Name System Reformation

[Fevee]

There's been a bit of a beef over the naming system, here in SWTOR. Of course, everyone who got the name they wanted don't have a problem, but not all of us are that lucky. A few people have suggested that a system like Cryptic's be initiated (Charactername@Accountname). However, they fear they'll loose their privacy in that, and unless some sort of privacy settings can be implemented alongside that, a different reformation should be suggested.

 

I rarely see last names utilized in this game, why is that? BW was making a big deal over the Legacy system when it first came out, you'd think characters would have surnames afterwards, or something. But, instead, the most common surname examples running around are something like Sithkiller Sithkiller, or just blatant name reproductions like Ländò Calrissian. The Legacy system was nice, but it didn't really give too much thought to secondary characters. Luke Skywalker, for example, is of the Skywalker legacy. But that doesn't make Han's surname Skywalker. So he's either Han Skywalker, or Han of the Skywalker Legacy. Not every character in a story shares a surname with the main character, so there needs to be a fix for that.

 

When it comes to character creation, there needs to be two slots. One for character's name, one for surname. Now, it'll appear ingame to be <character name> <surname>. But the coding system underneath will appear something like <charactername>_e1_<surname>. Thus, we keep the archaic one-name-per-person policy, but people can have more flexibility in character naming. If a first name is already taken, that doesn't mean they have to resort to apostrophes and hyphens, they just need to invent a surname to go with it. For example, John Doe (John_e1_Doe) isn't the same as John Carter (John_e1_Carter), who isn't the same as Andrew Carter (Andrew_e1_Carter).

 

It would still be nice to hide the surname, or maybe even the character's name, if we please. (That way, Andrew Carter could appear to be either Sergent Andrew, or just Sergent Carter. However, of course, we shouldn't have the option to hide them both, lest we have a player apparently named Sergent just running around.) The Legacy name is different from the character's surname, and we should have a toggle to decide which we want to display. That way, we can't have Sergent Andrew Carter Hogan, it's either Sergent Andrew Hogan, or Sergent Andrew Carter. With the use of Legacy titles, we can still have Sergent Andrew Carter of the Hogan Legacy, if we want.

 

BW can enforce that at least the character's name slot should be filled in, but the surname can be optional. That way, if someone doesn't have a surname, or has a character name still unique enough to be implemented, then they're free to do so. Newcomer characters on new servers, they should be allowed to surname their new character, and then be presented with the option of a Legacy name when level 10 hits, like normal. The message might be altered, though, to encourage that a Legacy name isn't the same as their character's surname, but they can name their legacy after their current character's surname, if they please.

 

Something like this would really open up character naming. (If you spent any time in your own game, you might find that such a reformation is needed.) It would really take the pressure off for new players and old players practicing their alt-o-holism, alike. RPers would probably like it, above all, as they would feel their characters' identity would finally be complete. But even non-RPers with plenty of alts would still be satisfied, as their characters would actually have full names. (Unless they're playing as the Brady Bunch, and everyone's already related by blood and/or marriage.)

[Nippon]

Agree with what you are saying, especially the Legacy and Surname stuff, but tbh there is no need at all for any name restrictions, there are more than 1 Luke or Han in the world, and surnames should be a given, if you want it, you can have it.

 

I think they tried to get away from the fact everyone would be Boba Fett or Yoda, ive certainly seen a Hulk and He-Man running around, does it matter if there are 20 of them, tbh I think allowing everyone to have the same names will get rid of these choices as people want to be unique. Those that want to be called Luke Skywalker should be allowed to, cos lets be fair, there is always someone that thinks they are and after seeing 15-20 of them running around, will suddenly feel a little less unique, and want it changed.

 

Names should be what players want them to be, I had to random generate my last character and it came out at Khemaceh......What the hell is that, its not a name its just a garble of letters.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Nippon

[Fevee]

Those that want to be called Luke Skywalker should be allowed to, cos lets be fair, there is always someone that thinks they are and after seeing 15-20 of them running around, will suddenly feel a little less unique, and want it changed.

 

Actually, there is a rule against naming your characters after canon or well-known characters.

