Luke the Swift~ wrote:I know I should not be posting
Nonsense! This thread is specifically made for people like you and me to post our thoughts and suggestions.
I saw some good points raised by both AK and Luke, so I thought I'd go ahead and address those while the topic is still fresh in people's minds. I didn't expect this idea to go through without at least some initial reservations (for good reasons, too!), and while my personal opinion on the topic is already known, I'll do my best to portray the pros and cons in an even mannered light.
So, to start off, AK_Brickster made a great point in saying that if people were allowed to create two characters, we would run the risk of them dumping their old characters in favor of something "exciting and new". It's a fair point, to be sure. We certainly don't want people just jumping between factions because the grass is greener on the other side.
However, I do think a point should be made that if someone is truly so bored with their character that they are willing to leave their original character and go to a different faction with no intent on returning anytime soon, is it not likely that the person would have simply left that character and slipped into inactivity either way? The only difference is that instead of leaving altogether, the person kept the itch to build going by changing things up for a bit. Sure, he might go inactive at his "original" faction for a little while. But I think there's a good chance that after a bit of time, he would return to his "old flame".
Now, with that being said, I concede that it's more than possible that someone who was bored with their character could be inspired to just take him on a new twist in his "life". But, it seems reasonable to assume that not everyone is going to want to do that, and would rather just start with some fresh and different. After all, I like being a Lenfel, I enjoy being "the hero". Nevertheless, there is a distinct attraction to being a "bad guy" or at least a rebel to me. But unless I completely change my current character and make him something that he is not (to me, at least), there's just no feasible way for me to do that inside of the LCC. On the other hand, with a two character limit, I can not only help boost another faction with activity (making it appealing to new members), but I can also satisfy my own creative desires. Which, in my opinion, is what Lego and building are all about.
Two more potential issue were raised by Luke, and they were good ones too. He made the point that by allowing people to create two characters, we run the risk of having them run themselves too thin, so that they just don't have any time to build for either faction. His second point was that it could mix people's loyalty if they were in another faction.
In response to the first point, I want to say that if this idea were implemented nobody is going to
force someone to create a second character. Many people who see this might like the idea of having two characters, but realize that they just haven't got time. That's totally okay! Having two characters should be thought of as a luxury, not a requirement.
Another thing to remember is that even after creating a second character, nobody is going to force you to build as him/her. I have no doubt that our generous FO's would be more than understanding towards people who just didn't have enough time to keep up with two characters at the present. There's no punishment for going inactive for a time, so if you have to cut down, that decision will be left totally up to you!
Now, addressing the second point, I can see how there would be concern for someone having split loyalties if they had two characters. But, I actually think that the result of having two characters would be beneficial, rather than detrimental to someone's loyalties. By having two characters in different factions (even opposing factions!) I believe that would serve to diversify their thinking, for the better. For instance, in a situation such as a GC vote, it's likely that someone with two characters will be less inclined to just "root for the alma mater (ie. Faction)", and instead, base their vote off whatever build they truly think is the best.
Also, given the friendly and encouraging community that LCC is, I would be surprised and a bit disappointed if anyone had some hard feelings just because someone's creative desires led them to build for one faction and not another.
However, if worse came to worse, I suppose the King's Council could make a rule where you are only allowed to build for your original faction in a Global Challenge. That way they could ensure no ill will by people towards someone who chose to build for an opposing faction. While I personally believe that our community is mature enough to respect someone's decision no matter what, implementing a rule like that would be effective in ensuring a more "peaceful" if not slightly more restricted atmosphere.
I realize the FO's will want to talk this over amongst themselves before coming to any decision, but I figure that now is the best time for me to answer any doubts. Thanks for your time!