Gold Farming is against the rules?

[Newby]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060324-6459.html

I fail to see how it's against the rules, really. If they want to waste their time farming gold, let them. They paid their $15/mo, what's wrong with them making some profit off of the game?

[Sidoh]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060324-6459.html

I fail to see how it's against the rules, really. If they want to waste their time farming gold, let them. They paid their $15/mo, what's wrong with them making some profit off of the game?

I think it's because people sell it for real cash.  That's against the TOS, but they can't do much other than ban accounts since most places you buy gold at are based in foriegn countries.

[Blaze]

u buy gold US dollar only plz :)

Yeah, there is nothing wrong with farming gold, but if they see you farming it then continuesly sending it to others for no reason...

[Armin]

Actually, farming and selling gold fucks with World of Warcraft's economy. Say chinese_farmer194 obtained a badass epic while farming for other items. Chinese_farmer194 sells it for 1000g to American_raider194. Now, the 1000g that American_raider194 saved up came from selling many different items on the auction house. Guess where the money that other people payed with for American_raider194's items came from? That's right, them selling items to more people. Now, Chinese_farmer194 isn't using the 1000g he just got to buy more items from other people, but to sell the gold for real money. The person who usually buys the gold just bought the game and spend all of their money on items that become useless at end game content, and they spend it all at vendors. The money no longer circulates, and the 1000g that was brought up by selling certain items to vendors is now gone.

[Sidoh]

That's a pretty severe generalization, but it's partly correct.  That part is intuitively obvious, I think.

Blaze was saying there was nothing wrong with farming gold.  He didn't say there wasn't anyting wrong with selling the gold you make (in mass quantities) for real money.

[dark_drake]

Actually, farming and selling gold fucks with World of Warcraft's economy. Say chinese_farmer194 obtained a badass epic while farming for other items. Chinese_farmer194 sells it for 1000g to American_raider194. Now, the 1000g that American_raider194 saved up came from selling many different items on the auction house. Guess where the money that other people payed with for American_raider194's items came from? That's right, them selling items to more people. Now, Chinese_farmer194 isn't using the 1000g he just got to buy more items from other people, but to sell the gold for real money. The person who usually buys the gold just bought the game and spend all of their money on items that become useless at end game content, and they spend it all at vendors. The money no longer circulates, and the 1000g that was brought up by selling certain items to vendors is now gone.

My experience is that the credit/gold farmers typically raise prices.  The person who bought the gold can then afford many more things, and he will bid outrageous amounts.  People see this item actually sell for said outrageous price, and they start selling theirs for that much.  I don't know, most of my experience is with SWG, though, where the economy was (still is sort of) entirely player driven.

[Screenor]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060324-6459.html

I fail to see how it's against the rules, really. If they want to waste their time farming gold, let them. They paid their $15/mo, what's wrong with them making some profit off of the game?

They don't mean actual 'farming' of gold. When people say 'farmer' in WoW, it means chinese guy who plays all day, and sells it to a company. This is exactly how it works:

Brand new server, the first people to level 60 are the farmers and the ones being powerleveled.

More people begin leveling up, and the need for money increases. The ones that don't want to waste their time working for money, go buy, say, 2000 gold for $120, this then making them have an overwhelmingly un-cared for amount of money that they'll be willing to waste on something expensive that they need. On every server, everyone knows there are gold buyers, this brings out people who play the auction house, generally what this is is buying low, selling for an absurd amount higher, hoping a goldbuyer wants it, completely excluding others who work for their money.

So then the only way to make money is playing the AH, therefore making more thinks too expensive to people who actually get their money properly.


Generally, banning gold farmers is perfectly fine with me, if they're gone, our server's economy goes to a normal state, instead of everyone ripping off eachother and something such as a Widowmaker not being worth 400 gold.

