LOTRO to go Free to Play

[Khatovar]

Announced today, Turbine's MMO Lord of the Rings Online will be following the same path as Dungeons and Dragons Online. This fall, LotRO will be moving to a Free-to-play platform, with access to paid options via the Turbine Store. I have to say, I'm thrilled by this as I just started dual-boxing +1{something not really feasible with DDO} and I'm having a great time with it.

http://www.lotro.com/news/709-announ...-free-to-play-

[Ualaa]

This is a pretty good trend for boxers in general.
Our costs are always a tad higher then others.

As long as the game can make enough to stay around, through the extras and what not.

Have not tried LotRO.

[Norrin]

Thats cool. Might actually try boxing LOTRO now.

Did they happen to say what is gong to happen to those lifetime accounts?

[Khatovar]

Info is still coming in so it's hard to find some answers. About the Lifetimers -

New adds to the FAQ -

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 points and enjoy the wealth of new a la carte items and options to enhance your game experience.


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 like the other VIPs, and you can spend the Turbine Points at your leisure in the LOTRO Store to enhance your game experience and keep playing the way you want.


Also from the Big Big F2P Thread -

20. What should Lifetime members do to earn the maximum amount of points until the release of the new Store?
Log in at least once a month. Lifetime Membership Subscribers must have at least one active play session per month during the Special Offers Eligibility Date.

2. Can you buy expansions with Turbine Points?
YES! From Sapience: you can "save them up for a big purchase like an entire expansion or something similar". So, you can presumably get paid expansions for free if you save up!



Lifetime Subscribers will basically be automatic lifetime VIPs {without having to pay, of course}, who get a metric ton of Turbine Points the day F2P goes live. If F2P goes live in say, September, they will get 3months of 500 points {1500}, plus another 500 points for every anniversary that has elapsed since they started {up to 1500 points}, plus 500 if they were "Founders", plus 1000 for being Lifetime subscribers, plus the recurring 500 points a month every month thereafter for being VIP accounts. So they're looking at something like 4500ish Turbine Points to start. I was a VIP in DDO and I can't even begin to imagine what to do with that many points.

[Norrin]

Yeah funny I got my email as I was typing my first reply.

Pretty much for lifetime accounts you stay at VIP and to maintain your rewards (Turbine points I guess), you have to log into the game once a month. Something I have not been doing. But will now.

I have been wanting to box LOTRO for a while but didn't want to go and get more accounts. 10 wow accounts is enough, let alone adding some LOTRO's.

Looks interesting though.

[visman]

@Khatovar

How do the points translate in DDO? For example, what would a typical expansion cost? I'm assuming the pricing model will be similar for LotRO.

I multi-box with three lifetimers (one of which is a Founder), so they will all go VIP (with my main getting a little extra boost for being a Founder plus the three-year bonus).

Can points be traded to other accounts/players? If so, I could see starting up three more (free) accounts and using the points from the VIPs to upgrade the freebies (extra levels/character slots/inventory slots/etc.)

It was also pointed out that players will be able to earn points through normal gameplay. How does this presently work in DDO? Do you get points just for certain accomplishments (like deeds in LotRO) or can you earn them by leveling/killing/questing?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Khatovar]

I've no idea what the expansion will cost or if they will be true expansions or more along the lines of "adventure packs" like EQ2 does. In DDO you could buy like mini adventure packs for like 500-700 points or so. I imagine a true expansion or adventure pack would probably be double that.

Points cannot be traded, I do know they said that. But, you may be able to purchase certain "Giftable" items. In DDO they had some sort of friend tagalong thing where you could bring friends to certain dungeons, but I never really looked into that.

In DDO, you earned points for reaching certain milestones. Hitting certain faction levels, completing certain story lines, even logging in during events could net you like 25 points or so. From what I read on the boards, you would get points for things like deeds, epic stories and such, and they are working out a means for providing points to people who have alreeady completed those deeds and such.

[EaTCarbS]

Wow, this sounds really great! I actually like the business model that turbine is switching too. Will definitely have to try boxing LOTRO.

[visman]

Thanks for he feedback, Khatovar. That will be very welcome indeed if they work out some sort of retroactive points for those of us who have already completed so much of the content/deeds/etc. The press release and interview seemed to lean toward the direction of "Sorry...you're screwed", so I hope you're right.

[Lyonheart]

i have two accounts ( 50 champ and minst ) I stopped playing because all my friends stayed with WoW. I really liked the game. I think them going to FFP will make that game a huge success. As far as story and lore go.. its number one by far! The graphics are good to great depending on your PC. I might give it another shot before Cata comes out.

I'm on Silverlode server. IF enough boxers get on a server ( don't have to be mine ) i might come hang with you! I wanted to start a Rune-keeper team.