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I once thought that, but when I found a few names just a month ago without a global handle, I just don't think that's the case. :/
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Originally Posted by Eisregen_NA
Had a brief chat with a friend last night who managed to snatch a rather nice name out of nowhere. I still think they're stealth-purging behind the scenes already.
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BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
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As best I remember they only ran it for toons under 6. So if that was a 30, or a 50, the script will never unlock it. And the reason they used 6 is cos the first time they ran it for under 30 and the bulk freed up were under 6.
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Originally Posted by BrandX
I once thought that, but when I found a few names just a month ago without a global handle, I just don't think that's the case. :/
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I could agree to that but I'd still like to put some kind of level cap requirement. As someone who couldn't play for two years strait due to computer problems (which still exist but seemed to have dulled out since GR's release) if I could have a character whose level has met that requirement and end up keeping the name, I'd be fine.|
Originally Posted by Ultimo_
I know the argument has been made that there are times when people have no choice but to take lengthy breaks, such as when military service occurs. In this case, the individual would merely have to ensure his account was paid for before departing. Perhaps NCSoft could add a new level of account status: paid, but unplayable (say, $5 a month), which would keep the account active but not cost as much.
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Originally Posted by Ascendant
My suggestion would be to do a purge of non-active accounts every two years, but do an email blast (or make a similar notification effort) two weeks beforehand to all accounts possibly effected.
Here's the kicker, though-- you wouldn't have to resub to keep your names, just log in under your inactive account and check off the names you wish to retain and you're covered for the next two years. If you never plan on returning to the game, you don't have to do a thing. However, if you do have an attachment to your characters but, for whatever reason, don't want to rejoin the game right now, you just need to spend a few minutes to note that and everything is fine. I honestly can't see how anyone could claim that's unfair, but this being the internet, I'm sure someone will come up with a reason why it is. |
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Well if that's the case, I really wish they'd also throw the "no globals" names into the batch. |
Originally Posted by Diggis
As best I remember they only ran it for toons under 6. So if that was a 30, or a 50, the script will never unlock it. And the reason they used 6 is cos the first time they ran it for under 30 and the bulk freed up were under 6.
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BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
Off topic but related.. advice in case they have another purge:
- Make a wishlist, well in advance, of names you have always wanted. This way, you're not madly typing in names last minute and forgetting one or typing another in over and over.
- Check each name from your wishlist for availability from the character selection screen. There is a difference between a response of "The character name is already in use." and "The character name is not available." I could be wrong but the latter is a list of blocked names like Wolverine and Trinity.
- Log into your server of choice and check your wishlist for globals. Say you want "Stranglehold". Type: "/getglobalname, Stranglehold". If you recognize the global as that of an active player, bump that name to the bottom of your wishlist. Sure, he might, for some unforseen reason, release that name but it is unlikely. A better bet (on the actual purge day) when you and a thousand other people are checking 200 names each is to first check names of people you have never heard of.
- For that matter.. don't alphabetize, weight your list by desirability. Who cares if you get "A perfect name" right off the bat if what you really want is "Z perfect name" and only have one slot. Time's a tick'n.
- Take the day off (so hardcore.. inorite!!!) or ask help from a friend who has the day off. If they name purge during maintenance and you get home at 10 pm, an open name you desired may have been gone at 10 am.
- Make sure you have open slots set aside. It would suck to find two of your dream names and only have one slot open. Use a trial account if you must - just don't forget to remove it before the 10 days/ 14 days expires. If you change your mind, be kind, delete.
- For the love of sparkle ponies, do not make a costume on purge day. Some people can take an hour to make a costume. Some take five minutes. By the time you make a costume and write a bio, that name may be gone. It won't kill you to use a random costume for a day or two.
- Have a friend help you move any found names. Let's pretend you got something truly spectacular like "Nom Nom Bunnycakes". .. if you delete lil Nom nom to make a costume, folks who logged in a day later and heard about the name purge may swipe that out from under you. Can you really live with yourself then? Call a friend. Release the name to him. Work on your costume for 15 hours and then call him when you're ready to enter the actual name and click on the starting zone. Same thing for folks deleting a found name which will be used on a renamed character later.
