Idea Proposal: Unique Character Names

I differ respectively. I honestly think its more of a simplification. In the end, it will create less over-reaction, and more "maning up".

No more hiding behind someone else. Less Cowards = good...hopefully

It's really just a legitimate discussion about a mechanic often abused by people with the sole intention of causing grief or defaming others.

My lashing out at MrBeNNy in IRC yesterday....that was an overreaction. (which is one word, btw).

duplicating character names isn't necessarily an act of cowardice. calling names and starting flame wars on the internet might be cowardly, though.

Depends on how you utilize the name eh?

The last part I definitely understand, and albeit, still feel guilty about it. I was killed by a guy named Blaise, and after chatting in IRC I felt like a piece ***t when I laid out all the blame on him......and he deserved absolutely none of it.

It was what it was.........I can't take it back now, and I'm sorry for that.

However, this is not a flame war. It's an idea proposal.


I'd love to hear your opinion on the matter though

-------------------------------------------------

Sir, I apologize if you misinterpreted my post, it was not meant as a personal attack. Yours and everyone's ideas are welcome, and you have raised quite a few good points!

I believe in this explanation you are actually exposing the absurdity that I was referring to. Do you really need to name your chars "Cheifwoah, Cheifwhoa, Chiefwhoa, ChiefWoah, CheifWoah" when using the same one would be just as good. Even you are claiming that it will not stop the nefarious activities, it will only put an extra annoyance on the entire playerbase.

My overall point and why I think name restrictions should not be applied is that UO was always about having an element of uncertainty and disguise. And what of all those creative town thieves, how will they cope when the first 'a cat' becomes the only one.

Keep the ideas coming, great discussions lead to great things!

Cheers

What about people like me, with multiple characters using the same name? I have 3 characters named Atraxi. What happens to the other 2? Do I get to keep my 3 Atraxis, or do I have to choose which character I want to be named Atraxi?

I like to have multiple characters with the same name. Servers that have unique names can get confusing with all the alts everyone uses.

It does nerf a playstyle. And it not necessarily is a "griefer" play style.

Assume there's a group of players interested in the business of delivering justice throught the land. Assume now, that all those players create characters with similar physical attributes, who are dressed the same, and share the same name. Now imagine this group of justice seekers clashing against a l33t pvp crew used to synching using vent. You take away that possibility for them. I lol at them shouting: "target Radical Larry in 3, 2...oh shit, which one?"

Wait, when you guys are using the microphones and headphones, you can hear *everyone on the shard* using them?

EDIT: also, enforcing uniqueness removes the possibility of the Bobs and the Freds vs. Bobs wars

Dalavar, no. There's various 'room' options for audio chat. Some use Skype to keep it simple and private. Others use the shard's Ventrillo host with their Ventrillo clients, to chat with other shard players or their guild/team in a respective channel.

I'm yet another person who uses the same name for multiple characters. I use our naming system to be able to roleplay the character I wish to roleplay without being locked into the same template all the time. I can't imagine anyone accusing me of being a griefer either.
And the more we make UOR like other MMOs the less I'll like it.

TheChiefwoah wrote:

Wise wrote:

I don't know Wise. I think you at least get where i'm coming from though, and I do understand you're pov as well. I don't think you were ever attacking me personally. Just trying to give your feedback is all, I can take it mate

I understand the level of uncertainty, and disguise every time I log in. What I don't understand is why an apparent play-style, that has no accountability, can be harbored so strongly when pretty much every other design requires a degree of ownership? That's my main question, but I'll go through some more details on other post down below.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After reading through some more post here, I really didn't realize that people actually create the same character name on all/some/most of there toons. While in that theory; whether it may or may not be convenient to create (up to 15 of there possible toons) the same name...it still realizes the potential possibilities I've pointed out. Regardless of the many toons you want to have the same name, there can always be the nefarious doppelganger running about at any time.

"Arggh........who's ChiefWoaH"?

"Arggh........who's Chiefwoah"?

Which is more annoying? You know at least 1 person is Chiefwoah. You may, or may not know who ChiefwoaH is. The more you know about something, the less annoying it becomes.

Maybe it would be confusing to have to think of 15 different unique character names when you create a char. It's a lot of names to create, and a lot of work to remember. How confusing would it be to remember which (of your potential 15 chars) toon has what skills when they all have the same name? Which toon owns which house????????????? Would that not be confusing as hell? Apparently, they all belong to chiefwoah........Does anybody actually have 3 accounts entirely filled....consisting of the same name?

I'm also not sold on it putting an extra annoyance on the entire player-base. The only annoyance I could possibly see unique names generating are from people who decide to use the same name on quite a few of there toons. If this is a player-base wide issue, I must be doing something wrong because I always make different names for all my toons, and I am apart of that player-base!

If it's a matter of not being able to create the same exact name of a different person for whatever nefarious or otherwise activities, I cannot imagine how that would possibly be an extra annoyance to the entire player-base. There are many ways you can still be creative, and allow people to immediately recognize your char.

