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Sarantali · **08-08-2013, 04:13 AM**

I've seen a lot of people say varying things on this. They have a main character, they have 5 main characters, etc.

For me, personally, I tend to fall under the category that your "main character" is a character that you will be logging in on, every day, and spending the majority of time as them barring some extenuating circumstance (levelling something for a change of pace, going on your whatever build for whatever reason, another character in a story) that changes that. If Jane is on, then chances are nine times out of ten Lana the Hyur is who she's playing.

I feel this way because there's a lot of other baggage main characters have. If I'm going to build any sort of meaningful relationship past generic friendship (best friends, rivals, lovers, enemies) then I tend to avoid people's "alternate" characters for that sort of thing. My main character is important to me and her story is important to me and getting that tied in with a character who someone could or couldn't play depending on their mood for the day is... well, it can be rough. I've definitely been in the place where I had to justify why my character's boyfriend who she'd rescued from dark forces just.. was, you know, not around for a couple of weeks and it did get a bit tiring especially when other people's stories (which were awesome!) started to affect my character and ostensibly she would go to her main peers to talk about this and cope but... none of them were on.

That said, I recognize some people can juggle more than I (with me? Two characters. That's the most I can maintain before going batty) and thus they can main more than that.

Since there are expectations that come with meeting other people's main characters both good and bad (the bad being people WAY too attached to their character, or people who love their single character so much they don't really want anything to happen to them because they've already plotted out how their growth is going to look and they're going to do X, Y and Z regardless of any interactions you put out there) I had questions that I thought might be interesting to get a read from for both new and old RPers:

1. What do you think is a main character?
2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?
5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?
8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?

Falkner · **08-08-2013, 04:50 AM**

Hi, Koren!

In my opinion for a non-RP gameplay, a main character is simply a character of which you (as the player) invest in the most, whether it is your playtime, plannings, dungeon loots, achievements, mastery and understanding of the character's skills, talent builds, etc.

And for alternate characters... Well I guess most of them starts as a mule or "I want to know more about [x] class" characters. Some will find that the alt's class is actually better fitting their player's playstyle and thus the alt gradually (or suddenly) becomes a main character.

Now for an RP gameplay, I think your main character is simply the character that represents you as how you've been known within your RP community, even if it's a character you're not really comfortable in RP'ing.
I mean, it is a character that makes people go, "Hey, it's Koren!" rather than, "Is that Koren's char?"

Ashren Dotharl · **08-08-2013, 05:15 AM**

(08-08-2013, 04:13 AM)Koren Wrote: 1. Â What do you think is a main character?
2. Â What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
3. Â Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
4. Â Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? Â They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Â Did it stall out your story? Â What did you do?
5. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
6. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
7. Â Which are you? Â A single or two main characters? Â 5 main characters? Â A bunch of alts?
8. Â How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Â Play on demand? Â Always on one, demand for the other? Â One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?

1.) A main character for me is a single character you play more than any, it's the character you level up, you get geared up, and you do most of the content on.
2.) Alts are any other character not my main.
3.) I don't personally feel that someone should be obligated or feel responsible for pairing up with me, if our characters form some kind of lasting bond I would expect that we're going to RP a lot more than just someone I know in passing, however I won't begrudge them if they have other priorities (both in game or out of game).
4.) I've actually found most people don't make lasting relationships on alts, mainly because they rarely ever stay logged in on them long enough to do so, so I can't say I've ever been in that kind of situation.
5.) There's a stereotype? I played WoW for almost a decade and I only ever played a single character, I never made an alt not even to try another class. I started during Vanilla WoW as an Orc Warlock, I ended in Cataclysm as an Orc Warlock. I prefer diverse character development you can't get if you split your time between too many characters, so I tend to prefer playing once character only.
6.) I guess see above, people with too many alts tend to have two dimension characters because they split their focus between too many concepts rather than sticking to one or two they like.
7.) Single, all the way. Especially in a game where I can play every class I want on a single character.
8.) I can't really answer this since I almost always just have one main, in WoW I had my Warlock, in TERA I had my Warrior, in SWTOR I had my Inquisitor, etc. It was never necessary for me to split my time.

