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Lord of the Rings goes F2P

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  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,943

    Originally posted by Garvon3

    Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


    Originally posted by Czzarre

    I will also add, This is a (another) very good reason NOT (and never) to buy a Lifetime membership to any MMO

    Nothing is changine for lifetime users. So, not sure what you are talking about. We even GET 500 point FREE a month to use in the shop.

    What you get, is fake money in an item shop to buy items that you should have been getting as part of the game already. You payed for the subscription fee, the sub fee pays for all the in game content. Now they're holding some of it back and making you pay again. 

    Garvon, that isn't quite true.

    if you have seen the DDO options then this will be exactly the same. Nothing is held back. Literally nothing. The monthly subscribers and lifetime members get the exact same content period. The only thing that changes for a subscriber is that if they want they can get some additional things in the item shop for their 500 points per month. Otherwise, you can play the game in the exact same fashion as you did before and other than the possibility of getting some undesirable people in the game just because it's free, you won't notice a difference.

    At all.

    edit: the thing is, like it or not (and no reason you have to like it) LOTRO is NOT going free to play. This is where people need to actually look at what's happening. What IS happening is that LOTRO is adding an additional free to play model.

    So other than the option to spend additonal points you get monthly for athelas pots or whatnot, you will still get the same content as you did before.

    The additional stuff you would get in the store is actually additional because if there wasn't a store then you would still just go about gettnig athelas pots the exact same way as before.

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  • AphamApham Member UncommonPosts: 99

    Originally posted by uquipu

    So much for LotRO community having a great rep.

    .

    All kinds of people wander off the Internet into a free game. Criminals, drug abusers, mentally ill, etc

    Hahahahahah I assume sarcasm in your post?

    If not I a sorry for laughing.. I believe the 15 bucks a month was not much of a gate to prevent criminals, drug abusers, or the mentally ill from entering the game :-p. If anything these types of people have addictive personalities so would be more prone to exist in mmorpgs :-x.

  • Garvon3Garvon3 Member CommonPosts: 2,898

    Originally posted by uquipu

     




    Originally posted by Garvon3





    Originally posted by RZetlin

    Let's face it, F2P with cash malls are the way of the future for MMORPGs.

    I won't be suprised if we see more major titles going F2P.






    And thus, the spiral of destruction that started with WoW has now seen the death of the MMORPG industry. It was fun for a while, well until 2005 anyway. 





    .

    Yeah, since WoW went free to play, now everyone and their brother is going f2p.

    .

    DAMN YOU WoW!

     

     

    Did I say WoW's FTP is what ruined the industry? No, it's moron friendly simplicity did. 

  • NirwylNirwyl Member Posts: 103

    F2P is the death of any MMO for me. I've never played any F2P game that wasn't horrible. Sure I don't play LOTRO anymore, but it was always something I considered going back to sometime when I got bored. Now I'll never go back. When people don't have to pay for something it loses it's value in their minds and they treat it like it is, trash. LOTRO might last a long time because of this and make lots of money, but it will never be the same game many people loved.

    I remember a couple of years ago an in game friend and I were really big fans of LOTRO and we were talking about how great it was and all the cool stuff Turbine would add before we reached Mordor. Now I wonder where he is, I haven't talked to him for a long time. I wonder how he is taking this sad news.

    I really do worry about this current trend of F2P in mainstream MMOs. I've been playing MMOs since Asheron's Call, so for like 10 years. I'm not worried this will kill MMOs, but I'm worried it will change them so much that I won't ever want to play them anymore.

  • Cephus404Cephus404 Member CommonPosts: 3,675

    It might make me give LORTO another shot.  A while back, I tried to download the free trial, multiple times, it never worked.  I downloaded the regular version, the high-performance version, all of them locked up during the download and I could never get any of them to play, whereas games like DDO came down and ran just fine first time out. 

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  • NeblessNebless Member RarePosts: 1,877

    Originally posted by Ceridith

    Then again... a huge part of why I liked the game was the community, which sadly, is going to go down the drain very, very fast.

    and to the others worried about griefers etc.... coming into the game

    I'm not sure that you'll have to really worry about that and I'm basing this on how DDO went. 

