Discussion: Game Worth Playing Actively?

Hey guys! Well first off I'm highly disappointed with the restrictions via the forums for F2P players, I mean come on we can't even post in General Chat. So let's get to business, I've played LOTRO for a month or so and got to lvl 15ish and then I just stopped when I got into other games, I've been looking for something more along a traditional MMO such as WoW, Rift, SWTOR, and etc (I'm not comparing any of these together I just mean traditional MMO as in you get quests and use hotkeys to cast spells and etc), I was wondering if LOTRO {{mid game and end game}} was any good? My main concern is the population of the game, if it's still actively played, how F2P restrictions are in those fields, and how group/parties (raids and instances) are going (active). If you guys can think of other good F2P traditional MMOs please tell me as well Thanks guys!

Well to start off... the game is extremely active depending on which server your on. Most servers have very active populations, but to get the most out of the game you should find yourself a good Kinship so that you can make friends and do many of the quest together. The mid and end game content is really good especially considering that Turbine releases new content and updates on a pretty regular basis.

As to the F2P restrictions, most are pretty minor especially when you can unlock many of them with a single in-game purchase of something from the Turbine Store. If you want to remove pretty much every restriction, sub for a month (or buy one of the box expansions off ebay or amazon), make your characters and play them during the 30-VIP and you unlock pretty much every thing you'd really need in the game (monster play isn't one of them, but it's also not really apart of the game anyways, just a side PVP thing really that hasn't got anything to do with the game).

Envoyé par Joreel

Well to start off... the game is extremely active depending on which server your on. Most servers have very active populations, but to get the most out of the game you should find yourself a good Kinship so that you can make friends and do many of the quest together. The mid and end game content is really good especially considering that Turbine releases new content and updates on a pretty regular basis.

As to the F2P restrictions, most are pretty minor especially when you can unlock many of them with a single in-game purchase of something from the Turbine Store. If you want to remove pretty much every restriction, sub for a month (or buy one of the box expansions off ebay or amazon), make your characters and play them during the 30-VIP and you unlock pretty much every thing you'd really need in the game (monster play isn't one of them, but it's also not really apart of the game anyways, just a side PVP thing really that hasn't got anything to do with the game).

how is group play? such as instances and raids.

For the most part group play starts at lvl 20 when you get access to something called skirmishes along with the first set of 6 man instances in the great barrows, which is made up of 3 instances that scale from lvl 20 to 75. You should have no problems getting a group to do the great barrows instances with a lvl 20ish group but after that grouping can thin out if your not in an active kinship until you hit the next big group of 6 man instances around lvl 55, these are a set of 6 moria instances which do not scale, meaning they are always set at thier starting level.

If your in an active kinship you should be able to get into skirmishes as you level up. They are a type of instance which scale from a starting level were you get access to them all the way to lvl 75. They can be done with 1, 2, 3, 6 or 12 players. You also have a skirmish soldier that you level up as you go that joins you in the skirmishes. You get access to the first two at lvl 20. If you are vip you will have access to all of them once you hit the correct level. If your F2P or Prem you will need to purchase some of the remainder but will get access to 3 at lvl 55 and 5 more between lvls 62 and 65 as part of the epic book line. Most prem and F2P players find the free ones to be enough.

There are also a number of 3 and 6 man instances that you get access to as you level up. Some of them scale to lvl 75 and some do not. Most of them are tied to a quest area so if you purchase the quest pack they are part of you will have access to them. I belive 2 of the scaled instances are sold seperatly.

The first full raids start at lvl 50. They are the rift, a 12 man raid, which does not currently scale to lvl 75 and Helegrad which is 3 12 man raids and one 24 man raid which do scale to 75. There additional 12 man raids added at lvl 60, 65 and 75. None of these raids scale. Raids can be a single lair where you kill one boss or more complecated raid that has multipul bosses that need to be killed before you kill the big bad guy at the end. Most of the raids have raid locks that limit how often you can do them each week and allow you to kill a boss on day 1 and the next boss on day 2 and so one.

Most group content can be run at one of three difficalty levels. Tier 1 tier 2 and challange mode. The rewards increase with the level of difficalty.

Turbine varies what they have set up as the most disirable loot. You obtain something called seals, madalions and marks from most of the group content. These are used to level your skirmish soldier, to obtain equipment as you lvl from the skirmish camp barterers, and to obtain end game raid armor. Some raids will also drop loot and medalions unique to that raid which can be very desirable.

If you really want to do end game raiding you will need to join a raiding kinship although all servers have people who run pugs, pick up groups, of the lvl 75 raids on tier 1. There is also an instance finder that will help you find groups for instances as you level up but it is not used by the majority of players.

Hope that provides some idea of what to expect.

Envoyé par ThistleRose3

For the most part group play starts at lvl 20 when you get access to something called skirmishes along with the first set of 6 man instances in the great barrows, which is made up of 3 instances that scale from lvl 20 to 75. You should have no problems getting a group to do the great barrows instances with a lvl 20ish group but after that grouping can thin out if your not in an active kinship until you hit the next big group of 6 man instances around lvl 55, these are a set of 6 moria instances which do not scale, meaning they are always set at thier starting level.

