Multi Clienting

[Croconil]

I made this thread for Request from this thread... http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=25777.new#new

Because it was getting off topic.

What Multi clienting is, is where people start Planeshift up twice, and play to character at the same time to help the other one level.

What are your views on this topic?

[Gondric]

It is when you launch two clients on your computer at once, or on two dif computers. i no allot ppl who do this

[Hadfael]

Multi-clienting is something possible depending on your computer config.
If you can run multiple clients on the same computer or if you have more than one computer, it is possible to run more than one character in the game at the same time.
It is ony a matter of technical possibilities but it has repercussions in roleplaying for you and for others.
There are many ways someone can use it to abuse others and sometimes abuse himself.
Let me explain this without making a "how to abuse guide".
We (should) all agree that the purpose of connecting to PS is to play the role of a character, make him grow, explore, interract with others and with the game world. Even if it's possible to switch from one character to another, acting differently, it's hard to switch all the time from one to another.
By design, PS allow each of us to create up to 4 different characters on the same account. So we can try different approachs of the game, with various backgrounds, races and decisions regarding the skills to learn, the groups of people to join and so on...It's possible since you play each one separately and manage to keep the knowledges of each one distinct from the previous ones.
The problem with multi-clients is that you can hardly be immersed in more than one relation (dialog, conflict) at once. Most of the time one of the clients will only be an idle follower of your main char when he is not used to do what the other can't in oder to respect game mechanics/guild requirements/friendships/alliances/...Using a dummy character as a puppet would mean that you roleplay a puppet master, able to do mind control on others. And so far this possibility was not added to the PS settings. It can therefore be called roleplaying a creator and his golem, but it's not roleplaying in the PS world.
The reflexion each multi-client user should ask himself is: Does each of my characters exist individualy or are the secondary ones only servants of the goals of my main character? Ain't I lieing to the people he talks to when he talks about the main char?

Is it cheating to run more than 1 char at once when the game and your config allows it?
It can be when you use a secondary character as a tool instead as a full character with individual life and motivations. At least, it's not roleplaying.
So, even if there is no explicit policy nor technical force-single-client, it will be discouraged at least to use this possibility to abuse other players, to get unfair advantage from it compared to people roleplaying fair one single char. Remember that the goal is to have everyone enjoying PS and not to allow a few with strong configs to abuse others.

[Peacer]

well hadfael's pose explains it pretty well, so i can only add that with multiclienting myself trying to rp with both is actually quite hard and should only be done if you are a fast typer, else you'd simply not be able to follow the conversation with both chars interacting properly with them both.

[Croconil]

well hadfael's pose explains it pretty well, so i can only add that with multiclienting myself trying to rp with both is actually quite hard and should only be done if you are a fast typer, else you'd simply not be able to follow the conversation with both chars interacting properly with them both.

But in reality, its almost impossible to multi-client even if you are a fast typer.

[Kezzik]

>_>

ok, so I have my main character, and then I have alts.. spanning over 4 other accounts, I often have two running at the same time, I can interact easily with people on both at the same time, hell, I even make them RP with each other, I really don't see why people claim it's hard to do, sure you can only move one at a time or make one speak at a time, but it's still playing isn't it? they still run around, do their 'job' greet people, scratch their bum and all that jazz.

with enough determination and a strong enough computer you could play out an entire RP by yourself, then save the log of it, hey presto, instant story no editing needed.

I've run 5 clients at the same time before, it got a little sluggish but to other people, they were just more people in the world, like what they are really used for, I don;t see it as cheating, to me it's just a little extra, something out of the ordinary, and challenging

Edit: because my typing sucks

[zanzibar]

I love multi clienting.  It makes toying with people much easier.  If you want to create a quest for people, you almost have to multi client unless you get someone to volounteer to help you.  And that has its own set of complications associated with it.

[Croconil]

But what about multiclienting to help the characters kill better monsters? Such as both helping eachother to train?

[zanzibar]

But what about multiclienting to help the characters kill better monsters? Such as both helping eachother to train?

A sword hit is a sword hit whether it's on a tefusang or an ulbernaught.  If you're sharing your tefusang with someone, you're slowing yourself down.

If you want to powerlevel light armour, just park yourself infront of a rat and come back 5-15 minutes later depending on your level.
If you want to powerlevel a weapon, invest in ruined weapons.

I don't see how using multiple characters can help you powerlevel.  It might be good for mining, but that's about it.

[Croconil]

But it shares the xp, right? So say if you have lots of weap chars, and attack high xp giving creatures, wont you get more xp?

Also, as you say, it can be used to exploit in mining and crafting, such as having one char stand next to a crafting place. The other character runs off and gets the ores and gems etc, and transports them to the other character for crafting.

[Karyuu]

That's exactly what we don't like seeing.

[Kezzik]

at this point I don;t think any of that really matters as it'll all be set back and undone when the database is wiped over and over, theres many other kinds of things liek this going on, I'm not one to know how what who where and when, but they're always there.

and whats wrong with playing a dumb friendly kran who's happy to carry a few extra ores for you in exchange  for a yummy ruby to eat?

[zanzibar]

But it shares the xp, right? So say if you have lots of weap chars, and attack high xp giving creatures, wont you get more xp?

You can do this with guildmates easily enough.

Also, as you say, it can be used to exploit in mining and crafting, such as having one char stand next to a crafting place. The other character runs off and gets the ores and gems etc, and transports them to the other character for crafting.

I don't see how that saves you any time.

[Croconil]

Also, as you say, it can be used to exploit in mining and crafting, such as having one char stand next to a crafting place. The other character runs off and gets the ores and gems etc, and transports them to the other character for crafting.

I don't see how that saves you any time.

If one character is skilled in mining, you dont have to train your other character in mining if you want to level thier crafting.

[zanzibar]

Also, as you say, it can be used to exploit in mining and crafting, such as having one char stand next to a crafting place. The other character runs off and gets the ores and gems etc, and transports them to the other character for crafting.

I don't see how that saves you any time.

If one character is skilled in mining, you dont have to train your other character in mining if you want to level thier crafting.

That sounds like a waste of time compared to levelling the mining and crafting abilities of a single character.