Guild Wars 2

I know in the past this wasn’t really an issue but with the addition of Guild Halls could you please allow Guilds to be renamed?

The Guild I am part of didn’t ask for the original leader(s) to quit. And the name of the Guild doesn’t fit the personalities of the people left.

We have already spent lots of Resources, Gold, and Time doing upgrades. I know in the past it was easy to just make a new Guild but with the time, resources, and gold it takes to upgrade the Guild Halls it is a little extreme, and asking people to go through this again isn’t fun.

I can understand limitations to renaming (maybe once per year or once every 6 months).

Again please consider making this happen I guarantee this little change would make a lot of players happy.

Thanks!!

This request comes up regularly (anywhere from 1-2x/month to 1-2x/quarter). It’s not very likely that ANet will offer this feature, mostly because it’s probably more trouble than it’s worth for them.

The benefits are obvious: who hasn’t regretted a name choice at least once? And as the OP says, the “personality” of the guild can change over time (for any of a variety of reasons, including changes to the leadership).

The costs are less obvious and difficult to address:

• ANet wants a guild’s reputation to proceed it — this gives people an incentive to ensure that their guild has a good reputation and does not get spoiled by a bad apple or two.
• ANet wants to avoid getting involved in intra-guild politics and there’s nothing more political than deciding on the name of a guild except who leads it. Who decides on whether to change? Who chooses the name? Who pays for it?
• How does ANet deal with the inevitable support issues?
• Regardless of the feasibility or viability of potential solutions to above, changing the status quo costs ANet time and resources. What other features should we be prepared to give up on to enable this one?

I’ll bite on these question s, as none of them are difficult to answer.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• ANet wants a guild’s reputation to proceed it — this gives people an incentive to ensure that their guild has a good reputation and does not get spoiled by a bad apple or two.

I don’t think Anet particularly cares, given their offering of character makeover and rename kits. I think it has a lot more to do with how the database entires for guilds are set up, or more accurately, how they were set up when guilds had “chapters” on different servers.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• ANet wants to avoid getting involved in intra-guild politics and there’s nothing more political than deciding on the name of a guild except who leads it. Who decides on whether to change? Who chooses the name? Who pays for it?

The current owner of the guild (the one in the leader rank) obviously. Changing a guild’s name is obviously a permission that only the player with the highest permission rank. It is the guild’s responsibility, not Arenanet’s to conduct fair democracy/accounting for how well that decision reflects the desire of the guild as a whole. That’s guild politics. It’s the same logic that governs how all guild permissions/ranks are assigned, as well as how guilds are named in the first place.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• How does ANet deal with the inevitable support issues?

The same way they deal with any other support issue. I don’t understand this question.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• Regardless of the feasibility or viability of potential solutions to above, changing the status quo costs ANet time and resources. What other features should we be prepared to give up on to enable this one?

We shouldn’t. What we should expect is that the same engineers responsible for database-centric items like name changes are capable of designing an item that can change the string that controls a guild’s name, and that arenanet can see the value in giving us the option to do so for 800 or so gems as a convenience fee. It is not difficult to query and alter entries in a database, and especially now that guilds have been given a partial rework and are universal rather than server sharded on their server clusters I’m guessing that guild name is one string, and guild tag is another. This is exactly the kind of stuff the guild team was created to work on. Guild content and guild QOL. If we have to lose anything it may be a small delay on a crafting recipie, a delay likely smaller than the amount of time taken to make and QoL its art. if they have to borrow engineers from elsewhere in the company, I’m sure they can fit it in after the rollout of whatever this super-secret WvW revamp is during LS releases that are far more asset than engineering centric releases.

They went out of their way to create an maintain awhat is now a fairly robust end user API. This is actually a lot simpler in most cases where I’ve worked with similar database structures.

It really shouldn’t be that hard to implement.
And happy players are more likely to be paying players.
It’s in plenty of other games and it’s not really an issue.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• ANet wants a guild’s reputation to proceed it — this gives people an incentive to ensure that their guild has a good reputation and does not get spoiled by a bad apple or two.

