Names and cancelled Subscriptions

Hey all,

I am a little bored right now waiting for my work clothes to get out of the dryer and thought of something I forgot to post about a while ago.

I think there should be some kind of system that if your subscription is cancelled for a certain period of time, I would say about 6-12 months, that your characters names get changed so that other players that still want to play can have them.

It really sucks when I make a new character because it takes me an hour, literally, to think of a name because all the cool stuff is taken. For instance, all greek and roman god names are taken. Pretty sure I tried every single one of them.

So that is what I would like to be added to the game eventually. Not asap, but sometime in the future, 'cause right now would be a bad time to spend too much time with it 'cause we are pretty short on content already. :(

Eventually everyone is going to have plat farmer names if somethin' like this doesn't get implemented :D. Not anytime soon though. :p

There is my rant for a while. :)

Any others agree?

I think how they did it for the server merge would be good. If your account has been inactive for 1 year or more, your name gets switched to name-server, and the new player gets the name. You get a replace name token and everyone is happy. This should also apply to banned accounts as they will never be renewed

Don't agree.

There can be some circumstances where someone does have to leave playing games for awhile, but may come back later (armed forces, money situation, etc). They should not lose there character names.

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Originally Posted by boldarblood

Don't agree.

There can be some circumstances where someone does have to leave playing games for awhile, but may come back later (armed forces, money situation, etc). They should not lose there character names.

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good point, at least trial accounts then

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Originally Posted by boldarblood

Don't agree.

There can be some circumstances where someone does have to leave playing games for awhile, but may come back later (armed forces, money situation, etc). They should not lose there character names.

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very very true. 4-16 month deployments are common. No reason to pay the subscription for that time your fighting for your country. And to come back and have your characters renamed would suck.

I think only for trial account people, yes....
For people banned because of spamming yes.

for regular god-fearing elves, dwarves, etc, who paid and may come back, never.....well maybe after a one or two year wait.

Much better that they allow more letters in the name, god forbid an extra 10kb is used by the whole player base just to get a longer name.

I would rather they did that with trial accounts, in fact just delete any trial account over a year old.

Yes for trial accts. I'm tired of trying to name my characters Asdfsd and I'm unable to because a platfarmer spammer took it already and was banned.

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Originally Posted by ArkoHighStar

good point, at least trial accounts then

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Yes, that was my main point but forgot to mention it. Trial accounts should DEFINATELY loose the names if they aren't activated within a month or two.

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Originally Posted by boldarblood

Don't agree.

There can be some circumstances where someone does have to leave playing games for awhile, but may come back later (armed forces, money situation, etc). They should not lose there character names.

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I can totally understand that, but having your name just have -server added isn't that bad. Plus, I'm sure a free name change would actually be nice for someone that has been gone for a while and doesn't like their old names anymore. I can't imagine someone being that upset about it.

If you don't play, you should have to keep your name with Name-server or change it, it makes perfect sense. I don't know why anyone wouldn't agree that to be the right and fair way to go. Especially from someone in the military, I'm sure they would understand it the most.

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Originally Posted by Twerpp

Yes for trial accts. I'm tired of trying to name my characters Asdfsd and I'm unable to because a platfarmer spammer took it already and was banned.

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That reminds me I need to make a character named Asfatida and how much hate mail I get for being a spammer. ;)

I think after a certain amount of time has passed of account inactivity, perhaps 18 months, any names on the account should be made available to currently active accounts. I don't see why people who are not playing anymore should have priority over people who currently are paying and playing the game.

Whenever I cancel my accounts in any MMO I never assume that my characters will still be there when/if I can back. After all, the characters didn't belong to me while I payed for the game; once I cancel the account I have even less right to complain.

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Originally Posted by xanvar

very very true. 4-16 month deployments are common. No reason to pay the subscription for that time your fighting for your country. And to come back and have your characters renamed would suck.

