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I am noticing more and more "new" players on the server, both IG and on the forum, so it got my curiosity piqued. Do you have an alt account and why? And why do you think people make alt accounts?

Oh my dear gawd.....don't even get me started. This is the single biggest sore spot for me.

HAAATE the idea of alt accouts. I don't care /why/ people use them....just....ugh.....

*stops and runs way before [rant] *

I created one alternate account as a small social experiment to see if people acted differently towards me when they did not immediately think I was a DM. I wanted to know if the title was poisoning the experience.

My conclusion was that poisoning was not the right word. Affecting was more appropriate, and it was dependent upon the individual.

Yossarin wrote:

I created one alternate account as a small social experiment to see if people acted differently towards me when they did not immediately think I was a DM. I wanted to know if the title was poisoning the experience.

My conclusion was that poisoning was not the right word. Affecting was more appropriate, and it was dependent upon the individual.

This. At first it was like being able to play a new game where people had no reservations or did not carry themselves in such a way around my person. However, I fear I have already achieved the same level of infamy/fame on both accounts now...and it in turn generates a particular 'response' so that, I do receive a lateral response from fellow RPers no matter the sn. I suppose in retrospect, one gets a more positive and optimistic response than the other, but both are appreciated regardless. Oh well.

I find it a silliness. There have been cases and cases;
Perhaps some rather well known people want new beginnings to avoid becoming Amian Nic Cages, or perhaps it's a gag or a quirk that goes along with the characters. It is not strange for people to adopt different mentalities under a different name.

Don't look at me. I don't have alt accounts. . .
Or do I?

One account, one main character. I have an alternate character, but rarely play him.
I don't care if people know who I am, so one account is good enough for me. Maybe people with many characters have other reasons for multiple accounts, but I always hated having a stack of character sheets and having them go nowhere. I prefer a minimum number of characters, which allows for maximum quality and attention to detail. I have never had a character (video or tabletop) as long as I have Crow, and I found it to be a great experience.

I made a secret account for a Druidess because I wanted to be anonymous. I suspect that a lot of people create them for that purpose, but I am not really sure.

Where's the "I have no alternate accounts" option in the poll?

This is a witch hunt!

*Letum flees, as do about fifty thousand other accounts.*

slkNihilus wrote:

Where's the "I have no alternate accounts" option in the poll?

The first one. It says total accounts, not just alts

LetumLux wrote:

This is a witch hunt!

*Letum flees, as do about fifty thousand other accounts.*

I am genuinely curious about your mindset, to be honest. I don't "hate" alting, I can totally understand trying it out as an experiment, even. But serial alting is a habit that I just don't understand. And in cases where people are trying to *hit reset on their reputation... really? I get that some reputations are undeserved and you don't want to be shunned, but I feel it's ultimately better to push through it. It's a good way of figuring out who's the better company for you, too. Besides, in about 90% of cases you can tell if a new ID is genuinely new or not, and of those you can probably figure out the true identities of about half (with a bit of sleuthing). Roleplayers are artists after all, and artists always leave signatures.

*I'm not saying this applies to you Letum, those are just my feelings on that particular reason (of which I'm sure there are others).

Last edited by Tyrak on Thu, Nov 20 2014, 6:18 AM, edited 1 time in total.

Dead wrote:

I am noticing more and more "new" players on the server, both IG and on the forum, so it got my curiosity piqued. Do you have an alt account and why? And why do you think people make alt accounts?

This seems like a very, very thinly veiled way to ask, "what is your main account, obvious-alt-accounts?"

To answer the question, as one of the recent "new" players, I will say that my main account is... um. kinda this one.

I understand making alternate characters (most people do), but I didn't know that alt-accounts on NWN were even a thing, except in very specific circumstances or sometimes for DMs. In the latter case, I recall a server where every DM was anonymous and had an alternate account for the client, so that they weren't pestered excessively while on as a player.

But, beyond that, I don't see the point of an alt account. For NWN, it would make your character vault inaccessible, which is a huge pain. And if you liked a character you made on it then you'd be stuck with that account just to play him. So, unless you're a DM or in some other unusual situation, what's the point? '-'

EDIT: Unless you're doing a rep' reset, as the post above me mentioned. But that rarely works. I've found people to be completely see-through with it 80-90% of the time, as natural tendencies and slips of the tongue get through. I don't think it's worth the trouble.

Pre=Amia, on Arileth DMs had at one point been strongly recommended or required to have an account seperate from their player account expressly for the purpose of DMing so that people couldn't try to curry favour with the DMs.

Not a bad idea in theory, practice however is a whole other kettle of fish.

I maintain my forum account as the alt name (Grymia) when my in game login name is Rogaku , but I make this plain any time people are curious or when someone needs to forum PM me.