PopeUrban.2578:

I don’t think Anet particularly cares, given their offering of character makeover and rename kits. I think it has a lot more to do with how the database entires for guilds are set up, or more accurately, how they were set up when guilds had “chapters” on different servers.

Actually, Gaile said that they did care about this. Which is why they offer makeover/rename kits, but don’t allow us to change our “Display Name” (the part with four digits afterward).

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• ANet wants to avoid getting involved in intra-guild politics and there’s nothing more political than deciding on the name of a guild except who leads it. Who decides on whether to change? Who chooses the name? Who pays for it?

PopeUrban.2578:

The current owner of the guild (the one in the leader rank) obviously. Changing a guild’s name is obviously a permission that only the player with the highest permission rank. It is the guild’s responsibility, not Arenanet’s to conduct fair democracy/accounting for how well that decision reflects the desire of the guild as a whole. That’s guild politics. It’s the same logic that governs how all guild permissions/ranks are assigned, as well as how guilds are named in the first place.

What if a guild has several GLs? What if the membership hates the name? The point I was trying to make is that this becomes a potential point of contention, which then leads to ill feelings, which distracts from the game. It’s obviously not any worse than any number of other situations in which guilds find themselves, but why would ANet want to add to the number of potential friction points?

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• How does ANet deal with the inevitable support issues?

PopeUrban.2578:

The same way they deal with any other support issue. I don’t understand this question.

There are going to be inevitable complaints: “we didn’t agree to the name change” or “I made a typo” or whatever. That increases the load on Customer Service and in the case of name changes, I would predict a lot more edge cases than for other issues.

You’re right: they’ll deal with it with the same sorts of protocols that they use for any other feature. My points: it’s another hidden cost of an otherwise “simple” change in the game.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• Regardless of the feasibility or viability of potential solutions to above, changing the status quo costs ANet time and resources. What other features should we be prepared to give up on to enable this one?

PopeUrban.2578:

We shouldn’t. What we should expect is that the same engineers responsible for database-centric items like name changes are capable of designing an item that can change the string that controls a guild’s name, and that arenanet can see the value in giving us the option to do so for 800 or so gems as a convenience fee. It is not difficult to query and alter entries in a database, and especially now that guilds have been given a partial rework and are universal rather than server sharded on their server clusters I’m guessing that guild name is one string, and guild tag is another. This is exactly the kind of stuff the guild team was created to work on. Guild content and guild QOL. If we have to lose anything it may be a small delay on a crafting recipie, a delay likely smaller than the amount of time taken to make and QoL its art. if they have to borrow engineers from elsewhere in the company, I’m sure they can fit it in after the rollout of whatever this super-secret WvW revamp is during LS releases that are far more asset than engineering centric releases.

Of course we should be prepared to give something up. ANet has finite resources; players have an ever-growing list of requests (not infinite, but seemingly, by comparison). ANet can’t fulfill them all. Is guild renaming more important and more impactful than a sigil|rune wardrobe? (which presumably tasks some of the same DB resources)

And sure, you’re right: making guild names work like character names (and creating the equivalent of a guild ‘Display Name’) isn’t rocket science — it’s standard DB retrofit. My point is: it’s not free; there are both opportunity and actual costs to making any change.

PopeUrban.2578:

They went out of their way to create an maintain awhat is now a fairly robust end user API. This is actually a lot simpler in most cases where I’ve worked with similar database structures.

Yes. And I think I agree with the implicit assumption that the existence of that API means they are better equipped now than at launch to set up exactly this sort of change.

(I think the most likely scenario of this being implemented is if/when they do another guild overhaul. Even then, it might not make the top of the list.)

However, my tl;dr remains the same:
This change isn’t as simple as it sounds. It takes time and effort that ANet could apply to other things. I think it’s more likely that they will continue to push this to the side of the table, prioritizing other changes with better value relative to the costs.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• ANet wants a guild’s reputation to proceed it — this gives people an incentive to ensure that their guild has a good reputation and does not get spoiled by a bad apple or two.

