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A Guide to Farmers In World of Warcraft
Trounce writes "Game Guides Online has a lengthy article exploring how farmers work in World of Warcraft, including their daily quotas, techniques, schedules, and how they hide their gold surplus from employers and possibly thieving partners. It has a section on how players can benefit from shift changes and score items at low prices (which can then be re-listed at a profit). From the article: 'Of course, farmers who stay on past the ends of their shifts, while their boss and/or partner breathe impatiently down there necks, are even more amenable to agreeing to ridiculously under-market offers; so keep looking for bargains after 6:00 as well.'"
I wonder how information like this, assuming even half of it is true, plays into larger corporations attempts at legitimizing the behavior (like SOE recently did for EQ2)? I've always argued that if the game play is boring or tedious enough that someone would consider paying real money for some advancement, it's time to consider another game. As an avid MMORPG gamer at one point, I can say that I suffered through bad game play for the social aspect of it. Now that I'm sort of off that, I tend to get bored with more MMORPGs rather quickly. I don't need l337 items that badly, and I don't like playing an easy game forever to achieve some level or other bonus.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
I found that there was nothing wrong with the article.
Very informative
I found it pretty informative as to the nature of WoW farmers.
Good article flow
It flowed very well.
Prodigious use of headers improved readibility
The use of so many headers within the text really improved the readibility. It notified you when the writer was about to start talking about a new subject.
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
If you play a MMO to play with your friends at your own pace, your own way, then most MMOs will fit that defination.
Gold/credit/gil farmers cater to the first group. They're the ones who want the uber-l33t gear, the level 20/50/60/75 characters with all the skills, spells and special abilities unlocked. The second group generally cares more about the journey rather than the ending. The line between the two groups obviously cross, but for the most part its pretty distinct.