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EVE without alt
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Denuo Secus
#1 - 2011-09-14 01:15:36 UTC  |  Edited by: Denuo Secus
Hi,

atm I have a passive alt who's skilling only for some "helper" and idle jobs. But recently I considered to dump him. Reason: I think EVE would become more challenging for me on some points...and more fun at the same time.

While I can find ways to do many things with only one character...two points seem quite tricky. These are the main reasons for my alt. Maybe someone can show me alternatives?

(1) Semi-idle mobile POS: Assume our small corp is ninja ratting in the backyard of an ally, without ability to dock. We'd need a place to store ammo, cargo and loot. A perma cloaked carrier on a safe spot would be the best solution. But nobody in our corp would have fun doing this job, understandably. The main job of this carrier would be to stay cloaked 99.5%...so it's an alt's job. To solve this without an alt I could imagine to deploy storage cargo containers on safe spots. But I'm not sure if (a) they can be probed down and (b) if they disappear after some time. Any idea? Do I miss any other way?

(2) Super capital parking: My alt is a long time investment. We're not in a big ally and we don't want to be. But one day I want to own and fly a super capital - I don't think they are big ally toys only. I'm sure a small corp has purpose for a super capital. Problem: I need to leave the ship. Without alt who can log off sitting in the super cap I need a way to park it safely, at least as long I'm active in any other ship. So can a super carrier or even a titan be parked inside of a POS? Is this safe? I read something about super cap bowling. Any other way?

A general question: if you chose to use only one character as well, what are your experiences? Any tips?

Many thanks for any hint.
Maxpie
MUSE LLP
#2 - 2011-09-14 01:25:48 UTC
I'm a no-alt guy. For me, the game is much more immersive. I am Max. He has a reputation. I live with the consequences of everything he does. It's hard to explain, but it makes for more compelling gameplay in my opinion. That being said, I'm in a small corp. As a result, there are certain activities I do not participate in. I do not fly jump capable ships as I don't have a cyno alt. It's just not worth the investment of time and isk for someone in my situation with no alt. I've never run a POS, but from what I understand, it would be easier with an alt. I'm sure missions would be more profitable with an alt, but that's not a big deal to me. I rarely mine since, even with an alt, it's not very profitable, and without one, it cannot compare with many other isk-making activities I could be doing. For me, none of these things are a big deal. Certainly not worth the loss of game immersion I would experience in having an alt. I've played other games where I had several alts. For me they were just games. Being my character in Eve, and only him, adds something more to the experience I have not gotten elsewhere. Eve would be an awesome place if nobody had alts or second accounts. I know that would not be possible, but I truly believe it would be awesome.

No good deed goes unpunished
DeliciousHamBeast
The Elenianlightenment
#3 - 2011-09-14 01:37:25 UTC
I find having an alt (like this one) really handy. Different attributes&implants means I can train some skills much faster on this character than I can on the other, so I can have multiple characters who are awesome at one thing, instead of one who's just so-so at everything (specialization is good!).

-- Beep Beep Imma Jeep.
Russell Casey
Doomheim
#4 - 2011-09-14 01:46:17 UTC
IMO if you're going to use alts, what's the point of playing a social-interactive game like EVE? I know it can be difficult trying to get things done on one character sometimes, but really, that's supposed to the driving force behind people getting together and organizing to accomplish stuff they couldn't on their own.

Also, inB4 some obnoxious mouth-breather claims multi-boxing five accounts is the *ONLY* way to play the game and you're a scrub for only having one character.
Martin Skorn
Doomheim
#5 - 2011-09-14 01:53:13 UTC
Maxpie wrote:
I'm a no-alt guy. For me, the game is much more immersive. I am Max. He has a reputation. I live with the consequences of everything he does. It's hard to explain, but it makes for more compelling gameplay in my opinion. That being said, I'm in a small corp. As a result, there are certain activities I do not participate in. I do not fly jump capable ships as I don't have a cyno alt. It's just not worth the investment of time and isk for someone in my situation with no alt. I've never run a POS, but from what I understand, it would be easier with an alt. I'm sure missions would be more profitable with an alt, but that's not a big deal to me. I rarely mine since, even with an alt, it's not very profitable, and without one, it cannot compare with many other isk-making activities I could be doing. For me, none of these things are a big deal. Certainly not worth the loss of game immersion I would experience in having an alt. I've played other games where I had several alts. For me they were just games. Being my character in Eve, and only him, adds something more to the experience I have not gotten elsewhere. Eve would be an awesome place if nobody had alts or second accounts. I know that would not be possible, but I truly believe it would be awesome.


