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SWTOR will free unused character names on November 12th

Sevenstar61Sevenstar61 Member UncommonPosts: 1,686

Here is an abstract of the article http://www.swtor.com/blog/swtor-holiday-update

"Have you ever been frustrated trying to find an available name when making a new character? We currently have many, many millions of character names across all the servers, some of which are no longer in use, and as has been frequently noted here on the forums it is difficult to find any good names. We want to flag some 36% of those characters for rename, many of which were created in the early days after launch, and free up a lot of name options for our current players. Get ready to snag that name you always wanted! Exact details are forthcoming, but here’s what you need to know now: Current Subscribers will not have any characters renamed, regardless of activity or level on that character. Period. Even on inactive accounts, the bulk of characters renamed will be under level 10, and no character level 30 or higher will be renamed. November 12th is our current target date for this."


Sith Warrior - Story of Hate and Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxKrlwXt7Ao
Imperial Agent - Rise of Cipher Nine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBBj3eJWBvU&feature=youtu.be
Imperial Agent - Hunt for the Eagle Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqjYYU128E

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Comments

  • SeelinnikoiSeelinnikoi Member RarePosts: 1,360
    Server merge incoming ?
    If you are a Star Wars fan, why not try the Star Wars The Old Republic?
    New players can get a welcome package and old/returning players can also get a welcome back package and 7 days free subscription time! Just click here to use my referral invitation
  • Sevenstar61Sevenstar61 Member UncommonPosts: 1,686

    Nope. They are going to go through character names and free the old unused ones.

    Also Double XP weekend starting November 27th and continuing through Thanksgiving Weekend until December 2nd.

     

    Edit... I think Rift is doing the same thing.


    Sith Warrior - Story of Hate and Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxKrlwXt7Ao
    Imperial Agent - Rise of Cipher Nine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBBj3eJWBvU&feature=youtu.be
    Imperial Agent - Hunt for the Eagle Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqjYYU128E

  • KremchekKremchek Member Posts: 49
    They have merged servers already and most servers have a healthy population. This doesn't seem to even suggest a server merger. This is creating naming choices across all servers. I see where your backwards logic is taking you, but I don't think so chap.
  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722
    Originally posted by Sevenstar61

     

    " *snip* ...Current Subscribers will not have any characters renamed, regardless of activity or level on that character. Period.  *snip* "

    I dont see any problem in doing the rename on inactive characters but... this.... What about active players that arent subscribers? Im not a swtor player anymore and my characters all have unique names that i know ill get again even if they are marked for rename. But im curious about that specific statement. Is this a "resub to keep your name" thing?... I dont think keeping a name is enough to resub.





  • vmopedvmoped Member Posts: 1,708

    They wouldn't have to do this if they would just follow some other mmo companies and allow for naming your character whatever you want with a handle to distinguish them.  Cryptic for all its faults consistently gets this right.  I suppose this will either push some to return, and seal the deal for others to never return.

    Cheers!

    MMO Vet since AOL Neverwinter Nights circa 1992. My MMO beat up your MMO. =S

  • KremchekKremchek Member Posts: 49
    I think its more of a, "If you don't play, someone who does play should get the name they want instead of you" thing. I don't see an issue with it at all. I recently re-subbed for the xpac in December, but this is just to accommodate to people who are playing. Since it is f2p, you can keep your account forever and not even care about it. 10 years down the line you're still taking up a character name and you haven't played for 9 1/2 years? Bad news.  That's what this is aiming at.
  • IridescentOrkIridescentOrk Member Posts: 157
    good news, I may come back to the game and see if I can name my toon "iPWNz"

    gameplay > graphics

  • SeelinnikoiSeelinnikoi Member RarePosts: 1,360
    Originally posted by Sevenstar61

    Edit... I think Rift is doing the same thing.

    They are, but its due to the server merges. Thats why I think sooner or later SWG will merge servers. 

    If you are a Star Wars fan, why not try the Star Wars The Old Republic?
    New players can get a welcome package and old/returning players can also get a welcome back package and 7 days free subscription time! Just click here to use my referral invitation
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435
    Originally posted by IridescentOrk
    good news, I may come back to the game and see if I can name my toon "iPWNz"

    Damn, that's the name I wanted...... maybe on a different server? image

    I think it's a great idea, if people aren't actively playing their avatars the names should be freed up and thrown back into the available pool, keeps the game fresh for the more active customers. so they don't have to use names such as Torrmentttt or something like that.