I used to have a second account but I never used it for any length of time.

Oh yeah I forgot to add - DMs, obviously, I can understand, because they are entitled to a bit of peace for playtime and not being hassled (and to a lesser extent, players with important PCs), and other reasons. And in this case serial alting would be needed if a given identity was compromised.

I have my main account which I use to DM and played the majority of my characters on, and an alternate account which I frequently use for player-side things. It was originally intended to be secret, but it's possibly my worst kept secret and I never bothered really trying to hide it. It was nice to return to anonymity for a bit while using that account, but now I just use it because I prefer the account name and I have my currently played characters on it.

serbiris wrote:

Oh yeah I forgot to add - DMs, obviously, I can understand, because they are entitled to a bit of peace for playtime and not being hassled (and to a lesser extent, players with important PCs), and other reasons. And in this case serial alting would be needed if a given identity was compromised.

100% this. Now, some DMs don't mind being known when they're on a player, and, in that case, all the power to 'em. But it should be an option, I think. Especially on a server this big, I feel that random harassment for requests or advice and the like would be a major hindrance to just being able to enjoy the server as a player on occasion.

For me, that very reason is just another way to discourage me from using an alt acct. That's why I agreed to the job, to help the player base and the server. I can't do that as well if people don't know where to find me. I really don't mind being poked player side, and i also don't mind politely telling people that, if I'm tied up in RP or otherwise engaged, that I'm unable to help...otherwise...I head to he client.

That's what I'm here for!

I am, and always have been, vkb48901. Even though I can understand why people make alt accounts, it's still not something I'd ever do, unless I had no choice for whatever reason.

serbiris wrote:

I am genuinely curious about your mindset, to be honest.

I blabbed a little about it here.

I don't feel any different about it since becoming a Designer and then a DM. Aside of the odd social/style experiment, it was never really about hiding my identity as a player. Maybe because I got enough spam from my faction-mates, getting tells asking for help about this or that throughout my time with the community... it's never really bothered me. I actually got more tells as a player asking for help or answers, than I have as a DM.

If you guys want to know my other logins, they're actually posted on the forums.

But tl:dr - I do it for entertainment value mostly.

I made a few alt accounts, as a lot of people hated my guts on principal, either from word of mouth or personal encounters. This is one of them.

I'm guano, Broldi, bobofwestoregonusa, SamTheGiantSlayer, PassionateShadow, Axelo_Stargleam, Dakotaen and Batman. I'm also an obsessive liar. <.<

But seriously, I only play one account myself. I've enough trouble with dozens and dozens of characters to manage, let alone trying to juggle two accounts. O hell no.

I personally don't mind many alt accounts.
Tempted to try it one day as a social experiment.

sYuzan wrote:

I'm guano, Broldi, bobofwestoregonusa, SamTheGiantSlayer, PassionateShadow, Axelo_Stargleam, Dakotaen and Batman. I'm also an obsessive liar. <.<

i was shocked and then i got to the end of that and then i was like

Dead wrote:

I am noticing more and more "new" players on the server, both IG and on the forum, so it got my curiosity piqued. Do you have an alt account and why? And why do you think people make alt accounts?

I am not a fan of alt accounts as I am of the belief people should not make decisions about my PCs based on me as a player.

Silkelock wrote:

I am not a fan of alt accounts as I am of the belief people should not make decisions about my PCs based on me as a player.

As much as I agree, I've unfortunately learned that some of those decisions do get made with bias. That said, I have had four accounts in total, but transferred all my PCs into one about a year ago.

Sphinx wrote:

Silkelock wrote:

I am not a fan of alt accounts as I am of the belief people should not make decisions about my PCs based on me as a player.

As much as I agree, I've unfortunately learned that some of those decisions do get made with bias. That said, I have had four accounts in total, but transferred all my PCs into one about a year ago.

This. Having only one account and then asking people not to have a reputation of me as a player/staff member impact how they act around me, is basically me taking my hands off the wheel and just hoping that the other player doesn't do that.

And I have found that they absolutely do.

So I've made my alternate accounts, largely to escape attention. Which may sound conceited. Whenever I work with a group as Mr. Hackums, I tend to get undo attention, and my characters will be thrust into leadership roles that I didn't have the time, dedication, or will for. Fledgling factions will hinge their efforts around my advice, I'll become something of a liason to the team-- in the end, it all becomes extra pressure that helps to prematurely exhaust me from the character.

I don't often keep my alternate accounts (I've made many) secret for too long. Usually something occurs in which I need to step in as a Public Relations DM and fix and issue, which means the jig is up. Because at the end of the day, I consider helping players not get into huge fights, or break rules, or leave the server in a huff more important than my anonymity.

