Only one character slot? (Please answer poll)

Question this.. if the game design is such that players shouldn't NEED multiple characters.. and remembering what's been said of skills officially thus far.. that if you train a skill for 2 weeks for example.. you have that level of skill.. even if you move on to another skill. There's been no mention of skill decay officially.. and it's been suggested that there may not even be a skill cap.. and if there is it will be raised as new skills are added. (This all coming from RG himself and possibly some from Chris from the dev chats).. The theory they're working with is you can't max all skills because there are too many TO max.. you won't have the time.. So even if there is a cap at launch preventing you from maxing those skills where you can be self sufficient during EP1.. when that cap is raised that limitation will no longer be there.

Then ANYONE with a single character is capable of becoming self sufficient IF they put in the time to learn the skills necessary. The self sufficiency argument is pretty much null and void if everyone has the same opportunity to do it with a single character.. it's also a matter of fact that a LOT.. and I will dare say a majority of players don't want or care to be self sufficient whether it be by one character or by multiple.. it's too much work. They'd rather go do other things. Most hard core PvPers for example would rather not spend their days harvesting materials and crafting goods.. they want to go out and PvP instead.

Indeed this model discourages multiple characters for the sake of self sufficiency because the player will need to retrain some of the skills necessary for both characters to have.. it would be even more work doing it with 2 or more characters that it would be with a single character. It's not even guaranteed that a 2nd character will safely and reliably be able to transfer goods to and from the first. Which they'd probably have to have help with in the first place.

Mules if SotA should.. in theory at least.. be more of a pain in the butt than not. Especially if "you only need one character" applies to storage space. So I don't buy either of those arguments for a split second.

Not to mention the harm here is theoretical anyway. There are more than enough players who don't do this for a thriving economy.

 

Yes 100 times over, those of us who want to play 2 characters are actually DELIBERATELY limiting ourselves because instead of spending all that time focusing on that one character crafting we are splitting our time replaying the same story on 2 characters.

And further more can I just point out for those saying that one character will extend longevity of the game, allowing us to replay story missions in new ways with different characters WILL extend the replayabilty of the game far more than playing through it all once and then spending the rest of eternity crafting ever would

 

You've used several IFs to justify your position. Are you expecting the devs to institute multiple characters and then create several safeguards to avoid abuse? All those potential problems can be avoided with a single character limit.

It's obvious that if given a convenience, people will avail themselves of it. Given an advantage, people will take it. Given a way to abuse a system, people will abuse it. I think that the impact of multiple characters on trade, on character availability in game and on player accountability will adversely effect the game.

I'm not going to create mules, I won't practice self-sufficiency, I won't act irresponsibly with one character then put him into hiding. I can't guarantee that others won't.

 

I use "if"s purely because very few things are written in stone and like the dev's I prefer not to state things as a promise until they are. It doesn't change the fact that they've started their intentions to do what I have described and since to my knowledge have not made any mention of change.

It's also obvious.. that most players will avoid unnecessary work if there's no benefit. Your whole argument was based on the idea that multiple characters provides the benefit of self sufficiency.. when as of recently knowledge it does not. It is in fact more work for no benefit if self sufficiency is the goal.

And you're wrong.. as many have point out before.. a single character limit does NOT solve those "potential problems".. for just as people have told us to "just buy another account".. those bent on abuse will also do the same. It solves nothing. There is no benefit.. no advantage to multiple characters except to the role player who brings more business, more interaction with players and more immersion to the game. That also includes.. yeah.. more trade!

Examples? My primary character is not a crafter. 2nd character? Crafter.. happy and eager to contribute doing business with other players. Another example? Say my 2nd character isn't a crafter either? That's double the demand for all manner of goods.

Abuse is a pretty weak argument also for players will abuse whatever exists that is abuseable. Not just a 2nd character. So safeguards must go into the design of all things.. not just a 2nd character. Plus if the devs are willing to change their minds if demand is high enough.. then abuse is obviously not a primary reason to keep the character limit at 1. I just don't buy it.

 

i think 1 charslot does not work here. We have a game where crafting is a "main class". It means it needs as much energy as a combatant. I think thats really cool, but NOT when you just have 1 slot. It simply means, if you want to be a crafter and have some fun fighting monster two, you need two accounts. And that sucks.. i think nearly noone in UO had just crafter chars.

1 Slot in my opinion only works when crafting is a subskill. And i dont want crafting to be a subskill so i think the best solution is 2 slots.

(!!!)BUT:
Crafting and Fighting should be equally challanging. It should not be pissible to rasie them at the same time easily. If you want to be a well known and good crafter it has to be your main char.

 

That isn't actually true.. again with the skill design.. combat and craft skills do not limit each other. This is a skill based system, not a class based one. Having fighting or magic skills isn't supposed to limit your ability to craft and visa versa.

Essentially, using skills as an argument either for or against one or multiple characters doesn't really work because of the intentions they announced back in the kickstarter of how they plan to keep people from mastering all skills. If the main restriction on mastering skills is time... simply not having enough to master everything (because there are too many skills to master).. then this is doubly true for multiple characters.

