The one character per account code

[Eldorath]

From what I know, recently (within the last month or so) there was apparently some code implemented which is supposed to make it harder or impossible to play two characters on the same account. I have not bothered testing it to see exactly how it works but right now its a major PITA for raiding.

Basically, if someone has an account at character select then it locks anyone else from loading in on that account. If they have a character in game and you attempt to log in on that character, the other person gets kicked to char select and in most instances prevents anyone from logging into an account.

This means if someone randomly goes afk, you can't log on to their character to play them or get them out of the raid. If someone goes afk and logs out but forgets to leave char select you can't use that character. These things tend to come up occasionally on raids and not being able to access a character is a major hassle. Yesterday I was not able to access Eldorath for 30 minutes because someone had logged him on for aego and forgot to quit off of character select. If that person were to stay afk all night, I would have effectively been locked out of my account for the whole day.

Now you might say, "Well Eldorath, don't give out your info to anyone and you will be fine!" But honestly that doesn't work in a raiding guild. And it can be a real raidstopper if a key character gets locked out of the game while someone is afk for an hour or two.

I don't know if there is any other way to deal with the two characters on the same account issue, but it would be really awesome if the current solution was not the final answer. I'd love to hear others' comments on the issue.

 

[JayelleNephilim]

We have run into that issue as well occasionally. Actually, I wasn't aware anything had changed with the code until we experienced a similar occurance. I'm not sure the reasoning behind it, but if it is to prevent 2 characters being logged in from the same account, I agree. Another solution would be ideal.

 

[Eldorath]

The issue can be a little subtle. Typically if you're locked out you get to server select, then it spends a while trying to get to the loading screen and eventually just dies with an everquest.exe error.

 

[Cinn]

I agree with everything in eldorath's post.

 

[Wiz]

Stop sharing your account with everyone ever? Or don't leave the game at char select even? I didn't do it this way for fun, I did it because it's pretty much the only way to do it.

 

[Hasrett]

Is there any way to have it boot you out of character select after X amount of time idle? Or possibly when someone else tries to log into that account?

I think I've made it abundantly clear in the past that I don't know anything at all about what can and can't reasonably be coded here, but just throwing out some ideas.

I've run into the same problem. The other day I couldn't log into one of my accounts for a couple of hours because someone had used Hasrett to buff, then camped him out and left it at that. I know I unknowingly did the same a couple of times before I learned about the change. Sucks for Ponden and Jose when trying to get onto Mythryn =P

 

[Syalara]

Yeah, I see this being a disaster. I know Wiz said this is the only way to do it....but why do it at all?

Why all these restrictions all of a sudden for more then one toon per account on a free mmo?

 

[Wiz]

Yeah, I see this being a disaster. I know Wiz said this is the only way to do it....but why do it at all?

Why all these restrictions all of a sudden for more then one toon per account on a free mmo?

This has nothing to do with rules and everything to do with software side problems created by multiple instances of the same account.

 

[Syalara]

Fair enough. thanks for the clarification.

 

[galkraft]

(Not that I do this, but,): what's the downside to ALT+F4?

 

[robopirateninja]

You stay in the game for 30 seconds LD.
It's really not a problem until the day you log back in with death fatigue at your bind point.

 

[Botiemaster]

Real easy to solve this problem. You make it clear to people to not leave you sitting at char select or you can change the password if they want to be lazy.

And if it's their account, if they want to leave it running at char select, it's their business, and tough luck to anyone looking to play their character. If it's so important that you are able to box toons then ask people to log all.the.way.out.

And finally, if they can't be bothered to help out their own guild and friends by simply /qing out or quitting out of char select then maybe they aren't worth having around to begin with. I don't care who it is or how uber and important they might be, drop'm if they could care less if you're able to continue or not in a raid after they leave. There's no I in team.

 

[Hasrett]

There's no I in team.

Maybe not, but there's two in your FACE!

(I just thought of that... I'm so proud of myself, and I couldn't help posting it)

The whole thing can be a pretty major inconvenience, and it's a pain in the ass, but if it's the only solution to a more serious server-side problem... well then, that's that.