What is an "Altaholic"?
By
ArcticFahx,
Posted on: 2009-06-12 07:29 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
I'd say it's when your creation of new characters and tendency to switch between characters prevents you from developing an existing character to the point where you enjoy them.
...I forgot what experience means.
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I'd say it's when your creation of new characters and tendency to switch between characters prevents you from developing an existing character to the point where you enjoy them.
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And I'd argue that's wrong.
I'm most certainly an altaholic with 170-ish characters. But I've developed multiple characters, both in terms of getting them to higher levels (at least one of every hero AT at 50, most villain ATs with 1 at 50) and having bios, "personalities" to RP with them and such. And I certainly enjoy playing them overall, even without bios and such.
It's hard to say when you *become* an altaholic. I'd say when you start feeling like you need to find or make a spreadsheet or other list to keep track of where and what all the characters are, it's a good sign. It's a stronger sign when you realize the list can't keep up with you 
I don't understand this "alt" stuff. To have an "alt", wouldn't you need a "main" character?
I'm an altaholic. Spacenut is wrong. Altaholics enjoy ALL of their characters. I enjoy my level 16 tanker as much as I enjoy my level 50 blaster. All an altaholic is is someone who enjoys playing a variety of characters on an equal basis, rather than mainly sticking with one or two characters. I like all of the variety of the different characters because I enjoy engaging in different playstyles. I like controlling troops with my mastermind, I like laying waves of devastation upon entire spawns with my blaster, I like hanging in the back and supporting the team with my defender, I like summoning a variety of mobile mutant plants with my controller.... they all offer different playstyles, and I enjoy them all pretty much the same. I'll admit my blaster is my favorite, but it doesn't diminish the enjoyment I get from the others.
Arc ID#30821, A Clean Break
The only problem with defeating the Tsoo is that an hour later, you want to defeat them again!
"Life is just better boosted!" -- LadyMage
"I'm a big believer in Personal Force Field on a blaster. ... It's your happy place." -- Fulmens
I enjoy all my 256 characters, just some more than others and some more often than others but it sure does help avoid burnout when you can hop to the other side or a different level range or a different style of character.
It's almost (but not exactly) like each character is another version of the game.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
I have been playing this game for 5 years, well about a week shy actually.
1) I have no main. If you ask me who my main is, I honestly couldn't tell you.
2) I have unknown numbers of characters scattered across the servers.
3) In 5 years I've gotten only 2 heroes to 50, and am yet to get a villain that high. Though I've made a vow to concentrate on a villain. Except my new BS/Shield scrapper is so fun, and I I like the animation on my dual blades, and my wife needs somebody to play with her new little controller so I should really came up with somebody.......
4) I make up backgrounds and pencil and paper Champions stats for my characters, and enjoy that process almost as much as the game sometimes.
I am an altoholic
An altoholic is a creature who is slave to their inspiration.
No, not the skittle kind of Inspirations, I mean they are a slave to their own creativity and sense of "oooh.. now THAT would be cool!"
An altoholic is not content to run a single character from start to finish simply because at some point during the advancement process they start thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I ran a mutant plumber with a magically powered pipe wrench? Oh! And a manhole cover for a shield!"
It's not that they don't love the other characters they created; it's that the act of creation itself holds more alure to them than the feeling of accomplishment getting a character to 50th level. If anything, altism is a form of gamer's polygamy. We altoholics just can't bring ourselves to a monogamous relationship with a single character.
My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
I've about 125 characters, have my 5 year badge, and have something like 13 50s. Altoholic? Yeah, that's me.
With the possible exception of a few lowbie toons that are still in their "trial period" (will they gel or will they get deleted?), all are reasonably complete realizations that have backstories, personalities, etc. I am always RP'ing to some degree in the game, so some level of character development is essential. No, I can't always call up the personality of long-neglected alts right away, and I find some are really different when I play them again after a long "sleep." That's actually kind of fun!
This game is a serious "enabler" of altoholics: there are so many distinct combinations of powers, so much variation in the creator, that you can reel off a seemingly endless string of alts without feeling like you're repeating yourself.
