Someone explain the gold trading to me

[Rox]

In games that allow gold to be purchased for real money, bots are everywhere and the economy quickly dies. How is GW2 any different? They are adding a sub step where you buy gems instead of gold, but gold can be traded for gems...and vice verse, so isn't that the same thing? Bots farm gold, and buy gems, which players purchase with real money? Bots get real money.

Also, GW2 said they don't think a player who spends money should have an unfair advantage over one that spends time. But, whats stopping me from just buying the best gear from other players instead of earning/searching for it? How is this not an unfair advantage?

I hope I missed something, but if not then in my opinion, real money for gems/gold should not exist. You can spin it how you want but a player who spends a crap ton of money in the game to get all the best stuff, then goes around PvPing certainly seems to have an advantage over anyone spending time.

[Ruzak]

"Goes around PvPing"
What does this have to do with spending gems to buy gear?
PvP is team based there is no open world PvP, and no one class no matter what gear he/she is wearing will be able to "tank" so to speak. Guild Wars 2 is not a gear game. Just like Guild Wars it's about cosmetics and the skill system, gear will play an important role but not the most important being you.

Bots will always exist no matter what, but again in Guild Wars they were constantly banning bots/spammers - very good quality control in that aspect. Buying gems for gold is a good system, not flawless mind you, but it lets people acquire shop items like Exp Boosts, and Costumes without having to spend their dosh on them.

All in all; I have confidence in ArenaNet to do what's best for the community not their pockets, as they always have. You seem to have a grasp on what they are proposing I just believe you are seeing it in the most negative light. Things have to be tested and giving a chance before they are proven moot.

[Vayne]

There is part of the equation in Guild Wars 2 that doesn't exist in other games. That's karma.

Most games only have gold and gems. But everything you need, pretty much, in GW 2 can be bought for Karma. Karma is a currency bound to your character. It can't be traded. So gold doesn't have quite as much value in Guild Wars 2 as it might in other games.

Also, consider most other games where you can trade gold for gems, you can do so for free. In Guild Wars 2, you would have to buy an account every single time you were banned...that's another $60.

Nothing is going to stop botting or gold farming completely, but I believe that the solutions being attempted by Anet will cut down gold selling significantly.

[Centaur]

Hi Rox, welcome to this forum.

Bots farm gold, and buy gems, which players purchase with real money? Bots get real money.

Actually, it works the other way around... someone buys gems from the ArenaNet store for real money (not from bots), then they can sell those gems in-game for in-game gold. So bots that have farmed in-game gold, will only get gems. Why would people buy gems from bots for real money and take the risk of getting banned, if they can buy them from ArenaNet themselves perfectly legal? So bots are taken out of the equation. The reason why gold sellers are so popular in many games, is because there is no legal way to buy gold for real money from the makers of that game.

As for "spending a crap ton of money in the game to get all the best stuff"... Guild Wars 2 actually isn't as gear oriented as many other subscription-based mmo's. There will be multiple ways to obtain gear, and it will be relatively easy to get max stat gear for your character. So you never have to spend tons of money for good gear. And for structured pvp it's even easier, as all people automatically receive max level and max stat gear there.

[Doomgrin]

good watch

[Doomgrin]

In games that allow gold to be purchased for real money, bots are everywhere and the economy quickly dies. How is GW2 any different? They are adding a sub step where you buy gems instead of gold, but gold can be traded for gems...and vice verse, so isn't that the same thing? Bots farm gold, and buy gems, which players purchase with real money? Bots get real money.

Also, GW2 said they don't think a player who spends money should have an unfair advantage over one that spends time. But, whats stopping me from just buying the best gear from other players instead of earning/searching for it? How is this not an unfair advantage?

I hope I missed something, but if not then in my opinion, real money for gems/gold should not exist. You can spin it how you want but a player who spends a crap ton of money in the game to get all the best stuff, then goes around PvPing certainly seems to have an advantage over anyone spending time.

Except

1) why would you buy gems from illegal farmers when you can buy them from Arenanet and not risk getting banned?
2) if Arenanet controls the gem market, then they set the prices. Goldsellers would have to undercut Arenanet to be able to make any sales.

You make an assumption that gear is the primary driver in effectiveness in the game. PvP everyone is issued gear, you do not use your current stock. And also that the best gear is available to be purchased. It could be karma/valor/token based which are not tradeable.

Your post it too much "the sky is falling"

[Thanan]

I don't really think there is a "best gear" in GW2. They've already stated that high end dungeon gear will be on par with crafted/quest earned/purchased gear. The "best gear" youre referring to is cosmetically better but not statistically.

Also, dungeon gear isnt tradable, as far as I know.

As for the gold farmers, only buy from ANet and you 1) Support whats sure to be an amazing product and 2) Wont get banned on top of 3) Taking the power/money from gold farmers!

[Adrexl]

I was actually very happy to hear about the gem system.

There is no amount of policing, banning, and oversight the the game can stop gold farmers if they sense a profit. However, Arenanet's system simply removes any *reason* to gold farm. They have taken away the profit motive, and probably removed 90% of gold farmers in this one move.

What is it people who buy gold are terrified of? They don't like unsafe transactions that result in them losing their accounts, either because the gold farming site was a keylogger or because the game company found out they bought gold and banned them. I think it is very likely they will use the gem system Arenanet has provided with the game over any gold farmer attempting to sell gold.

In addition, GW2 is not WoW. Upon hitting 80, someone playing completely free could probably get max stat gear in a week, if that.

[sofreyr]

From what I have seen, the above comments (about gear, level, karma, etc.) have been what I have seen about this topic.

Something that has not come across to me while reading them was the content they plan to make available using the microtransactions. In my understanding of the what they are having for purchase with gems is cosmetic and time saving items.

That means there will be thing like boons to accounts for exp gain or temp health increases (these are to illistrate the idea, I do not know if these spacific items exists or not). I am not sure if one can purchase gold from an NPC merchant (ArenaNet), but one will be able to trade gems with players for items such as gold or equipment, thus making all gem items available for purchase by anyone.

In general ArenaNet is working to make the game so that success depends on the skill of the player, not the time and/or the money the player has put into the game. Granted both time and money could help, but one will not give an advantage over the other.

[Vayne]

From what I have seen, the above comments (about gear, level, karma, etc.) have been what I have seen about this topic.

Something that has not come across to me while reading them was the content they plan to make available using the microtransactions. In my understanding of the what they are having for purchase with gems is cosmetic and time saving items.

That means there will be thing like boons to accounts for exp gain or temp health increases (these are to illistrate the idea, I do not know if these spacific items exists or not). I am not sure if one can purchase gold from an NPC merchant (ArenaNet), but one will be able to trade gems with players for items such as gold or equipment, thus making all gem items available for purchase by anyone.

In general ArenaNet is working to make the game so that success depends on the skill of the player, not the time and/or the money the player has put into the game. Granted both time and money could help, but one will not give an advantage over the other.

Experiences boosts are in, but health boosts aren't. I'm sure there'd be a huge revolt if they tried to include health boosts. The experience point boosts are fairly modest...they won't make much difference, considering they only last an hour and only give a bonus to kills. More controversial to some people is the hour long karma boosts.

That said, nothing is final, the game is still in beta. It will be interesting to see what ends up in the shop.