Breakfast Topic: Multiple accounts
by Eliah Hecht 
Mar 9th 2007 at 8:00AM
"Breakfats" writes in with the following idea for a breakfast topic:not sure, if this has been covered, but "multiple accounts" could be an interesting topic or even series.
This allows AH buybacks, AH price driving, fast trades between a main and his bank alts, "solo" power-levelling with 2 PC's or 2 windows, Horde and Alliance chars on the same server, advertising in trade while running instances on the other char...and so on.
And I agreed that it was a pretty good idea for discussion, so let's have at it. In addition to the uses he mentions, of course, there's also multi-boxing properly considered, as spectacularly practiced by Xzin (still one of my favorite posts on this blog) -- playing more than one character at a time for fun and profit. Do any of you own multiple accounts? If so, what do you do with them?
Filed under: Virtual selves, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Toolio Mar 9th 2007 8:20AM
I have 2 accts, and recently transfered my horde toons to the same server as allys. This way I can typically find the location of any player, and if I'm being ganked or camped (only in dire situations) I can use my alts to pst the shitheads having fun at my expense.
Tug Mar 9th 2007 8:55AM
I have two accounts, one for me and one for my stepson. We have a lot of fun playing together, and it's nice to be able to talk to another person without using TS or Vent.
BTW, I liked the Xzin post as well.
Moloch Mar 9th 2007 8:28AM
I was pondering the idea of guild accounts. Accounts with classes the guild needs but don't have or are tired of playing. The guild chips in to level the characters and anyone can login and play the character when needed.
For example, I haven't leveled a healer and would love to be able to relieve the burned out healers in my guild. This would allow me to play a healer when one isn't available.
You could create farming toons that just sit in one location and someone can login and farm for 30 minutes.
Lenny Mar 9th 2007 8:36AM
I have thought about having multiple accounts for doing different things while I'm in game because I do experience a lot of downtime where I need to be on my main but would rather be in a city with an alt. But I don't play enough where it would make economic sense. Paying $12 for fun is good, but $24 a month just sounds like work to make that extra $12 not be wasted.
jess Mar 9th 2007 8:40AM
I talked to a girl on wow ladies whose parter hated grouping for instances so much he quadboxed four accounts so they could do five man instances together. I don't know if they kept it up for outlands though.
Zuuler Mar 9th 2007 9:07AM
I always figured if I could get my fiancee into the game that I would someday set up her own account for her. But as of yet, this hasn't happened. And probably won't.
Anyone have any good ideas on how to 'trick' someone into becoming a wow addict? lol.
FireStar Mar 9th 2007 9:10AM
@2. in order to have this kind of setup, it's going to be pretty important that the people that play the class at the high level had a big part in levelling it, as to not fully understand a class means death. I have a character in every class besides warlock, and that has really helped me to understand the classes capabilities in pve and especially pvp. You only see so many obvious things in pvp and pve and some skills you don't really notice unless you play the character. just keep it in mind.
figure Mar 9th 2007 9:16AM
If you have 2 acounts, you can also play them on a single pc via alt+tab.
Ben Mar 9th 2007 9:15AM
If I could afford it I'd do it.
There are a lot of things I'd do if I could afford them.
vincenzo7 Mar 9th 2007 9:27AM
I have 2 accounts. I power level, have one in the AH while my main is in an instance. Downtime during an instance means leveling a profession on another. I also play my 70 warrior main and 62 hunter at the same time when doing a guild run of Ramparts or Blood Furnace. I tank with one hand and range dps with the other. You really have to be pro to do it though.
This isnt anything new though, 8.5 millions subscribers, so there's plenty of people with multiple accounts and those who play more than one account at the same time.
SirCasey Mar 9th 2007 9:24AM
My wife and I play together in the same room. Makes for a lot of fun, never really have to worry about being overwhelmed by mobs, almost never die. We have about 5 sets of pairs that are the same level to run around so we can get a feel for the classes.
