11 of my 18 toon names have been taken. NOT COOL!

[vikingstone]

I stop playing for like a year and now 11 of my 18 toons names have been taken. That is BS!!!! I have had some of theres toon from the first 6 months of this game! Some of the names are on my playstation games and xbox games. It feels like you took something that was mine and freely gave it to anyone. Thank you SWTOR for just give me a big FU.

[Qouivandes]

...ok.

[CrazyCT]

{I didn't go to work for 18 months and they gave my desk away to someone else. I feel like I've been betrayed.} Edited December 29, 2017 by CrazyCT

[Jamtas]

I stop playing for like a year and now 11 of my 18 toons names have been taken. That is BS!!!! I have had some of theres toon from the first 6 months of this game! Some of the names are on my playstation games and xbox games. It feels like you took something that was mine and freely gave it to anyone. Thank you SWTOR for just give me a big FU.

 

you and another player shared a common desired name. Servers merged. The game gave preference to the person actually playing vs the person who left and may never return. If you step back and objectively look at that decision making process, I think you'd make the same decision if you were in their shoes. The person still paying and playing should get the preference. For all they knew, you were gone and not coming back. Why make an active player lose their name?

[GrizzlyUK]

This always happens when servers merge, you admit you stopped playing for a year so all your characters were marked as inactive. That's on you, not BioWare or anyone else! After Beta I played on Rogue Moon with 8 characters, when Rogue Moon was merged into Red Eclipse 7 of those 8 characters had to be renamed simply because I wasn't playing constantly. That was my fault, so I just renamed them and carried on. *shrug* Fortunately this time around not a one of my characters had to be renamed.

 

Character renaming due to server merges happen, anyone who plays MMO's knows that. Complaining on the forums isn't going to change anything, it just reflects badly on the person complaining!

Edited December 29, 2017 by GrizzlyUK

[Superman_AZ]

I can appreciate your frustration, but your account, characters, name, etc all belong to Bioware. After 18 months, I can see them flushing inactive accounts. Had it been a month or two, I could see the outrage... but even Blizzard flushes inactive character names every 12 months.

[denavin]

This is a common theme. People choose common or well know names then complain when their common well know name gets taken. I am sorry to say but this is a personal problem and not one you can blame on the game or server merger. Lack of imagination is not the fault of the server merger but rather yours.

 

I have been playing MMO's for over 15 years, i have been through several server mergers on different games, I have NEVER lost one of my characters names. Why, because I create unique names for every one of my characters. I never use common names or respelling of common names. I never use well known names. I never use "Boilerplate" names. I put together consents and vowels to create unique names that NOBODY else would ever have, it's not that hard really. Thus I have NEVER lost a name to a server merger ever. I have 15 characters and no names were lost to this server merger.

 

If you lost your name, well that is unfortunate but totally your fault for you lack of imagination in creating a unique name. It would be best if you forgot your troubles and simply make a new name, and this time try to make one that NOBODY else will ever think of. Then you will not have to worry about losing another name to another server merger, its that simple.

Edited December 29, 2017 by denavin

[Andryah]

This is a common theme. People choose common or well know names then complain when their common well know name gets taken. I am sorry to say but this is a personal problem and not one you can blame on the game or server merger. Lack of imagination is not the fault of the server merger but rather yours.

 

I have been playing MMO's for over 15 years, i have been through several server mergers on different games, I have NEVER lost one of my characters names. Why, because I create unique names for every one of my characters. I never use common names or respelling of common names. I never use well known names. I never use "Boilerplate" names. I put together consents and vowels to create unique names that NOBODY else would ever have, it's not that hard really. Thus I have NEVER lost a name to a server merger ever. I have 15 characters and no names were lost to this server merger.

 

If you lost your name, well that is unfortunate but totally your fault for you lack of imagination in creating a unique name. It would be best if you forgot your troubles and simply make a new name, and this time try to make one that NOBODY else will ever think of. Then you will not have to worry about losing another name to another server merger, its that simple.

 

^^ Sage comments and advice.

[Rheshalea]

You can have spaces in your names now. Just add a "von"-ish Star Warsy prefix to the Legacy name or a middle name or some such. As in, Rheshalea von Awesomesauce. Or if you don't use your Legacy name as surname, Rheshalea Awesome.

 

And as was said previously, start making up unique names. It's really not difficult.

[SerraShar]

still the server merge have been done in a 'Let's just toss everything together and get it over with!'' . I think thats my main issue with the merge . I'm not complaining about names here ! (end up with duplicates names lol and had to change 5) . But my issue is that , they just tossed toons from serve A and B together regardless as to why someone had toons on another server .

 

They could've done it with some though and care for the peoples . It is suck enough they removed the server identity as it is .