PopeUrban.2578:

I don’t think Anet particularly cares, given their offering of character makeover and rename kits. I think it has a lot more to do with how the database entires for guilds are set up, or more accurately, how they were set up when guilds had “chapters” on different servers.

Actually, Gaile said that they did care about this. Which is why they offer makeover/rename kits, but don’t allow us to change our “Display Name” (the part with four digits afterward).

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• ANet wants to avoid getting involved in intra-guild politics and there’s nothing more political than deciding on the name of a guild except who leads it. Who decides on whether to change? Who chooses the name? Who pays for it?

PopeUrban.2578:

The current owner of the guild (the one in the leader rank) obviously. Changing a guild’s name is obviously a permission that only the player with the highest permission rank. It is the guild’s responsibility, not Arenanet’s to conduct fair democracy/accounting for how well that decision reflects the desire of the guild as a whole. That’s guild politics. It’s the same logic that governs how all guild permissions/ranks are assigned, as well as how guilds are named in the first place.

What if a guild has several GLs? What if the membership hates the name? The point I was trying to make is that this becomes a potential point of contention, which then leads to ill feelings, which distracts from the game. It’s obviously not any worse than any number of other situations in which guilds find themselves, but why would ANet want to add to the number of potential friction points?

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• How does ANet deal with the inevitable support issues?

PopeUrban.2578:

The same way they deal with any other support issue. I don’t understand this question.

There are going to be inevitable complaints: “we didn’t agree to the name change” or “I made a typo” or whatever. That increases the load on Customer Service and in the case of name changes, I would predict a lot more edge cases than for other issues.

You’re right: they’ll deal with it with the same sorts of protocols that they use for any other feature. My points: it’s another hidden cost of an otherwise “simple” change in the game.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

• Regardless of the feasibility or viability of potential solutions to above, changing the status quo costs ANet time and resources. What other features should we be prepared to give up on to enable this one?

PopeUrban.2578:

We shouldn’t. What we should expect is that the same engineers responsible for database-centric items like name changes are capable of designing an item that can change the string that controls a guild’s name, and that arenanet can see the value in giving us the option to do so for 800 or so gems as a convenience fee. It is not difficult to query and alter entries in a database, and especially now that guilds have been given a partial rework and are universal rather than server sharded on their server clusters I’m guessing that guild name is one string, and guild tag is another. This is exactly the kind of stuff the guild team was created to work on. Guild content and guild QOL. If we have to lose anything it may be a small delay on a crafting recipie, a delay likely smaller than the amount of time taken to make and QoL its art. if they have to borrow engineers from elsewhere in the company, I’m sure they can fit it in after the rollout of whatever this super-secret WvW revamp is during LS releases that are far more asset than engineering centric releases.

Of course we should be prepared to give something up. ANet has finite resources; players have an ever-growing list of requests (not infinite, but seemingly, by comparison). ANet can’t fulfill them all. Is guild renaming more important and more impactful than a sigil|rune wardrobe? (which presumably tasks some of the same DB resources)

And sure, you’re right: making guild names work like character names (and creating the equivalent of a guild ‘Display Name’) isn’t rocket science — it’s standard DB retrofit. My point is: it’s not free; there are both opportunity and actual costs to making any change.

PopeUrban.2578:

They went out of their way to create an maintain awhat is now a fairly robust end user API. This is actually a lot simpler in most cases where I’ve worked with similar database structures.

Yes. And I think I agree with the implicit assumption that the existence of that API means they are better equipped now than at launch to set up exactly this sort of change.

(I think the most likely scenario of this being implemented is if/when they do another guild overhaul. Even then, it might not make the top of the list.)

---

However, my tl;dr remains the same:
This change isn’t as simple as it sounds. It takes time and effort that ANet could apply to other things. I think it’s more likely that they will continue to push this to the side of the table, prioritizing other changes with better value relative to the costs.

