Guilty of being not only an Altoholic, but a person with OCD & Altruism tendencies. What this means for the general person? Basically, I not only make one of every single class available in a game, i.e. RFO (Rising Force Online had 3 races, like 6 classes a race = 3 accounts needed) but I am obssessed with questing. I do EVERY quest there is to take from level 1 to whatever. In Rohan: Blood Feud, you could actually go to other Races area base thing and do their lowbie quests too, curses how that got me.

I even go further than that tho, if someone needs my help, regardless if it is a friend or a guild member or some random stranger that is questing in my general area... I will STOP all that I am doing and help them with their quest, or all of their quests. I still get EXP of course (in most games) but it equates me to grinding with minions than real questing on my own. I just can't stand to not finish something I start. I feel obligated to help everyone and anyone out, when asked of me.

I've become known across too many games to name, for the guy that just can't get enough with helping others. I also have another reputation as when I leave a game forever... I always donate all my gear/money to various passerbys. I try to aim for lowbies tho, those that truly need the starting funds. Allot of my friends have claimed I kidnapped them by doing this small deed. I do admit I have a few close friends that have came out of my intense generosity. Generally when I am asked what role I'll fill in a Guild/Clan once I join or am looking to join one... I always claim the Jester or the Mascot position. I am a situational comic, so when something happens and I can say something that will make it into a joke... Well lets just say almost EVERYTHING can be made funny. I get people to swarm around me quite quickly. So I understand the need for a Alt that is as she puts it a "Hermit Alt".

I personally call them "Ninja Alts" those that no one but a select few know the name of or get to see. Such as co-leaders of a guild and the overall guild leader. Just in case I am needed you know. I also use these "Ninja's" to spy on the guild and take notes, letting others know if the leadership is all that it is cracked up to be when the "Main" leaders are offline. I am not the first and will not most certainly be the last to do this, but I probably am the first to ever tell the general public that this is done. It isn't paranoia when they really are watching you and are out to get you. :)

In conclusion, being an Altoholic has nothing to do with being a "No-Lifer" it has everything to do with being intensely fond of a game so much so that you need to experience every single aspect of the game to maximize your enjoyment and to "Get your monies worth" as they say. Seize you all on the battlefield!

END

FOX

My name is Hopscotch and I am an altoholic. I have had multiple accounts across multiple games just so I could indulge my altoholism. 

Lately I've cut back (recession!) and have instead bought extra character slots for the game I play most.

Some people game-hop, I character hop. I like to re-run enjoyable storylines with an at-level character every now and then. I like being able to choose the level of "danger" according to my mood, and I like trying out different skillsets and playstyles.

For me, it's nothing to do with boredom, if I'm bored of a game, I'll leave it. It very possibly has to do with enjoying particular facets of a game too much - which is not the same thing at all.

I also have privacy alts, ones I break out when I'm not feeling sociable and cba getting on Vent. I also use those as "video alts" for Fraps-ing content (or scenery!) without disruption.

I do have a "main" character though, the one I play most, the one that is at cap, and it's the one I'm (probably due to time spent) most attached to. I care about all the tohers too, just not as much.

I always feel guilty when I alt because I have a couple of friends I play MMORPGs with who don't and they make me feel bad about not levelling my main and they keep asking me which is my main and for their sake I say one is although in my head that is not it. I mean I enjoy alting but when you are forced to stop and not do it it kills the game for me and I end up leaving.

Originally posted by Unlight

Good article.

I'm a hopeless altaholic.  Character slots are meant to be populated and it takes me little time to ensure that this happens.  I even get a kick out of just reviewing my creations.  Seeing them all waiting there, eager for me to take them out for a spin.  Sometimes it's tough to decide exactly what kind of game experience I'm looking for that day, and I 'hmm' and 'haa' for a while before I can make a decision.  So many choices.  So many flavors. 

One thing that will always turn me off a game, no matter how good the other elements are, is the level of character customization available.  If I don't feel I'll be able to find enough diversity in my stable/family of creations, I won't play.  Of course, games that use a system of allowing players to morph just one single character into whatever type of character they need at a given time, is anathema to me.  A game like this is not even worthy of my consideration because they just don't get it.  Every character is a unique creation derived from my imagination, and my imagination boundless.  Having just one character and slapping a new set of skills on them like you would change their hat, just misses the whole point.

