Legacy surnames do not make sense

[johnduane]

I'm surprised no one mentioned that this idea, of characters being related and having family ties, etc. came directly from John Smedley. Yep, the genius who was in charge of Galaxies and the NGE. This was in a 'state of the game' address he posted. I think it will probably work out just like the NGE, but hey, I'm only 1 voice.

[Rafkin]

Same surname for all your toons is one of many "features" that makes me wonder if these devs ever played an mmo before.

[Tairak]

The only thing that seems weird to me about the legacy names is that both your darkside and lightside characters have the same one. Why would my utterly evil character share the name of my goody two shoes one? They should split it darkside only/lightside only for names perhaps.

 

Darth Vader was Luke Skywalkers father. And i bet that was the idea this whole Legacy thing was based upon. "Hey wouldn´t it be cool if every player would play a Skywalker family."

That sounds nice in theory but doesn´t really work in the actual game, especially since you can never meet your own characters from the other faction.

[Andryah]

I suggest the following changes should be made:

 

1a) Let us create a surname at character creation.

1b) OR if we can only create a surname at level 30, let us change it if we want to, to avoid being "stuck" if we made a mistake.

2) Make surnames not unique, meaning two or more players can have characters with the same surname.

3) Allow us to make different surnames for each of our characters on the server.

 

Naw... Bioware should not weaken a game feature just because you have complaints. The legacy name is part of an entire emerging Legacy system. It is there by design. You know about it in advance, and you should give it the proper care and respect it deserves when choosing your legacy name.

 

Besides, they give you a check box in preferences so gimps can turn off their poorly chosen Legacy name.

[Darkhosis]

It's coming. What we see here is a very raw version of what's to come. Judging it on its current state is kind of dumb when it's about to change dramatically.

[andrelle]

I'm surprised no one mentioned that this idea, of characters being related and having family ties, etc. came directly from John Smedley. Yep, the genius who was in charge of Galaxies and the NGE. This was in a 'state of the game' address he posted. I think it will probably work out just like the NGE, but hey, I'm only 1 voice.

 

Its on the yellow brick road to NGE.

 

Not only can you turn off the surname, you don't even have to use it. Just ignore it. Its just going to be achievements that you and your alts will earn. When we finally see what these achievements or "perks" are, make your decision then. If its worth it, pick a name you know you won't hate, hide it, and enjoy the perks. If the perks are "meh", then don't even bother. Win, win.

[Yozbick]

Are Legacy surnames still working the way they did?

 

I create a new character recently after hitting 50 the second time around. I have the system set to show my surname. It doesn't do so. A few weeks ago it worked fine with a newly created character, but now... no surname on a new character.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Yozbick

[EvilCoatrack]

1) It doesn't make sense that your character "earns" his surname.

 

The character doesn't earn it. The player does, to represent her accomplishments on the server in a unique way that can be viewed across characters.

 

2) There's no reason for the Legacy surname to be a unique name.

 

Yes, there is. It lets the player pin his own unique name on multiple characters so that he can be identified (if he chooses to be) by those he fights with and against.

 

3)

 

(You forgot a number 3)

 

4) There's no reason why all of my characters on the server should have the same last name.

 

They don't have to. If you're RPing, it's metagaming anyway to have a freaking giant nameplate floating over your head announcing to the world who you are. You can roleplay any of your characters having whatever last name they like - you'll just have that character TELL other characters this (you know, like how we learn other peoples' names in real life?).

 

Displaying the Legacy Surname is ENTIRELY OPTIONAL per character.

 

5) Creating your character's name is a big deal for many people. Having a name that you like is important. In all MMOs, we have to create a unique name for our characters at character creation. Sometimes after a day or two, a player may decide that naming her character "Funnybunny" was not a great idea after all. It's not a big deal since it's a low-level character, she can just delete it and start over. If however we choose a Legacy surname we later decide was a bad idea, we're screwed. The character is level 30 now, so deleting and start over isn't a fair option. And we're not only stuck with it on this character, but every future character we make on that server. Granted, it would be my own fault for making up a dumb name, but still it's not a good system if it can put people in that position. I've seen posts in the New User help forum from people with this very problem. I think it's going to generate many tickets to GMs requesting to reset the name so it can be changed to something better.

 

Emphasis added by me.

 

In The Old Republic, you get to make a lot of choices. This is one of those choices and it matters. There is nothing wrong with this.

 

If you're ashamed of the surname you picked, don't show it.

[IIII-IIII-IIII]

I know I strive for realism in a game where I can shoot lightning from my fingers.

That post made my day.

