Spending Silver or Cash On Gemstone Items [Archive]

Alfster

03-13-2007, 11:44 PM

I personally don't like paying monthly fees. I don't mind 15 bucks a month though and I do think it's silly for people to spend a few hundred dollars on top of their 15 bucks a month...but who am I to judge?

Spend your money how you want!

Stretch

03-13-2007, 11:57 PM

For the last several months of my playing days, I didn't pay to play Gemstone. It was strictly a way to kill a few hours and even make a couple bucks along the way.

With that said, I understand why people would fork over money for items/characters. Simply put, it's worth their time. It took me the equivalent of three weeks of eight hour days hunting to gather 30MM silvers. Conversely, if I had the change lying around, $420 buys immediate ownership of that 30MM. At this point, in-game silver is a relatively liquid asset with a set market price and low short-term risk of going away.

Does it make sense for everyone? Probably not. I wouldn't recommend buying silver if you're struggling to make the minimum payment on a credit card. On the flip side, I spend more dining out, drinks and weekend excursions that were I to just keep playing Gemstone instead, I could probably buy 30MM a month and SAVE money.

Methais

03-14-2007, 12:01 AM

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/DoyleHargraves/AlBundy.jpg

Kainen

03-14-2007, 12:54 AM

I personally think that there are worse things to spend money on. Since I pay for a GS account, how can I throw stones?

Skeeter

03-14-2007, 10:26 AM

Doesn't bother me. Bothers me even less when people buy MY stuff.

Gan

03-14-2007, 02:07 PM

Doesn't bother me. Bothers me even less when people buy MY stuff.

Winner.

Skirmisher

03-14-2007, 02:17 PM

I dont think this is a new debate but my opinion is similar to some that have been voiced.

I do not think i would ever spend actual realworld cash on items or ingame monies, but if someone wishes to spend their money on a legal, diverting hobby that brings them enjoyment then that's fine with me.

Warriorbird

03-14-2007, 04:59 PM

I really don't mind it. People who draw this hypocritical line of "item and silver sales okay, character sales BAAAD!" ...they piss me off.

Sean of the Thread

03-14-2007, 05:07 PM

I really don't mind it. People who draw this hypocritical line of "item and silver sales okay, character sales BAAAD!" ...they piss me off.

Welcome back WB.

Warriorbird

03-14-2007, 05:13 PM

Surfacing for a bit. May be gone for a long time come August.

Sean of the Thread

03-14-2007, 05:19 PM

Prison?

Seriously hope all is well.. you always wonder if someone fell in front of a bus when you don't see them post for a bit.

Augie

03-14-2007, 05:22 PM

I really don't mind it. People who draw this hypocritical line of "item and silver sales okay, character sales BAAAD!" ...they piss me off.

See if items change hands, it's not as OOC as when characters change hands. Someone can buy and sell an item without it hurting the integrity of it. But when someone buys and sells a character, that's when the RP environment gets all screwed up.

It doesn't matter either way, people are going to do it and keep doing it, so to each their own.

Warriorbird

03-14-2007, 05:25 PM

And to that...I call BS.

Would Arthur sell Excalibur for real life cash to a random squire?

Gan

03-14-2007, 05:38 PM

And to that...I call BS.

Would Arthur sell Excalibur for real life cash to a random squire?

No, because Excalibur made him King...

Unless he sold his Kingdom in exchange for Heaven, which would be a little beyond a suire's budget...

Celephais

03-14-2007, 06:33 PM

I read an article about this once that really got the point across to me. Personally I don't think I'll ever spend real life money on in game items, but the article was about a surgeon who had very very little free time who played EQ. Generally when he played he had to choose between exp groups or other various activities he deemed fun, or money grinding for equipment. Money grinding sucks... other groups were fun, but even more fun if he had better equipment. Rather than make that decision he could just purchase more "fun time" for himself in the game.

Or that's what I remember about the article... hopefully that could explain someone's desire to make the trade.

Jolivette

03-14-2007, 09:08 PM

See if items change hands, it's not as OOC as when characters change hands. Someone can buy and sell an item without it hurting the integrity of it. But when someone buys and sells a character, that's when the RP environment gets all screwed up.

It doesn't matter either way, people are going to do it and keep doing it, so to each their own.

I must say I have to agree with Augie.. and I am saying this as a complete hypocrite, mind you ;) I sold Joli years ago but did not for the life of me think I'd really come back. At least I did buy her back as she was really my first and only character but I have definitely noticed the damage done with people not knowing it's really me again, etc..

Other than that, I personally don't mind the sale of items, silvers, etc. for cash.