Sorry to disappoint Illconcieve but it is an easy fix. I have worked in both database management and web design and my current job is project management combining boths. This would require the addition of a few columns/cells to go with the a couple of additional strings of code. Next excuse? I really don’t think ArenaNet needs help making excuses they do a good job by themselves with people playing sheep helping them with excuses that have no truth to them.

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

Sorry to disappoint Illconcieve but it is an easy fix. I have worked in both database management and web design and my current job is project management combining boths. This would require the addition of a few columns/cells to go with the a couple of additional strings of code. Next excuse? I really don’t think ArenaNet needs help making excuses they do a good job by themselves with people playing sheep helping them with excuses that have no truth to them.

If you really think it’s that simple, you have never, ever, done any sort of coding in your life. I’ve been trying to create a GUI for asset management through the GW2 api, and despite coding that should be 100% functional, it’s spitting out errors that I really cant figure out how to resolve without resorting to drastically tearing apart the code at a fundamental level. Is it complex code? Not terribly complex unless you find foreach loop iterations going through a character’s inventory JSON output complex.

Here’s an example of the data nest I’m dealing with:

"bags":[{"id":8932,"size":20,"inventory":[{"id":68374,"count":52,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":67356,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":67280,"count":7,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":67979,"count":2,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68635,"count":22},
{"id":66624,"count":12,"binding":"Account"},{"id":67826,"count":8,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":21156,"count":2},{"id":74805,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20316,"count":38},
{"id":71707,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68634,"count":49},
{"id":67800,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":77699,"count":112},{"id":77692,"count":5},
{"id":73834,"count":19,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20016,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":20002,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20005,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":20013,"count":3,"binding":"Account"}]},{"id":49361,"size":18,"inventory":
[{"id":19986,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":77750,"count":25},
{"id":38130,"count":164},{"id":20796,"count":85,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":8735,"count":20,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":68632,"count":6},{"id":68633,"count":4},{"id":9440,"count":4},{"id":24594,"count":1},
{"id":68109,"count":18,"binding":"Account"},{"id":19925,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":77709,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":77648,"count":2},
{"id":36725,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":73204,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":49424,"count":136},{"id":43766,"count":6,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":70438,"count":18,"binding":"Account"}]},{"id":45053,"size":18,"inventory":
[{"id":69432,"count":48,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68944,"count":29},
{"id":68387,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68387,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":77576,"count":2},{"id":67777,"count":32,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":66608,"count":4,"binding":"Account"},{"id":64184,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":75032,"count":1},{"id":24282,"count":26},{"id":45176,"count":32,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":45175,"count":155,"binding":"Account"},{"id":45177,"count":2,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":24693,"count":1},{"id":19572,"count":1,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra 
Skye"},{"id":75919,"count":8},{"id":46733,"count":85,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":24787,"count":1}]},{"id":9576,"size":18,"inventory":[{"id":24517,"count":1},
{"id":24769,"count":2},{"id":24610,"count":1},{"id":24553,"count":1},{"id":24595,"count":1},
{"id":39223,"count":6,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":72796,"count":1,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":24532,"count":1},{"id":24631,"count":1},{"id":24626,"count":2},
{"id":67516,"count":5,"binding":"Account"},{"id":71416,"count":8,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":72815,"count":5,"binding":"Account"},{"id":24603,"count":2},{"id":74328,"count":15},
{"id":24739,"count":1},{"id":24775,"count":1},
{"id":46731,"count":42,"binding":"Account"}]},{"id":9576,"size":18,"inventory":
[{"id":24574,"count":1},{"id":24722,"count":1},{"id":24700,"count":1},{"id":24549,"count":1},
{"id":24763,"count":2},{"id":24710,"count":1},{"id":77256,"count":31},{"id":24766,"count":1},
{"id":24628,"count":1},{"id":19534,"count":2,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra 
Skye"},{"id":12429,"count":4},null,null,null,null,null,null,null]},
{"id":9576,"size":18,"inventory":
[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null]},
{"id":38011,"size":20,"inventory":[{"id":26552,"count":1,"upgrades":
[24571]},null,null,null,null,null,null,
{"id":19554,"count":4,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":71541,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},null,
{"id":19575,"count":2,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra 
Skye"},null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,{"id":72411,"count":1,"binding":"Account"}]},
{"id":9579,"size":18,"inventory":[{"id":19984,"count":4,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":68369,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":69887,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":66999,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":73718,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":46887,"count":1,"skin":4890,"upgrades":[24591,24571],"infusions":
[37138],"binding":"Account"},{"id":36172,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":50014,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":44638,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":67938,"count":1,"skin":4902,"upgrades":[44944],"infusions":
[37138],"binding":"Account"},{"id":46884,"count":1,"skin":4204,"upgrades":
[24575],"binding":"Account"},{"id":67937,"count":1,"upgrades":[24624],"infusions":
[37138],"binding":"Account"},{"id":67943,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":46877,"count":1,"skin":4874,"upgrades":[24548,24562],"infusions":
[37138,37138],"binding":"Account"},null,{"id":19992,"count":22,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":20017,"count":4,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20018,"count":11,"binding":"Account"}]}]

