Character Name Policy -- Thirty Day Notice!
By
0zymandous,
Posted on: 2007-07-31 15:59 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
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Dang, this means I have to activate my 3 other accounts that I am saving names on, just to make sure they arent free'd up for someone else to use?
3 active accts x $15.00 = $45.00
3 inactive name saving accts x $15.00 = $45.00
$45.00 + $45.00 = $90.00 for month of August!!!
Dang, Dev's making me go broke!!!
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Dev's nothing. No one's forcing you. You're the one who decided to use three seperate accounts to deny others names you aren't even using. Now there's a price to pay for it.
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Weak, barely any names will be freed, at least not any good ones. How hard is it to get to 6?! That is rediculous, why even bring it back?
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Did you read anything Ex said before posting this? Obviously not since what you're saying has no red-name backing whatsoever.
Ex stated this would free up a huge number of names. Also considering you're not privy to the list of what names will fall into this category I doubt you have the slightest concept on wether or not names you find cool or good will be freed up.
How's it go? Crymoreplz?
One question. IF I wish to rename a toon, and the name still isn't available, then what? Currently you can check to see if a name is taken or not while logged on by sending a tell to 'xxxx' named toon, but this wouldn't tell you if name was in unreserved status would it?? So how will we know if the name we want is available without actually going through the process of renaming an existing hero??
Warlord: You are looking at a man that can run you through with this sword without batting an eye.
Monk: You are looking at a man who can be run through with that sword without batting an eye.
--old Korean folk tale
You could always try to make a new character with the name you want?
Other than that, hrm..
The Paladin
Steel Canyon, Virtue
Exalted
@Paladin
A great choice in levels for reinstating this policy! I doubt many folks will ever notice or care if these names are taken, and there are bound to be plenty of names opened up by this. Not that all of them will be winners. 
A great start, balancing retaining active players and avoiding alienating potentaly returning players. If the need for names proves higher, the level can always be increased in the future.
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One question. IF I wish to rename a toon, and the name still isn't available, then what? Currently you can check to see if a name is taken or not while logged on by sending a tell to 'xxxx' named toon, but this wouldn't tell you if name was in unreserved status would it?? So how will we know if the name we want is available without actually going through the process of renaming an existing hero??
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Wait till the patch on test reaches live. There is a new feature on the character select page that allows you to check name availability. It only took 3 years to get it!
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Weak, barely any names will be freed, at least not any good ones. How hard is it to get to 6?! That is rediculous, why even bring it back?
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Did you read anything Ex said before posting this? Obviously not since what you're saying has no red-name backing whatsoever.
Ex stated this would free up a huge number of names. Also considering you're not privy to the list of what names will fall into this category I doubt you have the slightest concept on wether or not names you find cool or good will be freed up.
How's it go? Crymoreplz?
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Well the way I figure it is, if you get a really cool name that many other people want wouldnt you at least get it to six? I just dont see why they cant just use the old policy, surely that would free even MORE names. Also, where did Ex state it would free up a huge number of names?
Sorry I was just a bit peeved before, and I suppose its better than nothing.
[Virtue Name Watch]
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One question. IF I wish to rename a toon, and the name still isn't available, then what? Currently you can check to see if a name is taken or not while logged on by sending a tell to 'xxxx' named toon, but this wouldn't tell you if name was in unreserved status would it?? So how will we know if the name we want is available without actually going through the process of renaming an existing hero??
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Try loading up the test server, you might like something you see!!
Personally, I'm really trying to get "Mike".
Global- @SailorET, Justice Server
Sheryl Fiero, 50 AR/Devices Blaster
Louise Fiero, 50 Merc/Traps MM
Various assorted alts
Proudly serving in our military so you don't have to.
What if the level limit goes higher the more time the account has been inactive?
3 months: level 5 and under
6 months: level 20 and under
9 months: level 30 and under
12 months: level 40 and under
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This policy is being enacted in order to free up character names based on player feedback and for our Character Transfer and Rename features.
[/ QUOTE ] Does this mean server transfers will become avalible on the same day or is that just put there for future refrence?
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Does this mean server transfers will become avalible on the same day or is that just put there for future refrence?
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Ex answered that earlier in the thread, like page one or something.
Oh, neat little trick. Hit threaded view and you can easily scan through just poster names if your hunting for redname posts. It's a lot faster than reading the whole thread.
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What if the level limit goes higher the more time the account has been inactive?
3 months: level 5 and under
6 months: level 20 and under
9 months: level 30 and under
12 months: level 40 and under
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/signed!!
I also think right now they are going for primarily the trail accounts of people that never committed to the game. I'm pretty sure that they have a definitive number of names that will be freed up, PLUS- I dunno if they ever included the trail accounts the first time they did this, they might have just done the "inactive" accounts and now they'll do both.
Sounds like there is no downside here.
"I'm not scared of anyone or anything Angie. Isn't that the way life should be?"
Jack Hawksmoor, The Authority.
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Does this mean server transfers will become avalible on the same day or is that just put there for future refrence?
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Ex answered that earlier in the thread, like page one or something.
Oh, neat little trick. Hit threaded view and you can easily scan through just poster names if your hunting for redname posts. It's a lot faster than reading the whole thread.
[/ QUOTE ] When the topic is only 4 pages long that's not really an issue. I'm just lazy. 
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Does this mean server transfers will become avalible on the same day or is that just put there for future refrence?
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Ex answered that earlier in the thread, like page one or something.
