Ingame donations for addon work -- allowed?

[Scamp]

Recently addon development work on the forums has become more popular, which is great. However, a new phenomena has arisen. People are paying others ingame currency to code addons. I'm personally in favor of this, but want to make sure this sort of thing wont get me banned.


Are addon developers allowed to accept ingame donations for their work?



Further, seeing as a large project like questie is being maintained by multiple users, can we safely distribute donations among the developers without worrying of ban?

[candyb]

If the coder says like "I might code this if I get donations" it is a payment. If you ask for donations for something for you to create, it is more like an exchange of two things.

But if you have created an addon, released it and then say "donations are appreciated", I think that's fair. I mean people can donate to you for making stuff even if you don't ask them right.

It shouldn't be primary because of donations that you make things.

[Diametra]

Well. That really is a grey area by definition isn't it? I guess the hang up would be defining what is in-game and what is out-of-game. Certainly could use some clarification. I'm totally in support of tossing someone a little gold for the work they've done, but I'd also understand if it wasn't allowed.

[Scamp]

Would love an official response on this.

[Mopar]

The updated TOU explains this clearly:

V. Trading Virtual Goods/Services
Nostalrius Begins does not condone the trade of virtual goods or services appearing or originating from the Game, or any other attributes associated with an account or any component thereof for real money, or exchange those items, currencies or services for value outside of the Game. Nostalrius staff reserves the right to close any account involved in such transaction.

https://en.nostalrius.org/terms-of-use

Addon development would be considered value outside of the game.

[TaurenRogue]

according to the above paying real money for an addon fix/modification/etc is legit, but gold isnt... sounds weird but does make sense...

[Diametra]

The TOU doesn't explain this clearly at all. What you are quoting clearly explains a completely different situation. Firstly, it is not clear whether add-on development and deployment is considered a work inside or outside the game on this server. Secondly, the proposal has nothing to do with real currency of any type.

[Mopar]

No, that's pretty clear. Gold acquisition is very clearly a virtual good that appears/originates from the game. There's no question about that. Addon development is very clearly value that exists outside the game.

So thought experiment: Suppose I was very hard up for gold in game. I could either give someone who offers to give me gold in game money, or an item, or something else of value. In every case that could be interpreted as buying gold. You might not like it, but that's what it says.

And TaurenRogue is correct - if someone pays me real money to do addon development, then that would be allowed - just as any programming contracting job would be. Just as if someone wanted a DKP app for iOS, I could do that and get paid for it. This is because it does not involve the trade of any assets created within the game.

Edit: It's this bit that is the crux: "or exchange those items, currencies or services for value outside of the Game."
It is the "value outside the Game" that makes it so broad as value can be anything - money, services, programming work, etc.

[Diametra]

Ya better read it again. This is about exchanging something in game for real currency. At any rate your definitions turn the obvious intention of this quote on it's head. I'm sure anyone in this position to be concerned would rather not take your rather liberal interpretations as the word on the subject my friend.

[Mopar]

I read it very carefully. One of my tasks in my IRL job is reading & writing legal terms.
I told you what it says, you just don't want to believe it.