Account Selling

[Fawqueue]

I honestly think we should end the account selling, even if it is just for plat. It really serves no useful purpose. It either pumps a ton of platinum into the economy, promotes laziness, or encourages PLers taking advantage of the market to dominate spots traditionally taken by a group of lower level players. For you, the individual, sure it's great to say "Hey I'm bored with my necro, maybe I'll try a monk!". But for the community as a whole, it's 100% negative and contributes zilch. Everything else that's viewed solely as a selfish benefit (two-boxing, using mods, etc) isn't allowed...just strange that THIS is where the line is drawn.

[Kassel]

I think if you want another 50 you should level it

[Noselacri]

Originally Posted by Darklake [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But the majority of people here at Project 1999 would have had prior experience of live EQ - say the person buying that level 50 Enchanter was the top of his server back in the day and really doesn't want the grind to get there? Don't assume all purchased accounts would be clueless noobs.

Also, frankly, EQ1 is such a primitive game that the majority of the classes really take no actual experience to play sufficiently. Many classes operate on like two or three buttons the vast majority of the time. This is probably the least skill-based of all MMORPGs ever, and playing well has much more to do with one's knowledge of the game as a whole than with whatever class one plays, with a select few exceptions like monk pulling in planes and such. If you're an experienced player who cares so much about EQ1 that you'll play it on a private server eleven years later, you probably know enough about the game to pick up any class and already know everything you need to know, or learn it in a couple of days. Someone who has the ability to farm 50-100k plat and is willing to spend it on an ungeared character probably isn't completely oblivious to playing it. That always seemed like a really weak reason for being opposed to char-selling. I dislike it because it's against the spirit of the game and because it cheapens the value and accomplishment of a character, not because I'm worried about ending up in a group with somebody who didn't personally gain every one of their levels and thus can't play well enough to defeat NPCs, because I've never in my life experienced that. They can ban char-trading all they want, it'll never affect me in the least because I don't participate in it, but it would continue to some extent and it would turn a lot of players into rulebreakers, something that tends to expand into other areas once a person has crossed that line.

[username17]

I agree, we should end it but not right now.

I'm nowhere near end game, but it seems that a lot of the level 50s don't have anything to do.
If we stopped account selling now I doubt it would actually stop because it gives 50s something to do.

I say keep it going until Kunark hits.
It will die down then and take that reduced volume and decrease it to 0 by banning it.

Thoughts?

[Noselacri]

Originally Posted by username17 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I agree, we should end it but not right now.

I'm nowhere near end game, but it seems that a lot of the level 50s don't have anything to do.
If we stopped account selling now I doubt it would actually stop because it gives 50s something to do.

I say keep it going until Kunark hits.
It will die down then and take that reduced volume and decrease it to 0 by banning it.

Thoughts?

Seems reasonable enough. At this point, anyone who buys a character has already done most of what there is to do. You don't get level 20s buying a level 50. That'll change once Kunark hits and people will be able to buy characters without actually having been part of the gamepaly scene themselves first, so the change would make a tangible difference rather than now where the people who buy characters would probably not just be grouping with folks and being jolly good chaps if they didn't have the option.

[Nazran]

The amount of douchiness surrounding mmorpg's simply sucks. Just play the fucking game, quit trying to become the next Gordon Gekko of the batwing market.

[Henini]

Kunark wont make it harder to get to 50, it will make it easier, and the problem will be worst.
It will be worst because as you are trying to get your kunark gear, or exp your your main, plers will be occupying the camps and making it suck just like they are now. the difference will be that they will make it faster to 50 because there will be more hunting areas for those levels. then we will all bottleneck in seb...

besides, the whole debate is moot. it's not classic.

[HippoNipple]

Originally Posted by username17 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I agree, we should end it but not right now.

I'm nowhere near end game, but it seems that a lot of the level 50s don't have anything to do.
If we stopped account selling now I doubt it would actually stop because it gives 50s something to do.

I say keep it going until Kunark hits.
It will die down then and take that reduced volume and decrease it to 0 by banning it.

Thoughts?

The thing is its not like all of the level 50's are making these characters to sell. Most people get 50 and explore content, farm plat by actually playing their level 50 char, helping out their guild, or if they make another character they level it themselves to actually play.

There are a few people who are flooding the game with these level 50s they make in a weekend by boxing or power leveling and playing 24/7.

There is 1% of the population hurting the economy and lower level dungeons for everyone. Not only that but a lot of the account sales receive real life money bids and are a risk to p1999 getting in trouble and shut down.

Its a liability to the server and the majority of the population, the people you actually want in the community, would all benefit from it being illegal. The only ones that it will effect in a negative way are the 1% that are so addicted they will be here either way. Hopefully they will just find something else to do that isn't so annoying to the rest of the community.

Is it completely destroying the game - heck no this server is still awesome, but there would be no real loss in making it a bannable offense tomorrow.

[yraapt]

If they prohibited it from being advertised on the forum or in /auc I expect it would eliminate the majority of it.

[purist]

Originally Posted by yraapt [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If they prohibited it from being advertised on the forum or in /auc I expect it would eliminate the majority of it.

Eliminating the majority of advertising for account sales on mainstream channels != Eliminating the majority of actual transactions