ROI was a ripoff. Very dumb move by Turbine that may spell the doom of their game. I have been very supportive of this game both financially and verbally. That ended with ROI. They need to hit one out of the park to get people back after this disaster. And the update was absolutely horrible. It's as if they are trying to ruin the game.

Originally posted by GaryM

Originally posted by GrumpyMel2

SOA was awesome.....but since the end of it...

As a gamer you have to ultimately vote with your wallet and your (precious) time. You're not doing yourself any favor by sticking with a title you don't enjoy. As for the current state of LOTRO: at least right now the servers I play on are jam-packed with players, so much so that my biggest gripe is the constant switching between layers because of the excessive population level. My observation is that the developers can't create content fast enough for their player base - I see level 75s already running around Galtrev. I have my share of complaints, but they must be doing something right because the player population seems very healthy, too healthy in fact. Whether it stays that way after SWTOR and GW2 are released remains to be seen. I enjoy LOTRO enough to continue playing it after 4 years, but if better titles come along I'll move to them with no regrets.

Yup, lots of folks in the new zones but that isn't indicative of whether they are happy with what they bought. Of course they are going to use what they paid for. The prebuy of the next expansion will likely be an indicator of how satisfied they were with this one. From what I see in this thread sales may not be as robust for the next one. In the year it might take for them to churn another out many players could be gone to the various other titles that have gone f2p since lotro did.

Originally posted by GaryM

Originally posted by caelach 

I regretfully can't recommend anybody spend their cash for this expansion. It's worth maybe ten bucks, not fifty. Wait for a sale if you really want it.

The expansion costs $30, not $50, and includes the instance cluster update in December. You can spend $40 or $50 to get extra fluff.

The pre-order was $30-50 depending on the bonuses provided.

Originally posted by Skooma2

Originally posted by caelach

I have been playing lotro for a year. I have a 65 champ and a 61 scout, among others. I like the game and generally turbine is fair with their cash shop. It's a grindy game like all the rest.

Scout? Are you sure you're playing LotRO?

Scout hunter ranger, whatever. I'm not going to mince words about it. I'm confident you knew what I meant.

I have been playing lotro for a year. I have a 65 champ and a 61 scout, among others. I like the game and generally turbine is fair with their cash shop. It's a grindy game like all the rest.

I've thrown them some cash over this time because I'm not adverse to financially supporting something I'm feeling is honest and worthwhile. I purchased ROI and I have to say I'm disappointed. There just isn't a lot here for your money. It is a rehash of much before it. There is little new about it. It is not a lot of content for the $30-50 they were getting for the pre-order. The thing is crashing like crazy now.

I regretfully can't recommend anybody spend their cash for this expansion. It's worth maybe ten bucks, not fifty. Wait for a sale if you really want it.

I still like the game and will continue to play it, but my level of trust for turbine has been dinminished and I will likely not be pre-ordering any future expantions until I read that  they are worth the price. This was probably a foolish move by turbine because in this economy money is hard to come by and getting this paltry return will leave a bad taste in many players mouthes. A LOT of MMOs have gone f2p and a stunt like this could well send the relatively few with money to spend on games to the others. Almost every one of these MMOs have gone f2p and the money out there is clearly not enough to support them all. Some will fall. And putting out a half-baked expantion is exactly the kind of thing that could make lotro one of the fallen. Smarten up turbine.

This was inevitable. The basket case economy has them all scrambling for a buck. The MMO bubble has burst. Grandaddy WOW is next. The unlimited free trial is just the introduction to f2p.

I played COH for  year when it started. It was grindy but I liked it a lot. I have a deep set aversion to monthly fees so this is good news in my book. I would rather pay for content as I go and rather like having the choice.

Originally posted by willo248

I went into LOTRO expecting to be able to explore and see the legendary places of middle earth. I rolled a elf hunter, I got  to lvl 13 (at this point I thought ye this games pretty good) I decided to go off and explore the places of middle earth.

