In-game store idea = Epic gems for 99 cents each

[flaggel]

For all the people who say "Insta-90" is pay-to-win, come to this page to see an example of what pay-to-win is.

If you can buy epic gems for 99 cents, thats like "pay for necessary things"

[Toffie]

Paying for level 90 is not pay to win, buying gems that make you more powerful than others at MAX level Is.
So no, this will never happen or I'll likely cancel my sub.

[HardlyWaken]

Havent played WoW in like 6-7 months but... If I'm not mistaken cant you buy certain items and sell them on the Auction house? And if so, how is it any different than buying that, then buying gems on the auction house? All it is; is cutting out the middle man. I'm not saying I AGREE with it, but those threatening to quit over it, might want to start looking elsewhere for a game to play. x.X

[Ronduwil]

Havent played WoW in like 6-7 months but... If I'm not mistaken cant you buy certain items and sell them on the Auction house? And if so, how is it any different than buying that, then buying gems on the auction house? All it is; is cutting out the middle man. I'm not saying I AGREE with it, but those threatening to quit over it, might want to start looking elsewhere for a game to play. x.X

The OP never even mentioned making it available through any means except the store. However, someone else jumped in with this ridiculous idea of being able to craft the gem with mats that ranged in the neighborhood of 300,000 g - 1,000,000 g. Both of those options effectively constitute a pay-to-win scheme, which is something that Blizzard has steered clear of.

[Thage]

Would I buy it? Probably, because it's a quick shortcut around AH prices I often find disagreeable on my server.
Should Blizzard do it? No sir/ma'am. That's a legitimate example of paying for power (the level boost is a grey-enough area not to bother me, since all it is is a shortcut around something people will do anyway when WoD ships).

[Huntingbear_grimbatol]

They'll never sell anything that increases comat effiecency, they're not that dumb.

[Deleted]

Only if they tune raids 100% around those gems. Would be a catwalk otherwise.

[SodiumChloride]

The OP never even mentioned making it available through any means except the store. However, someone else jumped in with this ridiculous idea of being able to craft the gem with mats that ranged in the neighborhood of 300,000 g - 1,000,000 g. Both of those options effectively constitute a pay-to-win scheme, which is something that Blizzard has steered clear of.

Which is why Bkizzard is selling 90s ...

The gold for 50 Primal Diamonds can be acquired by grinding ... It's just that it takes a while.

You claim whether they are available via in-game means or not, has no bearing on whether it's P2W in that they both are.

I don't see how differs from selling of 90s.

[Ronduwil]

You claim whether they are available via in-game means or not, has no bearing on whether it's P2W in that they both are.

Levelling to 90 is not pay to win because a level 90 is still underpowered. In fact, a level 90 in level 89 gear is weaker than a level 89 because of the screwy way the stats are calculated. No one is going to pay for a level 90 and gain an advantage over someone who has been playing at level 90 for at least a day or two. On the other hand, selling players an epic gem that isn't typically available to anyone else does give the paying player a significant advantage over others. I think you're confused about what pay to win means. Spending time in the game does not amount to a win. Paying for a level 90 only buys you time to gear and raid with your character. Paying for a gem buys you a significant advantage over the players in the game who have not bought the gem. That's why selling a gem is pay to win while selling a 90 isn't.

[Deleted]

I voted No. But when you think about it blizzard already has "pay to win" in the game through racial abilities and paying to change for a better racial. People pay to switch to races like humans, orcs and trolls all the time because their racials are in need of a nerfbat, but there doesn't seem to be that big of an outcry about it and you can bet alot of the people that voted no have paid to change to these races.

[Sylreick]

Which is why Bkizzard is selling 90s ...

The gold for 50 Primal Diamonds can be acquired by grinding ... It's just that it takes a while.

You claim whether they are available via in-game means or not, has no bearing on whether it's P2W in that they both are.

I don't see how differs from selling of 90s.

The difference between gems and a lvl 90 boost is that one affects only the player buying it, and the other affects anyone who uses a particular profession while providing a decent increase in personal player power above the basic amount given at the same level.

[Ytlayol]

Wait, what? People find it a-okay to pay for 90 levels, but paying to gem your gear is a no-no? o_O

People also pay $25 for digital mounts and pets, $10-$25 for micro transactions and they think .99¢ per gem is too much? O_o

Wow. Pun unintended.

