OK, a couple of points that I am sure will get me 1-starred.
-Where did J. Smedley say SOE was going to take a commission from the Exchange server sales?
-Someone have any VERIFIABLE FACTS regarding SOE profits here?
-Where are all the bots? Seriously, I have a 45 toon, and don't think I have ever run across these horrible villlains. I am not saying they aren't there... Just haven't seen them, or heard anyone in-game complain. My Guildmates haven't mentioned it... ever.
-Like every other major change in a MMOG (Luclin, anyone?) bazillions of people rant and cry and swear up and down they are going to leave the game. And, sheeplike, don't. Baaah, Baaah....
-I am mostly peeved at the folks whining about something they really don't know anything about. Facts, not conjecture and wild speculation, folks... if you have real figures, please post them. In a fit of self-serving ire, I posted
http://www.ethersblog.blogspot.com
I could be totally off-base. It's happened once. I played WoW for a while, until my brain began firing all synapses in the right order. I then realized that EQ2 is much more fun for me. But it took a bit to find out.
Then again, I am not competing with a total stranger over who has a MOB-dropped Belt of Instant Geekdom. If I see an obvious exploiter, cheater, or cretin that is somehow ruining the game for me, I will gleefully report it. But someone else having uber equipment that they bought with RL cash makes no difference to how I play.
My experiences, and my accomplishments are what is important to me... not some total stranger's. Maybe I am in the minority there.
As far as a ruined economy... well, people have been saying it was shot since day 3. Lore, No Trade, etc, makes a big difference, and with the off-line selling, the economy was reeling anyhow. I don't see there being much real change on existing servers. I admit, I have no hard and fast facts there.
OK, so people may feel betrayed by SOE. I am sorry. Can't say a lot about that, other than I think that the super-suits at Sony have thought this one through. They ARE in it for the money. YOUR money. You being fired up and quitting = <$ 4 SOE. I am relatively certain this crossed their minds. It doesn't make fiscal sense for them to alienate their subscriber base. Then again, most of the folks on the boards here are simply bleating about quitting. Baaah, Baaah...
This post isn't intended to insult, but I think a little objectivity is called for. Unless I missed something, we haven't a lot of facts or figures, and we have a surplus of conjecture rumor, and wacked-out theory. Someone please educate me?