Guild Wars 2

Hi,

So recently I had to change one of my characters names due to it being inappropriate or whatever, and after I got through trying about 50 different names, I realized that every single good name is taken. And to make things worse I know most of them are taken by people who have since quit the game. I think there should be a wipe of all names after 365 days of inactivity from the game. Simply give them the same name change prompt I got upon log-in once and if they decide to ever log-in again. Character names are a huge contributing factor to keeping active players around, it is great for bringing their own personality and style into the game. It is literally their identity. Give the active players the ability to get the names they want, it is only fair. Why should inactive players get all the pretty names?

How do you guys feel? Same boat as me or not. Is 365 days too punishing, or not long enough?

I’m not really sure. I feel like it’s a bit of a stiff for people who grabbed hold of a good name early. Yet it’s still not very fair to active players if someone who will never touch the game again has a name they want. Perhaps they could use 365 days (1 year) + 2 week grace. After 365 days of inactivity, ANet sends these players an email regarding the situation. If they have interest in playing, the email will prompt them to visit GW2 or message Customer Support if they don’t want your proposed mandatory name change, and they’ll have 2 weeks before it takes into effect.

It might help to weed out the people who simply haven’t logged on for a year vs. the people who will likely never log on again.

Many people take a break from this game for 3, 6, 12 months or whatever timeframe suits them so to come back and have your name removed seems a little unfair.
I was away from a different game to this for 9 months and when i logged back in my names were removed for inactivity. I logged out and deleted the game and never went back.

Well, if they plan to keep playing, would understand that they keep their email on hand and check it on short intervals.

No. The whole idea of GW2 is that its a casual game you can come and leave freely. Ive met people who have legitimately had to go for over a year, so its not fair just giving away their character names. and it would be a massive, massive kick in the teeth for any GW1 players who actually reserved their names.

and normally, if you use GW2 lore-friendly themed names, they won’t be taken. Only if you start trying to do ridiculous stuff like naming your characters after internet memes you run into difficulty.

phokus.8934:

Or rather you could have originally come up with a name the first time rather than trying to be funny/edgy. “All the good names are taken.”. Be more original instead of wanting a generic name.

Well this is a bit of a crude assumption. I have plenty of original names in my kitten nal. It was simply none of the names I tried previously were available, and those were the ones I really wanted. Instead I had to just settle with names I hardly want.

they payed for the game, they have every right to keep their name.
sorry to burst your bubble but how would you feel if you return to give it another try and be forced to rename all your character, i bet you’ll be kittened.

sorudo.9054:

they payed for the game, they have every right to keep their name.
sorry to burst your bubble but how would you feel if you return to give it another try and be forced to rename all your character, i bet you’ll be kittened.

Wrong. If I took a year+ break I would not feel entitled to keep my names. I stopped playing the game, I made that decision. I stopped being a member of the GW2 community. I stopped contributing to the growth of GW2. If they gave my names away to players who actually you know… played the game and funded them I would not be upset in the least, what kind of person would I be if I felt entitled to keep them. The above post regarding sending them a 2 week email notice to log in and save the names seems like the best idea I’ve read so far. In fact that email could motivate people to relog and check out the game again. Where in other situations they most likely would not even bother updating the latest patch.

Dommmmmmmmmm.6984:

sorudo.9054:

they payed for the game, they have every right to keep their name.
sorry to burst your bubble but how would you feel if you return to give it another try and be forced to rename all your character, i bet you’ll be kittened.

Wrong. If I took a year+ break I would not feel entitled to keep my names.

You might not, others though might.

People stop playing for any number of reasons.
Army/illness/studies.
a year for these things might not be fair, and they might not be in a place to even think about gaming, but that doesn’t mean they’ve quit entirely.

Just come up with some new names, it’s not that hard.

Try having first and last names.

Eh, I could go both ways on this.

