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Morals, Ethics and Trading Poll
ctdummy80
Member Posts: 57
Is offering an unbalanced trade to make a profit off of other people's lack of knowledge morally wrong?
Post edited by ctdummy80 on
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I think you have answered your own question, really.
In-game, there's essentially no downside to HAMSTER people over, since you're not gonna trade with them again, and they're unlikely to remember your name anyway. And all characters look more or less alike.
So yes, of course it is. But you shouldn't be surprised if a large number of people do it anyway.
Like Bags of Holes. Or offering cash shop items in trade chat, for 1.5x or more of what they would cost if you just converted your AD to zen and bought the thing yourself.
(Or, back in the days I played WoW, the people who would sell crafting recipe scrolls on the auction for many many times the cost of..... just walking three stores to the right and buying them off a vendor for 2 silver. And not even the limited supply ones, but the ones that anyone could buy a dozen of.)
As a Paladin at heart, I say, Pray for forgiveness you sinner ! As a human being and fellow gamer, I say Exploitation is the core of capitalism, and so long as it's not me, I guess it's okay.:)
There's nothing silly about treating the people around you fairly. Just because you're interacting via pixels on a game server (instead of by phone, or in person) doesn't make it any different. /shrug
(and yes, I only roll greed/pass on things that I don't actually Need.)
Okay, you win. Your'e right, it's not okay -even in a video game. But you know, the question of morality Vs legality is an interesting one.
Who is to say whether a trade is unbalanced or not? You're not twisting any arms. Someone says they want to buy what you have, and you quote a price. They either take it or not. Are you supposed to do market research for them to see if there's someone out there selling cheaper so you can drop your price even lower than them?
Morality has nothing to do with the above whatsoever.
Now if you're lying about what you're selling -- like saying that 4 Bags of Holes can be combined to make a Bag of Holding -- that's not an "unbalanced trade", that's scamming and whether morally wrong or not, the moment it gets out that you're doing it, you'll be out of business whether in-game or in real life.
- What Class Are You? -
Caveat Emptor
If your offer is true then both parties should be aware of the market, and if they accept then morals do not enter into it!
What Class Are You?
So, let me get this straight. The reason you wouldn't scam, has less to do with it's lack of morality, but more to do with getting caught and thereby,loosing future business! Hmm, nice.
please define 'true' in your context.
I have to agree with daervon. Just because someone is selling something lower then the next guy doesn't mean he is low balling, just that he wants to get rid of it and is willing to do it at a lower price. As for misleading tactics such as lying about your product/item is alittle shady. As a customer tho it also falls on you to do alittle research as well. I mean really who would have bought a Bag of Holes, it came from a Cloak of USELESS things.
Really? That's all you got from what I wrote?
I said "whether it is morally wrong or not, it will have consequences".
I will not even start a philosophical discussion with you about what is and is not morally wrong, and whether there is a universal morality standard or whether morality is dependent on individual or cultural values, thus making this entire question moot from the beginning.
However, I will say this: Morality may be very nice, and you, from your high horse might think it's cool to wave it about as a banner, but let's be realistic... it has ZERO effect in the real world -- or the in-game world, or whatever other world -- other than the consequences you will face when word gets out that you are not following the "moral norm" of your community, whichever community that may be.
So, sure, I can see why someone would choose to be a fair trader so that they can keep on trading, not even considering the moral side of things.
Why would *I* choose to trade fairly, or not, though? That's my own business and you can keep your speculation about that to yourself.
- What Class Are You? -
The best advice that I can possibly give to someone who asks "how much is this worth" is to reply with another question, "how much is it worth to you?"
This principle concept insures that no one receives an unfair deal, if you do not feel the price is enough to sell the item/service then do not take it, on the other hand if you feel the price of the item/service is too much then do not purchase it.
They never have been. A law cannot be both "right" AND " just" at the same time, because it needs to be objective and not take into account mitigating circumstances. This is where, in the real world, courts and judges and the human element come into play, to mitigate the implacability of the law.
In any case, however, again your point is completely moot since, in a video game, there are no laws, no courts, no jails about anything, and the only rules that are enforced are those that have to do with the mechanics of the game itself (and, even then as we saw in the not so distant past here, such enforcement is neither immediate nor exactly terrible in a lot of cases). All you have is your reputation, and whether you choose to soil it or leave it sparkling clean will determine how you are received by the community around you.
- What Class Are You? -
Hi daervon,
Apologies. How you choose to trade, is indeed, your business. Incidentally, I can't ride. High horse or low.
there is a Rule for that.
I ask only that you consider Apartheid in south Africa, as an example of morality Vs Legality to highlight my point.
So anyone who trades in the game needs to play by a variation of spycraft’s Moscow Rules. Everyone is out to cheat you, everyone is out to get the best deal for themselves and they will gladly sell you your own liver if you would be so kind as to bid on it.
Is this always true? No. But you will not be able to tell when it is true and when it is not, so each time you make some assumption about your trading partner other than assuming they are trying to cheat you, then you are taking a risk, making yourself vulnerable. If that’s your choice then you may virtuously kick yourself if it goes badly.
In this scenario, however, the administration and developers play the part of interested parties looking to make their society more fair civil and equitable. So it is entirely reasonable that they might make changes to force the savages to play nicer. But the sweeping idea that they will develop a group-think morality doesn’t happen. It doesn’t happen in real life and it doesn’t happen in a game. It doesn’t even happen in a kindergarten.
So morality, beyond that which is enforced, is not going to happen. Assume your trading partners are scummy, self interested, capitalists and you will at least have the occasionally pleasant (albeit suspicious) surprise of being wrong.
+1 I loved this!
P.S I look at the stats, and If I see it having more then 2 then I put between 500 to 800 ad, rare and ultra rare items will have 5 and more. For those I put between 1.000 to 7.000 ad, like I said already and like I said already it depends on the stats.