I've always thought of the hunting/mining/crafting professions as slot machines and trading, beauty, coloring and other professions like it as sort of closer to poker... pve vs pvp so to speak.
As far as the tracking goes, they don't even track in logins after a certain amount of time, so it's very, very unlikely that they track personal lootpool, and the dev note more or less proves that.
If there is a 'personal loot pool' don't you think it'd have to track deposits and gains/losses back further than 2008? That support ticket was from last year or the year before... so they must wipe out the login tracking database every so often. Since they do that, there's no way in heck there is any way to track personal loot pool. Honestly, I think if such a system existed we'd have WAY more lag since there'd be a lot more numbers getting crunched in the background.
Okay, here is my "vision".
1. They must have logs for many ava actions. For judging several issues which can arise, and such stuff. Of course, those logs doesn't stored forever. Maybe they have detailed logs for last month, who knows.
2. For sure, they have "counters". Can be easily proved. When I did arrive at RT, I started to get shitloads of achievements - like dropped 1000 bombs, crafted 100000 shits, killed 10 avas in pvp, and etc. So, there is 100% some TABLE with counters. Killed mobs for irons, etc.
3. My vision of "personal loot pool": there is no need to keep "detailed" info for each ava, it's simply enough to keep some "delta" - and when that "delta" is negative - you getting rewarded (compensated), when "positive" - you starting lose. In the end that "delta" must be 0. And yes, shooting in the air doesn't change that delta at all. "Overkill" expenses - maybe too.
How I see EU survival existence: we all, actually, "employees" of MA. Let's see:
1. I need to cycle peds. What is that means? I do some activity, have loot/crafted product, and I selling this with MU for my profit. From my side - it's necessary for my survival in EU. From MA side - I indirectly cause INFLUX of real cash in game, since by selling just something over TT amount, I just did create PEDs. Someone depoed that in the end.
2. I even make advertisement inside EU by my globalling and hoffing. Can you imagine? I paying decay for... free advertisement for MA. (smile.jpg)
3. System "ENTROPIA" designed very well. Before my max payback (ATH or huge hit), I must cycle enormous amount of PEDs, until I will receive my "salary" from MA - resulting in return VERY close to 100%. There is 90% statistics so popular, just because... most people simple doesn't survive until that payback. And then cycle begins again.
4. There is "protection" against people, who trying to "force" something with big money. As I said already - you can't jump over your head, and flood market with redulite, kanerium and crap like that. Actually, with nothing. All resources in game are finite. So, this is impossible to survive with lvl9-lvl13 amps, now they made rebalance, which rendered lvl7-lvl8 unusable too. You will simple spend MORE than you will get, you simple pay more MU than you get. Okay, this is just details - but there is for sure many "caps" like that one.
So, actually, to get something - you need not only "cycle" PEDs as some people here always telling - that means, you must NOT TT it, and sell it as high as possible with MU.
We all "working" for MA. Someone hard, someone not. It's not gambling.
Sorry for this wall of text.
PS: and I just forgot most important:
MA isn't interested to RIPOFF someone, at all! They interested in many players who will play effective, as long as possible.