First off, this would need to be a subscription based game, but this would also allow for a lower fee thus boosting sales. Developers are the only ones that should be profiting for their game, it IS their game. Also when players  start profiting from the game we are going to get into a big mess with Taxing all of our in game items so that the governments get a "piece of the cake".  This way Developers can still just add this to their taxes, players items remain tax free for them, and everyone is content.

Now I have thought about this for a while, and that is why I have come to the conclusion that cash, not items sold by the game developers on site is the only way to properly implement this to keep all parties content. It benefits the casual and hardcore gamers simply because the casual gamer will still have to purchase items from the hardcore gamer, and therfor providing a market for them to sell their goods. Boosting the in game enconomy not hindering it.

Games that do not allow RMT still have it running rampant, the only way they can truly stop it is to ruin the free trade in game, and that in turn ruins the game itself. Binding items, limiting trade, making untradables takes away from gameplay. The best way I see to 1. reduce bots, because it will not be profitable for them to compete with the game itself 2. allow casual and hardcore players to compete, and 3. keep the game fun and allow for player freedoms IS to have the game itself sell in game cash, nothing else.

Players with more time and less$ can obtain the items in game and sell them to the players with more $ and no time. The hardcore players wind up getting the cash the casual players bought and it is a win win situation.

When the developers sell items, it takes away from the items earned by the hardcore players and they receive no benefit from this. It hurts them because when they try to sell their hard earned items in game, the market is reduced thus lowering the demand for those items. But wiht cash they still have a market for thier earned items.

Developers can then use the extra cash to lower sub fees, and add more in game content for everyone.

I see one flaw and that would be the developers actually tieing monetary value to the digital items which opens up a few holes most developers wouldn't want to touch.   By tieing real money to the items you're attaching value to the gameplay for something other than just "renting game time, and that being the only thing you're paying and drawing value from".   This opens up all sorts of attachments to the real world that are a little unsavory in a psychological and legal sense.

 Granted if you're willing to be prepared/use such issues to your advantage there really aren't nearly  as many problems as there could be.

Originally posted by paulscott

I see one flaw and that would be the developers actually tieing monetary value to the digital items which opens up a few holes most developers wouldn't want to touch.   By tieing real money to the items you're attaching value to the gameplay for something other than just "renting game time, and that being the only thing you're paying and drawing value from".   This opens up all sorts of attachments to the real world that are a little unsavory in a psychological and legal sense.

 Granted if you're willing to be prepared/use such issues to your advantage there really aren't nearly  as many problems as there could be.

 

The problem is that developers are not going to be given a choice in the very near future. They either have to RMT themselves to reduce players from doing so anyhow  and  pay the taxes along side the taxes they already pay on their earnings, or they are going to have to take away player freedom and trade, thus destroying gameplay.  Otherwise, the governments are going to step in and require taxes from all players for all virtual goods, as is already being proposed in parts of the world.  Due to player RMT , rather than developer RMT the governments are feeling shortchanged on taxable income. This billion $ industry is growing at such a rapid rate it has become a serious issue.
 

It boils down to game developers having to make the decision of either 1. ruin their game by binding, trade limits, reduced trade to prevent player RMT, or 2. find a better solution that will keep their players from having to pay taxes on virtual goods. With it being through the game and being cash only it solves many of the problems all at once. Whent he game itself sells the in game currency, it provides too much competition for player RMT to be profitable for them.

Originally posted by deviliscious

When the developers sell items, it takes away from the items earned by the hardcore players and they receive no benefit from this. It hurts them because when they try to sell their hard earned items in game, the market is reduced thus lowering the demand for those items. But wiht cash they still have a market for thier earned items.

Which MMOs currently work that way? To clarify, in which MMOs can players just buy the needed or high end items from the developers instead of other players?

