Free up names of long inactive players

[detlef]

Well, I think your post just serves to illustrate how much some people do care about their names and by extension, how upset they would be if they were forced to give them up. (in regards to previous comments suggesting names aren't / shouldn't be important)

Absolutely, it's a very valuable thing. My thinking is that there should be a point where a player has been inactive for a long enough time that it becomes fair game for somebody who's actually playing and can actually appreciate it.

Again, I acknowledge that players do come back, but surely there is some kind of balance between serving the current playerbase and someone who isn't likely to play again.

[Alhanelem]

Its true some people do like to do the whole peacock thing, look at my shiny colourful plumage etc.

It really isn't a matter of shininess. I don't look at my name as glorious "shiny colorful plumeage." At the same time, it's part of who we are in the game If you come back and someone has stolen your name, two problems occur: One, whoever took your name can impersonate you and ruin you while you're away; Two, Even if the person who takes your name isn't that kind of jerk, people won't recognize you. It's both more than you think it is personally, and less than you seem to think others seem to think. You're using hyperbole here, and also being a bit hypocritical. If names aren't important, you shouldn't be bent over about people having names you apparently want- After all, it's not really that important, right?. If names are important, then you shouldn't be arguing that they be taken away from people.

If this weren't a pay to play game, I'd feel slightly different. It is more common in F2P games to release names after extended inactivity; however many of these games protect the names of paying customers longer or indefinitely- that is, if you've bought stuff from the f2p cash shop or bought in to the optional subscription or w/e, they will protect your name since you gave them money. This is somewhat understandable, especially since f2p games have a mugh higher turnover rate, and a lot of players who pick up the game, play until they hit a paywall, then quit.

[Demonjustin]

So you are clearly trolling, by taking my post and changing what I said and then responding to things I have not said.

I'd just like to point out. That is what's known as a Strawman, not trolling. Trolling is basically posting with the intent purpose of aggravating someone. We are clearly trying to have a real argument here, thus, this isn't trolling. That said, if someone is misrepresenting your argument in order to make it easier to argue against, that is a Strawman.

I only really want to point this out because I feel like the internet, and by extension these forums, have become far too complacent with calling everything that seems to disagree with them or simply seems like an illogical rebuttal, trolling.

[Alhanelem]

I wasn't misrepresenting anything. If anything i inferred from his post was not what he intended to say, that was his fault for being unclear / writing in such a way that any reasonable person could have misunderstood.

I only really want to point this out because I feel like the internet, and by extension these forums, have become far too complacent with calling everything that seems to disagree with them or simply seems like an illogical rebuttal, trolling.

You sir just won an internet. Thanks for being a voice of reason.

[Stompa]

I'd just like to point out. That is what's known as a Strawman, not trolling. Trolling is basically posting with the intent purpose of aggravating someone. We are clearly trying to have a real argument here, thus, this isn't trolling. That said, if someone is misrepresenting your argument in order to make it easier to argue against, that is a Strawman.

I only really want to point this out because I feel like the internet, and by extension these forums, have become far too complacent with calling everything that seems to disagree with them or simply seems like an illogical rebuttal, trolling.

Fair enough, but a Troll is something living under bridges and waiting for passers-by, so technically it is open for interpretation on forums. My definition was always what I said in my earlier post, Trolls love to argue and will set up alternate versions of the poster's meaning, like wrestling the post into a better hold, before launching into attack on the new version.

I would suggest to you that using strawman arguments is a classic troll trait. The two things "trolling" and "strawman" are not mutually exclusive.

Also that Alhanelem is not a Troll, Trolls are always bad full-time, but a normal person can be trolling in a certain post, without being a real Troll. But that the post I was upset about was certainly exhibiting troll-like behaviour, ie. trolling.

But we already laid this one to rest, and had started talking on-topic again, so thanks for digging up the off-topic stuff again lol. Thats another trolling trait btw, returning to off-topic subjects when other people have tried to move on.

[Alhanelem]

Trolls love to argue and will set up alternate versions of the poster's meaning

I've really never heard "troll" used in this context. The only definition of "troll" I know of (as far as the word's use on the internet) is intentionally attempting to provoke a reaction out of others for their own entertainment.

But we already laid this one to rest, and had started talking on-topic again, so thanks for digging up the off-topic stuff again lol. Thats another trolling trait btw, returning to off-topic subjects when other people have tried to move on.

Topics can change / get derailed / distracted / whatever, that's normal in human conversation and isn't necessairly trolling. If anything, this thread has gone off topic because the actual topic has been pretty well beaten to death by all sides.

[Tidis]

I wouldn't call him a troll, he just disagrees with the opinion that inactive names should be freed up. I have now changed server and my name is now Taidis, sucks but there you go, it doesn't change my opinion that inactive player names should be freed up, a common argument I have seen is that names are important to people and it would drive away returning players.

Well from the perspective of names being important, on the flip-side, isn't it annoying for someone who appreciates their character name to see it being taken up by someone who hasn't played in years and most likely will never play again? Granted I willingly changed server but what about those back when the last server merges happened who forcibly lost the names the cherised?

With regards to people being driven away from coming back by losing their name, from a business perspective, isn't it better to appease the players regularly paying the subscription fees, rather than the ones who might, but probably won't come back.

[Alhanelem]

So I think you are being far too picky about the semantics, especially in your first line above,

Given that you're the one who went to a wiki to get a questionable definition to argue your point, I'd argue you're the one who is being too picky about semantics. But I'm not here out of malice and i'd prefer not to be unfairly branded, so I'll just leave this here. In a paid subscription game like this, I really don't feel you should ever be forced to give up your name. In an F2P game where there's far less likely to be any attachment to your name, I can sort of understand it- but not here. That's all I'm going to say.

[Angrymithra]

I wouldn't call him a troll, he just disagrees with the opinion that inactive names should be freed up. I have now changed server and my name is now Taidis, sucks but there you go, it doesn't change my opinion that inactive player names should be freed up, a common argument I have seen is that names are important to people and it would drive away returning players.

Well from the perspective of names being important, on the flip-side, isn't it annoying for someone who appreciates their character name to see it being taken up by someone who hasn't played in years and most likely will never play again? Granted I willingly changed server but what about those back when the last server merges happened who forcibly lost the names the cherised?

With regards to people being driven away from coming back by losing their name, from a business perspective, isn't it better to appease the players regularly paying the subscription fees, rather than the ones who might, but probably won't come back.

I think you should have went with a new name alltogether.

[Tidis]

The name and variations of it have been with me since I was a kid and I'd just had fun playing FFX, not my favourite FF or even my favourite character but I find it hard to change it up.