Something Needs to be done about names!
By
Aces_High,
Posted on: 2009-06-30 19:45 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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I think you are vastly overestimating the number of names that would be freed up by any sort of name purge. There's a reason the devs made the cut-off level 6 on the second go-round and why they haven't done it again since.
Most of the common names are locked up by active players. A purge would make very little difference.
Just think of another name. It's really not that hard.
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Calling [censored] on that one. The level 6 name purge freed up names like Blackguard, Roman, Earth, Wind, Fire, Anubis, Gilgamesh, Gatekeeper... I can't even begin to list the rest of them, there were dozens that I saw open up instantly and start popping up. That's level 6, done ONCE.
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And do you know why it's been level 6, done once?
Because they did level 35 and below the time before, and the names released were... level 6 and below, primarily.
At most, if they did any sort of increase to the level, I'd put it at "Trial accounts that have been non-converted to live within 90/180 days (whichever feels most dead) of expiration."
I'm not sure they'd touch Trial accounts lightly, as a lot of new players try a trial, spend some time away, remember about the game and THEN sign up. Having their old characters there sometimes helps, though in a lot of cases people just start over anyway. Plus, with all the restrictions put on them to prevent RMT spam, what's one more indignity? 
That, and Trials are a very easy magnet for names, as they're free and people can only use them for 15 days.
Come to think of it, it sounds like a smart plan. Trials are limited to 15 anyway, so I'd say put their names up for grabs at all levels after a sufficiently long time of not having been activated.
*edit*
The "name purge" isn't actually a constant, ongoing process, it's a one-time script that puts names up for grabs once that has to be run manually. It hasn't been run recently, to the best of my knowledge.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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As long as you avoid cliche and boring names, like naming your Fire/Dark "Burning Shadow," it's easy to get names.
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One man's "cliche and boring" is another man's "classic and simple."
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I figured someone would bring that up. After all, some of our most well-known heroes are named things like... Spiderman. My point is, those names are already all taken.
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While we're at it, some are named things like.... names. Nick Fury leaps to mind right away. James Bond (ok, "spy not superhero," but still.) Adam Strange. If we want to touch on villainside, who doesn't know Lex Luthor? You could put Hippolyta and hercules in there, as well, since those *are* their names.
I got Thermocouple on the first shot.
Speaking of names, the world has given us a wide selection of very cool ones, and creative means of using them. To avoid subjective choices of what is good and bad, I've "borrowed" names on a couple of occasions.
One was the name of General Morden, chief bad guy for most of Metal Slug and owner of his own massive army. Since he's a famous character, I could obviously not use his name directly, but I was able to get Morten, which has roughly the same sound (maybe even better) and it turns out it means... Something in Swedish. I don't remember what. I used it for a hero, though, and a girl, at that.
The other was that of a notable villain from Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperfoce Go! I spelled it "Valeena," because I had NO idea how it's actually spelled, and the game accepted it. Checking IMDB now, apparently it's spelled "Velina," which should have been pretty obvious. That's actually one of the reasons I didn't spell it like that, as I suspected and wanted to be slightly different. The other reason is that the word spelled "Velina" can't actually be pronounced as they did on the show. Win-win! Also used this one for a hero, but I kept the gender. Come to think of it, I'm not sure mine would be pronounced right, either.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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QR: Hold shift, hit a key. If it looks like a good starting point for a name then hit a couple more and see if it looks good. Not saying just mash the keyboard and use whatever comes out. Prune out characters that dont look good until ya get something that actually looks like it could be a name. A bonus for using this method is that chances are no one else already has your name... unless you are really unlucky 
"YOU DID NOT READ THE THREAD. GO READ THE LONG, LONG THREAD.
Then, perhaps your butt cheeks will relinquish their grip on your chin." -The_Zekiran
Just to name a few more:
Steadfast Sentinel - My spandex-wearing Inv/SS Tank
Judgment Awaits - My other spandex-rearing character, Psi/MM Blaster
Nightblooming Orchid - Fern/Thorn Dom
Potential Sprite - Elec/Nrg Blaster
Feral Malice - Claws/Regen Stalker
Unquenched - Fire/Therm Controller
Resurgent Thistle - Fern/Rad Controller
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I posted mah bewbies and you still don't believe me. 
I'm a CUPPA INCARNATE. Dammit, you MUST believe me nao!
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this post needs moar bewbies!
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
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I find a lot of good names.
Something needs to be done about names, though, because a lot of people don't have the time, patience, or desire to search through thousands of words to find one that isn't taken.
I suggest a scaling name purge system whereby the longer a person has their account deactivated, the higher level the toons are that have their names made available.
For instance:
Account inactivity for three months results in level 5 and under characters having their names made available.
Six months, level 10.
Nine months, level 15.
Twelve months, level 20.
Fifteen months, level 25.
Eighteen months, level 30.
Twenty-one months, level 35.
Twenty-four months, level 40.
Twenty-seven months, level 45.
Thirty months, level 50.
Maybe something a bit less drastic, even - it could go something like:
1 year, level 10.
2 years, level 20.
3 years, level 30.
4 years, level 40.
5 years, level 50.
... and that would still free up thousands of excellent names on all servers.
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I think it was Positron who posted the reason for the lowering for level 35, was that he had people coming up to him at cons and the like, saying that they were going to come back, but their favorite character had 'lost' their name, and it was a huge disincentive.
NCsoft has to balance this carefully. It is easier to get a customer back (and ex-customers are targeted specifically) with a non-draconiam policy such as the current level 6 cutoff.
