#1: "The vote was in favor of multis. Why are you removing them?"
This issue is one that has been tossed around for the entire time RoA/AR has been in existence, going on seven years. Vall stated in his ballot "I stayed with MP on RoA only because of the fear of what would become of the MUD without it. It was wrong of me to do so. I wanted player counts. That was my primary goal (is it now? no)." It was decided by the administration that only an OVERWHELMING vote against keeping things single would prohibit us from removing multi-playing from Aurealan Realms, and that did not occur. We still averaged 20-25 players a night, which is fantastic for summer, multis or not. We saw people cooperating, we saw people grouping, we saw everything we hoped we'd see.

#2: "Why was this test run in the first place?"
It would have been foolhardy to make a decision this large without some sort of trial run. We thought we knew what it would be like, and what the end result would be, but there was no way of knowing for sure unless we tested it.

#3: "Wasn't "No-Multi July" just a test?"
Yes, but one whose results were intended to help us make a decision regarding the future of the mud. Nowhere did we ever say we _would_ be going back to two multis as of the beginning of August, and if you thought that was the case, I'm sorry for the confusion. We intended this to be a "make or break" test, and it has served its purpose well.

#4: "The mud is too hard... how am I supposed to play with only one character?"
My quick response is: Good. My longer response is to say that we always INTENDED for this to be a hard mud, one where people had to think, learn, become accomplished with their skills/spells and generally become better at playing the game through experience and attempt. There are too many Pop-Tart muds out there that are easy. I was on one once where you could get to the top level in the game in just a few hours. I got bored very quickly and vowed that any mud I ran would never be like that. Vall felt the same way, so he's supported my stance on that 100%.

#5: "Multi-Playing doesn't hurt anything, why remove it?"
This is a common misconception. It does hurt things. Think about this: Why would you join a game called a "Multi-User Domain", on the Internet, just to play by yourself? The whole point about MUD's is that they are "Multi-User", meaning there are other live people to interact with. If you wanted a game where you could just play in a medieval fantasy world alone, well... that's what Nintendo 64's and PlayStations are for. This is a type of game built on interaction, and allowing multis allowed people to fully insulate themselves into a private little reality. "That's not so bad!" I hear you cry. In and of itself, you're correct, but then they start to resent the fact that other people might be in "their zone" or levelling in "their area". This is when this 'insulation' begins to cause people to be rude, mean, obnoxious and generally petty and stupid. I've been watching this happen for years, and I got very, very tired of it. Now, removing multis won't remove the problem entirely, but it will generally get people recognizing that there are other living beings out there also, and hopefully encourage them to deal with them better, since they may need their help at some point.

#6: "Won't the mud be hurt when all the multi-wanting players leave?"
Not at all. If a person thinks that the entirety of "fun" to be had on this mud revolves around the idea of having more than one character at a time on, I don't want them here because they've missed the point entirely. This is a (say it with me now) G A M E, and to have fun with it you have to play it. This involves things like strategy, planning, forethought and intuition. With the ability to just have your cleric spell you up and recall you out, it takes a significant element of chance out of the game.

#7: "What about the imbalance created by taking away multi-play?"
The mud is going to undergo a massive shift towards balance on September 1st. We're also going to be looking closely at classes & re-vamping skills so that no more than two classes have the same ability. We're also working on object sizes and a way to set object types by class. Balance is our key issue, and Cyng, Vall, Darkenelf and I are working extremely hard to see that we find our balance. It's an on-going struggle, but we're ever vigilant, and will continue to work to get the mud balanced, yet still challenging.

#8: "Why can't you just limit who can and can't have a multi on?"
It was suggested that we only allow non-remorts to have multis on. This is akin to suggesting that only players under the RL age of 16 be allowed multis. It is the height of unfairness to say that only one type of player must function under a certain rule while others don't have to. It's unfair, and it's also an administrative nightmare. We're doing this across the board, so no one is unfairly affected.

#9: "Can't we just use multis to hold and transfer equipment?"
Again, the same administrative nightmare as in the previous question. Also, as soon as we fix clan donation rooms, we're going to institute a ban on storage characters too. However, before you groan in despair, we'll be lowering the price of houses as well, so that more people will be able to afford them.

#10: "How am I supposed to remort without having a multi to hold my remort eq?"
Buy a house, or use the drop, log off, log on another character, pick it up, etc. routine. Yes, it will be a bit more challenging, but not impossible. You can always ask someone to help you... hold equipment for you, etc. There are ways, it's just a bit trickier, which adds to the challenge.

#11: "What about all the time & effort I put in making a team?"
I understand your frustration on this issue, I do. I have a cleric that I've had at level 70, unremorted, for 2 1/2 years, just to use as a supplement for the rest of my characters. I understand about putting together triggers and strategies for two characters. But if you did that for two, you can do it for one, or for you and another person. It's another level of challenge, one that I'm having to learn too, but I think it's worth it.

#12: "What if I don't want to group with other players?"
No one says you have to group with other people. There is enough "mechanical" magic in the game, in the form of potions, scrolls, wands and staves, that most people can do things on their own. It's just a matter of finding out where things are, buying/aquiring them and using them.

#13: "What am I supposed to do if there's no one on to group with?"
Either play on your own (and let that nasty mob go for another time) or try it with charmies, undead or summoned assistants. If you just can't do it on your own, schedule some time when someone else can be on and help. Yes, you might miss when something loads, but it'll load again, and that increases the innate value of the object if you can't get it every time it loads.

#14: "How can I role-play effectively with only one charater on at a time?"
When you're on stage in an ensemble cast, you're never playing more than one part at a time. In each scene, you're only one character, although you might play several in several scenes. Your role-playing abilities will increase as you no longer have to split your attention between characters and can actually concentrate on the "role" you're playing at the moment.

Final Comments:
"This was not an easy decision. I waffled back and forth for much of the month, but in the end I made the decision I think is ultimately best for the mud. Some of you may not agree with me. Some of you may feel you need to leave and find someplace else to play from now on. I wish you the best, and no hard feelings. Indeed, the number of players we have may drop a bit, but I have full faith and confidence that it will only be a temporary drop, and that we will see our numbers regain their former fullness, and increase, as time goes on. We have a good mud here, with a ton of good players, and the word will continue to spread about that. I have no doubts that this is just the beginning of yet another chapter in the rise of the Aurealan Realms. I hope you decide to stick around, it's going to be one hell of a ride." -Mouseglove