Do you plan on having alts in Vanguard? Or are you like NeoBix
at the OVF who is so opposed to alt-twinking that he would prefer a single-character
server? Why do you have alts anyhow? To twink? To enjoy other aspects
of the game? To escape the pressures of tell-hell and guild leadership?

Let's look at some of the takes Brad
McQuaid (aka Aradune Mithara) has on the alt question. He said,
in reply to NeoBix's post:

"We plan on having single character servers.
At this point, though, I can't say whether we'll have them at launch.
I am a big proponent of them for RP servers, PvP racewar servers, etc.
in addition to why you find them attractive.

"That said, given the size and scope of Vanguard,
its different continents, the different races, the myriad of classes,
in general we encourage creating alts--even to the degree of not really
considering them 'alts,' but rather simply different characters you play
in order to experience all that Vanguard will offer, which would be difficult
with only one character."

With the smorgasbord of classes, races, and spheres that Sigil will be
offering the players, I foresee a multitude of alts being generated in
Vanguard. It will be, possibly, a banquet for game-starved players who
will descend, perhaps not like locusts, but certainly in hordes when Vanguard
goes live. The joy of trying out this and that class, mixing it up with
various races, adding dollops of the chosen spheres, will keep most of
the gamers off the streets and out of trouble for some time to come.

Many of the questions of why have alts in general have been addressed
by Aunraye's
poll of the week, which garnered an enthusiastic response.

The reasons that people create alts are many and varied…probably
as many reasons as there are players. Tyncale offered this
reason on the VTTH discussion board:

"I voted for Other [options for why do you
have alts], because all my alts are abandoned experiments, because I was
unhappy with the Class. Some I played for 3 levels, one even up to level
48 (a Druid), but the moment Beastlords were implemented, I abandoned
my Druid and played the Beastlord until this day. I think many low level
Alts that you will find on any account are 'exes,' former Mains that were
abandoned.

"I guess technically, I 'created' an Alt every
time I chose a new Main."

Lady Sirse at VTTH had another reason. Anyone who has ever
served as a guild leader or officer can probably relate to this one:

"I chose other as well. For me an alt was
a chance to be someone else for a while. My main, a Pally, was a guild
leader with lots of duty and responsibility. My alts became a way to have
fun without the weight of duty for a bit. It was nice, though, most of
the guild respected that when I was on an alt they should think twice
before bringing guild stuff to me LOL.

"I love my cleric and druid alts. My druid
I got up to 50 something and my cleric was 46 when I left the game."

Casombra mentioned the tell-hell we all have experienced
from time to time (and I would bet two gallons of elven wine that it won't
be any different in Vanguard):

"I like to have an alt for many reasons. Change
of pace, a different race, trade skills, pretty much all of the above
really. Also many times I like to have an alt to get away from those that
know me and be in a sea of others. Many times tell hell and the like can
get to you...as soon as you log on you have 50 million tells coming at
you...playing an alt gives me that peace for the day."

Now we come to the sticky part about alts-one that has roused OVF members
to a fury of debate—how about twinking?

First, at the risk of getting thrown into the OVF volcano (you know,
the pumpkin pie eating one?), I would like to give my views on twinking.
For me, it is part of the fun of the game to have my high level character
give "gifts" to my alts. In my mind, it is even part of the
roleplaying I enjoy from time to time. My alt can croon over the lovely
Executioners Axe her Aunt Raydiance gave her (and so on). In some ways,
I think it goes back to my childhood when I delighted in dressing my dolls
up in pretty clothes—and later, motherhood, when I dressed my little
darlings in color-coordinated outfits. It only bothered me a little that
my 3-year-old daughter disdained my choices and picked her own (2-3 times
a day, I might add). Now that she is older, she still disdains my choices
although she is a little gentler with me than she was at 3.

