If you're wondering how Lord of the Rings Online will operate under this new pricing structure -- well, Turbine probably is as well. Both parties' curiosity will likely be satisfied by a closed beta, which kicks off June 16.
If you're wondering how Lord of the Rings Online will operate under this new pricing structure -- well, Turbine probably is as well. Both parties' curiosity will likely be satisfied by a closed beta, which kicks off June 16.
Reader Comments (29)
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 9:58AM (Unverified) said
I wonder what's going to happen to the people who bought lifetime memberships for LOTRO.
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:12AM Omnistatic said
I'm sure there is something in the ToS that lets them nullify that, but if they had any sort of decency they'd give them the VIP status as an act of good faith.
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:18AM Punkrawk Bbob said
I was curious the same - how those people would be getting screwed.
Then I remembered how my account caved in and I look forward to playing for free in the future. Great game, just hard to commit to an MMO right now.
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Then I remembered how my account caved in and I look forward to playing for free in the future. Great game, just hard to commit to an MMO right now.
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:29AM (Unverified) said
DDO has a subscription option that gives you a certain amount of credits towards additional content every month. I imagine LTRO will do something similar, and those who bought a lifetime membership will get this "subscription" for like.
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:33AM (Unverified) said
From the FAQ on the LOTRO website
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.
Reply
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.
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:31AM Aquaryon said
I think this link might have your answer: http://www.lotro.com/betasignup/vipchart.html
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:34AM Aquaryon said
Actually I am sorry, wrong link: http://www.lotro.com/support/policies/loyaltyreward has all the info for Life Time and current subscribers. Sorry about that guys!
Reply
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 11:43AM Samael said
Turbine is not screwing LT subs over. And I am glad I have one. I will be a VIP for life without having to pay a monthly fee. Yes Turbine is keeping their word to the LT members. On top of that we get 500 points free every month. So I would say that this is a good compromise.
I hate to see this happen to this game, I thought this was my last refuge for a game that does not sell $25 mounts and other item shop stuff. But Turbine has shown that they can do F2P well and hopefully see that they do something good with it.
I have mixed feelings, but Turbine is treating their customers appropriately, and I am happy to see that. Cryptic could learn a few things from these guys.
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I hate to see this happen to this game, I thought this was my last refuge for a game that does not sell $25 mounts and other item shop stuff. But Turbine has shown that they can do F2P well and hopefully see that they do something good with it.
I have mixed feelings, but Turbine is treating their customers appropriately, and I am happy to see that. Cryptic could learn a few things from these guys.
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:28AM Aquaryon said
This is a great idea! I just got into this little gem (had to take a break from WoW) and I have been enjoying myself quite a bit. This is a great idea! I think I will continue to keep on playing... now if only Cryptic can do the same for Champions and/or Star Trek I will be content till SW:ToR :)
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 10:50AM RevolutionJ12 said
Just FYI, VIP will require a monthly fee because when I was reading the statement about the lifetime membership it says...
"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."
I added the emphasis, but this makes it seem like the VIP will be a monthly fee.
Reply
"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."
I added the emphasis, but this makes it seem like the VIP will be a monthly fee.
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 1:16PM Marco le Polo said
I was gonna say... "lol I have a friend that got the lifetime membership for some $200"
I guess I won't anymore...
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I guess I won't anymore...
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 4:35PM (Unverified) said
"I added the emphasis, but this makes it seem like the VIP will be a monthly fee."
How did you come to that conclusion when the part you added emphasis to explicitly states that's not the case?
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How did you come to that conclusion when the part you added emphasis to explicitly states that's not the case?
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 4:36PM (Unverified) said
Wait, I read wrong. Thought you were talking about lifetime's. :) VIP will require a monthly fee, but lifetime members will not have to pay one to be a VIP.
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 11:09AM Alexisonfire said
Oooo... Maybe now I'll use those two copies of Mines of Moria that I got from PAX last year.
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 3:36PM mrmobius said
It has been 5 years now since I last played an MMO (Runescape) but I was also introduced to it because it offered F2P and I got hooked.
