I think maybe you guys are kind of missing the point of this. The Legacy-name would be referring to you, the Player. If you want different characters (be they your own or others) to be of the same family, you could relax character-name rules to include Spaces. For example, say my character is currently named "Terin Gigaslash", the former the character and the latter the Legacy. With this new system, my Legacy name -- the identifier by which other players associate me -- would be "Terin". No matter who I'm playing, you can look at me and say "Oh, that's Terin!". My character name, however, could change from "Terin" to "Terin Gigaslash" if I so wished it. Again, though; there are alternatives to this system, but I do think it's the most straight-forward system you can get. Legacy-names would have to be changed, so that they are unique to each player, but it's no different than previous name-purges; the only difference being that, instead of every player taking 12 names on each server, you would only have one name per account. For the casual player, this means less competition over names. Sure, you might still have to get a little creative, but only 1/12th of the current names would be taken. For the role-player, it means you have almost total room for creativity for your character's name. Your "Legacy name" would be completely irrelevant to role-playing; it would merely be how others identify you, the person. I might get unlucky and my Legacy-name be "Rickybobby", but my character's name would still be "Terin", and I wouldn't have to worry about whether or not "somebody else beat me to it". I've been using the name "Terin" in games since I was a child, and so it was important to me to reserve the name in SWTOR. When I lost that name, I was crushed, and quit playing because of it. With this sort of change, even if I don't score the Legacy name I want, I would still be able to name my Jedi "Terin", and that, to me, would be a huge accomplishment. And also, since players would only be sitting on one name per account, it means I might even have a chance at getting Terin as my Legacy name after all. Seems like a Win-Win in my book.

It's not like the issue would be any worse than people running around with the Legacy-name of Skywalker, or other famous names. It's literally the same issue, no better or worse. They could, of course, add certain restrictions against truly iconic names, but really, it's not as though you're going to see any more instances of that than you do now.

Honestly, I'm not pushing either way on the issue. I'm fine with AC's being locked, and I'm also fine with them being available to change. I just want to know what the official word on the matter is, so that I may plan accordingly.

That would also work, but I don't think there's anything about my proposal that *wouldn't* work. They would simply have to schedule another "mass name-change" for peoples' Legacy names, which is pretty much going to have to happen at some point, anyways, pretty much regardless of what naming-method they choose. Really, the two naming systems we're talking about are really quite similar; the only real different is how they would be displayed to fellow players. It's basically choosing how you display the names above a player's head: Legacy Character -or- Character@Legacy I think the former is more visually appealing, but either way, there are tons of options and variations of the same idea. The reason I quite like the former version, is it allows for Spaces in your Character's name, as the Legacy name would be how to interact and /whisper other players. Either way, though, I think we can all agree that *something* should be done.

I know this is an older topic, but I'm equally curious. I'm seriously debating deleting my Mercenary, because I want to re-use the name and create a Powertech instead. However, if they are seriously considering the possibility of changing AC's, then I would happily hold off until such a feature were added.

The thing about games become free-to-play is named wind up getting taken en masse, and this is doubly true for SWTOR as the game has been condensed into fewer, larger servers. This creates frustrations for newcomers and veterans alike, so I would like to propose an entirely new Naming-convention. Instead of having to make various unique Character-names, and a single Legacy-name that everyone can use, flip the system around; a single, unique Legacy name, and individual character-names can exist in harmony with one another. This makes far more sense anyways (it's not much of a "legacy" if anyone can bear the same name), and greatly opens up the freedom for naming characters. For example, say I choose "Terin" as my Legacy name. This becomes the name that other players will see by default. I choose my individual Character-name, which can be anything I want (within the rules), even if another player has it. This would displayed underneath my Legacy name (or could be turned off). In addition, individual character-names might also allow for Spaces, since they would now exist exclusively for role-playing purposes. The key to making this idea work is having your Legacy-name become your de facto Star Wars identity. In Diablo III, for example, regardless of what I choose to name my character, players will always recognize me as "Terin". It seems strange at first, but you quickly get used to the idea. Perhaps you could even hide your Legacy-name, unless requested by another player. Also, this helps Role-players, as well. Suddenly, you're no longer confined to "what's available" for your character's name, because only your Legacy name needs to be unique. Not only would this cut down on the names being taken to one name per account, but even if the Legacy-name you wanted to have is still taken, you at least have freedom over how your individual character is identified. So please, consider this change. I think it would greatly improve the quality of life for all of your current players, and would make the game more enticing for new and older players alike. Thank you for reading.

