[Milawe]

By this argument, though, you can argue that everyone who has time can have money as well. We are discussing what people can invest into the game, whether it be money or time, not what people just HAVE. For example, I think that my statement that you don't get to CHOOSE to spend time on your children, you HAVE to, would be equivalent to people saying "I can't spend MONEY on a game. I have to EAT." It's a matter of how much money you have to spend on a game or how much time you have to spend on a game.

The other problem I have here is that COMPETITIVE gaming may be a sport, but are MU* all competitive? My belief is that they are not. ASPECTS of MU*s may be competitive, but most games have a very cooperative element to them as well. Most MU*s strive to be newbie friendly. You can argue that that would be the opposite of competitive.

Again, I think this is a question best answered by the question "What do you look for in a game?" For me, SKILL is the most important factor in a game that I choose to play whether it be skill at RP, skill at using abilities to kill mobs, skill at crafting the best items, etc. I want to see skill rewarded, and I want multiple ways to see various skills rewarded. I've got no interest in logging into a game where I just put time in. I want to see progress that is in my hands. Unfortunately, most game systems reward sheer time. Granted, time will always be a factor, but ultimately, being able to make an impact by using my own RL skills is what I enjoy best. (Even if it's just the skill of, "HEY! I can mash this button faster than you!" I always always a big fan of whack-a-mole.)

In the end, ALL games that I've ever played reward time more than anything else, but the games I stay with reward skill as a close second. Perks barely make a dent in anything and is hardly the equalizing factor that we're making it out to be on these forums. Also, most people in the game have the perks because we understand that it's more of a "donation" system where we get a minor reward as thanks. I prefer for perks to be in the hands of the admins of the game rather than from third party re-sellers because they don't actually care about spamming you or annoying you. (I think I'm tangenting now, so I'm going to wrap it up.)

Ultimately, I choose gameplay over everything else, and as long as the admins aren't doing any backroom dealing ("Hey, give me $10 and I'll see what I can do for you"), I'm pretty much happy with any pay system they use. It's "fair" as long as all players have the same options. Granted, I have to say that I live in fear of games being sold to bigger companies (Neopets), having a pwipe, or shutting down (Darkwind, I miss you!). Thus, I prefer to play games that have been around for a long time, have had the same head admins for a while, and are somewhat commercial (have a professional site, have monetary investment, etc.).