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Looks expensive

QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
I've never played LotRO, but I was considering giving it a try, so I had a look.  One thing that I always look at is the business model, to figure out how much it will cost to play a game the way I want to.  In the case of LotRO, it sure looks like the answer is quite a lot.

Like a lot of games, LotRO has an optional subscription that they want you to buy.  Unlike most MMORPGs that have such a subscription, it's not all-inclusive in giving you all of the basics to play the game, or even most of them.  They want you to buy the subscription, and then also still buy a bunch of other things separately.

It looks like free players get access to very little content, while subscribers get access to somewhat more--but still only a minority of the game's content.  There are quite a few other games that want you to buy the latest expansion to get access to it, but LotRO wants you to buy every single expansion separately.  Mines of Moria released in 2008, but to play it, you still have to buy it separately, as it still isn't included in a subscrption.  Without expansions, it sure looks like you're done at level 50, rather than just having to skip a little bit of side content as you would in DDO, or getting most but not quite all the way to the cap as you would in WoW.

I saw the announcement that they're now selling an expansion bundle, and this is apparently a large discount as compared to the previous offerings.  But it's still $100 to get access to all of the game's content, on top of the $15/month subscription.  And, of course, that excludes future expansions.

So the game is $100 plus a subscription?  Oh no no, we're just getting started.  There are seven races in the game.  Subscribers get access to four.  You can buy the others for about $13 each.  There are ten classes in the game.  Subscribers get access to seven.  You can buy the others for about $10 each.  Subscribers get 7 character slots, which is more than the 2 that free players get, but if you want to play those extra classes, then additional slots will run you about $8 each.

And then you want shared storage to pass goods back and forth between your characters?  I can't think of any other MMORPG that has such a thing and has a subscription, but doesn't include shared storage in the subscription.  In LotRO, it will cost you $13, or more if you want anything beyond the smallest possible capacity.

Want to stop gaining experience so that you can actually play through the content you've bought before you level past it?  That will be a little more over $1.  Per character.  They're nickel-and-diming you on so many of the obvious things that I suspect that if I actually play the game, there are other critical things that I'd have to buy that I don't yet realize.

Yes, you can get discounts of sorts by buying points in larger bundles.  So maybe I could play how I wanted by spending something like $100 up front, plus a subscription, with the prospect of needing to spend another $100, in addition to continuing the subscription, upon reaching the original level cap of 50.  And that's without even touching the usual pay-to-win whale bait.

Is there something important that I'm missing?  Because that looks way too expensive to consider picking up a older game that looks on paper like it might merely be decent.  Most MMORPGs are a lot cheaper to play than that.  Older games commonly offer a discount eventually to try to get people to give the game a try.  LotRO seems to have gone in the opposite direction.
GdemamiUngood

Comments

  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    I'd recommend getting the basic game without any of the add-on charges or subscriptions and roam around to see if you like the basic elements of the game.  A good number of the items in the store are available to purchase with currency earned in-game (used to be Turbine Points, not sure what the name is these days).  You will probably be level 20 or 30 by the time you actually need to purchase any of the other adventure areas (with more opportunities to earn more in-game currency).

    The LotRO system is pretty forgiving for cash expenditures, and can be played and enjoyed as a true FTP experience.  The downside to that is that it is very time intensive.  Deeds and Achievements (to earn in-game cash) can take quite a bit of time.  Kill 100 (and up) (deed), do all quests (achievements), kind of things.  Like any game, some of these are better implemented than others.

    My only purchases with actual money were the original game and the Moria expansion.  I've pretty much stopped playing LotRO before the Rohan expansion.



    Quizzical[Deleted User]SovrathUngoodPo_ggScot

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    Mendel said:
    The LotRO system is pretty forgiving for cash expenditures, and can be played and enjoyed as a true FTP experience.  The downside to that is that it is very time intensive.  Deeds and Achievements (to earn in-game cash) can take quite a bit of time.  Kill 100 (and up) (deed), do all quests (achievements), kind of things.  Like any game, some of these are better implemented than others.
    So basically, yes, there was something important that I was missing.  You can get LotRO points from deeds.  And you can get them separately for each character.  So I might well be able to just subscribe and not pay anything else, and get enough points from deeds to unlock everything else as I go.
    Ungood
  • olepiolepi Member EpicPosts: 2,814
    Also, when you subscribe, you get points every month. These can add up to where you can buy the expansions with points.
    Ungood

    ------------
    2024: 47 years on the Net.