1. This is true. I don't that that invalidates my view, though (although high-five for actually remembering me ) 2. True. The current structure, though, is unquestionably the worst option they could choose, given the state of the game now (versus when the game released, the system made sense). Literally the only way the naming-system could be made worse, is if they also made Legacy names forced-unique, in addition to character names (whereas by inverting those requirements, it opens up a lot of room). Also, I've never played another MMO where players were *forced* out of their own names, particularly those who pre-ordered the standard, DDE, and even CE versions of the game specifically to reserve those names. 3. Fair point, I'll re-post there.

When it comes to a story-driven game, immersion is everything, though, and being stuck with names you can't even pronounce is a pretty poor system to force upon your players. As well, I think it's still worth remembering just how many players, myself included, got screwed out of their early-access names because of mandatory server-transfers. The current system just isn't good, given the limited number of servers and being a free-to-play game. There are objectively better alternatives, and they would benefit all parties involved. I very much like the idea of having your Legacy-name become your unique player-handle, which gives freedom in naming your character, and immediately opens up *MANY* more names for use.

But everyone recognized his old look. The "new" armor in the Foundry was largely made up of generic designs that were simply recolored. If they can make a completely unique set based on Malak, Carth Onasi, Bastila, and the rest of the goobers that rode on Revan's coattails to saving the galaxy, then there's no reason they can't make a set completely unique to Revan, as well.

Yeah, they absolutely need to make *EVERY* armor and weapon designs in the entire game accessible, through some means. For example, I *LOVE* the Inquisitor's Battlemaster armor, but they removed the matching Belt, which really made the set look awesome (and can players even craft that gear anymore, or were the plans removed, too?).

I've collected the existing Revan set, but if we're being completely honest with one another, it's a pretty sad imitation of Revan's actual gear from the past. It's not bad-looking gear, by any means, but aside from the belt and legs, the appearance is pretty generic-looking. Keep those items as they are, but introduce a new "Darth Revan" set, based specifically on his Knights of the Old Republic appearance, including a custom Lightsaber. This new set would be a deeper black, include a cape, nix the "shoulder-rolls", and have a Mask that is thinner and "pointy" at the chin. It would be remarkable similar, sure, but for fans who wish to truly dress in the armor of Revan, the current version just isn't cutting in. Bonus points if you allow those who've already unlocked the existing Revan set in their Collections tab, automatically access the new version.

Well, the idea could certainly be altered to go various different ways, but ultimately, I think the current naming-system is failing the needs of players. It simply isn't suited for a free-to-play game, particularly one with so few servers to choose from. Given that they're clearly still working on the game, I think it would behoove everyone -- players, developers, and publisher alike -- to consider a bit of an overhaul to the naming structure. That way, even if the name Terin is taken -- which is the name I wound up quitting the game over losing before -- it's no longer some crippling blow to my level of immersion, because I can still name individual characters as I please (within the rules, obviously), and I need only worry about creating a unique "Player name" for others to refer to me by. Even better if they could manage to tie this system to the Forums, to really build a sense of community again (I've been posting here for years, but I doubt a single person here would recognize me in-game, for example).

The thing about games become free-to-play is named wind up getting taken en masse, and this is doubly true for SWTOR as the game has been condensed into fewer, larger servers. This creates frustrations for newcomers and veterans alike, so I would like to propose an entirely new Naming-convention. Instead of having to make various unique Character-names, and a single Legacy-name that everyone can use, flip the system around; a single, unique Legacy name, and individual character-names can exist in harmony with one another. This makes far more sense anyways (it's not much of a "legacy" if anyone can bear the same name), and greatly opens up the freedom for naming characters. Furthering this change, upon choosing your new "Legacy name", allow players to use it as a surname, a first name, or display it completely on its own. For example, say I choose "Terin" as my Legacy name. I change my Jedi Guardian's name to "Gigaslash", and using it as a surname, I become "Terin Gigaslash". My Sith Warrior, however, I might name "Evil", and flipping the display-name option around, he becomes "Evil Terin". For my Smuggler, though, I name him "Jimmy", but instead, choose only to display the name "Terin" to other players. The key to making this idea work is having your Legacy-name become your de facto Star Wars identity. In Diablo III, for example, regardless of what I choose to name my character, players will always recognize me as "Terin". It seems strange at first, but you quickly get used to the idea. Perhaps you could even hide your Legacy-name, unless requested by another player. Also, this helps Role-players, as well. Suddenly, you're no longer confined to "what's available" for your character's name, because only your Legacy name needs to be unique. Instead of a million people with the Legacy name of Skywalker, you would have a million people with the name Luke, which seems far more fitting. Now only would this cut down on the names being taken to one name per account, but even if the Legacy-name you wanted to have is still taken, you at least have freedom over how your individual character is identified. So please, consider this change. I think it would greatly improve the quality of life for all of your current players, and would make the game more enticing for new and older players alike.

