[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

However there was one thing brought up by the op which was not addressed, what if you had 8 characters on a server being closed (as I did) and moved 4 of them to the new seerver, then created new characters for the other 4 slots on the new server. Now we are told the old servers are being shut down and our characters will be automatically transferred, well I already have all 8 slots taken on the new server, where are my other 4 characters going to go?

It's not discussed in this thread because it's off-topic for this discussion. It's being discussed elsewhere.

[player housing before new ships]

I agree that instanced housing is needed, but there are already numerous existing threads on the subject. You should post your thoughts in one of them, rather than starting a new thread on the topic.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

Now that, I think, is genius. On a completely new server, this avoids doing a similar injustice to those origin players.

 

I'm going to put that up right now.

Though it would not be viable to automatically place all remaining characters on a new server, even if the developers determined there was a sustainable population interested enough in moving to such a location. As I noted, not everyone remaining on a source server is doing so due to naming concerns. To drop these individuals on a new server, rather than where the rest of their server community has already moved, would be an extremely bad idea.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

And thank you, I won't let the door hit me on the way out. Is it one of those automatic models with a spring that's too tight? I never quit got that expression. I for one, intent to leave with no animosity whatsoever.

As an aside, it means that if you say or imply you intend to leave, follow through and don't hesitate. In other words, don't stand in the doorway after saying you intend to leave, giving the door time to close upon you, to hit you on your way out.

 

In this circumstance it essentially means that if your are forced to rename your characters that DenitharPurloin expects you to remain, despite your indications otherwise. You are being accused of making empty threats.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

- For this one time, several different characters with the same name on a single server are allowed, as long as the legacy names are different.

- The day of the mergers, different players posessing the same name, will need to reclaim it on a first come, first serve basis (as both are reset).

- Bioware will simply add an invisible code to the name, unseen by players, but recognizable by the server. There is no conflict.

The first and third are not viable due to in-game communication concerns. The second still promotes the 'If I have more time to play the game I should get special treatment' that mothear noted on the first page.

 

Ultimately the idea you cited for your subscription to the game, specifically "the challenge to be a founder with dibs," is a faulty one that no game company in this industry can truly allow if they are to become and remain successful. What you describe is the creation of a caste system, the haves and the have-nots. When this is created it serves to prevent new players from subscribing to a game, and without those new players a game stagnates and dies. For this reason a game developer has to treat new players as equal to existing players as much as possible. In turn your arguments about preferential naming falls short.

 

The situation stinks, I know. I'm going to have to give my own names that I created on the first day of Head Start. That said it is the best way to handle transfers.

[Conan O'brian and SWTOR]

The first four letters are most commonly used in a derogatory and offensive manner, which is why they get filtered. As noted, the term itself is not, as it is not used in such a capacity.

 

No fail in the filter here.

[World Events]

Who would not like a world war event? I think it would be great, PVP draws a lot of players- and right now there is no world pvp. Have a body count tally on the sidebar, denoting what faction is winning.

Not I. And World PvP is why I play the game. Besides, LucasArts would not allow something that so blatantly violates the lore of the setting.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

Which is the whole point of my solution, give players with an active account an alternative. To resolve the inactive issue shoot out an email to those accounts informing them of server transfers. If they can move inactive accounts they can allow players to make a choice by logging into their inactive account. If they decide not to do anything with their inactive account then they've waived their right to choosing where they want their characters placed.

You have to have an active account to access the transfer service, and even if this were changed some inactive account holders are unable to access the internet.

So you bring up market analysis but yet have no market analysis to backup your claim.

Um, I brought up something even simpler in this case: you are among a population that has an issue with this now, therefore it is logical that others would take similar issue when they returned to the game to find their character names changed.

My solution solves the problem for the active population, those returning will have the issue regardless of whether or not active accounts are given an alternative.

Not necessarily. You are talking about moving accounts to a destination different than that currently available. The pool of used names is going to be considerably different.

 

There is something else to consider as well: what about those who have already changed their names? Offer this now, after the developers made it clear it would not be happening, and they would be upset. Rightfully so. You're looking at cancellations there as well.

[Lets think "out of the box" to improve the game!]

The idea of having a level on the fleet in which multiple servers are attached can be designed as an instance in which people can get together. This can be implemented without a complete tear down and redesign of the game but an expansion of what is already available using features already in play. I'm not saying the idea is perfect but it could be something look at down the road.

The bolded text is where you're wrong. The game architecture does not support the form of cross-server interaction you recommend here. The game would have to be rebuilt from the ground up in order to accommodate it.

[Flashpoint Loot Priorities.]

Lesson to be learned: Don't run in PUGS.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

I think you miss understood my point. Transfers can be made open to both servers. If players are waiting for slots they can wait until they get more slots to transfer the bigger server. Those willing to deal with a lower pop server in an effort to keep their name can transfer to the new server. It's not forcing players to transfer characters to different servers.

Except that the developers are going to force players to transfer, so that source servers can be shut down. Hence the issue.

On this point you're making assumptions that players will return or they will lose players for having to pay a fee because they moved their account. At current there is a small portion of the player base upset about the forced transfers, choosing to accommodate inactive accounts over the possibility that they return doesn't seem very wise.

There's a difference between making assumptions and analyzing the market. If anything, the presence of individuals upset over the current naming issue demonstrates there will be a similar issue when the developers succeed in bringing players back to the game, only to find their character names have been changed. Your recommend action does not solve the problem, it simply shifts it to another population. A target market population, no less. From a marketing standpoint that is an extremely poor decision.

 

Besides, in my case some of my comments were not even based on market analysis. My sister and her husband cancelled from the game when she graduated medical school. As a result they are moving constantly, and will not have an internet connection capable of accessing the game until she is able to settle somewhere and begin her practice. They plan to resubscribe when that happens, but they won't if they are no longer on the same server as me and our other family members.

