As a long-time MMORPG enthusiast and expert player, alternate characters (alts) have become an integral part of my gameplay. After spending over a decade developing alts across games like World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV and more, I‘ve accumulated a deep understanding of how best to utilize these secondary characters to enhance your experience.
In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, I‘ll demystify alts by explaining what they are, why they‘re so popular, strategies veteran players use for developing alts, major dos and don‘ts, and how the alt meta has evolved over the history of MMORPGs. Whether you‘re new to multiplayer RPGs or a grizzled veteran, you‘re bound to gain new insights on alternate characters from this guide!
What Exactly Are Alts?
The term "alt" is shorthand for "alternate character". Simply put, an alt is any secondary character you develop in an MMORPG apart from your main character. It represents a separate entity with its own class, level progression, gear, professions, quest completions, and more. You play it just like your main, except typically with less time investment and more specialized purposes.
Having the ability to create alts is a feature supported in virtually every MMORPG. Players embrace alts for good reason – they provide valuable versatility and breathing room from the endless treadmill of progressionSINGULAR focused characters. Let‘s explore why alts are so integral to the genre.
Key Reasons Players Create Alts
MMORPG players devote tremendous time and effort into developing their characters. So why divert some of that precious energy towards alts? There are a few major motivations:
Experience Alternative Classes and Playstyles
Most players have a "main" class they focus on as their primary avatar in the game world. The ability to create class alts lets you experience the game from completely different perspectives.
For example, in World of Warcraft you may main a Rogue, but have alts like a Priest, Mage, and Warrior. This grants you greater insight into group roles beyond just DPS, keeping the game feeling fresh.
Farm Additional Resources with Efficiency
MMORPGs rely heavily on collecting resources, gear, currency, crafting mats, and other goods. Alts provide additional means to farm these assets through mechanisms like daily quests and weekly events.
For example, you can run daily crafting writs on three alts in Elder Scrolls Online to triple your intake of gold and crafting materials compared to just one character.
Replay Old Content from Lower Levels
Once your main reaches max level, early game zones become ghost towns and trivial to play. An alt allows you to replay zones you out-leveled for a nostalgic trip and better appreciation of lore and exploration.
Participate in More Group Roles
Group content like dungeons and raids rely on the holy trinity of roles: Tank, Healer, DPS. Having alts covering each role gives you flexibility to fill whatever‘s needed without relying on others.
Conquer Boredom through Variety
A single main can lead to burnout after the honeymoon phase wears off. Having an alt mix up your gameplay keeps things feeling fresh and engaging in the long run.
Take Advantage of Time-Gated Unlocks
MMORPGs often limit certain rewards to once per week/day. An alt effectively doubles your unlock potential e.g. raid lockouts.
Avoid Character Name Regrets
Ever wish you could redo your main‘s name or appearance? An alt grants you that do-over along with other roleplaying opportunities.
Experience Both Factions (in Faction-Based MMOs)
For games with factions like Alliance and Horde (WoW), Empire and Covenant (ESO), alts let you see the narrative and quests from both perspectives.
Popularity of Alts in Major MMORPGs
Just how popular are alts across top MMORPGs? While hard statistics are sparse, player surveys help provide an idea:
| Game | % of Players With Alts |
|---|---|
| World of Warcraft | 70-80% |
| Final Fantasy XIV | 50-60% |
| Elder Scrolls Online | 60-70% |
| Guild Wars 2 | 40-50% |
As these surveys show, alt usage is extremely prevalent across the MMO genre, especially in more traditional themepark MMORPGs like WoW. The ability to have multiple classes on one account makes alts readily accessible.
Next, let‘s break down the common archetypes of alts that players utilize.
Major Types of Alts
Not all alts are created equal. Some common specialized alt types include:
Gathering Alt – Focused on leveling crafting, harvesting materials, auction house arbitrage.
Class Alt – An alt for each class you want to play (ex: one of each class in WoW).
Auction Alt – Stationed at the auction house to manage your sales and purchases.
Leveling Alt – Your recreational leveling project when not playing main.
PvP Alt – Focused on optimized PvP gear and competes in arenas/battlegrounds.
Raid Alt – Outfitted in top PvE gear and joins main on raid nights.