Sure, my advice may be overkill but I've found a ridiculous number of names from my wishlist on purges. Also doesn't hurt to keep a permanent wishlist and check it once a month or to randomly type in names when a whim hits.
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One of the lovely things about CoH/V/R is that it will run on almost any computer. You may not have the highest graphics settings, but you can get on and play quite nicely on an old machine. Seeing as I could go to my local flea market or onto Craigslist and, for around $75, get a computer which will run the game, being gone for two years was your CHOICE.|
Originally Posted by Stryph
Honestly I don't care. Why is it so necessary for a name purge? I was gone for two years because my computer crapped out on me, wouldn't be fare after spending money to make the accounts in the first place; I come back and suddenly there're all Generic'd or something. It should only apply to trial accounts in my opinion.
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Likewise, I played the game for over a year on dialup, due to my circumstances. I couldn't do Hami raids or join eight man teams with FX going off everywhere, but I could (and DID) play the game.
So far, I see two "camps" on this thread. There are those who think unusual names and alternative spellings/languages are great and have no problem with making up new names. Then, there are those who would really like to be able to get some of the inactive, old-fashioned, comic book style hero names for their characters. I am in the latter group. I had one concept I built for an ice-based character. I tried 24 unique, traditional-style superhero names for him then gave up in disgust when every one of them was taken.
I do believe we need a name purge. If you've been gone for two years or more, you're likely playing characters with those same names on WoW or some other game by now. If you come back, you can play your characters, but YOU should be the ones searching for good names for your characters. The loyal paying customers of THIS game should always get first choice.
Watch the new reality shows where people get their storage units auctioned off when they don't pay the rent. The storage units are cleared out and re-rented for revenue. That's exactly what should happen here IM(not so)HO.
Hey Cookie Monster, if "C" is for cookie, what is "N" for?
Golden Age & Early Silver Age Heroes (RPers) Wanted!
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The Internet
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Having the right hardware wasn't the problem. It was that the CPU and mobo are shot so balance between the two cores I have is inaccurate and faulty. One core runs hotter than the other, which shouldn't be the case and under stress it hard locks. User error of course so I don't use it as an excuse to let me get by personally but being that money was tight for two years due to car payments and such, real life came first as it should. So I use that kind of like an example. If there was an automated system, like the one Ascendent suggested, I'd be all for it.
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Originally Posted by Power_Play
One of the lovely things about CoH/V/R is that it will run on almost any computer.
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You can save costumes to a file now. You get piles of free costume change tokens from Vet rewards. There's no reason not to make a costume in advance, and there's no reason to reroll if all you want to change is the costume.
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Originally Posted by Angry_Angel
- For the love of sparkle ponies, do not make a costume on purge day. Some people can take an hour to make a costume. Some take five minutes. By the time you make a costume and write a bio, that name may be gone. It won't kill you to use a random costume for a day or two.
- Have a friend help you move any found names. Let's pretend you got something truly spectacular like "Nom Nom Bunnycakes". .. if you delete lil Nom nom to make a costume, folks who logged in a day later and heard about the name purge may swipe that out from under you. |
Character index
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Rushes like that is the exact reason why in my conspiracy theory, they're stealth purging. It's what I'd do. But of course I'm an *******.|
Originally Posted by Angry_Angel
Butterflies, candy and oh yes, a sparkle pony.
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:P
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
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I believe before they purged last time (or the original time), one of the devs remarked that they knew that naming in a superhero genre game was different from naming in a fantasy genre. You can pretty much face-roll your keyboard and get a name in "Elvish" to use in a fantasy game but people in a superhero game are more hung up on getting "Golden Ocelot" or "Atomic Ice". It's just the nature of the genre.|
Originally Posted by Amour_NA
All the years of playing MMO's, only -ONE- of them not only would delete your names, but your account as well. FFXI. Playing any other MMO, there was no threat of getting your account deleted. Nor the names that your characters had.
