12 replies to this topic

[Earl White]

I ask because my friend is considering making several accounts to try out different mechs, this means he gets 8 million cbills per account (cadet bonus) as well as unlimited garage slots. Is this something we are allowed to do with impunity? Or are there some rules against it?

Edited by Earl White, 08 September 2013 - 08:47 AM.

[Vexidious]

No rules against it as far as I know. It will probably be a disadvantage once CW gets into the game, though.

[Rizzelbizzeg]

Totally legit, I have 3!

[DeadlyNerd]

The only reason why you wouldn't want to have multiple accounts is GXP, so you either pay for premium and mech bays and grind or pay for GXP on each account.

[Shakespeare]

Not as long as you can't share mechs, C-bills, equipment, etc.

Cowardly, yes! But exploitative, no.

I do believe that it's against the TC to use that account for troll purposes, the consequences of which can bleed back onto the 'real' account, if proven.

Now, if/once it's possible to make trades between accounts, it could become an issue.

[DeadlyNerd]

Shakespeare, on 09 September 2013 - 12:48 PM, said:

Not as long as you can't share mechs, C-bills, equipment, etc.

Cowardly, yes! But exploitative, no.

Actually, once you get your 3 mechs kitted out the way you want em to be, there's really no need for extra equipment.

[Scromboid]

Shakespeare, on 09 September 2013 - 12:48 PM, said:

Not as long as you can't share mechs, C-bills, equipment, etc.

Cowardly, yes! But exploitative, no.

I do believe that it's against the TC to use that account for troll purposes, the consequences of which can bleed back onto the 'real' account, if proven.

Now, if/once it's possible to make trades between accounts, it could become an issue.

Why is it cowardly?

[Bhael Fire]

As long as accounts remain isolated and sharing in-game items is prohibited, there's no way to exploit it.

[Earl White]

Bhael Fire, on 10 September 2013 - 10:14 AM, said:

As long as accounts remain isolated and sharing in-game items is prohibited, there's no way to exploit it.

Depends what you consider an exploit, I have played other online games where lesser things have been banworthy. It seems a bit odd, because if they allow it, it effectively loses them money (never have to buy garage slots, free 8 million c-bills per account, essentially a free chassis with every account you make/a lot of grinding time saved).

[Almond Brown]

Earl White, on 10 September 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

Depends what you consider an exploit, I have played other online games where lesser things have been banworthy. It seems a bit odd, because if they allow it, it effectively loses them money (never have to buy garage slots, free 8 million c-bills per account, essentially a free chassis with every account you make/a lot of grinding time saved).

Just means that player never intended to pay RL monies anyways. A fresh account and 8 million C-Bills doesn't go far with just 4 MechBays, three of which are need to Elite a Chassis. Do the Math. Every new Mech needs Endo, and DHS's and or and XL engine. The larger chassis cost large sums of C-bills, and as noted, you only get 4 MechBays free.

One would have to be a true cheapskate to go that route when for $10-15 you can get more Bays and have MC left over to convert that useless GXP you accumulate on each new account. But each to their own right? Without cross pollination, now worries about exploiting it.

[Agent 0 Fortune]

From a previous post I was analyzing the Cadet bonus and its impact on new players (who later get dumped into the shark tank)

Is the 8 million bonus Cadet earnings enough? Below is a realist sample of some popular builds I have seen. Most are more than an average Atlas, and that doesn’t include module costs.

9,000,000 Spider SRD-5D (Lg Las + 2xMd Las + 255 XL)
__base cost: 2,533,540 (+DHS +Endo + FF + weapons + XL Eng)

10,500,000 Jenner JR7-F (6xMd Las + 300 XL Eng)
__base cost: 3,010,018 (+DHS +Endo + XL eng)

6,000,000 Hunchback HBK-4G (AC20 + 3Md Las + 200 Std Eng)
__base cost: 3,694,490 (+DHS + Endo)

9,000,000 Centurion CN9-A (2xMd Las + 3xSRM4(a) +5xAmmo(a) + 275 Std Eng)
__base cost: 3,697,080 (+DHS + Artemis + std eng + Endo + artemis ammo)

12,000,000 Jagermech JM6-DD (3xUAC5 + 7t ammo + 2 Md Las + 260 XL Eng)
__base cost: 8,513,253 (+DHS + Endo + weapons + ammo)

14,000,000 Catapult CPLT-C1 with 2xLRM15(a) + 3xMd Las + TAG + 6ammo(a) + 300 XL Eng)
__base cost: 5,804,127 (+DHS + Endo + XL eng + Artemis + artemis ammo)

14,000,000 Cataphract CTF-3D with (2xUAC5 + 4Md Las + 280 Std Eng)
__base cost: 9,881,953 (upgrade +DHS +Endo +weapons + Std Eng)

13,000,000 Atlas AS7-D-DC (AC20 + 2xMd Las + 3xSRM6(a) + 300 Std Eng)
__base cost: 10,486,012 (+DHS + Artemis)

Edited by Agent 0 Fortune, 10 September 2013 - 11:34 AM.

[Dirus Nigh]

As others have said, in no way does having multiple accounts exploit the game. It will hinder your growth on your main account however. After all time in an alt account is time not being spent on your main one.

I also have an alt account. I made it shortly after the cadet bonuses were implemented. I did this to experince the game as a new player again. I felt that I was taking the game for granted and I might have lost perspective on being new. This way when I read a thread about new player concernse I can see where they are coming from. Well the grind part any way.

The only real thing alt accounts do is skew PGIs player count. When they say they have a bigger population than the forums are speculating, I wonder how much of that larger population is really made up of alt accounts.

Which makes me wonder, can PGI see if one person has multiple accounts? What percentage of the player base does have multiple accounts? Is it really large enough to effect a normal margin of error when counting active players?

[LauLiao]

The main problem is going to be with accruing GXP in order to unlock modules, although I suppose if you use completely different modules on each account it's not too bad, but having to unlock everything twice is a bit of a pain.