Playing Alts in Iron Realms MMORPGs

The first time I even LEARNED about multiplaying was while I -was- multiplaying. Thank the Gods whoever was on duty had that idea (that I did not even know the rules) and forced both characters to HELP MULTI. All I could think was, 'Hey! Why in the world did I just start reading help files? I didn't even want to!' Then I started reading and freaked out.

Also: Technically not a good idea to run two copies of Nexus at the same time on the same machine. Tried once and the older character lost EVERYTHING. Pack, junk, skills.... Maybe it's just coincidence, but soon after I issued about the problem, BANG - Time Warp of 15 minutes.

P.P.S. - Yes this was BEFORE that aforementioned little GOD FORCE SAMA HELP MULTI command.

...between alts is so very seductive and tempting.

I have a hard-enough time with just one character to keep track of and get strong, honestly. Doesn't stop me from trying, though!  Usually the character gets purged after a few weeks or less...

If I had an infinite amount of time, I'd probably be able to keep an alt or two. As it is, I'm too concerned with whatever happens on my main to keep up with another character. That said, this is all in a HELP file. Why is it an article?

i've tried alting in other games.  never seem to engage as much as with the one i think of as my main.  sometimes its hard to find a main.  i don't mind if other people alt, as long as it isn't in my face.

I really could never alt. I'd just end up missing the stuff I worked hard to earn on my main such as my artifacts, level, skills and friendships. When you alt, you're basically starting over, and I guess therein lies the appeal for some people, but for me it's a turn-off. In regards to other people alting, I usually don't care so long as they show the ability to keep their characters separate and don't multiplay. The unfortunate fact is, people usually have no idea how to do that, which puts a bad taste in my mouth about alts most of the time. If you can do it well, fine. But my experience has shown that very few can.

My every attempt to alt has ended up with abandonment after I've scratched the itch to try out a new personality/guild. Things are generally just so much more exciting on my main.

I don't have time to have alts. I have two of them, and playall my characters equally, but I really don't have time.

Jarrus is my one and only character. I can barely afford the upkeep on Jarrus as it is. I would really hate to have to scrounge around for more change for another character. I'm a high maintenance type of guy. I have to have elite membership. I have to have an SoA, ranger's bow, and not to mention a ship with a house on it. And all the skills Jarrus is transed in..... Nope. There is just no way I can manage an alt.

No time to do them justice.

Alts can be a good way to explore a class.

The only time I stuck with an alt was when I got genuinely tired of my main and wanted to start over, and I haven't played the old one since. Otherwise, I'd play an alt for a few hours and abandon it.

It's a pity though, there are so many interesting corners of Achaean society Awan will never get to explore!

It the time thng that's the problem. I can't activly maintain two characters, one will just become semi-dormant.

hrm...how would I know if I'm an alt? I just thought I was me

I always cry a bit inside when I think about how far I could be without alts

Back in my earlier days I had what I refer to as "Altitis". I made one of everything just to try it. I've now settled into one though, and I like it that way. I still have a couple of my older characters, but it's really worth it to focus on one rather than split what little time I have into multiple.

I am very much an altoholic. I love creating alts, all over the damn place. I've had an alt in every Lusternian city/commune now, and a good number of guilds. And most never make it to GR2. At best, I can play for about a month, then I get tired of them. Every once in a while I have to check my characters list to see who I've forgotten about that hasn't been purged so I can go suicide them.

When it comes down to it, I only have two actual characters. Stratas used to be an alt, until I decided my RP for him was going to be 'awesome on a stick'. So I've left my former main languishing around the pool of stars, popping on to spin the Wheel and get elite lessons.

Control alts: delete.

i actually have several alts and i play a different one every time i either get bored with my main or get tired of seeing sooooo much stuff going across my screen.  ive tried other ire games and i dont seem to like them as much as i like achaea mostly because i have to join a guild to get the skills. i like being able to be rogue and still have my skills, i dont have to worry about getting my alts in trouble with the divine that way ;) if i dont know anything because im rogue i cant "tell" myself.