I got to the shire and upon entering hobbiton I was very dissapointed. Wheres bag-end? I expected to be able to go in and explore it. I'm guessing the game doesn't really have that many references to the books. correct em if im rong.

 

If I created a game based on a book or film especially ones as legendary as Tolkien's I would have given them some respect. I would have a monument where Boromir died, where gandalf fought the Balrag. But there seems to be nothing. I dread to think what Tolkien would say if he was still here, I doubt it would have even been licensed. 

You should  have made the title of this thread; "Very dissappointed; because I played the game for a few hours and was expecting to help Frodo fight Gollum over the One Ring at the Crack of Doom, but didn't."

If you had done that a person browsing would have immediatly known your expectations were absurd and would not  be negatively affected by your ignorant conclusion.

This is an MMORPG, not a 3 hour movie.

Does it bother you that a few, or perhaps many, people may have browsed the threads on the first page and decided to forgo trying the LOTRO because of your irresponsible and selfish post, who otherwise might have enjoyed playing it for years to come?

I'm not trying to slam you personnally, because I don't think you meant any harm by this. But you may have done some harm anyway.

I am about to ding 63 and it is no big grind to get there. The epic quests are sweet and free. I did throw them 30 bucks for 3 months vip, just to show appreciation,  and most of the perks I will keep after that ends. With skirmishes and tasks free it helps a lot for leveling. And there are a lot of turbine points to earn to get a few key extras for free as well. Great game, awesome graphics on high, little lag, it is by far the best f2p I have seen. Blows all the others into oblivion. This is finally a business plan that isn't trying to rip you off. And if you aren't a LOTR fan, then you aren't a fantasy fan, since LOTR is the inspiration for the whole genre. The story isn't about to be outdone by some in-house wannabe writer at your typical game company. It is considered the greatest literary work of the 20th century. Not only would I say it is the best f2p, but to me it is the best MMO of them all.

One other note: They now allow you into Moria and Mirkwood without paying and the epic quests there are free. Of course they have announced the Isengard expansion as well. They have some decent updates too.

I tried this when it first came out and wasn't too thrilled. I gave it another try when F2P launched and have a couple toons at 34 and 40. Way better. This is just BY FAR the best thing that has ever happened to F2P. And being the LOTR is just icing on the cake.

It is great to see soembody making a game F2P game with honest intent. Turbine has given an awesome playing experience to the masses using a business model that allows for money to be made, yet does not trick or gouge the player. Of course the setting of the game is beyond compare as it is based on the epitomy of what the genre is. Everything from the graphics to the music to the gameplay and on and on are outstanding. It is hard to find fault with this experience. It is immensely enjoyable without spending a dime. But I plan to throw some money their way despite that. They do have to pay some bills after all. Finally, some people just trying to make an honest buck arrive on the F2P scene.

Anybody still wasting time and money on this piece of crap, now that LOTRO has gone f2p?

Originally posted by kzaske

After watching my wife play this game for almost six months, I just don't get it.  The graphics are a little better than WoW (in some zones), spell animations are interesting, her flying mount looks good until you look at the dark squares that make up it’s shadow on the ground.  Sometimes the game reminds me of the pixilated Nintendo games of the 1980s other times and places it is almost as clean and smooth as a game or three from around 2003.

But the game play is just horrid.  Even away from towns this game can play like an epileptic slug in the middle of a fit.  I think the game itself is OK (at best) but is it in dire need of an overhaul.  It seems to go through system resources faster than Vanguard did when it was first released and plays half as well.

The lag is consistent; every town becomes a trial of perseverance just to get to where you can sell what passes for drops.  Expect to do the same quest (with a different name of course), over and over again until you are sick of it.

It will not take you long to realize why Frogster’s stock is doing so good; if you want to play you need the item shop. I have lots of complaints about the shop, but for a single player it works.  For a wife wanting to send her hubby a flying mount so that he will play the game with her, it’s don’t work.  For some reason, if you buy diamonds with a credit/debit card; you can not trade them or anything you buy with the diamonds to any other player, period.

