liesoflove, as you stay longer and longer in this game, you will discover the absolute insignificance of the gold given on Algadon. That is why it's possible for the site to throw away billions to us without harm to themselves. You say, "not cheap, but at least something." For Admin to be able to manage this without going bankrupt, the ratio would need to be something like 20 billion gold to 1 RC!
But take heart! Although the gold itself can buy very little, there are only 3 items in the Legendary Shop which can be bought with gold alone. There is no limit to the amount one can own. Therefore, if you find a heavily defended player whose strength appears too high for their level and yet they show no robes on their profile, they just may have stacked enough Techpaires Rings, Demon Skulls and Shou coins to have achieved the required effect!