Besides, returning players are already going to be confused by their toons being on a different server.

Which only makes it more important that they find themselves on a new server alongside their friends and family who still play the game.

[Changing Instances?]

You're still using the mechanic in a way that it was not intended for. They stated the reasons for adding the ability to change instances when they added it to the game, back in beta.

 

Anyway, you asked why. The simple answer is: Because you're doing it wrong. If you want it to be changed, there's a Suggestion Box for that.

[Lets think "out of the box" to improve the game!]

Now you've stopped thinking 'outside the box.' In fact, you're doing the complete opposite. You're suggesting they copy systems from other publishers simply because "blizzard can do this."

 

Cross-server group finder has been suggested for this game since beta. There are reasons why it has not been implemented. Agree with them or no, there are already threads dedicated to the discussion of this feature, and absolutely no reason to discuss it anew here.

[Changing Instances?]

There's the problem. That's not a valid reason for changing instances, at least not in regard to why the mechanic was added.

[more Saber Colors]

Galaxies had what? 13 Normal colored crystals, and 3 Unique textured crysals. Lava, Permafrost, Blackwing.

Some of those have been retconned from the setting, though.

[Lets think "out of the box" to improve the game!]

They're merging servers. It was formally announced some time ago ...

 

Besides, what you suggest is far more than a Cataclysm-style change. It's an entire game redesign, that would require the developers to start over from scratch. What you recommend is "out of the box." It just isn't viable for an already-developed game.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

Server transfers don't have to be limited to that new server you can have transfers for both if people are waiting for more slots.

Then, however, you are compounding a currently-existing problem. You are arbitrarily forcing players to split their characters even further. Not a good option.

As for the inactive accounts they should be here to make their own decision. Inactive accounts should never take precedent over active accounts. Plus the plan is to expand the transfer server system so players returning will have an opportunity to play with their friends once that is in place.

Inactive accounts should never take precedence, but active accounts should not be granted precedence in this situation, either. Consider the player that cancelled his account because there was an addition to his family. Or because he was deployed oversees.

 

And as to further plans for transfers, they would fail to account for this divide. Further transfers are supposed to be fee-based. If you require a returning player to pay a fee in addition to his or her subscription in order to play the game with family and friends, the developers will lose more returning players than they actually win back.

[more Saber Colors]

why are there so few colors. Look at a color pallete should be able to be nearly any color on there its light right?

all colors visible possible?

Because the color of a lightsaber is not based on the colors of he visible spectrum. They are limited to the types of crystals found in the setting the are capable of producing a colored lightsaber blade.

 

Lightsaber crystals do not occur in every color of the visible spectrum. As such every color of the spectrum is not available as a crystal.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

My opinion is that the forced transfers should happen to a new server, or a couple servers, and not to any of the already full to bursting servers, which will be even fuller with free trials. This greatly minimizes the chance the name you want is taken.

See my previous post as to why this is not a viable option.

[Should we get reimbursed for our lost game time due to Bioware stuff ups.]

I'm confused. You want free time to the game because you cannot play the game due to the maintenance schedule? If you are being honest, you would gain nothing: you would still be unable to play the game because of maintenance, free time or no.

 

So in short, there is no point. It would be a wasted effort.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

I'd like to offer up a simple solution, and this seems like as good of a thread as any to do it.

 

Group up the rest of the players who have stayed on their original server onto a new server. This gives players a greater chance of getting the names they want, while also putting together a like-minded community. This doesn't solve the problem completely but I think it's a simple solution that a majority of players still on original servers could get on board with.

 

Yes I realize names aren't important to some people, but they are important enough to some players who didn't think the server populations were an issue. SWTOR may not lose a significant amount of subscriptions due to people upset about the names, but that's no reason to start chipping away at the player base for something they offered but are now taking away.

This is not a viable option. Not all the characters that remains on source servers are there due to naming concerns. Some of my characters remain, for example, for no other reason than there's not enough room for them on the destination server. Others remain because their players are currently absent and/or unsubscribed from the game at the moment. If the developers ever want to win these players back, they need to be able to offer them the opportunity to play with the friends, family, and guildimates that they left behind, individuals that have already moved to a destination server; move these individuals somewhere else, and they are forever lost as customers.

[Looking for a Specific Armor I Saw]

What companion was it? Remember that companion characters sometimes get access to unique items that player characters cannot obtain.

[Character Transfers - Multiple Characters]

I am also very concerned about this, as I too have all character slots on my destination server full. My source server characters are out of luck: There's no room at the inn, and even the stables are full.

[Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming]

Retracted on mothear's observation and because the above three will do:

- The character with the highest level, gets to keep its name

- The legacy with the highest XP, will get to keep their name

- The most played character, will get to keep its name

Also not a good way to go about it. This makes the same mistake Bioware did when they announced a free month to level 50 characters.

 

Not everyone plays at the same rate. Consider a player that has a character boasting the name of one of your characters. This player has a different play style than you; perhaps he levels eight characters equally, and as such his character's level is lower than yours. Perhaps he balances the game with one or more jobs and a family, and as a result has logged less time on his character than you have on yours. Yet he's been subscribed since launch, and has payed just as much to BioWare and EA as you. He deserves to keep the character name at least as much as you do.

 

We saw this song and dance before. We know how it ends. Let's not ask the developers to repeat their mistakes.

[Earn Rewards for Free Character Transfers]

Similar situation, like at least hundreds of other subscribers, please give us an alternate target for transfers..

I highly doubt this situation affects "hundreds" of subscribers.

 

I also doubt they will open up alternate server destinations. What I expect them to do is increase the number character slots per server, followed by an announcement that all source servers will be closed.