Making first names non-unique like Legacy names would resolve such conflicts.

 

You could do something like a unique key or ID that distinguishes people apart...call it a nick name or middle name...or something...

I was on Harbringer, and stayed on Harbringer with the server merges. Since I didn't move, why does it say I have to change my names?

 

I'm gonna bet because someone else had that name longer than you did.

why should you be exempt from name changes just because you are a destination server?

 

 

All that means is they kept your server name and merged YOU with all of the other servers on to a server with that name.

 

 

Most of us have already had to go through name changes, from what i understand this is VASTLY more fair than forcing me to chagne all of my characters names a second time.

 

 

That being said, I did have to change a few of my characters names. I even had characters on the shadow lands I made at launch with names I wanted to use before i changed servers. And some/most of them had to have name changes as well because I didn't play them as long as other people moving on to the server with the same names. No hard feelings, I definately think that the way bioware did it this round is fair.

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

This is vague and not helpful (notice a trend? ). By play time do you mean:

 

1. Total play time of the ACCOUNT.

2. Total play time of the character (e.g. /played)

 

It should be based off the ACCOUNT creation date + continuous subscription time ( or longest subbed time if a break).

 

Clear as mud!! IAW, SSDD!! GJ JG, GJ!

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

1. Had to rename almost all of my characters, transferring over in the initial voluntary wave of transfers.

2. Now have to rename again on one of my characters. :<

This is vague and not helpful (notice a trend? ). By play time do you mean:

 

1. Total play time of the ACCOUNT.

2. Total play time of the character (e.g. /played)

 

It should be based off the ACCOUNT creation date + continuous subscription time ( or longest subbed time if a break).

 

Clear as mud!! IAW, SSDD!! GJ JG, GJ!

 

I'd guess characters. I had some names saved on shadowlands from day 1 that i planned on playing and didnt use, been subbed since pre launch, and those names had to be changed for other players to use them. no hard feelings, i feel that it should work that way.

So...the first round of transfers, my level 30s lose names to level 1s, but now my level 30s can lose names to level 50s. Sounds legit lol.

 

Why couldn't you have use these mystery criteria for the first round? How about some *********** consistency? Not only that, but you don't even bother to explain these changes in advance and just spring it on us.

 

Just when you think BioWare can't come up with ways to fail harder than they already have, they manage to do so. Good Job.

Have to change my names, too : (

 

Jar'kai Sword.

I can imagine how pissed off some of you are.

 

But, I am sorry, I am just totally absolutely happy about this. Before SWTOR came live I invented characters, wrote a good 30.000 words worth short stories about a character I invented: Auset Midnight. Now, when I finally was so far to reach my legacy - and I was slow compared to real hard core players even though I played a lot - Midnight was already taken. I tried a few variants and eventually picked "Nightsky", only realizing after I picked how notoriously chumming up that was to "Skywalker" that was. I wouldn't go as far as to say I hated it, but I certainly disliked it.

 

When I logged in today I saw this message that the servers had been merged, my characters moved, and that I might have to change my names and that the new server was the one displayed above. The funny thing is - the server was still the same, "The Progenitor".

 

But the real surprise came after I logged in the real surprise came. "You earned a free Legacy Name change." My first thought was, "Oh, great, someone else took my name". On second look the box was still filled with "Nightsky", I could simply try and stick with it. Anyway, I typed in "Midnight", realizing that there must be another Midnight legacy on that server before, even though I never had seen anyone by that name. And guess what? It worked!

 

Pretty much like a child birth, after 9 months the game is live I got the legacy name I always wanted! I have the "Midnght" legacy on the larger Progenitor now! I am sorry for all those who wanted the same name, especially if the original owner on Progenitor is still around to play (even though I doubt it), but, as with the Highlander: "There can only be one."

 

I kinda re-read the name a dozen times after I picked it. M - i - d - n -i - g - h - t. I couldn't believe it for a while, I thought there has got to be a typo in it, but there isn't.

 

 

May the Force be with you!

Edited September 18, 2012 by Rabenschwinge

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

I've been playing this game since day 1 of early access, have 6 level 50's, had to rename my characters during the first transfer, and my main still had to be renamed again today even though I was already on a destination server.

 

All I can say is- ridiculous

Making first names non-unique like Legacy names would resolve such conflicts.

 

You could do something like a unique key or ID that distinguishes people apart...call it a nick name or middle name...or something...

 

Then how would mail go to the appropriate party - especially if the first name and surname were identical?

I can imagine how pissed off some of you are.

 

But, I am sorry, I am just totally absolutely happy about this. Before SWTOR came live I invented characters, wrote a good 30.000 words worth short stories about a character I invented: Auset Midnight. Now, when I finally was so far to reach my legacy - and I was slow compared to real hard core players even though I played a lot - Midnight was already taken. I tried a few variants and eventually picked "Nightsky", only realizing after I picked how notoriously chumming up that was to "Skywalker" that was. I wouldn't go as far as to say I hated it, but I certainly disliked it.