I'm a LotR fan so I'll check this out, but most likely it'll ruin any social life I have if I give it enough time to do so.
Reply
I'm a LotR fan so I'll check this out, but most likely it'll ruin any social life I have if I give it enough time to do so.
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 4:43PM KentuckyFrydCow28 said
I've been waiting for this since the free beta.
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Posted: Jun 4th 2010 7:55PM (Unverified) said
pretty cool imo
I got the game when it first came out, but like many people just stuck with playing wow.
I came back on several of the free weekends and liked it enough, but just not quite enough to warrant paying for that as well as wow.
I would love to come back and just enjoy casually levelling a character to the max level I can get to, just every now and again. I'm quite a big tolkien fan so it's something I've wanted to do.
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I got the game when it first came out, but like many people just stuck with playing wow.
I came back on several of the free weekends and liked it enough, but just not quite enough to warrant paying for that as well as wow.
I would love to come back and just enjoy casually levelling a character to the max level I can get to, just every now and again. I'm quite a big tolkien fan so it's something I've wanted to do.
Posted: Jun 4th 2010 8:08PM Daeran Angelfire said
In depth:
Welcome to The Lord of the Rings Online™ (LOTRO), the award-winning online role-playing game set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the greatest fantasy world of all time.
Free-to-Play opens up more choices and options so you can play your way. When LOTRO Free-to-Play is available, you can download the game for free and start playing without a subscription or even a credit card.
Anyone can join the game for free as a Free player when LOTRO Free-to-Play is available. You will automatically be upgraded from Free player to Premium player status with your first purchase of Turbine Points in the LOTRO Store.
And for a monthly fee, LOTRO's VIP program offers the best value and the most options for players who like the convenience of having unlimited access to all of LOTRO's game content and features. If you are already a subscriber, just maintain your active subscription to be automatically upgraded to VIP!
Here are all the benefits you get when LOTRO Free-to-Play is available:
PLAYER TIER VIP PREMIUM PLAYER FREE PLAYER
TURBINE POINTS 500/month Free
(can purchase more) or earn thru gameplay Purchasable
or earn thru gameplay Purchasable
or earn thru gameplay
CONTENT
World Access* Free Free Free
Epic Story* Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Races 4 4 4
Classes 7 7 7
Premium Classes* Purchasable Purchasable Purchasable
Level Cap* 50 50 50
Character Slots*/** 5/server
(can purchase more) 3/server
(can purchase more) 1/server
(can purchase more)
Quest Packs* Eriador Ered Luin, Shire, Bree-land
(can purchase more) Ered Luin, Shire, Bree-land
(can purchase more)
KEY FEATURES
Inventory 5 bags 3 bags
(can purchase more) 3 bags
(can purchase more)
Gold Limit Unlimited 5 Gold
(can purchase cap removal) 2 Gold
(can purchase cap removal)
Priority Login Priority High Standard
Chat Unlimited Limited Limited
Auction Unlimited Limited Limited
Mail Unlimited Limited Limited
Rest XP Automatic Not available Not Available
Shared Bank** Purchasable Purchasable Purchasable
Skirmishes* 9
(More in Mirkwood Expansion) 4
(can purchase more) 4
(can purchase more)
Legendary Items* Requires Moria Expansion Requires Moria Expansion Requires Moria Expansion
Traits All 1 or 2 slots per trait type
(can purchase more) 1 or 2 slots per trait type
(can purchase more)
Crafting* Tier 1-5 available Tier 1-5 available Tier 1-5 available
Crafting Guilds Unlimited Limited
(can purchase more) Limited
(can purchase more)
Housing Available Available Available
Music Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Hobbies Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Cosmetic System Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Wardrobe 20 slots
(can purchase more) Purchasable Purchasable
Destiny points Can earn and spend Can earn but cannot spend Can earn but cannot spend
Monster play Unlimited Not available Not available
Community Features Unlimited Unlimited Limited
Customer Service Full access Full access for 30 days following the purchase of Turbine points Self-service online
* Purchasers of the Mines of Moria™ expansion get access to the Mines of Moria region and content, premium classes (Rune-Keeper and Warden), legendary items feature, Tier 6 crafting feature, 2 extra character slots and a level cap of 60. Purchasers of the Siege of Mirkwood™ expansion get access to the Siege of Mirkwood region and content, a level cap of 65 and the Siege of Mirkwood skirmishes.