Mind you, that’s raw JSON, I’m dealing with a decoded/uncondensed output.

Yes, it is a fair amount of work to support name changes in something like this. For example just consider the error handling and vetting – making sure that the new name is not pornographic. Who gets to change the name? Do we need a renaming privilege? Of course the new proposed name has to be validated as ‘unique’. Does unique include upper and lower case variants? What happens if there is a type? Supposed there is a dc during the process. Is the name stored in multiple persistent systems? Suppose two people are trying to change the name at the same time? Once the name is changed when does the old name become available for others to use?

And so on and on.

The previous project manager? Um clearly I would not want to work for a person like this. Totally unrealistic over-simplistic view of what a software change entails in something the scale of an MMO with millions of accounts.

Aidan Savage.2078:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

Sorry to disappoint Illconcieve but it is an easy fix. I have worked in both database management and web design and my current job is project management combining boths. This would require the addition of a few columns/cells to go with the a couple of additional strings of code. Next excuse? I really don’t think ArenaNet needs help making excuses they do a good job by themselves with people playing sheep helping them with excuses that have no truth to them.

If you really think it’s that simple, you have never, ever, done any sort of coding in your life. I’ve been trying to create a GUI for asset management through the GW2 api, and despite coding that should be 100% functional, it’s spitting out errors that I really cant figure out how to resolve without resorting to drastically tearing apart the code at a fundamental level. Is it complex code? Not terribly complex unless you find foreach loop iterations going through a character’s inventory JSON output complex.

Here’s an example of the data nest I’m dealing with:

