Lifetime Account Members Thread

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Originally Posted by Ryinnik

Because the environment of the game will change. Log onto a F2P game if you don't believe me. So really the aspects will no longer be here that prompted the lifetime account purchase. Why is that hard to understand?

I don't understand how you don't think the impacts are pretty well understood. This is not the first game to go F2P. More tellingly this is not the first TURBINE game to go F2P. Seriously how much evidence would you like us to ingest that this is not the game model we would like to play under?

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I play DDO. I played DDO in beta and was there through server merges and F2P. I even had to pick characters because I had characters on two servers that were merged.

I have just as much fun now, if not MORE fun, in DDO, than I did before it went F2P. Everyone's experience is different. The fact that I've had a great experience in DDO is the reason why I'm waiting to see what happens in LOTRO, and am being very optimistic. Since your F2P experience was bad, you feel the opposite, but I still think it's better to wait until after the change before making any decisions.

When I first heard of this on another site I was PISSSSSSED. Then I came here, read the info, read the FAQ, browsed the forum. I now feel much better.

BUT, this is only because I'm a founding lifer and from everything I've read doesn't seem to really impact us at the end of the day. Still free, VIP, tons of bonus Turbine Points (or whatever they're called), access to everything, etc. If I was a month to month player I might still be pretty peaved.

If it allows Turbine to give the game a long life with content, so be it. If it means sparse updates then what's the point?

Only thing I'll have to deal with is the influx of kids dumbing down chat channels.

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Originally Posted by Drogo1

Um what??? Founder/Lifer and I've had to pay for every expansion so far - why would paying for another be shameful???

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I meant right now that the game is f2p, they said w'll be able to get expansions with our turbine points so finding out that turbine points are not enough or something like that would be too much i think, after what they're doing to us there's no room for more lies or even moves like these...

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Originally Posted by Brandon_Blackbird

I play DDO. I played DDO in beta and was there through server merges and F2P. I even had to pick characters because I had characters on two servers that were merged.

I have just as much fun now, if not MORE fun, in DDO, than I did before it went F2P. Everyone's experience is different. The fact that I've had a great experience in DDO is the reason why I'm waiting to see what happens in LOTRO, and am being very optimistic. Since your F2P experience was bad, you feel the opposite, but I still think it's better to wait until after the change before making any decisions.

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Fair. Your post is intelligent and lays out the issue for you nicely. However, as you state it doesn't apply to me as someone who has thoroughly investigated and now detests F2P games. I am not denying that this model appeals to some current customers as much as it appeals to some who will join since it is free. I am not denying there is a slim chance LOTRO will escape the fate of every F2P before it.

My dissapointment is that this was my bastion of internet entertainment away from those other MMO masses I detest. My disgust is with the handling of those of us who 'invested' in LOTRO with no indication that it was not going to follow this model. It will all work out but I am quite certain my entertainment time (much more valuable than my entertainment money personally) will be spent elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by nachog182

I meant right now that the game is f2p, they said w'll be able to get expansions with our turbine points so finding out that turbine points are not enough or something like that would be too much i think, after what they're doing to us there's no room for more lies or even moves like these...

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Everyone has had to pay for expansions before. Everyone will continue to have to pay for expansions, with the added benefit that expansions will also be available for purchase via turbine points. That's all we know right now, and that's all we can speculate on.

Personally, I'm happy to have a non-cash option and will gleefully be sitting on my points (unless they start putting barding in the store) to save up for the next expansion.

I'm a lifetime member and a founder.

I've played DDO and it's fine since free to play. I haven't played LOTRO very much in 12 months because the group of friends I made first playing LOTRO moved on and haven't been back. I was the only lifer amongst them and lets face it people don't spend $15 a month on games they hardly play to drop in on old friends when they get time and say Hi.

