LOTRO - State of the game

[Lockdown]

Blackjack -

The guy you ran into is referring to this particular game mechanic.  I'm not sure how much it explains, as I haven't read it in probably 8 months or so. 

But at least you will get an idea for how things work.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Mechanics:%22Assist%22_Exp_Penalty

[Xmann]

i haven't messed around in a MMORPG since i was heavy in EQ2 a couple years back.

however, i got an ich to try something out and i like the LoTR idea.   i was wondering if there is a certain server alot of folks around here play on in case i stick with it and decide to get together with some peeps?    any server or toon suggestions?

[The Grue]

i haven't messed around in a MMORPG since i was heavy in EQ2 a couple years back.

however, i got an ich to try something out and i like the LoTR idea.   i was wondering if there is a certain server alot of folks around here play on in case i stick with it and decide to get together with some peeps?    any server or toon suggestions?

I think we all play on different servers.  I play on Landroval, which is the unofficial roleplaying server.

[EngineNo9]

I have characters on Vilya and Landroval, though I probably won't be playing until I get the new machine up and running. 

[Xmann]

ok, got a question while the trial is downloading.....

it says to enter my 25 key code....so where do i get that at?   i just hit the 14-day Trial button and started the download but saw nothing about a key.   did i miss that somewhere?

[Blackjack]

I returned already, in spite of my "mean people suck" experiences.  Had a very therapeutic fellowship with a 50 guardian and 41 hunter last night, as we worked through a few quests in Angmar.

The guardian and I exchanged stories about being "told off" by people when we thought a healing buff would be welcome, and we laughed about it. I felt better someone else had just experienced the same thing the other day. 

I just pledged to offer no help to non-fellowed players unless they ask for it, even if that's against my usually helpful nature. If they beg for it and give me precious things, maybe I'll consider the offer. I'll be like Montoya in The Princess Bride...

Georien: Offer me money
LOTRO player: Yes
Georien: Power too! Promise that!
LOTRO player: All that I have and more. Please!
Georien: Offer me everything I ask for.
LOTRO player: Anything you want!
Georien: Sorry, chum. I can't take a chance you'll get pissed at me about it.
*walks away*
LOTRO player: No! I need a healing buff! Now I need a rez! Come back!

Apologies to William Goldman. 

[TiLT]

I occasionally like to stand in a crowded place, preferably near important and difficult quest locations, and buff players who pass by. It's never an inconvenience to them at that point, and I often have players stop dead in their tracks, turn towards me, bow politely, then keep running to wherever they were headed. It's part of the charm of being a captain.

[EngineNo9]

ok, got a question while the trial is downloading.....

it says to enter my 25 key code....so where do i get that at?   i just hit the 14-day Trial button and started the download but saw nothing about a key.   did i miss that somewhere?

I'm not sure if you get a key for the trial or not.  Did you sign up for a new account?  I'm guessing it has options there to activate for the free trial.

As for the healing/buff thing, I'm always happy when somebody throws a random heal or buff my way, especially if I'm soloing and having a tough time. 

[Xmann]

the only place i see to sign up for a new account asks me for the activation key.

how the heck do i get the key for the trial?

[Booner]

the only place i see to sign up for a new account asks me for the activation key.

how the heck do i get the key for the trial?

Hey Xmann...I did a bit of research for ya and the only thing I found was that if you never received a key by e-mail, you'll have to contact Turbines Account Management team.

"Speak live with one of our Account Management Representatives via telephone from 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET Monday - Friday by dialing:
781-407-4020."

or by e-mail here.

From what I'm gathering, it seems like contacting by phone is your best route. Either way that kinda sucks...but at least it's not representative of the game itself. In fact, I can honestly say I haven't encountered a single bug or noticeable glitch in playing two characters up to the mid-20s.

Considering what we've seen from other MMOs...that's pretty damn impressive IMHO.

Anyways...I hope this gets you going.

