Single or Multiple Characters per account ?

[Jim]

For release one account = one character.

[Kookaburra]

I'm leaning toward 1 character. Pick a side and stick to it. When I see fellow sailors of my nation I assume they are loyal to that nation, not just some people derping around on an alt account. 

 

What I love about this game is the immersion. A real captain would have to pick a side, he couldn't just pirate around in an alt count. If he wanted to do that, he had to throw away his career and face the consequences. 

 

Maybe they could add a system where nation could be switched, some stuff could be kept like money but you would lose a lot- most of what you have. It's a lot better than making a new account. Nation switching is something that a player should only do once or twice, if at all, really. 

[Daf]

I think 1 account 1 character, when i played EVE i had 16 accounts, i was a pirate, a ganker, a ship builder and i made high faction corporations, those who played eve may know the high faction corp builder, so i was able to know where people are, what their ship had, changed "sides" and kill them.

 

I think as Cheeki breeki, pick a side and stick with it, dont like it, tuff, start again...

[LeeUK]

Personally I think it should be 1 account 1 character, it would be nice to have more but there are too many people out there who will abuse the system, it has been proved over the years time and time again in many games that there are an unhealthy amount of people who will do it just to progress, without caring about the long term effects it has on a game and its community. 

 

If there is more than 1 account connecting from the same IP / location because of two or more people in the same household playing the game or one person wanting a second account for a second character, the accounts should all be required to play the same nation. Something along those lines anyway, because if people can make more than one character you can bet your arse that there will be plenty of people who use their second character to spy and abuse game mechanics, like joining a battle against their friends, then just sitting there doing nothing whilst their 'team mate' gets destroyed by their friends. 

 

I would like to say to allow 1 nation character 1 pirate character, but again the first thing that comes into my head is people using their nation character to safely locate easy targets in that nation, monitor players etc, then switch back to their Pirate and take advantage of that information, which isn't fair to people that don't abuse game mechanics and who like to play games how they were meant to be played.

 

It's lame that there are so many sad individuals out there who will abuse so many game mechanics like this, but the fact is there are a lot of them, they can potentially ruin this game like they did many others if given the chance.

[Leviathan]

The more I think about it I think having a few characters is fine as long as they are limited to the same nation. Then offer the player the option to switch navies (all characters) if they want to try something different.

[Vega]

The more I think about it I think having a few characters is fine as long as they are limited to the same nation. Then offer the player the option to switch navies (all characters) if they want to try something diff

 

I am not sure how the economy is supposed to work but if we'll have to go physically from port to port to trade and check prices and so on, that could lead to some easy exploits as well. Also there's the jumping back and forth between characters to do nothing but scout on enemy positions, that kind of metagame. If we'll have some sort of auction house to see all ports (which I'm not very fond off, to be honest), then I think it would have a lesser impact.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Vega

[Nemesys]

i hope in a game like that when they release it,u can create only 1 character because making more give the possibility to do many thing like simply spy a zone with a secondary character,or simply read the enemy faction chat etc etc

[Black Boots]

For the most part, this thread is "I plan to create x number of toons" so therefore everybody should be limited to that number of toons,I personally have always made multiple characters, and enjoyed playing games like that, if you, as a player don't, then simpily don't, but don't press the devs to limit those that do.

[LeeUK]

For the most part, this thread is "I plan to create x number of toons" so therefore everybody should be limited to that number of toons,I personally have always made multiple characters, and enjoyed playing games like that, if you, as a player don't, then simpily don't, but don't press the devs to limit those that do.

Or its because being able to make multiple characters has been the downfall of many games like this due to people being sad enough to abuse game mechanics. People using there alternate characters to spy on a nation, having characters logged at certain ports so they can log on and scout the ports then switch back to their main is another issue. People will do it, I dont understand why people need to do these things in games, because to me if yiu won something with the help of abusing multiple characters and game mechanics its meaningless.

[Hugh Latham]

i hope in a game like that when they release it,u can create only 1 character because making more give the possibility to do many thing like simply spy a zone with a secondary character,or simply read the enemy faction chat etc etc

Multiple characters restricted to one nation would not allow spying.

[Vega]

Multiple characters restricted to one nation would not allow spying.