Oh -- City of Villains?  Crack for altaholics.  I'd be embarrassed to admit how much time I spent in the character creator of that seductive little gem.

 

 I couldn't agree more. I did not pick up FFXIV at launch because of the one character limit. And telling me that 1 character is all you need because they can do everything did not cut it. I want to try all the  races, classes and playstyles  a game offers. I especially agree that each toon is a unique personality and maybe I don't WANT my warrior to be able to cast magic and cook. Of course, in hindsight, I have to thank Squenix for saving me from wasting my money on the trainwreck that was FFXIV, but that is beside the point.

I have never been able to maintain an alt. My first character, even in games I have Beta-ed, has always been all that I have time for in whatever game i am playing.

I only hope that I can keep my RIFT Beta babe when the game launches.

Are you reaching endgame (something I have never done) and starting a new character?

Are you levelling several characters at once?

also, Kudos to Berzerkerfox. not quoting, just scroll up.

I generally have about 5 accounts in each game I play. 

I like to multi-box... but also like making alts.

Some games drive you to alts, though.  They have 'flavor of the month' cycles where if you really want to be successful (highest level of success), you need to play 'class x' with 'build x/specx'.  So, I have alts. 

And, yeah, I also like having a few 'secret' alts that I can play when I simply don't want to be bothered.

Originally posted by Aladyleyna
Oh gosh, this is so me in a nutshell! I have to admit, I was cracking up at the Guild Wars screenshot because that's pretty much what mine looks like as well! Only problem is, I keep deleting characters to make places for new ones, so even though I have played Guild Wars for 2 years, I have yet to finish a single campaign. But I have reached max level on half my characters though, but that isn't exactly such a big achievement. And even in Eve Online, a game where you can do everything in 1 character, I still have an obsession with alts, and I still have to make 1 alt for each race, even though the beginning part is pretty much the same for each race... Just different NPCs. As for why I'm an altoholic, it's mainly because I want to experience everything a game has to offer, especially in games with a huge amount of professions and races. It's not because I'm bored with the game...far from it in fact. I'm just more interested in the different experiences rather than the race to get to the finishing line. Though this has gotten me bored with the steering areas and plot lines though, but it has yet to make me want to leave.

 

I'm sorry, I hear this kind of statement quite often but I don't understand it because its full of contradictions. As I stated above, I am a monochar precisely because I want to experience all the content a game has to offer. Achievement-driven altoholics like BlackWatch, above, I can understand. I think they are sad and laughable, but at least I can understand their argument. If thats what they get out of gaming then so be it.

But if you are like me, just interested in experiencing the most, then I submit that you are going about it the wrong way. Very little content is ever gated behind class/race choices. Sure, there are the starter areas, and for that I can understand people creating alts just to play through the different starter areas. But particularly in the games which you cited, no content is gated behind classes or races. 

And yet you claim that you have never finished a campaign. So you definitely haven't experienced all the content using your method of playing despite that being your goal. And its not about getting to the finish line. I level one character in the time it takes people like BlackWatch to level three characters. But I take my time and explore everything, partake of all optional content and really get to experience as much as possible. Whereas, in reality, you probably end up doing a lot of the same content over and over with small chunks of new content appearing to break the doldrum.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding and you are actually just wanting to try out different play-styles (classes). In which case, I can understand that that is the only way for you to do that. I tend to enjoy only one or two play-styles, but I can understand how other people might enjoy more.

But I often do wonder if altoholics aren't really just in love with the act of "beginning". (Of course, excluding the achievement-driven altoholics like BlackWatch).

I liked the article, though dividing it into several sections and giving them headlines wouldn't have hurt either. I enjoy creating many characters as well, which makes it pretty annoying if games like Rift or AoC have only one or two starting zones, since I get then bored much faster, than with games like FE or WoW.

