Okay, here's the breakdown of the points for SoA quest costs, if you buy all of them.
There are 9 quest packs in all. Trollshaws, Forochel, Lone-lands, Misty Mountains, North Downs, Angmar, Endewaith, Eregion, and Evendim.
The total cost of all the quest packs is 5,610 TP as of about 5 minutes ago.
Right now you can buy 6,900 points for $49.99. So you can buy all the quest packs for $49.99 and you end up with an extra 1,290 points to spend on other things. The bonus points for the $49.99 packs is only a limited time thing. The normal amount of points that will buy you is 3,800. So right now, for about 3 months sub time you can get all the SoA quests 18-50, and even some for level 65.
Okay, here's the breakdown of the points for SoA quest costs, if you buy all of them.
There are 9 quest packs in all. Trollshaws, Forochel, Lone-lands, Misty Mountains, North Downs, Angmar, Endewaith, Eregion, and Evendim.
The total cost of all the quest packs is 5,610 TP as of about 5 minutes ago.
Right now you can buy 6,900 points for $49.99. So you can buy all the quest packs for $49.99 and you end up with an extra 1,290 points to spend on other things. The bonus points for the $49.99 packs is only a limited time thing. The normal amount of points that will buy you is 3,800. So right now, for about 3 months sub time you can get all the SoA quests 18-50, and even some for level 65.
insanex
Which basically shows, that those that jump for that deal gets "LT" account content-wise for $49,99. They get tho whole SoA content for ever, if they want MoM and SoM they have to buy it same way as subers had to... There are some limits (quite many - Money Cap, Vaults, Inventory etc.) but you can live without that.
Though, it is true... $49,99 is no where close to "FREE". But again, someone on these boards said: "Well, Turbine is a bussines company, not charity".
What I don't get is..people sitting here saying "Level 1-20 is Free" I got to level 25 before having to buy anything. Was that a mistake? Was I not allowed to get pass level 20 for free???
No, they said that lvl 21+ quests costs Turbine points. Big difference, you can probably get to 5 without the lower ones and you can always grind yourself higher.
It still sucks however, I played a few F2P games and never seen a similar system.
It seems to me that Turbine hasn't really changed anything at all. To play the same game as when it was a p2p it's pretty much the exact same price. They're just giving you the first 20 levels for free. You can pay as you go from there.
IMHO I like the way Turbine handles their games. They don't give anyone outright advantages like Free Asian MMO #3312, and it's not also outright price gouging like SOE did with Everquest 2.
So after 6 pages of people just repeating the same garbage over and over:
"No game is free"
"you expect everything for free"
"you used to pay a sub, what's wrong with paying for a sub now?"
Let me summarize for any newcomers:
Without a subscription to the game you cannot do the regular quests in the level 20+ zones. You have the option to purchase quest packs for these zones. It doesn't matter if you owned the game before or not, you still have to buy the level 20-50 zone quest packs. You have the option of grinding still, you just can't do the regular quests. You can enter and explore the zones, you just cant get quests. You can do the epic storyline for free.
It isn't like the f2p options you may be used to from other games. Usually companies try to tempt, inconvenience or annoy you a little to push you towards using their shop. In LotRO's model, the roadblock comes extremely early in the game when you want to move out of the starter zone.
Believe it or not, some people actually play f2p business models because they do not wish to spend money. They accept the inconveniences in exchange for not paying. For someone not wishing to use a cash shop at all, your experience ends after a couple days. For those people, LotRO's f2p model is merely a free trial which lasts a few days.
Original Post:
A lot of people, especially returning players are in for a surprise if they think LotRO is f2p now.
I bought the original game years ago: Shadows of Angmar
I bought the fist major expansion: Mines of Moria
I bought the most recent expansion: Siege of Mirkwood
I played for 4-5 months after the last expansion and quit to try some other games.
In total, I've paid hundreds of dollars to Turbine over the past 2 years through boxes and monthly fees.
I'm kind of in shock here. LotRO always had a place in my heart. Played it for quite a while, about 2.5 years. When free to play was announced I thought "great, it will be like most f2p games where the store is for extras, buffs, pots, some privileges, bag slots, maybe even some gear, but I can live with that."
Started a new character yesterday everything going great, starter zone questing along and then I read this: To quest in the level 20-30 zones (it takes about 1-2 days to reach lvl 20) you have to buy access to the "quest packs" through the store, or pay a regular sub again.