I've had 5 accounts in total which I have been active on, 2 of them that ended up with each their forum account. Why? it were easier to find out what characters and factions that worked for me and not, when I could try something new without being asked to play other characters or being flooded with tells when I wanted to immerse myself. Also I could make new characters without feeling forced to play with certain people. I make new characters to try something new

Silkelock wrote:

Dead wrote:

I am noticing more and more "new" players on the server, both IG and on the forum, so it got my curiosity piqued. Do you have an alt account and why? And why do you think people make alt accounts?

I am not a fan of alt accounts as I am of the belief people should not make decisions about my PCs based on me as a player.

That is the whole point here I'd say. Many people do not make decisions about your PC based on interaction with your PC, but rather tend to see you through the actions of your main/most influential. This becomes especially apparent on the PC notice board/Auctions forum. No matter what fake name or alias you use, people are avoiding it when they see the username. That is at least from my personal experience.

I do have alt accounts, several in facts. Most of them were made back in the early days when I was alting so much that my main account - Narkudauman got clogged with toons. One of those accounts, however, was made as a social experiment, and the experiment was a success I could say. But as Lucius is my main character nowdays, and I am not interested in making a new character in the foreseeable time, I am rarely logging into my alt accounts, except when trying to help someone leveling. So I don't care much if somebody will know what my alt account is. As serbiris said, we do leave a signature so.. figure it out.

Some people do, but there are so many great roleplayers in this playerbase that I am often easily fooled. I am 100% certain I have played with peoples' alts and had zero clue. Doesn't matter much to me, though, I try to give every person the same amount of attention (though I admit I am biased towards people I think are new players and I will assault them with interaction of some kind).

Never considered making an alt account. But I was told by, another player, that the person was 'advised' when our chars started interacting, that I used to play a 'Red Wizard'. Have to say, it did not feel nice to note that your past seemed to influence on OOC level at least, perhaps even IC.

Nonetheless, I have considered making an alt account for the next character, if I ever do create it. Starting from a clean table so to speak. But then again, might be too lazy to do it.

What comes to interacting with DM's. When I was younger, I was terribly afraid to rp with a DM player or very known IG characters. Simply due to my silly impression of them being the absolute best RP:iers. After having to interact with them, I got used to them and noted they are just players like any other. But there is one player who scares the living s... out of me. And I try to avoid interacting with him whenever I can. Simply put, his ability with vocabulary and way of expressing intimidates me and makes me question: Will my character understand anything of the interaction?

I mean this in positive sense, his one amazing roleplayer when I have seen him. One of these days, I will approach this player and be nervous as hell.

This kind of thread really makes me giggle. I know many players who for some reason or another have created alt accounts, sadly several for of them have been for what is essentially stalking and griefing. For me it was initially for keeping differing stories apart and seemed a convenient way to accomplish it.

Now however, knowing how people react to something innocuous, I have something to troll other players with...

I made an alternate account once and I'm very confident no one figured it out. Some of us are very aware of our "signatures," and can avoid them if we're trying to... That said, I know DMs can see your IP and so they may have seen it and I only did it for a social experiment. I didn't care if I got found out, as my experiment worked well and quickly. I discovered that people ignored my alt and I loved it. Sometimes it's so NICE to be ignored.

Anyways, sometimes people think I'm msheeler or don't realize my forum and game accounts are different and that saves me grief too. Or I would go play in the Underdark if I would want to avoid people. The crossover used to be small, surprisingly. Now, Sam has so much going on I can't really escape. First time I've ever been able to sympathize with some other people's comments. Ah, well, now I just have to totally log off if I need my space.

I remember asking you once if you were msheeler.

For the record I don't use the alternate account anymore, and I seriously don't need one, playing only 1 PC. But I could always pick it up at any time if I wanted to, I guess. I have a lot of character ideas but they have to be really, really good ideas by my standards in order for me to spend the play time on them and neglect the main.

Very interesting points brought up here, and kudos for the thread not deteriorating as quickly as all the other ones of similar nature. Personally, If I know a character has a DM behind it, I make a conscious effort to treat them as Crow would, and no more special than anyone else on the server. I will admit though, that I also make a conscious effort to increase the quality of my RP, which I hope carries over when they are not around too. I've also noticed, as Dead has, the amount of new names on the server, and forums. I stopped trying to figure out if they were alts years ago, because it doesn't matter. Either way, they are trying to RP a different character, maybe even in a different RP style. So I try to accommodate them by being, well, Crow. Hell, it might be better if I didn't know, but I do try very hard to treat each character individually, and not based on who is at the keyboard. It takes effort, but I enjoy a challenge.

For a long period that I was active on the server my character's lives were too easy. Even knew characters seemed to automatically get the benefit of the doubt, fit-in, brought along etc.