ArmachiA · **08-08-2013, 06:25 AM**

I'm answering this Roleplay wise only, as my stance differs a bit when talking about endgame.

1. What do you think is a main character?
The character you spend the most time on. It is absolutely possible for people who have a lot of time on their hands (Me) to spend the same amount of time on 2 or more characters. As I don't work, you'll see me on Armi and Loki pretty equally, so I consider them both my mains.

2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
Any character you don't spend a lot of time on OR a character who's entire character is meant to be used sparingly as more of a plot device.

3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
Generally, if my alt gets into a relationship - romantic or otherwise - I will start playing them more to be fair to the other person. An example I'll use is Aion. My main was Armi and, using romance as my example, Armi was in two relationships over her life there - one with a character named Siben and one with one named Lloire. Siben and Armi eventually fizzled out and the two remained friends, but for awhile it was "awkward" for Armi to be around him, because she was starting to have feelings for Lloire. SO to settle that, I started RPing with him with my alt - Tris. Tris had a backstory, but she was played so off the cuff I didn't even settle on a last name for her (She was a noble, so she had one for those who played the game Tongue

). As it turned out, Siben and Tris had quite the spark! I started playing Tris more in RP to round that story out and it worked very well. Armi was still doing her thing, but Tris was now coming out more often. We quit the game, but we eventually decided that Tris and Siben got married and lived happily ever after.

I also have a few examples of a non-romantic variety. I think that if your alt gets involved in a story, you do have a certain obligation to see that through.

4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?
Yes! Lloire was actually an alt of a guy in our guild, his main being Arakiel. Arakiel and Armi didn't have any connection to each other at all, even though we were in the same guild, surprisingly. XD Arakiel did what I said above, he got on Lloire more to see how the story played out. Spoiler Alert: Armi and Lloire eventually parted ways (Armi can't be happy, it's like a rule I have) and he played him a bit less to refocus back on his main. It worked out fine, he just switched the two out in certain conditions.

I have been "paired" (Not romantically) with people who have quit and THAT was harder than dealing with someone's alt.

5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
That they can play the character super well because they are only concentrating on one.

6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
That they can't play any characters well enough or be on enough to do it, without knowing any other information. I have played 4 characters at once before and it worked out fine, no one even realized these characters were ALTs.

7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?
I have 2 mains, 2 part times (My males, as I like to play men as well as women), and the rest are alts.

8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?
Roleplaying wise, I play who I feel like playing if their isn't a story line going on. If we're just going to Tavern RP for the day, I'll pick who I feel like playing. Some days if we're going to a bar I'll want to play Loki, some days Armi, and some days Daej.
If there is a storyline going on I look at two things. Do my guildies need a character to help facilitate their story? Then I'll probably hop on an alt to help them. If I'm in the middle of a story where one of my characters need to be there, then I'll just hop on. You'll see me on my mains the most, but sometimes I need a break from playing Ms. UberSnark and her sidekick Positive-o Girl. Plus, like I said before, I really enjoy playing males as well as females and my male characters get a lot of play (Though they are not my mains... except in TERA... but that was accidental)

Pells · **08-08-2013, 06:29 AM**

(08-08-2013, 04:13 AM)Koren Wrote: 1. Â What do you think is a main character?
2. Â What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
3. Â Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
4. Â Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? Â They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Â Did it stall out your story? Â What did you do?
5. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
6. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
7. Â Which are you? Â A single or two main characters? Â 5 main characters? Â A bunch of alts?
8. Â How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Â Play on demand? Â Always on one, demand for the other? Â One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?

