Money, resources, materials, emlbems, coins, and other alternative currency

UknownAspect

As a gamer who has tried a number of MMOs, there seems to be a trend towards alternate currencies, I don't know who started it, or why, but it adds a level of complexity to a game which is well recieved, but at the same time this mechanic really limits us as players.

 

In most MMOs, there are many aspects to explore, be it small group content, raids, dungeons, competetive team pvp, RvR battlefields, territory acquisition through pvp or pve, social games, holiday events etc. etc.

And with all these different activities, each one seems to offer a different, but relavent reward.  If I pvp in the open world, I'll get open world pvp rewards, if I do team pvp in arenas, I'll get relavent arena gear.  If I raid with 12314123 people I'll get gear that lets me raid farther, if I participate in holiday events, I get holiday specific stuff.

So this is great that people start participating in all these different events, but I think a very large problem arises from this that people seem to overlook.  This pigeon holes players into doing things they don't want to do.  And I don't mean that I'm forced to pvp in order to get pvp gear, or I'm forced to raid if I want to get raid gear.  What this means is that I have to follow different advancement trees and constantly take myself down a notch everytime I want to start something new.  I can pvp till I'm the best on the server and then be forced to start the advancement grind again if I want to try doing dungeons.

And the root of all this is the alternate currency.  Am I the only one that feels this way? Does anyone else have opinions on alternate currency?

Sovrath

I hate alternate currency.

But then again, I've never been one to like "bits".

Collecing bits of this to make bits of that that then can be turned into other bits.

Same with currencies.

I suppose these are very much game mechanics that gate players from different things. I don't find them fun. But I also think that I prefer the idea that these are virtual worlds as opposed to games.

That is not to say that I'm crazy or looking to escape or anything like that.

But as an example, I remember buying some sort of console game where all of a sudden I could, through some interface that I could easily access, purchase items and upgrades. My initial response was that it seemed forced. there was no going to a store or dealer but "all of a sudden" a magical interface pops up that allows me to spend some sort of mystical points.

Same with alternate currencies.

In LOTRO once can do skirmishes and get tokens. I would much rather just spend some sort of in game currency in order to purchase items then some sort of forced point/token system that takes me out of the game world and reminds me that it is a game.

Just more bits to keep track of.