Curse

Darksci · Jul 19, 2005, 03:57 PM // 15:57

Hey all. I started a thread about an hour ago asking how much charging monks charge for their services, seeing as their aren't that many monks in the later missions (Accension). What i didn't expect was the amount of critism I got. So after 3 pages of skim reading i finally got some useful comments. But an interesting idea popped up in that wee head of mine.

In some parts of the world, going to hospital is free (volunteers)
And in other parts of the world, going to hospital will cost you.
Yet people accept going to a hospital which charges, since they have the money. One could argue that a being a doctor is a profession and takes years of learning. Well the same goes for being a monk, getting to level 20 takes some time, and has a learning curve as well to be a good monk.

Of course when real doctor's charge, most people wouldn't want to goto the super health care plan which costs an arm and a leg. Most average joes will just go for the simple effective one with piece and mind. Paracetamol is Paracetamol after all.

But anyway, when i say charging i mean just average in this case.

Now we know that charging monks do have their free brother alternative. Alesia and Lina. They are fine, and most people will use them.

EDIT: (To avoid confusion, i've added extra detail)
Some people are worried about being scammed. Well suppose that the monk was in a previous mission with you.
Or suppose that the monk was going to prove his worth by saying he'll only charge half way through. That way the rest of the players can see whether the monk is good or bad.

BTW comparing this to a runner. This is exactly the same.
A runner asks for money after a certain point (usually half the amount stated)
That way the runie's know that they aren't going to be scammed.
So your effectively taking any same risk as being runned. And seeing as quite alot of people in beacon's peech are asking to be runned for like 2K, i'd imagine quite a few of you know of this payment method.

There are also those monks which are good, and those which are rubbish. Lets consider now that all those charging will be GOOD monks.

So. Whats your opinion? And why?

(Please if your AGAINST THIS. Just say it, in a proper manner, nothing like "U suck")

Kuku Monk · Jul 19, 2005, 04:00 PM // 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darksci

most people will use a real monk, but as i've seen in the later mission the number of monks are quite low.

Give it some time. There are a pack of new Monks headed that way. I dislike the idea of people charging a fee to do their "job" in the game, but more power to you....

Algren Cole · Jul 19, 2005, 04:01 PM // 16:01

What is my guarantee that you are a good monk? When I go to the doctor I pay for a service that is guaranteed(or as close to possible) and backed by multiple degrees from upstanding colleges. What am I paying you for? If I die do you get paid? I can get through the mission without you if I'm willing to deal with a DP.....so if anyone in the party dies, that party doesn't have to pay you for your "services"?

Omega Complex · Jul 19, 2005, 04:03 PM // 16:03

Brother Marion here, Mo/E20 (healer/nuker), Charging is one thing that I have never really gotten into. I'm much more into the team co-op thing, but if your team sucks and ignores you.....well......thats in another thread.

I have serious thought about charging since Anet has decided to nerf ANY AND ALL FARMING ANYWHERE!!!! Most times I go along to help, because I know what to do and know how to get it done efficiently. Now with missions like Thirsty River....lets just say theres alot of healing/skull bashing in that one. I do the missions for drops, caps, and gold, and hopefully some stuff I can salvage for material for armor.

But anyway I personally dont charge, seeing as I am full aware that good monks are hard to find, and that some of those that you do eventually get turn out to be crap.

But in response to charging, thats up to you=. It appears that its the only way we can get enough money to buy the 150+ globs of ectoplasm needed for the uber monk armor.

Darksci · Jul 19, 2005, 04:03 PM // 16:03

I'm speaking of a hypthetical situation. ASSUME that the monk who's charging is a Good monk, and won't quit, and won't scam.

bstripp · Jul 19, 2005, 04:05 PM // 16:05

Do what you want, just know that you are going to have few if any invites on this. You are not performing a service that can not be done for free by plenty of other people as well as 2 henchmen who are as competant as many monks.

I play a monk about 50% of the time I am in GW. I don't charge, and would never pay for one when henchies do just fine.

Algren Cole · Jul 19, 2005, 04:07 PM // 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darksci

I'm speaking of a hypthetical situation. ASSUME that the monk who's charging is a Good monk, and won't quit, and won't scam.

I'm not ASSUMING anything....90% of the monks in this game are awful and I'd rather heal myself....so PROVE to me you are a good monk...BEFORE you ask for my money.

