What is new in the store, armors?????

[Abiyah]

http://www.lotro.com/lotrostorenew has full details...

I just looked at this. Tier III medium armor has armor values close to the 400 mark, which is well past the 20ish level (level 28, actually). A full set will run around 2100tp. For the VIP folks, that's 4 months worth of stipend. For F2Pers, that's a lot of deeds. Or for the credit card, it's about $20.

And this is just the beginning of it. $20 every 5 or so levels. Oh yes, there's no need to actually buy this armor. Not now, anyway. How long until it becomes necessary? (Relic removal scrolls, anyone?)

Edit: My mistake-- the store listing confused me. Though 6 items are listed in the medium set, 3 of the listings are doubled up. So a set of three Tier III pieces, not 6, would run around 1100tp.

[Thorsvin]

Why is this a big deal? Überpotions with 5x the self-heal rate compared to the best in-game potions have been in the shop from f2p day 1. Stat tomes appeared shortly thereafter. Of course only for low levels where nobody cares. At first. Are we up to top level stat tomes yet? Sorry I don't know.

Ah I get it. Those who were fooling themselves can't any longer. Is that it? Is that what makes people upset now? And it's only for low levels where nobody cares.

You also forgot LIs. Once you get one you can spend your TPs buy exactly the legacies you want, make them all tier 6, make you LI level 70, add a title, and purchase relics to slot in you new uber LIs. The only work you have to do with LI is earning IXP and you can also buy buff to give you more of that as well.

[Darmokk]

I think my ability to believe anything from Turbine has been permanently damaged. I recall the first time in Beta when we saw they had Rep Horses in the (new) Store. Many including myself, screamed and ranted and were labled trolls but we railed against it. Then Turbine said "we will not put horses in the store... we promise." And I felt safe. But after Beta closed - Horses were on the menu.

When did they say that?

I can see how people don't want rep items in the store even if they aren't combat enhancer but to be honest in the end a horse is a cosmetic item. That is what the store should be about. Would be nice if they could still have rep-exclusive cosmetics but alas the only thing they promised is "convenience, not advantage". Even faster horses would be fine.

[k3nn3th]

And this is just the beginning of it. $20 every 5 or so levels. Oh yes, there's no need to actually buy this armor. Not now, anyway. How long until it becomes necessary? (Relic removal scrolls, anyone?)

You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later.

[WickedWitch99]

While we are in here and before the thread vaporizes...

Hypothetical Question:

IF suddenly someone from Turbine, showed up here and said "

OH That was a blunder. We won't do that. I don't know how that got out. It was internal testing only. We will not be having armour with stats/buffs in the store."

Or something along those lines. Would you believe them???

The answer is already embedded in your question.




(How exciting would it have been if armour crafting would have gotten an unexpected overhaul, which would include pieces with the now presented stats?)

(Post 22 in this thread is the most eye opening post for me).

[StavroMuellerBeta]

When did they say that?

It was on the now-hidden F2P beta forums, June-August 2010. There was a fairly lengthy thread about the rep horses, where several dev comments stated that the rep horses were not going to be in the live game, they were meant as a placeholder until the store-exclusive horses were ready.

[k3nn3th]

The irony of this is that crafters are going to be the most angry about this change, when they are the ones that could have prevented it in the first place by keeping the AH stocked with more lower level gear. I've mentioned in many threads over the past couple of years how fast low to mid-level crafted crits sell on the AH when crafters gripe about how they can't make any money. But I guess it fell on deaf ears.

Nah.

A new LOTRO player who is already an MMO player/gamer will level too quickly to have sent Turbine a single complaint about "level 20 gear being unavailable on the AH". A player such as this would probably hit up the forums before they /bug or send an e-mail/letter.

A new MMO player that finds LOTRO wouldn't know that gear is "less available than it should be" and would just continue to play the game and learn.

Either of the above players could at any point click on a light/heavy/medium armor barterer in a skirmish camp... or click an NPC with a ring over its head and see that quests give rewards.

I find it very unlikely Turb was getting any form of complaints about low level gear on the AH - certainly not enough to need to "offer" them some over-priced armor to waste money/TP on and out-level/out-gear in a couple of quests.

[Aethniniel]

Guess its time to prepare to cancel VIP. Seriously, the producer/marketing director need to quit pushing the envelope to see how far they can take this.

