EVE General Discussion

CCP Developers,

A bad name is like a bad tattoo .. only difference, you can remove the tattoo!


I have been in EVE for just over one year, found a corporation, joined an alliance and made friends.
My biggest regrets … I regret half of my character's names .. and as irrelevant as that may seem, it does affect my activity in EVE and my enjoyment of the game!

What's is in a name? For some people .. more than their notoriety.


My stories ...

Character: #################### (Alpha)
A good friend saw that I made a spelling error in my character name .. one letter difference. ... having a friend remind me is hard to avoid or forget. I regret that one letter error each time that I LOGON and as a result the character gets minimal usage and I have avoid converting to Omega as I decided which is my best worst option. ($$)

Character: ############## (Alpha)
I spent a significant amount of time to sculpt the characters image. It's perfection! But I made the name in haste while sleep deprived (playing EVE) and hate the name! So, I never use the character. I should have named my ships after the name I gave my character. Character is doom to remain an Alpha clone ($$)

If only I could preserve and transfer the characters image to another character profile, then I could start over with a more desirable name.

Character: #################### (Omega)
My very first character in EVE! A part of it's name doesn't flow like it should, doesn't convey what I intended. But I have invested so much time into this character that I will never start over; not impossible, but simply too costly (by my measure) to do so. Being that it was my first character and knowing what I know .. it's too late!

This name glowers at me each time I LOGON. Uuugh!


To the point…
Please consider some way to change names at least once in a character lifetime … Please!

The ideal solutions should allow new players time enough to mature in the game (i.e. 18-24 months) while limiting veterans who just want to hide their identity for some destructive, covert or perverse reasons.

Obviously any notoriety for any changed name foregoes the prestige of the relinquished name and is gained by anyone who assumes it, the truth of which would soon be evident to veteran players and add only a moment of intrigue.


Story-line might support individuals who change corporations/alliances/etc by imagining that they had cosmetic genetic re-engineering surgery and name change due to their need to enter the interstellar witness protection program. A significant cost in isk could be required for this options (which would not help me!) paid either by the individual or a third party as well as requiring the character to forfeit all their entire EVE existence (i.e. wealth, property, memberships, connections, standings, jump clones, etc.). Wealth and property could go to 'the state' (i.e. Corporation of birth (CCP)). It could be required that they reconstruct their Avatar image (Nicholas Cage: Face Off) or even change races. Coveted kill boards could be zeroed out which would penalize mature game veteran's more than new-bros/sis making free name changes more costly with time and ability.

Alternative story-line could parallel some cultures and organizations (secret and open) which change the individuals name upon maturity, completion of an act of bravery, warrior challenge or 'coming of age' ceremony'. A player could be allowed to change their name after completing an arduous challenge demonstrating their 'capsuleer skills' earning them the right to a 'New Name' (or title) which they would not choose, but be given by the 'Elders of their tribe' (race, corporation, alliance, CCP, etc.).


Here are some ideas:
a. Provide a method to preserve and transfer character image to another profile (A 'Clone your Clone' feature).
b. Allow a once in a lifetime name change.
c. Allow a once in a lifetime name change prior to reaching ####### skill points.
d. Allow a once in a lifetime name change upon your first renewal.
e. Allow a once in a lifetime name change upon your first renewal with a Min ##mn duration.
f. Allow a once in a lifetime name change within the first two years.
g. Allow a once in a lifetime conditional name change. (Allow only minor spelling changes, maintain first name, etc.)
h. Allow a once in a lifetime name change if completing a 'coming-of-age' warrior skill challenge.
i. Allow unlimited name changes with consequences. (i.e. Adhering to a story-line [See above])
j. Allow a lifetime limit of # name changes with consequences. (i.e. Adhering to a story-line [See above])
k. Allow a market for identities.
l. Allow Alpha clones one last chance to adjust/change their names just before graduating tutorial training.
m. Allow Alpha clones one last chance to adjust/change their names after ##mns after graduating tutorial training.
n. Allow a once in a lifetime name change if converting an Alpha account to an Omega account (1st conversion)
o. Charge a fee (real world money) to change a characters name. ($$)


Conditions could include requiring all or just established (historically significant) characters to reference their original name in a permanent [non-editable] BIO reference, similar to an employment history. A simple marker (i.e. ‘+’) indicating a change has an altered identity could be added to their Local ID similar to those markers used for criminals, bounties, fleets members, etc.

Removing a tattoo is PAINFUL. Changing your name should be painful too; but doable.


Thank you for your consideration,
Adalai Magnus HardWest

Going from my old 50m sp main, to my new one with only about half that many (had to sell off a bunch of injectors in order to fund the extraction) hurt... a lot... but it was well worth it to get rid of the old name (bad memories attached to it) and it got me playing the game again. so all in all it was well worth it. a year later and pouring every isk I could spare into injectors and i'm slowly creeping back up to where I was. having a goal injector wise has also given me a reason to log in and play more often.

Well worth the change... even if the end goal of "catching back up" to where I was seems daunting sometimes.

personally I'm just keeping a running tally of how many injectors I still need, (currently 37 more will get me there) and every time I inject that brings me one step closer.

so OP. if you REALLY hate the name so badly that its affecting your ability to play the game and enjoy it. I strongly recommend you consider stripping your old character and making a new one. your only a year in so it won't take nearly as much time to catch up as its been taking me. and as a bonus, you can use your old character as a SP farm to help speed that process along (or just make a little extra isk)

note: I am also accepting donations of injectors or isk to continue rebuilding :p

File a support ticket, a GM might fix a spelling mistake. They did for me but I did catch the mistake after only a day or two.

I've had capitalization fixed on years old characters. It changes nothing for the character. You are still you. But fixing spelling mistakes is a character name change and extremely unlikely if you are more than a few hours old.

Then again, as with most things support, it depends on the GM you get.

Mr Epeen

Technically you can change your name It's just really expensive. Make a new toon, extract all skills on old toon and inject into new toon. Of course you lose some SP if you have a lot but for low SP toons the loss isn't that great. Of course if you are just an alpha clone odds are you have not much SP. Since you aren't using that toon anyway just make a new one with a better name and let it passively train for a while.

/me points to his name.

See this?!?!

I started a trail account in april 2004! Yessss... u read that right! 2004!!!

Well, i never expected to play this game beyond the 2 week trial, but 13 years later here am!

Sure, i regretted it, but now i wear it with pride!

The only serious problem i have is that in almost all local channels i end up on top, and NO, i DID NOT do this on purpose! I was just a stupid kid then, not thinking it through! LMAO!

Literally the only way I'd be okay with a name change would be a once in a lifetime change that has to occur within your first month of play.

After that point you have had enough time to decide if you hate your name, as well as have had time to screw up your reputation. A very large part of eve interactions revolves around your reputation (and killboard) being able to change your name after you do something to screw your reputation will destroy a large portion of that or make it impossible to track.

I haven't read the entire post yet but i felt i should post that i regret my charecters name

*pulls down glasses* How can you afford so many skill injectors ._.

It's not that bad, at least it made me grin in the morning, thank you