Curse

quickmonty · Feb 19, 2006, 03:55 PM // 15:55

I don't see any difference between a monk charging for service and a runner charging for service.

I have never payed for a monk's or a runner's service, nor would I charge for such a service.

But that's just me.

Konrow · Feb 19, 2006, 04:21 PM // 16:21

well i myself don't do this because i know i would never pay for it and i also know that people need money for weapons and armor rather than playing with other people. also these monks usually turn out to be jerks and just not fun to play with.

Doc Baz · Feb 19, 2006, 04:22 PM // 16:22

I’m a monk and would never dream of charging. When I join a group it’s as a team player.

There does seem to be a lack of monks in PVE at the moment, especially in the later stages of the game and a minority may be exploiting this fact.

Today however I did see a mission group offering to pay 1k for a monk to join their team.

I myself have never come across this so please remember not all monks are money grabbing exploiters.

M C H A M M E R · Feb 19, 2006, 04:33 PM // 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitty

I don't like those monks, I still see it as some kind of exploit. It's not like everyone is good enough to get through some tough Missions with Henchies.
I mean, I have no problem paying runners etc. for their service, cause it's something you have to train for, it's not something everyone can do. But every monk can heal, it's just nothing special, so I don't see why they have any right to ask for a fee. I can't even be certain they are good at it, and all I ever saw wanted to be paid up front, so they might still leave at some point.
No, I never would be desperate enough to pay a monk.

Not every monk can heal? I've been in a thk group that had 2 monks one was bonder and the other lied and was really a smite monk...So..yeah, I think there is nothing wrong with this, and i think it makes a good profit. Like it has been said before, its a service like anything else...I could go and flame your p lvling and running threads, but what will that accomplish..?

M C H A M M E R · Feb 19, 2006, 04:34 PM // 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valdaran Longfoot

Monks for hire are retarded. I'd rather have the hench. Sure they arn't too great, but atleast they are consistant so you know what to expect.

Not exactly the thing to say..alot of people do this, and people will pay for a thk monk...in fact...i know a friend who can 3 man thk

afkkiller · Feb 19, 2006, 04:50 PM // 16:50

Monks have a right to charge if they feel like it, they are healing
which people need, if you don't want to pay then use henchies.

Monks charging is EXACTLY like people paying runners.
Warriors and Rangers are just using their skills to run around and getting
paid for it.
Monks heal and help out a group when they don't need to they have
every right to charge, you don't like them? Don't use them.

Eclair · Feb 19, 2006, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Think of it this way, pretty much every mission can be henched, and that was A-nets goal, so that you can solo through every mission.

However, since it seems many people CANNOT beat the missions with the henchies, then they rely on other real players to help them beat a mission that they should be able to do with henchies. Because many players are in this predicament, they band together and offer their services to each other mutually. However, due to the lack of monks, every group wants to have real monks, but since there are only a few monks, how will that work?

Of course, this all comes down to the fact that those players FEEL that they NEED a real monk , not whether or not they REALLY need one. It doesn't matter if the game is designed that they don't need one, or that monks are just like any other profession. As long as there is a demand, there will be a supply, at a price of course.

You'd also need to break this down by categories:

Category 1: The monks that have beat the mission, are very good at what they do, and do it to make money. They here are providing a service, because they want to make money, and can make money in other ways, but they choose this method. Taking advantage of a shortage of monks is not an exploit, just like taking advantage of the shortage of certain rare items, sellers are able to charge exorbitant amounts for them.

Category 2: The monks who have not beaten the mission and are charging for their inclusion into the PUG to beat it along with some money. Possibly can be considered scammers if they suck or advertise that they have beaten the mission. However, if several groups are competing for the same monk, it is perfectly fine for the monk to choose a group that offers the most money.

Category 3: Monks that charge really high prices, ask to pay upfront, and then leave. Well these are scammers, but then, there are scammers in every service, but just because there are some scammers doesn't mean all of them are scammers and the whole service is a scam.

Andi DeMorte · Feb 19, 2006, 05:18 PM // 17:18

I have to say that playing my monk is my favorite PC to play. It can be exciting a challenging keeping people alive ( specially the stupid ones ) and when you complete a mission there is a nice feeling of accomplishment.