  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    olepi said:
    Also, when you subscribe, you get points every month. These can add up to where you can buy the expansions with points.
    I was aware of that, and it will help eventually, but if it takes a year of subscribing to get the stuff that I'd want very early on, that's really not a very viable way to get started.
    Ungood
  • Asm0deusAsm0deus Member EpicPosts: 4,389
    edited January 2021
    You should have made an account awhile back when they were giving most of the content away for free.

    I made a guide back then as I looked into it myself and played a little with my wife and son.

    Was during the " LOTROFREEQUESTS" coupon thing.


    Like DDO you want to get points on sale and wait for coupons or discounts for content itself, one thing however they got wrong is the bloody ridiculous cost of bags to put all the stuff you can collect in, in ddo you can earn bags in game and earn enough point to eventually buy a bag however in lotro the bags are stupid, stupid expensive.

    My response in one of the lotro forum threads about bags....






    Post edited by Asm0deus on
    UngoodPo_ggGdemami

    Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.





  • UtinniUtinni Member EpicPosts: 2,209
    It's worth it if you REALLY love LOTR. Otherwise none of the games systems, classes, or content is objectively better than other offerings.
    Ungood
  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,517
    Never played LOTRO, but I played SSG's other game DDO.

    I always assumed that their systems would be very similar, it seems I am a bit wrong on that.

    DDO makes it very easy to get started with a Sub, where all the non-expansion content becomes open to you, and truth be told, you don't need to do the Expansion content if you don't want to. Sure it has some nice baubles and good exp, but there is nothing stonewalling or even really slowing down your progress if you don't have them. We were grinding levels 1 - 20 before the Expansions, we can grind them now.

    DDO also offers many favor rewards, like at 400 Favor, you unlock Drow Race, at 2500 Favor you get the Favored Soul Class, you can also unlock 32 point build, and veteran status, level 4 and 7. And that's just from playing the game, you don't need to do anything special or extra to get that.

    Bank Space, Inventory Space, are earnable by favor to the various houses, like Bank Space is House Kundrak, and Inventory is Coin Lords.

    You can earn and buy in-game Red (Collectable), Green (Ingredient), and Blue (gem) Bags, to help manage your inventory. You can also buy Huge and Colossal sizes from the store if you want MORE SPACE! but, overall, that's a personal choice, on what you want.

    Now here is a kick, your Favor Earning is Character Bound, your DDO Points are account, and you get 25 points for every 100 favor you earn. This means if you earn say 400 favor one character (not hard to do), and then 600 on another (Again, not really that hard to do), that would give you a total of 250 points earned for your account. Which is super handy.

    Also DDO has point sales, and pack sales, so if you want, you can play the game to mix the two, and save well over 50% on some of things you want, vs their regular price.

    But from what I read, it seems that LOTRO is a lot more aggressive and imposing in their cash shop.
    Po_ggAsm0deus
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    With risking I'll sound like a broken record from the previous threads... pretty much what Mendel said.

    Start to play it for free, to see if it's even fit for you. The controls are standard (no DCUO-like issues here :) ) but for example the extra-high resolution might cause problems with some font and icon sizes... there are custom-made attempts to solve that, not sure how successfully, I don't play it in 4k.

    If you're still in the game at level 30 (depending on your speed and how many things you try it can take from a few days to 2 weeks), and like it so far, subscribe for a month.
    Quizzical said:
    It looks like free players get access to very little content, while subscribers get access to somewhat more--but still only a minority of the game's content.
    That's fairly inaccurate, VIPs get all the game offered before the f2p switch, and get those unlocks for good (you keep them after the sub wears off).
    Content-wise, still not accurate, as a VIP you have more than 2/3 of the game's content - was maybe an even larger share prior to Mordor, but there's a pretty big shift in monetisation at that time.

    VIPs only miss the quests within the expansions, the areas are open and the MSQ is free to all (even free players), and with the sub you have access to zones "parallel" the expansions so you can questing and level up undisturbed even without the expansions.
    Quizzical said:
    There are seven races in the game.  Subscribers get access to four.  You can buy the others for about $13 each.  There are ten classes in the game.  Subscribers get access to seven. 
    10 classes, everyone get access to 7 (not just subs). 2 more were part of the Moria expansion, sadly with the new Daybreak-powered webstore and its new expansion bundle was stripped from them - too bad, it was a great way to get them.
    A fair point though, the 3 extra classes are fun, and now the only way to get them is through the store.