1. I believe a main character is one you play the most often.
2. This makes an alternate character any others that I might have.
3. I believe that it helps to do this. The important thing is to communicate with each other OOCly. Before, during, after. I personally wouldn't want to commit to anything long-term if the other partner isn't seeing it that way as well.
4. No. We discussed the relationship before hand: how much time would be committed to playing that relation, or what to do in case of long absences (they're not always planned--real life happens).
5. I hadn't really thought about it.
6. Same here.
7. I tend to stick to one main at a time. If I find myself becoming more and more active on an alt, I switch which one I name my main.
8. I play whichever appeals to me at the time. My main tends to be my roleplay character, which is almost always the reason why it's my main; they're the most fun.
I have made alts as secondary or throw-away characters. They get brought in as the story needs them.
I have made alts to try other classes (this won't be an issue here), and if I end up loving the class they get an eerily similar look and name to the main. Other's won't need to guess if it's me because I make them the same.
I also make alts that are my 'don't bother me' characters. I've yet to roleplay on them, and the few who I do trust enough to tell my identity to know not to bother me unless it's important. On any other alt, I make myself known, and will switch when asked and it suits me. It shouldn't hurt anyone to be told 'no, I have other plans'. Again, discussing how much time is expected of each other before-hand helps here.

Clover · **08-08-2013, 06:31 AM**

1. Â What do you think is a main character?
The character you want to play the most, the one you'll level first.

2. Â What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
If you are more dedicated to another character, the rest are alternate.

3. Â Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
I'm okay with anything so long as it works. I doubt any of my characters could develop any sort of interesting relationship with a random character who's never there, anyway. In fact, if I sense that the other person isn't really going to play much, I'll personally make sure that my character won't develop any sort of important bond.

4. Â Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? Â They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Â Did it stall out your story? Â What did you do?
It is only a problem if the other person suddenly stops playing, or plays their characters so scarcely that they no longer feel alive or even important. I don't like getting my characters into shallow relationships (of any kind), after all.
Yes, it happened to me once and I didn't enjoy it. What I did was to force a change in my character's feelings so that I could continue developing her story; the other person might have gotten bored of their character, but mine was important to me and was still there. I hope I never have to do this ever again.

5. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
o.o? Is there any stereotype I should think of?

6. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
I've learned to never develop anything that actually matters with people who get bored of their characters quickly and keep creating new ones. I don't get bored of my main characters, so I wouldn't like them to develop a bond with anyone who will stop existing shortly.

7. Â Which are you? Â A single or two main characters? Â 5 main characters? Â A bunch of alts?
I have a main and a half characters (?)
My Miqo'te is initially secondary, but in the end I'll depend on the people I play with. I'll take her seriously as well.

8. Â How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Â Play on demand? Â Always on one, demand for the other? Â One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?
No idea. I'll try to RP the character that finds RP scenes to do. So far, my secondary is making things easier for me to RP her in more scenes since she has a family, but I keep considering my hyur my main character.

sanguineFenrir · **08-08-2013, 07:18 AM**

I'm using my experiences in WoW as a reference point. I have played other MMOs, but did not even attempt roleplay in them and only played them briefly. Because this game's class system is so different from the usual, most of this won't apply, but it was fun to answer anyway. I did roleplay a bit in WoW, but had a markedly different policy (and some issues I won't have here) than I do here, which resulted in me having no lasting stories or effects. That's not to say that there was no care put into the scenes though--I wish some of them had stuck around.

1. I could say a main is the one you put the most work into, but as someone who could not raid and disliked the random instance/gear treadmill, I was absolutely crazy about leveling every single class, and I got most of them pretty high in level. All eleven classes--and I had ones I leveled first, but I generally played whatever I felt like, and didn't even give consideration to the main/alt label.

