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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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Character Name Changes

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YAMPRASH
Garoun Investment Bank
Gallente Federation
#61 - 2013-06-28 12:10:14 UTC
+1 yes please! I set this account long time ago and I'm soooo bored with this name! and it's in CAPS!!!!
please let me change it:)Ugh
Lipbite
Express Hauler
#62 - 2013-06-28 13:21:59 UTC
If Star Citizen will be actually decent and interesting game resulting in 10-50% EVE subscriptions loss (non-unique games tend to lose 70% of players during first year after release) - I'm sure there will be name change service and many other improvements to keep the company alive.

Just 18 months left to wait \o/
Sergeant Acht Scultz
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#63 - 2013-06-28 16:40:28 UTC
I can already rename my ship as much as I want and even in space.

Toons name? -noes, choices = consequences.

removed inappropriate ASCII art signature - CCP Eterne
anishamora
Atelierele Grivita
#64 - 2013-06-28 18:08:33 UTC
TL;DR: no.

Longer version: no.

Eve is a game of decisions and consequences, being able to effectively change your persona is 100% against the spirit of the game. And yes, I know griefers and scammers and thieves can workaround basic background checks but let's not make it even easier.

Your workaround of displaying all the previous info won't work once you get to 3-4 iterations.

Also, with name changes, say hello to fleets completely made of chars named Mike231241, Mike235235, Mike1234125 to make target calling near impossible or at the very least an utter chaos.
Alvatore DiMarco
Capricious Endeavours Ltd
#65 - 2013-06-28 18:25:21 UTC
Actually, anishamora raises an excellent point. Name changes will be meta'd into the absolute ground, and probably all the way down to the bedrock after that.
Kirimeena D'Zbrkesbris
Republic Military Tax Avoiders
#66 - 2013-06-28 18:44:12 UTC
There is a big NO to name change service.
Reasons:
1. Names have reputation and history. Eve is a game of choices and consequences.
2. Killboards will go haywire: they store pilot's data by their name. They may take note of name change for pilots that entered their APIs, but killboards also store data for those that didnt (data that came from kill mails).
3. Killmails will become unreliable, even if posted by API (killmails contain character names and not their IDs).
4. Name change can and will be abused by players.

Opinions are like assholes. Everybody got one and everyone thinks everyone else's stinks.
Vincenzo Arbosa
Locust Assets
#67 - 2013-06-28 19:46:16 UTC
I support name changes. I would also support "known Aliases" and having the ability to rename my character to an alias while my "show info" kept my same name for all time (for all you reputation worriers).

This name is a combination of things, but consists of a corruption of a randomly generated name that I set up on a trial account that I never intended to continue. I have, and I dont plan on leaving anytime soon... but I'd sure like to change the name.
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli." 
Vexidious
Royal Amarr Institute
Amarr Empire
#68 - 2013-06-28 22:50:28 UTC
anishamora wrote:
TL;DR: no.

Longer version: no.

Eve is a game of decisions and consequences, being able to effectively change your persona is 100% against the spirit of the game.


Last I checked, the game was mostly about griefing, scamming, unfair fights, and lies. It would seem to me that fake identities would fit right in. Frankly, I'm surprised that espionage and fake identities aren't already core game mechanics.
Jalequin
Jalequin Corporation
#69 - 2013-06-29 00:24:01 UTC  |  Edited by: Jalequin
If name changes ever get added as a regular feature then there must be a new unique-unchangeable key made public to everyone.

A history of previous names must be permanently public, as well as an addition to the API which would display such name history publicly.


Kill boards that pull from the API would need to be re-written to log each toon by their newly public primary key, rather than their name.
^^^ This will cause all sorts of mayhem to past killmail history.

Mass Tests Videos: http://j.mp/14PE0uz - June 14th http://j.mp/10Db6ry - May 16th http://j.mp/19uIPJM - April 11th
Arya Regnar
Darwins Right Hand
#70 - 2013-06-29 01:41:31 UTC
Let me guess. OP awoxed a few people and wants to start with a clean slate?

EvE-Mail me if you need anything.
Mara Pahrdi
The Order of Anoyia
#71 - 2013-06-29 02:33:10 UTC
No. Choices and consequences and so on.

Though this might be a possible solution:

1.) Massive cooldown like 3-5 years (basically once per character).
2.) Old name remains locked and points to new name in database.
3.) Character search for the old name returns new name.

Since this requires some serious tweaking, CCP would be well advised to charge a couple of PLEX for it.

