Thread: Let us buy stuff from the store for other people

Like in EQ2, you can "Gift" things to others. I have a couple of friends who've used up their free access and are short on money to buy the zones to catch up to me. I would INSTANTLY love to buy them the zone access.

Please add gifting to all SC items so we can buy stuff for others. You'll make even more money that way.

Seems like there is a solution for you. Buy your friends a Turbine Points/lotro card or code. They sell these cards at several retailers and even sell online codes, and this would allow them to use the card/code on their own account.

Originally Posted by Jburg

Seems like there is a solution for you. Buy your friends a Turbine Points/lotro card or code. They sell these cards at several retailers and even sell online codes, and this would allow them to use the card/code on their own account.

The only problem with this is you will not be able to avail "Sale" thats being offered only at the LOTRO store. Like the "sale" being offered, i want to buy a bulk to save some money and at the same time, share some of my TP to friends. I really dont see why we shouldnt be able to do that, gifting bought items from LOTRO store. Totally agree that it will bring more money to Turbine. For example, out of pity or what not, I want to buy a struggling F2P player a riding skill so he/she can get mount early on.

Originally Posted by Morgrimlotus

The only problem with this is you will not be able to avail "Sale" thats being offered only at the LOTRO store. I really dont see why we shouldnt be able to do that, gifting bought items from LOTRO store. Totally agree that it will bring more money to Turbine. For example, out of pity or what not, I want to buy a struggling F2P player a riding skill so he/she can get mount early on.

Yes. Thank you very much for the voice of reason. Like as if I'm gonna go out to a store and buy cards lol. Nope. Turbine should add the idea of gifting to LOTRO, just as it's done in EQ2

I am not against a gifting option- I was simply offering a possible solution.

However, I do think the claim that a gift option would increase store revenue could be faulty. Imagine this scenario- Several VIPers/Lifers have accumulated 1,000s of TPs, because they claim they have nothing to spend them on. This does not hurt Turbine that much because the players are still a source of revenue, and the TPs just sit there unspent. Now imagine "gifting" opening up as an option. Suddenly, these points are being donated to free players/premium players, who upon receiving 500 TPs to buy the North Downs quest pack, no longer need to spend real money. Turbine then loses a source of potential revenue.

The other major problem with this is if a lifer/VIP gets their account hacked, suddenly all of their unspent TP get mysteriously "gifted" to 4711 other toons-none of whom the real owner of the account knows. Then this creates potloads MORE work for Turbine, trying to track down MORE things a hacker took and gave away. I can't see "gifting" happening. Turbine already has enough work trying to track down what hackers did with peoples' items....

Tanais @ Arkenstone

How does EQ2 stop farmers from selling those 'gifts'?

Originally Posted by Morgrimlotus

The only problem with this is you will not be able to avail "Sale" thats being offered only at the LOTRO store. Like the "sale" being offered, i want to buy a bulk to save some money and at the same time, share some of my TP to friends. I really dont see why we shouldnt be able to do that, gifting bought items from LOTRO store. Totally agree that it will bring more money to Turbine. For example, out of pity or what not, I want to buy a struggling F2P player a riding skill so he/she can get mount early on.

Here is why you can't: You get 250 TP for setting up a new account. Letting people gift would cause a huge number of people setting up throwaway accounts to buy stuff for themselves.

Now, I already know what you're going to say next: Turbine can put restrictions around what you're allowed to do. You're right, Turbine can. But now, the problem has gotten a lot more complex. This feature has developed a lot more implications that have to be thought out. This is going to push this idea down to the bottom of the pile.

Originally Posted by JeanCarlo

How does EQ2 stop farmers from selling those 'gifts'?

They don't. It's allowed (in exchange for in-game resources. Selling store items for real money is a violation of the TOS, with the exception discussed in the next paragraph). Of course, (knowledgeable) people won't buy the store items from "farmers" at a price higher than the store price, so there's little incentive to buy or sell these gifts for real money (if you want something and have a remote payment method, just buy it from the store yourself), but "farmers" can and do buy the items with real money and sell them for in-game currency or other in-game resources.

As an aside, EQ2's maker, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has two servers (Exchange servers) in which they facilitate selling in-game resources for real money. They take a cut of the sales for themselves. The Exchange servers are the least popular of EQ2's servers: it turns out that when selling pixels for real money is allowed, the demand diminishes...

Go to https://exchange.livegamer.com/eqii/ to see the selection of high level characters, in-game currency and other stuff that can be bought for real money on the Exchange servers.

