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

Probably because it doesn't work that way. They first have to get the money into a bank account or get it onto paypal to buy something from anywhere. Games don't facilitate it anymore than paypal does. Money laundering usually involves getting physical cash to be acceptable in a bank and by the IRS. It's one thing that annoyed me about breaking bad, they handled the money laundering portion of that show completely wrong. You just want to make it look like you earned the money legitimately, even pay taxes on it. There are a lot of ways to handle this... I can write a how to guide, but I think some people wouldn't be too happy to see that. Usually people who work in banking and fraud divisions are pretty familiar with the techniques I would mention, so it isn't some big secret.

 

Because portalarium not advertising gold selling won't stop people from finding gold sellers as you are suggesting. It will be as easy as googling a website. I know this because I've seen it in every other mmo I've played. This will be no different.


Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

Just a terrible idea, no way Garriott is going to ruin this game by allowing cash transactions for in-game gold. That's silly.

Sure there will be those that still do it illegally, just like there will be people who hack, and who use illegal 3rd party programs. That doesn't mean you open the floodgates for everyone.

 

Theres really no way to get rid of this "pay to win" thing. Its inevitable, we cant put the devs on the spot for ruining our game with the ability to purchase the virtual items with real money. People will do what they want with their money. Only way they can stop this is to take over the world and put a camera on everyone to make sure no transaction involving virtual goods can ever take place. Its not the dev's faults. The best things they can do is: not design features that aid in these transaction (like diablo 3 did but is now doing away with), and by discouraging these transactions by terminating/penalizing accounts discovered to be doing these things. But with all the money involved in these transactions, and the freedom people have to put their money on these things it sort of trumps any restriction the developers can put on it. You just cant track people down and find out what their doing with their money, first of all, im pretty sure no one selling virtual goods is breaking any kind of law(in the USA anyway, dunno about other places), and so if you try to get police or law involved with this sort of transaction im guessing you'd probably be laughed at right? The only rules you would be breaking is THEIR rules, not the law's rules.
And so....... if you cant beat em, join em. Just like diablo 3 did. Just because its pay to win doesnt mean its going to be EXACTLY like every other MMO out there. Its just one of the things that naturally occur when an MMO is created, people put their real money into it. Just like another feature universal to ALL MMO's is the fact that they are ONLINE games.

 

I think one concern people have with the company selling gold (rather than other players) is that it can insert incentives, even if subconscious, to limit the amount of gold or create items which are very expensive to encourage that stream of revenue. Diablo III dealt with some of this in regards to drop-rates.

The Unseen Dragon

 

Well some people have real-life virtues, some just talk a lot about virtues in a computer game.
Their actions will show if virtues are a means to earn money or if they matter to Portalarium.

 

Could I propose to make items (deeds, tools, whatever) bought now with real cash or gained via pledging completely untradeable? I don't know if that's logical because I just came up with the idea on the fly, but I think it may help to form a disconnect between the game-'s and real-world's economy.

Edit: Sorry if this idea has already been introduced. I've just now entered the debate. Assuming that we can't buy gold with cash, then.. it seems like this is the way to go. If people are 'paying to win' then they ought to be 'taxed' to win. Items can't be used in PvP, raids, traded, unrepairable or brittle, etc.

 

Your village has been set on fire.

In the village square is a torch.
In the village square is a bucket of water.

Which do you pick up?
If you pick up the torch, turn to page 5.
If you pick up the bucket of water, turn to page 34.

 

In fact it adds insult to injury: It assumes the backers and prospect buyers of the game are too stupid to recognize it is the same thing

 

Where has anyone said they are actually going to do that? Please link.....unless your warping the truth around your petition (again).

People don't want a closed economy in an mmo because it will suck....plain and simple. It means if I want to craft and sell something I don't even get to set the price.

 

I think this should pretty much settle it.

 

The camel's nose was already in the tent with allowing players to buy housing with real cash, though, since housing is normally the most expensive thing in the game.

 

Let me just use the same phrases for something else as an illustration:

"This conversation is moot. If people want to hack and exploit they will do it. If its not from portalarium it will be from russian warez dealers/exploiters. Better buy your exploits straight from portalarium in my opinion. Its like drugs, you can't stop the black market, you can only shrink and minimize it by making hacking and exploiting part of the game"

 

I think my biggest point was, if Portalarium doesn't allow some sort of mechanism like this, yes, there will be fewer people who pay real money for gold, but it will all be those who don't mind going black market, whereas if they do, the virtuous are on the same standing as the shadier types.

Why make a system where only the shady can have a particular advantage?

That makes it cheat to win by design.


It's funny... this thread is actually convincing me the opposite of the "game breaking" original point... XD

 

I completely agree with the original poster.

 

It works in EvE Online, why shouldn't it work in an Fantasy themed MMO.

 

I would actually go further for myself: I would not want to play this game at all, nor would I want to recommend it to anyone.
I have played to many pay to win games to be thoroughly fed up, and there are still ample subscription based games out there to keep me busy =)

 

You are making a morality point here, but morals don't enter the picture. It's not a morality argument what we are discussing because not everyone has the same morals or beliefs as everyone else.

By you ignoring it, doesn't make it go away. Accept the reality and then work to minimize it if you care about the reality.


Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

Its up to Portalarium to combat this not allow it. Close the accounts of anyone selling stuff outside the game and any playing buying it too.

I find it a bit Ironic RG & Darkstarr are making an appearance in UO: The Second Age. When there rules state selling in game items gets you BANNED from the game.

 

Has the notion of RMT items or gold being untradeable and/or limited already been ruled a bad idea? I mean, it seems like a pretty good solution to me in that it discourages play-to-win and protects the in-game economy.

Dually, i
f someone tired of grinding with crap gear wants a pick-me-up, then they can have it, and it will only ever be theirs.