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I'd worry more about coming back at all than having fictional characters on an role playing online game renamed. Sure it would suck if you came back and found that, but it would probably be worse to not come back at all, come back missing parts you actually liked, etc. If you want to worry about renaming after a deployment, worry about the wife changing her name. Like her last name.

FWIW I agree that renaming is a bad idea, but there should be a cutoff. Some toon names are still taken two years plus from launch.

A better way would be allowing dupes by associating toons with a database numerical value that associated them also with the account. You could have dozens of identically named toons, but the game management would be able to see a unique number in their logs for each that we would not.

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Originally Posted by suitepotato

I'd worry more about coming back at all than having fictional characters on an role playing online game renamed. Sure it would suck if you came back and found that, but it would probably be worse to not come back at all, come back missing parts you actually liked, etc. If you want to worry about renaming after a deployment, worry about the wife changing her name. Like her last name.

FWIW I agree that renaming is a bad idea, but there should be a cutoff. Some toon names are still taken two years plus from launch.

A better way would be allowing dupes by associating toons with a database numerical value that associated them also with the account. You could have dozens of identically named toons, but the game management would be able to see a unique number in their logs for each that we would not.

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Well as a person that has had to cancel his account several times for deployments I know I am not worried about it while I am there but it would be a big frustration to have to rename my characters when I got home. As important as a wife or something no, but sometimes its the little things that make you want to throw your computer.

My 2 cents.

A name don't make a person good, a person makes a name good.

Call yourself Slimesalad for all I care, if you conduct yourself in a respectfull manner Slimesalad will be on my friends list.

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Originally Posted by Twerpp

Yes for trial accts. I'm tired of trying to name my characters Asdfsd and I'm unable to because a platfarmer spammer took it already and was banned.

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LMAO this made my day

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Originally Posted by Andora

I would rather they did that with trial accounts, in fact just delete any trial account over a year old.

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Agreed.

Does anyone know what Turbine's current policy is?

No and yiou shouldnt be able to use the greek and roman gods anyways proably blocked its not a very orginal idea I seldom have trouble making a name and can always come up with something new that I like

Still think it's a good idea - just like back here. ;)

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Originally Posted by Uska d'Orien

No and yiou shouldnt be able to use the greek and roman gods anyways proably blocked its not a very orginal idea I seldom have trouble making a name and can always come up with something new that I like

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Who said I was going for originality...?

Is that why you think I wanted to name them that? ROFL

It's not about originality...it's about wanting a name that is taken because someone chose it in a trial account or the subscription has been cancelled for a very long time...

I should be able to use whatever the hell I want for a name as long as it doesn't have the word turbine or have anything in it that someone could take offense to.

Unfortuneately, I don't really care that much if you have trouble coming up with something. If names were made in trial accounts or subscriptions have been cancelled for over a year, they shouldn't be able to keep that name.

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Originally Posted by tmdag4

Does anyone know what Turbine's current policy is?

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They currently don't have one that I know of. :(

/agreed. You stop paying for 12 months, your names are freed up. Let them keep their toons, but why should people who aren't playing get exclusive rights to a huge amount of names.

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Originally Posted by Pyromaniac

/agreed. You stop paying for 12 months, your names are freed up. Let them keep their toons, but why should people who aren't playing get exclusive rights to a huge amount of names.

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Because it was there name first. Regardless of how long they have disapeard, it is there character name. Come up with something original on your own. And like I said before, some of our armed forces are deployed for over a year. They should NOT lose there name.

I would be in favor of trial accounts losing there names after x amount of time, but not paid for accounts.

when i first played, i called my toon fortius, no problem

then i made my pally, call him urden, no problem too

made a cleric named cylene, still no problem

made a wiz called deania, again no problem

rolled a 32 pt fighter, had no problem naming him shugar

called my new ranger alagranna, 100% success

rerolled deania with no problems

created another cleric called fortina, yet no problem

built a hagglebot and the name dollars was not taken

rerolled fortius, deleted cylene

just made a monk named brusied lee, name was free to use........................ :rolleyes:

Well, just as an addition, when I started with DDO back at launch, I chose specific servers due to the availability of certian names that I've used for years in RPG's, pnp as well as MMO's.

