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Does a sub fee get you away from the cash shop ?

delete5230delete5230 Member EpicPosts: 7,081

Im sitting in a hotel in Germany and soon to come back to the States.  Both my friend and I are playing the F2P for something to do when not working.

I got a Lore-master to level 13 and enjoying the game. My friend ( 13 Hunter ) is finding Deeds and unlocking Traits more so than me. I really have not tried much as we could only get so far for free anyway. But I find this system would be a lot of fun.

 

Now my questions are :

- I hate F2P real bad, and would never pay a penny into it. Can you buy the game and/or the expantions and play the game as normal ?

- I'm very social.  I don't like to come across as nasty, but I don't like playing with free-be players that are all gimped up because they are not paying nothing.  At higher levels is there a REAL COMMUNITY ?.....Players that are not gimped.

Comments

  • LithuanianLithuanian Member UncommonPosts: 540

    Answers from F2P player:

    1. "Yes, you can" (copyright by B.Obama, non-Lotro toon). You can buy all the expansions, remove all the restrictions. Buying any stuff from Turbine store for real cash makes you Premium user (i.e. swift travel unlocked, can send money). Paying some 15$ a month makes you VIP (entitled to 500 Turbine points monthly and PvP, called "monster play").

    Please remember that when new expansion comes - you will have to buy it.

    2. Not sure about higher levels. Maybe veterans of Lotro could answer more clearly. As for me, I am F2P and buy all stuff using Turbine points...yet I do not consider myself somewhat different from, say, any other lvl.43 Dwarf Champion.

    ---

    According to store.turbine.com it may cost you:

    Riders of  Rohan: 40$ (optional: 69$ worth pack that also gives you 2000 Turbine points)

    Expansion triple pack (Moria, Isengard, Mirkwood): 40$

    Sanwise McGee starter pack: 10 $

     

    If you want to unlock some regions  (North Downs, Trollshaws...Evendim?) and NOT buy them using Turbine points, you may want to become VIP for one month (+15$).

  • xmentyxmenty Member UncommonPosts: 718
    How much money do you have to spend to play this game without any restrictions?

    Pardon my English as it is not my 1st language :)

  • c0796c0796 Member UncommonPosts: 39

    If it is still in effect, $9.99/month and you get vip status, unlocks all content but expansions will need to be purchased.

    For the reasonable costs for content and expansions you will get a lot of entertainment.

    Yes, there is still a lot of activity for high level content. One of the better crafting systems around as well.

    This is a PvE game for the most part, and an excellent one at that. The PvP is monster vs heroes, quite fun too. Rich in storytelling and again, worth the cost of what they ask.

  • Tiqabar45Tiqabar45 Member UncommonPosts: 17
    As you complete deeds in the game, it does earn you turbine points for free.  I played this game both before and currently just got back into it and did subscribe for a month.  I will say the free turbine points every month for being subbed are nice.  To play completely unrestricted in every aspect, you do have to subscribe, but this is one of the few F2P games that in my opinion really got it right.  Being free to play does restrict access to certain areas of the game and I'm sure many end game instances/raids, but with the turbine points you accumulate progressing through the game normally, you would probably have enough to unlock a couple of the expansion by the time you can actually get to that level.  The biggest drawback I believe is that F2P players do not get rest xp or bonus experience while you are logged off, so you may find leveling a little more tedious, but from what I recall from before F2P and after, there are a LOT of quests to do, many being kill this or find this, but it should be more than enough to level you at a reasonable pace.  The first 8 epic books I believe are available and will give you access to important story details and gear, but you would have to pay to access the best end game gear in the end.  I believe the mirkwood expansion is like 495 turbine points, which you could probably accumulate by level 30 doing deeds, since you get 15-20 points for completing a full deed for slayer, exploration, and even the epic book quests give points so, you could access the expansions outside of Rohan pretty easily.  It is definitely a fun game and I'm up to level 30 with about 15 hours of gameplay so far and probably earned 500-600 points so far.
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749

    1 - you can't buy the game, since it's free (and you already have it since you play :) ). But if you subscribe, and buy the expansions, then yes, you will play the game as normal. For subscribers the game is working just like every other sub-based mmorpg. It's 10$ / month if you pay multiple months ahead.

    2 - LotRO's main strength (or at least one of them) is the community. At the engame there aren't many gimped (lol) players, even if they are f2p they probably already unlocked all the trait slots.

