MMOWTF: So You Want to be a Gold Pimp?
This week, a virtual prostitute inspires Dan Fortier to write about some other dubious in-game professions.
Editor's Note: This is an edition of a weekly column by Staff Writer Dan Fortier. The column is called "MMOWTF" and will look at some of the stranger or more frustrating events in MMOs as seen by Mr. Fotier. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of MMORPG.com, its staff or management.
As much as I am constantly telling myself that nothing people do surprises me anymore, I am occasionally slapped in the face with a story that reawakens me to the depth of human absurdity. One such story surfaced last month about a girl (a real one apparently), who offered to have sex with anyone who would give her the five thousand gold she need to buy an Epic Flying Mount for her World of Warcraft character. I realize virtual prostitution has been going on for years, but this is just blurring the line between cyber and real life a bit too much for my taste. Even if the story isn't true it, did get me thinking about what other virtual jobs could be out there for the taking if you have enough savvy or low enough self esteem.
Gold Pimp
I'm not really much for dressing a fop and controlling women, so the idea of taking a share of some RMT without having beat up deadbeat Johns all day sounds pretty good to me. Some guy in Sims Online actually did this in reverse where people would pay to have cyber-sex with virtual hookers in his nightclub. This would work in virtually any game, although without a physical threat to keep your 'employees' in line, it would be hard to collect your share unless you have the stomach to do the jobs yourself.
MMO Mafia
In games with a fairly open PvP system it would be very easy to become a 'made man' by: shaking down local merchants for protection money, breaking the kneecaps of the people that don't pay back their loans or even running a rigged gambling operation. I can already see myself in my Epic Armani Suit, hanging with the other Goodfellas, telling stories about how I ruined the life of some wise guy who crossed me. Now that I'm thinking about it, I think it's about time we had a Gangster MMO where I do a drive-by with a Chicago Typewriter.
Virtual Demagogue
What online community wouldn't have a need for a new religion? Whether you plan to convince the local populace that the local Raid Boss is a benevolent deity or choose to make up your own, you have to figure that it would be quite profitable to be the voice of a god. Anyone who is having trouble getting a group or a problem getting the drops they want from a certain spawn can change their luck for a small donation and a leap of faith! If folks get wise to your con, then making a quick getaway is as easy as switching servers! One hint though: the Faith Healing bit doesn't work too well in a game with characters who really can heal.
The Double Agent
It might not exactly be a life of danger and mystery, but being a spy is definitely a lot of fun. MMOs that have strong Guild tools are the best for this sort of thing since they give you the most opportunity to gain valuable intel, or rob a Clan blind. An even better twist would be to set yourself up as a Spy-for-hire who is willing to infiltrate and gain the trust of any group (for a price) only to betray them later when the time is right. Perhaps the best example of this would be the Guiding Hand Social Club in EVE that robbed several billion ISK worth of items and participated in the murder of the CEO and destruction of a very rare ship. Once you've made your getaway, remember to watch your back for revenge in the form of death warrants or radioactive materials.
With enough imagination, and a server full of imbeciles, this is only a sample of the shady professions you can create to make money or ruin people's virtual lives. If you don't have enough creativity, or you happen to be playing a game that doesn't let you have fun at the expense of others then I pity you, for it is better to have scammed and lost then to never have scammed at all. As always, I look for the rest of you to keep the ball rolling. Keep it real till next Friday.
I remember terorists in GW Factions alianse battles, they joined in party and after battle start log out. Then they jump to other server and joined another party and done same again and again. So other alianse get easy factions.
Actualy I have done or been withness of these things actualy in one game called Face of Mankind. Well not anymore shamefully, but before retail orginised crime, spying and thinking and leading religions where on the order of the day. Although an pimp...I think there was once an escort service once though, but not really with the intetion of digital sex, but more to take someone to an party or meeting.
although this was all roleplay and nothing to do with real life
That just goes to show you that the lines are more than just blurred, indeed there are no lines at all.
As per me I am down with the Mafia idea.
Why am I not surprised this would happen?
I knew the absurd amount for a flying mount would prompt silly actions on the part of players but this just.... sad? Although I can see the MMO Mafia already in place in games like Lineage II.
http://sociolotron.amerabyte.com/website2/intro.htm
u can play as a pimp, or murderer, or with time a deamon
tho the graphics aren't amazing its a pretty good game if you give it a chance... and you can role play :/
oh note that it IS adult only for obvious reasons....
Play god in a game? Why not, others have done that outside the virtual world, so I guess that won't be a problem
Yeah, MMO mafia takes place in a few games, but is hardly an issue to that point.
Can't wait till next MMOWTF anyway...
She was not hot! And she got her epic mount... strangely enough. I don't know whom wanted to pay 5k gold for eeeeh (can't remember the word) doing that. It's strange from the start to the end.
Oh, my children! How lost you are! You may redeem yourselves by forsaking your misguided ways and devoting yourself to the service of The Tabernacle of Terror! You can prove your faith in Cazic-Thule with a paltry donation of EQ1pp, EQ2pp or US$... Or else we'll have to teach you the truth of Fear the old fashioned way!
... Gotta polish my pitch. I'll work on that.
Virtual Prostitution is part of Second Life I've heard, but I don't really 'play' that.
Just remember while you're travelling to watch yourself. They also seem to have problems with stalkers
In spite of having the chatlogs and contacting the GMs, TKO, the company that was terribly mismanaging the MMO into the ground, would take no action (probably because they didn't want to loose a couple of users when they might only loose her).
One of these idiots went and started a guild mostly of noobs, trying to grow a new guild fast with them being the top dogs. Coincidentally I was starting a new character because of problems with my main one that I had to wait for the GMs and TKO to fix. This guy recruited me (even though I practically had the same name so freinds might recognize me, and this genius and I had fought on several occasions).
Being a member of his guild I could see when ever his character was online, and would ask him if he wanted help or what he was doing so I could track him to an area and then contact guild members to try and warn him off harassing any of our members. I also took the opportunity to try and teach the little nooblets he had recruited a bit of MMO netiquette.
Finally, after repeated complaints and the female member of the guild getting her local police involved (she had the chatlogs and the correspondence with TKO) they permanently banned him and his buddy and told the police their connection and registration info.
These two delinquents lived several blocks from her... and she had seen them before.
I am proud of the little part I played in this but still didn't feel so great about lying to all the other players in that noobie guild to do it, because there was some really good people in it and most didn't forgive me for lying to them when they were so open to me.