Name changes

[Hambunctious]

If that is the case, they still should've given priority to the character name that belonged to somebody that ALREADY was on the server of that name.

 

I feel your pain, but no they shouldn't have. EABW loses either way, and this way was much more fair than the first round of mergers.

 

What they should have done was work on a way for everyone to have the name they want, even if another person has it.

 

If I was in your place, I would be venting also. I got lucky this time.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Hambunctious

[Agahnim]

Let me guess

 

- the other guy unsubscribed on got thus down-priorized into oblivion?

- the other guy deleted that particular character?

 

Hey, be happy. You got your name back!

 

Actually no. I had the name on my friends list since the first merge. As of last night when i logged off they were still there. And yes, its nice to have the name back, but with no name change functionality its kinda useless as im not going to reroll when i already have the 50 version of the same toon.

[Father_Giliam]

If that is the case, they still should've given priority to the character name that belonged to somebody that ALREADY was on the server of that name.

 

This is what should of happened 100%. Those who decided to stay on their dead server untill now should have had their names changed, regardless of any other factor, while those on what were considered the "destination servers" (even though its technically a new server) should keep their names.

[EJedi]

But we should be.

 

They should've just changed the names so as to not confuse anyone.

 

No. We shouldn't be. Our names should be prioritized over things like played time, legacy level, total subscription time paid, etc.

 

The Ebon Hawk is just too cool of a name not to reuse.

[PhoenixCorvus]

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as character play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

Why not implement a first and last name system.?.. Hell after all you are kinda primed for it with the whole legacy name.

 

With this you then can have multiple Billys, But ONLY one Billy Bob!

[Rabenschwinge]

How is this fair? Shouldn't players *already* on servers have absolute preference based on the fact that they're *already* there? Every one of the other factors should be secondary.

 

I don't see the relevance of the fact you name. Several servers are merged. The resulting server may bear the name of a previously existing server, but it is not the same, neither physically nor in community. Characters and guilds from different servers are all part of the same community now - it's an illusion to think that they are new whereas others are old. Nobody has been asked for what they want, and the players characters who were "already there", as you put it, have done nothing to deserve being preferred. That the name of the server remains the same for some players is but a lucky coincidence, nothing more.

 

Saying this I should point out that I come from The Progenitor, which "still exists" (though, as mentioned earlier, it's likely physically not the same - either completely different hardware, or a larger cluster of nodes belonging to several previous servers). Luckily I didn't have to change a name so far, I wonder if that remains that way.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Rabenschwinge

[AlixMV]

But we should be.

 

They should've just changed the names so as to not confuse anyone.

 

So if your argument is because you were on a server with the same name before you should be allowed to keep your name, if they had changed the server names across the board to something brand new, would you no longer feel entitled to your character name before someone else who is keeping it under the new rename logic?

[Hambunctious]

This is what should of happened 100%. Those who decided to stay on their dead server untill now should have had their names changed, regardless of any other factor, while those on what were considered the "destination servers" (even though its technically a new server) should keep their names.

 

Corellian Run wasn't dead by any stretch of the imagination. Yet we got merged with another healthy server.

[AlixMV]

This is what should of happened 100%. Those who decided to stay on their dead server untill now should have had their names changed, regardless of any other factor, while those on what were considered the "destination servers" (even though its technically a new server) should keep their names.

 

Canderous Ordo wasn't a dead server when this happened last night. So how would you suggest name conflicts between it and Jedi Covenant be handled?

 

The "destination server" this time around is just a name. The characters previously on Jedi Covenant before this morning were moved and handled just as much as the active characters on Canderous Ordo. Why should the Jedi Covenant characters therefore get preferential treatment?

[Father_Giliam]

So if your argument is because you were on a server with the same name before you should be allowed to keep your name, if they had changed the server names across the board to something brand new, would you no longer feel entitled to your character name before someone else who is keeping it under the new rename logic?

 

I would not feel entilted, as long as they ANNOUNCED it was actually a new server, and forced name changes on EVERYONE as to give a fair chance for people to get their names back. Having a "new" server with an older servers name and then forcing names changes on those that were on the old server WITHOUT WARNING is idiotic and should never of been attempted.

[Knockerz]

I'm complain in server and encourage people to vote with their wallets on my second account.

[Andryah]

If that is the case, they still should've given priority to the character name that belonged to somebody that ALREADY was on the server of that name.

 

100% of characters were move today, from old servers to new super servers. The old server you were on is not the same server you are on today, even if the name remains the same.

[Andryah]

Having a "new" server with an older servers name and then forcing names changes on those that were on the old server WITHOUT WARNING is idiotic and should never of been attempted.