[GrizzlyUK]

Sorry to burst bubbles and all that but as soon as you create a unique name and enter the game world that name no longer remains unique! The only unique thing about names is that there can only be one of every name per server, nothing stops anyone from using that name on another server nor in another game! *shrug*

 

Other than that, the advice to avoid using comman names is still valid, also avoid using the names of characters from popular books and films.

[denavin]

Sorry to burst bubbles and all that but as soon as you create a unique name and enter the game world that name no longer remains unique! The only unique thing about names is that there can only be one of every name per server, nothing stops anyone from using that name on another server nor in another game! *shrug*

 

Other than that, the advice to avoid using comman names is still valid, also avoid using the names of characters from popular books and films.

 

True, the possibility of loosing a unique name is there, but it is highly unlikely. Common names are more likely to be used on other servers than a unique name unless the person using your name is deliberately trying to grief you, but this is not as common. It would also be less likely simply because it is a unique name and players on another server, unless they also have characters on your server, would probably not create the same name.

[AlienEyeTX]

still the server merge have been done in a 'Let's just toss everything together and get it over with!'' . I think thats my main issue with the merge . I'm not complaining about names here ! (end up with duplicates names lol and had to change 5) . But my issue is that , they just tossed toons from serve A and B together regardless as to why someone had toons on another server .

 

They could've done it with some though and care for the peoples . It is suck enough they removed the server identity as it is .

 

But they did give fair warning, so if you wanted a character to end up somewhere else, you could have transferred. Your failure to plan is not their problem.

[aerockyul]

I stop playing for like a year and now 11 of my 18 toons names have been taken. That is BS!!!! I have had some of theres toon from the first 6 months of this game! Some of the names are on my playstation games and xbox games. It feels like you took something that was mine and freely gave it to anyone. Thank you SWTOR for just give me a big FU.

 

I can't believe Bioware didn't check all the names in other games and platforms and include that in their formula! FOR SHAME!!!

[vikingstone]

They are not easy to get names! I look up the different races root words and phrases only used by that race and came up with my own names. So all of you that are saying its my fault, it is not. Some of the names are 20 letters long. But some of the common names are still there. Demetrius is a common name in Russia but no one has come up with it, but some how someone took Skogkath. People should make up there own name and if its used they shouldn't give them away. I dont agree with that at all. whats so hard about getting your own name?! If my toon is level 60 it shouldn't lose its name to some ransom person.

[QuinlanSaathis]

You probably lost them to lvl70 subs.

That is completely fair

[SerraShar]

But they did give fair warning, so if you wanted a character to end up somewhere else, you could have transferred. Your failure to plan is not their problem.

 

actually it is their issue not mine . They are the doing the merge , not me .

 

Also this isnt about 'fair warning' , this is simply pointing out that the way they did it was still dumb . I'm not talking about not warning or giving the tools . They still smacked all toons together and to add insult to injury ? removed the names of server we had before . They took the idendity . So like it or not , it stink . You can agree or disagree , I honestly don't care cose it is done . So won't change my mind about them anytime soon .

 

I think I,m more mad at the loss of the server Identitie . Man , I miss Shadowland .

[aerockyul]

They are not easy to get names! I look up the different races root words and phrases only used by that race and came up with my own names. So all of you that are saying its my fault, it is not. Some of the names are 20 letters long. But some of the common names are still there. Demetrius is a common name in Russia but no one has come up with it, but some how someone took Skogkath. People should make up there own name and if its used they shouldn't give them away. I dont agree with that at all. whats so hard about getting your own name?! If my toon is level 60 it shouldn't lose its name to some ransom person.

 

Sub-time and play-time were the two biggest variables in their formula over who got the names, and multiple tiebreakers they didn't tell us about after that. There was nothing random about it.

[Kyrra_T]

They are not easy to get names! I look up the different races root words and phrases only used by that race and came up with my own names. So all of you that are saying its my fault, it is not. Some of the names are 20 letters long. But some of the common names are still there. Demetrius is a common name in Russia but no one has come up with it, but some how someone took Skogkath. People should make up there own name and if its used they shouldn't give them away. I dont agree with that at all. whats so hard about getting your own name?! If my toon is level 60 it shouldn't lose its name to some ransom person.

 

It wasn't a random person. It was someone with MORE played time than you, with that name, who was also a subscriber. There were other tiebreakers too if those were equal. If the name was that unique then someone else would not have come up with it. They didn't 'steal' your name. Like many things in life, things that you might 'think' are unique are not.

 

You 'can' get a very close version of the name back simply by adding a special character. For example Skogkath. Make the name Skogkath with an alt code. Skogk <alt key + 0226 renders an a with the 'hat' symbol over it> th. It will still be Skogkath. The alt code will be near the end of the name so will not make it difficult for your friends to message you.