    For the thread title: not for 100%. While with a sub you won't have any restrictions, there are some Store-only items which can come handy sometimes. So sub doesn't get you completely away from Store. But with the sub you get 500TP / month, so you don't have to pay extra $s, and you can spend those free 500TPs for good (or spare them and buy the next expansion with them - meaning you get it for free, from your subscription fee).

  • delete5230delete5230 Member EpicPosts: 7,081
    Originally posted by Po_gg

    1 - you can't buy the game, since it's free (and you already have it since you play :) ). But if you subscribe, and buy the expansions, then yes, you will play the game as normal. For subscribers the game is working just like every other sub-based mmorpg. It's 10$ / month if you pay multiple months ahead.

    2 - LotRO's main strength (or at least one of them) is the community. At the engame there aren't many gimped (lol) players, even if they are f2p they probably already unlocked all the trait slots.

    For the thread title: not for 100%. While with a sub you won't have any restrictions, there are some Store-only items which can come handy sometimes. So sub doesn't get you completely away from Store. But with the sub you get 500TP / month, so you don't have to pay extra $s, and you can spend those free 500TPs for good (or spare them and buy the next expansion with them - meaning you get it for free, from your subscription fee).

    Very cool Po_gg, and everyone else. I read every bit of everyones info :)

    So by your post I dont even have to buy the original game, just sub ?....If so, thats even better, if not thats ok too !

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    Originally posted by delete5230

    So by your post I dont even have to buy the original game, just sub ?....If so, thats even better, if not thats ok too !

    Yep, that's the case, since you can't buy the game even if you want to, except if you find a dust-covered box somewhere on ebay :) it's in f2p status now for about 2.5 years, when it went to f2p people bought all Moria and SoA boxes from the market  for a few bucks (was a bargain, it had 1 month included with other benefits)

    So now you just simply upgrade your account with a gamecard, or a multi-month payment option, and you'll be a vip. As the support page says:

    To upgrade your LOTRO account to VIP status:

    1. Log into https://myaccount.turbine.com with the same Username and Password that you use to log in to LOTRO

    2. Select the subscription that you want to upgrade to VIP status

    3. Click ‘UPGRADE NOW'

    4. Enter a payment method

    5. Follow the next steps for account upgrading!

    Your account will be upgraded to VIP status, and you will receive your first 500 Turbine Store Points within 24 hours of upgrading your account.


    http://support.turbine.com/link/portal/24001/24001/Article/736/How-do-I-upgrade-my-Free-LOTRO-subscription-to-Premium-or-VIP-status-How-do-I-subscribe-to-LOTRO-VIP

     

    Edit: but I have to add, if you do find somehow a Moria box for cheap, you can still use that today of course, and it'd be a very good way for upgrade :) I made an acc too after f2p with a cheap Moria box, it was well worthed those few bucks (Moria and Lorien unlocked, +2 char.slots, warden and rk, 1 month vip, 500TP... almost a steal :) )

  • delete5230delete5230 Member EpicPosts: 7,081
    Originally posted by Po_gg
    Originally posted by delete5230

    So by your post I dont even have to buy the original game, just sub ?....If so, thats even better, if not thats ok too !

    Yep, that's the case, since you can't buy the game even if you want to, except if you find a dust-covered box somewhere on ebay :) it's in f2p status now for about 2.5 years, when it went to f2p people bought all Moria and SoA boxes from the market  for a few bucks (was a bargain, it had 1 month included with other benefits)

    So now you just simply upgrade your account with a gamecard, or a multi-month payment option, and you'll be a vip. As the support page says:

    To upgrade your LOTRO account to VIP status:

    1. Log into https://myaccount.turbine.com with the same Username and Password that you use to log in to LOTRO

    2. Select the subscription that you want to upgrade to VIP status

    3. Click ‘UPGRADE NOW'

    4. Enter a payment method

    5. Follow the next steps for account upgrading!

    Your account will be upgraded to VIP status, and you will receive your first 500 Turbine Store Points within 24 hours of upgrading your account.


    http://support.turbine.com/link/portal/24001/24001/Article/736/How-do-I-upgrade-my-Free-LOTRO-subscription-to-Premium-or-VIP-status-How-do-I-subscribe-to-LOTRO-VIP

     

