Did I just get asked by SoE if I think it's a good if they allow a way to safely trade in-game items for Real life money?
might just mean that they are looking for way to cut yantis out of the picture and make some money themselves.
QuoteDo you think it's a good idea to provide a safe method for players to transfer in-game items and charecters to one another for real money?
Choices
Don't care
Yes
No
I selected No, unsurprisingly.
I'll be short and to the point - if this goes through I'm cancelling my account. Yeah I know, drama schmarma. But this is a game breaker for me.
(This post comes complete with a small Helicopter. Colour is black.)
If that poll is still there when I get home from work I won't even bother answering.
I'll quietly go to the Account button, click cancel and not log in ever again.
As it stands my wife can understand how i spent the monthly fee on the game to play it. So, I for the life of me could never get her to understnad spending our earned income on something we can not touch and adds nothing to our lives together.
I will be chosing No tonight.
Quote from: RagashIf that poll is still there when I get home from work I won't even bother answering.
I'll quietly go to the Account button, click cancel and not log in ever again.
Give me your phat lootz first! =P and the plat :)
I will make a killing selling it to other players :)
Voted No on all my 5 accounts. I Box, I Twink, I Powerlevel, but all my chars are homegrown and all their items are looted by me personally. I guess I have some integrity left. ;)
I think buying stuff legally somewhere in the future is unstoppable by the way, but if we all keep saying NO then at least they will be making *some* games that will turn away from sort of thing, even though we will see mmorpgs too that legalize this.
Quote from: NaibGive me your phat lootz first! =P and the plat :)
I will make a killing selling it to other players :)
:lol:
My lewtz might make you enough money to buy a cup of coffee...as long as its not Starbuck's.
First - I agree with you and admire your stand in voting a big "No".
However, it's important to balance idealism with reality. In-game characters and items are being sold daily on multiple web sites and through other underground channels on a multi-million dollar level - believe it or not. It's going to happen regardless of how "wrong" it is or how much you disagree with it. And believe you me, I disagree with it too. It cheapens the game as well as introduces a variety of problems. However, what we have to remember is that wherever there are people who value time over money - for whatever reason, whether it may be laziness or some other reason, there is going to be a demand for a service like this. The real question, as one poster already mentioned, is who is making the money and what safeguards are put in place to protect a buyer's/seller's interest. Frankly, I'm amazed it took Sony this long to actually propose it. If they had introduced a safe, organized system for something like this ages ago, many problems might have been avoided. Now don't misunderstand me - I'm not encouraging the practice or supporting Sony's proposal. I'm just saying that if you're going to continue to involve yourself in Everquest, it's a reality - formalized and sanctioned or not. It's simply a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils - or as Capt. Jack Aubrey said - "the lesser of two weavels". :)
To those that want to cancel their account, I'd say I wouldn't blame you one bit. I agree wholeheartedly. Just realize that this has been going on for over two years now and that on the whole, even if this proposal turned into policy (which I doubt, based on player reaction), the 'cheapening' of the game began a very, very long time ago, whether everyone was aware of the scale of it or not. Such a policy will simply encourage more people to do it and keep them scam-free while they do it.
Just my 2cp.
This poll is a smokescreen. They are going to do it regardless of what the people think. It makes business sense to get a cut of this action. Its not like it will cost them more overhead than profit. Obviously, IGE/Yantis make a buttload from it. So they are going to sink their money grubbing hands into it. Dont fool yourself into thinking it'll never happen for EQ.
If they go through with this I am canceling all my accounts, end of story.
Why even help the people that want to sell there stuff.
Just put up an online order form on the EQ site. Place your order, pay your 500 bucks, log in and type /claim and suddenly 1,000,000pp appear on your cursor.
Quote from: NaibCIHYS?
FTFY ;)
Sorry, I couldn't resist. CIHYS = "Can I Have Your Stuff", and FTFY = "Fixed That For You"Game on,
As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to continue playing EQ regardless of what happens in terms of this situation.
You've got to realize that this is already going on... on a very large scale. Whomever these big players in this virtual online market are... are making enough money to make Sony flinch, and think that maybe they are missing out on a nice little money making venture.