Originally posted by divmax

I'm sorry, I hear this kind of statement quite often but I don't understand it because its full of contradictions. As I stated above, I am a monochar precisely because I want to experience all the content a game has to offer. Achievement-driven altoholics like BlackWatch, above, I can understand. I think they are sad and laughable, but at least I can understand their argument. If thats what they get out of gaming then so be it.

 

But if you are like me, just interested in experiencing the most, then I submit that you are going about it the wrong way. Very little content is ever gated behind class/race choices. Sure, there are the starter areas, and for that I can understand people creating alts just to play through the different starter areas. But particularly in the games which you cited, no content is gated behind classes or races. 

 

And yet you claim that you have never finished a campaign. So you definitely haven't experienced all the content using your method of playing despite that being your goal. And its not about getting to the finish line. I level one character in the time it takes people like BlackWatch to level three characters. But I take my time and explore everything, partake of all optional content and really get to experience as much as possible. Whereas, in reality, you probably end up doing a lot of the same content over and over with small chunks of new content appearing to break the doldrum.

 

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding and you are actually just wanting to try out different play-styles (classes). In which case, I can understand that that is the only way for you to do that. I tend to enjoy only one or two play-styles, but I can understand how other people might enjoy more.

 

But I often do wonder if altoholics aren't really just in love with the act of "beginning". (Of course, excluding the achievement-driven altoholics like BlackWatch).

I find this post rather arrogant. People adopt different playstyles. Who is to say that one is better than the other or that one is more laughable or sadder than the other? As long as we're all having fun and it's not at the detriment of the fun of players around, then what does it matter how they play?

Though I'm not a real altoholic, I can understand their points of view about wanting to experience different character/class combos, all of the starter zones, and the like. To each their own is what I say.

Originally posted by MurlockDance

Originally posted by divmax

<snip> I think they are sad and laughable, but at least I can understand their argument. If thats what they get out of gaming then so be it.

 <snip>.

I find this post rather arrogant. People adopt different playstyles. Who is to say that one is better than the other or that one is more laughable or sadder than the other? As long as we're all having fun and it's not at the detriment of the fun of players around, then what does it matter how they play?

<snip>

I think you have failed at reading comprehension because I clearly stated (re-quoted below):

If thats what they get out of gaming then so be it.

Which is in agreement with what you are saying about "to each their own". I was merely expressing an opinion about that particular playstyle which last time I checked, I was entitled to. Before you get on your high horse, maybe you should try re-reading calmly and also scan your own post because by expressing your own judgmental opinion about my post, you have just joined the apparently "arrogant" club. Welcome!

More seriously, I was simply curious about Aladyleyna's statements because they used the exact same reason to explain why they are an altoholic which I use to explain why I'm not. Perhaps you don't find that curious, but I do.

You called them sad and laughable. If that is not arrogant I don't know what it is. Don't presume to know how people have fun in games because these are games to have fun in not a job to do. How anyone chooses to have fun whether it is redoing content over and over or progressing to the end game that is theirs to decide and not yours to deride and yes I will focus on how you labelled another because you cannot understand it.

Some of us like playing different races because they look different and start in a different place or have a different racial. I enjoy redoing a quest with a different class to see how I might approach it. I have 5 characters in Mass Effect 2 because I want to try every combination of companion and my class playing through it and you bet I am repeating content up the wazoo. Naturally it looks just repetitive but in effect I am getting dialogue from them or seeing how they interact. For a MMORPG you get to experience each class in a different group dynamic.

Originally posted by kitarad

You called them sad and laughable. If that is not arrogant I don't know what it is. Don't presume to know how people have fun in games because these are games to have fun in not a job to do. How anyone chooses to have fun whether it is redoing content over and over or progressing to the end game that is theirs to decide and not yours to deride and yes I will focus on how you labelled another because you cannot understand it.

 

Some of us like playing different races because they look different and start in a different place or have a different racial. I enjoy redoing a quest with a different class to see how I might approach it. I have 5 characters in Mass Effect 2 because I want to try every combination of companion and my class playing through it and you bet I am repeating content up the wazoo. Naturally it looks just repetitive but in effect I am getting dialogue from them or seeing how they interact. For a MMORPG you get to experience each class in a different group dynamic.

