Using SWTOR Credits For Buying Game-Related Stuff

[Nerdimports]

So I know buying/selling SWTOR credits is a great way to get your account banned.

 

But is it also against the rules to use it either for contests or to commission SWTOR works?

 

I've got more credits than I need and could ever spend. But even my stick figures look bad. I was thinking of trying to recruit someone who could maybe take a few screenshots of my character and turn it into some cool stuff. I thought I'd even start a post on the forums.

 

But I don't want to get banned. In older games like EverQuest it was not an issue (and EQ was owned by Sony, the company that began a lawsuit against eBay for the sale of EQ currency on that site).

 

So anyone know for sure? Should I inquire via ticket in game maybe? It is hard to Google for an answer to this as search results show sites I don't want to see.

[KyaniteD]

It shouldn't be a problem, since you're not monetizing your credits or exchanging them for real life items of monetary value. A one-time payment to a fellow player shouldn't raise any flags, either. But if you want a reliable answer, contact CS. Better safe than sorry.

 

ToS/Rules of Conduct state:

Buy, sell, transfer or auction (or host or facilitate the ability to allow others to buy, sell or auction) , or offer to transfer, sell or auction, or buy or accept any offer to transfer, sell or auction, any game Account or game Content, including (without limitation) game characters, character attributes, items, objects, currency, credits or copyrighted material, or any other intellectual property owned or controlled by the Services, or its our licensors, without first obtaining our express written permission, nor may you encourage or induce any other player to participate in such prohibited transaction(s).

 

In which I, personally, find the "transfer" without further specification a bit misleading. GTN, ingame-trading and COD mail may be considered "permitted" due to the use of in-game functions specifically coded for that purpose, but "helping out fellow players" or giving away redundant items are also ways of "transferring" items/credits and are not covered by a coded in-game function.

Edited April 1, 2016 by KyaniteD

[phalczen]

I could only speculate.

 

Common sense would dictate that you should have no problem negotiating with an artist and paying them with in-game credits, if they agree.

 

However, rules and terms and contracts don't exist to serve Common Sense, they exist because some people like to exploit systems and therefore rules have to be imposed to prevent anyone from taking advantage of anything.

 

That being said, no one has punished, for example, OotiniCast for giving away codes for Taun Fawns or M8-3R droids to winners of their tip of the week. And, as far as I know, no one has punished anyone from their guilds for their contests which they held recently. No one has punished, to my knowledge, anyone who was involved in any of the extra-life charity events or any of the various tournaments/contests that Hottie and STI sponsor on Harbinger.

 

EDIT: Still, you don't actually "own" your characters 3D model. You basically pay to rent it, and you have no rights to the intellectual property that is the 3D model of your character. Someone had a website shut down over making 3D printer-models of GSF ships, presumably for similar IP reasons.

 

I'd send a PM to Musco or Tait, rather than submitting a CS ticket, asking if it would be ok. Or, you could pay an attorney to scour the terms of service and rules of conduct.

Edited April 1, 2016 by phalczen

[Nerdimports]

Thanks for the advice!