So, it is my conclusion that if a person really wants to spend RL money on in-game platinum and items, they will. Period. They can either go through some scumbag company like yantis, or they can go through SoE. Personally I'd rather the profit go to SoE than scumbag yantis. Maybe SoE can use it to hire more devs to fix broken content.
Well, for those that don't agree with what SOE is doing, take a look at how America operates now. It's a capitalistic country. This country revolves around making profits and maximizing those profits. We have gone from a more industrial country to a service one.
As other people mention, this is going on rampantly on other websites. I will continue to play the game because I have fun with it. If the person next to me decided to spend their hard earned money (maybe easily earned for some), then that's their own asinine decision. To spend money on a virtual object that nets you no gain in your daily activities is pure inanity. There will always be someone with better 'stuff' than you have. It just seems the competition with the Jones' is in full steam on EQ. :roll:
For me that poll was a shock. I know that people (outside sony) do that, and until now it was considered :evil: Even the fact that they ask the question will make many people think:
Well, if sony asks, why not going and buy that "whatever of adjective noun" that I always wanted on those sites - thats only 5/50/500 Bucks anyway.
To me, thats a little as if a government started a referendum on the subject "should we legalise cocaine if we can make that safe for you". As everyone knows, drugs dealing exists, is a multi bilion market, but is NOT legal.
Quote from: RhajahFirst - I agree with you and admire your stand in voting a big "No".
However, it's important to balance idealism with reality.
Voted no with all 3 accounts here ... For a second I was tempted to fire up a month's payment on 2 other accounts just to vote no as well. Heh.
I see your points, but there comes a time where you have to say enough is enough. One of the big draws in MMOGs is the fact that the game economy isn't (well, it shouldn't be) effected by RL concerns. IMO SoE would be better off putting their efforts into stamping out this practise. Of course they are not going to because that would cost them too much in legal fees ... :roll:
The poll made me want to throw up. A rep of soe said they are not planning to implement this. As someone else said "yeah they put up random polls that have absolutly no intention to act on"............yeah right.
I voted no, and then just moved on to enjoying my play session. :)
It's just a poll. SOE's current policy is to be against selling of items for money, and at the very least it would be interesting for them to know whether that policy is supported by the players or whether it alienates them. That doesn't mean that they necessarily have plans to change it, like the "reps" said.
If the poll came back with 300,000 "yes" responses then maybe SOE would reevaluate their anti-selling stance. Then again, maybe they wouldn't. These polls are really just a tool for them to be able to get info on which directions the players would like to see the game go. Some of those directions may not prove fruitful.
Quote from: OtuolWell, for those that don't agree with what SOE is doing, take a look at how America operates now. It's a capitalistic country. This country revolves around making profits and maximizing those profits. We have gone from a more industrial country to a service one.
While this is true, the service I currently pay for is the entertainment I receive from logging in and playing the game.
What is the goal of the game of Everquest? To advance your character through killing monsters for experience and
gaining better items from those conquests . If Sony facilitates the process of players buying and selling items and plat to each other it is, in my opinion, a tacit admission that their game is
pointless .
Buying and selling in game items from another player is a complete waste of money, again in my opinion, because I receive no tangible benefit from buying an item or plat and, at the same time, reduce my own access to entertainment.
I know not everyone feels this way and there might even be enough people who prefer buying and selling in game items to convince Sony to go forward with this plan. All I can do is let Sony know they won't be getting my subscription fee anymore if they allow this to take place.
Voted that I didn't care. If people want to blow more money on the game than their monthly fee, that's up to them. I can't see myself spending any extra money on EQ, however.
I voted 'yes', people buy/sell platinum all the time, people buy/sell characters all the time. Having a secure way to do it, (and a way for SoE to track who the sellers are, maybe even to check if the sellers are using explots to gain plat) sounds like a good idea to me.
I voted yes. I've bought and sold stuff and would rather it be achievable in a more secure manner.
Think they'll base there prices of existing site prices?
I voted no.
Why would I want a secure way for people to cheat?
"Why would I want a secure way for people to cheat?"
