Feeling punished for having alts...

[Saefinn]

As an RPer, I'd definitely like to see more stuff that shares between your characters and we tend to be more inclined to have alts, because we might write multiple characters. Whilst I get people's arguments that the beauty of FFXIV is that you can level everything on a single character, which is definitely great and this is something it has over the majority of other MMO's.

I think it only needs to be simple things for a little extra QoL for those with altitis. Like how they've put the Amaro mount behind levelling every single job to 80. I have my jobs spread out across 3 characters, if I wanted to achieve that I'd be levelling more than 1 job twice. So I've decided to not bother trying to get it.

Not that I'm saying I should be entitled because I've chosen to level multiple characters, but I see argument for doing it, because I don't see harm in it and it'd put a bit more of a level playing field between those who stick to one character and those who level alts.

At least I'd be more inclined to support:
- Shared achievements.
- Shared commendations (as arguably they're for the player, not the character, the distinction makes more sense given mentorship is tied behind it)
- Shared accommodation
- The ability to mail yourself or some kind of shared storage that doesn't involve an FC chest (I'm an FC leader, I can get away with it, at least)
- The ability to share spiritbound gear.

[Shurrikhan]

- The ability to mail yourself or some kind of shared storage that doesn't involve an FC chest (I'm an FC leader, I can get away with it, at least)
- The ability to share spiritbound gear.

Neither of these will happen so long as there's profit to be made from selling bank space via retainers.

[Saefinn]

Neither of these will happen so long as there's profit to be made from selling bank space via retainers.

Hmm, I suppose a fair point because I guess they don't want people turning their alts into mules. It was fine in FFXI when you had to pay for extra characters (because this is precisely what I did).

But where it puts me at a disadvantage and I guess others who level alts is that I've horded plenty of useful gear, furniture and mats on one character that'd be useful to another. I pay for 6 retainers too because I am such a hoarder...I mean, I still have the company chest of my own free company to bypass this (but nobody below officer level in my FC can do this), so I can still get around this or employ the use of a friend to trade stuff between characters, but I think it'd be much less awkward if they let us cut out the middle man.

[Iscah]

Neither of these will happen so long as there's profit to be made from selling bank space via retainers.

If that's the reason for not allowing sharing, I'd like to see a system (if it's possible) that lets you send items to alts at a deliberately-cripplingly-slow pace. One per week? One per month? Enough to get the really critical things passed over, but not enough to use them as storage.

[Raven2014]

The OP is actually quite accurate in using the word "punished".

To people who said "because the game ain't designed that way" you miss the point. While the structure of the game make it content more 'accessible' on one character I don't think it's equivalent to "encouraging people to play on one char", much less "discouraging playing alt". To be frank, if it wasn't for the ability to make more character, I would not use a standard sub at all. The default sub give you 8 character slots at a higher price, so saying the system isn't "designed" for it doesn't really fly. Also to be able to play different class is just one of the many reasons people have alt. Glamour, race, weekly allowance ...etc... which are all possible here, so again, "not designed for it" doesn't fly.


But the strongest argument here is you don't even have to look for specific "alt support" and argue it's not meant to be. There are things that are lacking not because the game is not capable, but because the dev specifically went out of their way to prohibit you to do so. The most commonly requested and arguably most severe hindrance to having alt in this game is the lack of ability to transfer item between alt. For those of you who either are new here or weren't present when it was possible, it's actually possible to mail stuffs between your alt. The mailing restriction is due to you can only mail people on your friend-list, and since 2.0 there have been instance here and there where players found ways to friend their alt, and thus allowing them mailing stuffs back and forth. And each and every single of those time, SE patch out the method in short order.

As for the reason why you can't just friend your own alt? Last time I check I think they used " 'cause it encourage boting" as the excuse. Well, I let you be your own judge on how flimsy that excuse is, considering bot has no problem transferring stuff with their exclusive bot-FCs anyway.


So yes, given the fact that it's a high-demand yet extremely basic QoL feature for alt as well as already being already possible in the game (since 2.0), the fact the dev went out of their way from keepign you doing so indeed is a punishment. Again, that maybe a strong word, but it is also accurate.

[Merryl]

I would probably have more alts if I could share gil, housing, and be able to keep my progress in story. Seriously nobody wants to do these side quests ever again..ever never...

[Shurrikhan]

If that's the reason for not allowing sharing, I'd like to see a system (if it's possible) that lets you send items to alts at a deliberately-cripplingly-slow pace. One per week? One per month? Enough to get the really critical things passed over, but not enough to use them as storage.

That might do it. Gimmicky, so there will probably somehow be even more complaints than when mailing to self (alts) was just not a thing, but something like that might work.

Or, heck, maybe they'd have to be spirit-bound to be sent at all, as not to be used for material storage or (effectively) gil-transfer, and must be usable by the alt to be taken out of the mailbox, at which point we could slightly increase the cap. I'm not sure.

Simply put, there probably exists some limitation that would allow for some QoL usage of alts without stepping on the toes of retainer purchases, but it will probably be severe and, again, seemingly gimmicky.

[FoxyAreku]

Literally the only thing I want is for alt characters to be auto-added to my main's friendslist.

If they did this I could mail them and add them to my house.

There used to be a method that let you do this but they actually patched it, that sucked. At least I still have my alt on my friendslist from when it worked.

[Nabril]

Lots of us have alts. Things outlined in the OP are pretty reasonable. This can all be done on one character line doesn't float. You can't use multiple races on one character so if you want to play multiples you need alts. You also pay extra for additional characters with your monthly sub.

These are very reasonable requests in my opinion and they do exist in other mmo's but not this one.

No easy way to skip the main story.
No shared bank.
No shared achievements.
No shared seasonal and event items.
No shared housing.

Skipping main story is easy. Buy a skip like you would on World of Warcraft.
Want to share all that stuff? Use your main to play all the jobs you're interested in. I only have one character and I recently got my 15th class to 70+ All my 15 classes share inventory, achievements, mounts, minions, banks, housing, retainers, seasonal event items, and GC rank. I don't feel punished at all.

[JWag12787]

So yes, given the fact that it's a high-demand yet extremely basic QoL feature for alt as well as already being already possible in the game (since 2.0), the fact the dev went out of their way from keepign you doing so indeed is a punishment. Again, that maybe a strong word, but it is also accurate.

I doubt they went out of their way to do so.
Very few MMOs progress the story, or allow you to do most of these things.
A few games have started to, and some allow you to do basic things like mail, etc
But playing alts on other games was more punishing, because you had to progress through quests and story on EVERY alt to play EVERY class, rather than a single class.


Is it punishing? Yes. Though I say no more than most MMOs (though, as I mentioned, most other MMOs are doing things to improve that QOL (SWTOR's legacy system, for example)