MMORPG.com Columnist Scott Jennings returns this week to talk about the gold farming problem in MMORPGs and addresses three of the most common myths about gold farming and how MMO companies react to them. More...
i've always felt that this just isnt a problem in EU, where it take real money to make real money, the botting and famring just doesnt workout. Unless you are uber/mad eco, playing 8-10 hours a day, in which case you're making the money direct. somthing for other games that find this a problem to consider. On the other hand, since it apparently the hardcore gamers dont like it, then maybe thats a reason for the lower interest in EU (other than total absence of marketing ofc).
Hardcore gamers in general usually aint that wealthy so they cant sustain hunting the hours needed in EU to make a living off it without sacrificing their job. Look at some of the nationalities of the "hardcore" 10hour a day hunters. They are often from a country with low average income compared to western europe or USA so its easier for them to motivate quitting a job to play PE fulltime since they need less profits to pay the rent. I would need to profit 17000ped a month just to pay rent and utilities where a chinese for instance would need to earn maybe 2000ped? Thats also why a Korss/P5a slave can stay non depositer for very long compared to a western country since in a western country you would need to deposit for atleast a 50k ped gun to have a decent chance of getting a income over 3$ a hour
With all the bots for WoW I am 99% certain that you can make alot more money in WoW than PE with and you can do it afk. I know there are freak examples in PE but if you look at the general population I would say my statement is true. I tried farming for cash in SWG some years ago before it went to shit. I did it at a unique mob spawn that spawned 1 bigass mob every 10-15minutes and I would get SWG credits worth 3-7$ a hour in average and on good hours over 20$ and thats without having to spend 10k $+ on skills and gear.
Because bots are automated programs, they can be caught, due to highly repetitive patterns. I've seen plenty of them, running the exact same "pattern" all the time, over and over agian, never ceasing, never resting, always acting at the exact right moment. A Chinese kid or person, while cheap, would not be caught that easily, because they do not react on the split second. It really is nothing more than cheap labour, and obviously it's worth it, considering the dozens of companies doing it. As the article stated, millions are being made in that way.
Yeah I am not saying all farmers bot but I do think alot of people use bots for grinding their avatar up in levels n to get some cash. If I was gonna try WoW I would most likely use bots for afk cash gathering n xp when I am asleep. Its a risk ofcourse but I wouldnt risk more than the price of a normal retail game.. Also cant forget the burden of evidence has to be gathered n processed before a ban can be given. PE Botters were reported first probably a year before their ban without much happening
