Names of Merged Characters "Second Chance"

[Kadian]

i lost Kadian to the Midgar > Quetz merge i went from being Kadiandarkangel to Darkangelkadian and i'm really hoping to get Kadian back, i checked if my name on quetza to have as a placeholder and Kadian was taken, i checked FFXIAH and there was no record of the name

[annewandering]

Please make this available to the first server merge people too! I got my name but know there are lots of people who are not happy with new names and want to change them. Please let them be equal to this new group of refuges.

[GlobalVariable]

If anyone still wants to argue that a significant wait time or one time only name change for a fee is any different from server moving we already had a thread for it. http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...8000#post98000

[Barek]

I think the inactive player name thing comes from when they started the Character Reactivation service? I figured because I lost my original name as well, way back when I used the service when it was first offered around the time Aht Urghan came out. I had cancelled my subscription around the time CoP came out, and during that time frame, someone had created a character with the name I had used before. I too tried to have my name changed back but after a while I just let it go because GMs said they couldn't do anything about it. How times have changed <.< lol

[Crysten]

It still doesn't excuse the haste and lack of forthought on the individuals int he first place.

Forethought guarantees nothing. You fail to grasp this. I could have had 20, 40, 60, 80, even 100 back-up names in my head but that means nothing if every single one of them is taken, which is the complaint people have. You're basically saying "it's totally your fault for not thinking of 101 names instead of your initial 100 back ups, sucks to be you!"

I can guarantee that if you had lost your name in a merge, you'd be singing an entirely different tune at this stage. People get attached to their character's identities, and it's quite sad that you fail to grasp that for some people, this is a rather sensitive issue.

For a lack of better analogy, it does feel, to an extent, like identity theft.

EDIT: Rya said it better than I did /

[Antipika]

Forethought guarantees nothing. You fail to grasp this. I could have had 20, 40, 60, 80, even 100 back-up names in my head but that means nothing if every single one of them is taken, which is the complaint people have. You're basically saying "it's totally your fault for not thinking of 101 names instead of your initial 100 back ups, sucks to be you!"

I can guarantee that if you had lost your name in a merge, you'd be singing an entirely different tune at this stage. People get attached to their character's identities, and it's quite sad that you fail to grasp that for some people, this is a rather sensitive issue.

For a lack of better analogy, it does feel, to an extent, like identity theft.

EDIT: Rya said it better than I did /

Maybe it's time to use a nickname that isn't generic? Be a little more creative?

Hint : If you are constantly forced to add digits or alter your nickname spelling in games / forums / websites that requires account (youtube etc.), then your nickname is generic.

Never had an issue with my nickname, will never have one.

(I am not saying that any nickname is "good" or "bad", yet some are just overused, when you get 100K+ hits on Google with your nickname and most of these links aren't related to yourself, then you are not allowed to complain that your nickname is taken...)

[Kaida]

Still waiting for the response.

[Retiti]

i had to rename a mule way back when kujata bit the big one. (not a big loss, its a mule, and i got a name i was happy with). i sent a flower to the character with her name, its STILL sitting in my mule's delivery box. that says something.

[Alhanelem]

The primary problem, which unfortunately a second rename opportunity does not address, is names that are locked out due to being used by a technically-active (but not actively used) character or mule.

This is an unsolveable "problem." What if that player comes back? Are you proposing that inactive players should be able to be robbed of their names?

[Crysten]

This is an unsolveable "problem." What if that player comes back? Are you proposing that inactive players should be able to be robbed of their names?

It's interesting you should mention this point, actually.

I just spoke to SGM Cocoloot in-game concerning the rename offer. He was able to answer my questions and give me some information that other people might find useful or use for a bit of closure at this point:

- Inactive or not, if your old name is unavailable on the source world, it cannot be changed.
- GMs are unable to tell you the status of your old name, regardless, due to privacy issues. Would be nice to know, but alas.
- All renames are pending an investigation (me and a friend got the same answer) and aren't guaranteed depending on your character file.

Now to respond to Alhanelem, that was the exact reason the GM gave me for not being able to reclaim my old name assuming it was inactive. While I can understand this to a degree, the logic is backwards, in my opinion.

From a business perspective, you have a customer upset at their name change, currently paying subscriptions. On the other hand, you have a customer that hasn't played in x amount of time. You you cater for your current paying customer, or do you act under the pretense that maybe, perhaps, potentially the other person may or may not come back to the game? I'm in support of the former, personally. Do you risk losing current business from an upset customer for the sake of potential income from someone who probably doesn't care about the game anymore?

I do really feel a time limit should be imposed on inactive characters especially, but I can understand the situation and your point when it comes to active players and to a lesser extent, mules (I'm biased, though :<).

Either way, I've made my stance on the issue well known at this point both here and through feedback. I hope the policy does improve in the future and this kind of problem doesn't arise again should another merge occur. I wish people the best of luck if they do go for the renames, and thank the GMs for at least meeting us halfway right now.