Naming Policy

 

When creating a character or guild name for Star Wars: The Old Republic, it is encouraged that you select a name that reflects the theme of the game. The guidelines listed below outline the types of names that you can NOT use, and apply to both player or character names, as well as guild names.

 

You may not use any names that violate the General Rules. This includes the use of names that are hateful, defamatory, racist, ethnically offensive, obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit, or any other language that is offensive in nature.

 

You may not use names that are harassing or defamatory to other players or employees of EA, BioWare or LucasArts, e.g. EASUX, Timsretarded, and Biowaresux.

 

You may not use names of any EA, BioWare, or LucasArts employee or service related to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

 

You may not use names of copyrighted or trademarked characters, materials or products, e.g. Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper.

 

You may not use names from popular culture or media, e.g. Lady Gaga or George Lucas.

 

You may not use names that are religiously or historically significant, e.g. Jesus, Winston Churchill.

 

You may not use proper names of areas within Star Wars for character names. Guild names, however, MAY use the proper names of specific areas to help promote role-playing and realm pride, e.g. Defenders of Tython or Protectors of Hutta.

 

You may not use proper names of non-player characters within Star Wars: The Old Republic, e.g. Darth Malgus, Satele Shan, Yoda, Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker.

 

You may not use names containing titles or ranks within them, e.g. General Supertrooper, Captain Tim, Darth Timmy, Knight Wakey.

 

You may not use names that refer to drugs or that are drug related.

 

You may not use names that contain an inappropriate phrase, sentence or any fragment of a sentence or Leet speak, e.g. uberhaxer, xxspeederxx, lolface, rofl, Noobwhacker, TimmyF**k, kock, fuk.

 

You may not use misspellings or alternative spellings of names that violate any of the above rules, e.g. Hamsolo, Yooda, DorthVader.

 

You may not use gibberish names when creating character, e.g. ajsdu, rifndsw, qweszs.

 

If you violate any part of the above Naming Policy you will either be assigned a new name, or given the option of changing the name. In addition to this, your account could incur a penalty up to and including account closure.

 

Yes, Luke, Han, Ben, all common human names. If someone wants to run around with their headcanon Jason Skywalker: The first Skywalker to join the Jedi Order. Or, if someone has an original design named Luke Faufer, then they may do so. It's just that there aren't allowed to be any Luke Skywalkers.

[DOHboy]

not quite sure how your "internal" name would work. if there are 300 'john smiths" on my server how do i know it is john_e1_smith or jon_e217_smith?

 

kind of important if i'm sending out mail or trading with someone that i know is the right person. hence unique names.

[Kulyok]

not quite sure how your "internal" name would work. if there are 300 'john smiths" on my server how do i know it is john_e1_smith or jon_e217_smith?

 

kind of important if i'm sending out mail or trading with someone that i know is the right person. hence unique names.

 

Kind of, yeah. And I really don't want anyone to know my legacy name(and hound all my alts), so I'd rather keep the unique names.

 

Last time I started a new character(Red Eclipse) was last weekend, and I created a beautiful name without any trouble. Possibilities are always endless - it's just the imaginations are sometimes limited.

[Fevee]

not quite sure how your "internal" name would work. if there are 300 'john smiths" on my server how do i know it is john_e1_smith or jon_e217_smith?

 

kind of important if i'm sending out mail or trading with someone that i know is the right person. hence unique names.

 

As was stated in the suggestion, there can only be one John Smith. Now, there can be a John <someone else> or a <someone else> Smith. (John Carter, or Agent Smith, for example.) But, John Smith, John Carter, and Agent Smith are now all taken names. (Agent shouldn't be a valid name, as there is a title by that exact term, but someone with a mind to is probably going to do so, anyways.) Now, John, Smith, and Agent are all used, but still not exclusively owned, as someone can still go making characters named Will Smith, John Paul, and Agent 86. (My examples are probably all inappropriate for character names, but it's just for making a point.)

 

At this rate, John, Smith, Carter, Agent, Paul, Will, and 86 are all single names that have all been used, but still not exclusively-owned. However, John Smith, John Carter, John Paul, Agent Smith, Agent 86, and Will Smith have been taken; "please choose another."

 

Kind of, yeah. And I really don't want anyone to know my legacy name(and hound all my alts), so I'd rather keep the unique names.