2. See above. At this point, playing all the classes was the entire game for me, as I don't work either and had plenty of time to kill. Gearwise most of my characters stopped at level-cap quest gear or dungeon gear, so I had no real way of measuring time spent--although by the time I quit, I did have one character I used "twice" and quite liked. (Note that I put a lot of effort into all characters' backstories and profiles even though I hardly ever got to RP. The first thing I did upon creating a character was to fill out their profile addon, in detail.)

3. I don't think so. People should do whatever best fits them and talk it out ahead of time. I actually think most of the roleplay I did was with people's alts, and as they had a lot of characters, this was fine with them. We'd typically ask each other OOC if the other person was bored and wanted to RP with X character. I do think that people should at least try to dedicate a reasonable amount of time regularly to whatever characters have active storylines though.

4. I've been paired off with alts, but as far as I can remember things never stopped out like that (unless I left a guild or switched servers, which I don't plan on doing here.

5. That they like one specific class or gameplay style, and might (but not always) be better at it.

6. I keep all my characters and do invest a lot of time in them, even though I had a great deal of them, but, based on myself, I'd say that people like me either don't care for endgame or just really like leveling.

7. On most traditional games, one of each if possible--to maximize the lifespan of the game. On ARR, I really only plan to have one--this game is a significant departure for me in numerous ways: gameplay, socially, characters, roleplaying style... I'd make another for different servers or such, but it would have to depend on how open I am to releveling. I can't really play something without leveling it and having a great deal of detail, but I've given some thought to this; one of the reasons Kevaraan was selected as my main is that he's probably the only character who is fluid enough to "be everything" That is only one reason, though.

8. I played whatever class or character I felt like on WoW, but I would also go out of my way to swap if I did run into someone who wanted RP, and another character would be better. This was especially true at the end of my time in WoW, because I was desperate to have something to do, and got very bored with the game itself. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have bothered with RP there, as it was more trouble than it was worth for me, but that's another topic.

In this game, I'm going to play whatever discipline I feel like, but I'm going to take it very slowly and prioritize RP, in a sense. I certainly plan to level and even do endgame things if I can, but I'm also going to actively seek out RP/story progression.

Magellan · **08-08-2013, 09:58 AM**

Cool thread, and great questions!

3. I think an OOC connection is important here. If OOCly the person is willing to switch their characters upon request, and make their characters available, I see no reason to require 'mains with mains'. I've had several rewarding tales with alts; both my alts and with others.

If I am crafting serious storylines, I would expect the other person to craft time with me to explore these stories. That's why I think OOC trust is the number one factor here, not seeking out people's mains only. Everyone has a limit to how many characters they can handle, and knowing your own limits is key.

4. Not on serious storylines, no. I have had a couple friends I stopped RPing with because EVERY time I RP'd with them, they had a different character. It made it impossible to develop any sort of foundation.

5. I can't picture a reason having one character would be frowned upon. I guess the only thing I can come up with is that person than limits themselves on their number of RP partners. Say I want to develop a storyline with Professor X, because I respect the hell out of X's OOC RP abilities, but Prof. X's character really has no opening to bring in another RP partner... I would be elated if they created an alt to give me the opportunity to RP with them as enemy/best friend/lover/other.

7. Three is my magic number I've learned, and I've been complimented on handling/juggling them quite well! I love all three of my characters, and would never deprive them of the time and growth they so deserve by creating a fourth. This falls under the 'everyone needs to know their own limits, if they want to create meaningful RP.'

8. Unless otherwise busy, I am always available to switch characters for some RP. Even if I am busy, I will try to set up some time when contacted. This is where that OOC trust comes in. As I've stated, I love all 3 of my characters, and have interest in telling any of their tales (if not all) any day of the week.

Great discussion!

Ildur · **08-08-2013, 10:31 AM**

1. What do you think is a main character?

If someone asked me who my main is, I'd point to the character I play the most.
In a more technical sense, a main character is defined by the ammount of effort placed in it. With that in mind, you can have a lot of main characters as long as you invest enough effort in all of them.

2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?

