Name is not taken - but can't get it.

[Ukase]

It's not a secret I have more than one account. 

I decided to transfer a character with the name in question from Excelsior to another server. The transfer went just fine. 
I decided to then make/create a new character on a different account on Excelsior with the name of the character I transferred. I could not. Maybe 30 seconds had elapsed, I couldn't name the character the same name, even though that character was now on a different server. 

I thought, surely someone didn't take this name in that 30 seconds. So, I transferred the first character back to Excelsior, and retained the name. 

Then I thought..okay, let me rename this character to something else, and see if I can get the name on the other account. I couldn't! 

What's going on here? Do I need to wait 5 minutes for the servers to catch up with the transfers and the name changes?

[lemming]

I do think that there is a hold period in case of mistakes, etc...

[Ukase]

Very odd. Repeated exactly what I did this morning, to see if the "wait period" applied...and didn't need to wait, got the name right away. Sometimes, this game is weird. 

[Frozen Burn]

On 10/13/2025 at 9:06 AM, Ukase said:

It's not a secret I have more than one account. 

I decided to transfer a character with the name in question from Excelsior to another server. The transfer went just fine. 
I decided to then make/create a new character on a different account on Excelsior with the name of the character I transferred. I could not. Maybe 30 seconds had elapsed, I couldn't name the character the same name, even though that character was now on a different server. 

I thought, surely someone didn't take this name in that 30 seconds. So, I transferred the first character back to Excelsior, and retained the name. 

Then I thought..okay, let me rename this character to something else, and see if I can get the name on the other account. I couldn't! 

What's going on here? Do I need to wait 5 minutes for the servers to catch up with the transfers and the name changes?

 

I am guessing here, but this might be a reason why this is happening.... and for this is example, I'm going to assume your character is level 50, but this could also apply at lower levels. 

• At lvl 50, your name cannot be taken ever - on that server - according to the naming policy. 
• You check on the new server for your name, and since no one else has it, you transfer your character and claim your name on that server forever. 
• You cannot create a new toon with same name on old server, because your original toon has already claimed it on that old server. 
• But for whatever reason, the system doesn't add your name to the "taken" list when checking - maybe, because the toon isn't actually there - but it locks you out anyway.
• Transferring back, you can reclaim your name because that toon has already secured it's name there.

This may also apply for the lower lvl toons, but you would need to wait the 1 year for the name release from the lvl 7-49 toons and the month for the 1-6 toons.  

 

....Maybe???  a possible glitch/bug in the system due to the recent naming policy implementation??

 

[Ukase]

I chalk it up to some kind of glitch. I got it done, it was just odd. Because the odds of someone taking one of my strange names at that specific time is pretty darn slim. 

[Frozen Burn]

2 hours ago, Ukase said:

I chalk it up to some kind of glitch. I got it done, it was just odd. Because the odds of someone taking one of my strange names at that specific time is pretty darn slim. 

 

Agreed - i think it might be a bug with the naming policy interacting with the transfers - or, perhaps it is intentional?  Would be interesting to hear from a Dev on it.

[Rudra]

4 hours ago, Frozen Burn said:

At lvl 50, your name cannot be taken ever - on that server - according to the naming policy. 

I'm pretty sure this is only for however long as that level 50 character continues to exist on that server. Now, I don't know why someone might choose to delete a character they got to 50, but removing that character by deletion or server transfer absolutely should free up the name for others to use. It looks more to me like a cool off period to make sure the transfer isn't a mistake. (Edit: Or the author ran into latency issues during the first attempt?)

 

It is what makes the most sense. I don't expect the devs to have created a continuously expanding list of "player names forbidden for other players to use". Rather, I expect the game checks to see if the name is currently in use, and if it is, if it has a name release flag applied to it. At least, that is what I would do in that situation.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Rudra

[Frozen Burn]

32 minutes ago, Rudra said:

I'm pretty sure this is only for however long as that level 50 character continues to exist on that server. Now, I don't know why someone might choose to delete a character they got to 50, but removing that character by deletion or server transfer absolutely should free up the name for others to use. It looks more to me like a cool off period to make sure the transfer isn't a mistake. (Edit: Or the author ran into latency issues during the first attempt?)

 

It is what makes the most sense. I don't expect the devs to have created a continuously expanding list of "player names forbidden for other players to use". Rather, I expect the game checks to see if the name is currently in use, and if it is, if it has a name release flag applied to it. At least, that is what I would do in that situation.

 

 

Yes, I know the intent is that if you character is ON the server, name is blocked for however long the policy states depending on character level (lower levels could have the name released), but if you transfer OFF the server, the name should become available immediately.  HOWEVER, I am thinking that little detail might be bugged and the character's name is being saved/reserved on the old server somewhere (for the duration of the intended timeframe as dictated by the level of the character) when it normally the name would be freed up.  ::shrug::  

 

Or perhaps, there is a lockout period where you do get to keep your name on the OLD server for a certain window of time??  ::double-shrug::

 

[Ukase]

3 hours ago, Rudra said:

(Edit: Or the author ran into latency issues during the first attempt?)

Given the way the Excelsior server has been behaving as of late, this is my best guess.