 

I completely agree with you. Which is why its obvious you didn't read the posts I was referring to nor my previous posts without injecting your own bias. As you say, these games are to have fun in and not to be a job to do. Hence, why I expressed my opinion about the player who was treating the game like a job and strategizing for "highest success". And you just expressed the same opinion I did, but because you didn't use the words "sad and laughable" you think you can preach at me. I'm sorry but you are a hypocrite like the last person who found my post arrogant.

I do think its sad when someone takes a game so seriously that they strategize to the point of creating multiple alts, levelling them all up to max level, just so that they can achieve "highest success" at end-game raids. Keyword: game. Thats my opinion and I'm entitled to it.

My opinion means nothing to that person. Its just my opinion. Its not going to make them stop playing the way they play, nor should it. And its not going to affect my life if they never read my posts in this thread. And doubly so, because my post wasn't even directed at BlackWatch, I was curious about a statement made by another poster, Aladyleyna. Which you would know if you bothered to read it past the first paragraph (and if you did, I have no idea how that wasn't clear.)

Judging from the reactions though, my opinion seems to mean a lot to you and MurlockDance. I'm sorry you feel that way. Theres certainly no reason to go on the defensive like I was attacking altoholics in general or even you personally.

As an achiever, i don't really understand altoholics. I mean, i will often roll an alt when i feel i'm "done enough" with a main, or i need a break when the "high level grind" with my main becomes too repetitive and i can't actually stand it for more than an hour.

I tend to stick with few (if any) alts though, not making more than i can level up with an acceptable pace (except for "name reserve" or "bank" characters)...

divmax,

You don't quite understand why one is altoholic and think the monochar playstyle is somehow "better" way, though? Am i worng? I think Aladyane (sp) plays many alts for the same reason as I, we just love class mechanics, different race & class combinations, professions, stat distributions and so on. For me there's nothing more fun than test different abilities in different situations and explore different player roles. Most MMORPG's are just so damn simple, that to get any challenge and diversity out of it I have to learn every class. In a strategy game I may stick to once nation/race/whatever for long time as there I have stuff to learn for years even with just one nation (referring to strategy games that have very different style of gameplay and aesthetics between nations). Also experiencing the beginning isn't probably major attraction for most altoholics. I dislike the beginnings as these so few abilities available to keep me interested and I've seen the areas already many times, for example. You may enjoy the raids, socializing, world exploring etc so much more, that one char is enough and making another wouldn't add anything to the gaming experience.

Similarly can be argued, that the monochar players are the ones, that take the game too seriously, as they get so attached to one character, which they want to collect items and achievements etc for. It's just a question of do you limit your completionism to one character or several characters (also assuming, that it's almost impossible to reach the same level of completioness with many characters, this is the case with most games, I believe - so monchar player focuses squeezing out everything achievable with that one character, while altoholic player does what is generally considered "completing the game" with all characters [in MMORPG's I would say that's max level, possible alternative advancement levels, unlock abilities, "best" one set of gear, "best" one  mount  and perhaps few other things). That doesn't directly have anything to do with altoholic playstyle or monochar playstyle.

E: Ah, you phrased it as "act of beginning". I understood that you meant "early game experience" or something like that. I'm feeling that with that you tried to find another reason to point out how irrational it is to make many characters, but I may be horribly worng. I think yes, making new char for altoholic is fresh experience as is going to new endgame dungeon with your single character. Although I don't exactly understand what you mean by act of beginning, possibly due to my limited linguistic capabilities.

To Divmax,

Please tell me how i should play MMO's as you are obviously an expert.  I am not going to quote your walls of text (Obviously you have a lot to teach we misguided players).  I especially enjoy the parts where you critique the way things are said rather than the thought behind it.  

I understand though, discussions of computer game playing styles and players motives for having alts are very important.  Thank you for all the clairification and insight into your superior play style.

