Unique Names...

[krj12]

Yes, I know, this has been a recurring issue since day 1 of the game, however, it would be nice to revisit since we have new devs.

I've been struggling with various character concepts, some of which I had on live.   The names I had are now taken,  and almost every variation is also unavailable.

 

Just curious what it would take to make names unique per account instead of per server.

Obviously both the tell and mail systems would need to be revamped to use something like charname@accountname.

It would also be nice if the global vs character friend system could be merged - it's kind of confusing as is.

 

The obvious con to this would be people who want to retain the uniqueness of their character concept.   Back before this game was sunseted, I would have agreed

with this, but I've played other games since then, and it didn't really bother me as much as I thought it would on those games.

 

[Oneirohero]

Although I don't tend to go for dictionary words, sometimes adding an adjective can make an otherwise taken name free again. But assuming you did that and you have run out of variations... uh... maybe a thesaurus will be better?

 

People have polarising opinions on this, I heard CO had a system similar to what you are suggesting so there is a basis for it. I imagine some will argue the opposite because of reasons. I'm not against the idea on a conceptual or mechanical level in any case.

[biostem]

This site as well as this one have been invaluable when I'm having trouble coming up with a name, or the one I want is taken...

Edited August 18, 2019 by biostem

[PaxArcana]

1 hour ago, krj12 said:

Just curious what it would take to make names unique per account instead of per server.

A new game.

 

...

 

Seriously, that's not just snark, it's the truth.  Cryptic did exactly that with Champions Online - your full character name was NAME@global ... so, I could have "TheInvincibleSqueem@PaxArcana", and you could have "TheInvincibleSqueem@krj12", and if we stood next to each other in game, everyone owuld just see TWO characters named "The Invincible Squeem".

 

But CoX can't do it; the servers aren't set up to allow anything of the sort.  You'd need a total ground-up rewrite of the character database, possibly the auth server code, and absolutely the chat server.  Which between them constitute something like one-third to half of CoX in total.

[Zolgar]

This topic comes up every couple weeks, ultimately as much as a lot of us would support it, the systems are just not in place to make that conversion.

[nihilii]

I'm not a creative person myself. If I don't get that green tick on first try, I use a synonym, an anagram, an adjective... and it always goes through.

Perhaps you should give examples of concepts you're stuck on so the community can help.

[Megajoule]

There's also rolling the character(s) on another server, though I understand why you might consider this a last resort.

[Widower]

On 6/4/2019 at 12:51 PM, Number Six said:

This is something I pitched early on as a possible project. It would be a lot more work than you'd think to hook globals into everything (like team invites), just because chatserver is an external thing that isn't always up and running. The dbserver/mapserver that handles all of the game logic isn't even aware of what your global name is. A ton of work to redesign all that but I didn't think it was completely impossible.

 

Surprisingly, the idea was really divisive even among the Homecoming staff. I can only imagine what it would do to the playerbase, so it's been shelved and probably won't happen here.

Never say never, as we've seen with the SG cap, although that was a much simpler (sort of) technical leap, as I understand it.

[biostem]

Personally, I kind of like knowing that there won't be anyone else on the server with my exact name.  I can certainly understand building up a character/concept around a name, then finding out it was taken, but in those cases, such limitations can push you to be even more creative.

 

Another good resource is this site.

 

For instance, who'd guess the true identity of the Maniac Acre Pita!!??

[Steampunkette]

On Everlasting I created a character named Cyclone. I had to use an i for the L because somebody on that server is sitting on the name Cyclone with the intent to make a storm corruptor. She got the name from a friend who was sitting on it.

 

I'm the only person who has actually played a character named Cyclone on the server but I will always have that ugly capital I in the middle of my name...

 

Because the person who has it spelled correctly for an alt they haven't even created yet wants to use it for the character they originally wanted to make Stormsurge but that name was taken...

 

Layered irony and frustration. I would love if names were not unique but I don't I think they'll be able to set that out

[krj12]

A shame they couldn't just have some kind of naming convention like  YouCharacterName ^randomtag^,   and just not display the characters inside the carats in team or league lists, or in any kind of chat.

Or do something like that internally with your global name inside the carats.

 

Very hackish, but it could work.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by krj12

[biostem]

3 minutes ago, krj12 said:

A shame they couldn't just have some kind of naming convention like  YouCharacterName ^randomtag^,   and just not display the characters inside the carats in team or league lists, or in any kind of chat.

Or do something like that internally with your global name inside the carats.

 

Very hackish, but it could work.

