Follow Square Enix on Banning Content Clears for Gold, Please ANET

[Charall.4710]

Recently on FFXIV there was a update to their prohibited activities policy where part of their policy showed an example of what is a bannable offense, something I personally agree with 100%. 

I am of the very strong and clear opinion that you should be earning your achievements and clears in guild wars 2 naturally, making it something you strive for not pay for with gold. I get that you can change gems into gold but that should not mean you buy a couple of gem cards or whatever and transfer them into gold to buy a raid clear for your legendary armor or achievements, this makes those who actually honestly earn their armor and stuff of that nature feel like their attempts were trivial.

To date I've earned every bit of everything I ever got and this is why I even struggle with things such as certain bits of content, since I refuse to pay anyone to help me with it or to get a clear for something. The idea of honestly progressing your character should be what all players strive for, heres the prohibited activities update that really.. Anet needs to update to get rid of those selling runs for gold.

Examples of violations:
- Selling [duty] clear for 1 million gil.
- Selling [duty] clear and/or offering the associated rewards from [content]. Join for more info/details.


PS. If you wonder what I am talking about, check the LFG Raids Section and you will see the problem at hand or check the screenshot posted
 

Screenshot for LFM Raid Section

Edited November 2, 2021 by Dravvi.3146
Updated to reflect the state of LFM

[costepj.5120]

You can ban advertising in LFG but all that will do is drive the practice underground. There's no way for anet to police such a policy so why bother?

[Charall.4710]

Just now, costepj.5120 said:

You can ban advertising in LFG but all that will do is drive the practice underground. There's no way for anet to police such a policy so why bother?

Even if just to ensure that players feel more like their attempts are more valuable than their gold and to clean up the raids section or even the fractals section in some instances. This has been a major issue since HoT.

[costepj.5120]

The only value of such achievements is the value you yourself place on them. You know if you earned them or not; no-one else does. I could get a friend to come round and play my character to do the Halloween JP, but I won't suddenly think I'm a JP champion.

[Handsel.2891]

While there, ban the use of portals in JPs in the spirit of earning those achievements naturally. At least that would be technically doable.

[Charall.4710]

4 minutes ago, MikeG.6389 said:

While there, ban the use of portals in JPs in the spirit of earning those achievements naturally. At least that would be technically doable.

That I also support yeah, tbh theres really no need for portals for JP's. ..Just make an asura.

[costepj.5120]

And then go after all the other ways players help players. I'm part of a weekly fractal group where we've slowly worked our way up to T4. I would never have managed that on my own, so they are obviously contravening your principles.

[Charall.4710]

5 minutes ago, costepj.5120 said:

And then go after all the other ways players help players. I'm part of a weekly fractal group where we've slowly worked our way up to T4. I would never have managed that on my own, so they are obviously contravening your principles.

Yeeaah I don't think thats entirely accurate, the banning of selling content clears for gold or stopping portals to JP ends does not equate to helping someone learn how to clear content.

[Touchme.1097]

I wouldn't bother raiding old content, you can play WvW and get a full legendary armor set from there. The new strike missions will probably be a good candidate for a new better looking legendary armor set. You can still run raids with your PvE guild.

We need a report option to report content sellers. Doesn't selling content violate the User Agreement?

Quote

 

1.3.1 Licensed, Not Sold.

We do not sell any right or interest in the Services to you. Subject to your compliance with this User Agreement, we grant you a revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferrable or assignable license for personal and non-commercial Use of the Services. We and our licensors retain all rights, title, and interest in the Services not expressly granted in this User Agreement. Nothing in this User Agreement limits your right to resell the original physical medium that contains the Services. 

 

User Agreement: NCSOFT West

[costepj.5120]

But the point is you or anet have no way to know what goes on behind the scenes. I could be paying the rest of my party 100G every time they carry my sorry kitten through Shattered Observatory (they wish!). It doesn't really impact anyone either way; I'm not fooling myself into thinking I'm a fractal goddess and the extra AP I've "earned" doesn't mean I've now won GW2.

[Charall.4710]

3 minutes ago, costepj.5120 said:

But the point is you or anet have no way to know what goes on behind the scenes. I could be paying the rest of my party 100G every time they carry my sorry kitten through Shattered Observatory (they wish!). It doesn't really impact anyone either way; I'm not fooling myself into thinking I'm a fractal goddess and the extra AP I've "earned" doesn't mean I've now won GW2.

Behind the scenes is not the issue at the present, while I get there will always be shadow-markets for that sorta thing. Enforcing it being bannable would really make that sorta thing become less and less prevelent as it has already started to in FFXIV.

[Mungrul.9358]

What if the player paying for the clear isn't able to do it themselves because of a physical disability?

[Charall.4710]

12 minutes ago, Mungrul.9358 said:

What if the player paying for the clear isn't able to do it themselves because of a physical disability?

Simply put, paying for a clear should not be acceptable under any circumstances. I know a few disabled gamers who at times request help, I might not be the best at clearing content for others but I will do it if I can under those circumstances happily with nothing in it for me.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

The Devs have stated that it is acceptable to pay for content clears.  Just like it was in Guild Wars, all those many years ago. 

[Charall.4710]

2 minutes ago, Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

The Devs have stated that it is acceptable to pay for content clears.  Just like it was in Guild Wars, all those many years ago. 

I strongly oppose this however, as it makes earning your own keep very trivial.

[Gorem.8104]

3 minutes ago, Dravvi.3146 said:

I strongly oppose this however, as it makes earning your own keep very trivial.