Now that there have been server merges, several of my names are messed up with the Name - Server distinction, which I dislike, enough to not want to play those characters anymore.

Maybe I'm wierd, but.. that's how I feel.

CoH frees up name up 90 days after the account has been closed due to inactivity... just an FYI.

but, unless they are willing to accept a military-service waiver, if you really like your names, you should pay the necessary 6-month subscriptions to keep your names

many names are unavailable & those characters are not even played

it is not fair to new players or current-paying players

OP do not expect any help from Turbine, i have talked about this before to no avail

if you cannot afford $100.00-something per year to keep your names, you should not be playing the game (how can you even afford an internet connection?)

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Originally Posted by xanvar

very very true. 4-16 month deployments are common. No reason to pay the subscription for that time your fighting for your country. And to come back and have your characters renamed would suck.

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Originally Posted by Andora

I would rather they did that with trial accounts, in fact just delete any trial account over a year old.

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Delete any trial account over 9 days old.

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Originally Posted by ChildrenofBodom

Who said I was going for originality...?

Is that why you think I wanted to name them that? ROFL

It's not about originality...it's about wanting a name that is taken because someone chose it in a trial account or the subscription has been cancelled for a very long time...

I should be able to use whatever the hell I want for a name as long as it doesn't have the word turbine or have anything in it that someone could take offense to.

Unfortuneately, I don't really care that much if you have trouble coming up with something. If names were made in trial accounts or subscriptions have been cancelled for over a year, they shouldn't be able to keep that name.



They currently don't have one that I know of. :(

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People can and do take offense to the use of the roman gods any real relligon use is forbiden and it doesnt matter if the religon is basicly dead either. No they shouldnt take the name away if your gone for a year some of our soliders could be gone that long so their names should stick, the only people who should possibly lose their names are trial accounts.

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Originally Posted by Tin Dragon

Delete any trial account over 9 days old.

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Way to quick I say more like 60 days or at least 30

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Originally Posted by CSFurious

but, unless they are willing to accept a military-service waiver, if you really like your names, you should pay the necessary 6-month subscriptions to keep your names

many names are unavailable & those characters are not even played

it is not fair to new players or current-paying players

OP do not expect any help from Turbine, i have talked about this before to no avail

if you cannot afford $100.00-something per year to keep your names, you should not be playing the game (how can you even afford an internet connection?)

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Way should you have to pay to keep your name if you have something thats keeping you from playing, people should come up with their own names if yoiu cant then you dont really have enough imagination to be playing games.

So the players who are in Iraq will loose there names.
Players who are sick will loose names.


NO!!!

its just the way the cookie crumbles.

If you need help picking a name watch sesame street and learn to use imagination again.

Humans need to stop being so selfish and lay of the "me me me".

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Originally Posted by Tin Dragon

Delete any trial account over 9 days old.

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The welcome back weekends do work. My husband and I did the trial in April of 06 and then decided to wait, life and all that. June 06 Turbine did a welcome back weekend, to our delight our characters where still there, we went with a full account and have never looked back.

I was very lucky when I had to stop playing for a year. The drug company that was having the cancer trial that my husband was a part of paid our rent for that full year. That meant that I could afford to pay for my inactive subscription. Rent in Seattle is very high and I would never have been able to do both. It would have sucked to come home and find Bellasera, Moya, Nikiski, Noreta, Thelma, Raecell, and all the rest renamed.

Not all trail accounts are plat farmers, I ran for a short time with one guy who just kept getting new email accounts to play with out having to pay.

Are we really going to throw people's personal life into this discussion? Are you really going to use a real life war to talk about something as trivial as a video game? Honestly, it was your choice to go to war. I could see if you lived in one of the many nations where military service is mandatory. But you know what? You signed up to be in it. If you are sick for over an year, you should be more concerned with your health than this game as well.

