The Lord of the Rings Online Developer Diary

Turbine's official The Lord of the Rings Online website has been updated with a new developer diary penned by content designer Jessie King. This time around, Jessie answers some pending questions about the game's reputation system:
Q: Do I have to grind through reputation in order to enter dungeons and play with my friends?

A: In a word: No.

The reputation system in LOTRO is an optional method of advancement; it isn't being implemented to require players to grind in order to gain access to group content.

We don't like the fracturing effect such requirements have on fellowships ("Our fellowship can't do the Carn Dûm run until Bob finishes grinding his Council rep - get the lead out, Bob."). That would generate the kind of peer-pressure play that we're trying to avoid with this style of content.

I can't say that will never happen, but we have implemented the system with the conscious decision not to use it that way for the foreseeable future.