 

Considering the travelling time in NA, it could still be used for other exploits, trade, scout (long distance, with an expendable character based somewhere else) and so on.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Vega

[Johny Reb]

Creating multiple toons with a limitation that they must be in the same nation would dissappoint me. My plan is for my main to be US and a second toon to play a US friendly pirate. I like how the devs plan to develop the pirate character. I look forward to the challenge but I am not interested in limiting myself to being just a pirate. If I only have one choice then I will choose a nation because Port Battles are where the action is really at.

 

I really want to play a pirate as well, though. Pirates are the age of sail equivalent of zombie survival games. I want to hunt in a fast small ship that avoids the navies at all costs and subsists off the capturing of merchantmen. I look forward to hiding behind some trees in a cove with my sails down just waiting for a hauler to sail by unescorted(especially them neutrals) and I look forward to the suspense of going undetected when a fleet of naval frigates sail by. I'm looking forward to bragging about how long I have been on the OS without being caught while bringing in tons of booty captured through ill gotten means. I can't wait to create secret alliances with national players behind closed doors, creating a symbiotic relationship that makes me rich and prevents the dastardly neutrals from raping their rescources. I can't wait to see the bounty that is put on my head.

 

You'd think, after saying all that, that I would want to roll pirate first, but I don't. I love the group fight with large enagements of heavy ships. My biggest enjoyment comes in a well sailed and maneuvered line, commanded by a competent strategist.  Teamwork, cohesion, and well trained Captains that can maneuver their ships like sychronized swimmers brings the most enjoyment to me. I'm not a loner. I want to be a part of a team.

 

So, I would give up my pirate roll playing for the teamwork found in the nations but I would be very disappointed to have to do that.

 

There are other reasons of course to allow multiple toons. The obvious reason is the size of the map followed by the ability to play more than one style of play. I'd like the ability to play both a Naval Frigate Captain, a trader, and a Ship of the Line Captain. Only allowing me one toon removes my ability to enjoy the game in its entirety and will limit my enjoyment which could lead to me getting bored quicker. The size of the map demands the ability to either teleport to your outposts whenever you want or to have multiple toons set up in different areas of the OW unless the population is large enough to become overcrowded but I don't expect that because this is a niche game with a huge OW.

 

In Potbs, I think it made sense to limit an account to one nation primarily because all nations were at war with each other at all times. There were no such things as alliances between the nations as it looks like NA will have. Crossteaming was an issue that the players constantly fought against and policed. In NA though, cross teaming will not carry the same consequences. It will when nations are at war with each other but when nations are friendly there will be little to no effect at all creating boudaries for proper crossteaming that needs not be prohibited by either the game or the player base.

[Lord Vicious]

1

[LeBoiteux]

I like it as it is now; multiple not bound to any faction.

+1.

[Vega]

Creating multiple toons with a limitation that they must be in the same nation would dissappoint me. My plan is for my main to be US and a second toon to play a US friendly pirate. I like how the devs plan to develop the pirate character. I look forward to the challenge but I am not interested in limiting myself to being just a pirate. If I only have one choice then I will choose a nation because Port Battles are where the action is really at.

 

I really want to play a pirate as well, though. Pirates are the age of sail equivalent of zombie survival games. I want to hunt in a fast small ship that avoids the navies at all costs and subsists off the capturing of merchantmen. I look forward to hiding behind some trees in a cove with my sails down just waiting for a hauler to sail by unescorted(especially them neutrals) and I look forward to the suspense of going undetected when a fleet of naval frigates sail by. I'm looking forward to bragging about how long I have been on the OS without being caught while bringing in tons of booty captured through ill gotten means. I can't wait to create secret alliances with national players behind closed doors, creating a symbiotic relationship that makes me rich and prevents the dastardly neutrals from raping their rescources. I can't wait to see the bounty that is put on my head.

 

You'd think, after saying all that, that I would want to roll pirate first, but I don't. I love the group fight with large enagements of heavy ships. My biggest enjoyment comes in a well sailed and maneuvered line, commanded by a competent strategist.  Teamwork, cohesion, and well trained Captains that can maneuver their ships like sychronized swimmers brings the most enjoyment to me. I'm not a loner. I want to be a part of a team.

 

So, I would give up my pirate roll playing for the teamwork found in the nations but I would be very disappointed to have to do that.

 

It has been said that they are leaning towards one national character and one pirate, so it seems that you won't be disappointed.