The characters do not belong to you. You pay for the priviledge of playing them. They belong to Turbine and they use your money to make sure your character is there and it works. If you are not paying for it, they had no reason to keep your character or their names.

That's like leaving your car parked for months without putting money on the meter and expect it to be there with no tickets on it when you get back.

I'm sorry to be insensitive, but don't play the sob game. Don't try to make feel bad for you to give you stuff. If you went to Iraq, good for you, you found the meaning in your life. Did you go there to make a difference or to rub it on people's face that you've fought for your country? If you are sick for over an year, I'm sorry for you...

Bah whatever, at some point we'll run out of possible combinations and we'll have to pick names like Driztiz234 or XblackKnightX...

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Originally Posted by MageLL

My 2 cents.

A name don't make a person good, a person makes a name good.

Call yourself Slimesalad for all I care, if you conduct yourself in a respectfull manner Slimesalad will be on my friends list.

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I just found my new character name.
:)
But seriously, I think the easiest way to advance names is to allow us to have a space.
I would like to see more relaxed naming standards (even though it means we will eventually see ub3rl337 d00d who is a lvl 16 barb) because it does give you an opportunity for some more creative names. I also think that a trial that is not taken be removed after a certain amount of time, like 6 months. Paid accounts are different, but I think no longer than 1 year inactive before the name is reset (now for those going overseas, God Bless our soliders, I think it would be easy to setup a something that allows them to put their accounts on suspension so that the names are not lost if really needed. But then again I think our service members should get a discount to the game anyways.)

As far as trial accounts go, if they've been inactive for some set amount of time noted in the user agreement, let the names open up.

As for all the remarks about those in public service, I am grateful (though I do not expect it) for any company that extends a courtesy for those of us who work on the nation's behalf whether active duty, guard, reserve, fire, police, utilities.... It's a mark of civility, solidarity and generosity.

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Originally Posted by Dawnblade

Are we really going to throw people's personal life into this discussion? Are you really going to use a real life war to talk about something as trivial as a video game? Honestly, it was your choice to go to war. I could see if you lived in one of the many nations where military service is mandatory. But you know what? You signed up to be in it. If you are sick for over an year, you should be more concerned with your health than this game as well.

The characters do not belong to you. You pay for the priviledge of playing them. They belong to Turbine and they use your money to make sure your character is there and it works. If you are not paying for it, they had no reason to keep your character or their names.

That's like leaving your car parked for months without putting money on the meter and expect it to be there with no tickets on it when you get back.

I'm sorry to be insensitive, but don't play the sob game. Don't try to make feel bad for you to give you stuff. If you went to Iraq, good for you, you found the meaning in your life. Did you go there to make a difference or to rub it on people's face that you've fought for your country? If you are sick for over an year, I'm sorry for you...

Bah whatever, at some point we'll run out of possible combinations and we'll have to pick names like Driztiz234 or XblackKnightX...

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if everyone was to be like you, you'll probably be living in some concentration camp guarded by nazis. i do get what you are trying to mean but the way you put it across is way too insensitive. people are going to iraq, afganistan and other hotspots not because they want it but because if they did not do it, the people they love would not be able to live peacefully. people do it for the love of the american ideal, that is to uphold democracy. people do it for the sake of americans and other nationalities around the world. they did not do it just so to give you an excuse to put down their efforts. letting them keep their names is a little acknowledgment of their contributions. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

back to topic, trial accounts should be deleted but account that used to have a subscription should be kept to allow them to return should they finish whatever they were doing.

Hey Turbine - sounds like another 'special service' that you can charge for here. Allow people to keep their names at a certain (reduced) monthly fee, and allow your paying customers access to name their toons what they want. I highly doubt every inactive account is from the military, but you can have a miltary discount if you want.

If someone's too cheap to pay something for your services why do you provide them for free?