Do you play alt characters, if so why?

[Kosmos992k]

I play alts because;

1. I can experience the story from each start point and Grand Company point of view.
2. There are certain characters that I like to recreate for fun.
3. I like my pretty dolls.

[Niwashi]

I started with three characters to see all the storylines, and because I like the visual variety. (The one that eventually became my main was actually my second character.) Though I don't actively RP, I do consider each of my characters to be real characters, so it would be too disruptive to ever fantasia them into being someone else. Alts are my way of playing as someone else (particularly as different races) once in a while.

I then added a couple more because I enjoyed creating them and replaying the early game.

And I added one a while back when the Aether data center was having stability issues and I decided I wanted an alt on Primal. But then I continued with it long after the issues that triggered me to create it were over. It's nice getting to play with a different social circle sometimes.

[Hakuro89]

Originally it was so I could cover all the crafting specialties without having to commission someone else to do it for ridiculous prices.

[Coratanni]

My main was my 3rd character created. I also wanted to see the story from the eyes of the 3 city states. I have 3 characters with level 60 classes and a 4th that is a 54 whm at ishgard, but I only play the one now as it's just so much work trying to get endgame for everyone. So instead I work on relics for Whiskers(i have every relic in the game at various stages)

[Soge01]

This is my first MMO, when I first started playing I didn't really know how many classes I could play so I made two. That and I wanted to play with two different looking Miqo'te.

[Xiomara]

I created an alt on an NA server because "the NA playerbase is bad in general" was a bit of a meme on the JP DC's, and I wanted to experience it for myself. But I soon abandoned it because the RMT & FC invite spam was really bad.

[Gumbercules]

for seasonal event rewards on different races :P

[Otaru]

I've always been a bit of an alt-holic in MMOs, namely because most out there only allow you to play one class per character, so if you wanted to play every class, you had to make more characters.

Though, even with XIV's "all jobs/crafters/gatherers on one character" bit, I always end up with new ideas for either character looks or names and not wanting to buy a name change/fantasia for it. Or I just mostly want to try out maining a job on one character before really working on it on my main (namely the tanks and healers).

I also make alts to avoid people. If I'm in the mood one day to not be bothered by friends and/or FCmates, then I have a character I can fall to until I'm out of that particular mood.

And the last reason I make alts: to re-experience the story, usually as a different job than I originally did it as.

[Sentaryuu]

I currently have 4 alts. I created mine because sometimes I wanted to play with a different look or different race and gender. However only 1 alt has reached 60 and is caught up with story. I have one female character for the purpose of fulfilling my desire to wear the female only gear without having to fantasia. And another reason is for when I get bored on main, I can just hop on an alt and play around on them and they are also all on different servers, most in same data center with one being on Chaos.

I have created others, but these are the only ones that stuck. The lowest being at around lv 30. My main is the only one who I do everything and collect things on however.

I don't think I will making any others for a long while. My hands are full with these 5 characters. Though I mostly stick to my main.