Naming issue unresolved by in-game support

[KKDragonLord]

Like many of you, i had a list of names on my hand waiting for the server to open to get them for myself.
i snagged 9 out of 10 i had in my priorities list and assumed the tenth was taken already and cursed that i didn't try getting it on my first try.

Today the myDDO service beta has launched and i tried finding that name on the character search function.
I found it on every server, except for Cannith.

Puzzled i went in game to try getting it, but i couldn't once more. I tried adding it to my friend list (which worked on khyber) and the response i got was: "(Error): Error: *name* does not exist."

After that i decided to open a ticket, assuming it was a bug of some sort, to try getting the name for myself, after all, i followed all the lawful steps and did everything i could to rightfully get it (skipped an hour of work just for that).

well... this is my story:
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4898/namingissue.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/)

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9175/namingissue2.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/)

Well, i was under the impression that Cannith wouldn't have any transfers, what does a "Legacy character" mean anyway?

All i want is an official response by someone whos is more than just a fast typing stealth mode GM who can actually tell me if an admin reserved this name or not.
Right now, i just feel let down being ninjaed by an admin before i ever had a real chance.

[Impaqt]

So an admin grabbed it..and?

[KKDragonLord]

You assume an admin grabbed it.

All i want is to know the truth.

[Mockduck]

Interesting. Sounds like the GMs tried to crack down early on on registered trademark names. If you feel comfortable saying it, what name are you trying to get?

I've heard of others using the new my.ddo.com to track down who has their desired names as well, it's an interesting debate.

[Impaqt]

You assume an admin grabbed it.

All i want is to know the truth.



Yeah, I wantmy guild name back too.....



If no one actually has the name, why did you need to block it out? What is the name?

[KKDragonLord]

Well, considering that trademarked names are pretty much scaled in the thousands, and all MMOs have players with characters with "trademarked" names, (and the one i wanted exists on all servers except for cannith) this whole crackdown theory just sounds plain silly.

I still have hope that my efforts to score the name weren't in vain and i can get a higher up, official support to solve my concerns in this matter, so i won't reveal it just yet.

Also... the mystery and suspense might get this thread some views that may bring this to the attention of the "supreme court of DDO support" so i'll just keep you guys guessing it =p

[xanvar]

Well, considering that trademarked names are pretty much scaled in the thousands, and all MMOs have players with characters with "trademarked" names, (and the one i wanted exists on all servers except for cannith) this whole crackdown theory just sounds plain silly.

I still have hope that my efforts to score the name weren't in vain and i can get a higher up, official support to solve my concerns in this matter, so i won't reveal it just yet.

Also... the mystery and suspense might get this thread some views that may bring this to the attention of the "supreme court of DDO support" so i'll just keep you guys guessing it =p

I just hope you don't cause the other server names that might be registered trademarks to get renamed by pushing the issue :)

[KKDragonLord]

Heh, if they did that there would be a lot more than just rioting on the forum streets =p

[Mockduck]

Jeez, KK, even your sig now just says "Visit DDO.com". If you disappear in the middle of the night, we'll know that Turbine really does control the world.

[KKDragonLord]

Thanks Mock, i can finally see my character in my sig for the first time.

[Mockduck]

Just to prove a point on behalf of KK as well:


http://my.ddo.com/characters/?sname=drizzt

http://my.ddo.com/characters/?sname=drizzit

http://my.ddo.com/characters/?sname=raistlin

[Kistilan]

That's what I was going to say.

The Character names Optimus Prime & Bumblebee were allowed to be made on Cannith. Hmm, no those are completely made-up names -- no reference whatsoever!

I'm 99% certain Fistandantilus, Tasslehoff, Tanis, Flint, Gilthanis, Silvara/Silvart, Sturm, Steel, Laurana, Kitiara, Tika & Caramon have all been created on Cannith as well.

