Why can't I just buy my gear with real money?

[Daethorz]

Because we shouldn't cater to the lazy rich.

 

MMO's have always been here to put in work, and be better than everyone else, we used to be able to show off our armor and Know we where better than everyone else, yes nerdy, but that's what mmos are missing now, its what made WoW so popular.

 

Buying gear would completely ruin swtor, Completely.

[arestesian]

I've bought the game and paid for my subs, just as the rest of you have. I now find that this game (like many other mmorpgs) all but locks you out of the high end content unless you have silly amounts of time to spend getting the ridiculous gear that imbalances pretty much everything. In these games gear is everything, with perhaps a little sprinkling of co-ordination of one's keyboard fingers.

 

I work hard and have young kids, meaning that I'm lucky to get on once or twice each week. There is no chance of me getting my pvp kit to play at a fair level or join operations. I have one 50th level character. At the exponential rate of gear-upping (if that term should exist), I will simply never be able to take part in aspects of the game I already pay for.

 

So why can't I just pay Bioware, or EA or whoever money to furnish my character with the required gear? I have some money but little time.

 

The usual argument against this is for players to be rewarded for the time they put into the game. They already do and I have no problem with that - the usual rewards through the usual channels will always be there. But for the remainder like me, why not let us purchase what we need to at least participate in the end game stuff? The players that spend time will still be rewarded by having heavier wallets!

 

I know many will be against buying your way to gear (and eventual success?), but it's the same in real life. For example, if I wash my clothes I don't first mine minerals, refine them and then design and construct a washing machine. I go and buy one as I do not possess the technical know-how or have the time to do otherwise. Why is this game any different? Money exists to allow people to acquire goods and services that you do not know how to provide and/or have the time to provide.

 

Also, selling gear through official channels would stamp out (or at least impact) the farmers you can look up on any internet search. The market is there, just no one wants to admit it.

 

As I understand it, the game is for fun and, in my eyes, not another set of burning hoops that I need to jump through to get my money's worth through my subs.

 

Let me just buy my gear!

 

Short version: You can't because the game isn't Diablo 3

 

Long version: My guess is your soloing most of the stuff instead of joining grouping and you probably haven't joined a guild. I am guessing this because in my general experience casual guilds will usually throw together groups fairly fast for the purposing of running things to allow people to get gear.

 

The exponential gear upping statement is confusing, is the exponent prime, even, odd, fractional, or negative?

The group finder is there for a reason, it may take a few minutes to figure out what you can run in your gear but you should be able to queue for the stuff that will let you gear up. If you don't have time to wait for the group finder, try pvp. The rewards are fairly good for a small time investment. That may work out better for you.

 

**edited to correct typo

Edited July 16, 2012 by arestesian

[Socialist]

It is rather silly.

 

It would go from MMO to Poker Stars in 2,5 seconds.

[Mallorik]

OP here, back from the dead!

 

Interesting, very interesting. I think that I may have underestimated how seriously many people take the game. Personally, I cannot see how one can realistically compare the sense of achievement of competing at the Olympics or winning the Super Bowl with grinding gear in this game. That is extrapolation in the extreme. For me, it's just a game and nothing more. If you do well (however you classify that), then well done, but let's keep things in context.

 

Perhaps the issue is the perceived inequality that my view presents. But don't panic! It's just a view. However, I still haven't read a convincing reason why players should not be allowed to buy gear (barring of course the fact that it is not allowed as the current game rules stand). Lots of sweeping statements, yes, but no causal link between how I may like to play and the direct dimunition of others' enjoyment. I could understand the position better, if for example paying money would entitle you to medical care at another's expense, but not in the context of a video game.

 

For the avoidance of doubt and as a couple of replies suggest, I am not interested in acquiring gear to show off by hanging around parts of the space station. At the risk of sounding disingenuous, I think at that point I would need to re-examine my whole life from scratch.

 

The answer to your question is very simple and is not an opinion or a theory.

 

MMOS have all shared one key "carrot on a stick" mechanic that keeps people playing and that is the drive to get better gear. The minute you start selling people gear you lose that hook and without it your game will die a quick death.

[dipstik]

find a guild that has gear runs at a time that works for u.