[Blackjack]

The trial terms are here:
http://www.lotro.com/index.php?page_id=144

Here's Trial FAQ (copied from support site). Note the part that says many trial users don't successfully receive their keys due to spam filters; also, you're only eligible for one trial per e-mail addy so if you ever tried the trial before (it doesn't sound like you had, but I thought it worth mentioning) that could have something to do with it.

The Lord of the Rings Online 14-Day Free Trial FAQ
Answer/Article

14-Day Free Trial FAQ

The questions below apply only to the 14-Day Free Trial Program. If you have general questions regarding The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, please check out the game FAQ.

Q. Do I need a credit card to play the 14-Day Free Trial?
A. No credit card is required for the 14-Day Free Trial.

Q. Where can I sign up for the 14-Day Free Trial?
A. Everything you need is at http://www.lotro.com/trial

NOTE: Many of our users never receive our e-mails due to spam filters used by their e-mail providers or programs. This could be because the e-mail address registered to the customer's account is no longer used or because they once could receive our e-mails but no longer can due to changes by their e-mail provider. Many of these e-mails contain important information, such as help for technical issues, replies or requests for information from in-game support as well as important information from Turbine Account Management.

It is very important you ensure your spam filter is properly configured to allow e-mails from @turbine.com so that when you contact us, we can contact you back

Caution:  Please be sure to complete the trial registration process prior to exiting the 14-Day Trial Download.  Failure to complete the trial registration process prior to exiting the 14-Day Trial Download may result in account setup error.

Q. What limitations exist for 14-Day Free Trial accounts?
A. 14-Day Free Trial accounts have all the same options as member accounts, with certain exceptions. For example:

Mail Access: 14-Day Free Trial players cannot send or receive in-game mail.
Auctions: 14-Day Free Trial players cannot buy or sell items in the auction house.
Trades: 14-Day Free Trial players cannot trade with other players.
Limited Tells:  14-Day Free Trial players have a limit on how many /tells they can send over a given period of time.
Limited Time: Trials only last for fourteen (14) consecutive days.

If a 14-Day Free Trial player attempts to perform these actions, they receive a message indicating that these functions are only available after becoming a LOTRO subscriber.

Once a 14-day Free Trial player converts to a paying subscriber, all of these restrictions are removed.

Eligible fans can participate in The Lord of the Rings Online trial program and play the game for 14 days free of charge. At the end of the trial, players will have the option of continuing to play LOTRO, and to keep the characters created during their 14-day free trial time, by purchasing the game either online or at retail.

To participate in the 14-Day Free Trial or to find out where to buy LOTRO, visit http://www.lotro.com/trial .Please be aware that this is the North American version of the LOTRO 14-Day Free Trial.

For a European trial, please click HERE.

If the information in this article does not resolve your concern, please leave feedback in the "Enter Comments Here" box below.

Enjoy your journey through Middle-earth!

Exceptions/restrictions (once you're in the trial):

14-Day Free Trial Exceptions

14-Day Free Trial accounts have all the same options as member accounts, with certain exceptions.

These exceptions are present to prevent abuse of the 14-Day Free Trial program.

Lord of the Rings Online trial access has the following use exceptions:

Mail Access:  Free trial players cannot send or receive in-game mail.
Auctions:  Free trial players cannot buy or sell items in the auction house.
Trades:  Free trial players cannot trade with other players.
Limited Time:  Trials only last for fourteen (14) consecutive days.

If a free trial player attempts to perform these actions, they receive a message indicating that these functions are only available after becoming a LOTRO subscriber.

If you or a friend are a Trial or Referral account and you'd like to be able to use /tell in-game, you should contact each other via email, IM, or the forums and arrange to add each other to your Friends lists.

Once a trial player converts to a paying subscription, all of these restrictions are removed.

