Gold Farmer Sells Virtual Gold to Buy Real Gold, Has it Stolen

[wulf3n]

I don't think I could destroy someones life and lively-hood for $500, even if I hated them. If only I didn't have morals or a conscience to stop me.

I don't think anyone who's willing to offer up $75,000 for $500 has a big enough brain for a conscience.

That's like a 0.67% finders fee.

 

[PinkiePyro]

my thoughts on this but first
Disclaimer: this user has never played Wow but has played another MMO where gold farming bots and spam bots were rampent and really F-ing annoying... [end disclamer]

she got karmatic comeback for being a rule breaking gold farmer.

her ex-boyfriend is both a a*hole and an utter moron

and the insurance company is run by jerks

may the insurance companys office catch fire (or some other disaster)

and may the ex-boyfriend use his 500$ to win a darwin

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

The more gold that is in an economy, the higher the priced items become because of inflation. When people can't afford items, they tend to stop playing the game.

While this is true, this process has happened again and again. Even if you ignore the gold farmers, the mere existence of high level players back when Wrath of the Lich King came out meant that I had to play from level 1 to level 70 or so before I could afford a thing on the Auction House that was any better than stuff I'd just find solo questing anyhow. The economy of the game (and indeed any MMO) tends to be utterly borked in that regard. But, this doesn't really cover the whole problem. There were entire ranges of items that were exorbitant beyond compare. At the time, stacks of wool were selling for 3 - 4 times as much as the highest tier cloth simply because there were relatively few people farming the stuff. Good level 19 weapons and armor were so expensive that every copper I made in WoW from level 1 to 55 wouldn't buy me a single dagger. Inflation, you see, is only a part of the problem - the other part is supply. The problem could easily be combated by adjusting drop rates rather than engage in an endless game of whack-a-mole with gold farmers.

2. Blizzard strictly forbids selling any item in World of Warcraft for real currency, with the exception of Blizzard's store and Trading Card Game codes.

Blizzard's legal capacity to enforce that will varies tremendously from nation to nation. In Australia, for example, it simply doesn't hold up - thus why her actions were perfectly legal. In much the same way I drive on the right side of the road here in Texas even though it would be illegal (and wildly dangerous) in London.

 

[Therumancer]

It's like this, my initial reaction is to say "good" because I hate gold farmers and what they have done to MMOs. Not only are there issues related to the currency itself, but you have to deal with pro-gold farming parties mass killing mobs, and bad behavior in dungeons and raids, especially if your Pugging, as people roll on everything they can, whether their character can use it or not, in order to sell the item. This is especially bad in "Neverwinter" where pretty much every item can go directly into the auction house. The behavior being legal in Australia garners no sympathy from me.

On the other hand even bigger scumbags from insurance companies getting involved and refusing to pay claims is even worse than the gold farming.

On a lot of respects it's sort of like how if two guys involved in Human trafficking get into a gun fight, one of the dies, but the slaves held by both of them escape during the battle, leaving the survivor to be tortured to death by his organized crime bosses for losing the merchandise.... I shed no tear for either party involved in the fight.

I don't know, maybe the western world should bring back dueling for cases like this. When two people who are equally bad have a disagreement, give them both loaded weapons and let them shoot it out. In this case we either lose the CEO of an insurance company, or a gold farmer. Honestly I'd probably be cheering for the gold farmer actually because as annoying as gold farming is, I think insurance companies do more damage overall (by a substantial margin).

Sadly most really dangerous animals I know of in Australia tend to be relatively small, otherwise I could suggest the roman solution of having right and wrong being determined by wrestling a starving predator. If both parties wind up being lion chow, neither was right in the eyes of ummm... Jupiter (or Zeus if you prefer).

 

[geldonyetich]

I don't like what gold farmers do to MMORPGs environments and economies. I mean, I really don't like it. "Drag them out into the street and shoot them," levels of don't like it. So, for me, this is just karma giving her what she deserved.

That said, I'm not sure the insurance company is any less sleazy than she is to try to weasel out of paying up.

 

[Strazdas]

Gold farming is a perfectly legitimate practice in Australia - as long as farmers include details on their annual tax return.

But it's still against World of Warcraft's Terms of Service, and ultimately makes the game worse for almost everyone. All the lawsuits and her selling her house are dreadful (and happening to a nurse no less), but I have no qualms with the karma of having her gold stolen.

While i do not support selling ingame items for rela life money, temrs of service have 0 legal power thus it is entirely pointless to point it out.

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure if the gold was worth $75,000 in 2008, it's likely not worth as much today as gold prices took a dive within the last few years.

Last year it fell a bit. 2008-2011 it was raising like crazy. gold now its worth much more than it was in 2008. in fact in 2008 january 1st it cost around 800 USD/oz currently it costs over 1400USD/oz, almost double. the peak was in late 2011-early2012 and was over 1800 USD/oz. I lost potential money there was i was expecting the price to drop back in summer of 2011 and didnt wait. turns out i was wrong. The bubble lasted longer than i thought, but its burst now and we see a fall.

Wait, I'm confused? Apparently the act of gold farming is a ok if the practice itself is legal (moral issue)?

Yes, say whatever you want but last time I've check it is still illegal in other parts of the world and WOW itself doesn't approved of it?

I probably said more then I should since it look like this topic is on thin ice already.

But shes not in the rest of the world. and as long as we dont have united federation of earth, thats going to stay. it is illegal to be gay in many countries in africa, therefore by your logic gays should exist in europe. bad logic is bad.
As for moral issues, morals are subjective, and her morals may have allowed it, for she obviuosly didnt seem regretting doing that.