Pay to Not Play?

On 30 Nov 2006 16:33:38 -0800, Getefix wrote:

> A spouse could pay a fee to _reduce_
> the time that their significant other was allowed in the game world.

WoW already offers this feature for free. It's called "parental controls":

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/parental-control-faq-small.html

M.
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> Nostromo wrote:
> Getefix wrote:
> > As MMORPGs seem to be the future has anyone considered that their
> > payment scheme might be set up backwards? I know of one marriage
> > broken up due to Evercrack and another in trouble from WoW. What if
> > the payment system was reversed? A spouse could pay a fee to _reduce_
> > the time that their significant other was allowed in the game world.
> > Someone PKs you and you volunteer $0.50 towards reducing their play
> > time. Put the time-reduction on a negative exponential curve so it'd
> > take serious bucks from multiple sources in order to effect a 'ban'
> > this way.
> >
>
> Naturally, you're not serious & this is just an amateur trolling
> attempt, right? :-/

Why would I not be serious? Love the insult right off the bat, by the
way. This speculation is along the same line as my previous
"Indulgences for MMORPGs?" in this newsgroup. I would enjoy a
thoughtful comment on either subject.
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Michael Vondung wrote:
> On 30 Nov 2006 16:33:38 -0800, Getefix wrote:
> > A spouse could pay a fee to _reduce_
> > the time that their significant other was allowed in the game world.
>
> WoW already offers this feature for free. It's called "parental controls":
> http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/parental-control-faq-small.html

I fail to see how a password access system equates to a limitation-fee
system. You would subject a spouse to the wrath of their significant
other? After all, they'd know someone in their household had to be the
one to implement the account controls. With a limitation-fee system
similar control could be effected anonymously.
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On 1 Dec 2006 16:00:28 -0800, Getefix wrote:

> I fail to see how a password access system equates to a limitation-fee
> system. You would subject a spouse to the wrath of their significant
> other?

If Joe is a MMORPG addict and Jane paid to limit his playing time or his
enjoyment in the game (getting slain by a PK is not fun), how would Joe's
"wrath" be different? The whole idea of forcefully limiting another
person's "freedom" is flawed, because that only triggers resistance. Unless
someone realises that their current direction leads nowhere, at least not
to anywhere "positive", the person will not only see no need for change,
but also fight it. Unless something drastic and dramatic happens, most
people won't change.

I do agree with you on the dangers of MMORPGs, and there is no doubt in my
mind that they have ruined many a relationship, but unless someone realises
that what they are doing is problematic and are willing to change it,
nothing will change. In essence, the differences between a MMORPG
addiction, an alcohol addiction or a heroin addiction are marginal. The
social effects on a person's life, at least, are comparable.

Then again, addictions of any kind may just be symptoms of much deeper
problems.

M.
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Michael Vondung wrote [02.12.06]:

> Then again, addictions of any kind may just be symptoms of much deeper
> problems. ^^^ ^^

They are!

--
Anestis
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"Getefix" <getefix DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1165017628.043221.196890@l12g2000cwl.googlegroups.com...
> I fail to see how a password access system equates to a limitation-fee
> system. You would subject a spouse to the wrath of their significant
> other? After all, they'd know someone in their household had to be the
> one to implement the account controls. With a limitation-fee system
> similar control could be effected anonymously.
>

Sure, getting ganked makes some people mad... but mad enough to start paying
out hard cash to block the ganker from playing? And continue paying to get
them blocked month after month? I don't think so, and I think you seriously
misunderstand the motivations of such players. Game addiction does not
equate to stupidity, and if a player is repeatedly targeted for blocking, he
is going to figure out sooner than later that someone close to him, rather
than an in-game opponent, is behind it. And it won't stop a sufficiently
addicted person from buying another account or MMO to circumvent those
measures.

In other words, the system you propose is unrealistic in virtually every
sense -- practical, economical, pscyhological. There's not much more to say
about it.
 >> Stay informed about: Pay to Not Play? 

Bah. You have not considred the most lucrative purveryor of MMORPG --
the employer. You've seen the latest commecials. It is not possible
to stop a player from playing during their working hours. You can't
get a system to conform to player stoppage. But if you paid the system
to prevent your own workers from accessing their system during working
hours.. Well, then...

Yes, I drink. And that drinking makes waves. I like waves. Wakes
drink. Bastards who judje me! It is rum. Rum is bad. Hurt rum. I
write good stories. Ask me about them.

