Re: Lots of new things in the store that affect combat performance and are not in-gam
I've pretty much given up caring about whats in the store, I didn't care much when it first came out so... Plus the best stuff will never be in-game drop items, or at least with any real chance to get them.
It's just one big: "give us more money so you can get better stuff than those who don't give us more money and thus "win" the game easier. Plus, be able to do & complete the neat stuff we're now making that they can't get- unless they buy our stuff."
Might not be 100% accurate but thats my take.
The game is now set to be geared to those F2P buyers with that special stuff. All the special raids & instances they made for the next update with the leaning to: "only 1 way to defeat the bosses" means those Uber items give those playes the edge. The random "fun" pugs by casual players being able to do the "neat" quests etc. for the "neat drops" might be on the way out.
I do admit that the store-players seems to have increased the development pace of the game. I'll just continue to do what I can with what I can make & find in-game and skip those "neat" areas requiring Uber-items if I have to. The game already has enough things to do that are great without spending extra money just to experience them. {Now, if they start cutting back on those then we'll have a problem}
Hmmm, I wonder how much those potions will eventually cost that allow you to defeat "Sauron" in Barad-dur?