Checking name availability

You used to be able to check name availability from the character select screen of a given server only, and that was sorta a pain.. If you were most of the way through creating a new alt, and had a name ready to go, and then it was taken, you couldn't check alternatives without trying to actually enter the game.

Now, you can check on name after name at any point along the character creation process, and hold the name you like once you find one that is available. Much improved... Except....

If I'm full on a server, and thinking of deleting or moving an alt to make room for a new one, but don't want to if I can't a name that I like, how do I know if names are available? I can't find a name checker outside of the character creator now...

Any suggestions? Am I overlooking an obvious tool somewhere?

Create a free account, log into the server, check.

Or ask a friend.

Log into a character on the server and use "/friend <name>" (without the quotes) to check if a name is available or not. If the name is in use you'll get them as a friend or a message saying you can't befriend an enemy, if it says they don't exist then the name is free.

Just keep in mind the character limit for names, which I can't recall offhand, but it will say a name doesn't exist if it's too long.

I know the minimum's 3 characters for names, and I think the maximum is 21. Something about it being upped after City of Villains so you could add "Evil" and a space to any existing character name being the reasoning for that one, iirc.

The max is 20. Which is a pain, because I've come up with several 21 character names I've wanted to use.

Also note that /friend isn't fool-proof. Just because you get the error message indicating that "Wolverine", "Batman", or "Professor X" is free, doesn't mean that you'll be able to use them.

Another thing to keep in mind is how the game handles "the". If you enter a name that starts with "the " (including the space), it will be moved to the title. So "The Super Dude" becomes "Super Dude", with the title "The". The /friend command isn't smart, so just like going over or under the limit, "/friend The Super Dude" returns a message indicatint the name is free... But you'll never be able to use it.

Creating free accounts and the /friend command are both viable workarounds. But a workaround is not the same thing as a solution.

I really wish they'd move it back to the character-select screen instead of (or in addition to) the character creator. To me it falls under the same heading as the (very, VERY welcome) ability to adjust graphics settings from the login screen coming in I22.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Android_5Point9 I know the minimum's 3 characters for names, and I think the maximum is 21. Something about it being upped after City of Villains so you could add "Evil" and a space to any existing character name being the reasoning for that one, iirc.

I don't know if that was ever an officially-stated reason, but that's what I heard, too (I actually heard the intent was to allow "Evil" or "Dark"). Pre-CoV, the limit was 15 letters. When CoV launched, it was upped to 20. Which naturally means I come up with an awesome name with 21 or 22 letters once a month or so.

One thing about using another account to check for availability is the name is held for something like 10 minutes.

However, each account can only hold one name, so if they check another name right after that, it will free up the other.