I absolutely agree with this... I restarted EVE a while back and got rid of my three accounts when I did so. Since that time, I have been having a much more immersive experience than before. When I had a Miner, Hauler, and PvP alt, it made for 'work' rather than 'fun'. While Alts are extremely useful for people with limited time to play, I thoroughly enjoy only having one character now, and can't imagine playing with alts ever again.

Also, by training various skills on one account, your character becomes useful in a number of different situations for all types of Corps. I won't be a Carrier pilot anytime soon though... Smile
Forever Infiniti
Doomheim
#6 - 2011-09-14 01:54:34 UTC  |  Edited by: Forever Infiniti
I have to agree with the first and third posts, Having one char is very immersive and you have to live with your consequences. I also find it much more challenging like you said. I mean, in the world, if you want something done, you have to "train" for it, you can't get a "friend" to learn and train for it while you go off and do something else.

EDIT: first, third and fourth posts P

If I stare at the door long enough, maybe, just maybe, it'll open
Foofad
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2011-09-14 01:54:36 UTC
I'm curious re: number one as well. Can you anchor cans at safespots and expect them to be there when you get back in a few days?
Crystal Liche
ACME Mineral and Gas
#8 - 2011-09-14 01:58:43 UTC
I have alts, omg, IM AN ALT Cry
DeliciousHamBeast
The Elenianlightenment
#9 - 2011-09-14 02:07:12 UTC
For those of us who live in the uberdark of wormhole space or nullsec or wherever, having to actually fly all the way to amarr just to check prices would be really boring. Alts are a great way to save time doing the logistics stuff, which means you've got more time to do the fun stuff on your main.
It even makes sense on an immersion level if you decide that your alts are employees of the main.


...plus without alts the forums would be empty!

-- Beep Beep Imma Jeep.
Sader Rykane
Midnight Sentinels
#10 - 2011-09-14 02:09:02 UTC
As far as I'm concerned, the Eve Online standard subscription is $30 a month.
non judgement
Without Fear
Flying Burning Ships Alliance
#11 - 2011-09-14 02:36:45 UTC  |  Edited by: non judgement
If you anchor a secure can it stays for 30 days, i believe, from the last time you opened it. So you have to visit it once a month at least. Don't forget to give it a password though. Then anyone you give the password and bm can warp to it and use it.
Never tried to scan one down. But I assume it would be pretty hard to scan down.
They are a poor man's POS.
Smile
Tyrnaeg en Varche
#12 - 2011-09-14 05:49:44 UTC  |  Edited by: Tyrnaeg en Varche
Sader Rykane wrote:
As far as I'm concerned, the Eve Online standard subscription is $30 a month.

^^ what she said.

My main (older character) is mostly a warrior, can fly all races up to Battleship hulls (T1&T2) and uses all weapon systems at large T2. My alt is speciailized in exploration, industry, mining and science. If i wanted to taste all these aspects of the game, it would take double the time to train all the skills in a single character.

Also, due to strange RL schedules, i cannot participate in multiplayer events, so I rely on my alt to scout, get intel, scan, move **** around, etc. I plan to get an orca for my alt as a mobile base of operations.

Maybe for some ppl immersion is lost, for me this is not the case. On the contrary I find it more interesting to use two characters, as I get into more game features and have to think different strategies.

So, TL;DR - with no alt, it would be very difficult to play the game in the style I do now.
Mallikanth
Wasters
#13 - 2011-09-14 07:18:59 UTC
While I agree that having just the one character can add immersion and engage you more with your fellow players I suspect that players of one year or more are far more likely to have an alt than not (That's a pure guess on my part of course). One character simply can't do everything at a high enough level.

It's either clever marketing or an indication of how complex the game can be.