[Kaelshi]

well - I can agree with some of your post.

 

I would mark out the part about Joe Smith being born with his name. He is given his name by his parents, not born with it unless they picked it out already and even then he officially, in the U.S. at least is not so-named until parents speak it and it's on birth cert.

 

Not to mention there are cultures across the world who are awarded names for differing and various reasons such as entering adulthood, bringing food to the table for the first time in some hunter/gatherer cultures, taking a mate(in our culture women typically take the name of her husband)

 

I would like to be able to opt out of having the surname on all of my toons though.

[Cerion]

I agree with the OP. If I had known my surname would be attached to ALL my characters, I would never have given myself one.

 

It doesn't make ANY sense, in a story-based game, that my Cyborg Marauder, my Sith Sorcerer, my Sith Assassin, and my Jedi Guardian all share the same last name.

 

If BW wants to be obstinate and say that's the way it will be, then at least give me an option to turn off Surnames because I will be doing so if given the option.

[Cerion]

I know I strive for realism in a game where I can shoot lightning from my fingers.

 

It's not about striving for realism. It's about striving for fun and satisfied players...just as shooting lightning from your fingers is fun and makes for satisfied players.

[Stoj]

Perhaps your Twi'lek is an adopted member of the family? A slave girl who has earned autonomy and the family name as a reward for her unique set of skills?

 

You just have to get creative. If you don't want them to be related then roll on another server.

[Jedoba]

I wanted to think more about my surname, maybe even read some SW books...

 

But it pestered me so much I finally made a quick decision..

 

I like my name, I guess.. but it means nothing.

 

I don't like having it on all my toons.

 

And I don't feel like it's a "legacy" its more like ... something the pestered me into.

[SingedSalvation]

My only concern about legacy names is the limit of 15 characters. So I have a legacy name of Hamstersaurus, instead of the so much more epic Tyrannohamstersaurus. I knew that Minsc and Boo would find a way out of Baldur's Gate and find their way to the Star Wars galaxy. Heck, on Corellia, there are giant space hamsters.

[Mrs_Murder]

 

2) There's no reason for the Legacy surname to be a unique name. The only reason to have unique names is to be able to identify player characters on the server. We already have that with the characters' first names. Creating a unique identifying first name, and then 30 levels later creating a unique identifying second name is redundant. There's no logical reason why surnames have to be unique when first names are already unique.

 

 

And what about alts?

I was playing on my newly created alt, killing things in Hutta, when all of the sudden I see someone from my guild -- his newly created alt wasn't in the guild but I recognised his legacy name. If we didn't have unique legacy names, we would never have recognised each other.

His reaction: "The frack?"

My reaction: "The frack?"

[Tairak]

Perhaps your Twi'lek is an adopted member of the family? A slave girl who has earned autonomy and the family name as a reward for her unique set of skills?

 

You just have to get creative. If you don't want them to be related then roll on another server.

 

They said that in a blog but that only would work if you have just human characters and one twi´lek but if falls down if you don´t have a race that the majority of your characters play.

I have a Twi´lek Jedi, a Chiss Agent, a trueborn Sith Sorceror, a Human Soldier and a Mirialan Smuggler. So... did they all flee from the Orphanage together ?

[AJediKnight]

And what about alts?

I was playing on my newly created alt, killing things in Hutta, when all of the sudden I see someone from my guild -- his newly created alt wasn't in the guild but I recognised his legacy name. If we didn't have unique legacy names, we would never have recognised each other.

His reaction: "The frack?"

My reaction: "The frack?"

 

He could have turned it off. You're not entitled to see anyone's legacy name if they choose to turn it off. Thus, you don't have any right to demand the system remain unchanged. If you want to show a name, and have the same name for every character you've got, bully for you. But some of us live in a world where last names are pretty diverse things, and we like that.

[themacr]

u can actualy turn it off.. so whats the biggy?

[Kirameki]

Legacy surname would make sense if it would count as unique name (but then it would have to start at lvl 1) so in case of server merge we will have less people making a stampede that their name is being taken by a random guy after merge.

Now it's a pretty feature for RP-ers mostly.

Too bad BW did not come up with that so I predict in the future when a merge does show up a stampede of qq-ers will rise and want to play huttball with the devteam their heads.

[Kirameki]

If BW wants to be obstinate and say that's the way it will be, then at least give me an option to turn off Surnames because I will be doing so if given the option.

 

 

So instead of turning it off which YES YOU CAN you chose to QQ on the forum ?

[Bloodstealer]

But then how would people know I'm Havinsecks?

 

Hmmm now that surname sure would put a play on words for a few of my Alts...