I don't expect to get everything for free. I'm willing to use the store for extra stuff, not content I've already paid for and completed in the past on other characters. I figured my hundreds of dollars spent in the past would at least allow me to level up a new character in the noob zones.
F2p? Garbage. I was actually considering paying a sub again to get some of the nice perks but this pissed me off.
Bye Turbine.
/end rant
It is f2p. I dont like the model either as I have purchased mines of moria as well. Left about a month before Siege of Murkwood or whatever it is. Just because I dont like it doesnt change what it is though. Did Turbine screw up with thoes who already purchased content? Yes, they did. No one in there right mind can question that. However just because they screwed you (and me) doesnt mean its not free to play.
What your argument should be is not if its free to play or not but rather why turbine didnt make it so you could do all content you previously purchased. Since your wanting it F2P imo Turbine should say fine but you are restricted to f2p restrictions IE: you have to pick 1 character to play the rest are locked. You only get 1 bag slot. You can not ride your horse (not sure if f2p model allows it or not but from the looks of it, it didnt). I guess my point is while it IS f2p thoes of us who have previously payed for the quests/expansion zones got screwed by having to pay for them again instead of just restricting the current account.
It seems to me that Turbine hasn't really changed anything at all. To play the same game as when it was a p2p it's pretty much the exact same price. They're just giving you the first 20 levels for free. You can pay as you go from there.
IMHO I like the way Turbine handles their games. They don't give anyone outright advantages like Free Asian MMO #3312, and it's not also outright price gouging like SOE did with Everquest 2.
Its pretty much the same thing they did with D&D. What the OP is pissed about and rightfully so (just not worded well imo) is thoes of us who played the game before/purchased the content a long time ago are being forced to repurchase it again instead of giving us the content we already payed for. I would be fine if I could only play 1 character so long as I could play through mines of moria since I bought that a long time ago. Its the reason I'm not doing the F2P model they have now. I'm not going to repurchase content I already payed them for unless I where to use a completely new account.
All in all I like Turbines model if I was starting from scratch. To often have I enjoyed the first half of an MMO only to get bored after a while. With there current model I can keep playing till I get bored and then not have to pay them for content I never played.
I like how they lowered the Riding Skill level to 5 once they started selling mounts for cash.
"Soloists and those who prefer small groups should never have to feel like they''re the ones getting the proverbial table scraps, as it were." - Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer, Everquest II "People love groups. Its a fallacy that people want to play solo all the time." - Scott Hartsman, Executive Producer, Rift
Originally posted by xmenty Well after reading this thread on LOTR F2p I decided not to download this game at all. Thank guys lol..
My thoughts exactly. I can do with a cash shop to get levels faster or maybe help do stuff between levels faster but if a big chunk of leveling content is nickled and dimed to you.. thats not a F2P I'd enjoy, and I've spent money on F2P's before too...
Well after reading this thread on LOTR F2p I decided not to download this game at all. Thank guys lol.
.
My thoughts exactly. I can do with a cash shop to get levels faster or maybe help do stuff between levels faster but if a big chunk of leveling content is nickled and dimed to you.. thats not a F2P I'd enjoy, and I've spent money on F2P's before too...
How is charging a one time fee per area nickle and diming? Especially if you can earn the currency required ingame? You rather be "encouraged" to spend money on every char and item you find than pay a onetime fee so that all your chars on your account can access an area forever?
Free to Play is such a misnomer I guess it's more catchy than micro transaction payment model. Anyway that being said the LoTRO model certainly seems 'fair' to me and not vastly more expensive as many f2p's ironically are. (Well to have anything but a lousy experience). It seems churlish not to give it a go though I suppose if you are determined never to spend a dime after your original purchase there is always GW1 and soon GW2. (Arguably the frequent expansion model is kinda like micro transaction).
Whilst LoTRO is fairly typical of the genre it is pretty polished (since release surprisingly) and has a certain charm that is hard to describe.
Meh. F2p sucks anyway. And its only an option. I'll keep my p2p version for now. Why? Because I'm not a whiny child that expects everything for free. MMO's aren't like regular computer games. Regular computer games are developed once and then done. MMO's require continued investment for years. If you want to play an MMO, then pay. Period.
Okay, here's the breakdown of the points for SoA quest costs, if you buy all of them.