[Xmann]

well i wanted to give the trial a go, but i'm not calling to get a key.    kinda silly to me.    i just wanted to install it and get a key by email.   any more than that is a hassle for me.

oh well......thanks for the answers anyhow

[Blackjack]

If you can't find any other way for it to work, I believe I still have a few trial keys to give out as a Founder's Member. I played in beta and from opening day, so I think that gave us Founders "X" number of trial keys to give out. I think I gave out a couple early on but probably can provide more. I'll check my account today.

And do check your Junk e-mail folder or whatever spam filter you use to make sure the trial key didn't get stuck somewhere.

Update: OK i've sent Xmann a "Guest Pass," I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as a trial. Let us know if that works any better. 

Georien's finally closing on 46.

[Xmann]

got the key....thanks a ton!!

[Blackjack]

I hope it works! Let us know.  Pay it forward, as they say. 

Hey I like the shields in the game, especially into the 30s and 40s some neat ones pop up. I've been trying to capture some screenshots of them. Here are some, including a crafted one my 46 Captain uses (when not using a 2-hand sword, which is my preference):

Crafted by an L50 in my kinship on El... what's it's name server


Pretty wild one I saw today on a Guardian in Misty Mountains. If you leap off a mountainside flapping it, you might glide. 


I was Inspecting another L50 and saw this.

[TiLT]

A high-level captain using a shield, or even a two-handed sword? Sheesh! You should start using a halberd as soon as you can. It's the ideal weapon for our class. Keep the shield and a one-handed weapon for those extremely rare cases where you'll be asked to be a tank. Look at the AH for a Mirrored Halberd, as it's one of the best captain weapons available in the game so far (might require you to be level 50 though, but I'm not sure).

[The Grue]

As a Minstrel, my shields never look that good.

[Blackjack]

I prefer swords because I just do. Even if I have a club with better stats, or an axe that does more damage. To be honest, the more people tell me I *have* to use other equipment, or play a certain way, the more likely I'll do things differently. Variety's the spice of life. 

Actually, one of the things I liked in Age of Conan was having a full set of skills specifically devoted to 2-hand swords (far too many games treat 2-hand swords like rejects, so nobody uses them). I've liked my particular sword (Georien's in LOTRO) because it has +28 might, +28 agility, +2% parry and increased chance to hit. I use the shield in some rough areas, or when I'm just trying to survive a long run through heavy-mob territory.

All that said, I got to finish Book 5 Chapter 5 last night on a nice, full size team, and I chose a big fat 109 damage halberd as my quest reward, so we'll see how that goes.  I look like a pole-vaulter when I'm wearing it... I'll be using it tonight.

[TiLT]

One nice thing about Mines of Moria is that you'll most likely be able to indulge in your two-handed sword fetish without being any weaker than other players thanks to the legendary weapon system. I'm looking forward to seeing that in action.

[Booner]

One nice thing about Mines of Moria is that you'll most likely be able to indulge in your two-handed sword fetish without being any weaker than other players thanks to the legendary weapon system. I'm looking forward to seeing that in action.

Ditto...the whole legendary weapon thing sounds very cool. I really like the idea of 'my' hero's blade, not just one of many, but something fairly unique that I'm likely to keep.

[Lockdown]

As the weapon levels up - does the player get to customize it the way he/she wants to?  How detailed have they gone into describing this mechanic?

Is it weapons only, or is it armor as well?

[TiLT]

As the weapon levels up - does the player get to customize it the way he/she wants to?  How detailed have they gone into describing this mechanic?

Is it weapons only, or is it armor as well?

It's just weapons, at least so far. I'm sure they'll extend it to armor and other equipment over time (horses that can gain a name, levels and skills, anyone?).

