In my opinion, I think this would be awful. To be honest with you guys, I don't think there' a "solution" necessary. I know that it stinks that some people had to change their names, but as much as it does suck, it was necessary. You had the choice of switching to a new server and changing your name if it was taken already. I know you're thinking, "well I'm not going to stay on a dead server", and again, I feel for you. However, it was still YOUR choice. Would you rather be on a much lower populated server? I wouldn't want to. It's just one of the sacrifices you had to make when you chose the option to move.

I don't see Bioware making any changes to this, and to be honest, I don't blame them. I'm sorry for everyone who had to change their name, but that's just the way it went. Best not to fret over it for too long.

How so? When I played SWG we were all allowed to have the same lastnames just as long as our first names were unique, it only made the roleplay more interesting.

 

Having both username and legacy names as unique ID's is hurting Bioware's credibility

Credibility??? What?!? Thats not true in any way, lol

In my opinion, I think this would be awful. To be honest with you guys, I don't think there' a "solution" necessary. I know that it stinks that some people had to change their names, but as much as it does suck, it was necessary. You had the choice of switching to a new server and changing your name if it was taken already. I know you're thinking, "well I'm not going to stay on a dead server", and again, I feel for you. However, it was still YOUR choice. Would you rather be on a much lower populated server? I wouldn't want to. It's just one of the sacrifices you had to make when you chose the option to move.

 

I don't see Bioware making any changes to this, and to be honest, I don't blame them. I'm sorry for everyone who had to change their name, but that's just the way it went. Best not to fret over it for too long.

The naming process is probably the most important part of the entire game, now that many of us who were robbed of that only to find out our original names are no longer accessable on the new servers that were provided to us, that's just poor marketing right there. Regardless it's only a matter of time before we were forced to move to a new server anyways so it makes no difference if we stay or not, I was already happy with the name I had prior to being transferred to my destinated server and like I said I tried varies names already only to be rejected of them.

Maybe it's time bioware introduced either a name generator, or fix the name policy altogether and make it better, because there is many players out there that aren't happy with it at all with it's design and mechanics, it's just too frustrating especially if you take naming your character seriously.

Nobody likes having to think up new names, but that does not mean the situation is unjust. Things are fine as they are, there is no need for the naming system to change. It's like that, and that's the way it is. It is a fundamental system of the game and will not change. You must learn to accept this unchangeable fact, else you will waste your time and energy in acts of futility. Focus your efforts on thinking of new names instead, for this is the only path which is open to you. No other solution will ever exist for you. Move on, rename, carry on living.

Why should we have to pay the price though? I'm all burned out for trying to figure out what names to use, I can't just pick any name, it's never easy coming up with the perfect name. When I do decide on a name it's already in-use, so why even bother? that's frustrating enough! We need a solution and obviously the naming policy needs some kind of upgrade that benefits all players, not just the one's that go around and say "no solution will ever exist for you" really? That's all you can come up with?

Yes alignment, faction and class are also apart of that embodiment also, but you can't deny that a player's name is not, it's also apart of that embodiment. I tried renaming my character countless of times, but still the name has been picked over each time, I'm not just going to type in any name that's laid out in front of me, I need to be satisfied with a name if it's picked over it's going to take even longer for me to come up with a name that will pose my interest to my character.

 

Good names are hard to come by these days, I don't have the time of day to come up with a proper unique name, it's frustrating to the core that I am unable to play because I have to be forced to rename my character when I was already happy with the one I had prior to transfers.

 

Change is needed! The naming process is probably the most important part of the entire game, now that many of us who were robbed of that only to find out our original names are no longer accessable on the new servers that were provided to us, that's just poor marketing right there. Regardless it's only a matter of time before we were forced to move to a new server anyways so it makes no difference if we stay or not, I was already happy with the name I had prior to being transferred to my destinated server and like I said I tried varies names already only to be rejected of them.

 

Maybe it's time bioware introduced either a name generator, or fix the name policy altogether and make it better, because there is many players out there that aren't happy with it at all with it's design and mechanics, it's just too frustrating especially if you take naming your character seriously.

Yes I can. Names are not indicidative at all of who the person is.

Names are also easy. You've had a month to come up with one name. I come up with ten in a week.

Names are the most important thing? that's crazy. Between the story, the flashpoints, the operations, crafting, and everything that is actually part of the game, you want me to think that the NAME is the most important? Please.

If you haven't noticed, you're the only person still making an issue out of this. the rest of the world has moved on.

