... though at this point I'm starting to think it might be a sign of the coming Apocalypse, so I probably shouldn't look forward to it.

The main reason the average WoW player hates gold farmers really has nothing to do with their presence. Most fellow players I've talked to are either pretty much apathetic about it, or feel sorry for them. What we DO hate is the fact that they constantly spam our chat interfaces with advertisements for their gold selling services... sometimes so badly that it becomes difficult to play. Blizzard has been taking steps to make it harder for them to advertise, though, and it's becoming less of an issue. Thanks to a patch a few months ago, in two button clicks the spammer is both reported for spamming, and ignored by my interface.

They don't seem to really do much to the economy, because the majority of high-end items can only be acquired by visiting high-end dungeons personally, or personally playing in the various PVP arenas and battlegrounds (they are "soulbound", which means your character can't trade them). If anything, the flooding of gold on the market which might cause inflation, tends to be balanced by the flooding of raw crafting materials on the market (a main source of gold farmer gold) which causes a drop in the value of goods anyway.

As for killing gold farmers... well, only about half the servers in World of Warcraft are player-versus-player enabled... meaning that you can't really go slaughter them (or anyone else, for that matter). On player-versus-player servers, there are people who just enjoy slaughtering any target of opportunity, and lower-level players and gold farmers tend to be easy targets. Lower level players because they have no chance, gold farmers because all they know how to do is kill the same thing over and over and over.

I totally agree. Every article I read in the "legit" press seems to be written by some one who's only done cursory research and has no idea how things actually work and how much things can fluctuate from server to server.

This particular article reminded me of the "Make Love Not Warcraft" episode of South Park. Any WoW head who's seen that knows what I'm talking about.

btw,

lfm ramps have cc/dps need healer and tank pst

hunters ftw!

Hunter is actually the only class that I haven't really played. ;) Maybe I'll roll one once I finish levelling my paladin and warlock (rested xp ftw!)

My mains are holy priest and feral druid. Which means a "no thank you" macro for all the "come heal for us" and "come tank for us" spam. ;)

Been a little burned out lately. Barely getting my 10 games in for my arena points. In fact, it's Monday, I need to get my act together on that... :P

You're probably not going to believe this but my alts are a paladin and a warlock... If you ever want to start an allie hunter come over to Archimonde and I'll make sure you don't die too much leveling.

I am so looking forward to arena pvp.

Honestly I think right now everyone's alts are a paladin and warlock. Or maybe an MS warrior. Overpowered much? ;)

Hubby and I are on Emerald Dream, if you ever decide to come over to the truly "good" side.

FOR DA HORDE! ;)

Ah my hopes are crushed... you're horde.

/cast cower

Please don't gank me...

My first chars to 60 were alliance, but hubby wanted a pvp server. ;)

Like I said, holy priest. I couldn't even gank a small bunny rabbit.

I actually kind of want to start a Draenai, because that's one of the few story lines I haven't gone through.

tychoe99:

I totally agree. Every article I read in the "legit" press seems to be written by some one who's only done cursory research and has no idea how things actually work and how much things can fluctuate from server to server.

That's because anyone who actually plays the game has no time to write -- or do anything else, for that matter.

I play the game, I have time to write...I write enough here. I even have a full-time job. And I know I may be the exception. However, I do not have a job as a writer in the 'legit' press. Maybe they could come up with a topic and request submissions from gamers. More likely, the writers should take a look around and find the gamer geeks at work around them, talk to them.

/wave from the Kilrogg server, where I have a squidling, Stribog. To those who were thinking of starting up a draenei, do it if only to experience the starting zones. I was impressed with how much more interesting the draenei and belf areas are compared to the good old days. I especially like the music in the starting draenei zone; it suits very well.

My comment was somewhat tounge in cheek. That said, I do know people who are addicted to the game and it has consumed their lives.

Crack Cocaine has nothing on WOW.

Hi, my name is Wolfen and I'm an EverCrack addict.

It's been 51 months and 12 days since my last fix.

I started out with EverQuest three months after it went live. Someone who I thought was a friend told me about a cool online game that he figured I'd like. I'd been a D&D player back in the 70's and 80's, so he thought this might be up my alley.

I played for nearly two years. I was able to keep it to a low-level addiction, only 10 to 20 hours a week. I had friends that were up over 40 hours a week. I thought that I was keeping it in control. But once, on vacation with my wife and kids, I ducked out on them claiming to be sick, but went to a really seedy part of town for a fix. There was an Internet Cafe and I played. I think I miay have caught a disease there, but a cleric healed me.

I quit cold turkey one night after one of my kids started speaking dood to me. I fell off the wagon again about 18 months later and played for another year. But I've been clean and sober since.

Though that same friend of mine has sent over a copy of LOTR online. I wonder if I should play it?

Oh yes, do play it, dooooo play it.

It is precioussssssssss . . .