QOTD: Do You Buy Online Gold for MMOs?
Gamers have been trading virtual gear for the longest time. Farming is also an everyday part of MMO life.
Gold selling however, really became mainstream when World of Warcraft hit the scene several years ago. Many WoW players feel the grind to big piles of gold simply take too long. Blizzard however, feels that buying gold takes away from the game, ruins it for other players and is generally a security risk.
Blizzard has been trying to put a stop to gold selling for a long time. Unfortunately for it, selling still persists and is still very much a popular way to get quick mountains of gold. Of course, besides gold, you can also buy online accounts and even gear. However, you can always be an honest player and grind your way to gold the normal way.
The question of the day is: Do you--or have you--buy online gold in MMOs like World of Warcraft?

Would never buy it myself, don't see the point in it
Maybe tomorrow comes a better and more serious QOTD...
For me...if the early levels of a game are so boring that I feel the need to pay past them, then I'm better off playing another game.
Additionally someone buying their way to levels and gear for many cheapens their own feelings of accomplishment.
I would prefer for all MMO companies to follow SOE's footsteps and offer servers for people who want to do that sort of thing. At least that way the people who want to buy gold etc. are paying the company that is developing the game. It also (in theory) helps reduce the number of people playing on my server that feel the need to buy their way up.
I got tired of wow around the end of lvl 70 season 2 and stayed until season 3 then quit. But I really hope a good mmo comes out soon I didn't like AOC, Warhammer, and even less Darkfall.
When I consider how long it would have taken me to farm it, I consider it a very good investment. I have to consider my hourly wage in real life versus the hours of mindless grinding it would take to get the same thing.
The only thing I didn't like was that I had to send a money order to China, and I was very concerned that I would be scammed.
Yes, I have bought gold to get an account going quickly… generally so I can start Botting.
***I only used funds from items/gold/characters I have sold previously, my paypal game fund***
You would be surprised how much monies are available if you actually try to make some cash… I sold an account in Asheron’s Call for $2000.
Chris, don't you have like 6 level 80's or something?
They all get boring after a while… I am still amazed at WoW’s following; I was bored of that game after about 3 months!
I have tried almost all the MMORG’s now and I have come to the conclusion that after you have played one to any extent, you have played them all. After “X” amount of time you’ll sit back one day and say to yourself…. “Why am I playing this game? What do I really get out of all these hours?” Then you get bummed out and start looking for a new/better one to replace then previous one. Eventually you come to the realization that the first MMORG you ever got into will be the best and nothing else matches it…
Then you start botting!
In regards to using services to power level your character, if you have already played a character of the same class previously (perhaps on a different server), and are just wanting to make another one quick I suppose it's ok ... if you don't mind putting your personal information/account at risk. If you have not previously played the class you are power leveling however, this is insanely stupid. Yeah, you will get a high level toon ... but you won't have any idea how to play that class of toon effectively. The only way you learn to do that is starting from scratch and leveling it up yourself. And it will be blatantly obvious to other players if you do this. If you have a lv 60 toon and have no idea how to use it people will spot this in a second and it will pass around the server quickly and soon you will find it nigh impossible to get in to a group as people will want nothing to do with you. And it would serve you right.
As far as getting good gear though I like EQ2 in that most of the best gear is No-Trade which means it cannot be bought. You have to go earn that for yourself. With the advest of the commissioning system I suppose it would be possible to 'buy' shard gear in an indirect fashion but that is a whole lot harder to pull off then just buying some gold and tweaking yourself.
JK. I game, but not MMO's. I have enough things to keep me busy without adding WarCrack to the list.
I level a Pally to 80 specc'ed Holy. I don't think I could ever level another toon after that.
...I don't think I would feel like I earned anything or accomplished anything if I did that. I mean, to me, what is the point of playing the game if I am going to do this? Part of the game is finding items to sell in the game or auction, at least to me it is.
Btw, nice graphic up top, but Tabula Rasa is gone! Like Auto Assault before it! =\ I miss Auto Assault!
and I would never sell gold or items to even my friends, part of the fun to me also is helping them out by giving them things I collected and earned or spending my hard earned gold to get them something to start them out if it isn't something I can make/craft for them.