On one hand, it’s the internet. Names have been taken for many things forever. It’s nothing new to have to be a little creative. If I can’t have “Ragnarok”, I’ll change it a bit to “Ragnuh Rok”. It’s a pain to figure out something for each toon, but still doable.

Though, the more time that goes on the harder it will be. If such a policy started, whereas a year of inactivity would result in name changes, it would have to be a year starting from when the policy was made. And e-mails would have to be sent out explaining the changes.

And even then, there would have to be some system where people can sign in out of the game to reset the inactivity. Some people go through hard times and can’t access the internet to log into a game. Like a phone system to log into if you had to.

But in the end, we’ve all got to remember. Will this make them any money? A very simple question directly tied to if this will ever be done or not.

Lol^. I make 1-3 new characters every week, and I rarely come across a name that has been taken. I feel you were exaggerating when you said you tried 50 times to name your character. You know there is a cool-down when trying so many times.

Anyway, use different language letters or creative spellings if you feel the need to have the same name as someone else, or use your imagination to create a unique name. If you feel the community holds so much stock in names, then choose something everyone hasn’t seen before.

ArenaNet’s policy is, and will not change (see GW1), to keep Accounts intact forever. I’m afraid you will have to find another way to name your character(s) without bumping up against the ToS.

Good luck.

In a sub-game where an account is cancelled and maybe 1+ year has passed, yes. But in GW2/GW1 where there is B2P policy and no expiration, nope, not gonna happen. (I think!)

Yalora Istairiea.6287:

• So recently I had to change one of my characters names due to it being inappropriate or whatever – this is not a good opening line for your argument. If you had an inappropriate name, it kind of sets a negative connotation for the rest of the post

Yeah, anet never told me why I had to change it, there was just a prompt for me to change it when I tried using that character. Whether it was inappropriate or not falls under the “or whatever” part of that sentence.

• and after I got through trying about 50 different names, I realized that every single good name is taken. – so you were unable to come up with an original name in 50 tries? To validate, I created 4 new characters last night for Key runs, all 4 different names went through the first time

That is just a ballpark number, if I knew I would have been going at it for names I wanted believe me I would have kept track. I could have said any number in existence and somebody would complain about it. I can come up with Key names on the fly also, since there is no drawback to making them considering I delete them within 20 minutes.

• And to make things worse I know most of them are taken by people who have since quit the game. – This would be impossible to know

Um okay, so I could have worded that better.

• I think there should be a wipe of all names after 365 days of inactivity from the game. Simply give them the same name change prompt I got upon log-in once and if they decide to ever log-in again. – As ANet has said numerous times in the past, they consider it perfectly fine to put the game down for a while and come back whenever you choose, so this forced name change when someone comes back after a year would go against their own policy

You really do not want to get me started about policy.

• Give the active players the ability to get the names they want, it is only fair. Why should inactive players get all the pretty names? – it is pretty much a first come first served basis. In the first hour of the Head Start, two names that I wanted were unavailable. Somebody just beat me to them. I had alternative names already prepared and picked one of those. Both of the alternative names went through fine, I just had to be a bit more creative

I guess another question I want to bring up is why does it have to be on a first come first serve basis? Isn’t that how traditional MMOs do things. I believe GW2 policy is to be the opposite of traditional MMOs

Dommmmmmmmmm.6984:

sorudo.9054:

they payed for the game, they have every right to keep their name.
sorry to burst your bubble but how would you feel if you return to give it another try and be forced to rename all your character, i bet you’ll be kittened.

Wrong. If I took a year+ break I would not feel entitled to keep my names. I stopped playing the game, I made that decision. I stopped being a member of the GW2 community. I stopped contributing to the growth of GW2. If they gave my names away to players who actually you know… played the game and funded them I would not be upset in the least, what kind of person would I be if I felt entitled to keep them. The above post regarding sending them a 2 week email notice to log in and save the names seems like the best idea I’ve read so far. In fact that email could motivate people to relog and check out the game again. Where in other situations they most likely would not even bother updating the latest patch.