Originally posted by LynxJSA

Originally posted by deviliscious

When the developers sell items, it takes away from the items earned by the hardcore players and they receive no benefit from this. It hurts them because when they try to sell their hard earned items in game, the market is reduced thus lowering the demand for those items. But wiht cash they still have a market for thier earned items.

 

Which MMOs currently work that way? To clarify, in which MMOs can players just buy the needed or high end items from the developers instead of other players?

Currently I am not sure which games are now offering them since years ago when dealing with Asian grinders that offered these things I quit playing those games. But like in age of armor, offering ammo via item mall would reduce the ammo offered in game. Even the clothes and such in malls from Rohan and Perfect world reduce the in game value of in game only  obtained items. Everything that can be obtained in  an item mall should be able to be obtained in game as well, in order to give all players access to content.  This includes buffs and xp ehnahcers. It doesn;t even have to be a high end item to affect the games economy.  just the introduction of new items to a mall affects the games demand for other items. 
 

And in actual it doesn;t matter which games are offering them,  as we are talking about solutions, not the problems here. The items themselves in the item shop cause imbalance and discontent, where as if it is just in game cash every player can access that in game, so it is just a matter of convienience for those players that do not have time to farm.

Rather than have a free game with item mall only items to compete, have a subscription based game with a lower fee and a cash only shop balancing it out.  In order to keep both developers and different players content, without sacrificing gameplay or content, cash only shop is the way to go. devs make the money instead of bots,  and all players have access to all content.

You see, I would like to see games that offer more content, but because of RMt and items shops this is being hindered. I would like to see our games in the future be able to have ALL in game items craftable, tradable and dropable, so that no matter how you enjoyed playing you could still enjoy the game. Because of RMT, and botting this is becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain. I enjoy playing games with my friends,  which enjoy different aspects to games and enjoy doing different things. In order to accomplish this, we would need to be able to suit a varity of needs not just my own.

Originally posted by deviliscious

And in actual it doesn;t matter which games are offering them,  as we are talking about solutions, not the problems here.

Actually it does because the argument presented by many anti-RMT people is the same as yours. If no items malls are designed that way, or if only 2 or 3 out of the couple hundred MMO are designed that way, then the argument is a almost a strawman and not really a 'problem' that needs any kind of solving.

Originally posted by LynxJSA

Originally posted by deviliscious

And in actual it doesn;t matter which games are offering them,  as we are talking about solutions, not the problems here.

 

Actually it does because the argument presented by many anti-RMT people is the same as yours. If no items malls are designed that way, or if only 2 or 3 out of the couple hundred MMO are designed that way, then the argument is a almost a strawman and not really a 'problem' that needs any kind of solving.

If there was no problem, there would be no legislation currently being proposed in  Asia and here in the US to tax virtual goods. You know as well as I do that RMt is a billion $ industry. With these sheer number of complaints on RMT and item shops there IS a problem, and you would have to be blind not to see it. Player RMT results in bot infestations and government intervetion. Developer RMT  gives the money back to the game to give players more content and provides stiff competition to player RMt making it unprofitable for players.   If left the way it is, developers in the very near future will be hard pressed to remove trade entirely from games or face the taxation of all virtual goods on their players.

My solution offers an alternative to these harsh methods while maintaining the quality of content and freedoms players currently enjoy.

China to Impose 20 Percent Tax on Virtual Commerce

www.atelier-us.com/international/article/china-to-impose-20-percent-tax-on-virtual-commerce

IRS May Push for Tax Compliance in Virtual Worlds

voices.washingtonpost.com/small-business/2009/01/irs_may_push_for_tax_complianc.html

www.webguild.org/feeds/search.php

I am trying to understand your position, You are pro item mall anti cash mall? LOL  Cash mall allows for all players to access all game content. Item mall  does not and does nothing to hinder bots or Player RMT. If Player RMt isn;t curbed everyone playing any MMo where trade is allowed will have to pay taxes on their in  game items. Are you suggesting that is a better solution?

