Single or Multiple Battle.net accounts?

[magnu55]

I'm back to WoW after an 8-month hiatus and found out that now we have to set up Battle.net accounts.

I've read some posts but do not have a definitive answer to my question: one Battle.net for all or multiple Battle.nets with 1 game per?

The posts I read are a month or two old so I'm wondering if there is any new development. Is there a general consensus what the best approach is? I seem to gather that the single account approach would require 2.5 mins to login? What are the pro's for single account then? And cons for having multiple battle.net accounts?

Thanks dudes.

[Ualaa]

I like one B.Net account, for each account.
That lets you log in all accounts at once, with a single authenticator tied to each.

It also forces you to log in, one after the other (pre B.Net style) for account management changes.

There were rumors things would become B.Net bound, instead of Account bound.
If this ever becomes true, then splitting the accounts across multiple B.Net's is another disadvantage.

If you put all the accounts onto one B.Net.
You can log into your B.Net once, and then (via drop down box) switch from account to account for changing options.
But it takes 30 seconds per account to log into wow (with an authenticator).

[Gormand]

I have them all in 1 B Net and yeah the main disadvantage is the login time. But typically I use it to quickly check my bank alt or any other 2 minute time waster while I login to the accounts.
The other disadvantage would be if your account got compromised somehow, then you would lose all of them, while possible that is unlikely.

Having on separate accounts allows quicker login, and the above account security. But you would miss out if BoA stuff ever became BoBnet.

[ElectronDF]

I have my accounts on 5 BNet accounts. I like using 1 auth code on all of them (at the same time). I also think or heard you can only have 8 accounts in 1 BNet account. So 5 WOWs, 1 Diablo III, 1 Starcraft 2 and maybe a couple older games (WC3, SC1, etc) and you are done. Then what put your Diablo and SC games on a different account, that kinda defeats the purpose of having one BNet account in the first place. I log into my account management about once every 6 months to a year.

I will want to move things between WOW games, so if they make things truely BNet account bound (probably not very soon, 2 years off), then I will probably just transfer the WOW accounts to one BNet. But to me that is a long way off and not a lot of BOA stuff is important to me to mail between chars.

[magnu55]

thanks for the replies so far.

I read a post in this forum that if all accounts are on one B.net, I could transfer characters between all my game accounts? Can someone confirm this? Is it free or do I have to pay for it? If it is true, that would really sway me towards having them on one B.net. This allows so much freedom in forming a group of 5.

Is there a link from Blizz documenting all these "integrated features" between multiple accounts on a single B.net?

much appreciated.

[Hivetyrant]

I also think or heard you can only have 8 accounts in 1 BNet account. So 5 WOWs, 1 Diablo III, 1 Starcraft 2 and maybe a couple older games (WC3, SC1, etc) and you are done.

I have 8 WoW accounts, 3 Warcraft III accounts and the Starcraft Anthology all in one Bnet account, however, yes, you can only have the 8 WoW accounts as a maximum.


thanks for the replies so far.

I read a post in this forum that if all accounts are on one B.net, I could transfer characters between all my game accounts? Can someone confirm this? .

I have never seen this anywhere except rumors, it isn't possible now (only cross faction BoA's on the same account) however that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future...

[jinkobi]

thanks for the replies so far.

I read a post in this forum that if all accounts are on one B.net, I could transfer characters between all my game accounts? Can someone confirm this? Is it free or do I have to pay for it? If it is true, that would really sway me towards having them on one B.net. This allows so much freedom in forming a group of 5.

Is there a link from Blizz documenting all these "integrated features" between multiple accounts on a single B.net?

much appreciated.

I can confirm it!

I have all 5 of my accounts on 1 battlenet account and 1 authenticator.

When I decided to multibox I already had an 80 paladin and an 80 rogue. I used the refer a friend and dual boxed 2 druids to 80 TWICE! Talk about quested out but that's another story :D Moved my 80 rogue to account #2 so I could buy cold weather flying at 68 on both accounts.

Anyway after I got both sets of druids to 80 I only had 2 accounts at the time. Went to Frye's and picked up 3 more WOW's up to WOTLK came home and added them to my main account. Went straight to the character transfer page and transfered them to their new accounts. They transfered almost instantly also which was a surprise and a plus.

[Ualaa]

If you add an account to a battlenet email, you cannot transfer characters to or from the account for 30 days.
However, if both accounts are on the same battlenet email, this restriction is removed.

[magnu55]

I can confirm it!
Went straight to the character transfer page and transfered them to their new accounts. They transfered almost instantly also which was a surprise and a plus.

Are the character transfers free or is there a fee per transfer?


If you add an account to a battlenet email, you cannot transfer characters to or from the account for 30 days.

Do you mean that (after 30 days) character transfers are also allowed between a WoW game account in one Battle.net email and a WoW game account in another Battle.net email? I had the impression this was not possible?

[jinkobi]

Are the character transfers free or is there a fee per transfer?



Yeah man it was 25 bucks + tax per transfer. I spent 75$ on transfers but it was totally worth it to have cold weather flying while dual boxing them up.

[Ualaa]

Do you mean that (after 30 days) character transfers are also allowed between a WoW game account in one Battle.net email and a WoW game account in another Battle.net email? I had the impression this was not possible?

If both battle.net accounts are in your name, you can transfer between them after the 30 days; since the B.Net account system, I've done three transfers between my accounts, each from one B.Net account to another.

The cost for a transfer is the same either way.

[nodoze]

If both battle.net accounts are in your name, you can transfer between them after the 30 days; since the B.Net account system, I've done three transfers between my accounts, each from one B.Net account to another.

The cost for a transfer is the same either way.I also can confirm that currently there are only subtle differences as I have both options. My first 2 accounts that I moved to B-Net are on the same B-Net account. My subsequent accounts have all been 1-to-1 (1 wow account to 1 B-Net account).

Having tried both, I personally prefer the 1-to-1 approach for the following reasons:

I can rename each B-Net login to fit the roles I am having that account do at a given time. For example, I own my own domain & I like to be able to rename my accounts:
- Tank@YourDomain.com (Tank@YourDomain.com)
- Healer@yd.com (Healer@yd.com)
- DPS1@yd.com (DPS1@yd.com)
- D2@yd.com (D2@yd.com)
- D3@yd.com (D3@yd.com)

Or for my 60 twinks (accounts with no expansions):
- 61@yd.com (61@yd.com)
- 62@yd.com (62@yd.com)
...
-6N@yd.com (-6N@yd.com)

Or for my 70 twinks(accounts with only the BC expansion):
- 71@yd.com (71@yd.com)
- 72@md.com (72@md.com)
...
-7N@md.com (-7N@md.com)

I also don't like logging into WoW via B*net and then having to pick from my old account names as they are kinda cryptic and I don't know how to rename them (could only choose what was available back then rather than make your own).

I don't view having to log into each B*net account to change options a problem as I rarely do that (mainly to change the email address).

The current potential main down-side I can see is that if I later choose to use the authenticator and there is a cost per B*Net account. I have never been hacked like my buddy has and I think he had to pay per B*net account to add the authenticator.

~~~~~

The above may change if substantial benefits come from keeping them under 1 B*net account like future BOB vs BOA (Bound-on-B*Net-Account vs Bound-on-Account).

[ElectronDF]

I payed $0000 for adding an authenticator to an account. The mobile version is free and the physical version is $6 and no shipping. I use 1 autheticator number on 5 seperate BNet accounts and log in simultaneously. Until they change the mailing system, I don't have a reason to put them on one BNet. Again, pretty much no charge to use the authenticator, no matter how many accounts you have.