It's no longer on the character select screen, however, it's now at the bottom of EVERY page of the character create screen, and it actually works there!
Even better, if you check a name and it's available, it gets reserved, meaning that nobody else can use it unless you back out of the character creator, or type in a different name.
@Roderick
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which means if I want to build a new character based off of a name, I have to delete a character on a full server... that sucks
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Originally Posted by Roderick
It's no longer on the character select screen, however, it's now at the bottom of EVERY page of the character create screen, and it actually works there!
Even better, if you check a name and it's available, it gets reserved, meaning that nobody else can use it unless you back out of the character creator, or type in a different name. |
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If you were going to create a new character on a full server, you would need to delete someone anyway.|
Originally Posted by nytflyr
which means if I want to build a new character based off of a name, I have to delete a character on a full server... that sucks
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As I understood it, for the name checker, pre-Freedom, to work properly, you needed to have an available character slot AND at least one character already on the server. Granted, it could have been an early bug that was resolved, and I never got the memo.
New story arcs coming soon (ARC IDs will be aded when I finish the arc):
So, you want to join the Hellions? (level 1-14 Villainous arc)
Sparks & Steel (level 5-20 Heroic arc)
and
So you want to join the Skulls? (level 1-14 Villainous arc)
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What?
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Originally Posted by nytflyr
which means if I want to build a new character based off of a name, I have to delete a character on a full server... that sucks
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You needed to have a character on the server, but the name check function worked fine with, or without, an open slot. I used it extensively for the Virtue Name Watch, and for coming up with names for new characters.|
Originally Posted by Lightfoot
As I understood it, for the name checker, pre-Freedom, to work properly, you needed to have an available character slot AND at least one character already on the server. Granted, it could have been an early bug that was resolved, and I never got the memo.
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I would really like them to put it back, while leaving the new creation one as well, as the ability to reserve a free name is cool beans. Being unable to effectively check names on a server simply because you have no free slots kinda blows, as much as needing to make a new character just for the purpose of checking names on a different server.
Edit: So basically, could we get the ability to check names on a server regardless of whether we have no characters there, or are full up.
They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!
@Starflier
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Originally Posted by nytflyr
which means if I want to build a new character based off of a name, I have to delete a character on a full server... that sucks
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Originally Posted by Lightfoot
If you were going to create a new character on a full server, you would need to delete someone anyway.
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So get a free account and use it to check names. 
If I'm full on a server, as I usually am on my home server, I just check names using /friend. If the character exists, they will be added to your friend list. If the character does not exist, it will give you the message "Soandso does not exist or is not online". The "or is not online" is a lie. If they aren't online, they'll still be added to the friend list. I have yet to have this not be the case, and I've made plenty of characters whose names were checked that way.
@Johnstone & @Johnstone 2
ediblePoly.com
All my characters
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let me try and explain... I have a concept for a character based on a name. *IF* the name is available, I would respec a character I think is marginal and strip the enhancements/recipes/salvage off of it before deleting it. if I have to do all that before I know the name is available, then find out it isnt, I will be rather ticked, cause not only do I not have a new character, I probably lost some IOs in the process of deleting the other character.|
Originally Posted by Emberly
Ya beat me to it!
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in other words, it' can be an awful lot of work just to find out if a name is available
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Originally Posted by seebs
So get a free account and use it to check names.
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Originally Posted by Johnstone
If I'm full on a server, as I usually am on my home server, I just check names using /friend. If the character exists, they will be added to your friend list. If the character does not exist, it will give you the message "Soandso does not exist or is not online". The "or is not online" is a lie. If they aren't online, they'll still be added to the friend list. I have yet to have this not be the case, and I've made plenty of characters whose names were checked that way.
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But if I cant get the name that I want, I don't want to delete a character.|
Originally Posted by Lightfoot
If you were going to create a new character on a full server, you would need to delete someone anyway.
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Why delete a character if I can't get something better?
But I can't tell if I can get a better name until after I delete the character.
/getglobalname works a treat too.
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Wrong.|
Originally Posted by all_hell
But if I cant get the name that I want, I don't want to delete a character.
Why delete a character if I can't get something better? But I can't tell if I can get a better name until after I delete the character. |
As has been pointed out earlier in the thread you can simply log in and do a /friend and
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| If the character does not exist, it will give you the message "Soandso does not exist or is not online". The "or is not online" is a lie. If they aren't online, they'll still be added to the friend list. |
Or were you poking fun at the idea with a Pink Floyd parody?
"If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"
double post
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though there have been some workarounds mentioned (thanks) it is still more difficult...|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Wrong.
As has been pointed out earlier in the thread you can simply log in and do a /friend and |
previously: while driving home from work "I have an idea for a character", log in, check name, if available proceed"
now: "I have an idea for a character" log in, enter game with a different character, check name, if available, log off back to character select screen, then proceed"
while the name reservation is nice, I don't see how removing the name checker from the character select screen is an improvement.
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Now this, I absolutely agree with.
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Originally Posted by nytflyr
while the name reservation is nice, I don't see how removing the name checker from the character select screen is an improvement.
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I also agree with this sentiment. I was just reiterating that it isn't necessary to delete a character just to check if a name is available.|
Originally Posted by nytflyr
while the name reservation is nice, I don't see how removing the name checker from the character select screen is an improvement.
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Personally many of my character inspirations occur while I'm actually playing and chatting with friends in the game, so /friend is easier for me than logging out, then logging back in, then checking the name. Usually it goes like this ...
(In chat channel) OH! That gives me an idea for a character!
/friend
"So-and-so does not exist or is not online"
(In chat channel) Brb. Gonna make a new alt.
Just a heads up for folks using the /friend method to check for names.
It doesn't quite work how you think it does.
Any name you find using friend simply means there is a character on that server using that name.
However, this does not mean that the name is not available. Names that are below the threshold set by the Devs (I forget the exact level/time period offhand) are in fact available.
If you take a name that belongs to this category, if the person ever comes back (it will definitely be from an inactive account and one that's been inactive for quite some time at this point) they will get a free rename token because their character will not be able to log in with that name, due to being generic'd.
Granted, the odds are probably slim that you will find a name in this so small a pool of names that exist but are actually available, but it is worth mentioning.
"All that crap is grey to me, no XP." - Positron 5/15/05 8:36am . . . The world stopped and silence ensued except for the sound of a crying infant off in the distance.
"Everyone needs to chill the hell out." - BackAlleyBrawler 11/13/08 3:26pm . . . Geeks around the world stopped and blinked.
Well that isn't a problem because
1. The few people that actually lost names between the time they left and the next time their account was active gave up any claim to those names. It's under level 6 for I believe 90 days.
2. It's been several years since the name purge script was run and the devs have had several reactivation weekends since then so those accounts the unclaimed names were originally freed on have been active several times since then whether they played or not.
3. When Freedom launches all accounts will be active and no names will be able to be taken from someone whose subscription has lapsed.
before the last change you could check to see if a name was available before you started to build a character, now its gone?