(Merged) Character Switch

[AuranX]

Isn't it annoying sometimes having to log out to change characters? I think they should make a character switching option so you could just select a new char and get back to playing rather than logging out and back in again.

[fluff]

Here is something that may be of interest to you:

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Command_line#-password

[Myxylplyk]

I know it only takes a few seconds to do, but I agree with you very annoying. Especially trying to manage storage between all my characters.

[Light Cleric]

I know it only takes a few seconds to do, but I agree with you very annoying. Especially trying to manage storage between all my characters.

I believe someone at Anet a while back(Possibly Gaile) said that the logout thing was made for when you are playing in a public place. If you leave your game unattended to go to the restroom or something(Or just forget to logout when you leave), anyone that comes after you won't be able to completely wreck your account.

[ZeroTheHero]

it is kind of annoying when trying to transfer items thru storage and organize things, but it only takes a few seconds and it serves its purpose as light cleric said

[AuranX]

Thanks for the idea fluff, but it only helps on my computer. What if somone was playing on a public computer and wated to change characters a lot?

[katya]

True, but it is as Light Cleric (Cool avatar, btw!) suggested - as security for your account so somebody using it while you stepped away wouldn't be able to destroy more than that one character.

[Isis Gebnut]

Here is something that may be of interest to you:

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Command_line#-password


Absolutly brilliant.
I saw this and tried it straight away.
Since i only play on my computer it's not a problem. Saves lots of time.

Thanks again fluff.

Isis. :flowers:

[Puppykiller]

I dunno if this has already been suggested before, but it reli annoys me that i have to log out everytime i want to change character, i wish there would be someway to change characters once you are logged in, it would save a bit of hassle if your trying to find items etc

any thoughts?

[KillBear]

I believe that ANet at some point stated it was done like
this for security reasons.

Put yeah, annoying. A better/larger shared storage would
do the trick ;)

[Pariah]

Right click on the Guild Wars shortcut on your desktop, then select properties from the menu that comes up. Under Target you should see something like this => "C:\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" . If you add -password "type your password here"to the end of that line you will never have to type your password again. The line should look like this:

"C:\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -password "type your password here"

Of course replace type your password here with your actual password.

Do not do this if there is anyone with access to your computer that you do not want to have acces to your GW account because clicking on the GW icon automatically logs into your account, no password needed. This is a good way to protect from keyloggers also because if you never type the password, they can't log it. It also makes it much faster and easier to switch between characters, because you don't have to enter the password all the time. I have 3 accounts and use this on all of them,

[beeferami]

i think they should simplify the way you have to change characters. maybe have a way of doing it from the menu, so instead of logging all the way off and logging back on you can just select the character you want from the menu. obviously the character you are playing at the moment will be logged out, just as if you logged off, and then the new character will be brought up, just as if you logged in with it. that is probably a lot easier said than done, but it would come in handy when you are trying to give your warrior that awesome sword your monk just found, or when a friend asks for your help in cantha while you are playing your brand new char that is still pre. then after having completed your chosen task, bam, 2 maybe 3 or 4 clicks of the mouse and you are right where you left off with your monk or n00bie char in pre.

[Auntie I]

Merged the two Character Switch Threads.

[Avoc]

Oh... my GOD! Are people just lazy!?

First of all (not meant to flame or rant or whine or anything)
Anet stated, that incase your evil twin brother accessed your computer while you were in the bathroom it would be better if he only was able to ruin 1 of your characters instead of all of them.

Secondly... I dont know how long it takes you to log out and in again, but it dosent take me more than 5 seconds. This is what I do:

1. Hit F12
2. Hit "Enter"
3. Enter 10 digit password and hit "enter" (this dosent take me more than 3 seconds)
4. Click and choose the character of my choice.

Now unless you have a handicap (which some players do have, and I know that a character selection menu would come in handy for them) this should take 10 seconds MAX! And this is if you write your password with 1 finger.

10 seconds people!

[Convulsing Crunchy]

It takes less then 7 seconds to log off, log on and pick your other character. :duh:

[beeferami]

avoc, but think about if you could hit a key and it takes you directly to character selection screen, i'm even down with entering the password again. they could make a 'characters' menu item, with all your other characters listed, then you select one and it asks if you really want to change, yes, so you enter the password again just in case you are the evil twin brother coming to frag a char while your normal twin brother is in the bathroom. that cuts out all the extra screen transitions from the process, you still have protection from malicious intent, and it just makes more sense

[Kahlan]

Just because you think its a bad idea doesn't mean the rest of us do. Some of us don't have to deal with "evil twins" and are the only ones to access the computer. While, yes, it doesn't take that long to log out and back in, I sometimes click on the wrong character just to have to relog back out and log back in, and that gets quite annoying sometimes. So I would love to see this feature implimented. But yes, I can see Anet's reasoning behind why they do it as well. At least they are thinking about their customers.

[Pariah]

Takes you 5-10 seconds ..blah blah blah...good for you. For the record I can do it in half that time or less because I don't retype the password, does that get me a cookie? Before knocking others, maybe you should have something meaningful to add to the conversation.

The point of this was how to make it easier for those who do a lot of switching of characters. I have 3 accounts, totalling 11 characters right now. I am always moving things back and forth amongst them. I play half of them, but the rest are storage for me, and some are guild storage. Anything that can make it faster and easier to repeatedly switch characters is helpful.

Yes, A-Net is correct in their thinking about why they set it up the way they did, but they plan for the worst case scenario. If you are the only one with access to your computer, then it is actually more secure for you to not type in the password. By never typing in the password, I can never have it stolen by keyloggers. I have never had a keylogger ever, and it would be extremely difficult for anyone to get into my network here, but I am a certified network technician, and I know nothing is impossible. You should also note that in my post above I specifically gave the reason why you should not automate your login, if anyone other than you has access to your machine.

If the way you do it now works for you that's great. But not all situations are exactly like yours.

[Furinto]

I feel it's unnecessary and time consuming to have to log out, and log back in, whenever I want to jump to another character.

Could it be possible to ANet to implement a feature, say, in the game Menu, that opens a window with all of your account's characters, and lets you immediately log on to whichever one you desire?

[takplayer]

http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=409450

http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=411436

This has been suggested before.

[Auntie I]

Thank you takplayer, you're quite right we only need one thread on this topic. Merged all three threads into one.

[Daichan]

I don't know about you, but it is a pain to constantly log out and log in to switch characters, especially when I am managing my items and my bank. My suggestion is in the "Menu" popup there should be an option to switch characters. Once you switch you will be taken to the place where you last played him/her. Its basically like normal logging off/on without the logging off/on.

[beeferami]

now that most of us agrees that having an option in the menu is the best way to solve this inconvenience we just need someone from anet who is assigned to find all the cool suggestions, like the one in this thread, to read what we have said and get someone on it to implement it. otherwise it has all been for naught.

i think we should vote on it.

i propose having a menu item from which we can select the other characters on our account in order to quickly and with less effort switch between characters. all in favor?