electromagnet83 wrote:
Square should just sell gil too. It's like the drug debate...if you legalize it you can control it, tax it, make money on it..and eliminate the bad things folks are doing in order to obtain it.
CCP actually uses that particular model in a roundabout way, and it does reduce the problem a bit in Eve.
CCP Sells prepaid game time online that can be converted to a physical item ( PLEX) and sold on the in-game market for ISK.
Now the first reason this isn't entirely unbalancing, the prices right now mean for $15 US, you can convert it to approximately Half a billion in ISK Yes you can go to a seller site, but it's not uncommon to see some noob shouting in a major hub that they just were scammed by a website. I don't buy game time to sell, but I haven't had to pay for Eve online in at least 6 years, save for the one month I forgot to buy another PLEX and had to pay to reactivate my account.
CCP also does some awesome work in backtracking people trying to work the system in ways exceeding the constraints of the game... Lie, murder, steal, do it with aplomb, just don't alter the client, or work a broken mechanic thinking you'll win out. Once CCP finds out they love employing "scorched earth" tactics. They play their own game, and it shows.
The second reason this system works, is item impermanence. Lose your ship, It's gone, it's contents are either destroyed or looted by your attacker, Stick around in your escape pod, Get blasted, Lose possibly a few billion in implants ( if you aren't smart enough to use cheap ones in combat situations)
I don't think we're ready for Permaloss in a "cute" game... You don't want Lalafell chocobo gangs a-la-The Road Warrior. Riding the backs of gladiators, Demanding that you tell us who runs Bartertown...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgq4w4dqKsU
Edited, Jun 24th 2013 2:16pm by OtosanOokami