Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 6:59 pm
My take on this subject:
I am a hard core RPer. A big atraction for me is living a life. I want it to be like living a life, therefore, for me, Real Money Transfers would spoil my fun. Then again, powerleveling kind of spoils my fun too. I want to experience it all.
BUT
I do have problems with the way people are using the words "cheating" and "morals" here.
If I engage in RMTs I would be cheating myself, but I do not think those who do are cheating. Sure they blaze past me in levels, but so does most everyone. Is a powergamer cheating? They stick within the game as much as I do, but their playing philosophy allows them to do things I just don't. These things are not cheating, just not how I play. It does sadden me when I see a Red ? doing 30+ level synthing but I don't get jealous.
Morals. Now there is a much misused word. Look at the so called "Moral Majority" and those wonderfuly moral "Right to Life" types who are against abortion and Physisian Assisted Suicide but for the War and the Death Penalty. I will not ever use a skillup bot, I want it all, even the boring parts, but this does not make those who do immoral.
Are people who run casinos immoral? How about if they live in a state where gambling is illegal? Those who have an "accidental DC" when they loose ARE immoral and cheaters.
How about whores? Are they immoral? RL whores in most European countries are plying an honest and legalized trade. A number of my friends have worked as phone whores, doing phone sex for cash. This is legal, is it immoral? Apperantly whoring in FF is against something or another, and people have been baned for it, but is it immoral? Maybe it is immoral for us who live in the puritan USA but not for the Dutch?
What I think SoE is trying to do is seperate players with different playing pholosiphies. Those who are RPers already have their own servers, why not segragate those who do RMTs as well?
Will it work? Will they get the Gil farmers and buyers to leave the rest of the servers alone? No idea at all. BUT, if they carefuly alter their EULA they have a powerful tool to use against the IGE sorts, the Gilfarmers and account brokers will make more profit (not more money, just a higher percentage), and perhaps there will be fewer abusses on the other servers.
If it works, everyone will be happier. I wish them luck with the experment. If they charge a small brokerage fee, say 2 - 5%, they will tap a powerful revenue stream and still screw IGE. Hmmmm.... is screwing IGE immoral?....
I am a hard core RPer. A big atraction for me is living a life. I want it to be like living a life, therefore, for me, Real Money Transfers would spoil my fun. Then again, powerleveling kind of spoils my fun too. I want to experience it all.
BUT
I do have problems with the way people are using the words "cheating" and "morals" here.
If I engage in RMTs I would be cheating myself, but I do not think those who do are cheating. Sure they blaze past me in levels, but so does most everyone. Is a powergamer cheating? They stick within the game as much as I do, but their playing philosophy allows them to do things I just don't. These things are not cheating, just not how I play. It does sadden me when I see a Red ? doing 30+ level synthing but I don't get jealous.
Morals. Now there is a much misused word. Look at the so called "Moral Majority" and those wonderfuly moral "Right to Life" types who are against abortion and Physisian Assisted Suicide but for the War and the Death Penalty. I will not ever use a skillup bot, I want it all, even the boring parts, but this does not make those who do immoral.
Are people who run casinos immoral? How about if they live in a state where gambling is illegal? Those who have an "accidental DC" when they loose ARE immoral and cheaters.
How about whores? Are they immoral? RL whores in most European countries are plying an honest and legalized trade. A number of my friends have worked as phone whores, doing phone sex for cash. This is legal, is it immoral? Apperantly whoring in FF is against something or another, and people have been baned for it, but is it immoral? Maybe it is immoral for us who live in the puritan USA but not for the Dutch?
What I think SoE is trying to do is seperate players with different playing pholosiphies. Those who are RPers already have their own servers, why not segragate those who do RMTs as well?
Will it work? Will they get the Gil farmers and buyers to leave the rest of the servers alone? No idea at all. BUT, if they carefuly alter their EULA they have a powerful tool to use against the IGE sorts, the Gilfarmers and account brokers will make more profit (not more money, just a higher percentage), and perhaps there will be fewer abusses on the other servers.
If it works, everyone will be happier. I wish them luck with the experment. If they charge a small brokerage fee, say 2 - 5%, they will tap a powerful revenue stream and still screw IGE. Hmmmm.... is screwing IGE immoral?....