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Professional Leveling Services
Huntn
Member Posts: 284
I'm sorry but the Leveling and loot buying services that are advertised all over MMORPG.com are lame along with those who buy their services. I really detest the effect that professional farmers have on MMOs and those who pay to zoom to the top. When even bother to play? And I might as well mention the cheaters who use scripts to run characters...your no better. 
I understand MMORPG.coms need to generate revenue, but at the expense of the MMOs we love?
-Hunt'n
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Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW.
Current MMO:
Current Games: L4D, Skyrim
Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR.
Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2
Comments
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion.cfm/load/forums/loadforum/51/loadthread/67413/setstart/1/loadclass/35
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"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
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"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
For the love of god, have you not read the 32986327496793246932475673946934798769036809374567034756704 threads on this already?
Lets sum it up for those who chose to not read.
1. It's a legal grey area that NO game company has successfully challenged.
2. Supply and Demand
3. People use it because they value their time differently. If they make $25/hour at their job, and can only get 1 level per hour on their own, some choose to go ahead and spend money to supplement their playing time.
4. MMORPG.com is a FREE service that is supported by ads. If you don't like it, there's several solutions to it, but the easiest one is to...just not visit the site.
Now, with that out of the way, allow me to give you MY take on this. I do not agree with the practice, but at the same time, I don't see why it should be banned. SOE has the right idea about regulating it themselves and taking a cut. Some people have the time to blow to farm gold/items, and powerleveling others, whereas others have the extra money but not the time. Allow those who choose to do this do it, and those who choose not to alone as well.
This is a pointless arguement for either side.
Clearly games that have auto-leveling are so fun that people pay other people to play them.
/sarcasm
I think that is a good indicator a game sux when you arn't having fun the whole time so you pay someone else to play it.
Your mind is like a parachute, it's only useful when it's open.
Don't forget, you can use the block function on trolls.
I'm traveling and on a dialup connection and this site is very slow to load, so I did not search for it. Sorry. Whether it's legal or not, these activities adversely effect those games, the balance and the economy deteroriating the experience. I should be able to disagree with MMORPG.com's policy without being told to go away... Gosh, maybe you should not visit this post.
-Hunt'n
-----------------------
Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW.
Current MMO:
Current Games: L4D, Skyrim
Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR.
Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2
[quote]Originally posted by Razorback
[/b][/quote]
[b][url=http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion.cfm/load/forums/loadforum/51/loadthread/67413/setstart/1/loadclass/35]
Thanks for the link. I'll go read. Nice graphic.
-Hunt'n
-----------------------
Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW.
Current MMO:
Current Games: L4D, Skyrim
Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR.
Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2
IMO, that's the worst possible idea about how to handle professional leveling services and item sales, and I will NEVER pay one cent towards a game where the developers take such a stance, and will be hesitant to buy any games from a company that takes such a stance. Think about it - it's a direct financial incentive for the company to make the game as boring and time-consuming as possible. I want no part of a game where the developer's primary interest is in making things unfun so that I pay to skip them.
More fundamentally, why would I want to play a game with such atrocious gameplay that people will spend money to avoid having to play it themselves? I could just not play it at all for free instead of paying for the game, then paying two monthly fees, one to be able to play the game and the other to not play the game.
IMO, that's the worst possible idea about how to handle professional leveling services and item sales, and I will NEVER pay one cent towards a game where the developers take such a stance, and will be hesitant to buy any games from a company that takes such a stance. Think about it - it's a direct financial incentive for the company to make the game as boring and time-consuming as possible. I want no part of a game where the developer's primary interest is in making things unfun so that I pay to skip them.
More fundamentally, why would I want to play a game with such atrocious gameplay that people will spend money to avoid having to play it themselves? I could just not play it at all for free instead of paying for the game, then paying two monthly fees, one to be able to play the game and the other to not play the game.
It's the wisest idea to the game companies. Look at it this way. SOE actually GAVE numbers, but I think it was something like 50% of their customer service calls tended to relate to plat sales, account sales, or powerleveling problems (password theft). At least with their system those who WANT to participate in those things can ON THEIR OWN SERVER. They (for once) did the right thing by seperating the servers that handle that stuff.
If you don't like those various services DON'T USE THEM. Should you want to use them, wouldn't you rather deal with one advertised on a reputable site, than some random person on ebay or a random website?
As I stated, I don't use the services, but this is a capitalist society, and as long as the demand is there, this part of the industry will thrive, and as such persist.
I stand by my comment about your dislike for the ads. If you don't like them, there's MANY solutions, but as I also said, the easiest is not to visit this site. Since ad revenue is the main/only source of income for the site, I will not tell you the other ways to get around it, but it's quite simple, even for those not computer literate.
Keep an eye on who's said what - I've only got one post in the thread, and haven't made any comments on the ads, so you can't really stand by any such comments on my comments. I'm completely indifferent to them, they don't bother me and I wouldn't care and might not even notice if they left. You seem to have me conflated with the original poster.
