Having Two Accounts

I had a discussion last weekend with a guildie about having two accounts in EverQuest 2. She is one of those players who wants to experience all the content and her main after all her years playing EQ2 is level 55 but, counting collection turn-ins, has completed over 2500 quests. Three months ago she created a second account to take advantage of SOE’s recruit-a-friend offer and loves dual boxing. She recommended that if I ever got the money that I should try it myself.

The one thing that holds me back from dual-boxing in EQ2 is the fact that I have the SOE Station Access. A long time ago I looked at the Station Access as being the perfect solution to my desire to have all 9 crafting classes, since at the time I got it Station Access holders could have 10 EQ2 characters on an account. I never thought about dual-boxing because at the time I had never heard of it. Even after I heard of the concept, I never had the desire to because I only had one computer. That is until I bought my new computer this past spring and kept my old one up and running. Hmmm … two computers.

Now, I still want to keep my Station Access account. Not only because every so often I have an urge to poke around in Vanguard, but because with it I have member’s access in Free Realms. Okay, I haven’t played FR in awhile, but I have it. And if SOE’s upcoming games DC Universe Online and The Agency both wind up on Station Access, I have the feeling I’ll be very glad I have it.

If I want to dual box, I still have a couple of options available to me. The first is to play a free-to-play title like Runes of Magic. I still have a level 15/15 character in the game; although I have the feeling if I do start to dual-box that I should start from scratch. But I’m already involved in two worlds and trying out a third, especially another fantasy game, just isn’t appealing to me right now.

So that leaves my second gaming home, Eve Online, as an option. While I know a lot of players have two accounts so they can do cool stuff like scout out gate camps or have one for combat and the other for industry, the attraction to dual-box for me would be for mining. Now that I have all my EQ2 crafters up to max level with their epics, I can see myself mining in a Scythe (and later on a mining barge) and depositing the ore directly into a Mammoth, especially during football games. Kind of boring, I know. And if I actually purchase a second account I would probably come up with some creative ways of using the accounts than just mining. But for now I’m just starting out and mining still has a bit of an attraction.

Looking down the road a bit I hear there is the possibility of SOE adding character slots to the regular EQ2 accounts. What happens if they add 2 slots so the basic account has 9 characters? Do I drop the Station Access account and pick up a second account in either EQ2 or Eve? If SOE only adds one slot and offers character transfers between accounts, do I pay the money and start a second account with one of my crafters?

Or do I just give in and get a second Eve account while the difference in skill points isn’t too great? The question becomes important because when I logged in last night I was presented with the "Power of 2" promotion. I first heard of this during the Alliance Tournament 7 coverage on Eve TV but didn't really think about it at the time. CCP is marketing to players looking for a second (or third, fourth, or fifth) account a six month deal for $49.95. I'm really considering a deal that gets me a sub for less than $9 a month. But I only have until October 17th to decide.

So many choices; so little playtime.