I dont think its wrong for anyone to buy a game based item from a website with real life currency. If the item your purchasing makes you happy, thats all that counts. But if you knew the item was scammed or duped, then I dont think its right to purchase from that website, for it would only encourage that uncalled for behavior.

I'd tell you it's wrong but I'm already guilty of buying items from the uogamecodes.com site. However I have never bought any sort of virtual item outside of that, which I say with pride.

I don't think I like the idea of people (besides EA) making UO a business.

I've bought things off eBay and from UO-specific websites. *shrugs* Some I don't have anymore, some I do. I don't think the situation is as clear-cut as some people would like it to be for where they stand on the issue, so if you're comfortable with it, go ahead.

"But Terrance!" they cry out, "People shouldn't be able to use real life money to buy advantages over other players! People shouldn't be able to buy what they haven't earned in-game!"

Look at the current state of UO. Those of us who have been playing for years can't really stand there being sanctimonious and tell the the new lifeblood coming into this game and keeping it alive that they need to work, claw, dig with their bare hands to begin to have what we do when they could buy something here or they if they'd rather. If anything we'd be further encouraging powergaming which I think is 100x worse than spending RL cash (small amounts in most instances) for something which may or may not be an advantage.

Now am I naive enough to believe that everything for sale for RL money was legitimately acquired? No, and I know very well the prices for all these things will go up as EA comes down on those who aren't acquiring them properly. This is good.

As I said above, it's not a clear-cut thing.

Who wants to make their total end-game champing it up in Felucca with "xXsackburgerXx-G" just to finally, someday, be scrolled up?

Granted, this is one of two reasons why I think the entire concept of powerscrolls is bad, but that's a different matter...

If you would like that scroll, or your son, and you don't think the price is bad, then why not. If you would like that item, but don't see yourself ever acquiring it through the way you choose to play, then why not?

This is a very good post!.

For me when I have brought items it has been for the following reasons.

A) They are no longer available (eg Toku Major Artifacts)
B) My game style/guild mates game style mean I am extremely unlikely to come across these (eg Powerscrolls)

Other than that I don't buy gold, Doom Artifacts, Regular Artifacts etc as I can get these in game with my current game style and places I visit. But saying that if people do buy these there is nothing wrong with that either. It is all up to the individual IMO.

At the end of the day what I would love to see is UO open up an official shop where people can buy/sell in game items (excluding gold) for real money, these items would be supplied by players though not EA, this would allow people who do buy items for real money to shop with confidence, and give EA even more reason to keep UO open (eg more money in their pockets as they could charge the seller a fee simular to eBay).. The reason I say excluding gold is there is already enough of this in the game that needs to circulated out rather than circulated around

PS said idea is pretty much a mirror of what Sony introduced to EQ (unsure if its still going??).

UO is like a hobby to me. I have to work at it and I also have to buy stuff to improve or make it better. So whats the difference in buying stuff with rl cash in UO or buying stuff to improve some other hobby I may have. Me, personally I see no problem with it. If u can afford it and it doesnt affect your family financially then go for it

I think the same way as Kevin. UO is a hobby, so it requires to some extent, monetary use. Yah we pay a monthly fee, but still why not spend some cash to enhance our hobby. My Harley is a neverending hobby $$ black hole.. hehe.. But I get enjoyment out of it, and if you get enjoyment out of buying and enhancing your playtime and experience, I say why not..

Kevin said it well, and I don't think I have much to add on top of what he said.

This is something similar that I mentioned in another thread:

I agree that as long as it doesn't affect the family or finances, and there's nothing unethical involved, there should be no reason why it's wrong to spend some money to get more enjoyment out of a hobby/game that you are meant to enjoy.

Regards,
Josh

After reading what is here I agree in a general sort of way to all points put forward. Your money is your money. But, and I say again, BUT, 30 mil for a crimson 4 mil for a kasa, crafted barbed legs 3 mil(can enhance better items than they sell)....erm...somethin' is wrong with that picture. The vendors are Museums...prices so astronomical that is easier to pay cash than to make gp. Which is exactly the intention. It is the allure of the RL cash that is causing the problems. I have purchased items wont lie, and I am sure I will again... :cheesy: reasonable...$5-10 I would like to see OSI come out with a max gp pricelist on items in a vendor...controlled by them. I think it would solve a lot of issues

Exactly pestilance! The ingame prices are absurd, and in a way vendors are like museums, I like that comparison.

To Adrianna, see, sometimes you resort to having to buy something out of game due to lack of supply in game, or your lack of opportunity to get something. Like Digital said, his gamplay style may not afford him to be able to get certain things, so maybe it may be more convienent to get this elsewhere.

I have an example of my own personal experience here. I saw the cinctures when they first came out. I wanted one bad. I went and did like 100s of Lady Mels, Proxys, Travesties. I did em all, nonstop..Best loot I got..stupid parrots and some stupid stein..Ok, new method. I was doing some spawns, and got some high end scrolls, sold em. Got my 20 mil ready, ok time to buy a cincture. screw it, I am done with the peerlesses right now, I want my damn cincture! Well, I searched every vendor in sight....nothing...Ok, I go to bank and spam,"paying well for cincture"..after a week or so, NOTHING! Ok, new method. I had the gold to buy it but nobody wanted my gold to sell theirs to me. I bought it. Done! Now of course after that, a few months later, I get one, so now I have 2, but still after every method I could have possibly done to get one, I had to resort to RL methods of obtaining one.

Of course I understand the situation, currently some stuff is just damn near impossible to get through any other method than buying for cash. This problem wouldn't exist of course if buying/selling for cash wasn't an option in the first place, right? This is more of an ideological matter than a practical one.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is the fact that everyone is in no way "entitled" to have everything they want. As for the example above, you did get your own cincture through gameplay eventually.

In any case, it's just my personal preference that matters concerning Britannia would stay in Britannia, operating solely through in game influences. The presence of ebay and cash haven't exactly been good for the economy now have they?

are there somewhere a link for osi text that forbidden buy or sale items for real cash ?

Nay, they don't forbid the sale of virtual items for cash, infact, they endorse it.
They just don't allow you to advertise in game that you're selling stuff for cash.