What are the actual roadblocks with alts in FFXIV?

[Catwho]

For those deep in the alt game, well, with all due respect, you're crazy, but I'd still like to pick your brain because... as a 30-character altoholic in WoW (where alts are not as... "logistically disrespected" as they are in FFXIV, but WoW could still do better), I think I might try... just one. Is there some great attractive draw that's going to dump me down a crazy rabbit hole of more and more alts? What are the actual barriers I should be wary of? What are the ones that are not as bad as I might think?

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies!

I have role play alts, mostly for when I'm in the mood to do something different. So my perspective is coming from that, not from having a battle alt.

* You have to do the seasonal events on all alts. XIV doesn't have a lot of FOMO but this is the one place it kicks in.
* Alts that are on different servers are broke unless you have someone you know who can lend you money
* You will be missing almost all your hard earned glams, titles, and mounts
* Cross server communication is rudimentary and cross data center communication is impossible, so you're cut off from your guild/free company unless your alt is in a cross world linkshell with them. There is no cross data center linkshell yet, although we're getting travel soon.
* The only means of sending stuff to the alts is through a third party, or your free company chest access. Alts cannot share a home, and you cannot befriend them. (There was a hack that let us do it for a while, but it got patched.)

There IS an advantage to doing the story over and over again, if you're a lore hound. There are so many little details in the game that take on more meaning with each replay. Things I either missed the first time (or two or three times) or that didn't make sense until later. Like Arenvald being a new recruit to the Scions when you're still level 49 and having just lost two comrades during the post Titan mess.

There IS an advantage to having a character leveled up on multiple data centers. You can hang out with different friend groups - pop on and do some maps with your college buddies on one data center, then shift to a different character on a different data center to hang out with newer friends.

[PoeTato]

I want to make an alt so I can gear a second class at the same time as my main (I’m a healer main but sometimes I just want to dps). Unfortunately, character creation is still closed on Aether, so I won’t be able to play in my home datacenter. Hoping I’ll get to do it before the second raid tier releases.

[MememaiXIV]

I came from a decade of on and off activity in World of Warcraft, where I have about 30 characters within 10 levels of the cap, and it is the height of understatement to say that I looked at how FFXIV handles alts and said "hmm... guess they really don't want you rolling alts here." I've now been subbed for over a year, my singular FFXIV character is a "one man altoholic" and... I still have that opinion for the most part

I get it as an incentivization to buy storage on your singular character, I get it as a social conditioning to "be good on your avatar, making a new one is a pain," and from all those angles, this game still comes off as not just alt-unfriendly, but straight up intentionally alt-averse.

But man... those forthcoming trusts in the MSQ are tempting me.

I guess the question I'm asking in this thread is what are the barriers that people make a bigger deal out of than they actually are for rolling alternate characters, and what are the actual pain in the ass barriers that many people don't realize? I can think of a lot when I think of reasons not to bother with alts: Not sharing resources is a big one (I don't expect to pass gil or items around via an FC bank, I'm very much a loner, thus my excitement for trusts), starting all over again with unlocking all the features is another.

For those deep in the alt game, well, with all due respect, you're crazy, but I'd still like to pick your brain because... as a 30-character altoholic in WoW (where alts are not as... "logistically disrespected" as they are in FFXIV, but WoW could still do better), I think I might try... just one. Is there some great attractive draw that's going to dump me down a crazy rabbit hole of more and more alts? What are the actual barriers I should be wary of? What are the ones that are not as bad as I might think?

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies!

Well firstly there'll be no rabbit hole as you can only have 8 characters without paying more.

I have 2 characters, I intend to make a 3rd so someone can start in each ARR city state.
You could buy tales of adventure to skip to where your other character is, but personally I found it fun to replay earlier parts of the game with more knowledge & thus do it better.

One thing I want to say: I made my alt because my irl friend stopped playing for a bit & I wanted to play without my character getting ahead of his in msq. Therefore, I made my alt (now more advanced than my main lol) as opposite as I could. So, originally WHM Lala new character BLM Viera.
Thing is, I got as far as level 47 & decided I didn't like DPS & wanted to go back to Healer.
It's so well-designed to change class in this game, one of the reasons I love it.
Just levequest until you're high enough for dungeons, & use duty finder to gain exp.
'Alt' is now level 47 BLM & level 56 WHM & I've enjoyed every task.

Wanna make another character? Enjoy!

