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Yes there are probably hundreds of thousands of inactive trial accounts with names no one wants like SGfiller123 or ***Wul*ver*ine***.|
Originally Posted by Yogurt
Well, considering how many threads pop up about the servers being dead, it's pretty safe to assume there are quite a few inactive accounts. At this point there are probably more inactive accounts than active accounts, and I would doubt that these inactive accounts don't have names on them. Any name taken on an inactive account is a name that is being wasted. And wasting things is selfish. Think about all the children in Paragon City starving for character names, why can't we ship all the unused names over there to help them out?
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No one ever claimed that there weren't more inactive accounts than active accounts.
Oh and there are no "children" in Paragon City. There is only 1 child and she already has a name.
How come these threads always have to be started by someone overstating things so much to the point of hyperbole? (you're defeating yourself and the point before you get started, mate!)
All the good names are, indeed, not taken...
However, I am absolutely in favor of name purges that free up names of any and all levels for accounts inactive for 2 or more years.
I'd even go as low as 1.5 years, but whatever.
Also... since they did the @Trial change for global names of trial accounts... it's nice to see a few names locked in inactive Trial accounts when checking for the global.
That'd be nice to free up, eh? 
But yeah... I hate these threads... because they're always full of hyperbole, which leads to attacks and counters and rudeness and a mess of a thread.
Fun...
@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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Steve says hi, by the way. His photo album is intensely interesting. If you ever get a chance to see it, you should!|
Originally Posted by Jophiel
"But I know a guy who knew a guy who was in the Congo saving orphans before going to war in the Middle East and then he had to train nuns in South Asia and he's only coming home next week and talks about playing his level 7 guy named FireGirl every day!"
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Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
How come these threads always have to be started by some overstating hyperbole?
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We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.
(If you love this game as much as I do, please read that post.)
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Originally Posted by Chase_Arcanum
To be clear, the one in question had more people on that one server (it was designed as a single-server/multi-instance system from the start) and at launch, it had FAR more concurrent users on that one server than any single CoH server can support.
It just didn't keep that many going for too long.  From what I hear, though, since its resurgence, peak times still do have several dozen instances of common zones... enough to suggest that the number of players that are using their naming system with little issue exceeds the number of people we have on any single server here.... where (some) people ARE grousing about name availability. |
Chase is right. In fact it had so many players it had to go F2P because it was making too much money.
Oh and why does everyone that mentions that they have a several instances of common zones, of which they have less than half a dozen, always fail to mention that the population cap for those instances is around 75-100 people.
So sure we'd look like we had a lot more people online if we only allowed our players to use Praetoria and got rid of all the indoor missions.
For what it's worth, "Irresistible Inferno", "Fascinating Frost", "Milk Tank", "Gaia's Gladius", "Candi Colt" and "Martial Mirth" were all my first choices. I have (essentially) 10+ other toons, but I don't recall any of them being not-first-pick choices.
(Yes, I have an alliteration 'thing'.)
The only not-first-choice I have is Cynder Cat. She's also (related) my only mis-spelling. And I'm fine with the fact that someone beat me to Cinder Cat.
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Originally Posted by TonyV
You're right, these threads are ALWAYS started by some overstating hyperbole! Every. Single. Time. I hate that!
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LOL damnit!
I'm fixing that...
@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
Even when I don't get my first pick for a name, I can usually come up with a good one anyway. Voidstar was unavailable for my sentient black hole, so he's Unstar instead and now I like that even better. A Carnie strongwoman I'd meant to name Sideshow Sally is instead Sideshow Suzy. My elec/fire dominator is Plasmette instead of Plasmia. Power Ballad became Power Balladeer. Adam Smasher is Atomsmash. And that's not even taking into account all the names that were free first try: Paindemic, Seasquall, Lumenvoid, Fissure Strike, Silverwing Sentinel, Hour Thief, Illumineer, Baron of Bad News, Double-Dealing Diva, Argent Provocateur, etc. These are all on Virtue, even. It's rare that I can't come up with something that's not just decent but good.