Honestly, I've exhausted every means of contact I can think of. I'm hoping that just maybe, someone else might be able to help find the player with the name.

This may seem like extreme lengths to go for a name, but it is what it is. I have never once seen the player with the name "Terin" log on, but I'm hoping, perhaps, a fellow forum-goer here maybe has? Perhaps it's someone's alt that you know, or even your own? Frankly, I'm interested in getting the name back, for personal reasons. If you know the player who has the name, I'd be more than happy to try to work some sort of trade out to reacquire it, and obviously I'd cover the name-change itself, as well (that is, assuming the name-change token can be traded? I've never checked). If you or the player is *not* interested, then that's perfectly fine, too; Granted, the name means something special to me, but I can respect if someone else is truly attached to the name, as well; I'd just like to k\now, so that I don't keep spending hours spamming General-chat, looking for the player.

The amount of roles they might fill is irrelevant. It doesn't matter if there are more DPS or Tanks than Healers. What matters is how many people are playing. Having more Tanks does not mean there is suddenly a shortage of DPS or Healers. Now, as for the roles themselves... I'm not sure, really. My natural inclination would be to say that the close-ranged would be Tank-capable, while the ranged would be pure-DPS, but I'm sure some clever ideas could make anything work. Maybe the Gladiator would "inspire" allies, in effect healing them, or lowering the damage-output of enemies. Perhaps the ranged guy would be able to shrug off blows, making him the sturdier Tank-type? For that matter, they could just have two Melee-oriented AC's, one focused on Vibroblades and the other Electrostaves. In any case, it's been proven time and time again that new Character-types can add a lot of hype for a game. Most players are typically drawn to whatever is most new, true, but that doesn't mean that's what they wind up sticking with; it's more about getting people to *try* the game. To take the concept further, I think it's sort of a psychological effect. If I had never played SWTOR before, I wouldn't want to play it now, because I would just feel like "I'm too far behind to ever 'catch up'". When you introduce something like a new Class, though, it makes me think "I could try this new Character out, and I'm no further behind than anyone else trying the Class out, either". Even if, after a month, that person winds up playing a Sith Warrior or something, at long as it gets them trying the game, it's a positive. Plus, let's just be real with one another; the existing Classes aren't nearly as diverse as we were led to believe. They advertized 8 Classes that, with AC's, would become 16, but it's effectively 4 that become 8. Bringing in a new batch of AC's would put it at 10, which is a much more competitive number.

Not really. "I'd really like" would be more accurate, but I do think the game needs a new Class, as it's the only thing that would actually be able to pull new people in (barring the new space-combat expansion being a huge hit, of course, which I hope it is). The Class has to be something that isn't already represented, though. We already have the mercenary-type, the military-type, several flavors of Jedi and Sith, and our "Han Solo class". The Imperial Agent had a pretty weak kit to begin with, but they managed to make it surprisingly interesting. So that basically gives us a "James Bond" appeal. To me, the Mandalorian just makes sense, given how different they could be portrayed. If Jedi and Sith don't appeal to you, military and mercenary types don't appeal to you, and neither Han Solo nor Jame Bond appeal to you (are you some kind of monster?!?), then perhaps a gladiator-styled Class might. Go strictly old-school with it, such as their electric-nets and tridents, perhaps even bolas, and really give them more of a primative, savage flair. Now granted, if they were actually considering the possibility of extending existing Classes' stories, that'd be great. We have to be realistic, though, and realize that it will never happen, because those voice-actors are not going to be on-hand to make that content. That's actually one of the reasons I suggested having a new Class start at a higher level, so there isn't nearly as much voice-acting required. Mostly just generic responses, for non-story missions. Now granted, it would still be a lot of work, but I also think it's the most likely thing to pay off. You have to remember, a new Class isn't something that only some players will experience; it's something that almost everyone will try out, and it also presents a jumping-on point for new players. It doesn't matter if those new players stick with the character, or choose another; what matters is that it gets them on-board. Like I said, I'm totally open to hear other suggestions, and in fact I really like discussing stuff like that. Most of the stuff I've read, though, consists of more variations of Jedi or Sith, and even if those were cool ideas, I don't see those appealing to a new demographic -- one that doesn't already play the game.