     

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

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  • KremchekKremchek Member Posts: 49
    Originally posted by IridescentOrk
    good news, I may come back to the game and see if I can name my toon "iPWNz"

    I suspect, and seriously hope you're kidding...

     

    I hate names like that in MMORPGs. :(

  • maxima29maxima29 Member Posts: 203

    This must mean Swtor is closing shop !!!!

    /sarcasm off

  • KremchekKremchek Member Posts: 49
    Originally posted by Ppiper
    Originally posted by Kremchek
    Originally posted by IridescentOrk
    good news, I may come back to the game and see if I can name my toon "iPWNz"

    I suspect, and seriously hope you're kidding...

     

    I hate names like that in MMORPGs. :(

    pretty sure he is kidding....

    Me too, but I'm hoping more than I'm sure...since there are so many names like that out there lol.

  • DamonVileDamonVile Member UncommonPosts: 4,818

    it's a f2p mmo. All this does is make a feeding frenzy in the first few days of ppl with multiple place holder accounts picking off the names they want.

    It's not a solution. Other mmos have had the solution for years.

  • VincerKadenVincerKaden Member UncommonPosts: 457
    Originally posted by Seelinnikoi
    Originally posted by Sevenstar61

    Edit... I think Rift is doing the same thing.

    They are, but its due to the server merges. Thats why I think sooner or later SWG will merge servers. 

    SWG > SWTOR even when making typos!

    Anyway, it may be a precursor to a merge, or just a way to get some resubs for people who want to hold onto their names even if they're not going to use them.

    image

  • maxima29maxima29 Member Posts: 203
    Originally posted by Vayman
    Originally posted by Seelinnikoi
    Originally posted by Sevenstar61

    Edit... I think Rift is doing the same thing.

    They are, but its due to the server merges. Thats why I think sooner or later SWG will merge servers. 

    SWG > SWTOR even when making typos!

    Anyway, it may be a precursor to a merge, or just a way to get some resubs for people who want to hold onto their names even if they're not going to use them.

    I am sure whatever the reason its because the game is horrible, they are losing thousands of player everyday, these severs are dead and they dont release new content, and SWG is the MMO that created them all.  

    /sarcasm off

     

    Why does everything they do have to be some conspiracy theory with some people.  What is wrong with deleted names from toons that have been just sitting there for 2 years?  The servers will not be merged they are doing fine plenty of players ques are short and groups are always forming.  

  • BadOrbBadOrb Member UncommonPosts: 791

    They lost quite a few people due to them losing their character names , I feel they are doing this in the hopes to bring back some of those people. Even recently they lost even more from the APAC community. I agree the wording isn't 100 % clear , yet.

    I wonder who's going to risk trying to rename a character , that they only changed one letter then , if that name is still gone , they then lose out the slightly different spelling one.

    Cheers,

    BadOrb.

    PSO 4 years , EQOA 4 months , PSU 7 years , SWTOR launch ongoing , PSO2 SEA launch ongoing , Destiny 360 launch ongoing.
    "SWG was not fun. Let it go buddy." quote from iiNoSkillzii 10/18/13
    The original propoganda pixie dust villain :[]

  • simpliussimplius Member UncommonPosts: 1,134

    i seriously doubt that

    but a spring cleaning will free up a lot of names on unused accounts

    and it will also make the game more cost effective

    but it really shows swtors main problem:

    they have lots of people coming to check it out

    but very few decide to stay, and pay

    APB is tanking too..GTA5 is definately taking a heavy toll

     

  • TalmagdonTalmagdon Member UncommonPosts: 21

    Over the last few months, EAware has been trying to get the number of active accounts up again. In my opinion, this seems to be another measure to do that .... a  good number of players who left the game in the first and second "great migrations" (a few months post launch and launch of f2p) have been coming back as preferred or f2p players in the last 2 months. There is an element of nostalgia involved, but it's also because SWTOR burnout is forgotten almost as fast as it generates.

