Abolish unique character names

[Imershon]

I think the time has come to improve on the archaic ideology that is unique character names.

There are multiple benefits for permitting duplicate character names and few detriments.

 

I gather the original intent to limit character names in early online games stemmed from limitations in the management process to uniquely identify a player who has transgressed the terms of service. Surely in this day and age there are systems in place to correctly identify the offending character.

 

I don't know how others feel but personally as in real life I don't mind if I run in to numerous others with my name so why should it be an issue in a game. It will ease server transfers as character names will remain intact without the need to 'reserve' dummy characters.

New players to the game won't have to spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to come up with a name that is unique (possibly giving up) and in the process becoming disconnected from the character they created because the final name is found to be undesirable so they move on.

[livnthedream]

i see where you are coming from, but name is identity. i dont want someone else running around with my name, especially if that someone happens to be a douche. with even very similar names the stigma gets spread in unfair ways.

[doctor_atomic]

If you have any creativity you will be able to come up with a unique name, so I don't see the problem.

[Darth_Moonshadow]

If you have any creativity you will be able to come up with a unique name, so I don't see the problem.

 

And if you don't have creativity, hit the Random button until you find a name and add the suffix -io to the end. 9 out of 10, the name is available.

[Razdek]

/invite non-unique name to group.... Sorry cannot comply with request. There are 1000 matches.

 

This is why we have unique names.

[Wrayven]

I agree because even though I might run into someone who might have the same character name, I would still like the ability to name my character as I see fit.

 

It is the same as meeting someone IRL who has the same name. (It is not that uncommon. I happen to know 3 people who have the same first and last names.) Should I tell someone who has the same name as me that they cannot use that name because it is my name and therefore have no right to that name.

 

There are other ways of distinguishing players than just by their character names, especially with the legacy surname for those that have gotten that far. And I'm sure Bioware has a way to track player accounts if necessary.

 

It just seems that limiting the name you want to give your character just helps to break the immersion factor that Bioware is so proud of. And it isn't like running into someone with the same name as you should be all that upsetting.

 

Unless you picked versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Ki-Adi Mundi, etc., etc.

[HelinCarnate]

And of the 400 different people named Bob, which one gets the item when I have to send something to Bob?

[Aedey]

i see where you are coming from, but name is identity. i dont want someone else running around with my name, especially if that someone happens to be a douche. with even very similar names the stigma gets spread in unfair ways.

 

I'm on the fence, I support the idea.. yet reading this comment got me thinking. If someone has your exact name they could for some reason have a fight with you & go around impersonating you giving you a bad rep. I mean the community on here isn't impressing me atm.

[Wrayven]

Everyone should have a unique account name maybe using either that or an account numbering system would help distinguish between characters who use the same names.

 

Just saying that there are other options.

[ezy_ryder]

I agree. However, to please the nay-sayers with their counters of "how do you invite/mail someone who shares a name with multiple other people?" I think there should be a username (which must be unique) and a display name (which doesn't need to be unique). All you have to do is ask the person their username and you can trade/invite them no problems. It could be added to the friend's list, that way you don't have to memorize everyone you know's username. Then people could have the name they want and Bioware could roll out these server transfers quicker.

[mathisk]

Everyone should have a unique account name maybe using either that or an account numbering system would help distinguish between characters who use the same names.

 

That wouldn't work well either. If I want to mail Bob something, then I have to remember if it's Bob from account RandomName42 or Bob from WrongAccountName16 or was it Bob from ThisIsTheAccount99... And you can't use the a Given Name and Surname idea, either because do you know how many Bob Smiths play SWTOR?

 

Unless game developers want to start exposing our unique login IDs or account names as the ways to contact us in their games, using unique character names is the best option.

[livnthedream]

I'm on the fence, I support the idea.. yet reading this comment got me thinking. If someone has your exact name they could for some reason have a fight with you & go around impersonating you giving you a bad rep. I mean the community on here isn't impressing me atm.

