What you need to pay for Middle-earth (2021)

[Pino]

Here is the shopping list with all the things you need for Middle-earth. With this you can quest in every zone through all the content.
You still need VIP (13€/m) otherwise you can't access all the other zones especially for questing or leveling (nearly 50%). There are no more other keys or packs to buy now.

Moria - 1495 LP / 1196 LP
Siege of Mirkwood - 695 LP / 556 LP
Rise of Isengard - 1495 LP / 1196 LP *
Riders of Rohan - 1495 LP / 1196 LP *
Helm’s Deep - 4295 LP / 3436 LP
Mordor - 2495 LP / 1996 LP
Minas Morgul - 2495 LP / 1996 LP
War of Three Peaks - 17€ / 17€
14465 LP / 11572 LP

= 117€ / 100€ + 13€/m

LP = Lotro Points, actual price and 20% discount event
* without Instances (not really necessary because no end-content)

OR for fresh player:

LOTRO Expansion Trove!
50€
Minas Morgul
21€
War of Three Peaks
17€

= 88€ + 13€/m

Compared: World of Warcraft

Last Addon
40€

= 40€ + 13€/m

Hopefully this will make clear what they do with this great MMO. And don't think only the high price is the problem. For this Price you get US-only Servers with max. 1000 Players which run like sh-it. Maybe a end of this journey is a good thing because the code behind is already written for others...

[Elitewrecker PT]

If you wait until you actually reach expansion levels while playing with sub you should have earned enough points (depending on how long you take to reach there) to buy the expansions without having to buy points for them.

[Pino]

Originally posted by Elitewrecker PT:

If you wait until you actually reach expansion levels while playing with sub you should have earned enough points (depending on how long you take to reach there) to buy the expansions without having to buy points for them.

Sorry this is false... Yes you earn some but not more than 1000 if you reach the next zone. To earn more Points you have to grind many mobs.
The 50€ Version is always the best solution and the last expansion is not even buyable with Lotro Points. Also there are many other things to buy. (Pay to reduce grind)

I make nearly every quest in every zone and I only get around 1000 before Moria (the biggest part between a expansion. its like WoW Classic vs. WoW Addon.

[Elitewrecker PT]

Well, that's more of a problem if all you're doing is speedrunning quests and nothing else. When I started playing I bought Evendim and Angmar which is more than 1000 points from questing and deeding through the starter zones and Lone-Lands, granted I basically completed all those regions, except for the instance deeds in Bree and Lone-Lands, but the reputation deeds give a lot of points.

Now, I don't actually advocate for a complete f2p experience, but if you sub between start and the first expansion, then buy the expansion trove (maybe even on sale), there'll be no need to stay subbed all the way to Gondor and you'll get enough points from the expansion content and the sub points till then to buy a quest pack between expansions if you want (Great River, Enedwaith, Wildermore, whichever), but it's not really necessary if you prefer to save some points. As long as you do some extra deeding and not just whatever you accomplish along the questing.

[MMOGamer71]

What's the point of this thread?

A new player can play F2P to level 30ish before spending a dime (or grind points) which should be the LotRO Expansion Trove when it's on sale. I'll let each individual LotRO player determine the value of this F2P game for themselves and if it's worth spending money on.

If you (anyone) like WoW better and/or find it cheaper etc then go play WoW.

[Pino]

With lvl 30 you will know nothing about this game.

The point is that you pay 3x more than in other mmos and you only get a sh-it server, problems that are since 2007.

What the hell is wrong with all this defenders? wake up... there are so many probles. they simple laught every day about this stupid and blind playerbase.
There was a time back in 2007-2009 you payed only the 13€/m for a EU server. now you pay more for less. There are zero investment.

No one says the game is bad... only how they use the money. How long do you want to say "maybe they fix it"? there are already 13 years over.

Don't think selfish only because you have a fu lifetime account (read it to often). think abaut the future. AND you are from US and dont know about the constant server delay all other people have from europe. The "EU" is fake, its a sh-it Office Server in US.

[NavFamG]

Originally posted by Pino:

Originally posted by Elitewrecker PT:

If you wait until you actually reach expansion levels while playing with sub you should have earned enough points (depending on how long you take to reach there) to buy the expansions without having to buy points for them.

Sorry this is false... Yes you earn some but not more than 1000 if you reach the next zone. To earn more Points you have to grind many mobs.
The 50€ Version is always the best solution and the last expansion is not even buyable with Lotro Points. Also there are many other things to buy. (Pay to reduce grind)

I don't think you took in what Elite was saying. You get 500 free store points each month you have a sub. Eilites comment of 'depending on how long you take to reach there' refers to that. If you take 2 months going from lvl 1 to 50 (first expansion) you'll have earned 1000 store points just from your sub, then add in what you've earned from the deeds in all those pre-Moria regions and Moria will either not cost you a cent or very little, then etc... etc... etc.... on to the next area's.

