[Eru]

if u pay rl cash then u gotta get a little advantage xD

By paying real money, you get the advantage of having a shortcut to some decorative items that other people would need to participate in events for. When we originally planned it, we wanted everything to be available to everyone somehow or other.

The idea behind nickels was that it encourages people to contribute to the shard, either through money, or by showing up for events to make sure that they're nice and lively. That's why you can only get them from events or as rewards for certain things. Exchanging contribution to the shard in some form for reward.

Also, the main reason paying real money will never get you an advantage over normal players is that we already get called corrupt enough while being as straight as an arrow. If we started giving out special favors to people who donate, then we give off the impression of being a 'money trap.' We're in this for the fun, not the money, so that's a stereotype I want to avoid.