Addressing the RMT Issue

Gold Spam vs. Complaint Spam; What's Worse?

Unless you're new to the nuances in MMORPG culture, you know that no matter what pay-to-play MMO you immerse yourself in that there are going to be gold sellers, aka "RMT" or Real Money Traders, spamming away in the chats and mail systems of the game soliciting the exchange of real money for in-game currency. (That is, usually with the exception of free MMOs like Mabinogi where you purchase point cards to buy in-game items. In that case, you just give your IRL money to the company and in return you get free access to a game with poor graphics and customer service, but that is irrelevant to this article. The acronym "RMT" will be referring to any illegal or illegitimate real money trading that happens outside of the bounds of the EULA for the purposes of this article.)

However, if you are new to the scene it can come as quite a shock. Logging into the game to have tells/whispers coming at you from every direction of '1million = $27.50 24/7 customer service' can really confuse a newbie desperate to get into good gear and, unfortunately, I am sure that many get sucked into the ploy as well as many other similar scams that not only take your money but also your entire game account. Illegitimate RMT isn't as innocent as trading real life money for in-game currency, there is a whole ring of illegal Internet fraud activity surrounding RMT which includes credit card theft. It's a lot of bullocks is what it is and whether you are a newbie or not we can all agree on one thing: Underground RMT needs to go to hell!

Since Aion is brand new in the western world and it has released with a lot of hype, good reviews and a demand even NCSoft didn't expect, it only makes sense that the RMT would follow en suit. It also makes sense that this game would bring a lot of new gamers into the MMO culture. That being said, I'm sure many newbies will want to vent their frustration at the realization of the presence of gold sellers in the game, and that's okay. But, I'm starting to notice that the RMT aren't the only ones spamming the chat channels.

We've established that RMT spam sucks, we all realize that, and if I were to see you complain right now I would simply assume you are a newbie and I would then inform you on how to use the "Block"feature. But, if your reply were a long the lines of "I'm no nub ya moron! I just hate them!" I'm going to use that block feature on you as well. There is no need to cry and moan about something we all know is going to be there no matter what we do, the best thing we can do is just quietly and calmly address the issue with the most effective tool we have to do it with. It is a very simple process that I think calls for review right here in this article.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Block a PC in the Aion Chat

1. Take a deep-breath and let it out, preventing negative energy from taking over your mind.
   
2. Hover your mouse cursor over the offender's name.
3. Right-click on their name. If the chat is moving, scroll up and the chat will stand still until you scroll back down to the bottom.
4. Select "Block"
5. The block window pop up asking you to enter the name of who you'd like to block. Voila! The offender's name is already in the field.
6. Click the "Block" button.
7. Confirm the perpetrator has been blocked by reading the confirmation dialogue on your screen before it fades away after a couple seconds.

Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? The problem is that if I happen to be in a group with someone who complains a lot I am unable to block them since I need communication with everyones. So, please be considerate of other players and your team mates and be mature about it. Don't mention the RMT spam, just quickly block them and continue playing.

The 'rut' of the Problem

Yes, I know this does not directly address the problem of RMT, but if you should be mad at anyone honestly you should be mad at the people who feed the industry. RMT is a black market in the several virtual worlds/realities there are to be found in the form of an MMORPG. There is no way NCSoft can prevent RMT operations from purchasing the games and creating accounts unless they have some sort of super-hero tracking down RMT IRL and destroying their computers and workstations. NCSoft has said they are working to eliminate as many bad accounts as they can through the use of GM moderation, but I hope they will take a more serious approach: Targeting accounts who use RMT services.

I'm going to use EVE Online as case study. One of the things I loved about their attitude towards RMT when I was playing EVE earlier this year was their attitude towards the people who use underground RMT services. The GM who addressed the RMT issue in this article wrote, (concerning the RMT of EVE's currency ISK)

"...we will mercilessly remove ISK bought for real money from ISK sellers, and we remove tens of billions of illegally purchased ISK every day. If the illegally bought ISK has been spent, then the wallets will simply be put in the negative, making any form of market activity impossible...."