Time (and dataminiing) will tell if this level drifts up, but the bulks of unusued names were (maybe still are) below that level 6 cutoff.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
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I'm not sure they'd touch Trial accounts lightly, as a lot of new players try a trial, spend some time away, remember about the game and THEN sign up. Having their old characters there sometimes helps, though in a lot of cases people just start over anyway. Plus, with all the restrictions put on them to prevent RMT spam, what's one more indignity? That, and Trials are a very easy magnet for names, as they're free and people can only use them for 15 days.
Come to think of it, it sounds like a smart plan. Trials are limited to 15 anyway, so I'd say put their names up for grabs at all levels after a sufficiently long time of not having been activated.
*edit*
The "name purge" isn't actually a constant, ongoing process, it's a one-time script that puts names up for grabs once that has to be run manually. It hasn't been run recently, to the best of my knowledge.
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In the same discussion that Posi I referenced a couple of posts ago, the statement was made that they can (and do) wipe trial accounts separately.
I would like to think that perma-banned accounts also get wiped, but have no basis for that hope.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
Banned accounts SHOULD get wiped because no-one has any access to them any more. I suppose keeping them around for a while in case the original owner wants to plead a case is sound, but keeping them forever seems unreasonable. Unreasonable enough to not believe it's true.
As for Trial accounts, I understood it that they were being treated the same as Live accounts. Hearing they're wiped separately is good, if only because I assume it means they're being subjected to MORE stringent measures, what with them not being paid for and not being accessible. I can't be sure of it, but I can suspect.
And as for names, the purge level was dropped down to 6 for a reason. Raising it back up to 30, 40 or even 50 is unreasonable and far too draconian, not to mention a solution that won't actually help much, but hurt enough to be a bigger problem than it's worth. The solution to this problem isn't applying more power.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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What server? Freedom or Virtue?
If either, then...
...bah, I don't feel like getting modded today.
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I'm still making new toons on Freedom and haven't run into this "name problem" in like... hm, two years? No, wait, that was on Guardian, never mind. I've only really faced it once with my 30-odd toons.
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Thesaurus.
Dictionary.
Foreign Dictionary.
Imagination.
Multiple Words.
Hyphens.
Roman Numerals.
Imagination.
Random Generators.
Added Space In The Middle.
Just A Dot.
Imagination.
Shall I go on?
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I just checked and those were all taken!
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Foreign Dictionary is one of mine.
Eco.
MArcs:
The Echo, Arc ID 1688 (5mish, easy, drama)
The Audition, Arc ID 221240 (6 mish, complex mech, comedy)
Storming Citadel, Arc ID 379488 (lowbie, 1mish, 10-min timed)
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Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
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The name George is taken on every server.
I've been anticipating making my Crab Spider since my main hit 45.
I already have the backstory, I already know the color scheme.
It just so happens the name I came up with is not taken in any version or variation of the name.
Doc Mech-Nec (Exalted): 50 Bots/FF MM
Crey Radiation Tank (Exalted): 50 Rad/Rad Corr
Servers: Exalted, Triumph, Champion
Alts: 32
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I think the OP is too scared to post again.
And I was trying to be nice about it too..... darn.
We have a whole thread full of names people post up that are free, or offer up when they delete...Virtue Name Watch, its even a sticky. Just grabbed Brass Butterfly from there last night in fact.
I am a proponent of freeing up all names on accounts pre I5 or 6, whenever it was they added in globals, though. Seriously, if you have never logged in since they implemented that, you aren't even going to remember what names you had...
You need to visit the Good Intentions Road Paving company... they might have a position opening up soon 
Doc Mech-Nec (Exalted): 50 Bots/FF MM
Crey Radiation Tank (Exalted): 50 Rad/Rad Corr
Servers: Exalted, Triumph, Champion
Alts: 32
Steam Profile
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...logged off out of shear annoyance.
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You logged off because your scissors were bothering you?
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What server? Freedom or Virtue?
If either, then...
...bah, I don't feel like getting modded today.
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I'm still making new toons on Freedom and haven't run into this "name problem" in like... hm, two years? No, wait, that was on Guardian, never mind. I've only really faced it once with my 30-odd toons.
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Ahh, I see thru your veil of half-truths grasshopper. Deceiving me thru omission huh? How many times have you faced it with your 30 EVEN toons. Uh huh, thought I'd miss you only tallied results from the ODD ones ay?
People that use "Lad" or "Lass" in their character names should have their keyboard privilages revoked.
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People that use "Lad" or "Lass" in their character names should have their keyboard privilages revoked.
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Why?[ QUOTE ]
Laser Lass is banging!
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Doc Mech-Nec (Exalted): 50 Bots/FF MM
Crey Radiation Tank (Exalted): 50 Rad/Rad Corr
Servers: Exalted, Triumph, Champion
Alts: 32
Steam Profile
Welcome to the wonderful world of unique naming. Not te best feature of the game, but as many have undobuteldy noted, its not going anywhere, so you may as well get used to it and use some creativity.
Oh no! Creativity! SUCH A HORRIBLE THING!
Yeah, I'm gonna go with unique naming being a positive thing in my books
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Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
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Each name can have 3-20 characters. The first must be a number or letter, the remainder can b a number, letter, space, or one of the four special characters: - . ' or ?
That gives just over 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible name combinations.
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i just made a new hero named 2t9j6%$^hif;g5-4]62\
his friends call him Face Roll
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So, you mean to say that 9,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 out of the 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible combinations are bad? Also, the name field doesn't allow %, $, ^, ;, ], or \.