I know emotions for some are high, and I want to acknowledge your frustration. Possibly having to pick another name for your characters is a rough thing. I know it's gonna happen to me with my characters on Fatman, while my characters on Jedi Covenant are safe this time around as I took the transfer earlier this year there and dealt with that pain then.

 

HOWEVER, if you like the game or if you want more content, this is a good thing. Less servers to maintain is hundreds of thousands in savings from maintenance, support, and other fixed costs. That money can now be used to meet the 6 week content commitment. You want the money going to new stuff in the game or maintaining hard assets? It also means faster patch times (fewer servers to patch).

 

Just a thought....doesn't take away the pain of finding a new name but to ME it makes the pain worth it for ME.

ill 1+ this.

My only concern with this is they made it sound like you may have your characters spread out amongst other servers. If my characters get seperated and I am unable to move them all to the same server I will be cancelling my sub...

What they really need to do for names is free up all the names that are on inactive accounts so when this happens tomorrow people still have a chance of getting names they already have on the new servers due to this. I know for a fact a few of my name will be gone probably from people who don't even play this game anymore who's characters are just holding up names others could have.

What they really need to do for names is free up all the names that are on inactive accounts so when this happens tomorrow people still have a chance of getting names they already have on the new servers due to this. I know for a fact a few of my name will be gone probably from people who don't even play this game anymore who's characters are just holding up names others could have.

 

Actually that's a GREAT idea! +1 and Kudos

It is unclear, here is what the FAQ says

 

In the High population test server names were granted by age of character (or so it appeared), but that wasn't not a consolidation of existing servers, so it is hard to know how it will work out in the end. Given the huge number of servers being consolidated, names are going to become a scarce commodity.

Personally, I think that those that manually transferred should get to keep the names they already have on the destination server. There needs to be a reward for doing so willingly. Also, it isn't fair if players that already had to change their name when they manually transferred have to change it again, even though they remain on the same destination server.

Personally, I think that those that manually transferred should get to keep the names they already have on the destination server. There needs to be a reward for doing so willingly. Also, it isn't fair if players that already had to change their name when they manually transferred have to change it again, even though they remain on the same destination server.

 

There are a lot of problems though, because not only are the previously announced origin servers closing, but so are a number of the previously intended destination servers. I've got characters on Canderous Ordo, a destination server in the last round of free transfers and I'm being forcibly moved to Jedi Covenant now, where I will lose most of my names.

How is it that after two freaking merges, I stil do not have the option to have my 4 empire characters be on the same server as my 4 republic characters?

 

My empire characters are on Correlia's run and my republic ones on Canderous Ordo.

This is getting ridiculous...

 

WHY CAN'T WE CHOOSE

ill 1+ this.

 

just one thing , in Eu we got customers rights and they are not obeying the eu laws , by just merge people together with out a fair warning and a fair warning is not a 12 hours notice , i payed for a full month on autoamich subscription today before they annoced this. so they pretty much , breaking EU laws , i do not what to be force to moved again , and since iv all ready payed for month , i like to have that money transfered back to my account or else i will contact my lawyers and sue EA game and bioware , for not obaying the trading laws of EU.

I've had to deal with name changes when I transfered from Sith Wyrm to Corellian Run and now I am going to have to do it again because my names are taken on the destination server, very very disappointing.

HOWEVER, if you like the game or if you want more content, this is a good thing. Less servers to maintain is hundreds of thousands in savings from maintenance, support, and other fixed costs. That money can now be used to meet the 6 week content commitment. You want the money going to new stuff in the game or maintaining hard assets? It also means faster patch times (fewer servers to patch).

 

 

In a dynamic load driven server system, it's the same amount of hardware, it just has fewer entry points, and barriers. The only way for your "massive" savings to come true is for massive numbers of people to stop playing.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Gilack

ok, i have looked at that confusing server matrix and it looks like i am going to have to change my name AGAIN!!!

 

this makes me upset because i have played this game before launch and have continued to play and yet people who just happen to be on the server before me who may not even be playing will get to keep those names and i have to change mine again.

 

i don't think bioware/ea understands just how important names are to mmo players. and so i am so disappointed at what is going to be the outcome to this. i have to actually have a list of my names to know who to send mail too because i had to change them already.

 

what was the point of paying for this game the whole time if my characters have gotten jipped on their names and maybe even twice! it makes my connection to them severed.