They've gone into a lot of depth in previews already, though we still lack seeing the thing in action. Here's my impression of how the system works:

Throughout your journeys, you may come across unidentified potential legendary weapons. They are fairly common above a certain level (51 or so). By taking such a weapon to a specific kind of smith, you can have it identified. Its properties will then be revealed to you. These are its basic traits, its rarity, and it's potential. A legendary weapon can reach a maximum level defined by its rarity, with the most common items perhaps only reaching level 10 or 20, and the most rare going perhaps as far as 50 (I don't know the exact specifics, but I know it's always a number that can be divided by 10). I've heard that the items with the highest max levels are also much harder to level in the first place, which means that it might be advantageous to pick a more common item to level before you start working on the really epic stuff.

The weapon will occasionally give you quests in order to unlock more of its potential. I don't know anything about how these quests will work, but I assume they will be similar to the class quests already present in the game, and they will probably require you to either kill certain bosses or find certain items (though this is just speculation by me).

If you find yourself with a potential legendary item you don't want, you can sell it on the auction house, or you can melt it down and add its traits to another legendary weapon. Each weapon has a set amount of slots for this kind of thing. I think there are also other kinds of unique items that can be "infused" in the weapon (to borrow Diablo terminology). You'll find lots of these items during the game, and luckily, they don't take up room in your inventory. The basic weapon you're using determines what kind of abilities it can be infused with, so you have to make some hard choices before you start working on a legendary. There are supposedly millions of combinations in how you choose to assemble your weapon. Combined with the fact that you have to give it a unique name, and its looks change depending on how it's been statted, you won't run across anyone using the same weapon at any point.

You can have 6 legendary weapons at any one time. If you wish to add more, you have to melt down one of the items you already have.

Keep in mind that any of the above may be wrong, but I've read almost every preview of MoM out there, so I think I've got the basics down.

[Xmann]

alright, played a couple hours and leveled a Dwarf Champion to level 6.   so far it's fun and seems more story driven than all the other mmorpg's i've played over the years.   gonna give it a good bit more play time and decide after my trial whether to keep it or not.

[Lockdown]

Thanks, TiLT.  Sounds like a great system.

[Booner]

A couple of screens of Deimmus...

At around level 15, in the fields just outside of Bree.


At around level 24. Dusk outside of Ost Guruth.

[Blackjack]

My couple scenic contributions:


Pretty sky, from the newer area Forochel, north of Evindem, added in a free update while I was away.




My fellowship got stunned, although it looks like we're praying to the giant. 

[TiLT]

I have about 700 screenshots of my character's history so far, so there's a lot for me to pick and choose from if I want to contribute.

Here are a couple of my screenies from my career:

The passage from lake Evendim to the icy wastes of Forochel. Not everything is covered in snow at this point:


The icebay of Forochel. After a while up there, I put on a warm fur cloak to keep the cold away: (Forochel is HUGE. Those mountains you see in the background are part of the zone and can be visited. There are also vast areas beyond them.)


While waiting for our companions, I sit down while my fellowship (a man and an elf) looks into the distance: (I love the high-quality textures. They really bring out the details in the clothing and armor)


Dragons might be rare in Middle-earth, but their smaller siblings, the drakes, can still be found in many places and have grown to great sizes:


From one of the two raids in the game. The big guys are actually on your side. A Balrog waits not far from here: 

[Xmann]

ok, played a couple more hours this morning and i'm enjoying it a good bit.   might even subscribe for a month or so after the trial.   have a couple questions though...

#1.  how do i add a couple more skills bars to my interface?  are there new UI's out there or is there a way to add a few more skill bars to mine?

#2.   so far all i've done is solo quests.   i have seen only a small amount of other players and no opportunities for grouping.    i'm just a few xp from level 9, when does grouping and instances come into play?    i'm currently logged off at Thorne's Hall but isee hardly anyone.   Is there something i'm missing or will instances and groups come later?   or is there some other place thats more populated?

[TiLT]

#1.  how do i add a couple more skills bars to my interface?  are there new UI's out there or is there a way to add a few more skill bars to mine?

You can find these in the options. They are enabled through their own checkboxes. The UI in LOTRO isn't moddable btw, which is a good thing. No need to apply dozens of mods just to be allowed to join a group.