 

There are other reasons of course to allow multiple toons. The obvious reason is the size of the map followed by the ability to play more than one style of play. I'd like the ability to play both a Naval Frigate Captain, a trader, and a Ship of the Line Captain. Only allowing me one toon removes my ability to enjoy the game in its entirety and will limit my enjoyment which could lead to me getting bored quicker.

 

 

I didn't grasp your point here. We don't have skillsets and no ship restrictions per class, nothing like that.

 

The size of the map demands the ability to either teleport to your outposts whenever you want or to have multiple toons set up in different areas of the OW unless the population is large enough to become overcrowded but I don't expect that because this is a niche game with a huge OW.

 

 

More exploits possible this way. Ganking unrealistic and absurd tactics, trading exploit fest and so on. Personally, I think that the current possibility of getting lost and having to plan your travels is an appeal to the game, that's me, though. There's also the teleport funtion, albeit limited.

 

 In Potbs, I think it made sense to limit an account to one nation primarily because all nations were at war with each other at all times. There were no such things as alliances between the nations as it looks like NA will have. Crossteaming was an issue that the players constantly fought against and policed. In NA though, cross teaming will not carry the same consequences. It will when nations are at war with each other but when nations are friendly there will be little to no effect at all creating boudaries for proper crossteaming that needs not be prohibited by either the game or the player base.

 

 

You have a point, but on the other hand, if my faction makes an alliance with France and I can get in their ports and buy whatever I want, sell whatever I want, take part in their battles and so on, why would I bother making a french character and leveling him, if it'll add nothing at all? Plus, down the road, people would use this mechanic to build cross teaming characters, exploiting diplomacy changes.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Vega

[Snoopy]

Multiple characters = One man trading empire with outposts covering the entire caribbean.

More than one char makes the limitations of teleport and distances meaningless.

[Johny Reb]

Multiple characters = One man trading empire with outposts covering the entire caribbean.

More than one char makes the limitations of teleport and distances meaningless.

Not necessarily. In Potbs there was a reputation loss that prevented most players from trading between their toons from different nations. Of course you could have as many toons as you wanted and the epic traders I knew would easily have over thirty toons but they were all one nation only.

Also you restrict the teleporting to Captains only and not their ships so a trader could never use the teleport function to transport their goods and fighters coukdnt just teleport their first rates around the map with impunity.

 

 

It has been said that they are leaning towards one national character and one pirate, so it seems that you won't be disappointed.

very glad to here this at least.

 

I didn't grasp your point here. We don't have skillsets and no ship restrictions per class, nothing like that.

 

Well lets look at the obvious one and that is the difference between the trader/shipbuilder vs the fighting Captain. If I only have access to one character than I can only really choose one of those paths. Sure, I can buy both traders and fighting ships and diversify my fleet but that limits me if I have to do that in each theater. I may also want to trade on the coast of America as a US player but fight in the windward passage where all the action is. I can't easily jump between the two areas so I will end up simply playing one and rarely playing the other which in all practicality means I only really get to play one class.

 

More exploits possible this way. Ganking unrealistic and absurd tactics, trading exploit fest and so on. Personally, I think that the current possibility of getting lost and having to plan your travels is an appeal to the game, that's me, though. There's also the teleport funtion, albeit limited.

True. The point ultimately was about population. If the population is great enough that I will never want for fights in a specific part of the world then fine but if the population isn't high enough like it isn't in testing right now then we need versatility. That can be done my a more useful teleport or transport function or it can be done by allowing multiple characters. One character is my coast of America home guard while my other character hunts prizes off the coast of Belize. It allows me to experience a little more of the map then I otherwise would.

I also like the idea of navigation and the possibility of getting lost.

[Challenge]

I agree with Johny Reb's viewpoint. Whether I feel the urge to take a frigate out to hunt the enemies on my chosen nationality, run a triangle trade route, or pirate others trading in the Caribbean would depend on how I feel that day. A trade run with multiple stops (including some smuggling, maybe) is going to take some time even with time compression. The patience necessary for a pirate to sit and wait for a likely target will mean time as well. The quickest and most likely for instant gratification is the frigate or SOL looking for a fight. But all three require different ships and my upright Naval Captain, or profit-minded trader is not the best choice for hunting as a pirate. Yes I want it all, and I don't want to have to retire/kill/delete one to play another.

