Travis Day's Comments on the AH

[Deleted]

Now players on the other hand wanted to beat the game and beat it fast like they always want to, because thats how competitive they are. So what happened? The majority of players used the AH to gain stats that would not be gained from multiple normal playthroughs and blazed through the game only to find it empty at the end. Then they turn around and blame the AH because they played the game too fast. Anyone that used the AH needs to look in the mirror. Its your fault you speed through the game, its your fault you wanted to buy your items instead of grind for them.

Blizzard knew this would happen when they lowered the droprates of good items to compensate for the existance of the AH. So is it the player's fault? I don't think so.

---------- Post added 2013-05-17 at 10:29 AM ----------

When i played D2 i never made it past Hell difficulty Legit. I had to use mods to make fake items to get through higher difficulties. I dont see a problem with the AH. If you want that feeling you had in D2. Then stop trying to be so elite and put up with the grind that is dungeon farming.

That's because Hell difficulty was the last difficulty, there was no Inferno. I got through it just fine without mods.

Defeating Baal without trading wasn't such a big deal. Defeating the Diablo Clone? Not such a big deal. Defeating Uber Tristram? Yeah, you probably needed to trade for that.

---------- Post added 2013-05-17 at 10:32 AM ----------

It's a fact that hunting AH is more effectivethan playing the game. Which is the real issue.

Maybe the AH should be about buying and selling 'good' items. While the 'really good' or 'amazing' items should be excluded from the AH? That way you can use the AH as a sort of stepping stone to boost your character if you want to, but the truly good items can only be found by playing the game. It would surely enhance replayability.

[Coldkil]

Maybe the AH should be about buying and selling 'good' items. While the 'really good' or 'amazing' items should be excluded from the AH? That way you can use the AH as a sort of stepping stone to boost your character if you want to, but the truly good items can only be found by playing the game. It would surely enhance replayability.

It can a possible solution. At least now i can play the game without using the AH at all and getting finally some good things (dropped inna's pants yesterday ) but it would be good to see the best geared players to be the ones who played more and not the ones who spended more.

[Repefe]

This is plain bullshit. It's a non-sequitar. It makes no sense. Tell me how specifically does it followed that better itemization causes less reliance on the AH.

The only way for the AH to be irrelevant is if players suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, decided that they don't want a convenient way to trade with each other. "Improving itemization" (whatever the hell that's specifically suppose to mean), should in fact, increase the likelihood that players want to trade with each other, hence increasing the reliance on the AH.

I don't think getting items by other means alone is how you fix AH issues. BUT fixing itemization can solve AH problems. Simply make items soul bound to stagger the inflation and give ppl meaningful crafting system that you will be able to sink more currency into and that will product soulbound bis gear. With that or something similar AH becomes something you enhance your gearing up with, instead of current situation where AH is the gearing up.

[paralleluniverse]

I don't think getting items by other means alone is how you fix AH issues. BUT fixing itemization can solve AH problems. Simply make items soul bound to stagger the inflation and give ppl meaningful crafting system that you will be able to sink more currency into and that will product soulbound bis gear. With that or something similar AH becomes something you enhance your gearing up with, instead of current situation where AH is the gearing up.

You're making up your own interpretation of "improving itemization".

The poster said "improving itemization". He did NOT say "make stuff soulbound".

---------- Post added 2013-05-18 at 08:06 AM ----------

It can a possible solution. At least now i can play the game without using the AH at all and getting finally some good things (dropped inna's pants yesterday ) but it would be good to see the best geared players to be the ones who played more and not the ones who spended more.

So you've never played Diablo 2?

The people with the best items in that game are the people who are best at trading and bargaining. And that's the way it should be.

[Djuntas]

You're making up your own interpretation of "improving itemization".

The poster said "improving itemization". He did NOT say "make stuff soulbound".

---------- Post added 2013-05-18 at 08:06 AM ----------


So you've never played Diablo 2?

The people with the best items in that game are the people who are best at trading and bargaining. And that's the way it should be.

This is true Id say. But the difference here is that they put some effort into it, rather than just open the AH, and use its tools to bid on a few things here and there, snipe a bit there, and log off.

I'm not saying WTB torch 1 hr, or WTB Hoto low 1 hr, games is fun to spam 4-5 times until you get a player that join's you're game that are an actual trader, and not just someone that wastes you're time, but atleast it required some effort (and luck).

[Repefe]

You're making up your own interpretation of "improving itemization".

The poster said "improving itemization". He did NOT say "make stuff soulbound".

Yeah, lets argue about semantics. To dumb down the point. With different loot mechanics AH can be positive part of economy in D3.

[paralleluniverse]

Yeah, lets argue about semantics. To dumb down the point. With different loot mechanics AH can be positive part of economy in D3.

You're misrepresenting what they were saying. You're attempting to redefine "improving itemization" in an Orwellian way to mean "soulbinding items".

[Repefe]

You're misrepresenting what they were saying. You're attempting to redefine "improving itemization" in an Orwellian way to mean "soulbinding items".

Like I said lets argue about semantics. I dumbed my point down just for you. If you still can't get it, move on.

[BaP]

There's a certain point in peoples lives where you start to realize, it doesn't matter a single fuck what people say, only what they do. Every single blizz employee could come out and "SAY" that AH is a mistake, but it doesn't mean shit until the stubborn company they work for actually does something.

Blizzard doesn't think the AH is a mistake or it would not still be in the game. Blizzard isn't going to remove the AH's from the game because they make them money, hence, none of the shit any of the developers say about it matter 1 single bit.

Please explain HOW they make money off the AH ????

[Djuntas]

Please explain HOW they make money off the AH ????

You mean gold, or actual money ?

