All in favor of running the script again, but no need to limit themselves to 3+ years. Just don't be surprised when you still can't get the names you want because they are still being used by active players.
The devs datamining from the last name wipe showed that nearly all the names freed were garbage names like kjygfkuyrtut or SG Filler 1 from throwaway characters on trial accounts or RMT sites.
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... really?|
Originally Posted by Celestial_Lord
Let's face it, if someone hasn't played the game in three years, odds are he or she isn't coming back
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Strange how we hear of the people coming back doing so after that long - after little things like "Serving in Iraq/Afghanistan," for instance.
That said, I have no argument against running the script again. The groups I *would* do complete wipes on would be:
- Trial accounts that have been dead over 90 days - they probably aren't subscribing at that point, and
- accounts that have been banned. Again, 90 days for appeals, etc. They just *can't* come back.
Still, as Forbin mentioned, assuming all this will free up "that really good name/set of names" isn't really a great assumption.
Now, if you're that concerned about old accounts hogging "good" names, they should set up an opt-in system - send an email to any account with over 3 years of inactivity asking (a) if they're coming back (incentive, blah blah blah,) and (b) if not, would they voluntarily have their character names freed up. If they agree, the names on that account are set to generic/free.
I'd like a Global Name purge....maybe I could get my real name with a space back. And my old colour 
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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/signed
And I'm okay with it on people who've been gone for over 3 years, whether they may return or not.
I've been keeping an eye on some names, and have yet to find the player logged in at all. This is by checking with globals and by keeping the name in my friend list.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
I have no problem with running the name purge script again. I do not, however, see any reason to modify it, considering its current incarnations is the result of datamining reused names. Read: Not just names freed up, but names freed up AND USED by other people.
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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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I fully believe they should run name purges for any and all level characters. 3 years is more than fair, regardless of circumstances.
I don't understand people's obsessive reference to and belief in the whole datamined information on names released and used...
Don't change the script?
So, names of characters over level 6 are not tied up in inactive accounts? Names of characters above level 6 would not be desirable by anyone?
Only names of level 5 and below characters are the sorts of names that actually would be released and actually would be "grabbed"?
You think that the datamining truly showed this to be the undeniable case for the past, present and future?
You don't think that things may have changed since then? You don't think more names that would be desirable have been taken by now long-inactive accounts that were leveled up level 6 or higher?
It's this default statement that people bring up, "datamining showed...".
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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While you're throwing out questions, "so all these names people HAVE to have that they insist are "tied up on inactive accounts," they're 100% sure aren't being used by active subscribers?" |
Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
I fully believe they should run name purges for any and all level characters. 3 years is more than fair, regardless of circumstances.
I don't understand people's obsessive reference to and belief in the whole datamined information on names released and used... Don't change the script? So, names of characters over level 6 are not tied up in inactive accounts? Names of characters above level 6 would not be desirable by anyone? Only names of level 5 and below characters are the sorts of names that actually would be released and actually would be "grabbed"? You think that the datamining truly showed this to be the undeniable case for the past, present and future? You don't think that things may have changed since then? You don't think more names that would be desirable have been taken by now long-inactive accounts that were leveled up level 6 or higher? It's this default statement that people bring up, "datamining showed...". |
No, "I have them on my friends list" means nothing.
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Well, some of them I have noticed don't have a global name attached to them. So, yes, some of those names I know I'd be interrested in, are not tied to an active account.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
While you're throwing out questions, "so all these names people HAVE to have that they insist are "tied up on inactive accounts," they're 100% sure aren't being used by active subscribers?"
No, "I have them on my friends list" means nothing. |
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
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You're one of the few I've actually heard check that. So often it's "They're on my friends list and I never see them, so they're obviously never on."|
Originally Posted by BrandX
Well, some of them I have noticed don't have a global name attached to them. So, yes, some of those names I know I'd be interrested in, are not tied to an active account.
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I still, personally, would prefer an opt-in for that. Send the email first. (If the email bounces, well...)
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Not going to say no to this either. |
Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
I'd like a Global Name purge....maybe I could get my real name with a space back. And my old colour
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@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
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I also send tells to a few of them (the global names) to see if they're active at all. They're either hidden and not responding or they're just never on.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
You're one of the few I've actually heard check that. So often it's "They're on my friends list and I never see them, so they're obviously never on."
I still, personally, would prefer an opt-in for that. Send the email first. (If the email bounces, well...) |
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
The free reactivation weekends most likley would mess up the three year purge.
Though if you have missed 3 years of free weekends, its even less likley that you will be returning.
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
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... y'know, I hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure if they "count" that when they look at an account being active or not, though. If so, I'd say it makes the name-wipe argument (as in "really inactive accounts") a bit stronger.|
Originally Posted by tanstaafl
The free reactivation weekends most likley would mess up the three year purge.
Though if you have missed 3 years of free weekends, its even less likley that you will be returning. |
I suspect, however, that "inactive" is going to be looked at as "Your subscription has not been a paying one for X amount of time, you've been inactive X amount of time" - regardless of reactivation weekends.
Edit:
Sent a PM to avatea to ask.
Edit2:
More complex, but if they did something like this - well, more datamining. See if there's a cutoff point where people just don't come back or some such.
I still think the highest levels should be left alone, and that there should be an opt-in, "I'll never be back, wipe it out!" option - though I'm sure that'd cause people to complain anyway.