Oh, neat little trick. Hit threaded view and you can easily scan through just poster names if your hunting for redname posts. It's a lot faster than reading the whole thread.
[/ QUOTE ] When the topic is only 4 pages long that's not really an issue. I'm just lazy.
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AH. Well then, you answer is... hazy, ask again later.
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What if the level limit goes higher the more time the account has been inactive?
3 months: level 5 and under
6 months: level 20 and under
9 months: level 30 and under
12 months: level 40 and under
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I like that. GREAT idea! Much better than the one they're using. I personally think if someone is gone for a year, they should have all their names up for grabs. I mean, they're going to pick someone who hasn't paid them a cent in over a year over a paying customer? And I'm saying this as someone who was gone over a year. I was very surprised to find all my characters and names still there. I would have been disappointed if they had been taken, but I wouldn't have blamed them one bit for doing it.
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Can we get red name confirmation on this? My accounts are always active but not all of my characters are, yes even below level 6 on various servers.
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In the OP:
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Names for characters below level 6 on game retail accounts that have been *inactive for over 90 days will be changed to unreserved status.
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*Inactive means that you have stopped billing and your subscription time has run out OR your account has been suspended.
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That's pretty clear. All your alts are safe as long as you keep paying.
spidermonster.
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When the topic is only 4 pages long that's not really an issue. I'm just lazy.
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Really lazy. You posted this on page 7.
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What if the level limit goes higher the more time the account has been inactive?
3 months: level 5 and under
6 months: level 20 and under
9 months: level 30 and under
12 months: level 40 and under
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I would be all for this as well. Just as long as no 40+ characters are EVER touched.
[Virtue Name Watch]
The proposed policy is fine, it doesn't need to be opened up further.
If players think up relatively original names they won't need any to be freed up to begin with. Easy peasy!
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What if the level limit goes higher the more time the account has been inactive?
3 months: level 5 and under
6 months: level 20 and under
9 months: level 30 and under
12 months: level 40 and under
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This is what I was hoping they'd do for it when they brought back the name policy. If someone played and got to 40 or whatever level during Issue 0-2 (or whatever low number) and haven't been back since, there really is no reason their name should remain reserved.
Level 6 may free up a lot of unused names, but I'm sure there are many more, that are much more desired, that have been sitting unused for potentially years now that may have gotten past the last policy due to being 35+.
If all old (and existing) customers were sent an email about it as well as the various game sites that are likely going to mention it as well, I couldn't see the harm in it, especially if it was a name of a higher level character, meaning a long absence would be required first. If they care enough about a name they'll reactivate to save it and if not then it'd be better for someone else who will use it to get it.
I'd like to see it go past 40 though, preferrably all the way to 50 or maybe 49. I think maybe up to 45 after 2 years of inactivity and 50 after 3 years would be reasonable, maybe a bit less for the 50. That is a very long time to be away from a game without reactivating, and if it is a known policy it isn't that much to keep the names of one's high level characters if they mean that much.
Or you could, you know, think of something original instead of proposing an increasingly elaborate and unnecessary system so you (and who knows how many others) can grab at all the patently unoriginal names someone else got before you.
I can't say I'm in favor of the tiered plan, necessarily. After all, i10 brought back people (in my circles) who haven't played in close to 2 years, and returning to old, mid to high level characters is a plus for them, complete with their old names.
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Or you could, you know, think of something original instead of proposing an increasingly elaborate and unnecessary system so you (and who knows how many others) can grab at all the patently unoriginal names someone else got before you.
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You would be amazed how many people can independently come up with the same reasonably unique name. As I've discovered, I'm not the only person who hits the thesaurus when I'm trying to name a character after a thing or concept. Heck, my tanker is named after a rarely used punctuation mark, and she turns into Tilde1 when she visits the training room.
Arc #41077 - The Men of State
Arc #48845 - Operation: Dirty Snowball
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Or you could, you know, think of something original instead of proposing an increasingly elaborate and unnecessary system so you (and who knows how many others) can grab at all the patently unoriginal names someone else got before you.
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What makes a name original? Pretty much any combination of words, even if in other languages that'd fit certain concepts can easily be thought of by anyone. Especially with names not being freed up that are remaining inactive for long periods of time, people are having to dig deeper to get one that still fits their concept, making coming up with an "original" name that much tougher as everyone is coming up with "original" names.
The only names I'd really say that could be original and are unlikely for someone else to think up is a first and last name combination, like we are named in RL. While that isn't bad for some concepts, it isn't really how comic heroes tend to name themselves when "in costume," so wouldn't be appropriate for many concepts as well. Some do add some letters or a word or similar to a name for all their characters which help them get certain names and could be called original, but I don't like doing that as most of my characters have a wide range of backgrounds so wouldn't fit any sort of concept of mine and even though I'm not really much of a RPer, having a fitting name is important to me.
I don't see how someone losing a name for a character on a game that they probably won't ever play again (1-3 years is a very long time when it comes to MMOs) as a bad thing. If someone wanted to return after that amount of time and lost their name, while I'm sure they'd be a bit upset, it is very unlikely they resubscribed solely to play a character(s) with a certain name, but rather wanted to play the game itself again due to all the changes that have happened in the time since they last subscribed.
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The number of names that will be freed up will be substantial, if we need to adjust this policy we can do so as long as we grant 30 days notice. So if it is deemed at a later date that more names need to be made available we can do that.
Ex
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Sweet - this means they're taking a "let's see how it goes" approach. At any rate, YAY for freeing up names on inactive accounts!