 

i wish the developers would have really dealt with this name issue more sensitively/thoughtfully and maybe our name is tied to our legacy name instead of our first name so that we can have duplicate first names, but not duplicate legacy names, then we wouldn't have to worry about this name issue at all because you only get one legacy name per server, so there are less legacy names total so more to choose from and so more to make your character unique that way instead of by first name.

 

i am tired of sticking up for this game when i feel like i am just getting screwed over and over again!!!

Personally, I think that those that manually transferred should get to keep the names they already have on the destination server. There needs to be a reward for doing so willingly. Also, it isn't fair if players that already had to change their name when they manually transferred have to change it again, even though they remain on the same destination server.

 

I know it's not specifically stated but if you are already on the "destination" server I doubt you are going to have ANY changes. That's how it was during the volunteer transfers...people already on the destination server dodged the bullet. However, it would suck if you took the xfer a few months ago and you have to xfer again as you are possibly in the rename game (ala my Fatman Characters) .

 

Either way we'll know in 12 hours

I took part in the free character transfer now I find out My characters are being moved AGAIN! AND WITHOUT MY CONSENT! This is something you DONT DO! I mean seriously I have already renamed half of my 8 characters so now I might have to rename all of them again? And to top it off I go from my original server to a high population server and now to an even higher populated one? where I might have to sit and wait for a spot to open up just so I can log into the game because the server is overloaded? Thats just wrong especially since I already transferred all of my characters from my origin server to a designated transfer server already and now they are merging that server with another one, I am sorry but that in my mind just doesnt fly with those of us who already moved once. I wont stop playing the game but forcing people to transfer servers AFTER THEY ALREADY HAVE IS NOT RIGHT! Personally the servers they have now are fine there is Absolutely no need to do more server mergers this will make the game play experience worse not better Edited September 17, 2012 by Kyriosgundam

What they really need to do for names is free up all the names that are on inactive accounts so when this happens tomorrow people still have a chance of getting names they already have on the new servers due to this. I know for a fact a few of my name will be gone probably from people who don't even play this game anymore who's characters are just holding up names others could have.

 

Yes that is an excellent idea. In fact they should go as far as taking the names and giving them to the older/higher level/most played of the toons. I'm not happy losing my name to a toon that has been on Alderaan at lvl 28 for the passed few months.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Arcadius-Fett

I'll be brutally honest, I've played this game from day 1 of launch; been on a destination server that got over 12 other servers crammed into us at the first move and now we, one of the most crowded servers, are being crammed into another "superserver" and I may have to lose my characters names? Sorry Bioware, I'll cancel the account as soon as I log on should that happen. You talk about all the factors you considered in doing this yet fail to mention even one, so we have no idea if it's arbitrary or what. Hiding behind platitudes like "we believe this will be the best gaming experience" blah blah blah means nothing unless you show us how and why you do things.

I know it's not specifically stated but if you are already on the "destination" server I doubt you are going to have ANY changes. That's how it was during the volunteer transfers...people already on the destination server dodged the bullet. However, it would suck if you took the xfer a few months ago and you have to xfer again as you are possibly in the rename game (ala my Fatman Characters) .

 

Either way we'll know in 12 hours

 

Canderous Ordo as well. I thought that was a destination server last time. Still shows as Standard pop all the time I look but now it's going away. Sorry to all those CO guys when you lose your name. Well, most of you. Some I'll not feel sorry for that had no issues when people had to transfer to CO and you said names were no big deal.

I already changed my name when I merged last time. Now I go to the new server I am being moved too and all of my names are taken there as well. Of course I friend them all and every single one is below level 5 and on the starting planet.

Character names are who the characters are. Losing names i've had since SWG launch. straw and camel is starting to come to mind.

I pre-ordered to make sure I got early access and get the names I wanted. Why the hell did I even bother since I've now lost some twice and some now.

Are you freaking kidding me. Who's running this puppet show.

Edited September 17, 2012 by CadaKai

Can't wait to have to change my names AGAIN. Would be nice to see their list of 'rules' for determining.

It's absurd that Corellian Run is getting crammed onto another healthy pop server.

 

I've already had to go through this garbage once with the forced name changes, ridiculous.

