Shocking perspective on Gil Seller's MotivationFollow

As this seems to be a massive issue for so many I decided to do a little research. I trucked over to IGE and discovered that they consider Ragnarok to be one of the "best paying" serves (which I would assume to mean they pay more because there are fewer people here selling it so the market is tighter. I guess that's a good thing :/)

But here's what I discovered by entering known Jeuno AH prices for NM drops and items....
These prices are based on IGE's 'calculator' for what they pay for gil at any given moment. You stick in how much gil you have to sell, choose your server, and hit 'calculate' and this is what you get........

kraken Club = 10 Million Gil = $650.00
Peacock Charm = 7 MIllion Gil = $455.00
Eurytos Bow = 4.5 Million Gil = $292.50
Sniper's Ring = 500,000 Gil = $32.50
Ochudos Kote = 650,000 Gil = $42.50
Emp Hair Pin = 300,000 Gil = $19.50
Leaping Boots = 280,000 Gil = $18.20

Or to just base it on raw Gil..

1,000,000 = $65.00

This is what the Gil sellers on our server are 'earning' for their time and effort. Do you really think you are going to stop people from Camping these mobs when we're talking about being able to make a mortgage payment even here in the US with a couple of Kraken Clubs a month? So for $12.95 and a month's effort you can turn $1,300 on a couple of Krakens.. or hell just farm normally and do nothing BUT farm once you hit 60ish. I bet 10-20 Million a month would be pretty easy to earn if it was 100% of your effort.

Still think you're going to beat these guys on a "its not right" argument? Not when we're talking about very real sums of money. Square is the only one who can fix it, and to them a handful of people making a few bucks isn't worht risking a couple thousand people getting upset over the solutions they employ to end it. They aren't losing money off the gil sellers, they are in fact making $13 a month off them just like they are you..and frankly if you want to be blunt.. THOSE people aren't leaving when they hit 40 or get bored....they're working it until the servers turn to dust.

Oh and just to be clear.. this is what IGE PAYS the sellers...they then turn around and double that amount as near as I can tell when selling it to the public. So there is yet another motivation..show me a sales job (a fair analogy) where your 'boss' gives you a 50% comission?



Edited, Wed Oct 13 16:11:12 2004 by airamis

best comment on the subject EVER.

Mostly because I think it goes both ways. First it strikes at the heart of the "i must have" attitude many players have about certain items. it's an obession. I would expect it it if the whole community was made up of "fashion maven" 16 year old girls (no offense) who simply can't wear the same clothes this month because they aren't HIP anymore. But there are a lot of 20+ and even 40+ gamers out there feeding the monster.

Also, it strikes to another side of this. This is a GAME. It amazes me how many people are taking this up as a crusade. How many people are crying "illegal" and "immoral" and "a matter of right and wrong". Just out of curiosity I'd love to see a poll of those same people detailing how much time they've donated to their local homeless shelter, legal aid, Red cross, or other charities trying to solve REAL problems and address REAL issues of right and wrong. Or for those who are just trying to "Tell 100 people and those people tell 100 people so we get the word out and make people aware", how many hours have you spent this month talking to your friends about Second Harvest? Or Donating Blood? Or maybe sending $5 off to Hurricane victims.

Its so very easy to crusade about the percieved 'injustice' we're all suffering at the hands of the profiteers when the most we have to do is rant on a forum or complain in our LS or /TELLs. its safe, we dont have to make any real effort and we all feel oh so just and righteous when doing it.

No question that this is bringing down the enjoyment of the game for some. No question that it's a violation of the EULA, and no question that it is, at some level, a form of 'cheating'. But much like so many things in the 'real world' this is out of the general populations hands, it has to come from our in game 'government'. But we also all need to get over our selves..this whole discussion/argument/debate/whatever is starting to take on the elements of a moralistic crusade...and frankly if you have THAT much of your emotions, time, and energy wrapped up in this game...then maybe you need a little perspective..because IT IS A GAME. Life is that thing outisde that is passing you by.


/endrant

(man I am SO gonna get rated down for this lol)


Oh and just one more thing... Tiffie is right...its a cycle. You stop people from buying..then no one will sell.. but take a look at something like drug traffic in Amercia.. you want to stop it.. convince people to stop using drugs and the sellers wont have customers and the problem goes away. Its simple...but its never going to happen.

Edited, Wed Oct 13 16:57:59 2004 by airamis

Edited, Wed Oct 13 16:58:33 2004 by airamis

ROFLMAO... I love it. The gil sellers are wrecked your REAL income. Now THERE's something to rally against...


Much Kudos and a rate up for honesty!

This problem has been around for as long as MMORPGs have been around though. There is no doubt that gil sellers can take away from legitimate player's fun. And making people aware is a good thing. But there are by far way more legitimate players then those buying and selling in game money, items and characters. I even found on ebay people who will level your character for you for a fee.(Though why you can't pay someone to take care of your plants when you are out of town is beyond me. ;) )

It's a battle that the legitimate players are never going to win. As I stated above, as long as there is a demand for it, people are going to make money off of it.

I understand caring about the game. I do as well. I have met a lot of great people since I started playing and I'd hate to have them leave because of fustrations from problems such as this. Though I found the better way to combat the problem is to do my best to make it fun for legitmate players in whatever way that I can. I'll help anyone who wants to get a high priced item try to aquire it by drop if I can. If I get one, I always give my ls first dibs on using it before I sell it. I figure I can sell it in a few months when they are done with it. I do what I can to keep people from feeling as if they have to resort to buying gil. I had a ls friend who wasn't able to farm due to lack of time and tried to send him half of my farming take everytime I could, just so he could use the little bit of time he had in game to level.

Most of us know a few people who are struggling to keep up because they don't have the time required to raise gil and level. Maybe if those of us who have a little more free time are more willing to help our friends, we may stop someone from purchasing gil and thus steal yet another customer from these sellers.

Props to airamis!! Great way to clearify things for us.

I personally do not see who gil selling will harm the game. Everywhere you go in the game, there is an exchange of gil. Some gil is gone for good (chocos, boat rides), other gil is exchanged between players. Gil sellers just set up another exchange of gil. I do not believe this will harm the economy, or the friendships formed by those who play the game. Rank 10 is still considered a high accolade among all of us who actually play.

The main point of playing, is to play. I hope that there are people who actually enjoy the story plot (i know this one is a stretch), music, and actual gameplay. Gil is NOT the point of the game. I know it plays a huge part with geting certain items, but it only adds to the fun.

Please continue to play normally, and try not to fret over issues that do not directly affect you.

For the record, I heart Cydille.