You're dead wrong. Jedi Knights and Consulars explore wildly different themes, as do Sith Warriors and Inquisitors. To suggest they are purely differing in gameplay mechanics is woefully inaccurate. Also, while anyone can *become* a Mandalorian, there are also those who are born to it, and those also have a radically different type of story to tell. Deny it all you want, but Bounty Hunters are no more "Mandalorians" than Jedi Knights are "Bounty Hunters"; sure, you could argue that "being a Jedi Knight who does the bounty-hunting missions is technically a 'Bounty Hunter'", but that's a pretty massive stretch, as best. Bounty Hunters rely exclusive on gadgets and firepower. I would propose a "Mandalorian Class" who does the opposite, utilizing almost zero technology, except where absolutely necessary to survive (Shield-generates, some powered-vibroblades or electrostaffs, etc). Mandalorians were clearly inspired by the Spartan culture, along with other influences, so this Class would be dedicated wholeheartedly to that ideal. Now, I suggested also adding Assault Cannons to one of their AC's, simply because I think it also fits the "theme" of a more primal, warrior-type class. Imagine some monstrous guy walking onto the battlefield, revving-up his Assault Cannon, then just spinning around as fast as he could, firing blaster-bolts in every direction -- it's just kind of a cool image, to me. It stays true to their more "brute-force, up-close" theme, while also providing a different theme. Even that, though, is completely optional. Ultimately, I think the game simply needs *something* to draw new players in again. I think the new Starship-expansion looks promising, and by no means am I dissing it. However, the fact remains that the "ground-game" will always be central in The Old Republic, no matter how awesome the new space combat looks. Mandalorians provide a niche that no existing Class would, and given that HK-51 is now a Companion (personally, I'd have made them into their own new Class), I just don't see anything else that could be added, that isn't yet another variation of Force-user.

Mandalorians have also gone to war with each other, however, when one group opposes the claim as Mandalore. Artus won a lot of respect in his backstory, but several clans might be looking at his activity in the years since, and just be thinking "You know what? I don't think this guy is Mandalore at all. Screw this noise, I'm not following him anymore! /cue teenage rebellion". Also, yes, Mandalorians have also has a lot of beefy weaponry in their history, but they aren't necessarily defined by it, either. They're more defined by their savage nature and culture. Just as we have two Jedi and two Sith, I would propose this new "Mandalorian class" would represent a different facet of their culture, differentiating them from the existing Bounty Hunters. Bounty Hunters would very much be the Fett-family Mandalorian, whilst this proposed "Mandalorian class" would draw more inspiration from the Taung. The specific name of the class could probably use work, as "Mandalorian" might not have the same wide-appeal of Jedi or Sith, but I think the concept is still solid. And to be quite frank, I think the game is going to continue to dwindle in players unless they do something to get non-players excited about jumping in. And honestly, if you only had to deal with 5-10 levels of story-content, it's not like it would require some absurd amount of voice-acting. Also, the Bounty Hunters' voice-actor is just terrible. Go-go voice-modulation!

Well, they aren't so much a "third axis" in TOR, but there is no doubt, they have that capacity in other parts of the greater timeline. In fact, I personally wish they would focus the new Star Wars movie-trilogy on the rise of a new Mandalore, even though I'm pretty much certain they would never consider it. In any case... Like I said, I realize that Bounty Hunters can technically become Mandalorians, but it's really more of an "honorary title". True Mandalorians are more akin to gladiators and Spartans, which it pretty far removed from what a Bounty Hunter actually is. Plus, I mean, what else *could* you make a Class out of? And make no mistake, TOR really needs a new Class. MMO's always see a surge of new players whenever new Classes are added, and assuming they don't make the barrier of entry too daunting, I could see it being a smart move, as well as adding to the game itself.