"bags":[{"id":8932,"size":20,"inventory":[{"id":68374,"count":52,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":67356,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":67280,"count":7,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":67979,"count":2,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68635,"count":22},
{"id":66624,"count":12,"binding":"Account"},{"id":67826,"count":8,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":21156,"count":2},{"id":74805,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20316,"count":38},
{"id":71707,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68634,"count":49},
{"id":67800,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":77699,"count":112},{"id":77692,"count":5},
{"id":73834,"count":19,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20016,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":20002,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20005,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":20013,"count":3,"binding":"Account"}]},{"id":49361,"size":18,"inventory":
[{"id":19986,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":77750,"count":25},
{"id":38130,"count":164},{"id":20796,"count":85,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":8735,"count":20,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":68632,"count":6},{"id":68633,"count":4},{"id":9440,"count":4},{"id":24594,"count":1},
{"id":68109,"count":18,"binding":"Account"},{"id":19925,"count":3,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":77709,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":77648,"count":2},
{"id":36725,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":73204,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":49424,"count":136},{"id":43766,"count":6,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":70438,"count":18,"binding":"Account"}]},{"id":45053,"size":18,"inventory":
[{"id":69432,"count":48,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68944,"count":29},
{"id":68387,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":68387,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":77576,"count":2},{"id":67777,"count":32,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":66608,"count":4,"binding":"Account"},{"id":64184,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":75032,"count":1},{"id":24282,"count":26},{"id":45176,"count":32,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":45175,"count":155,"binding":"Account"},{"id":45177,"count":2,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":24693,"count":1},{"id":19572,"count":1,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra 
Skye"},{"id":75919,"count":8},{"id":46733,"count":85,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":24787,"count":1}]},{"id":9576,"size":18,"inventory":[{"id":24517,"count":1},
{"id":24769,"count":2},{"id":24610,"count":1},{"id":24553,"count":1},{"id":24595,"count":1},
{"id":39223,"count":6,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":72796,"count":1,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":24532,"count":1},{"id":24631,"count":1},{"id":24626,"count":2},
{"id":67516,"count":5,"binding":"Account"},{"id":71416,"count":8,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":72815,"count":5,"binding":"Account"},{"id":24603,"count":2},{"id":74328,"count":15},
{"id":24739,"count":1},{"id":24775,"count":1},
{"id":46731,"count":42,"binding":"Account"}]},{"id":9576,"size":18,"inventory":
[{"id":24574,"count":1},{"id":24722,"count":1},{"id":24700,"count":1},{"id":24549,"count":1},
{"id":24763,"count":2},{"id":24710,"count":1},{"id":77256,"count":31},{"id":24766,"count":1},
{"id":24628,"count":1},{"id":19534,"count":2,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra 
Skye"},{"id":12429,"count":4},null,null,null,null,null,null,null]},
{"id":9576,"size":18,"inventory":
[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null]},
{"id":38011,"size":20,"inventory":[{"id":26552,"count":1,"upgrades":
[24571]},null,null,null,null,null,null,
{"id":19554,"count":4,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra Skye"},
{"id":71541,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},null,
{"id":19575,"count":2,"binding":"Character","bound_to":"Basandra 
Skye"},null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,{"id":72411,"count":1,"binding":"Account"}]},
{"id":9579,"size":18,"inventory":[{"id":19984,"count":4,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":68369,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":69887,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":66999,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":73718,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":46887,"count":1,"skin":4890,"upgrades":[24591,24571],"infusions":
[37138],"binding":"Account"},{"id":36172,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":50014,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},{"id":44638,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":67938,"count":1,"skin":4902,"upgrades":[44944],"infusions":
[37138],"binding":"Account"},{"id":46884,"count":1,"skin":4204,"upgrades":
[24575],"binding":"Account"},{"id":67937,"count":1,"upgrades":[24624],"infusions":
[37138],"binding":"Account"},{"id":67943,"count":1,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":46877,"count":1,"skin":4874,"upgrades":[24548,24562],"infusions":
[37138,37138],"binding":"Account"},null,{"id":19992,"count":22,"binding":"Account"},
{"id":20017,"count":4,"binding":"Account"},{"id":20018,"count":11,"binding":"Account"}]}]

Mind you, that’s raw JSON, I’m dealing with a decoded/uncondensed output.

Wrong again 20 plus years experience, currently working with a Python back end. You may know some code but don’t go there…

Glass Hand.7306:

Yes, it is a fair amount of work to support name changes in something like this. For example just consider the error handling and vetting – making sure that the new name is not pornographic. Who gets to change the name? Do we need a renaming privilege? Of course the new proposed name has to be validated as ‘unique’. Does unique include upper and lower case variants? What happens if there is a type? Supposed there is a dc during the process. Is the name stored in multiple persistent systems? Suppose two people are trying to change the name at the same time? Once the name is changed when does the old name become available for others to use?

And so on and on.

The previous project manager? Um clearly I would not want to work for a person like this. Totally unrealistic over-simplistic view of what a software change entails in something the scale of an MMO with millions of accounts.