I wouldn't find the time for one.

I can play two at once, can't find enough time for more then that.

I'll never understand how people can keep up with multiple alts, particularly when more than one of them holds a position of power. It seems so impossible time-wise. 

I make alts to try out other classes.

I spent so much time and money on one I can't really see alts.  I've tried but, they never hold my attention like faragan.  I don't really like alts.

R.I.P to approximately 10 alts that have all made it to like level 50 even to level 70 and got suicided hehe... I always think I want and alt for this or for that but in the end, you can have so much more fun with your main going beyond the bashing and the exploration of new skills... I find alts waste time, plain and simply. I do however have one alt now, that I am not deleting...

Yes I am an alt...

No alts

:))

Alts are tearing apart Imperian. The metagaming that is going on is fucking sickning, and there isn't shit being done about it. Wanna play a different charcter? GO to another IRE game.

I've played alts on occasion because I love to read histories and perspectives from other points of view. The alts don't usually last long though.

Lost count of them think I have 10 or so charcters

The second on the list is the hardest, I think. It's probably impossible to keep all information separate. Even if we could remember what info each char should know (it's not always obvious!), consciously separating is tough.

Alts are a good way to try out new things, like classes, without changing your "main." Sometimes your alt can turn into your main played char!

When you are fresh from the Flame and seem new, more people want to help you flourish, thus allowing you to learn new things than you would be able to having a single character. I can't begin to explain how much I've learned about Achaea simply by creating new characters.

However, it's always bothersome having to go through the novice steps again.

Having to re-take HR examinations is simply irritating. Having to wait out being able to learn your skills. Having to bash and quest ridiculous amounts just to get to the basic survival skills. Not to mention trying to Trans skills again.

It is seriously hard work, but if you play your character right, the new friends and new information is worth it.

However, it's incredibly time consuming. Most people have jobs and the like, making it hard to have time focus on more than one character.

I play alts because I want to do everything.

Too expensive to have two chars. But I do anyway. I don't ply my original one anymore though.

I find alts to be a fun way to explore other organizational cultures and ideas and character concepts.

I'm really bad at remembering I have alts.... I typically just find a 'main' I like through making a few characters and then stick with it. :)

I usually alt but I can't see myself doing it here any time in the near future.

Good free games

:)

I tried making an alt once, lasted about a week. A lot of days when I log in I don't know whether my play time is going to last ten minutes or two hours, so splitting time is difficult. I kind of just gave up and went back to the character that interesting things happened to.

Being a different class was interesting, though, especially since I've never changed class.

so many alts

I think I'd play another one of the IRE games before making an alt.

hate alts..

I'm yet to figure out how people are capable of multiplaying characters. I barely have time just to manage ONE let alone somehow split my attention between two screens...what happens if that person sends a tell that was intended to be said by the other alt? Trouble ensues!

then I grew up and became a real character. But really, keeping two on the go at once is far too much time investment.

tried it once or twice but I'm not really interested in going through the process of building a character over and over

Alts are incredibly annoying

Not anymore.

I'd think it would be impossible for you to tell yourself to ignore something you know.  Too tempting on alts.

my alt has become like my second main... damn I never thought that would happen. But yeah it has!

Alts are a good way to decide where you want to be, and figure out how the general feel of different things may be. It might even convince you that there's much more to the game that one can get out somewhere else. But it lets you keep the old character even if this happens, so you don't feel like it's your only way in or out.

I've had a handful of alts now but I can't really play more than one char at one time, just because I can't handle newbie kicking rats for 20 hours when I could be doing something else on my main :/

Death to all alts!

I despise alts that waste my time.

I always end up making alts and then neglecting them after a couple of weeks. I'm a terrible person.

 .. to try all of them, but sadly there are only 24h a day.

I have a mild case of altitis.

