It's 7+ years and still no name reset. Why?

[Fenella.2634]

> @"grouchybhaal.4275" said:

> > @"Fenella.2634" said:

> > > @"grouchybhaal.4275" said:

> > > Could do what swtor does and every f2p account toon that hasn't reached level 20 and is inactive for more than 6 months, name may be taken by another player.

> > > Once lvl 20 is reached, name is permanently yours

> > But seriously, why? Does anyone really think throwaway f2p accounts that were abandonned half an hour in hog all the cool names? Do those players that just try out the game for a bit really spend that much creativity on their characters that those names are worth all this trouble?

> > Especially since the game only became f2p mid 2015, so they already had a limited name pool.

> >

> > I'm really glad GW2 lets its players take breaks without taking anything from the characters. We even get birthday gifts without logging in for years. For me, this attitude towards the players made returning much easier. :) If instead I had been greeted by broken characters without names... Hm... I don't know if I had wanted to stay then.

>

> Level 20 is reached in 2 hour of gameplay, so a f2p that (takes about 3 hours in swtor). If you have came back after 2 hours of game play... And thats most likely why swtor does it that way... If you cant invest 2 hours into that charater in 6 months, someone else might

And you think that people who invest that little time and never look back are the same people who come up with super creative names? Names that make all this effort here worth it?

Really?

[EdgarMTanaka.7291]

I didnt play another MMO for 2 years ... When I got back my name had changed and I played that game for 6 years before that and then my name is gone... I logged out and never returned.

 

In that game you just had a name but in GW2 you can have a long name and a sirname and actually you are not allowed to use names from other games/movies/and more right?

[Danikat.8537]

> @"EdgarMTanaka.7291" said:

> I didnt play another MMO for 2 years ... When I got back my name had changed and I played that game for 6 years before that and then my name is gone... I logged out and never returned.

>

> In that game you just had a name but in GW2 you can have a long name and a sirname and actually you are not allowed to use names from other games/movies/and more right?

 

That's what I'd do too if I returned to a game and found my character's names had been removed.

 

Technically you're not allowed to use names which reference real-life people or are copyrighted or trademarked. But as far as I'm aware Anet don't enforce that unless the copyright holder complains. The rule is there to protect Anet from legal action: if a copyright holder complains Anet can easily point to a place where they clearly told players they were not allowed to do that, to prove that anyone who did is acting on their own and in defiance of Anet's rules. It also means they can force a name change so the problem is solved (at least from the copyright holders perspective).

 

The bit about trademarks might also be to stop people advertising in game. I've not seen that for years, but it used to happen occasionally. Once in GW1 there was a guy called Nokia who just stood in LA all day asking people if they'd seen the latest Nokia phone and talking about how great it was. Not sure if he was paid by the company or just a fan (not sure mobile phones have fans to that extent) but he disappeared after a few days and I was told he was banned because of the name.

 

I'm not sure but I assume to be in trouble for using a real person's name you'd have to be referencing a specific individual. I have a character called Tomas Ash, not based on anyone in particular, just a name I put together. A quick search online tells me there are several real people with that name (including that exact spelling) but I doubt anyone could accuse me of using their name deliberately. But if you were to make a character called, say Queen Elizabeth II, who also looked like a little old lady in a florescent suit and hat it would be pretty clear you were imitating a specific individual.

[grouchybhaal.4275]

> @"Fenella.2634" said:

> > @"grouchybhaal.4275" said:

> > > @"Fenella.2634" said:

> > > > @"grouchybhaal.4275" said:

> > > > Could do what swtor does and every f2p account toon that hasn't reached level 20 and is inactive for more than 6 months, name may be taken by another player.

> > > > Once lvl 20 is reached, name is permanently yours

> > > But seriously, why? Does anyone really think throwaway f2p accounts that were abandonned half an hour in hog all the cool names? Do those players that just try out the game for a bit really spend that much creativity on their characters that those names are worth all this trouble?

> > > Especially since the game only became f2p mid 2015, so they already had a limited name pool.

> > >

> > > I'm really glad GW2 lets its players take breaks without taking anything from the characters. We even get birthday gifts without logging in for years. For me, this attitude towards the players made returning much easier. :) If instead I had been greeted by broken characters without names... Hm... I don't know if I had wanted to stay then.

> >

> > Level 20 is reached in 2 hour of gameplay, so a f2p that (takes about 3 hours in swtor). If you have came back after 2 hours of game play... And thats most likely why swtor does it that way... If you cant invest 2 hours into that charater in 6 months, someone else might

> And you think that people who invest that little time and never look back are the same people who come up with super creative names? Names that make all this effort here worth it?

> Really?

 

People asked for an option... Just stated another mmos way of dealing with it...

No need to get all offend over a lottle bit ao smashed avo

[SoulGuardian.6203]

Jeez.

Is this thread still going?

I thought this got to a conclusion.

[tinymurder.5791]

> @"Krzysztof.5973" said:

> > @"Dante.1763" said:

> > > @"Krzysztof.5973" said:

> > > Y'all acting like your character names will be gone tomorrow. He wants to reset character on inactive accounts. Nothing more, nothing less. If someone didn't login for X years they don't care if they lose it or not. Simple as that.

> >

> > See my post about being physically unable to login for 3 years, not just choosing not, but being unable to. I still cared about my account.

>

> Even if you can't access a PC a single time during those 3 years I find it hard to believe that you don't have access to the internet in that time. Logging into the website counts as accessing your account.

 

Unless the system you're using has this website on it's banned websites list. Then no, I would not be able to access my account. Before you ask, most if not all of the military intranet systems will not access Arena Net websites. I wouldn't be surprised if all government managed intranet systems blocked gaming websites.

[Daishi.6027]

Because it's been 7 years and the game is a non subscript service with shared servers.