 

I got lucky last time, but EA just wasn't to be satisfied that I lost only 2 names last time, they want more.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Hambunctious

I took part in the free character transfer now I find out My characters are being moved AGAIN! AND WITHOUT MY CONSENT! This is something you DONT DO! I mean seriously I have already renamed half of my 8 characters so now I might have to rename all of them again? And to top it off I go from my original server to a high population server and now to an even higher populated one? where I might have to sit and wait for a spot to open up just so I can log into the game because the server is overloaded? Thats just wrong especially since I already transferred all of my characters from my origin server to a designated transfer server already and now they are merging servers again. I wont stop playing the game but forcing people to transfer servers AFTER THEY ALREADY HAVE IS NOT RIGHT!

 

I agree with you , the dev team have an IQ of a candy bar , keep on doing stupid things like this and not really solving the real issues here , reason people is leave the game is becouse the dev doesnt understand that people dont like to be bullyed around , and if they want new paying players thay have to focus on the main issues and merge servers are not solving anything in the long run , they need to change theire way of thinking and the way the are trying to controlle people . but honestly they knew this was gonna come , so why didnt they give us a fair warning last week , oh thats right the just want ed to make sure poeple paid for another month before they cutting theire leggs off and feed them to the dogs ! thank alot Dev team and customers service ! I think its time to focus on guild wars 2 instead of this , atleast they are trying to please there costumers , not trying to force them out of the game !

Edited September 17, 2012 by Hexxas

I know it's not specifically stated but if you are already on the "destination" server I doubt you are going to have ANY changes. That's how it was during the volunteer transfers...people already on the destination server dodged the bullet. However, it would suck if you took the xfer a few months ago and you have to xfer again as you are possibly in the rename game (ala my Fatman Characters) .

 

Either way we'll know in 12 hours

 

I am on a destination server from the free character transfer program and now I have to change servers again which is not right. I think the current servers they have are fine there is Absolutely no need to merge ANYMORE servers together this will just make playing the game worse not better. I wouldnt be surprised if there ends up being people waiting to log in just to get to their character selection screens after this because they CRAMMED TOO MANY people onto one server. Ive seen it on other MMO's when they did this and it never made for a better gaming experience. BioWare/EA has given no reason at all that satisfies me that merging servers again is a good thing. They are lucky this is not a account breaker for me but if they do it again after this time around it just might be.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Kyriosgundam

My worries with this move isn't so much the move iteslf, but the effect on the server. When there are close to 100 people on a planet trying to get a quest done is frequently almost impossible. If they haven't set up more instanced items, faster spawn times or multiple planet instances this isn't going to work real well.

 

Also, now that they have removed anything special about legacy names I will not be displaying mine. They mean nothing now so why bother? To me that's one of the worst things BW has done.

Well, considering the super-server project has been in the works (that being what started the first mass server Exodus) this is hardly unexpected. I got lucky and almost all of my characters are already on Harbinger or Jedi Covenant, the only two that're getting shuffled around are my Smuggler and Jedi Consular - my Smuggler is getting shifted to Harbinger and my Consular is going to Shadowland (which is good for them since they were on meh servers) I just wish I could have sent them to Jedi Covenant instead since that's where my secondary Legacy is and I wanted my Smuggler to be the head of it...

 

Oh well, maybe this fall we'll get to put our chars where we want them ^_^

This all kind of reminds me of Russia's forced relocation and consolidation of the peasant population to the kolkhozi during collectivization.

 

Millions died.

 

MILLIONS MORE WILL DIE! No, just kidding actually. Still, from the reactions, it seems they will.

I know it's not specifically stated but if you are already on the "destination" server I doubt you are going to have ANY changes. That's how it was during the volunteer transfers...people already on the destination server dodged the bullet. However, it would suck if you took the xfer a few months ago and you have to xfer again as you are possibly in the rename game (ala my Fatman Characters) .

 

Either way we'll know in 12 hours

Well, it looks like characters from destination servers that are to "remain" could be moved to the new high-capacity server of the same name as well, so I wouldn't be so sure about it.

 

I hope that account activity also plays a role in who gets to keep the name. An account that was paid for since launch should have precedence in keeping character names over one that has been inactive for a long time.

 

It would be great if Bioware could update the FAQ and add the exact details on which characters get to keep their names in terms of a naming conflict and if destination server characters get preferential treatment by default in case of conflict.

 

On a side note, will the names of the character .ini files as well as keymap preferences and everything that's saved server-side remain the same or will we have to redo all the options?

Edited September 17, 2012 by Glzmo