Twink Alt – Min-maxed character kept at a specific level bracket to dominate PvP with the best gear at that level.
Bank Alt – Stores items and gold to expand limited inventory space of your main.
Faction Alt – Experiences the storylines and quests of the opposing factions.
Best Practices for Developing Your Alts
Approaching alts haphazardly can quickly lead to burnout. You want to be intentional in cultivating alts that enrich your gameplay as a complement to your main. Here are some best practices I‘ve refined over the years:
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Start with one or two alts maximum – Resist the urge to create a fullstable. Add more later once you evaluate needs.
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Have a clear purpose in mind – Give each alt a specific specialty like gathering, PvP, etc. Don‘t drift aimlessly.
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Use alts for time-gated tasks – Utilize their daily/weekly task limits for progression.
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Funnel goods back to main – Don‘t let alts hoard resources, transfer back to your main.
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Park alts in major cities – Easy to access at prime locations vs. remote areas.
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Keep leveling casual – Avoid over-investment where they feel like a second main.
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Have equipment sharing plans – Mail heirloom gear or utilize account-wide transmogs.
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Use signature names per alt – Like [MainName]Bank or [MainName]PvP – makes organizing easier.
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Make alt opposite faction – Creates two economic perspectives.
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Manage alt professions wisely – Research synergies with your main‘s professions.
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Schedule and segment alt play – Ex: Raid main Wednesday, crafting alt Thursday, etc.
Think of alts like spices used to enhance your main dish rather than as wholly separate meals requiring equal attention.
Major Dos and Don‘ts of Alt Usage
There are some critical dos and don‘ts to keep in mind regarding alt usage:
DO maintain clear separation from your main progression paths. Alts should not undermine or devalue your main.
DO use alts to experience fresh content and break up gameplay monotony.
DON‘T have more alts than you can juggle and maintain. Alts spreading your focus too thin lead to burnout. Limit initially.
DON‘T devote equal time to alts compared to main. Think 20% alt, 80% main as a general rule of thumb.
DO take advantage of time-gated activities like daily quests and weekly events.
DON‘T use alts explicitly for player economy manipulation or unfair advantages over others.
DO funnel extra materials, currencies and items from alts back to your main prudently. Just don‘t undermine progression.
DON‘T over-optimize alts where they invalidate your main‘s accomplishments. Keep power levels reasonable.
DO create alts expressly to experience content from the opposite faction/perspective when applicable.
Following these dos and don‘ts will ensure you maximize the versatility of alts without losing focus on your main aspirations.
Evolution of Alts and Twinking Over Time
The prominence and perception of alts has evolved significantly throughout MMORPG history. Let‘s reflect on some key moments:
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Early MMORPGs like EverQuest took weeks to reach max level, so alts were rare. Focus was on your sole main.
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World of Warcraft popularized alts via easier leveling, classes on one account, rested XP, and heirlooms. Alts surged in popularity.
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Twinking (overpowering low level alts) dominated early WoW PvP and led to changes increasing minimum level requirements for gear.
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Heirloom gear was introduced to aid alts while preventing overpowered twinking at lower levels in WoW.
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Endgame-focused design in modern MMORPGs ignited new alt uses like time-gated lockout splitting between mains vs alts.
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Level boosts & character transfers provided by games themselves monetize and enable easier alt creation and management.
The alt landscape continues evolving across various games, but they remain deeply ingrained in the MMORPG genre.
Key Takeaways on Alts
Let‘s recap the core insights on utilizing alts as an MMORPG expert:
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Alts provide key versatility: playing new classes, gathering more resources, re-experiencing old content, specializing in roles, and much more.
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Used prudently, alts can increase enjoyment and block burnout. But taken too far they risk detracting from main progression.
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Approach alts intentionally, not aimlessly. Give them specific purposes and manage the balance with your main.
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The most popular MMORPGs see alt usage from 40% to as high as 70-80% of players.
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Twinking alts has diminished over time, but min-maxing alts for distinct roles remains popular endgame.
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Evolution in mechanics like heirlooms, boosts, time-gating, and accessibility have increased prevalence of alts over time.
I hope this deep dive demystifies alts and provides strategies to maximize their strategic use as you adventure across the virtual worlds of MMORPGs. Game on friends!
Sincerely,
Terry – MMORPG Expert
