[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

In my opinion, this game should definitely have both surnames and legacy names separate. I'll go into what details I can on what I think both should be like.

 

Surnames are just that: One's last name. An identifier of what family they are a part of. Honestly, the player shouldn't be able to create it until they've reached their respective fleet so they can have time to figure out what their character is doing, and even then it would be simply optional. I just think there'd be an NPC you would talk to in order to set your surname - With people going all over the galaxy as Troopers, Jedi, or Smugglers, paperwork on who families are would fall through cracks easily. Of course, the ability to pay to change it would exist (46 states in the US allow for legal name changes), with the required payment being a fee to pay for the paperwork and other labor required to fulfill the request. Said payment would only exist for any subsequent changes after the first and would follow in the idea of the current "respec" price system: Goes up with how often you use it, but returns to a standard, bottom fee over time.

 

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From an RP Standpoint on this possibility, it could go something like this:

 

Let's say you roll a female Smuggler and move through Ord Mantell as you normally would. However, you accidentally get yourself caught in a fight too large to handle, and are probably going to die. Then a male Trooper comes in, saving your near-death butt, and the two of you begin adventuring through Ord Mantell together. As you go along, you both begin to see how similar the two of you are. When you finish up on Ord Mantell and reach the fleet, you discover you are both siblings. When registering your surname, you register it as the same to show that you are in the same family.

 

Now let's see that same scenario where they aren't related: Instead, they set their surnames differently. As time goes on, they continue to work together on a number of assignments, doing what they can to stay somewhat close - on the same planet, at least. As time goes on, they decide to tie the knot: They get married (To those cynics out there: It does happen. People do get married in MMOG's). Then they go to the surname registrar and change their surname to the same, thus indicating their new status.

 

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With the Legacy System, I think it's a great idea. It just could be executed better. In my opinion, the Legacy "Name" should be more of a title that one could wear to show that they are similar to other characters.

 

From an RP standpoint, say I roll a Smuggler, named Reess, who goes along and achieves his Legacy. Because of how I "act" as him, being polite and helping those in need, I decide the Legacy "Name" to be "Honor." Now let's say I also roll a Bounty Hunter who decides to not follow Imperial ideology, and instead follows in Reess' footsteps. He would wear said title, "Honor," to show everyone that he's like Reess. Now let's say I roll a Jedi Knight who's more like a Sith than a Jedi: Inflicts pain and enjoys every moment. He would deter from the Legacy of "Honor" and instead, forge his own path and Legacy. Would he create a Legacy "Name?" No.

 

To sum it all up, I think the Legacy "Name" and Surnames should be seperate, whereas the Legacy Name could not be changed once set and was more of a title, but wasn't your surname. Your surname, which would identify who you affiliated yourself with, could be changed, as circumstances cause changes like that to be warranted. Perhaps add a simple piece to one's character sheet that shows their Legacy Name for identification purposes, although couldn't be used for anything RP: That would be taking OOC knowledge IC.

 

Superb post.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Fun fact -

The first production car came out in 1885.

 

Unleaded gasoline did not come out until 1975.

 

Therefore, I should expect modern cars to not use unleaded at first.

 

Brilliant logic.

 

Sometimes, people are just so desperate to 'win' a thread that they'll say anything, logic be damned.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

I'm a little irritated that Scottish/Irish prefix names don't work, as names are autoformatted to a single capital letter at the beginning of the name. No warning was given as to this. I opened a ticket, but got the stock "surname changes are not allowed" reply. So now my healer's surname is stuck being 'Mccoy' instead of 'McCoy.'

 

Yeah, I can see that being hugely distracting. But, hey, at least you get to display it.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Also FUN FACT!!!!!!!!!

 

WoW came out in 2004

 

The name change survice didn't come until 2007.

 

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUN!

 

Fun fact: this ain't WoW. People have come to expect these services in any modern MMO.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

You're right companies love money. My family owns one.

 

However... the company stated let me say that again "STATED" that there will be no changes in legacy names.

 

They never swore it was an unchangeable policy.

 

Now that is the company's word. A company's"word" is worth far more to them than any service they provide.

 

Doubtful. Do you mean to tell me that people like you are going to grab their pitchforks and quit if people are allowed to right mistakes they made? That's the thing that's going to push you over the edge -- a wholly-personal choice to spend some dough and right something that only matters to them?

 

If they start going back on their word, their PR will tank. When a company's PR tanks, well ****. That's when you sell out and they go out of business.

 

I... right. You're totally right. A paid legacy name change service will kill TOR. You've converted me, and, in the process, stopped mobs from forming in the streets and raiding Bioware, Austin. You're a hero.

 

everything in the business world revolves around money.

 

Fixed that for you.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

NO.

 

It quite clearly states to be careful as its not changeable.

 

I believe that was the arguement against AC swapping too, so I assume it applies to this aswell.

 

You'll assume wrong when a pay-to-change service debuts.

