One Ring To Rule The All.

[Tawmis]

I just have to say: yikes. For years and years, I've been meaning to try LOTRO. Why?
So ... just wondering. Is any of the above true in any way? Or am I simply assuming too much?

So - free to play - you automatically get a few of the early expansions for free.
Free to play means you can have content all the way to Level 95. You can however, do some things, to keep playing and go the full 150 (which is the current level cap).

This sums it up nicely: https://lotro-wiki.com/wiki/Account_Type

So for example, I used to pay for the monthly (a very, very, very long time ago) - and I also purchased the Mines of Moira (a very, very, very long time ago, when it first came out - back in 2008, when I was still a sub - https://lotro-wiki.com/wiki/The_Lord_of ... s_of_Moria ), so my account got upraded to "Premium" even though I no longer pay a monthly (and it gives me benefits).

And throughout the game, you can early "Lord of the Rings Tokens" - for example, if you're in Bree and you slay 100 goblins, you get a deed for slaying goblins in that area and get 5 token points. If you kill 1000 goblins, you might get 10 token points. So killing 1,100 goblins in that area gives you 15 tokens. There's deeds like that everywhere. And not just for goblins. I was in the Misty Mountains this weekend and killed a snow monster (look like yetis) and it told me I just unlocked that deed, so I ran around and killed 99 other ones just for 5 tokens, because I was leaving the area soon (I was just passing through that zone). So you can earn this tokens pretty quickly. You also get these tokens through building up reputation with different areas (that's a bit of a slower grind).

You can use these tokens to buy things - including expansions, races, other classes, character slots, etc.

My character is currently only Level 59 - and I have had immense fun. Now I have unlocked a few things with those tokens - so for example, I made an account for my wife - but hers is 100% free to play (brand new) - and so there's two quests I love in Rivendell that she does not have access to, because she never bought that stuff with token points.