It's currently cheating because it goes againist the rules of the game. I'm sure that if this were implemented then the rules would change. That's what my biggest thing was. To offer such a thing you'd have to change policy. Yet you can change the policy even without implementing such a change. I'm wondering if SoE is close to simply going "ah screw it spend RL money if ya want". It wouldn't make any sense to make such a change and keep it againist the rules.
I dont think you should be able to buy plat or items at all.
But im not against/actually quite for being able to transfer ownership of accounts fully from one person to another.
On that note, no sense getting worked into a fit over a poll, you know that if they wanna do it they will do it anyway.
Voted yes as well. I know people who sell stuff all the time to pay for ISP costs for guild websites who without selling wouldn't be able to afford the cost of a high trafficed site etc. It's sometimes a means to keeping the cost out of your pocket, though I don't believe in using Yantis to do it and I dont' believe in selling your sites to yantis to keep them alive heh. Is it beneficial to have a broker to buy and sell and should it be SOE? I think if anyone is going to do it and make us feel comfortable about spending cash for a virtual item and actually deliver what you paid for it's going to be SOE. At least they have control over your virtual items and they can control the transfer and eventual payment as well without the feeling that you will be seriously ripped off in the process. And daily people are ripped off by the load of crooks that run around on all our servers, yes we have thieves amongst us hehe hard to fathom right? This would make all the crookedness and shady shit go away finally.
Sorry but buying and selling for cash is not going away.
LORATHIR'S BUFFING BOOTH!
SD £2.99
SOW £0.50
REGROWTH £1.00
ALA £1.00
ALSO OFFERING LEET CAMPING SERVICE. WANT A FBSS? SCHW? PSC? SEAHORSE BELT? NO PROBLEM! I HAVE BOTS PERMA-PARKED THAT'S FARMING ALL THESE ITEMS AND MORE! TOO MUCH OF A P%$&Y TO GET FRIENDS AND EARN YOUR STUFF THE WAY IT'S MEANT TO BE EARNED? NO PROBLEM, SEND ME A TELL AND WE CAN WORK IT OUT. I KNOW YER A WUSS BUT IT'S OOOKAAAY!
I ACCEPT PAYPAL.
Dude, that guy next to you is offering SD for 1.99 and he's got 65% extended buffs!
Quote from: BulgeDude, that guy next to you is offering SD for 1.99 and he's got 65% extended buffs!
Dangit!!
You tell Infringing_Bst_01 "d00d, I'm camping POK, get l0$t. Btw, hows that Mage i sold you?"
35% extended focus item? (I know you were being facetious, but make it believable :P )
Wow are some people insecure or what? Seriously, if the only reason you play the game is to compare your phat lewts or accomplishments to others then please go ahead and cancel your subscriptions. I, for one, wouldn't miss the equipment inspections.
Other folks buying pp/toons does not impact or belittle what you have already achieved in the game. Do my items suddenly become worthless because people can buy the GWotC for $100 from another player via SoE whereas I saved up my pp to buy them in the bazaar? Not for me.
The only way this impacts others in the game in reality is if you're a big fan of random pick-up groups. As a rule I just say no to these anyway so I don't see how [65 Archon] Joe Noob (High Elf) who is now two-boxing with his monk and wiping every 30 minutes in PoN while I'm out doing an LDoN with a bunch of guildies or friends or soloing away in LoY is going to impact me. Please explain.
Not to mention that this has been going on for 5 years now, first through E-Bay until SoE stepped in and said "sorry, please don't allow that anymore", which then prompted playerauctions and Yantis to develop their own sites to accomodate certain players "needs".
Is it cheating? Sure. Does it affect me? No. And for that reason I voted "don't care".
Enough with all the chest puffing and foot stomping threats of "I am gonna cancel!" You know you aren't going to quit because of your time invested, and if you do, it will no be long until you are back playing again.