Maintenance and upkeep for my main is already time-consuming as it is, an alt would just cut in half the time I have for my main and not get things done. So no.

same

On Imperian, I've been quite a few characters over the years. I was only Neithan for a long time on Aet, but I made an alt when I came back. I had two characters on Lusternia.

I just get excitable as to my options...

I get bored of one, I switch to the other to play them a while.  Won't say how many I got or who they are either.

I have an alt. Still stuck in newbiehood. heh. I like being on my main too much.

To be honest it sounds like a lot of hastle for nothing.

^ haha.

My main is already time-consuming enough as it is! And being as I'm rather new, there's always more to do!

Though I guess it'd be cool to get a feel for what the other orgs are like.

I have one active alt... the most I can handle

I used to make a lot of alts on another IRE game because I wanted to try out all the classes without wasting lessons jumping from guild to guild.

Now I've pretty much settled down and focused on one character for Lusternia rather than making alts, though I hope that one day in the future I'll be comfortable enough with the workings of Lusternia to see the game from a different perspective.

I like many others haven't the time and once I pick one i like i'kll stay with them for a long time - a bit of flitting while I decide but thats all.

Would love to try out all the other games - played Achaea and Midkemia - but not enough hours in the day to dop novice requirements!

Did both Krondor and Sar-Sargoth in MKO and have been made really welcome in both!  Problem there is a choice of so much to do rather than wondering what to do next

No alts for me, about everything on HELP SECONDS takes away why I'd use alts (multiple trade skills, multiplaying ect.) and it saves me from falling into the using knowledge you don't really help pitfall. Besides, I have plenty to do on just one character. Other IRE games, now that's a different thing.

Spying on news/logs or researching another class for some coding project.

I don't like alts at all. I'd rather put my time into one character.

I am fine with alts as long as you aren't trying to tell me how to do my job, sell me something half an hour out of the flame, sexalt, trollalt (I will kill you), oocalt (I mean seriously... getting a tell of "hey! I knew you in a previous life." right out of the flame. I probably don't remember you.), or info gathering alt (I hate you read HELP SECONDS)

Now if you are trying to be a serious alt, an RP alt, or just a casual alt. Humour us, your rp starts you at 18, you are a know nothing child, and we will assume you know nothing. Play it off like you are a fast learner. Don't immediately start talking about Bop, Bella, or any of the learned through experience/time until you have both. Asking why, and whats that, may make us believe your rp. Don't drop that act for a few ic years and at least level 60 please.

I have made characters for a laaaaaarge number of orgs in Lusternia, primarily because I'll like the RP of one, but not the people, and vice versa. I have finally found a place where I like the people and RP, and have only made a couple more characters since then.

And that's toooooo much for me

I'm not very good at keeping alts, I've made many to test out classes but I just get bored of them within a couple days or weeks and stop playing them.

I've had one alt and though sometimes I consider making another, I just know I won't put effort into it, so I don't bother.

too many, thay are a curse. I still stick with Stratas, but I haver other alts now who I love so muc I have to play them almost daily. Three characters to juggle? it's too much!

I don't like having alts, so I don't make them. Much better to focus on one character, instead of having a bunch of characters go no where.

I am an alt :D

Somewhat neglected though. I really need to get Logosian. =_=

As has been said many times already, not enough time and too much emotional effort to put towards alts for longer than a month or two. Also all you yahoos that insist on having an alt for every friggin class and then telling all your little friends who all your alts are or you troll organizations that kicked you out for being stupid... you need to get a life.

After working hard on a main I just hate starting -ALL- over again. But sometimes if i'm just messing around and bored I'll go out and mess around on an alt.

i enjoy alting from time to time, although my alts rarely go anywhere

not yet at least

way too hard to commit time to alts, I think.

Used to play some alts... but not anymore!

Alts are a no go for me. I dislike them as they are a sure way to introduce metagaming, whatever people say.

I am not famalier with the concept of metagaming but I believe alts are great for people who don't abuse the system  and have the time to play more than one character.

WE ARE ONE