There are 9 quest packs in all. Trollshaws, Forochel, Lone-lands, Misty Mountains, North Downs, Angmar, Endewaith, Eregion, and Evendim.
The total cost of all the quest packs is 5,610 TP as of about 5 minutes ago.
Right now you can buy 6,900 points for $49.99. So you can buy all the quest packs for $49.99 and you end up with an extra 1,290 points to spend on other things. The bonus points for the $49.99 packs is only a limited time thing. The normal amount of points that will buy you is 3,800. So right now, for about 3 months sub time you can get all the SoA quests 18-50, and even some for level 65.
insanex
That's cool, but since Monster Play, unlimited CS, unlimited gold, 5+ character slots are only available for subscribing and lifetime players, I still decided to sub for another 6 monhts. Mind you, I still have my founder's option of 9,99 a month.
Each to their own - for me, a price of 1 single junk food meal is worth playing Lotro a month. I could even lose some weight
Edit: I have to add, I already own Moria, Mirkwood, and have 8 toons, 5 of them between 35 and 60
I know I should have had the lifetimer option (still available btw for 299/199 USD) a long ago, but heck, that's life.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Meh. F2p sucks anyway. And its only an option. I'll keep my p2p version for now. Why? Because I'm not a whiny child that expects everything for free. MMO's aren't like regular computer games. Regular computer games are developed once and then done. MMO's require continued investment for years. If you want to play an MMO, then pay. Period.
Well, I could have phrased it this way too, but I decided to put it a lot more mildly (see above) Exactly my thoughts btw.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Meh. F2p sucks anyway. And its only an option. I'll keep my p2p version for now. Why? Because I'm not a whiny child that expects everything for free. MMO's aren't like regular computer games. Regular computer games are developed once and then done. MMO's require continued investment for years. If you want to play an MMO, then pay. Period.
Well, yes. I think they should have made the game B2P instead with a small itemsshop for pots and fluff. They would have gotten a lot more players that way.
But the general comment of the faithful players seems to be "There goes the neighborhood". And that might not be the smartest thing, Turbine should in first hand focus on the current players and making them happy, not on getting more. If the players are happy the game will grow anyways.
Meh. F2p sucks anyway. And its only an option. I'll keep my p2p version for now. Why? Because I'm not a whiny child that expects everything for free. MMO's aren't like regular computer games. Regular computer games are developed once and then done. MMO's require continued investment for years. If you want to play an MMO, then pay. Period.
Well, I could have phrased it this way too, but I decided to put it a lot more mildly (see above) Exactly my thoughts btw.
DB
lol. I stopped trying to couch everything I say nicely a long time ago. Saying it nicely means its easy to misread and doesn't get the point across any better. I long ago opted for "firm" rather than nice.
Meh. F2p sucks anyway. And its only an option. I'll keep my p2p version for now. Why? Because I'm not a whiny child that expects everything for free. MMO's aren't like regular computer games. Regular computer games are developed once and then done. MMO's require continued investment for years. If you want to play an MMO, then pay. Period.
Well, I could have phrased it this way too, but I decided to put it a lot more mildly (see above) Exactly my thoughts btw.
DB
lol. I stopped trying to couch everything I say nicely a long time ago. Saying it nicely means its easy to misread and doesn't get the point across any better. I long ago opted for "firm" rather than nice.
Funny enough, I'm actually going the other way... used to be confrontational, sometimes even cocky..... nowadays I'm much more relaxed
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Tried to tell people that LOTRO was not actually going to be "free" when it went f2p. Tried to tell people it was only an extended demo. Tried to say that if you went the so-called f2p route that you would have pay real money to actually do most things in game. Tried to point out that the whole LOTRO f2p model was if not next to criminal by calling it "free to play" at least scamming player by doing so.
Like most games (or "free" games) you get what you pay for. If you don't pay, you don't get to play much. Turbine/WB do not realise the bad blood they are going to create with older players and with potential new players by tauting this model as being a "free-to-play" model.
Tried to tell people that LOTRO was not actually going to be "free" when it went f2p. Tried to tell people it was only an extended demo. Tried to say that if you went the so-called f2p route that you would have pay real money to actually do most things in game. Tried to point out that the whole LOTRO f2p model was if not next to criminal by calling it "free to play" at least scamming player by doing so.