Gold is very simple; Few way's off doing it, but mainly people bid on items (many, think 50-100 atleast), and hope they win some off the bid's, and resell. And as they look for bid's, they also try to snipe items quickly, cause some people might post items to cheap. So basicly find 10-30 items you know alot about, like say Unity ring or Immortal boots, and just look around for bid's and new posted cheap stuff.

RMAH, get lucky with in-game drop, or snipe items on gold AH, and sell on RMAH etc.

[paralleluniverse]

Like I said lets argue about semantics. I dumbed my point down just for you. If you still can't get it, move on.

This is not an argument about semantics. You made a deceptive argument.

You said that "fixing itemization" would fix problems with the AH. People would interpret "fixing itemization" to mean having more interesting affixes and suffixes, making legendaries better, increasing the diversity of useful stats etc. You know, actually improving itemization.

But what you really meant is "making items soulbound would fix problems with the AH", which means that your original statement was deceptive to readers.

You've essentially change the meaning of a phrase to it's opposite. In Orwell's 1984, the word "War" was redefined to mean "Peace". Here you've redefined "improving itemization" to mean "soulbinding items".

So yes, it is Orwellian and misleading to readers. Saying that I'm arguing semantics seems to imply that my post is trivial and substanceless. But pointing out deceptive writing is anything but trivial.

[greech]

If blizzard thought it was bad for the game, then who gives a shit what people say when it is removed?

If blizzard thought it was ok to leave it in the game, then who gives a shit what people say when it isn't removed.

[Repefe]

This is not an argument about semantics. You made a deceptive argument.

You said that "fixing itemization" would fix problems with the AH. People would interpret "fixing itemization" to mean having more interesting affixes and suffixes, making legendaries better, increasing the diversity of useful stats etc. You know, actually improving itemization.

But what you really meant is "making items soulbound would fix problems with the AH", which means that your original statement was deceptive to readers.

You've essentially change the meaning of a phrase to it's opposite. In Orwell's 1984, the word "War" was redefined to mean "Peace". Here you've redefined "improving itemization" to mean "soulbinding items".

So yes, it is Orwellian and misleading to readers. Saying that I'm arguing semantics seems to imply that my post is trivial and substanceless. But pointing out deceptive writing is anything but trivial.

I explained what I ment right after I used the phrase, so how could anyone get confused. You nitpick one sentence from my post and tell me I ment something else with it when I myself have explained what I ment with it. That makes your escapade of posts an irrelevant argument about semantics since I explicitly stated what I ment even if it's not just itemization fixing. Also when you want to be ass about proper terms bind on equip is simply an itemization attribute like +100 to strength is or unbreakable is. Also I didn't ment soulbound items would fix AH problems ... if you actually read my post, I said it would slow down the inflation ... just that. One of many steps to make AH in D3 work.

[BaP]

You mean gold, or actual money ?

Gold is very simple; Few way's off doing it, but mainly people bid on items (many, think 50-100 atleast), and hope they win some off the bid's, and resell. And as they look for bid's, they also try to snipe items quickly, cause some people might post items to cheap. So basicly find 10-30 items you know alot about, like say Unity ring or Immortal boots, and just look around for bid's and new posted cheap stuff.

RMAH, get lucky with in-game drop, or snipe items on gold AH, and sell on RMAH etc.

Blizzard isn't going to remove the AH's from the game because they make them money

I asked ^ how Blizzard makes money from the AH and as far as I know World of Warcraft does not have a RMAH!

[Djuntas]

I asked ^ how Blizzard makes money from the AH and as far as I know World of Warcraft does not have a RMAH!

They take a cut off the sales on RMAH. While its only a little, its still easy money. Sorry misunderstood ^^

[Nerraw]

I tihnk it's the 1 buck to cover the PayPal transaction fee.

[Coldkil]

So you've never played Diablo 2?

The people with the best items in that game are the people who are best at trading and bargaining. And that's the way it should be.

I played a lot of years D2 - and i liked it because it's an action RPG where the point is slaying monsters. If i wanted a game to buy/sell things, i'd bought "wall Street Tycoon" or something on the line.

Don't try to make the game something it's not - the goal of the game is to kill things. The way people take to do this (buying the gear) has nothing to do with it (until Blizz decided to make it legit and now are saying it's been a bad decision).

[paralleluniverse]

I played a lot of years D2 - and i liked it because it's an action RPG where the point is slaying monsters. If i wanted a game to buy/sell things, i'd bought "wall Street Tycoon" or something on the line.

Diablo 3 has a RMAH.

What is it if not "Wall Street Tycoon"?

[Nerraw]

Diablo 3 has a RMAH.

What is it if not "Wall Street Tycoon"?

The only thing that changed since D2 is that we now have the option moved from shady 3rd-party sites to in the actual game. If they end up completely removing the RMAH, we'll be back to D2-levels of shadiness in no time. 12 years later there's still a rather large market for the selling and buying of D2 items through less-than-official channels.

[Coldkil]

Diablo 3 has a RMAH.

What is it if not "Wall Street Tycoon"?

I don't have to use it to enjoy the game, and i'm not using it (nor the normal AH). I'm not against people using them at all, it's their choice.

What i feel at least "not quite right" was the fact that the only way to progress was AH hunting and not farming. Now the situation is way better - probably instead of cutting down it, Blizzard is making the AH overload so it becomes slowly less and less effective.

---------- Post added 2013-05-20 at 11:09 AM ----------

The only thing that changed since D2 is that we now have the option moved from shady 3rd-party sites to in the actual game. If they end up completely removing the RMAH, we'll be back to D2-levels of shadiness in no time. 12 years later there's still a rather large market for the selling and buying of D2 items through less-than-official channels.

If people wants to buy items, for me it's fine. their choice. The difference is that long time ago it was considered like cheating and you got banned accounts, now it's supported by devs themselves.