** Purchasers of the LOTRO Adventurer's Pack get 2 extra character slots and 20 slots of shared bank storage across all characters on the same servers.
Reply
Welcome to The Lord of the Rings Online™ (LOTRO), the award-winning online role-playing game set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the greatest fantasy world of all time.
Free-to-Play opens up more choices and options so you can play your way. When LOTRO Free-to-Play is available, you can download the game for free and start playing without a subscription or even a credit card.
Anyone can join the game for free as a Free player when LOTRO Free-to-Play is available. You will automatically be upgraded from Free player to Premium player status with your first purchase of Turbine Points in the LOTRO Store.
And for a monthly fee, LOTRO's VIP program offers the best value and the most options for players who like the convenience of having unlimited access to all of LOTRO's game content and features. If you are already a subscriber, just maintain your active subscription to be automatically upgraded to VIP!
Here are all the benefits you get when LOTRO Free-to-Play is available:
PLAYER TIER VIP PREMIUM PLAYER FREE PLAYER
TURBINE POINTS 500/month Free
(can purchase more) or earn thru gameplay Purchasable
or earn thru gameplay Purchasable
or earn thru gameplay
CONTENT
World Access* Free Free Free
Epic Story* Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Races 4 4 4
Classes 7 7 7
Premium Classes* Purchasable Purchasable Purchasable
Level Cap* 50 50 50
Character Slots*/** 5/server
(can purchase more) 3/server
(can purchase more) 1/server
(can purchase more)
Quest Packs* Eriador Ered Luin, Shire, Bree-land
(can purchase more) Ered Luin, Shire, Bree-land
(can purchase more)
KEY FEATURES
Inventory 5 bags 3 bags
(can purchase more) 3 bags
(can purchase more)
Gold Limit Unlimited 5 Gold
(can purchase cap removal) 2 Gold
(can purchase cap removal)
Priority Login Priority High Standard
Chat Unlimited Limited Limited
Auction Unlimited Limited Limited
Mail Unlimited Limited Limited
Rest XP Automatic Not available Not Available
Shared Bank** Purchasable Purchasable Purchasable
Skirmishes* 9
(More in Mirkwood Expansion) 4
(can purchase more) 4
(can purchase more)
Legendary Items* Requires Moria Expansion Requires Moria Expansion Requires Moria Expansion
Traits All 1 or 2 slots per trait type
(can purchase more) 1 or 2 slots per trait type
(can purchase more)
Crafting* Tier 1-5 available Tier 1-5 available Tier 1-5 available
Crafting Guilds Unlimited Limited
(can purchase more) Limited
(can purchase more)
Housing Available Available Available
Music Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Hobbies Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Cosmetic System Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Wardrobe 20 slots
(can purchase more) Purchasable Purchasable
Destiny points Can earn and spend Can earn but cannot spend Can earn but cannot spend
Monster play Unlimited Not available Not available
Community Features Unlimited Unlimited Limited
Customer Service Full access Full access for 30 days following the purchase of Turbine points Self-service online
* Purchasers of the Mines of Moria™ expansion get access to the Mines of Moria region and content, premium classes (Rune-Keeper and Warden), legendary items feature, Tier 6 crafting feature, 2 extra character slots and a level cap of 60. Purchasers of the Siege of Mirkwood™ expansion get access to the Siege of Mirkwood region and content, a level cap of 65 and the Siege of Mirkwood skirmishes.
** Purchasers of the LOTRO Adventurer's Pack get 2 extra character slots and 20 slots of shared bank storage across all characters on the same servers.
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