Recently when I log into LOTRO I have found it hard to do anyhting at a lower level there just hasn't been enough players in my level range to form a fellowship and have the kind of fun I had in the early days (and wow did we have some fun) - most guild members have all hit the level cap and spend time doing end content raids etc...

So if F2P means more people to play with - that's a good thing. I know we'll get people calling themselves things like Nutt Sak etc. But on the whole I don't see it as a bad thing.

A few points though.

It sounds like reading all the *'s that I''l keep all 9 character slots and the shared bank etc because I've purchased the Moria and Siege and the adventurer pack.

Secondly - what I think would be cool and an advantage of the F2F points system would be.

The ability to be able to pay rent via the points - the second major reason I stopped playing is my rent ate into my gold so much when i wasn't playing that I had to sell the house and now have no room in my bags - bank - or joint bank - at least for my main character(s)...

With a house's rent being deducted every month in the form of points or a voucher for month to be purchased for points so i could pay 6 months at a time - I could enjoy the main reason I became a Lifetime subscriber. The freedom to come and go as I like and play or not as I like without having to worry about ever paying again... rent was one of the worst ideas ever at that level for a lifer IMO. (who ever heard of spending 7 gold on house so you own it then paying rent as well)

Thirdly -- Bag space - we get 5 bags what about the extra bank bags we have already paid for?(i assume we keep them) - if F2P adds the ability to spend points on a 6th bag slot - or to spend points to open the extra bank slots I could never afford - then that's a bonus. Bag space as an avid crafter has always been a problem for me in this game...

On the whole I feel the F2P could be a really good thing. It might even get some of my old buddies back on to play the occasional weekend. There will be some minor problems - but middle earth will still be fun and as lifers we get to create Orcs and Wargs and lie in wait for the newbie Free to players and I'm sure that will add it's own level of fun...:)

I assume that as a lifer I can save my points every month and not lose what I don't spend every month... much like DDO points - edited to add that point... The point is we can get a lot as a lifer every month that other have to pay for and what we already have doesn't sound like it is going to change...

I think things look better than ever for Lifetime account holders. I was lucky enough to snatch my Lifetime Membership the first week it was offered for $199. Best money I ever spent. Now, with the institution of Turbine points, it looks like I may never have to pay for another expansion again since I will undoubtedly be using the points to pay for them.

I think that us Life timer/founders should get access to a reborn AC2 server :)

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Originally Posted by Ryinnik

Because the environment of the game will change. Log onto a F2P game if you don't believe me. So really the aspects will no longer be here that prompted the lifetime account purchase. Why is that hard to understand?

I don't understand how you don't think the impacts are pretty well understood. This is not the first game to go F2P. More tellingly this is not the first TURBINE game to go F2P. Seriously how much evidence would you like us to ingest that this is not the game model we would like to play under?

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Let's be clear that this will not be a F2P game. LotRO will be the same game as today only with a F2P option. What's the difference? The FreeAccount people will be heavily hobbled. Their use of chat and the forums will be limited. They'll even be limited in where they can run quests unless they shell out some real cash. The starter areas will certainly see an increase, but it'll be difficult to guess how that will translate to the higher level areas. If the whole game had gone F2P the monthly sub accounts would go away, but they're not.

I'm assuming the FreeAccounts will have similar chat restrictions as Free Trial accounts do today. The community impact will be there I'm sure. Making new starter characters might well be a bit of a pain afterwards, at least for a while. I suspect, though, that the limited forum and channel use is a specific method to shelter the community from trolls intent on using FreeAccounts to be a pain. Hopefully, it'll prove to be mostly sufficient.

It's good to consider this sort of issue, but keep in mind the limitations of the new account types. :)

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Originally Posted by crazyaddict

What I find most interesting is how some of the "fanbois" are reacting to all this. I remember when the adventure pack first came out, there were comparisons of the pack to MT. Some of the "fanbois" responded in outrage claiming it would never happen and that they would quit if it ever came to this. But now they're defending F2P/MT. :) Kind of strange how the same people who were arguing with you just a few months ago does a 180 turn and is now on the same side.