First they change LIs/relics to force us into the store if we wanted our relics back and offered better relics store-only - that was a slap in the face. Then pay to win brands and pots for pvp - they kick a little dirt in our eyes. Now gear is being added against the promises that they would never sell gear in the store that was better than in game? I'm sick of having my face rubbed in the dirt by a company that only wants a peek in my wallet and spends more energy dreaming up ways to bleed more money out of us for a game they long since quit caring about.

Its really disgusting to me that Tolkien's genius is being used as a shady corporate virtual marketplace instead of honoring his work. But I guess its been years since that's what the game was about.


PS: I will NEVER forgive Turbine for the bait and switch marketing they did promising us a new PvMP zone at Isen Pre-order and then tying virtual rewards to it that basically cancelled your ability to get a refund once they were received.

[monteeburns]

T7 Stat tomes, Stat Armour...

Wonder what the next store 'surprise' is going to be?

I'm not sure what the worst part is, Turbine blatently going back on their word or their shameless attempt to treat the community as total mugs with lame excuses for their introduction to the store that even a 5 year old orc could see through.

I'd have more respect for them if they came clean and said either 'so many people are leaving that we are getting totally desperate', or 'as f2p is such as success, we're going to ignore what we said before to make even more money'.

Using some excuse about having "many requests for low level armour" to introduce another line they said they wouldn't cross is insulting.

Wonder how long it will be before they announce that they've had 'many requests for end game gear', so are going to provide it in store as requested?

[Bacontastic]

once upon a time i used to think that the Professor would be proud of this game if he was still alive.

now im thinking he is spinning in his grave and maybe Chris is right and this IP should remain in book form.

because every single game that has been made from this IP just ends up trashing it in the end.

kinda wishing i had taken a cue from Patience and left while the getting was good.

the problem isnt the gears stats or it level or how it compares to crafted.

the issue is if it sells well at all eventually somewhere down the road there will be end-game quality gear in the store.

at least folks are starting to realize that just like the politicians in DC, you have to take anything said by turbine with a grain of salt knowing that they will backpedal away from it as it suits them.

the store is all
the story is null
no longer powered by what once was it is now powered by what makes the gekkos tick.

STELLA!!! You could have been a contender........

[Hrodberht]

Even at level 25, the gear is better than anything available via in-game means, crit-crafted or otherwise.

But Sapience didn't say the gear starts in the lower 20s, he said the MAX level is in the lower 20s, which means the level to equip will be even lower.

It was a very vague statement, and I'd like to see the actual level reqs before jumping to conclusions.

[Arachnella]

Adding my voice to the chorus of the people unhappy with this new "option".

A brief list of credentials: I'm a lifer, player since beta, with all expansions and extra packs pre-ordered, as well as bought many thousand TPs for real money in addition to my stipend. I've been loyal to the game for a very long time, to the point of being called a fanboi.

But lately more and more things have been added, removed, or broken in the game; some were smaller, some were bigger, but all taken together they finally have undermined my trust and loyalty very much. Lootboxes was one of large deal-breakers for me. And now this gear with stats is another (and so quickly after the lootboxes!). Other people before me have said much better than I could why exactly this new "option" is bad and game breaking.

I won't be able to cancel my subscription, nor give the exit feedback. I can only stop logging in, stop spending my time and my money in game. I am not leaving yet -- not quite. I am not that desperate yet. But I am very, very disillusioned and disappointed. It's a dangerous road you are treading, Turbine. You are about to lose more people, more loyal followers, through sheer greed.

Turbine, I play your game to spend my free time. It's my entertainment, and I value it as such. Turbine/WB, then it's your job to provide me this entertainment and make me to *want* paying you for it, since moving to microtransactions was your deliberate decision. You do your job very poorly if you alienate your customers and make them rather leech from you or walk away if the entertainment value of your product, in their eyes, is low. Beware, you are very close to the point of no return.

[Eartholloth]

i hate to move away from the crux of the matter in this thread which is the addition of something that was never supposed to have seen the light of day. However i feel that i should point out here that high prices on AH goods are only there becasue people will pay that, if they didnt those goods would never sell and this would lead to them being sent back to the seller to be reposted at a lower price. I sell a full set of critted armour for 10x the level of the armour so for example a full set of 22 critted armour will only set you back 220s. I dont call that greed.

LOL nice try with the example.

[StavroMuellerBeta]

It was a very vague statement, and I'd like to see the actual level reqs before jumping to conclusions.

Actually, you are the one who stated the armor would likely be level 25. The only conclusion I'm jumping to is the one you already put forth as a possibility.

