In love with my alt

I've fallen in love again. That's the only way I can describe my feelings for my new alt, the little rogue Arisal, who now once for all is about to grow up.

After a long time of thinking I've finally deserted my put-everything-on-one-card-strategy and started to develop another character that I actually plan to play, if not as serious as I play Larisa, it will be for real. She'll have her own life, she'll sneak around in instances, she'll make a fool out of herself ever so often, she'll learn the art of being a rogue the hard way until she actually can start being useful whenever Larisa isn't needed.

It's been wise to keep to my main so far. If I had left that path I would never have come as far in the game as I have. I also imagine that I by studying one class more to the depth also learn more about the game generally. If you like I have limited playing times it will be quite superficial if you split the hours between several characters.

Overall its been good to keep to a narrow road road. But now thinking about the time that remains until the expansion I can't help questioning if I really use it best by grinding gold for a flying epic mount? Or is it the wrong way to put the question? To use the time "best", don't you do that by doing what's most fun in the game? If you think collecting gold is most fun - do it. If you love to level up an alt - do it. But it just isn't that simple. There's always a "most fun" in the short perspective and another "most fun" if you're looking further. Sometimes you have to do something less attractive for a while, in order to enjoy a greater reward later.

In this case I think "best" is quite a lot the same as "most fun". You can't overlook that it IS quite inflexible just having one single level 70 character, especially since it's a pure casting-dps class that I have and not a hybrid that you can respect. And to see the mobs close, train myself in melee, realizing the importance of how they're turned and put in place, I think will give me a better understanding when I'm playing my main. If I on the other hand collect gold by farming whatever - I won't learn much about the game, more than the noble art of patience.

So now I'm throwing myself into the exciting world of Arisal. She's spending her teenage period in Westfall, fooling around among hay and soft meadows, with pigs, smugglers and gnolls. I'm sitting there with a big smile on my lips, seeing her stealthing, sapping, sneaking up from behind, preparing for a quick backstab, a few strikes, a kick or two - not that it's necessary, but just because it looks so fun when she's doing a backward loop. And then a final extra hard stroke that ends it all. It's so fast and physical if you compare it to what I'm used to. The blood is everywhere, it's quick and intense. It's so different from throwing slooow fire and ice balls. If needed I sprint away with a swishing cloud behind me, and I don't have to be sorry for missing blink. The downtime between the fights is minimal. Of course I eat a little bread from time to time, but it's far from the constant manadrinking of Larisa. I don't have to care about buffing. I just go for the enemy.

I'm bewitched, totally in love with my little black haired, bitchy assassin. And the adventure has only started. "Just you wait until you reach level 20, then you get poison and all the fun starts", my more rogue experienced guild friends tell me.

Pulling up an alt is to be newborn in the game. I get a reason to once again visit places I haven't been to for a whole year. And I get almost the same magical glimpse of happiness in my eyes that I had the last time I saw it. Finally I get a good reason to run through all of the tunnels to Wetlands again, since I haven't got any fp yet. And even though I've got quite a clear picture of what is awaiting, it's different since I see it through the eyes of Arisal. It's a little familiar, but brand new at the same time.

Every time I'm training it's - just like when I levelled Larisa - a little christmas day to me. What toys has the kind Santa Claus brought for me this time? What strange new ability will I draw to my action bar, starting to think about, trying out, understanding how I should use it best? I've just started the learning curve, so far mostly by trial and error, but I've also started to look up some basic rogue guides on the net, soaking up all the knowledge I can find.

It remains to be seen if this initial enthusiasm will transform into longlasting love, as was the case with Larisa, if the charm of rogue playing with stick around all the way up to 70. Just now I'm absolutely convinced it will. As you are when you've fallen in love.