There is no danger of my alts ever disdaining my clothing (okay, armor)
choices. One and all, they are delighted with whatever they get from Auntie
Raydiance (EQ) or Aunt Rayda (WoW) or Big Sister Mavourneen (DaoC).

The bottom line for me is simple. Twinking is fun!

I never thought it hurt to have a bit of an advantage over untwinked
characters. I agree that making them gods at level 2 is not a good idea.
Like real life, giving powers that an untrained character is not used
to and has little idea of how to use may be a dangerous thing. I know
that, emboldened by the security of a higher level weapon, I would venture
into areas that were too hard for me. Sure, I had a superior weapon, but
I was still low-level, still aggroed the MOBs more readily, and died very
easily to higher bears and spiders and such. But a little advantage is
okay in my books.

I have to mention here that the only thing that discouraged me (mightily,
I might add) from creating alts in EQ was the thrice-cursed sense heading
skill. Aglow at the thought of creating yet another alt for fun and romps
in hithertofore unexplored areas (to me), I would remember the agonizing
hours of punching the stupid sense heading key and would think twice.
Mostly I agreed with the difficulties of the game, but sense heading was
a mistake in my books, as were sitting and medding with a book in front
of me so I couldn't see the action, and the terrible night vision of some
of the races. I loved barbarians as a race but their dreadful night vision
made me think twice about creating a barb alt. Fixing the two out of three
of my bugbears was a step in the right direction, in my opinion.

Okay, so what about twinking alts? Are for you it? Against it? Think
twinking spoils the game? Undecided? Don't know what twinking is?

Vanguard has come up with what Brad refers to as item scaling, and it
is the way the game will control twinking so that low level alts will
not suddenly become gods. Here's Brad's take on it:

"Anyone can use any item--there are no hard
caps. There are soft caps, or, more specifically, what we call 'item scaling'
that scales, say, a level-40 item down in power if wielded by a level-10
player.

"The goal is to avoid twinked lower level
players being gods and just thrashing through content with impunity. We
also plan on scaling buffs and such so that you can still, as a high level
player, buff a low level player, but the bonus the lower level player
would receive is not the same as a higher level player--again, it's scaled
so the lower level player is not suddenly god-like.

"And then there is the Veteran bonus I mentioned
that makes item scaling not quite as severe, assuming you have other characters
on your account as high or higher than the level of the item you are twinking
your 'alt' with. This is to encourage replayability and reward veteran
players when they create new characters to experience, say, a different
part of the world or a different class or race. Egregious twinking of
brand new players usually isn't a good thing, but can't be totally eradicated
either. Twinking of your own alt, however, is a very good thing and something
I think veteran players will both appreciate and deserve."

At the mention of the Veteran bonus, many people at the OVF perked up
their little ears and wanted to know more. Unfortunately, Brad could not
give them more information:

"Can't go into details yet as it is still
being tweaked with in beta, other than to say what I already did, and
that item scaling isn't quite as severely applied to an alt, assuming
you have other characters on that account that are as high or higher level
than the item you are equipping your alt with. You still won't be god-like,
but I think it will be a nice little bonus rewarding veteran players and
encouraging them to make other characters, other classes, in other parts
of the world. Replayability = good."

So Brad is encouraging players to create alts so they can explore more
of Telon and all the treasures it offers (and to keep people interested
in the game longer, no doubt).

I actually don't really understand the raging AGAINST twinking. I have
seen some people become downright abusive when they come up against an
obviously twinked character. It used to surprise me every time. I know
that I will have a number of alts in Vanguard. At first, it seemed that
we had to choose one, but with the expanded list of what's available,
I know that there will be no way that I can partake of the smorgasbord
that is Vanguard: Saga of Heroes without alts. And, if I have alts, I
intend to twink them.

What about you? Are you against alts? Or just twinking them? Why? Do
you plan to have alts in Vanguard? Tell us what you think about this issue.
It is an interesting one, which, so far, has not been truly resolved one
way or another.