What you are linking to and talking about has absolutely nothing to do with item malls. Item mall purchases are already taxed as they are purchases made from the service provider. You are confusing 3rd party RMT with item malls.

Originally posted by LynxJSA

What you are linking to and talking about has absolutely nothing to do with item malls. Item mall purchases are already taxed as they are purchases made from the service provider. You are confusing 3rd party RMT with item malls.

No, I am not confused, I understand fully that they all have to be a part of the solution. Developer items malls need to be a part of the solution to combat 3rd party RMT. I think you misunderstood my position.  In their current state they do nothing to combat 3rd party RMT, and that is what I am trying to solve. I am pro- developer cash shop. The developer selling of in game cash would be the best way  to combat 3rd party RMT,  bots and the taxing of all virtual goods.  Even in games that have subscription fees should offer an in game cash shop to combat 3rd party RMT.  My solution benefits everyone involved, not just those currently buying from item malls.

 The IRS is trying to get involved in in game economies, that is what I am trying to prevent here.
 

Originally posted by deviliscious

 

Games that do not allow RMT still have it running rampant, the only way they can truly stop it is to ruin the free trade in game, and that in turn ruins the game itself. Binding items, limiting trade, making untradables takes away from gameplay. The best way I see to 1. reduce bots, because it will not be profitable for them to compete with the game itself 2. allow casual and hardcore players to compete, and 3. keep the game fun and allow for player freedoms IS to have the game itself sell in game cash, nothing else.

Players with more time and less$ can obtain the items in game and sell them to the players with more $ and no time. The hardcore players wind up getting the cash the casual players bought and it is a win win situation.

When the developers sell items, it takes away from the items earned by the hardcore players and they receive no benefit from this. It hurts them because when they try to sell their hard earned items in game, the market is reduced thus lowering the demand for those items. But wiht cash they still have a market for thier earned items.

Developers can then use the extra cash to lower sub fees, and add more in game content for everyone.

I belive your offering us some sweeping generalazations.  I don't belive that binding items was done to prevent RMT, though I can understand how it in fact would hinder RMT, I don't think that was the primary goal of binding of items.  Even if you eleminated RMT devs would still have players bind items.  At least in the contex of systems (less RMT) as we know them now.

The lack of freedom IMO is a result of inovation on the part of the Dev's.  Games that allow players to purchase items with in-game cash find that there is a shift to money making and item farming (early DAoC was like this).  As a result, much of the games content goes unseen and when a player purchases everything he needs to "finally start playing the game", most players learn, that the acquisition of items is the game.  Rinse and repeat systems are everywhere and few games offer any kind of immersive PvP systems once players are fully geared.

My soulution would be to allow the average player to protect a small amount of wealth, but those with huge sums (Hard core and RMT'ers) would have more assets then they could exempt and would have to put them in a place where they are exposed to theft.  RMT'ers would then find themselves having to play the game insted of simply doing a job in a game.  As time is consumed in the protection of in game assets rise, profits would fall.

Hardcore players on the other hand, enjoy the game and would presumably be having fun doing what it is they pay ~$15 a month to do,that is, play the game!

If "spy" was a class in game and you could incorporate it into the fiction within the game, exposing a player (guilds) holdings could be an interesting way to fuel more meaningful conflict between players....

Originally posted by Talinguard

Originally posted by deviliscious

 

Games that do not allow RMT still have it running rampant, the only way they can truly stop it is to ruin the free trade in game, and that in turn ruins the game itself. Binding items, limiting trade, making untradables takes away from gameplay. The best way I see to 1. reduce bots, because it will not be profitable for them to compete with the game itself 2. allow casual and hardcore players to compete, and 3. keep the game fun and allow for player freedoms IS to have the game itself sell in game cash, nothing else.

Players with more time and less$ can obtain the items in game and sell them to the players with more $ and no time. The hardcore players wind up getting the cash the casual players bought and it is a win win situation.