Like most games (or "free" games) you get what you pay for. If you don't pay, you don't get to play much. Turbine/WB do not realise the bad blood they are going to create with older players and with potential new players by tauting this model as being a "free-to-play" model.
People said the exact same thing about DDO.
You can play almost the entire game for free so it's free to play. What is there to be confused about?
If WoW = The Beatles and WAR = Led Zeppelin Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
Tried to tell people that LOTRO was not actually going to be "free" when it went f2p. Tried to tell people it was only an extended demo. Tried to say that if you went the so-called f2p route that you would have pay real money to actually do most things in game. Tried to point out that the whole LOTRO f2p model was if not next to criminal by calling it "free to play" at least scamming player by doing so.
Like most games (or "free" games) you get what you pay for. If you don't pay, you don't get to play much. Turbine/WB do not realise the bad blood they are going to create with older players and with potential new players by tauting this model as being a "free-to-play" model.
People said the exact same thing about DDO.
You can play almost the entire game for free so it's free to play. What is there to be confused about?
I can foresee new game types in the future.... "CF2P and PF2P" - meaning "Completely free to play", and "Partially free to play"
Maybe "CF2P2CS" - Completely Free to Play with Cash Shop", etc... we live in a world of acronyms
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Comments
OP edited to summarize.
You can play the game for free from 1-50...just grind turbine points.
You get 5-15 turbine points for each deed
March on! - Lets Invade Pekopon
Okay, here's the breakdown of the points for SoA quest costs, if you buy all of them.
There are 9 quest packs in all. Trollshaws, Forochel, Lone-lands, Misty Mountains, North Downs, Angmar, Endewaith, Eregion, and Evendim.
The total cost of all the quest packs is 5,610 TP as of about 5 minutes ago.
Right now you can buy 6,900 points for $49.99. So you can buy all the quest packs for $49.99 and you end up with an extra 1,290 points to spend on other things. The bonus points for the $49.99 packs is only a limited time thing. The normal amount of points that will buy you is 3,800. So right now, for about 3 months sub time you can get all the SoA quests 18-50, and even some for level 65.
insanex
Which basically shows, that those that jump for that deal gets "LT" account content-wise for $49,99. They get tho whole SoA content for ever, if they want MoM and SoM they have to buy it same way as subers had to... There are some limits (quite many - Money Cap, Vaults, Inventory etc.) but you can live without that.
Though, it is true... $49,99 is no where close to "FREE". But again, someone on these boards said: "Well, Turbine is a bussines company, not charity".
No, they said that lvl 21+ quests costs Turbine points. Big difference, you can probably get to 5 without the lower ones and you can always grind yourself higher.
It still sucks however, I played a few F2P games and never seen a similar system.
It seems to me that Turbine hasn't really changed anything at all. To play the same game as when it was a p2p it's pretty much the exact same price. They're just giving you the first 20 levels for free. You can pay as you go from there.
IMHO I like the way Turbine handles their games. They don't give anyone outright advantages like Free Asian MMO #3312, and it's not also outright price gouging like SOE did with Everquest 2.
It is f2p. I dont like the model either as I have purchased mines of moria as well. Left about a month before Siege of Murkwood or whatever it is. Just because I dont like it doesnt change what it is though. Did Turbine screw up with thoes who already purchased content? Yes, they did. No one in there right mind can question that. However just because they screwed you (and me) doesnt mean its not free to play.
What your argument should be is not if its free to play or not but rather why turbine didnt make it so you could do all content you previously purchased. Since your wanting it F2P imo Turbine should say fine but you are restricted to f2p restrictions IE: you have to pick 1 character to play the rest are locked. You only get 1 bag slot. You can not ride your horse (not sure if f2p model allows it or not but from the looks of it, it didnt). I guess my point is while it IS f2p thoes of us who have previously payed for the quests/expansion zones got screwed by having to pay for them again instead of just restricting the current account.
Its pretty much the same thing they did with D&D. What the OP is pissed about and rightfully so (just not worded well imo) is thoes of us who played the game before/purchased the content a long time ago are being forced to repurchase it again instead of giving us the content we already payed for. I would be fine if I could only play 1 character so long as I could play through mines of moria since I bought that a long time ago. Its the reason I'm not doing the F2P model they have now. I'm not going to repurchase content I already payed them for unless I where to use a completely new account.