They need to implement spaces and extra capital letters in the 1st name.

What they need to do is make names unique per account not by server

these ideas would never work. they (Devs) would have to rewrite the entire game to allow what you want.

If they can fix the legacy system, they can do something similar to usernames.

If they can fix the legacy system, they can do something similar to usernames.

no they cannot without rewriting the base code as first names are what gives us a way of communicating to each other. They are the only defining factor.

From my Definitive Issues thread, on naming issues (repeated below), don't get all high and mighty on what YOU think should be the constraints placed on players. As someone else said here, MMO's are about choice in a social game. Someone having and trying to Force their sacred cows on others is pure B S. The devs do this in spades around here. And all too often, they end up backtracking on their sacred cows, and players get jerked around and left with the consequences (for example, the easing of factional bifurcation and introduction of Legacy that now promotes having all avatars on the same server, but at the same time, they don't provide a means for transfering avatars to the same server to take advantage of game changes since launch, or forthcoming HK storylines requiring use of avatars of both factions). **ss poor leadership mired in sacred cows. And alot of comments in this thread are based on individuals' sacred cows.

Thanks, but I'll pass on your idea of how you think it should be applied to me. I prefer options. Options that are part and parcel to successful MMO's.

Definitive Issues Thread: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=398179 see Section II: SURNAMES - BROKEN MMO EXPERIENCE

II - SURNAMES - BROKEN MMO EXPERIENCE

 

The existing surname/Legacy system is broken on so many levels as an MMO experience, it's a failure. It’s so restricted by someone's sacred cows, it’s a constant thorn to players for fundamentals they expect and enjoy in an MMO; rooted in flexibility suitable to a broad player base.

 

Family Names

I play with family, we have (update: "had") 4 accounts in our household. We discovered we can't take the same surname as a family unit. Call it RP if you like, but its just family. How many surnames are unique in RL? Not many. Open a directory, you'd be hard pressed to find a unique surname in any city of the world, and in every family, you find the same last name. In TOR, we can't have the same last name. Why not?

 

Names Across Accounts

I have two accounts myself, but for those I have a RP theme (brothers) across accounts, I can't have the same last name. Refer to above rationale. Why not?

 

Unrelated Avatars

I have two avatars within the same faction, a Sith and a Bounty Hunter. They are not related, they have no relation to each other, and conduct themselves very differently. They do not come from the same worlds. Why are they required to have the same last name? I don't want them to have a relation in the game. They are NOT related to each other. Unrelated avatars are forced to share a name. Why?

 

Names Across Races

I have two avatars. One is a Human, the other is a Twi’lek. Clearly they were born of different families, but under the existing system they have the same surname. Why?

 

Names Across Factions

I have two avatars who went different directions. One is a Bounty Hunter, one is a Smuggler. They should be able to have the same last name, as they're brothers. (Another example of expected MMO flexibiltiy.)

 

Surnames to Start

My name was given at birth. Yet I have to wait until level 32 to have my last name appear? Why?

 

Canon Naming of Sith

Anakin Skywalker is neither Anakin Vader, Darth Skywalker, or the Skywalker Legacy. He was born Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. Jacen Solo is neither Jacen Caedus, Darth Solo, or The Solo Legacy. The canon for sith naming is established. It's not hard at all to figure out; a birth name and surname, and a Sith name, for both my Sith avatars, yet the game doesn't function to canon. Why not?

 

Legacy Capital Letter Restrictions

There's a restriction and data entry inconsistency, such that when you enter "McCloud" it appears as "McCloud" in the data entry box, but when it applies the name to appear over your avatar's head, it appears as "Mccloud". The data entry box behavior is inconsistent, and there's a restriction limiting caps to only the first letter. Why?

 

SURNAME SUGGESTIONS --------------------------------------

 

• 1. Remove all the Surname restrictions and let us name our character’s surnames the way players EACH WANT to name our own avatars, including same surnames across accounts and across family member’s accounts. Smith is not a unique name in our world, nor should Ok’lax be in SWTOR.

 

 

• 2. Provide some Sith canon naming OPTIONS that suit player’s desires. i.e. if they want to take a Sith Name to accompany the accomplishment of Darth title, LET THEM have that option. If they choose to keep their name/surname the way it was before acquiring the Darth Title, LET THEM have that option. Key word for MMO = Flexibility, to suit broad preferences and styles.

 

 

• 3. Grant surnames from the start, as an MMO fundamental. As adult avatars, we have names we obtained from birth, so give us our surnames from very early on, if not at start.

