Dial a Port

[Zarakk]

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

"Dial A Port" characters are not allowed to set a rate; or at least, they weren't when I was porting.

Any guild's internal policies are for that guild to define. No disrespect. Peace.

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

DaP is really the only game in town if you want to make money porting. You could choose to go solo as a porter, but you'll make far less money, and you don't make that much already.

You sound like an officer or recruiter for that guild to be making such a blatantly biased and untrue statement *grin*.

There are far more independent people who give and/or sell ports to other players than there are members of just one guild. Some of them are doing pretty well. Perhaps you do not know them, but not every druid or wizard has to be a member of that one specific guild to make money porting. Come on now, you know this.

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

I'll just end this by saying: anyone that thinks 1p per level is an unreasonable sum, consider the reason you want a port in the first place. You're trying to save time. Spend a week taking the boat or running from zone to zone, trying to get to groups you were invited to before they replace you, and ask yourself by the end of that week how much your time is worth.

That is one way to view it, and not unreasonable, but it is not the only way to view it, and people will and do have differing views. Consider, if you will, the need to meet basic advertising standards legislation, so to speak.

- If someone advertises "Porting to druid rings, charging 1pp/level", then that's fine, it's a clear statement and totally fair. Players who want to take them up on it should meet the requested fee or make some other arrangement. If they accept it and then refuse to make the agreed payment, then you have every right to complain and make an issue with that person.

- But if someone advertises "Porting to druid rings, tips accepted" or some variant thereof, then that means what it says. A "tip" is literally whatever the giver wants to give, whether that be 30p, 10p, 1p or diddly squat. If you ported a level 60 and you in your head wanted 60p but with your mouth you just asked for a "tip", and they gave you 10p, who's fault is that? You got what you asked for, not what you thought about, and it would be your own fault.

I mean this respectfully: If you want to be paid X, say so, explicitly, and avoid this confusion.

[Indecisive]

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

You sound like an officer or recruiter for that guild to be making such a blatantly biased and untrue statement *grin*.

There are far more independent people who give and/or sell ports to other players than there are members of just one guild. Some of them are doing pretty well. Perhaps you do not know them, but not every druid or wizard has to be a member of that one specific guild to make money porting. Come on now, you know this.

First, I'm not an officer in DaP - I'm not even in the guild, and haven't been for over two years. That's why I've prefaced things with "when I was in the guild", etc.

Second, this is a very confusing response. I didn't say you couldn't make money outside of DaP - only that you'd make less. Having that tag up allows players to quickly and easily find a porter, outside of the porting highways like Skyfire ramp, WC rings, etc. You'll always get more tells with DaP, period. More tells means more ports, which means more money. This isn't even debatable, it's an objective truth.

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

That is one way to view it, and not unreasonable, but it is not the only way to view it, and people will and do have differing views. Consider, if you will, the need to meet basic advertising standards legislation, so to speak.

- If someone advertises "Porting to druid rings, charging 1pp/level", then that's fine, it's a clear statement and totally fair. Players who want to take them up on it should meet the requested fee or make some other arrangement. If they accept it and then refuse to make the agreed payment, then you have every right to complain and make an issue with that person.

- But if someone advertises "Porting to druid rings, tips accepted" or some variant thereof, then that means what it says. A "tip" is literally whatever the giver wants to give, whether that be 30p, 10p, 1p or diddly squat. If you ported a level 60 and you in your head wanted 60p but with your mouth you just asked for a "tip", and they gave you 10p, who's fault is that? You got what you asked for, not what you thought about, and it would be your own fault.

I mean this respectfully: If you want to be paid X, say so, explicitly, and avoid this confusion.

I've already explained why DaP porters can't do that. Obviously, freelance porters can demand whatever they like.

Fortunately, most of the players aren't like you or some of the other posters in this thread, and are happy to tip the expected amount, or beyond, because they understand how valuable porters are. If you want to be the dude at the bar or restaurant that wants to pretend like he doesn't understand how tipping works, and what amount is expected, that's up to you. I'd just add you to ignore and you can run your ass to the Hole. I bet you'll need a port before I'll need anything from you.

[cd288]

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

First, I'm not an officer in DaP - I'm not even in the guild, and haven't been for over two years. That's why I've prefaced things with "when I was in the guild", etc.

Second, this is a very confusing response. I didn't say you couldn't make money outside of DaP - only that you'd make less. Having that tag up allows players to quickly and easily find a porter, outside of the porting highways like Skyfire ramp, WC rings, etc. You'll always get more tells with DaP, period. More tells means more ports, which means more money. This isn't even debatable, it's an objective truth.



I've already explained why DaP porters can't do that. Obviously, freelance porters can demand whatever they like.

Fortunately, most of the players aren't like you or some of the other posters in this thread, and are happy to tip the expected amount, or beyond, because they understand how valuable porters are. If you want to be the dude at the bar or restaurant that wants to pretend like he doesn't understand how tipping works, and what amount is expected, that's up to you. I'd just add you to ignore and you can run your ass to the Hole. I bet you'll need a port before I'll need anything from you.

The DAP biased guys chooses to ignore the fact that I barely made more money in DAP than solo porting. I literally did almost the same number of ports per hour. The difference is solo porting you have to be more active about it, whereas DAP is good if you just want to watch Netflix and wait for people to send you a tell and then click a single button before going semi afk again. I actually think solo porters deserve more than DAP does just because they actually have to put in effort lol

[Zarakk]

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

I've already explained why DaP porters can't do that. Obviously, freelance porters can demand whatever they like.

And I already said, this is their choice.