 

Last time I started a new character(Red Eclipse) was last weekend, and I created a beautiful name without any trouble. Possibilities are always endless - it's just the imaginations are sometimes limited.

 

As stated in the suggestion, it suggests that we should have the ability to hide surnames or character names; like how we can hide our legacy names. Thus, we have control on appearances, yet names are still unique, as far as the server is concerned.

 

Last time I started a new character(Red Eclipse) was last weekend, and I created a beautiful name without any trouble. Possibilities are always endless - it's just the imaginations are sometimes limited.

 

There's going to be a point where all respectable character names are taken. And the only spellings not taken look like ÃąßĭġæłŁ; good luck sending mail to her. Do you not think a character named Samay Essen would be easier to remember/type out than that?

[Ratajack]

There's going to be a point where all respectable character names are taken. And the only spellings not taken look like ÃąßĭġæłŁ; good luck sending mail to her. Do you not think a character named Samay Essen would be easier to remember/type out than that?

 

I'm still making characters to this day and have yet to have a problem finding a name.

 

Yes, some names will be taken. Many other names are still available, though.

 

IMO, the only "problems" with naming a character stem from those too inflexible to create alternate spellings or alternate names.

 

This is not the first thread you have created regarding changing the naming system. In other thread(s) you have created, you admit to being unwilling to be even the least bit flexible when it comes to naming your characters. From reading your posts in other threads, it seems to me that if the predetermined name you have in mind is already taken, then your response is "the naming system must be changed" as opposed to "let's see is I can spell that name slightly differently, or maybe find a name that is not taken".

[Fevee]

I'm still making characters to this day and have yet to have a problem finding a name.

 

Yes, some names will be taken. Many other names are still available, though.

 

If you don't have any predetermined designs, fine. Congrats on landing on spontaneous new names and designs you like; but not everyone is you.

 

IMO, the only "problems" with naming a character stem from those too inflexible to create alternate spellings or alternate names.

 

I have tried alternate spellings. I've tried alternate spellings to kingdom come and back again. Since you'll never know this aggravation, I assure you, it's certainly a test of patience when one has tried every imaginable alternate spelling and fancy character usage just to see Name unavailable, please choose another.

 

I suppose flexibility means willingness to utterly forsake one's designs. Designs that have been around longer than this game has. If you're not creative enough to have original characters, fine. But, according to you, you have plenty of SWTOR characters under your belt. Have the time and effort you put into them meant nothing to you? Have you no connection for the faces and names and history you've built with them? Are you saying you could forsake all of them on a whim? What if, not only you lost all your characters, but your attempt to start over is prohibited from having the same faces and same names as they previously had. I suppose flexibility = disloyalty, to you.

 

This is not the first thread you have created regarding changing the naming system. In other thread(s) you have created, you admit to being unwilling to be even the least bit flexible when it comes to naming your characters. From reading your posts in other threads, it seems to me that if the predetermined name you have in mind is already taken, then your response is "the naming system must be changed" as opposed to "let's see is I can spell that name slightly differently, or maybe find a name that is not taken".

 

FYI, I attempt spelling alterations all the time. How about you point your inflexibility accusations somewhere else? If SWTOR's very naming system is the inflexible one, here, stop shooting the messenger with the gall to call them out on it. There's only so many spelling alterations before the name becomes something not even closely resembling what one intended. Either forsake one's name, entirely, or one's Abigail becomes ÃąßĭġæłŁ.

 

What I'm suggesting, here, would be an improvement, anyways. Perhaps you're happy with all your character's spontaneous names. Perhaps they're all part of the same family, and share the same surname. But some of us have deeper characters than you. And no, apostrophes and hyphens do not denote one's surname. Even the original Star Wars: A New Hope had multiple characters with multiple surnames. (Gasp, the audacity!) Not everyone was a Skywalker. We also had Solos, Kenobis, Lars, Organas, and many others. Why is it such a crime if some of us would like to have a more diverse naming policy in our legacies, as well? I, personally, have ~60 characters. With about 4-6 of them who would share surnames (separate surnames from eachother, mind you), on account of being siblings. Otherwise, the other ~54 all hold unique surnames of their very own. I'm sorry if I want that to actually be reflected ingame.

