LOTRO Online - Free to play for everyone

[JohnnyFind]

Lord of the Rings Online is an MMORPG set in the iconic fantasy setting created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The game, developed by Turbine, launched in 2007 and has enjoyed several major expansions.

The new update, due out this fall in North America and Europe, will allow players to download and play the game up to level 50 without spending a nickel. Players will be able to purchase expansions, quest packs, items and other account services individually.


Lord of the Rings Online VIP accounts get unlimited access to premium game content for one price as well as a handful of other perks like character slots, priority server access and a monthly allowance of points to spend in the Lord of the Rings Online store.

Seems my lifetime subscription account will automatically become VIP.

[Undergrid]

Whats the game like though? Is it any good?

[rover]

It's like wow but with lotr toons

[RichardWhitely]

you minstrel things to death

[Emma]

i saw this game in gamestation dirt cheap, is it worth getting? (bored of wow atm)

[Dai]

I've had a lifetime subscription since release. It is a lot better than WoW in my opinion (at least since Wrath of The Lich King and all the crap that's brought).

The community is much better and far more grown up and friendly, the game is a lot more fun to level, crafting is far more interesting and some of the normal instances take just as long as a full raid to clear in WoW.

Wow stole the achievement system from Lotro (then implemented it in a terrible fashion).

The only issue I found with it is that end game at present is gated based on radiance gear and also there was very little of interest to do right at the end. Allthough Mirkwood did release Skirmishes which are great fun to begin with (Variable Size instances with variable goals and rewards depending on the size of team and difficulty chosen).

Some of the classes in Lotro are truely unique and engaging, e.g. Warden, Burglar, Minstrel and Loremaster.

Edit: Just to note though I think that the community as a large might now get flooded with the same sort of mong kids that play WoW however if you join a good solid kinship you will find nothing but great people to play the game with.

I got a max level minstrel and burglar and about 3-4 mid level chars atm. You will find yourself alting a lot when you reach end game tho.

Best European Server is snowbourn; It's the oldest and most successful community.

[Dai]

If any of you guys are interested in this game and would like to see it all then join Snowbourne and I will get you guys into my Guild the Blades of Arnotr (apart of the Light Knights gaming Community). The kin offer everything you would want and are still friendly and casual friendly, they have the numbers to raid, do instances and they love helping people through the game and to do book quests.

It also will mean you avoid any of the real muppets that will play the game just because it's free, the blades have been going since server launch.

[RichardWhitely]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUOlNzVjbWc - Yogscast review of LOTR Free to play version Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk2glnBj2nQ - Part 2

[Undergrid]

I've created a character on Snowbourne, Serendra a hunter, to give LOTRO a go.  Right now I'm in Combe and while the graphics are definatly better than WoW the gameplay seems about the same as any MMO. 

One thing I'd note, without the benefit of a decent close-range map, you can get lost quite easily.  You can't zoom the mini map in and out, and the map opened by pressing M doesn't show a town map when your in a town (as far as I can see) so I end up following the direction pointed on the mini map by the quest tracker only to find I need to retrace my steps and go around an obstical to get tu my destination..