Unfortunately I have to say this even though many may not like it. I am "founder" and my wife - "lifer", I just try to keep a healthy prospective on all these changes so that you don't think I don't feel the effect of changes.
There are a lot of discussions on how Turbine betrayed lifers and founders, how store Athelas pots present advantage in Ettenmoors to freeps etc.
It all makes sense if you think of all this from a prospective of a new player. Admit that Founders and Lifers present no value to Turbine any longer. Yes we've paid our money too, its not easy to take all this, but you get free points every month and bunch of other benefits. We haven't been paying for playing LOTRO for almost 1.5 years I think its good enough advantage for our 200$.
So think about the game changes from a new player prospective. Turbine has now to consider new players as a potential source of income. There is no other options to get funding to continue working on improving LOTRO but LOTRO Store. It has a lot of fun items especially for new players. And they try to promote the sales of these fun items. You may not see this because you are level 65 and seen everything there is to see, but new players that come to LOTRO will be quite excited about even those same pots.
Creeps will be in disadvantage? Yeah maybe. Its kinda unfair. But how many creeps are left out there? I think that Turbine is just trying to make first steps towards this new transition of the game to F2P model. And their main concern is how the new players will receive the game along with items in the store. It doesn't mean you all have to leave because Turbine focuses their attention now on a new potential source of income. Maybe you just have to try to understand this and adopt to a new things the way they are until Turbine makes some changes?
I am not doing a lot of PvMP, never did tbh, so maybe thats what its all about? Not enough people playing in Ettens for Turbine to make any efforts and balancing out LOTRO Store athelas pots with something that creeps could use?
Some of items I bet never made it to the store yet and Turbine my have plans for adjusting all this. I think that all the items Turbine put in the Store are meant for new players, to brighten up their playing experience.
So I'd say this is the only disadvantage that creeps may face at this point. If Turbine considers efforts of making something for creep side justified - they'll balance it out somehow. Until then - Bring friends maybe? 3 creeps will still easily kill 1 freep even with store pots. More freeps with pots? Bring more friends maybe? Don't wander alone in the Ettenmoors?
Maybe its a time when roles changed and freeps will be hunting solo creeps in Ettens now?
Even if all freeps get peed about all this and leave - unfortunately I think even then main Turbine concern will be PvE part of the game and its promotion to new players who will still be using those pots to solo elite mobs etc. Look at the bright side of the picture. Maybe its a time to get off your creep and get in game when F2P goes life, play a freep and start spending money. I think thats what Turbine possibly is trying to promote here. Even with these same pots that are not available anywhere else but Lotro Store.
There are a lot of discussions on how Turbine betrayed lifers and founders, how store Athelas pots present advantage in Ettenmoors to freeps etc.
It all makes sense if you think of all this from a prospective of a new player. Admit that Founders and Lifers present no value to Turbine any longer. Yes we've paid our money too, its not easy to take all this, but you get free points every month and bunch of other benefits. We haven't been paying for playing LOTRO for almost 1.5 years I think its good enough advantage for our 200$.
So think about the game changes from a new player prospective. Turbine has now to consider new players as a potential source of income. There is no other options to get funding to continue working on improving LOTRO but LOTRO Store. It has a lot of fun items especially for new players. And they try to promote the sales of these fun items. You may not see this because you are level 65 and seen everything there is to see, but new players that come to LOTRO will be quite excited about even those same pots.
Creeps will be in disadvantage? Yeah maybe. Its kinda unfair. But how many creeps are left out there? I think that Turbine is just trying to make first steps towards this new transition of the game to F2P model. And their main concern is how the new players will receive the game along with items in the store. It doesn't mean you all have to leave because Turbine focuses their attention now on a new potential source of income. Maybe you just have to try to understand this and adopt to a new things the way they are until Turbine makes some changes?
I am not doing a lot of PvMP, never did tbh, so maybe thats what its all about? Not enough people playing in Ettens for Turbine to make any efforts and balancing out LOTRO Store athelas pots with something that creeps could use?
Some of items I bet never made it to the store yet and Turbine my have plans for adjusting all this. I think that all the items Turbine put in the Store are meant for new players, to brighten up their playing experience.
So I'd say this is the only disadvantage that creeps may face at this point. If Turbine considers efforts of making something for creep side justified - they'll balance it out somehow. Until then - Bring friends maybe? 3 creeps will still easily kill 1 freep even with store pots. More freeps with pots? Bring more friends maybe? Don't wander alone in the Ettenmoors?
Maybe its a time when roles changed and freeps will be hunting solo creeps in Ettens now?
Even if all freeps get peed about all this and leave - unfortunately I think even then main Turbine concern will be PvE part of the game and its promotion to new players who will still be using those pots to solo elite mobs etc. Look at the bright side of the picture. Maybe its a time to get off your creep and get in game when F2P goes life, play a freep and start spending money. I think thats what Turbine possibly is trying to promote here. Even with these same pots that are not available anywhere else but Lotro Store.