We have different professions so we always have somewhere to send 'x' to, never lack for materials.
Also makes Horde to Alliance transfers easy.
I'm so lucky! I love my wife :)
(P.S. You know you're the luckiest WoW-playing man alive when at a dinner party with friends your wife says she wants to pull out the laptop "to check the Auction House")
Shawn Mar 9th 2007 9:36AM
I created a guild for my alts and I and two accounts let's me invite and manage my guild of one.
stapleboy Mar 9th 2007 9:43AM
Double-boxing seems ok (it's your money) in theory but is almost always used by utter jackasses. Nothing like having to /ignore some griefer's Horde alt who won't shut up about how leet his PvP ranks are on toons from both factions. Yeah dude, you pay twice as much as me to camp grays in your Field Marshal Gear. You are mega cool.
As for Xzin and copycats... I'm impressed that he set up a system that allows control over 5 characters at once. There's a lot to consider and it's cool that somebody made it work. I'm not so impressed that he proceeded to macro his way through the honor grind over the next several months, because that's just lame.
Sklar Mar 9th 2007 9:47AM
(sorry if this turns out to be a double-post -- noscript seems to be messing w/ the validation logic)
I've got 2 accounts, and my girlfriend has a 3rd. As lots of others have said, it's nice to group with someone and be able to chat with them in the same room.
My 2 accounts I use to 2-box - my main is a hunter, and the 2nd account has a priest, so the priest is usually on follow to the hunter, to buff, heal, and assist slightly w/ dps.
Back in EQ days, I 4-boxed a bard, druid, cleric, and wizard, and with my girlfriend's shadowknight we'd do Lost Dungeons of Norrath instances (the EQ equivalent of 5-mans).
But I'm too lazy to do 4 now :)
Kyle Mar 9th 2007 9:57AM
My gf and I each have an account, but sometimes when she doesn't feel like playing I'll open two instances of wow on my machine. Makes for easy trading between characters on your account.
Zotiko Mar 9th 2007 10:04AM
@#6
I got my wife to play WoW by first setting her up in Guild Wars. Since its a much simpler game and free every month she went nuts. Then when we switched to wow she was more than happy to make the move. Its just like a crack addict.... first one's free.
And, as a bonus, she plays priest!! I'm betting that not every wow player can have a hot blonde wife who will play healer, but hey I don't get any luck with 'in game' /roll's. ;D
Good Luck! Gaming with a significant other ftw!
MyriOfThrall Mar 9th 2007 10:10AM
I own two accounts, one for me, one for my 4 children. They pay for their own account and they split their play time evenly among them. We don't, however, do very much trading or AH camping. I will make them items for their toons and vice versa, potions, etc. Only two of my kids play on my server, my sons are pretty independent and don't want Momma hanging around :)
We could however move up to a third account in the future, but as it is now, space for the 3rd machine is an issue.
Jacob_THG Mar 9th 2007 10:15AM
#6 Do what I did. Tell her she won't like it, it's too complicated. If she's at all prideful, she'll want to prove you wrong.
Now I'm like some others that have posted. My wife and I play on seperate accounts at desks across the room from each other. It's awesome.
Tigraine Mar 9th 2007 10:15AM
I do also have two accounts, but one is used by my girlfriend most of the time to play her character.
Whenever she is not online I log into both accounts and level my Priest/Warrior duo in Outland. Mainly the priest just follows the warrior and DoTs and heals.
For bank and AH checking I just use my normal characters, I don't really have that many alts that hang around the major cities, most of my toons hang out in hellfire peninsula or shattrath.
druid chick Mar 9th 2007 11:01AM
@6 I got tricked into being addicted to WoW by my boyfriend. Just tell her you can make "purses" and "dresses". That was the part that sold me on trying it, but then I fell in love with the whole experience.
Funny thing is I know more about the game than he does now and usually have to beg him to play.