Alternate character
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In role-playing games, an alternate character, often referred to in slang as alt, alt char, or less commonly multi, is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "main" player character. Players are generally not secretive about their alternate characters, unless having multiple characters is against the rules of the game, or in a role-playing environment where alternate characters might be judged by the actions of the primary character. In games where multiple characters are disallowed, enforcement of this restriction can be difficult, especially without specialized tools.[1]
Typically, alternate characters are used less frequently than the "primary" characters, but sometimes players may use them just as often. They should be distinguished from completely unused (dormant) characters, which may even get deleted for lack of activity. Alternate characters can be used to try out the different abilities of different player
The games typically allow alternate characters as long as they don't consume game resources excessively and are not used for cheating. Often, the servers have specific rules about the use of alternate characters. Most typical rules include the following:
- The player is limited to a certain number of characters.
- Only one character may be logged in at the time.
- A given player's characters are not allowed to interact among themselves in any way. Often this only includes interaction which has a tangible benefit (such as giving equipment or money to another character), but some even restrict in-character dialogue.
- Alternate characters must not be used to spy on another guild or faction.
Multi
The term multi is a similar idea in that it is heard in a wider variety of genres, such as
Multiing creates several gameplay problems, especially if these characters begin to interact with each other. Weaker multis could gather items in several areas and send them to the main character, so that the main character would get much more loot than if he would search for it singly. In the games where multiing can get serious benefits for a player, it is looked down upon by purists and is considered a form of cheating. For example, in Kingdom of Loathing using multis for profit is a punishable offense.
Mules
One of the most common uses for a multi is to act as a beast of burden, a "mule", for a main character. Rather than using this character to actively participate in the game, the player who controls it just needs a way to hold and transport goods, and perhaps to obtain more of some resources which are limited for each character by the game rules.
Many gamers regard the need for or use of mules in a game as a design flaw. In the game Diablo II 'mules' are sometimes used to 'smuggle' items from Diablo II Classic to Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, the game's expansion—some items do not exist in both games. This type of smuggling is a one-way venture, as characters cannot make the return trip from Lord of Destruction to the 'classic version'. The use of mules in this manner circumvents the intended inability of characters to move freely from one version to the other, and some players consider this a 'cheat'.
However, the use of mules is not universally frowned upon. In fact, in games such as Final Fantasy XI, it may be considered a marketing scheme. Final Fantasy XI permits one character for the monthly rate, and additional characters for $1.00 per month, whereas most games provide multiple character slots for no additional fee.
The use of mules in
In games such as
Multiboxing
The challenges multiboxing presents in multi-tasking as well as in rewards, usually reserved for group play, can make an otherwise tedious or boring game a rewarding experience.
See also
- Internet sock puppet
References
- ISBN 0-415-91684-4.
Pakka, the sheriff of Farside, explained to me the difficulties he has had in disciplining characters on MUDs: Multiple characters are extremely hard to catch. Something has to set off in your mind—this person, these two are always on together. They call in from the same location. They always run together. You've got to notice that.