Damon Windwalker · Jul 19, 2005, 04:08 PM // 16:08

My opinion:

I think that the economy is an important part of the game.
I thihnk if you can make money without destroying the gameplay in the higher levels, go for it.
If you're helping people through missions by being a support character (and we all know there aren't enough monks - and even fewer competant monks...) then I salute you. If you are just running characters, then I am against it (but, as a monk, I doubt that is what you are doing).

Rasp · Jul 19, 2005, 04:09 PM // 16:09

I'd never pay a monk for help. I'd rather rent Lina or Alesia.

Like others said. I wouldn't pay you, if you let me die. :O You wouldn't be doing your job worthy enough to be paid if I died.

Mithie · Jul 19, 2005, 04:09 PM // 16:09

I'd like to make another attack at your hospital analogy, since I think it's woefully irrelavent. Guild Wars is *not* a life threatening situation, just like I *don't* go to the hospital when I need to be entertained. You're missing the fact that Guild Wars is a *game*, and its primary purpose is for fun, not to simulate an economic burden. The missions are suppose to be for fun for every class, so why would I pay for a monk who breaks that mode of gaming for me? Even if I fail a mission, I got some nice experience and entertainment out of it, wether I failed it with a player or a hench.

Darksci · Jul 19, 2005, 04:11 PM // 16:11

I'm not asking for your money.
I'm asking a straight forward question.
If a monk was GOOD, and he charged for his service, (oh and lets say he already proved he was a good monk by i dunno, doing the previous mission with you) would you pay for his service? YES/NO ?

Drakenbow · Jul 19, 2005, 04:11 PM // 16:11

I just posted this in your other thread...

Quote:

Okay, didn't see this on here....

I have mixed feelings about this topic, but I will put the negative on the shelf

It is possible that I would pay for an *excellent* monk, but when a henchie wouldn't work or I was only finding fodder. That being said, I would prefer the monk "prove" themselves first. Possibly have a set price and deduct from it based on how many times party members die. That way, if you don't perform well... you don't get paid well. (Hmmm, malpractice comes to mind hehe...) If you are *excellent* then you get paid well and possibly a bonus if you're with me

...
just my 2 gold

As for my negative feelings.... (my opinion) I would NOT pay unless I knew you were DAM good via experience and I was in a tight spot

So, I guess I'm not totally against it... just worried about others hopping on the bandwagon and scamming... that's the bad part.

moonshadow · Jul 19, 2005, 04:13 PM // 16:13

I think it defeats the "team concept" of partying together. Everyone has a job to do, whether it be up front getting their head bashed in, taking the blows for someone else, or whether it is in back healing the other members of the party. Should the Warrior charge for being the one up front and taking blows? Should the Ranger charge because she adds another "member" to party with her pet? Should the Elementalist charge per spell? Everyone is valuable on a team, whether it is in a real life sport, or in an RPG party. I think many people don't even understand the concept anymore...

Yes, healing is valuable, but others are making sacrifices to protect the healer's butt as well. It's selfish to think you're the only one who makes a difference.

Darksci · Jul 19, 2005, 04:14 PM // 16:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakenbow

I just posted this in your other thread...

As for my negative feelings.... (my opinion) I would NOT pay unless I knew you were DAM good via experience and I was in a tight spot

So, I guess I'm not totally against it... just worried about others hopping on the bandwagon and scamming... that's the bad part.

Ok thank you, your not against it - I understand your fees about being bandwaggoned. The same goes for RUNNING. Some people are afraid to paying because they think the runner will go off with the money.
This will probably happen unless you agree to pay increments at each part of the run.

Martina · Jul 19, 2005, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darksci

I'm speaking of a hypthetical situation. ASSUME that the monk who's charging is a Good monk, and won't quit, and won't scam.

does this mean that now, the "good" members of each profession get to charge for thier services? If I end up with a monk in my group who wants to charge for his/her services, either he/she goes(if I'm the grp leader) or I go. That's completely rediculous. During the hunt, (unless the monk in question is Leroy Jenkin's cousin) I may toss him/her an un-id'd rune or something, but no.. not gonna "pay" them.

Night Daftshadow · Jul 19, 2005, 04:21 PM // 16:21

this fee charging service is getting out of hand. almost every town i go to, there's at least a few players running a charging service to run them to some place, run missions for them or requiring their services ie. monk's healings. four months ago, no such thing existed. now, you see it almost every where. it's ridiculous. i dont really have a problem with those runners ie. droknar runners, but i do have a problem with players charging for for their service ie. monks for healing. no matter how much experience or great a monk is, i will never pay them for service. ill rather get a noob monk or henchies.