When the developers sell items, it takes away from the items earned by the hardcore players and they receive no benefit from this. It hurts them because when they try to sell their hard earned items in game, the market is reduced thus lowering the demand for those items. But wiht cash they still have a market for thier earned items.

Developers can then use the extra cash to lower sub fees, and add more in game content for everyone.

 

I belive your offering us some sweeping generalazations.  I don't belive that binding items was done to prevent RMT, though I can understand how it in fact would hinder RMT, I don't think that was the primary goal of binding of items.  Even if you eleminated RMT devs would still have players bind items.  At least in the contex of systems (less RMT) as we know them now.

The lack of freedom IMO is a result of inovation on the part of the Dev's.  Games that allow players to purchase items with in-game cash find that there is a shift to money making and item farming (early DAoC was like this).  As a result, much of the games content goes unseen and when a player purchases everything he needs to "finally start playing the game", most players learn, that the acquisition of items is the game.  Rinse and repeat systems are everywhere and few games offer any kind of immersive PvP systems once players are fully geared.

My soulution would be to allow the average player to protect a small amount of wealth, but those with huge sums (Hard core and RMT'ers) would have more assets then they could exempt and would have to put them in a place where they are exposed to theft.  RMT'ers would then find themselves having to play the game insted of simply doing a job in a game.  As time is consumed in the protection of in game assets rise, profits would fall.

Hardcore players on the other hand, enjoy the game and would presumably be having fun doing what it is they pay ~$15 a month to do,that is, play the game!

If "spy" was a class in game and you could incorporate it into the fiction within the game, exposing a player (guilds) holdings could be an interesting way to fuel more meaningful conflict between players....

 

3rd prty RMT includes the sale of entire accounts as well. If the game does not have an option for the players to simply purchase the cash they need to make their account better from the developer, they will STILL buy fully loaded accounts from 3rd Party RMT  and will result in the IRS taxing all of our items in our games as well. I have seen this happen in a game that greatly limited trade, the number of programs that accessed the site did not greatly decrease, instead all of the gold farmers then just switched to selling fully stocked accounts. If the gameplay is designed to be fun and have the developer run cash shop it would hinder both Bts and  players wanting to purchase cash or accounts from other players because they would  be able to make their account however they would like with the in game cash they purchase from the developer.
 

As to your reference of a "spy " class, to me the class system is outdated and limiting and I would like to see games with NO CLASSES  so that all players can access all in game content from one account without the need to make several to  accomplish this.  In order to bring pvp to a new level , I would rather remove the connection between players appearance and ability bringing a level of unpredictability to the game that is currently lacking. The whole " see elf know elf strength and weaknesses, counter elf" is boring, predictable and has gotten old over time. I  want a system that I cannot predetermine what my opponent is capable of prior to battle , so I am forced to react in battle rather than just go through the motions.

RMTers already play the games .. they already sell fully loaded accounts. This does nothing to stop the IRS from coming in and  forcing all players to pay taxes on their in  game items. The only way to stop that from happening is for the the game itself to offer to much competition so that it is no longer profitable for them to do so. Either that or bind items and ruin trade. It is going to boli down to 1. give up in game economy entirely, or 2. force 3rd party RMT out of the game through competition, or  3. face the  taxation of all of our ingame items and stats on a game.

3rd prty RMT includes the sale of entire accounts as well. If the game does not have an option for the players to simply purchase the cash they need to make their account better from the developer, they will STILL buy fully loaded accounts from 3rd Party RMT  and will result in the IRS taxing all of our items in our games as well. I have seen this happen in a game that greatly limited trade, the number of programs that accessed the site did not greatly decrease, instead all of the gold farmers then just switched to selling fully stocked accounts. If the gameplay is designed to be fun and have the developer run cash shop it would hinder both Bts and  players wanting to purchase cash or accounts from other players because they would  be able to make their account however they would like with the in game cash they purchase from the developer.
 