[Tatile]

You know, a thought just occurred to me. I always thought the purpose of games was that, despite what you are in real life, whether you're a plumber or multi-million pound football player, you start a game on a level playing field. For the most part all players begin roughly equal - yes previous gaming experience or just general know-how might give you a bit of an edge (hello Google, mathematicians) but you are, for the most part, equal. Surely allowing people to buy the best gear simply because they have the cash invalidates this premise?

 

Yes, I know I'm being a hopeless romantic, but there are so few things these day which inspire hopeless romanticism.

[Urael]

Let me just buy my gear!

 

I understand your time is limited. The danger is that the game will become pay to win. Those that can afford to will pay irl creds for the best gear. If too many people do this too fast then it will be harder for those that don't have the luxury of being about to pay irl creds for their gear to remain competative. This may even lead to people leaving the game. They will feel they don't have a chance.

[xenotpt]

Simple solution - Give new 50's a free set of "Recruit" PVE gear, much like the PVP gear one gets. Or, let them choose one or the other (PVP or PVE) and make them buy the other if they want it (using credits, not cash).

[CharleyDanger]

OP here, back from the dead!

 

Interesting, very interesting. I think that I may have underestimated how seriously many people take the game. Personally, I cannot see how one can realistically compare the sense of achievement of competing at the Olympics or winning the Super Bowl with grinding gear in this game. That is extrapolation in the extreme. For me, it's just a game and nothing more. If you do well (however you classify that), then well done, but let's keep things in context.

 

Perhaps the issue is the perceived inequality that my view presents. But don't panic! It's just a view. However, I still haven't read a convincing reason why players should not be allowed to buy gear (barring of course the fact that it is not allowed as the current game rules stand). Lots of sweeping statements, yes, but no causal link between how I may like to play and the direct dimunition of others' enjoyment. I could understand the position better, if for example paying money would entitle you to medical care at another's expense, but not in the context of a video game.

 

For the avoidance of doubt and as a couple of replies suggest, I am not interested in acquiring gear to show off by hanging around parts of the space station. At the risk of sounding disingenuous, I think at that point I would need to re-examine my whole life from scratch.

 

You can buy your gear... It costs $15 a month x how many months its takes you to get the gear.

 

A Super Bowl comparison is in context if you think about it. The logic is the same, but just on a much smaller lvl. Just because you do not care about the journey does not mean that the majority of the community does not. The simple fact is, whether its a Super Bowl, round of golf, video game, or board game, people fell cheated if others can just buy their success. You say...

 

"Lots of sweeping statements, yes, but no causal link between how I may like to play and the direct dimunition of others' enjoyment"

 

After 13 pages of posts I think it is clear that "pay to win" would diminish many peoples enjoyment of high end raiding. The causal link is that perception is reality. So no matter how crazy the comparison may be, if the community perceives it to be true...

[CharleyDanger]

Simple solution - Give new 50's a free set of "Recruit" PVE gear, much like the PVP gear one gets. Or, let them choose one or the other (PVP or PVE) and make them buy the other if they want it (using credits, not cash).

 

Sorry for the double post...but that is a brilliant idea.

[baaen]

Can't a guy, such as the OP, have an opinion without everyone having to dissect every word, mainipulate the simplicity of the point or suggest the topic has been placed as bait? Too many people with pre-conceived ideas and little manners.

 

I for one, understand where he ic coming from. It's a fair question.

[Sarfux]

sorry...they aren't goin to do that. Ever sorry for you

[Eskachat]

What I don't really understand, is : why do you want this gear so bad ?

Do you do endgame stuffs ?

Do you think a good gear will make you become a good player ?

Endgame gear is meant for engame stuffs, what's the point if you don't have time ?

[Lheim]

Why aren't you able to buy gear with money..

 

Because the game has a competitive aspect.

 

Because some accomplishments in game should be about skill in the game, not about willingness to shell out the wallet.

 

Because .. because if you want to just want to pay to 'finish' the game, what the hell is the point of even owning the game? Pay somebody fifty bucks, let them win the game for you, never touch it yourself. Same damn result.

 

Because the journey matters.

 

Because god-mode cheat fundamentally destroys the joy and emotional zing you get from becoming GOOD at a game through your own effort.

 

Because it opens up a horribly divisive element in the community.

