Forums » Suggestions
Name change notification for buddies
If someone on your buddy list changes their name, you should be notified of their previous and new name the first 5 times you see them on. 5 not just 1 because there are cases where you log in but can't see the chat because client crashes or you DC.
So like: *** Your buddy "new name" (previously "old name") logged on.
Or: Buddies currently online: "name1", "name 2", "new name" (previously "old name")...
So like: *** Your buddy "new name" (previously "old name") logged on.
Or: Buddies currently online: "name1", "name 2", "new name" (previously "old name")...
I disagree with this suggestion.
First, you haven't really explained why this should be a thing.
Second, I don't think you should be able to have your named changed -- at least not without being charged a fee. I could see there being an exception made for mobile players looking to have their first, auto-generated name changed
Third, why shouldn't this be the job of the person you are supposedly buddies with? How often are your buddies getting their names changed?
First, you haven't really explained why this should be a thing.
Second, I don't think you should be able to have your named changed -- at least not without being charged a fee. I could see there being an exception made for mobile players looking to have their first, auto-generated name changed
Third, why shouldn't this be the job of the person you are supposedly buddies with? How often are your buddies getting their names changed?
-1
If someone changed their name, that is their business not yours. Respect their choice to tell you or not.
If someone changed their name, that is their business not yours. Respect their choice to tell you or not.
How common are name changes?
Draugath: I mean name changes via support ticket. Those happen for free.
WAF: I behave different ways with different people. The fact that I have someone as a buddy means I'm interacting with them on a fairly regular basis. I think I need to know who they are so I can behave accordingly. That also answers the "Why?"
DBT: I don't think any data has been released on that. Personally I've had 3 buddies who changed their names. That's about as much I know.
WAF: I behave different ways with different people. The fact that I have someone as a buddy means I'm interacting with them on a fairly regular basis. I think I need to know who they are so I can behave accordingly. That also answers the "Why?"
DBT: I don't think any data has been released on that. Personally I've had 3 buddies who changed their names. That's about as much I know.
Sid123 said
Draugath: I mean name changes via support ticket. Those happen for free.
That's precisely what I was referring to, as well. I don't think name changes should be a free thing (at best). If you reduce the incentive to change names (what good reason is there to change a name on an active character?) you reduce the need for some specialized means of alerting people to a name change.
Sid123 said
WAF: I behave different ways with different people. The fact that I have someone as a buddy means I'm interacting with them on a fairly regular basis. I think I need to know who they are so I can behave accordingly. That also answers the "Why?"
You're behaving differently with people depending upon who they are, and you're not using alts? That sounds like a you problem. Buddies are already character-specific.
Draugath: I mean name changes via support ticket. Those happen for free.
That's precisely what I was referring to, as well. I don't think name changes should be a free thing (at best). If you reduce the incentive to change names (what good reason is there to change a name on an active character?) you reduce the need for some specialized means of alerting people to a name change.
Sid123 said
WAF: I behave different ways with different people. The fact that I have someone as a buddy means I'm interacting with them on a fairly regular basis. I think I need to know who they are so I can behave accordingly. That also answers the "Why?"
You're behaving differently with people depending upon who they are, and you're not using alts? That sounds like a you problem. Buddies are already character-specific.
Be like me; your buddy list is actually meaningless. I crossed over 1100 recently, did ya know? :D
Realistically, though, I'm not sure we should or shouldn't notify either way. Does anyone know how other games handle this?
The only MMO i'm familiar enough with, they have a 5$ name change item you can buy as many times as you want. No notifications are sent when you use it.
Realistically, though, I'm not sure we should or shouldn't notify either way. Does anyone know how other games handle this?
The only MMO i'm familiar enough with, they have a 5$ name change item you can buy as many times as you want. No notifications are sent when you use it.
what good reason is there to change a name on an active character?
How about...having a lot of progress on a character which you don't wanna lose.
You're behaving differently with people depending upon who they are, and you're not using alts
So, lemme just give you a scenario. I have dealings with members of many different guilds. Some of those guilds dislike each other. I don't wanna reveal my interactions with one guild to a member of the other. Therefore, I need to know who it is I'm talking to.
How about...having a lot of progress on a character which you don't wanna lose.
You're behaving differently with people depending upon who they are, and you're not using alts
So, lemme just give you a scenario. I have dealings with members of many different guilds. Some of those guilds dislike each other. I don't wanna reveal my interactions with one guild to a member of the other. Therefore, I need to know who it is I'm talking to.
