15.3.1 Second Characters (also known as Alts)

(See also HELP MULTIPLAYING, HELP CHARACTER SHARING, HELP CROSS CHARACTER, and
HELP CREDIT TRANSFERS)

Second characters/adventurers (also called "alts") are allowed, but a higher
standard of behaviour and roleplaying is imposed upon those who have them.
There is no limit to the number of adventurers (alts) you may create and play
in Achaea as long as you observe the one basic rule regarding interaction
between these alts: there cannot be any, EVER!

While the base rule itself is simple, questions often arise regarding what
qualifies as interaction. The short version is that no adventurer may ever help
any other adventurer of yours in ANY WAY. This includes, but is by no means
limited to:

   - having more than one adventurer logged in at a time (see HELP
     MULTIPLAYING)
   - transferring items or gold between your characters, even with an
     intermediary
   - "passing along" of information from one character to another
   - voting for, favouring, or recommending favours by one character
     for another
   - harassing an organisation that you dislike from one character 
     with another
   - furthering the IC goals of one character on another
   - using multiple characters to further a specific IC or OOC goal as
     a player

It is also important to note that knowingly aiding in any violations of this
nature can be punishable. If your friend gives you a backpack full of gold and
items and tells you to give it to his alt, you will be held accountable for
doing so!

If you're still unsure whether something you're considering is a violation,
look over the following FAQ. If, after that, you still aren't sure, don't do
it! This file is as detailed as practicable, but it is not exhaustive and we're
sure you can come up with new violations we haven't seen yet.

WHAT IF I'm done with a character and want my stuff on another?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Only via the retirement process (HELP RETIREMENT) can anything close to this be
accomplished.

Barring anything transferred via the retirement process, anything you have
earned, bought, made, or in any other way acquired(*) on one character can
never be given to another character of yours. You cannot mail it, you cannot
drop it on one character and pick it up with another, you cannot give it to a
friend and have him give it to your other character.

(*) The only exception to this rule is described in HELP CREDIT TRANSFERS.

WHAT IF I have alts in the same organisation?
---------------------------------------------
Be careful! Even actions that would normally seem reasonably roleplay-justified
for one character can be seconds abuse when you have more than one character in
the same organisation. Some of these are obvious: favouring your alt,
appointing your alt to any position, voting for your alt in an election,
disfavouring someone for insulting your alt, overseeing tests or tasks by your
alt, etc. Some are less obvious: having more than one character vote for
someone other than your character in an election, posting on an alt against
your political opponent, switching characters because of a raid or event(*),
etc.

(*) See "WHAT IF I want to help, but I can't do it on this character?" below.

WHAT IF I have alts in enemy organisations?
-------------------------------------------
Use caution! Again, there are many ways you may intentionally or inadvertently
break the rules on second characters: spying on one organisation for another,
keeping track of who is logged in for events or raids, enemying or unenemying
your alternate, copying organisational information for your main organisation,
sabotaging one organisation's defences to help the other, switching characters
because of a raid or event(*), etc. 

Holding leadership positions on both sides of a conflict is not permitted, it is mostly impossible for any player to keep the information separate and not use one position to affect the other. 

(*) See "WHAT IF I want to help, but I can't do it on this character?" below.

WHAT IF I want to help, but I can't do it on this character?
------------------------------------------------------------
Switching to a character who would be more useful in a raid or event, or
because your friend needs X and your alt has X, is not a good plan! It means
you're directly using knowledge from one character on another, and using your
alternate to further the goals of your first character. If there is a raid and
you are on one character, do not switch to another because he's better at raid
defence; similarly, do not switch to another on the other side because you want
to be on the raiding side. If you see an event going on that your alternate
could help with or be the star of, do not log into that alt and show up at the
ongoing event.

WHAT IF I want my alt to use my ship/house/clan/shop?
-----------------------------------------------------
The same basic rule applies! One character cannot benefit from the actions or
property of another. This means no ship or house permissions and no keys to
shops, but it also means no buying from a shop owned or stocked by your
alternate and no positions of power (induction, discharge, etc.) within a clan
owned by your alternate.

WHAT IF I want to annoy someone but not get in trouble?
---------------------------------------------------------
You can't! Achaea holds a policy of cross-character accountability. That means
that you cannot create alternate characters then act as if what you do on one
character can not have any administrative repercussions on your other
characters. See HELP CROSS CHARACTER ACCOUNTABILITY for more information.

WHAT IF I want to be my own parent/sibling/spouse?
--------------------------------------------------
Roleplaying a relationship with your own alternate character is at best
ill-advised and at worst a shrubbing offence. Bloodlining or marrying your own
alt is very clearly a violation of our policies, both on second characters and
multiplaying (HELP MULTIPLAYING). Having a non-bloodlined parental or
spousal/romantic relationship with your alt is also a violation, as it is
interaction between your characters and provides some benefit, even if
intangible, to one or both of your characters. Having two or more of your
characters bloodlined by the same (not you) parents is permissible, so long as
no other policies are broken, but not recommended for the same reason that
having alternates in the same organisations is not recommended: you have much
more potential to break the rules.

Punishment
----------
The usual punishment for this is quite severe - loss of one or both adventurers
or alts. Shrubbing or bans are also common.

What if I've been shrubbed?
---------------------------
If you want to inquire into the circumstances of your shrubbing, you may send
an email to lathis@achaea.com. Send it from the email address that you
registered with.


(See also HELP MULTIPLAYING, HELP CHARACTER SHARING, HELP CROSS CHARACTER, and
HELP CREDIT TRANSFERS)