This will break the game. And no, I'm not trolling.

Sorry there are too many intelligent people in this forum to require a translator. That's the problem with Richard Garriott games. They attract smart people.

 

Isaiah what happened to end of your video link the question of selling multi plot housing the answer from RG was cut. I can't find it anywhere.
If you look at the video link in Isaiah's post it seems when asked by Markee Dragon RG does not answer the question about selling gold but comes up with a lot of anecdotes about other games and seems to go off the subject.
Does anyone have the end of that interview were Markee Dragon asks about owning more than one plot, showing RG's answer.
Its worth a watch.

In that same interview selling & selling multi plot housing 3 days before kickstarter closed.
Nothing on Kickstarter updates saying their as been any changes. So no Multi plots during kickstarter, no answer on selling gold .
I'd say Isaiah called about right.

 

During KS in one of the many Dev chats before KS closed they had a long discussion about Gold Farmers. During this exchange they described a lot of ideas of combating this including just selling the gold themselves. They also talked about strategies for micro-transactions and the like.

Also before the end of KS they had a fan fiction and music video contest. I am not sure which one it was but they gave away a village deed which was won by someone already with a deed. They announced there that people would be able to have multiple deeds.

Portalarium has been very open about their plans, thoughts and discussions: way more than any other developer or Kickstarter project. If this was not true we would not be having these discussions right now because you would not have heard anything at all. It is wrong to take this openness and scream scammers. That they are talking about this stuff is not new. Not to mention I am sure the final product will include information about these things if they are in the game.

Regardless, we all chose to back a game before it was fully designed. No matter how it goes that's the risk we all accepted by pledging. You don't have to be happy about it, but that doesn't mean they lied to us. They have said many times the game is in the early stages of development and everything is subject to change. However, in my opinion they have been pretty on target with most things.

 

@Umbrae It is quite possible their hearts are in the right place, but selling gold is selling power since you can buy anything you want in game with it.

Either way it has to be addressed, and we should voice our opinions. However things like this really make it seem that RG is interested in getting as many backers as he can, by any means possible. Even at the cost of not being entirely open with us.

One thing he said in every video during kickstarter about microtransactions was that he would never sell power. If he does end up selling power then we've been lied to. Umbrae, lying to get money is called a scam.

So we are waiting to hear their response to this. Hopefully their response isn't to close this thread and delete it.

 

Lack of transparency has been a hot topic in pretty much all realms of corporate and government power. I don't think it's hard to offer transparency if one lives by the virtues espoused in a game.....

If it does close, we'll have our answer.

 

I think suggesting it is a scam is a bit too much. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% against the selling of gold by portalarium, but if they decided to do it, I wouldn't feel "scammed" or think they were pulling one. Their position on RMT has never been very concrete anyway.

I personally am against it because of ingame economy reasons, because of ideas of fairness, and also - and this one is much harder to define - because I feel it would "taint" the spirit of the game. It's sorta hard to escape to a world where real life MONEY seems to be such a powerful force in dictating things occurring in that world. I mean what is the bigger virtue at play in such a place, compassion or cold hard real world cash? =P

But if they do it anyway, will I feel scammed? No. Disappointed? Very much so. I don't believe it is healthy for the game whatever the grey market decides to do. My friends and I however are committed to the game even if some things look less than palatable, and I intend to make my opinions known. =P

 

If it was stated and understood that there would not be selling power for gold in the beginning, and they continue taking backing money on that premise, that is underhanded and a scam. Anyone who is developing a game must have a business plan in place prior to entering a Kickstarter campaign. If something as essential as economy was not decided prior to Kickstarter, it would be pretty laughable, well and would lose the trust of backers in the future. But I don't think that's the case.

If they continue not answering anyone, it's because they want to continue raking in funds until game release. Then once game is released, we'd have our answer? That would be a scam by all accounts. Non-disclosure is scammy in my eyes.

 

I like your post because I feel very similar to you. let's set the word scam asside for now. YOu would feel disappointed, and very much so. Let me commend you for having good instincts. So would I be disappointed and very much so that's why I'm writing here.


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I understand that some people are "committed" to do xyz just because. I know some people who were really nice people but they got caught up in a cult and they kept following it because they felt "committed" to their church even though they didn't believe in what it was doing. They never spoke up, and later on they got really hurt by it.

It seems to me that there is more good going on in SotA than there is bad, but just like the OP said this is not trolling this is a real serious concern! Warning flags should be going off in everybody's head, and they are but most people who are saying it is ok are dismissing their instincts because most of them stated that they wouldn't like them selling gold. I think it's good to listen to what your common sense is telling you!

Lots of the people dismissing this issue admit that they don't like the idea of them selling gold, but they rationalize it in some way. How many people have said this is a great idea I can't wait for them to implement it? Instinctively we know it is wrong, "for us" the consumer.

You're common sense is telling you there is something wrong with them selling gold. It's easy to dismiss our instincts, but I think it's good to listen to them. Your instincts are there for a reason.

 

Well I honestly believe it is because they haven't figured out how to handle it yet. As said I am 100% against it but I know there will still be a grey market. I'm not an idiot. So even if you take my position of no gold selling, etc, it becomes a case of how you handle that grey market. (or even acknowledge it exists - some games don't).

 

At least we'll have a chance of killing a bot and stopping/slowing it down. 100 bucks for gold though; we wouldn't even know about it.

