LOTRO Update 16.2 brings a new cosmetic weapons system. Sounds like fun, but there are some strangeness currently. Here is a video!
It sounds like a grand thing, really. Finally, you are able to display different-looking weapons than the ones you currently have equipped. If you absolutely loathe the way your shiny new first-age sword looks, now you can pop a cosmetic version of a different weapon on it. Lovely!
Then again, perhaps not. For details on the beta version of the system, take a peek at Turbine's Bullroarer forums.
Currently, the system is limited in the sense that you only can equip a cosmetic version of the same type of weapon you’re wearing. If you hoped to show a dagger when you're wielding a mace, you're out of luck. I guess the animations won't allow fundamentally different weapons showing.
However, there is one way to get a significantly different look, at least for one-hand melee weapons: Using cosmetic items of the "Main-hand Items" category. These include mugs, flowers and many other silly things. Not to mention the Note of affection... Which likely means that a lot of players will run around doing stuff like in the video below. I know some say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I really don't think them meant slashing a balrog to pieces with a love letter.
So, is this something yer all look forward to? If yer ask me, the system has promise, but it feels a bit half-baked currently. I think one of me kin friends summarized it best so far: "So you can't use stuff that sorta makes sense, but stuff that is really silly is fine?". Seems so!
[tvideo type="youtube" clip_id="0IrQdBCbEpM"] Update 16.2 Beta - Cosmetic Weapons