Character Name Policy -- Thirty Day Notice!
By
0zymandous,
Posted on: 2007-07-31 15:59 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
[ QUOTE ]
I don't think the policy is unreasonable. I do think that anybody that thinks names are scarce is just being unimaginative.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
We admit, the previous name purge was too high a level. I had a lot of people tell me that they wanted to come back to the game, but were turned off when they found that their character's name had been taken during the last name purge. We wanted the most amount of names freed up, with the least amount of impact on players who might want to return to the City of games.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm glad you get it, Posi.
I'll actually back this policy, though I honestly don't think one is needed.
To all of those that are worried that level 6 is too low. When I first started reading through the forums shortly after I4 launched, name camping was a very common topic. It was common practice for people to make "placeholder" toons on all of the servers reserving names that they might want to use in the future. Many of these people have left, and I am pretty sure they didn't go through and delete those reserve toons.
I have no doubt that there are many names sitting in the 1-5 level range on inactive accounts. I believe it when they say they have datamined this. That past name camping has been one of the major factors in my pursuit of reinstating this policy.
To those who keep throwing out "unimaginative" and "uncreative". Those are not valid arguments. They are akin to trolling. It is entirely possible to come up with a concept, googlesearch, read a thesaurus, and search the wikipedia to come up with a name and have it still not be available. I did this a couple of months ago with one concept. After about twenty different tries, I compromised and took a name I didn't care for. I didn't get that character past level 3. The name is the most important part of any concept. Don't dismiss so readily somebody's desire to have the right one.
If I were to be magically granted any change in the name policy, it would be to ask for a more informative UI. When I cannot have a name, I would prefer to be told why.
"Sorry, that name has been deemed unsuitable under the terms of the EULA."
"Sorry, that name is already taken by another active account."
"That name is already taken by account that has been inactive for more than 90 days. Would you like to claim it?"
Throw out a troll label all you want.
It's true.
Sorry you couldn't get a name. Once. Gotta fix that!
That was just an example.
Sorry you hate people. Can't fix that for you.
And your post only serves to prove my point.
[ QUOTE ]
To those who keep throwing out "unimaginative" and "uncreative". Those are not valid arguments. They are akin to trolling.
[/ QUOTE ] Not an argument, an opinion. Not trolling just sick of all the people with entitlement issues.
[ QUOTE ]
It is entirely possible to come up with a concept, googlesearch, read a thesaurus, and search the wikipedia to come up with a name and have it still not be available. I did this a couple of months ago with one concept. After about twenty different tries, I compromised and took a name I didn't care for. I didn't get that character past level 3. The name is the most important part of any concept. Don't dismiss so readily somebody's desire to have the right one.
[/ QUOTE ]
I understand. The same thing has happened to me. I find a variant I like or I don't play the character very long or at all.
My problem is people who want the whole, or most of, the level range of names up for grabs because they didn't get "The Red Bull" that some level 30 fire tank has and they feel their concept is sooooooooo much better and they really, really deserve it. And they can't live with "Roter Bulle" or "Toro Rojo" or some such.
Whatever. I'm done.
[ QUOTE ]
That was just an example.
Sorry you hate people. Can't fix that for you.
And your post only serves to prove my point.
[/ QUOTE ]
This, like the "sorry you hate people." post, would be a troll post.
/point
/laugh
That's a troll post.
I respond in kind. You have nothing of value to offer. Go away troll.
Not without my complimentary ******.
[ QUOTE ]
There are a LOT of names being "camped" by inactive accounts on characters under level 5.
[/ QUOTE ]
And how many names are being "camped" by active accounts? Freeing up names on inactive accounts is fine and all, but it doesn't solve the problem of name "camping" entirely. It's totally absurd for someone to make a bunch of lv1's for the sole purpose of reserving a name that they may never even use. This policy should cover both inactive and active accounts.
It's also equally absurd for characters above level 6 on inactive accounts that have been that way for a year or longer to be safe from this. If a player has been gone that long, odds are they are not coming back. I used to play FFXI, and if I remember right their policy was that if your account went inactive for 90 days, your account, and characters, get purged. Atleast with Co* the account and characters are still there. Now I'm not saying you guys should get that harsh, but you guys are gonna have to get tougher about it. Because you're favoring long gone customers that may never come back, over your current paying ones. And that just isn't right.
