Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming

[Skirlasvoud]

I'm so confused by this. I recently had to change all but 1 of my characters' names when I migrated from a server scheduled for closing. Fortunately, I got to keep my legacy name, which would have peeved me a little more, but honestly... what gives you any right to a name on another server just because you tagged it first on a totally different server? What if that person just as eagerly reserved his name as you did on your server? Technically, you're the new guy on the server, so you get to deal with the new guy woes: not knowing a lot of the people, being restricted by the name pool being used.

 

Perhaps if they used a naming convention more like what was used in Galaxies where both parts of your name were combined to make one unique string for your character things would be a little different... but they used the char name as a unique string divorced from the legacy name string... and thus you're screwed.

 

I usually don't post here, but I am completely baffled by your attitude to the point that I believe you're simply trolling for attention.

 

You'd be wrong in that belief.

 

 

You are gonna loose your name. So, you want SOMEONE ELSE to loose his name, because you don't want to. And this is supposed to be fair ?

I'm on a destination server. Always been since day 1 of prerelease. If someone come from another server, and I have to change my name, a name I always had, the same name everyone knows me on this server, I will be disappointed to say the least. It could happen, I've tested my name on another server when I was able to play for the first time, (one merged with mine), and it was already taken. I wasn't able to play until 1-2h after the server started this day, and someone must have been real quick.

I know this is harsh for many people. But it wouldn't be more fair if people on destination server loose their name for a newcomer.

 

 

The point is, that I'm not the new guy by choice.

 

Let's say I was just sick of my server and decided to move to a new one. Say that I chose to go with the free character transfers. If I would have done that, I wouldn't have minded competing, because it was my own damn fault.

 

What's wrong now, is that we have the unequal sharing of misery. I and the two people above me, aren't that dissimilar. We both want to keep our names. The only difference is, that people on 90% of origin servers are robbed of theirs, while the 10% of destination servers get to keep theirs. Whatever happens will be unfair, but in my solution, at least the injustice will be shared by all, instead of born by a majority of those so inclined.

 

All of Bioware's players should be equal. It is Bioware's fault that the landscape is being tipped. Logically, Bioware should tip the landscape equally for players. Well, unless you have a VIP access code, but that's another story. I'd be willing to pay to keep my names, but that wouldn't be a prudent solution either.

[Skirlasvoud]

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.

 

 

You misinterpret the points. Those are the ones that I RETRACTED. I completely agree with your assesment. My layout has been fixed now.

[Skirlasvoud]

Face it.

 

Your names are DEAD, Jim.

 

NOOOO! WHY DOESN'T IT GET ANY EASIER!

 

Oh well, elegent cress sandwiches at the funeral it is then. Omnomnom!

 

 

Eh next time pick more creative names. When I transferred over I didn't have to change any of my character's names or legacy(It was in Catalan, not a very common language.)

 

The whole point of a pre-order was not having to be creative.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Skirlasvoud

[DenitharPurloin]

 

The point is, that I'm not the new guy by choice.

 

Let's say I was just sick of my server and decided to move to a new one. Say that I chose to go with the free character transfers. If I would have done that, I wouldn't have minded competing, because it was my own damn fault.

 

What's wrong now, is that we have the unequal sharing of misery. I and the two people above me, aren't that dissimilar. We both want to keep our names. The only difference is, that people on 90% of origin servers are robbed of theirs, while the 10% of destination servers get to keep theirs. Whatever happens will be unfair, but in my solution, at least the injustice will be shared by all, instead of born by a majority of those so inclined.

 

All of Bioware's players should be equal. It is Bioware's fault that the landscape is being tipped. Logically, Bioware should tip the landscape equally for players. Well, unless you have a VIP access code, but that's another story. I'd be willing to pay to keep my names, but that wouldn't be a prudent solution either.

 

May as well make a post to the "creator" about penal-size. It would be just as productive. Randomness and fairness go hand in hand.

 

Why are some people born rich and beautiful...I want to be rich and beautiful...it is not fair...I want it to be fair...Why did my parents give me a stupid name...Why am I the nationality I am and not something "cooler"...do I slit my wrists now?...Why go on at all?....

 

Starting to get the point of how much growing up you really need to do? Or are you still willing to keep making posts that make you sound like an arse?

[Skirlasvoud]

I moved 6 characters in the "free transfer". I had to choose new names for 2 of them. One of those was a "system generated" name that I happened to like (no big deal), the other turned out to be available in the spelling I ORIGINALLY wanted for that character but was unavailable on the server I created it on (win/win).

 

Moral is, who knows? you may get to keep your name. And if you do need to change it? Just how "original" and "unique" is it anyway to warrant your worry over?

 

Like some other person said earlier in your post, I am an MMO "veteran" who does repeat many names when I play a new MMO.