The point: Yes, it's anecdotal evidence, but those names are all recent acquisitions. Anyone could have gotten them, and the ones that weren't my first picks sometimes had me struggling for a long time to come up with something, trying and discarding name after name. The only problem you have if you think every possible good name is taken is that you aren't persistent enough, because the names are there.
,'&#
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Note that I specifically mentioned "at launch"-- where they had the main city zone (and many of the lower zones) numbering up to the high seventies. Each with 50-100 concurrent users. Just counting the main city zone at the lowest level (70 instances x 50 users) and you're at what the devs were reporting as one of our servers' maximum concurrent capacities. Now add the other zones.|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Chase is right. In fact it had so many players it had to go F2P because it was making too much money.
Oh and why does everyone that mentions that they have a several instances of common zones, of which they have less than half a dozen, always fail to mention that the population cap for those instances is around 75-100 people. So sure we'd look like we had a lot more people online if we only allowed our players to use Praetoria and got rid of all the indoor missions. |
So, yes. The had-- at launch-- more concurrent users on their *one* shardless server than we'd have on any one of our server shards. THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS CLAIMED, and it is hardly an outrageous claim nor a negative point- it just countered the ignorance of the "that game sux- they only have 1 server" when it was DESIGNED THAT WAY.
Note also that you seem to misunderstand the whole purpose of that comparison- it wasn't comparing POPULARITY (as I did note that they 'didn't keep em') but was pointing out that a single server with a population LARGER THAN OURS allowed multiple users to use the same name and it did not cause the problems that people anticipate by a non-unique-name system.
- People weren't stumbling over one another in zone or in chat.
- People didn't get mistells and confusion
- Not even people with OBVIOUS names stumbled over one another. Heck, I made a CATGIRL named TABBY of all things and not once did I encounter someone matching that name. You'd think SOMEONE else would have done that--- especially with all the friggin catgirls everywhere.
Note that you are correct in that they did severely decline and now that they're F2P, comparing numbers is kinda irrelevant.
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Wow, you spectacularly failed to understand anything he said. How does the fact that the game is doing poorly in any way invalidate his statement that you can have a number of people far in excess of any of the CoH servers without having any of the duplicate name problems that people preemptively complain about.|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Chase is right. In fact it had so many players it had to go F2P because it was making too much money.
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| So sure we'd look like we had a lot more people online if we only allowed our players to use Praetoria and got rid of all the indoor missions. |
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And names like Squirrel Girl and Fish Police are not attempts to get people buying. They are stupid and in all likelihood failed attempts to do so, but the intent is the same. If anything, you are demonstrating the fact that a half dozen well named characters like "Green Lantern" tends to be more popular than one unique "Squirrel Girl".
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Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison
We call comic incontinence like this "milking an idea for all the revenue we can get." These things keep children entertained and parents buying. I don't see how you could expect your argument to carry any weight unless you fit into the first category.
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All points I understand and agree upon, except for maybe the end decision... (so, this is just a polite, respectful continuation of your equally polite and respectful conversation)|
Originally Posted by Chase_Arcanum
Sure there is.
Every time this is done, it is prefaced by an announcement to all current and prior CoH customers explaining what is being done and when. No matter how well worded, there will be a good percentage of the population that will misunderstand it and get alarmed by it. A great number of people are irrational idiots, and most of them have internet accounts. They will either post (and repost) incorrect information about it in their rants or they will call and complain. Managing that takes up CSR time, and that costs the company money. So, if you have a system that DID NOT meet its stated goals last time but did have a cost of CSR time, why WOULD you do it again? |
As there is one element not included in the evaluation...
The fun and enjoyment delivered to those who would appreciate it.
I'm not saying whether or not it overcomes the negatives, but it is a factor all too often dismissed when things like this get talked about.
Yet, it is exactly what is being exchanged.
EDIT: Also, your comments on the other game's server population, naming system and the results is indeed interesting.
I used to be completely unabashedly opposed to any such naming system, but I softened up to it some time ago.
Basically, I would no longer scream bloody murder if they ever implemented it.
