I for one, am a person who cares a great deal about my character's name and appearance. I will not make characters with accented letters here, apostrophes there, dashes, and goodness knows what other nonsense.

 

I have recently discovered that, partially by seeing some of the truly atrocious names people seem to come up with these days, and partly through trying to create alts, names are reserved by characters that are either level 1-20's that most likely have not played since the first month, and partly by level 50's who have moved on to other games, or at least not played for a similar length of time.

 

-I propose that you issue a mass character renaming for characters on all accounts that have not logged in in the last, say, 3 months. (I don't mean that the character hasn't logged in, I mean that the account hasn't logged in during that period). Ultimately, it's free-to-play - if people want to keep their names, all they need do is log in every 3 months, just to the account, not even the individual characters.

 

This would allow names that are no longer in use to be recycled, and put back into circulation for the community that pay for the upkeep of the game, and make absolutely no difference to the people who have left the game.

 

/petition.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Ewok-Scout

I for one, am a person who cares a great deal about my character's name and appearance. I will not make characters with accented letters here, apostrophes there, dashes, and goodness knows what other nonsense.

 

I have recently discovered that, partially by seeing some of the truly atrocious names people seem to come up with these days, and partly through trying to create alts, names are reserved by characters that are either level 1-20's that most likely have not played since the first month, and partly by level 50's who have moved on to other games, or at least not played for a similar length of time.

 

-I propose that you issue a mass character renaming for characters on all accounts that have not logged in in the last, say, 3 months. (I don't mean that the character hasn't logged in, I mean that the account hasn't logged in during that period). Ultimately, it's free-to-play - if people want to keep their names, all they need do is log in every 3 months, just to the account, not even the individual characters.

 

This would allow names that are no longer in use to be recycled, and put back into circulation for the community that pay for the upkeep of the game, and make absolutely no difference to the people who have left the game.

 

/petition.

 

They won't do that and I'll give you the reason why. Because then when people DO want to come back say..... after they took a break or played a different game they'll be PO'd about this. Sorry dude but you'll just have to come up with creative names. None of my characters have accented letters or marks and I've kept all but two since the first server transfers.

They won't do that and I'll give you the reason why. Because then when people DO want to come back say..... after they took a break or played a different game they'll be PO'd about this. Sorry dude but you'll just have to come up with creative names. None of my characters have accented letters or marks and I've kept all but two since the first server transfers.

 

I downgraded to creative names a long time ago, running out of those now. Also, if they are informed by email of this new scheme (which they would be) they have the opportunity to log in at any time to prevent their name being taken. They cannot be pissed off at their own neglect.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Ewok-Scout

with just the alphabetic characters, there are nearly 12 Million combinations for a five-letter name. You cannot tell me that there aren't any good names left.

A far better thing to do would be to just remove the same-name restriction. Have unique ID's tied to our account names. So I could be Insertname@Doctoglethorpe and somebody else could have the same name if they want it.

 

Of course make the account name invisible in-game, but viewable in a simple menu for doing invites, whispers and whatever.

 

Literally everyone wins in that situation.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Doctoglethorpe

with just the alphabetic characters, there are nearly 12 Million combinations for a five-letter name. You cannot tell me that there aren't any good names left.

 

I really don't fancy "xzzxw" and similar. There are not so many words, and there are fewer still "good" words to choose from.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Ewok-Scout

Still, there are enough possibilities that you can find a good one without having to take from another player.

 

If your characters name is taken from or derived from a dictionary, you've done it wrong (in my opinion)

They won't do that and I'll give you the reason why. Because then when people DO want to come back say..... after they took a break or played a different game they'll be PO'd about this. Sorry dude but you'll just have to come up with creative names. None of my characters have accented letters or marks and I've kept all but two since the first server transfers.

 

Uh, they've done it before. When I came back to TOR after a long absence (I got the game at release, played for a couple of months, then left it until a couple of months ago) I had to rename several of my chars.From Bioware's point of view, if an account has been inactive for months, nothing particularly changes if a player is PO'd about having to change their names, and people who actually want to come back to the game are probbably not thinking, "Well, there's no point in playing again if I can't use the same name I had when I last logged in 8 months ago!"

Edited March 19, 2013 by jovianus

A far better thing to do would be to just remove the same-name restriction. Have unique ID's tied to our account names. So I could be Insertname@Doctoglethorpe and somebody else could have the same name if they want it.

 

Of course make the account name invisible in-game, but viewable in a simple menu for doing invites, whispers and whatever.

 

Literally everyone wins in that situation.

 

This guy's idea is awsome, having an unique ID number that lets you add people as friends, whisper them etc. so that each character stays being unique and eliminating the same-name restriction so everyone can pick any name they want.

This guy's idea is awsome, having an unique ID number that lets you add people as friends, whisper them etc. so that each character stays being unique and eliminating the same-name restriction so everyone can pick any name they want.

 

Then names would lose their value.