As to your reference of a "spy " class, to me the class system is outdated and limiting and I would like to see games with NO CLASSES  so that all players can access all in game content from one account without the need to make several to  accomplish this.  In order to bring pvp to a new level , I would rather remove the connection between players appearance and ability bringing a level of unpredictability to the game that is currently lacking. The whole " see elf know elf strength and weaknesses, counter elf" is boring, predictable and has gotten old over time. I  want a system that I cannot predetermine what my opponent is capable of prior to battle , so I am forced to react in battle rather than just go through the motions.

RMTers already play the games .. they already sell fully loaded accounts. This does nothing to stop the IRS from coming in and  forcing all players to pay taxes on their in  game items. The only way to stop that from happening is for the the game itself to offer to much competition so that it is no longer profitable for them to do so. Either that or bind items and ruin trade. It is going to boli down to 1. give up in game economy entirely, or 2. force 3rd party RMT out of the game through competition, or  3. face the  taxation of all of our ingame items and stats on a game.

It sounds like we’re dealing with 2 issues, the IRS and game play. Personally I have my doubts that the IRS could effectively tax the entire MMO base. Especially since most of the activity that takes place in RMT takes place outside the game. The IRS is more likely to target websites that promote that stuff, then they are to lay a blanket over everyone in game. Having said that I won't entirely dismiss the notion and will continue to think about these aspects when I design my own systems.

As far as game play goes. The problem has always been that new wealth in ALL forms has come from the game. Computers are predictable and as long as they are RMT'ers will exist in game. I agree with you, that the old ways of doing things needs to change. Class systems have been done ad-nauseum, the spy thing could be part of a skill based system as well (in all honesty that’s what I was thinking even if that’s not what i wrote).

Personally I wouldn't even read about a game that sold items in game for real cash, never mind play it. I can't see how that would promote anything but new levels of addiction.

You said:
"Players with more time and less$ can obtain the items in game and sell them to the players with more $ and no time. The hardcore players wind up getting the cash the casual players bought and it is a win win situation."

What about players with less time and less money? Guess there just screwed? Especially when they have to compete against the more time more money folks, but I don't like to dismiss ideas off the cuff because I understand for everything you tell me there are ten things you haven't explained yet, but I have a hard time believing that this idea would solve the game play problem. It might solve the IRS problem, but at what cost?

One other thing, build a clever system that tries to outwit RMT'ers, I can assure you will do little but encourage an even more clever class of RMT'er and the war will go on....

It’s my belief that systems need to put players of the game against those that RMT. If RMT’ers has to spend time playing the game like everyone else, they have less time to ramp up profits. Those that do have huge profits should “stick out” and though they would be more powerful, they would also offer a high risk/ reward for the player base.  This of courese has to be done in a PvP centric system where players can take what other players have.
 

Originally posted by Talinguard

3rd prty RMT includes the sale of entire accounts as well. If the game does not have an option for the players to simply purchase the cash they need to make their account better from the developer, they will STILL buy fully loaded accounts from 3rd Party RMT  and will result in the IRS taxing all of our items in our games as well. I have seen this happen in a game that greatly limited trade, the number of programs that accessed the site did not greatly decrease, instead all of the gold farmers then just switched to selling fully stocked accounts. If the gameplay is designed to be fun and have the developer run cash shop it would hinder both Bts and  players wanting to purchase cash or accounts from other players because they would  be able to make their account however they would like with the in game cash they purchase from the developer.
 

As to your reference of a "spy " class, to me the class system is outdated and limiting and I would like to see games with NO CLASSES  so that all players can access all in game content from one account without the need to make several to  accomplish this.  In order to bring pvp to a new level , I would rather remove the connection between players appearance and ability bringing a level of unpredictability to the game that is currently lacking. The whole " see elf know elf strength and weaknesses, counter elf" is boring, predictable and has gotten old over time. I  want a system that I cannot predetermine what my opponent is capable of prior to battle , so I am forced to react in battle rather than just go through the motions.