If your problem is you're not doing the deeds, that's on you. They're in the game so you CAN earn free store points. It's up to you if you want to make use of them or pay out of your pocket.

As to the price, sure it looks like a lot. I'm sure if you sat down and figured out what your Starbucks bill would be for a year it might put you off too. But just like Starbucks, you don't have to shell out all that money in one lump.

[MMOGamer71]

Originally posted by Pino:

With lvl 30 you will know nothing about this game.

The point is that you pay 3x more than in other mmos and you only get a sh-it server, problems that are since 2007.

What the hell is wrong with all this defenders? wake up... there are so many probles. they simple laught every day about this stupid and blind playerbase.
There was a time back in 2007-2009 you payed only the 13€/m for a EU server. now you pay more for less. There are zero investment.

No one says the game is bad... only how they use the money. How long do you want to say "maybe they fix it"? there are already 13 years over.

Don't think selfish only because you have a fu lifetime account (read it to often). think abaut the future. AND you are from US and dont know about the constant server delay all other people have from europe. The "EU" is fake, its a sh-it Office Server in US.

1. Exactly. So why would someone buy everything you listed in your original post? Noone should and noone here on the Steam forum would encourage it. Your OP reeks of entitlement with a mad dash to current endgame.

2. WoW has cost me the most real $, by far. Every expansion + subscription since BC, you do that math. They have server issues like every other game - "the icestone is melting" anyone?

3. A rant about how dumb people are compared to you? Why do you get triggered by people playing and enjoying a product you cry and rant about?

4. I have no issues with the game or the game performance, stop playing on a toaster.

5. I don't have a lifetime subscription and I played on EU servers with players from the EU, I believe one still streams LotRO on Twitch. They mentioned no issues.

[Elitewrecker PT]

I don't have a lifetime account and I'm from Eu. Server lag isn't that bad, We're talking 100 ms.

[jmvbento]

I'm in the EU, and barring the rare spike (about once a week, for about 20 seconds), the lag's not noticeable at all. Well, unless I step foot in Bree, in which case all bets are off. >_>

Also, I have NO idea how you only make 1k pts before hitting Moria because you can get A LOT more pts much sooner long before then.

[Pino]

Are you getting Lotro Points for your comments?
Maybe we need some antitrust help from EU...

I play with 2 friends and there are 2 sort of lag:
1. The ♥♥♥♥ engine shutter nearly every 50 feet and the micro load freezes on exact the same places for EVERYONE.
2. The server lags and delay you have in nearly every single fight.

The thing is, you get used to it and thats actually happen with the fanbase here.
Example: Sometimes you play 4:00 with 150 player on the server and the combat feels like charm. much different with 900 players at day.

Yes is playable (not for everyone) but not for that what you have to pay.

If you only make quest and the non-monster grind deeds you don't get too much points to buy every time the next expansion. As a chill player I make every quest and you are reach moria in the first month (in corona times :D). After moria the next expansion will come 2-3 weeks... so the 500LP worth nothing. dont forget there are still some things to buy in the ingame store. Is not like in ESO and you don't get all the cool things for VIP. (only some cheat like things that will break your atmo)

[Elitewrecker PT]

Reaching Moria in one month as a "chill player".... mmhmm
Going through all the quests in all of Eriador regions?

"buy in the ingame store"
Worthwhile things to buy from store:
Premium wallet
Maybe another milestone or two
Maybe a crafting carryall but hardly vital

[Pino]

long talk, short summary:
Its not a real Free to Play thing but even with VIP you don't get everything and have to pay extra for gameplay things.
The last Expansion don't count.

Other popular Examples with VIP sub:
In WoW you get everything with VIP
In ESO you get also everything with VIP (and you get enough points to buy some cosmetics)

So why Lotro is different?

[Elitewrecker PT]

In WOW you can't even play without a sub (at best you can buy sub with ingame gold, but you have to have played to get that gold). Don't you still have to buy the latest expansion?
In ESO you still have to buy base game and the latest expansion. A 20$ fee at normal price to try out. Does the sub unlock the latest expansion while you're subbed?
LOTRO has the possibility, not recommended, of being able to grind for 99% of the stuff, if you want to. You can start playing whenever you want, play whatever you have unlocked (by buying or playing), leave whenever you want and come back whenever you want, without being obligated to pay something.

[rwlyraa]

ESO is similarly overpriced, VIP doesn't grant you the latest expansions and it doesn't let you farm points at all. WoW has insanely expensive Shadowlands expansion + steep price for sub.

[MMOGamer71]

Originally posted by rwlyraa:

ESO is similarly overpriced, VIP doesn't grant you the latest expansions and it doesn't let you farm points at all. WoW has insanely expensive Shadowlands expansion + steep price for sub.

Hogwash.

The entire game up to the current Greymoor expansion could have been bought for $24.99 USD last month. That includes the CE content.

https://steamdb.info/sub/422594/