    Races, technically just 6 and not 7 (beorning is a class, while sure, also a race, but it's a class unlock), the main 4 are open to everyone (not only subs), the other 2 are just cosmetic changes mostly.
    Still, fair point again, they're behind paywall.
    (High elves are in the starter bundle though, and as a fresh account that's a really good offer, while stout-axe dwarves are still bundled into the Morgul expansion, better to buy them that way - if you even interested in them the first place, and stay in the game long enough to reach that far).

    Of course you get Points from your sub, also get them from the game while simply play... or can even grind for Points, some players do that very effectively. That way you can get the expansions as well, while subscribing.
    MendelScot
  • jitter77jitter77 Member UncommonPosts: 512
    I played this game on dial up back in the day.   It has a very good community and its cool how you can write your own music and play it with in game instruments.  Alot of stuff changed since then, but still with giving it a shot.  Alot of times they have expansion bundles on sale
    Po_gg
  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    Po_gg said:
    With risking I'll sound like a broken record from the previous threads... pretty much what Mendel said.

    Start to play it for free, to see if it's even fit for you. The controls are standard (no DCUO-like issues here :) ) but for example the extra-high resolution might cause problems with some font and icon sizes... there are custom-made attempts to solve that, not sure how successfully, I don't play it in 4k.

    If you're still in the game at level 30 (depending on your speed and how many things you try it can take from a few days to 2 weeks), and like it so far, subscribe for a month.
    Quizzical said:
    It looks like free players get access to very little content, while subscribers get access to somewhat more--but still only a minority of the game's content.
    That's fairly inaccurate, VIPs get all the game offered before the f2p switch, and get those unlocks for good (you keep them after the sub wears off).
    Content-wise, still not accurate, as a VIP you have more than 2/3 of the game's content - was maybe an even larger share prior to Mordor, but there's a pretty big shift in monetisation at that time.

    VIPs only miss the quests within the expansions, the areas are open and the MSQ is free to all (even free players), and with the sub you have access to zones "parallel" the expansions so you can questing and level up undisturbed even without the expansions.
    Quizzical said:
    There are seven races in the game.  Subscribers get access to four.  You can buy the others for about $13 each.  There are ten classes in the game.  Subscribers get access to seven. 
    10 classes, everyone get access to 7 (not just subs). 2 more were part of the Moria expansion, sadly with the new Daybreak-powered webstore and its new expansion bundle was stripped from them - too bad, it was a great way to get them.
    A fair point though, the 3 extra classes are fun, and now the only way to get them is through the store.

    Races, technically just 6 and not 7 (beorning is a class, while sure, also a race, but it's a class unlock), the main 4 are open to everyone (not only subs), the other 2 are just cosmetic changes mostly.
    Still, fair point again, they're behind paywall.
    (High elves are in the starter bundle though, and as a fresh account that's a really good offer, while stout-axe dwarves are still bundled into the Morgul expansion, better to buy them that way - if you even interested in them the first place, and stay in the game long enough to reach that far).

    Of course you get Points from your sub, also get them from the game while simply play... or can even grind for Points, some players do that very effectively. That way you can get the expansions as well, while subscribing.

    The one thing I forgot (that I can remember) that I really liked, is that once you have access to content, it is unlocked forever for that account, all servers, all characters.  That means you only need to buy content 1 time, unless you create a second account.  So, you can pretty easily get a hoard of alts to grind some low level kill deeds to get points to buy your content.  (And really, you don't need to buy any content until around level 25 or 30).

    The bad part about that is that the store isn't very friendly.  It's very easy to purchase content you already have.  No warning.  No advice.  Nothing.  Just a purchase that gets you nothing.  (I've never tried to get a refund for a duplicate account purchase, so I can't speak about any possible refund there).

    There are also per-character unlocks, the big three are Mount usage, bank space and bag space.  The only other per-character things I've bought were some of the increased AH slots.  Then, I was thinking of becoming a craftsman.  These days, don't bother.  Sell what you can spare (materials and dropped items); the game's crafting really embraces the concept of 'planned obsolescence', anything you can make has a very short usable lifetime.  There are any number of drops, quests and other ways to get gear that make crafting an exercise in patience.



