RandomState Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 One of the big problems that comes out of server transfers or mergers and just in general is the inability to use a name that you want; and more often then not, the name is being camped by someone who has simply created the character and never used them. I've had this happen to me in several MMO's and more than a few names that fit my legacy theme on SWTOR. Now being Australian and having experienced a server transfer earlier in the year I lost the name of my main transferring over and Bioware automatically assigns a random garbage name that needs to be changed before you can logon to the character. So I say, use this feature to help those transferring and those wanting camped names. Suggestion 1 Revoke all names on characters less than level 10 of players that have been unsubscribed for one month. This would free up a bountiful number of names that are likely never to be used. Furthermore. If a higher level character is transferring to a server with a <10 character of the same name that hasn't been logged into for a month, revoke the name on that character in favour of the transferee. Suggestion 2 Put a name check feature on the character creation page so that a player can check a names availability without having to create a character. Someone might be annoyed at losing their name, but their angst would be greatly reduced if they could just check a names availability without having to create a temporary character. Possible alternatives to this include a page on the SWTOR site that can check for a name on a particular server, or better still, check for the name's availability on ANY server (including Legacy Names) Suggestion 3 Include some way for player's to change their character and legacy names. There may be names in use that other players no longer like or would like to change to newly freed alternatives (because someone has deleted a camped name or Bioware has implemented these suggestions ) but can't because there is no mechanism. When it comes down to it, customisation is the KEY to MMO's. Player's want character's they like to play, not character's they are stuck wtih. This is MMOing 101. That's why people have been screaming for adaptable gear and why they are now crying out about names. Bioware! Lets see if we can help them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knockerz Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I don't think this will happen. It's just too much time and resources to redesign the way the name system functions. I also never seen an mmorpg redo the naming system. The naming system was probably one of the first pieces of codes written and it's very unlikely any mmorpg will want to change that code. The naming code forms the bases for many other pieces of code in the game and therefore no mmorpg will want to change that code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_Joad Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I don't think this will happen. It's just too much time and resources to redesign the way the name system functions. I also never seen an mmorpg redo the naming system. The naming system was probably one of the first pieces of codes written and it's very unlikely any mmorpg will want to change that code. The naming code forms the bases for many other pieces of code in the game and therefore no mmorpg will want to change that code. Really? I would think good design would suggest it would be a unique long, or other combination of letters and numbers, and the name would be an attribute of the character object. While having it a unique name, and a suitable name length, would give you more possible unique combinations, combinations that people would actually want seems like it would be less, where as a long would have 18 billion billion combinations without the user having any objections or even needing to know. This is probably further proven by the character names being changed if you name conflicts with another on the server, as changing an attribute is a lot less painful than assigning all new attributes to a primary key. If we assume for a second that it is just a long that is incremented by one, you could have 21 billion accounts with 900 million characters each before running out of numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CelCawdro Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 (edited) In short, if the aim was to merge servers and not simply balance the population, new servers should have been made entirely. Given that ~95% of the servers are now more-or-less dead (and if they weren't dead before transfers, if they were origin servers, they sure are dead now), they may as well give everyone equal treatment - and an equal shot at their names. Not to mention the lapsed subscribers not interfering. Edited June 19, 2012 by CelCawdro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anti_Bodies Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Not bad ideas but right now they have more important things that at least I personally would rather them work on. I'm assuming many others agree. Because once you are transferred, you are transferred. Had to change my legacy name today. Not thrilled but it had to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomState Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 ...I lost the name of my main transferring over and Bioware automatically assigns a random garbage name that needs to be changed before you can logon to the character. This part of my original post clearly indicates that the feature is already present. I'm just saying they need to use it to the benefit of players and transferees. I've got to say also that they should be conducting transfers of low population servers to middle population servers to create new high populations servers. Not Lows and Middles to Highs that now become Fulls. That's just ludicrous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediKnightJax Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I'm kind of in the same boat here.. Some jerk snatched up the name "Jax" on just about every server just after launch so I'm pretty much screwed if I take their free server transfer. ..Which shouldn't have even had to happen in the first place if they'd have just launched normally instead of that whole.. stupid thing where they didn't let everyone start the game at the same time so people lost out on names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordofdamornin Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 This part of my original post clearly indicates that the feature is already present. I'm just saying they need to use it to the benefit of players and transferees. I've got to say also that they should be conducting transfers of low population servers to middle population servers to create new high populations servers. Not Lows and Middles to Highs that now become Fulls. That's just ludicrous. I'm sorry that your names (I mean, you) were unoriginal, and therefore, taken when you arrived. I am also sorry that your names (I mean, you) were so awesome, that you ended up with a copycat fanclub, and they were taken when you arrived. One of these two things is true, and I feel bad for you, whichever the case may be. The name-check tool that you want is already in the game. It's even part of the character creator! Imagine that. I appreciate that you are trying to come up with ideas to solve a *problem,* but the real problems in MMO's all stem from catering to crybabies. I would be behind you 100%, if you were trying to fix that very real problem. 