As far as the poll, I voted yes. SOE is looking into another way to make more money. They are a business, that is what business' do. Further more, they are looking into making it a safe secure business venture for the customer base. As Feralize wrote, this has been going on for a good 5yrs now. Whether it has been people openly auctioning plat or characters in-game or via Ebay. Non of you quit then while it was black market. None of you have quit while it has been Yantis/IGE. So now that SOE wants to make it actually part of the game, actually "legalize" it so to speak while making it safer and more secure, you want to quit now? Is this going o be your virtual moral high ground you stand on? What exactly is your beef concerning this exchange of RL money for virtual items? You exchange RL money for a virtual world every month. Did you draw the line in the sand when it comes to virtual money and items? Funny how you place the accomplishments of a virtual reality so high on you list of priorities that you are willing to quit playing a fun game, keyword there PLAY!!! After all, it is just a game.
Quote from: feralizeOther folks buying pp/toons does not impact or belittle what you have already achieved in the game. Do my items suddenly become worthless because people can buy the GWotC for $100 from another player via SoE whereas I saved up my pp to buy them in the bazaar? Not for me.
Maybe not, but imagine an EQ where camping earns you RL money. Now, try to get a camp. Ever.
It's already hard enough to buy crap in the Bazaar due to plat sellers, I shudder to imagine what trying to get, say, a Soulscream Belt would be like with the infamous Sebilis Duo farming it for $50 a pop.
Whether or not I agree with the ethics of character & item selling, is really moot in this. Sony isn't asking if it should be allowed or not. They already know it happens and know that there's nothing they can really do about it. Characters and items are sold for real world money *all* the time.
People are also swindled some of the time as well. I've heard of people buying an account for $700 then a couple months down the road, the original seller used the CD keys and got the account back. This has resulted in litigation and judgements in the courts. If Sony were to personally oversee these transactions, not only could they make profit, they could also keep these things from happening.
Besides, we'd do what we always do with someone who's ebayed: ignore them or shun them till they learn that their 65 rogue has the hide ability or their 64 epic cleric has more than one type of heal....
Kitten, items are already farmed for real life money via Yantis/IGE. They already have people selling their virtual items for RL money. So what would it change if SOE made it safer and secure?
Quote from: Cyphen WilderEnough with all the chest puffing and foot stomping threats of "I am gonna cancel!" You know you aren't going to quit because of your time invested, and if you do, it will no be long until you are back playing again.
I can't speak for everyone else, but my statement wasn't an empty promise. Nice assumption you're making there Cyphen.
Not going to quit because of the time I've invested? So what shall I do - continue playing until the servers come down - because if I quit before that I'll have wasted my time? HUHHH??
And to say that anyone who quits will just come back again...Cyphen, tell me what's my favorite colour. You COULD say it's red, but you'd just be guessing. See where I'm going with that?
My decision is one based on principle alone. MY principles. I'm pretty sure YOU have principles too, which some people wouldn't agree with. But they are YOURS. This wasn't the direction I foresaw EQ heading when I signed up to play, and it's not the direction I like the game to go. Personal preference, you see. Don't like the stance some people are taking over this? Suck it up.
EDIT - I'd like to remind people at this point the reason for this boards existence. Think on that.
I say what I say because after going back and reading your posts regarding IGE/Yantis, plat and item selling, the old board situation you clearly cannot stand that aspect of this game. I don't fault your opinion on why you don't like plat, item, or character selling, to each their own. I merely pointed out that now you are gonna hit cancel despite this being a part of the game for almost 5yrs now. Is it that now that SOE may condone it that makes you want to cancel your account? I see no problem with this issue at all and how it affects the EQ community because it has already been part of the game for so long. SOE is just making it part of the game officially to control it, and make money themselves.
Ok.
In my mind, potentially seeing people run around with Coldain Shawls at level 1 devalues the game. The whole purpose of EQ (for me at least) is the slow climb to power, having goals and objectives and meeting them out with friends.
Now, yes I am aware that this has been going on for some time. No, I've never liked it. But to see Sony cave in and do likewise would be the last straw. It cheapens the game imo - makes questing, goals and objectives second place to simply buying your way through the game - and Sony would be 'gold sealing' this route of advancement.
Sure, Johnny Newb and his lv65 Bst wouldn't impact on me that much - but I'd feel uncomfortable playing on a server if half the players had little regard for what I consider to be the 'true spirit' of EQ - the honest challenge of playing EQ properly, utilising what they've earned that the game has provided them to defeat unsurmountable odds.
