can you explain why you are calling these players farmers? perhaps your data should simply be labeled "class distribution for players with highest play-time." or do you have a definition for "farmer" and data to support that these players fit that definition? basically, i'd be weary of using "plays a lot" as a definition for farmer.

Most sources (articles and player anecdotes and our own expriences) typically show that identified and suspected farmers spend a lot of time online - to the point where they seem to be always online.

Most player anecdotes also typically implicate Rogues and Hunters as suspected farmers. So the data go well with that observation.

Of course, one simple metric can't filter out all the farmers, but the results are consistent with other sources of information.

But I can also turn the question back on you. What do you think is causing the severe imbalance in class distribution in highest play-time? Why do Rogues play so much more than everybody else?

thanks. perhaps the combination of high dps and vanish/stealth makes the rogue a farming-friendly class. but that's just a guess.

it might also make sense to revisit your server sample pool, as i assume PVP servers are unpopular for bona fide farmers. (honor is useless to a farmer.) likewise players glued to Alterac Valley might be online a ton, but doing zero farming, even in the socially acceptable sense of grinding. you might want to remove PVP players entirely from your sample.

I am quite interested in the farming phenomenon. Have you pulled together information on playtime per month by character (not just class relationships)? Presumably, this distribution is very "lumpy".

Also, do you have data on the "life" of a farmer - i.e., how long before a farmer gets "busted" and kicked off the server? My argument on my blog (http://www.playnoevil.com/) is that banning is not a very effective deterrent for these individuals as they can create another character and get back in the farming business.

It seems to me there are at least two very high utilization categories - the traditional farmers and the "outsourced" players (those who hire others to play their character while they sleep) to level-up. My guess would be that the outsourced levers would experience a substantial drop in utilization once they reach a "high" level.

Finally, it should be possible to estimate the hourly "income" for players and identify those that are particularly income efficient or stable and therefore on a farming run or crafting business.

I would be pleased to continue this discussion off-line.

Steve

Have to say that I know much more about the gold farming in practice. It all depends on the popular methods ppl found out that yields the highest production per day. At the early stage of the gold farming it's Mage in SM ,then Hunter rogue in ZF..in mara... DM ... then more than 50% gold farmers are bots/hacks with WARLOCK in ZG, DM to get 2000g+ per day which is immoral! One thing I can say is there is no warrior or Shaman priest farmers in the professional farming biz at all.