the hell is immersive show up as misspelled? That's annoying the hell out of me.
I don't really think it is a break of spirit to allow players to experience the first chunk of the game, the entire epic story quests and much of the gameplay, but not the mid-level side stuff.
Yes they are also letting people create trial accounts which as access to all SoA content that will run until new version released and have added enhanced XP and free stable travel.
Some people were screaming that early on, and some still will do so. However I must ask, what excatly is there to 'win?' This isn't a PvP focused game, and never was; the little bit of PvP there is was already slanted in favor of the Free People.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
It doesn't help that Turbine originally marketed it as free to play, before they started refering to it as a hybrid model. Those who write game related articles took up that free to play moniker and ran with it (on this website and others).
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
That is more a reflection on the character of the people in that raid, rather than the game itself. You'll find those types in any MMO (the WoW add-on Gearscore, and the guilds that live and die by it, is a perfect example).
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
It definately is amazing what some people think! $17 for a one time fee, versus a continuing subscription of $15 per month, both for a game you already 'bought.' Gee, which is going to cost a customer more now? Besides, you never actually bought anything except for a game box and an installation disc. Here's a hint: Try reading the EULA/ToS next time when you install a MMO game; you were leasing the game.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Purchase quests as well as other things one needs in order to advance in the game? No thanks and that doesn't seem like "free to play" to me...more like an enhanced demo at best. I'll pass...same with DDO once it became F2P as well. Kudos to those who want to tough it out though. I think it's probably best if one makes an official subscription like any other P2P game because I feel that this F2P label is misleading.
There always have been, as far as I know.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Not at all, just grind to your heart's content!
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
It is misleading, because in LotRO you can still pay a subscription and bypass all of the purchasing of quest packs and related charges. In other words, paying a subscription now is pretty much just like paying a subscription before, only now you get free points to use in the store every month. In point of fact, this is a hybrid model and not the standard free to play model.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Regardless of what blabber is spewed here in the whine section, the F2P is already a smash hit. The servers are packed. There are people questing together and soloing everywhere. New kinships (guilds) have sprouted up all over the place. OOC and RP chat is alive and kicking. Soon this game will be 2nd only to WOW in North America subscription and players wise.
Sure, maybe number 2 until this fall, when Vindictus offically launches. And if not by then, then at least by next year, when GW2 hit stores.
After buying the SOA boxed set, all of the expansions (and extras) as they came along, and then paying a monthly subscription for over 2 years, I bought a lifetime subscription.
I am not upset that new folks can come along and unlock the game for life for only $70.00 (or $100.00 whatever it is). It is peanuts what they have to pay compared to what I paid. I'm just glad they have the opportunity to enjoy LOTRO.
I'm here and always will be (except for death or disaster) on the Meneldor server to help (in game) anyone who needs it . Enter Middle Earth and enjoy the experience, and if you are like me, stay.
Rmoin, Bastion of Light kinship, Meneldor.
To me if I had a subscription to the game at one time and came back as a Premium without access to stuff I did once before, it would be a non-immersive experience because there would exist a huge hole in the content that wasn't there before.
My way of improving the lack of immersion is to not limit the content itself in the way they have done. I would have a B2P model instead but with a small trial for people to see if they like the game enough to get it. I would keep restrictions in place that would induce people to pay money either through the cash shop or by getting a normal subscription. They have this already in place, but it could be added upon to increase revenue if they see fit and then they can always lock new content they add to the game (new books, adventure packs, etc.). And of course I'd keep in place the P2P payment scheme.
I find that the current model is better for a game like DDO that lends itself to have dungeon instances locked until you purchase them somehow.
I disagree with you about your last sentence. To me it is a break of spirit because the original world is no longer an open world.
Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.