And I guess that's what it is really - Sony approving of a type of player that cheats their way through a game, trivialising content and the whole reason many of us play - to advance and be challenged. It's never been about 65 - it's always been about the journey there. I just don't want that to change.
I will be honest here. I vehemently disliked the Yantis situation because I saw it as cheating. SOE said "don't do it", everyone who clicked YES on the EULA agreed not to do it. It's dishonest to engage in an activity you agreed not to do EVEN when no one's looking.
However, if selling items becomes part of the game, I'd have no problem with it. It's not cheating at that point, and I frankly don't take EQ seriously enough to care about the methods you used to get your gear. As long as it isn't dishonest.
I also see how some could have an issue with it, and I respect their feelings on the matter.
I play on a PvP server. First they ruined Rallos Zek by adding the concept of augmentations making gear no drop (the entire reason to play on RZ is to loot each other's gear).
Secondly, they will RUIN PvP when any little creep with mommy's credit card can make an uber-twink and destroy people who have been playing pvp for years.
The next time you are on a raid and that level 65 cleric with the epic 2.0 doesnt even know what spell does what, gets you killed, let the whining commnce.
Even if you don't play pvp, it still cheapens the entire experience for the real gamers. One of the biggest reasons its fun to own a luxury car like a BMW is that its expensive and a status symbol. If everyone was able to aquire a BMW, it would be about as impressive as owning a Volkswagon.
I stand by my decision. If this idea of selling items comes into fruition, I am cancelling and never looking back. Theres plenty of new MMORPG's out there to try. Don't get me wrong, I love EQ, but this will be that fat straw that broke the camel's back.
Quote from: AlerkaSecondly, they will RUIN PvP when any little creep with mommy's credit card can make an uber-twink and destroy people who have been playing pvp for years.
That's a good point and one I hadn't even considered.
What about the raiders here? All that time you've invested building your charecter equiptment wise - months, probably years of raiding, for what?
For me to equip my lv40 alt BETTER than you in the time it takes for an email to be sent out? (That is of course going on the assumption No Drop will be buyable - can't see a reason why Sony would object to that though.)
What about all those AA's you've ammased. The time your guild took honing your strat to get that bugger Coirnav. THAT sense of accomplisment when equipping the last piece of Dumul's. Hell, even the first. Hell, even getting your SHO or Axe belt. Just so Johnny Newb can come along with this credit card and do it in seconds.
Still think it's a good idea?
On the plus side, if Sony did go through with this, it would certainly do some damage to Yantis' bottom line.
That is what I though Lorathir, not the fact that it has been happening, but that now SOE would condone it.
Like I mentioned before, the plus side of this could be that with the infux of extra income, maybe we might see a better game......crossing fingers.
Quote from: Cyphen Wilder.
Like I mentioned before, the plus side of this could be that with the infux of extra income, maybe we might see a better game......crossing fingers.
We can hope. but then again did we see a better game when they raised the monthly price?
QuoteWhat about the raiders here? All that time you've invested building your charecter equiptment wise - months, probably years of raiding, for what? For me to equip my lv40 alt BETTER than you in the time it takes for an email to be sent out? (That is of course going on the assumption No Drop will be buyable - can't see a reason why Sony would object to that though.)
What about all those AA's you've ammased. The time your guild took honing your strat to get that bugger Coirnav. THAT sense of accomplisment when equipping the last piece of Dumul's. Hell, even the first. Hell, even getting your SHO or Axe belt. Just so Johnny Newb can come along with this credit card and do it in seconds.
What "Johnny Newb" does with his credit card does not affect me in the slightest. It does not diminish the feeling of earning my armor through years of raiding, it also does not make guild accomplishments any less rewarding. I can still remember the feeling of seeing Rathe/Coirnav/Quarm/Barxt fall for the first time and love the fact that i was there for those times. No amount of spending on "Johnny's" part could lessen those feelings.
Quote(That is of course going on the assumption No Drop will be buyable - can't see a reason why Sony would object to that though.)
