This game seriously needs a name purge

[cdbd3rd]

I have never come across this word before. I like it! I'm going to add it my eccentric lexicon for daily conversation. Hubby says I'm amused by the strangest things.

It gets even better if you read some the contexts it's used in. From a mushroom guide:

The stem is solid, violaceous at the thickened base, red-reticulated at the apex, expanded into the pileus



See? There's a character name right there - Violaceous Pileus.

[Captain_Wizbang]

There are many online name generators. All sorts of resources for names associated w/ D&D.

We all realize this game has it's limitations for us using certain names. Think about back when we had over a million people playing. ALL of those names used are still in the data banks (somewhere) and that coding is old as the names are. It's not so easy to go and release those names. And not fair (to a point) if those players come back looking for their toons.

I agree w/ Memnir on this. There are many ways to get names, and plenty of unclaimed ones out there. You might need to use a different spelling, but phonetically it would work.

Be creative! Let your kids pick a name, you mom, a co-worker whatever, if you're stuck.

Sure in a perfect world, you roll 20's all the time, and they are all crits.

good luck

[Memnir]

@Memnir, you ill or something?

No... that's today. Last night there was a lot of bourbon.

Also today there is a healthy reminder of why I tend to not go online when there has been a lot of bourbon. While I stand by everything I said in this thread, I could have said it with more finesse. Apologies for that, even if I don't think I was wrong in the points being made.

[MacRighteous]

I like FrostyToes....

I'd use it - but now its not available - danm!!

Ok - lets adapt....

Went to https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/frosty?s=ts

Settled on ColdFoot - ok - its a half-orc ice sorcerer - let take that....

**** - it's taken too!!

So is FrozenDigits, NippyPhalange, ChillyDactyl,and HoaryPhalanx.... OP - you have a point.
But on the other hand - lately i've seen more old timers (players from 8, 9, 10 years ago) return to the game than any other time I can think of.... you think their mad because they are stuck mid Heroics in an outdated batman build and have to buy hearts? Imagine if their toon was purged. Its an edge case issue - sure. but i think its the right call and the only solution is to make surnames count toward the toons unique name.


That way I can have FrostyToes Phalange and everybody happy

[JOTMON]

Problem with a Name reset is who gets first shot at names once they become available.
Some players have been trying to get certain names since the start of the game and only managed to snag them when a new server was created, which then peeved off the person who had the name first.

So.. how do you define rules for who gets first pick/pass on names..

1. treat it as a first come first serve.

2. Auction

3. Reservation

4. New server

.. or other....



Personally I would like to see a Server Merge where players from old servers migrate to a new server (for free), Founders and VIP's get 30 days to migrate toons with no new name creations.

This allows existing names to migrate to the new server and retain their names.
..a period of time before the transfer would be needed to lock down or restrict eligible transfer players/names..

Then open up transfers to non-VIP players for 30 days to transfer to the new servers to retain their names.

Then unlock Name changes for 30 days (paid service)

Followed by unlocking new character creations which on a new server would be clear of all historical names since it is a new server.


Merge all the old remaining servers from the old alt worlds onto a secondary new world with no server transfers available for 30 days..
with all remaining players that have been active within the last year moved from the old servers...


The result would be two new Server Worlds with no historical baggage and only players that have actively logged on in the last year.
Any remaining old players logging onto the game from the pre-existing old dead server would only be left with an option to join one of the two new servers and potentially subject to forced name change.




This would free up old locked down names and cleanse old historical data baggage from the active world servers while merging players into more robust active worlds.
..Would still be some technical issues like transporting guilds, converting guilds ships into transportable tokens, Bank items, TR caches, Shards, etc....

[Alcides]

Problem with a Name reset is who gets first shot at names once they become available.
Some players have been trying to get certain names since the start of the game and only managed to snag them when a new server was created, which then peeved off the person who had the name first.

So.. how do you define rules for who gets first pick/pass on names..

1. treat it as a first come first serve.

2. Auction

3. Reservation

4. New server

.. or other....



Personally I would like to see a Server Merge where players from old servers migrate to a new server (for free), Founders and VIP's get 30 days to migrate toons with no new name creations.

This allows existing names to migrate to the new server and retain their names.
..a period of time before the transfer would be needed to lock down or restrict eligible transfer players/names..

Then open up transfers to non-VIP players for 30 days to transfer to the new servers to retain their names.