    As a P2p you had a very dedicated core of players, then knew each other and were very welcoming to newcomers (sending welcome to the game gifts etc...).  The game then went F2p and yes you did get an influx of players since there was no real bar stopping them from trying out the game (buy a box, pay a sub etc...).  The thing was because of the unique IP / game setup the normal 'Kid' population dropped offline fairly quickly.  Those that stayed; while generally younger in age, acted more in accordance with the games norm (mature behavior). 

    So what you have now is an established IP with a new crop of players - that want to be there - something I see as different than those playing a typical F2p hack and slash grinder.

    Now I'm not saying all is roses and cream.  I normally keep the global channel off because I just don't care to see what someone's political views are, but I did the same in LotRO, AoC and a few others.  I remember the day I shut down LotRO global because it was when M. Jackson died.  The amount of crap going back and forth about him wasn't something I wanted to see while playing.  And that was from the supposely mature community.

    I think LotRO will see a bunch of new players just because it'll be free.  They will come in, mess up the house alittle but then they'll leave either because they don't have a clue to the IP, won't like the combat or reading all the quest plots.  Those that remain will be the one's that will adapt to the games norm's.

     

    Sovrath:  Yes official LotRO isn't going F2p, it'll be just like DDO with 3 tiers of 'membership' if you will.  Free play, Premium (those that have bought something in the item shop) and VIP (the paid sub's), but because we currently only seem to have 2 word choices F2p and P2p, LotRO will be known as Turbine's other F2p game.  You can even see that in Warner Brothers press release.  From a marketing standpoint calling something Free will garner more interest, than tell them they have to pay to check it out.

    SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter

  • dougmysticeydougmysticey Member Posts: 1,176

    I like this model as it provides choice and lower commitment options. It creates a larger (albeit less mature) community which expands group possibility and still offers the full sub options to those that want them.

     

    I also think that this model makes tons more money for the company and actually drives some of the behavior we want as players...more content. I read an article, I believe it was with Perfect World Entertainment, about how this model drives a very good revenue stream and that a small percentage of players do the majority of purches but a vast amount of players are contributing small amounts, adding to the whole to create "cashflow".

     

    I believe that LOTRO was probably doing OK but the success of DDO (a dying game that is now thriving) they simply chose this route. I do not believe it is the death of the MMO and this model (which is different than a pure item mall approach) will work out well for us players and the industry as a whole.

    image

  • DibdabsDibdabs Member RarePosts: 3,239

    Originally posted by Garvon3

    You don't need to group in LotRO to do anything anyway. That's why its hard to find groups, not population. It's a solo/instance heavy game. Absolutely no incentive to group, except the occasional boss mob, then after thats dead the groups disband.

    Sounds right up Ihmotepp's street.  I await his inevitable post on the subject with baited(sic) breath.

  • NeblessNebless Member RarePosts: 1,877

    There's alot more we need to know about how LotRO will handle the new business model (and I'm going to use some of the DDO names here):

    Adventure packs / expansions:  Normal quests free with the Book quests as an Adventure pack?  (that would probably work).  Would you have to buy MoM just so you can buy Mirkwood? (hope not as I don't care for either of those 2 but would love to play in Rohen).  Skimishes a cheap but seperate buy item? (could live with that)

    Item Shop: Just how much will be in it?  Cosmetics - fine, low level weapons & armor - fine, uber stuff - no

    Server merges / character slots etc......

    While I think this is a good and I'll play (dropped it last Dec, just wasn't getting $15.00 a month of fun out of it anymore) I just hope Turbine handles the move as well as it went with DDO.

    SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter

  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,943

    Originally posted by Nebless

    There's alot more we need to know about how LotRO will handle the new business model (and I'm going to use some of the DDO names here):

    Adventure packs / expansions:  Normal quests free with the Book quests as an Adventure pack?  (that would probably work).  Would you have to buy MoM just so you can buy Mirkwood? (hope not as I don't care for either of those 2 but would love to play in Rohen).  Skimishes a cheap but seperate buy item? (could live with that)

    Item Shop: Just how much will be in it?  Cosmetics - fine, low level weapons & armor - fine, uber stuff - no

    Server merges / character slots etc......

    While I think this is a good and I'll play (dropped it last Dec, just wasn't getting $15.00 a month of fun out of it anymore) I just hope Turbine handles the move as well as it went with DDO.

    Just use the ddo store as an example.

    You get cosmetic items, addtional character slots, I believe there are pots that increase xp.

    No uber weapons.

    Expansion packs will be purchased with turbine points (I imagine). You would have to buy mom to get to mirkwood.