Luxen said
The only MMO i'm familiar enough with, they have a 5$ name change item you can buy as many times as you want. No notifications are sent when you use it.
I believe there are a few games that offer something similar at different price points. None, to my knowledge, give any notification on name changes.
Sid123 said
draugath said
what good reason is there to change a name on an active character?
How about...having a lot of progress on a character which you don't wanna lose.
I asked what good reason there was for it. Your name is tied to your reputation. If you soil your reputation, then a name change basically gives you a Get out of jail, free card to reset it. This is also the reason I don't believe in name changes.
If someone is resetting their reputation, then it's up to them to reintroduce themselves.
The only MMO i'm familiar enough with, they have a 5$ name change item you can buy as many times as you want. No notifications are sent when you use it.
I believe there are a few games that offer something similar at different price points. None, to my knowledge, give any notification on name changes.
Sid123 said
draugath said
what good reason is there to change a name on an active character?
How about...having a lot of progress on a character which you don't wanna lose.
I asked what good reason there was for it. Your name is tied to your reputation. If you soil your reputation, then a name change basically gives you a Get out of jail, free card to reset it. This is also the reason I don't believe in name changes.
If someone is resetting their reputation, then it's up to them to reintroduce themselves.
what good reason is there to change a name on an active character?
I'm just responding to this one point here, and not making any policy statement or responding to the thread as a whole (as of yet). Feel free to continue the discussion.
In my experience, people often ask for name-changes because someone in the game personally takes a dislike to them, and is chasing/targeting them to an extent that they find.. very unpleasant. This kind of.. what I'll loosely call "toxic targeting".. is pretty well established in game history. I think that's a valid reason to want to change your character name.
I'm not claiming this is the most-common case, or that there aren't people avoiding community-reputation problems or some other goal (which probably also has some venn-diagram crossover with people being personally targeted). But, I still think wanting to avoid being station-camped by some guy who has decided you're "fun" to personally troll and mess-with (above and beyond standard game mechanics) is probably an understandable reason to change character names.
The whole concept of a persistent game community can certainly magnify personal-issues between players. Problems that wouldn't even exist on most other non-persistent games become untenable on an MMORPG.
I'm just responding to this one point here, and not making any policy statement or responding to the thread as a whole (as of yet). Feel free to continue the discussion.
In my experience, people often ask for name-changes because someone in the game personally takes a dislike to them, and is chasing/targeting them to an extent that they find.. very unpleasant. This kind of.. what I'll loosely call "toxic targeting".. is pretty well established in game history. I think that's a valid reason to want to change your character name.
I'm not claiming this is the most-common case, or that there aren't people avoiding community-reputation problems or some other goal (which probably also has some venn-diagram crossover with people being personally targeted). But, I still think wanting to avoid being station-camped by some guy who has decided you're "fun" to personally troll and mess-with (above and beyond standard game mechanics) is probably an understandable reason to change character names.
The whole concept of a persistent game community can certainly magnify personal-issues between players. Problems that wouldn't even exist on most other non-persistent games become untenable on an MMORPG.
My point wasn't so much about reputation. Some people get a lot of progress on a character, and then simply wanna change their name to a custom one. Not because they have a bad reputation with the current one. Just because they didn't know they could change their name before they got a lot of progress in or they couldn't think of a custom name they would want at the time.
If someone is resetting their reputation, it is by all means their right to not reveal a name change to those who were targeting them. But if someone was on their buddy list, this would mean they aren't hostile to the player or likely to out their name change.
If someone is resetting their reputation, it is by all means their right to not reveal a name change to those who were targeting them. But if someone was on their buddy list, this would mean they aren't hostile to the player or likely to out their name change.
I agree with WAF here. If someone changed their name & doesn't want to tell you, you probably shouldn't care much. Besides, any name changes in buddy list should be easy enough to identify unless you have a buddy list to compete with luxen.
Just let it be how it is takes my vote
Just let it be how it is takes my vote
the technology to handle this exists in the universe in many forms already, the most basic of which is less than 30 short lines of lua.
people can go through as great of lengths as they wish to hide or change their identities but its meaningless for the most part to anyone active and watching the game.
that aside, it doesnt need to be built into the game. for the most part when dealing with average players, people do go through lengths deleting their friends lists and leaving guilds prior to changes.. let them do their thing.
people can go through as great of lengths as they wish to hide or change their identities but its meaningless for the most part to anyone active and watching the game.
that aside, it doesnt need to be built into the game. for the most part when dealing with average players, people do go through lengths deleting their friends lists and leaving guilds prior to changes.. let them do their thing.