Hopefully, mentoring and whatever Progeny turns out to be will solve my alt problem. But no matter what, I will need and alt Necro or Enchanter to balance out my Dire Lord.
I usually create Alts:
To play with family
Solve a raid shortage
When I see another class totally outperforming my role
To hide from others
In EQ I had a handful of alts that I started early on because each class felt so unique. I mostly just got them to the teens before buckling down on my main. Ever since then I don't really make alts until I am max level and bored since it really feels like much more of a slog to me having to do the same quest hub and instance grinds every time.
i typically make a crafting alt, unless the game has no perimeters to labor/energy for crafting, then i will make my 1st main the do-all character. Also use alts for selling stuff in towns if there is an auction limit per character, and for afk sell shops. Also use alts for extra warehouse space in games where you are capped.
Also for lower level raids, events, helping friends or clan mates, and just to learn other classes for future pvp knowledge.
I usually only create a alternate after my main character hits level cap, then I will get that alt character to level cap before i make my next alt. In EverQuest, I was a racist (I only played barbarians), so I only would make a Shaman, Warrior and Berserker. Since Pantheon humans can be any class, I'll probally still stick to Shaman and Warrior, maybe a cleric as I just don't play DPS classes. The only reason for me to make any more alts would be to craft since we are not doing EQ level of mutiple crafting on 1 character. Hopefully not like Star Wars: The Old Republic level, as I had 22 alts maxed level and crafting.
To be honest, I would prefer to never alt. Alts to me typically start happening when you decide you love the game but feel like the game played on your current avatar is getting stale. So for me, if I never feel that - it will be awesome.
Having said that, another reason to alt is cropping up for me with Pantheon. I'm nearly positive that I will main a Shaman. However, I really, truly loved pulling in EQ... and so, to get that fix, I will likely also have a Monk. In my mind. those might actually end up being "main one" and "main two" as opposed to one of them being an alt. I certainly hope that the desire never hits to start a third... because that WOULD mean my first concern is becomong true - that those classes are starting to feel stale.
I create alts to be able to scatter them across the map and park them in strategic locations to log them in when my assistance was needed. For example, I had a Paladin friend who was trying to obtain an item from Lady Vox for a flaming sword quest. On our server there was a weekly Lady Vox raid that was always in need of Clerics partly because raids were always looking for Clerics and there was a level cap on participation as the devs did not want to trivialize the encounter. I had a level appropiate Cleric and agreed to help my Paladin friend by turning off my XP since I was close to the level cap and attend the raid with him. In the early days of EQ1, long distance travel was time consuming if you didn't have access to a Druid or Wizard. So, I could either spend my play time the day before moving my Cleric into position as the raid occured soon after I arrived home from work. People that don't showup ontime delay the raid and don't tend to get invited back. Or I could just leave the Cleric parked at the Lady Vox raid assembly area and log the Cleric in once a week to participate in killing the dragon. The story has a happy ending. I think that it took about 6 weeks until it became my friend's turn to loot the needed piece. He got his flaming sword and we moved on to the next adventure. But during the other 6 days of the week, I was able to continue to enjoy playing the game with other characters scattered thoughout the world.
So having alts allows me to mitigate, in my own way, some of the built-in time sinks that some games have.
I always have at least one alt, but probably more than one! Most of the alts tend to stay rather low level. I do it mostly because I'll want to switch things up and take things a little less seriously. I think one person in here says if they are making an alt it is a bad sign because it means they are getting bored. Maybe in their case that is what is going on, but not for me.
I tend to play support roles a lot, and enjoy them, but honestly, sometimes I just want to be that DPS where their primary focus is themselves and not keeping a group alive or a crowd controlled. So its not a matter of the game not keeping my attention but more of a scenario where I just want to do something different for a little while. Also, as you get higher level, people start to take the game a little more seriously. Not that I will let myself play with those people that freak out when things go wrong. However, I've noticed it in all games played, higher level deaths or wipes tend to be taken a more seriously, and people get frustrated faster. Whereas when you are low level I find that threshold for frustration tends to be higher and a death isn't taken as seriously. Its a more nonchalant response where its a lesson learned and we'll just party on, which can be a nice change of pace.