    Po_ggUngood

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    edited January 2021
    Mendel said:
    The one thing I forgot (that I can remember) that I really liked, is that once you have access to content, it is unlocked forever for that account, all servers, all characters.
    Yep, I used to put emphasis on that as well, if you got what you need, you won't need to pay or sub anymore, and just can play for free forever - or until they close the game, which comes sooner :)

    Something I missed to address for Quizz
    Quizzical said:
    And then you want shared storage to pass goods back and forth between your characters?  I can't think of any other MMORPG that has such a thing and has a subscription, but doesn't include shared storage in the subscription.
    Two things. First, as said earlier VIP unlocks all the game has had prior to the f2p switch. Well, it wasn't part of that... (technically shared storage existed already, but was a limited bonus for the Mirkwood preorder purchases, unavailable to everyone else)

    Second, it ain't for pass goods :) for that you can use the mail, much more flexible and a lot more mailboxes in the world than vaults.
    Not to mention if you're VIP, you can send and receive mail everywhere. One of the VIP perks.
    Shared storage is for literally what the name says, storing items, shared :)
    If you play multiple alts and they all mine ore for example, you threw those into the shared storage while you are near a vault with them, and later you take the whole pile out with your crafter alt.
    (Saves a bunch of mail send and open)
    Now with the carry-alls, it's even more convenient to gather the huge piles of mats in the carry-alls stored inside the shared storage.

    But for passing over nice drops, or just a few items at once, the restored hobbit Quick Post is at your service with that.
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    Po_gg said:
    That's fairly inaccurate, VIPs get all the game offered before the f2p switch, and get those unlocks for good (you keep them after the sub wears off).
    Content-wise, still not accurate, as a VIP you have more than 2/3 of the game's content - was maybe an even larger share prior to Mordor, but there's a pretty big shift in monetisation at that time.

    VIPs only miss the quests within the expansions, the areas are open and the MSQ is free to all (even free players), and with the sub you have access to zones "parallel" the expansions so you can questing and level up undisturbed even without the expansions.
    As I read it, it looks like the level cap is 130.  Subscribers get all content up to level 50, but nothing beyond that, because everything beyond 50 is part of one expansion or another.  Is that inaccurate?
  • TokkenTokken Member EpicPosts: 3,547
    It is costly and dull at times.... but if you are a huge Lord of the Rings fan it is worth it.  I've been able to play on and off for years and got good deals around Xmas time each year. That helped alot!
    Ungood

    Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004!  Make PvE GREAT Again!

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    edited January 2021
    Quizzical said:
    As I read it, it looks like the level cap is 130.  Subscribers get all content up to level 50, but nothing beyond that, because everything beyond 50 is part of one expansion or another.  Is that inaccurate?
    Yep, it is inaccurate.
    As a VIP you only miss the expansions (more precisely the quests in them. Their zones are open, and their main storyline too). There's a lot of content besides expansions, since as Stizzled mentioned Turbine had periods when they wanted to "give more worth to the VIP".

    Up until Mordor you can level up by questing entirely, every expansion has counterpart zones which cover the same level range and free for VIPs. Original expansions only stretch from 50 to 85, which you can cover through Eregion, Enedwaith, Great River and Wildermore as VIP.
    Then HD, which is mainly a boring and enlarged skirmish pack, just skip it :)

    After that there's Gondor, Anórien, Anduin (8-9 zones/quest packs), all free for VIPs and take you over 120 - during that time there were no expansions, so nothing there to skip, everything is open for subscribers.

    Then they switched back to the expansion route with Mordor and Morgul, if you are still liking the game after the months of play (and more importantly the months of VIP you payed), you can get Mordor from the stipend Points and continue.
  • crazyjanecrazyjane Member UncommonPosts: 11
    PSA: Right now is a perfect time to get into LOTRO if you're new and thinking about value proposition. Create account and install the game (the big hurdle for some). Once you have the game up and running, enter the in-game store and hit the "Redeem Code" button, enter the code: LOTROQUESTS2021 . You've now gained access to all the content up to Moria (LOTRO's first big award winning Expansion from back in the day) for FREE! Yup, FREE, and it's yours to keep forever, well, until the servers go dead but that's not going to happen for many years yet.