This is the kind of attitude I hope the good folks at NCSoft have concerning those accounts who use the services of RMT and I hope they are either acquiring or developing technology to address the issue in this manner. If the devs and CCP can work this out, I expect the devs at NCSoft can as well.

Satisfying Demand

There can be no denying that there is a demand for easy money, even in a virtual reality. I personally do not think it is that hard to earn or acquire Kinah in Aion and I've been able to use the Warehouse feature to save for leveling and new load-outs. However, I have a few friends who find themselves constantly having to pay for Soul Healing and are barely able to stay afloat. (They also happen to be spellcasters, so there is a matter of tactics on their part as well. I could also tie some political theme into this, but I'll save it. Real life politics and games don't mix. I play games to escape from all that crud.)

EVE Online has developed a program for those who need extra in-game currency who don't want to do it the old fashioned way (like mining and crafting, or selling loot taken off of dead fools). In this program, you can trade EVE Time Codes for in-game currency. The EVE Time Code, or ETC, is an alternate approach to directly paying the monthly fee. Much like buying a time card for Sony Station games at local retailers and then applying the card code online, you can purchase an ETC from an ETC retailer and then use the ETC to play the game instead of using a credit card (which is the whole reason this transaction style was created).

CCP took it a step further and created the Secure ETC Trading System in which you could pay real money to ETC retailers, obtain an ETC, and then trade that ETC in for in-game money. The brilliant part of this business model is that the ETC is never wasted. Since that time has been paid for, they will then apply that time towards an account of someone who could use a few extra in their pocket IRL so they can then play the game with the credit applied by that traded ETC. This not only creates growth for the game and makes it easier for those who are on a tight budget to enjoy the game, but it also satisfies demand both in-game and out. (Not to mention this is a completely legitimate business model for the company to make extra money!)

I would absolutely love to see NCSoft develop a similar program to help address the RMT issue. Though EVE Online has been unpopular with those who prefer fantasy themed games more like Aion, WoW and EQ, CCP has shown its merits in the way they run their business even while dealing with the RMT issue. They should be held up as a prime example of business ingenuity and creative problem solving with the creation of their Secure ETC Trading Service.

Conclusion

As a player and paying customer, be mature and quietly use the block feature for spam (that's why it's there). Understand that NCSoft doesn't have Batman ready to go round up all the bad RMT people and that they're working on a solution, it just may not be going as fast as we'd like but that is business. Also, DO NOT be tempted to use RMT services. You are ruining the game for others by bringing in more spam. If you feed the RMT operations they will only grow in number as the demand grows for RMT services. Make money in-game legitimately by taking advantage of the broker and the personal store and grind in groups so you don't die all the time and have to pay for Soul Healing. (I personally think Soul Healing is a great deterrent to NOT die!)

To NCSoft, again, I hope you will keep to your reputation as a solid company (which is how it has been in my personal experience with you) and will address this issue quickly and efficiently. I hope you will look to CCP as an example of how you may better address both sides of the issue and not just spend all your time deleting accounts. There is a legitimate way for your company to make more money while satisfying the demand of those who are willing to pay real life money for in-game currency without creating economic chaos within the world of Aion. Continue deleting accounts, but be the competition. If you were to implement a program like CCP's, you'd make it possible for the less fortunate to enjoy your games while keeping balance in and out of the game.

What's your take?

Did I miss something? Please speak your mind! These are just my opinions concerning this issue and I don't believe I am always right about everything (that would be rather pompus of me if I did.) Post a comment and let me know what you think about CCP's Secure ETC Trading Service and if you think that business model could be appropriately applied with not just Aion but all NCSoft games. And most importantly, would you use a service like this if NCSoft did implement a similar program?

Until next time ;)