Any character you don't play as much as. However, an alt can become a main if the previous main falls into less use than the alt.

3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?

Pairing 'mains with mains' kills any sense of organic character growth, since you would be choosing social relationships for your character specifically for meta-game reasons. Nobody can stop you from doing so, of course, but your character might (or might not!) end up having a ton of relationships that feel artificial.
There's also the very real possibility that a player will get tired of their main for a long period of time and move to an alt. In that case, pairing his main with your main was the same as if you had paired it with an alt.
So at the end it kind of doesn't matter.

4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?

I don't think this has happened to me. I can understand how a plot critical character could stall a story by not being on but, really, if the player is just playing some other character it's just a matter of contacting them and letting them know that you need them to move the story forward. If they are not consistently available (for whatever reason), then plotting must be discussed to make them non-critical. That way, you can follow the story and they won't feel like they must participate when they don't feel like it.

5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?

That somehow having one single character inherently makes his story better, more complex or more interesting.

6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?

That their character's have an underdeveloped backstory.

7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?

In the past few games I have consistently stuck to one or two main characters along with a plethora of alts. Sometimes those alts don't get used ever.

8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?

I level up one character for gameplay purposes, who is always the class I like the most. I switch to alts on demand until I reach max level. Once I do, I ussually level up other two to fill the MMO-triad of tank-healer-dd, but I keep playing my previous main for running dungeons or when I feel like using him in RP. So I guess I'm basically a 'on demand' guy.

Gar · **08-08-2013, 11:25 AM**

1. What do you think is a main character?

I pretty much agree with what you said about them. A character that someone spends most of their time on. Save for severe altaholics, most people I've known have one character they spend a majority of their time on, and side projects here and there.

2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?

Its different for people, but generally I think alt characters are projects to work on when you need a little break from your main one.Â

3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?

I think its courteous to tell a player if your characters start to like each other that its only a part-time character. Especially if you are forming important relationships and stories between them. That way everyone knows what to expect and decide accordingly.

4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?

Countless times. It actually drove me crazy. I'll use City of Heroes as my example, because before it shut down that was where most of my RP happened. I led a supergroup that had a certain perk. If a member joined they would get their own room in our base that they got to design. I wanted it to feel like it was a home for all our heroes.

So people would join. We would RP a few times and make plans for fun things in the future. Then I'd build them a room then let them put whatever they wanted in it. And then I would never see them again. I ended up with a bunch of rooms for characters that were never around.

This has happened a lot for more romantic settings, as well. A lot of my characters I play are somewhat lonely and crave affection. So relationship RP actually helps build my characters personalities a lot.

So general scenario: My character meets a girl. They like each other. Few meetings/dates later they decide to be boyfriend/girlfriend. I add them to friend's list. Spend day after day seeing them online on different characters while I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs. Break up with them ICly when I actually get some of their time.

One got so bad I basically had to send them a message saying "We're breaking up" because they would turn down RP with me for two or three weeks.

Sorry for the rant, but this topic hit a spot for me. Now let me say people are free to play however they want. Its their fun. But I do think its polite to keep communication open OOC about things. I've had stories with people's alts no problem. But most of the time my character is just left gearing up for something (relationship, rival, heroic partners, etc) and doesn't see them again.

5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?Â

I don't know if this is the biggest, but mine would be that they have time to RP with you since they only have the one. This is not always true. There are some insanely popular RPers you gotta like... make appointments with.Â Tongue

6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?

I think the biggest one here is that they can be bad at sticking to on-going storylines or relationships.

7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?

I have the opposite of altitis. I can't make alts. I've tried. I just can't. I love focusing on one main storyline and developing it. If I do make alts they're usually my characters main nemesis or something like that to make cameos in events.

8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?

The rare times I've had alts was because of people wanting me to be in their groups. So I'd check in, see if anything was going on with the group. If not I'd go back to my main.

