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Way of the Mercenary: Recycling

March 12, 2014

Castor CraveSince CCP is fixing the district locking I’ve talked about in the last two posts, lets turn our attention to something else. Oh well, there is plenty to choose from. Like, did you ever notice that a ton of characters are being created in DUST 514? It’s mind blowing! Check out this snapshot:

Suspect_1

Notice how DUST 514 has less than ten times the players online EVE has, but its character creation rate is through the roof? Now that’s what you call inverse proportional! Free 2 Play or not, it is very impressive when your game manages to gain 1/5 of its online users every hour, every day. And that for an extended period of time as the following picture shows:

Suspect_2

But as we all know, DUST is not the most successful F2P game there is (yet). With more thanSuspect_3 5.5 Million created characters the PCU on Sundays sits currently at an underwhelming 3,300 after more than three months without an update to the game. The picture on the right is giving us a hint of what is going on:

The last time I saw these kind of character names was more than half a decade ago when RMTers used to spam the tradehubs in EVE with their advertisements for selling ISK. So what are these throwaway names for?

New characters come with 250,000 ISK in their wallet. Creating a character, transferring that money to your main and preparing the 24 hour cool down for character for deletion only takes about three minutes. Since you can have multiple accounts and each one comes with three character slots, you can do this as often as you like, yielding 5 million ISK per hour. Average Joe makes around half a million per hour in battle and still has to pay for suits and equipment. So it seems that character recycling is quite profitable, but it also is against the rules and will get you banned.

DustboardTo find out how deep this rabbit hole is I contacted the owner of the websites that provided the initial data from to ask for more numbers. Luckily for me it appears he wasn’t busy with a titan trade at that moment (or he is very good at multitasking). I’m talking about Chribba of course. He listened to my suspicions and soon after started to dig like a mole. He came up with all the information I asked for (and more) in practically no time. So here is the information for the last 30 days:

NewbornClick to enlarge

The total number of characters created in those 30 days is 306,929, averaging at 429 per hour. You can see the weekends and downtimes just like with the PCU graphs. The amount of game currency generated from that is a whooping 76,732,250,000 DUST ISK. This is actually close to what Planetary Conquest puts into the games economy under optimal circumstances. Here is an updated version of the ISK generated pie chart from my last article, factoring in character recycling:

ISK generated

I might add that this also means that hundreds of the players shown online are actually just people recycling characters and not participating in battles, which paints an even worse picture when it comes to income generated in pub matches. This hasn’t been factored into the above chart.

Chribba also kindly provided other interesting data, like the following one which shows what character names have been re-used the most:

characterName timesCreated
ee333 53
sts08 50
sts06 50
sts02 49
sts05 49
sts03 49
sts01 49
sweetie pie 2 48
TCFXB 47
33eee 46
sts07 46
TCFX 46
TCFXC 45
bone 1 45
sts04 44
TCFXA 44
quack 3 42
sweetie pie 3 40
quack 2 40
quack 1 40
goo9 39
quack 4 39
wwalz 38
bone 2 38
chanisk 37
bone 3 37
isk extra 36
sts13 36
sweetie pie 1 36
sts16 36
bwalz 35
sts14 35
sts20 35
sts11 35
sts10 35
sts19 35
sts12 35
BEATCHILD 34
sts18 33
GREMLACON 33
extra isk 33
nuko2 32
nuko1 32
sts17 32
Miss Prop 31
nuko4 31
hyu 7 31
sts09 31
banana4 29
12fee 29
sanisk 29
banana1 29
SSJG2 29
smc2 29
csb2 28
321fire 28
manisky 28
jcu1 28
smc9 28
jcu2 28
smc20 27
sts15 27
smc7 27
csb1 27
ssjg 27
smc6 27
smc24 27
smc21 26
smc26 26
smc8 26
banana6 26
lugia249 26
smc25 26
smc22 26
smc23 26
smc11 25
smc19 25
nuko8 25
nuko9 25
nuko6 25
pooo1 24
ssjgt2 24
pooo4 24
smc12 24
ssjvt 24
smc13 24
t5555t 24
smc16 24
RebeIIion 24
pooo3 24
smc15 23
smc1 23
smc17 23
smc14 23
jimmy8888 23
nuko7 23
t555t 23
hjklkl 23
ewq11 23
nuko10 23
ssjgt 23
ghjklkl 23
ggghjklkl 22
ewq111 22
csb22 22
SHADOWK1 DARKK1 22
gtt444 22
SHADOW1K DARK1K 22
csb21 22
smc4 21
pooo5 21
smc18 21
jimmy6666 21
smooth malto 21
pooo7 21
jimmy9999 20
bd3 20
yahmon1 20
jimmy7777 20
gggghjklkl 20
ssjgt3 20
scandroid 20
bd4 20
pooo6 20
jcu23 20
nuko5 20
smc3 20
a-a 03 19
bi ta 19
ssjvt2 19
pooo12 19
jklo00 19
TRT 15 19
K1SHADOW K1DARK 19
TRT 16 19
VyreVoxx 19
smc5 19
SABRINAAAA 19
ta bi 19
smc10 19
TARNAAAA 19
a-a 07 18
jklaaa 18
jklaa 18
a-a 05 18
pyuu1 18
gtt44 18
pooo11 18
pooo13 18
TRT 17 18
pyuu2 18
pyuu3 18
jklo0 18
char 01 18
wilrider 18
hyu 2 18
jcu11 18
TRT 20 18
jcu13 17
fact1c 17
HOO LEE FUK 17
ryo gallente 17
mma 1 17
char 02 17
1111234 17
a-a 06 17
TRT 19 17
a-a 01 17
a-a 04 17
5tre3 17
fact1a 17
fact02 16
5tyu7 16
mma 2 16
vandoll00 16
TRT 14 16
ch 05 16
fact1b 16
ape ship crazy 16
jcu21 16
TRT 18 16
a-a 02 16
ryo amarr 16
yus21 15
ghj028 15
ssjvt4 15
ghj025 15
ghj06 15
ghj05 15
ghj010 15
11112345 15
ghj024 15
a-a 08 15
ghj04 15
ghj021 15
ghj031 15
vrwx 15
ghj029 15
ghj030 15
ghj08 15
ewq122 15
jkl99 15
ghj03 15
ghj011 15
gghjklkl 15
ghj01 15
ghj09 15
vrwxx 15
ghj018 15
ghj027 15
ghj026 15
vrwxz 15
yus2 15
ghj023 15
Voxxbot 14
ghj07 14
hnmnm 14
ch 11 14
hnmnmm 14
ghj02 14
ghj012 14
rgoon 14
rey lol 14
ghj022 14
tyu011 14
ghj015 14
ryo clone 14
HOO LEE FUK2 14
ghj013 14
jcu22 14
hnmnhh 14
ewq12 14
ch 03 14
tyu012 14
tyu013 14
ch 07 14
klq3 14
csb11 14
ghj016 14
tyu031 14
tyu023 14
hnmnhhh 14
jcu12 14
mt money 14
klq4 14
ghj032 14
tyu018 14
SAYDETH 14
ch 08 14
tyu021 14
dug12 14
csb12 14
yus3 14
Mortal Sandman 14
ghj019 14
tyu014 14
tyu019 14
ghj017 14
ch 06 14
tyu024 14
hyu 3 14
hnmnh 13
ch 24 13
klq6 13
hyu 5 13
ch 30 13
ch 29 13
yus18 13
ghj 4 13
yus20 13
pyuu4 13
tyu026 13
isks15 13
TRT 25 13