 

We had this discussion last night on the forum. The fact is that they did indicate that ALL servers were moving to NEW SERVERS in their announcements yesterday. And you know what.... knowing this a month ago would have changed absolutely nothing, because this is not a democracy.... the players do not vote democratically for/against changes for this MMO. You know this. Just because you don't like it does not change anything other then your mindset (which appears to have gone strongly negative), but you own your mindset (not anyone else).

Edited September 18, 2012 by Andryah

[Darkness_Squall]

I'm glad to see so many rational minds arguing against players who are, in essence, saying "I deserve preferential, special treatment just because I happened to be on server X (which no longer exists)! Players from server Y and Z are second-class citizens and don't deserve fair treatment or consideration!"

 

I can guarantee you that most of these people saying they "had a right to keep their names" just because they were "on a destination server" are the same ones who went around trolling threads a month ago with "it's just a character name, get over it". Easy for them to say back then, eh? Welcome to the other side of the fence.

[AlixMV]

I would not feel entilted, as long as they ANNOUNCED it was actually a new server, and forced name changes on EVERYONE as to give a fair chance for people to get their names back. Having a "new" server with an older servers name and then forcing names changes on those that were on the old server WITHOUT WARNING is idiotic and should never of been attempted.

 

Disregard the server name. I think focusing on the server name like it should give an advantage to one character over another confuses the issue.

 

What's a fair chance? Whoever logs in first in that scenario is going to get the name, and that may not be fair to the player who works, or an emergency comes up, or their computer blows up, or whatever.

 

It sounds like consideration (for the most part) was given to character level and activity, and that seems 'fair' to me. An active Level 50 who does ops and flashpoints and has been playing steadily since December and might be known because of that should have more right to the name than someone who created a character of the same name on Jedi Covenant or Prophecy of the Five or The Harbinger last week. How is it 'fair' to them to lose out their name on what could simply be a random roll of the dice?

 

This is one of those situations where Bioware simply can't win, and I bet they realize it. They're looking long term and dishing up short term pain.

[Darkness_Squall]

Disregard the server name. I think focusing on the server name like it should give an advantage to one character over another confuses the issue.

 

What's a fair chance? Whoever logs in first in that scenario is going to get the name, and that may not be fair to the player who works, or an emergency comes up, or their computer blows up, or whatever.

 

It sounds like consideration (for the most part) was given to character level and activity, and that seems 'fair' to me. An active Level 50 who does ops and flashpoints and has been playing steadily since December and might be known because of that should have more right to the name than someone who created a character of the same name on Jedi Covenant or Prophecy of the Five or The Harbinger last week. How is it 'fair' to them to lose out their name on what could simply be a random roll of the dice?

 

This is one of those situations where Bioware simply can't win, and I bet they realize it. They're looking long term and dishing up short term pain.

 

Exactly. This was really the best thing Bioware could've done in a bad situation, and it's extremely fair to everyone, both individual players and guilds. We're all equal citizens on the new servers now. And they've made very happy people out of their active, long-term players such as myself who bided their time and didn't transfer willingly. The people that are now being forced to rename their characters because of my presence might be upset or unsubscribe, but I'm assuming that if they're really that fickle, they wouldn't have been playing this game a few months down the road anyway.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Darkness_Squall

[Hambunctious]

I'm glad to see so many rational minds arguing against players who are, in essence, saying "I deserve preferential, special treatment just because I happened to be on server X (which no longer exists)! Players from server Y and Z are second-class citizens and don't deserve fair treatment or consideration!"

 

I can guarantee you that most of these people saying they "had a right to keep their names" just because they were "on a destination server" are the same ones who went around trolling threads a month ago with "it's just a character name, get over it". Easy for them to say back then, eh? Welcome to the other side of the fence.

 

I'm positive of that. Luckily, I only lost one name I cared about in the first round of transfers. Which was my character, not my wife's, but I dealt with it. She went off the deep end before the transfers though, lol.

 

Today I filled out my new 4 slots with new names that I would have been happy to use if I lost any today. Which I did not, luckily.

 

Even so, I do feel for these people. I'd be very unhappy, and if my wife posted, my moaning would have been mild by comparison.

 

She'll probably read this later, but she'd agree.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Hambunctious

[ClavisN]

This is what should of happened 100%. Those who decided to stay on their dead server untill now should have had their names changed, regardless of any other factor, while those on what were considered the "destination servers" (even though its technically a new server) should keep their names.

 

Complete nonsense. Many of us didn't even have the option to move, since we had more than 8 chars.

 

Others stayed to keep their names. Which turned out to be a wise decision, since now we got a fighting chance to evacuate you out of your naming rights, while before we would have lost by default.

 

And you completely ignore the fact that even former destination servers are now origin servers getting merged, too.

[PhoenixCorvus]

If these servers are not the same "old" servers that we were on then they should have renamed the servers so that this confusion would have never happened!