Malevolence - - - -> (Havingsecks) Could be painful

Wanna-Obeyme (Havingsecks) - - - - > I like

Swallow (Havingsecks) - - - - > I Really like

Starfall (Havingsecks) - - - > May have to agree with OP

 

 

So I'm kinda 50-50 on this Legacy thing

[Dria]

I haven't been a fan of the Legacy surnames since they announced it.

So your posting only to whine about it? I bite and have whine with my cheese thanks

 

1) It doesn't make sense that your character "earns" his surname. What does Joe Smith do in life to earn the privilege of using the name Smith? Nothing. It's his name, and he has it from birth. There's no explanation for why characters suddenly earn their surname 30 levels into the story.

At least my character side SI, I earned my title and Legacy I was a slave, I was lower cast and I clawed my way to gain my surname back.. If you just skipped the story I can understand where your whine on this comes from.

 

2) There's no reason for the Legacy surname to be a unique name. The only reason to have unique names is to be able to identify player characters on the server. We already have that with the characters' first names. Creating a unique identifying first name, and then 30 levels later creating a unique identifying second name is redundant. There's no logical reason why surnames have to be unique when first names are already unique.

Some like to think this as a story others make "Ron Jeremy" Legacy of Jeremy characters.. Again comparing my character here, her surname is Tharan, ( my PnP characters surname ) and those that are my alt characters are one way or other tied to Dria Tharan. f.e. Marauder and Sith Assassin characters come from a side story in Nar Shaddaa.. again since you are not interested seemingly on the story I understand your Awsome Pwn surname.. which I am guessing you have.

 

4) There's no reason why all of my characters on the server should have the same last name. If I create a human Bounty Hunter and then Twi'lek Jedi Knight, why would they have the same last name? It doesn't make sense, and there's no reason for it.

 

5) Creating your character's name is a big deal for many people. Having a name that you like is important. In all MMOs, we have to create a unique name for our characters at character creation. Sometimes after a day or two, a player may decide that naming her character "Funnybunny" was not a great idea after all. It's not a big deal since it's a low-level character, she can just delete it and start over. If however we choose a Legacy surname we later decide was a bad idea, we're screwed. The character is level 30 now, so deleting and start over isn't a fair option. And we're not only stuck with it on this character, but every future character we make on that server. Granted, it would be my own fault for making up a dumb name, but still it's not a good system if it can put people in that position. I've seen posts in the New User help forum from people with this very problem. I think it's going to generate many tickets to GMs requesting to reset the name so it can be changed to something better.

 

Highlighted your own answers to your own whine.. Live with it... though I think that they will make it payed service to change that.

 

These complaints and more came up during the beta (for the few days testers had to respond to this system when it was sprung up at the last minute). The idea of a Legacy system that gives you incentives and bonuses for creating new characters after leveling one is a good idea, but this implementation of surnames is illogical, will create problems for people, is bad for RP, and it should be changed.

 

Odd that I was in beta and I cannot remember any complaints about the Legacy name..

 

I suggest the following changes should be made:

 

1a) Let us create a surname at character creation.

1b) OR if we can only create a surname at level 30, let us change it if we want to, to avoid being "stuck" if we made a mistake.

2) Make surnames not unique, meaning two or more players can have characters with the same surname.

3) Allow us to make different surnames for each of our characters on the server.

 

I agree on first, would be nice though that would be active at the level 30 not at level 1

Don't though see the reason to do it that way.. on the second simple answer "NO" I like my unique Legacy name and I like it that way I ain't sharing. and 3rd would be a lovely thing but I don't think that at least in near future that will happen.

[Aebrynis]

I'm still debating how to handle the entire name issue on my 'main' server...but I decided to take BioWare at face value, and created a smuggler on another server.

 

Her name is 'Pepperjack'.

She has a twin named 'Cheddar'.

Then there is 'Bleu', 'Brie', 'Provolone', 'Colby', 'Feta', and 'Cream'.

 

If I hadn't run out of character slots on the server, I would have created 'Swiss', 'Helvetica', 'Ricotta', 'Parmesan', and...well, you get the idea.

 

Guess what the Legacy name is?

 

It's all what you make it.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Aebrynis

[Skuldar]

The illogic of the surname system is obvious. The permanence is frustrating.

 

But what worries me most is how the legacy system might complicate character transfers. Will they additively merge legacy points? What if two characters have the same name and same legacy name? What about same name but different legacy name? Will they let you pick which legacy name to keep if they are different? Is it better to put off choosing a legacy name on one server if you already have one on another and anticipate moving characters?