Am I the only player with just one account?

[Bennan]

Multiple Accounts

I don't think I would play EQ if I didn't have acces to 2 computers myself. It makes a big difference in just about everything I do.

Its not a *must* to have 2 accounts (or more), but it does make things ALOT easier. Be it storing components, xp'ing, farming, traveling, foraging etc etc...

Its a luxury imo.

[Loralin]

I have 3 accounts (and no, I only run 2 characters at a time).

I have no idea how I would do tradeskills without access to a second account as my druid's bank is almost entirely taken up by no drop or guild items.

[Lilosh]

I have 3 accounts (and no, I only run 2 characters at a time).

I have no idea how I would do tradeskills without access to a second account as my druid's bank is almost entirely taken up by no drop or guild items.

This is what boggles my mind.


You are saying you COULD NOT do tradeskills if you were restricted to only 8 characters per server?


I'm sorry, but that makes ZERO sense to me.

-Lilosh

[Clementine]

I think having more than one account helps a great deal if you're a tradeskiller. My boyfriend and I each have our own account plus one that is not activated most of the time (so that's 3). Storing up baked/brewed items takes quite a bit of space, even with 10-slot containers :? I've created 2 mules on the 3rd account just to hold the various tradeskill items/junk, one is primarily for storing the baked goods meats I'll be making soon and the other is long term stock (meats I rarely find but keep, gems/things of value I've found on merchants, etc..), that account also holds my bazaar seller. Now it isn't to say you can't tradeskill with just one account, because you can, but you'd have to constantly juggle keeping your bank in order.

[Faymar]

There's a difference between "could not do" tradeskills and "could not imagine doing" tradeskills if limited to one account.

The number of characters per server is irrelevant, it is the additional slots on a single character (or, if you are very very sad like me, three characters).

I do not have the bank space to store my baking stuff (my own fault, I keep >everything&lt, save tailoring bits for tailoring friends, hold on to quest bits (I'm halfway through a million quests, bleah), keep "back-up" armour and make sure my nearest stock of peridots/invis potions/emeralds is never further than my own bank.

Now, that's the way I play. I'm a 63 (argh, no, 62 now, I forgot to rez myself last week, don't ask) cleric in a mid-level guild and I single-box when playing.

I dual-box when tradeskilling, where the second PC has a lvl 1 character holding everything to do with baking and hands me what I need. She has spices, sauces, random meats I picked up along the way (including a number of things for which there isn't a use yet), every cooking utensil I have ever heard of, Cobalt Scar bits, cheese, cream, etc. She's my pantry, that's what her function in life is. And this means that when I'm playing hard, I can throw bits at her to hold "for now" and when I want to relax, she's there with the lizard meat I happened to see at the vendor and the centi toes a friend has asked me to make into stew for him, and the 20 fish I'm preparing to make banquet food to give away, etc.

Now, obviously you don't play that way (you couldn't possibly, on a single characters space). Maybe you only save baking stuff and aren't holding onto various bits and pieces "in case they turn out to be useful." Maybe you always make the time to bake something on the spot when you get the drops. Maybe you play a druid and can always port to where you need to buy your ingredients as you need them.

I dunno, but it's simplya <i>different way of playing</i> as opposed to better or more organised or whatever. IRL, my grandmother would DIE if she saw the size of my (huge, american style) refrigerator. She could not conceive of ever using such a thing, let alone filling it. I'd go insane if I had to use the tiny little 3 shelf fridge she uses. Different strokes....

[Cendorly]

Between my husband and I, both of whom are avid tradeskillers (though I'm the obsessed beyond belief one ) we have 7 accounts. The avatars on these accounts range from permanent bazaar mules, to a druid and chanter mule, our mains, a tinkering mule, my baking/celestial/smithing/tailoring mule and of course, cleric and necro mule.

The advantage of having more then one account for doing tradeskills is beyond comprehension in terms of ease, efficiency, and convenience. However, tradeskills ARE possible with just one account - they are just not as convenient. (kind of like owning a car vs. not owning a car - you can still get around, it's just not as easy). Like others have said, I could not imagine doing tradeskills with one account, but, I imagine, if I "had" no other choice, it can be done.

As for the computer setup...My husband is a self-employed software developer/programmer who also builds and refurbishes computers for personal use. As a result, we have a rack-mounted system of an NT server in our house, along with 7 rack-mounted computers (ranging from 10 years old, and can barely run EQ) to my laptop (which runs EQ better then any of our other computers). Our individual computers are connected with KVM switches except for my laptop, which I put on a shelf on my desk. KVM switches are great for moving stuff between mules, and tradeskill work, but aren't that good for duel boxing while actually "playing" (i.e., grinding, etc) unless there is a way to put the "alt" in a safe spot where they don't need to be watched 100% of the time. When doing tradeskills, I find that I use my laptop more to have my alt out on, just for the ease of moving stuff while doing combines, like Misty Thicket Picnics.

As for the costs involved in multiple accounts/computers/etc., it all comes down to how much a person wants to invest in the hobby known as EQ. All hobbies (stamp and coin collecting, baseball cards, antique cars, etc.) have a pricetag with them. Most hobbies can be done at either end of the spectrum, cost wise. Stamp Collecting could be free, by picking up used stamps, and trading with other collectors, or it could be hundreds of thousands of dollars by going to various stamp shows, purchasing old and rare stamps, etc. The same with EQ, it can be done inexpensively (i.e., $12 per month plus computer which most people already have) or expensively with multiple accounts and computers. In the end, it all comes down to whatever works best for the individual.

My personal suggestion would be, IF you can afford to have a second computer/account, and plan on continuing to play EQ for at least another 6 months to a year, then by all means, get a second account. It's one of those things that will make you say "how did I ever get by without one". However, if you do not have the ability to have a second computer/account, then don't sweat it. EQ is still the same game whether you have one account, or 10, and Tradeskills are just as challenging, and fun regardless of the number of accounts you have.

[Engal Soulbender]

With verant recently making the big leap and adding a verant-made-EQW (eqw allows you to run EQ in a window to wich you can run more than one window ie; 2 diff accounts in 2 diff windows on the same pc) you wouldn't have to buy another pc, just another account to have mules with. I personally have 2 accounts and my husband has 1 of his own. I don't only use my characters for tradeskills, like some others my main is full of quest and no drop items. But I also have my tradeskills mule, bazaar mule, alt's that I play together in groups via 2 boxing. I'm a pack rat and cannot get rid of anything! But back to the point, since eqw is no longer "illegal" to use and verant is testing their own version on the test server...this may be the option you were looking for. You don't have to buy the expansions if your just wanting a mule, but you do have to pay another monthly fee for the second account.