Alts and multiple characters

Edric

Howdy. I was wondering what people's thoughts were on playing multiple characters here. I assume that given the nature of the credit system and how expensive it would be to maintain multiple "combat-ready" characters, everybody winds up having a single main character.

But do people typically keep alts in other circles? The inter-circle interactions are somewhat rigid and limited (you magick-loving heathens will be purged). You'd potentially miss out on a third of the interesting activity going on in the game. 

Sarrius

For a long time, @Lalitana and I had a character I'm every circle. We tended to cycle through them at intervals. We still technically do, though we have no Magick circle characters at this point. It is kosher and sometimes even encouraged to have multiple characters to keep your view of the game fresh and positive. Some people become heavily entrenched in one character monetarily and just wander from circle to circle. This is what has happened to me, @Khizan, etc.

Ahkan

I'm pretty sure the global problem with alts is that most people who have them cannot separate them. This leads to the deliberate 'accidental' sharing of information across circles in every possible form of communication. A close second are things like "Psst. This is Baleutia. You should help me." Don't do those two things and nobody really cares. I know many people who have alts that have alts. If done properly it's supposedly a lot of fun.

Jules

I think I'm missing something (I am actually quite new as I made Jules a very long time ago, and she sat dormant until very recently).  Wouldn't it be more expensive long term to keep moving a main from circle to circle than it would be to have a "main" in each of the circles you like?  It also leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth to jump from faction to faction, but honestly, if it's a monetary reality, that is was it is.  I have my first ever real alts here and Achaea (one in each game) and I can't imagine seriously playing more than one character at a time.  I think it's hardest to keep things straight if your chars are in the same city and/or house, though, from what I'm experiencing, although I don't think anyone (including me) cares that the other newb knows non-org specific stuff.  It's more about keeping conversations straight and not essentially playing the same char, which will of course be much easier once I move one of the newbs to a different circle.  

Khizan

Jules said:

Wouldn't it be more expensive long term to keep moving a main from circle to circle than it would be to have a "main" in each of the circles you like? 

Not when you factor in the cost of non-guild skills and artifacts.

Septus

The problem with alts is the skills most established players take for granted. Having to retrans survival, antidotes,etc on top of class skills is generally something that adds up to way more than just retransing the skills for a new class (of course this varies: someone with 6 professions invested in a circle might take a significantly larger hit).

The latter group of people also tend to have artefacts though, and generally most of those will translate across well to a new circle (bracelets, surcoat, etc). Those are things which will really hit you monitarily if you deck out a new alt with them, and most people get so accustomed to having those artefacts after a while that they struggle without.

I think a lot of people do probably alt though, there's a fairly standardised list of people who tend to cycle between circles when they get bored or for whatever other reasons, and its not really that large.

Edric

Kind of a related question (figured it doesn't need its own post, I spam these forums enough already). When you play multiple characters--are they related? Do they even know of each other? Do you ever play them simultaneously, for whatever reason?

Iniar

No. No. No.

Bathan

Nah, although I always thought it would be comical to have Keijima and Bathan go to war. Like, in the newsroom. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues they never actually meet up and fight.

Selthis

Bathan said:

Nah, although I always thought it would be comical to have Keijima and Bathan go to war. Like, in the newsroom. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues they never actually meet up and fight.

Sometimes work schedules just don't work out. But you could be the new Wren.  A better, stronger Wren.  A Double Wren.

Arisu

I've done this for the different circles. I (now) have a character in each circle. The hardest bit I think is...I'm so used to playing magick or anti-magick that I'm not even sure of how to play a demoner....My other issue is that I'm used to playing the sneak-thief types which while professions in all the circles have sneaky skills all circles tend to frown on sneak-thief type persons...emphasis on thief.

So it's been somewhat of a stretch outside my usual zone that I'm drawing a few blanks at the moment. It's been quite a while that I played so I can't remember the name of my in-game friend that I was talking to of playing a pair of siblings with. That was fun until I lost internet for a while. So now to scheme up a believable demoner who isn't all grrr, blood, death, demons, die die die...I'd rather not get stuck in the evil character stereotype.

Iniar

Being evil is the best fun Imperian has on offer. Where else can I can rip skulls, drag entrails and squash hearts on another living breathing person at another screen, and have it make a difference in future interactions? - every other game is so PC. The only rule here (for me) is if you dish it out, expect it to be handed back to you.

Arisu

@Iniar

I guess my main point in that ramble is that I'm currently trying to think of a fairly "normal" background for my demoner to give me some clue as how to play her without going overboard into the bloody entrails sob story of the dark and grisly in great proportions...since quite frankly while it is true that Stavenn is ambitious they can't be complete heathens...it's an Empire after all. So how to tie in the normal every day things with say, making necklaces out of said bloody entrails and eating (or squashing) the heart of another.

Iniar

You mean making entrail necklaces and heart-candy aren't everyday things??