Utterly wrong !
I can have a break of one year or more and want to keep my names. Someone who relly want to quit this game can delete all his characters, that’s should be the only way to recover a name. Until someone has delete all his chracters he should be considered as a gw2 player.

Shanks.2907:

But in the end, we’ve all got to remember. Will this make them any money? A very simple question directly tied to if this will ever be done or not.

Thanks guys, it was fun reading your comments, but this sums it up nice enough for me to move on. Continue talking amongst yourselves and have a good day.

Dommmmmmmmmm.6984:

I guess another question I want to bring up is why does it have to be on a first come first serve basis? Isn’t that how traditional MMOs do things. I believe GW2 policy is to be the opposite of traditional MMOs

I think, because last come first served would involve time travel or some sort of slipstream singularity drive, so until the Chronomancer class is released we are currently stuck with our current quantum reality

To spin this in a slightly different direction for a sec, although I don’t agree with the actual Character Names being dropped after 365 days, I would like to see Inactive Guild Names become available after a certain period of time. For example, I have played and led our Guild here on GW2 for about 1.5 yrs now (Same Guild for about 4 years on our previous game). When I created our Guild, I tried our name from the other game. It was taken in about every form. I have logged more hours than I care to imagine, and I have never seen this Guild Name, Pre or Post Mega, in all that time.

But you’re already pretty without a name Dom. ;) ;) ;)

Dommmmmmmmmm.6984:

I realized that every single good name is taken.

It is normal. Every good name is taken because this game is 2 years old and had many many sales so far. This is exactly why you have to use your imagination and come up with something cool and interesting, not something basic that everyone thought of.

And I was wondering when this thread would show up, happens to all MMOs

I say give these players a 1 year grace period. that is plenty of time.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

I say give these players a 1 year grace period. that is plenty of time.

Especially if there was an automated e-mail that went out at 6 months, 9 months, 11 months, and 1 day before the name is released.

But, I think that any policy would need to take into account military personnel or other people who may spend a long period of time without internet access.

First thing I thought of:
http://www.thenoobcomic.com/index.php?pos=3

I agree that it can be annoying when a name you wanted is taken but I’ve never found it to be much of a problem. Whenever I’ve tried a name that was taken it’s because it’s a fairly obvious one, usually a reference to something else. (Although I did find it amusing that ‘Alreadyinuse’ was also taken.)

My solution when it does happen and I don’t want to go for a completely different name is to try adding/subtracting parts, changing the spelling or using different languages.

For example (very unoriginally) I tried to get Alleria Windrunner, which was of course taken. But Alleria Wildrunner wasn’t so I used that instead.

I use real names for my characters, so I don’t have that kind of problem.
My asura eng was the only exception, but I knew it would, I tried to name her Oola (unavailable) then Oolah (unavailable) and finally Oogah.

But yeah, I don’t think a name should be “removed” from a character, what if 2 years later the player want to play again and find that the name he picked ins’t available anymore. Also, character name is part of the account info, if you need to recover lost password, change e-mail, retrieve account name using game key, all use character name as account information.

I could see this after 5 years of inactivity, and the they would need something in the EULA to cover it.

Names are available on a first come first serve basis. This is because you are not more important than anyone else and are thus entitled only to the names that have not been used already.

Sorry if you find this to be an infringement upon your special snowflake status, but it is the world we live in.

ToT.7018:

Many people take a break from this game for 3, 6, 12 months or whatever timeframe suits them so to come back and have your name removed seems a little unfair.
I was away from a different game to this for 9 months and when i logged back in my names were removed for inactivity. I logged out and deleted the game and never went back.

I haven’t played in over a month and I don’t believe I will be any time soon because I can no longer stand the state of the game. With that being said if I were to return, whenever that may be, if my names were removed because of “inactivity” – I would also log out, uninstall, and never look back again.

