Too Many Alts, please help

Ostacia

So, yeah. I have too many alts. This came about because I love playing with the character creator and trying out different classes and such as that, but now it's making me feel very scattered like I can't focus on what I'm doing with any one of them. I've been training them at the stable master, logging out, and going to the next character. Maybe that's the problem? ADD runs in my family so I could always blame it on that, but that seems like a cop out. Any advice on how to focus?

Massacre_Wurm

Ostacia wrote: »

So, yeah. I have too many alts. This came about because I love playing with the character creator and trying out different classes and such as that, but now it's making me feel very scattered like I can't focus on what I'm doing with any one of them. I've been training them at the stable master, logging out, and going to the next character. Maybe that's the problem? ADD runs in my family so I could always blame it on that, but that seems like a cop out. Any advice on how to focus?

Same here.
More than 1k hours in game. And all did was questing on my 10 chars

Evito

Delete them?

BigBragg

Having multiple characters with mounts ready to go will make life grand when you do get around to leveling them. Keep doing it your way for as long as it brings you joy.

Nestor

Get one to CP160, makes puttering easier as all alts are at CP160 once you get to max level

Suddwrath

Ostacia

Evito wrote: »

Delete them?

They're all too gorgeous to delete.

Nestor wrote: »

Get one to CP160, makes puttering easier as all alts are at CP160 once you get to max level

I do have a main that is CP830-something. And thanks for the word "puttering"- I'm going to feel better now just puttering.

BigBragg wrote: »

Having multiple characters with mounts ready to go will make life grand when you do get around to leveling them. Keep doing it your way for as long as it brings you joy.

This is so true, thank you.

Tandor

The way I play multiple characters is to log in the character I want to play at that moment and just play. If the character is near a stable then I do mount training, otherwise I don't bother. I don't bother with writs unless there's a specific reason to such as an event going on. I know that if I only logged in out of a sense of obligation to train each character in turn then it would simply be a chore, more like a job than a hobby - which is also the reason I don't play a single character, it would simply get too tedious following a set path for one character the whole time.

rotaugen454

I have at least two characters in every class. One magicka and one Stamina, with a few hybrids. I train character skills so I can switch roles after a respec. 5 years and I’m still working on them.

Aurie

You could use a couple (different classes) just for adventuring, one as your main crafter, as many as you feel like for daily writs, and the rest as storage alts or just to look at and admire while you are logging into the ones with more purpose.

Oh, and one dedicated housing specialist, if you are into housing.

Works for me

.

Nestor

It took me a year to get my first character over L50. If you ever need puttering hints, hit me up

Loralai_907

I have a billion characters, but I only actively focus on 3 of them. I have those at the top of my character select screen. Everyone below that has some degree of work done, but either are not complete, missing gear, or I hate playing. I only login with them to feed horses and do crafting writs. But I have them all because we know they actively make changes all the time and if one day my current favorites are all trash, I have other options I can go to. Also, I set goals and work towards that. Like I was hyper focused on getting my PvP character to Legate for the dye color, now that is done and she is higher ranked than that. At this moment I don't have a particular goal. I need to work on my baby Necro's and I need to make a decision on if I am keeping a different baby character that I only made to do like the starter zones and collect low end crafting mats. I might work on farming dragons for a long while, to get the mats and furniture plans. But I also really like Cyro so I could get distracted and just stay in there for the rest of my life lol

bearbelly

I have the same issue at times. I have one main, and 17 alts.

And I've gotten to a point where I'd feel a tangible sense of loss if I deleted anymore (I have deleted several up to this point in order to create different chars, for various reasons, and I feel "attached" to all 18 that I currently have).

AcadianPaladin

I only allow one new char at a time below level 50. That char gets daily horse training, daily undaunted delve and any other focused work they might need depending on the skill lines they want developed (Alliance, FG, MG). And they quest in their alliance to build up experience and skill points. They generally hit L50 / CP810 about the same time they are 'fully' built. I celebrate by putting them in top level gear. By that time, I have given the class/spec a full/fair shot and know whether I really enjoy them or not. That approach seems to help provide a bit of focus.

Sergykid

ignore them? just pick up a main and focus on content with it. Set up your build, dps, go for dungeons, trials, achievements, whatever a main char needs.