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As a self-avowed fanboi, please stop speaking for me. Yes, there may have been some people that said they would quit if this ever happened, but I was not one of them. I was certainly surprised by it, and didn't think it would happen, but I never said I would quit if it happened.

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Originally Posted by Bob

On the plus side, lifer accounts will probably sell on ebay quite well. :D :p

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And I hope those selling them are tracked down and punished to the fullest extent possible. No one should profit from their irrational obstinacy.

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Originally Posted by Dragaan

Yeah...
I am done with Turbine.
They will never get another dime out of me for this game or any other they develop in the future.

So, anyone have any recommendations for another game to play?

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;) How about Asheron's Call?

~~~

Actually though, I was an Alpha and Beta Tester and got the Lifetime Subscription as soon as it was offered. I have more than gotten my money's worth out that initial $199.

So, now I figure I will move from a Lifetime Sub which accrued ... nothing ... to a new account which is still free to play and accrues Turbine Points monthly and I will have a boatload of retroactive Turbine Points for the Lifetime Sub Bonus plus the three anniversary bonuses.

:)

I think this F2P is a good model and should increase server populations which with Priority Server Access for VIPs should be no problem at all.

I'm seeing this as a good thing.

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Originally Posted by Balrock

I think that us Life timer/founders should get access to a reborn AC2 server :)

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Agreed, but may I add that I want an original Asheron's Call: Resurrection which would be the first game with ALL NEW (not just upgraded) graphics but leaving the original game mechanics which are still among the finest ever conceived for an online game.

Give me the original Asheron's Call with LOTRO-level graphics (or better) and I will be back like a shot. (I would go back and play the old game but the graphics make my eyes bleed.)

:cool:

Oh -- I made up the name Asheron's Call: Resurrection. Might be called Asheron's Call: Reborn ... or Renewed ... or whatever.

I am a lifetime, and the only problem that I have at this point is that you are only allowed 5 character slots to start with. I have invested time and energy into a total of 8 characters. what happens to my three extra charcters? What if im not given enough 'points' to keep them all? Do I need to pick and choose which characters that I don't want to get rid of?

Maybe im way off base, but I did not see anything addressing this issue..

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Originally Posted by Admrildan

I am a lifetime, and the only problem that I have at this point is that you are only allowed 5 character slots to start with. I have invested time and energy into a total of 8 characters. what happens to my three extra charcters? What if im not given enough 'points' to keep them all? Do I need to pick and choose which characters that I don't want to get rid of?

Maybe im way off base, but I did not see anything addressing this issue..

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You are way off base, and it is addressed both in the sticky and the FAQ.

You will keep all of the character slots you have paid for (5 base + 2 MoM + 2 Adventurers Pack)

Maybe my judgment is somewhat clouded, but if you have a lifetime membership, would you not want to see the game continue to thrive? Is it somehow better to be in a secluded world playing a game that you wonder about when the plug will be pulled for lack of revenue?

We already see some of the effects of low budgets and limited populations on the game. On the flip side, we can see the improvements in the numbers and content of DDO since they changed to a F2P model. Were the players in DDO prior to the change somehow less noble than our community? I'm fairly certain that they struggled with the same exact situation that we are in now and came out ahead, so it would seem.

I look at the F2P model as Game Plus. I played Everquest II which had MT and a micro MT game inside of it. It attracted a good deal of new revenue and new blood which attracted the attention of SoE more and in$pired them to continue to improve the game and add more content. I never engaged in MT activities, but I certainly benefited by the extra revenue pumped into the game.

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Originally Posted by Sapience

The FAQ can put things a bit bluntly and maybe doesn't get to the meat of things, so let me try and explain a bit better.

As a lifetimer, you entered into an agreement that you would never pay another subscription fee with us again. You still won't. For you, nothing has changed. You will not be billed a subscription, your status and access to the game will not change. You will be getting an additional benefit, however, in the form of Turbine points.

