I agree with you, but if it didn't happen in the days before Freedom, it sure as heck isn't going to happen now.
(Sometimes, I wish there could be a Dev thumbs up button for quality posts, because you pretty much nailed it.) -- Ghost Falcon
The fact is that, despite a player having been absent for 4+ years, they could still return to the game, and if memory serves, any character that is above level 6 cannot be touched. There is still a chance, however slight, that a player may choose to return after that long of an absence. While I agree that the policy, after such a long time, should be "too bad, so sad, your character name was given to a player who has been paying for the past 4 years" apparently the staff do not want to have to deal with that headache, and I cannot say I blame them.
Also, I do not think the Devs have a script to sort out characters that have been inactive for "x" amount of time, and designing one could potentially have some undesired results, so the "standard code rant" probably also applies.
For what it is worth, I am right there with you. There are a couple names out there that I would love to grab and that aren't being used, but I cannot blame the Devs for playing it safe on this front.
@Winter. Because I'm Winter. Period.
I am a blaster first, and an alt-oholic second.
If this is at all possible it's worth being looked into.
(waits for someoene to tell him about the devs priorities)
-=Crey Threat Profile=- : : THE CHALLENGERS on Virtueverse
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Their old name script:
First time:
- Account inactive for 90 days
- Characters under level 35
Second time:
- Account inactive for 90 days
- Characters under level 6
Hasn't been run in years.
Wanted: Origin centric story arcs.
If you've only played an AT once (one set combo) and "hate" it - don't give up. Roll a different combo. It may just be those sets not clicking for you.
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There hasn't been a third run because neither of those previous runs freed up a significant number of names that were subsequently used. It turned out that the gain wasn't enough to be worthwhile. It's far more likely that a potential returning player will not return because his name's been taken away than it is that a current player will leave over a name he wants already being taken.|
Originally Posted by Stormbird
Their old name script:
First time: - Account inactive for 90 days - Characters under level 35 Second time: - Account inactive for 90 days - Characters under level 6 Hasn't been run in years. |
That said, in 7 years of playing, I've rarely had problems coming up with names.
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Remember also some names are reserved for Dev-created characters and unavailable to the rest of us. Frostfire is the famous example. Are you sure the ones you want don't belong to current (or are reserved for future) dev-created characters?
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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Yup I'm quite sure seeing as I have the name on the VIP server, which I'd gladly trade for my home server Virtue.
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Originally Posted by Sailboat
Remember also some names are reserved for Dev-created characters and unavailable to the rest of us. Frostfire is the famous example. Are you sure the ones you want don't belong to current (or are reserved for future) dev-created characters?
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Originally Posted by Tyger42
That said, in 7 years of playing, I've rarely had problems coming up with names. |
That's not my issue, I can come up with names any given time. Do I like those names as much as I would another that could be released? No.
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I'd consider the Black Market of Names a bigger problem, there are a countless number of names being sat on (at least on Virtue) because they're being used as tokens to trade, not to be used for anything significant. Unfortunately, that's not breaking any rules, so you just have to grin and bear it.
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Do you have an inherent right to the names just because a person hasn't played in a long time? No.
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Originally Posted by Foxy_Ferret
That's not my issue, I can come up with names any given time. Do I like those names as much as I would another that could be released? No.
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Would I like to have it still? Yes. Would I be upset if someone else took it if 1. I don't plan on coming back and 2. was away for years? No.
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Originally Posted by Tyger42
Do you have an inherent right to the names just because a person hasn't played in a long time? No.
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Shoot for miracles - the VALVe email campaign
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You don't know that those used names fall under 1) though. As for 2), that's you. That's not everyone. Yes, there are those returning players that wouldn't mind. But there are current players who don't mind finding their first name idea(s) is taken. Of both situations, the players who DO mind enough to leave/not return are slim, but the "not return over losing their names" side is bigger.
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Originally Posted by Foxy_Ferret
Would I like to have it still? Yes. Would I be upset if someone else took it if 1. I don't plan on coming back and 2. was away for years? No.
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There should be some sort of time line imo though. That way it gives you a chance to log in within say 1-2 years. That's plenty of time especially for a f2p game.
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Haven't even been a f2p game for half a year yet.
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Originally Posted by Foxy_Ferret
There should be some sort of time line imo though. That way it gives you a chance to log in within say 1-2 years. That's plenty of time especially for a f2p game.
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Virtue Server
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Since we have globals, I wouldn't mind seeing a new system brought in where people can have the same name. Would free up all these problems about not being able to come up with a good name 'cause every variation of the two words that describe your character are taken.
I believe CO does this, and Steam has a system in place like this, as well, and I haven't seen any actual issues with either.
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This is absolute rubbish.|
Originally Posted by Tyger42
It's far more likely that a potential returning player will not return because his name's been taken away than it is that a current player will leave over a name he wants already being taken.
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Firstly, if a name does not have a global attached that means the player who holds that name hasn't even logged in since gobal chat was introduced. So that's, what? Six, seven years ago? Protecting the right of that player to hold that name does nothing good for anyone involved in City of Heroes except for the individual holding the name, an individual neither NCsoft, Paragon Studios - or, hell, Cryptic - has seen a dime from in a significant time frame. Allowing players to hold names for that long without returning to the game at the expense of people who are still playing is ridiculous.