Believe in what they do, not what they say.
Soldarius
Dreddit
Test Alliance Please Ignore
#14 - 2011-09-14 07:50:58 UTC
As stated above, properly configured secure cans stay in position for 30 days after their last use. I'm not sure what the difference is between launch for self and launch for corp. Cans of any kind cannot be scanned with probes. They can be seen on directional scanner. But that won't tell the person scanning to whom it belongs. However, a smart probe scanner will drop probes nearby (by zeroing on the directional scanner) in the hopes of catching someone in a ship using the can. So if you use cans, be quick about it.

DO NOT PARK YOUR SUPER IN A SAFE AND LEAVE IT! You will come back and find your parking spot empty! The only semi-safe way to leave a super or titan unpiloted is behind an online POS shield with no password and no one else allowed inside. Otherwise someone could steal it or bump it out of the shields.

There is an alternative. Use your super to haul that POS and perhaps an industrial to set it up. You can use the indutrial ship for PI later. Then park your super inside the POS. Just make sure you have a cyno alt or friend available in another system during set-up or teardown in case you get discovered and need to make a quick getaway. Anyone hot-dropping a super these days is going to do so with several of their own.

http://youtu.be/YVkUvmDQ3HY
Barbelo Valentinian
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#15 - 2011-09-14 07:57:37 UTC
Point of having an alt, for me, is just to experience aspects of the game I haven't and won't with my main. There's only so much time one can devote to a hobby like EVE, and having two toons, each of which does things the other can't do, enriches the game experience in a time-pressured world.
Tallian Saotome
Nuclear Arms Exchange Inc.
#16 - 2011-09-14 08:08:22 UTC
CCP determined that there is only so far you can go without an alt... Moving a cap around without an alt would be hell.

Inappropriate signature removed, CCP Phantom.
Thorn Galen
Bene Gesserit ChapterHouse
The Curatores Veritatis Auxiliary
#17 - 2011-09-14 08:28:54 UTC
Maxpie wrote:
I'm a no-alt guy. For me, the game is much more immersive. I am Max. He has a reputation. I live with the consequences of everything he does. It's hard to explain, but it makes for more compelling gameplay in my opinion. That being said, I'm in a small corp. As a result, there are certain activities I do not participate in. I do not fly jump capable ships as I don't have a cyno alt. It's just not worth the investment of time and isk for someone in my situation with no alt. I've never run a POS, but from what I understand, it would be easier with an alt. I'm sure missions would be more profitable with an alt, but that's not a big deal to me. I rarely mine since, even with an alt, it's not very profitable, and without one, it cannot compare with many other isk-making activities I could be doing. For me, none of these things are a big deal. Certainly not worth the loss of game immersion I would experience in having an alt. I've played other games where I had several alts. For me they were just games. Being my character in Eve, and only him, adds something more to the experience I have not gotten elsewhere. Eve would be an awesome place if nobody had alts or second accounts. I know that would not be possible, but I truly believe it would be awesome.


Excellent. Max, I am basically in the same boat as you, only difference being that I am not in a player Corp. I am playing my character ingame to the full, no alts, no nothing else. I too have played several other MMO's but warts and all, Eve is by far the most immersive, most "free-form" of them all.

I'm quite sure now that there are many other players that operate much the same as this.

Cheers!

COO - Bene Gesserit Chapterhouse  CEO - Sanctuary Pact Alliance
Chopper Rollins
Brave Newbies Inc.
Brave Collective
#18 - 2011-09-14 08:48:14 UTC
No alts here. Main, scout, useful. Have a POS for a bit of fun, probably not profitable, though. Done most things a solo player can. Solo killing sleepers in c1 to c3 WHs is high adventure, never going to bother with WH POS, get wiped out too easily.
One-man tax dodge corp is fine, had a dream of solo ratting in a carrier once but no cyna alt plus without backup such a large target can attract the wrong company real quick.

Goggles. Making me look good. Making you look good.
Aldan Romar
Doomheim
#19 - 2011-09-14 09:20:59 UTC
I have alts because my main character will not be disturbed with menial tasks, like hauling his stuff.

That's what slaves are for...
Nyio
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#20 - 2011-09-14 09:57:26 UTC
In the long run, Playing EVE without alt(s) is like taking a shower in icy water with no soap.
There is no short run.

(This is not an attempt to "troll", or is it? Don't know yet, haven't had my coffee.)

Golem • CCP In-Game Event 2011.11.23 • Nyio • Grenade?
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