One character per person at a time

[asgnny]

Problem:

Some players are using alternate characters to harvest constantly, bringing lots of extra resources into the game, or selling them to NPC's which enters millions of extra gc (over time), at virtually no effort to them, resulting in inflation.

 

The gold coins from some of these alts are being sold off (unofficially -- NOT supported by EL) to other players. The amount of extra effort is virtually non-existent since the main continues to do as it pleases, making no sacrifices or choices while the alts harvest in the background, resulting in massive infusion of unnatural gc into the game.

 

Since the extra gc is earned so effortlessly, the gc farmers then (unofficially) sell the gold coins to other players at a more advantageous rate than one could get from the EL shop. This is likely why some shop items (like binding stones and rostogol stones) are harder and harder to find. There had been an equilibrium including players buying these items from the shop to support EL. This equilibrium is currently upset.

 

At the moment, players take a loss (from opportunity cost) by buying something like rostogol stones from the EL shop. Unless the inflation is slowed down, the in-game price for a rostogol stone would need to approach 32kgc each (or 13.2k for a binding stone) before players will buy more from the EL shop, instead of buying gc directly via unofficial means.

Proposed solution:

Players will be allowed to use one character at a time, per individual person *(NOT per IP)*. My hope is that this policy would greatly slow down the massive influx of extra resources, and combat inflation.

 

The goal in doing so would be to slow down the influx of effortless resources, and in turn reward players for their own work.

 

 

Common questions:

Q: "I play EL with my family, how will this affect me?"

A: If each family member uses his or her own character, it will not have any effect. Each real person can play at the same time as friends/family, just not at the same time as his/her own alt.

 

Q: "Won't this change result in lots of extra work for mods?"

A: No. This determination of who is an actual person is already made. If anything, it is less work to clear the relative few families we have, than to determine whether each of a thousand alts is another real person.

 

Q: "I want to level up a bot, how can I do this if allowed one character at a time?"

A: This is a known issue which would need to be addressed, for sure. If the proposal passes and is implemented, we can come up with something, such as being allowed to level the bot-to-be following a deposit, and/or possibly a time limit for the leveling. Another option would be to simply log off of the main character before logging on the bot-to-be.

 

 

Disclaimer:

This poll was authorized by Radu, but its results will not necessarily dictate what will happen as far as rule changes.

[LabRat]

I am an ebul gc farmer.

 

I don't use alts.

 

Surely the rules cover this anyway - wouldn't rule 5 cover alts mining?

[Aislinn]

Surely the rules cover this anyway - wouldn't rule 5 cover alts mining?

Unfortunately the alts get around this by each individual alt making a separate sale, rather than combining gc onto one character, thereby effectively bypassing rule 5.

[LabRat]

hit them with "spirit of the rules" then

Edited April 1, 2009 by LabRat

[jvg]

I've still got a question, how will it be done with playing the main server and playing the PK server at the same time?

[Aislinn]

I've still got a question, how will it be done with playing the main server and playing the PK server at the same time?

PK server has nothing to do with this, that is a totally separate entity.

[Scorpion_King]

I voted yes. Because i beleave in supporting Entropy in the hard work he does here. But with that said i can not blame people from wanting to buy gc from the unoffical forums. If your going to spend your hard earned irl money. We want to best buy.

 

The Shop needs to be changed around. And then id start buying from it again.

Edited April 1, 2009 by Scorpion_King

[bkc56]

I do have one concern with this proposal. Before the PK server, I was playing two totally independent characters on main. I kept my primary character going (doing at least his hourly harvesting) while training the alt on a different development path. Should this rule be passed, and unless case-by-case exceptions could be made, I would loose that ability should I want to resume that again in the future.

 

Perhaps an option along the lines of: $5 for approved alts (sort of like getting pre-approval for bot training). This would provide a legal way for valid cases (within the spirit of the rules) to play.

[Tico]

I voted for yes.

 

Having multi char at same time is not for the RPG fun... only usefull to keep harving afk... and i agree with asgnny point of view that it ruins economy since few players have lots of GC and lot of players dont have much.

 

One person should only play one char at time... its more realistic and thats how i think things should be (thats how i do any ways...)

[hussam]

Voted yes. harvesting alts is BAD. Remember when people used to have a lot of harvesting alts crowding WV titanium mine?

[violater]

well when have rule #5 then why need doing this new one...anyways 2 players on same ip add dont trade or help each other everything should be fine....thgame is abt spending time and making gcs...right

[Wizzy]

Great idea

 

I see some people can afford (not naming names) to spend millions of gc's a week, I would rather see shop items / services to be sold in game more competive then people that are willing to spend there "hard earned" gc's.

 

I have rarely used alts, though I have created a few charaters in the past, most of which I have forgotten about, and I dont agree with people using alts to help their main charaters, the real smart ones, have figured out ways around this for sure. I would be all for the 1 person/1 charater rule. Though I know others would not like this, not for any farming reasons, but they just enjoy having alts, etc

[Zerobaum]

yes all the way, if i cant have alts no one can ^^

[Dchels]

what about people who only harv to benifit that character, i certainly dont abuse gc or change it into $ any gc i make for a charachter goes to that character, and i enjoy playing 2 characters at a time

[Michic0_oL]

i just sell for extra pocket money so i can invite girls for an extra drink

 

 

 

quick edit :

 

At the moment, players take a loss (from opportunity cost) by buying something like rostogol stones from the EL shop. Unless the inflation is slowed down, the in-game price for a rostogol stone would need to approach 32kgc each (or 13.2k for a binding stone) before players will buy more from the EL shop, instead of buying gc directly via unofficial means.