SoE has not said they are going to be the ones selling the items, they are just the middleman ensuring everyone gets what was promised in the sale, so No Drop items could not possibly be sold. Whether or not SoE decides to get into the selling game later on down the road, which probably will happen, i still doubt they would sell No Drop items, they did make them No Drop for a reason.
Even though i disagree with people going around the EULA to cheat, i know that if somebody wants to cheat, they will always find a way. I think SoE probably just realized it was a losing battle trying to stop everyone from doing it so why not provide a safe and secure way for their customers to engage in this activity. Which shows that they at least care about their customers, so who cares if they make money by doing this, that is what business's were made to do. Nobody ever starts a business in the hopes of not making money. If they pull it off the right way then they are essentially going to be putting Yantis and his kind out of business because if it were me i would much rather pay a small amount more for a secure transaction rather then losing my money when the seller decides he wants the character back or just decides to not give up the item.
Quote from: Cyphen Wilderthe plus side of this could be that with the infux of extra income, maybe we might see a better game......crossing fingers.
QuoteLast April, when Sony raised the monthly subscription price 31 percent to $12.95, it hardly lost a player. In fact, Smedley says the game continues to add 12,000 players a month.
Quote"Would you believe we've generated over $1 million in revenue simply from moving characters?" Smedley marvels.
I'd like to remain positive and hope that if it does go through they will pour it into making EQ the Happy Fun Place. But as they haven't really done that so far with all this extra income..
Ok, I've been the prophet of doom for too long in this thread and my negativ-o-meter has blown up - sorry guys for being a downer :oops:
Drugs are illegal. MANY people do not do drugs simply because they are illegal. If they were made legal, a LOT more people would be doing drugs.
This is exactly the case with the transfer of items by SoE for money. Whether you think itsa good idea or a bad idea or dont care, it WILL increase the number of people buying items tenfold.
disclaimer- I am making no comment on drug use. That was simply an anology to explain my case.
QuoteDrugs are illegal. MANY people do not do drugs simply because they are illegal. If they were made legal, a LOT more people would be doing drugs.
This is exactly the case with the transfer of items by SoE for money. Whether you think itsa good idea or a bad idea or dont care, it WILL increase the number of people buying items tenfold.
disclaimer- I am making no comment on drug use. That was simply an anology to explain my case.
I don't do drugs because it is a crutch of the weak-minded, not because it is isn't legal. I can see the point you are trying to make, but do not agree with it at all. Look at Lorath, he sure doesn't seem like one to start selling items as soon as it is condoned by SOE. I know plenty of other people in game that would be the same way. That is like saying if murder was made legal, everyone would be out killing people just because it is now legal.
I disagree with you 100%. I also find your comparison with murder utterly ridiculous. How does getting intoxicated even remotely compare to taking the life of a person? I specifically added the disclaimer about drugs to avoid getting off topic as well.
You are saying that a LOT of people in EQ want to sell plat and items, but just don't because it is against the EULA. You are saying that if it was not against the EULA, a LOT of people in EQ would be doing it. Then you attempt to use a drug use analogy by saying that MANY people don't do drugs simply because it is illegal, and that if it was legal, a LOT more people would be doing drugs. What about people that just think that selling plat and items is wrong? What about the people that feel that drugs are just a nuisance to society? The absurdity of your analogy was clearly shown by me simply subsituting the illegal activity which I can do here:
Killing people is illegal. MANY people do not do not kill people simply because it is illegal. If it was made legal, a LOT more people would be killing people.
See, doesn't work either way. You make the assumption that all EQ players want to buy, but just don't based on it being illegal which is just not true.
What you two seem to not understand is that if drug use and murder was legal there would be more of it.
No, people with a moral fiber would not do it because it was legal. But legalizing it would possibly remove the only thing that is holding back certain people. Punishment.
The same thing goes with selling and buying plat. Accout selling can get you banned just like downloading music can get your ass sued. It's just something that was widely ignored by SOE unless there was a big stink made. Alot of people don't break the EULA in fear of the punishment of losing their money, their character, and their time. Remove the punishment and there will be more of it. Just like there would be more drug use and more murder.
Oh the Drama... I quit, I'm quitting, they are killing babies in Africa with this poll, if they do this then everyone on your mailing list will get malaria.
