Forgive me if this was already discussed in another thread, but how does the game determine if something is an invalid name?

I'm trying to make an agent and was going for a code name vs. a real name like Bob. I tried the following and it keeps giving me 'Invalid Name' (not 'Unavailable Name'):

Jester

Lictor

Denton

What exactly about the above names makes them 'Invalid'? Google and torhead searches don't show me any mobs/characters with those names. To my knowledge, none of the above are inappropriate.

Considering the game sometimes gives the "no character exists" error when adding people to friends list, it's not much of a stretch to think their naming screen errors are bugged too.

They are probably in use.

Forgive me if this was already discussed in another thread, but how does the game determine if something is an invalid name?

 

I'm trying to make an agent and was going for a code name vs. a real name like Bob. I tried the following and it keeps giving me 'Invalid Name' (not 'Unavailable Name'):

 

Jester

Lictor

Denton

 

What exactly about the above names makes them 'Invalid'? Google and torhead searches don't show me any mobs/characters with those names. To my knowledge, none of the above are inappropriate.

via word lists of names

ie jesus

david lister

alllaahhh

rimmer

hitler

teletubbie

etc

usually religious or copy write materials but not limited to anything they dont want you to use

It's possible that it's just an odd bug like when adding friends. I was into the game during second day of early access and tried to grab a name for a friend that wasn't even a real word or reference and is too contrived to have been taken already and I got the 'Invalid Name' error.

I don't see why Jester (an entertainer), Lictor (roman bodyguard), or Denton (JC Denton from Deus Ex) would be on any word lists. They have little to no religious context and are not offensive in the least.

*shrug*

I remember a smuggler called 'Jedi' during the weekend beta testing = ).

Edit: Whoops - scanned the posts a bit too fast. I guess they could be playing it safe with copyright material.

I'm trying to make an agent and was going for a code name vs. a real name like Bob. I tried the following and it keeps giving me 'Invalid Name' (not 'Unavailable Name')

Just had this error too, and I don't think it's because they're already in use or being used by an NPC (if they are, screenshot now):

Meaty'licks

Meaty'yum'yums

Both invalid. However a friend has a character called Meaty'goodness.

First name I tried for my first character was Lenin.

Invalid

Not quite sure why, he was no Stalin/Pol Pot and I'd bet the whole Hutta that 'Lenin' is not copyright'd.

My normal name "Thor" is also on the list of banned names...which I find annoying that they rule out norse mythology (uh hello...Marvel wasn't exaclty original in their comic book....)...not the first time I've run into it in an MMO though.

Well, in the Star Wars universe, they wouldn't have Norse mythology to begin with

Not Allowed names generally come from a list that is shared amongst pretty much all MMO developers. It includes names that are protected for Trademark and Copyright reasons and/or are offensive or can be considered offensive in one of the game's user languages. This makes for a long list of names that are simply Not Allowed.

Also, most NPC names are added to this list for each particular game.

Not Allowed names generally come from a list that is shared amongst pretty much all MMO developers. It includes names that are protected for Trademark and Copyright reasons and/or are offensive or can be considered offensive in one of the game's user languages. This makes for a long list of names that are simply Not Allowed.

 

Also, most NPC names are added to this list for each particular game.

 

as well as real world names. such as "goerge bush" etc

Why the hell is "thumbs"invalid?

via word lists of names

 

ie jesus

david lister

alllaahhh

rimmer

hitler

teletubbie

etc

 

 

usually religious or copy write materials but not limited to anything they dont want you to use

i wish they'd impliment something like what PSO had where each character got an ID Number so that the same name could be used by multiple people, it annoys me to no end that i cant use my name ingame cause someone got it on the new server before the merger forcing me to change my characters name...

I know what you mean, but PSO ID system was determined for the Drops/rare's and frequency, which isnt the case here in TOR. I too would like to be able to use any name i wish, just like outside the game where many ppl have the same first and last name's, without being related.

This is definitely a bug. I'm trying to remove the hyphen to rename my characters thus:

Timon-Andrade-->Timon Andrade

Merrin-Nov'a-->Merrin Nova

But I keep getting "invalid name". I wish they'd damn well fix it because BW have done nothing despite my in-game bug reports.

This is definitely a bug. I'm trying to remove the hyphen to rename my characters thus:

Timon-Andrade-->Timon Andrade

Merrin-Nov'a-->Merrin Nova

But I keep getting "invalid name". I wish they'd damn well fix it because BW have done nothing despite my in-game bug reports.

Holy necro aside....

An old established name in use, may upon attempt to reuse... be found to be invalid. Why? Because it was added after you used the name, and you were never reported and therefore reviewed for valid name use. I've seen numerous threads about this over the years.. so I know it happens.

People need to keep in mind that the banned name list is continually evolving, and the search filter may very well be parsing those names as well looking for partial matches from names previously misused and added to the ban list. For example: someone above was complaining about "thumbs" being invalid. Well.. maybe some derp somewhere along the line made a name that contained "thumbs" in it and it was actually the full name (let's say Thumbs-upyourbum or some other silly nonsense).

My point is not to rationalize why some name is banned.. only to point out that between their lists of banned names + their filter lookups... you could get some false positives on the ban list.

Another problem is that I'd like to e-mail about this problem but there is no function for doing that. ATM BW has plausible deniability; if I all interactions using e-mail they couldn't deny what had been said or promised in the past.

did you seriously just use "plausible deniability" to refer to an issue you are having with invalid character names?

This isn't a court case, nor are they even doing anything wrong necessarily, those ban lists are there for a very good reason.

Also pretty sure they never promised your pet character name would be available for you at all times.

did you seriously just use "plausible deniability" to refer to an issue you are having with invalid character names?

 

This isn't a court case, nor are they even doing anything wrong necessarily, those ban lists are there for a very good reason.

 

 

Also pretty sure they never promised your pet character name would be available for you at all times.

Way to prove that you have COMPLETELY missed the point.

Rather than repeat the same explanation time and time again, and have them say this is the first time they've heard the problem, I want a paper trail to show otherwise.

Another problem is that I'd like to e-mail about this problem but there is no function for doing that. ATM BW has plausible deniability; if I all interactions using e-mail they couldn't deny what had been said or promised in the past.

I emailed them about this back in 2011 and it's a bug. They could find nothing wrong with the name I wanted to use (my forum handle) and told me to simply use another spelling. However sometimes invalid names become usable in a weird way.

For example my forum handle could not be used ingame. Also gave an invalid option since BETA. However after a patch back in 2013 I was able to take the name on one server but it still was invalid on all other ones.

So it's just one of those bugs in the game they will do nothing about, just like the several others we're having with this game.

So from "plausible deniability" we've gone to paper trail proof.... you're a middle manager aren't you.

Good thing you're not a professional prognosticator; you'd starve.

Are you seriously telling me that when you contact other helpdesks you don't want a paper trail?