Paid level 80 character creation [speculation]

[pengupuff]

As I'm sure all of you know by now, the new refer-a-friend system offers the returning players a free level 80 character, in addition to a ton of other benefits. While I think the rewards this go around were excessive to say the least, it didn't bother me much. People want to reel their friends back into the game, and what better way to tempt them than with a shiny new level 80? However, there was a thread recently on the General Forums that had me worried:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/4139128121

This guy is suggesting that paid level-80 character creation could very well become a reality in the near future, even after the refer-a-friend promotion is over. The more I thought about it, the more possible it seemed. After all, countless other services are available for purchase. I think this would be the deal-breaker for me. I feel a feature like this would cause irreparable harm to the community, and I've always said that I'll jump ship the SECOND WoW becomes "pay to win." If everyone has the option of bypassing most of the content, what's the point? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE progression raiding, but I wouldn't throw away the leveling experience for anything. Besides, the leveling process gives you a good feel for your class and gradually introduces you to the plethora of abilities you'll be using. Make free 80s a payable feature and suddenly we'd have a massive influx of players with no idea how their class even works.

All of that aside, it's the PRINCIPLE of the thing, man. Aesthetic digital content for purchase doesn't bother me. Paid faction/server/appearance changes don't bother me. It is a slippery slope, but if this feature gets added, I'm out. As a last note, this IS only speculation, and while it is rather paranoid at best, it is still a possibility. Thoughts?

[Miyon]

Oh god no. Just no. After reading the comments in the thread, it seems very likely that paid 80's will come to stay after the craze has settled, and I do not like it. I hate to level my alts, but I also love to hate it, and at the end of the day, I do enjoy the leveling after all. This would sorta ruin it for me, and I think I would start to think that there is no reason to put in all the hard work to grind up the characters to 85 and in mop, 90. I do know the leveling process has been easyfied a lot since vanilla, though, and I appreciate the reduction of exp needed.

One single boost to level 80, I can live with that. And I'd ressurrect an old unused account, just so I could have a free level 80 hunter to transfer to my main account, just for the hell of it. But a permanent feature.. I don't know.

[Zuilu]

Honestly..I MIGHT be able to tolerate paid 80, even though it's a horrible, horrible idea..but when blizzard shifts into one of those games where you need to buy things to be good? I'm so out. I don't even want to think about this, to be honest. ;_;

[Malackai]

One single boost to level 80, I can live with that. And I'd ressurrect an old unused account, just so I could have a free level 80 hunter to transfer to my main account, just for the hell of it. But a permanent feature.. I don't know.

you know that dint even cross my mind yet :S
mm maybe ill make use of the scroll after all just for this so i can transfer a lv 80 from an unused account I have to my main account.

[Ana]

well to me the lvling between 50 and 60 is the worst... so i could be tempted to hit the lvl to 80 buttom once my alts reached lvl 50.. but from the start?

i truly think that u learn to play a class wel from the beginning - i think i would struggle learning how to play, lets say a rogue, if i were giving instant lvl 80 on a class i never played and did not know