[Zerileth]

Alright, alright. Let him vent. It's still a cruddy thing to have to come back to. OP.... rename um, and welcome back.

 

 

You could have just expressed your view without trolling/being a jerk.

 

Classless and nothing new.

[PennyAnn]

I stop playing for like a year and now 11 of my 18 toons names have been taken. That is BS!!!! I have had some of theres toon from the first 6 months of this game! Some of the names are on my playstation games and xbox games. It feels like you took something that was mine and freely gave it to anyone. Thank you SWTOR for just give me a big FU.

 

Bioware had very precise standards for choosing who got to keep a name and who lost it if there were people with the same name on servers that were being merged, that was mentioned. Probably the biggest thing causing your loss of names is that you haven't played the game for a year. They aren't mind readers, they don't know that you're coming back. A year is a long enough time that I would assume you were done playing this game too, if I were in their shoes.

 

It is also true that characters, names, and everything you "have" on your account in this game is indeed not yours. It belongs to Bioware, and they can take it away from you at any time. It's stated pretty clearly in the Terms of Service.

 

So, sorry to say it (well, repeat it as these things have already been said) - but it is not "a big FU". Not playing for a year is what caused it to happen, and they didn't make that decision... you did.

 

You can however do as many have suggested and rename your characters in such a way as to keep them similar to the names you already had. That would be my suggestion. Not being a consistent subscriber means you will miss out on some of the perks that those who pay for the game are entitled to - subscriber rewards, and in this case, priority in name conflicts during a server merge. But in this case, there is a fairly easy fix to the problem.

[Tsillah]

I stop playing for like a year and now 11 of my 18 toons names have been taken. That is BS!!!! I have had some of theres toon from the first 6 months of this game! Some of the names are on my playstation games and xbox games. It feels like you took something that was mine and freely gave it to anyone. Thank you SWTOR for just give me a big FU.

Well this is the thing about an MMO. Nothing and I mean nothing in this game is yours.

 

Now if you take an extended leave from a game like this, things will happen in that game. A year ago server merges were already a topic for some time, so it was a fair expectation. I guess you haven't kept up with the news and the circumstances of the server merges and so you lost out.

 

I'm sorry this happened to you but I remember losing a lot of names during the 2012 dual server merges and there was nothing I could do. I also lost some key names like my enjin account name for example. I got upset clearly but I'm still here.

 

I'm saying yeah it sucks, but in your case by staying away from the game for a whole year and not keeping up with the news from time to time, this is a risk that you run, especially in game that is struggling as it is.

 

I mean how could Bioware know that you'd be coming back at all? Do you really think it's fair for them to hold your names not knowing if you'd ever be back and disappoint an active, subbed player in the process?

 

I get that you're angry now, but really, when you think about it, you know it makes sense they gave the names to active players and not people who haven't played for a year and might never come back at all.

 

MMOs are living games, if you leave them, they move on. Stay up-to-date or accept the consequences. Not always nice, but that's how it works.

[PetFish]

How about not stopping playing or subscribing? People who do both of those things are of course more important than fair-weather gamers.

 

And you lost ELEVEN names? Seems your unique names are definitely not unique at all.

Edited December 30, 2017 by PetFish

[annabethchase]

Is a random collection of letters and symbols really a name if nobody can remember it or pronounce it? Webster's dictionary primary definition of a "name" is "a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing ·The boy's name is Brad."

 

Sounds like some random collections of letters I just made up like "muiervalein" or "quoarjaatv" might be names, but one word in the definition of name makes me look deeper. "distinctive" means "capable of making a segment of utterance different in meaning as well as in sound from an otherwise identical utterance "

 

There is no way that the average person in game would be able to make a distinctive identification of these "names" and convey that "difference in meaning" to another person. I couldn't for example identify that person to my guild as a troll because those random letters didn't form an "distinctive designation" in my brain. They were just "gibberish" which is "unintelligible or meaningless language".

 

Ultimately, I believe people should use names that meet the definition of a name.

 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/name?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld

[Tsillah]

Is a random collection of letters and symbols really a name if nobody can remember it or pronounce it? Webster's dictionary primary definition of a "name" is "a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing ·The boy's name is Brad."

This argument holds no water though. His character could've been Brad and now it can't be. His loss and his fault for not keeping up but distinctive is not unique. This game requires names to be unique, in real life many people can go by Brad.

 

In the game it has to be a unique identifier but as servers get merged and each server had their own name list this creates the issue when server merges happen. And the thing is, names can have meaning to a person. That's the element that you completely bypass in your point.

 

Bottom line is, he stayed away for a year and didn't keep up with the news. His expectation of keeping his names is therefore not realistic. I completely understand he's upset though, but I hope he can pass through that and realise that this is just the nature of a game like this.