All in all I like Turbines model if I was starting from scratch. To often have I enjoyed the first half of an MMO only to get bored after a while. With there current model I can keep playing till I get bored and then not have to pay them for content I never played.
I like how they lowered the Riding Skill level to 5 once they started selling mounts for cash.
"Soloists and those who prefer small groups should never have to feel like they''re the ones getting the proverbial table scraps, as it were." - Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer, Everquest II
"People love groups. Its a fallacy that people want to play solo all the time." - Scott Hartsman, Executive Producer, Rift
My thoughts exactly. I can do with a cash shop to get levels faster or maybe help do stuff between levels faster but if a big chunk of leveling content is nickled and dimed to you.. thats not a F2P I'd enjoy, and I've spent money on F2P's before too...
How is charging a one time fee per area nickle and diming? Especially if you can earn the currency required ingame? You rather be "encouraged" to spend money on every char and item you find than pay a onetime fee so that all your chars on your account can access an area forever?
Free to Play is such a misnomer I guess it's more catchy than micro transaction payment model. Anyway that being said the LoTRO model certainly seems 'fair' to me and not vastly more expensive as many f2p's ironically are. (Well to have anything but a lousy experience). It seems churlish not to give it a go though I suppose if you are determined never to spend a dime after your original purchase there is always GW1 and soon GW2. (Arguably the frequent expansion model is kinda like micro transaction).
Whilst LoTRO is fairly typical of the genre it is pretty polished (since release surprisingly) and has a certain charm that is hard to describe.
Meh. F2p sucks anyway. And its only an option. I'll keep my p2p version for now. Why? Because I'm not a whiny child that expects everything for free. MMO's aren't like regular computer games. Regular computer games are developed once and then done. MMO's require continued investment for years. If you want to play an MMO, then pay. Period.
That's cool, but since Monster Play, unlimited CS, unlimited gold, 5+ character slots are only available for subscribing and lifetime players, I still decided to sub for another 6 monhts. Mind you, I still have my founder's option of 9,99 a month.
Each to their own - for me, a price of 1 single junk food meal is worth playing Lotro a month. I could even lose some weight
Edit: I have to add, I already own Moria, Mirkwood, and have 8 toons, 5 of them between 35 and 60
I know I should have had the lifetimer option (still available btw for 299/199 USD) a long ago, but heck, that's life.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Well, I could have phrased it this way too, but I decided to put it a lot more mildly (see above)
Exactly my thoughts btw.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Slow mount is level 5 and that is not in the cash shop. fast mount is from level 20.
March on! - Lets Invade Pekopon
Well, yes. I think they should have made the game B2P instead with a small itemsshop for pots and fluff. They would have gotten a lot more players that way.
But the general comment of the faithful players seems to be "There goes the neighborhood". And that might not be the smartest thing, Turbine should in first hand focus on the current players and making them happy, not on getting more. If the players are happy the game will grow anyways.
lol. I stopped trying to couch everything I say nicely a long time ago. Saying it nicely means its easy to misread and doesn't get the point across any better. I long ago opted for "firm" rather than nice.
Funny enough, I'm actually going the other way... used to be confrontational, sometimes even cocky..... nowadays I'm much more relaxed
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Tried to tell people that LOTRO was not actually going to be "free" when it went f2p. Tried to tell people it was only an extended demo. Tried to say that if you went the so-called f2p route that you would have pay real money to actually do most things in game. Tried to point out that the whole LOTRO f2p model was if not next to criminal by calling it "free to play" at least scamming player by doing so.
Like most games (or "free" games) you get what you pay for. If you don't pay, you don't get to play much. Turbine/WB do not realise the bad blood they are going to create with older players and with potential new players by tauting this model as being a "free-to-play" model.
Let's party like it is 1863!
People said the exact same thing about DDO.
You can play almost the entire game for free so it's free to play. What is there to be confused about?
If WoW = The Beatles
and WAR = Led Zeppelin
Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
I can foresee new game types in the future.... "CF2P and PF2P" - meaning "Completely free to play", and "Partially free to play"
Maybe "CF2P2CS" - Completely Free to Play with Cash Shop", etc... we live in a world of acronyms
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
you can play the main quest line to the end.
I believe it's just volume 1 of the main quest line you can play to the end. Volumes 2 and 3 would require access to the expansion packs.
Yup and if you have the expansions you get full access to everything in them. And they are only 10 dollars each.