 

Because it destroys in-game economies.

 

Because it's bad for newbies, and for non-payers, who find themselves out in the cold unable to compete and unable to earn the suddenly-required millions of credits that would be needed to match anybody with enough spare cash.

 

And paying for competitive advantage is morally bankrupt.

 

That said, the game design does just fundamentally pad out the time required to get items. That's the fault of it being a subscription game. If they were a dang singleplayer game, it could afford to be honest and give you the gear after a single skill-testing 'clear' of whatever content.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Lheim

[SweetOldBob]

"Rendez-nous notre rire stupide !"

Make your stupid laugh?

[Kyriosgundam]

I would have to say that paying real money for the gear you want is not a good idea. Like the person who started this thread. I can only play about once a week. However I dont experience the problem with gear as badly as this person claims. I mean dont we shell out enough in subscription fees alone? Paying money for good gear seems to me the easy way out and most gamers I know play MMO's or console games for the challenge and for fun. Besides when it comes to a game like this I think most of us would rather say we earned the gear we got than saying we bought it. At least for me I get satisfaction from EARNING gear than FROM buying it and I think most of the people here would agree with me on this. Edited July 16, 2012 by Kyriosgundam

[GnatB]

I find the very question, frankly, mindboggling.

 

Either you're a solo/story player, and then you get the gear you "need" just by rewards from quests.

 

or you're an end-game raider, and then you get the gear you "need" by doing the raids, and the whole POINT of said raids is to get said gear in the first place, so buying it defeats the point of playing.

 

Or you're into PvP, in which case since this is a character/equipment based RPG, you are simply playing a game in the wrong genre. There will almost always be somebody who plays more than you and thus has a better/more well developed character (both gear and otherwise), and thus will faceroll you no matter how "skilled" you are. Because your skill is less important than your characters abilities. That's just the way the genre works. PvP in gear/character based RPG's (which is pretty much the definition of RPG, so basically all RPG's) is for carebear PvP'ers who want to win through time, and not through actual skill. Only way to "fix" it is to unilaterally make all gear equal, and equalize level/stats, which defeats the whole point of it being RPGish.

[Darth_Pants]

ignore what everyone is saying. just ignore them. they are trying to convince themselves that they are better at swtor than you because they have more time than you. this is the exact attitude that is destroying mmos.

 

although i do not agree with buying gear with real money in any way, AT ALL, i think you should go buy GW2 and be rewarded for your efforts. it comes out on 28th aug, earlier if you pre-purchase. gear is standardized so you wont need to worry about not being able to try content because you dont have the required stats.

 

seriously, go research GW2. you will enjoy the loot system far more than the typical treadmill that SWTOR copied.

[Tatile]

Some of the suggestions were to try other games.

[testszag]

ignore what everyone is saying. just ignore them. they are trying to convince themselves that they are better at swtor than you because they have more time than you. this is the exact attitude that is destroying mmos.

 

although i do not agree with buying gear with real money in any way, AT ALL, i think you should go buy GW2 and be rewarded for your efforts. it comes out on 28th aug, earlier if you pre-purchase. gear is standardized so you wont need to worry about not being able to try content because you dont have the required stats.

 

seriously, go research GW2. you will enjoy the loot system far more than the typical treadmill that SWTOR copied.

 

haha, GW2? is that the game with 1997 quality animations? the game with no point at all? no endgame AT ALL? nothing? just a silly grind to max lvl with the worst animations seen in ANY mmo for well over 10 years. there is a reason they are giving **** out for free.

 

just, wow

[Darth_Pants]

just, wow

 

funny how clever you think you are, that i am recommending a game to someone. a game that better suits what THEY have time for......

 

personally, i think True Blood is absolute trashy rubbish and i cannot make it thru more than 10 minutes, however, my wife watches it, and i know alot of other mid 20s to mid 30s women who watch it, so i would recommend someone in that bracket give it a go.....

 

what i find absolutely AMAZING is that when you saw a meaningful comment from someone that you could not counter with a valid argument, the FIRST thing you did was click on that persons post history and troll through their posts looking for something to make them look "silly"

 

i am betting that you do this often, and that it is a bit of a game to you. the fact you feel the need to play this silly little game, rather than play swtor itself, shows the state of the game.