 

 

I could see freeing up character names if said character hasn't been played in 3 or so months, but why is requiring players be a bit more creative a bad thing?  There are many tools out there to help you come up with an interesting name, without having to resort to "Hulk 12345"...

[Nexys]

I prefer unique names, simply because of the concept of the game.  We are heroes fighting for our city or villains fighting for our reputation and own power.  Gotham City didn't have two guys running around calling themselves The Joker or six different iterations of Poison Ivy.  I just wish we could get rid of the bizarre workarounds to the unique names.  It's frustrating when you get in to the game, create a unique character, and suddenly see it's name pop up in various places.

 

Imagine, you create a character, get thrilled that you got the name you wanted (let's say "Blue Lightning"), and enter Paragon City.  Two days later, you run in to "Blue_Lightning" and "Blue.Lightning" and "B1ue Lightning," etc.  That has always annoyed me.

[krj12]

2 minutes ago, biostem said:

I could see freeing up character names if said character hasn't been played in 3 or so months, but why is requiring players be a bit more creative a bad thing?  There are many tools out there to help you come up with an interesting name, without having to resort to "Hulk 12345"...

Hmm, because sometimes a random thesaurus variant on a word just doesn't cut it.  Or I had my heart set on a particular name.   Or sometimes, there just isn't a variant.

 

But I don't particularly want to start an argument.   I put in the suggestion, and it's been pointed out that it's almost impossible with the current code base - so I'll just accept that and make what characters I can.

 

[Steampunkette]

4 minutes ago, biostem said:

I could see freeing up character names if said character hasn't been played in 3 or so months, but why is requiring players be a bit more creative a bad thing?  There are many tools out there to help you come up with an interesting name, without having to resort to "Hulk 12345"...

By be more creative you of course mean compromise. If you can't get what you want get something that you don't hate. Maybe given enough time you'll actually learned to like the thing that you didn't hate.

 

It's a bad system. it's a bad enough system that as soon as Cryptic got the chance to make a system allowed multiple people to have the same name they made it! 

 

I really wish people would stop lauding and defending systems that even the people who created didn't carry forward because they were bad systems. Don't get me wrong I get "creative" with names more often than not. I've gotten used to it. That doesn't mean it's a good thing.

 

If even Cryptic, the people who made the game in the first freaking place, will not stand by unique names why the hell should we? For now we don't have a choice. Maybe forever. But the amount of Stockholm syndrome people seem to have with this particular thing is just frightening.

 

[Nexys]

2 minutes ago, Steampunkette said:

By be more creative you of course mean compromise. If you can't get what you want get something that you don't hate. Maybe given enough time you'll actually learned to like the thing that you didn't hate.

 

It's a bad system. it's a bad enough system that as soon as Cryptic got the chance to make a system allowed multiple people to have the same name they made it! 

 

I really wish people would stop lauding and defending systems that even the people who created didn't carry forward because they were bad systems. Don't get me wrong I get "creative" with names more often than not. I've gotten used to it. That doesn't mean it's a good thing.

 

If even Cryptic, the people who made the game in the first freaking place, will not stand by unique names why the hell should we? For now we don't have a choice. Maybe forever. But the amount of Stockholm syndrome people seem to have with this particular thing is just frightening.

 

Someone disagreeing does not make it Stockholm Syndrome.  As I said above, I am a fan of the unique names because I feel that it fits the Superhero/Supervillain genre better.  Massively powerful beings flying through the air would get to be known and known by unique names.  I can't imagine DC putting out a comic that had "Oh, you're Superman?  The one from Metropolis, Tulsa, or Ithaca?"

[biostem]

15 minutes ago, Steampunkette said:

By be more creative you of course mean compromise. If you can't get what you want get something that you don't hate. Maybe given enough time you'll actually learned to like the thing that you didn't hate.

 

It's a bad system. it's a bad enough system that as soon as Cryptic got the chance to make a system allowed multiple people to have the same name they made it! 

 

I really wish people would stop lauding and defending systems that even the people who created didn't carry forward because they were bad systems. Don't get me wrong I get "creative" with names more often than not. I've gotten used to it. That doesn't mean it's a good thing.

 

If even Cryptic, the people who made the game in the first freaking place, will not stand by unique names why the hell should we? For now we don't have a choice. Maybe forever. But the amount of Stockholm syndrome people seem to have with this particular thing is just frightening.