 

The 'Challenge' to the design then for players is how the community itself will balance the need for crafters and fighters, even with 1 character only.

The 'harm' that comes with giving everyone more than one character is some people are then expected to maximize their efficiency with using a second character, whether that's with 2 very polarized characters, or using one as a 'mule', or making one only to support, these extra characters makes 'conquering' the game world easier. Suddenly there's too many people flooding the regional markets, and all the harvesting spots are occupied at all times.

I want to be challenged by the PvE and resource limitation aspects that comes with denying people the choice of having 'both a crafter and a fighter'. Those that spend time on crafting despite having only 1 character will be valued even higher, and hopefully we will have the market freedom to actually make some decent money with crafting.

 

Crafting and fighting are separate skill trees, your not one OR the other you can be both

 

Yeah, how people balance things like that are also a big aspect to it. How much time will people sacrifice to do each activity?
All the unknowns about how the game world and player base will develop after launch just gets me more excited for when that day finally arrives.

 

Guuuys... PLEASE be realistc.. you really think that its a good solution to do both?

it just means that there will be more multiaccounts... and the people which cannot afford multiple accounts or dont want to, have a disadvantage..

What do you think is better in PvP/PvE? A "all fightskill" Warrior or a Fishing Fencer?
the "upper class" of PvP'ers PvE'ers and crafters will allways be dominated by "pure" chars..

 

You do know that's not any different if you have 1 or 2 characters?

If you can only play 1 hour per day and you spend that split between crafting and fighting on 1 character or split between one character fighting and one crafting that's still 1/2 a hour crafting and 1/2 fighting, doesn't change the amount of time you have to play

 

Does no one listen a thing I say? *sigh* How is it expected of people to use two characters? You have two slots you MUST use them? and who's to tell me how I should use my extra character? Am I to make my decision based on what other people think I should do with it?.. and with the skill system planned the way it is.. how exactly is using two characters more efficient when one will do the same job in less time without the hassle of trying to transfer goods between characters??? I just spent 2 posts going over this.

 

it makes a difference...

We are not talking about "getting 10 chars up at the same time" we talk about "have the possebility to raise a 2nd char whenever you want without a 2nd account"... As i sayed, i hope its that challanging that you have to focus on one char to get good procress...

 

Yeah, but then you're specializing two characters, so you can go out adventuring out to lands unknown with 1 guy and sit at home and craft with another at a moments notice.

I know 'Time spent' in-between the two activities is normally just traveling filler, but reducing it to nothing by just logging out from one and doing it almost immediately with the other is too efficient. People can specialize comfortably too well.

 

I prefer the 1 slot version. I would also appreciate if a player couldn't be both, a good adventurer AND a good crafter. Don't let everyone be able to craft everything for his own use. Let there be crafting specialists and give them the chance to be successful because many other players need them and need their quality products.

 

Yes.. when you have spend minimum twice the time a "1 char" player does, you have 2 completely different chars to play.. Thats what your saying.. right? So everyone who is willing to spend that much time can spezialise in 2 out of xx "templates"...

Even in UO with 5 Char Slots there where thousands and thousands of multiaccounters.. With 2 slots multiaccounting is still an advantage, but its not the only solution to be efficent in 2 playstyles.. Single account users will be forced to "ignore" one of the two playstyles OR try to do them both with one char...


EDIT:

dont get me wrong! i LIKE the idea of only one char for each Person. But it is simply unrealistc in these days... If there is a way of forcing the 1 char politic and creating a world of realistc hybrid chars like all humans in the real word are: implement it!! but it is simply impossible..

 

Traveling time? That's your argument? Traveling time

 

hrm... when that scenario usually involves crafting for other people.. I have to wonder.. so what? If you're crafting for your other character for whatever reason.. assuming you've an effective way of passing the goods along.. that character STILL has to travel all that way to pick it up. The overall time spent is the same.. it's only the order who travels and crafts first that changes.. Between both characters you still spend the same amount of time traveling.. the same amount of time harvesting or buying resources.. I'm not seeing the big deal here. And just in this respect it's the same amount of time regardless of where it's one character or two. Except the trouble of logging in and out is a pain.. passing the goods back and forth (if you do that) is a pain.. speaking strictly in terms of skill use and time spent.. one character is more efficient.

 

Played UO? Think back.. which crafters where successful and produce quality products? Yes.. Right.. the ones who spend hours harvesting ressources, crafting goods and advertising them to players.
Which had houses with vendors in it allways completely full with high quality blacksmithing stuff. Staying in theire house every evening to produce goods for players... Not the ones who had a crafter as a 2nd char to produce armor for theire PvP char..

but even thouse "ubar crafters" nearly allways had a 2nd char for doin some PvP or PvE when they get boored from crafting..

 

@Bulveigh:
Played UO and still do. Since more and more players craft/ed for their own chars, the number of good shops with quality equipment made by full time crafters decreased. Didn't get better with imbuing and runic reforging.
Anyone remembering "Joop" on Drachenfels?