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

http://www.lotro.com/lotrostorenew

Well, well, well I love it!!!! (sarcasm)

Allright, so armor using the same old grafics and offering not a whole lot of stats ?
It's a step closer to selling raid gear I guess, and to make crafting less useful ?

I've stayed off the discussion forums before but what the heck. Granted the armour on sale is pretty weak to say the least but it is potentially a sign of things to come.

Personally I don't have issues with the store, I use my free 500tp a month but that's all. I wouldn't like to see stuff on sale in the store that is hard to obtain in the game, would seem a bit unfair to the people who put in the time and effort to get shiny items.

Let's hope it doesn't get to that

Dyran

These new store armours really leave a bad taste in the mouth. As far as I can tell, they have lower stats than equivalent-level crafted armour, but that's not really the point, is it?

Nope, that is not the point, I think these armors are test dummies to see how players will react and then that way they can unleash more and more armors in the store.

Consider me mildly disgruntled, though the Store still remains in the can-safely-ignore category for the time being.

Its worse than low level crafted gear... there's really no point in this.

THIS gear is nothing to be concerned about, just something to help levelling up.

BUT

It's a very disturbing LEAP down the slippery slope by Turbine. That's scary, that they would move so deliberately in this direction. If they stop here fine but they just gave us reason to worry (for the first time, IMO) about their stopping power.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01...through-the-s/

I can not think of a single reason this is necessary. Also, even if this were level 20 gear, it appears to be better than what you can get for that level. ; (DDO sells gear similar to what its veterans status characters can get automatically, and L20 in LotrO represents a similar amount of time invested.)

Please reconsider the sale of these items. At the very least their stats should be EXACTLY the same as crafted gear of the appropriate level. ANY boost over gear players can REASONABLY acquire at the level is UNACCEPTABLE. Temporary DP style buffs are one thing. Permanent gear is quite another.

I don't understand the purpose of this, aside from blatantly ripping people off.

Oh dear lord... might as well forget doing anything at 75 if its offered for that level. Who needs a crafter though when you've got the store on your side making you stuff? Every week this game seems to go more the way of 'pay to win.'

Well, I'm done. It was fun while it lasted. So long, LOTRO, I enjoyed my time with you.

Uh-oh. This is bad, bad, BAD. After this all pretenses are dropped and all bets are off. You're making it a P2W game, Turbine. Things like Relic Packs, Stat Tomes and Creep Skills were bad already, but now THIS! Even though those affected combat directly one could argue that the impact actually was minimal - not so with Store gear.

And that is what upcoming patch is for? If this goes live, people are gonna be frustrated and leave. NOT because they can't have the most uber store gear at level 20 without paying - but because of principle. Please, please reconsider this decision before it's too late. You're gonna get some quick money from confused newbies determined to have the best gear for level 15, but will lose MANY longtime players who simple despite the fact that gear is sold by Store in principle.

I am disappointed with this. I think this is a huge mistake and will turn many players off the game.

If this goes through and becomes 'mandatory gear', as in required to be invited to groups, it will damage the game as much as the stupid monocles did EVE.

I really HATE they they keep moving these hot-topic threads to such out-of-the way areas where most people never get to see them or join in on the discussion.

I also like how they announce this on Friday at the end of the work day so that no one from Turbine has to deal with any backlash till the weekend is over and thus we get no official response to any concerns.

I am not at all surprised to see this thread (and considered starting one myself before I saw it ~ I found that e-mail a smidge disturbing). Oy! Slippery slope, indeed..

Recipe: Loose Linen Shoes. L20 crafted Light teal shoes. Oneshot- 89 armor, 7 will 42 power.OR 89 armor +7 vit, +42 power.

Store:
Golden Shoes of the Benefactor Tier III: +111 Armour, +8 Will, +8 Fate and +8 Vitality



Better armor, Both stats, and runspeed to boot? Certainly seems better to me.

Also, Turbine I acknowledge that you moved this to store feedback, but I certainly feel this is a major shift and that some form of discussion should be allowed to take place in General.

It does seem like they're testing the waters, reversing a pretty fundamental policy of their turn to F2P.

I'll wait a few days for an official response, but this is precisely the kind of change that'll make me stop playing, delete all my characters, uninstall the client and forget about this game altogether. So long, Turbine.

Deary me not good , on the slippery slope of P2w ,baaaad move.

Slope meet slippery.

I'm not seeing the point of this armor other than Turbine dipping it's toe in the water to see what the community reaction is.


For what it's worth, I am in no way interested in buying stated armor from the store. I also feel it cheapens or in someway lessens the experience of getting good armor by running content.

Really not liking this change at all.

What are the level requirements for the armor, must have missed that info.

I probably will craft as much as possible of a similar level and post up on the AH.

Originally Posted by Moondog548

THIS gear is nothing to be concerned about, just something to help levelling up.

That's the intention. As others have mentioned, it's not top tier gear, there is better available through game play.