Still, tier it:
- Trials not converted after 90 days, completely deleted.
- Up to 3 years, current script.
- 4 years, old script (35 and below.) - Opt in email sent here, too, to delete/free everything.
- 5 years, new script - 45 and below are free. Email sent out at this time asking if you'd like to just delete the account.
Go for it. And, with all due deference to people with a "legitimate" excuse for not logging on or paying for their account for three years but who'll be back any day now ready to log in -- you're most probably a statistically insignificant minority. Your loss is a shame but it's not a good reason to avoid running the purge for the sake of a small theoretical handful of people.
Ive never seen a Name Purge before (almost on my 35-36 month badge) but does it also delete the actual character or just the name?
It wouldnt be so bad if only the name is wiped but the character is left as is.
If someone then did log back in who hadnt for 3+ years then all their toons, IO's, INF, etc would still be there but the characters would have no names.
When they login with that character they need to go through the naming process again.
While some people will be upset (no matter WHAT happens in-game someone is upset over it) it should be an even smaller minority.
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Just the name. The character itself would be left intact. Should the player return to the game, he or she would be forced to rename the character the next time he / she logs on that character.
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Originally Posted by cybermitheral
Ive never seen a Name Purge before (almost on my 35-36 month badge) but does it also delete the actual character or just the name?
It wouldnt be so bad if only the name is wiped but the character is left as is. If someone then did log back in who hadnt for 3+ years then all their toons, IO's, INF, etc would still be there but the characters would have no names. When they login with that character they need to go through the naming process again. While some people will be upset (no matter WHAT happens in-game someone is upset over it) it should be an even smaller minority. |
@Celestial Lord and @Celestial Lord Too
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When the name scripts were run, ages ago, all it did was mark the name as "Available." The first script was 35 and under. The second time it was under 6 (and 90 days inactive.) If nobody took the name and the person came back, the character was just there like nothing had happened. If someone DID get the name, I *think* it was immediately generic'd (it's been a while) and the user would be prompted to rename them when they logged in.|
Originally Posted by cybermitheral
Ive never seen a Name Purge before (almost on my 35-36 month badge) but does it also delete the actual character or just the name?
It wouldnt be so bad if only the name is wiped but the character is left as is. If someone then did log back in who hadnt for 3+ years then all their toons, IO's, INF, etc would still be there but the characters would have no names. When they login with that character they need to go through the naming process again. While some people will be upset (no matter WHAT happens in-game someone is upset over it) it should be an even smaller minority. |
The characters were not deleted.
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Well, if the lack of responses for the tells I sent out, specifically because of reactivation weekend, is any clue, then I'm not to worried.|
Originally Posted by tanstaafl
The free reactivation weekends most likley would mess up the three year purge.
Though if you have missed 3 years of free weekends, its even less likley that you will be returning. |
I'm not saying there isn't some three year absentee, who returned for the reactivation week, but the I /telled didn't seem to be those in the returning.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
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Not sure why you're taking that approach, but yeah, besides what BrandX said (and I know that we are not the only ones) we also now get to see @Trial_globalname accounts when checking...|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
While you're throwing out questions, "so all these names people HAVE to have that they insist are "tied up on inactive accounts," they're 100% sure aren't being used by active subscribers?"
No, "I have them on my friends list" means nothing. |
I am not of the opinion that it is impossible to create new great names, I am not of the opinion that anyone HAS to get any particular names, nor am I under the opinion that every name that a player may want is tied up by an inactive account.
None of that detracts from the fact that some are. And I'd love to see them thrown back into the pool a little more than happens with this game.
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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Thought I'd said it |
Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
Not sure why you're taking that approach
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- that quite often (or so it seems) when we see name complaints, we see the "they're on my friends list and I never see them so it's obviously inactive" thrown in shortly after. Only reason for putting that there.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Thought I'd said it
- that quite often (or so it seems) when we see name complaints, we see the "they're on my friends list and I never see them so it's obviously inactive" thrown in shortly after. Only reason for putting that there. |
Even if those people actually have the names on their friends list they are failing to realize that this is a very casual player friendly game and the person with the name they want may simply be playing during times they aren't online. Maybe the guy with the name only plays during the morning/early afternoon, or he only plays 2-3 times a month because of his RL schedule. However the complainers would have us believe they constantly check the name 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 5 second intervals or some other bs.
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Not that often myself, but during those rough months of being between jobs, I think I can honestly say yes, I checked them often enough to believe just the two I've been keeping a close eye on are on inactive accounts.|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Even if those people actually have the names on their friends list they are failing to realize that this is a very casual player friendly game and the person with the name they want may simply be playing during times they aren't online. Maybe the guy with the name only plays during the morning/early afternoon, or he only plays 2-3 times a month because of his RL schedule. However the complainers would have us believe they constantly check the name 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 5 second intervals or some other bs.
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Mind you, I keep my eyes on more than 2 with my friends list, but only two have I been doing all I could to see if they're active or not, and everything points to nope.
Which I do mainly for two friends so they can have the names, I'm not even checking on the ones I want.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
I suggest that it is time for another character name wipe. I recommend wiping the character names of any player that has not logged on for three years or longer, no matter the level of the character. Let's face it, if someone hasn't played the game in three years, odds are he or she isn't coming back and is basically holding character names hostage from players that are still paying for the game.
@Celestial Lord and @Celestial Lord Too