According to Sapience on the forums with regards to the Riders of Rohan closed beta invites will be sent out as soon as this weekend!
Let’s just say I wouldn’t ignore my inbox this weekend if I were you.
That means closed beta is going to potentially start very soon for some lucky players so it is the perfect time to share some closed beta rules. We would hate more than anything for someone to be kicked out of RoR beta for lack of understanding what being invited means.
Invite-Only
The first thing you need to know is that this is a invite-only closed beta. There is no application to join the beta.
At first it will be limited to small groups and then they will start inviting more and more as the beta goes on. [source] Those invited will receive an email to the address on your Turbine account with the details about the beta.
Those who have pre-purchased Riders of Rohan will get “preferred access”, meaning they have a better chance of getting into the beta program (but not guaranteed). [source]
Not to worry if you haven’t pre-ordered because all players have a chance to be invited to the closed beta. I would guess (meaning I haven’t seen Turbine expressly say this) that more active accounts will be invited before those who pop in now and then.
Turbine also plans to give away beta keys on their Facebook and Twitter pages as well. [source]
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
The beta is covered by a heavily enforced Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
What this means is that if you are invited to the closed beta you cannot tell anyone about it. It’s sort of like the first two rules of Fight Club. Even stating that you were invited is a violation and can cause your access to the beta to be revoked. [source]
That means:
- Don’t talk about it in game
- Don’t post about it on LOTRO Forums
- Do not share screenshots from the test client
- Don’t even post about it here
- Just don’t talk about it people!
We’ve seen folks get booted from the program before so if you want to check out the beta be a good Hobbit and “Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe”.
To all of those hoping for a beta invite, good luck!
July 13, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Good luck to everyone invited. As f2p i guess my only chance will be twitter.
July 13, 2012 at 10:29 pm
There will most likely be some free and premium players invited to participate in closed beta testing for Riders of Rohan at some point. Turbine will need all kinds of players to test the expansion and provide feedback, not just VIP subscribers.
If you don’t get an invitation in the mail this weekend, don’t give up hope.
July 14, 2012 at 12:10 am
I hope you’r right.
July 14, 2012 at 1:08 am
Look at this way, if you don’t get an invite, you have more time to actually grind to afford the content.
July 14, 2012 at 1:44 am
NICE CAN’T WAIT TO POST STUFF FROM BETA ON MY NEW WEBSITE http://WWW.LOTROLEAKS.COM
July 14, 2012 at 5:36 am
Don’t think i either have time enough for it. 4000 TPs is way too much to grind.
July 14, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Hey check that, we have stupid players in lotro as well! unless that was someone trolling…
July 13, 2012 at 10:10 pm
Don’t think that, Saelyth. I have been a Lifetimer VIP for about 3 years now, and I have never got any invitation to a Closed Beta.
Apart from that, good news in CSTM! Thanks Goldenstar!
July 15, 2012 at 3:23 am
Belsar, did you preorder all the expansions? I’ve gotten beta invites to Mirkwood and Isen. after preordering and I’m a “5-year lifer”
July 14, 2012 at 1:45 am
JOKING OF COURSE
July 14, 2012 at 2:14 am
I know they say ‘All Players’, but I pretty much put that down to meaning basically VIP players, even tho I pre-ordered right away (did the same with RoI), I don’t expect an invite.
If any F2P or Premium players got an invite to the RoI closed beta I’d like to know, but I have my doubts.
Still, Beta starting, means about a month now till open Beta happens, so that’s good.
July 14, 2012 at 2:16 am
http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?&postid=6279962#post6279962
Basically, the more you’ve invested into the game and the purchase of Rohan, the better your odds are. Best of luck!
July 14, 2012 at 3:46 am
How Turbine can know if i speak about it in real life
July 14, 2012 at 5:01 am
First rule of Beta testing: You don’t talk about Beta.
July 14, 2012 at 5:37 am
you know, they got palantiris.
July 14, 2012 at 3:54 pm
You know it is dangerous to use the palantirs! We don’t know where they all are and who is watching!!!
Ok, badly paraphrased movie quote… but rule #1 still stands.
July 14, 2012 at 3:49 am
Good luck with the BETA GAMES! May Turbine be ever in your favour!
July 14, 2012 at 4:39 am
anyone else get problems with Bullroarer installation? I keep getting a disconnection error from Pando Networks but nothing is blocking it :/
Ocasionally the client appears rdy to install but always crashes :/
July 15, 2012 at 11:30 am
Careful. That looks as if u r not keeping ur invite secret and keeping it safe.
July 14, 2012 at 6:56 am
In two minds about whether I’d want to actually be in the beta.
On the one hand it’d be great to actually see the stuff first hand and have the opportunity to help squish the inevitable bugs.
But on the other playing too much of a beta can potentially spoil the first wee bit of release.
And of course there’s the whole pando aspect to factor in so an invite now would mean I’d have probably only just downloaded the beta client by the time RoR went live.
July 14, 2012 at 12:47 pm
I always feel the same way. It’s neat and it’s great to help and it’s also fun to be seeing it so early… But then when it does officially come out, I know my enthusiasm will be lower lol
July 14, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I know of a couple of folk that are getting bored with mists of pandaria content thanks to the blanket beta they got from the annual sub thing blizzard did.
July 14, 2012 at 9:36 am
The problem with beta testing is that you open the pressies early and spoil the surprise when it goes live. I think I’ll pass on this one even if I got the rare invite.
July 14, 2012 at 10:06 am
Good luck everyone!!!!
July 14, 2012 at 11:23 am
Why did my comment not get approved?
July 15, 2012 at 11:22 am
I’m pretty sure you can mention you were invited to beta. I don’t see how that is breaking NDA. I personally was and I’m not going to be playing it.
July 15, 2012 at 11:31 am
Turbine have mentioned time and time again that you cannot mention anything about beta, even just mentioning you were invited. In fact, many game developers have this policy in place for closed-beta at the very least.
July 15, 2012 at 4:47 pm
I just finished reading the email I received and read the NDA and nowhere does it mention that you can’t tell people you were invited to beta. That doesn’t even make any sense. What is against NDA is posting any inside information regarding the state of the beta.
July 17, 2012 at 8:32 am
Turbine has stated themselves you cannot mention being in the beta. It’s been made very clear. See the source link about this in the post.
Quote from Sapience:
“Even telling your friends you got an invite will mean you could be ejected from the beta.”
Sorry dude but you’re wrong on this one. Perhaps you are right and it isn’t stated but it’s a rule that is enforced so people should not do it.
July 14, 2012 at 12:24 pm
if people get invited is there a place for cstm people to get together and quest so they are not alone?
July 14, 2012 at 1:19 pm
This would not be the appropriate place to answer any such question. Traditionally, people in beta are only allowed to communicate about it in the beta forums, or in the game. External communication is prohibited.
July 14, 2012 at 2:38 pm
oooooooook
July 15, 2012 at 3:27 am
just post “looking for cstm peeps” on the beta forums — if this beta forum is anything like past beta forums, people will be looking for players from their own servers to group up with during beta… usually there are beta-server kinships created according to server “eg Landroval kinship” for the sole purpose of hanging out with peeps from your server during the beta