100% Riôt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsychKenn Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Paid name changes like WoW has. Can't be too hard and hopefully it happens when they implement paid server transfers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomState Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 The name-check tool that you want is already in the game. It's even part of the character creator! Imagine that. Post a screenshot with the name check option indicated. Unless it's on the test server, I haven't seen it in the live character creator. I appreciate that you are trying to come up with ideas to solve a *problem,* but the real problems in MMO's all stem from catering to crybabies. I would be behind you 100%, if you were trying to fix that very real problem. I'm pretty sure that's why they have PvP servers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylthul Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 (edited) +1 to the OP. In a MMORPG, the toon is everything - even more so for those who enjoy the RP aspects of the genre. The cosmetic aspects become important. The name, more than any piece of eq we can grind for, IS the toon. For those who care less, that's just spiffy for you. Some of us actually like our toons not named DarthSatan or RickyBobby. Some of us *gasp* actually like playing the game as a character and playing to the "4th pillar" of story. If they were going to force server merges (and that's what this is - no one is going to play on an empty server that's obviously being phased out) then they should have either started a new server and unleashed the transfer horde at the same time to make it a true first come/first serve or simply done it based on seniority. I have less problem losing my name to an active player that has been here longer than me, but losing it to a name poacher, someone who isn't even active anymore, or someone lucky enough to create on the target server - kind of ticks me off. Edited June 19, 2012 by Tylthul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquastar Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 (edited) What I don't get is why people are so quick to suggest taking the names from people who haven't logged into the game in a while, are unsubscribed, or are saving the name on a low level character. It's frustrating if it's someone just hanging on to the name just to have it and not use it, and that's crap; but if someone's unsubscribed or the character is lower level but has still been played, that player still has just as much right to use the name as anybody else. It just makes me a little sad that everybody immediately jumps to "let's take this away from someone else" instead of "let's find a way to appease everybody and make all players happy." While the original suggestion of the OP may be the easier way out of the problem, Bioware really should have taken a page from Cryptic and made names unique to your account. That way, everybody gets to choose their preferred name, they'd just have to worry about their legacy name. Now, I don't know how much would have to go into making those changes but it can't be that difficult, can it? Maybe a little time-consuming, but if Bioware intends to combine all the servers into a handful of superservers, I expect a friendlier and more accommodating solution for everybody involved would be the way to go. Alternatively, changing the naming scheme to allow for spaces would let players have a first and middle name, or a first and last name if they wanted to refrain from using their legacy name as their character's last name. They could still have their cool names, they'd just have a surname attached to it. But personally, I prefer the suggestion of making names unique to your account. More work, but overall a better outcome. And just give players who transferred an option to change their name back to the original. Edited June 19, 2012 by aquastar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apsen_Layne Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Suggestion 1 Revoke all names on characters less than level 10 of players that have been unsubscribed for one month. This would free up a bountiful number of names that are likely never to be used. Furthermore. If a higher level character is transferring to a server with a <10 character of the same name that hasn't been logged into for a month, revoke the name on that character in favour of the transferee. Love to see this happen, seeing how many of us have seen the names we want on levels 10 and below! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajikMyst Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 (edited) Post a screenshot with the name check option indicated. Unless it's on the test server, I haven't seen it in the live character creator. It is called creating a character on the destination server to see if your name is available.. When I my server when up for transfers.. I did exactly that.. I created 4 characters.. All 4 with the names I wanted to use.. It worked like a charm.. That is the name check tool.. Simple isn't?? Edited June 19, 2012 by MajikMyst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajikMyst Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Love to see this happen, seeing how many of us have seen the names we want on levels 10 and below! And what if your's is the level 10 being stripped?? That idea will never happen.. There is never a reason to take a name that belongs to someone else and give it to you.. Show some common sense will you?? Or should I say common descency.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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