There’s a lot of eyebrow-raising issues with upcoming LOTRO content, but let’s talk about the $50 hobby horse, shall we? That’s right: Turbine’s introducing a toy hobby horse to the store (at least on the test server) that costs 5000 Turbine Points, which is mind-bogglingly expensive.

And then they asked for feedback.

Before we talk about the horse in particular, I want to quote the developer here. This post is a masterpiece of passive-aggressive communication, and I honestly can’t believe it made it through whatever filters the company has for dev-player chat. I mean, okay, I get that the developers don’t just want to hear nerdrage that’s completely unproductive and just vile, but the whole post starts from the assumption that that is coming and conducts some sort of pre-emptive strike that hits everyone:

“The store wizards would like your feedback (well-thought out, non-crazypants) on this item.” “Any rants about how evil Turbine is for making store items, even those that are entirely optional and up simply for the fun of those who are willing to pay for them, will be disregarded. This item is an experiment item. We simply want your feedback on the type of item presented and what might be added to it or done to it to make it a better item. We are not forcing you to buy it. No one is forcing you to buy it. It’s something to be there and be fun for those who may want it.”

/pinches my nose and sighs

OK. Here’s the thing. If you want feedback, you’re going to have to accept the bad with the good. What I’m hearing here is “Shut up if you don’t like this, if you think it’s a money grab, if you don’t think it’s appropriate for the game. Just shut up. We won’t even acknowledge your crazypants existence.” You cannot ask for feedback and then tell the people that their feedback will be disregarded if it doesn’t suit the developers.

Here’s one more thing: Taking this passive-aggressive stance with whoever is reading this is going to make everyone who reads it feel like they’re being chastised. I don’t care what the reader would’ve said, they’re already starting from the position that Turbine’s kind of cross with them and watching them very, very closely. It starts a “feedback” discussion off on the wrong foot, in my opinion.

Now back to the horse. From what I hear, it’s a normal-speed mount with no specified extra features. Maybe that’s coming later. Lore-wise, this runs right off a cliff and does not-good things to immersion. Perhaps we’re too late to complain about that, but there’s little room in my head for a Middle-earth where the war-hardened inhabitants are prancing around on kids’ toys.

I love how this dev says “This is not a joke,” as if they knew that that would be the very first response. I mean, Turbine’s got to know that it’s going to get some strong pushback here. Lo and behold, the first response is incredulity, and it goes downhill from there:

“3. What sort of features might entice you to purchase an item at this price point?”

“Being an expansion?” “How long untill Flying Mounts seem like a good idea??” “2. Would you be willing to purchase this item?”

“If I enjoyed literally setting fire to money in my spare time, probably.” “1. The price is not a joke. That is the proposed price for this item.”

“The 5,000 price point is astronomical for what the in-game toy provides. You call it not a joke and you’re right. I’m not laughing.” “My constructive question would be,

1a.Who @Turbine/WB actually proposed that price point?

1b. and have they been fired or removed from the item pricing team?” “Want me to be level headed? Stop making Store-only items that are over-priced and not available for VIPs to earn in-game.” “I find the opening of such topic insulting toward me and the fan-base.” “As a matter of fact I will do everything possible to not buy it and Ill personally lead a game-wide boycott on this item and any such other nonsense in the future.” “3. What sort of features might entice you to purchase an item at this price point?”

“Make it account wide. Also make it not such a humiliation.” “I’m not sure that it’s entirely fair to set a crazypants price and then ask for non-crazypants feedback.”

How’s that for your community response? Oh, go ahead and push it onto live, Turbine. We all know you’re going to anyway.