Trial players are second-class citizens.

[Shockeye]

Please Read: Trial Accounts | 7/27/2005 7:15:23 PM PDT

In order to protect our player base from abuse, we have placed some restrictions on accounts created using the promotional 14-day trial version of World of Warcraft that is available through certain magazine publications. Please be aware that these restrictions are only in place during the trial period; players who decide to purchase a retail copy of World of Warcraft and activate their accounts will be able to continue adventuring with the same characters and take full advantage of all features included in the retail version of the game.

During the trial period, characters on the promotional accounts will be able to advance up to level 20 and accumulate up to 10 gold. Use of the auction house and mailbox, player-to-player trade, and access to the in-game chat channels will be unavailable for the duration of the 14-day trial period.

Please note that the above restrictions do not apply to the trial accounts included in the World of Warcraft collector's edition.

[pants]

accumulate up to 10 gold. Use of the auction house and mailbox, player-to-player trade, and access to the in-game chat channels will be unavailable for the duration of the 14-day trial period.

Sounds to me like someone's been using the trial accounts as clearing houses/in-game money laundering accounts for their gold farming, duping, and being an asshat spammage.

Its a pity they have to do it, but I can see why Blizzard has done this.

[Calantus]

We've seen in other games how people use trial accounts to do neferias shit, so I don't see anything wrong with this move.

[Ironwood]

Good.  What do you expect for free ?

[Mesozoic]

It cracks me up that they have a free trial for a game with 3.5 million subscribers.   SOE is probably tearing large chunks of hair out of their heads trying to acheive any kind of market penetration with their tiny, flaccid game.

[Murgos]

It just shows how much it comes down to execution.  EQII has all kinds of neat things in it, a really complex and interdependent crafting system that really is much better than WoW's except its retardedly tedious.  A guild system of levels and quests and increasing rewards and bonus material thats retardedly tedious.  Lots of different races that other than visually are entirely indistinguishable.  Many, many classes of which there are really only 4.  A complex system of player owned houses of various sizes and appearance that can be decorated in hundreds of different ways and all of which look like ass.  Etc, etc, etc...

[Ironwood]

You've sold me.  Where do I sign up ?

Can I get SWG at that same time ?

[HaemishM]

Wait, they can't even use the in-game chat channels? WHAT THE FUCK?

I mean, not that I think Blizzard even should be doing a fucking 14-day trial, but aren't they in essence saying "This is really a single-player game, there just happen to be other people you can't talk to unless you pony up." With all the rumors of farming abounding in WoW, surely they thought about the fact that free accounts = pure profit for the farmers? Surely?

Oh wait, this is Blizzard, whose motto is "Not Fucked Up Here, Yet."

[Dren]

Wait, they can't even use the in-game chat channels? WHAT THE FUCK?

I mean, not that I think Blizzard even should be doing a fucking 14-day trial, but aren't they in essence saying "This is really a single-player game, there just happen to be other people you can't talk to unless you pony up." With all the rumors of farming abounding in WoW, surely they thought about the fact that free accounts = pure profit for the farmers? Surely?

Oh wait, this is Blizzard, whose motto is "Not Fucked Up Here, Yet."

I'm guessing the no mailing, trading, or auction housing is their answer to the farming thing.  They can farm all they want but if you can't offload the stuff, it won't matter much.  Although, they might use the 14 days free to build up characters and some loot and then subscribe to start moving product.  They'd eventually pay but I guess 14 days free is 14 days free to those guys.

[Der Helm]

I'm guessing the no mailing, trading, or auction housing is their answer to the farming thing.  They can farm all they want but if you can't offload the stuff, it won't matter much.  Although, they might use the 14 days free to build up characters and some loot and then subscribe to start moving product.  They'd eventually pay but I guess 14 days free is 14 days free to those guys.

Is there anything you could farm at level 20 for a decent profit ? I usually reach level 20 in a few days, apart from the minor chance to get a rare world drop, what could there be ?

[Merusk]

Is there anything you could farm at level 20 for a decent profit ? I usually reach level 20 in a few days, apart from the minor chance to get a rare world drop, what could there be ?

Defias Armor pieces. They always sell well on the AH to folks who start-up noobler rogues.  Though it's dobutful you're going to be farming those on your own at level 20.

[Ironwood]

Really Sticky Glue.

4 Gold to the right buyer.

[MrHat]

Really Sticky Glue.

4 Gold to the right buyer.

Yup, that's a quest you can keep doing as a young'in.

That shit is brutal in pvp.

[Morfiend]

It just shows how much it comes down to execution.  EQII has all kinds of neat things in it, a really complex and interdependent crafting system that really is much better than WoW's except its retardedly tedious.  A guild system of levels and quests and increasing rewards and bonus material thats retardedly tedious.  Lots of different races that other than visually are entirely indistinguishable.  Many, many classes of which there are really only 4.  A complex system of player owned houses of various sizes and appearance that can be decorated in hundreds of different ways and all of which look like ass.  Etc, etc, etc...

And fun?

Not so much.

[Astorax]

Keep in mind this doesn't apply to all the trial accounts, just the ones gotten from the magazines...it's to keep the farming companies from going out and purchasing large numbers of the magazines, and using the alt accounts to farm launder their gold so that their main farming accounts don't get banned. 

Very smart move on Blizz's part IMO.

[Dren]

If I were a farmer and used these free accounts, I'd level a toon to 20 and use skinning and herbalism.  Both leather and herbs are hot sellers even at the lower levels.

Actually, if we are really talking about Chinese farmers, they will level higher than that and get into better stuff.  That is if there isn't a lvl cap.  If there is I missed that point.