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| But here is my question. Just what names are these other players complaining about not getting? It is proof there is millions of names out there for people, but...just what names can they not get getting their knickers in knots? |
Saying what names you want in this context is pretty meaningless since you just get a bunch of people saying "you're not creative". I don't have any particular names I'm after (I'm about out of slots anyway unless I start buying more) but I support a purge on general principle because it'll make some active customers happier and I'm more worried about player retention than the slim chance someone's computer broke back in 2007 and they're just getting it fixed now. I will say that many "great names" other people come up with are ones I'd never use and I'm sure some of the names I like are ones they think are stupid. Passing judgment on whether their opinions are valid based on how you feel about them wanting that name is pretty pointless.
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Absolutely. Yes.|
Originally Posted by Silver Gale
You can save costumes to a file now. You get piles of free costume change tokens from Vet rewards. There's no reason not to make a costume in advance, and there's no reason to reroll if all you want to change is the costume.
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Though, when I compile a massive wishlist in hopes of one name, I never have an idea of powersets. If a name shows as available, I take the first AT, first powerset and go go go. After a few days of thought into a backstory, I carefully mull over the most complimentary origin, powersets and costume details.
There is something seriously wrong with me. Do you have any idea how many Peaches I have? Because those are easy! Peachy Kin is a kinetic controller. Peaches 'n Scream is ice/sonic. Peach Psi is mind control/thermal. Peach Buzz is elec. When I get a name like Berlin, I stare at inkblots and throw spaghetti against walls for prophetic revelations.
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Originally Posted by Eisregen_NA
Rushes like that is the exact reason why in my conspiracy theory, they're stealth purging. It's what I'd do. But of course I'm an *******.
:P |
You have conspiracy theories about everything. You know why your keyboard is broke right now? American Christian fundamentalists deplore your forum influence, pay off your landlord to add nanomagnets to your vodka bottle and keyboard, and employ invisible leprochauns to jack the building foundation just enough to make you clumsy. Why? Thou shalt not kill.. but one cannot suffer a WitchSlap (ha, see what I did thar?) either. Face it. You're a bad influence.
< That's not a wink. That's me rolling one eye. Hahaha. ****. Eye strain. So painful.
So, here's a 9 cent 9 AM idea.
Wouldn't it be easier if the devs did the same things to names as they did to inactive globals in channels? Set a policy by level and days unpaid and set a perpetual timer. No more purge 'dates' for all names on the same date.. there would be continuous purge cycles.
Millions of peaches. Peaches for me.
I tend to take very long breaks. As sad as it may sound, I would be heart broken to come back to the game to find one of my high level characters generic'ed. I would leave and quite possibly never return. I am a fairly casual player and to have a character I've worked so hard on be so drastically changed without my knowledge; it would be very difficult to come to terms with that. It would feel like someone else is now playing MY character.
Not that anyone would want any of my names but you know what I mean.
I do feel as though there does need to be a different way of releasing those names stuck in the void of lost players. I think those without globals should very certainly be deleted, period. They aren't coming back. And I feel as though the "safe" level should be higher and there should be a more set schedule of release. Though I do feel that level 40 and higher should blocked from ever being deleted.
In the mean time, until things are changed (which the devs are usually pretty good about), there is a fantastic community on Virtue that is always willing to help with name ideas. As others have pointed out, please check out the Virtue Name Watch sticky and post.
"I have great faith in fools - self-confidence, my friends call it." Edgar Allan Poe
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Or you could be smarter about it and not demand "Golden Ghost" when "Auric Spectre" means the same thing and even comes off as more exotic (and FireFox can bite it, both spellings are correct). And no, it's already mine.
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Originally Posted by GreySquirrel
Its getting harder and harder to get names that don't require odd punctuation or deliberate misspellings and the like.
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Blue: ~Knockback Squad on Guardian~
Red: ~Undoing of Virtue on [3 guesses]~
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Originally Posted by RuaBas
I tend to take very long breaks. As sad as it may sound, I would be heart broken to come back to the game to find one of my high level characters generic'ed. I would leave and quite possibly never return. I am a fairly casual player and to have a character I've worked so hard on be so drastically changed without my knowledge; it would be very difficult to come to terms with that. It would feel like someone else is now playing MY character.