[Joe]

Actually, farming and selling gold fucks with World of Warcraft's economy. Say chinese_farmer194 obtained a badass epic while farming for other items. Chinese_farmer194 sells it for 1000g to American_raider194. Now, the 1000g that American_raider194 saved up came from selling many different items on the auction house. Guess where the money that other people payed with for American_raider194's items came from? That's right, them selling items to more people. Now, Chinese_farmer194 isn't using the 1000g he just got to buy more items from other people, but to sell the gold for real money. The person who usually buys the gold just bought the game and spend all of their money on items that become useless at end game content, and they spend it all at vendors. The money no longer circulates, and the 1000g that was brought up by selling certain items to vendors is now gone.

Yeah, but everyone started the game with 0g0s0c, even the farmers. Remember, the gold that no longer circulates is replaced with gold that newly circulates (dropped from monsters, quest rewards, the supply is theoretically infinite).

On a side note, if anyone sells/buys gold in the US, they're potentially going to get sued for buying or selling property of Blizzard.

[Screenor]

Actually, farming and selling gold fucks with World of Warcraft's economy. Say chinese_farmer194 obtained a badass epic while farming for other items. Chinese_farmer194 sells it for 1000g to American_raider194. Now, the 1000g that American_raider194 saved up came from selling many different items on the auction house. Guess where the money that other people payed with for American_raider194's items came from? That's right, them selling items to more people. Now, Chinese_farmer194 isn't using the 1000g he just got to buy more items from other people, but to sell the gold for real money. The person who usually buys the gold just bought the game and spend all of their money on items that become useless at end game content, and they spend it all at vendors. The money no longer circulates, and the 1000g that was brought up by selling certain items to vendors is now gone.

Yeah, but everyone started the game with 0g0s0c, even the farmers. Remember, the gold that no longer circulates is replaced with gold that newly circulates (dropped from monsters, quest rewards, the supply is theoretically infinite).

On a side note, if anyone sells/buys gold in the US, they're potentially going to get sued for buying or selling property of Blizzard.

No one gets sued for buying gold, there's never actual proof that they bought gold.

[Joe]

There's never proof of anything before an investigation takes place (only exception I can think of is destroyed property or a dead body), but a credit card charge to a gold-buying place is proof enough in this twisted country.

[ZeroX]

There's never proof of anything before an investigation takes place (only exception I can think of is destroyed property or a dead body), but a credit card charge to a gold-buying place is proof enough in this twisted country.

I agree. You cant get away with nothing know a days.

[Screenor]

There's never proof of anything before an investigation takes place (only exception I can think of is destroyed property or a dead body), but a credit card charge to a gold-buying place is proof enough in this twisted country.

The fact is Blizzard is not suing people for 40 dollars, don't be stupid. ;)

[Joe]

There's never proof of anything before an investigation takes place (only exception I can think of is destroyed property or a dead body), but a credit card charge to a gold-buying place is proof enough in this twisted country.

The fact is Blizzard is not suing people for 40 dollars, don't be stupid. ;)

The fact is these are massive operations making far more than 40 dollars, don't be stupid. ;)

Btw, your gold site must suck if you're spending $40. wowmine.com, $7=100g.

[Sidoh]

The fact is these are massive operations making far more than 40 dollars, don't be stupid. ;)

Btw, your gold site must suck if you're spending $40. wowmine.com, $7=100g.

Did it occur to you that he might have purchased more than 100g?

[Screenor]

There's never proof of anything before an investigation takes place (only exception I can think of is destroyed property or a dead body), but a credit card charge to a gold-buying place is proof enough in this twisted country.

The fact is Blizzard is not suing people for 40 dollars, don't be stupid. ;)

The fact is these are massive operations making far more than 40 dollars, don't be stupid. ;)

Btw, your gold site must suck if you're spending $40. wowmine.com, $7=100g.

First, I was talking about the gold BUYERS not the company, as is that's what you mentioned. Don't be stupid.

Secondly, refer to Sidoh's post. I know people who buy gold 2000g at a time.