You don't work, you don't eat. It's that simple. For every person out there wasting resources in life, depending on others without contributing will cause others to pay for it in some form.

Every empty character has general effect in a small world economy like this game. A player who essentially controls two characters will have twice the benefits through the same amount and time and effort as a player with one. You create twice the supply without the balance of twice the demand.

Player 1 controls a single character does 8 regional levequests per reset. Player 1 generates X raw income and T materials into the system.

Player 2 controls two characters and does 16 regional levequests per reset. Player 2 generates X+Y income and T+U materials into the system for zero additional effort. Same amount of time spent for twice the rewards.

Player 2 has devalued the effort of Player 1 in half already.

Player 1 controls one character and mines for 3 hours generating X materials and shards.

Player 2 controls two characters and mines for 3 hours generating X+Y materials and shards.

Player 2 has devalued the materials acquired by creating more identical supply then Player 1.

Player 1 controls one character and grinds monsters generating X skill points in 2 hours.

Player 2 controls two characters and grinds monsters generating X+Y+Z+Y skill points in 2 hours.

X is the standard skill value gained by Player 1 and 2. Z is the standard skill value gained by Player 2 second character. Y is the skill value gained from bonuses of party, kill efficiency and additional kills possible with two characters.

Player 2 gains superior skill gains without additional effort to Player 1.

If you work as hard as two people, you deserve the rewards of two people for sure. This is not the current situation. People are working as hard as one person and reaping the rewards of eight people is not balanced. People are controlling eight characters to have an advantage over players who don't control eight characters.

Player 2 will generate twice the general supply and benefits of Player 1 without generating the demand and needs of being two real people. Your two characters create a smaller scale effect that is similar to the effects of mass account uses of RMT and bots. The only difference is the demand of RMT is real money in exchange for their supply and similar amounts of work, while you are accepting additional skill points and revenue for your excess supply. Just because you don't directly see yourself hurting someone doesn't mean your actions have no consequences.

Any event or limitation of time through the game is being bypassed by additional character management. Low on anima? Your second is there to teleport you. No more leves to do? Your second has 8 more for you to skill up on. Need more crystals? Your second is doubling your crystal gain through a broken system of loot distribution. Hit gathering fatigue for the day? Your second is fresh and ready to go. Sorry that second character isn't doing anything but existing behind you and has every point of skill and items you earned without doing anything. This isn't right at all.

You say you don't see huge groups around you with 7 leeches following, well that is because they are standing behind you it seems. I see them and know I can't do anything about it just like I can't stop craft bots and fish bots. But I'm free to judge and express my opinions about it just like any one else in the world. You are doing the same and is no different.

What exactly is it about your wife being 35 and not 50 that is hurting you guys. Are you embarrassed she is not 50 like you? Did she withhold sex from you for not ranking her character? Last I checked there was no law that required someone to reach rank 50 in a certain time limit. If she plays she will get there eventually. If you want to play together you still can. You playing her character to rank 50 is not playing together, it's you playing with yourself.

Your example of the friend helping someone gain a NM drop is incredibly poor. The drop was a single generation that could go to either your friend or yourself. You choosing to give to your friend or even hunt for your friend was entirely up to you. It did not generate extra versions of the drop in a single instance for being there and the existence of it has no other effect on other players. More will be generated over time and go to others normally. Did the friend deserve the drop? The actual answer is no! Technically he did not earn it at all did he. My statement is not false in any literal sense.

If you let someone leech you that is your fault for doing so. But the issue here isn't so simple as a random leech in a pick up group. If I see the efforts of myself in the game being reduced by others through excess means, I'm allowed to call them out on it.