 

When I logged in today I saw this message that the servers had been merged, my characters moved, and that I might have to change my names and that the new server was the one displayed above. The funny thing is - the server was still the same, "The Progenitor".

 

But the real surprise came after I logged in the real surprise came. "You earned a free Legacy Name change." My first thought was, "Oh, great, someone else took my name". On second look the box was still filled with "Nightsky", I could simply try and stick with it. Anyway, I typed in "Midnight", realizing that there must be another Midnight legacy on that server before, even though I never had seen anyone by that name. And guess what? It worked!

 

Pretty much like a child birth, after 9 months the game is live I got the legacy name I always wanted! I have the "Midnght" legacy on the larger Progenitor now! I am sorry for all those who wanted the same name, especially if the original owner on Progenitor is still around to play (even though I doubt it), but, as with the Highlander: "There can only be one."

 

 

May the Force be with you!

 

Legacy names are no longer unique. You are probably 1 of 50 Midnights now.

Lost 3 names... they do seem lost because of /played time... sad

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as character play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

Mr. Gonzales you need to lay out the factors that were used to determine renames. Because right now Im having to rename 5 of 8 tons that have been on Harbinger since this server stood up on day 1 of early access. It is complete BS. I have really tried to be patient with BW and this game and have supported it but this has got me fired up.

Then how would mail go to the appropriate party - especially if the first name and surname were identical?

 

the fail is making legacy tied to sur name.

 

 

if a name could contain spaces then a full name could be Yoshua Sithari

 

that would flag it as unique and no one else could use it. that way everyone could name their characters what they wanted and just change their surnames on the fly if it is already in use, or more likely once you got your sur name make all of your toons and most likely you will get what you want. likely hood of someone using both first and last names identically is small

Not happy at all here. Would really appreciate a Dev response to this. Seems like there is no real point in getting used to a name in this game. I have already lost previous names from a previous server merger. Never know if you are going to lose yet even more in the distant future.

None of you are on the "same" server. EVERYONE was moved to new high capacity servers. It just happens to have the same name as your old server.

Legacy names are no longer unique. You are probably 1 of 50 Midnights now.

 

I can live with that. Maybe I invite them to throw a party.

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as character play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

So why even have a round of voluntary transfers? Talk about a completely pointless process. The old destination servers just went out the window and everyone was treated as if they were coming from an origin server. If you transferred before, didn't transfer before, or if you were already on a destination server before the voluntary transfers, then we all got thrown onto a new "mega" server now anyway.

should have used all new names, then no one would feel as entitled for being a destination server

If they really wanted to encourage people to create a character with a story, to fulfill their Star Wars fantasies and such, they'd figure out a way to make players have unique identification, detached from your name, so that names/legacy names don't have to be unique, and have some other way to determine individual players.

When naming conflicts occur due to the consolidation, players are given priority based on a variety of factors such as play time and if they have already had to rename their characters as part of the first character transfer program back in June. Please do keep in mind that this does not encompass all of the factors taken into consideration, but those are an example of the major ones.

 

Well if that's true, then I'm pretty upset. I moved a couple months ago during the first server transfer specifically to avoid the name crunch since it was clear a consolidation like this was coming. Because of that, I lost the name of my main character, that I play all the time. Now it sounds like I should have stayed on the dead server, because my high amount of playtime plus the original creation date for that character would have given me a really good chance of keeping my name.

 

I realize there's no way to do a merge like this and keep everyone happy, but incomplete information is not going to make it better. It would really be great if we could understand all of the criteria, because from the outside looking in this seems a little unfair and arbitrary to many of us.

 

On a related note, it would be great if you guys could work out a better naming system, if there's just going to be one server (per type) for everyone.

The naming policies BW has is total crap. I'm still pissed and bitter over the first wave of merges where I lost all my names to some ***** who don't even play anymore. I was playing the game day 1, pre-release, the second the servers went live with my characters, yet I was forced to rename because I had to switch servers, while the guys who had my names NEVER get on and most likely don't play anymore.

should have used all new names, then no one would feel as entitled for being a destination server

 

I would be less upset with everyone having to rename than I am right now.

I have a problem which might be unique. I own most of the names I want on the new server, but some of my own characters have the names that I want to give to my other characters (since they both had the same name, just on different servers). I could give the name to one member of these pairings if I delete the other one, but I really don't want to do that. Ideally, I could just rename my first toon to give the name to my second toon. Is there anyway you could grant renames on a case by case basis (like via a GM ticket), or perhaps give all characters one free chance at a name change? Edited September 18, 2012 by LetoAtreidesII