I'm not convinced I'd like it, but I think it'd be alright (and I may actually love it).
Not that I suspect it is happening or anything... Anyway!
@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
Frankly, I more commonly run into the problem of the name not working because it exceeds the character limit than I run into the problem of the name being already taken.
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Can we stop talking about Champions Online already?|
Originally Posted by Chase_Arcanum
A bunch of stuff about CO
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There. I said it. The name is out there, let's just close the thread.
Where to now?
Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
/reports Dechs and watches the thread continue...
@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
Oh... also...
Free willy!!!!
Yes, that is lowercase... 
@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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And how does any of that happen in a game. If you see a newspaper article in the game, it is one that has been tailored to the character you are playing. |
Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison
Again, in the real world your name is only part of your identity. To the superhero, his name is his identity. You don't get newspaper articles about "Sparky Flame Man (the one with a targeting monocle, boost range, and doesn't have leadership powers, and his address is @rsclark in Steel Canyon) saves kitten!"
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No matter what you would like to believe, I have never seen your "identity" in the game and I never will. Any effect you see in the game from your character's actions are exclusive to you and are affected in no way by what name any other player chooses to use for their character.
In a very real way, your "identity" in the game is "character_db.char_id_sid = 239482398472" and everything else is just a pretty flashing light to make you feel special.
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| Think of it less literally. If someone acts in your name (i.e. identity theft) |
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| and purchases a large quantity of things, your credit rating is at risk. |
If you want to use an analogy, pick one that has at least a vague parallel with what we are talking about.
And, before you start some tangent about your reputation inside the game, it seems that if someone judges you based on nothing but character name in a game where character names are not unique, then you've been lucky to avoid that person given that they are, in fact, a moron.
name@gname
/Jranger
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To be fair, some of this is me playing devil's advocate. I'm not rabidly against a name purge of some sorts... I just understand where it can be a questionable business decision, so I defer to the people that have more actual measurable data than I do (the devs) and rationalize their position.|
Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
All points I understand and agree upon, except for maybe the end decision... (so, this is just a polite, respectful continuation of your equally polite and respectful conversation)
As there is one element not included in the evaluation... The fun and enjoyment delivered to those who would appreciate it. I'm not saying whether or not it overcomes the negatives, but it is a factor all too often dismissed when things like this get talked about. Yet, it is exactly what is being exchanged. EDIT: Also, your comments on the other game's server population, naming system and the results is indeed interesting. I used to be completely unabashedly opposed to any such naming system, but I softened up to it some time ago. Basically, I would no longer scream bloody murder if they ever implemented it. I'm not convinced I'd like it, but I think it'd be alright (and I may actually love it). Not that I suspect it is happening or anything... Anyway! |
Same way with the alternate naming system "name@global". I absolutely HATED NCSoft's technique in one if its games -- it used the "last name" as the global name, so my asian-styled character shared my scotsman's last name. Heck, I wasn't a big fan of globals in this game when they came out, and only accepted them grudgingly because they were supposed to be private-- inaccessible to others without your permission. Somewhere along the line, that was lost and I gave up on caring about it.
Absolutely-unique names have their value and their place, but they're much easier to come across for fantasy worlds where any random assortment of letters can really form a name. Further, a change isn't something to easily apply to nearly decade-old code. I'd advocate against the current system for CoH2, but I don't expect changes for CoH.
The name@global system grew on me. I hated the default (of both showing) and hated that there was no global hide (I like my online private time and seem to attract people that cannot accept that, instead taking great personal offense that I may not want to chat with them tonight). It was more tolerable when the default was changed to hide globals, and while I still hated being seen anytime I was online, I was pleasantly surprised to see that few of the predictions people made came to pass. Most of what I post here is to dispel some of the fear about those same predictions, ignoring how things actually unfolded (or ignorant on how they did). I am not pushing for such a system. I just want people to make choices based on facts-- not fear, speculation, derision toward other failed parts of another game, or downright inaccurate info.