Kilsin said:At what point in your characters MMORPG life do you consider creating an alternate character (Alt), if at all? #PRF #communitymatters #altitis #alt-o-holic #MMORPG
The exact moment I am offered the "opportunity" to pay ten times the value of a crafting component I can't make myself because of artificial extortion inter-dependency. :)
Otherwise? I only need one character, and will typically only play one character, per game.
I usually make an alt when the progress on my main starts to feel slow.
After a few hours of fast progression, I realize I'm just delaying the inevitable and usually leave the alt for a while.
Other circumstance is grouping with someone I see play another class that makes me see the class in a new way, and I want to go see the awesome for myself.
When I'm trying out a new game I usually make multiple alts right away to try the classes that looked interesting on paper screen. When I'm returning to a familiar game to start over (picking up old character is kind of embarrassing for me because after a break I won't be playing on the same level that allowed me to level/gear it that far), it usually also leads to an alt right from the start for certain purpose this time: extra inventory space, crafter, second-window party or an important class for group play, etc.
And sometimes I make alts later to hide from all the people on the friend/guild list when I don't feel like talking to anyone. Which is why I hate games that force account-wide friend lists and don't give an option to go log in invisible. :) I mean, it's nice to have access to all the names that are too tricky to remember on alt characters, but it's not nice when you can't hide your online status from your boss. :D
Either for crafting or because I want a change of pace. I like playing as a summoner type character in Most MMOs, but every once in a while I get the urge to be a melee character. Sometimes I want to play a ranged DD character as well.
I don't usually take alts seriously so it will be extremely slow leveling but I play them when I want to take a break from the normal routine of things.
I'm a dedicated tank player, and depending on my given available time to play I do plan on raising up all 3 tank classes. If i'm successful at this, then I do plan on probably leveling either a Ogre Warrior, or Skar Direlord first, afterwards following up with either or and then a Dwarf Paladin. Only reason, because we know each tank class will moer then likely have their own situational bonus/weakness so I'd like to come prepared.
This may all change though once alpha/beta come out and I'm able to get the feel for how each class/race will play while testing server playability etc.
Normally I only play 1 main and that's it, this time will be different however. =)
Cheers,
Dexare
I usually try to have a few real life friends playing, I make a character(at the start) to work with all my friend groups and a main for myself. I love to learn and play every class in MMORPGs, but honestly speaking, only EQ and VG had me enjoying literally EVERY single class because they're all so unique and bring something different/useful/fun to the table along with a different playstyle, it is definitely NOT a coincidence, keep up the good work!
Hi, I played a cleric for 16 years in EQ so for me I had only my cleric and warrior but I played the cleric most of the time so I rather spend my time on only one character when I really love the game and it's fun to play. :) I spent my early days and most of my career devoting myself to becoming better and growing as a player. I absolutely loved my class and I think I am going to check out all the races and classes first then pick one but probably a healer/cleric here too. Battle clerics forever in EQ! I was among the first to rarely be kept sit down, nuke and try new things like soloing root/kitting sebilis, outside Karnor and such. I had a really great time working my way up as a single character. Usually I try to think outside of the box to find ways to succeed!
Please don't allow bots/alts played on second accounts it ruins the game in the end. I want to play with real people only and it's much more fun that way trying to make with what we have! :)
Mentira said:Personally, I make my alts right away at the start of the game. I usually will play them when I can't find a group on my main character in the zone they are in (I like to pick a zone and stay there for a bit). But I love alts, and sometimes not finding a group on my main leads to finding a great group experience on an alt :) !
^this, with the exception that I only make 1 alt at the start, the others come from interst in checking out a class from seeing others play them.