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  • DerWotanDerWotan Member Posts: 1,012

    Well Turbine and Warnerbrothers going greedy. For sure a sad day for all the Lotro players they'll soon have to deal with the F2P dirt.

    We need a MMORPG Cataclysm asap, finish the dark age of MMORPGS now!

    "Everything you're bitching about is wrong. People don't have the time to invest in corpse runs, impossible zones, or long winded quests. Sometimes, they just want to pop on and play."
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  • NeblessNebless Member RarePosts: 1,877

    Originally posted by Nirwyl

    F2P is the death of any MMO for me. I've never played any F2P game that wasn't horrible.

     I'll give you that point for any game designed from the ground up as a F2p.  That's not the case with DDO or LotRO.  Both of them were designed as P2p that just happened to shift over to a free option.

    Based on your comment, LotRO should have been horrible as a P2p game, since no content, game mechanic's or what not will change when it introduces it's free play option.  If you liked it before while paying a monthly fee, then you should still like it while not having to pay.

    SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter

  • spades07spades07 Member UncommonPosts: 852

    thats bloody awesome- I might give it another try when it does.

  • NeblessNebless Member RarePosts: 1,877

    Originally posted by Sovrath

    Just use the ddo store as an example.

    You get cosmetic items, addtional character slots, I believe there are pots that increase xp.

     No uber weapons. -

    Well they do sell +3 weapons in the DDO store now which I think is too high.  Personally they should have kept it with just the +1 stuff

     Expansion packs will be purchased with turbine points (I imagine). You would have to buy mom to get to mirkwood. -

    Now this I wouldn't like.  One of the nice things about DDO is you can buy just those packs you want.  A good example is the last one I bought 'Sharn Sydicate' and the one I'm looking forward to the Carnival one with the next update.  I like quirky, they are and I don't really care about going mainstream or XP farming.  Jumping expansions should be doable, you still keep the Exp Level range requirement in place but instead of walking in one end of MoM and out the other you just get a cut scene or an ad for the pack you just skipped over and show up at the start of the new area.

    You can also buy hirelings, certain classes and some other stuff I've never even looked at.  The nice thing is you can also earn them in the game without even visiting the store.  I just unlocked Drow with my favor points, so they would be no reason to put out $9.95 (the lowest amount now) to buy points to get one via the store (not that I want to play a Drow, but it's a good example).

    SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter

  • uquipuuquipu Member Posts: 1,516

    Will you have to purchase content?
    .
    Like buy access to Rivendale?
    .
    DDO sells armor, weapons and potions in their cash shop.
    .
    Buy a healer minion from the cash shop and you can do 90% of LotRO content.

    Well shave my back and call me an elf! -- Oghren

  • eburneburn Member Posts: 740

    I got a homeless guy friend who can sum this up great:

    "Ain't **** for free."

    I'm playing DDO, it's cool for free. As a consumer I see no reason to pay cash for anything they're offering, it's more like an instant messenger service so I can talk to my pals in there. Same for LotRO now, I'll try it. Maybe I'll enjoy it more and buy something. Otherwise I'm going to listen to my pals as they type this sad bit of irony; "u should sub man, u get points 4 free".

    I should subscribe to something, to get something for free.

    I am hoping more chat services offer pvp in the future tho'. That would have been handy on ICQ 14-15 years ago.

    I kill other players because they're smarter than AI, sometimes.

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,065

    Originally posted by Nebless

    Originally posted by Nirwyl

    F2P is the death of any MMO for me. I've never played any F2P game that wasn't horrible.

     I'll give you that point for any game designed from the ground up as a F2p.  That's not the case with DDO or LotRO.  Both of them were designed as P2p that just happened to shift over to a free option.

    Based on your comment, LotRO should have been horrible as a P2p game, since no content, game mechanic's or what not will change when it introduces it's free play option.  If you liked it before while paying a monthly fee, then you should still like it while not having to pay.

    I have to agree, there's quite a bit of difference between games designed from the ground up as F2P vs LotRO and DDO.

    These games are pretty fun but it all depends how the cash shop is implemented. From what I've read players have been pretty satisfied with the one in DDO so there's a good chance this one will be decent as well.

