It may have been sooner but it came my attention this morning that it is now cheaper to use PLEX rather than MPTC to run the additional character slots on your accounts.
My calculations are basic using selling prices for the “average” player running accounts will simply go straight to market. Larger account runners and skill farms will of course use buy orders.
Remember to plex an account requires 500 plex per month each additional character slot requires 485 plex. So to run an account only on plex would require 1470 plex. Or using MPTC would require 500 plex + 2 MPTC.
Simple rounded numbers using direct buy from Jita.
Full PLEX = 5.608Billion
PLEX + MPTC = 5.653Billion
Looking at the volume charts for MPTC there has been a steady decline in buy/sell volume Jan '19 vol was 2-300 per day to 90-130 per day at the end of Feb '19.
I am not making a statement about PLEX prices only the balance. MPTC price could fall due to reduced demand this drop in price could cause those with large stockpiles to sell exacerbating the price decline. This decline will reduce the upward pressure on PLEX as it would push the profitability balance back to PLEX + MPTC for character farms.
(edit) incorrect plex to mptc conversion updated mptc = 485plex
Or maybe plex/MPTC near parity is the natural occurrence due to skill point farming, which serves one purpose for most farmers to allow free access to another alt account.
Plex can only go up, I have said that year on year until CCP brings in mandatory subscription for Omega access, which I predict they will do when PLEX hits 10m ISK or 5bn ISK per month. 5bn ISK is what I’d expect the average space nerd be willing to grind in a RORQ or Nyx minus SP sell profit per month to fund a free ride.
When Plex hits 5bn multi boxers and Omega botters will start getting cranky with many dropping out so CCP loses logins. At 5BN isk we will be way beyond scubs being able to grind for ISK so they are either resigned to sub or they’ll drop off. At 5bn ISK having mandatory subs is a win for CCP as it’ll bring instant equilibrium to the sub market by enriching casual players and increasing subs while forcing multiboxers and botters to pay to play with IRL n+1.
PLEX detracts from CCP’s real world wealth & credit as evident on their financial statements.
Pearl Abyss expects ROI on their investment, I doubt they’ll let EVE ever become an at loss enterprise even if it keeps the CCP house open for other potential games.