While it requires additional research to avoid scammers, awoxers and the like, it'll still be possible to achieve results after character renaming.

Remove standings and insurance.
Adunh Slavy
#72 - 2013-06-29 03:03:51 UTC
Yes, name changes please

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.  - William Pitt
Juniper Weatherwax
Industrial Waste Removal Services
#73 - 2013-07-13 16:33:56 UTC
1. Its a game, not real life.
2. When CCP balance the cost of implementation over income generation, you will pay to do a name change. Their choice of cost and conditions.
Swiftstrike1
Swiftstrike Incorporated
#74 - 2013-07-13 17:52:04 UTC  |  Edited by: Swiftstrike1

  • I approve of character name changes, but ONLY as part of the buy/sell character process.


  • Reputations are hard earned and whether good or bad, they should not be so easily erased.


  • The only exception to this is when a character is sold to a different player who obviously has not earned that character's reputation.


  • As such, name changing should be a mandatory part of the character sale process, not an optional extra.


  • Searches for a character that has been sold and renamed should return an info window with just 1 piece of info on the old character: This pilot is Deceased.

Casual Incursion runner & Faction Warfare grunt, ex-Wormholer, ex-Nullbear.
Daugar Draaken
EBSTF Holdings
#75 - 2013-07-13 18:32:03 UTC  |  Edited by: Daugar Draaken
I am in favour of allowing name changes, coupled with gender change. Cool

This should be free, but restricted (expensive).
Tampopo Field
Doomheim
#76 - 2013-07-14 17:51:09 UTC
Destructor1792 wrote:
How many others out there have done the same & wish they used a better name for their character?


I'm guessing every single 0.0 large fleet pvper who's name starts with an "A".


Alx Warlord wrote:
I'm also pretty sure that the "Key" field is the Name, as you can't have 2 equal names. So, also this would be a nightmare to develop. And how would you identify people changing name every day in your alliance?.... Bad Idea...


This could easily be prevented by limiting the frequency at which the name can be changed. Which was suggested in the OP.


Tchulen wrote:
As has been explained ad infinitum on many other threads regarding this request, the name is a unique identifier in both the database and killboards.


The characters could all be given an immutable character spesific id-number to make them identifiable after name change. In addition to the "Name History" tab. This number could be visible next somewhere of the character info and be added to all kill mails, so there would be no mix ups in killboards or databases.

The new id-number would also make it possible to differentiate between a biomassed character and an existing character that have the same name.


Tchulen wrote:
To change this would require substantial development time from CCP and from all killboard developers/admins.


Source please. And if it is so, then why bother responding in the first place to make counter arguments? It's not like the thread would go anywhere if true.


Tchulen wrote:
This would also break the much loved consequence system which has also been discussed at length within other threads on this very same topic.


No it wouldn't. Characters would remain identifiable after the change. There would be a need to search for characters based on both the name and the id-number, but that's it.


+1 for name change

Notification: Because I'm lazy, I have a tendency to post without proof reading. This may result in various errors including but not limited to typos, weird typos, grammatical errors, bizarre sentence structure, words written repeatedly, mislocated paragraphs, pointlessly complicated explanations, general incoherency, and abrupt endings.
Bata Kylarro
Ministry of War
Amarr Empire
#77 - 2013-07-15 01:01:26 UTC
Z GTC wrote:
Sometimes people get tired of their names and want to change them or they buy that new character off of the bazaar that had all of the skills they wanted but it has the worst name in the universe. Well here is an Idea I had. Provide a name Change Service.

Name Change Service:

-Cost: 1-2 PLEX
--The effort required to adjust this information is worth up to 2 PLEX in my opinion.

-Availability: Once a Year per account.
--Even though you have 3 slots per account only ONE name change is allowed for that account per year.

-ALL information attached to the character persists.
--Employment History
--Contacts and Contact Standings
--Notes saved by other players
--NPC standings
--Portrait

The only thing that changes is the displayed name of the character.


I think that this service could end up being very popular. Not only does it give players the ability to identify with there characters again, or identify with their newly aquired character they bought off of the Bazaar. It is also a new source of income for CCP.

As long as all character information remains through the name changing process and the service is restricted to once per year per account this wont be majorly exploitable by corporate thieves and griefers. Before people start to argue with me on this point; If people wanted to steal/grief they could find much easier ways than renaming their character. An example? Buying a new character, a service which is already provided by every other player.

If anyone has any constructive feedback feel free to post questions/concerns.