I'm not sure if they managed to block Elminister (it doesn't make any sense that they'd remember the wizard but forgot to block Dirzzt).

I'm sure you could make Conan the Barbarian/the Destroyer, etc too.

The blanket statement used in KK's response is weak. If a developer owns the name, flat out tell him that. At least he'd know a dev beat him to the name.

EDIT: I'm guessing Legacy Character is someone like the name Mockduck (and they did this after they realized the issues) or say The Bones Combat Brigade, Riot, etc. Those names associated with accomplishments. I kind of was suprised the name Kistilan was available 4 days after the head start.

[KKDragonLord]

After both responses it just seemed like the GM was just trying to close my ticket asap by saying whatever he could come up with to make me shut up. I decided it would be counter-productive to keep pointing out the weakness of his reasoning since that probably would not make him any more willing to actually find out why and give me a real answer.

[Bunker]

After both responses it just seemed like the GM was just trying to close my ticket asap by saying whatever he could come up with to make me shut up. I decided it would be counter-productive to keep pointing out the weakness of his reasoning since that probably would not make him any more willing to actually find out why and give me a real answer.

Or.....He might not have been able to give you a 100% accurate answer. Something that you were obviously after and would continue to ask until answered. If someone comes to handle a ticket, and only has so many responses that he/she is authorized to give, the it might not be weakness in his reasoning. It may just be that is as far as he can go with the answer.

If he/she doesn't know the real answer, is it better to make something up or tell you that he/she cannot answer you 100% accuratly?

[KKDragonLord]

If he/she doesn't know the real answer, is it better to make something up or tell you that he/she cannot answer you 100% accuratly?

how about, forwarding me to a person who can?

instead of leaving me with a closed ticket without any contact whatsoever and a bunch of possible and questionable "answers"...

(btw, it seems my sig is broken once more)

[Bunker]

how about, forwarding me to a person who can?

instead of leaving me with a closed ticket without any contact whatsoever and a bunch of possible and questionable "answers"...

(btw, it seems my sig is broken once more)

There is always a better solution. That much is certain. However, if this is the first time you are shocked that putting in a ticket did not resolve your issue, then you have not been paying attention for the last 3+ years. They don't always have a solution, can't always tell the player the solution, and sometimes don't know the solution.

Aside from submitting a ticket, we are talking about whether or not you were first to pick a name on the new server, aren't we? There are only 10^25 more names out there plus a few I forgot to add in to the equation. Pick another, get out there and Kill Stuff.

[KKDragonLord]

Thanks for your opinion, it was really helpful.

/sarcasm off

we are not talking about whether i was the first to pick the name, no character exists with the name on cannith.

you may think the issue is silly, in this case please feel free to stay away and let Turbine speak on its own.

(sig fixed again)

[Uska]

I tried an experiment had a character with a certain name created but didnt log him in and then on another account tried to add that character as a friend and was told he didnt exist maybe thats whats going on here.

[KKDragonLord]

Interesting, that would make sense at last.
Can you find him through myDDO?

because i can find all the names i reserved through there (and they show up on all other servers as well), and i didnt log into most of them.

I just tried deleting one and remaking it to see if it showed up on myddo but it didn't, so i am assuming theres an update timing for it to show up there, nevertheless, if the character was created on day 1 it would show up on myddo.com

i will try deleting one of my toons i didn't log into, that already shows at myddo, to see if the entry is erased from the search.

EDIT: Nevermind, the one i deleted and recreated showed up on the search and says that it hasn't been logged on.
But the name i am looking for doesn't show up at all on cannith.

[KKDragonLord]

Well, after experimenting with some other names (will trade for Luthien on Cannith btw) i finally realized that the name in question has a different message from the "this name is taken" it is "This name is not allowed".

So yeah, thats the end of that, the silly "trademarked name crackdown" theory seems to hold water after all.

There are probably other tm names in the same situation.

Conan seems to be the case, i wonder what was the criteria for this crackdown.