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  • tsuktstsukts Member Posts: 164

    OMG!  GLAD I didn't buy lifetime membership just some weeks ago when it was on sale, what a rip off for people this is..that bought lifetime from theire lifetime sale now recently!!

    image

  • eburneburn Member Posts: 740

    Originally posted by tsukts

    OMG!  GLAD I didn't buy lifetime membership just some weeks ago when it was on sale, what a rip off for people this is..that bought lifetime from theire lifetime sale now recently!!

    Well this sort of line of discussion isn't new, but since you seem articulate can I ask you a question?

    How are they being ripped off exactly? I can think of a few ways prior to them announcing a limited f2p option. But how does this change things for them?

    I'll end that by saying; I think it looks like they've made the deal sweeter for lifetime subscribers. New content will probably mostly be free, access to plenty in a shop everyone else is going to get nickle and dimed at, more people to play the game with. Seems win / win to me if they enjoyed their subscription option prior.

    I kill other players because they're smarter than AI, sometimes.

  • KomahKomah Member UncommonPosts: 32

    Fixing this post >.>;

     

    "I have a lifetime subscription to LOTRO. What will Free-to-Play mean for me?

    As a lifetime subscriber to LOTRO, you will keep all of your membership privileges and are automatically upgraded to VIP status. You will receive 500 Free Turbine Points every month like the other VIPs, but you do not have to pay a monthly fee since you are a lifetime member. All you have to do is keep playing the game and visit the LOTRO Store to spend your free Turbine Points. Lifetime members may also qualify for a special one-time Loyalty Reward of 1,000 Turbine Points. See the Loyalty Reward Special Offer Terms & Conditions for full details."

     

    So lifetimers get it easy. Founders.. Not so much.

  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,943

    Originally posted by tsukts

    OMG!  GLAD I didn't buy lifetime membership just some weeks ago when it was on sale, what a rip off for people this is..that bought lifetime from theire lifetime sale now recently!!

    in no way shape or form are they being ripped off.

    the only place where they migth feel jipped is if they fundementally will never support a f2p model. Even if there is a perfectly reasonable old fashioned pay to play model as well.

    they essentially don't ahve to pay a monthly sub at any time in the many years they play and get free turbine points each month.

    so in the long run they will save more money than someone like me who has a subscription.

    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • zeowyrmzeowyrm Member Posts: 746

    Originally posted by Komah

    Actually, Lifetime Subscribers got shafted (Founder = Lifetime subscriber):

     

    I am a LOTRO Founder. What will Free-to-Play mean for me?

    As a LOTRO Founder, you automatically become a VIP and will keep all of your membership privileges as long as you pay your monthly fee. You will automatically receive 500 Free Turbine Points every month and you can spend them at your leisure in the LOTRO Store. Founding members may also qualify for a special one-time Loyalty Reward of 500 Turbine Points. See the Loyalty Reward Special Offer Terms & Conditions for full details.

    For the record not all Founders are Lifetime Subscribers.  Founders have special pricing options and a couple of other small perks.

  • KomahKomah Member UncommonPosts: 32

    Originally posted by Sovrath

    Originally posted by tsukts

    OMG!  GLAD I didn't buy lifetime membership just some weeks ago when it was on sale, what a rip off for people this is..that bought lifetime from theire lifetime sale now recently!!

    in no way shape or form are they being ripped off.

    the only place where they migth feel jipped is if they fundementally will never support a f2p model. Even if there is a perfectly reasonable old fashioned pay to play model as well.

    they essentially don't ahve to pay a monthly sub at any time in the many years they play and get free turbine points each month.

    so in the long run they will save more money than someone like me who has a subscription.

    Neevermind.

     

    So I guess that means anyone with a lifetime sub gets off easy. Lucky.

  • Cephus404Cephus404 Member CommonPosts: 3,675

    Originally posted by tsukts

    OMG!  GLAD I didn't buy lifetime membership just some weeks ago when it was on sale, what a rip off for people this is..that bought lifetime from theire lifetime sale now recently!!

    Which is, of course, ridiculous.  A lifetime membership means you don't have to pay a monthly subscription.  That's it.  You get all the privileges that all other paying LOTRO players get without having to pay for it.  How is anyone getting ripped off, especially since you could have gotten the lifetime cheaply.

    This is about as stupid as saying "I have a lifetime membership and I'm not playing the game, therefore I'm getting ripped off!"

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  • MiffyMiffy Member Posts: 244

    Problem with that game wasn't that it cost money, it's because it is shitttt.

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