[Poll] Should Orderites be allowed to have mage alts?

[Voxumo]

I voted yes.

As I see it right now, we can't get people to join the priestly side of the order, so adding in this clause is only going hurt the order in the long run. We just don't have the playerbase at the moment to be restricting things further.

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't any alt end up being a mage, unless they paid xp to opt out of that randomizer? It's been 2 years since I created a new character so that may have changed.

[Taunya]

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't any alt end up being a mage, unless they paid xp to opt out of that randomizer? It's been 2 years since I created a new character so that may have changed.

I assume it would block awakening if you have an orderite alt. Perhaps it could freeze signs of latency as well, until you no longer have one.
This could actually be a free way to opt-out of latency for those who don't want to play a mage as well. They'd just need to keep an active orderite. Heh, could ironically be a boon for the Order's numbers.

[Voxumo]

I suppose code could work like that if it can presently prevent similar situations with the reeves/brotherhood.

Though this actually got me thinking... What is it exactly that removing the ability for one's alts to be a mage would be preventing? For example, one of my biggest characters who arguably was a villain wasn't a mage herself, but kept the company of numerous mages and as such had insider knowledge bordering on that of a mage. What would separate her from a mage aside from the ability to actually cast magic? If her circle of mage allies was compromised and she herself was compromised, the same issue of crossover would be had if I had been playing an inquisitor at the time, meaning I'd have to recuse myself from the case even though she wasn't a mage.

I'm not meaning to create problems, just trying to understand what the inherent issue is that we are trying to solve.

[Taunya]

I'd personally put one character or the other on hiatus if I ended up in such a situation, but I don't know if such edge cases need to be addressed with this, or with policy outside of the standard crossover one.

I think the issue is a perceived conflict of interest with being able to have characters 'on both sides'.
I suppose heretics are on the other side from the Order too, but there's no current policy against heretics joining the order like there is mages, so probably no need to apply that for alts either.

[Dreams]

I'd personally put one character or the other on hiatus if I ended up in such a situation, but I don't know if such edge cases need to be addressed with this, or with policy outside of the standard crossover one.

I think the issue is a perceived conflict of interest with being able to have characters 'on both sides'.
I suppose heretics are on the other side from the Order too, but there's no current policy against heretics joining the order like there is mages, so probably no need to apply that for alts either.

Actually, I considered this same thing, but decided not to bring it up because I had already said so much.

Heretics are also against the Order, at least in part, but aren't necessarily mages. Bring in a heretic alt, one would also have to not participate because of cross.

[Kuzco]

Playing a mage is a tremendous advantage, from basic supernatural perception, to spells, unique recipes, and a bonus to death xp. There's nothing to impede a mage from ever casting a spell yet still gaining many of these (purposedly unmentioned) benefits.

Given the choice between an Orderite and a mage, many (but not all) players will choose the latter, regrettably. While Vox raises a good point on a human PC befriending mages, the same could be said of the reeves. Having a non Brotherhood criminal doesn't raise protests or cause crossover.

Having a PC in the militant side of the Order while playing a mage brings trouble. The survival instinct is there, and there is a lot of possibility for both conflict of interest and awkward excusing oneself out of potential crossover, even to the point of inadvertedly revealing the demonic nature of the mage alt oocly. The militant Order exists solely to exterminate 30-40% of the pbase at any time. This is something that cannot be stressed enough.

I know I have repeatedly advocated for a clear Order=/mage OOC divide, but now I admit have doubts given, as stated, our lowish population. I brought these issues when we had 25-30 players at prime time; now we have 66% of that. Perhaps it could be limited to GLs at first? Or only knights and inquisitors but not priests?

[galaxgal]

I'd say restricting it to 'militant' Orderites or even GLs is the best compromise. I'd also suggest it alongside some kind of account bonus for playing an active Orderite. The recurring vocal consensus seems to be that mages have the more preferred player experience overall if players are forced to choose, and they're the group who gets a grab-bag of unique mechanics to toy with on top of (kind of) bonus death XP. But that's probably a separate topic of its own.