MojaveHeld

I have 17 characters. With the exception of the newest one, created a couple weeks ago, they're all max cp. What I find is that I have 3-4 that I play regularly, as in I spend any significant amount of time on them multiple times a week. With the others, I eventually get an itch to explore their class and role more fully and get periods of time where I play them extensively, and then have them sit for a while when my interests change. I've found that it's worth it to have them still, because I eventually get around to all of them, and it's pure joy to be able to play with them when that's what piques my interest. Sometimes one that had been neglected for a while becomes part of my "regulars." In my experience, it's far better to have them and not use them for a while, then to not have them at all and want to play them but need to level up a whole new toon to do so.

Rexy18

Writs

Starlight_Knight

I had this problem and i did delete everything apart from 1 toon.
its a bit extreme but it did fix my scatterbrain reaction to the game.
I focused only on my mag Warden - now she is a grand overlord and has all the zones done in the game.
Im back to now creating alts so i can carfully plan what i do on them ... ie - when i want to experience a zone again.
And ofc writs -

barney2525

It sounds dumb - but make your favorite character "You". Have a name that You can relate to. Then with new Alts, assign them personalities and some relate-able names of close friends. The association to actual people with personalities with keep your interest and focus on what each character needs. Even go so far as to assign them a class 'appropriate' to that person.

When the character has no 'feeling' it is just a flat stick figure and all you are thinking about is numbers, gear and strategy. That can get very bland and cause a loss of interest.

I have.... ummm... some experience in this area

Squidgaurd

Pick one and play it

TheShadowScout

Learn how to stop worrying (about the riding training) and just play your alts!

As soon as you stop looking towards some -goal- and focus more on enjoying the -way-... things get a lot more enjoyable!

Ostacia

Thank you all for your responses! I loved reading all of the varied ways of puttering (tm Nestor) about with alts.

MojaveHeld wrote: »

I have 17 characters. With the exception of the newest one, created a couple weeks ago, they're all max cp. What I find is that I have 3-4 that I play regularly, as in I spend any significant amount of time on them multiple times a week. With the others, I eventually get an itch to explore their class and role more fully and get periods of time where I play them extensively, and then have them sit for a while when my interests change. I've found that it's worth it to have them still, because I eventually get around to all of them, and it's pure joy to be able to play with them when that's what piques my interest. Sometimes one that had been neglected for a while becomes part of my "regulars." In my experience, it's far better to have them and not use them for a while, then to not have them at all and want to play them but need to level up a whole new toon to do so.

This, with the exception of the "max cp" part (LOL), seems to fit most of what I seem to be doing naturally. And this:

barney2525 wrote: »

It sounds dumb - but make your favorite character "You". Have a name that You can relate to. Then with new Alts, assign them personalities and some relate-able names of close friends. The association to actual people with personalities with keep your interest and focus on what each character needs. Even go so far as to assign them a class 'appropriate' to that person.

When the character has no 'feeling' it is just a flat stick figure and all you are thinking about is numbers, gear and strategy. That can get very bland and cause a loss of interest.

I have.... ummm... some experience in this area

My main and my alts all have their own sort of "personalities" (though not named or designed after anyone I know), which is why I'm absolutely not deleting any. And they do come in handy with those events that reward daily writs.

mommadani907 wrote: »

I have a billion characters, but I only actively focus on 3 of them. I have those at the top of my character select screen. Everyone below that has some degree of work done, but either are not complete, missing gear, or I hate playing. I only login with them to feed horses and do crafting writs. But I have them all because we know they actively make changes all the time and if one day my current favorites are all trash, I have other options I can go to. Also, I set goals and work towards that. Like I was hyper focused on getting my PvP character to Legate for the dye color, now that is done and she is higher ranked than that. At this moment I don't have a particular goal. I need to work on my baby Necro's and I need to make a decision on if I am keeping a different baby character that I only made to do like the starter zones and collect low end crafting mats. I might work on farming dragons for a long while, to get the mats and furniture plans. But I also really like Cyro so I could get distracted and just stay in there for the rest of my life lol

I love the idea of only actively focusing on 3. Your last 2 sentences sound just like me. I suppose, in the final analysis, it's quite grand to have all of these choices!

Lord_Eomer

Got 2 alts on PC EU,

Even 1st Account have 5 Level 50 characters rest are all Level 10. I usually spend time to level lower Toons, doing BG, PVP duels and load of fun!

Currently enjoying leveling Necromancer, he is still level 33. Playing since Elsweyr release.