ch 25 13
TRT 26 13
tyu017 13
ch 12 13
ch 16 13
tyu030 13
tyu09 13
ch 26 13
tyu028 13
pyuu5 13
yus15 13
hnmnnn 13
tyu03 13
ghj014 13
grog hoppy 13
ch 31 13
tyu025 13
CH 28 13
hnmnhj 13
tyu015 13
tyu029 13
tyu01 13
tyu022 13
yus19 13
ch 46 13
tyu020 13
ch 15 13
klq5 13
vrwxzz 13
ragenarokk 13
rgoon2 13
ch 33 13
tyu010 13
ghj020 13
ch 17 13
rgoon3 13
Mortal Sandman 2 13
federico borrell 12
yus8 12
duo11 12
ch 21 12
pyuu11 12
isks3 12
ch 18 12
asd efg 12
isks13 12
tyu06 12
TRT 23 12
TRT 33 12
isks14 12
ch 43 12
yus5 12
yus16 12
isks10 12
ch 19 12
yus13 12
TRT 22 12
MALTA-DOR 12
tyu027 12
tyu05 12
TRT 32 12
yus17 12
ch 27 12
ch 23 12
tyu08 12
TRT 21 12
isks2 12
TRT 31 12
isks9 12
ISKS7 12
pyuu12 12
pyuu6 12
csb13 12
klq7 12
ch 22 12
loterdine 12
TRT 30 12
the boston butcher 12
ch 32 12
yus7 11
ANKER 26 11
TRT 24 11
cash 3 cow 11
ch 42 11
sir sidona 11
ch 13 11
isaac umiyack 11
MIERCOLES ADDAMS 11
dwalz 11
pyuu13 11
GUN masda 11
duo12 11
tyu04 11
dug11 11
hyu 4 11
rider52 11
isks11 11
yus6 11
ch 35 11
hnmnhy 11
ghj 3 11
yus4 11
ch 34 11
TRT 29 11
cash 2 cow 11
ch 20 11
TRT 35 11
MR SPOCK 1741 11
My Immortal Guardian 11
cash 4 cow 11
cash 5 cow 11
Paloma Soraya 11
tyu02 11
TRT 34 11
ch 44 11
hnmnn 11
klq1 11
MM106 11
klq8 11
tyu016 11
tyu032 11
TRT 36 11
yus12 10
ch 48 10
53d cup 10
uriah420 10
TRT 28 10
deajo4 10
51d cup 10
ghj 22 10
54dd cup 10
blood bolts 10
56dd cup 10
1234 san 10
52dd cup 10
isks12 10
ch 14 10
53ddd cup 10
deajo14 10
isks8 10
KNIGHT 01 10
klq2 10
killkill 01 10
EREVIS BARCA 10
isks 5 10
hnmnhyy 10
Grinzler 10
tyu07 10
46dd cup 10
45ddd cup 10
kiko muffler 10
MR SPOCK 1742 10
isks16 10
41ddd cup 10
cash 1 cow 10
Andrey Player 10
lord sidona 10
420uriah 10
ch 41 10
yus10 10
deajo3 10
isks1 10
41d cup 10
asari san 10
ch 122 10
ghj 11 10
Kirgolax 10
Mortal Sandman 5 10
Lord Axios 10
ch 04 10
deajo5 10
ch 36 10
Sentry Maximus 10
55ddd cup 10
SALUD Y ANARKIA 10
hyu 6 10
54ddd cup 10
42d cup 10
BARTIMAEUS BARCA 10
43dd cup 10
isks 4 10
Ren Vestrog 9
deajo2 9
deajo1 9
pyuu8 9
11ddd cup 9
pyuu9 9
TRT 38 9
ghj 5 9
2wert5 9
MM102 9
44d cup 9
55dd cup 9
14d cup 9
nani8 9
23dd cup 9
ryo dust 9
14ddd cup 9
deajo9 9
ch 40 9
isks 6 9
14dd cup 9
44dd cup 9
54d cup 9
46d cup 9
jkl999 9
A roe 9
12ddd cup 9
41dd cup 9
loterdine 2 9
51dd cup 9
deajo6 9
deajo8 9
Veintesimo 20 9
jojo savard 9
11dd cup 9
Leezir 9
13dd cup 9
killkill 00 9
deajo15 9
ch 37 9
55 bb 9
yus1 9
52ddd cup 9
ALSOKyu1 9
Xx-Forsaken-xX 9
43d cup 9
51ddd cup 9
44ddd cup 9
21ddd cup 9
5trew2 9
guyvern 9
42dd cup 9
deajo13 9
Mortal Sandman 3 9
15dd cup 9
Crazy Inmate 9
46ddd cup 9
52d cup 9
42ddd cup 9
suzume 39 9
66dd cup 8
ilussia 8
16d cup 8
24ddd cup 8
64d cup 8
Cream XXX 8
BLADE 0000 8
LOGIC GLOBAL FACTION 8
12dd cup 8
jlo 05 8
65ddd cup 8
pyuu16 8
