The ability to change your name

[Janbur]

I was hit by the wipe bug last week.  I wanted to take that opportunity to create a new character and start from scratch, but I wanted to maintain my name.  In order to do so in today\'s version, I have to get a GM to either rename or delete my current character, which will free my name up for my new character.  I will have to rejoin my guild and everything.  Perhaps in tomorrow\'s version there will be a method of doing this myself.

As for the need to rejoin my guild, should this really by tied to a specific character?  Doesn\'t this mean that I could create a lot of characters and be in different guilds at the same time.  This would create a conflict of interest for guild wars.  I would rather see us referenced by our account as opposed to our character name for things like this.  That may create additional problems I haven\'t thought of, but I figured I\'d get the idea out there anyway.

One final thing with names, PS can\'t handle two first names that are the same.  So, if I wanted one character to be named Janbur Ghent and one to be Janbur Erdman, I wouldn\'t be able to do it.  Isn\'t it a little restrictive to require everyone to have unique first names?  I would rather see it look for unique full names instead.

[Moogie]

First point: NO. Your name is your identity. If you want to re-use a name, your old character must become defunkt or deleted. It is too messy and too dangerous to allow people to change their name at will to anything they please.

Second point: How many characters are you planning on playing frequently, and how many of them really need to be in guilds?? We don\'t limit you, but I doubt you\'d play them all, and this point doesn\'t really matter. And what do you mean \"referenced by our account\"? We are trying to enforce ROLEPLAY, not have jimbob@hotmail.com running around.

Third point: No, because some couples want to have the same lastnames when their characters marry. That means that unique firstnames is the only way to distinguish between different people, and it works fine like this.

[Janbur]

Moogie, in response to your points:

First point: Ok, I guess if that\'s the way it must be, then how about a \"Change Name Request\" function or something.  I\'ve been hunting for a GM for 2 days now so I can ask for a name change.

Second point: I only want one character, but I could see where if there is a really passionate guild war, someone could create another character and join the opposing guild to see what is going on there.  As for the account, I meant more from a DB design perspective.  I\'m sure we are all referenced by our IDs in the DB, not \"Moogie\" or \"Janbur\".  It looks like to me they could do this reference for guild memberships on our account IDs so that once we are in a guild, we are in a guild regardless of the character we are paying with.  In hindsight, if you really want to view it from a role-playing perspective, I suppose someone could do what I mentioned above and play both sides of the fence, in which you wouldn\'t want to do this.  You\'d want the ability to have your guild memberships based on your character.

Third point: I\'m not saying to make the last name the unique identifier, I said the full name.  So Sue Jones could marry Tom Smith and they could be known as Sue Smith and Tom Smith.  However, with what I proposed, there couldn\'t be two Tom Smiths.  There could be a Tom Smith and a Tom Jones though.  Does that make more sense?  I just think that since we are identified uniquely by our full names in real life that it should be that way in the game.

An additional point: You sounded pretty torqued about my suggestions.  Wow, this is just a wish list.  I didn\'t mean to offend.

[Pestilence]

hmm as the names go there is the practical problem of the chat. I prefer it to stay the same as I don\'t feel much for typing the full name everytime I use /tell seeing just Tom wouldn\'t cut it anymore.

[Moogie]

Janbur: Well I\'ve seen these things in the wishlist too many times.

As for your point about the full unique names, it\'s impossible to have it that way. Having two people with the same firstname online at the same time messes up /tell. And from previous discussions on that topic, it is obvious that most people do not want to be typing \"/tell Tom Smith\" just to speak to their friend Tom. It\'s too much typing, and too confusing.

[Pestilence]

to big a chance of a typo in the name aswell what is annoying as it is sometimes

[Lutz]

well what about last names? why do they have to be different?

[Moogie]

Lastnames have to be different to stop griefers \'inserting themselves\' into other people\'s family lines. If you want to be put in the same family tree as someone else (either by being brothers/sisters, marrying, etc) you can ask a GM to change your lastname to be the same as theirs.

[Janbur]

OK, I give.  I now understand that full names would be a pain in the butt for /commands.  However, there still should be an easier method of getting your name changed.  Perhaps an online form either on the site or in the game that goes to a GM...  I\'m just having a hard time finding a GM to do this for me.

[PiVale]

can you use the same first name with different chars? why not if they are all from the same acount?

people know me as Pi in the game...if i want to start all over again, people should already be able to recognize you...and it wouldn\'t mess up tell... you can only have a char from the same acount online

Originally posted by Moogie
...you can ask a GM to change your lastname...

when the \"Nolthrir\" models are implemented i would like to change my char to one of those, but still wear the same name...at least the first one...online friends know me by that name... :p


PS-btw..when are they going to be available?