Give me a frickin break. Accts and items are sold through third parties all the time, at the same time, con artists are screwing naive people out of their money. Doing it this way at least provides a legal path for people that are going to do it. Who knows, maybe there will be enough money in it for SOE that they won't keep upping the monthly charge, or that they can reduce their expansion costs, or maybe it means more money for customer service.
Items/Accts will be sold, regardless of what SOE does. Wouldn't it be nice if when it happened, it somehow protected and improved EQ?
Get over the threats of quitting and the whining. If they put it in place and you don't want to do it.. dont frickin do it. If you ARE going to quit over it, please do so quietly... I'm sick of seeing those 'sky is falling' posts of how it caused your mom to get cancer.
I just want to see soe f00k over yantis.
Quote from: YiktikiOh the Drama... I quit, I'm quitting, they are killing babies in Africa with this poll, if they do this then everyone on your mailing list will get malaria.
Give me a frickin break. Accts and items are sold through third parties all the time, at the same time, con artists are screwing naive people out of their money. Doing it this way at least provides a legal path for people that are going to do it. Who knows, maybe there will be enough money in it for SOE that they won't keep upping the monthly charge, or that they can reduce their expansion costs, or maybe it means more money for customer service.
Items/Accts will be sold, regardless of what SOE does. Wouldn't it be nice if when it happened, it somehow protected and improved EQ?
Get over the threats of quitting and the whining. If they put it in place and you don't want to do it.. dont frickin do it. If you ARE going to quit over it, please do so quietly... I'm sick of seeing those 'sky is falling' posts of how it caused your mom to get cancer.
A good effort, I like it.
If I can be picky however, there are a couple of glaring ommisions.
1) No Chicken Little mention.
2) No Black Helicopter speech.
Other than that, pretty damn sweet. Bonus points for
Quote from: YiktikiI'm sick of seeing those 'sky is falling' posts of how it caused your mom to get cancer
Points deducted for
Quote from: Yiktikithey are killing babies in Africa
Which I've heard before. Nonetheless, 7/10. :wink:
Gah, I didn't notice the judges or I would have worked on my form better. I coulda stuck that landing better if I would have been paying attention.
My server (Kane Bayle) has a guy named Psychoo who sells plat to (presumably Yantis/IGE).
He and another guy bot 7-15 toons and take down various targets everytime they are up (and I mean every time.)
KT, AoW, Seru, Cursed, BoT Minis, Zlandicar, just to name a few of them.
It is impossible for lower tier guilds or people to experience killing them or getting loot from them since he does them constantly the moment they are up.
Why does he kill them? This is why:
PoK: /ooc Selling looting rights to Item_01 30k pp PST
Or in the case of droppable items, immediately ships them off onto his mule in bazaar called "Bazmuleboi".
In fact, a lot of the time, the items just rot with no takers.
But he doesn't let people who need them have them, he destroys them if they don't have the cash for it.
Think this is bad? Watch what happens if this poll they did actually goes Live. Every average joe and their mom will be farming areas constantly in order to sell the items/plat for real life $$.
A big part of EQ will be utterly ruined if this happens.
I would jump at any opportunity to put people like the guy above, and Yantis, out of business, in a heart beat.
Heh, I'm out of this thread. One person in general's ignorance of the real world offends me so greatly that I fear this may be moved to rants if I continue posting.
MODERATOR: Please lock this post. It has spiraled way off topic and is growing extremely ugly.
I could probably see that there might be some people that try and mass farm for drops for RL money, but I really don't think it is going to be any more then there is now. For too many people this is just a game, not a business. And on another thought, considering the size of Yanti/IGE, would Joe Schmoe be able to compete against him and his corporation even if SOE did make it legal. Would be like a small programmer trying to outdo Microsoft. Now, if SOE actually took it upon themselves to be the seller versus what seems to just become the middleman, Yantis/IGE would get smoked. However, I really don't think that SOE would go that far.
Alerka, sorry that you have to resort to name-calling. People are not gonna start doing something just because it is made legal. There are not droves of players out there that are secretly harboring desires to sell plat or items, but just won't because it is against the EULA. They don't because they don't find it in the spirit of the game, they can't see spending RL money on virtual stuff, or they just have a set of morals that is against it.
