I think it’s important before I start to mention that I don’t do multiboxing, except for healing my nodes sometimes.
I completely understand the annoyance of some players on the fact that multiboxing can create an imbalance, especially on op wars or on bosses.
Despite this, I’m not quite sure implementing so fast such an unexpected decision is the right solution. One of your main arguments was the fact that now that there are more people online, you receive more complaints, and alts are no longer necessary for the game since there are enough players. But think about the fact that these people came back because of an exceptional context and most of them (let’s be honest with ourselves) will be gone within two or three months. Maybe waiting at least for things to all come back to normal would be a good idea?
Now let’s talk about losses. I sincerely think that they will be a lot more important if this decision is implemented than if things are changed, but not like that. I don’t know if you still care at this point, but since they are multiboxing, that’s 4 subscriptions per month that ryzom will lose, for each one of them. On the other hand, if you let them play with their alts but keep them from ruining other people’s game experience (banning alts from op/bosses), I don't think anyone hates them enough to still want to leave if they don’t annoy anyone anymore.
One of the other arguments that Ulukyn gave, is that using a team full of alts could ruin the interest of the storyline. But you can be sure that most of your ”famous multiboxers” don’t care at all about doing the storyline with their alts, and if they are interested in it, I think they will all be willing to team with other players.
I personally know one of these multiboxers, and I know that most of the time when he logs on, it’s just for the sake of training 4 toons at the same time, because he’s bored with just one or two. Taking that from them, knowing that honestly when they just train like that they don’t bother anyone, is just taking their whole interest in the game, since that’s what they enjoy on Ryzom. Making players who’ve been playing for more than 10 years and who play all year long because these days there are more complaints from people who play one month per year once every four years is quite unfair.
I am aware that you’ve said that they will keep their alts, but just won’t be able to play them all at the same time, but let’s be honest, that will just make them leave completely. That will just make them lose 10 years of time and money investment.
Another argument would be roleplay. Most of the players who complain about multiboxing practice roleplay, but you can’t force everyone to do the same. Personally I enjoy a bit of roleplay sometimes, but when I do some, I can easily understand that some people don’t like it (it takes some time, and it’s an activity that anyone could not like). So if someone decides to train alone with his 3 alts, I don’t see how it can bother anyone.
Finally, you keep saying that multiboxing keeps people from socializing with others to collaborate for tasks or quests. Added to the fact that I completely disagree because wanting to be independant to train doesn’t keep anyone from talking with others or enjoying a nice hunt with friends, if they prefer playing on their own with their alts, I don’t see the problem, as long as they don’t ruin anyone’s game experience (on bosses or op wars for example).
Despite all this, I completely agree with the ones saying that it has created an imbalance on outposts especially. I really understand how people can be annoyed when they see a team full of alts soloing a boss, or winning a war thanks to them. In that case, could we not just leave the limit to four, but make the rules more strict by banning alts from outposts or bosses for example, and wait at least a few weeks after everyone is back to work before taking such an important decision without exchanging more with the players?
Banning alts from outposts for example don’t seem too complicated, since if they are fighting on the outpost, just one screenshot/video and *poof*, banned (seems a lot easier to prove than the use of a third party software).
Sorry for the loooong post, but too many arguments seemed a bit too easy.
I completely understand the annoyance of some players on the fact that multiboxing can create an imbalance, especially on op wars or on bosses.
Despite this, I’m not quite sure implementing so fast such an unexpected decision is the right solution. One of your main arguments was the fact that now that there are more people online, you receive more complaints, and alts are no longer necessary for the game since there are enough players. But think about the fact that these people came back because of an exceptional context and most of them (let’s be honest with ourselves) will be gone within two or three months. Maybe waiting at least for things to all come back to normal would be a good idea?
Now let’s talk about losses. I sincerely think that they will be a lot more important if this decision is implemented than if things are changed, but not like that. I don’t know if you still care at this point, but since they are multiboxing, that’s 4 subscriptions per month that ryzom will lose, for each one of them. On the other hand, if you let them play with their alts but keep them from ruining other people’s game experience (banning alts from op/bosses), I don't think anyone hates them enough to still want to leave if they don’t annoy anyone anymore.
One of the other arguments that Ulukyn gave, is that using a team full of alts could ruin the interest of the storyline. But you can be sure that most of your ”famous multiboxers” don’t care at all about doing the storyline with their alts, and if they are interested in it, I think they will all be willing to team with other players.
I personally know one of these multiboxers, and I know that most of the time when he logs on, it’s just for the sake of training 4 toons at the same time, because he’s bored with just one or two. Taking that from them, knowing that honestly when they just train like that they don’t bother anyone, is just taking their whole interest in the game, since that’s what they enjoy on Ryzom. Making players who’ve been playing for more than 10 years and who play all year long because these days there are more complaints from people who play one month per year once every four years is quite unfair.
I am aware that you’ve said that they will keep their alts, but just won’t be able to play them all at the same time, but let’s be honest, that will just make them leave completely. That will just make them lose 10 years of time and money investment.
Another argument would be roleplay. Most of the players who complain about multiboxing practice roleplay, but you can’t force everyone to do the same. Personally I enjoy a bit of roleplay sometimes, but when I do some, I can easily understand that some people don’t like it (it takes some time, and it’s an activity that anyone could not like). So if someone decides to train alone with his 3 alts, I don’t see how it can bother anyone.
Finally, you keep saying that multiboxing keeps people from socializing with others to collaborate for tasks or quests. Added to the fact that I completely disagree because wanting to be independant to train doesn’t keep anyone from talking with others or enjoying a nice hunt with friends, if they prefer playing on their own with their alts, I don’t see the problem, as long as they don’t ruin anyone’s game experience (on bosses or op wars for example).
Despite all this, I completely agree with the ones saying that it has created an imbalance on outposts especially. I really understand how people can be annoyed when they see a team full of alts soloing a boss, or winning a war thanks to them. In that case, could we not just leave the limit to four, but make the rules more strict by banning alts from outposts or bosses for example, and wait at least a few weeks after everyone is back to work before taking such an important decision without exchanging more with the players?
Banning alts from outposts for example don’t seem too complicated, since if they are fighting on the outpost, just one screenshot/video and *poof*, banned (seems a lot easier to prove than the use of a third party software).
Sorry for the loooong post, but too many arguments seemed a bit too easy.