What is the point of making Cannith TM free for a very limited list of names?
It just doesn't make any sense to me.


Just to further illustrate the point, i compiled the list below:

Names not allowed:
Drizzt
Aragorn
Frodo
sauron
saruman
boromir

Names taken
Luthien
Gandalf
legolas
gimli
faramir

[Mockduck]

Well, after experimenting with some other names (will trade for Luthien on Cannith btw) i finally realized that the name in question has a different message from the "this name is taken" it is "This name is not allowed".

So yeah, thats the end of that, the silly "trademarked name crackdown" theory seems to hold water after all.

There are probably other tm names in the same situation.

Conan seems to be the case, i wonder what was the criteria for this crackdown.

What is the point of making Cannith TM free for a very limited list of names?
It just doesn't make any sense to me.


Just to further illustrate the point, i compiled the list below:

Names not allowed:
Drizzt
Aragorn
Frodo
sauron
saruman
boromir

Names taken
Luthien
Gandalf
legolas
gimli
faramir

Interesting. Looks like Turbine is hoping to prevent a bunch of names from starting to populate Cannith from the start, unlike the other servers where there are tons of 'em.

Sorry to hear that your name is not allowed.

[Kistilan]

Did anyone try to take the name Nat Gann yet?

I think I realized what "Legacy Character" means now.

[CSFurious]

please just pick another name

i understand that one gets attached to certain names

i logged into Cannith the first day it opened & found names on my prepared list already taken

i do not cry over it, i just picked other names & started playing

[KKDragonLord]

please just pick another name

i understand that one gets attached to certain names

i logged into Cannith the first day it opened & found names on my prepared list already taken

i do not cry over it, i just picked other names & started playing

Good for you.

Once more, it is not that my name was taken, if it was i wouldn't mind it at all.

I on the other hand do not like being handled with falsehood, nor do i like seeing an unfair system in place. Maybe moving on quietly without speaking up would disturb you less, but that is exactly the opposite of what i am trying to do here. It is an excercise in futility i know, but at least an effort was made.

[rimble]

Name exclusion lists are always a work in progress. I do find it strange that some of the Tolkien names are blocked, while others aren't...you'd think they'd kinda add every character name to the exclusion list...but anyways, they're always a work in progress and tend to grow over time. You should probably consider yourself fortunate that they're too busy to go back and track down the existing offending names on the current servers.

[KKDragonLord]

Those "offending names" are not offensive in any way shape or form, and if they started going back and forcing people to change the names of their toons (and there are thousands of treademarked names out there) i bet people wouldn't be happy about it.

The only time when they could have prevented trademarked names from being registered was prior to people registering them, now there is a gandalf and a legolas out there on Cannith and they can't really do anything about it.

[Uska]

Interesting, that would make sense at last.
Can you find him through myDDO?

because i can find all the names i reserved through there (and they show up on all other servers as well), and i didnt log into most of them.

I just tried deleting one and remaking it to see if it showed up on myddo but it didn't, so i am assuming theres an update timing for it to show up there, nevertheless, if the character was created on day 1 it would show up on myddo.com

i will try deleting one of my toons i didn't log into, that already shows at myddo, to see if the entry is erased from the search.

EDIT: Nevermind, the one i deleted and recreated showed up on the search and says that it hasn't been logged on.
But the name i am looking for doesn't show up at all on cannith.

My ddo doesnt work for me.

[rimble]

The only time when they could have prevented trademarked names from being registered was prior to people registering them, now there is a gandalf and a legolas out there on Cannith and they can't really do anything about it.

*laugh*

Yes, they can. I understand you mean "they can't do anything about it without ****ing players off", but legal concerns trump player concerns. I wouldn't be too smug about any trademarked names you may have acquired.

[KKDragonLord]

Its good that you understand it, because not even Turbine would be that stupid, its not worth it and legally not necessary at all. It would be a shot on the foot of BFG proportions.