Lineage 2- The Great Adena Rush!

Ahh, the ever-controversial farmer issue. If you have played Lineage 2 for more than an hour, its a 98.2% chance that you have encountered a farmer before. Before, you read this article any further, I want you to realize that this is NOT another racist Chinese bashing fiesta. Farming adena has nothing to do with race. It's simply a situation where unfortunate people are given a chance to make a little money (Although most of the time they are still being exploited by their own people...but that is another issue altogether). Either way, some of the biggest adena farmers are from the U.S. Don't be naive please. Instead of discussing who is buying and selling adena, I would rather discuss the positive and negative sides of: "THE GREAT ADENA RUSH!"

I've said it before, and I will say it again, "The first person to invent a machine that can punch your opponent through the internet will be the richest man on Earth." That quote pretty much summarizes the general frustration that most players in Lineage 2 and other games feel when they have to deal with "farmers". Why do they feel this way? Well, particularly in Lineage 2, many farmers camp spawns that you need, drop trains on you, and just about anything else that would make them a little money faster. Many people will argue, "If there weren't people buying adena, then farmers wouldn't exist." This is true, but mmorpg games have changed. Since the divide between reality and the digital world is slowly thinning, it's only natural for people to want to take the easiest and fastest way to being elite.

Do I agree with people buying online currency? Nope.

Well why do you have so many L2 adena ads etc. on the site? People will always take the quickest way to becoming the best. No matter what your morals are, you better believe people will do this. The gms won't stop it. Where there is money to be made, people will make it. Think of it like prohibition and the "war on drugs"....complete failures. Everyone who has played these games know how addictive they can be. I'm not helping or hurting the adena farming. Anyone with 2 brain cells can find a place to buy adena in less than 1 minute...literally. Those who complain are either game companies who are frustrated that they can't sell the adena themselves without losing face, or the moral "elite" who worry about others getting an unfair advantage.

I will be the first to say that I was sickened to see the Tower of Insolence overrun with farmers a few months ago. There were literally farmers on every floor. But, a true vet will simply ignore the B.S. and either move on to a better game or find a way to compete. This is where the video game industry should take notes. I'll give you a chance to pull out your pens...

Quit trying to copy the success of games like Everquest and develop a game that DOESN'T rely on items over skill!

When you play an mmorpg, it shouldn't matter if the person next to you paid $1k for his character and gear. You should still be able to use the skills you have acquired over months of playing to defeat that person easily. It looks like most companies who release MMORPGs are trying to attract everyone. This only results in a less than satisfactory product that doesn't do anything perfect. (Jack-of-all-trades, master of none). How about focusing on a niche? The market is getting flooded with MMORPGs. There are only so many gamers willing to spend $15+ a month on a video game, and only so much time to play them. I have several ideas, but I wouldn't want some company to make millions from my ideas and experience for free. :)

This article is in no way bashing NCSoft. I know that the gms are doing their best. And, just about every MMORPG in existence has farmers. Unfortunately, I also realize that many of the video game companies make millions of dollars a month with MMORPGs, but their gms are usually overworked and underpaid. Welcome to corporate America. :)

So where do we go from here Tay? How do we solve this issue, and how do we get rid of the farmers?
The farmers are here to stay unless NCSoft bans the thousands of accounts they have created(yes thousands..). Don't hold your breath. :) Instead of banning the accounts, NCSoft could simply make acquiring the goods a little easier. "But Tay, that would cheapen the hard work that I put in to getting my item." Sorry carebear, but I would much rather spend my time competing against others than farming for digital crack. These types of people remind me of Britain Bank.. Have you ever heard of a game called Ultima Online? No, not the game that was raped and pillage by Electronic Arts. The game that was released when I was still in high school. It was a game where skill made more of a difference than the items you had. Hey, did you recently get killed and drop all your gear? No problem, just load back up and your ready to go again. "But, that just creates a frag fest Tay.." How many times would you keep fighting the same people only to lose your gear repeatedly? There are many ways to put a spin on skill-based games that would require an entirely separate article.

There isn't a single major clan on Bartz that hasn't had SOMEONE in it who has purchased adena, traded accounts, SOLD ACCOUNTS OR ADENA, or scammed others. Does that make it right? Nope, but I always find it hilarious when the same people who accuse others of "cheating the system" are doing it themselves. I told my clan mates that I would expose all the botters etc. that I have caught over the past. Yes, there have been many times that I have simply roamed the countryside/dungeons when I couldn't find a group. I have changed my mind. I don't see a point to it. If I've caught them, many others have as well. You would think people would set up their macros to logout when people get within a certain range... ...

But, I will say this. Since the very beginning, there have been rumors being spread around that certain gms/NCSoft employees play on Bartz. This is true (one was exposed a long time ago). It's only natural that many gms would gravitate to Bartz. I've never had any concrete proof that the individuals that were pointed out to me by several sources are actually NCSoft employees, but I find it funny that many clan leaders lose connection during critical moments of sieges.... Even those who are protected by firewalls and other tricks to avoid DOS attacks. (Only the clan leaders btw) Who knows? The Head GM, during one siege, definitely confirmed that they watch all the sieges(on Bartz)...

"Redemption will be had for those who embrace the shadows of carnage. Although the red dragons have engulfed the land of Aden with the screams of a dying generation, the Blue Knights of Justice will prevail when dawn arrives."

So, on that note; keep grinding, keep killing, and focus on getting your own gear rather than question how the person next to you acquired his. The truth will always come to light.