When I made an alt-account. I was very much not treated like Pigeon.

sYuzan wrote:

I'm guano, Broldi, bobofwestoregonusa, SamTheGiantSlayer, PassionateShadow, Axelo_Stargleam, Dakotaen and Batman. I'm also an obsessive liar. <.<

But seriously, I only play one account myself. I've enough trouble with dozens and dozens of characters to manage, let alone trying to juggle two accounts. O hell no.

...Shhhhhhhhhh

<.<

But yeah. I've never really played on an alt account. My username is my trademark and I don't mind people knowing who I am across several characters.

I only have a different account in NWN2, but that doesn't really count.

I don't mind alternate accounts. I can understand why people would have them. Socially, it helps reset certain expectations we have for other players we "know" and can be a tool in preventing metagaming. Some players have notoriety and having an alt account is a detour around that stigma. Mechanically, it's a simple way or keeping vaults orderly if you happen to have a lot of toons. The only downside to having multiple accounts is how people keep track of [the player] and Dream Coins.

Every character from every account you've ever played beside was an alt of mine. I'm really good at multitasking and stealing wifi. Amia only has two players.

As PenguinNinja everyone assumed I was cranky, anti-social, and downright toxic. (Which I was at several points.) But once I had an alt account it was like a switch, people didn't avoid me and new players didn't get warnings after interacting with me, it was nice. Ofc like someone mentioned earlier, doesn't matter to the DM's since they can see your IP.

It kind of gets funny when you realize that someone you are good with on your main account is a total buttface if he does not know it is you.

I only have my one account. I do have a negative experience with accountitis, though: I stumbled on this great, unfamiliar roleplayer one day, and was delighted by the no-nonsense, high-quality RP we had with no unnecessary OOC preamble or prior acquaintance. Wonderful, a cool new player on Amia! Imagine my disappointment when it turned out it was Letum.

:evil:

I've actually had that same experience, Iron. I was all excited and stoked, then I later found out I knew that person. I was like, "I'm happy to see you again, but I WISH YOU WERE A NEW PLAYER TOO."

... I think that might have been RA I said that to.

I started here with one account, then switched back to my Main NWN account, somewhere I had another 5 or 6 alt accounts with one or two characters on them... then had issues with a player harassing me and changed my accounts to this one, both on forums and in game once he was banned... this was over two years ago, nearly all the alt accounts had been made to avoid this person, then he was banned and I moved all my chars/DCs to this account. He still bugs me sometimes from the forums, but he's banned in game, so I feel less threatened.

I -do- still maintain one alt account however, and that's just for escape, but most of my friends know its me and likely so do the DMs since its linked to this forum account through player tools. Though I think I should have chosen my Comtesse d'Monte Cristo account over this one as my main sometimes

I transitioned from an older account a while ago, but I stick to the one I have now.

LetumLux wrote:

I've actually had that same experience, Iron. I was all excited and stoked, then I later found out I knew that person. I was like, "I'm happy to see you again, but I WISH YOU WERE A NEW PLAYER TOO."

... I think that might have been RA I said that to.

I had the same experience with a different player! I spent extra OOC effort to introduce them to PC's and such so that they wouldn't have to be alone. Turns out it's one of the most experienced players on the server having a go at a different character.

I'm curious of how many times this has happened to me without actually knowing!

Only one account for me.

I can understand why people make alt accounts and as long as it isn't for dodging the rules I don't mind them one bit.

Edit: I did have another account back in 2006 but since I forgot the PW I made my current account when returning to Amia.

Not sure if this thought surfaced here already (oh look, what a long post! *yawn* Keep scrolling, XVCINE) but frankly, I consider the idea of alt accounts being an asset in terms of roleplay sometimes.

For example when playing with a character of a well-known player, you just can't get rid of these mind notes telling you this player knows a little bit more about the setting. So when explaining the basics - as you would do roleplaying with a total newb - you may skip some parts of it when dealing with someone who you'd expect to know things OOCly. I believe every character should be treated equally, thus myself, I value this small bit of obliviousness created by alt accounts.

And nope, no alt accounts myself even despite the reputation my characters (or rather, one in particular) might induce to my playername.

Kidding aside (it is always a treat to play with Letum, though two would be better!), I too like playing with strangers. If I have no idea who I'm dealing with - a veteran, a friend, an infamous douchebag, a role-play newbie, an immigrant celebrity of some now-dead server - I am forced to do my best. If they're new, I ought to impress them and treat them as equal so they feel welcome and consider Amia worth their time, and if they're old, I wouldn't want to suggest I only make an effort with people I already appreciate.

Indeed, the relative anonymity and detachment is one of the best things about RP. I don't mind making friends OOC, but the best, most honest and most rewarding RP often to happens between strangers who only know and expect of each other whatever they see IC.

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