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PhoenixFlare · 01-06-2006, 08:32 AM

As I've said, it not the cost, or the pay-for-perk/play that is my primary gripe. It's that players are never told the absolute truth of the costs--they have to figure it out themselves.

First of all, I have no association with Matt or IRE, and really wouldn't care if they vanished from the face of the planet.

That said, the above gripe is just silly - you're basically complaining that IRE doesn't act as a person's brain to comprehend what the availability of purchaseable perks means. It's on par with warning labels that tell people not to do stuff like dropping a running hairdryer into a tub of water, put a metal can of pressurized chemicals next to an open flame, or drink antifreeze.

Do you really have such a low opinion of the average mudder that you think they can't puzzle through something like "If somone buys these instant powerups, they'll be stronger than me unless I spend a lot of time or buy some too"?

And, like I keep saying, it would be 100% OK from an ethical standpoint if they were just very upfront with telling new players how it works. Disagreeing with pay-for-perk is not relevant here.

Maybe i'm just strange, but I tried Achaea about a year ago, and I knew full well about the existence of the whole credit system before I started playing.

There's a link right on the main homepage that leads to a listing of how much the credit packages cost, how you can pay for them, and a quick overview of what they're used for.

To quote - A 'credit' is an in-game currency that may be purchased on this page. Credits may be spent on a variety of enrichments, such as extra lessons for skills, amazing items of power, a pet, houses in which to live, and so on.

The memory escapes me at this point, but I imagine there's plenty of in-game help on the subject as well.

Seems to me that the possible problem is not so much players not being told how the system works, but rather players not bothering to read all the basic information about the game before they start.

In most states it illegal to market an inferior product cheaply in order to hook the customer into buying a better product at a better profit for you. I'd say this comes close.

This is even sillier than your first comment. I guess my cellphone and cable companies are on the edge of being illegal, along with Microsoft's XBox Live Marketplace, Nintendo's upcoming new console and game purchase service, grocery stores, electronics stores (like Best Buy), and basically anywhere else that gives away free samples or sells a cheap(er) no-frills product in hopes of getting you to purchase add-ons or something more expensive in some way.

01-06-2006, 08:32 AM	#191
PhoenixFlare New Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 11	As I've said, it not the cost, or the pay-for-perk/play that is my primary gripe. It's that players are never told the absolute truth of the costs--they have to figure it out themselves. First of all, I have no association with Matt or IRE, and really wouldn't care if they vanished from the face of the planet. That said, the above gripe is just silly - you're basically complaining that IRE doesn't act as a person's brain to comprehend what the availability of purchaseable perks means. It's on par with warning labels that tell people not to do stuff like dropping a running hairdryer into a tub of water, put a metal can of pressurized chemicals next to an open flame, or drink antifreeze. Do you really have such a low opinion of the average mudder that you think they can't puzzle through something like "If somone buys these instant powerups, they'll be stronger than me unless I spend a lot of time or buy some too"? And, like I keep saying, it would be 100% OK from an ethical standpoint if they were just very upfront with telling new players how it works. Disagreeing with pay-for-perk is not relevant here. Maybe i'm just strange, but I tried Achaea about a year ago, and I knew full well about the existence of the whole credit system before I started playing. There's a link right on the main homepage that leads to a listing of how much the credit packages cost, how you can pay for them, and a quick overview of what they're used for. To quote - A 'credit' is an in-game currency that may be purchased on this page. Credits may be spent on a variety of enrichments, such as extra lessons for skills, amazing items of power, a pet, houses in which to live, and so on. The memory escapes me at this point, but I imagine there's plenty of in-game help on the subject as well. Seems to me that the possible problem is not so much players not being told how the system works, but rather players not bothering to read all the basic information about the game before they start. In most states it illegal to market an inferior product cheaply in order to hook the customer into buying a better product at a better profit for you. I'd say this comes close. This is even sillier than your first comment. I guess my cellphone and cable companies are on the edge of being illegal, along with Microsoft's XBox Live Marketplace, Nintendo's upcoming new console and game purchase service, grocery stores, electronics stores (like Best Buy), and basically anywhere else that gives away free samples or sells a cheap(er) no-frills product in hopes of getting you to purchase add-ons or something more expensive in some way.