Yeah I wouldn’t hire you, sounds like someone who makes excuses.

Look guys I’m not looking for a P**ing contest I simply stated that I and several other folks I know would like to be able to change names of a Guild, plain and simple. I didn’t ask for everyone to try and tell me why it could or shouldn’t be done.

I ask ArenaNet to consider then others start trying to tell me why it can’t or shouldn’t be done. Then they want to throw out the technical knowledge to back their opinion. I have the same background probably more than some but most definitely less than other.

Could you just say yeah I would like to do that or No I don’t so that way ArenaNet would know if it would be something they should look at for later?

The attacks are why many do not say anything and to be honest this is the first time I have started a post requesting something. Is it really in our (the players) best interest to get into a P***ing contest?

I’m not the bad guy and neither are you all. Thanks and forgive me for having an opinion.

I support this, this should have been in my opinion a feature, that should have been there already from begin on at Release Date together with the other Change Options in the Gemstore, like Character Name Change….

Seriously.. when such a Change Tool exists in the Gemstore, then it should be also easily possible to do the same for Guild Names to change out useable only by the Guild Leader with the difference, that it here is no gemstore Feature, but instead an integrated Guild Feature, that only the Guild Leader should be able to use every lke 1x in x months possible or so – so a timegated feature.

Somethign that requires also alot of guild ressources, so that guild leaders think twice about it, if they will want to use these ressources on a name change, when they would be better spent elsewhere for the guild to progress, so that it will be very unlikely that names of guilds get changed constantly all the time just for fun …

The only other way I see this topic gettign solved is taking the topic the other way around, because practically seen Name Changing already exists if you want to take it this way:

1. Kick all members (making name list first for reinvites later)
2. Deactivate Representation of your Guild
3. make a new one with the name that you want
4. Delete the old one

and now comes the very important difference, where we could put a solution into…

Make it possible to take over the GUILD PROGRESS from an old guild to a new created guild…

Because losing Guild Progression is the only problem that hinders us all from simply deleting guilds and makign new ones with the names that we like.
It would be the simple other way around to solve in my opinion this naming issue by just making it possible to TRANSFER Guild Progression from your deleted guild over to a new made guild that must be created by the same person naturally.

If simply name changign of guilds is so super dramaticalyl impossible for whatever for reasons .. then this owuld be my take as alternative solution to make simply Guild Progression transferable, because through deleting and new creating of guilds, we basicalyl have already name changing.. its just the progression lost that must be solved.

Example:

I have since the game release my own little 1 man guild that i am used to have simply as personal storage, thats progression that I dont want to lose for it, because its progression that I earned myself before the Guild System got changed…

If I would be able to take over my progreession with my personal 1 man guild, Id delete it in a heartbeat and could be able to make myself a new guild with a different name this time and transfer the progression from my deleted guild over to my new made one, as long I’, the same person who created the deleted guild whose progression should be transfered

This way it becomes possible to transfer progression of guils, can easily change names and peopel are able to transfer progress from Guild A to Guild B, unless ANet wants this to become possible maybe and call this option then a Guild Fusion, no clues, but it could be handled as that then, but personalyl I think its better not to provide somethign like this, in my opinion it should stay as personal solution for a Guild Leader only to be able to rename this way a guild by transferring progression simply and that as a timegated feature that requires ressources to create basicalyl the useable item with that a Guild Leader can transfer the progression over from his old deleted guild to his new created guild with the new name.

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

Look guys I’m not looking for a P**ing contest I simply stated that I and several other folks I know would like to be able to change names of a Guild, plain and simple. I didn’t ask for everyone to try and tell me why it could or shouldn’t be done.

I ask ArenaNet to consider then others start trying to tell me why it can’t or shouldn’t be done. Then they want to throw out the technical knowledge to back their opinion. I have the same background probably more than some but most definitely less than other.