Not that anyone would want any of my names but you know what I mean. I do feel as though there does need to be a different way of releasing those names stuck in the void of lost players. I think those without globals should very certainly be deleted, period. They aren't coming back. And I feel as though the "safe" level should be higher and there should be a more set schedule of release. Though I do feel that level 40 and higher should blocked from ever being deleted. In the mean time, until things are changed (which the devs are usually pretty good about), there is a fantastic community on Virtue that is always willing to help with name ideas. As others have pointed out, please check out the Virtue Name Watch sticky and post. |
DIBS ON SORSHA!
*evil*
There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.
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I also think that.
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Originally Posted by Eisregen_NA
... in my conspiracy theory, they're stealth purging...
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Paragon Unleashed Forums
Twitter: @Alpha_Ryvius
Stealth purging seems like the absolute worst option. So you're combining the "risk" of people returning after three years and ragequitting once they find that their beloved "Fyregirl" is now "Fyregirl1" and the impression among the some paying customers that there's nothing good left and NCSoft doesn't care enough to purge and "fix" it?
Why?
If I was to make a guess besides "coincidence" why people are finding names freed up, it would be that people who have returned with Going Rogue and I19 are cleaning house and making new characters, especially getting rid of ones that seem too much work to fix due to old slotting, inherent Fitness, IOs, power changes and all the rest of it.
Now, I don't know if the name had ever been 'purged' or if it was just never chosen to start with... But I decided to try and create a character concept I was toying with for a while. And I was shocked that the name was available.
Keysmith
In all the years of having Stalkers (and, heck, the plain Concealment power pool...) no one ever thought to take an obvious name for a breaking-and-entering type? (Or, in my character concept's case, teleporting-everywhere-and-anywhere type.)
I'm not sure if that means I'm creative or everyone else is being kind of silly... Makes me wonder how many people tried to take 'Locksmith' as a name.
idont understand a lot of this ugliness towards the OP. The names the OP wants have not been available. It has happened to me also. I do not and will not use an Asian sounding name. I like simple one word names the best. I have currently Gas , Busted , Ski , Last ... etc but on a low pop server.
But come one... if an account has been inactive for 2+years... those names should be freed up regardless of level.
Heck I would say some of the most commonly wanted simple names have been inactive for over 4 years...
I am sure alot of names were 'grabbed' at launch, leveled to whatever level over 6 to 50 and have been sitting on an inactive account for years.
Names I got on Freedom lately... Fuel Line (for my fire/kin) Tyranny Shield (shield tanker) Union Arrow ( archery blaster ) Not bad and names I liked but for the most part it takes a couple of shots... for instance my latest project i hoped for the name Throne ... instead I had to pick up thr0ne .... which is ok but the real name would have been better :P
when I get stuck I just think of lyrics to songs... gotten a few good ones from that... Brutally handsome and Fast lane to name a couple (both from the same song :P)
No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded...
"The potato goes in the FRONT."
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as far as purging happening lately I can say for sure it has happened in the last year or so because I just reactivated a 2nd account of mine... after a year or so and all low level toons had been marked as the name had been made available...
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Originally Posted by Unknown_User
I also think that.
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No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded...
"The potato goes in the FRONT."
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I don't see anyone yelling. People are expressing an opinion, and having a reasonable discussion about it. I don't think the fact that not everyone agrees constitutes yelling or sticking fingers in ears.
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Originally Posted by Amour_NA
Because right now this feels, to me, like someone yelling they can't get what they want and finding faults, but when pointed in directions and told it isn't that bad, they keep on yelling with fingers in their ears. But that is how I am seeing this complaint thread as being.
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Originally Posted by Kiana Wolf
Now, I don't know if the name had ever been 'purged' or if it was just never chosen to start with... But I decided to try and create a character concept I was toying with for a while. And I was shocked that the name was available.