For the most part I have received very little abuse and find that if you are upfront with your group and keep open lines of communication that missions go very well. A few things that I find have helped me are...

1. Gaming buddy - My fiance and I almost always play together. Our PC's are designed to work well with eachother with buffs and support.
2. Being upfront and realistic with my abilities - I am more of a repair monk and do little healing, enough to keep a group going if I have to for a short period of time. I insist on another monk in the group even if it's a henchie.
3. Pinging my energy bar - a good group will know to slow down when they see my energy is low, also it lets my fiance or any other necro battery know that I need a boost.

The only abuse that I have found is when I tell a group that I cant handle something... to take it slower... ect and they don't. That's when I get "if you were a good monk... blah blah blah" I feel that I am being a good monk by telling you what I can and can't do and just because you want to tank as a ranger, necro, ele or whatever else rushing through the mission and die that is not my fault.

I won't stay in a group when I am abused and will leave a group no matter how far into the mission... bottom line is I don't have to put up with anybody's crap and I'm not going to. If that makes me elitist then so be it. I would expect the same from any other player that was being abused no matter what the class was. I do feel that other classes are seriously underrated like monk and necro... that’s because when they do their job well you don't notice.

Anybody can feel free to ask for my assistance in game and I will be more then happy to help as long as I am able to... free of charge even

*hugs*
~ Andi

Markaedw · Feb 19, 2006, 06:03 PM // 18:03

Considering there are not many ways to earn money in this game, if a monk wants to charge and someone wants to pay, let him/her. There is soloing and running, why not monking.

X I Cynn I X · Feb 19, 2006, 06:21 PM // 18:21

Speaking of hireing monks I was in ascalon dis 1 english while reading this thread and look what I saw:

There ya have it, a "mercenary" monk up for hire!

It's pretty stupid IMO - if I had a monk well, meh, I wouldn't do it!

cleric · Feb 19, 2006, 06:30 PM // 18:30

I no longer monk in PVE becaus of idiots who run off and do stupid things. I also end up not healing them half way though cause they are being idiots. If you have a good monk they are worth a lot of money and should be rewarded IMO. Why is it that there are so few monks in latter missons. Its kinda of funny my ranger cant find a group to save his life but if i evenJOIN a district with my monk i get offers immedietly.

go figure

SisterMercy · Feb 19, 2006, 06:49 PM // 18:49

I haven't hired one, but times change. Once, Forge-runners were a bane, until everyone doing their 3rd and 4th character started discovering how much time and aggravation they saved.

It's disappointing, but it's the monks' prerogative. If it's worth it to play now for 1k or 2k rather than wait 90 minutes for one or two monks to join, then there will simply be a market for it.

Pretty soon, it will be at the point where mesmers will have to pay everyone in the party for the privilege of joining. :S

thor hammerbane · Feb 19, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20

it's there decision to charge, if your against it, dont even invite them. I have a lvl 20 monk, i don't charge, i help out anybody who asks, but i can see where those monks are coming from.

Symeon · Feb 19, 2006, 07:49 PM // 19:49

I don't see why some people here are sympathising with them, saying monking is a service like running and power-leveling. I will say again:it is NOT.
Running is not the warrior's(/ranger's) natural way of playing the game. It is equipping skills to run and survive long distances, many people have done the Droknars run so many times they regard it as a 'mini-game'. Runners do not equip their normal mission skill build.
Power-leveling is also not the natural way of playing the game. People who power-level others have put together a built (or maybe found it elsewhere) that is different from what they might use in a ordinary mission or quest, designed to kill as many high-level enemies as possible solo and survive through it.