 

 

Oh, I took his criticism, what there was to be found in a "you're exaggerating and I know better" post. It's just that my merits for playing the game are different from his. He made a point. It's just one that I don't care enough about the game to see past a forced name change.

 

Perhaps I was a little curt. What I mean to say with "don't try to debate me" was: "S'allright, but don't bother putting in that much energy into debating, because even though I understand where you're coming from, my motivations are different if you're trying to approach it from that angle."

Last one is a bit of a mouthfull though.

 

 

And, to be honest, your "do not try to debate me" response to them was rude, crude, and seemed to be written by a 10 year old child. Learn what constructive criticism is and learn to take it.

 

And I in turn, think your attempt to read and disconstruct my intent, are rude. He had a point, you're just trying to inflame. But I don't intent to take it further than that. Let's stay civil.

 

 

Seriously, if it is a "game breaker" for you...then what can I say? Don't let the door hit you on the way out. These transfers are what may save the game, not your subscription. If you would quit over something so trivial, you are lost already.

 

You may be right. I'm not the most loyal customer when I'm willing to quit on such a small note. Like I said in one of my replies, if this is what is neccesary to keep the game enjoyable for all others out there, I hope it will do well. I'm just giving my customer's opinion to any and all community managers who stroll by.

 

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.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Skirlasvoud

[Skirlasvoud]

May as well make a post to the "creator" about penal-size. It would be just as productive. Randomness and fairness go hand in hand.

 

Why are some people born rich and beautiful...I want to be rich and beautiful...it is not fair...I want it to be fair...Why did my parents give me a stupid name...Why am I the nationality I am and not something "cooler"...do I slit my wrists now?...Why go on at all?....

 

Starting to get the point of how much growing up you really need to do? Or are you still willing to keep making posts that make you sound like an arse?

 

In real life, that's common knowledge. For a major business dealing with customers, that's a bad business desicion that will cost them. Institutions created by people, do tend to apply some manner of equality. There's a difference.

 

And are you quite done making personal attacks? I can't recall ever doing you harm and neither do I intent to.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Skirlasvoud

[Skirlasvoud]

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.

 

 

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.

[Skirlasvoud]

If you like playing golf in the middle of an electrical storm...time to change your likes

If you like unzipping your pants in front of a rotating fan...time to change your likes

If you like swallowing Mentos and chugging a Litre of Coca-cola...time to change your likes

 

If you like getting too personally attached to your MMO character's names...time to change your likes

 

It is simply a fact of life that most of us have learned to protect ourselves from, and we are trying to impart some of this learning experience upon those that seem new to it. Meh...everyone who learns had to learn from the pain I guess...

 

Could not agree more. Basically the entire point to my post. I'll just pack and not complain. I might hand over a solution, but I'm not that bothered.

 

Do note, that your rational to MMO's isn't that hardline. I've never been forced to change names on WoW or Guild Wars.

[HeavensAgent]

- 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.

[HeavensAgent]

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.

Edited July 12, 2012 by HeavensAgent

[HeavensAgent]

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.

[Torvasha]

 

I propose a couple of solutions, that this particular customer would find fair:

 

- 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.

 

 

Unfortuneatly - to your first point - its a convience issue. Think if you had 20 peope with the first name 'John' on the server - all with different legacy names. You got to write and email, or do a whisper, or group invite etc. - You would now have to type out the full first and legacy name of the character to ensure the correct 'John' would get your message.

 

To your 2nd issue - Its a suck point - Yes BW messed up with too many servers and now is correcting the issue. Your server wasn't selected as the golden ticket destiniation server. Why should the player who happened to be on the destination server - who could be just as attached to his/her name as you are - be 'punished' simply because you two share the same taste in names. Take it to the next level - what if 3 or 4 or 5 people have the same name - who takes priority?

 

The Unseen Code issue is most likely being used today. In most complex relational database - your character 'record' is assigned a database generated 'Primary Key'. Most likely a unique number. This is the 'key' that links all your associated information to your particular character. Pick up a piece of gear and put it in your inventory? From a databse standpoint it creates a record on the 'Personal Inventory' table with two entries - Your primary key - and the primary key from the 'Global Items' table to associate the fact you now own the piece of gear. Sell the item - record gets deleted.

 

And Yes - I lost a name in the server xfer. I used the name 'Killashandra' which is a popular name from a book. I've used her on 4 different MMORPGs. She is now 'Killashandria'.

 

And on a final note - Lets say all your idea about a 'new super-server first come-first serve' do come into play - and you still 'lose' your name - you'd be just as pissed - but BW would have spent hundreds of man-hours coding for changes that could have been invested elsewhere. And how many 'new' super-servers (which would be stagnating with population)

 

TL;DR Version -

1. Your Server didn't make the 'golden ticket' list for destination. Sorry

2. You can't 'punish' people on the lucky servers for sharing the same tast in names as you

3. To combine First Name/Legacy Name as the 'unique' name combination would be massively unwieldy in terms of invites, whispers, emails, or a host of other things.