"And in this moment, I will not run.
It is my place to stand.
We few shall carry hope
Within our bloodied hands."
I was going to post, but Steelclaw said it perfectly.
I'll just add that I agree with Split_Light's point about not having a "main". Haven't had one for a long time now, and I think it confuses people sometimes, especially those who are trying to 'win the game' by getting a 'main' to 50, or completely purpled out, or whatever. I don't even have a primary badge hunter anymore.
Iscariot's Guide to the Tri-Form Warshade, version 2.1
I'm sorry that math > your paranoid delusions, but them's the breaks -- Nethergoat
P.E.R.C. Rep for Liberty server
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I'd say it's when your creation of new characters and tendency to switch between characters prevents you from developing an existing character to the point where you enjoy them.
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And I'd argue that's wrong.
I'm most certainly an altaholic with 170-ish characters. But I've developed multiple characters, both in terms of getting them to higher levels (at least one of every hero AT at 50, most villain ATs with 1 at 50) and having bios, "personalities" to RP with them and such. And I certainly enjoy playing them overall, even without bios and such.
It's hard to say when you *become* an altaholic. I'd say when you start feeling like you need to find or make a spreadsheet or other list to keep track of where and what all the characters are, it's a good sign. It's a stronger sign when you realize the list can't keep up with you
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/em raises hand
Guilty!
Over 140 characters, and the stable keeps growing. I will play any of them at the drop of a hat and enjoy it. The ability to buy character slots has only made it worse. It used to be that I had to delete something before I could make a new character. Not any more. Now I only delete if I have redundant combinations. I made a new Elec / Elec Brute, Core Meltdown, after the Cyborg pack was released, and retired Professor Ohm at the same time. Professor Ohm will be rebuilt whenever the Devs finally produce Electric Control, and he can be the Dominator he should have been.
Every new powerset inspires at least three new characters (oddly enough, Demon Summoning will be the exception, I'll make one, because I think it will be cool, but I only have one character idea brewing). What helps keep me interested in all of them is that I have taken the time to write a background for them. Knowing what makes them tick helps me select missions and Contacts, and gets me more involved in that character's story.
New story arcs coming soon (ARC IDs will be aded when I finish the arc):
So, you want to join the Hellions? (level 1-14 Villainous arc)
Sparks & Steel (level 5-20 Heroic arc)
and
So you want to join the Skulls? (level 1-14 Villainous arc)
Someone with more than one character.
People from other games and even a few on this one say stuff like, "OMG you have to many altz why you need more slots" and follow that by a buncha omgodzorscatseatpuke stuff... and im like huh?
So like if you have more than 1 character, you have Altitis.
The Urban Dictionary's definition of "Altoholic"
Seems there's a bit of discrepancy in the definition. Maybe it might help to develop a contrasting view.
What's the opposite of an "altoholic" and what would you call such a person?
Global: @FuzzyOne
Find me playing these servers: Champion, Justice, Freedom, Virtue and Pinnacle
An altoholic is someone who is addicted to altohol.
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The Urban Dictionary's definition of "Altoholic"
Seems there's a bit of discrepancy in the definition. Maybe it might help to develop a contrasting veiw.
What's the opposite of an "altoholic" and what would you call such a person?
[/ QUOTE ]Someone who focuses exclusively on one or two characters (in the case of two, generally one from each side). The term for them is Mainalomaniac.
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Originally Posted by Back Alley Brawler
Did you just use "casual gamer" and "purpled-out warshade" in the same sentence?
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I create characters like crazy. I enjoy all of them, I just don't always level them in favor of another couple dings elsewhere.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed
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The Urban Dictionary's definition of "Altoholic"
Seems there's a bit of discrepancy in the definition. Maybe it might help to develop a contrasting veiw.
What's the opposite of an "altoholic" and what would you call such a person?
[/ QUOTE ]Someone who focuses exclusively on one or two characters (in the case of two, generally one from each side). The term for them is Mainalomaniac.
[/ QUOTE ]I like that!
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The Urban Dictionary's definition of "Altoholic"
Seems there's a bit of discrepancy in the definition. Maybe it might help to develop a contrasting veiw.