And? Why should you care how other people play the game? 

GW2 is known for its many different ways to play, judge achievements on yourself, not others. 

[Charall.4710]

8 minutes ago, Gorem.8104 said:

And? Why should you care how other people play the game? 

GW2 is known for its many different ways to play, judge achievements on yourself, not others. 

Because how others play the game effects everyone, it is a MMORPG not a Single Player Online RPG. When people pay for raid clears, it inspires others to do so and thus runs for the average individual getting into raids becomes lesser and lesser. Earning your way through the game should be encouraged while paying your way should be discouraged.

Earning your way has always been the core fundamental of any MMORPG, We should not forget that.

[Hashberry.4510]

I dunno what looks seedier, the titles and cheevos for filthy lucre or the masses of karma and volatile magic crazed zombies lurking in dark corners ;) 

[Handsel.2891]

3 minutes ago, Dravvi.3146 said:

I strongly oppose this however, as it makes earning your own keep very trivial.

To be frank, it doesn't hurt anyone. It's your choice how you play a game, even an MMO, and since paying for content clears does not negatively affect other players (it definitely doesn't affect me) I say live and let live.

My comment on JPs was made with heavy sarcasm. It actually is a pet-peeve of mine, especially when people are openly complaining about how they hate them and especially since there are Legendary Trinkets tied to some harder ones. (Come on, you really think JPs are harder content than raids, which you also have to do for other legendary items?) Still, it doesn't affect me that you might choose to "cheat" your way to the end chest. That it might hurt my ego? Who cares? I know how I achieved the things I have on my account, so I know full well their worth. I can't say the same about anyone else's.

9 minutes ago, Dravvi.3146 said:

When people pay for raid clears, it inspires others to do so and thus runs for the average individual getting into raids becomes lesser and lesser.

Come on, raiding is a niche content. If the fact that you have ways to buy runs really encouraged the masses to do the same, everyone would be running around in legendary armour by now. Paying for raid clears has been a thing since the first raid has been released not long after HoT. I presume they are not cheap, either. I don't know the rates, but paying 50-100g per boss would be my guess, possibly much more. It's a major deterrent for most players, if they were even interested.

[Charall.4710]

19 minutes ago, MikeG.6389 said:

To be frank, it doesn't hurt anyone. It's your choice how you play a game, even an MMO, and since paying for content clears does not negatively affect other players (it definitely doesn't affect me) I say live and let live.

My comment on JPs was made with heavy sarcasm. It actually is a pet-peeve of mine, especially when people are openly complaining about how they hate them and especially since there are Legendary Trinkets tied to some harder ones. (Come on, you really think JPs are harder content than raids, which you also have to do for other legendary items?) Still, it doesn't affect me that you might choose to "cheat" your way to the end chest. That it might hurt my ego? Who cares? I know how I achieved the things I have on my account, so I know full well their worth. I can't say the same about anyone else's.

Come on, raiding is a niche content. If the fact that you have ways to buy runs really encouraged the masses to do the same, everyone would be running around in legendary armour by now. Paying for raid clears has been a thing since the first raid has been released not long after HoT. I presume they are not cheap, either. I don't know the rates, but paying 50-100g per boss would be my guess, possibly much more. It's a major deterrent for most players, if they were even interested.

It is your choice in how you play, except it should not sully the content for others. Raiding is becoming less and less niche due to raid training groups which should be encouraged far more and selling of content runs for gold should be banned. Something of which I will keep being consistent on.

There should be a overworld way of obtaining legendary armor since there is already one for raids, wvw, and pvp however. That I will say would be nice and would likely bring a focus back to core tyria as well if it were tied to content there.

[ChronoPinoyX.7923]

8 minutes ago, Dravvi.3146 said:

It is your choice in how you play, except it should not sully the content for others.

And they choose those services because to them, it doesn't sully the content in any capacity. 

This sounds more like a personal issue rather than an actual issue in the game, and I see no issue with players approaching the game how they want. 

[Charall.4710]

5 minutes ago, ChronoPinoyX.7923 said:

And they choose those services because to them, it doesn't sully the content in any capacity. 

This sounds more like a personal issue rather than an actual issue in the game, and I see no issue with players approaching the game how they want. 

If you don't see a issue with people approaching the game how they want, whats your take on gold selling? Cause frankly while that effects the economy, selling runs for gold effects content runs for everyone as well.

[Handsel.2891]

19 minutes ago, Dravvi.3146 said:

It is your choice in how you play, except it should not sully the content for others. Raiding is becoming less and less niche due to raid training groups which should be encouraged far more and selling of content runs for gold should be banned. Something of which I will keep being consistent on.

I repeat: Paying for raid clears is as old as raids themselves. It's not a major issue, if it was, there would be a decrease in raid training groups, wouldn't you say? I sense a contradiction in your reasoning here.

[Handsel.2891]

2 minutes ago, Dravvi.3146 said:

If you don't see a issue with people approaching the game how they want, whats your take on gold selling? Cause frankly while that effects the economy, selling runs for gold effects content runs for everyone as well.

How does someone paying for a raid boss affect you?

[Charall.4710]

1 minute ago, MikeG.6389 said:

I repeat: Paying for raid clears is as old as raids themselves. It's not a major issue, if it was, there would be a decrease in raid training groups, wouldn't you say? I sense a contradiction in your reasoning here.

Raid training groups are vastly overshadowed by raid selling groups, selling content clears for gold is a major issue that spams the raid LFG. Perhaps you've not looked there recently, let me get a screenshot for you.