But as I said earlier, let's agree to disagree until it actually hits the store. If the gear is only equippable at level 21 or above, I will publicly apologize, so long as you agree to do the same if it's equippable at level 20 or below. Deal?

[Lainalagos]

once upon a time i used to think that the Professor would be proud of this game if he was still alive.

now im thinking he is spinning in his grave and maybe Chris is right and this IP should remain in book form.

Here's the ultimate irony, how this is a sad mirror from the moral of the original story... the Store is now like the One Ring. It offers the illusion of power with no effort or sacrifice; Boromir, Denethor, Isildur all thought the ring a quick path to victory. How appropriate that TPs are represented by a golden ring.

The wiser, those with more humility and honour - Elrond, Gandlaf, Galadriel, Farimir, Samwise - they all recognised the Ring's treachery as the greed and corruption it truly is and rejected it. Sadly, it seems even the makers of Lord of the Rings online don't believe in real heroes anymore...

[trebizond]

I've defended Turbine on a lot of things, and I've called them out before too (check my post history if you like). But this is the straw that has broken the camel's back.

I cancelled my subscription today. After over two years of playing every week.

This was it, enough is enough. Check my exit survey Turbine, that is if you give a damn.

[Peona]

Yesterday I came across this article:
http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01...through-the-s/

[cite]
In July 2010, Massively was told by Turbine that the then-coming LotRO store "would not sell any gear with stats attached."
[...]
Consider the law cast aside today, then, as Turbine's announced the coming sale of statted gear in the LotRO store to normal PvE play as well.
[/cite]

It's already discussed here in the Storefeedback-Forum:
http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.p...e-store-armors

What do you think? Should we worry? Is LotRo turning into a pay2win?

[Lainalagos]

Here's my 2 pence. Yes, to answer your question. But the question for me is where will things go from here? Two promiment MMOs come to mind.

SWG alienated it's existing player-base with NGE. Sony refused to back down hoping new players would more than replace the lost subscribers. The last server shut down about a month ago.

EVE Online alienated it's existing player-base with new cash-shop based changes. There was an uprising, CCP in a surprising move reversed the changes and the CEO personally apologised to the community that supports them. EVE Online is still going, stronger than ever I understand.

Just food for thought.

[SuaronTehMighty]

Isnt the store already selling various ingame advantages like xp boost and stat boost and whatnot? Gear is just the next step.

If you were opposed to the idea of pay2win you should have raised a ruckus right from the start like the people in EVE online did. Their devs tried to pull a similar stunt but their players quit in droves so they reconsidered. Now it's too late, it's all downhill from there...

[Morons]

Played since beta on Eu server , this my last day on lord of the shop on line

[TheMule1983]

Got to love cheerleaders like DarkCountry (who I believe is a troll that likes to get a rise out of people) who says Turbine isn't in the wrong for this. There is no way this is good for the game. This could get ugly, which is sad considering this is my favorite MMO.

[Anoir]

....


I dont even have words for how stupid you are Turbine.

[Dyrandir]

I'm hoping that after seeing all the negative feedback that has been left on the other thread, turbine/WB will put a stop to this before it seriously damages the remaining playing base.

Not once have I heard any player in game or on the forums, say that they wish they could buy gear in the store, so why are they selling it?

Dyran

[DarkCntry]

First, define pay to win.

Second, what has been added to the store that could be seen as 'pay to win' in the general definition.

If you define pay to win as adding items that create a gap between what players can get in-game and what can be purchased, skewing that the purchased items are better, then no...Turbine hasn't done that.

Of course, I'm going to wait for those few people to chime in about how I'm defending Turbine and you should ignore what I say.

[Ellyllon]

If the problem was lack of lowbie gear, putting stat gear in the store wasn't the answer. Wouldn't it be wiser, more fun, & generally better to up whatever crafters need? Increase crit drops, reducing the crafting grind, polish up the system. If that's too much, then put better gear as skirmish rewards, or quests, such as you get in Evendim.

The store shouldn't be a shortcut over parts of the game that aren't fun or interesting, or even rewarding. (I'm looking at you, Deed Speed scrolls...)

If I could sit down & negotiate with the store, I'd say, keep your special items & I'll buy them. I'd rather you gave me an in game experience, but I'll concede this. (I'd rather quest for my class horse than buy it... but ok.) But you restore relic removals to reforging, as it should be, and give us stat drop chances, not store-exclusive, at least.

As for armour - stop now. This is a step too far - it's not progress if you're on a cliff's edge!