 

If you're going to give me garbage on my character names being common, fine. But that's because your thinking is limited to SWTOR's limited naming policy. If their policy can actually be expanded to consider individual surnames, then we'll have entire names to consider whether it's unique or not. Matthew is a common name, yes, but I will bet there isn't a single Matthew Starbyrd anywhere else in literature or fiction; thus, this name is unique. Google George Hendrik, you get a Dutch painter, fine. I'll bet you've never heard or considered that name/surname combo before reading this post, though. Google Eitan DuSaar, the only reference to that being a character name is one of my own posts in a different SWTOR thread:

I want my Eitan DuSaar, his sister Asenath DuSaar, his father Saar, his nemesis Gonen*, his friend Mili Riskalla, his friend's father Hans Riskalla, and an unrelated-to-his-story-but-still-in-the-same-concept Raya.

 

Mili may be a common-enough name, but not in the combination with the surname I want with it. So, with the implementation of this suggestion, naming would open up, and people will more-than-likely get the name they want. Maro is the name of an NPC in a corner of Nar Shaddaa one will only ever visit once, and never again. I wanted to name one of my characters Maro, but I can't because something that pretty-much isn't even using it is taking it. Maro Selo, however, doesn't seem to exist anywhere else in fiction, though. Thus, that nobody NPC can keep their name, I'll have the name I want, as well.

 

If someone doesn't have a surname for their character, but it happens to be unique enough to be implemented anyways, good. It will implement, and they can have fun with their uniquely-named character. It it's not unique enough, then they'll just have to invent a surname/name combination that's unique enough to pass.

 

If they implement this, I am confident that every single character/surname combination that I desire will be unique enough to not have any naming conflict ever again.

[Ratajack]

I'm still making characters to this day and have yet to have a problem finding a name.

 

Yes, some names will be taken. Many other names are still available, though.

 

IMO, the only "problems" with naming a character stem from those too inflexible to create alternate spellings or alternate names.

 

This is not the first thread you have created regarding changing the naming system. In other thread(s) you have created, you admit to being unwilling to be even the least bit flexible when it comes to naming your characters. From reading your posts in other threads, it seems to me that if the predetermined name you have in mind is already taken, then your response is "the naming system must be changed" as opposed to "let's see is I can spell that name slightly differently, or maybe find a name that is not taken".

 

 

 

If they implement this, I am confident that every single character/surname combination that I desire will be unique enough to not have any naming conflict ever again.

 

Thank you for proving my point.

 

Is it really worth spending the development dollars to fix a problem that seems to only exists for those too inflexible to work within the current naming system and create alternate spellings or names? IMO, it is not.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Ratajack

[Turajin]

As stated in the suggestion, it suggests that we should have the ability to hide surnames or character names; like how we can hide our legacy names. Thus, we have control on appearances, yet names are still unique, as far as the server is concerned.

The question is:

how will someone be able to identify different players? Let's say There is a John Smith and a John Doe. Both are hiding their surname, so there are two Johns without further identification. How will I know which Joohn is which? While I might tell them apart visually (as long as both Johns aren't of the same species and same class), how will I be able to tell them apart in the chat? Any hidden indicator (like surname or legacy-name) shouldn't appear there, either, if someone choses to hide it. So in chat, there will be 2 Johns without any further indication... would be quite confusing, right? So, some indicator to differenciate between those two Johns will be there, and this indicator could be used by someone to determine to what account/legacy a given character is connected... and, personally, I don't want that to happen. So, what would be the solution to this "2 Johns with hidden surnames/legacy-names" problem?

[Ratajack]

The question is:

how will someone be able to identify different players? Let's say There is a John Smith and a John Doe. Both are hiding their surname, so there are two Johns without further identification. How will I know which Joohn is which? While I might tell them apart visually (as long as both Johns aren't of the same species and same class), how will I be able to tell them apart in the chat? Any hidden indicator (like surname or legacy-name) shouldn't appear there, either, if someone choses to hide it. So in chat, there will be 2 Johns without any further indication... would be quite confusing, right? So, some indicator to differenciate between those two Johns will be there, and this indicator could be used by someone to determine to what account/legacy a given character is connected... and, personally, I don't want that to happen. So, what would be the solution to this "2 Johns with hidden surnames/legacy-names" problem?