Then, let us rethink our criticisms of Turbine's RMT. It could be worse...

Originally Posted by Serees

Like in EQ2, you can "Gift" things to others. I have a couple of friends who've used up their free access and are short on money to buy the zones to catch up to me. I would INSTANTLY love to buy them the zone access.

Please add gifting to all SC items so we can buy stuff for others. You'll make even more money that way.

I just shot straight up out of bed and remembered: You can gift items to other players by following these instructions:

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.p...ints-Purchases

Originally Posted by ExecutionTherapy

As an aside, EQ2's maker, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has two servers (Exchange servers) in which they facilitate selling in-game resources for real money. They take a cut of the sales for themselves. The Exchange servers are the least popular of EQ2's servers: it turns out that when selling pixels for real money is allowed, the demand diminishes...

Go to https://exchange.livegamer.com/eqii/ to see the selection of high level characters, in-game currency and other stuff that can be bought for real money on the Exchange servers.

Wow, I just took a glance at this. Buying and selling in-game leveled characters? That seems pretty pathetic. Is the end-game in EQ2 really that big of a deal? If a new player bought a lvl 65 all geared up in lotro, he/she would be a very unhappy player with nothing to do.

P.S. you are right- you can gift TPs and that link explains it all. I'm guessing this thread should be closed now.

Originally Posted by Jburg

Wow, I just took a glance at this. Buying and selling in-game leveled characters? That seems pretty pathetic. Is the end-game in EQ2 really that big of a deal? If a new player bought a lvl 65 all geared up in lotro, he/she would be a very unhappy player with nothing to do.

Sony's plan was to make money for themselves by providing a RMT service on some servers. People do not want to play on the RMT servers. They rather play on the non-RMT servers. Risk an account ban while buying under the table. Smiling to their friends about how they did it themselves.

Maryland has a lot of public hunting places. You get your license you go out an hunt a pheasant or whatever. You can not get a real wild one. You can go to the pheasant farmers and shoot one in a cage. Bring it home. You do not need a license for this. You do not need a gun. Or even a shotgun shell. It is a very popular activity. Shooting the pheasant in the cage. I bet there are ways to get dove, quail, grouse and fishies to bring home. I was told you will smile Yula. Tell my girl friend that I was the one to down the pheasant...

Thank you for the link to Victorie's post. It is almost helpful enough. *smile* I'd like to be able to send a gift of points to someone I only know by their character names. Hmm, in the case of a Guild Reward, I would have an e-mail address, but some folks use nicknames or alias' there and not a john . smith @ aaa . bbb

So, my suggestion/request is a way to give a Point gift to an account where only the character(s) are known.


Ruth

Originally Posted by Sardonyx

Here is why you can't: You get 250 TP for setting up a new account. Letting people gift would cause a huge number of people setting up throwaway accounts to buy stuff for themselves.

Now, I already know what you're going to say next: Turbine can put restrictions around what you're allowed to do. You're right, Turbine can. But now, the problem has gotten a lot more complex. This feature has developed a lot more implications that have to be thought out. This is going to push this idea down to the bottom of the pile.

This gifting isnt new and unchartered territory. If other online game can, why cant LOTRO. As per the 250 given per each account, LOTRO can setup a minimum balance to maintain before you can gift TP, all am saying , adjustments should be made to the system. I am not sure how much TPs you earn playing the LOTRO for years, but i dont think you can give away tons of those to players. Items can be tagged as bound or not, earned TP can be tagged as bound. Again we are seeing this as is, but system as to be put in place in order to make this work. All am saying , this has been done already and only in LOTRO i find it hard to be generous.
And as per a complex system, they were able to come up with a very complex game. I dont think putting up a gifting system like that will measure up to the complexity of the game itself.

If this is too complex, they can come up with an item "Send TP to a friend" with similar effect as if clickin "add TP points" but instead allow you to put a player's or recepient's player name. As a security measure, it will ask for credit on file/ paypal account validation.

The link provided has lots of hassles to it. I want a plain and simple gifting.

Originally Posted by Morgrimlotus

The link provided has lots of hassles to it. I want a plain and simple gifting.

IMHO - You will never get this functionality. It reduces the number of dollars Turbine is receiving. It is the same reason they will not allow me to move points between my Lotro accounts. It is one of the reasons you can not move points between your DDO and Lotro accounts.

It would be nice if there was an easier way to buy points for someone else. Turbine can not make it too easy because of the potential of account fraud.