 

Those other people who left may come back, and there is no reason to deny them the service they initially bought into. If those players cared enough about a particular name they should have been here years ago at the head start to reserve it for themselves.

 

If you weren't playing then or didn't think of it then, well to bad. First come first serve.

[Moira Shalaar.5620]

This is definitely a discussion that has been hashed and rehashed and has no need of being yet resurrected again. Here is a link to at least two of the previous times it has been discussed at length that I remember because I commented there too:

 

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/9755/name-purge-its-about-time/p1

 

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/886083#Comment_886083

 

I have taken what I posted in an earlier thread and put it here as well as some things to consider when discussing this idea:

 

Here are some ethical questions involved in this matter:

1. What are the "rights" of players who have not logged in for a length of time?

2. What are the "rights" of active players?

3. What is/should be the deciding factor(s) when the "rights" of two parties come into conflict? Active status? Significance/Severity of "needs"?

4. What is the hierarchy of priorities? (i.e. Is active status most important? is temporal precedence most important? is current possession {of a name in this case} most important? Is there potential for developer profit?)

5. What role should profitability and its potential play in policy decision making in a for profit company? Should profit and its potential supersede player "rights"?

6. Is ArenaNet obligated to keep its word given at launch and since with regards to leaving accounts/names untouched?

 

Clearly different parties in this thread have different answers to these questions. These questions ought to be answered in an unbiased manner, meaning answering them in one's favor simply because they are in one's favor WOULD be unethical. I'm sure there are other ethical considerations involved, those are just the ones I could pick out off the top of my head.

 

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

> @"Moira Shalaar.5620" said:

> This is definitely a discussion that has been hashed and rehashed and has no need of being yet resurrected again. Here is a link to at least two of the previous times it has been discussed at length that I remember because I commented there too:

>

> https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/9755/name-purge-its-about-time/p1

>

> https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/886083#Comment_886083

>

> I have taken what I posted in an earlier thread and put it here as well as some things to consider when discussing this idea:

>

> Here are some ethical questions involved in this matter:

> 1. What are the "rights" of players who have not logged in for a length of time?

> 2. What are the "rights" of active players?

> 3. What is/should be the deciding factor(s) when the "rights" of two parties come into conflict? Active status? Significance/Severity of "needs"?

> 4. What is the hierarchy of priorities? (i.e. Is active status most important? is temporal precedence most important? is current possession {of a name in this case} most important? Is there potential for developer profit?)

> 5. What role should profitability and its potential play in policy decision making in a for profit company? Should profit and its potential supersede player "rights"?

> 6. Is ArenaNet obligated to keep its word given at launch and since with regards to leaving accounts/names untouched?

>

> Clearly different parties in this thread have different answers to these questions. These questions ought to be answered in an unbiased manner, meaning answering them in one's favor simply because they are in one's favor WOULD be unethical. I'm sure there are other ethical considerations involved, those are just the ones I could pick out off the top of my head.

>

 

How about narrowing it down to this “Is ArenaNet obligated to keep its word given at launch and since with regards to leaving accounts/names untouched?”

 

Maybe nowadays some people think that both people and companies don’t need to keep their word when it becomes inconvenient but I think that breaking their word would have larger problems as now people know that their word isn’t worth anything. And that would cost a company more than the loss of a few disgruntled players who aren’t willing to be either flexible or creative in making a character name.

[Ayakaru.6583]

I think blizzard handled it well.

They announced the action well ahead of time, and sent several informative emails.

 

"You have not logged in for 24+ months, and therefore your account has been flagged for a name purge. If you wish to retain rights to your character name, simply log in, even if only for a minute, and your account will remain preserved"

[Blockhead Magee.3092]

Anet should monetize it - allow players to buy someone else's name (assuming they're willing to sell) for 1000 gems. Original owner gets 800 gems. Anet pockets the difference.

 

Sure, someone who's left the game isn't around to do that, but Anet will never force them to lose their character names.

 

 

[kharmin.7683]

The "why" is that Anet doesn't see a need to do it. It's their game, their decision.

[Dante.1763]

> @"tinymurder.5791" said:

> > @"Krzysztof.5973" said:

> > > @"Dante.1763" said:

> > > > @"Krzysztof.5973" said:

> > > > Y'all acting like your character names will be gone tomorrow. He wants to reset character on inactive accounts. Nothing more, nothing less. If someone didn't login for X years they don't care if they lose it or not. Simple as that.

> > >

> > > See my post about being physically unable to login for 3 years, not just choosing not, but being unable to. I still cared about my account.

> >

> > Even if you can't access a PC a single time during those 3 years I find it hard to believe that you don't have access to the internet in that time. Logging into the website counts as accessing your account.

>

> Unless the system you're using has this website on it's banned websites list. Then no, I would not be able to access my account. Before you ask, most if not all of the military intranet systems will not access Arena Net websites. I wouldn't be surprised if all government managed intranet systems blocked gaming websites.

 

This is 100% true, and the Internet in Middle Eastern Countries where i was is also just as if not more restrictive(no skype, telegram, discord etc).

[Bassdeff.1895]

Personally I never understood what the big deal is about having more than one character with the same name and why they chose to block it in game. How many John Smiths are out there. Our GW2 ID is what is important. There were a lot of original names that people beat me to like Chive Owen and Donald Trunk, Charr Lemagne. That being said, I don't want them to pull resources off other projects for something like this.

[bluberblasen.9684]

> @"Xar.6279" said:

> Do you really think that players which stopped playing in 2012 still care about their GW2 character nicknames? While they literally don't care about this game anymore?

> Current players and newcomers could use those nicknames.

 

LoL

i < only > pre ordered the game that i could make my favorite character names.

i would instant want my money back when my character names would be gone.