Originally Posted by Crell_1

Permanent gear is quite another.

No gear is permanent. Characters 'out grow' their gear.

Originally Posted by Fipiara

What are the level requirements for the armor, must have missed that info.

I probably will craft as much as possible of a similar level and post up on the AH.

It's lower level gear. Many players have given us feedback that there is a sparcity of gear on the AH at these levels and they wanted an alternative. We're trying to accomodate that.
So, I applaud your decision to kick start the gear market on your server. Options are what it's all about.

Y'know, I'm generally supportive of Turbine despite all the detractors and believe that LotRO continues to be a good game but this is a slide down the slippery slope, just a really, REALLY bad move.

Originally Posted by Sapience

That's the intention. As others have mentioned, it's not top tier gear, there is better available through game play.




No gear is permanent. Characters 'out grow' their gear.

But how is that any different than selling draig. or crafting equiv. as there is better available in the game?

Going from not selling statted gear in the store to selling statted gear is a bold line that is much easier to follow/see than "well we will sell stated gear up to a point".

I've been find with almost everything on the store thus far. Some of it was iffy, but outright selling statted equipment like this? No. This is a problem to me, this is genuinely game breaking thing that more directly encourages avoiding crafters, playing with others and so forth more than arguably anything before it.

This is something they specifically are quoted as saying would not happen. Whether or not it's better is irrelevant to me. That's another argument -- it sucks either way.

And now I find myself feeling paranoid and wondering if all of the other stuff I trusted Turbine to not do might eventually happen. Why quest (and theoretically work with others) for gear or gold? Why learn to craft or rely on the sales of other crafters? At what point can we just buy levels?

This is not what I feel we were "sold" when F2P was announced. I bought content for the game as a VIP and Premium user specifically under the guise that this practice would not happen with LOTRO.

Had I known this would so easily been thrown out I wouldn't have bothered at all. As upset as various people have been over the years, this is the first time I (someone who bought literally every expansion, every quest pack and every instance/skirmish, etc) am genuinely worried and bothered.

Please cut this now.

We WILL see raid armor in the Store in the future.

Count on it...

This is the kind of thing that does make it feel likt LOTRO is just a WB testing grounds for micro-transactions.

Originally Posted by Heimwald

I'll wait a few days for an official response

Not likely to get a response for the next few days since it's now the weekend and the workday for Turbine (Boston) is pretty much over.

Originally Posted by Sapience

No gear is permanent. Characters 'out grow' their gear.

That is a very dangerous viewpoint when deciding what could be sold in the store. A 2nd age LI is also not permanent in the way that you will replace it if you get your hands on a 1st age LI. Or level cap teal gear is not permanent since you will be replacing it when the level cap is raised. Would you dare sell those in the store, claiming they are "temporary buffs"?

This is a step in the wrong direction. I can only hope you folks are reasonable with how far you take this.

I'm still wondering at which point the following passage will be quietly deleted from the F2P FAQ:

7. Will I still be able to play and enjoy the game without buying items from the LOTRO Store, or is that my only option for gaining weapons, armor, potions, and other goodies such as premium loot?

The purchase of items in the LOTRO Store is entirely optional. While items in the Store are designed to immediately enhance your in-game experience, premium loot and rare gear are the rewards of adventure and are only obtainable through gameplay.

Frankly, it hasn't been true since day one considering that stat tomes, being ultra-rare drops from loot chests, can hardly be considered anything other than premium loot, but I still hold the naive hope that the FAQ will someday remove the falsehood quoted above. (On an unrelated note, I'm in the market for any bridges that might be for sale.)

Sadly, the move to sell armor in the Store doesn't surprise me. I'm not even surprised that it appears to be armor tailored to take advantage of people who are ignorant of how long the armor will actually be useful.

Well done, Zynga. Er, Turbine.

Originally Posted by Sapience

That's the intention. As others have mentioned, it's not top tier gear, there is better available through game play.)

What EXACTLY are the levels assigned to these gear pieces?

It certainly seems 'better' than what I'd envision the levels to be.

With the levels we can give more HARD data and reasoned comparison. Thank you.

Also, you've added 'Effect: Halted Experience' to the game. ; There's no reason a character ever has to out grow their gear now.

Originally Posted by Fipiara

Going from not selling statted gear in the store to selling statted gear is a bold line that is much easier to follow/see than "well we will sell stated gear up to a point".

Bingo.

Yup.

If they're willing to sell equipment with stats (for any level) then they're willing to sell everything.

Bad, very, very bad - as in, potentially drive away a huge chunk of players bad. The only people who will like this are those who want to be able to pay for everything you can achieve in game and, although they might be the most profitable store customers, I'd be very surprised if they were numerous (or spendthrift) enough to make up for the loss of money from other players who will un-subscribe, refuse to pay any more money or just outright stop playing at such a blatant step over the convenience-advantage line.