Could you just say yeah I would like to do that or No I don’t so that way ArenaNet would know if it would be something they should look at for later?

The attacks are why many do not say anything and to be honest this is the first time I have started a post requesting something. Is it really in our (the players) best interest to get into a P***ing contest?

I’m not the bad guy and neither are you all. Thanks and forgive me for having an opinion.

If you want us to forgive YOU for having an opinion, you have no reason to deny US for having an opinion either.

And let’s face it, Anet’s not going to bother introducing something like this.

I think it would be a fairly easy thing to implement and could just be added to the services offered by one of the existing guild NPCs. I’m surprised it is not already a thing but that’s not to say it will arrive any day soon.

Aidan Savage.2078:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

Look guys I’m not looking for a P**ing contest I simply stated that I and several other folks I know would like to be able to change names of a Guild, plain and simple. I didn’t ask for everyone to try and tell me why it could or shouldn’t be done.

I ask ArenaNet to consider then others start trying to tell me why it can’t or shouldn’t be done. Then they want to throw out the technical knowledge to back their opinion. I have the same background probably more than some but most definitely less than other.

Could you just say yeah I would like to do that or No I don’t so that way ArenaNet would know if it would be something they should look at for later?

The attacks are why many do not say anything and to be honest this is the first time I have started a post requesting something. Is it really in our (the players) best interest to get into a P***ing contest?

I’m not the bad guy and neither are you all. Thanks and forgive me for having an opinion.

If you want us to forgive YOU for having an opinion, you have no reason to deny US for having an opinion either.

And let’s face it, Anet’s not going to bother introducing something like this.

Thanks for continuing to show your true colors……

Bad coding is bad. Not being able to rename guilds is a perfect example of poorly thought out code. Shall we next talk about how bad a decision it was to make scribing associated with a particular person/account even though it was clearly designed to be a guild wide effort, at least in terms of resources…. Bandaids on top of patches, stuck on with bubblegum, held together with rubber bands and lots of duct tape….

Tspatula.9086:

Bad coding is bad. Not being able to rename guilds is a perfect example of poorly thought out code.

That implies anet wanted guilds to have the ability to be renamed in the first place. Not being able to be renamed is hardly an example of bad code. It’s a perfect example of something people think should and want to be possible while the devs are of the firm opinion it should NOT be possible (for the same reason you cant change your display name). A guild’s reputation should not be easily shed like dog hair because something “bad” happened.

Aidan Savage.2078:

Tspatula.9086:

Bad coding is bad. Not being able to rename guilds is a perfect example of poorly thought out code.

That implies anet wanted guilds to have the ability to be renamed in the first place. Not being able to be renamed is hardly an example of bad code. It’s a perfect example of something people think should and want to be possible while the devs are of the firm opinion it should NOT be possible (for the same reason you cant change your display name). A guild’s reputation should not be easily shed like dog hair because something “bad” happened.

In the same instance just because something was identified as wanted or needed in the early stages of development doesn’t mean it couldn’t/shouldn’t change.

I agree that it’s not bad code but more likely not well thought out when the game was in the early planning stages.

Remember the big change implemented in the Queensdale Train Nerf? Look at all the nerfs going on to the various classes because some say that a class is too strong.

I think this is something where the benefits would far outweigh the negatives. And I also think you shouldn’t tie the hands of the many because of the actions of few.

Like one of the other posters said, only allow the Guild Leader to make the change, put a limitation on the number of times it can be done within a calendar year, and charge enough that it is not something done on a whim.

Thanks

I would want a guild name change contract.
However I would also agree with a limitation so guilds cannot constantly switch their guild name.
Regarding multiple guild leaders what if we let the guild “founder” be the one allowed to change it? It could lead to the problem where a guild “founder” is inactive for ages and can’t change the name, however that leads to another topic.
Finally iirc Anet has changed guild names in the past. Similar to reporting offensive player names, you can report guild names as well, and iirc there have been posts about a guild name being changed so Anet is probably capable of doing it.