What am I supposed to tell you besides that it's an ongoing issue that will most likely never be fixed?
He is from Reddit and has been trolling for a couple days now.
CHEG! What happened to the lovely .gifs you used to have for everything? Surely this thread deserved one! =)
*yawwwwwwwn streeeeeeeeeeetch*
My oh my, has it really been that long? How time flies. Let's see what the current topic of conversation is:
Oh, the cash shop! How ironic...I thought that was the point of contention when I left. Ah well, plus ce change, plus ce ne change pas. They're thinking about adding in special Alkahests, huh? Wonderful idea. You can still earn them normally, so if someone doesn't want to grind away for fodder gold, why not? I think the cash shop has shown that it needs to monetize more (and with the removal of subscription fees, it will need to monetize that amount PLUS whatever the previous deficit was). Stocking the store up with items seems to be the only true valid solution.
Well, I think that's about enough for my inaugural return post. I'm sure I'll have more to add as time moves inexorably on, as it is wont to do.
@Calypso: I'm serious when I say your loss to the gaming community will leave it just a little bit poorer, and I hope you find something that suits you better as the gaming industry leaves you (and others like you) behind.
An excellent post, and I thank you for the kind words. =)
I have been following for quite some time, I simply had no desire to post on the forums back then.
I'm certain between you and Thundercat, the edification of the masses will come along splendidly.
Edit: Always. It's what I live for. My great weakness...the inability to stay on topic. =(
Yes, you are being foolish. As the rest of the world goes on, continuing to have its fun without letting this issue bother them.
One day you may just give up that principle. After all, this isn't going away. What kind of business decision would it be to voluntarily give up all that quick and easy cash for one reskinned mount? The only reason companies dont just constantly do this is because there is a big difference between occasionally offering some vanity stuff for cash, and throwing everything into the cash shop.
The good thing is, I don't have to worry myself about what some company considers a good business decision. A 'good business decision' in almost every case is to screw me over as much as humanly possible. One day I may give up on the principle...but I doubt it. The days of sub-only MMO's are rapidly coming to an end. Once it goes f2p I'm sure I'll drop back by; my friend that I got playing loves the game to much to quit (nor would I ask him to quit for reasons that he doesn't feel strongly about).
You lost all credibility right here. go take a trip to an art museum if you want to pay to look at art.
If you think I'm even -remotely- concerned about losing 'credibility' to someone who not only have I never heard of, but has also only been following TERA since a week before launch...you're going to be sadly disappointed.
Actually I was having a general laugh at the continued "anti-cash shop" call to arms.
However, allow me:
I quite understand the reasons one might be against a cash shop, no matter how a company might label it. (Cash Shop, Premium Items, Fancy-Boutique.) Personally, it's not a model I favor either, and I've seen first hand the dangers of a Pay to Win cash shop.
That being said, Cash shops are a growing thing amongst game companies. Someone figure out these things make money, and now they are becoming standard. For a company to not use one, though it may gain them some "Brownie Points" with their players... Is for a company to fall behind. Cash shops on top of subscriptions generate more dollars the company can fund towards staffing, coding, advertising, etc...
So while I understand that the cash shop is seen as an "evil" of the MMO world, we're kind of stuck with it. So far, Skins and 1 over priced mount is a far cry from a pay to win cash shop, and thus it doesn't irk me. When EME starts placing 100% guaranteed enchants in the shop, or selling 300% Exp booster packs, etc... Then I'll stand behind you (or rather, be unsubbing).
Until then, arguing to remove a cosmetic cash shop is much like preaching abstinence as the only form of contraceptive.
A typical, and good from many points of view, argument...if only pay to win were important to me. However, it's not.
I won't support a game that has both a subscription -and- a cash shop. I pay a subscription to something to get what content is offered; if I pay Woman's Day for a new subscription, I don't expect to have each new issue sold to me as a 'premium' because my subscription only covers what the current content was the month I subscribed. However, this is exactly what I am expected to believe. Art might not be content to 98% of the playerbase...but you don't see them asking to fight things in a flat, featureless white plain either; the art is simply overlooked to them. 'Skins and mounts' (and no doubt pets, to come) may 'just be cosmetic', but you don't hear anyone asking them to remove that 'silly cosmetic armor' and put in gray models. But most of my enjoyment is derived not from the PVE, not from PVP, or raiding, but from the various art content ('the casual stuff') of a game. You're asking me to pay -more- for -my- content, while taking a stand against things that affect -your- content (pay to win things affect pve and pvp). It's a double standard of the basest order.
But as I said, I'm not going to go over it any more than that; you posted your thoughts on it, so I reiterated mine. I won't go on and on about it because I did that last time. I thought there had been a change in policy (they didn't add anything for a long time, gave away some for the Facebook thing, even some skins started being on the AH). It seems I was wrong, as the mount cannot be obtained in any way other than cash. Cash that I have enough of...but refuse to support on principle. So I go -- in...1.5 days, I think it is. Something like that, when my sub runs out.
Anyway, that's enough. For those who knew my objection, I apologize for the length. For those who snicker or think it's foolish, I don't care. For those who think pancakes are better, you're wrong. =)
See ya calypso... Let me know when you find a AAA mmo with no cash shop, much less one that hasn't sold their soul to wallstreet, laters and good luck !
I doubt I will. Maybe I'll miss MMO's so badly that I finally accept it, once they've -all- capitulated, but I doubt it. The MMO bug has been dying for me finally of late, so the announcement probably only helped to cement what was an assured outcome. I'm okay with that. I'm sure I'll find other ways to pass my time. =)