 

Perhaps they saw a larger market by appealing to the lowest common denominator?  Perhaps it was to prevent people from attempting to disguise themselves as someone else, since your global handle is attached to every name in a more obvious way in CO?  If you think that getting exactly what you want, on the first time, every time, is due to you, without having to perhaps tap into your creative side or come up with other names, then I don't know what to tell you other than "tough"...

[Steampunkette]

48 minutes ago, Nexys said:

Someone disagreeing does not make it Stockholm Syndrome.  As I said above, I am a fan of the unique names because I feel that it fits the Superhero/Supervillain genre better.  Massively powerful beings flying through the air would get to be known and known by unique names.  I can't imagine DC putting out a comic that had "Oh, you're Superman?  The one from Metropolis, Tulsa, or Ithaca?"

Do you know how many Green Lanterns, Captains Marvel, and so forth there are? Hell, there were even 4 or 5 Supermen running around for a while, there. Plus all the Robins and Batmen.

 

There's plenty of tropes in both directions and Legacy heroes to muck it up even further. 

38 minutes ago, biostem said:

Perhaps they saw a larger market by appealing to the lowest common denominator?  Perhaps it was to prevent people from attempting to disguise themselves as someone else, since your global handle is attached to every name in a more obvious way in CO?  If you think that getting exactly what you want, on the first time, every time, is due to you, without having to perhaps tap into your creative side or come up with other names, then I don't know what to tell you other than "tough"...

I love the little jabs you put in, here. Little defensive spines. Very cute.

 

I'd prefer a better system, Biostem. I'll take what we've got 'cause there's no alternative, obviously. But I hope, someday, things change. It sucks being the only Cyclone on my server and having to "cheat", regardless.

[biostem]

12 minutes ago, Steampunkette said:

Do you know how many Green Lanterns, Captains Marvel, and so forth there are? Hell, there were even 4 or 5 Supermen running around for a while, there. Plus all the Robins and Batmen.

 

There's plenty of tropes in both directions and Legacy heroes to muck it up even further. 

I love the little jabs you put in, here. Little defensive spines. Very cute.

 

I'd prefer a better system, Biostem. I'll take what we've got 'cause there's no alternative, obviously. But I hope, someday, things change. It sucks being the only Cyclone on my server and having to "cheat", regardless.

Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em, and if your response to me wasn't loaded with snark and passive-aggressiveness, I wouldn't need to push back.  Either way, has it ever occurred to you that "Adjective Noun" is a comic book tradition with a long history?  Perhaps you should embrace that, instead of misspelling  your character's name... Red Cyclone, Azure Cyclone, Mighty Cyclone, Beyond the Cyclone, etc.

 

"Why can't *I* be Statesman?"  "Why can't *I* be Synapse?"  The answer is because they're taken, now let's keep it moving... 

Edited August 19, 2019 by biostem

[Nexys]

53 minutes ago, Steampunkette said:

Do you know how many Green Lanterns, Captains Marvel, and so forth there are? Hell, there were even 4 or 5 Supermen running around for a while, there. Plus all the Robins and Batmen.

 

There's plenty of tropes in both directions and Legacy heroes to muck it up even further. 

 

Be that as it may, there are more examples of heroes and villains with unique names than there are ones where multiple people have the same name.  And, in those cases, there is generally an in-universe reason for it.

 

But, that said, it's really beside the point.  I just found it a bit bizarre that you would refer to people who have a different opinion than you as suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.  Did the thought really not occur to you that people may, you know, just see things differently?  There was no need to get passive aggressive and rude about it.

[GM Capocollo]

Like Widower pointed out earlier, a global name system like the one in later Cryptic games is not likely to be implemented on HC in the near future if solely for technical reasons.

 

In the meantime, let's avoid using the suggestions and feedback forum in a non-constructive way. 

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

3 hours ago, Steampunkette said:

On Everlasting I created a character named Cyclone. I had to use an i for the L because somebody on that server is sitting on the name Cyclone with the intent to make a storm corruptor. She got the name from a friend who was sitting on it.

 

I'm the only person who has actually played a character named Cyclone on the server but I will always have that ugly capital I in the middle of my name...

 

Because the person who has it spelled correctly for an alt they haven't even created yet wants to use it for the character they originally wanted to make Stormsurge but that name was taken...

 

Layered irony and frustration. I would love if names were not unique but I don't I think they'll be able to set that out

Sorry? Too bad a very obvious single word name was taken.... not really. Maybe try blue cyclone or the like.

 

And way to see the uppercase i trick as something to disparage rather then see its potential. For example I have 4 bentley berkeley using that trick, my main the psi.ment blaster, a psi/energy stalker and a couple others.