Haha, I take it that you would put the same quantity of energy in any of yr future efforts to legalize in real live that every citizen should have the right to buy and obtain a fully new pasport, just on any next street corner? Some people do not possess any understanding of "helicopter view", so let me explain in short: eve succeeded real great in developing a virtual scifi world(!), but if one allows new pasports (names) in easy standard ways, well, that would give enormeous many problems. Imagine, you get up one day (real life talking here, for comparing), you go outside and notices that some of the characters (your neighbours, whom you got to know during the last months or years) moved, changed their names, and all of this happened "just overnight"??? Well, such would indeed be a real possibility in some of the still existing Babana-Republics...but better let us not try to change EVE in some Banana Galaxy (i.e: without any oversight at all, people having to invest more of their time "in just fact-findings"???...and I would not even mention the far greater possibilities presented by such for not intended scams etc.

WHATS IN A NAME ANYWAY? (....you now know)
Diesel47
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#78 - 2013-07-15 02:21:46 UTC  |  Edited by: Diesel47
As a person with a silly name I support this notion.


How about the API stores the previous names of the account so the recruiters can see who they are really recruiting. So if they don't do their research they will get burnt anyways.
Tampopo Field
Doomheim
#79 - 2013-07-15 10:21:44 UTC
Bata Kylarro wrote:
Z GTC wrote:
Orginal post.


Haha, I take it that you would put the same quantity of energy in any of yr future efforts to legalize in real live that every citizen should have the right to buy and obtain a fully new pasport, just on any next street corner?


First off, Eve is not real life. Secondly, the suggested mechanic would allow a single name change per active account per year. And the name change would be obtainable from CCP, not from some shady character idling at a station in Amamake.


Bata Kylarro wrote:
Some people do not possess any understanding of "helicopter view", so let me explain in short: eve succeeded real great in developing a virtual scifi world(!), but if one allows new pasports (names) in easy standard ways, well, that would give enormeous many problems.


What problems? Any identification problems caused by name changes could be fixed by adding an immutable id-number to all characters. And in case you didn't know, it's possible to have several accounts, alts, and characters are purchesable from character bazaar, so it's not like anonymity is anything new. Not everyone plays with one character as their main whom they use for almost everything.


Bata Kylarro wrote:
Imagine, you get up one day (real life talking here, for comparing), you go outside and notices that some of the characters (your neighbours, whom you got to know during the last months or years) moved, changed their names, and all of this happened "just overnight"???


First of all, it is legal to change your name in many countries. I'm guessing most, but am too lazy to fact check that. Secondly, you are allowed to move without informing your nozy neibours what you are doing. Thirdly, like I stated before, EVE is not real life. Fourthly, you sound like one of those creeps who watch all their neibours with binoculars all day long.


Bata Kylarro wrote:
Well, such would indeed be a real possibility in some of the still existing Babana-Republics...but better let us not try to change EVE in some Banana Galaxy (i.e: without any oversight at all, people having to invest more of their time "in just fact-findings"???...and I would not even mention the far greater possibilities presented by such for not intended scams etc.


The last time I checkd, there was nothing in EULA about preventing scams. Also, if the immutable id-number that was suggested in numerous posts was added, the cahnge wouldn't make it any more difficult to do a background check the it is now. Unless ofcourse the person doing the background check is unfamiliar with or doesn't pay any attention to EVE meta, in which case he'll fail even if the name change mechanic isn't added. And since when was there any oversight aside from "don't use exploits" and "don't post inapropriate pictures and ascii art in local, if someone is likely to report it."

Notification: Because I'm lazy, I have a tendency to post without proof reading. This may result in various errors including but not limited to typos, weird typos, grammatical errors, bizarre sentence structure, words written repeatedly, mislocated paragraphs, pointlessly complicated explanations, general incoherency, and abrupt endings.
Tampopo Field
Doomheim
#80 - 2013-07-15 10:22:54 UTC
Bata Kylarro wrote:
WHATS IN A NAME ANYWAY? (....you now know)


Try asking that from someone who always gets primaried in larger docorine fleets because his name is something like "Aabroman." Or from someone who named their character during trial and didn't thanik that the dumb name would be following them for years.

Notification: Because I'm lazy, I have a tendency to post without proof reading. This may result in various errors including but not limited to typos, weird typos, grammatical errors, bizarre sentence structure, words written repeatedly, mislocated paragraphs, pointlessly complicated explanations, general incoherency, and abrupt endings.