    Edit: but I have to add, if you do find somehow a Moria box for cheap, you can still use that today of course, and it'd be a very good way for upgrade :) I made an acc too after f2p with a cheap Moria box, it was well worthed those few bucks (Moria and Lorien unlocked, +2 char.slots, warden and rk, 1 month vip, 500TP... almost a steal :) )

    Hay thanks,

    It will be a short while before I'm back to the states, so I have time to search around the net for a good deal on the Moria box if I can.  I often like playing a healer and don't like the minstral so the RK would be great for serious play :)

  • ThenextbigthingThenextbigthing Member Posts: 104

    I bought the lifetime sub when the game was released so I had automatic VIP status without subbing when it went free to play. I still have the buy the expansions but I don't pay a sub, and in game I get everything. Even so, even I still use the cash shop, because i figure spending £10 a month now and then on uprades and fluff like faster horses is a good deal. I also get 500 free points a month to spend.

    So, the short answer is no, even a lifer like me uses the cash shop and I expect people who sub and are VIPs also use it from time to time.

    With a VIP sub though I expect it would be easy to play the game and completely ignore the cash shop, I could if I wanted to, but I chose to spend my hard earned cash on a bit of fluff now and then.

     

    At high levels lotro probably has the best RP and mature community in mmos. Especially on the RP servers. I play on Laurelin and pretty much everyone I come across RPs and there are many strong kinships and events. The best stuff at high level is still from dungeons, like all other mmos, but the game is easy enough to play if you don't like grinding dungeons. No one is gimped at high level if they don't use the cash shop or grind dungeons. If that were the case i'd stop playing tomorrow.

  • delete5230delete5230 Member EpicPosts: 7,081

    I'm in Frankfurt right now all ready to fly home to the states tomarrow, it may be a few weeks before I get the game, because I have to go to Georgia for a few more weeks, and was thinking of getting the expantion pack to have the RK because I like healing and I would have to stay home if I order it on ebay ( found it for as low as $5 ).

    By the way how is the RK is it a good class, can it solo, do groups like it?........... I love playing with others. If its not a very good class I may just go for the VIP.

     

    Anyway both my friend and I were comparing LOTRO to GW2.  Both are good games for diffrient reasions.

    - GW2 is good for gameplay and and dynamic events. But the class abality are shallow.

    - LOTRO is good for classes, but the quest are old style. 

    Me.....Well I'm old school, I'll take LOTRO any day :)

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    Originally posted by delete5230

    have the RK because I like healing and I would have to stay home if I order it on ebay ( found it for as low as $5 ).

    By the way how is the RK is it a good class, can it solo, do groups like it?........... I love playing with others. If its not a very good class I may just go for the VIP.

    5$ is a good price, just watch out for the region, since the server transfer happened you can use only the US version boxes (Turbine), the Eu ones with Codemasters on them are unusable.

    Rk (and warden too) is a great class, but needs some work. It can solo very well, since it can be a real dps-machine, and though only light-armoured, can self-heal too. Groups like it, but more times as dps and only less times as a (main) healer. It can be on par with minis on healing capacity, but needs extra work to achieve that, you have to plan ahead, and execute it well, since runekeepers rely mostly on HoT's and effects, and not on burst heals like minis.

  • trancejeremytrancejeremy Member UncommonPosts: 1,222

    Subscribing really doesn't do all that much. I suspect part of the reason they went F2P was to get people with lifetime subs (which there are a lot) to spend more money on the game.

    It's useful to subscribe once, to unlock various things on your character. But there really isn't any compelling reason to stay subscribed.

     

    [mod edit]

     

     

    R.I.P. City of Heroes and my 17 characters there

  • ThenextbigthingThenextbigthing Member Posts: 104
    Originally posted by trancejeremy

    Subscribing really doesn't do all that much. I suspect part of the reason they went F2P was to get people with lifetime subs (which there are a lot) to spend more money on the game.

    It's useful to subscribe once, to unlock various things on your character. But there really isn't any compelling reason to stay subscribed.

     

    [mod edit]

     

     

     

    I'd agree with that, until it went F2P I hadn't spent a penny on it since launch, apart from for expansions. Like I said, i don't mind spending a few quid a month when I get everything else for free. The Lifetime sub was still a good deal way back when and I think Codemasters and then Turbine realised they'd given too much away at the time. It cost me £99.

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