 

I actually then came up with a first name and last name so loaded with lowercase Ls that I  can make I think like 64 versions of that one character so that I can better express a concept like Legion from the marvel who has pretty much all the powers though they vary depending on personality.

 

Frankly  I prefer unique names myself. Keep in mind one of the reasons they did as they did on champions is because its not that much of an MMO, We are basically the only hero in that game when not in groups. Here in CoH the logic is that due to its locations for ley lines, it being ground zero for the rikti invasion etc has attracted a veritable army of capes. In CO outside of the high profile npc Heroes the game basically considers you the singular new up and coming.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

2 hours ago, Steampunkette said:

By be more creative you of course mean compromise. If you can't get what you want get something that you don't hate. Maybe given enough time you'll actually learned to like the thing that you didn't hate.

 

It's a bad system. it's a bad enough system that as soon as Cryptic got the chance to make a system allowed multiple people to have the same name they made it! 

 

I really wish people would stop lauding and defending systems that even the people who created didn't carry forward because they were bad systems. Don't get me wrong I get "creative" with names more often than not. I've gotten used to it. That doesn't mean it's a good thing.

 

If even Cryptic, the people who made the game in the first freaking place, will not stand by unique names why the hell should we? For now we don't have a choice. Maybe forever. But the amount of Stockholm syndrome people seem to have with this particular thing is just frightening.

 

Yeah this right here is so very offensive that you pretty much have rolled a critical failure on your social skill check and will let it slide as bad luck rolling a 1. However keep up shit talk like that and Ill be happy to put you on ignore. Sheesh and people say I can be too high and mighty.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

2 hours ago, Steampunkette said:

Do you know how many Green Lanterns, Captains Marvel, and so forth there are? Hell, there were even 4 or 5 Supermen running around for a while, there. Plus all the Robins and Batmen.

 

There's plenty of tropes in both directions and Legacy heroes to muck it up even further. 

I love the little jabs you put in, here. Little defensive spines. Very cute.

 

I'd prefer a better system, Biostem. I'll take what we've got 'cause there's no alternative, obviously. But I hope, someday, things change. It sucks being the only Cyclone on my server and having to "cheat", regardless.

And on CO I used the hell out of their naming system to actually cheat. month one of CO going live I made a character named Ninja. Soon I got curious and did a name search and found over that first month about 20 others named Ninja. So we made N.I.N.J.A. we all had one costume that was identical, we all used teleport and smoke bombs, and we wrecked so hard in PvP that many accused us and a few other SGs doing the same thing like Xenomorph and Multiplicity of being the ruin of pvp in that game early on because without the ability to easily call a target and gang bang them most pvpers couldnt handle the  effect of a nameless and faceless force of foes.

 

And if PVP was a meaningful thing in CoH I might be more on board with your idea. I do get the fact that yes there are things like the lantern corp, But Even then individuals are called by their actual names and outside of Earth Lanterns generally dont use the mantle as a secret identity.

 

So here is a suggestion if you really want to do a many of the same name SG like the GL corp. Come up with a name that uses many lowercase Ls and get a bunch of friends to make toons using the trick.

 

In fact here is a free bee idea the Vermillion Volley. Should be able to make a nice full team of players with that one name if you can find like minds wanting to do such.

Edited August 20, 2019 by Bentley Berkeley

[WumpusRat]

6 hours ago, krj12 said:

A shame they couldn't just have some kind of naming convention like  YouCharacterName ^randomtag^,   and just not display the characters inside the carats in team or league lists, or in any kind of chat.

Or do something like that internally with your global name inside the carats.

 

Very hackish, but it could work.

 

 

Except the 'random tag' thing would prevent people from sending a /tell to you, unless they knew what that random tag was. It would make sending a /tell ONLY possible via clicking on the person's name and sending it to them. And what happens if you click on the wrong version of that name, if multiple people have it? 

 

You might see five people with the same name chatting, and want to talk to one of them, but you don't know which is which, since all it shows is their name on broadcast. You'd have to scroll back up through chat to find a message from the one you wanted to talk to, make sure it's the right person, click on them, send tell, etc. It would make it a hassle. 

 

But yeah, people constantly bring up the whole "make names no longer unique", and every time I disagree with it. Making names non-unique means the names don't matter. The only thing that matters at that point is the person's global. You may as well just name all your characters GenericHero/GenericVillain, because people aren't going to pay attention to the character name, only the global. That's what happened in every other game I've seen do that.