But if their guild policy is to not state fees upfront, then they must also accept the consequences of that policy. If this is proving a source of problems for some druids/wizards, then perhaps they are with the wrong guild.

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

Fortunately, most of the players aren't like you or some of the other posters in this thread, and are happy to tip the expected amount, or beyond, because they understand how valuable porters are. If you want to be the dude at the bar or restaurant that wants to pretend like he doesn't understand how tipping works, and what amount is expected, that's up to you.

Yes, you are correct, that is up to me.

More generally, it is up to every individual player. You cannot impose an artificial rule based on what you think on every other player. If someone wants a "tip", they are saying they will accept whatever I think it is worth, not what they think, and my view might be very different from theirs.

Don't get me wrong, I have tipped half a stack of peridots to folks in the past, for things they did for me. They didn't ask for it. That was just what I felt what they did was worth at that time.

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

I'd just add you to ignore and you can run your ass to the Hole. I bet you'll need a port before I'll need anything from you.

I only joined this server 3 months ago. When I was in my first couple of weeks, and saw a DAP druid advertising ports for tips, I sent him a tell asking what he meant by tips, and he said "if you don't pay me at least 30p you go on ignore". I wasn't even looking for a port, I had just sent a polite tell asking for information. I was about level 10, and I had about 2p to my name. I thought "what an arse" and didn't speak to him further.

This is the first time I have heard something similar since, and I react the same way now. So feel free to add me to your ignore list, my character name is clearly stated in my signature (unlike you, hiding behind a forum name).

You think I do not "appreciate the service you offer".
I think you are just promoting a "greedy" attitude and then defending "deliberate vagueness" so as to try to hide that.

Most people I have met here are nicer than this. I do things for others without a need to always be excessively paid.

I guess we live in different worlds. Each to their own.

[cadoipi]

Some clarifications as a recent member of DaP:

1) DaP members are allowed to set their own rates as long as they are stated up front. After the port happens the porter needs to accept what is offered. When I was in DaP I would ask for payment before porting people (it is more efficient due to the difference in loading times, the congestion at the landing location, and needing to invis baddies). In the event that someone offered what I thought was low I would ask them to kick in a bit more. This created an issue only a handful of times and I was happy to add them to my ignore list. I would use my judgement in doing this, eg 20pp from an unguilded level 50 melee class in banded was fine, but I would ask for more from a level 50 in a raiding guild with a fungi.

2) The reason most DaP don't list an explicit price is because some people pay over pp/level and some people pay peanuts. If an explicit price was asked for the generous people would mostly pay list price and penny pinchers would refuse to pay, which would mean a drop in revenue for the porter. Not having a listed price also allows flexibility, for instance if someone was short on plat, then I would often port them and ask that they ping me next time they were near a spire so you could pay me then.

3) If you usually pay below pp/level, don't think it is fine just because no one ever complained. If you are paying after the port, then DaPers are not allowed to complain. Also your low payments are being subsidized by the more generous members of the server. If everyone was cheap, then DaP would have a severe lack of porters or would need to start having set prices.

[fortior]

Also, if you can't pay 1pp/level you're a loser

[cd288]

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

And I already said, this is their choice.

But if their guild policy is to not state fees upfront, then they must also accept the consequences of that policy. If this is proving a source of problems for some druids/wizards, then perhaps they are with the wrong guild.



Yes, you are correct, that is up to me.

More generally, it is up to every individual player. You cannot impose an artificial rule based on what you think on every other player. If someone wants a "tip", they are saying they will accept whatever I think it is worth, not what they think, and my view might be very different from theirs.

Don't get me wrong, I have tipped half a stack of peridots to folks in the past, for things they did for me. They didn't ask for it. That was just what I felt what they did was worth at that time.



I only joined this server 3 months ago. When I was in my first couple of weeks, and saw a DAP druid advertising ports for tips, I sent him a tell asking what he meant by tips, and he said "if you don't pay me at least 30p you go on ignore". I wasn't even looking for a port, I had just sent a polite tell asking for information. I was about level 10, and I had about 2p to my name. I thought "what an arse" and didn't speak to him further.

This is the first time I have heard something similar since, and I react the same way now. So feel free to add me to your ignore list, my character name is clearly stated in my signature (unlike you, hiding behind a forum name).

You think I do not "appreciate the service you offer".
I think you are just promoting a "greedy" attitude and then defending "deliberate vagueness" so as to try to hide that.

Most people I have met here are nicer than this. I do things for others without a need to always be excessively paid.

I guess we live in different worlds. Each to their own.

Don't worry about the guy you're arguing with. I have met some good/nice DAP people, but a lot of them tend to be more like the people you described in your story. Half the time they don't ooc for ports they just sit watching TV until someone sends them a tell and then they click a button and they think they are God's gift to the P99 server as though there aren't an influx of Druids in general. I have way more respect for solo porters who are frequently jumping between zones, actively finding customers, etc.

[Noren]

Ench who read this thread : start to charge 1pp per level for c/c2 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Melodyy]

Originally Posted by cd288 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

The DAP biased guys chooses to ignore the fact that I barely made more money in DAP than solo porting. I literally did almost the same number of ports per hour. The difference is solo porting you have to be more active about it, whereas DAP is good if you just want to watch Netflix and wait for people to send you a tell and then click a single button before going semi afk again. I actually think solo porters deserve more than DAP does just because they actually have to put in effort lol

I am in DaP but not an officer. Been in it for years. There are so many inaccuracies in what you write here that it would be silly to address them all. Give it up.

[radbeard]

Just to catch up, this whole thread about good vs evil is basically people trying to clarify what the least amount is that they can pay for a port and not feel bad right?