lol I never said SoE was non-profit =P However I think the only reason they are keeping their servers alive is for legal reasons. I mean you don't buy a piece of software and cannot use it because they don't provide the service any more =), EULA or no EULA they can be held responsible for that.
Remember that SoE has hotzones and 2x EXP vet aa's/potions. So in a hotzone you get 4x the exp, thats about on target with most of the servers in EMU. Come again now?
Fact is, SoE makes those exp vet aas last for 30 minuites for a reason, not to keep your game play slow but to keep your online time minimal. They don't make hotzones so that if you go to another zone you level slower, they make those hotzones more desireable so they don't have to have to have every zone booted for 200 players that decides to level one to a zone causing nearly every zone to be booted.
Fact is, SoE is minimizing thier costs via these ways. They make the leveling process harder not to keep you playing, (as using those hotzones, potions/vet aas to skip over the tedious leveling) for months on end, but to have the player (YOU) form a sence of pride and accomplishment from those levels and quests you complete so you won't ditch the game even when you have made it to end-game. Again, I could max a character out on live by myself and without pling them in a months time. You pay SoE by the month, you cannot convience me that SoE counts on their slow exp system to keep you playing and paying them money. No way. The endless quests, sense of pride you build yourself, and the relationships you build within the game keeps you paying them, not their slow exp system.
To recap, SoE makes their money by keeping you out of the game, or confining you to certain zones to minimize their expenses while you pay them every month for a fictional character you have a close attachment to =) period.
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