[JimG]

I'm wondering why he wants gear to run content he already says he can't do.

 

Wondering the same thing here. If he doesn't have time to play end-game content, then he doesn't need end-game gear to run the content he can't play anyway.

[Darth_Pants]

Wondering the same thing here. If he doesn't have time to play end-game content, then he doesn't need end-game gear to run the content he can't play anyway.

 

that is a valid point.

 

however, i think the real question is Why does he NEED gear at all?

 

shouldn't all content be accessible to all players? shouldn't player ability, experience, and teamwork be what contributes to a successful group?

 

The gear treadmill is what keeps people playing, EG i need tier1 so i can get into tier2 so i can get tier3

 

Think about it. Your gear has absolutely no impact on how the game plays other than how you look. sure, if you upgrade a tier you will do more dps, but the next tier of bosses / trash have more hp. sure, your tank has more HP, but everything hits harder.

 

although stat weights and balancing is a very enjoyable part of the game for some, the honest truth is most players simply go to a website and find all their soft caps out, where DR becomes an issue etc, and simply adjusts in game to match. its maybe 10 minutes work a week.

 

imo, all "top" level gear should be something you spend the first few days, maybe a couple of weeks for a casual player, getting after you hit max lvl. everything after that is purely for looks. that way, content is FAR easier to balance as a dev, as you know EXACTLY what gear players will have. allow a lvl of tweaking and min / maxing, but ultimately, your stats are fixed.

 

this does NOT mean there is only one set of gear per class / race. by adding in a simple system such as wows transmog system, you make ALL gear of a certain type available for endgame use. each raid or dungeon or pvp tier still has gear that drops, but it all has the same stats, its simply the style / visuals that change.

 

the stat increases cause far more harm than good. any serious pvp is rating based, meaning players will be matched with those in equal gear, meaning you gain no real advantage in serious pvp from gear.

In PvE, all the stat increase does is cause previous tiers of content to become obsolete very fast as your stats increase, but it does NOT make the current tier any easier.

 

if anyone can give me a valid reason that this system was not used in swtor, or any current / future mmo i would love to read it.

[terencechan]

You don't have to buy top end gear now. BW is literally giving them away in truckloads with the new changes. Just pay for 1 month of subscription and run 1 30 min FP every day. You can also buy most of the BIS mods you need on the GTN with credits to build top-end gear, which imho will be really silly to use real money to get since you can get buckets of credits by doing dailies.

[kjkdollarbanny]

I've bought the game and paid for my subs, just as the rest of you have. I now find that this game (like many other mmorpgs) all but locks you out of the high end content unless you have silly amounts of time to spend getting the ridiculous gear that imbalances pretty much everything. In these games gear is everything, with perhaps a little sprinkling of co-ordination of one's keyboard fingers.

 

I work hard and have young kids, meaning that I'm lucky to get on once or twice each week. There is no chance of me getting my pvp kit to play at a fair level or join operations. I have one 50th level character. At the exponential rate of gear-upping (if that term should exist), I will simply never be able to take part in aspects of the game I already pay for.

 

So why can't I just pay Bioware, or EA or whoever money to furnish my character with the required gear? I have some money but little time.

 

The usual argument against this is for players to be rewarded for the time they put into the game. They already do and I have no problem with that - the usual rewards through the usual channels will always be there. But for the remainder like me, why not let us purchase what we need to at least participate in the end game stuff? The players that spend time will still be rewarded by having heavier wallets!

 

I know many will be against buying your way to gear (and eventual success?), but it's the same in real life. For example, if I wash my clothes I don't first mine minerals, refine them and then design and construct a washing machine. I go and buy one as I do not possess the technical know-how or have the time to do otherwise. Why is this game any different? Money exists to allow people to acquire goods and services that you do not know how to provide and/or have the time to provide.

 

Also, selling gear through official channels would stamp out (or at least impact) the farmers you can look up on any internet search. The market is there, just no one wants to admit it.

 

As I understand it, the game is for fun and, in my eyes, not another set of burning hoops that I need to jump through to get my money's worth through my subs.

 

Let me just buy my gear!

 

Let me buy wz wins for money.

Let me buy rating for money.

Let me buy server for money.