New login poll...

[Bulge]

Dude, that guy next to you is offering SD for 1.99 and he's got 65% extended buffs!

[Lorathir]

Dude, 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?"

[Liga]

35% extended focus item?  (I know you were being facetious, but make it believable  :P )

[feralize]

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".

[Cyphen Wilder]

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.

[The Kittenpeeler]

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.

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.

[deaus]

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....

[Cyphen Wilder]

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?

[Lorathir]

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.

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.

[Cyphen Wilder]

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.

[Lorathir]

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.

[Bryc]

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.

[Alerka]

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.

[Lorathir]

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.

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?

[Phanq]

On the plus side, if Sony did go through with this, it would certainly do some damage to Yantis' bottom line.