Factors for a fair forced transfer: Naming

Though it would not be viable to automatically place all remaining characters on a new server, even if the developers determined there was a sustainable population interested enough in moving to such a location. As I noted, not everyone remaining on a source server is doing so due to naming concerns. To drop these individuals on a new server, rather than where the rest of their server community has already moved, would be an extremely bad idea.

Unfortuneatly - to your first point - its a convience issue. Think if you had 20 peope with the first name 'John' on the server - all with different legacy names. You got to write and email, or do a whisper, or group invite etc. - You would now have to type out the full first and legacy name of the character to ensure the correct 'John' would get your message.

To your 2nd issue - Its a suck point - Yes BW messed up with too many servers and now is correcting the issue. Your server wasn't selected as the golden ticket destiniation server. Why should the player who happened to be on the destination server - who could be just as attached to his/her name as you are - be 'punished' simply because you two share the same taste in names. Take it to the next level - what if 3 or 4 or 5 people have the same name - who takes priority?

The Unseen Code issue is most likely being used today. In most complex relational database - your character 'record' is assigned a database generated 'Primary Key'. Most likely a unique number. This is the 'key' that links all your associated information to your particular character. Pick up a piece of gear and put it in your inventory? From a databse standpoint it creates a record on the 'Personal Inventory' table with two entries - Your primary key - and the primary key from the 'Global Items' table to associate the fact you now own the piece of gear. Sell the item - record gets deleted.

And Yes - I lost a name in the server xfer. I used the name 'Killashandra' which is a popular name from a book. I've used her on 4 different MMORPGs. She is now 'Killashandria'.

And on a final note - Lets say all your idea about a 'new super-server first come-first serve' do come into play - and you still 'lose' your name - you'd be just as pissed - but BW would have spent hundreds of man-hours coding for changes that could have been invested elsewhere. And how many 'new' super-servers (which would be stagnating with population)

TL;DR Version -
1. Your Server didn't make the 'golden ticket' list for destination. Sorry
2. You can't 'punish' people on the lucky servers for sharing the same tast in names as you
3. To combine First Name/Legacy Name as the 'unique' name combination would be massively unwieldy in terms of invites, whispers, emails, or a host of other things.
4. Server populations are in MUCH better shape since the xfers (economy, groups, pool of resources). And if you couldn't read the writing on the wall about the old servers eventually being shut down - sry again...

I agree with teh comments, making people who started ont eh destination server have to fight with someone to keep their name (as one option you mentioned) is not fair, and making everyone type legacy names as well when chatting with people is a real hastle and may not work as pointed out what if two people have the same name and neither has a legacy name yet.....

However there was one thing brought up by the op which was not addressed, what if you had 8 characters on a server being closed (as I did) and moved 4 of them to the new seerver, then created new characters for the other 4 slots on the new server. Now we are told the old servers are being shut down and our characters will be automatically transferred, well I already have all 8 slots taken on the new server, where are my other 4 characters going to go?

It's not discussed in this thread because it's off-topic for this discussion. It's being discussed elsewhere.

Use an accent on one letter problem solved you keep your name and get to be on a high pop server.

These threads offering solutions to a non problem are getting old. You people need to face reality that you aren't special and won't be getting extra consideration over the vast majority of players that already transferred. You have no more right to keep your names than anyone else that lost names in transfers did. BTW, they aren't "your" names unless they are copyrighted.

They are getting ready to close in the neighborhood of 180 servers...they're not opening new ones for special snowflakes. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can move on...either by quitting or coming up with a somewhat original name. RP that you have a massive price on your head, and that you changed your name to try to keep or low profile or something...

For those of you saying that it would not be fair to force the characters on the destination servers to change their names, what you fail to account for is that those people got to keep their names simply because they got lucky and ended up on a destination server.

What would have been fair would be that there were NO destination servers. Everyone should have been transferred to new clean servers and it would have been first come, first served again.

I got to keep 3 of my 8 names plus legacy. I'm not too bent out of shape about it but it was certainly disappointing to have to change their names. Anyone who is up in arms about the name change has a legitimate beef with Bioware due to the poor implementation of the transfers. Bioware should definitely spend resources to address the problem. It would buy them some much needed goodwill after their launch server fiasco.

No, the vast majority recognize this.

My character's name: Nastasya
After transfer: Nastasyà (ALT+133)

Do this.

EDIT: My main's name is Rogozhin. It was open. Had it not of been I would have either used an alt code or went with Rogozhi, Rogozen, or something similar. My last name, Karamazov, was taken. I went with Karmazov. The reference is still apt to me, so who cares.

Yet I bet if you were in a situation where you return found your names taken you would be posting hell and damnation on these forums anyway.

Bioware can't please everyone, in fact trying to please everyone is how this mess began in the first place. People demanding new servers as there were queues, then bam low pops.
You are suggesting to put over active subs over inactive ones as it's a good result for you and others, however that's not fair however you cut it.

Bioware are making the best of a bad situation I believe and sticking to the naming principles laid out in release.