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The Spurlock Articles
Financing Available
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Financing Available by Spurlock
What's the first thing you did when you hit 70? If you are like me,
you made your way to Netherstorm to buy your flying mount. Nine hundred gold wasn't too hard to accumulate on your way up from 60 to 70.
At first, flying is very cool. You can get to those places that your land bound compatriots just cannnot reach. You fly around Nagrand admiring
the view. Drop down on some unsuspecting mob or opposing faction member and do your worst. Yes, you have arrived, or so you think.
It doesn't take too long, however, to realize that while you are flying at 70, you certainly aren't flying with style. Your regular
flying mount just isn't very fast. In fact, its slower than your epic land mount. What's a self respecting level 70 to do?
The answer is obvious, if not easy, buy an epic flying mount.
The fifty-two hundred gold required for the epic flying mount and training is anything but trivial. Depending on your class and
build, you could literally spend months acquiring the gold for this purchase. It makes you sad to watch than damn rogue in your
guild go zooming by you on the way to the raid. Don't even mention that opposing faction member who outraces you to the mining
node (I'm on a PVE server, so no righteous ganking his ass).
How do you get that mount you so richly deserve without waiting all that time? Should you buy gold? You could, but some people will consider
you a munchin and you could get your account banned. Instead, the game needs to mirror real life and Blizzard needs to institute in game
financing. In real life, how many people pay cash for their rides? Most don't. They finance it over 3, 5, and sometimes even 7 years.
Why can't you do the same for your epic flying mount.
Could Blizzard implement financing? Absolutely! They already have banks in the game. Instead of just acting as extra bag space for your mats and gear, they could also lend you money. Walk into the
First Bank of Iron Forge and walk out with the cash to get your epic mount. For only 30 weekly payments of 200 gold, you can realize your dream
of flying in style. Financing need not be limitted to epic mounts. See a sweet sword on the auction house? The Stormwind Savings and loan has approved you up to 1000 gold.
Like any bank, these in game banks need assurances of repayment in the form of colateral. They would require you to put up your mount plus some additional items as collateral.
You couldn't sell the item until you paid back the loan or replace the item with a new piece of collateral. If you get behind on payments, the bank would reposses and sell the item.
Imagine you are flying over the opposing factions city when the bank decides to reposses your flying mount right from under you. Its not the fall, but rather the sudden stop and
repeated ganking that hurts.
Just like in real life, not everyone qualifies for a bank loan. Some people have to go to more unsavory sources for their revenue. Loan sharking is a logical business venture for goblins.
Not only are they out for profit, but they already have muscle in place to help collect.
Of course, borrowing from the goblins is different than borrowing from the bank. The goblins charge exorbinant interest rates, which they call vig. Their collection methods are a little
more aggressive as well. While a bank is mainly interested in collecting its money, the goblins are big believers in making examples of deadbeats. Get behind on your payment and you might
find yourself visited by a couple of ogres with New Jersey accents who will collect the payment or collateral and rough you up.
Who is a afraid of a few ogres you say? Well, in addition to the fact that they would be 70 elites, they would show up at the absolute worst times. You start the Opera Event in Karazhan, and here come
Vito and Sal shouting your name as they tear into your clothies. If the goblin muscle doesn't kill you, your guild mates will.
You'll pay them back. Oh you will.
Blizzard would have to put in some controls to prevent people from borrowing on one character or account and sending the coin to another. Maybe you would have to be 70 to borrow, and instead of gold you
get a bank note that you can use to purchase something and any such purchase becomes immediately soul bound. Despite that, I'm sure that someone would figure out an exploit that would allow them to
make some gold.
Will Blizzard heed my request? Probably not. But its fun to dream.
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