Yes, Bounty Hunters eventually become Mandalorians, but let's be real; they're still more Bounty Hunter than Mandalorian. The Mandalorian culture is far more robust than the Bounty Hunter's story would suggest, and I think they would make a fine class to bring into the fold. Allow me to elaborate... 1. They would be on both factions Republic Mandalorians would start out as pit-fighters, earning their freedom, and then challenging Artus and his claims to the mantle of Mandalore. Their story would revolve around earning allies to help them overthrow Artus. Empire Mandalorians would serve Mandalore the Vindicated directly, and after a failed assassination attempt on their leader, they are given the task of tracking the assassin down, leaving nothing but death and destruction in their wake. In terms of gameplay, they would be literally indistinguishable. 2. They would utilize underutilized weaponry I foresee the Mandalorian having two AC's, just like every other Class. "Gladiator" would be focused on non-lightsaber melee weapons (either Vibroswords or Electrostaff), whilst the other, "Warmonger", would wield an Assault Cannon. 3. They would provide a different "theme", not present in any of the existing Classes True Mandalorians are unlike anything else in the Star Wars fiction, and they are certainly unlike anything present in The Old Republic. They would lack the "gadgets" of the Bounty Hunter, but would instead be presented as peerless warriors. Their Barbarian-culture would be in full swing, with more "tribal" aspects. Even in their armor, I would aim for Greco-Roman themes, with the only similarity between them and Bounty Hunters being that their helmets are vaguely similar, though the Mandalorian class's would be far less technological. 4. They don't require a lot of content Being a brand-new Class, most would naturally assume they would have an all-new 1-60 experience. However, I'm not so certain that's necessary; in fact, I would almost argue against it! For all its many awesome feats, The Old Republic suffers from a pretty arduous leveling-up system. It's long, frustrating, and more than a little boring. They probably don't want to be bothered designing all that content, and we don't want to be bothered playing all that content again. So, why not cut out the fat, and introduce them at Level 50? That way, the only "Story" they need can be tied to the existing "Rise of the Hutts" expansion, something many players still haven't experienced, giving even more incentive to return to the game, or try it for the first time. 5. Their introduction presents an opportunity to reinvigorate the game, bringing in newcomers First off, the idea of playing a true Mandalorian is exciting enough. Even for those unfamiliar with their lore, it's easy to see the appeal of what basically boils down to "space Vikings", in a setting people already love. Secondly, it presents the opportunity for some much-needed advancement in actual Lore. Mandalore hasn't had much spotlight yet, and having Clan Ordo side with the Republic not only hearkens back to Knight of the Old Republic, but presents the opportunity to introduce another new, compelling character to the game's fiction. More than anything, though, it presents a "fresh start" to get players on-board with the game, as the original release could be rather boring at times.

Honestly, they shouldn't have ever had "Advanced Classes" at all, especially given that it's just far enough into your character's story that you feel invested, yet not so far that you feel you "know" the class, top to bottom. I suspect they added them as a means to keep the two factions completely balanced, and it wasn't a bad notion, but it came with a lot of problems. To be honest, I'm still not even sure how I feel about the situations. There are so many Pro's and Con's to both sides of the debate, it's almost impossible to form an opinion that would be completely satisfying.

Frankly, the current weapon-types are fine, but they feel a bit restrictive. I'm not suggested "Let everyone use everything", but maybe add one or two options for each AC? Here are kind of the ones I'm thinking about: Commando - Blaster Rifle Powertech - Assault Cannon Mercenary - Blaster Rifle Vanguard - Sniper Rifle Scoundrel - Blaster Rifle Operative - Single Blaster Pistol (think James Bond) Gunslinger - Single Blaster Pistol Sniper - Blaster Rifle Jedi Guardian - Double-bladed Lightsaber Jedi Sentinel - Single Lightsaber Sith Juggernaut - Dual-wield Lightsabers Sith Marauder - Single Lightsaber Not sure what I'd change about the Consular/Sorcerer AC's, if anything. Also, I'm not necessarily saying they *should* make these changes, merely that I don't see any real down-sides. If you think this would impact the game negatively somehow, then by all means, chime-in with your point of view! Otherwise, how would you guys feel about that? Or would it just be stripping away too much identity from the existing AC's, you think?

The current version isn't so much an "update", though, as a simple recoloring of other items. Regardless, they could leave the existing set alone, and add a series of "Darth Revan's" items, going with the older look. I mean, Revan is the most well-known Star Wars character outside of the actual movies, so it just doesn't make sense that throw-away side-characters would get better representation than him.

Seriously, anybody else feel similarly?