Last name in use

[TommyClaws]

Yes, I've been playing barely a week.  Yes, I've read the forums.

This is a very nice game.  I just have one issue that's been continually bugging me--character names.

I realize creating a program that allows characters to have the same last name (yet still check to make sure first and last name aren't already in use) may be time consuming, but forcing 25,000 players to try name after name for that one name not in use....yeah, I think its worth it.

It reminds me how unrealistic the game is.  Last names were created for a purpose...they have a meaning, they relate you to some person, some place, some characteristic, some family, yet still distinguish you.  Telling 25,000 to make up a fake name (because a reasonable one is already in use) makes the game seem....lacking.

[ThomPhoenix]

The devs are aware that change is needed. When? Who knows.

[Karyuu]

How is this different from having a first name you want already in use?

[Earl_Listbard]

Because last names are family names Karyuu, take this for example

my last name is Conley, however I recently met another person with the same last name, well guess what I did some background checking, looking through files on the computer and such, and it turns out we're not related, at all. We don't even share the same genes.

Last names are commonly used again, and sometimes they aren't nessasarily related.

Though I could understand keeping a klyros and a hammerwielder from having the same last name, do to the interspecies crap, and the like.


A hammerwielder claims the last name of Bronzetip, that last name is now forever limited to hammerweilders, and thus is stated so when a klyros, ylian, or dermorian try to use that last name.... Just an idea.

[bilbous]

I am wondering if it would not be better to just have one full name, a space between the first name and the surname. You could perhaps allow a second space to have a middle name but two spaces in a row disallowed. Thus you could have Joeblow, Joe_Blow and Joe_Jack_Blow where the underscores represent a space but you could not have Joe__Blow and all names would be unique. There might be other considerations of course that would prevent this solution.

As for the racial names idea I think it would be limited to Krannic or Klyrotic names as they do not interbreed. For example if a hammerweilder and a fenki have a enkidukai child would it have a hammerweilder name? This brings up the question of whether the various races have patronymic, matronymic or other naming traditions and how they interplay in mixed marriages.

[evil scotsman]

Names are very important for many reasons, they can show racial, religeous, class, and cultural affiliations. Sometimes naming can foster a sense of belonging, where persons who share a first or last name feel a sense of recognition and kinship with each other. Increased interactions can only help to foster a better RP atmosphere in the game.

Allowing 'sharing' of names in this way should be possible, as should 'race' naming as suggested above, where names reflect racial traits, in this way a community of users could grow up with a greater feeling of belonging, where naming could play a part in the wider scheme of things by introducing 'families' and 'clans' based on naming, but still allowing uniqueness.

Instead of the present system of wholly unique names, perhaps checking to see if both first and second names are in use, if one is used, but not the other then it constitutes a unique name, and may be used, only if both names are used would it be a problem.

[LigH]

Especially in medieval times, names contained often a job description. But it is surely not realistic to believe that e.g. only one Miller, only one Carpenter, only one Fisher, only one Baker ... exists in a whole land. Not even in a whole town! Just the combination of First name and Family name made a person's name unique.

And another point: What if a couple of players want to join PlaneShift to play a family? Sure, GMs are able to set family names to allow them being family members in this case. Without GM powers, no couple of players would be able to start playing as a family.

In my opinion, you should only avoid the same first AND family name as reason to reject a chosen name as "already taken". The same first name, OR the same family name, may show a warning, but should be allowed after explicit confirmation.

The problem here is just that the system only uses first names for a lot of functions. So the same first name with different family names won't be possible for many more years, I assume.

[Karyuu]

I think Kayden was working on something to make any last name available to any player - with a pop-up warning that it's already in use. At least, I remember it being in discussion. So there's a chance you might see this.

[TommyClaws]

Thank you!  I am so glad to see I wasn't the only one who thought this a feature that could/should be changed.

I'm glad to hear someone at least considered working on it.  Amongst a small group of players, one might not foresee naming an issue.  But when you have 25K players...it's just unrealistic.  Sadly, few games consider names important, fewer still explore how enriching they make the gaming experience. 

Yet, I can see the argument for having a unique, creative player name.  But seeing all these unique names...hard to think we've been in the land of Yliakum for 700 years.

[Jeraphon]

With this allowance, I hope care will be taken for the repetition of last names not to be abused. Some people might not want others joining a family against their will, and we don't need people showing up pretending to be relatives of NPCs (Starhammers, Mikanas, Prestises, etc.)

[LigH]

So Karyuu will again update the Naming Policy.

Furthermore - I doubt we have 25K active players at once. Lots of accounts are already shadows in the basement.

[TommyClaws]

Hehe, good caution Jeraphon...but I doubt the developers would give players the power to deny some members similar names and not others. 

Besides, similar last names doesn't even mean your related! (but wow, wouldn't it be great if the game could do that for you--the game could auto clan you? Of course, I prefer making the connections myself...it's part of my own RPG experience...) 

And don't worry Jeraphon: if someone had really wanted to be related to an NPC, don't you think they'd have just made up a blood relation to an NPC right now?

[Kaityra]

Hello!

I don't think that we need another thread about names. Here is the previous one:
Surenames

I strongly recommend any new user to browse the forum first before opening new threads.

With kind regards
Kaityra

[TommyClaws]

Thanks for the link.  I had checked the complaint forum and the wish forum thoroughly, but seeing that I was trying to bring my complaint under proper attention, I posted here than inside the general forum.

Thanks for bringing up the extra info though.

P.S. the complaint being last names already in use (not about discussing having one in general).

*edit*

Also, let me mention my complaint was to represent all newcomers...if you've already been here you may not have had any trouble coming up with a last name at all.

Yet, I suspect it would be harder over time for newcomers to find meaningful names not already snatched up by older users (or even variations of some names).

Of course, I guess they could just start allowing people to use names like "sw33t ch33ks" to help the naming issue.

[zanzibar]

How is this different from having a first name you want already in use?

*gasp* You're right!  The only solution is.... wait... give me a second...

As for the racial names idea I think it would be limited to Krannic or Klyrotic names as they do not interbreed. For example if a hammerweilder and a fenki have a enkidukai child would it have a hammerweilder name? This brings up the question of whether the various races have patronymic, matronymic or other naming traditions and how they interplay in mixed marriages.

meh.  There's no reason people have to stick to such a rigid naming system.  Humans with enki names, enki with diaboli names, it's all good!