 

even in wow i knew of 2 unrelated players who had the same name, just spelt slightly differently, i believe it was a transposing of the e and i or some such, and one of them was a rather kindly older lady, and the other was a loud mouthed douchebag teenager. suffice it to say she got a lot of crap (from me included) until i learned the situation and how to keep them separate. i know there are ignore lists etc but how the community views a person matters, and this merely confuses this issue, especially with how the majority of this playerbase acts.

[dosadnik]

I think the time has come to improve on the archaic ideology that is unique character names.

There are multiple benefits for permitting duplicate character names and few detriments.

 

I gather the original intent to limit character names in early online games stemmed from limitations in the management process to uniquely identify a player who has transgressed the terms of service. Surely in this day and age there are systems in place to correctly identify the offending character.

 

I don't know how others feel but personally as in real life I don't mind if I run in to numerous others with my name so why should it be an issue in a game. It will ease server transfers as character names will remain intact without the need to 'reserve' dummy characters.

New players to the game won't have to spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to come up with a name that is unique (possibly giving up) and in the process becoming disconnected from the character they created because the final name is found to be undesirable so they move on.

 

What I find funny in this is that your name is "Imershon" aka imersion and you talk about having the same names. I just find it funny that's all.

[DreamEagle]

I believe the system is good as it stands.

 

Your name is your identifier. In a game that is all we ( your fellow players) have to go on to identify you.

If I do a /who all I know is the names and lvls of the people. It does not show me legacy name.

 

Also, this is not RL. In RL I have MANY ways of identifying you. I see your looks (in game someone with same name could potentially have same look..not likely but possible), I hear your voice ( in game you do not have a distinct voice), if you are a friend, I know your address, your telephone number, your age, the places you hang out, the car you drive......... and so on and on. In game all I have is your name to make you unique amongst all others.

 

That is why having unique names will always be necessary for online games.

 

I have created many different names for many different characters in many different games. It is not that hard to make up a name. Granted..less than 1/4 of them were the original name I tried....mostly since many of the games I was not in at start and were many thousands of people making names on that game before I got there. On this game, so far, more than 3/4 of names I choose work since I been here from start.

 

If you cannot come up with unique name that works for you, then either you being too picky or you need to be more creative. There are many places online where you can search for names if cannot create one.

 

Good luck and may the force be with you.

[CapWinterz]

I guess i'm lucky when it comes to MMO's, Sites and all that in between, i use a certain few names and variants that are not used by anybody as its one of my nicknames, if you keep running into "Name already taken" Stop drying to use a popular name from a book/movie/game and come up with something creative and decent.

[HelinCarnate]

Or if the name you like is taken, make yours with different characters like á instead of a. How do you do that? Glad you asked.

 

http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/accents/codealt.html

 

I just wish they allowed all special characters. Then I could be Awesome™.

Edited April 25, 2012 by HelinCarnate

[Wrayven]

I am just trying to list possible options for not needing to use unique character names to ID people hopefully in an effort to come up with a better way to ID certain characters other than just limiting them to constantly try again to try and find an adequate substitute.

 

Perhaps a listing of names that are already in use use at character creation would be helpful rather than saying 'name in use' (whatever BW's message is).

 

CoH also had an option to where you friend someone by either their character ID or their global ID. Using people's unique global ID in order to invite to guilds or whatnot could not be all that hard to implement into the game for people to use.

 

As I said I am just trying to make some suppositions for some options, I personally have not had any problems as of yet choosing names for my characters but, I can imagine how it could be frustrating.

[HelinCarnate]

Except that not everyone has a global ID in this game. Anyone new to the game or altaholics that have not finished act1 would not have a legacy name.

[Dalaell]

Legacy name should really be chosen at your first creation as it could be very integral to your first name choice, only to later find out you're not allowed the legacy name you hoped for.

 

I'm all for non-unique names and there are plenty of ways to make it work. It's infuriating to get used to going by a name, even one that is uncommon only to find out it is taken you try another game. So what if it's taken?

 

In real life I have an uncommon name yet by some odd chance my high school had 3 of us.