4. Server populations are in MUCH better shape since the xfers (economy, groups, pool of resources). And if you couldn't read the writing on the wall about the old servers eventually being shut down - sry again...

Edited July 12, 2012 by Torvasha

[MWM_NoVaCaNe]

I agree with teh comments, making people who started ont eh destination server have to fight with someone to keep their name (as one option you mentioned) is not fair, and making everyone type legacy names as well when chatting with people is a real hastle and may not work as pointed out what if two people have the same name and neither has a legacy name yet.....

 

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?

[HeavensAgent]

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.

[Callianna]

Use an accent on one letter problem solved you keep your name and get to be on a high pop server.

[HarleysRule]

These threads offering solutions to a non problem are getting old. You people need to face reality that you aren't special and won't be getting extra consideration over the vast majority of players that already transferred. You have no more right to keep your names than anyone else that lost names in transfers did. BTW, they aren't "your" names unless they are copyrighted.

 

They are getting ready to close in the neighborhood of 180 servers...they're not opening new ones for special snowflakes. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can move on...either by quitting or coming up with a somewhat original name. RP that you have a massive price on your head, and that you changed your name to try to keep or low profile or something...

[Aubrac]

For those of you saying that it would not be fair to force the characters on the destination servers to change their names, what you fail to account for is that those people got to keep their names simply because they got lucky and ended up on a destination server.

 

What would have been fair would be that there were NO destination servers. Everyone should have been transferred to new clean servers and it would have been first come, first served again.

 

I got to keep 3 of my 8 names plus legacy. I'm not too bent out of shape about it but it was certainly disappointing to have to change their names. Anyone who is up in arms about the name change has a legitimate beef with Bioware due to the poor implementation of the transfers. Bioware should definitely spend resources to address the problem. It would buy them some much needed goodwill after their launch server fiasco.

[HeavensAgent]

For those of you saying that it would not be fair to force the characters on the destination servers to change their names, what you fail to account for is that those people got to keep their names simply because they got lucky and ended up on a destination server.

No, the vast majority recognize this.

[Rogozhi]

My character's name: Nastasya

After transfer: Nastasyà (ALT+133)

 

Do this.

 

EDIT: My main's name is Rogozhin. It was open. Had it not of been I would have either used an alt code or went with Rogozhi, Rogozen, or something similar. My last name, Karamazov, was taken. I went with Karmazov. The reference is still apt to me, so who cares.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Rogozhi

[Demonwar]

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.

.

 

Yet I bet if you were in a situation where you return found your names taken you would be posting hell and damnation on these forums anyway.

 

Bioware can't please everyone, in fact trying to please everyone is how this mess began in the first place. People demanding new servers as there were queues, then bam low pops.

You are suggesting to put over active subs over inactive ones as it's a good result for you and others, however that's not fair however you cut it.

 

Bioware are making the best of a bad situation I believe and sticking to the naming principles laid out in release.

[G_Vega]

OP, I hear ya. It's really crappy about the whole server dump. As someone who lost a legacy, and seven of 14 character names I really wish you well on this campaign.

[MadBlue]

Let's put this into perspective ...

 

In the end, it's always been a forced transfer. The vast majority just took advantage of it when it was first offered - and many of us lost names - but every single one of us would have wound up having to transfer anyway.

 

And here's the kicker, the people who refused to transfer because their names weren't available are in the exact same situation now as they were in day one of the transfers: their names are still not available.

 

Finding out that your servers are going to be closed and you'll be forced off anyway may come as a shock to some. But holding out until the end doesn't put you at a "disadvantage" that you didn't have at the start and it doesn't merit some kind of special consideration because you refuse to rename your characters.

 

Granted, some may have lost out on the opportunity to create similar names with accents or variant spellings, but you wouldn't still be on the origin servers if you were willing to take those names.

 

Could the transfers have been handled better regarding naming? Sure! But it wasn't and we have what we have. Sometimes things are simply out of one's control and one has to adapt to the situation.

 

Maybe, at some point, when/if BioWare offers character recustomization, you can request a name that was taken by someone who doesn't have an active account. Or, you can reserve the names on another server and transfer when paid transfers become available. You might even want to transfer to a different region - there are still enough people on during off hours to put the servers at "Standard" population - so it's high enough to find someone to play with and low enough to not have to worry about, well, whatever it is that people who haven't transferred because they don't like high population servers worry about.

[chimunga]

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.

 

^^ I could not have said it better.

[JetAten]

The answer to this is pretty simple. Let people pick a first and last name at character creation.

[SwordofSodan]

I don't know why Bioware didn't do things like Cryptic Studios did with STO, and just link the players account name to their E-mail account. This would have solved everything.