It's cheating period!!! I don't care if sony does this it's still cheating. Everyone needs to earn their way through the game plain and simple.
QuoteEnough with all the chest puffing and foot stomping threats of "I am gonna cancel!" You know you aren't going to quit because of your time invested, and if you do, it will no be long until you are back playing again.
I had a character that I invested lots of time into and I quit and have not come back. You know what? I sometimes miss eq but for the most part I don't because I don't feel like I am tied to a damn game anymore and it feels great honestly. Will I get involved with another timesink in the future? Most likely but for the time being....NO!!!
Check back on my posts - I am pro-EQ. I don't bash the game; I've loved it since the day it came out and have never let my account lapse. It is the game I was waiting for my whole childhood and into my adult life. I know there are flaws, but I currently plan on playing this game until they shut off the servers, hopefully in the far distant future.
I try to be fair, and I will criticize SOE when I think they deserve it, and god knows the game needs improvement in some areas.
However, if they implement the ability to purchase anything in game that makes your character more powerful, I WILL quit. I know it is going on now, but the people doing it are in the tiny minority. And most of them are in "uber" guilds; they tend to have some strange drive to "win" the game, so I don't interact with them much. It's a rare enough occurrance with the people I do interact with that it hasn't intruded upon my gaming, so it hasn't bothered me much.
If they did implement this, the flavor of the game would change. I don't want to point any fingers or give some morality lesson, but I am not interested in playing a game where I can buy my way through it (or where everyone else around me is doing same). There are plenty of other games out there, I will go play a different one.
If I leave, I'm not coming back; I can't convince you of this - it's logically impossible to prove, so if you don't want to believe me that's up to you.
I believe ya Hrann. I have read your posts before here and know that you are pro EQ. I would like to ask you the same question I did Lorath. Is it the fact that SOE would condone the practice that would make you quit EQ? If yes, that stance is in my opinion a moral stand, and while I do say kudos to a moral stand, I have to say that I personally would not let it get in the way of playing a fun game.
It's really just not the type of game I want to play. Actually I do on occasion play a game like that called Magic: The Gathering Online, but I only have room in my life and pocketbook for one of those.
When I started playing this game, it was because I wanted to play something similar to the MUDs I used to play. I wanted an immersive MORPG. Knowing that I can buy whatever I want, and that I don't need to go slay the creature would ruin it for me. I know that I actually can do that now, but it erally isn't that widespread atm and I'm able to ignore the fact that IGE is around for the most part.
In addition, SOE won't have the limitations with respect to NO DROP and equipment that IGE has. They could potentially make anything purchasable, including levels, AAs, zone access, you name it.
Crossing that line would take the fun out of it for me. And I only play EQ for the fun.
The only moral problem I would have with the decision is that they told us this game was one way, and then went and changed the way their product worked. Almost a bait and switch, although I know (hope!) it wouldn't be intentionally that way.
I see what you are saying. I take it as I read it though, SOE wanted to be the middleman between two players wanting to sell items/plat/characters, and that is what the poll asks. Nothing is mentioned of levels or AA or Flags. They are not even talking about making money off of it. Unlike Yantis/IGE where you can buy power leveling, AA, and probably zone access.
This is rather sad. Sony could take steps to eliminate this but instead exploite it.
They could, if they had a brain, implement an IP system simular to AO that would eliminate tweaking altogether and inforce the already in place rules and make eq great again, but they seem to want to continue to dumb down the game, which attracts a younger and younger player, and pretty soon eq's player base is the same as the god awful gang of misfits that make up the player base of other horid titles like SWG and CoH, though it could not possble ever get as bad as that crap game out of Korea which I won't even name.
You want easy- play Quake, Doom, Sims- this is eq- or it used to be- I'm not sure what it's evolved to but it don't look good.
What if you had a sword you could get 15 bucks for, or 150pp. Now would you sell it? Would this almost put the bazaar out of business? Would this put a stop on "go ahead and take the sword I can't use it"? I wonder if this wouldn't become who has the most cash game.