Then unlock Name changes for 30 days (paid service)

Followed by unlocking new character creations which on a new server would be clear of all historical names since it is a new server.


Merge all the old remaining servers from the old alt worlds onto a secondary new world with no server transfers available for 30 days..
with all remaining players that have been active within the last year moved from the old servers...


The result would be two new Server Worlds with no historical baggage and only players that have actively logged on in the last year.
Any remaining old players logging onto the game from the pre-existing old dead server would only be left with an option to join one of the two new servers and potentially subject to forced name change.




This would free up old locked down names and cleanse old historical data baggage from the active world servers while merging players into more robust active worlds.
..Would still be some technical issues like transporting guilds, converting guilds ships into transportable tokens, Bank items, TR caches, Shards, etc....

Name prioritization during a server merge should be based on accounts actively played then by the age of the account (oldest to earliest). This is the fairest way to handle this and reduces the amount of name poaching that might occur. All names associated to that account would remain prioritized to that account.

[blerkington]

Creating a different format for names could solve this problem as well as have other benefits.

If we moved to something more like NWO's approach which is displayed to players as <firstname><lastname>@<accountname> it would mean players wouldn't be competing for unique character names anymore. In turn that would mean there'd be no reason for purges, which would have to be an ongoing process, so long as people who wanted an account name that was already in use were told no.

I'm not 100% convinced NWO's system is better in every way though. It means people who already have their names lose something that was unique before, that we'd suffer the visual pollution of way too many Drizzts and whatever elses, and it creates more opportunity for some forms of scamming and griefing.

Only SSG can really be sure what the balance of cost versus benefit is and what risks they'd be running by making a change. My guess, and it's nothing more than that, is they think the cost and danger of messing around with names like this outweighs the benefits of selling more name changes and laying the groundwork for easier movement of characters between servers and server merges.

Thanks.

[banjo174]

I have been wanting them to add an account name to the game for a while. That way you can just add someones account to your friends list, and be done with it. As I know people with several characters that they play, and not enough space on the friends list to add them all.

[salmag]

I like FrostyToes....

I'd use it - but now its not available - danm!!

Ok - lets adapt....

Went to https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/frosty?s=ts

Settled on ColdFoot - ok - its a half-orc ice sorcerer - let take that....

**** - it's taken too!!

So is FrozenDigits, NippyPhalange, ChillyDactyl,and HoaryPhalanx.... OP - you have a point.
But on the other hand - lately i've seen more old timers (players from 8, 9, 10 years ago) return to the game than any other time I can think of.... you think their mad because they are stuck mid Heroics in an outdated batman build and have to buy hearts? Imagine if their toon was purged. Its an edge case issue - sure. but i think its the right call and the only solution is to make surnames count toward the toons unique name.


That way I can have FrostyToes Phalange and everybody happy

Any of these taken?

PhrawstyToes
PhrostyToes
PhrosteeToes
PhrawsteeToes
PhrostyPhalange
PhrostyFalange
FrostyFalange
PhrozenDigits
PhrozenDijits
FrozenDijits
etc.
etc.
etc.

[Captain_Wizbang]

https://www.wizards.com/dnd/article5...nd/dx20010202b


https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/


https://www.namegenerator.biz/dnd-name-generator.php


https://thestoryshack.com/tools/dnd-name-generator


http://www.d20srd.org/fantasy/name/#...n=Human%20Male


http://www.enworld.org/forum/dnd_view_block.php?id=1601

[MacRighteous]

Any of these taken?

PhrawstyToes
PhrostyToes
PhrosteeToes
PhrawsteeToes
PhrostyPhalange
PhrostyFalange
FrostyFalange
PhrozenDigits
PhrozenDijits
FrozenDijits
etc.
etc.
etc.

Don't know - I was trying to make a joke to illustrate a point - personally, I don't have problems making up names, Nor would I ever (probably) name one of my characters any of these name - both your examples and mine - but just because I personally don't have a problem doesn't mean I can't empathizes or commiserate with those who do... though I do see both sides of the coin , which I thought was represented.

[psykopeta]

Creating a different format for names could solve this problem as well as have other benefits.

If we moved to something more like NWO's approach which is displayed to players as <firstname><lastname>@<accountname> it would mean players wouldn't be competing for unique character names anymore. In turn that would mean there'd be no reason for purges, which would have to be an ongoing process, so long as people who wanted an account name that was already in use were told no.