ISK 6 8
66ddd cup 8
7ster 8
61d cup 8
deajo21 8
56ddd cup 8
31ddd cup 8
35ddd cup 8
dug6 8
yahmon2 8
ISK 3 8
mma 3 8
TRT 37 8
ISK 2 8
22dd cup 8
MM103 8
ALSO3 8
26ddd cup 8
deajo18 8
yus14 8
23ddd cup 8
LubexTV 8
deajo10 8
ALSOKyu2 8
THE GOLD RANGER 8
deajo19 8
24d cup 8
26dd cup 8
13ddd cup 8
mma 5 8
ISK 5 8
ISK 4 8
13d cup 8
deajo12 8
61ddd cup 8
63dd cup 8
OsAuCe 8
hyu 8 8
25dd cup 8
61dd cup 8
15ddd cup 8
64ddd cup 8
65dd cup 8
Cream X 8
25ddd cup 8
16dd cup 8
ch 478 8
1dentity0wl 8
56d cup 8
youssef al king 8
Cream XX 8
deajo17 8
Nova Carbine 8
GUN ma2da 8
mma 4 8
63ddd cup 8
Mortal Sandman 1 8
Saisho Daichi 8
43ddd cup 8
CYLON 01 8
deajo7 8
64dd cup 8
mwalz 8
mma 6 8
63d cup 8
62dd cup 8
62ddd cup 7
deajo20 7
ghjkloiuytr 7
g22 g 7
deajo11 7
ISK 1 7
ISK 9 7
ISK 10 7
Grand Marshal Fendahl 7
sntx 7
L3Gn1c 1991 7
f026b 7
ISK 7 7
ALSO2 7
gt54rf 7
typ001 7
32d cup 7
21dd cup 7
62d cup 7
BUD – DANIELS 7
isks 10 7
Adiasia 7
g li1 7
36dd cup 7
F2009MS 1 7
YourKilledByA 7
34ddd cup 7
Jixette 7
XCMDR 7
deajo16 7
Volcanis IOGG 7
ISK 17 7
pyuu7 7
typ002 7
F2009MS 2 7
Dentara 7
Barnixia 7
isks 7 7
33d cup 7
Box No7 7
deajo22 7
ch 10 7
Damian CARP 7
Elemental hero Wildheart 7
ISK 8 7
larry cagnonga 7
zezu1 7
36d cup 7
Sadianaca 7
KiLLaTuerK 7
isks 12 7
Dasster 7
molly 3 7
TheOutlaw3000 7
alexius atm 7
ssj1 8 7
isks 9 7
Jasmin 23 7
31dd cup 7
molly 2 7
32dd cup 7
36ddd cup 7
Alfonso Rivas 171 7
jcu31 7
33dd cup 7
26d cup 7
Kruznic Ellecon M 7
16ddd cup 7
dug5 7
31d cup 7
noble sidona 7
12d cup 7
ISK 12 7
Jasmin 21 7
deajo24 7
F 1002 7
Ghost Envoy 7
ALSOKyu 7
ISK 11 7
jcu33 7
Templar VIII 7
32ddd cup 7
elohim kat h 7
24dd cup 7
Jasmin 22 7
kil-her 7
23d cup 7
22ddd cup 7
Pasketticia 7
bedu2 7
Jar Core 7
ALSO1 7
pyuu14 7
34dd cup 7
Zedgan 7
ZACH ORSHA 7
35dd cup 7
ssj18 7
gt567uyt 7
f026a 7
45dd cup 7
z 04 6
VGVoid 6
ffffffddddddd 6
Bane8315 6
gaq4 6
minmasy 6
uv 2 6
pyuu15 6
Captain Borgia 6
gaq21 6
vandoll03 6
Ashara Whisperwind 6
brandie01 6
gaq9 6
6001 6
Beat Feet 6
ISK 15 6
MM105 6
vandoll01 6
tr 4 6
22d cup 6
tr 6 6
hc 58 6
MM107 6
gaq2 6
Federico Carrion 6
gt5432wsdf 6
jiji te mate 6
bedu1 6
uv 1 6
yuio yuio 6
jlo 09 6
cristhofer valeriano 6
deajo23 6
qwe 4 6
21d cup 6
gaq20 6
53dd cup 6
Wacko Pasko 6
Evermore Z 6
jcu32 6
B-U-D D-A-N-I-E-L-S 6
minmas1 6
Nova Cygnus 6
hc 57 6
Zahid Gonzalez 6
Zyette 6
c 50 6
habu1 6
rgoon1 6
gaq26 6
Templar XK 6
gaq25 6
c 51 6
ch 39 6
Honshitsu Kami 6
gaq8 6
CHAR 54 6
Veintesimo Argentino 6
gaq28 6
Delta Cygnus 6
youssef al bob 6
Zahzi The Beast 6
Ticania 6
ooFREDDYoo ooKRUEGERoo 6
Templar VI 6
gaq24 6
11d cup 6
bo kki 6
k bn 6
tr 8 6
Sariettana 6
ISK 16 6
MisterJambon13 6
molly 1 6
gaq7 6
ch 38 6
Karnazuz 6
isks 11 6
hj7543 6
isks 8 6
hjjuio9 6
F 1001 6
ISK 14 6
gaq27 6
yus11 6
33ddd cup 6
