English

[EN]While I want to emphasize that I never criticized multiboxing, as long as it is inside the rules and CoC, I would like to remind (as an answer to Talkirc and Lilz) how the restrictions to at most 4 characters allowed to be played at a time arose.

The three former servers had different traditions and rules. As Mermaidia already mentioned, multiboxing beyond two characters playing together was forbidden and considered cheating on Aniro, even playing with two characters was frowned upon by many, to the extent that some believed it were forbidden as well (that, in fact was not the case, even on Aniro).

On Leanon, playing two characters together had become commonplace, and prove useful under conditions of a considerably small community (Leanon had the smallest player community of the three servers). Playing with more than two players at a time was uncommon, though (except a third "rescue character" parked close to delicate locations), and excessive use of large packs of multiboxed characters, as observed on Arispotle, was considered abusive and very seldom (I recall that extended alt use during OP wars led to complaints of cheating).

On Arispotle, indeed, a couple of players seem to have played multiboxed crowds of characters. I do not know how the former Arispotle community as a whole thought about, yet I caught some grumblling vibrations from some players as well. But in general, it does not seem to have been considered a big deal.

To put that straight: It is undeniable that playing a multiplicity of clients in a multiwindowed environment is possible, and not even overly hard, without usage of any illicit utilities. The focus follows mouse behavior is a common option in all Unix style X-Windows graphical user interfaces, and may be configured under MS Windows and Mac OS as well. The rest is macro configuration, and fanning over a set of windows while pressing a key (ideally always the same) multiple times. I once tried it, as a proof of concept, and did not find it difficult (in my eyes, it is boring, and killing athmosphere and roleplay, but this is a different question and left to anybody's taste and decision).

All that became a real problem after the fusion. Then, the three communities with their very different attitudes towards multiboxing, and a number of other differing customary habits were lumped together which erupted in a considerable number of conflicts which are still not all reconciled.

This situation was worsened by the scarcity of valuable harvested and looted items, excellent and supreme raw materials in particular, after the fusion. Before, practically all guildhalls and other storage of most guilds and long term players were overcrowded with valuables of any kind, larger guilds had up to ten additional storage GH, even normal players had several of them on auxiliary characters. After the fusion, with considerably more players than ever in the three or four years before, and with empty storage everywhere, gaining better materials became a highly contested occupation. Running around with a full team of multiboxed alts appeared not only as cheating, but as theft in addition, hence the fevered complaints, especially by players who saw such behaviour the first time.

The decision by the CSR team I already cited was a wise compromise, as I assume, found only after intense discussions. Inaction, as Talkirc proposes, might have lead to the mass exodus of tens of active and dedicated players, mainly from the french community, and lasting strife and conflicts. And imperfect as it might have been, I fail to see a reasonable alternative to this decision.

Nowadays, the situation is ways more relaxed. I am therefore against any accusation or harassment against those choosing to play with multiple characters. Those who do should be aware, though, that their style is not liked by everybody.