 

I think you are wrong, people will still sell their gc regardless price of shop. They will just make it cheaper and cheaper... so people will buy from players instead of buying from the shop since the player

 

will sell cheaper anyways

 

I had 700k ingame, didn't knwo what to do with it, so I sold it for some cash. would have done the same with 500k or 20 million gc. Whats the point in having it, I like to drink or party more :>

Edited April 1, 2009 by Michic0_oL

[Aislinn]

I do have one concern with this proposal. Before the PK server, I was playing two totally independent characters on main. I kept my primary character going (doing at least his hourly harvesting) while training the alt on a different development path. Should this rule be passed, and unless case-by-case exceptions could be made, I would loose that ability should I want to resume that again in the future.

 

Perhaps an option along the lines of: $5 for approved alts (sort of like getting pre-approval for bot training). This would provide a legal way for valid cases (within the spirit of the rules) to play.

I absolutely do not like making exceptions for some and not for others.

I also do not like the idea you can pay rl $ to bypass a rule.

I don't see why you can't log on before the hour change, do your harvest, log off, then continue on playing on your alt. You will still be ingame playing and able to see the ingame time so this should not be a problem.

[Burn]

No based solely on the fact that this screws non-farmers as well. The concept of screwing everyone because of a few economy-killers, some of those which this will have no effect on (read a previous poster above for one example), is beyond overkill.

 

Overkill is a poor-thought solution to anything, especially when the majority of people affected have nothing to do with the ones that are actually the problem.

 

 

 

EDIT: And by the way:"No, if I can't afk-harvest with all of my alts while playing with my main, EL life isn't worth living!" <-- How about just a "no" next time if you expect to be taken seriously. Putting your obviously biased (as seen in channel 6 last night) options is hardly a means of getting people's honest opinions.

 

My answer is NO, simply no. Not all the BS that follows that no.

Edited April 1, 2009 by GoodDay2Die

[Mortek]

IMO inflation is caused by lowering rates for certain resources like enriched essies and rostos for example so more ppl are forced to buy them from shop. Unfortunatelly supply of items bought from shop is not enough and relation USD to gc is causing these items to be expensive which in turn increases costs for production (like EFE cost) and training (rosto cost). Maybe little offtopic or maybe not. As for the voting - I abstain.

[hatwood]

No.

my alts don't sell resources to npcs for gc, nor do they harvest tons of stuff. i use them mainly for exploring.

[Michic0_oL]

No.

my alts don't sell resources to npcs for gc, nor do they harvest tons of stuff. i use them mainly for exploring.

lol ^^ yeah the game is sooo huge u need alts to explore it

[Dilly]

I do agree that the harvester alts have a negative effect on the game in more than one way, but there are plenty people that actually have 2 characters just going very seperate ways. Not sure if it´s an option, but could you consider just restricting it to having 1 character online at the same time?

[Garnoo]

what about people who only harv to benifit that character, i certainly dont abuse gc or change it into $ any gc i make for a charachter goes to that character, and i enjoy playing 2 characters at a time

ditto

[DHT]

Yes. Like labby said, you don't need to have a harvesting alt to be an ebul gc farmer.

 

EDIT: That's the idea, Dilly. Have as many chars as you want, but don't log on with 2 or more of them at the same time.

 

EDIT2: As I see it, it is not only about gcs and ores coming into game at light speed with people fighting with one char and harving with other char, but with rare stones too. Less gc harvers (like in WVF tit mine) = less bindings, rostos, serps, whatever = more $ for radu since ppl would need to buy them from shop, OR less gcs in game since prices would go up.

Edited April 1, 2009 by DHT

[Vanyel]

I can't vote. The poll options are NOT giving me the choice I'd like to have.

 

Although I have no alts and I sincerely dislike playing any, my vote goes for NO.

 

I doubt this rule is enforcable at all. Instead, I expect all players using alts go underground.

 

This rule is supposed to be aimed at people selling their gold coins (I wouldn't call it 'earnt effortlessly' to be honest). What I see is quite many people trying different way of playing getting slapped for doing nothing wrong.

 

If the problem is gold-farming, try solving the problem itself and do not use half-arsed means that have just one advantage --- they are easy (are they, though? as I said, this rule is impossible to enforce).

 

Regards,

~Natsume

 

PS. The poll is not worth a dung, to be honest. It's a long time since I've seen such biased poll options.

 

PS2. If you expect anything serious, be serious yourself.

Edited April 1, 2009 by Natsume

[Tico]

I do agree that the harvester alts have a negative effect on the game in more than one way, but there are plenty people that actually have 2 characters just going very seperate ways. Not sure if it´s an option, but could you consider just restricting it to having 1 character online at the same time?

I understand that you can have an ald Dilly, just cant log them on at same time.

 

You can log as dilly, and when you want to log your alt, you log off dilly and log on the alt.