 

I would be surprised if the OP has an answer.

 

Judging by the previous threads he started on this subject and the threads in which he has posted, it appears that his only concern is that he cannot always have the EXACT name he wants and therefore the naming system MUST be completely changed to suit him so that he can have the EXACT name he wants, and to heck with everyone else, or the costs involved.

[LyraineAlei]

I'm sorry you're not French, but there is always the hyphenated name option. Or apostrophes. Most people in chat will refer to you by the first syllable or so anyway (I frequently get called Lyr or Ly in Chat on my main, whose name is Lyraine, for example).

 

But you and I, OP, have gone over this before and you don't want to. So I'm just pointing this out to other posters.

Edited May 31, 2015 by LyraineAlei

[Fevee]

Thank you for proving my point.

 

Is it really worth spending the development dollars to fix a problem that seems to only exists for those too inflexible to work within the current naming system and create alternate spellings or names? IMO, it is not.

 

Yes, duck my questions to you. You're either a hypocrite, or unfaithful to your own creations.

 

The question is:

how will someone be able to identify different players? Let's say There is a John Smith and a John Doe. Both are hiding their surname, so there are two Johns without further identification. How will I know which Joohn is which?

 

People like to pose that question, but people just don't realize how common that really happens. With fancy characters, we're already capable of making countless characters named Luke. [sarcasm] Thus, we're always worrying about dopplegangers in every team event SWTOR has to offer.[/sarcasm] So I ask you, how often do you really come across that problem? What if we have two Johns in the same randomly-selected group event? Yea, what if we get struck by lightning and bitten by a cobra at the same time? So far, both are as likely to happen as the other.

 

To actually answer your question, though, if you're in a randomly-selected group, and you happen to have a pair of like-named characters who are both hiding their surnames. Well, yeesh, do I have to do all your thinking for you? If they're different classes, then address them as their classes. If they're different roles, then address them as their role. If they're the same class and same role, address them by a distinguishing feature they have. If they have the same class, same role, and look exactly the same, then just ask them, yourselves, how they would like to be distinguished. Put a Star over one and a Flame over the other, and address them as their symbols.

 

Or, since they're both of the same first name, but can't be of the same last name, then Inspect should reveal the player's surname for you, and address them by their surnames. So instead of John and John, you can address them as Smith and Doe.

 

So, some indicator to differenciate between those two Johns will be there, and this indicator could be used by someone to determine to what account/legacy a given character is connected... and, personally, I don't want that to happen. So, what would be the solution to this "2 Johns with hidden surnames/legacy-names" problem?

 

As was stated, Surnames and Legacy names are different from eachother. If you want to keep your Legacy name a state-guarded secret, you are still free to do so. If you're John Smith of the Smith Legacy. Then Smith is your Legacy name, while also being your character's individual surname. If you make a Jane Smith of the Smith Legacy, then you're the one who chose to show off another character who's related to your first. (Although, Legacy names are un-exclusive, meaning it may not necessarily be you, playing.) You could hide your legacy name and still be Jane Smith. The Surname may match up, but there's no guarantee that that's you who's playing, as someone else may have made a Jane Smith first. Or, you can just go and make a Jack Sparrow, and not display your Legacy name. Who's going to guess that this completely unrelated character name is the same person playing as John Smith? So if you hide the individual Surname of Sparrow, you'll just be Jack. But the server still knows you're Jack_e1_Sparrow, and anyone who bothers to Inspect you will see it's Jack Sparrow. However, the Legacy name of Smith is still hidden. Thus, your privacy is retained.

 

it appears that his only concern is that he cannot always have the EXACT name he wants and therefore the naming system MUST be completely changed to suit him so that he can have the EXACT name he wants, and to heck with everyone else, or the costs involved.

 

Why do they bother to let us create our own character designs if we're not allowed to create our own character designs? Hm?

 

I'm sorry you either have no premeditated character designs. Or, even worse, have no passion or loyalty to them. But don't blame me for your own callousness. This name system will benefit everyone while detrimenting no one. Your previous characters will retain their names. Meanwhile, your new characters will be able to have more intuitive names. However, you will be a hypocrite if you ever use this new naming system, so go ahead and keep jumbling up fresh new character names. The rest of us will be enjoying the new massively-expanding and easily-accommodating name system.