Taking away someone's character name because they haven't logged in for a few months is a terrible idea. If someone picked a name before you did then just deal with it. If the name you want is already taken then you probably aren't being creative enough to think of something original or maybe you're just being too stubborn to try spelling the name a little differently.

I came back to the game after several months off to find server merges and the loss of all but two of my character names, and this included 2 losses of level 50 names. So there has already been some of what you're talking about through merges, it has unfortunately gone the wrong way in giving people flexibility. With fewer servers, names that tend to be popular (or pronouncable) become more scarce. It probably took me around 20 attempts to find a name the system would accept when I renamed my old characters, and I thought I was really reaching out there into obscurity on several of those attempts. Not much to be done about it, really.

Bump for support

I can see this working actually...

 

since it's F2P it won't require a sub to keep your name and therefore logging in at least once (just to the char sheet page) isn't much effort and if i wasn't playing but did intend to return to the game i'd be perfectly happy to do this in order to keep my names. If it required a subscription then I wouldn't.

 

It's fairly evident that population has declined and the majority of these are not on a break from the game but tried it and left, it does seem unfair that they get to tag names and keep them despite the account never being used again while active players (especially those subbed who support the game) have to manipulate names with accents or spelling to get what they want (which means they don't actually get what they wanted).

 

I really liked it when, with the second server merge, they gave character names to the character with the most /played etc because it felt fair, i didn't keep all my names in that move but i felt this was justified, why should my level 45 alt keep a name that a level 50 main doesn't get just because they moved to my server instead of me moving to theirs? I feel this is the same issue, even if i had been inactive for 3 months and didn't intend to play again well...it's completely fair that somebody should be able to use my names, if i cared enough or intended to return, i'd simply login taking 60 seconds of my time.

 

Of course this goes under the assumption that an email update would go out to all accounts letting people know of the change and give people who do intend to return a chance to keep theirs by logging in to character sheet on F2P.

 

Also...it might help population because any service that asks you to log in once in 3 months or so might make people either a) realise they care about their names or b) remember the game itself and they might encourage people to come back, I know i've started playing games again after logging in just to speak to somebody or some such and getting back into it.

 

TLDR: I think the OP had a good idea, i think it's fair (even if i was on an inactive account) snice it's F2P and might possibly help support population growth

I can see this working actually...

 

since it's F2P it won't require a sub to keep your name and therefore logging in at least once (just to the char sheet page) isn't much effort and if i wasn't playing but did intend to return to the game i'd be perfectly happy to do this in order to keep my names. If it required a subscription then I wouldn't.

 

It's fairly evident that population has declined and the majority of these are not on a break from the game but tried it and left, it does seem unfair that they get to tag names and keep them despite the account never being used again while active players (especially those subbed who support the game) have to manipulate names with accents or spelling to get what they want (which means they don't actually get what they wanted).

 

I really liked it when, with the second server merge, they gave character names to the character with the most /played etc because it felt fair, i didn't keep all my names in that move but i felt this was justified, why should my level 45 alt keep a name that a level 50 main doesn't get just because they moved to my server instead of me moving to theirs? I feel this is the same issue, even if i had been inactive for 3 months and didn't intend to play again well...it's completely fair that somebody should be able to use my names, if i cared enough or intended to return, i'd simply login taking 60 seconds of my time.

 

Of course this goes under the assumption that an email update would go out to all accounts letting people know of the change and give people who do intend to return a chance to keep theirs by logging in to character sheet on F2P.

 

Also...it might help population because any service that asks you to log in once in 3 months or so might make people either a) realise they care about their names or b) remember the game itself and they might encourage people to come back, I know i've started playing games again after logging in just to speak to somebody or some such and getting back into it.

 

TLDR: I think the OP had a good idea, i think it's fair (even if i was on an inactive account) snice it's F2P and might possibly help support population growth

 

I personally like the idea. This was the topic I was searching for and I was going to suggest 2 months of inactivity but I can stretch that to 3 and I will add one more idea to the pot, only free up free to play account names after 3 months of inactivity. I was paying and playing in the first wave of server mergers, and lost all but two of my names and those were names that were on low level toons that I was siting on. I been trying for a month now to come up with a new decent smuggler name, had the best one ever in my book before the server merge "Hondo Lane". I completely lost interest when I lost my mane names and there were only a few. So I am not against the freeing up of names after 3 months of inactivity on free accounts only, If you Pay you get to keep them as long as you pay.

A friend of mine preordered the game and has legacy level 40+. However, she haven't logged into the game for several months. Why? Because she just finished her high school and she's trying to get in to some pretty fancy law school that doesn't take just anyone. She pretty much haven't used computer or cell phone for those months at all so they wouldn't distract her readong. I actually heard that this action was recommended in some preparation course she took. Now, should my friend lose her character names because of she's got an actual, big event on her life?