    And that's not the end of the bafgain. Also in the in-game store are the Quest Expansion Packs for most (not all) of the game's regions for 99LP(lotro points ingame currency). Some are asking "How do I get LP?". Play the game, do quests in the different regions, do deeds, etc. It doesn't take too long to earn those LP, on average you can earn 100LP in maybe 5-6 hours of casual game play/deed grinding. My guess is that less than a week of game play and you'll have enough LP to buy those cheap Expansion Quest Packs for 99LP each.

    No hurry though, the code and cheap QPs are here util Nov 30th 2021.

    I know this sounds like a shill post but I don't work for SSG. I just feel it's a great opportunity (no brainer) for new players and returning players from years in hiatus, and are looking at the cost of content. They have a bundle listed on their LOTRO Market website for like $60 (LOTRO Expansion Trove) but right now you can get all and more for nothing, free as in beer with some effort thrown in.
    Kyleran
  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 9,739
    Tokken said:
    It is costly and dull at times.... but if you are a huge Lord of the Rings fan it is worth it.  I've been able to play on and off for years and got good deals around Xmas time each year. That helped alot!

    I guess I was lucky...I was bored to tears by level 20 and didnt have to spend on the expansions.
    Kyleran
  • NeblessNebless Member RarePosts: 1,835
    edited September 2021
    "Looks Expensive"

    First looks can be deceiving.  While it might look like it is (and if you pay full price for anything it IS), the game has always provided ways to either lessen the cost or even negate it.

    Buy your points while on sale so you get more for your buck and then buy your items while they're on sale and it won't be anywhere close to full price.

    Everything in game can be gotten via points; either from the 500 free you get each month as a sub or just from the points you get from completing deeds in game.  If you complete all the deeds in the first 4 free zones you'll have enough free store points to pick up the riding skill and buy your next region.  And those deeds you pretty much complete by just playing the game.

    And if you create different characters on some of the different servers (to let you see other classes and other servers populations) and do those same 4 regions, all those deed points will go into your account, which will make things easier to buy down the line.

    Now as to your comment "to get the stuff that I'd want very early on".  OK, it sounds like you want some stuff outside the norm to improve YOUR game enjoyment, so sure it might cost you some out of pocket money.

    And now you have the current coupon code lotroquests2021 which will get you all the regions content for free forever and a 99 point sale for all the expansions from Moria to Mordor and it's not looking so expensive after all.


    Post edited by Nebless on
    Kyleran

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

  • DelCabonDelCabon Member UncommonPosts: 258
    I have had many friends over the years play LOTRO for free, completely free. Much of the core game is available free of any paywall. 

    You can earn Points completing deeds to upgrade the free experience. There is also a free store download each week with a code offered on the forums.  

    The grind for deeds is not all that bad. For the bigger store redemptions you are probably facing quite a few epic time sinks, especially if you are trying to accumulate enough points to buy an expansion. 

    The very fact that you can grind out points or simply let them accumulate with a base sub, and eventually purchase an expansion, seems pretty generous. 

    LOTRO is only an expensive game if your looking to power up quickly and skip core features. 

    I have played quite a few FTP games over the years. I was skeptical when (originally) Turbine switched DDO and LOTRO to these models. But I think they were brilliant moves in lots of ways. 

    These are businesses. I often feel the LOTRO and DDO FTP models are almost too generous. Play the game for free, if you like it and you can afford it, reward the developer with a sub or store purchase to keep things humming along. 
    Scot

    Del Cabon
    A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO. 

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,824
    edited March 2023
    Bit of a necro, but useful information; there is quite a bit of P2W in the cash shop now though, you seem to be able to buy anything.
  • AbimorAbimor Member RarePosts: 872
    Another necro but important they are planning a major store overhaul. and say the prices will be adjusted. 
    Also some of the stuff mentioned above about per charater purchases are different know.
    You can now buy a riding pack that is account wide. so thats great fore new players. Also the absolute best time to shop in lotro year after year is around black Fridays which is coming up.  
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Scot said:
    Bit of a necro, but useful information; there is quite a bit of P2W in the cash shop now though, you seem to be able to buy anything.
    Meh, what is one paying to win?

    It’s a pve game.

     I’ve played this game many times over the course of years. There’s nothing to win. 
    Abimor
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  • WargfootWargfoot Member RarePosts: 745
    Bought 3 lifetimes back in the day.
    They still fully honor those - I look for those in game even today.
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