RMTers already play the games .. they already sell fully loaded accounts. This does nothing to stop the IRS from coming in and  forcing all players to pay taxes on their in  game items. The only way to stop that from happening is for the the game itself to offer to much competition so that it is no longer profitable for them to do so. Either that or bind items and ruin trade. It is going to boli down to 1. give up in game economy entirely, or 2. force 3rd party RMT out of the game through competition, or  3. face the  taxation of all of our ingame items and stats on a game.

It sounds like we’re dealing with 2 issues, the IRS and game play. Personally I have my doubts that the IRS could effectively tax the entire MMO base. Especially since most of the activity that takes place in RMT takes place outside the game. The IRS is more likely to target websites that promote that stuff, then they are to lay a blanket over everyone in game. Having said that I won't entirely dismiss the notion and will continue to think about these aspects when I design my own systems.

As far as game play goes. The problem has always been that new wealth in ALL forms has come from the game. Computers are predictable and as long as they are RMT'ers will exist in game. I agree with you, that the old ways of doing things needs to change. Class systems have been done ad-nauseum, the spy thing could be part of a skill based system as well (in all honesty that’s what I was thinking even if that’s not what i wrote).

Personally I wouldn't even read about a game that sold items in game for real cash, never mind play it. I can't see how that would promote anything but new levels of addiction.

You said:
"Players with more time and less$ can obtain the items in game and sell them to the players with more $ and no time. The hardcore players wind up getting the cash the casual players bought and it is a win win situation."

What about players with less time and less money? Guess there just screwed? Especially when they have to compete against the more time more money folks, but I don't like to dismiss ideas off the cuff because I understand for everything you tell me there are ten things you haven't explained yet, but I have a hard time believing that this idea would solve the game play problem. It might solve the IRS problem, but at what cost?

This Idea was soley to address the IRS problem with the least amount of intrusion on gameplay. That way developers could still allow for an in game economy, and equal access to all content to all players. 

As is players with less money and less time are already left behind when it comes to gaming, I think to better solve this is to make the game design fun and rewarding reagrdless of what you do in game or what you enjoy doing in game  you can feel like you accomplished something in that amount of time. Even if it is one level, or creating a certain amount of X goods in that amount of time.  Players need to feel rewarded for every accomplishemnt, and not be forced into hours of non stop gameplay in order to do anything on the game.  The way I look at it is the game needs to have a variety of different types of things for  different types of players to do , all rewarding. 

Say you have a game where you have one player that can do any or all things the game has to offer.  Different zones for different activities so while they are enjoying those activities they can interact with other players that are enjoying those activites as well.  Like say when fishing they can chat with other players, and then a lil while later they can go to a mass multi combat war. I think the zoning the way it was done in runescape prior to the wilderness and trade updates is a good design as far as zoning. They had within the  safe areas, areas where people crafted, areas where people farmed, areas where people built houses, areas where people ranged, areas where people mined and worked smithing skills. In the PVP areas they offered a variety for the different types of players. A dueling area where they could bet on pvp fights,  the wilderness area which was divided between single player and multiplayer combat ,full loot, you increased your danger the deeper you went leaving players the ability to choose how much risk they wanted to take.

Though they missed the mark when it comes to fun gameplay, instead they just had repetitious overdone grinding without decent player rewards.  Implementing fun gameplay and decent player reards that do not require huge time alotments to accomplish would be a better design to make it enjoyable for players to get ahead in the game .To me , more time consuming doesn't equal more challenging and there is no need to require huge allotments of time investment  in each activity. 

