I don't know what to say

[Ashkael]

Well, since Google seems to be down, I was running a search on Altavista for some ATI video card info, and found this:

http://www.power-leveling.com/index.htm

This website offers "professional" power-leveling service for Everquest 2, Lineage and World of Warcraft. Basically, you pay a bunch of socially-unadapted monkeys to level-up your character.

This page contains the "rates" for WoW leveling:

http://www.power-leveling.com/WNormalPowerleveling.htm

They charge $900.00 for power-leveling your character from level 1 to 60 in 1 month. I really don't know what to say about all this. To add insult to injury, look at what they have to say about their WoW power-leveling service:

During World of Warcraft Non-stop powerleveling period, your character will be leveled by our 3 master players 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, operating at the highest efficiency so that your character will reach the desired level in the timeframe you've specified. This is why our Normal Powerleveling service is the fastest way for you to bypass boredom and get to have fun.

Who in their right mind would fork over money to get their characters power-leveled in an RPG? Doing so defeats the purpose of playing the damn game! I bet the same people that pay for these services would also be willing to pay someone to sexually pleasure their wives so they have more time to play with their "professionally power-leveled characters".

Now, the people that setup this service are "geniuses" if you ask me, because they are getting payed for playing the game! And the people that actually purchase this service should be shot.

[Treesh]

It's actually against Blizzard's EULA or maybe the TOU instead to share your account with other people (except for your young children if you are a parent). Now, whether or not they can enforce that rule is another matter. ;)

Edit: It's the Terms of Use (TOU) that prohibits it.

A. You may establish one (1) user account ("Account") with which to play World of Warcraft by accessing Blizzard Entertainment's proprietary on-line service ("Service"), pursuant to the terms, conditions and restrictions contained in this Agreement. In order to establish an Account, you must be a 'Natural Person,' who is over the age of eighteen (18) years old or the age of majority in the country where you are a citizen. Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, partnerships, or any other form of legal entity other than that of a "natural person" may not establish an account, and by accepting this Agreement, you hereby represent and warrant meet these eligibility requirements. You may not share your Account with anyone, except that if you are a parent or guardian, you may permit one (1) minor child to use the Account instead of you (in which case you may not use that Account at the same time). You are liable for all activities conducted through the Account, including any activities which may be conducted by your minor children that you allow to use your Account.

And farther down in the TOU:

Your license to use World of Warcraft is limited by a number of factors which are listed here, and which are contained in the World of Warcraft End User License Agreement which you were required to accept when you installed World of Warcraft. Limitations on your right to use World of Warcraft may include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
<snip>
H. You may not exploit World of Warcraft for any commercial purpose, including, but not limited to, performing "power leveling" services to other users of World of Warcraft for "real" money.

[Tharn]

Who in their right mind would fork over money to get their characters power-leveled in an RPG?
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The very same people who are willing to pay for items.

I can understand using powerleveling service to max level in cases where you already know the game well and you want to make a new char, for example on another realm. But paying to powerlevel a new class would just make me lvl 60 n00b.

This practice was actually very common in PvP circles in Diablo2, however that was for in-game items. However WoW removes this need as you can respec, unlike in D2 where for each item setup you needed pretty much new PvP char (if you are perfectionist). There was also no danger of loosing whole account (either via malice or bad security on powerleveler's side).

Edit: I do not defend it (I actually think it's pretty stupid to do it, but I consider gold farming worse), I just try to explain some possible motives

[Nystul]

That people are willing to pay money to have someone else play the midgame for them is either a tribute to the stupidity of people or an indictment against the companies making these games. Perhaps a bit of both. There is a lot to WoW that solely exists to waste your time and make you keep your subscription longer, and I'm sure the other MMOGs are even worse in this regard.

Perhaps Blizzard should make a small game roughly similar to the endgame content of WoW, with no need to grind in order to get there, and sell it for $900 + $15 a month. :rolleyes:

[Tharn]

This powerleveling service will probably impact my game this way:
1) There will be more lvl 60s than normally
2) There will be some lvl 60s with absolutely no idea how to play their chars
3) There will be some ridiculously stupid PvP opposition :)

[Guest]

Be glad WoW isnt really "power leveler" friendly.

The experience code in WoW at least doesnt encourage power lvling through group tricks etc. In WoW it seems the fastest leveling still comes from tuned groups(priests and a bunch of mages for instance) or a good duo team.


In DAoC you could take someone to max level in 2 days if you had the right classes level 50s willing to sit down and kill the same few mobs over and over 24/7. Even though if you played normal it took months in RL do do the same thing.

[liffuie]

i remember in early eq before the days when raid guilds where comman, there was a service called Uber you=p

they offered for a fee, to hook you up with a raid guild, and be allowed to go on raids with them. forget how much it was and what servers it was on=/ but was funny for a long while

[Ashkael]

I have not read the TOU, but if that line is indeed part of it, then I assume it would be easy for Blizzard to shut them down (just an assumption, I know very little of legal matters).

Somewhere on that website I saw these guys stating that since they are a "real US company", it's very easy for you to sue them and thus they wouldn't think about stealing your account. So, if they are a "real" US company and it's very easy to sue them, I wonder if Blizzard would be willing to take "easy" legal action here. :whistling:

[Ashkael]

That people are willing to pay money to have someone else play the midgame for them is either a tribute to the stupidity of people or an indictment against the companies making these games.&nbsp; Perhaps a bit of both.&nbsp; There is a lot to WoW that solely exists to waste your time and make you keep your subscription longer, and I'm sure the other MMOGs are even worse in this regard.
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Well, I have not been able to play WoW that much (I built a new gaming computer and had all maner of problems with my video card... I'm waiting for a replacement now). So far I've got a level 18 Undead Mage on Azjol-Nerub, and let me tell you that I have enjoyed most of the journey so far. It's amazing how much satisfaction you can sometimes get as a player from little things such as watching the ocean in the distance from atop the Scarlet Crusade Tower to the north of Tirisfal Glade's, after having slaughtered its occupants. People who use services like this one are missing on the most important part of the game: having fun.

Perhaps Blizzard should make a small game roughly similar to the endgame content of WoW, with no need to grind in order to get there, and sell it for $900 + $15 a month.&nbsp; :rolleyes:
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:lol:

[Zarathustra]

Is it THAT hard for people to hit 60, though?

[liffuie]

dunno, one thing i've found in eq, is that people that buy accounts come in three flavors.

one: newbs with too much money, that want to go immieditly to the head of the class. that are the sterotypical people that gamers make fun of and try to avoid, as they know nothing about the game, and learning from scratch takes time.

two: mid lvl people that want to see end game, but don't have the time. They tend to know the basic mechanics but don't have quite the reflexes and everyday know how , but with a few day's practice can learn the class. Their also the biggest group imo.

three: high lvl people, that are looking for either a twink, or they realize some class in balance in high end play, and want a more needed class. In Eq i saw this alot with melee dps classes (monks rogues) going for (wizzes/clerics) . They easily can switch between classes, with a few hours of pratice.

group 3 in terms of volumes sold, at least from what i saw in eq, was less then group two, but alot more then group 1( which realistiacly In 5 years of eq, i've only ran into twice, compared to the numerious bought and sold accounts that I grouped with or applied to guilds I was in).