Growing up I used to sneak in and read my brothers comics. My money went into other items that I wanted (usually involving too much sweets). He liked buying comic books and reading them over and over again. They still sit in my parents' closet in need of being bagged and boarded.
One of both of our favorite series was the 'What if' versions that both Marvel Comics and DC had. They would ask the obvious question for the title 'What if'. What if Wolverine had forks on his finger. What if Superman had a cold vision. Things that were good, sometimes for a laugh or a quick adventure.
Diablo 3 got my mind to thinking of what if World of Warcraft did not have an auction house. The introduction of the Auction house in Diablo, including the real money auction house changed the scope of the game. It made the need for massive amounts of gold almost required to be able to play at a high level. Gold ended up costing more and more, both in real money and time as players tried to get the best gear. If it didn't drop or couldn't be crafted then you just went out and bought for obscene amounts of money. Sound familiar in regards to our friendly beloved WOW?
But what truly happened if the WOW auction house didn't exist? Or it limited to only trinket items and the occasional non equipment. Could a game survive in that type of atmosphere? Diablo has become a game more for the materials than the actual gold. You can make a large amount of gold in finding different places to farm. Selling unused equipment is also available. But for the most part gold becomes a non factor in playing Diablo 3. Would the same occur with World of Warcraft where gold was only used for vanity items and not necessary for gameplay?
Do not take this as me being a proponent of removing the Auction House from the game. There is a large difference in the raid/progression style play that Warcraft has against the pick up and beat something down style that is Diablo 3. But sometimes it is a good thing to take a look at why something is important to learn how to master.
The Warcraft auction house doesn't just give you access to high quality weapons, but also to high equality enhancements. It also gives you an opportunity to sell those enhancements and items to others. Diablo 3 anymore, only allows you to take care of your own personal needs. Both games, share a repair cost, with the high the equipment levels you have the higher the repair cost. Both hold legendary items, though against some popular raid beliefs they aren't just handed to you in Warcraft.
The final thing to look at for where the auction house in Warcraft differs than from Diablo is that you have the option of playing it or not. This may seem like a counterproductive idea vs what I said earlier. But with dailies, questing and vendoring items, as a player you do not have to step anywhere near the auction house for your day to day expenses. But to be the very best player, even a little bit of auction house ability can put you farther up the food chain game wise than others. Especially at the beginning of patches where access to high level patterns are limited.
So take a look at your patterns in the Auction House and imagine yourself without access to the sales or the purchase ability. Respect can lead to mastery of something that is necessary for your playstyle.
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