Xonic · Jul 19, 2005, 04:23 PM // 16:23

if there are tank charges, dmg charges, hex charges, remove hex charges, of course there should be healing charges.

healing breeze is 10g/each
rez is 500g/each
right?

Next time I'll do nothing but rez. yeah, I'll be rich so fast!!11!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darksci

Hey all. I started a thread about an hour ago asking how much charging monks charge for their services, seeing as their aren't that many monks in the later missions (Accension). What i didn't expect was the amount of critism I got. So after 3 pages of skim reading i finally got some useful comments. But an interesting idea popped up in that wee head of mine.

In some parts of the world, going to hospital is free (volunteers)
And in other parts of the world, going to hospital will cost you.
Yet people accept going to a hospital which charges, since they have the money. One could argue that a being a doctor is a profession and takes years of learning. Well the same goes for being a monk, getting to level 20 takes some time, and has a learning curve as well to be a good monk.

Of course when real doctor's charge, most people wouldn't want to goto the super health care plan which costs an arm and a leg. Most average joes will just go for the simple effective one with piece and mind. Paracetamol is Paracetamol after all.

But anyway, when i say charging i mean just average in this case.

Now we know that charging monks do have their free brother alternative. Alesia and Lina. They are fine, and most people will use them. But if given the chance, most people will use a real monk, but as i've seen in the later mission the number of monks are quite low. So here's an example where I would, given the chance, choose to advertise my services.

There are also those monks which are good, and those which are rubbish. Lets consider now that all those charging will be GOOD monks.

So. Whats your opinion? And why?

(Please if your AGAINST THIS. Just say it, in a proper manner, nothing like "U suck")

Del12 · Jul 19, 2005, 04:23 PM // 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasp

I'd never pay a monk for help. I'd rather rent Lina or Alesia.

Like others said. I wouldn't pay you, if you let me die. :O You wouldn't be doing your job worthy enough to be paid if I died.

Some people get so upset when they learn some monks charge for services. To that I say have fun waiting around for a monk for 30 minutes, only to get killed because the one you found (or healer henchie) sucks and you end up doing the mission 12 times. Be smart about it. I've done both, charged for services and paid for them (with other characters). I think it was Thirsty River where I kept gettting newb monk after newb monk (with looong waits inbetween searching for monks) until I heard someone saying they were very experienced and would help for 1k. Sure its a risk that he could be horrible too, but it turned out that he wasn't and we completed the mission. So, my point is, don't get upset when you see monks selling services because it's a legit service that can save lots of time and frustration. And if you do get upset and feel the need to message something, no worries, I'll be perfectly content knowing you'll be messaging 'Group LF Monk for last spot' for an hour only to fail the mission again.

Aniewiel · Jul 19, 2005, 04:24 PM // 16:24

If you can get the money, go for it. I wouldn't hire a monk but that's my bag.

DiAnna · Jul 19, 2005, 04:29 PM // 16:29

Obviously I'm against monks, or any character class, charging for their services. To me it seems clearly a matter of absolute and overwhelming avarice.

Your hospital scenario is flawed, BTW. Except in the practice of an absolutely utopian communist system which has never been implemented successfully on this planet, all citizens sell their goods and services. The price for said goods and services is based either on supply and demand, or a set fee subsidized by a more socialist economy. A real-life doctor must spend an additional 8-10 years to receive the necessary education for the profession; a real-life lawyer some 5-7 years. The price they charge for their services is based in part upon the effort they have expended to achieve a valued expertise. However, the economy of all professions is intertwined. A doctor cannot practice medicine without the support of nurses to tend patients, accountants to handle finances, lawyers to handle legal matters, janitors to keep the place clean, and even transportation specialists to move the guy from home to hospital so he can practice his oh-so-godly craft.

It is an overall economy. EVERYONE charges for their service, and every service is dependent upon the contribution of others.

Fast forward to Guild Wars. Do monks spend more time learning their craft? No. They are handed the basics at Ascalon, just like any other profession. Should they charge for their services? No, not unless warriors who keep the mobs off those monks so they live long enough to do their healing also charge a "bodyguard" fee... and the rangers who keep those pesky casters away can charge an "interrupt" fee... and elementals who are busy killing everything in sight can charge a "mass death to all enemies" fee.

Say, one of my characters is a W/Mo. Can she charge once for tanking, and again for healing and rez services? Aha, my GW money problems are over! Oooo.... greed is contagious! I must contemplate.