BrooksP

Give each one a "role"(outside of simply dps/tank or stam/magic) to focus on, then switch based on what mood you are in. This at least allows some focus or progress even if you get scattered. Have a alt that does only dungeons, a alt that only does crafting, a alt that only does gathering, a alt that is a thief/assassin, etc. I find that makes it easier to focus as you are literally building that character specifically to that role, instead of trying to do everything on every character.

Devanear

Nestor wrote: »

It took me a year to get my first character over L50. If you ever need puttering hints, hit me up

After reading this I don't feel so bad about my own pacing

The way I try to tame my altoholism is setting goals for the game. I want to make enough gold to eventually buy all the houses I can get with gold. I want to get all of the crafting achievements, etc. This keeps me focused on one character, but I can't help playing with others from time to time.

What I think also helps me is that I don't have to focus on doing one thing with the same character. Today I just want to chase dragons and do treasure maps, some days I just want to quest, sometimes I just see how many lorebooks and skyshards I'm missing on a zone and go look for them (I'm determined to do it without the help of addons).

Part of what drives me to make alts is also that feeling of wanting to play every class and every race on the game. I like to create characters, and make their bios, learn the lore of the game etc. Sometimes it can be something so superficial as "I want to have a nord warden because Winter spells". What helps me with this is noticing with which race, character and lore I identify more and what playstyle is the most fun. Because to me almost every class is fun. I can alternate between all of my characters and have fun with all of them. So it takes a bit of conscious effort and appraisal.

With all of this, I now have a level 34 character and all the alts are around 5, so although they are still being created, I have managed to keep focusing on just my main.

(PS: My alts are stationed near crafting stations so I can research traits on them. It's more important than ridding speed for me).

AcadianPaladin

One reason I don't drop to one character is fear (well-justified) of nerfs that overreach and trash my preferred class/spec. Having others I could go to beats rage-quitting over a nerf I suppose.

That said, each char I make is actually exactly the same elf except for class/spec and playstyle. Her looks, race are identical across characters. Even her name is the same with only the slightest/creative changes for the game to consider discrete from each other. My approach with her play is that she is indeed the exact same elf and whether she decides to pick up a healing staff and play for a bit as a magplar healer or to pick up a pair of bows and play as a bow/bow stamsorc is a decision she makes as lightly as a costume or hairstyle change. Game features that are account bound (mounts, pets, costumes, CP, etc) help this along quite a bit.

MartiniDaniels

I have 9 toons, 2 of them are mains, others I play sometimes for a change and to overall see how class works and so how to counterplay it. Also everybody stores some kind of crafting loot and has some crafting role. One is developed for deconstruct and extract, so mains can have more free skill points.. one is preparing and storing food, one responsible for enchanter surveus (at lvl1 enchanting) since lvl1 enchanting mats are more valuable then cp160 one and so on.
How to deal with them? Just play those from them which you want in current moment.

Peacatcher

I love making alts too and the horse training every day can feel like a chore.

Recently created a third account for the game and have 6 characters so far but they all do different things. E.g. 1 does zone quests, another does main story quests only, another only does dolmens, another does public dungeons, another does world bosses and group dungeons, and another only does delves. Eventually they will all have done everything but for now it's nice to have the explorer title on my level 42 stam sorc.

My first Necromancer is level 9 and has found all the summerset relics but done nothing else. His next task is to get a particular Battlegrounds title. It helps me to have some variety among the characters and focus on one objective at a time, may be worth a try?

Sylvermynx

I have two accounts, and currently 29 characters. I play whoever pops up in my mind when I log in every morning. I really love altoholism - I had 7 accounts in WoW, 5 in RIFT. I'm thinking about a third account here.

I don't agonize over someone who gets "left behind" for a while. Eventually s/he gets a day or more. Mostly I'm not into getting toons to max level here, as "end game" in this game doesn't appeal to me. So lots of lower level alts works for me. All of them do crafting writs (gotta love the gold), though I only craft on alternate days so I have time to actually play whoever in the afternoon....

disintegr8

No such thing as too many alts....

Ei8htba11

Pick one, set a goal. Work towards that goal. Once finished, pick another goal... either on that character or another.

Don't pick something easy either, like get mount speed to 60, because that is just a momentary thing, it takes many (many) consecutive days of logging in and seeing the stable (for all of 2 seconds) to finish off. Choose a quest line, max out Mages/Fighters/Psijic... whatever is useful for that character. Fill in the gaps in the skill toolbox. Not all skills are applicable to every situation/dungeon/delve.

That's what I do, and it's satisfying to round out a character fully. I still haven't finished and I only have 8, but I'm working through them, one at a time.