 

I must admit I was super excited to see LB back in the workshop. I have played his games all the way back with Ultima 1...and love everything he's done...till this point anyways.

I played UO for 9 years eventually leaving as EA rubs me the wrong way and they totally ruined that game. When I saw a new Ultima inspired Game actually be done by the Great LB himself...well yes I jumped at it.

As a non backer at this point I research before paying anything and glad I did I was disgusted at what I have been seeing in the Store and the Pledge Packages. I will say this now....Richard Garriot as much as I love you...I am ashamed of you. Pay to win? with your prized baby Ultima? I am shocked. 500$ for a lot? Really....how can anyone think to charge so much for an In game house? 1050$ for a larger plot? It sickens me to think that anyone would even consider charging that much for a game related item or even worse the person crazy enough to spend that much for it.

I thought you were above this kind of thing, I truly wanted to join your new game and be a part of it...but alas I'm a common working soul and thus cannot afford these kinds of prices....to say the least being left out of content because my wallet isn't large enough. And waiting around to by a plot with in game gold is pointless as there's very limited space after the rich elite are sorted. I've purchased <Aside from Tabula Rasa> every game you have put out and have to say You were just Awesome.

However after seeing this I feel cheated, to once again roam the worlds you create is out of my reach. I guess it's okay there's enough rich people that can afford to play, that little people like me won't be missed much. I really wanted to play this game after my Pledge <I'm still debating the 65$ one> however I see a typical pay to play or micro transaction system developing and despise those systems. Your Old monthly sub worked and is still the best option...you invented this stuff remember? Stick with what worked and lose the Money mongers get all the goodies crap that's been so popular with modern Gamers <Actually we call them Paymers nowadays>. Buying a character skin or a weapon skin etc. I can see and would be kewl however esthetics should be where the line is drawn or it's doomed.

Using in game gold should be the only way to obtain things like Homes, weapons or tools. Instead you open a world to have people trampled by the rich elite......Pay to Win is a fail Option and I hope before launch you remove that....it will ruin the game for those left out.

Please LB stop this from happening....Pledges to help fund the game are a good idea and of course a bonus for doing so I agree.......don't let Housing, trade skills and combat be something that can be abused by the Rich.

 

Totally Agree. The minute you allow money to gold transactions the economy goes to crap.....why be a Smith when everyone else is? The idea is immersion...to be in a world where you have to go out and get your hands dirty to scrape enough gold to get them repairs or that shiny shield.

Money to make it go faster? If your that lazy then Farmville awaits you. Real money should be used for esthetics only and maybe a few kewl looking items that don't give any advantages or bad feelings other than a little envy

 

This post expresses my main concerns too. Very well written, couldn't have said it better.

I also thought this was "UO inspired" but from what I've learned it has very little to do with Ultima at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

What is the difference? I don't get it, sorry.

 

So you don't think the pledge rewards were already a form of p2w? That stuck out to me right from the get-go, but I ignore it because it's mostly vanity / bragging rights. Which some are really fond of.

As far as defining p2w, it's very simple. Any method of achievement outside of actual gameplay is contrary to gameplay.

Anyway, I don't begrudge these guys for needing to run a business, so we'll just have to see how it pans out.

 

Gold will be sold anyway, and already does quite often. Not to mention selling gold was SPECIFICALLY mentioned as a possibility during KS. I have never heard RG say they would not sell power. He said they would not be Pay to Win, but these very forums prove that the definition of that is pretty grey. As such, should you believe they stepped over the line that is still an opinion not a lie. You are entitled to the opinion, but as I said before you knew that you were signing up before the game was completed designed and developed. Just because you disagree with someone does not mean they are scamming anyone. I am fine with you expressing an opinion. There are lots of them here that go back and forth. My only problem is that you are doing more than expressing your opinions; you are making threats of sabotaging the game based on your opinion.

In the end we don't know anything about the economy. Every MMO has RTM if two players can trade gold and items. The ONLY way to avoid this is to not allow people to drop items or gold or trade between players. This is called a vendor based economy, and they did mention doing this too; although I think they would like to avoid it.

Its not that I am a fan of them selling gold, but there are worse alternatives and they have been pretty open about several of the options they were discussion including this. I hardly call that a scam. In fact, since they have video proving it you might want be aware of this:
http://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=1153

 

I think the pledge rewards let you get ahead, but the fact that they're a limited time thing and don't offer huge advantages makes me a lot less concerned than regularly offering gold post-launch.

 

All this talk about "hurr I dont have too much time to play, i will get behind, wont catch up to those who donate and play alot"

Wait, we still don't even know whether we get full-loot or not.

If its the former, it will be a lot easier to "catch up". Don't forget that. Equipment will be cheaper, and if you join a guild chances are there will be a stash in the guildhouse full of armours and weapons to get you started. And a friendly smith/tailor who will make you some equipment if you care to spend 20 minutes hunting some deer for the leather first.

 

It's sad all the people trying to justify the buying of gold. It ruins in-game economy. This game was pay2win the moment you could buy rent-free housing spots and unbreakable tools. Anyone who has played UO knows that most valuable thing in the game is house location so letting backers buy the best spots instead of earning them immediately turned me off this game.


I'll be waiting for The repopulation, that is the next UO not this money grab called SOTA.

 

---Gold buying for $ will happen. I have a thought on how to thwart Chinese gold farmers:
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/dual-currency-to-deter-gold-farmers.6572/