Getting started in Middle-earth

So you’ve downloaded the game and created your account, and now you are ready to play. You log in to the game for the first time, and are suddenly faced with all sorts of questions. Which server should I pick? Which class should I choose? Which race? How much will all of this effect me later on?

This guide will help you prepare your character so you can start playing. Note that while this guide will touch on all of the questions mentioned above,  most of them will be covered in greater detail in other guides.

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Picking the right lotro server for me

In lotro, much like in most MMOs, one of the first decisions you have to make is which server to play on.

Some questions may come to mind when confronted with the list of servers: how am I supposed to choose? Is there any difference between the servers? Previously, this used to be a more complicated question, but these days, the answer is generally simpler. It all boils down to the server’s type and its population.

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Picking the right kinship for me

Kinships are lotro’s version of what in other games may be called guilds or clans, and as with most games, finding the right one is often simply a matter of joining a few until you find one that feels right for you. It’s very much like finding the right server for you, but with one huge difference: when you move between servers, you have to either start a new character or pay to move your character to the new server. To change a kinship, all you need to do is leave the current one and join another. Though you might choose to specifically try a kinship on another server, it is rather unusual and usually happens only if you know the other kinship, or if you really need a change of scene.The first step in finding a kinship is understanding how a kinship might find you. There are several channels in lotro in which a kinship can advertise recruiting, and which you can use to get recruited:

  • Regional chat channels. Traveling near big cities, you will sometimes see a message in your /regional channel about a certain kinship that is recruiting players. If you like the ad and wants to hear more just send a /tell to the person who wrote the message – they will be more than happy to see that the ad worked, and to give you more information. This works both ways: you can use the same chat channels to publish that you’re looking for a kinship, but if you do, get ready to get a lot of /tell and even invite popups.
  • Pick-up fellowships/instances. While it’s a known fact in many games that random grouping can (and sometimes does) end badly, sometimes it does end well. If the fellowship was good, the company was enjoyable, and the adventure was a success, then players with a kinship might ask you to join them (or you could ask them if you can join – even if they’re not officers and can’t invite you, they have access to those who can).
  • Forums. The official lotro forums feature some dedicated threads for kinship recruiting. Some threads are for specific servers, and some are global recruiting threads for kinships on any server, in case you don’t really care which server the kinship is on. As with the chat channels, you can either browse the recruiting threads and see if there is a post that you like and fits what you are looking for, or post what you are looking for and wait for the recruiting kinships will contact you. Since some of the time recruiting posts by kinships get lost in the shuffle, writing your own “looking for kinship” post is sometimes the easier way to go, as it will invite contact from all actively recruiting kinships.

That’s it for now. If you wish to learn more about how to play lotro, make sure to purchase the following guide, which comes with free updates as the game evolves.

What is the best method to earn gold in Middle-earth?

The golden question of any game.

When playing any game, it’s a common phenomenon to see players trying to do everything in the best possible way. You’ll see players debating hotly over what the best class is, and which of the available races is best for it. Making gold is no different. Gold is used in many different things—you need it to train skills, buy gear from vendors and the AH, and even to pay your rent—so you always want to make sure that you have more than enough gold on-hand.

There are many ways to earn gold in lotro, and the best thing you can probably do is to combine them. A fair warning though: just as there are plenty of ways to make money, there are also lots of ways to spend it, but we’re here to talk about earning gold, so let’s focus on that.

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Should I pay for a subscription or play lotro for free?

Like many games today, The Lords of the Rings Online also opened up free-to-play mode, and added premium currency called Turbine Points (known as TP).

Turbine’s current model features three account levels: Free, Premium, and VIP. There are some differences between the 3 account types, including some special ones. In general, free accounts get a taste of much of the content and features of the game, and can unlock additional features and content using TP in the lotro store. Subscription players (called VIP accounts) have more content and features available to them, but some must still be purchased in the lotro store using TP. However, subscription players get a monthly allowance of TP. There is also a 3rd class of account, called Premium, which you reach by making any cash purchase in the Turbine store.

There are two ways to go about getting TP in lotro: you can either buy them with real money in the Turbine store, or earn them in-game by completing various deeds. Though TP earned the latter way are “free”, completing the deeds for them usually requires a lot of grinding (see http://lotro.mmorsel.com/p/tpfinder.html for details).

The following is a side-by-side comparison of the various account types:

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