#2.   so far all i've done is solo quests.   i have seen only a small amount of other players and no opportunities for grouping.    i'm just a few xp from level 9, when does grouping and instances come into play?    i'm currently logged off at Thorne's Hall but isee hardly anyone.   Is there something i'm missing or will instances and groups come later?   or is there some other place thats more populated?

LOTRO takes its time introducing concepts to you. The classes feel generic in the beginning, and you don't get access to many of the more advanced things until higher levels. This also goes for grouping. While there are a few fellowship quests at lower levels, they are rare and far from mandatory. You'll start seeing more of them around level 15. You won't see your first real fellowship instance until you're in your 20s. Don't worry, there are a couple of fellowship quests in Ered Luin waiting for you, one of which is suitably epic. Remember to follow the Prologue quests.

[Booner]

#2.   so far all i've done is solo quests.   i have seen only a small amount of other players and no opportunities for grouping.    i'm just a few xp from level 9, when does grouping and instances come into play?    i'm currently logged off at Thorne's Hall but isee hardly anyone.   Is there something i'm missing or will instances and groups come later?   or is there some other place thats more populated?

First off...which server are ya on anyways? What's your name?

But yeah, as Tilt said, the further you get into the game the more fellowship quests you will come across. I'm not sure how the dwarf's get introduced to the other areas, but I'm pretty sure you'll make it through the Shire and into Bree sometime in your early to mid-teens. Bree seems to be the active hub of the game and contains questlines that will branch you out into the other areas pretty quickly.

[Blackjack]

I've had the same experience in certain regions on the El... (I never spell it right) server. Angmar is practically overflowing with players much of the time, esp. in the 45-50 areas. I think part of that right now may be people trying to hit the level cap before Mines of Moria releases.

However, sometimes the Misty Mountains (as it was last night) are completely deserted. I've got quests I might never complete there because it's so hard to recruit one player to help in MM, much less a full fellowship. I started telling jokes in the LFF channel because I knew I was the only player there. 

And the whole past weekend I was unable to start or latch on a team in the mid 40s. Part of is how important minstrels and guardians are to high level teams (most of the LFM messages are very specific, and Captains seem rarely if ever specifically sought out).

But, prior to the weekend, I'd had a lot of fun on various fellowships for several days. So while I reserve the right to kvetch (I'm sure if I shared these observations on the official forums, the responses would be along the lines of "Don'T HATE on LoTRO! You're just a LOSER playing on a LOSER SERVER!" or something else constructive ), I don't want to generalize or lose hope based on a couple bad days. I still enjoy the game. I just wish players used the LFF tools more (the drop down quest menus, the short "ad" you can type in etc.).

My rambling point is it's really hard to see any consistency in Fellowship-ness or availability/presence of other players. It varies a lot by day of the week, time of the day, What Other Hot Happening MMOs are out there (no doubt the Wow expansion and Warhammer Online are going to gobble away some LOTRO players, but I'm not one of them  ) etc. My own impressions of the El... server in terms of player population vary wildly.

[TiLT]

What you're seeing is probably the result of everyone maxing out their characters (as you said). Not only that, but after the last patch, there's a TON of things to do at level 50, and almost none of it involves raiding. This means people are more likely right now to play their level 50 characters than their alts. Expect to see more people across all level ranges after the expansion has been released.

Don't think that the captain is an unpopular class in groups just because nobody asks specifically for it (though I see people ask for captains occasionally. Usually the ones who've had the pleasure of grouping with a good captain player ). From my experience, I'd say captains are the third most popular class after minstrel and guardian. Captains are rare, and they are always useful. I've recently been grouping with people who've rarely even seen captains, and as soon as I've joined their groups, I've heard them laugh in Ventrilo over the obscene bonuses I award them (quote: "If I had this amount of morale when soloing, I'd be invincible!"). I can't count the number of times I've heard people say "this was easier than normal because we brought a captain" or something to that effect, especially during instances.