 

I'm from Red Eclipse, and I've never had much difficulties when naming my characters. There are a lot of actual good names free. This is how I name my characters that are not based on some OC of mine:

1. I come up with a name that would be nice to my character. I.e. when I created my vanguard, I started with Ranja. That was taken.

2. I start making small changes into the name. Okay, Ranja is taken. How about Renja? Ranya? Ranaja? Ranjata?

3. I keep on doing phase 2 until free name is found. In this case, it was Ranjana. A little longer than Ranja, but a good name still I think.

 

With my OCs the situation is little tougher, since I want to feel like my TOR character is similiar to my OC (btw OC = original character, often character in fan fiction that has been made by the fan fiction author and doesn't appear in the actual series. At least in this post I'm using the term OC also for characters that appear in my original fiction). This puts limitations to how much I can change the name. I have been pretty fortunate with my OCs names, I have 9 characters based on my OCs and only 2 of the names of the original OCs were taken. Then, I can use my trick number two: different spelling, same pronunciation. I.e. I have an OC named Yelenna, but the name Yelenna was taken, so I made a character named Jelenna.

 

So, there still are good names, you just have to be creative enough.

While I agree with the concept I can't agree with the means of implementation.

 

I for example am leaving next Sunday for an advanced school with the Marines from may 5 - july 26. Should I lose my character's names for this?

 

I'm sorry but I doubt bw will take away player names.

I downgraded to creative names a long time ago, running out of those now. Also, if they are informed by email of this new scheme (which they would be) they have the opportunity to log in at any time to prevent their name being taken. They cannot be pissed off at their own neglect.

 

Listen to you?? You want Bioware to send an email to people that they are going to take people's names unless they log in, and then call the people neglectful if they don't do it in time?? Are you serious?? I have heard of elitism, but dude.. You get the award for today..

 

Seriously??

 

Now please understand this, as it has been said in every thread about this topic..

 

Nobody has the right to take a name from someone else for any reason..

 

Inactivity and character level are all irrelevant.. It doesn't matter.. What if someone is over seas in Iraq or something?? There is never a reason take a name from someone else.. Period.. There is no arguing this issue.. It is as obvious as gravity.. There is just no disputing it or disagreeing with it.. Only someone with some serious issues of elitism would see this issue another way..

 

Nobody in this game is so good or worthy that a name should be taken from someone and given to them.. It just seems to me that you have some entitlement issues.. Seriously.. You do not deserve any name that you did not make up and acquire using the same methods as everyone else.. First come first serve..

 

You can cry me a river about how a lvl 1 that hasn't played for a decade has your name.. Seriously?? Can't you people come up with something more original?? Oh they are name holders.. So?? They appear to be working.. They are holding the name aren't they.. That is what they are supposed to do.. Hold the name until they are ready to be used by the person that created the hold character.. That is their right.. They got the name on the character.. You have no right to that name..

 

What I want to know, is why do you feel you are so entitled that a name should be taken from someone else for any reason and given to you?? Why do your needs take priority over someone else?? Why?? What makes you so special?? How is it fair to the person the name is being taken from?? Did you even consider the person that the name was being taken from??

Edited April 27, 2013 by MajikMyst

Then names would lose their value.

 

Can't have it both ways..

 

You are not going to take them from someone else.. So you should embrace the idea that allows duplicates.. Otherwise you are right back where you started..

 

Just make up a new name and be done with it.. You do not own or have any special right to any names..

Nobody has the right to take a name from someone else for any reason..

 

Maybe you should re-read the T&C.

Sorry but no. Stupid idea that would generate a lot of push back for the company.

 

Some of us have real-lives and careers that can see us leave the game for a couple of months at a time - should we lose out on our character names to satisfy you and your lack of creativity? I can only tell you I'd be pissed coming back from my station only to find out my name was taken away because I could devote every day to the game.

I think a 3 month window is sufficient for just F2P. Subs keep their name regardless.

This is an awful suggestion. It reeks of arrogance.

Sorry but no. Stupid idea that would generate a lot of push back for the company.

 

Some of us have real-lives and careers that can see us leave the game for a couple of months at a time - should we lose out on our character names to satisfy you and your lack of creativity? I can only tell you I'd be pissed coming back from my station only to find out my name was taken away because I could devote every day to the game.

 

Hmmm... Not saying I side one way or another, but...

 

"Some of us have real-lives and careers that can see us leave the game for a couple of months at a time..."

 

Then your dedication and profitability to the game is not as high as subscribers who play every day... so why shouldn't people who play and pay every day be treated with higher preference? Wouldn't a person who eats at a restaurant at the same time every day be given "their table" because they're guaranteed income for the restaurant? If you sell cars, and you have a guy who buys a new car for you every few years, and he calls and asks you to put a hold on a specific car for a couple weeks until he gets back in town, is it better business to then sell that car to the next person who might then return it a week later?

 

Methinks people who come down on subscriber-preferred ideas with words like "Arrogance" and "real lives" do not understand how business works.