 

 

• 4. Give us the ability to change our Surnames in-game, such as the vendors that reset AC points. This is terribly needed, especially when the system helps players make mistakes in their names, such as with the Capital Letter problem in the above, or frankly, just simply want to change up their approach and enjoyment.

 

 

• 5. Do some basic analysis on why so many people lost their MMO identity / player names in transfers from light servers to light servers; be it incidents of griefing, or lack of policy that allows massive amounts of players to set up level 1 avatars on servers they're not playing on, to hold names on EVERY server. We lost our MMO identities needlessly due to lack of Bioware prework diligence or policy. The Level 1's should be purged if a player isn't really playing on that server, or limit an account to x# of servers. Find out, and remedy. Give us a free \changename and \changelegacy function after you've cleaned up your fumbled mess having hard impacts to players who carefully selected their names going back long before Testing phase.

With all due respect, but wouldn't names like 'Roger, Geo'gina, and Sil'vana feel like a cheat? They are no better than the 'alt codes' that I listed above, they should all be removed from the system entirely.

 

It should be 'Letters' only in any name no exceptions!

No, that's like saying to someone in real life "Your child's name should only have letters!" I should be allowed to put ' or - in my name if I want to. And your idea could only work if legacy was at Lvl 1, but since it's at Lvl 10, a player would have the same name as another player until they got legacy.

With all due respect, but wouldn't names like 'Roger, Geo'gina, and Sil'vana feel like a cheat? They are no better than the 'alt codes' that I listed above, they should all be removed from the system entirely.

 

It should be 'Letters' only in any name no exceptions!

First let me say, any character name with a ' is not wrong or a cheat.. Seen a Twi'lek lately??? How about O'neil?? This game does not have to conform to your naming issues.. Nor does it have to make allowances for you to apply your own little rules and nor do we as fellow players need to suffer becasue of it..

I actually did use the ' in my character names and probably a good reason I didn't lose any on transfer, of course we are now on our final server, and still I have not lost a single name for a character..

If you want to limit yourself to just letters, fine.. Any difficulty you have is your own fault..

Obi-Wan uses a dash.. Not that you can use that name anyways.. But the format is valid and cannon.. So this restriction you have is self inflicted.. Nothing needs to be done to fix it..

There are billions of names out there and tons of sites to help you find one.. You can use history as a means of inspiration or the fictional.. It is all up to you.. There is no solution here.. Because there is no problem here.. Which is what I said on page 1 of this thread.. I am sorry you feel there is an issue.. I am content to use a ' in my character names.. Doing so maybe why I have not had to rename any of my characters.. I don't see how you have the right to tall someone else what they can or can't use to name their characters??

If they can fix the legacy system, they can do something similar to usernames.

Wrong..

The reason that your legacy can be used more than once, is that it isn't used for anything to identify the player.. To the game it is a meaningless name that has no use other than being a name.. My wife and I currently have the same legacy name.. Our way of being married in game.. Our character name on the other hand is different.. It identifies our character in the game.. To the mail system, the GTN, friends list, ignore list, and so on.. All of this stuff is tagged to the character name.. Which is why they all must be different.. So.. Changing this isn't easy and isn't going to happen..

I endorse this thread. I'm having a very frustrating situation with my character names.

I am a Founder. I played the game from roll-out and named my main character, a Jedi, after a favorite PNP RP character. I played him to 50. Before I settled into my server, I tried out a few others, creating the same name on other servers. I then hit 50, played for a few months afterwards, and got frustrated by the lack of non-PVP end game content; so I took a break for a while.

Then the server transfer happened. I was transferred. I came back to the game a few months ago to find that I was transferred to a server with a character of the same name. Now, I'd chalk it to up to unfortunate circumstance, except that I'm all but positive the character is also me as I had tried out the server in question. I started the game pre-Origins and so used a few different emails to make accounts (hoping that my partner might play). I've created my name on a bunch of other servers and the name's not taken, so I'm pretty sure it's not another player (plus I've added the other name as a 'friend' and he's not online ever).

But 'cause I can't prove the other one is me, i'm stuck with a name I LOATHE on my main character. I've resubbed, but it's becoming harder and harder to keep paying the money every month when I'm so displeased with my outcome. I've submitted requests to CSR to try and fix this, but I get the same response ("nothing we can do") ... Please, Bioware, if you want to keep us, fix this naming nonsense.

If the player's photo shows up in the mail tool when doing name searches, we wouldn't even have to worry about name collisions.

You know, like Facebook.