I can say this much:
Shaiya Absolution is not ever 24 hours old yet. Within the first 15 minutes of having it open, I counted at least 13 people log on, play for 5 minutes and leave because
'Im only level 13 and have no legend or goddess yet.'
Or better yet,
'There is no people here. How am I supposed to get plvl'd? Too much work, I go back to Nemesis.'
Or again,
'There no items on AH. Where I supposed to get gears? No gear = No level. No level = No pvp.'
The point is that many servers try to do just as you ask. The sad reality of it is that people are impatient and lazy. The want it all, and they want it now. These few servers that try to offer exactly what you are asking for end up drowning in their own expenses and lack of player base.
Absolution for example :
Yes, we have worship and dread 15 and 30 helms on the Item Mall. However, we also have Lep Hats, Mili Caps, and One slot caps at an NPC for 15 PvP'ers, and Heroic helms at another NPC for the 30's.
Thus providing minimal difference between what is available to donator and those who can not or simply don't donate.
Furthermore, yes, Lapisia is on the item mall. They are also at NPC, pouches, and as drops. Same thing goes for Op hammers. On the item mall for the donator's, but still available in game.
The problem most of the time isn't the server, but rather the players who are not willing to put forth the effort. The want free items, but do not want to work for them.
All in all, the player base shrinks and the server dies. Regardless of the server's developing efforts.
This is one thing that is all too often ignored when everyone states what they want. They have exact expectations of what they want, and if it doesn't match up, it is not worth the time. No server can cater to each and every person. It is not the developers that need to compromise, but rather the player base in itself.
We can only give what is asked for. After that, it is up to the player.
Lastly, when a server does open giving a majority what they want, players are again impatient. At some point the players need to realize that on a new server, it is going to take time. Immediate results can not be expected on a server which has just opened and has no player base to help support those who do not want to do the work themselves.
Sadly, this is not the case. They want something specific from a server. A server opens and gives them as they want. However, they ignore the fact that it is still a baby; get irritated because they have nobody to support their play but themselves, and they leave.
A small ripple of impatience very easily spreads into a wave of people leaving a server. If players are not willing to commit the time to get what they want from a server, then it is them who is to blame for their failure. Not the server. Not the developer. Not the community. They, themselves, and by themselves.
Until this is realized, they are just S.O.L
-III-