[KnowItAllDM]

My thoughts on this are as follows:

 

This system could work under the following conditions:

 

1. Unique Legacy names stay. It's integral to the system that there not be multiple Bob Smiths or Jack Jones out there.

2. Legacy names are chosen at first character creation.

3. Legacy names show on characters at all times only as a Surname(Bob Jones, not "Bob; The Jones Legacy") until you "gain your legacy" after chapter 1 has been completed by any one of your characters., at which time start gaining legacy xp and the legacy tab can be accessed.

4. Invites and all chat events are directed to the legacy name only, and are sent to whichever character of that legacy is on at the time.

5. Emails are sent to: Bob Jones OR Jones, Bob. Either way should work at the sender's preference.

6. Any complaints and such about a character's name must include the legacy name.

 

In this system, you could have multiple Bobs or Franks or Jacks, but only one Bob Jones, one Frank Smith, and one Jack Harkness.

[MajikMyst]

My thoughts on this are as follows:

 

This system could work under the following conditions:

 

1. Unique Legacy names stay. It's integral to the system that there not be multiple Bob Smiths or Jack Jones out there.

2. Legacy names are chosen at first character creation.

3. Legacy names show on characters at all times only as a Surname(Bob Jones, not "Bob; The Jones Legacy") until you "gain your legacy" after chapter 1 has been completed by any one of your characters., at which time start gaining legacy xp and the legacy tab can be accessed.

4. Invites and all chat events are directed to the legacy name only, and are sent to whichever character of that legacy is on at the time.

5. Emails are sent to: Bob Jones OR Jones, Bob. Either way should work at the sender's preference.

6. Any complaints and such about a character's name must include the legacy name.

 

In this system, you could have multiple Bobs or Franks or Jacks, but only one Bob Jones, one Frank Smith, and one Jack Harkness.

 

You do realize that next time someone does a server transfer.. We will see millions of thread about how someone lost their legacy name.. Any unique name may have the same issue when moving to a new server.. Be it legacy or character makes no difference..

 

The system as it is, is just fine.. There is nothing to change.. I think someone already nailed it when they said that people need to be more creative.. I transfered 6 characters.. Didn't lose a single name.. I was happy to change my legacy however..

 

I also made characters on the destination server to see if my names were taken.. These characters were then used as name holders until the time I actually moved.. If there was some kind of conflict, it would have been taken care of using the name holder toon.. So when I transfered over, all the names would have been predetermined.. But as I said.. I didn't lose any..

 

There really is no solution to this issue.. People just need to be a little more proactive about things and a little more creative..

[Lucyfer_Infinity]

I'm against it. Name is reputation. I don't want others ruining my reputation by using same name and acting like asses.

[Eldgrim]

The system ,as the original poster mentioned -is- archaic.

 

I vaguely recall reading and interview with one of the original coders at SOE / Verdant who made Everquest.

Back then unique first names were a necessity due to tech-limitations.

 

In later games ,like Guild Wars, they allowed players a lot of freedom allowing people to use -SPACE- while typing their names, and a whole lot of signs.

 

That -could- mean you'd end up with Lord/Lady John/Jeanne of Ascalon ,or similar names.

I agree putting titles in names is -silly- ( and you've seen it in Swtor too " Dartharexpower" or similar silly names.

 

Still, it proves it's -possible- . I think a world where there's only room for one John/Jane forces people to come up with increasingly outlandish names just to be able to make a character in the first place.

 

Old Republic -does- allow some freedom (thankfully) with the addition of specialized signs ( i's with dashes instead of dots , ê instead of e, allowing there to be more than one Severus/Sêverus/Sevêrus in the game.

 

Thank you Bioware for one small mercy, I would've loved to see them allow space in names (or even CAPITAL letters after - . or even the use of " ` " Ele'win .

 

Also one -can- change a characters name by bugging Bioware for a rename. (If you have deleted characters restored you can automatically rename them)

[TheNahash]

Still, it proves it's -possible- . I think a world where there's only room for one John/Jane forces people to come up with increasingly outlandish names just to be able to make a character in the first place.

 

I don't think that's the case.

Someone who thinks that "Noobpwner" is a good name, is not being forced to come up with such a ridiculous name. Some people just lack imagination.

Edited May 26, 2013 by TheNahash