Selthis

I mean, you can be "evil" and still want to  bring good things to the world.  It is just a twisted worldview.  A lot of dictators have started out with the intent to make their country better, to bring stability, prosperity etc to their people.  

There is way too much cackle funny voice  evil and not enough cold, calculating polite and subtle selfishness. Think less Chaotic evil and more like...Lawful/Neutral Evil or Lawful  Neutral.  Rigidity, or working within the system to get what you want.  Or just being a cold selfish bastard..

You don't have to be a **** or come from ~le tragic broken home~ of 10billion plot devices  to have a compelling  bad guy.  Sometimes a good bad guy just realizes that the ends justify the means and the people in charge  aren't willing to make the hard decisions and its up to you to show them what the right decisions can lead to.

Like, while I think Selthis is a by and large broken character who is trapped in everyone elses preceptions of him, he's also a pretty neutral figure who just believes that when the time comes, the ends probably justify the means and if need be he'll do some distasteful things to achieve what he views as the "end goal."

Edit: That post was rambly and horribly written. Sorry about that. Its 2am and I'm not gonna bother to fix it.  Beyond noting I'm aware of how terrible it is. The gist  of it is clear enough though I hope.

Iniar

Selthis said:

I mean, you can be "evil" and still want to  bring good things to the world.  It is just a twisted worldview.  A lot of dictators have started out with the intent to make their country better, to bring stability, prosperity etc to their people.  

There is way too much cackle funny voice  evil and not enough cold, calculating polite and subtle selfishness. Think less Chaotic evil and more like...Lawful/Neutral Evil or Lawful  Neutral.  Rigidity, or working within the system to get what you want.  Or just being a cold selfish bastard..

You don't have to be a **** or come from ~le tragic broken home~ of 10billion plot devices  to have a compelling  bad guy.  Sometimes a good bad guy just realizes that the ends justify the means and the people in charge  aren't willing to make the hard decisions and its up to you to show them what the right decisions can lead to.

Like, while I think Selthis is a by and large broken character who is trapped in everyone elses preceptions of him, he's also a pretty neutral figure who just believes that when the time comes, the ends probably justify the means and if need be he'll do some distasteful things to achieve what he views as the "end goal."

Edit: That post was rambly and horribly written. Sorry about that. Its 2am and I'm not gonna bother to fix it.  Beyond noting I'm aware of how terrible it is. The gist  of it is clear enough though I hope.

Septus

Difference between the joker and Iago, really. Very different brands of evil.

Edric

My favorite kind of evil is where you can't just sit back and go "Oh yeah, this is totally the bad guy," where motivations and moral ambiguity create a lot of gray area. Like the kind of "evil" in Stannis Baratheon or Tywin Lannister.

Mathiaus

Magnus from Chrono Trigger is my pick.

Arisu

@Edric

Sorry for somewhat derailing your thread there. I was going to ask why Stannis Baratheon and Tywin Lannister sounded familiar...and then I remembered where they are from. 

@Mathiaus

 I don't know the reference....but now my inquisitive self is going to have to look that up.

@Selthis

Thanks for that, it helped some.

Gabriel

Edric said:

My favorite kind of evil is where you can't just sit back and go "Oh yeah, this is totally the bad guy," where motivations and moral ambiguity create a lot of gray area. Like the kind of "evil" in Stannis Baratheon or Tywin Lannister.

I'd probably throw Little Finger under the "evil or no?" bus instead of Stannis. Stannis is just stubborn, cold and deluded.

Khizan

The big thing to remember with villains is this: Bad guys who believe that they're the bad guys are rare things; most bad guys think they're the good guys.

And Stannis is the true king of Westeros; he is the good guy.

Edric

He should add that to his resume. "good guy". It can go below "kinslayer, adulterer, (attempted) murderer of children, practitioner of black arts".

But I totally agree on bad guys thinking they're the good guys. They're usually more fun to interact with in game too.

Iniar

The big thing to remember with villains is this: Bad guys who believe that they're the bad guys are rare things; most bad guys think they're the good guys.

Consider:

1. Bad guy who thinks he's bad. -> Some bad dude

2. Bad guy who thinks he's good. -> Most bad dudes

3. Bad guy who thinks everyone is inherently evil and is simply engaging in self-denial -> Iniar

Bathan

Don't be a bad guy, be the hero!

Ahkan

The best way to spot a Bathan alt is his back story:

-Tragic childhood

-Hero

-Giant sword

Eldreth

- High Cleave-to-DSL ratio

Bathan

He'll also eventually go demonic but HATE EVERY SECOND OF IT.

Iniar

Bathan: Also, having an adult salary will allow me to roll another character a year or so down the road."

Bathan: And you'll never know it's me."

Selthis: Through the power of his massive claymore."

Bathan: I'm going to make it a girl just to shake it up."

Selthis: The Father of Swords Jr."

Bathan: And name is Saber."

Bathan: It*."

...

Ozreas

Won't make any real difference. Once a mongrel, always a mongrel. 

Bathan

Forever picturing Ozreas in golden armor now.