So am I - anyone selling?

Hello everyone, just popping back in here. What an inspiring post Bogy, you've got to be a RL genius. Maria, again thanks for your help and your genuine willingness to engage in what is clearly a dangerously emotional debate. I want to be clear that though my use case may indeed be rare, I represent the tip of the proverbial iceberg. As Walmart is after the Unbanked, so should MMOs be after the Untimed, who represent a market 10 times larger (and JUST as relevant and deserving) as the age quod agis crowd. While my method of play may be deficient in the context of the current system, it might not be if I was not at a disadvantage. I say "might" I could just be a bad gamer. Further, at any given time there are hundreds of thousands of "inactive" accounts that would be more likely to return and be active if they were earning drip experience. I will say I'm doing quite well in EVE and Stronghold, but we miss SWTOR at our house.

You will never get the no-kids-I-play-12-hours-a-day-this-is-my-life crowd to see why a family subscription would work. They will be thinking the worst of everybody and how people would exploit it and get a tiny advantage over them. And by the way, when you quote that "no games are doin' it, dude" think about this ... there were no MMOs of any kind 20 years ago. Stuff happens and things change and grow - wow, it's like, whoa, like, stuff, like, really DOES happen, man.

Thanks for he tips. Some missions require beating a gold, you're thinking just get a little higher level and they'll be easier? Also skills cost a bunch. At my level some are 15,000 - it takes a while to make that, but that may be because I'm constantly doing crafting missions.

"See, the problem isn't what YOU would do individually. The problem, as with the SWG flood of real-cash-credits, is the MASSES. If hordes of players can't inflate the prices of GTN goods with real cash, then the market is safe (and as most players will prefer better mods and such from the GTN, there won't be an avalanche of players buying commendations for cash." This is what I'm missing, isn't it - I am assigning everyone who wants to buy credits my motives, when their motives may not be good. Some of them may genuinely have the motives that the posters here ascribe to them, though I don't. I think it could be regulated but that might be difficult to implement. Maybe for now some of these partial scenarios would work best. Certainly, moving in any direction requires care and baby steps to determine the outcome and manage risk. At least I hope my posts have led to some understanding on the other side of this issue. I remain optimistic.

Your are correct sir! That is one of the scenarios. The rational is - I need better stuff to stay able to do golds, better stuff is gained by crafting, crafting missions have no definite success ratio, my speeder credits went to crafting missions. This may seem obvious to some of you but I'm telling you it isn't t everyone.

Great idea - Wizard101 has that - in game and "extra" currencies.

Agreed. Well said. And to further it, no one wants to disrupt the game or the experience of the hardcore gamers.

Well, I can see I won't change your opinion. I'm glad you are doing well in the game. I don't think you should call me lazy - I just responded to 50 forum posts. How would small currency purchases hurt your gaming experience?

I'm the same way. I should probably try to get in a guild: "Lazy player stuck on level 37 for four months who plays sporadically on an uncertain schedule and likes to wander around sometimes rather than push the same four buttons over and over again wishes to find guild of people who will put up with his fairly inept playing and somehow be around whenever he does manage to log on. Can offer absolutely nothing"

This is a great idea - I have often wanted a tutor, as funny as that sounds. People would say paying that person was just as bad, I'm sure.

A good post and well stated. I especially appreciate your attempts to advise me on gameplay. Is it possible to consider that I might want to play the game, and that there may be others like me? You are correct that with limited grouping and limited items and armor, class quests are what can be done. Perhaps I'm suggesting an easy way to open more content to players like myself. Telling me: SWTOR - Love it or Leave it really stifles any ideas for positive change. You say it in a nice way, others have gone out of their way to let me know I should leave the game instantly. Is this idea really so dangerous? Gasoline is dangerous, but useful if harnessed. This concept injects cash, can be a win-win, and does not necessarily destabilize the game.

Thanks - you are one of the brave few. I agree that cases where it can be a win-win are the best.

I think play, thanks for asking

Thanks for your reply. Let me address your ideas in order: What is considered proof to you? Every one who has posted reasons against it has to have some magical proof? Regular proof works. Several people have posted games that they say suffered from the ability to purchase currency from the creator of the game. In each case, I have asked if they had any ideas about how those problems might be mitigated. I asked for examples, they furnished them. It seems fairly simple. All you have to do is play 90% of the MMO's out there to see the damage that is done by RMT. Only 1 MMO comes to mind that sells money and its a game people play while AFK. You mean EVE I think. Have you looked at their growing paid subscription base? I guess AFK is popular, if that is your hypothesis. 1) Its bad for people who like to craft and sell their crafts. Cost of crafting mats goes up > Price of final product goes up > only the RMT players can now afford it > lowers demand > lower demand = less money to the crafter > Higher prices > High prices means a crafter can no longer afford to craft and has to choose to either RMT also or find a new game I'm sure you're right about this. How could this be mitigated? Special craft items can't be bought? Just a suggestion. If every craft item can be "mined" would that resolve the problem in your opinion? 2) PvP player is the least effected as their best in slot gear is acquired via effort and time spent towards a singular goal. This does not mean they do not need credits to do other activities they find fun. Inflation will even effect them as cost of needed goods climbs in price. Does't everyone have the same gear in hard core PVP? EVE has the hardest hard core, people (carebears) aren't safe anywhere. I haven't heard anyone complain. Since hardcore PVPers are the best at mechanics, crafting, optimizing, they usually win these contests anyway. In some cases, people have credits worth $50k RL and they didn't buy them. A small currency purchase, limited every month, won't threaten these players. 3) Casual gamer. Because of the hike in prices on the GTN a casual gamer is no longer able to upgrade equipment as intended by the original game design. > no longer able to get into groups because the gear req is to high do to inflation. The casual gamer will also be forced into having to RMT just for basic needs. This will increase the amount the casual gamer has to spend on being able to play the game and enjoy it. Have you read the posts here? Apparently difficult online gaming is the only way to prove real character, and anyone who shirks it is a lazy slacker. They'd eat that challenge for breakfast! In reality, casual gamers buy as much from vendors as from GTN. Those prices can't rise, and function as a regulator on GTN prices. 4) Casual hardcore. This type of gamer doesn't play all day but when they do play they know what they want and push for it in their limited game time. These players will use every avenue they can to get what they want. These are the players most likely to RMT. The problem is at first things will come cheaply to them. a few dollars here for these mods and few dollars here for an augment. But with more and more players having to RMT day by day do to inflation eventually these players will be spending an exceeded amount of money. what once would have cost them ten dollars to buy soon becomes 20 or 30 because the people selling the items are forced to sell their items for more do to inflation. I see this as unfounded. You've set out a hypothesis, but I disagree. There are too few volatile assets. If prices go up, players with more time now find them price effective to mine/create, and they move toward a norm again. This is the same in RL markets. So in all honesty the OP's view is very short sided and narrow minded. Bad economies in games can drive off new and old players alike. It deters crafting, it deters team play and fairness. Why would i want some one in my group who has only decent gear? Since you can RMT I expect every one to have top notch gear. But sadly the gap between those with money and those who RMT for it will become to great and people will quit. The more that quit the even more you credits devalue. I disagree. Diablo 3 is hurting for many reasons, but they do third party which no one is suggesting. Managed currency buys don't produce the kind of dire consequences you're describing. At the end of this, though, these are good points. What one aims for is a free, elastic, gamer driven experience in someone's IP. If a certain type of transaction could destabilize the game fundamentally, it shouldn't be utilized.