Okay, that's what I feared/figured. I wonder if (and hope that) we will see more flexibility in the UI in the future. I would really like to be able to make a full conversion so that I can optimize my interface for my playing needs, and that involves having a cleaner way to display information.
In about 90% of custom WoW UIs, the most notable change from the default UI is big, fat health/mana bars that can easily be monitored in one's peripheral vision (especially when using a widescreen), and often the elimination of border graphics entirely. Until that's possible, UI customization in LOTRO is depressingly useless from a practical standpoint.
That said, there are certainly many very attractive cosmetic alternatives now, and I do appreciate those who have created them. I've found a few that I prefer to the default. They don't help the eye strain, but they look pretty.
In my opinion, the currently skinnable elements are the *least* important to gameplay... just menus and background images. It's a real shame, because half the point of UI customization is being able to optimize the way information is displayed.
The current UI skin engine is an enormous cocktease. Ironically, if there were no skinning at all, I wouldn't think about it nearly as much, but because there is *some* skinning, I'm quite irritated
Guild Wars had a non-skinnable UI that scaled poorly as well (not AS poorly though) and I just accepted it.
I don't play WoW, but I have to admit that the degree of UI customization offered by Blizz does an ENORMOUS service to its community. I hope that Turbine will understand the needs and desires of a strong MMO community and open up the UI more!
I have a feeling they know what we want for the next incarnation of a UI theme engine, and just aren't prepared to tell us it is in the works until they know they have a finished product... or am I just kidding myself?