My opinion...

[aleczander]

This is a lotro discussion board. To discuss achievements as they relate to the game is relevant here. It's not always about the Haves and Have-Nots. We all play this game for ~something~. Some of us play to conquer difficult content or time consuming content. IT would be nice to have some little, meaningless reward for that.

When someone comes riding up on that reward with a freshly store bought item, it makes you wonder, why did I invest my time on that at all?

This is why I take the time to post to threads about lotro-store controversy - A line has to be drawn somewhere, AND maintained. Turbine is studying threads like this constantly to determine when and where they can move that line.

My two cents: If something is going to be in the Store, it should be there first, so people don't get fooled into spending time trying for a rare item/achievement or whatever. Or, it should be put in the store after the next expansion has come out, rendering said item "obsolete" or otherwise less-appealing and more common.

Some people play just for the challenge of mobs/bosses/gauntlets etc, some play for tweaking their toons, some play for making their toons "pretty" with fluff, some play for other reasons.
The reason you play shouldn't be skewed to encompass an arguement against someone else's misfortune (perceived or otherwise).

[DemonicLemming]

Only people? Seriously? Where do you live, under a rock? EVERYONE wants EVERYTHING for free. It's like, the American Way or something.

OP, I'm sorry but, you need to get your priorities straight. There are times when it needs to be said: It's just a game. And furthermore, it's just a cosmetic horse.

It's fast becoming the "World Way" - not endemic to the US any more.

And in regards to the whole cosmetic horse issue - really, no one gives a damn what horse you have. They may think in passing, "Oh that looks neat", but that's it. I've got the world rep horse - woohoo, same mechanics, different skin. No one cares. Skeleton horse - it was nothing but a luck drop in a festival anyway. Festival horses - no real effort needed to get one.

When the store starts selling raid gear, then I'll care. Until then, these threads bitching about something as banal as cosmetic horses are starting to get a little annoying.

[Zarador]

This is why I take the time to post to threads about lotro-store controversy - A line has to be drawn somewhere, AND maintained. Turbine is studying threads like this constantly to determine when and where they can move that line.

My two cents: If something is going to be in the Store, it should be there first, so people don't get fooled into spending time trying for a rare item/achievement or whatever. Or, it should be put in the store after the next expansion has come out, rendering said item "obsolete" or otherwise less-appealing and more common.

Some people play just for the challenge of mobs/bosses/gauntlets etc, some play for tweaking their toons, some play for making their toons "pretty" with fluff, some play for other reasons.
The reason you play shouldn't be skewed to encompass an arguement against someone else's misfortune (perceived or otherwise).

The flaw in the argument is not being able to accept that there are choices offered in the game.

Would you like to get it for FREE by doing "x" in the game?
~or~
Would you like to purchase the item for "x" points?

It's no longer about "Do this ~or~ Do Without!". It does not cheapen or devalue your reward simply because there is an alternate path to gaining the same sort of item. There is always some player out there that will have better, do better, gain it first, put in more time, you name it. You judge your progress by doing what it is that you set out to do, not what I do.

For argument's sake, lets say that there are four Lexus cars on the block:

One person won the Lexus for having the right answers on a Quiz show.
One person purchased the Lexus through money earned on their job.
One person won the lottery with a free ticket given to them by a friend.
One person was given the Lexus as a gift from a family member.

Is the person who had the right answers less smart since there are three other cars like their on the block?
Is the person who worked for the Lexus less ambitious since there are three other cars like their on the block?
Is the person who won the lottery less lucky since there are three other cars like their on the block?
Is the person who received one as a gift less grateful since there are three other cars like their on the block?

Most people would have no problem saying that all four drivers most likely enjoy their Lexus and deserved it, even if they simply lucked out with kind family members, a lottery ticket, hard work or being smart enough to win it.

[Scorch2007]

-I've seen this argument before.
-40% of people are mad because people can just buy their rep horse.
-40% of people say that spending real life money on an item represents equals merit.
-20% of people don't care
I can also give away the ending of this thread. Endless bickering, neither side making a single concession and a blue name locking the thread.


and YET... can't resist gravitational force of arguing.

I'd say money is relative to your means where as time and effort is not. If you needed to grind rep to get a reward, it didn't matter if you were rich or poor, you had to do exactly the same amount of effort. If you bought the rep item, this could represent a huge investment for some (for those minimum wagers out there), or nearly nothing for those with careers or a mommy and daddy that buy them shiny things.
I'd prefer if rep items were not in the store and that Turbine made the effort to come up with unique cosmetic items from the store. This way, Turbine continues to fund their development with much needed store revenues and loyal hard working players don't get bent out of shape.

[aleczander]

The flaw in the argument is not being able to accept that there are choices offered in the game.

Would you like to get it for FREE by doing "x" in the game?
~or~
Would you like to purchase the item for "x" points?

It's no longer about "Do this ~or~ Do Without!". It does not cheapen or devalue your reward simply because there is an alternate path to gaining the same sort of item. There is always some player out there that will have better, do better, gain it first, put in more time, you name it. You judge your progress by doing what it is that you set out to do, not what I do.

Did u read the whole post? Talk about flaws...
Would you like to get it for FREE by doing "x" in the game?
~or~
Would you like to purchase the item for "x" points?

this is true only if the item is offered in the store first, which is was NOT.
Having the choice thrown if after the fact (which isn't a choice), for some people, does in fact cheapen the reward. I can acknowledge that.

Some people play not only to judge their own accomplishments, but to have others judge them. Those others can't judge them properly if they don't know if the player got them with money or with time/effort/skill.

Not that I care about a horse, just acknowledging diff strokes diff folks.

[Vysion34]

I guarantee you that nobody else cares about which horse you ride and how you acquired it.

I also guarantee that you will not be able to tell at first glance whether someone acquired a horse through luck or through the LOTRO store.

Enjoy your horse with whatever means you used to acquire it and stop worrying about other people.

[Dyfrin]

Covetousness and pride are the cause of this argument.

My advice to your opinion:

Realize this, one day your character will be gone, all the items you have obtained, obliterated.

How did you play? With enthusiasm, dedication? Or with a credit card? What will you remember as you look back to lotro days, the money you could still have, or the fun you had?

An item you play and strive to obtain will be more rewarding then one easily obtained.
Your skeleton horse doesn't have to be rare to be important to you.

[PF-Grumpy]

-I've seen this argument before.
-40% of people are mad because people can just buy their rep horse.
-40% of people say that spending real life money on an item represents equals merit.
-20% of people don't care
I can also give away the ending of this thread. Endless bickering, neither side making a single concession and a blue name locking the thread.


and YET... can't resist gravitational force of arguing.

Probably because this is a discussion forum and not all of us will go around reading every thread every day. the OP probably has no idea that this has already been argued ad-nauseam.

There isn't much left (in reality) that hasn't already been discussed-to-death on these boards, so you might as well enjoy the opportunity to argue about it... again.

[Sapience]

There isn't much left (in reality) that hasn't already been discussed...

Agreed. No need to trod such well traveled ground again.