The Daily Grind: Do you roll alts when you don't need to?

One of my favorite things about Final Fantasy XIV is the flexible class system which basically eliminates the need to roll an alternate character. Usually alts exist to provide access to different classes and associated gameplay tropes, but in FFXIV that's not necessary. I mean, sure you can roll an alt if you want to, the game allows multiple slots per account, but why bother when one character can literally be every adventuring, crafting, or gathering class and swap between them all at will?

This isn't a new idea, of course, since skill-based games like Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, and others featured a variation on this design theme over a decade ago. It feels fresh, though, because the vast majority of modern MMOs force players to accept unchangeable classes shortly after character creation.

And maybe that conditioning is why I'm sorta having a hard time when it comes to roleplaying in FFXIV. Mechanically, I much prefer the game's flexibility to the rigidity of most themeparks. When it comes to creating a believable backstory, though, it's very easy to end up with a Mary Sue since your character can literally be good at everything. So, yeah, I rolled an alt. How about you, Massively readers? Do you roll alts even when you don't need to? Why?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!