masaki san 6
gaq22 6
gaq6 6
Redorice 6
H2O DELIRIO 6
mysty killer 6
66d cup 6
Old chacal 6
BLADE 7777 6
yus9 6
fuuuuuug 6
ignacio piriz 6
RMHYU 6
Feacina 6
gaq23 6
f022b 6
ISKgirl1 6
44444445555555 6
Claire Eclair 6
moh blas 6
hc 56 6
ISK 13 6
gt tgt 6
qwe 5 6
c 49 6
legnic 5
gaq29 5
killbot 2964 5
ryo jinmei 5
gaq32 5
gaq35 5
gaq38 5
aassdd gghhjj 5
zeta zerro 5
Captain Vivec 5
ISKgirl2 5
Sinful Warrior 5
deck chair 5
34d cup 5
333ee 5
gaq39 5
josue rivas 5
gaq36 5
Merc X3 5
f025a 5
ffffffvvvvvvv 5
CABOos1 5
3333334444444 5
vladimir FONTENA 5
goon red 5
LUKSONG 5
tr 7 5
Sammie Cross 5
yahmon3 5
ssj 18 5
RPGpawn 1 5
4444444555555 5
25d cup 5
fffffffvvvvvvcccccc 5
0000000qqqqqqq 5
ryo deteis 5
RMHY 5
Sentry Beta 5
ryo civire 5
qwe 3 5
gaq37 5
Libitinarius 5
Castiria 5
habu2 5
Elemental hero Sparkman 5
f021b 5
gaq34 5
AZ9 5
Rau’L 5
JASON SHOCKER 5
f023a 5
respectoff 5
66666667777777 5
Soizik 5
Lord Ryker 5
qas saq 5
fuuuug 5
Kirito Horizon 5
BRIGHT EYE’S 5
f022a 5
ryo nikunni 5
qqqqqqwwwwww 5
duane smith 5
fffffddddddd 5
MALTADOR 59 5
COMANDANTE DISEL 5
hc 59 5
ghj 2 5
5555556666666 5
jlo 08 5
Templar XXL 5
MM104 5
gaq30 5
pppppppaaaaaaa 5
Exilegal 5
BEAT CHILD 5
Alfonso Rivas 717 5
kai el4 5
Belorus2 5
FLOW 26 5
gaq33 5
qwe 2 5
Mister Jambon 5
Exileant Chimara 5
Voidghoul 5
8888889999999 5
f023b 5
f024b 5
f024a 5
combol bee 5
glone 2 5
glone 1 5
gbbvcxzz 5
TRUE BLOOD 1 5
f025b 5
15d cup 5
Belorus1 5
45d cup 4
urrukk 4
przemo645 przemo 4
gt543edc 4
Zeo IOGG 4
pooo9 4
888888999999 4
500K 01 4
TonytheTigersays ThereGreat 4
XIX-Damian-XIX CARP 4
lounge chair 4
PANCHO MOLLER 3 4
yuki 04 4
axe3344 4
tr 12 4
ghjuuytyujmn 4
bgood3 4
Raidei The Blade 4
tr 14 4
Knightsmurf blood 4
Tau Lai 4
Dekorosto 4
isks5 4
kuscheln Monster 4
gt54rfv 4
tr 1 4
fgb bgf 4
543edd 4
JANKOvych 4
JEY Smith 4
SOUL OF REVOLUTION 4
PARCA ARG 4
9999990000000 4
Templar VIIV 4
Zeke Logan 4
xcd vbg 4
rrrrrrrrtttttttt 4
gt56yhgfd 4
Matsuri 5005 4
ignacio vergara 97 4
dovajin Henderson 4
dddddddffffffff 4
Shipbreaker Hydra 4
callme asap 4
training clone 4
Quantum Ostridge 4
wwwwwweeeeee 4
ddddddddffffffff 4
f020a 4
uuuuuuuiiiiiiiiii 4
hj754 4
THE BLUE RANGER 4
Phillip Bodybags 4
elohim 001 4
zezu2 4
gbn nbg 4
saberw0lf 4
isks4 4
ROFLMAO IN YOURFACE 4
gfdssdfghjjkl 4
Sasheena 4
elohim h 4
MH DAIKI 4
4rty6 4
Jare Cor 4
Beardigo 4
500k 02 4
Alcatraz Thorne 4
tr 9 4
ryo intaki 4
Matchitehew Chiman 4
Beardigo Noshave 4
chode grilluxx 4
Templar VII 4
hjju765ttyu 4
bb 9000 4
Decka Warsoa 4
kondziu kk 4
ghjklkjkll 4
hjuytgbvcxsdf 4
ch 49 4
Templar XXI 4
hhhhhhhjjjjjjjjj 4
ryo khanid 4
Iskaur 4
55d cup 4
Cakia 4
biohazard 9747 4
BIT TAM 4
charron needles 4
Daynamon 4
Geese Villian 4
00000qqqqqqq 4
Autoreiji Biyondo 4
gfdfghjkl 4
The Caldari State 4
char 53 4