Originally posted by Vaen

divmax,

 

You don't quite understand why one is altoholic and think the monochar playstyle is somehow "better" way, though? Am i worng? I think Aladyane (sp) plays many alts for the same reason as I, we just love class mechanics, different race & class combinations, professions, stat distributions and so on. For me there's nothing more fun than test different abilities in different situations and explore different player roles. Most MMORPG's are just so damn simple, that to get any challenge and diversity out of it I have to learn every class. In a strategy game I may stick to once nation/race/whatever for long time as there I have stuff to learn for years even with just one nation (referring to strategy games that have very different style of gameplay and aesthetics between nations). Also experiencing the beginning isn't probably major attraction for most altoholics. I dislike the beginnings as these so few abilities available to keep me interested and I've seen the areas already many times, for example. You may enjoy the raids, socializing, world exploring etc so much more, that one char is enough and making another wouldn't add anything to the gaming experience.

 

Similarly can be argued, that the monochar players are the ones, that take the game too seriously, as they get so attached to one character, which they want to collect items and achievements etc for. It's just a question of do you limit your completionism to one character or several characters (also assuming, that it's almost impossible to reach the same level of completioness with many characters, this is the case with most games, I believe - so monchar player focuses squeezing out everything achievable with that one character, while altoholic player does what is generally considered "completing the game" with all characters [in MMORPG's I would say that's max level, possible alternative advancement levels, unlock abilities, "best" one set of gear, "best" one  mount  and perhaps few other things). That doesn't directly have anything to do with altoholic playstyle or monochar playstyle.

 

E: Ah, you phrased it as "act of beginning". I understood that you meant "early game experience" or something like that. I'm feeling that with that you tried to find another reason to point out how irrational it is to make many characters, but I may be horribly worng. I think yes, making new char for altoholic is fresh experience as is going to new endgame dungeon with your single character. Although I don't exactly understand what you mean by act of beginning, possibly due to my limited linguistic capabilities.

 

Hi Vaen,

Thank you, finally, that someone could answer my questions, and would bother to without trying to flame me. 

However, you are wrong in assuming that I think altoholics are somehow inferior. At no point did I say this. 

Though I thank you for the explanation.

{Mod edit}

I'd like to comment only about the last part of the article: the part where you mention you want to stay alone.

I perfectly understand this and I think it's a need that occurs to very social/helpful players. I love to socialize and I love to help. but some times I just don't want to be forced in such activities and since I don't even want to explain (I'm not even sure it's possible) I just hide under an alt.

"I'm sorry, I hear this kind of statement quite often but I don't understand it because its full of contradictions. As I stated above, I am a monochar precisely because I want to experience all the content a game has to offer. Achievement-driven altoholics like BlackWatch, above, I can understand. I think they are sad and laughable, but at least I can understand their argument. If thats what they get out of gaming then so be it.

But if you are like me, just interested in experiencing the most, then I submit that you are going about it the wrong way. Very little content is ever gated behind class/race choices. Sure, there are the starter areas, and for that I can understand people creating alts just to play through the different starter areas. But particularly in the games which you cited, no content is gated behind classes or races. 

And yet you claim that you have never finished a campaign. So you definitely haven't experienced all the content using your method of playing despite that being your goal. And its not about getting to the finish line. I level one character in the time it takes people like BlackWatch to level three characters. But I take my time and explore everything, partake of all optional content and really get to experience as much as possible. Whereas, in reality, you probably end up doing a lot of the same content over and over with small chunks of new content appearing to break the doldrum.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding and you are actually just wanting to try out different play-styles (classes). In which case, I can understand that that is the only way for you to do that. I tend to enjoy only one or two play-styles, but I can understand how other people might enjoy more.

But I often do wonder if altoholics aren't really just in love with the act of "beginning". (Of course, excluding the achievement-driven altoholics like BlackWatch)."

The sentences I bolded are what to me come across as arrogant in light of the person they were originally aimed for and towards BlackWatch.

Though you seem to realize that there are many valid playstyles, the way in which you worded your entire post came across to me to mean that you somehow see these playstyles as inferior to your own and that is one of my pet peeves.

It is obvious as he cannot understand the playstyle  he decides to put it down and goes a step furthur and puts his playstyle as the superior one . When called out on that the old defense of how we all do not have a good enough command of the English Language to understand his post or complete reading it  is used. He can then  relinquish his responsibility for the perfectly obnoxious statement and accuse us of being sensitive and taking offense. I just wish people would simply own up to their stands and not try to weasel out of it .