GW2 has the most liberated naming system I’ve ever seen. If one can’t find a decent name without resorting to umlauts and Alt-0026 characters, then one is not trying hard enough. (Or one is trying to play an Asura or Sylvari canonically. Seriously, what academic in his right might wouldn’t add two or three additional names so his work doesn’t get confused with someone else’s? /rant)

I think you guys forgot how long 1 year is, if you don’t bother to log in once in 365 days to “save” your characters name it’s your problem, were not talking about deleting the account, just the name.

Also they could send you an email 1 month before it happens, and then the day before or something.

Just do like me, grind through your Techno 12" and you will find amazing names, like my ranger Big Babou ( Laurent Garnier – Sound of the Big Babou ).

be a bit more creative, then?

i’m still easily coming up with names for my characters and getting them without problems (and most of those are one word names)

No. Unless the name is deemed offensive, ArenaNet should not be taking character names away from players for any reason. Even if someone hasn’t been an active player in a while, having your character names stolen from you is basically like being told “Don’t come back!”

As others have noted, a unique but still lore-friendly name is easy enough to create. Add a letter, subtract a letter, use different letters that create the same sound, or simply change your approach and go for an entirely different name. Making my male Sylvari mesmer, I tried half a dozen Arthurian names, all taken (I no longer remember what they were). Finally I just generated a bunch of random Arthurian names off a name generator, mumbling them to myself, to get the flavor of how they sounded, and tried “Briamor.” Lo and behold, it was available.

I wanted to do an Asura to see the Infinity Ball PS. “Blekk” was taken. I muttered to myself, sounded out “Froblekk” and it worked. Not perfectly canon as it’s two syllables but it has the semi-pretentious sound of “Froderick” ala Eye-gor in Young Frankenstein, and that helped me figure out his RP personality.

At launch I wanted Altdrag Splitstack to be my Norn engineer, as a mnemonic for how to split stacks of items. I had mentioned the idea either in beta chat or on 2RP, so either someone took it from me or independently conceived it, and I was barred. Eventually I did Altdragg Splitstack, even more Norn sounding imo!

Once you have multiple names with spaces available, there’s so many options. I’d say the only problem really would come if you were trying to use a name by which you are well known, so you have to keep the core of it. But then, it’s still possible to be well known by a unique name. I was Issaela (Blood Elf) on Earthen Ring in WoW. For years I was the only Issaela in the whole game, per Armory searches. Then one Draenei Shaman took it as well … but that was it. I now have an Issaela in TESO. None in GW2, though, it doesn’t really fit any of the GW2 races — but if someone now nabs it and I want it some day? Well, I have a couple of last name variations. It won’t be a problem.

An addendum: I also strongly feel that ANet should never take something away due to inactivity. The game was advertised as having no downside to leaving for a long time beyond missing out on events. No falling off a gear treadmill, no losing stuff.

Names should not be taken. Housing, did it exist, should not vanish without monthly payments. Personal guilds should not be dissolved (so no, inactive guilds should remain intact, for how will ANet know if it’s an abandoned guild or merely the guild of someone who is gone for a while?). What we build and create in this game should persist.

OP, I’m so very sorry that Drizzt and Legolas were taken.

no op i disagree with taking away names i delete and rename a char every now and then and i have no problem with naming the new one you just need. named two new chars last week got sick of the old chars and there names. it isnt that hard to come up with a good name.

I have to disagree, quite strongly with this “suggestion.” I bought the game. I stayed up all night at head start to grab my names (and still didn’t get them all). I paid real money, not gold, for my additional character slots. My account, and my names are mine, period.

They did not do this in GW1, they sure as hell better not do it here.

Donari.5237:

I’d say the only problem really would come if you were trying to use a name by which you are well known, so you have to keep the core of it. But then, it’s still possible to be well known by a unique name. I was Issaela (Blood Elf) on Earthen Ring in WoW. For years I was the only Issaela in the whole game, per Armory searches. Then one Draenei Shaman took it as well … but that was it. I now have an Issaela in TESO. None in GW2, though, it doesn’t really fit any of the GW2 races — but if someone now nabs it and I want it some day? Well, I have a couple of last name variations. It won’t be a problem.