[deadman1204]

There is a missunderstanding of the game for most people who think about alts. You can be every class on the same character, so the ONLY reason to make an alt is if you want to relevel a class you already have

[Iscah]

There is a missunderstanding of the game for most people who think about alts. You can be every class on the same character, so the ONLY reason to make an alt is if you want to relevel a class you already have

What misunderstanding are you talking about, and have you actually read the discussion so far?

Roleplay, raiding, story replay, Fantasia alternative, setting up a character on another data centre... those are all valid uses for alts. There is no "only reason".

[Anienai]

4 characters total with 2 80 G/C and working on a third.

I like playing the game.

[SailorCeti]

I came from a decade of on and off activity in World of Warcraft, where I have about 30 characters within 10 levels of the cap, and it is the height of understatement to say that I looked at how FFXIV handles alts and said "hmm... guess they really don't want you rolling alts here." I've now been subbed for over a year, my singular FFXIV character is a "one man altoholic" and... I still have that opinion for the most part

I get it as an incentivization to buy storage on your singular character, I get it as a social conditioning to "be good on your avatar, making a new one is a pain," and from all those angles, this game still comes off as not just alt-unfriendly, but straight up intentionally alt-averse.

But man... those forthcoming trusts in the MSQ are tempting me.

I guess the question I'm asking in this thread is what are the barriers that people make a bigger deal out of than they actually are for rolling alternate characters, and what are the actual pain in the ass barriers that many people don't realize? I can think of a lot when I think of reasons not to bother with alts: Not sharing resources is a big one (I don't expect to pass gil or items around via an FC bank, I'm very much a loner, thus my excitement for trusts), starting all over again with unlocking all the features is another.

For those deep in the alt game, well, with all due respect, you're crazy, but I'd still like to pick your brain because... as a 30-character altoholic in WoW (where alts are not as... "logistically disrespected" as they are in FFXIV, but WoW could still do better), I think I might try... just one. Is there some great attractive draw that's going to dump me down a crazy rabbit hole of more and more alts? What are the actual barriers I should be wary of? What are the ones that are not as bad as I might think?

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies!

I don't think there ARE any roadblocks. I like alts because I think in character concepts. So for my Summoner, I had an idea of what I wanted it to look like. Then for my Reaper, I had another image in mind. Finally, my Bard has it's own concept. Since using a fantasia would change things in that regard, I went with alts. In doing so, I have the full MSQ and side quests at my disposal. So, really, there are no roadblocks other than people who erroneously insist that you do all jobs on one character.

[kaynide]

Just wanted to add, if people were wondering what up with Alts (kind of an all-inclusive summary). Aside from the obvious "different character/style/rp opportunities".

Sorry, some is repeated info:

1) If you pay 6 months at a time, you can have 8 alts on the same world for the same price as the entry level sub.
2) With alts, you have access to retainers for each additional character. So, at minimum, 16 retainers.
3) You can easily level an alt quickly by blitzing the MSQ; alternatively, you can level fisher very quickly via Ocean Fishing.
4) Fisher is by far the easiest way to have a productive max level retainers doing daily 18 hour missions. You only need to do a dungeon once a week or so for loot to trade in for seals to buy the ventures. (From about Gubal Libary solo-unsync'd onwards, you can get enough seals to fund your retainers in one run)
5) You can have additional FC rooms with alts.
6) You can choose not to unlock certain content (such as most of the 18 man raids or some optional dungeons you don't really like)
7) There are various weekly things you can take advantage of multiple times (like Doma's free money, or the challenge log)
8) You will need to utilize a grand company chest or friend to move items... it sucks but it's not that bad.

Roadblocks, of course
1) Actually spending time doing the MSQ (though this is an excellent source of XP!)
2) Raising your GC Rank (takes forever until you can trade in gear; somewhat faster if you run roulettes as an adventurer in need)
3) Lots of unlocking...aether currents, etc.

Even with the roadblocks, as a person with 4 characters through ARR and two 80+, it's not that bad. Especially if you want to have a dedicated "mage" character and an entirely different "warrior" type.

[MememaiXIV]

What misunderstanding are you talking about, and have you actually read the discussion so far?

Roleplay, raiding, story replay, Fantasia alternative, setting up a character on another data centre... those are all valid uses for alts. There is no "only reason".

Or, the people you are playing with are taking a break & you don't want to, or you want to experience early MSQ from the POV of all three ARR city states.
Probably more reasons, but those were my personal ones