A healthy discussion on alternate accounts (alts)

Hello all,

Through my conversations with the community of AtWar, I have noticed that many players have a cold fear of playing matches against "alts," or alternate accounts. The motivation for this fear likely has multiple bases, such as high ranked players disguising as new players or guests and the mystery behind alternate accounts in general. I hope to encourage players to think logically rather than emotionally when making decisions about matches with alts and start a healthy discussion about the topic. Feel free to read/post/be involved in this discussion and try to communicate your ideas clearly and briefly.

A moderator mentioned to me one time that using alts in a coalition war is "frowned upon." I want to discover the reasons underlying this perspective. First, below is a list of rules directed specifically toward alts.

• Do not register an alternate account for the purpose of disobeying the rules to avoid punishment of your main account. Alternate accounts created for this purpose will receive permanent bans, and this may incur additional action regarding the member's main account.
  
  
• Do not register an alternate account to post when your main account is banned. These alternate accounts will be permanently suspended and may necessitate other moderation actions.
  
  
• "Farming" is not allowed in any way, fe: Joining a game with 2 accounts, playing with first and second coalitions, playing or creating a scenario for gaining SP only.
  
  
• Creating multiple accounts and joining more coalitions is allowed. Also playing coalition wars for several coalitions is allowed. But it is not allowed to participate in a coalition war, if you are also part of the other coalition at that time.

Players that act in accordance with these rules should not be frowned upon. I have heard arguments to the contrary, which I hope is where most of the discussion will take place.

Argument: A coalition has the right to refuse to war against an alt.
Analysis: This is very true. Coalitions have the right to refuse a war for any reason, e.g. being outranked, outnumbered, mistreated, or even just not comfortable with the game settings.

Argument: An alt account is just as skilled as the main account.
Analysis: This is also true. However, skill and ability are two different qualities. A player has the same skill regardless of the account he is using. But a player's ability is determined both by his skill and his upgrades. Examples: If a fairly new player is given all the upgrades, he will still lose to an experienced player who has none. Conversely, when Logic exploited a loophole in the game mechanics, he was able to consistently win against more skilled players because his units were upgraded. Therefore we must conclude that ability is determined both by skill and upgrades. This leads to only one conclusion. An alt account is not the same caliber as a main account because it is lacking upgrades. When balancing teams for a coalition war, the two coalitions should negotiate based on both player skill and the upgrades available to that player (which can be inferred from rank).

Argument 3: Alts are not good for the AtWar community.
Analysis: This is not a fact, but rather an opinion. This stereotype probably stemmed from the misuses of alt accounts by players that were banned, restricted, having intent to farm SP, or otherwise causing mischief. Players have various reasons for creating alt accounts. Some want to play on the same level as those without premium upgrades to balance the game. Others may have a hard time finding high ranked matches, or just desire to play more casually. I personally have made alt accounts to explore other strategies/upgrades because I did not want to spend the SP on my main account. Someone who uses an alt does not necessarily intend to deceive others or conceal their true identity. Keep in mind that some alt accounts are owned by unskilled players. Usually only the alt accounts that are owned by skilled players are identified by the community.

Please feel free to post and support your opinions here on the subject.

Cheers!