There are very few if any reward systems that allow points to be moved between accounts. There are lots of reward and point systems. There has to be at least one that allows it. I can not think of one amongst all the gas station, grocery store, airline, hotel, credit card ... systems that I have dealt with. Most of them have expiration dates and limitations on their points.

Originally Posted by Jburg

I am not against a gifting option- I was simply offering a possible solution.

However, I do think the claim that a gift option would increase store revenue could be faulty. Imagine this scenario- Several VIPers/Lifers have accumulated 1,000s of TPs, because they claim they have nothing to spend them on. This does not hurt Turbine that much because the players are still a source of revenue, and the TPs just sit there unspent. Now imagine "gifting" opening up as an option. Suddenly, these points are being donated to free players/premium players, who upon receiving 500 TPs to buy the North Downs quest pack, no longer need to spend real money. Turbine then loses a source of potential revenue.

Fine, then make the gifting option a direct CC purchase, like as if you are buying fresh Turbine Points.

Originally Posted by ExecutionTherapy

I just shot straight up out of bed and remembered: You can gift items to other players by following these instructions:

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.p...ints-Purchases

That method is fiddly and time consuming. Hey while we're at it, why don't we shut down the online store to buy points and force everybody to call in on the phone and be forced to buy our Turbine Points from a real agent after waiting 20 minutes in a queue.

Nope. Still request to Turbine to allow gifting the same way EQ2 does it.

Originally Posted by Yula_the_Mighty

IMHO - You will never get this functionality. It reduces the number of dollars Turbine is receiving. It is the same reason they will not allow me to move points between my Lotro accounts. It is one of the reasons you can not move points between your DDO and Lotro accounts.

It would be nice if there was an easier way to buy points for someone else. Turbine can not make it too easy because of the potential of account fraud.

There are very few if any reward systems that allow points to be moved between accounts. There are lots of reward and point systems. There has to be at least one that allows it. I can not think of one amongst all the gas station, grocery store, airline, hotel, credit card ... systems that I have dealt with. Most of them have expiration dates and limitations on their points.

We're NOT talking about giving or selling Turbine Points to other characters. We're talking about using our points to buy a BOUND GIFT for another character, just as EQ2 does it.

I agree, never let us sell or give points to other characters. Only bound gifts and unlocks for your friend.

For example, MrElf is broke and is locked at the point in the Weaponsmith guild where he needs to move to Friend rep and bemons his lot in life. I peruse the store and find the Weaponsmith Unlock item and choose "Gift". I BUY IT WITH POINTS, and then type in his name as the recipient of the gift. I spend points I paid real money for, MrElf gets a gift, but no points.

I would NEVER use that fiddly and time wasting method that was linked to in this thread, and I'm certainly not gonna drive 25 miles to the nearest best buy or whatever, so they would lose money from me from not having an inbuilt store gifting option. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Originally Posted by Serees

Yes. Thank you very much for the voice of reason. Like as if I'm gonna go out to a store and buy cards lol. Nope. Turbine should add the idea of gifting to LOTRO, just as it's done in EQ2

Even the Wii let's you "gift" people. My partner gifted me a game both on the Wii and on the DSi ! Come on, LOTRO, you can do it!

I think Turbine might support this idea (buying Store items as gifts for other players), but only if those gift items could only be purchased using TP the player has bought, not TP the player has been granted from deeds or for VIP or creating a new account.

The LOTRO Store currently doesn't make any distinction between points someone has been granted vs. points the player actually paid for. As someone else mentioned, it would be sort of like having "bound" and "unbound" points. I really don't think Turbine would care who's buying the item, as long as someone paid real money for it.

No matter how good the idea is intended, this in the end leads tp farming and selling store items for real money (or gold).

Turbine has done a great job keeping these plagues away from the game.

Doesn't this kind of do what you want to do?

http://www.lotro.com/turbinewebstorepointscodes

Maybe I'm not understanding the issue. Certainly wouldn't be the first time...

SoE has had a lot of problems due to gifting. Most irritating was heavy spamming in chats, offering gifted items for ingame plat. They finally fixed it by only allowing 2 gifts a day, and only recurring gold subs can gift. Also no one can gift if they buy sub time with game cards or by paying for subs with the store currency, SC. There also were a lot of attempts to hack Sony so crooks could buy SC with an account's credit card and then gift items for ingame Plat, which was then sold on illegal websites.

Gifting is a very bad idea. It sounds nice, but really is not worth the spam and risks of attracting gold sellers. Anyone remember the Bree spam way back? And the level one characters with names like xwrsty standing at the South Bree gate continuously flooding the channels with gold seller spam? It would start again if gifting was enabled in LOTRO.