[ QUOTE ]
I'm glad this is being done as well, but I also wish the levels being affected was around 20+, becuase I have the sinking suspicion that the name I want is 'owned/squatted' by someone who made the high teens at least.
[/ QUOTE ]
... and you know it's not being used by an *active* player how? (And don't say "I watch the friends list," unless you can guarantee they're not on hide and you've been up 24/7 on ONLY that server watching.)
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There are a LOT of names being "camped" by inactive accounts on characters under level 5.
[/ QUOTE ]
And how many names are being "camped" by active accounts? Freeing up names on inactive accounts is fine and all, but it doesn't solve the problem of name "camping" entirely. It's totally absurd for someone to make a bunch of lv1's for the sole purpose of reserving a name that they may never even use. This policy should cover both inactive and active accounts.
It's also equally absurd for characters above level 6 on inactive accounts that have been that way for a year or longer to be safe from this. If a player has been gone that long, odds are they are not coming back. I used to play FFXI, and if I remember right their policy was that if your account went inactive for 90 days, your account, and characters, get purged. Atleast with Co* the account and characters are still there. Now I'm not saying you guys should get that harsh, but you guys are gonna have to get tougher about it. Because you're favoring long gone customers that may never come back, over your current paying ones. And that just isn't right.
[/ QUOTE ]
... yet you want to affect paying customers too.
[ QUOTE ]
Freeing up names on inactive accounts is fine and all, but it doesn't solve the problem of name "camping" entirely. It's totally absurd for someone to make a bunch of lv1's for the sole purpose of reserving a name that they may never even use. This policy should cover both inactive and active accounts.
[/ QUOTE ]
How do *you* know why I have level 1-6 characters? Some are RP (level doesn't really matter to your typing,) some are concepts I want to try, but am working on other characters, some are spur of the moment. But they're *mine,* and I'm paying for them, so tough.
[ QUOTE ]
... yet you want to affect paying customers too.
[/ QUOTE ]
If they're camping names, damn right.
[ QUOTE ]
How do *you* know why I have level 1-6 characters? Some are RP (level doesn't really matter to your typing,) some are concepts I want to try, but am working on other characters, some are spur of the moment. But they're *mine,* and I'm paying for them, so tough.
[/ QUOTE ]
I said "for the sole purpose of camping names". In your example you're actually playing. Name campers are not.
I want a complimentary ****** that brings me a complimentary pizza.
I dream big.
Mmm...complimentary pizza....
[ QUOTE ]
Because you're favoring long gone customers that may never come back, over your current paying ones. And that just isn't right.
[/ QUOTE ]
I feel I need to address this specifically. NCSoft is not favoring inactive customers over paying customers. NCSoft is not giving anything to inactive customers that playing customers don't get. They aren't getting any special treatment.
What you want is to specifically take away things from inactive customers. And there's no reason to expect to have that right, even as a paying customer.
If its just about money, how about I pay more to NCSoft to take *your* names away. After all, why should they *favor* you over me, when I pay more money.
We are customers of NCSoft and Cryptic, and those old inactive customers were and are customers of NCSoft and Cryptic. I believe things like name purge to be a necessary [u]evil[u] with emphasis on evil. Because I don't feel any specific right to take things away from other customers, even currently inactive ones. There's all sorts of reasons for a person to be inactive, but I neither want to, nor need to judge those reasons, since I don't care. They were and are customers, and they did and do deserve to be treated just as fairly as we do. And that includes not taking things away from them when it isn't necessary. And aggressive name purge is not necessary.
Its a "wanna have" for some and a "need to have" for none, and given that, I see no reason to specifically take things away from other customers that was never mine to begin with.
[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]
In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)
[ QUOTE ]
<QR>
I am strongly against name-camping.
Every pre-20 character not played in the last 30 days should have its name made available. Ever pre 32 not played in the last 60 should have its name made available. Every 50 not played in 120 should have its name made available.
[/ QUOTE ]
Every [u]50[u] not PLAYED in [u]120 DAYS[u] should have its name made available? Are you that needy?
[ QUOTE ]
The quality of names has really suffered due to the number of people camping names that they will never use. The only risk to giving up a name you've camped is that someone else will play it regularly, which says to me that they deserve it more than you.
That's how it works in comics, too. Names get passed on when the old holder fades away.