Having said that, playing the captain well is more challenging than you'd think, at least when you get to the harder encounters in the game. Nobody will ever notice all the good things you do (except buffing), but the group's survival will often depend on your skills at healing, off-tanking and DPSing, sometimes all at once.

I love the captain, and it was great to see that even the new edition of D&D added a class that is pretty similar to it (the Warlord).

[Xmann]

Well i started out on Landroval....not sure if anyone here plays there.   i have a Dwarf Champion that i'm really enjoying that is now level 11.   i could really use some general tips for the Champion.  ie:  what weapon to train?   ( i currently dual wield)   what skills to concentrate on? etc.  also, is there a benefit to training in some type of instrument or is it just for entertainment?

I still have yet to see much of anyone and i can't get a fellowship for any quests to save my life.   I just got a quest to head to Bree, so i'm hoping once i get there that i'll get to see more peeps.    i really really like the fact that it's really solo friendly, but i'd like to see more players around to do some fellowship questing as well.

lastly, is there a good site with a quest database.   i have a couple quests i can't complete because i can't find a person or object or quest object.   anything like that around?

overall, enjoying it very much and probably will continue after the trial.   i'm a real casual player who probably won't get to play but maybe 5 or 6 hours a week and i like that it's solo friendly for that purpose.

[TiLT]

lastly, is there a good site with a quest database.   i have a couple quests i can't complete because i can't find a person or object or quest object.   anything like that around?

It's not a quest database per se, but this will probably help you in 95% of the cases where you're confused about quest objectives: http://www.mehq.net/dynmap/index.php

LOTRO is possibly the most casual-friendly serious MMORPG out there, so I'd say it's the perfect choice for you. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, you'll start seeing a lot more people in the low-level zone when the expansion hits.

[Blackjack]

I got to do the infamous Fornost Instance (and, finally get these pesky Rotted Barghest Paws necessary for one of the Captain's 45 Quests  ) with my Kinship last night. Good grief, it took something like 5 hours. I didn't get much experience, if at all, for the actual combat (it's mostly upper 30s stuff) but the quest exp was still helpful, and some rewards were still useful (for my 48 captain).

The infamous paws (sometimes sold at the Auction House for a King's Ransom) were from Barghest about, oh lets say, 4 hours 45 minutes into it.  I am told Turbine finally added some to the Bree Cave Instance, NW of Bree, just to no longer basically blackmail players into having to do such a grueling instance at a level you get no experience for combat in. I actually got 7 extra paws out of it, so I'm torn between charging, well, a King's Ransom at the auction house (maybe a moot point if they're in that Bree cave now), or saving it my kinship's House in case an up and coming Captain wants to save some frustration.

Anyway, caught some pretty fun screenshots during the instance. Here's some (apologies to dialups, I wanted to keep the images fairly crisp):




To be fair, much of the Kin is playing or interested in Warhammer, but they also seem pretty loyal/addicted to LOTRO. The server was really hopping last night, fwiw.

[TiLT]

Why are you slicing up that poor man's shoulder in the last screenshot?

[Xmann]

ok, trial ended today and i want to upgrade my subscription to retail.    however, i want to make sure i upgrade the trial account so i can keep my character and not have to create new.

so when i log onto my account page, it gives me an option to purchase the retail digital version.   is this the correct way to upgrade?   just wondering because i don't see an option to upgrade the account, just to buy the game.

[Blackjack]

Why are you slicing up that poor man's shoulder in the last screenshot?

Georien was trying to cut Verdara's head off to get the cool helm. 

I got a fine quest rewards helm the other day, and it would look cool if not for what looks like a giant broom head mounted on top of it. It's been a common complaint since probably late beta that too many helms look silly/ridiculous/ungainly. Turbine's solution was to let you "disable" viewing of almost everything, but I wish they would just simplify some of the attempts at "helm flourishes" or even let you remove certain "components" from helms.

