Character name sweep for Freedom?

Well, if it wasn't meant to me, then of course what I said was wholly and entirely unfair. If you could explain what you meant, then I take it all back, because I can't quite understand what you were going for. I was the only person you quoted, so I assumed the un-directed comment was also to me. Remember - you only named people on the third paragraph, but not on the second one.

Again, if I misunderstood, I apologise. I'd go edit the post out, but now that you've quoted it, it's too late.

I don't mean to say that obvious names aren't good, far from it. Merely that obvious names are almost guaranteed to be taken. I've registered for plenty of online communities and made characters in a wide variety of online games, and this has always been my experience - if a name feels obvious enough that other people would have thought of it, it's usually taken.

I've run into people in-game with "obvious" names, like Miss Blaster. Beyond being surprised they got the name, I'm happy for the person for finding a name they wanted to stick with.

My comment is more to the numerous instances where people will argue that "all good names are taken," but upon further questioning keep coming back to the same one single very broad and obvious name and insisting that nothing else suggested to them is "comic booky" or "iconic" or otherwise acceptable. In fact, I once made a thread because I was happy I was able to get the name "Cecity" (another word for "blindness") and I got attacked by people telling me that THEY wouldn't use that name because it's obscure, not iconic enough, not appropriate for a comic book and on and on and on...

Obvious names are just as good, but they're much harder to get than more obscure, complex or unusual names.

And that's the other side of it. Some people are convinced that a name purge will more than just clean up names no-one's using. It will free up that specific list of names they always wanted but could never get. Sure, I've heard stories from people snagging their favourite names after a purge... Something like a couple stories. Most people I've spoken with said the purge didn't change anything.

The truth of the matter is that most "good" names people are after aren't being held by inactive accounts or low-level characters. They're being held by current players, just like I've been holding the name "Steel Rook" for the past seven years. I've even seen a person on the forums with a chat handle by the same name.

So long as names are unique, then there will always be people unable to use obvious names. If ten people wanted the name "Uberguy" which was being held by a level 1 Trial account character, then a name purge won't help. Sure, the name will be freed, one person will snag it, but the other nine will come back to the forum and say "Well, the purge did nothing for ME."

*edit*
Also, if you guys think that the VIP server will offer you a chance to snag all those names you can't on other servers, just remember that obvious names will be sought after by everyone. If you're not one of the first people on the server, chances are your name will be taken there, too. I first joined City of Heroes on the 6th of May 2004, less than a month after the game went Live. Even back then, I was unable to use either the name "Sam" or "Samuel," which is why you see me lugging a first and last name around to this day. I also tried and failed to get either "Bubble Gum" or "Bubblegum," either. Obvious names run out FAST.

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.

... of course, MM henchmen names have no relation to the player character name database, so...

See my Guides and Tutorials

Nonsense.

Their first naming attempt will be "The Azerbaijan Mole Stapler" and they'll be AMAZED that it hadn't been taken yet!

It's a short term solution. And one that'll get worse in quick order once f2p hits. If the names are deemed a problem, with f2p, they'll have to come up with a persistent solution instead of an incidental solution.

To be honest, I can only really think of one good solution to the name space issue [if it is deemed a problem] with a f2p environment, and that is a major undertaking to change the system.

The sponges won't be able to post to the forums, so we won't have to deal with their questions.

Ah, then I'll just add this to the list of people who said this idea had been beaten around already.

Didn't try to imply they were. I was just mentioning the fact I got a cool name on Freedom and that was well after the game had been around awhile.

I'm so tempted to go make a character called that now, just for laughs. I think it might be longer than the allowed length for character names, though.

Only 20?

Thats why I couldnt create the Captain Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconisis Nova... I was thinking it was already taken...

Thanks for reminding me of saving some names... I just got Time Nova.

They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!

@Starflier