Bluebell recipes are still technically rep gated, devs. Sigh.

[Schinderhannes]

Aside from the rep gated recipe, how many leaves does someone actually need to create his first color?
200? 400? How much is this in hours? Ok, this is nitpicking, because it is now officially "not intended" and will change probably in the "forseeable future". But what is with the other ones?

All this high prices force me to question my time investment with the game's current endgame content. And from what I hear, I'm not the only one doing so. I hear it so often from different people in the chat or in teamspeak, but it is not the only reasons I'm writing this. It is mainly my own concern. I'm really wondering why dot-one-patch that took several weeks to show up doesn't address all this issues. Many of us have mentioned this in the forums and the tthtI runs.

If the recipe price is an oversight, then what is the price for the t6 relict? Or even better, the 3 different Ixp runes, which all cost the same? 100.
Some may call it nitpicking, but then where are the things I'm even alowed to dislike? Where is the line to be crossed that someone says, no. Not this, don't go further evil grindy prices!

We are in a game, where there seems to be a a limit of new icons that can be reached, and/or it just may be used as an argument for not having these in a really concerning amount of time/patches.
So much quests and reapetables were made in this 7 years, so many new mechanics, items and systems are indroduced.

You may think something good about a game so old, is that everything gets better over time. But the picture what I'm getting lately (Rohan+) is quite the opposite. Just to avoid an ongoing wall of text and to be more specific, just a list of things that what I think where unessesary steps back:

- Crafting Instances for Endgame PVE Content
- Lack of Icon Love (Especially for crafting and specific buffs) Make Love, not...!
- Not even a single new traditional Group Instance. The HD Battles are very anti climactic due to the lack of special encounters and mindless attacking orcs. The whole systems also suffers from a working reward system when it comes to items.
- Itemization. Again. Where is Finesse on the new Items? You end up with almost nothing with fangorn jewelry and armor. Especially as a tank-> Result, missing really a lot in t3 Skirmishes and PVP.
- RNG in Epic Battles. Couldn't hurt to mention this again. It is really bad from a players perspective. Shouldn't teach moria development another approach?
- Very traditional landscape questing. There are maybe some interesting storys told, but the scheme is the same. You are again the guy for everything. From level 1 to 95.
For me, this ship has sailed long ago. I wonder if this even will change someday. Imo content for high level gamers, especially in a game this old should rather try to approach new ways to let you adventure rather then rely on old patterns. One of the reasons why I suggested this one here on the forums btw.
To be fair, Mounted combat, drive-by quests and epic battles may be steps into that direction. But it is not enough. The old schemes are still to much used. There is no reward that can force you to enjoy the grind of repetition.

Just as a reminder, everything not mentionend still hast the possibility to not being bad at all, or actually really good imo. This is a critic, so pls bear with me.

I hope noone is looking at this as another "vitriol" infused negative post, rather than a concern that even the often communicated good will, which you hardly can deny to someone to be honest, doesn't actually has to mean they are dedicated to make high quality content with good balance and in mmo terms sophisticated "grind". It just feels like quantity stands above everything. It feels terrible... (sometimes).

I know, they may be good reasons for every desicion made in and around the game. Rowan could probably sing a song about this. But these reasons are (possible) grounded by so many facts that are keptsecret.
So in the end it is hard to remain an evangelist of something recently so unintelligible uninspiring, because you do not fully understand the why.

Don't get me wrong. I don't expect the game to be a 24/7 AAA gaming experience, but please deliver content, if there is one, that matches at least certain standards and do not lower the bar with every new patch this year.
The Epic Book Quests are a good example that something can and wants to live up to that ideology. Then I'm happy to spend my money and more importantly recommend the game to my friends.

I hope it is not just a matter of limited resource allocation, then this post would be pretty pointless. Well, but worth a try!?