Joli (the real one)

Meges

03-14-2007, 11:33 PM

I must say I have to agree with Augie.. and I am saying this as a complete hypocrite, mind you ;) I sold Joli years ago but did not for the life of me think I'd really come back. At least I did buy her back as she was really my first and only character but I have definitely noticed the damage done with people not knowing it's really me again, etc..

Other than that, I personally don't mind the sale of items, silvers, etc. for cash.

Joli (the real one)

Welcome back, Jolivette. It's very nice knowing you're back and managed to get your hands back on Jolivette. I'll PM you, since I don't think you know Meges.

Meges

Warriorbird

03-15-2007, 12:44 AM

Eh. Neither bothers me...it's just the placing one above the other in preference...or hating on one but not the other. They both distort the game. You just have to deal with it.

That Jay

03-15-2007, 03:30 PM

I really don't mind it. People who draw this hypocritical line of "item and silver sales okay, character sales BAAAD!" ...they piss me off.

That would be me.

Warriorbird

03-15-2007, 03:37 PM

We knew that.

Parkbandit

03-15-2007, 03:41 PM

How can it bother you when the makers of the game essentially do the same thing?

You want to pay us extra every month with a Premium Subscription? Well, we will give you an advantage over those that don't!

You want to pay us extra for a special merchant? Well, we will give you weaponry and armor that will give you an advantage over those that don't!

The game is a joke and the richest characters in the game are those that have the time and inclination to buy and sell for real cash.

Parkbandit

03-15-2007, 03:43 PM

bubbauno

03-19-2007, 02:11 PM

The cash market for GS will always be there and much larger than the silvers market because people are inherently lazy.. Why spend thousands of hours earning 100m silvers when you can buy it in 5 minutes.. Basically the GS economy would be dead if there was no cash market.

Methais

03-19-2007, 02:24 PM

The game is a joke and the richest characters in the game are those that have the time and inclination to buy and sell for real cash.

QFT.

Basically the GS economy would be dead if there was no cash market.

I think it would be more accurate to say that the game itself would be dead, not just the economy.

Warriorbird

03-19-2007, 11:00 PM

"The cash market for GS will always be there and much larger than the silvers market because people are inherently lazy.. Why spend thousands of hours earning 100m silvers when you can buy it in 5 minutes.. Basically the GS economy would be dead if there was no cash market."

I agree. It is how business is conducted that people have choices in.

Sean of the Thread

03-19-2007, 11:55 PM

I wonder what would happen if the IRS gave it a little attention.

AestheticDeath

03-20-2007, 12:34 AM

They won't so its a moot point. They would go after WoW people first if they did something like that. And most likely go after the big websites before individuals.

Plus alot of people claim it properly anyways.

davyd

03-26-2007, 04:24 PM

I havent played gemstone in 2 years, but back when I played someone informed me of a glitch to get infinite silvers. I didnt believe them so I tried it and it worked and I know of people who have been doing this for a while. I complained to Jagex about it because that kind of glitch will utterly ruin a game and I hope they have it fixed now because im about to start playing again. I will not post what the glitch was just in case they havent fixed it yet but the nature of it was buying a relatively expensive item and selling it at a different store for around 10 times the amount. Theoretically if someone constantly filled their inventory and sold it they could make 100 mil in a few hour and depending on how fast their computer was if they scripted they could make as much as 350 mil an hour. That would be a big problem if people steal money that way and then sell it for cash. I assume Jagex has fixed the glitch by now but when I told them about it they didnt seem very interested. This is one of the reasons I left.

StrayRogue

03-27-2007, 02:09 AM

Who the hell is Jagex?

Methais

03-27-2007, 02:37 AM

If someone was making that much money I'm sure the GMs would notice. I got a 60 day ban for filling my containers with some gem from one of those Hunt for History quests from the 2nd time they did it. You could pick up as many as you wanted to, and the gem shop would buy them for about 5k each. I wasn't caught in the act either, I didn't get pulled for another week or so.

Elvenlady

03-27-2007, 04:35 AM

Who the hell is Jagex?

Aren't they the company that run Runescape?

Kainen

03-27-2007, 05:33 AM

Aren't they the company that run Runescape?

Yep.

Warriorbird

03-27-2007, 07:38 AM

While Simu has been known to leave exp gaining bugs in for years...the same cannot be said of silver gaining bugs. They've got tools to detect that sort of thing. I've known so ever since I found a potentially unlimited gambling bug (without knowing it).

GuildRat

03-27-2007, 05:11 PM

I wonder what would happen if the IRS gave it a little attention.

I don't get to write GS off as a business expense. When they let me do that, then I might, and it's a strong might, claim that 140 extra bucks that I make every six months or so selling silvers.