I'm not 100% convinced NWO's system is better in every way though. It means people who already have their names lose something that was unique before, that we'd suffer the visual pollution of way too many Drizzts and whatever elses, and it creates more opportunity for some forms of scamming and griefing.

Only SSG can really be sure what the balance of cost versus benefit is and what risks they'd be running by making a change. My guess, and it's nothing more than that, is they think the cost and danger of messing around with names like this outweighs the benefits of selling more name changes and laying the groundwork for easier movement of characters between servers and server merges.

Thanks.

oh yes!

drizz do urden @bacon
drizzt do urden @silly
drizzt d'urden @lacksimagination

yay! what a wonderful idea!

not, at all

the real thing is when players try to use the same name with different wording, etc and notice the names are already taken is... they're supposed to see their lack of creativity

instead they come to forums asking and arguing for some name purge

ofc the account tag should be used for squelching and adding friends, but that has no relation with the issue here, that could be used to remove the surnames (the current "hey it's my alt cause we share surname" to show the same account)

[systemshaker1941]

I feel like of all the different things the devs could be spending their time on, catering to people who will pick up their toys and go home if they can't get the name they want is rightfully very low on the priority list. Probably right in front of adding permadeath as a game mechanic and improving PvP.

I've had trouble finding names, but mainly because I am a lazy SoB, and I am just rolling up an alt to try something stupid. For names I actually want to play, adding a french silent "q" to the end is always a good choice, or doubling an unimportant character(like Sstop" for a name). In chat, most players recognize that the q is silent and just call you by what you want. At the end of the day, the name being "unique" matters more in terms of client/server logic than it does actual RP.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Agree to disagree.

Thesaurus.com

That site was no help at all.

[systemshaker1941]

Lmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aelonwy]

That site was no help at all.

OMGygax I hope that was a joke. I hope, I hope.

For variations of drizzt do'urden try looking up synonyms for Trite. They all make sense to me. If we were allowed to have numbers attached to the names in some way we might actually know how many people want that particular character name. I do sympathize with the desire to name a character after a favorite character from a book or movie though.

My main Aelonwy is named after the princess Eilonwy from Lloyd Alexander's series The Chronicles of Prydain. The actual character is more of a sorceress/favored soul but I prefer the cleric class. When I started the character the original spelling was taken so I added the A in front. I'm pretty happy with it, till someone in voice chat calls her Ale. I usually explain its pronounced EYE-lawn-wee.

But most of my other characters are just archaic or unusual spellings of words I like the sound of... for instance I named my dwarf Aurvaeyn its nonsense but I pronounce it Ore-Vein and in her bio I say its dwarven for noble blood. The idea occurred because gold is Au for Aurum on the periodic table. My thief-acrobat Vaelyns is a weird spelling of Violence. Etc.

[C-Dog]

Perhaps you would like to demonstrate, how this website is even remotely useful in creating a new role play name?

And the root of the problem arises.

[Tscheuss]

I feel like of all the different things the devs could be spending their time on, catering to people who will pick up their toys and go home if they can't get the name they want is rightfully very low on the priority list. Probably right in front of adding permadeath as a game mechanic and improving PvP.

I've had trouble finding names, but mainly because I am a lazy SoB, and I am just rolling up an alt to try something stupid. For names I actually want to play, adding a french silent "q" to the end is always a good choice, or doubling an unimportant character(like Sstop" for a name). In chat, most players recognize that the q is silent and just call you by what you want. At the end of the day, the name being "unique" matters more in terms of client/server logic than it does actual RP.

Posting because HC.
(emphasis added)

[C-Dog]

...It's to the point in that game where people just name themselves things like "FrostyTotes" or "FirePerson" because literally every name is taken. That's how this game is...


It's been an hour and a half and I have tried every variation of every decent sounding names...

These statements make me... skeptical, let's just leave it at that.

I roll up new alts all the time (alt account runners or mules on 2ndary servers) - only time I've had a problem is when I try for a variation on a common name. (And, yes, after 10+ years, most of those are taken,) Get creative, problem solved.

[Tscheuss]

These statements make me... skeptical, let's just leave it at that.

I roll up new alts all the time (alt account runners or mules on 2ndary servers) - only time I've had a problem is when I try for a variation on a common name. (And, yes, after 10+ years, most of those are taken,) Get creative, problem solved.

Agreed. Trillions of names still available. Just add imagination.