[Father_Giliam]

#1Disregard the server name. I think focusing on the server name like it should give an advantage to one character over another confuses the issue.

 

#2What's a fair chance? Whoever logs in first in that scenario is going to get the name, and that may not be fair to the player who works, or an emergency comes up, or their computer blows up, or whatever.

 

#3It sounds like consideration (for the most part) was given to character level and activity, and that seems 'fair' to me. An active Level 50 who does ops and flashpoints and has been playing steadily since December and might be known because of that should have more right to the name than someone who created a character of the same name on Jedi Covenant or Prophecy of the Five or The Harbinger last week. How is it 'fair' to them to lose out their name on what could simply be a random roll of the dice?

 

#1 I would have disregarded it had they announced it would be like this. And as to the other person, I mean atleast a week in advance, not less then 24 hours before.

 

#2 First come, first serve. Its how it was at the start, it was how it was (somewhat [whoever was on the destination server first]) on the first round of transfers.

 

#3 Look at your second point, then your third one. Subscription length and play time can be affected by many things, including just not wanting to play that often. Some dont have the time, but they got the name first. Why should it be stripped from them? Sure the other person plays more often, but things like this should always be down to first come first serve. If I had literally just bought the game, and joined the server, and saw the names were taken, ide be annoyed, but thats what I get for being late to the party. First come, first serve is as fair as it can get.

 

All said and done, they should have atleast gave a warning in a good amount of advance. People would still be upset, as would I, but wouldnt have been upset to the point of straight up quitting the game, which as of about an hour ago, I have.

 

In my eyes they need to:

 

Remove any priority other then "was on the old server of the same name"

or

Force name changes on all

or

Enable same first names, add "last names" that can be hidden (cannot be the same as a legacy name that already exists either), and have unique legacy names again. Make it so you either have the last name showing or the legacy name, both cannont be turned off at the same time. Could cause problems with /invites, but you can just as easily right click the persons name in chat to invite.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Father_Giliam

[Darvus]

I was on Harbringer, and stayed on Harbringer with the server merges. Since I didn't move, why does it say I have to change my names?

 

It looks like what was done is ALL servers were moved to new "mega-servers." In your case, Harbinger was moved with others to a new server that was then renamed Harbinger. This is why you got a name change. Someone that was moved before you likely met the criteria that was used, to keep the name that you had.

[Kourage]

Are you sure you stayed on the same server, or were you transferred to a new server with the same name?

[Jacen_Starsolo]

Guild names on former destination servers have been forced to rename if a guild on another server took priority. Basically it doesn't matter whether or not the server is the "same" or not, because absolutely no distinction has been given between "origin" and "destination" during this process. The system doesn't care whether a guild or a character came from server X or server Y, it'll assign renames fairly to all parties involved.

 

Guilds coming from other servers have kept their entire rosters AND guild banks AND all items in the banks, which gives further support to the theory that this is a new "super server". The process to get a guild bank transferred previously was extremely difficult and required manual intervention by customer support.

 

I love how I can reply to someone about something he/she posted then someone quotes what I said then goes on about something totally unrelated to what I said. But if you made you feel better getting all that off your chest, then that's nice. I can't say more because it had nothing to do with what I said to the other poster so I am confused about this reply. /shrug

[Trollokdamus]

There were NO destination servers. Just new servers that used the name of old servers.

 

I tried to tell some people last night, but it wouldn't register.

It looks like what was done is ALL servers were moved to new "mega-servers." In your case, Harbinger was moved with others to a new server that was then renamed Harbinger. This is why you got a name change. Someone that was moved before you likely met the criteria that was used, to keep the name that you had.

 

Server Consolidation FAQs

My Server is being consolidated, what does this mean?

 

The server consolidation process is the latest step in our on-going server population balancing efforts, which began with the Free Character Transfer Program. The process involves the migration of the populations of several specific origin servers onto larger, Higher Population destination servers. A large majority of these servers were originally targeted as destination servers during the Free Character Transfer Program, and have been upgraded in order to support a significantly higher number of players.

 

No new servers with the same name. Just upgraded old ones.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Trollokdamus

[theblaznee]

This naming thing worked great..

 

Been here since pre-launch.. Was org. on a destination server, this time I got moved..

 

Had characters on both the servers by coincidence.. So all in all 10 characters.. None had to be renamed..

 

My main characters all had awesome names that I'm sure were duplicates, and I kept them all because I have actually played them - which seems to be a big part of who got to get which name..

 

So apparently... If you lost a name, it's because someone had it longer than you AND played the character.. If you had some name from back in December last year and lost it now, you prooobably didn't play that character much, so why care about the name?..

 

So to me, this renaming mechanic worked perfectly.. Just too bad that I would have just shrugged at having to rename my toons if someone lost their name because of this merge..