[Deleted]

Wait, what? People find it a-okay to pay for 90 levels, but paying to gem your gear is a no-no? o_O

People also pay $25 for digital mounts and pets, $10-$25 for micro transactions and they think .99¢ per gem is too much? O_o

Wow. Pun unintended.

It's not the prices that annoys people. It's paying to gain an advantage over other players that can't or wont spend the money. "Pay to Win".

But like I said in my post further up, we already have that with people paying to play superior races for an advantage.

[Sylreick]

Wait, what? People find it a-okay to pay for 90 levels, but paying to gem your gear is a no-no? o_O

People also pay $25 for digital mounts and pets, $10-$25 for micro transactions and they think .99¢ per gem is too much? O_o

Wow. Pun unintended.

Mounts/pets and such are aesthetics, it's like buying a painting or some other household decoration. Level 90 provides a convenience to break the barrier with playing alongside your friends at max level in end game (hopefully with the restriction that you need at least one 90 on your account). Gems provide an increase in personal power above what is currently available in game.

If they were to put the purchase of BLUE gems from MoP, after WoD has come out... that would be another story entirely (although most likely a worthless endeavor).

[Flatspriest]

The reason Blizz wont do this is that they do not sell things in the store that give an advantage in-game. That would be turning it into a pay 2 win game and Blizzard has stated multiple times they do not want to do that.

[vindicatorx]

This would be a terrible idea and would destroy the gem crafting market.

[Deleted]

Well, obvious bait thread, but buying in game items for real money is never a good thing, compared to in game gold.

We have to few and unappealing gold sinks as it is already.

[Trubo]

So you draw the line at paid lvl 90 boosts in the store?

Hypothetical: You and I just started playing WoW today. You purchase a lvl 90 boost. I can't afford it. You just bought a SHIT ton of power over me.

I'll catch up eventually but say I can only lvl an hour a night. You've just sky rocketed months ahead of me in power. All cause you purchased it off the store.

Still not Pay to Win as there exists an alternative in-game method (leveling normally) that isn't too prohibitive to get the same strength as the purchased option. With that aside I don't really see what the issue is; fresh 90s at this point in the game aren't very likely to be pushing towards 14/14 heroic raiding in a month or have a chance at getting any of the relevant Arena titles this season.

Another thing to consider is how likely people are going to play all these additional 90s before burning themselves out.

Why no one wants to answer my question?

Because it's a ridiculous hypothetical; you're saying that epic gems have 10x the cost-to-power ratio as the legendary meta-gem, something that requires about a month at this point to obtain.

[IKT]

You've just sky rocketed months ahead of me in power.

An hour a night with rested exp will net you at level 90 in 2-3 weeks, not months.

[SodiumChloride]

Levelling to 90 is not pay to win because a level 90 is still underpowered. In fact, a level 90 in level 89 gear is weaker than a level 89 because of the screwy way the stats are calculated. No one is going to pay for a level 90 and gain an advantage over someone who has been playing at level 90 for at least a day or two. On the other hand, selling players an epic gem that isn't typically available to anyone else does give the paying player a significant advantage over others. I think you're confused about what pay to win means. Spending time in the game does not amount to a win. Paying for a level 90 only buys you time to gear and raid with your character. Paying for a gem buys you a significant advantage over the players in the game who have not bought the gem. That's why selling a gem is pay to win while selling a 90 isn't.

I'm talking about the case where it is available for anyone else. Just 50 Primal Diamonds.

Both level 90 and epic gems are gotten the same way, by grinding, they both have value - level 90 means you get to level 100 quicker to do raids/PVP (seriously your "90 is weaker than 89" argument is grasping at straws; there is a value to getting a higher level not matter how you twist it, else everyone will just lock themselves at level 89).

Epic gems for 99c from the cash shop or for 50 Primal Diamonds from the in-game vendor. Is that pay to win?

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The difference between gems and a lvl 90 boost is that one affects only the player buying it, and the other affects anyone who uses a particular profession while providing a decent increase in personal player power above the basic amount given at the same level.

Not really. Wrathion sells meta gems that more or less renders JC made ones worthless. JCs haven't gone broke.

JCs can be make Primal Diamonds (for sale) too. So they make money regardless.

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Because it's a ridiculous hypothetical; you're saying that epic gems have 10x the cost-to-power ratio as the legendary meta-gem, something that requires about a month at this point to obtain.

...

What are you talking about?