[/ QUOTE ]
Not playing a character for 30 days is NOT name camping. That's called taking a break, maybe having a baby, or otherwise having a life that involves more than playing Co* every weekend. Name camping, as explained by Positron, is:
[ QUOTE ]
Sure, it doesn't take a lot of effort to get past level 5. But in the case of name campers, it looks like they didn't even put in that amount of effort on those characters. They simply made a level 1 character with the name and called it a day, or played a tad and got a level or 2.
[/ QUOTE ]
What you're referring to is having a name you wanted. I'm in the Navy, and as such I regularly cannot play the game for 5-7 months at a time because I'm on a ship in the middle of the ocean halfway around the world. If I had to rename some or all of my characters EVERY time I got back from deployment, I would not be playing this game anymore.
And if you want to talk about inactive people giving up their name, what about the recently deceased Captain America? Assumed dead in 1945, he returned in 1964 after he was revealed to be frozen in suspended animation. Let's see... 120 days vs. 19 years? It's always possible someone will come back, and a true hero would willingly give up their title to the former. Will you have the same strength of character if a level 50 whose name you stole for your level 15 blaster came back?
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.
It's still showing special treatment to them. You're right, name purging is a nessecary evil. But at the same time, how is it right for names to still be taken up by accounts that have been inactive for a year, two years, since CoH launch? Compared to all the other MMOs and their inactive account policies out there, inactive accounts here are practically pampered to.
[ QUOTE ]
It's totally absurd for someone to make a bunch of lv1's for the sole purpose of reserving a name that they may never even use.
[/ QUOTE ]
Part of our 15$ monthly subscription fee entitles us to up to 132 characters, doesn't matter when or how or why we make them, we're paying for them.
Paying customers using the game account they pay for is not a crime, so don't criminalize it. I think the only thing absurd here is not only have you managed to find a victimless crime, it's a criminal-less one.
The ONLY issue under debate here is what happens to those accounts after people stop paying, and that's as it should be.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
[ QUOTE ]
Compared to all the other MMOs and their inactive account policies out there, inactive accounts here are practically pampered to.
[/ QUOTE ]
Back that up.
What are the inactive name policies of WoW, DAOC, EQ and EQ2?
[ QUOTE ]
It's still showing special treatment to them. You're right, name purging is a nessecary evil. But at the same time, how is it right for names to still be taken up by accounts that have been inactive for a year, two years, since CoH launch? Compared to all the other MMOs and their inactive account policies out there, inactive accounts here are practically pampered to.
[/ QUOTE ]
I left SWG nearly 2 years ago. Not only are all my character names still mine, up until a few months ago, all my buildings were still where I left them. Be careful with aobsolute terms like "all" and check into details before you talk about things in other MMOs.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
[ QUOTE ]
got magicked 50 levels from the level-fairy
[/ QUOTE ]
Stop spilling Cartel secrets!! Sheesh next you'll be telling people what happens when you run up to Serafina and enter Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A
>.>
<.<
oops.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
[ QUOTE ]
Explain to me why someone who made a lv 50 named whatever. And never plays again why his name should be forever locked out of use?
[/ QUOTE ]
Someone who never will play again should have their names recycled. However, there's no way to *know* that they will never play again. No matter how long they've been away, NCSoft is presumably always trying to get them back, with each new issue. And presumably, they occasionally do. And in their opinion, leaving that possibility open is part of their long term business strategy, not just for CoH, but for all NCSoft games in general.
[ QUOTE ]
And on a side note: I played casually since launch and had my first 50 in less than a year. and that was WITHOUT the number of PL missions that used to be around. I know people who made 50 in a week exploiting missions such as the old COT portals, Werewolf herding, mole machines not to mention those damg Winter Lords. So don't make the mistake in believeing all lv 50's were earned. a fair number of them were Powerleveled in alot shorter time than you would guess.
[/ QUOTE ]
Fascinating, but irrelevant. The issue is not whether someone got to 50 the slow way, the fast way, was PLed to 50, or got magicked 50 levels from the level-fairy. The issue is whether or not there exists the possibility that such a player might return on their own or could be enticed to do so.
The presumption NCSoft and Cryptic are making is once someone makes a character with a certain name on a particular server, everyone else has no claim to it. The issue is not "why should they get to keep the name" but rather "what right does anyone else have to it?" And the answer is: none, but what they invent. The name purge invents one, and its a small, conservative one, balanced against the fact that, as a matter of policy, one of the lures that CoH is designed to have to attract old customers back is that their old characters will be waiting for them if they decide to return.
[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]
In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)