I do this with my main characters, they all have the same last name (or title if a last name isn’t lore appropriate). Originally it was just to keep a theme going because I mainly played single-player games and didn’t have to worry about names being taken but it came in useful in MMOs too. Especially since it’s a word I made up, from two different languages, so it’s unlikely anyone would independently invent it.

Although I did have a weird moment when I saw someone else in game with the same last name, it really confused me. It turned out he had seen me posting about it on the forum, liked it and used it himself. Kind of cool but still weird every time I see him.

Donari.5237:

Housing, did it exist, should not vanish without monthly payments.

Looking at you, FF14. Grr.

And DaoC and LotRO. At least LotRO left you will all your furniture, in a chest in a real estate broker’s office, but your prime lakeside estate nestled among your guild mates? Gone. DaoC, it all just poofed after I took a 4 week break. Guess what? That break became permanent (ok, so the completely horrible Trials of Atlantis where you died just taking two steps, and my guild moving on, those were big factors. But losing my carefully furnished house that I had camped out the plot for didn’t help).

To OP: It sounds more like you wanted to have a toon name Dom and got tired of trying to add m’s to no avail. I mean I just made a character last night with an original name and it only took one try. its not that hard to come up with a name if you just give yourself a moment. Or just add a Kitten ton of numbers and get the name you want.

No. There are billions of original names left, use one of those instead of taking someone else’s name. Or just put accents on random letters until it goes through, whatever.

First come, first serve. Period.

What about those of us that want lore-correct sylvari and asura names? It’s near impossible to get a lore-correct sylvari name these days since they have no surnames or titles, takes me hours sometimes weeks to come up with a name and for asura it’s safe to say no good names are left unless you want a title. I’ve had to resort to using names with double double letters like “Vymmii” for example and it’s pretty annoying. What happens when the day comes when even names like that are taken? Some of us don’t like being locked into a title, they limit character development and often sound bad.

Sylvari can have titles. Many of them do, either related to their job or to an aspect of their personality.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/index.php?title=Category:Sylvari&pageuntil=Drunken+Sylvari#mw-pages

For example:
Laranthir of the Wild
Creator Airem
Gardener Yarrow
Mender Serimon

Unless they’re your first character you should have a good idea of what your character is going to do, and if you’re interested in role-play you’ll probably have an idea of their personality so you can use all that to pick a title for them.

Hmmm. between my 52 alts, there are a few that I don’t get around to logging on except once in a blue moon. I paid extra for those character slots. If deleted, would I get my money back? I don’t think so.

btw, even with those 52 names created, I’ve had over a dozen name changes as well. I must be doing something wrong if I’m able to come up with that many unique versions. Yes, there were a few names I’ve run into that someone else had cleverly thought of. Good for them! It meant I needed to get even more creative to find ones that work for me and my quirky sense of humor. Some are RPG names, some are puns, some are carry overs from other games in my 15+ years of play. They all have meaning for me, as do my characters.

There’s an inherent, unspoken contract implied as part of an MMO: permanence. I know ANet has broken that several times, removing content, destroying content, changing purchased items into something else (looking at you wardrobe changes). Yes, I understand the legality of the EULA. However, there is the emotional/good faith portion of an MMO that is important to customers as well. Destroying personal choices for names, the only real “ownership” any player has in a game would be the last piece of destruction I would ever tolerate in a game that a developer dares to call an MMO.

Sorry for the lack of eloquence today, I’m still struggling to understand the amount of sheer entitlement contained in the concept of deleting names from one player to accommodate another.

World of Warcraft allows for the claiming of inactive names. They also have a system for showing how long the name owner’s account has been inactive.