Michael Vondung wrote:
> On 1 Dec 2006 16:00:28 -0800, Getefix wrote:
>
> > I fail to see how a password access system equates to a limitation-fee
> > system. You would subject a spouse to the wrath of their significant
> > other?
>
> If Joe is a MMORPG addict and Jane paid to limit his playing time or his
> enjoyment in the game (getting slain by a PK is not fun), how would Joe's
> "wrath" be different? The whole idea of forcefully limiting another
> person's "freedom" is flawed, because that only triggers resistance. Unless
> someone realises that their current direction leads nowhere, at least not
> to anywhere "positive", the person will not only see no need for change,
> but also fight it. Unless something drastic and dramatic happens, most
> people won't change.
>
> I do agree with you on the dangers of MMORPGs, and there is no doubt in my
> mind that they have ruined many a relationship, but unless someone realises
> that what they are doing is problematic and are willing to change it,
> nothing will change. In essence, the differences between a MMORPG
> addiction, an alcohol addiction or a heroin addiction are marginal. The
> social effects on a person's life, at least, are comparable.
>
> Then again, addictions of any kind may just be symptoms of much deeper
> problems.
>
> M.
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"Getefix" <getefix.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> looked up from reading the entrails of the
porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs say:

>Bah. You have not considred the most lucrative purveryor of MMORPG --
>the employer. You've seen the latest commecials. It is not possible
>to stop a player from playing during their working hours.

Oh what nonsense - have you never heard of a firewall?
Never heard of employees not being allowed to install their own software
on company machines?

>You can't
>get a system to conform to player stoppage. But if you paid the system
>to prevent your own workers from accessing their system during working
>hours.. Well, then...

Yeah right, pay company X not to allow your employees to connect for
your IP range during your business hours instead of just blocking access
to their MMORPG from your end for free.

The more you spin this idea of yours, the more stupid and insane it
looks.

Xocyll
--
I don't particularly want you to FOAD, myself. You'll be more of
a cautionary example if you'll FO And Get Chronically, Incurably,
Painfully, Progressively, Expensively, Debilitatingly Ill. So
FOAGCIPPEDI. -- Mike Andrews responding to an idiot in asr
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> >Bah. You have not considred the most lucrative purveryor of MMORPG --
> >the employer. You've seen the latest commecials. It is not possible
> >to stop a player from playing during their working hours.
>
> Oh what nonsense - have you never heard of a firewall?

And there is no software to circumvent the company firewall. No, there
are no commecials that indicate such. Oh, the horror, the horror...

BAD anti-firewall person! Sit next to Pewee and hold their sticky
stuff in your mouth...
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On Dec 15, 1:09 am, "Getefix" <gete... DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote:
> And there is no software to circumvent the company firewall. No, there
> are no commecials that indicate such. Oh, the horror, the horror...

In the real world circumventing a company firewall will get you tossed
out on your ass lickety split. And they run stuff that watches for
such.
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Getefix wrote:
>>> Bah. You have not considred the most lucrative purveryor of MMORPG
>>> -- the employer. You've seen the latest commecials. It is not
>>> possible to stop a player from playing during their working hours.
>>
>> Oh what nonsense - have you never heard of a firewall?
>
> And there is no software to circumvent the company firewall. No,
> there are no commecials that indicate such. Oh, the horror, the
> horror...

Heh, you better hope you never get a job where I retired, if you think you
can spoof the company firewall and get away with it.
--
chainbreaker
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"Getefix" <getefix.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> looked up from reading the entrails of the
porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs say:

>> >Bah. You have not considred the most lucrative purveryor of MMORPG --
>> >the employer. You've seen the latest commecials. It is not possible
>> >to stop a player from playing during their working hours.
>>
>> Oh what nonsense - have you never heard of a firewall?
>
>And there is no software to circumvent the company firewall. No, there
>are no commecials that indicate such. Oh, the horror, the horror...

Nice snip job, lets just put that next line back shall we.

Never heard of employees not being allowed to install their own software
on company machines?

So exactly how are you going to use software to get around that company
firewall, when you aren't able to install the software in the first
place?

Obviously it hasn't occurred to you that companies that are seriously
concerned with security and not having employees install random software
don't give them workstations with cd drives or floppies, or in fact
access to install functions of the OS itself.

But judging by your pay-not-to-play idea, you have little contact with
the real world at all.

Xocyll
--
I don't particularly want you to FOAD, myself. You'll be more of
a cautionary example if you'll FO And Get Chronically, Incurably,
Painfully, Progressively, Expensively, Debilitatingly Ill. So
FOAGCIPPEDI. -- Mike Andrews responding to an idiot in asr
 >> Stay informed about: Pay to Not Play? 

Xocyll wrote:
> But judging by your pay-not-to-play idea, you have little contact with
> the real world at all.
>
> Xocyll

Heh, you give a lot of credit by saying "little", X--I'd have said "no".

But then again, you always have been a much nicer guy than me.
--
chainbreaker
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