A hint to the people in the above list:
If Chribba has access to this data,
so does CCP.

When asked to comment on the data uncovered, Chribba had this to say:

ChribbaI see this as something that will break the economy, generating ISK by wrongful means. I believe it would hurt DUST if it kept being allowed. I noticed odd characters popping up and this certainly gives an explanation as to why they appear. So yeah I was quite surprised of the scale that this is being used. Surely, regardless how much anyone tries to have a solid reason for recreating their character, recreating it over 50 times in one month is a bit too much.

The discussion that went on in IRC provided a number of possible and easy solutions; from allowing ISK transfers only after you went through the academy to simply not providing new characters with money. CPM member Jenza hinted that CCP is well aware of the issue but wasn’t available for further comment.

Lets hope we will see a fix for this exploit soon. CCP has already shown with their band aid to Planetary Conquest that they can be swift and thorough. I assume that exploits like these have to be dealt with in order to make reasonable market price balancing decisions and allow player to player trading, or even the transfer of ISK between the games.

I would like to thank Chribba for donating his time to provide pretty much everything I needed for this post. It never hurts to check out his websites and services or his Twitter for more insights and overall interesting stuff. And I also want to thank you for reading this. If you want to dig a bit yourself here is some of the data Chribba provided me with: 1, 2, 3
Until next time.

Castor