Now, granted, WoW is a closed system and if we really wanted we could do nothing but farm motes and gather our chosen profession's mats and sell them on the AH. Ideally, anyone who wants to can farm for eight to ten hours every day and make a fortune.
Enter the farmer: the one who sneaks behind you and grabs the ore you just fought to get to. The one who's sole reason to have a level 70 is to do nothing but fly in a large circle and grab every herb/ore/animal/mob that drops motes that pops up. And even if we aren't contending with them, there are only so many herbs/ore/animals/mobs and everyone on the server needs them. Finding an unfarmed spot to gather some motes or pick flowers is a cause for celebration, and people guard the coordinates of such spots with more secrecy then CIA.
So how much does play time really cost? Surely it can't be too bad.
Well, let us break it down for you, using as an example a level 70 rogue who raids three to five days a week for six or so hours a night.
Repairs (per night): 20-30 gold
Potions and Elixirs (per night): 60-80 gold
Poisons (per night): 10 gold
Food (per night): 25-40 gold
Due to the high cost of repairs and consumables for a night of fun, the best most of us can do is tread water in the tides of economy. And after awhile, how much fun is that? It's hard enough in real life to have to budget, but in a game we're playing for recreation? Sometimes it's enough to make a girl write down one of those gold seller websites we keep getting whispered about.
On the other hand, gold sellers and their patrons are part of the problem behind inflated prices. And it's good to see that Blizzard is taking action against gold slinging sites like www.peons4hire.com.
Do you find yourself working long hours to earn yourself some play time in WoW? Do you think it's gold sellers or just the game's design that's to blame for inflated prices at the AH? Let us know what you think on our forums or contact us directly at WindowtoWoW@GamesRadar.com. In the meantime, head over to our Window to WoW Archives for first hand impressions from our farming friends on the other side of the Dark Portal.
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