EVE Bans Exploiters; Dropping 2% of Users Cuts Average CPU Usage 30%

[k]

EVE Bans Exploiters; Dropping 2% of Users Cuts Average CPU Usage 30%

Earthquake Retrofit writes "Ars has a story about EVE Online banning thousands of accounts for real-world trading of in-game money for profit. From the article: 'Those who buy and sell ISK, the game's currency, are not only exploiting the game, but unbalancing play. That's why the company decided to go drastic: a program they called "Unholy Rage." For weeks they studied the behavior and effects these real-money traders had on the game, and then they struck. During scheduled maintenance, over 6,000 accounts were banned. [Einar Hreiðarsson, EVE's lead GM,] assures us that the methods were sound, and the bannings went off with surgical precision. ... While the number of accounts banned in the opening phase of the operation constituted around 2 percent of the total active registered accounts, the CPU per user usage was cut by a good 30 percent.' Looks like they got the right 6,000.' Further information and more graphs are available from the EVE dev blog."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.





http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/...e-CPU-Usage-30

RSS

[xutech]

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, because it reminds me of the Chinese reaction to the world economic recession, and the fact that it had invested in a LOT of American dollars. When the recession hit, the value of the A$ they had stockpiled dived in value.

In response to that, there was a suggestion that the world should adopt a "world currency" which would be tied to several countries and their currencies to provide insulation against the failure of one. Others noted that the Chinese might be considering floating their Yuan (colloquially referred to as the Redback), but that the problem would be that the Yuan is rigidly controlled by the Chinese govt.

While that is a gross simplification of the subject, I have a feeling that Eve online, and CCP, might be considering creating a safer, more sheltered economy in game. The simplest benefit is that it stops money from leaving the game in the hands of others. Ideally, the cash which flows into the game in the form of subscriptions, time for isk and other variations should never leave the game. Where this fails, in the case of isk farmers, CCP has missed an opportunity to make money.

There are several actions which "HINT" towards this.

Isk farmers are being removed.
Plexes have been introduced. (time cards purchased from CCP and sold in game for Isk)
Plexes have been raised in price.
Dust 514 has been discussed as a added complication for conquest mechanics.
Future expansions are apparently featuring better and more profound benefits.

To understand how this works, consider the idea that all effort which results in rewards which are non-transferable benefit CCP.
I believe that in the near future, CCP will SET a market value for Plexes, which it will claim to be a reaction to unusual fluctuation in the value of those Plexes, and to protect the purchase and benefit of Plexes by most casual players.

Normal timecard resales will be removed.

What this is in reality doing is making the market a secure one, secure against the value of Plexes in game. Rather than letting Plexes rise and fall in value, they will become a protected currency. By protecting the value of the Plex, players will be more inclined to sell at the protected rate, stopping farmers from selling at a cheaper rate.

Additional strategies will be added. Most empire players will, instead of chasing after Isk only, will see that it is far more lucrative for them to be involved in the militia. Because rewards in the militia will be greatly improved. The players will see it as a way of taking part in exciting warfare without real chance of loss, and the value of isk will be undercut as a sales item.

Another thing that I theorize will occur will be a greatly improved focus on the transportation and trade of simple trade items. Most players pay little attention to trade items such as foodstuffs and luxury items etc. because they have no appreciable game value. But by entwining tradegoods with the new mechanic of planetary control and conquest, those previously valuable items will greatly rise in value. Corporations will need to provide the logistics for shipping food and ground weaponry if it now has some form of in game benefit.

If you feel that my thoughts are far fetched remember this: A similar strategy was implemented in world of Warcraft by increasing the importance of reputation rewards. When desirable game items are available for casual players, the importance of in game currency diminishes. Blizzard still made money in account time, but money did not leave the system in player bought gold.

There are three possibilities that are most likely:
CCP is attempting to stabilize the ingame market and protect its interests.
CCP is innocently carrying out a few adjustments.
CCP is acting in a random or poorly thought out manner.

But then again, CCP does have an economist on staff.

I'll be repeating this in my other post.

[RansomList]

Has a GM been to Solar space recently? Nope, didnt think so.

[k]

Virtual currency is a highly sensitive issue for MMO operators. If CCP allows free RTM then they may expose themselves to a plethora of regulatory rules, tax issues, etc.

It's already happening in some countries (China, USA, Korea...

As I mentioned last year, CCP can't really prohibit real money trade in Eve Online:

Selling USD for ISK is a synthetic allowed by CCP; everyone know that Eve Online players can buy Game Time Code (GTC) for real money and sell it in game for InterStellar Kredit (ISK).

However what most people don't realise is that the inverse cross (Buying ISK for USD) is feasible even though CCP pretends to forbid it:

ISK/GTC/USD

Bid1/Ask2 Ask1/Bid2, therefore:

ISK/GTC (ISK for GTC)
USD/GTC (USD for GTC)

Synthetic ISK/USD:

Bid = Bid ISK/GTC divided by Ask USD/GTC
Ask = Ask ISK/GTC divided by Bid USD/GTC

The automated GTC sale system never stopped bulk GTC traders to operate; it just
gave a way for CCP to control them. It actually helped the GTC sellers because
they use the system to validate the GTC codes without activating them.

What ISK sellers try to hide from EVE players is the market for GTC sale. It's hidden in
plain sight, try contacting Shatteredcrystal and ask them if they are interested
in buying GTC in large quantity from you... in cash .


Translation: The only way to sell ISK without getting busted:

1/ ISK farmers buy tons of GTC with ISK.
2/ sell the GTC to GTC sites such as shatteredcrystal and voila... real cash
3/ GTC sites sell GTC for real cash.. loop closed.

[Lord Gabriell]

The RMT has existed as long as mmo's have existed. I still remember people offering items for cash in Meridian59 from a looong time ago.

Also, why in the fuck are all of my posts moderated now?!?

[k]

Also, why in the fuck are all of my posts moderated now?!?

what do you mean?

[Lord Gabriell]

what do you mean?

Four of the last five posts I have made say, "Your post will appear when moderators approve it".

edit: I have never seen that message until today, so I am wondering what changed.

Message: Thank you for posting! Your post will not be visible until a moderator has approved it for posting. You will now be taken back to the forum. If you opted to post a poll, you will now be allowed to do so.

[Alex Clomsaver]

It happens in the DUST forum and for new threads in Foreplay. No idea why it is and I've been fiddling around trying to undo whatever is odd with those two forums for a week or so now. Me and Vinata have just been manually approving them enmasse in the mean time.

[k]

ok please take note of who it happens to and which group they belong to. I'll fix it.
I finally have full control of the forums now and I already fixed a bunch of shit.

[Lord Gabriell]

It happens in the DUST forum and for new threads in Foreplay. No idea why it is and I've been fiddling around trying to undo whatever is odd with those two forums for a week or so now. Me and Vinata have just been manually approving them enmasse in the mean time.

Roger that, thanks

[xutech]

Ah that sheds more light on the subject.

Translation: The only way to sell ISK without getting busted:

1/ ISK farmers buy tons of GTC with ISK.
2/ sell the GTC to GTC sites such as shatteredcrystal and voila... real cash
3/ GTC sites sell GTC for real cash.. loop closed.

[Lord Gabriell]

Ah that sheds more light on the subject.

You will also notice that anytime the price of rmt isk reaches a cost factor of three to one when compared to gtc's they have a crack down on rmt. Rinse, lather and repeat as necessary.

[Lord Gabriell]

/set mode ban 'moron'

[mazzilliu]

Ah that sheds more light on the subject.

this is kind of old and inaccurate because its difficult to buy gtc in a way that you can resell them now