 Lets say you make all items in the game player craftable, socketable, salvagable, tradable, and dropped from monsters. By doing this you allow a greater variety of players to enjoy doing things their own way, say the person who enjoys killing monsters  for loot can just do that if they want to, players who just like killing players for loot can still do that,  players who just want to craft the items can do that as well, and  the player that wants to do all 3 can do so too ,  they all enjoy the game.  Players can craft in the morning, kill monsters in the afternoon and kill players in the evening  if they so choose. This would allow more players of different types to play and enjoy the game together however they like to play.  This would also allow player who have alot of time and very little time to be able to still have something enjoyable for them to do in game without having to make a commitment.  Mini games are also a good way to allow them to have something fun to do with a short period of time as long as thise mini games are kept short, say 20 minutes or less per game.

One other thing, build a clever system that tries to outwit RMT'ers, I can assure you will do little but encourage an even more clever class of RMT'er and the war will go on....

That is exactly my point, no matter what we try to do to the game design there will still be 3rd party RMT trying to make money off it, unless you give them too much competition and run them out of biz head on.  I want the developers to give them the competition that makes it a waste of their time to compete.. kinda like the walmart moving in next to the mom and pop store. The game itself makes infinite cash, gold farmers could never beat their prices or supply thus shutting their doors. I see this as the only effective way to truly get rid of them.

It’s my belief that systems need to put players of the game against those that RMT. If RMT’ers has to spend time playing the game like everyone else, they have less time to ramp up profits. Those that do have huge profits should “stick out” and though they would be more powerful, they would also offer a high risk/ reward for the player base.  This of courese has to be done in a PvP centric system where players can take what other players have.
 

This is already being done, via player report systems and open pvp worlds and such players are sick of bots and gold sellers and specifically look for them, but it is not enough. For every bot and gold seller that gets banned there are a dozen more created every minute.  The only way to cut them off is at the source,   through developer compettition.

 

 It's interesting because think were in the same book, perhaps different pages, but I think we both want a game where players are free to interact with the enviornment and each other more freely.  I think you want devs creating systems that beat RMT'ers to the punch, I want a world where money is not infinite and players enforce a balence making RMT in other games much more profitable.

If I were to bet anymoney I'd bet that traditional RWTers would not be in a game that has real money closely tied to the game currancy(or indirectly other items).   I say this with confidence because current RWTers basically demand a closed market with a minimal amount of competition.   Sure there's some competition from from a very small handful of traders, but when you get to something that is dev supported and oversighted "everyone and their little brother"* ends up competeing with each other.  At the very least you make them less profitable, and give them less demand meaning there are fewer bots by traditional RWTers(and most people who do RWT could care less about price and will go the ToS safe route when buying goods even if it's more expensive).

Granted I'm achieving this buy going a bit more traditional.   Basically I'm stating you're free to play this game forever, but you have to option of buying subscription time(game money) from players who have who have bought that time(real money).   However I'm making the feature very well supported, while still being reletivly F2P.

*fun bastardization that makes sense in the context

Originally posted by paulscott

If I were to bet anymoney I'd bet that traditional RWTers would not be in a game that has real money closely tied to the game currancy(or indirectly other items).   I say this with confidence because current RWTers basically demand a closed market with a minimal amount of competition.   Sure there's some competition from from a very small handful of traders, but when you get to something that is dev supported and oversighted "everyone and their little brother"* ends up competeing with each other.  At the very least you make them less profitable, and give them less demand meaning there are fewer bots by traditional RWTers(and most people who do RWT could care less about price and will go the ToS safe route when buying goods even if it's more expensive).

 

Granted I'm achieving this buy going a bit more traditional.   Basically I'm stating you're free to play this game forever, but you have to option of buying subscription time(game money) from players who have who have bought that time(real money).   However I'm making the feature very well supported, while still being reletivly F2P.

 

*fun bastardization that makes sense in the context

Well, yes you could go the F2p approach, though I think it would be implemented well in a sub based game as well to curb 3rd party RMT. You could charge a lower sub fee, provide quality features and content and sell in game gold increasing the revenue for the game and keeping sub fees competively priced. A lower sub fee would mean wider availability, while still keeping a sub fee weeds out alot of the unsightly community problems often found in the free games.