FreelanceWizard · **08-08-2013, 12:01 PM**

1. What do you think is a main character?

I'd say a main character is the character a person plays the most. If they play two characters equally, both are mains. If you have a lot of alts, your "main" can change quite a bit depending on your mood; I've seen players switch on a monthly basis based on what they felt like playing. Of course, one needs to be careful to not switch in the midst of a plotline.

2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?

For me, an alternate character ("alt") is any character that's not my main, as described above.

3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?

I think it's largely a good idea for mains to pair with mains, assuming the relationship is going to be important to either party. I've seen, for instance, players get one of their alts involved in a relationship with someone else's main. Lack of play on the alt results in IC consequences with the jilted main not being especially pleasant to the alt "because you're never around" -- and this can lead to some OOC unhappiness when one player says that they shouldn't get IC consequences for wanting to do something different OOC.

Now, if we're talking about someone that appears and disappears regularly for IC reasons (e.g., they're a traveling merchant, they live really far away, they're a recurring villain), then I think it's fine for that character to be an alt.

4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?

See above: I haven't, but I've seen that happen to people, and the result is often OOC unhappiness. People feel, somewhat rightfully so, that they shouldn't get IC consequences for OOC choices, in much the same way that failure to show up for an IC event due to RL shouldn't result in IC censure on the basis that "RL comes first."

Ultimately, in one particularly pernicious example where the alt stopped being played altogether and the main was largely unplayed, the player and the officers of the SG had to figure out how to write the alt out of the story with a combination of retcons and narrative effects.

5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?

I'd say it's the belief that they can play the character better and with more depth than those who have a lot of alts. Sometimes this is true, but not always.

6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?

It's just the opposite: that such players are capricious and can't portray a character with depth. Again, like many stereotypes, this one is sometimes true, but not always.

7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?

I usually aim for one or two main characters, usually closer to one. When I have lots of alts, they're usually NPCs for story purposes or builds I'm trying out OOCly.

8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?

I usually try to keep my mains in the same group, but with barriers to keep them from aiding each other significantly (e.g., they don't know each other, they don't like each other, they're unaware of each other's existence). Then, I basically play whichever one I want to play more unless one of them is needed for a plot.

Eva · **08-08-2013, 12:08 PM**

Most of this has been answered already but I'm glad to give my own impressions...

I'm skipping a couple of the questions since they've already been answered succinctly by others above.

3. Â Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
Our character chooses her own friendships based on meaningful interactions. Â More meaningful interactions means a greater affinity (whether positive or negative) from Eva. Â Those characters willing to spend more time with her will find that she opens up more to them. Â We don't really care if the other RPer has a dozen other characters they RP as long as they're willing to spend the time. Â I try not to make this distinction between 'main' and 'alt' any sort of dealbreaker. Â But I would imagine there is probably a natural correlation between how much time another RPer spends on a particular character, and how much time that particular character spends associating with our character. Â This sounds confusing, but basically if 'Main1' is logged in for 3 hours a day and spends an hour talking and interacting with Eva and others and 'Alt2' is logged in for 30 minutes and has a 10 minute conversation with Eva... than it follows that - over time - there will be a more meaningful relationship between Eva and Main1 than between Eva and Alt2 - assuming there is some consistency with this amount of time spent RPing/interacting together. Â Someone else could have a lot more free time to play more characters and spent hours on an alt, and still have as meaningful a relationship. Â Basically we don't really get 'jealous' (a term I'm using loosely here) if someone's alt interacts more with us than their main. Â Eva is friendly with a lot of people who are sort of considered kind of secondary characters.

4. Â Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? Â They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Â Did it stall out your story? Â What did you do?
We've been involved in a friendship where the character was regarded as a 'main' and then they started to play another character they liked better more so it sort of became an 'alt'. Â Since there was less time spent together, their friendship weakened a bit, which seems a natural thing to me. Â We've also had friends who left the game entirely without much notice only to come back several months later and wonder why there was hesitation - like life wasn't going to move on in their absense and such. Â That's perhaps one of the most frustrating things, I think.

5. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
I'm honestly not sure. Â I've never really heard any stereotype made, but I suppose perhaps some might say it shows a lack of creativity perhaps? To counter this, all I can really say is that Eva is a drastically different character from the one I played in FF11 - as I think most who knew both could attest to this fact.

6. Â What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
If we're talking about stereotypes I think one of the biggest here might stem from the unwillingness to commit to one character. Â That multiple characters may not exhibit as much depth and realism as could be demonstrated if they played only one character. Â I'm not sure that this is true exactly, but I believe for many of the 'alt-itis' RPers that they may be losing out a bit on more substantial experiences by doing this. Â I think there is also a misconception sometimes that metagaming happens too. Â While this is unfounded, I have known RPers to hop around from alt to alt depending on what was happening, for whatever that might mean.

7. Â Which are you? Â A single or two main characters? Â 5 main characters? Â A bunch of alts?
We are very much in the school of "one main character" - though we're considering in ARR trying to play a second character (we are a husband&wife sharing an account and one character right now - which has its own set of challenges but is getting off-topic a bit). Â If we do this, there would still probably be significant overlap between the two characters and I'm honestly not sure how this will pan out yet so it's probably too soon to say. Â But short answer here is "one main character" and we are both heavily invested in Eva's character/story/personality/etc.

Great questions and I hope my responses help a little! Â Big Grin

Xeon · **08-08-2013, 03:38 PM**

1. What do you think is a main character?
Your main character is the one you decide is. There is nothing that says you can't have a level one as your main character. However if you don't put time and effort into the specific char i don't think it really count whatever you call it.
So im guessing the simple awenser is either the one you have got the most progress with OR the one you have put most time in lately

2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
Less progress, less time spent. Its a fine line. But the one you spend more time on at the time is concidered the main.

3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
Sure it sucks if someones dissapears on you, but by no means do anyone have a responsibility. If someone infact does go inactive, id probably treat it as they went away on like a trip or just decided to be a douche and ignore me.

4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?
If something stalls my story ill move on without them. See above awnser

5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?Â
I can't speak for others, but im a lazy guy in the sense that id rather put all of my effort into one character.

6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
No clue, but most of the time i believe its people who get bored easily and need something todo all the time, meaning rather relevel and do low level content than the endgame things.

7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?
I got one main character, and i believe its not possibly to have 2 main characters because in one way or the other. One will be above the other.

8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?
I only have 1 character so i will play either when i feel to or, when i have promised someone to. Like in an event or a raid.

-Xeon

Fiona Swift · **08-08-2013, 10:21 PM**

1. What do you think is a main character?
Non-RP: The character which you spend the most time on, and often is the first to experience new content / grind on to get top tier stuff
RP: The Character which you dedicate the most time to playing and immersing yourself as, and often ends up being the one involved in most events

2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
Non-RP: You do not like the class that much... or they are something as simple as extra storage space (bank alt)
RP: They are playing a secondary role in your storyline, or serve as a break away from your main character (changing up your RP role)

3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
Non-RP: No
RP: Maybe... to a point but if you immerse yourself in RP and the world and someone is almost never around one might not consider them a friend anyhow (casual friend perhaps or acquaintance). However it is understandable that people can't always be around one another in a "video game" / "virtual" world and thus life moves on, but perhaps there should be a small attempt to stay in contact (even if simple letters via mail, or if you share a linkshell.. say hello!!)

4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?
Non-RP: N/A
RP: Never. Even if my main bumped into an Alt, if said Alt was RP'ing then so be it. You work with it, in my book. If said person decided to never be on that alt again or delete them, well try to figure out a way to make all that make sense or at worse restructure the story.