It's just terrible customer service. I have 84 months worth of playtime built up. I recently clsoed my VIP account due to personal circumstances but before that I had been paying for this game since the day it launched. I find it horrific that the policy on this is that a person's right to hold a name - specifically a person with no global name, I stress - is held in higher esteem than a current player's custom.
Without mentioning any names, it recently came to my attention that support released a name for a player (let's say Player A) from an account with no global attached. When someone else (Player B) attempted to use this case as precedent (a perfectly valid thing to do to challenge an ironclad 'policy' that support itself had broken), support blatantly lied to Player B, claiming that such a thing had never happened - and then removed the name given to Player A from their account for good measure. Absolutely disgusting customer service in other words. This is an MMO - do the GMs think that players don't talk to each other? This tale of woe just highlights why those names that have been off-grid for six or seven years should just be freed up, to stop things like this from happening and giving the whole playerbase a fair shot at grabbing excellent and unused names, rather than leaving veteran players to petition for names that are being protected on accounts that haven't put up any cash for the on-going development of City of Heroes for the best part of a decade.
Release all the names with no global attached or stick to your own, ludicrous policy.
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Funny, I thought terrible customer service was taking something away from someone after they'd paid for it ( In this case, the name on the character. Having paid for it being having paid for the game and possibly subscription time ) on the assumption that they're not interested in it anymore. Silly me.
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Originally Posted by Mr_Mud
It's just terrible customer service.
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It has been. And where we are now is a result of the decisions made.
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Originally Posted by The Havoks
If this is at all possible it's worth being looked into.
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The Mentor Project
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It would be rather silly of you to consider that player's disinterest an assumption rather than a fact after six or seven years of not even logging into the game, wouldn't it?|
Originally Posted by Tyger42
Funny, I thought terrible customer service was taking something away from someone after they'd paid for it ( In this case, the name on the character. Having paid for it being having paid for the game and possibly subscription time ) on the assumption that they're not interested in it anymore. Silly me.
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More to the point, that person would have to have logged into the game sometime in the last few years to qualify as anything other than an ex-customer.
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Originally Posted by Mr_Mud
This is absolute rubbish.
Firstly, if a name does not have a global attached that means the player who holds that name hasn't even logged in since gobal chat was introduced. So that's, what? Six, seven years ago? Protecting the right of that player to hold that name does nothing good for anyone involved in City of Heroes except for the individual holding the name, an individual neither NCsoft, Paragon Studios - or, hell, Cryptic - has seen a dime from in a significant time frame. Allowing players to hold names for that long without returning to the game at the expense of people who are still playing is ridiculous. It's just terrible customer service. I have 84 months worth of playtime built up. I recently closed my VIP account due to personal circumstances but before that I had been paying for this game since the day it launched. I find it horrific that the policy on this is that a person's right to hold a name - specifically a person with no global name, I stress - is held in higher esteem than a current player's custom. Without mentioning any names, it recently came to my attention that support released a name for a player (let's say Player A) from an account with no global attached. When someone else (Player B) attempted to use this case as precedent (a perfectly valid thing to do to challenge an ironclad 'policy' that support itself had broken), support blatantly lied to Player B, claiming that such a thing had never happened - and then removed the name given to Player A from their account for good measure. Absolutely disgusting customer service in other words. This is an MMO - do the GMs think that players don't talk to each other? This tale of woe just highlights why those names that have been off-grid for six or seven years should just be freed up, to stop things like this from happening and giving the whole playerbase a fair shot at grabbing excellent and unused names, rather than leaving veteran players to petition for names that are being protected on accounts that haven't put up any cash for the on-going development of City of Heroes for the best part of a decade. Release all the names with no global attached or stick to your own, ludicrous policy. |
I have to say I agree here. Also that sucks for those players but I heard about that too. Hopefully Player A got some compensation for losing the name he did have for some time. It's not his fault a GM f'ed up.
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Yes CO does do that and CO sucks. Got any other bad ideas from failing competitors you'd like to see ruin this game?
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Originally Posted by Xzero45
Since we have globals, I wouldn't mind seeing a new system brought in where people can have the same name. Would free up all these problems about not being able to come up with a good name 'cause every variation of the two words that describe your character are taken.
I believe CO does this, and Steam has a system in place like this, as well, and I haven't seen any actual issues with either. |
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Players have returned to MMOs after longer absences.|
Originally Posted by Mr_Mud
It would be rather silly of you to consider that player's disinterest an assumption rather than a fact after six or seven years of not even logging into the game, wouldn't it?
More to the point, that person would have to have logged into the game sometime in the last few years to qualify as anything other than an ex-customer. |
Now, overall, I'm indifferent to the name sweeps. What offends me is the overblown sense of entitlement from the OP.
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A friend of mine and I have wanted some names that are taken however they are not in use nor have been since globals have been made. Seeing as they have no global name attached to them this seem ridiculous to myself and many other players that these names are kept at all. The players who have had these names obviously do not want to come back since they have no global name nor have been around for the 4+ years globals came out.
My suggestion is that the devs free up the names from accounts which have no global attached after a certain date. It is unfair to us players who actually intend to pay for VIP or whatever else have you that you save names for unpaying/unplaying people.
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