Keysmith In all the years of having Stalkers (and, heck, the plain Concealment power pool...) no one ever thought to take an obvious name for a breaking-and-entering type? (Or, in my character concept's case, teleporting-everywhere-and-anywhere type.) I'm not sure if that means I'm creative or everyone else is being kind of silly... Makes me wonder how many people tried to take 'Locksmith' as a name. |
I made a new character on a concept I was toying with a month or two ago and ended up finding the name I wanted right away "Boybot". Names are available, you just have to be creative and I find starting with a concept and working around that concept with vocabulary is a good way to get a name that fits like a glove.
My New Rig
: Geforce 580 GTX, Core i7 950 @ 3.20 Ghz, 24GB RAM, 240GB SSD for OS, 60GB SSD for swap = Heaven.
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Yeah, I find that helps me, too.|
Originally Posted by Space_Cop
I made a new character on a concept I was toying with a month or two ago and ended up finding the name I wanted right away "Boybot". Names are available, you just have to be creative and I find starting with a concept and working around that concept with vocabulary is a good way to get a name that fits like a glove.
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I'm still in favor of a name purge or whatever you want to call it after a suitably long time, but there are still plenty of options out there.
Three years seems like a good length of time to me as well.
Enjoy your day please.
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Actually, now that I think about it, here's a better idea: same deal, but you individually get contacted two weeks (or whatever) before your second year anniversary of quitting the game, instead of an arbitrary purge date that applies to everyone out of the game for more than two (or whatever) years.. Two weeks after that, if you haven't indicated an interest in preserving your characters, your names become open. This keeps the opportunity for previously held names to become available, but also stops the "Great Name Rush" that would normally be associated with scheduled purges, and make names naturally recycled into the game.|
Originally Posted by Ascendant
My suggestion would be to do a purge of non-active accounts every two years, but do an email blast (or make a similar notification effort) two weeks beforehand to all accounts possibly effected.
Here's the kicker, though-- you wouldn't have to resub to keep your names, just log in under your inactive account and check off the names you wish to retain and you're covered for the next two years. If you never plan on returning to the game, you don't have to do a thing. However, if you do have an attachment to your characters but, for whatever reason, don't want to rejoin the game right now, you just need to spend a few minutes to note that and everything is fine. I honestly can't see how anyone could claim that's unfair, but this being the internet, I'm sure someone will come up with a reason why it is. |
Also, the "Hey, your names are about to go away" email is also an excellent opportunity for NCSoft to offer a player-only 7 or 14 day reactivation pass and make a case for rejoining the game to take advantage of the stuff that's been introduced in the past 2 years.
Ascendant
Now, more than ever, Paragon City needs heroes. Do your part to save it.
Here's the kicker, though-- you wouldn't have to resub to keep your names, just log in under your inactive account and check off the names you wish to retain and you're covered for the next two years. If you never plan on returning to the game, you don't have to do a thing. However, if you do have an attachment to your characters but, for whatever reason, don't want to rejoin the game right now, you just need to spend a few minutes to note that and everything is fine.
I honestly can't see how anyone could claim that's unfair, but this being the internet, I'm sure someone will come up with a reason why it is.
Here are my two cents. All the years of playing MMO's, only -ONE- of them not only would delete your names, but your account as well. FFXI. Playing any other MMO, there was no threat of getting your account deleted. Nor the names that your characters had. Was it right for them to allow such things for people that don't pay and play every month of every year? Boils down to their choice in the end.
Name purge, while good, can piss off people as well. I like the idea I quoted because it gives people a chance to keep a name they like even if they are not paying for whatever reason. And as for the name watch thread not being useful? I go back through it from time to time, checking names and seeing if they are free. Because of that, I snagged Forbidden Frost.
But here is my question. Just what names are these other players complaining about not getting? It is proof there is millions of names out there for people, but...just what names can they not get getting their knickers in knots? Because right now this feels, to me, like someone yelling they can't get what they want and finding faults, but when pointed in directions and told it isn't that bad, they keep on yelling with fingers in their ears. But that is how I am seeing this complaint thread as being.