I cant afford two of everything, either.
Feelsbadman.
Why should it be âfairâ that the people who do pay for their accounts should subsidise those who wonât ? I live on a fixed income, with old computer equipment, and I budget to play games like Eve by not spending on alternative activities.
This is definitely a respectable choice. However, 50 clients opened per player remains an amendable way of playing: we all would be better off if this practice werenât so profitable. Plain simple.
Much as I hate to say it, youâre right.
The game would be better off if everyone had one account/character to play on.
I know we need our alts for jumping capitals, scouting systems, and the myriad of other alt-play reasons, but I canât help but wonder how much more dynamic the game would be if CCP expanded the Alphaâs âOne at a timeâ policy to Omegas as well.
I might cut down to two accounts, one with my main and one with my first alt.
Thatâs probably the reason why CCP isnât very keen on the idea. Lost revenue and all that.
But Iâve got to wonder how many more players would stick around if they didnât get caught in a âHeâs got 4 alts killing me, thatâs p2w,â trap.
We all know that alts donât necessarily make it p2w, but we also acknowledge the enormous advantage neutral eyes, reps, hauling, etc. provide.
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You think alts are bad, but you also need to look at all those who need to use them because they suck at making friends, for whatever reason, like: they suck at being decent human beings. Alts are used not just because it helps, they are used because nowadays people think of themselves as âindividualsâ and rather isolate themselves from others.
Ignorance is Strength, after all.
I once had some moron ask me why I seek industrialists in local to build me stuff I need. He said that I am dumb for not simply using an alt and saving the ISK. Or the brain dead people idiots who complain when people talk in local, in high sec.
I am not saying I would not prefer a game where they do not exist, but considering the sorry ass state of the societies most players come from, not being allowed alts would just kill the game from the inside.
There is a progression going to multiboxing, then to botting which over the years I have seen happen to many players.
Basically people start out like normal, have multi toons, a lot of times on same account. then they realize its better to have them on seperate accounts for multiboxing, so they move toons.
Then further train the 2nd, 3rd acc toons, then start using more and more of the automated AFK functions, for example fly 3 VNIs or so in a single site, you just pop your drones out, orbit something, run stable tank fit and basically semi-afk.
Then they start looking into going further, using the macros that come with any modern game controller (be it multi button gaming mouse, joystick, controller, etc.) to execute entire strings of key commands. You can even do it using regular windows macros that come with Office. And there is not much CCP can do about this one, what are they going to do ? Ban everyone whose computers load up MS office or character map functions upon computer start up ? That would be what ? 1/4 or 1/2 the playerbase ?
Then they begin to slightly automate responses. The initial bots are very simple, for example, if so-and-so target shows up on overview and within range, target it, and execute macros A, B and C.
Then at the same time progress further, up from the VNIs to NS carrier ratting and get better bot programs.
Lo and behold, its a full fledged bot.
Throw on top of that other types of bots, the kind that log you in and out of the game at preset times for example and sit in markets executing buys / sales once prices / quantities reach a ceirtain mark.
Or mining fleet bots, where the botting focusses on the logging in / out warping to targets and operating multiple clients at same time rather then just a couple of them.
So yes, tehre is a definite correlation and progression to becoming a botter. Youâll see it often if you hang out long enough and have different toons in different alliances / corps / regions. You are bound to run into it.
I do not doubt your word. What I still doubt (donât understand) is the why.
And thereâs the problem; right upfront. Your original post said:
OK. With you so far. I have a single account with three standard alts. First one mines & refines. Second does trade & industry. Third does transport & protection (which equals drone boat to cover both clone soldiers in LS and events).
But how does that lead to multi-boxing, never mind botting? Bearing in mind I do not know how to multibox. Why does my having alts for different duties lead you to expect that I will follow this apparently usual progression of multibox then botting?
I still donât get it.
Got sick of multi-boxing. Felt like a job, not a game. Playing just one account is fun.
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I donât mind the multi-boxers but I hate imput broadcasting and boting. Two ships killing me while acting 100% synchron? Cheater⌠A fleet of miners warping off one by one when threatened? Prey 
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Once you run into corp / alliance mates doing it, or do it yourself, spread all your toons on seperate accounts, you will see for yourself. It does take a while. But, if I had to summerize it, I would say the game is simply designed with all its mechanics so that the optimal ways of doing things involve multiboxing and automating ceirtain functions on alts while you play your main. And thats the key thing. You play your main for fun and run AFK-ish or semi-auto alts in background for the tedious crap. This is what I saw happen quite a lot.
For me personally, I actually had both of the above happen, the former on a rather large scale since I was in a large NS alliance at that time. It is what actually led me to quit this game for a long time. When I returned I left NS and moved back to HS and just chill now without the need for any of the stuff I had to do while in NS / LS. I largely do stuff now only on 1 character, and only sometimes log on my other ones. So is that game playable without doing it ? Sure it is, but not in an optimal fashion.
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Same
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I used multibox tech in other MMORPGs. I donât like this. Makes the player OP in doing something. Just too much attention on unimportant things. Makes you nervous without any concentration on anything. Healthâs more important. A good one Omega clone is way better.
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Why warp each client individually when you can fleetwarp?
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But ⌠you no longer do it? So, it can hardly be âoptimalâ if you do not actually **like**playing it that way?
This is becoming a circular argument and is now at a close.
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If you can afford to multibox either with isk or cash, do so.
If you cant, or wont, either manage solo or fly with other players.
Or just fly an Alpha for completely free.
Utter bollocks.
This was my immediate thoughtâŚif theyâre warping one by one then itâs definitely not input broadcasting. The whole point of input broadcasting is that everything happens simultaneously. More likely is that someone doesnât know how to fleet warp and is frantically alt-tabbing screens to warp off
Bot scripts can be programmed to do that as well.
Just remember, a player multi-boxing is still just one player. Absorb that for a moment and realise the opportunities.
Opportunities are manifold, as are potential rewards, but so are expenses.
As to botting, dis/allowing multiboxing is not the issue.
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