If I bring it up in chat, nobody disagrees - I always get a lot of chuckles and "oh yeah I haven't enabled helm view since I was level 5" and the like. Of course, a "cool helm design" is entirely subjective, but I can't help thinking if they just told the helm art designers, "Keep it simple," they would see more people enabling helm views in-game.

Xmann, I'll search the official forums and see if I can find an answer for you. I'm sure many others have brought up the "how do I upgrade a trial version and keep my characters" question before.

[Blackjack]

ok, trial ended today and i want to upgrade my subscription to retail.    however, i want to make sure i upgrade the trial account so i can keep my character and not have to create new.

so when i log onto my account page, it gives me an option to purchase the retail digital version.   is this the correct way to upgrade?   just wondering because i don't see an option to upgrade the account, just to buy the game.

A few threads tackle this question. Some point to this tech support page (below, the URL is a mess, length-wise), and it should guide you through it.

The short answer is yes, you can just buy it digitally. However, make sure you log in with your *trial account login* if you want to keep your trial characters. Do not set up a new account login, or your trial characters won't carry over, is what they seem to say.

http://turbine.fuzeqna.com/lotro.support/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=1846&SearchType=advanced&referrer=&CustID=&rfield=&usertype=&formaction=search&bUseEditor=&IncludeHTML=&gpn=&gpv=&keyword=trial&match=and&catID1=&catID2=&catID3=&sortmethod=rel+desc%2C+datemodified&submitbutton=Go

Question/Topic
How do I convert my Free Trial account to a subscription?

Answer/Article

You must purchase a retail copy of LOTRO and have a Retail Product Key in order to convert your free trial to a retail subscription.

You can purchase a Retail Product Key either by linking here [http://www.lotro.com/buynow/turbine] or by purchasing a retail copy of The Lord of the Rings OnlineTM in a store.

To upgrade your LOTRO trial account once you have a LOTRO Retail Product Key:

   1. Link to our Account Management website: https://myaccount.turbine.com/
   2. Wait for the page to fully load and log into it with the same Username and Password that you used to log into your LOTRO trial
   3. Once logged in, click "Activate Product Key"
   4. Enter your Retail Product Key
   5. Click “Submit”
   6. After submitting the Retail Product Key, you will be asked if you want to upgrade your Buddy/Trial subscription. Make sure to choose YES
   7. If you have more than one LOTRO subscription on your account, you will be asked which one you want to upgrade. Make sure you choose the subscription that you want to upgrade

Any characters from your trial account will be converted to your retail subscription.

The 30 free days of LOTRO gameplay begin once a payment method is selected and the LOTRO subscription is activated.

If you need more info, this Search Results page links to a lot of forum threads on converting trial to full:
http://forums.lotro.com/search.php?searchid=4636903

[TiLT]

I got a fine quest rewards helm the other day, and it would look cool if not for what looks like a giant broom head mounted on top of it. It's been a common complaint since probably late beta that too many helms look silly/ridiculous/ungainly. Turbine's solution was to let you "disable" viewing of almost everything, but I wish they would just simply some of the attempts at "helm flourishes" or even let you remove certain "components" from helms.

If I bring it up in chat, nobody disagrees - I always get a lot of chuckles and "oh yeah I haven't enabled helm view since I was level 5" and the like. Of course, a "cool helm design" is entirely subjective, but I can't help thinking if they just told the helm art designers, "Keep it simple," they would see more people enabling helm views in-game.

It seems to be pretty typical of LOTR to have very pronounced helmets (see the movies as well). It also looks like the LOTRO designers have made most of their helmets for dwarves and elves, as I've found that the helmets often look cool on them, unlike on Men. Take a look at the third screenshot in my post above to see an example of how a ridiculous helmet can look cool on an elf. It wouldn't look good at all on my character.

Also, hobbits in any kind of armor look silly.