There are other great methods available to order to maintain your signature character/s, ensuring that other people will know who you are aside from just copy/pasting your same name 15 times. Using nicknames, prefix, suffix, and foretelling staples:

Chiefwoah.
Potential alts:

Chief
Woah
Chiefasarus
Thewoah
Woahup
Chiefism
Woahism
Chiefaholic
Woahizzle

Still unique, creative, and recognizable to other players. Many options, many faucets to employ....none of them the same unique guise. You can list them all on your forum sigs if you'd like so everyone knows them......but nobody can copy them! They can do there best, but like every other faucet of the game, a small little detail is left behind.......a footprint, that can still be traced back with due diligence and hard work (which should be required imo), rather than no footprint at all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If unique names apply an annoyance on people who exploit other players name's without due responsibility for their actions, and let the actual real person assume all the paperwork, then I'm sorry for anyone who feels that way. You need to either own up to your endeavors, or continue to assume that no accountability is a legitimate agreed upon play-style, and continue to push for flowers and rainbows.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




In the end, it will cause less confusion, less annoyance, less cowardice play-styles, and an additional means for players to be creative, and inventive. Come toward my point of view for a second a take a look at it please! Create some pro's and cons. If you all do that i'll do the same and that is a promise.

Chief

Furthering in on this point. You can use other peoples names in order to interact in a successful scam.

Lets say "Chiefwoah" decides he's going to buy from Jerry Springer. "He" need iron ingots anyways, and Jerry is selling 10k ingots. "I" decide to buy. "Gate to bank this way Jerry". "Crap wrong gate.....thought it was bank, its the stables, alrighty bank this time."


Throw up a gate right near x location......gank!!! Dead. Poor Jerry, I always loved that show.


So the nefarious, fake chiefwoah gets reported. Now I, all a sudden, have to deal with some crap someone else did?

I can tell that you're passionate about this issue, and I understand where you're coming from. It would make things easier for those of us with impeccable reputations. However, knowing Telamon, I can guarantee you there will never be forced unique names on this server, as long as he's running it. The closest you might come is having it be a plat reward, if that's even possible. Even that's a HUGE "maybe".

Unique character names is too Trammel. It would require people to delete characters or force name changes. Forced changes like that are never a good idea unless your goal is to watch your shard's population plummet.

You can get something similar to that on IRC, by registering your nickname with Chat4All. Sometime when I'm not on, change your nick to Atraxi, then wait 21 seconds. Even if I'm on, tell me you want to try it, and I'll happily change my nick and let you. It's more fun for me if I'm on.

The registered nicks on the irc server have already presented a major issue with your request. When MatronDeWinter joined this server under the name "snapdragon", it was quickly discovered that snap was MdW. Almost immediately, someone registered MatronDeWinter on irc, which is a very famous name for many of us. Despite the fact that snapdragon and I have completely different playstyles, I'm quite upset that I can't see the name MatronDeWinter on irc. The name rightfully demands respect in some, and fear in others.

So, hypothetically speaking, let's say Telamon does make unique names here. It's well known that much of our population came from The Shard That Shall Not Be Named. First day we have unique names, one person decides to be a dick and makes 3 new accounts from a friend's IP. On those 3 accounts, they pick the 15 most famous names of Voldeshard players that haven't joined our server, yet. Now, if those people do come here, expecting to use their famous name, they find that they can't. Why? Because some a-hole decided to "steal" the name from them. Guess what happens, then...we very likely lose a potential player for this server.

That's if 1 person decides to do that. And that's just one shard.

What if 5 people do that? 10 people? We do have some jackarses on this server (not naming names).

There are too many holes in your wish. The major one is: unique names needs to be something done at the beginning of a server's life. Not over a year into it. It's too big of a change. It's like if Telamon suddenly decided to add Trammel. Boom...instant shard death.

Two things.

1) its facet, not faucet. An alternate point of view is not a leaking fixture in your bathroom. Facets have sides, Faucets have knobs.

2) You're the one who needs to see this from other perspectives. Claiming that we "just don't get the benefits" of your idea does not negate the cons that have already been listed out, quite eloquently, by other players. Your cons as requested are already posted over 3 pages worth of this thread.

You need to understand that for any change here to even be considered, it has to take into account all play styles, all players, all points of view. The perspective of a Feluccian world is one where the goal is balance for all. That means: balance for evildoers, balance for do-gooders, balance for scammers, balance for thieves, balance for tradesman, SIMULTANEOUSLY. This is key.

Right now, you have blinders to your idea -- and your idea negates a lot of things that you perceive as much larger problems than they actually are. As a side effect of your blinders, your propositions don't just negate things for people with nefarious intentions, but also for the average player like Atraxi and Godric who like to have symmetry in characters. Their reasons for doing it do not matter, nor should they have to justify them to you -- nor give them up because you're afraid of getting PK'd by Blaise and being uncertain if its actually Blaise.

Please, step back from your idea and take a look at it from the perspective of everyone else who has already voiced their disdain, with reasoned arguments. There should be no need for continued discussion on this topic, because the change will not occur and it is not in the interest of the environment of this shard's world.

This whole idea is not era accurate and I decided to fight any non-era accurate idea.

I do not want this to become a custom shard with neon pink rideable bunnies. Era accuracy must stand above all other considerations when proposing changes/features.

.

How about 1 unique name per account?

Okay you want to hear arguments ...

Some poor guy, off the UO for years, has a relapse. He's looking for the real thing - a server like in the good old days.
This should be his first choice right ? It was my first choice for sure an I am such a poor guy.

Now the first thing you do is login and create a char. Game tells you "This name is already taken" and you think to yourself "Meeeh .. it's already messed up"

.