It's not the wisest idea to the game companies if they want business from me or people like me, because, like I said, I WILL NOT pay money to any game operating on that basis. It is in my best interest not to support the making of unfun games, and even more so to avoid providing a direct financial incentive to make a game I'm playing less fun. Remember, with their system, SOE makes more money if their game bores people. You're quite right we live in a capitalist society, and as a consumer my concern is with what a company provides to me, not with what makes their life easier. Attempting to justify SOE's decision based on the fact that it reduces their hassles just doesn't work; I'm paying for a game, not to reduce SOE's customer service costs.
My second paragraph didn't seem to get the idea across, so I'll make it clearer: I will not ever use leveling services, item buying services, or gold buying services. Not out of any deep moral outrage, or out of any consideration of whether they help or hurt a game, but because I play games for fun. If a game is so unfun that I'd be willing to pay someome to avoid playing it, I will take the much cheaper option of not paying for the game anymore. If I was paying someome to hit me in the head with a brick, and discovered that I don't like it, I'd stop paying them to hit me in the head with a brick, not pay someome to hold a shield in the way.
I'd be fine and dandy if a game provides an easy way for item, money, and leveling sales as long as the game company itself doesn't make any money off of them. That provides no incentive for the company to make the game less fun.
I have never once heard a convincing argument that shows me how these services are impacting the gameplay of the general populace of MMOGs. I've been playing these games for 7 years now, and unless someone pointed out to me who was "farming" or "ebayed" I'd never have noticed myself.
Did not mean for anyone to catch heat for what I said.
I'm not upset and mmorpg.com has every right to receive advertising revenue from whomever. I also acknowledge that violating a game's user agreement is a gray area because it's a contract that has been is presented after the consumer has purchased the product. However, I do know that Blizzard has closed a number of accounts when they find (their definition of )"cheaters" in the game. It's not worth it for the average player to try to go to court over their closed account so if caught, it seems to be an enforceble policy. However I think the vast majority of players who, buy items online or use scripts are not caught. And there is nothing against farming 24 hours a day so...
Anyway I feel this activity is not good for MMO's (your free to disagree), and because mmorpg.com is all about MMOs, it would be nice if they could find alternate sources of advertising imho. But if they don't, I'm not gonna lose sleep over it.
-Hunt'n
-----------------------
Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW.
Current MMO:
Current Games: L4D, Skyrim
Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR.
Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2
Personally, I would never use any of those power-leveling services, nor buy gold or whatever currency. It ruins the whole game...for me.
There have been various comics about the subject and many complaints over the subject. Yeah, it's annoying to see some 3-day-old noob sporting the best equipment and tossing around gold like there's no tomorrow, but in the end, I know that I worked for what I have (and I didn't spend anymore real money than necessary - ie. monthly subscription fees - which are high IMO. But that's another story).
I know what the game is like now. I know the tricks and work-arounds. I experienced the game to the fullest (so far).
If people want to use these sevices, let em. I think they're losing out experience wise, but it's their choice and their money.
And like someone else said - time has value too. Not everyone has hours and hours to level/train and/or make money. I know I don't.
I've been playing MMOs for about 6-7 years now, and these services have never affected me one bit.
However...
I do disagree with MMO companies offering gold and/or powerleveling services. If there's a profit shortfall one month, you might just see training and money-making get a little harder...If you catch my drift...
The debate here
Just trying to keep things in one thread.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
For the love of god, have you not read the 32986327496793246932475673946934798769036809374567034756704 threads on this already?
Lets sum it up for those who chose to not read.
1. It's a legal grey area that NO game company has successfully challenged.
Incorrect. Mythic, the makers of Dark Age of Camelot, successfully challenged, and SHUT DOWN one of the largest of these companies. It was one of the biggest court cases in the computer world, watched by every company, and gamer, at the time it happened. The current companies who choose not to challenge it are either too lazy, feel they are losing some profit, but not enough profit to matter, and/or simply do not know they have legal recourse... and a major leagal win... backing them up.
Mythic's successfull court case occured a few years ago.
I do agree these powerleveling/farming companies can't be stamped out. But there is a difference between allowing them to operate in the wide open, and forcing them to "stay under the radar". Simular to allowing cocain sold in the wide open, and forcing it to "stay under the radar".
I am currently offering my services:
I will power level your EvE character for a modest sum.
I will have your Character well rounded and Uber in as little as 3 years. No need to be online!
xpoloror that makes no sense, The only thing for buying and selling virtual goods is violating their EULA/TOS/whatever it's called, and thus you will get banned. How the hell could you possibly get shut down? It may be illegal according to the game, but outside of that....
The debate here
Just trying to keep things in one thread.
Sorry, will let this one die.
-Hunt'n
-----------------------
Past MMOs- Planetside, WoW.
Current MMO:
Current Games: L4D, Skyrim
Tried- ATITD, EQ2, SoR, Vanguard,SL,LOTRO,SotNW,SWTOR.
Anticipating- GW2, Planetside2