[sarcasm]Right, so monking isn't the monk's natural way of playing the game. Someone doing a monking service equips a different skill build from that which they would normally use in things such as missions and quests, designed to heal and keep people alive through things such as missions and quests.[/sarcasm]

Monks offering their service FOR MONEY are not playing the game differently from how they would normally. They're doing nothing special. They're just playing their class, healing and keeping you alive. Whether they're level 20 and beat the game and you're level 2 in the Great Northern Wall, or they've the same level as you in Divinity Coast, they're just playing their class. Do the other classes earn money for helping people in missions? No. Monks get away with it simply because there is a lack of them, and a greater need for them. IMO, it's not on, and also I can't imagine it earns a good amount of money within the time it takes. No other class could simply go to a mission and get accepted and paid for help. At least, most players are bright enough to realise any character of any level can die without a monk's healing.

Eclair · Feb 19, 2006, 08:18 PM // 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Symeon

Monks offering their service FOR MONEY are not playing the game differently from how they would normally. They're doing nothing special. They're just playing their class, healing and keeping you alive. Whether they're level 20 and beat the game and you're level 2 in the Great Northern Wall, or they've the same level as you in Divinity Coast, they're just playing their class. Do the other classes earn money for helping people in missions? No. Monks get away with it simply because there is a lack of them, and a greater need for them. IMO, it's not on, and also I can't imagine it earns a good amount of money within the time it takes. No other class could simply go to a mission and get accepted and paid for help. At least, most players are bright enough to realise any character of any level can die without a monk's healing.

This is precisely why people offer money for monks, you have to realize, monks wouldn't be able to do this if there wasn't some demand for having a real monk, or if there was a plethora of monks available to join PUGs. You can't control prices without controlling either the supply or the demand. If you want to get rid of monks charging people, either make the henchies' AI good enough that even the most horrible players can get through the mission with them (would make the game ridiculously easy), make the missions not require monks (again would make the game ridiculously easy, as the missions can pretty much be beaten without monks, but the players would need to be fairly good), or increase the number of monks who play the game (impossible task to do, especially considered how monks are treated nowadays).

Sai of Winter · Feb 19, 2006, 08:23 PM // 20:23

Running is okay.
Power-leveling is okay.
Monks charging to heal is odd.

Lack of Monks in game...good thing we have the Ritualist coming soon for Factions. New to the healing team.

Sk8tborderx · Feb 19, 2006, 08:37 PM // 20:37

I have an idea, everyone charge money to join a group to offer your 'services'.

Seriously though, it is not a service of any kind. After I read this thread I went out and paid for 10 different monks who were offerning their 'service' for 3-5k in hells precipice. I went with an all guild group and we have beat it together many times even with just 1 monk. We hired 2 and they were seriously the worst monks I have ever played with. (I think my warrior could heal better than them). Only 1 of the 10 we hired actually knew the mission.

Just take henchies because from what I can tell the monks for hire are no better than 90% of the pve monks out there.

shadowfell · Feb 19, 2006, 08:38 PM // 20:38

I wouldn't pay one. It just helps encourage the "holier than thou" attitude that a lot of monks seem to have lately anyhow. Comparing paying a monk to heal you to having a runner take you all over the place, is accurate however, as that is exactly who is paying these greedy monks. Non-skilled players who have been run all over hell from ascalon to the fire chains and can't keep it together long enough in a PuG to beat the missions.

Sab · Feb 19, 2006, 08:42 PM // 20:42

Something that hasn't been addressed fully is that the monks for hire are spending their time helping others out. Time is money. Assuming they've done the mission before, why should they work for free? They have to earn a living don't they? We all want them to work for free, but that's just not going to happen. So what if they're asking for payment for what they usually do, they're spending their time and energy to help out groups who cannot find a free monk and aren't content with henchie monks.

As I, and many others have mentioned before, if you disagree with the service, don't use them and stick with henchie monks. There are others who do hire them, and I'm sure are satisfied and would use them again. Why not let those customers have the choice of hiring them?

Sk8tborderx · Feb 19, 2006, 08:51 PM // 20:51

Bascially all you pay for is a monk who is no better than 90% of the monks that are that far into the game. They talk like they are great healers but as soon as they make a mistake it is suddenly everyone elses fault because they are too good to make mistakes.

These monks for hire have bigger egos then most people in PvP. (They are also terrible monks). Most of the monks for hire out there also need to complete the mission anyway and will lie and say they have done it before, they just charge now because they see so many groups wanting a monk and think it will be a good idea.