SAPIENCE

Let's ignore the fact that purchasing any gear isn't necessary at lower levels - you get everything you need from quests (which are free for all). Let's ignore the fact that on 3 servers my low-levels alts are the AH is filled with low-level gear at incredibly small prices - because people are leveling their crafts and getting rid of by products.

This change is a very bad move in principle. No self-respecting gamer would suggest to his friend a game that sells gear for real money. Where before I would say "LOTRO is not like other F2P games! They don't sell gear - only fluff like mounts, cosmetics and housing items." I might also add "They also sell things like relics packs, stat tomes and in-combat curative potions" - because a non-LOTRO player wouldn't know what exactly those things are, even though we know that those DO give you unique advantage in combat. But now that's all gone. When asked about LOTRO, I will be forced to admit "Yeah, they sell gear in Store" and for most sensible people that would be enough to mentally erase the game from being worth trying. We can add "It's only lower level gear! It's not as good as instances and raid rewards!" all along, but the fact is that won't matter squat.

People DO. NOT. WANT. to play RPG games that sell gear for real money in principle - and they're goshdarn right. The result is that you'll gain some small immediate gain but hurt the game in the long term horribly. Less new players would join because "Games that sell you gear for money suck!" (and yes, they do) and existing players - both VIPs and Premiums would leave in disgust because they wouldn't want to be associated with such game any longer.

Originally Posted by Crell_1

What EXACTLY are the levels assigned to these gear pieces?

It certainly seems 'better' than what I'd envision the levels to be.

With the levels we can give more HARD data and reasoned comparison. Thank you.

Also, you've added 'Effect: Halted Experience' to the game. ; There's no reason a character ever has to out grow their gear now.

Halted experience is an option. If you want to stop your character in their lower 20s (about the max level of the gear in question) then that's your choice. Like I mentioned above, it's all about options. Now you'll have more.

Originally Posted by Sapience

It's lower level gear. Many players have given us feedback that there is a sparcity of gear on the AH at these levels and they wanted an alternative. We're trying to accomodate that.

LOL. Who do you think you're kidding? I'd love to see these "metrics" Turbine relies on that suggest low-level armor being even remotely near the top of customer's concerns.

Originally Posted by Sapience

It's lower level gear. Many players have given us feedback that there is a sparcity of gear on the AH at these levels and they wanted an alternative. We're trying to accomodate that.

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.

Originally Posted by Sapience

Halted experience is an option. If you want to stop your character in their lower 20s (about the max level of the gear in question) then that's your choice. Like I mentioned above, it's all about options. Now you'll have more.

'About the 'max level' Ok? So this is gear that you will forciably unequip at a given level? (Ala-the RoI XP stone?)

Certainly makes my L20 One-shot crit gear comparison seem legitimate though doesn't it?

Even if you forced me to unequip at at 20 when I started grouping, why was it OK the entire time to be outfitting me in gear stated LEVELS ahead of my character level?

Originally Posted by Fipiara

But how is that any different than selling draig. or crafting equiv. as there is better available in the game?

Going from not selling statted gear in the store to selling statted gear is a bold line that is much easier to follow/see than "well we will sell stated gear up to a point".

This. It isn't. You've crossed what was a very clear bold line in the sand, and people are going to be upset. Perhaps you should consider sharing the reasons you think this will generate more profit than ill will for you? Is it part A of some feature? Ala: (IJ->IF-> IF 2.0) ?

If you wanted to make a similar gear set available to all players, you know how to hook up things to a barter vendor.

I'm at least mildly relived these don't appear to be new skins so I wont have to know at a glance people spent money on these things.

Originally Posted by Dokomo33

LOL. Who do you think you're kidding? I'd love to see these "metrics" Turbine relies on that suggest low-level armor being even remotely near the top of customer's concerns.

Gotta say I agree with this. Armour has never seemed to be in short supply on Arkenstone from my experience, and from what I understand it's one of the smaller servers.

Just being fair.

Originally Posted by Sapience

That's the intention. As others have mentioned, it's not top tier gear, there is better available through game play.

No gear is permanent. Characters 'out grow' their gear.

It's lower level gear. Many players have given us feedback that there is a sparcity of gear on the AH at these levels and they wanted an alternative. We're trying to accomodate that.
So, I applaud your decision to kick start the gear market on your server. Options are what it's all about.

What levels is this gear available to? Crell_1 has already posted a comparison of some low level gear that this stuff is better than. Why have you suddenly abandoned the claim made at the start of free to play that you would not sell gear in the store?

Originally Posted by Sapience

Halted experience is an option. If you want to stop your character in their lower 20s (about the max level of the gear in question) then that's your choice. Like I mentioned above, it's all about options. Now you'll have more.

Putting level 75 gear in the store gives "more options", so why should we believe that it will stop here? How long until you can buy raid gear or the actual legendary items (seeing as you can already buy the legacies, relics and other scrolls) in the store?