ForumsNews and FeedbackAlternate Accounts In AG3

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GhostOfMatrix
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GhostOfMatrix
15,620 posts
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Since I've read some things about alternate accounts not being allowed in AG3. I'm wondering, what will happen to the current alternate accounts on the site? Will they be shut down? Will they just be left alone? If they are going to be shut down, then is there going to be a rule not allowing users to create alternate accounts? I'm just curious to know what will happen about alternate accounts since they won't be necessary in AG3. I'm also wondering, will you be able to create an alternate account if you wanted? Or will a screen pop up saying you can't. Will you be allowed to create an alternate account to test something/something else if you asked an administrator if you could do so?

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GhostOfMatrix
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GhostOfMatrix
15,620 posts
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I mean, his REAL account must be banned. The alternates too, but that's less important

Uh, people shouldn't be banned for having alternate accounts. If this isn't allowed in AG3, then the alternate accounts should be banned and not the main account. They didn't do anything wrong with the alternate accounts, so they shouldn't be banned.
Maybe some persons will be allowed for good reasons

- You want to take a break from your original account for a little bit.
- You want to test something(s).
Not sure what else an alternate account could be used for in AG3.
KentyBK
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KentyBK
566 posts
Nomad

Since I've read some things about alternate accounts not being allowed in AG3. I'm wondering, what will happen to the current alternate accounts on the site? Will they be shut down?


I would say yes, they will most likely be shut down.

If they are going to be shut down, then is there going to be a rule not allowing users to create alternate accounts?


If there'll be a rule against alternate accounts, that'd be the obvious conclusion, no? ;P

I'm also wondering, will you be able to create an alternate account if you wanted?


That seems like rule-breaking more than anything.

A lot of websites enforce a rule of "no alternate accounts". I was actually surprised to find AG didn't have such a rule in the first place when I first joined this place.

Or will a screen pop up saying you can't.


I doubt it. Websites that disallow alternates don't have such a system in place, because they can check for duplicate IPs and such. Atleast I've never seen a pop up like that used anywhere.

Will you be allowed to create an alternate account to test something/something else if you asked an administrator if you could do so?


Again, that seems more like rule breaking, or rather "twisting" the rules.

Maybe some persons will be allowed for good reasons (but I can't find some).


No, they shouldn't be. Allowing for "exceptions" is a slippery slope because that would lead to more and more exceptions being granted.....eventually making the system pointless.

Uh, people shouldn't be banned for having alternate accounts.


That depends on the circumstance. If the person had an alternate before AG3, then yes you are correct in saying only the alts should be removed.

However, making an alt under the new AG3 rules should indeed be a punishable offense.

Disallowing alt accounts is meant to discourage ban-jumping and spamming the site with loads of accounts, "because you can".

- You want to take a break from your original account for a little bit.


How does one take a "break" from your main account? Even under AG2 rules, you aren't allowed to post with your alts.

SO basically, if you want a break....why not just log in period?

- You want to test something(s).


I doubt "tests" should warrant an alternate account.
GhostOfMatrix
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GhostOfMatrix
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*Reads Kenty's post* *Doesn't comment about most things because I generally agree with it*

How does one take a "break" from your main account? Even under AG2 rules, you aren't allowed to post with your alts.

Take Kongregate as an example. You are allowed to create as many alternate accounts as you please, but you have to follow the rules with them. People occasionally take a break from their main account by creating an alternate account because they don't want to be known for the main account. By being bothered with comments and such.
why not just log in period?

If you want a break, but still want to be involved in the community. However, people won't know you under that account.
I doubt "tests" should warrant an alternate account.

Depends on what you're testing. If you're a moderator or an administrator, then you could test something on the site. Dunno what, or maybe you want to see something from a normal users perspective.
KentyBK
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KentyBK
566 posts
Nomad

If you want a break, but still want to be involved in the community. However, people won't know you under that account.


But like I said, posting with an alternate account is already not allowed under current AG rules (or even HAVING them for non-multiplayer game related reasons). Not to mention, if you are bothered by comments you could just close those for the time being.

Depends on what you're testing. If you're a moderator or an administrator, then you could test something on the site. Dunno what, or maybe you want to see something from a normal users perspective.


Fairly sure that's what the beta is for. xP

Once the AG3 goes public, I doubt issues like that would arise. And admins "testing" something is of course a differnet thing than a user having some random experiments of their own.
cormyn
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cormyn
2,892 posts
Nomad

Since I've read some things about alternate accounts not being allowed in AG3. I'm wondering, what will happen to the current alternate accounts on the site? Will they be shut down? Will they just be left alone?


I've said several times in the AG3 forum that we're working on a way to merge your alternate account's game progress back into your main account, so you don't lose your game progress.

But in the case where you play a game on BOTH accounts, you'll have to choose which progress to save. Unfortunately because the gamesave data on our side is encrypted, we cannot give you any details beyond "which details do you want to keep for (Game Name)?" and let you choose which game to keep.

Once the merge is complete, the alternate account will essentially be banned. It's comment history will NOT be merged into your main account or anything like that (you shouldn't be posting messages from alternate accounts anyway), just your game progress, and only for games for which we save your progress on our servers.

If they are going to be shut down, then is there going to be a rule not allowing users to create alternate accounts?


Correct, once the merge tool is in place and working, we will issue a new rule that alternate accounts are no longer allowed. Users can choose to merge their accounts together (the exact process is still being worked out), and any user caught with an alternate account will be forced to merge them immediately or risk having the alternate account banned without any chance of recovery.

I'm also wondering, will you be able to create an alternate account if you wanted?


No. Alternate accounts will not be allowed by regular users for any reason.

Will you be allowed to create an alternate account to test something/something else if you asked an administrator if you could do so?


No. Some of the Admin team have alternate accounts simply to test new web functionality, but those accounts generally stay perma-banned until needed, resurrected for a few days of testing, then re-perma'd.
cormyn
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cormyn
2,892 posts
Nomad

If this isn't allowed in AG3, then the alternate accounts should be banned and not the main account.


If users create alternate accounts after the rule is in place, they risk a perma-ban on their main account.

[quote]Maybe some persons will be allowed for good reasons

- You want to take a break from your original account for a little bit.
- You want to test something(s).
[/quote]

There won't be anything to 'test' from a user perspective. As far as "taking a break" from your account, you could just flip your privacy settings to "uber-paranoid mode" where nobody can see your activity (or that you're even online).

If you want a break, but still want to be involved in the community. However, people won't know you under that account.


No. This isn't allowed NOW on AG2, so there's no reason to start allowing it on AG3 either.

Depends on what you're testing. If you're a moderator or an administrator, then you could test something on the site. Dunno what, or maybe you want to see something from a normal users perspective.


Moderators will not have alternate accounts. We're actually considering a way for them to turn on/off their Moderator title so they can interact like a regular old user, and change to blue text only when posting something as a Moderator.

As stated above, some of the Admin team have alts that we use to test user-level functionality, but really, our accounts are also user accounts, so we generally see the same interface as other users, with minor exceptions of additional tools/icons here or there.
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