 

You know what companies love? Money. Know what they don't like losing? Money.

 

This isn't a religion; there is no 'doctrine' to violate here. It's a business, and businesses are built to make money. The more money they make, the better they're doing. Paid name changing services are the equivalent of a machine that prints $10 or $15 bills every few seconds. There is almost no cost to maintain them, and they pump out cash.

 

Bioware would have to be stupid to not opt for this.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

I see a viable solution being:

 

Upon completing Chapter 1 you unlock your legacy name.

 

From that point on, any character you create will have the option of joining that legacy or chosing to start a new one.

 

After completing Chapter 1 on a character that has not been asigned to one of your other Legacy's, it unlocks the new one, allowing you to select another Legacy name.

 

The issues with this are the increased inavailability of names due to players being able to select multiple ones. On the player side, this also means that their Legacy XP would be divided between different Legacies. However, this would allow the Legacy name function to remain, for the most part, as is while opening the option of selecting different surnames for your characters.

 

Any option would be superior to what we currently have.

 

Personally, I am in favor of having the Legacy Name 'divorced' from surnames, so that each character can choose a non-unique surname (which would allow players to start families across accounts, have different surnames for different characters, etc.), but maintain a legacy name that functions in essentially the same manner as the current system.

 

In this way, the Legacy System can be fleshed out in the manner that the developers had conceived, people can maintain all current titles, the functionality of the Legacy System will not be inherently offered, but choice and variety are restored to the players.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

I think what OPs saying is that it appears the Legacy name gets almost hardcoded to your account, to the point where the GMs aren't actually able to change or remove it.

 

I think they are able to do it, but are unwilling/not allowed to. Otherwise, what would happen if someone chose something profane? Would that be allowed to persist? Or would they just out-and-out ban that person? If you start making a habit of doing that, you're costing your company thousands of dollars. A name change and a reprimand of some sort saves the company money.

 

So, yeah, I think they have a method of changing names, they just aren't allowing the people who behave to utilize it -- just the naughty ones.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

I would like the option also. Had no idea what Legacy was and it wasn't really explained clearly enough (for me, anyways) when the window popped up to put a name in.

 

I threw in a name without giving it too much thought just so I could move on with the game...

 

I know the name I want now, but it's so friggen awesome I refuse to share it with you all in the hopes that I'll be able to use it soon.

 

Lol, same. I am very guarded about my names -- don't tell them to a soul. However, the surname I want is fairly obscure, so I hold out hopes that, even months down the road, it will still be available. I just need a kindly CM to help me out.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

maybe it would be like, "Well, we can't change it, and you name is super offensive, so we're just gonna lock you out of the server. Reroll and enjoy."

 

99% sure they can change the names, they just don't want to.

 

Or they are waiting for the paid name change service.

 

Any kind of confirmation that a name change service was pending would satisfy me. I can wait, I just don't want to be waiting on nothing, you know?

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

So i wonder what is going to happen to the guy I reported with the Legacy Cker, Name Mofu?

 

No idea. We've never, in all the pages of this thread, had any confirmation on a reported legacy name getting changed, or if the person who was reported got to pick the replacement.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

If you deleted that character, or ALL your characters, the legacy name is bound to your account (and your legacy level/xp stays)

 

It's really the worst aspect of the system, because it's ridiculous to maintain a legacy when every character originally affiliated with the name is deleted. That's a policy that would make sense if you couldn't hide the name, but since it can be hidden, then that defeats any purpose of forcing its permanency.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

All they really need to do is ask on character creation: "Choose the Legacy this character should be a part of." Give none as an option, or something like "this character will forge its own path."

 

But, I don't think Bioware should offer a "pay-to-change" Legacy name option. I think if you get to the end of Act I and you pick a legacy name, then that's it. I just think you should have a choice as to whether or not new characters on that server are part of that family.

 

I support your desire to opt out, but why turn around and slap those of use who chose poorly across the face?

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

as a joke I took the name schwarzenegger for my trooper, as I was shooting away with grav rounds(reminds me of the movie eraser with arnold) and my character is a cyborg so he looks a bit like terminator. Then after i select the name I find out its for all my characters, lol rubbish. I don't want to play my jedi sage with this name.

 

Yes, it even fails for humor. Because while a funny Sage might have the name 'Pebbleslinger' or something like that, Schwarzenegger is simply a head-scratcher in that situation.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Unless they were adopted together, or had the same dad/mom

 

What? It's true!

 

How about a Sith Pureblood and a Twi'lek, on opposite factions, born before the galactic war (and thus prior to the Sith Empire even existing in known space)? How are they related? How do you explain that?

 

And, more profoundly, why do you explain that? Why even attempt to justify it?

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Haha ^ +1 dude.

 

All I have to say "Haters gonna Hate".