Me? I have a lot of pen-n-paper characters I'd love to recreate online, but the character name is strongly tied to their story and how they see themselves- often with double-meaning that would be lost if changed. They just will never see their stories unfold in the CoH universe. I'm somewhat disappointed, but OK with that. Still, for that reason, a naming system that offered me the same breadth and flexibility as our costume creator would be my ideal.
Completely understand and agree on just about everything you said!
And yeah, I sort of read that impression (of you actually being surprised by the results of your findings and so on. And that you're just representing reasonable arguments for whichever side).
That's why I appreciated the thoughts and found it interesting. And that's a great sample, to have a single server at its height of population (as brief as it was) and hearing testimonies of the experiences of such a naming system.
I never played the game, nor with any such naming system, so I have no firsthand experience with it in games.
@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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This pretty much sums up my thoughts for the thread, but I'll say more 'cause I am in the mood to do so.|
Originally Posted by Yogurt
I hated when threads like these ...
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As far as I cam concerned, the supposed 'iconic' names should remain forever frozen in time.
Why? Because they are generally un-creative and boring to me.
When I see threads like this I look for and generally find that they names people are really 'on about' are the ones that allow them to become a character someone else already made.
Make up your own dang character! Be creative!
There, that's my opinion and I don't care if you like it or not but it is just as valid as the un-creative hack who want's to be 'Thunder'.
"The side that is unhappy is not the side that the game was intended to make happy, or promised to make happy, or focused on making happy. The side that is unhappy is the side that is unhappy. That's all." - Arcanaville
"Surprised your guys' arteries haven't clogged with all that hatred yet." - Xzero45
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Yet, your forum name falls in that category.
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Originally Posted by MajorPrankster
As far as I cam concerned, the supposed 'iconic' names should remain forever frozen in time.
Why? Because they are generally un-creative and boring to me. |
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Making anyone's names fair game, I think, is hardly the answer.|
Originally Posted by Emberly
I'm of the opinion that if your account lapses for three months, your names should be fair game.
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Originally Posted by CactusBrawler
I'd like it if they snagged the name system from Cryptics game.
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Putting more emphasis on the global name without making it invasive (like what that one guy said about making names look like e-mail addresses) would probably put cake in the hands of most people, and let them eat it.
I haven't read this thread all the way but I'm sure there's been a few people who'll object to ideas like this, given the idea that heroes and villains are supposed to stand out and be unique. However, if you look at the comics industry, you'll see a few instances where the different comic book companies have characters with similar or identical names, and within each company, you'll sometimes find multiple people who've laid claim to the same title or identity. Maybe not all at once, but still.
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or they're on /ghide
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Originally Posted by Yogurt
1) It gives you the global name of the character with a name you are looking for, if you use often for a name, you can sort of see if that player actually plays, I have been doing this for dozens of names, everyday, at different times of the day, for a couple of years. These names never appear online, so yeah they should be eligible to get released.
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That's nice but you also said.|
Originally Posted by Chase_Arcanum
Note that I specifically mentioned "at launch"--
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| since its resurgence, peak times still do have several dozen instances of common zones... |
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| Note also that you seem to misunderstand the whole purpose of that comparison- it wasn't comparing POPULARITY (as I did note that they 'didn't keep em') but was pointing out that a single server with a population LARGER THAN OURS allowed multiple users to use the same name and it did not cause the problems that people anticipate by a non-unique-name system. |
That doesn't mean their population is larger than ours. If it were they wouldn't have been forced to go F2P, and the game in question wouldn't have been sold off to another company in order to cut financial losses.
2. Having a much lower population cap on zone instances makes it more likely people with the same name will be in different instances. The fact that that game has been hemorrhaging customers since the day it launched means it's far less likely players will encounter characters with the same name.
3. The fact that the majority of players here enjoy having unique names and don't want to give them up isn't a "problem".
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| - People weren't stumbling over one another in zone or in chat. |
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| - People didn't get mistells and confusion |
It just didn't keep that many going for too long.
From what I hear, though, since its resurgence, peak times still do have several dozen instances of common zones... enough to suggest that the number of players that are using their naming system with little issue exceeds the number of people we have on any single server here.... where (some) people ARE grousing about name availability.