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Thanks for reading us the "letter" of your agreement. I'm sure you would not have done this if your team of lawyers did not already clear you.

Having said this I'm gone. I will NEVER buy anything from Turbine. I'm morally against micro transactions and changing the rules in the middle of the game. Try and sugar coat this any way you want but you lose me for life and if I have my way I'll make darn sure that the word "Turbine" becomes associated with a big scam.

Want to make me feel better.... refund my money! Of course you'll never do this because you don't have to. LOTRO was one of the few games that had a more adult and mature population. Now it will be filled with a bunch of -sshat kids playing on daddies computer for free.

I'll tell you what.... how about making a few servers that do NOT allow free play. Allow us to xfer to those servers so we can play the way we like. Fair?

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Originally Posted by Voxin

Good luck and goodbye.

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Well written post, Voxin. Good luck to you in whatever game you go to.

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Originally Posted by Cassea

I'm morally against micro transactions...

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I couldn't stop laughing after this so I stopped reading. Morally against MTs. Hooboy. Funniest thing I've read ALL DAY. Thank you.

I have two lifetime accounts and am satisfied with the value I got from them. Okay okay, I definitely got the value out of one of them, maybe not so much on the other (never wound up making many chars on the other account) but hey, overall I'm still satisfied.

I haven't been able to play as much recently, or read the forums, so I'm about a thousand posts behind ;) but here's to cautious optimism the future store and microtransactions are "restrained", the game gets some new energy and players and becomes higher profile like it deserves.

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Originally Posted by Cassea

Having said this I'm gone. I will NEVER buy anything from Turbine.

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Chill bro. Did you read the FAQs and documentation? You do realize that as a Lifetime account holder there is no imperative for you to ever buy anything ever again. Just use your Turbine points that you accrue monthly at no cost and even future expansions will be free.

Seriously, any Lifetime account holder that quits this game over the new F2P system is an absolute fool. Turbine/WB are about to implement the best customer loyalty system I've ever seen.

Im a lifetime member, and i am fairly ok with this all.

As long as I get subscriber baced content and never have to pay for it, i can adapt.

What i would like as a reward for being a lifetime member is a * small house with no rent * now THAT would make me happy ;)

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Originally Posted by jtoast

I for one am pissed.

I absolutely despise macro transactions. I quit EQ and moved to LoTR(lifetime) when Sony rolled them out.

Now I'm stuck with a lifetime subscription to a game I will probably never play again due to the new model.

Yay.

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So you want to quit because they will offer little goodies in a online store? That seems well ... stupid. :) Lifetimers won't be paying for anything more than optional goodies like extra wardrobe storage or cosmetic nick-knacks. So if you want to waste the lifetime, up to you.

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Originally Posted by Sapience

Loging in and playing the game at least once a month between now and launch is all you need to do to get the bonus 500 points per month. Your 30 minutes every few days would absolutely qualify.

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Why?

If we already paid $200 for an account then why do you care if we log in or not? This was the main reason I paid for a lifetime... so I would not "have" to log in if I do not want to!

Even though I do log in enough to pass your silly test... what this means is that now I "have" to log in. This sucks!

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Originally Posted by Overtone

Chill bro. Did you read the FAQs and documentation? You do realize that as a Lifetime account holder there is no imperative for you to ever buy anything ever again. Just use your Turbine points that you accrue monthly at no cost and even future expansions will be free.

Seriously, any Lifetime account holder that quits this game over the new F2P system is an absolute fool. Turbine/WB are about to implement the best customer loyalty system I've ever seen.

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how do you know that points carry over month to month... somehow i doubt it... where did you get that if i may ask?

As a lifer, I was somewhat upset when I first heard the news. However, I've done a great deal of reading, and after seeing how Turbine is handling all the issue I had I'm fairly optimistic about this. I think it's going to be a good thing in the end.