 

Yes, it has been a running theme in this thread. Rarely have I been exposed to people with so unconvincing an argument railing so loudly against something that has absolutely no effect on them.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

FYI, the more you do things like this, the faster the Moderators will close this thread because it is no longer on topic. So again, have fun bumping this thread or any other you make for the next year because you, yourself, made a mistake and want Bioware to rectify it.

 

Hey, you're the guys flaming away. And as for closing the thread, I'll simply open another, and another, and another.

 

You see, the more people unlock the Legacy System, the more will make mistakes; make choices they regret; or decide that they want different names for different characters. There was an extremely potent negative reaction to the system the moment it was announced during Thanksgiving week, and that negative feeling has not burned away with time.

 

You continue to act like I'm alone; like I am speaking only for myself. And while my motivations -- like all of those who are affiliated with me -- can only be personal, I am hardly the only individual who thinks this is garbage. This thread is more than enough proof of that.

 

So, yes, continue to threaten closure. That's the spirit. Every reply you feed me merely pops this topic back to the top of the forums.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Because, Bioware has stated before that they want lasting affects on characters, your decisions change your play. By simply making it so you can change it to whatever you feel like at any given time makes the legacy feel less important and defeats the purpose that Bioware has set.

 

Again, your support is much appreciated. I really cannot thank you enough for doing my work for me.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Why do you care if they allow us to change our legacy name? We pay 15/month

we play hours a day, playing for what we paid for.

 

last I checked 90% of the people on this thread agree that the system as it stands sucks. No ones asked for it to be removed, just changed.

 

Plus why do we have to go out of our way to look up how their system works? It's not like surnames are a new thing to MMOs. So I'm sure a lot of people thought "hey this is just THIS characters last name, Not your Server surname."

 

PS. Why Don't you just go out and make a thread and name it "Legacy names -- allow us NOT to change" and lets see how much hits that gets.

 

It's called ego, Zerv. There's a powerful desire amongst a handful of people on all kinds of forums that drives them to 'win' threads. If they aren't 'winning,' then they believe that the tide can turn; they just need to shout louder.

 

Again, I don't think the Legacy System needs to be removed, and while I think having one surname for all characters is utterly stupid, I can live with it. What I can not live with, however, is a mistake, hanging around my neck like some albatross for all eternity. That's isn't why I play the game, and it shouldn't be why anyone should be playing the game. What the hell is the point of a game if certain mechanics are killing or dramatically reducing the fun factor for many players? particularly when those factors have no bearing on anyone but the individual?

 

Nobody is asking to fly, or skip 20 levels, or be handed a free set of epic gear. We want to correct a mistake. That's it.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Exactly, avoid my questions because you made a mistake... YOU

 

Keep crying about it. Devs are still wrong. Glad to see it's bothering you so much .

 

/agree

 

Also, if you are honestly going to keep bumbing this until Bioware bends over for you because YOU messed up, have a fun year of bumbing.

 

Will do. Thank you both for the continuing support.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Its your fault, did you research the legacy name? All my guildmembers knew ahead of time what they were doing and didnt make stupid names like bubba fatt (Which I have seen, he is character 4 body type too lol).

 

This is not their fault that you messes up. They have said about making decisions last, your legacy name was one of them.

 

Blame them all you want but the fact is the blame is solely placed on you.

 

Thanks for the bump. Please, keep helping my cause.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Dont make that assumption because you messed up and chose a bad name that you want to change. Its not their fault

 

Oh, yes, it most certainly is. Design a system that isn't archaic, and people won't complain. Hell, I'd have deleted every character I had on the server, including two 40+ ones, if it meant getting the name back. I choose to blame this foul design on those who put it together. If that makes you an unhappy little camper, so be it.

 

I made a mistake -- I freely admit that, and have never hidden from that fact. But don't expect me to sit quietly by and rest on those laurels for months or years. No, I will be vocal about this until they change the system or force me from the forums. You can expect so see this same thread, bumped, until this issue is rectified. And my support will only grow as an increasing number of people come to realize that this design is inherently and attrociously flawed.

[Black Talon Loot.]

just found out that if you DO NOT KILL THE CAPTAIN the armor drops on the good sergeant that invades the Talon with his squad

 

Have you ever seen it drop?

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

Sorry, there are consequences in this game. You make a mistake you have to live with it. Perhaps it would be lucrative for Bioware to make it a paid service.

 

Lol @ you 'consequences' types -- what an absolute joke. You know what a consequence is? Jaesa's permanent alignment being based on your own decisions. And you can reroll if you decide you made a mistake.

 

But a name? Give me a break. You clearly do not understand meaningful choices in the slightest.

 

Paid name service, or free. Hell, it'd take all of five minutes to implement, and would make Bioware money. No idea why people are fighting this so hard, but it makes me laugh every time.

[Legacy names -- allow us to change them]

i heard they can remove names if they are against the rules (uniqueness, TOS, vulgar, etc) but they suddenly dont have the power to remove Surnames under player request...

 

 

 

 

DERP

 

Yeah, well this is the most unhelpful customer service team in the history of customer service.