Hydaelyn Role-Players

I don't mind RPing with alts actually, like most characters if the character is interesting, I'll gladly go for it.

Mostly it's always about the form you put into it. I see a lot of connection requests on that forum that I could potentially have answered to, but didn't because it was a bit like "HERE ARE MY 5 CHARACTERS, MAKE YOUR CHOICE". It generally doesn't show the same kind of attachment you will see with a single character. It also means divided time for the player, and that you potentially will never see a character for months before it comes back again to life. Sometimes it's even a way for the player to gauge which character interests people and which one will work... Great when you pick up the wrong one.

So yeah I'm very wary of that, but I'm always totally open for alt characters (especially when the player has many) with people I trust. A lot of the connections requests are already most of the time puzzling to me because people will show up here, ask for connection, friend you ingame, and then... never contact you again. I actively have to seek them out most of the time for something to happen (with a few exceptions). It's already tiring because I die a little inside everytime I have to /tell strangers repeatedly for RP, so imagine now, add that with all the potential issues arising with alts...

One of the worst banes of RP is player fickleness. When players are fickle enough and go through alts and reprocess them regularly, it's just... urg.

I've had... three alts since ARR launched. Miah was technically an alt. I made her after I got to 30 and unlocked Monk on my first character (a decent achievement at the time). I believe I felt that being a caster wouldn't fit my first character and I wanted to try one out, so I made Miah as a Arcanist, found that I enjoyed the character that I made and I've been playing her since.

I don't see anything wrong with having a PvE main and a RP alt, if that's what makes sense for you, then go right ahead and do it. However, as others have said, there are going to be those that hesitate to RP with a character that they know is an alt because the player of the alt has already sort of declared their own investment in the character - as an alt its not first priority. RPing takes time and the players should get invested in the story and the relationships that are built, and many would rather not risk wasting time with a character they may not see around a month from now.

There have been times when I had to deal with RP alts, and... well, its not easy really. Miahs significant other started off as an alt, and while they were still feeling the waters and dating, there were times that the alt situation became an issue. If I was going to tie Miah down to someone, I would want them to be around - I had just come back from a situation in Wildstar where my characters SO wasn't around often (eventually vanishing on me), leaving my character sad and lonely for most of the RP events. It wasn't something that I wanted to repeat. Eventually things worked out in FF14 though. Miahs SO became a main and they had their ceremony months ago. Its been great. I'm extremely happy that I decided to not blow off someone just because they were an alt.

To mitigate what I said above a bit, I would definitely say that no matter what, alt or not, if the characters is really interesting I'll be drawn to it like a fly anyway.

(07-12-2016, 06:28 PM)Ritsu Knoltros Wrote: [ -> ]I have an alt problem.

I have 5, 3 at 60's, 2 are work in-progress ones. I get on my 3-5 ones from time to time and donk around. My 1-2 I put the most work into. Both have multiple 60's and very well "take care of". I regards to items/farming things and what not.

I at least like having the two. If I can't be on Ritsu due to IC reasons and I WANT to RP there is always Chi. Or if I want a change of pace, Ritsu and Chi are not even remotely a like. 

It is work XD But it isn't bad if you pace yoursef like do leveling roulette and then story for a hour or so a day.

This is very similar to my situation. When I started being active on the RPC, I had three 'mains'; now I have five as well. As far as gameplay goes, they are either through HW or staring down that long tunnel of 2.1-2.55. I love swapping between them because each is their own unique character and all are fun to play as.

(07-13-2016, 03:54 AM)Valence Wrote: [ -> ]I don't mind RPing with alts actually, like most characters if the character is interesting, I'll gladly go for it.

Mostly it's always about the form you put into it. I see a lot of connection requests on that forum that I could potentially have answered to, but didn't because it was a bit like "HERE ARE MY 5 CHARACTERS, MAKE YOUR CHOICE". It generally doesn't show the same kind of attachment you will see with a single character. It also means divided time for the player, and that you potentially will never see a character for months before it comes back again to life. Sometimes it's even a way for the player to gauge which character interests people and which one will work... Great when you pick up the wrong one.

So yeah I'm very wary of that, but I'm always totally open for alt characters (especially when the player has many) with people I trust. A lot of the connections requests are already most of the time puzzling to me because people will show up here, ask for connection, friend you ingame, and then... never contact you again. I actively have to seek them out most of the time for something to happen (with a few exceptions). It's already tiring because I die a little inside everytime I have to /tell strangers repeatedly for RP, so imagine now, add that with all the potential issues arising with alts...

One of the worst banes of RP is player fickleness. When players are fickle enough and go through alts and reprocess them regularly, it's just... urg.