What's the opposite of an "altoholic" and what would you call such a person?
[/ QUOTE ]Someone who focuses exclusively on one or two characters (in the case of two, generally one from each side). The term for them is Mainalomaniac.
[/ QUOTE ]I like that!
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Good, because I coined the term. Well.... helped to coin it. I described my own playstyle and asked others what to call it in opposition to altoholism. Someone suggested Megamainalomania. I shortened it.
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In your opinion, what makes an Altaholic different from just having several characters?
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Altaholics go to meetings
what?
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
Altaholic is a forum member here.
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...I've made a vow to concentrate on a villain. Except my new BS/Shield scrapper is so fun, and I I like the animation on my dual blades, and my wife needs somebody to play with her new little controller so I should really came up with somebody.......
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And there it is. That is the attitude that defines an altoholic.
The acts of creating and developing a new character creates a chemical in your brain. This chemical, altohol, effects different people in completely different ways. For some it's entirely unnoticed, and they may not even realize it's being created. For others, it creates a highly euphoric feeling and is instantly addictive.
Nicotine, THC, morphine, heroin, crack, meth... the addictiveness of these drugs pales in comparison to the addictiveness of altohol in the mind of the altoholic.
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An altoholic is someone who is addicted to altohol.
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Damn, you beat me to it.
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An altoholic is a creature who is slave to their inspiration.
No, not the skittle kind of Inspirations, I mean they are a slave to their own creativity and sense of "oooh.. now THAT would be cool!"
An altoholic is not content to run a single character from start to finish simply because at some point during the advancement process they start thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I ran a mutant plumber with a magically powered pipe wrench? Oh! And a manhole cover for a shield!"
It's not that they don't love the other characters they created; it's that the act of creation itself holds more alure to them than the feeling of accomplishment getting a character to 50th level. If anything, altism is a form of gamer's polygamy. We altoholics just can't bring ourselves to a monogamous relationship with a single character.
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No no, thought about the pipe/sewer cap.. but then thought "oohh know what would be cooler?!" A rat with a large bone and that sewer lid. and After bio and some fighting one-liner macros.. the urge swelled again. Oh my ratboy was cool and will relish playing him, but not right now that bone would look cool on a witchdoctgor with the tribal shield too... maybe since rats a brute, doc can be scrapper. :P
Edit:
Altaholic: 1. Lord of Umbra -noun
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An altoholic is a creature who is slave to their inspiration.
No, not the skittle kind of Inspirations, I mean they are a slave to their own creativity and sense of "oooh.. now THAT would be cool!"
An altoholic is not content to run a single character from start to finish simply because at some point during the advancement process they start thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I ran a mutant plumber with a magically powered pipe wrench? Oh! And a manhole cover for a shield!"
It's not that they don't love the other characters they created; it's that the act of creation itself holds more alure to them than the feeling of accomplishment getting a character to 50th level. If anything, altism is a form of gamer's polygamy. We altoholics just can't bring ourselves to a monogamous relationship with a single character.
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This. Mountains of this.
I don't think I have ever heard it summed up quite so well before!
Just curious, does any1 know the exact number of different toons you can create by mixing AT, primary and secondary powers? How many slots would you need?
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An altoholic is a creature who is slave to their inspiration.
No, not the skittle kind of Inspirations, I mean they are a slave to their own creativity and sense of "oooh.. now THAT would be cool!"
An altoholic is not content to run a single character from start to finish simply because at some point during the advancement process they start thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I ran a mutant plumber with a magically powered pipe wrench? Oh! And a manhole cover for a shield!"
It's not that they don't love the other characters they created; it's that the act of creation itself holds more alure to them than the feeling of accomplishment getting a character to 50th level. If anything, altism is a form of gamer's polygamy. We altoholics just can't bring ourselves to a monogamous relationship with a single character.
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Couldn't say it better myself. Though, I will add that for me.. it's more a changing of hats. I like to wear different hats for different things, and like being able to bring a specific kind of ability to a different group.
In your opinion, what makes an Altaholic different from just having several characters?