Well put. This game has run its course. They sucked some people in at the beginning but the reality is out there for all to see now. It seems merely a tedious cash shop scam. It's rating has steadily dropped as people have become wise to it.

Originally posted by Dave3216

Originally posted by caelach

Just was checking the game rating/hype list here. I see EIGHTEEN free games rated higher than Runes of Magic. That's no surprise to me. I have said it sucks from the end of beta. Hopefully this thread has saved a few peeps from being bilked out of their cash.

 LMAO played ROM for 6 months and spent $15. As usual F2P games are only expensive if you make them so, the only person bilking your cash is YOU. Game was really fun and filled a gap nicely for me. No longer play but i would say if you are looking for a game thats F2P try it. You will have to fork out for a mount but thats it. Plenty of people walked everywhere though, personal choice.

Well, many have said here that to be proficient in the end game one needs to spend quite a bit. So not being up front about that would be bilking to many. But hey, if you liked it good for you. But there are many many many games rated higher on the game ratings here., and many in this thread have had severe criticizm for the game. Do you think all those people are just bellyachers?

Just was checking the game rating/hype list here. I see EIGHTEEN free games rated higher than Runes of Magic. That's no surprise to me. I have said it sucks from the end of beta. Hopefully this thread has saved a few peeps from being bilked out of their cash.

Originally posted by Otakun

Originally posted by grunty

Originally posted by Otakun

Cause the SUN license is owned by Ijji for North America. If you goto Ijji's website then you can play SUN.

 

In his defense MMORPG.com does have the webzen site listed.

 

OP go here. member.ijji.com/register.nhn

 

While that maybe true, it proves once again that a little research goes a long way.

Oh yeah, it is imperative to "research" DL and installing a game, LOL.

Haven't tried the game yet, but this "procedure" to setup and install and actually play is the most anal idiotic process I have ever seen!

Originally posted by draxlin

Just replying to this thread due to the title. 

 

Play this game - it's easily the best F2P game ATM!

The best? There are a ton of negative reactions to this game. You would think the best f2p would get better reviews than that. Truth is, the experience has been a fiasco.

Originally posted by Sixpax

Originally posted by caelach

I tried to warn people about these nasty guys just after release (see: "Avoid this game."). Quite a few of the swell fellas who populate the game chimed in to let me know just what a jerk I was for daring to say it was a ripoff. Another, apparently a person oficially associated with the game, flat out called me a liar when I related something I had seen the mods state on the forum.

 

There isn't much good to say about how these folks run their business ot their game. They are trying to suck you in and grab your cash in my opinion. That is all they care about.

 

I hope my warnings saved a few people some aggravation.

 

And yet RoM still continues to grow.  In fact, they recently opened a new server.

I'm sorry your Chicken Little tantrums aren't killing the game, perhaps if you go after one that actually does suck (like Aion), you might have better luck.

I see you're still hard at work shilling for ROM. Just read these threads and you see the great number of people that think this is just a plain bad game. But the same old 3-4 people keep defending it, and are usually attacking those who criticize it. Hmmm, it's almost like they work for ROM and created an account to counter any critique. A company that treats their customers like crap as many have testified to right here would have no problem planting a few accounts on a site like this.

Maybe a new server will help alleviate the lag problems a bit.

I do suspect because of the MANY negative statements about the game to be found here, the f2p scam artists have ripped off a few less people than they might have otherwise, despite your eager complicity.

I tried to warn people about these nasty guys just after release (see: "Avoid this game."). Quite a few of the swell fellas who populate the game chimed in to let me know just what a jerk I was for daring to say it was a ripoff. Another, apparently a person oficially associated with the game, flat out called me a liar when I related something I had seen the mods state on the forum.

There isn't much good to say about how these folks run their business ot their game. They are trying to suck you in and grab your cash in my opinion. That is all they care about.

I hope my warnings saved a few people some aggravation.