5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?
Non-RP: They enjoy mastering a single class/role to perfection
RP: Blush

I... only have one main character. NOoOO!!!!! I'm a stereotype!!! Okay seriously, I look at it as a form of dedication / immersion. You are living one life in the game and that life will change and grow with each passing day.

6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
Non-RP: They enjoy playing / testing out everything and feel as if they are a jack of all trades. (or just love to have a character available for a certain situation)
RP: Distracted.... unable to stay focused on a single task or story, or allow a single story to grow

7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?
SINGLE main.
no-alts (at least in Final Fantasy 14 since you can swap classes/jobs)

In other games I often play one main, with 2 or 3 alts for variety in both helping out with content , experiencing new angles of content, and character variety. (it can get boring playing as a single class for months on end)

8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?
in other games I would just see what's going on. Depending on the day and what was going on in the RP community it might suit another character better; also if I wasn't feeling very RP-ish I would just play the class I wanted.

AkhutaiAngura · **08-08-2013, 11:27 PM**

1. What do you think is a main character?
As others have said.. To me, it's just what it sounds like. The character you're on mostly. The one you gear up, level to 50 first, get all your achievements on, RP most on.. The character you enjoy most.Â
2. What do you think makes a character an alternate character?
I'm pretty straightforward, pretty blunt. An alternate character is one that is not your main. you still level and gear them, but only in short stints (A few days of work to a week or two, whereas a main is months of work at a time).
3. Do people have a responsibility to make certain "mains pair with mains" if you sense an interesting relationship (friends/rivals/lovers/enemies/long-lost relatives) forming or is it okay that someone's just not going to be around at random or for long periods of time?
Depending on the part they want to play in your storyline. If I'm looking for someone to play my brother, I don't want someone to come along and offer an alt. I actually hate RPing with alts, because they're just.. Dead connections. I feel like we both, me and the other player, deserve more of a commitment to a good story than an alt gives.
4. Have you ever discovered that your main was paired off in one of those situations with someone's alt? They just didn't play them at all or played other characters? Did it stall out your story? What did you do?
I had a friend who had.. 8 or 9 characters in ToR, spread across two or three accounts. She had them all paired up with various characters for RP.. One with me, others with other characters of our little friends group.. And while I never felt cheated, I know the others did because she was spending most of her time on her main - The one she'd paired with me. This is also why I won't make and RP on alts. I feel like my main will suffer, if I try to dedicate any amount of RP time to an alt. Therefor, if I make a new character, it becomes my main and my own main gets pushed to the back burner. I don't do this if the old main is in any important storylines, without clearing it and arranging something first. When it's happened to me, it's easy enough to come up with an IC reason why you broke up with the absent alt, or.. Whatever.
5. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who only have one main character?Â

xD Me. I'm that guy with one character to speak of. In WoW, I had.. Three. My very first character ever, that was stuck at level 85.. My next character, that had made 85 and was semi geared for the level but never touched once my third character was made, my main. He was th ebest geared, and the only one I had any interest on doing things with.. For all intents and purposes, the other two characters didn't exist.
6. What's the biggest stereotype you think of when you think of people who suffer alt-itis and swap characters often?
Maybe I'm not sure what you mean by stereotype. I dunno. But when I see people with a dozen alts, I just think.. Inability to commit, or to decide on what they want. The only reason to have so many characters, is because you can't do what you want with one of them.Â
7. Which are you? A single or two main characters? 5 main characters? A bunch of alts?
A single main, as I've touched on throughout. My main may change, but it'll always be one character. I'll even log into my main and idle, when I could be playing an alt, just because I don't want to miss something that might come up for said main.
8. How did you usually break up your time between your main characters? Play on demand? Always on one, demand for the other? One with one group and when they all sign off switch to the other?Â When I had multiple characters, the other two would be logged on per demand, never for more than ten minutes. Usually to craft something. Since XIV has all the classes in one.. I'll have one character, for the foreseeable future.

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