Thinking of playing again but I have questions.

TwoTubes

So I've been thinking of playing LotRO again.  I played in the original open beta and played for maybe a couple years...until it went free to play.

I have a few questions: 

1) I can still log into my Turbine account (I also played DDO in closed beta and for a few years before it went free to play).  When I log into my account it doesn't seem to give me the free option for LotRO.  It only lists "upgrade now" and lists prices per month or for 6 months etc.

Could this be old onfo left over from when it was pay to play? It does say my account for LotRO was created in early 2007.  My account has been inactive for years now, maybe it wasn't updated?   I havn't tryed to log in...though I did try to log into the LotRO Forums using my account name/password and it wouldn't let me log in there to be able to ask these questions...

2) I originally played other classes, but once the runekeeper was added I was all in and played it to max lvl (which was 65 at the time if I remember correctly).  I enjoyed the runkeeper because it was the closest thing to a dps caster class, which is what I usually enjoy playing in all MMO's.  I did end up having a major issue with the class  in that groups always wanted me to heal.  Sure I had a full setup of healing gear and alternate traits etc, but healing wasn't fun for me. 

So the question is:

Have there been any changes to the runekeeper class in the last few years since I've played that would solve this issue?  Or do runekeepers still get asked to heal all the time?  I remember wishing that a runekeeper could only choose one path or the other and that it wasn't so easy to switch back and forth between the dps/healer roles so I wouldn't get asked to heal as much. 

 

thanks in advance for any info...

free2play

When you download the game and log in, you will be seen as an inactive VIP and I am guessing you have Moria so you will have 5 of your 7 character slots. Two will be barred if you don't resub.

As for RK I didn't play much of RK. The issue you seemt o have is less about the class tho, more about where you are grouping. If I'm set up for dps RK, I'm playing dps RK and that's just something people will need to deal with. That's the best advice I can give you on that note.

trancejeremy

I don't think you need to log into your Turbine account unless you want to subscribe. So that's why you only have that option.

 

You just log into the game, AFAIK. I never changed anything, anyway.

 

And I don't think anything has changed. DPS is easy to find, healers aren't.

 

And if you are 65, you're going to have to buy expansions if you want to do any content. Presumably you have Moria and Mirkwood, but then you have to buy Isengard and Rohan if you want to do quests/instances there

Po_gg

1) with the f2p all inactive former subscribers (minus lifers ofc) were converted to Premium. That's why you see Upgrade option, the game stll has a VIP offer (subscription) and you can buy it through the account page. You don't need it though, Premium is just fine for the start, your former characters are restriction-free, only the ones you'll create later will have the f2p restrictions. Just download the game and start playing

 

2) every class had changes, and an another class revamp is on the way, but the flexibility, the easy switch in-combat between heal and dps is rk's main asset, so it's still there. Back in the day there was a constant lack of healers, so it's understandable that rk's were asked to heal (leading to the born of the noble dwarf clan Idontheal I saw the name on at least 3 dwarf runekeepers)

The state is better now not because of rk, but minstrel changes. Healer shortage was mostly because of leveling a minstrel was a pain in the hobbit butt (I know, I"ve had 2 minis). Nowadays minstrels are almost on-par with runekeepers dps, while they got slightly better healing capacity as well, so leveling a mini now is like a walk in the Shire.

I'm not saying you'll never be asked to heal, but you'll see much less of those requests - especially at lvl65 (trancejeremy's right, if you get hooked on the game again, you should consider buying the expansions for a better leveling experience)

TwoTubes

Thanks for the info.  That leads to a new question...My account says I have the following :

Siege of Mirkwood™ Beta

Shadows of Angmar™ Pre-order

Mines of Moria™ Standard

2009 Anniversary Program Reward

Shadows of Angmar™ Standard

Siege of Mirkwood™

Shadows of Angmar™ Open Beta

 

I havn't signed in yet, I'll have to download it again tomorrow.  As far as buying the expansions I read I can buy them with Turbine points.  I'm sure I have some points...though probably not enough to purchase 1 expansion let alone 2.

Is it feasible to earn points to buy the expansion?  I read a few tips on how to get points quick and easy.  Should I not even consider it or is it doable?  I  enjoy grinds and time sinks...(I was an original eq player), I was thinking that might give me something to do while I am re-learning things.  Since my account was originally a pay account will I earn TP for things like deeds? 

From the little bit of reading I did it seems like pay accounts earn TP for things like deeds and certain quests etc while free accounts dont...maybe I will only earn TP if it was a deed I started while it was a pay account but didn't complete?  Is that how it works?

Also I read about TP sales.  How often do these happen? does anyone know when the next one is planned?

also, i can look it up easily enough, but while I'm typing this...which expansion comes next in line after the ones I have? rohan?

Thanks again

Po_gg

Originally posted by LegotheHutt
 

wow... let's go one by one

You can buy everything with TP except VIP exclusive stuff (like pvp with your characters) and preorder / purchase exclusives (like the horse session play from Legendary Rohan edition). So both expansions can be bought with TP - although it's much cheaper from Turbine webshop or steam during an occasional sale. Of course than it will cost money, which leading to the second question:

It's definitely doable to grind the TP for them. It's a horrid grind (at least for me, a grind-avoider), but if you don't mind it, you can get even ~300 TP in a day. That's ~$3... for a day's grind

Every account type (f2p, premium and vip) earns TP for deeds, if the account has the content open where the deed is located. So it's quest pack / expansion dependant and not account type. In your case, you have the 3 starter areas open (Shire, Bree, Ered Luin), and the Lone Lands, Moria, Lorien and Mirkwood. You can take quests in there, and gather TP through deeds. For the rest of Eriador you need to buy the quest packs (500-700 TP each), and beyond Mirkwood the expansions (3-4k TP I think, not sure since I bought them the regular way)

TP sales are usually in every couple of months.

After Mirkwood first comes Isengard and Saruman, and then Rohan with the mounted combat.

free2play

I have up to Isengard, I don't have RoR and so far I haven't felt any obligation to get it but I run a VIP account and while I don't have content in the RoR area's I am, as a VIP able to go to those areas and farm for crafting or do deeds. With my original character at 66 I haven't had a need for more.

You will get a month out of it just getting oriented with the game again. I get a feeling if you liked the game and were used to sub, you won't stay prem long, you will revert to VIP. It's $35 for 3 months, it's not a big deal and it gives you blue bar double exper, 500 TP a month and the freedom to roam the map. Maybe I'm just wierd. It just feels better knowing you have that sub.

For that matter, if you need a few months of free, start a new character and use the content you have getting another character to 65. TP will build as you do deeds for each character you level up.

Po_gg

Originally posted by LegotheHutt

Also I read about TP sales.  How often do these happen? does anyone know when the next one is planned?

also, i can look it up easily enough, but while I'm typing this...which expansion comes next in line after the ones I have? rohan?

Just an FYI, this week has a TP sale going (started yesterday, sales weeks in LotRO are from Thursday to following Thursday). Also there's a quest pack sale if you want to buy some lower level area for the new alts.