If your in an active kinship you should be able to get into skirmishes as you level up. They are a type of instance which scale from a starting level were you get access to them all the way to lvl 75. They can be done with 1, 2, 3, 6 or 12 players. You also have a skirmish soldier that you level up as you go that joins you in the skirmishes. You get access to the first two at lvl 20. If you are vip you will have access to all of them once you hit the correct level. If your F2P or Prem you will need to purchase some of the remainder but will get access to 3 at lvl 55 and 5 more between lvls 62 and 65 as part of the epic book line. Most prem and F2P players find the free ones to be enough.

There are also a number of 3 and 6 man instances that you get access to as you level up. Some of them scale to lvl 75 and some do not. Most of them are tied to a quest area so if you purchase the quest pack they are part of you will have access to them. I belive 2 of the scaled instances are sold seperatly.

The first full raids start at lvl 50. They are the rift, a 12 man raid, which does not currently scale to lvl 75 and Helegrad which is 3 12 man raids and one 24 man raid which do scale to 75. There additional 12 man raids added at lvl 60, 65 and 75. None of these raids scale. Raids can be a single lair where you kill one boss or more complecated raid that has multipul bosses that need to be killed before you kill the big bad guy at the end. Most of the raids have raid locks that limit how often you can do them each week and allow you to kill a boss on day 1 and the next boss on day 2 and so one.

Most group content can be run at one of three difficalty levels. Tier 1 tier 2 and challange mode. The rewards increase with the level of difficalty.

Turbine varies what they have set up as the most disirable loot. You obtain something called seals, madalions and marks from most of the group content. These are used to level your skirmish soldier, to obtain equipment as you lvl from the skirmish camp barterers, and to obtain end game raid armor. Some raids will also drop loot and medalions unique to that raid which can be very desirable.

If you really want to do end game raiding you will need to join a raiding kinship although all servers have people who run pugs, pick up groups, of the lvl 75 raids on tier 1. There is also an instance finder that will help you find groups for instances as you level up but it is not used by the majority of players.

Hope that provides some idea of what to expect.

So there is always a instance to run through? With maybe a couple a couple level gaps where there really isn't anything in that specific bracket?

Unless you are in a large Kinship with members who like to run the lower level instances and skirmishes you will be mostly solo until you hit the level cap and start running the newest raids and instances. With some older stuff thrown in to round out your gear.

This is the way it is in most pve quest based games unless you find a good group to play with.

Envoyé par PretzelGaming

So there is always a instance to run through? With maybe a couple a couple level gaps where there really isn't anything in that specific bracket?

Once you hit lvl 20 there is always some group content you can do because LOTRO has a large number of instances that are scaled. But there are not new instances added each level. I play on Riddermark and lvled a new lore master a few months ago. I was able to get into at least 1 group each level as I was playing although a large number of them were 3 man skirmishes. None of the instances were with my kinship as I was using the instance finder to see how it worked. I was able to get into as many instances as I was interested in doing. Considering the amount of content in the game and how quickly you level doing one group instance per level prior to lvl 60 is really all your going to fit in.

Here is a list of the major instances and skirmishes
Annuminas 3 6 mans scale lvl 40 to 75
Great Barrows 3 6 mans scale lvl 20 to 75
Fornost 4 6 mans scale I think from 35 to 75
Helegrad 3 12 man and 1 24 man scales from 50 to 75
Inn of the forsaken 3 man scales from 20 to 75
Halls of night 3 man scales from 40 to 75
Library 3 man scales from 50 to 75
School 3 man scales from 50 to 75
Carn Dum 6 man lvl 50
Uru 6 man lvl 50
Barad Gularan 6 man lvl 50
Rift 12 man raid lvl 50
Barad Guldar 12 man lvl 65
Sammuth Gul 6 man lvl 65
Warg Pens 3 man lvl 65
Dungons of DG 3 man lvl 65
Sword Halls 3 man lvl 65
Garth Agarwen 2 3 man and 1 6 man lvl 32
In their absence cluster 2 3 mans 2 6 mans and a 12 man lvl 65
Isengard cluster 2 3 mans 1 6 man 1 12 lvl 75
Lathlorian instances 2 3 mans 1 6 man 1 12 man lvl 60
Moria instances 7 6 mans lvl 55
Moria raids 2 12 mans lvl 60
Goblin town 1 6 man lvl 50
19 skirmishes they can be 1, 2, 3, 6 or 12 mans all scale to lvl 75

There are also a large number of non repeatable instances in the game that I did not list.

It seems to me you want to level mostly by instancing. I would not recommend for someone to play LOTRO for the first time, his first character, like that. The story is really good, questing is really nice. I come from WOW myself, used to power lvl and play quickly with instances to get to max lvl but here, you don't want to do that, it would ruin your first playthrough because you won't experience much of the content.

I advise you to level by questing, doing each instances once, so you get to experience them and then moving on. Try to experience as much content as possible on your first playthrough.