Name Entitlement

[Buggss]

I recently had some toons moved from Ghallanda and hit something of an issue which is a bit of a pain.

No matter how I tried I couldn't rename my character to be even close to my old name. It seemed every combination or spelling was taken so I started adding random spellings as friends to speed up the process to check if they were already taken.

After 20-30 variations almost all showed up as lvl 1 characters with no pictures suggesting very old toons that have never been used.

I think it's about time something was done so that any unused characters still at lvl 1 at 1 or 2 years old are given the -1 add-on that moved characters get to free up some names. We all know they're never coming back and if they did a name isn't something that's going to put them off playing again. It's getting very difficult to create any combination of letters that produce a pronouncible name that isn't already taken and something needs doing about it.

[Kirachan]

I only started a year ago, and I have found a lot of suitable names still available. And I only go for very short ones. The longer they get the more choices should be still open.

Of course, if your old name was a popular one, then you will have trouble, since a lot of people go for the alternate spelling thing.
I just don't see why that is a reason to start renaming older, currently inactive characters. The player might still be active, just not playing that particular char a lot, or he might come back to the game. You cannot know that.
Personally I would be very annoyed, if I found out that my character was changed after a longer absence, without my consent.
I also don't see the entitlement part. It's just how turbine made the game. Characters are not deleted for inactivity, so ergo no names can be freed up, unless a char is deleted voluntarily. It's not like people go around: "I'll never play again, but I will keep all my character, so that nobody can has my great names *evil laughter*"

[Buggss]

I only started a year ago, and I have found a lot of suitable names still available. And I only go for very short ones. The longer they get the more choices should be still open.

Of course, if your old name was a popular one, then you will have trouble, since a lot of people go for the alternate spelling thing.
I just don't see why that is a reason to start renaming older, currently inactive characters. The player might still be active, just not playing that particular char a lot, or he might come back to the game. You cannot know that.
Personally I would be very annoyed, if I found out that my character was changed after a longer absence, without my consent.
I also don't see the entitlement part. It's just how turbine made the game. Characters are not deleted for inactivity, so ergo no names can be freed up, unless a char is deleted voluntarily. It's not like people go around: "I'll never play again, but I will keep all my character, so that nobody can has my great names *evil laughter*"

Then you really haven't been playing long, please read the whole post before answering as I've already answered some of your points before you made them.

I've not even mentioned deletion, merely the adding of a -1 to the name if and only if the toons reaches an amount of inactive time that almost guarantees the player won't ever return. As for keeping names on purpose I happen to know that does indeed happen quite a lot but only as a minority, again showing your naivity in the matter.

As for the entitlement, it's merely a title for the thread explaining what it's about, not any claim on any names.

If you've managed to choose names then grats to you, however I prefer at least some sense in my names and as I've said I spent a long time looking for someone and everything was taken.

[bryanmeerkat]

What name where you looking for and on what server , bet I could find an open one with a very similair sound that is free within 2 minutes . ( ok at work at the moment so cant really test the theory )
Ive never not been able to find a name that sounds a lot like what I want . ( to be fair though I have never wanted to be called gandalf , harry potter or that antipopular dark elf fella )

On saying that I do think if someone leaves the game for over a year there names should be freed up and leave the charachter in tact but just in a state of needing a rename .
I remember having this argument with someone who said that if they left and after a year they thought about coming back not having their old name would make them change their mind . Which to be fair is utter drivel .( the guy hasnt left , wasnt planning on leaving and also admitted that if he did leave it wouldnt put him off returning personally but that it might someone )
Anyone that would concider this an issue needs to look for help . ( go on neg rep me i dare yah )

[Buggss]

...( go on neg rep me i dare yah )

For disagreeing with me? Why would I neg rep you for that?

Anyway I'm still convinced that if the character's still lvl 1 after 1 or 2 years that toon is never going to be used.

[bryanmeerkat]

For disagreeing with me? Why would I neg rep you for that?

Anyway I'm still convinced that if the character's still lvl 1 after 1 or 2 years that toon is never going to be used.

Its usually very high on the list of reasons to neg rep someone

[shores11]

For disagreeing with me? Why would I neg rep you for that?

Anyway I'm still convinced that if the character's still lvl 1 after 1 or 2 years that toon is never going to be used.

Because people neg rep all the time for having an alternate opinion.

[Kirachan]

Yeah, I know it's not about deleting. Still, if that happened to one of my chars I would be furious non the less. The -1 is very ugly in my eyes.
And at what point would you set the time the player would never return?
For example, I stopped playing Guild Wars over a year ago (or was that more like 2, not sure). But I would certainly go back for a quest or two sometimes, since I still have rl friend playing.
They'd have to make the window very wide, and even then there would still be occasional angry returner.

I just don't like the idea of changing the rules on the people affected. They assume their chars will still be there unchanged, anytime they decide to come back.

[bryanmeerkat]

Yeah, I know it's not about deleting. Still, if that happened to one of my chars I would be furious non the less. The -1 is very ugly in my eyes.
And at what point would you set the time the player would never return?
For example, I stopped playing Guild Wars over a year ago (or was that more like 2, not sure). But I would certainly go back for a quest or two sometimes, since I still have rl friend playing.
They'd have to make the window very wide, and even then there would still be occasional angry returner.

I just don't like the idea of changing the rules on the people affected. They assume their chars will still be there unchanged, anytime they decide to come back.

It would be a lot easier to put a rename tag on the charachter and unlock the name , what about it exactly would make you furious ? Its the name on a charachter you havent used for a year . If noone has taken your name you can have your old name back , if not you just have to make a new name .

Omfgbbqtheystolemyname Iusedtobecalleddrizzt for example could replace drizzt

[katana_one]

If you've managed to choose names then grats to you, however I prefer at least some sense in my names and as I've said I spent a long time looking for someone and everything was taken.

Perhaps you're being too picky? All of my characters have names that I'm quite happy with - they all are suitably fantasy-sounding names that are not simply weird alternate spellings of other fantasy names (one is simply funny, which is what I was going for). Granted, I didn't get my first choice of names on all of them (or second, or third, or eighth), but in the end it was worth the effort to find something that wasn't taken.

[Buggss]

Perhaps you're being too picky? All of my characters have names that I'm quite happy with - they all are suitably fantasy-sounding names that are not simply weird alternate spellings of other fantasy names (one is simply funny, which is what I was going for). Granted, I didn't get my first choice of names on all of them (or second, or third, or eighth), but in the end it was worth the effort to find something that wasn't taken.

Yeah granted there're something close to an infinite number of possible letter combinations but I'm not the kind of person happy to call a toon Ryugityflop just to get a toon made.

I have a touch more imagination than that and any PnPer will probably feel the same way as it helps you "play" the character if you feel you've put some effort into it.

[katana_one]

Yeah granted there're something close to an infinite number of possible letter combinations but I'm not the kind of person happy to call a toon Ryugityflop just to get a toon made.

Ok, did you read my post? None of my characters are random letter combinations. They are all legit names. I found them. You can find some too. Something tells me you're not trying hard enough, or you're being way too picky.

I have a touch more imagination than that and any PnPer will probably feel the same way as it helps you "play" the character if you feel you've put some effort into it.

Yeah, long time PnP player here. I sympathize with you, but only to a certain point.

I, too, am often disappointed when I don't get the first name on my list for a new character. But I find another one. I put in the effort. I spent probably an hour once to name a character that I only made to try out a new class (with no intention of playing her to cap).

Good names are still out there if you're willing to look for them.