     

    I've spoken to a lot of players who have come back to the game after a year, year and a half and the majority of them have found that the things that they left because (or left due to a lack of) seem to have been worked out. Unfortunately, the sheer amount of negative word-of-mouth this game gets puts people off or convinces them not to come back. Freeing up names of unused character names speaks to these players ... it offers a finality to their character. People who have no intention of ever going back won't care, but people who want to keep that option open in the future (maybe even the distant future) may just see this as the death of a character and log on just to make sure their character name is protected for when they do decide to come back. I know that's what I'd do, at least.

     

    Again, that's just what I think they are trying to accomplish.

    *********************

    Some people think trading in the shotgun for the BFG2000 makes the game easier. It just allows you to enter a higher difficulty level.

  • BadOrbBadOrb Member UncommonPosts: 791
    Originally posted by simplius

    i seriously doubt that

    but a spring cleaning will free up a lot of names on unused accounts

    and it will also make the game more cost effective

    but it really shows swtors main problem:

    they have lots of people coming to check it out

    but very few decide to stay, and pay

    APB is tanking too..GTA5 is definately taking a heavy toll

     

    Not really the 1.7 mil or so people who left have left the game with not many decent names , so they are freeing them up. Plus the fact it's getting it's second expansion way early , some people onhere thought S.S.S.P, = 2015.

    Cheers,

    BadOrb.

    PSO 4 years , EQOA 4 months , PSU 7 years , SWTOR launch ongoing , PSO2 SEA launch ongoing , Destiny 360 launch ongoing.
    "SWG was not fun. Let it go buddy." quote from iiNoSkillzii 10/18/13
    The original propoganda pixie dust villain :[]

  • DocBrodyDocBrody Member UncommonPosts: 1,926
    I suppose more server merges coming soon? good Lord...
  • maxima29maxima29 Member Posts: 203
    Originally posted by DocBrody
    I suppose more server merges coming soon? good Lord...

    The servers are fine there is not going to be a server merge.  Good LORD!!!!

  • DamonVileDamonVile Member UncommonPosts: 4,818
    Originally posted by DocBrody
    I suppose more server merges coming soon? good Lord...

    How does freeing up names from characters that haven't logged in, in months/years that are under lvl 30 = server merge ?

  • maxima29maxima29 Member Posts: 203
    Originally posted by DamonVile
    Originally posted by DocBrody
    I suppose more server merges coming soon? good Lord...

    How does freeing up names from characters that haven't logged in, in months/years that are under lvl 30 = server merge ?

    I believe its called "SWG syndrome"  its very common around here on any swtor post.  Any news from SWTOR is the death of SWTOR or SWTOR is closing or SWTOR will never ever release any new content.  

  • DamonVileDamonVile Member UncommonPosts: 4,818
    Originally posted by maxima29
    Originally posted by DamonVile
    Originally posted by DocBrody
    I suppose more server merges coming soon? good Lord...

    How does freeing up names from characters that haven't logged in, in months/years that are under lvl 30 = server merge ?

    I believe its called "SWG syndrome"  its very common around here on any swtor post.  Any news from SWTOR is the death of SWTOR or SWTOR is closing or SWTOR will never ever release any new content.  

    I'm used to reading the ridiculous hate you see on this site....just everyone once in a while someone posts something so random and ...dumb it catches you off guard.

  • simpliussimplius Member UncommonPosts: 1,134
    Originally posted by BadOrb
    Originally posted by simplius

    i seriously doubt that

    but a spring cleaning will free up a lot of names on unused accounts

    and it will also make the game more cost effective

    but it really shows swtors main problem:

    they have lots of people coming to check it out

    but very few decide to stay, and pay

    APB is tanking too..GTA5 is definately taking a heavy toll

     

    Not really the 1.7 mil or so people who left have left the game with not many decent names , so they are freeing them up. Plus the fact it's getting it's second expansion way early , some people onhere thought S.S.S.P, = 2015.

    Cheers,

    BadOrb.

    why dont they just use STOs name system? thats the best in the business

    in fact, why develop a big budget mmo, like this, WITHOUT the best system?

     

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