 

Currently I have a game or two where I have that set up running in their theme and it works rather well for the way I play. I understand the view of those wanting one/one; even the individual who confessed manipulating the system in Eve OL. All allowing only one character/account will do is make so that only those willing to purchase multiple keys will be able to game the system. It won't stop it.

[Vega]

Both your points are good and, to be perfectly honest, I'd be happy to see it done the right way and enjoy that too, the problem is that once Early Access is on, most people won't have your legit mindset and might do a lot of harm to the game.

 

All allowing only one character/account will do is make so that only those willing to purchase multiple keys will be able to game the system. It won't stop it.

 

 

 

Exactly. In my point of view, though, we'd rather have 50 players doing that instead of 500. The company also benefits while mitigating the problem.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Vega

[LeeUK]

Both your points are good and, to be perfectly honest, I'd be happy to see it done the right way and enjoy that too, the problem is that once Early Access is on, most people won't have your legit mindset and might do a lot of harm to the game.

 

 

Exactly. In my point of view, though, we'd rather have 50 players doing that instead of 500. The company also benefits while mitigating the problem.

 

Exactly this, people can buy more keys if they want, it helps the devs, but it will certainly also cut down the amount of players abusing the mechanics of having multiple characters. One nation one pirate if that is the devs suggested idea, may work, but i also feel it will just basically end up with friends from their Nation, going onto their pirates together and basically still playing for their nation, just as a Pirate. Or vice versa you got Pirates spying on the Nation chats and scouting stuff out so they can find out where people are/what they're doing.Still better than having multiple characters in different nations though lol.

Edited August 7, 2015 by LeeUK

[Alejandro]

One account, one character. Anything else disrupts sandbox games.

[Johny Reb]

no it doesn't

[Hugh Latham]

I can't say for certain, but I think I recall it stated that only one account per person would be allowed.

[Johny Reb]

Exactly this, people can buy more keys if they want, it helps the devs, but it will certainly also cut down the amount of players abusing the mechanics of having multiple characters. One nation one pirate if that is the devs suggested idea, may work, but i also feel it will just basically end up with friends from their Nation, going onto their pirates together and basically still playing for their nation, just as a Pirate. Or vice versa you got Pirates spying on the Nation chats and scouting stuff out so they can find out where people are/what they're doing.Still better than having multiple characters in different nations though lol.

I'm not sure whats wrong with this. Ill explain. Crossteaming is a big issue in a game like this. If you have a national character and a pirate character and you use your pirate toon to capture ships of your nation then you are fighting against your friends and your nation. This won't be tolerated by the player base. If it is found out these folks will feel the heat because they will get kicked out of their clan, excluded from group activities, and banned from nation TS servers. That is enough to curve the majority of it. The player base is very unforgiving when it comes to that. It is akin to being a traitor.

So with my pirate I will essentially be playing for my nation as well but in a more nefarious style of game play. If I use my pirate to gather intelligence than what is wrong with that? Pirates are nefarious little devils and it should be expected that they will not make everyone happy. Pirates are in competition against each other so it is in my best interest to inform the nations where others are if I choose to play as a true loner pirate. But the best thing I can do as a pirate is hunt the neutral players that run around unescorted because they think don't need it as a neutral. This action, in fact, helps all the nations, not just my main's nation as neutrals will probably be able to undercut the nations often.

Pirates are free souls (until they die, which at that time their souls belong to the devil) so a pirate can make whatever friends he wants and make whatever enemies he wants. Thats his freedom.

[LeeUK]

That's the problem Johny, your pirate wouldn't be a "free soul", it would be you using him as a secondary US character that can attack neutrals ( and will most likely scold and have your friends scold any US players that attack you ). You ruined your own argument when you stated you would make a "US friendly pirate", why would he be US friendly? because you main US? what's the point of the Pirates if everyone is just going to second them to support their Mains and their Mains Nation??, you wouldn't be playing your Pirate as a real Pirate, you'd just be using him as another weapon for your Nation. 

If the devs make it so you can make both a Nation and a Pirate and people want to switch between them I feel it should have a 2 week cooldown, so even if people are playing "Nation friendly pirates" they will be stuck doing so for 2 weeks before they can switch back to their Nation character, we might see more real and dedicated Pirates that way, even so the idea  and uniqueness of what a Pirate is supposed to be is going to be destroyed by this "nation friendly secret weapon" style of Pirate play.