(bolded for empahsis)

And I completely understand this. There was one time a new minor plot line was introduced to one of my characters and I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT IT. I say it's minor, but it wasn't so minor to the other player who has one character to keep track of. I'm still so embarrassed about this.

Nothing makes me happier in game than to debate who I want to take to an event, juggle multiple story lines, and make progress in gameplay. I probably should invest in a notebook at this point, rather than relying on memory for plots I have going on. Maybe it's a relic of when I was little and an only child, I'm too used to imagining my own friends to play with. lol.

Both of these being said, I can see how my playing so many alts cuts into the time and concentration I spend on my RP partners, especially those who play only as one character AND have limited time in game (unlike me who practically lives in game outside of work). I tend to have an easier time with other altoholics since we both can offer a spread of cards, so to speak, and pick and chose which story line catches our fancy right then.

To a certain extent, I am actually jealous of those that can just play as one character and derive plenty of enjoyment from that.

Wow, thanks for the responses, everyone!

Yeah, it's a tricky tightrope to balance upon--but I'm going to have Jensen be my super-powered engame PvE character, and Aera be the RP character--and maybe I'll slowly end up playing one or the other more often. It depends on what the circumstance is.

My headcanon is that Jensen is the Warrior of Light--and Aera is just a skillful wanderer, living in Eorzea. In doing that, it helps me separate the MSQ from RP'ing, which is apparently what many are expected to do in MMORPGs.

My ideal situation would have Jensen be for getting to the endgame, doing serious content--or just taking a day to dungeon, interact with a FC, and just "Play" the game. 

Aera is a more storytelling approach--with some of Jensen's focus, but moreso on building a character and growing immersed in the world and the other players/characters who inhabit it. Obviously I intend on dungeoning and running instances with both, but it's too early to tell who will become my primary character, and what will become of the other character.

Seems like having just *one* alt as opposed to several like a lot of folks on here will definitely be an easier balancing act, especially for an RP newcomer like myself.

At the end of the day--I still gotta work towards making Aera a DRK. 

(07-13-2016, 04:47 PM)Aera Espoir Wrote: [ -> ]Seems like having just *one* alt as opposed to several like a lot of folks on here will definitely be an easier balancing act, especially for an RP newcomer like myself.

Oh, definitely. If you're going to RP multiple characters, I highly recommend trying to schedule the RPs more if there's a lot of interest. I have a total of three RP characters, and there have been moments where it seems everyone wants to play with two or all three of them simultaneously. So, to alleviate that, I had a while where it was "this day is primarily for RP on Gogon" and so on - dedicated RP days for specific characters set as a baseline, and then adjusted based on who wanted to RP with whom and at what day/time.

(07-13-2016, 05:03 PM)Gegenji Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-13-2016, 04:47 PM)Aera Espoir Wrote: [ -> ]Seems like having just *one* alt as opposed to several like a lot of folks on here will definitely be an easier balancing act, especially for an RP newcomer like myself.

Oh, definitely. If you're going to RP multiple characters, I highly recommend trying to schedule the RPs more if there's a lot of interest. I have a total of three RP characters, and there have been moments where it seems everyone wants to play with two or all three of them simultaneously. So, to alleviate that, I had a while where it was "this day is primarily for RP on Gogon" and so on - dedicated RP days for specific characters set as a baseline, and then adjusted based on who wanted to RP with whom and at what day/time.

I think what really helps for me is that with my 2 characters, Jensen is strictly PvE/Story/etc and Aera is specifically made for RP. 

Having that divide really helps with choosing what you want to focus on when you sit down at the login screen, about to play FFXIV, yeah?

Remember not to overwhelm yourself and you'll be fine

The fewer alts one has, the easier it is to manage, as many have already stated. I have 6 characters on Balmung atm and while they are all open for RP, I've found that more time has been spent on them just moving through content than meeting people. 3 are at lvl 60, with a 4th not too far behind now. As one might gather, I'm perfectly fine with alts, and I was one of those searching for contacts with the "here are my 5 characters, now choose" threads. Lol Aside a few personal reasons for promoting so many characters at one time, I had a lot of ideas and inspirations that took form over time, and I love having the option of who and what to play on any given day. Different personalities, different hopes and dreams, different potential. As Devil's Advocate to that though, be prepared for strangers who are incapable of understanding those visions and won't take you seriously as you may be a bad investment for their time.

Don't stretch yourself too thin, but do what allows you to have fun in this game and enjoy the time you spend in it. While there may be a struggle to find people to experience multiple characters with, you'll find those eventually who want to participate with what you have to offer. Just don't get discouraged, and don't stop loving your alts when it seems like no one wants them. <3