[Dayshadow]

I'd settle for a space and capital letters besides the first one. Like EVE Online.

 

Never had a problem with naming a character in EVE.

[henriquecorseuil]

I'd settle for a space and capital letters besides the first one. Like EVE Online.

 

Never had a problem with naming a character in EVE.

 

Yes. Just that. It is all I want too. It reminds me my tons in old KOTOR II... my 1st there was "Macen Ters", a Jedi Guardian.

 

Is that all hard? To let us place space and capital letters after the first name? I don't think so.

[Turajin]

With fancy characters, we're already capable of making countless characters named Luke.

Sure, but with those "fancy characters" (I guess you mean things like apostrophes, accents, trema, hatschek, umlaute etc. - things that, in the apropriate language, actually have a meaning and thus change pronounciation) the Name actually differs from another. So "Luke" is obviously someone else than "Luké", and both are someone else than "Lüke" , and again all three differ from "L'uke". And, unless you are ignorant of foreign languages, all three of them would be pronounced quite different, too.

 

 

So I ask you, how often do you really come across that problem?

At the moment? Never, because every name is unique. But once that restriction is gone, I guess "Obbiwan", "Obiwann", "Ob'iw'ann", "Obbiiwaann", "O'biwa'n", "Öbiwän" and the other 184 abominations per server of that Name will quickly turn into the original wiriting. There's barely a day where I am online and where I not stumble across names like that. And even without using those original character names, the fact that people regularily ask for name purges because "their name" and "every variation of it, including those with apostrophes and stuff like that" is already taken shows that once the rule "names has to be unique" is lift, you'll find hundreds of characters with equal names.

 

What if we have two Johns in the same randomly-selected group event?

Who's talking about groups? You do realize that you can use the chat to talk to people that are not in your immediate surrounding? People that are somewhere else on the same planet? How will I, when using the general chat, be able to distinguish between John, John, John and John? So, please stop that stupid sarcasm of yours and give a serious answer to a serious question?

 

How will this problem be solved? And don't come with any "in chat it will be shown as [Name]@[account]" ********. There should be no account-info in chat. If I want to be known as John only, it has to be that way in chat, too, otherwise the system is broken and worth wasting asingle thought on it.

[Kalabakk]

A few people have suggested that a system like Cryptic's be initiated (Charactername@Accountname). However, they fear they'll loose their privacy in that, and unless some sort of privacy settings can be implemented alongside that, a different reformation should be suggested.

 

I'm one of those people that has been suggesting a Cryptic-like solution (ex. - Star Trek Online - STO) since beta. I still think it's an excellent way to handle things. For those of you not familiar with it, here's the scoop:

 

You have a unique global name

• This allows for global friend/ignore options. So if you have a friend with 20 alts, you only have to /friend them once. Same goes with griefers with 20 alts, you only have to /ignore them once.
  
• We already have this - our forum handles

 

I've seen people argue that they don't want an account name shown in-game, but I think it's a nice way to take away a little of the anonymity behind the characters. Not to the degree where you can find out account information or personal information about someone, but enough so that people can be held accountable for their behavior.

 

Character names are unique per account

• This means you can only have one John Smith on your account, but it doesn't prevent others from getting that name if they also wanted it. The global name would be the unique part, so you'd be able to tell the nice John Smith apart from the d-bag John Smith.

 

You would still have the ability to go anonymous if you want, so that you could in essence "hide" your status when you are online. I believe STO also has degrees of anonymity, where you can hide from all except friends, for example.

 

This type of system would

• Free up many names
  
• Consolidate friend/ignore lists
  
• Provide some level of accountability for behavior, since the global name would be known
  

 

I think this type of system addresses many of the concerns people have voiced. I'm curious to hear feedback on this: Is there anything missing from this? What would be the major concerns people would have with this?

Edited June 1, 2015 by Kalabakk

[branmakmuffin]

So, what would be the solution to this "2 Johns with hidden surnames/legacy-names" problem?

If the system used @handles (which would definitely need to be something different from the account name) or a unique "nickname" (like TSW does), that would solve the problem. But they are not going to go back and revamp the character ID system to included either @handles or "nicknames." In another thread, one particular poster seems to believe that changing the name system (to allow for ignoring an entire legacy) is a simple change. I imagine it is anything but simple.

Edited June 1, 2015 by branmakmuffin

[LyraineAlei]

I'm one of those people that has been suggesting a Cryptic-like solution (ex. - Star Trek Online - STO) since beta. I still think it's an excellent way to handle things. For those of you not familiar with it, here's the scoop:

 

 

You have a unique global name

• This allows for global friend/ignore options. So if you have a friend with 20 alts, you only have to /friend them once. Same goes with griefers with 20 alts, you only have to /ignore them once.
  
• We already have this - our forum handles

 

I've seen people argue that they don't want an account name shown in-game, but I think it's a nice way to take away a little of the anonymity behind the characters. Not to the degree where you can find out account information or personal information about someone, but enough so that people can be held accountable for their behavior.

 

Character names are unique per account

• This means you can only have one John Smith on your account, but it doesn't prevent others from getting that name if they also wanted it. The global name would be the unique part, so you'd be able to tell the nice John Smith apart from the d-bag John Smith.

 

You would still have the ability to go anonymous if you want, so that you could in essence "hide" your status when you are online. I believe STO also has degrees of anonymity, where you can hide from all except friends, for example.

 

This type of system would

• Free up many names
  
• Consolidate friend/ignore lists
  
• Provide some level of accountability for behavior, since the global name would be known
  

 

 

I think this type of system addresses many of the concerns people have voiced. I'm curious to hear feedback on this: Is there anything missing from this? What would be the major concerns people would have with this?

 

I do, what if I want to play this game, but don't want to play with other people who have friended me on other characters? I have used the fact that there is no @username to avoid friends when I just want to play the game's stories and not stand around chatting with them, or do anything with them. This is something I do when I have a very limited amount of time (company coming over and I'm just waiting for them to show up, for example). It's also easier than repeating "No, I'm just going to do x,y,z then log off" multiple times.

 

Or maybe, because friending doesn't require two people to agree to be friends, I want to avoid someone who has been constantly chatting at me and the like with group requests and so forth. If I just hop onto an alt, the other person could just look for my handle and repeat the process while I'm on the other alt. And /ignore wouldn't work in every case because sometimes it's my friend I'm avoiding for a while to just play on my own terms, and then your "hide" suggestion from STO wouldn't work because the person could easily be my friend.

 

Though I suppose, I could just log off, quit for the day, and just play Mass Effect instead.

[branmakmuffin]

I've seen people argue that they don't want an account name shown in-game, but I think it's a nice way to take away a little of the anonymity behind the characters. Not to the degree where you can find out account information or personal information about someone, but enough so that people can be held accountable for their behavior.

If I want you to know my account name in-game, I will tell you. @handles matching the account name are not going to change anyone's behavior.

[NgaNguyen]

I have to ask if, you wanted to associate legacy (surname) and character (given name) where does it end. I grew up in North America but I, have been around cultures (and immersed) that the middle names now become of exemplar importance. I, don't truly think that enforcement can do much in this matter. if you look at legacy names (surnames, clan names etc) there are historically way to many variations and extremely geographically dependent.

[Mowermanx]

A change Id like to see is allowing a space and a second capital in your characters name.

Far easier to implement, and would open up a massive number of names available.

[NgaNguyen]

A change Id like to see is allowing a space and a second capital in your characters name.

Far easier to implement, and would open up a massive number of names available.

 

That would be nice and, I would hope not all that difficult to implement

[LyraineAlei]

That would be nice and, I would hope not all that difficult to implement

 

Spaces might be, since Chat would have to change from /whisper name to something like /whisper name:

[RaithHarth]

I really enjoyed how Pirates of the Burning Sea handled their naming policy, you can have a player by the name of John Smith, while another player goes by the name of John Doe, you can even do the same thing with surnames, you have have a Jackie Bishop while another player goes by the name of Jack Bishop.

 

They should be doing that here too, especially when there are plenty of inactive names in SWTOR that haven't been touched in the last year or so, something needs to be done about that.

Edited June 2, 2015 by RaithHarth