@Yoshida> Please remove inactive lvl1-49 characters that take popular names!

[Ramath]

While I can understand the argument behind wanting inactive characters chose another name if theirs is wanted by another player, I fail to see how it is fair. They haven't done anything wrong, therefore have done nothing to deserve losing their character names.

But, as it stands, there is very little chance of this happening, so I guess you'll just have to be a tad more creative than picking Daenerys Targaryen, Sephiroth Strife, Naruto Uzumaki, Erza Scarlet, Kain Highwind, Cloud Stark...

[Stormrider]

I can't believe that's actually a rule. I don't see it followed or enforced at all.

It is if they get a cease and desist order. The only game I know that had to actually do anything about it was City of Heroes.

[Radacci]

or you could be creative and come with your own name, instead of using "popular" names...or is that savage difficulty?
I think SE should ban more popular names instead.

[Clethoria]

No thanks.

[Khalithar]

It is if they get a cease and desist order. The only game I know that had to actually do anything about it was City of Heroes.

SWTOR actively did it as well, anyone that tried to use characters from the movies had their names changed if you reported them. Most companies don't actively keep an eye on every single character that's named, it's simply not feasible. But if they name their character something that is copyrighted like "batman" or "pikachu" or something, then yes, the companies will change the name if the player is reported.

[DaikiKiyoshi]

All the people in this thread who get so upset at other people's lack of originality and creativity make me laugh. It's so sad it's funny. Are you really so bored with the game that you have to look for things like this to get upset over? On topic I agree with OPs sentiment but not how far they want to take it. If a character is still level 1 and has not been logged onto in at least 365 days I feel the name should be placed up for grabs again and if they ever do come back to the game (fat chance, level 1 and hasn't logged on in a year or longer? Dont kid yourself) then they should just have to change their name to something else.

[JunseiKei]

~snip~

To be fair, they could also be looking to use things like a pun for a name, only to find someone made a bunch of level 1 characters across multiple servers just to deny others (had a couple of friends do this). Or just stupid, silly names for a laugh (like Master Baiter while making it a fishing only character, as an example).

[Jijifli]

This isn't an uncommon system for MMO's. WoW has a system where you can contact a GM and ask them if a name has been inactive long enough and if it has they can free the name up for you to use. Games like TERA have also done that where if a person hadn't logged in for a certain amount of time, their name was freed up and the character is flagged for a rename. That doesn't always mean just because your name was freed up that you'll lose it, if you've chosen a very unique name then it's highly unlikely that it will be taken from you. It doesn't mean the character gets deleted, only that someone else can get the name if the person hadn't logged in for a while, if someone hasn't logged in for 2-3 years though? I don't see why they shouldn't have their names freed up. I am perfectly fine with that system.

That being said, when you mean popular names, I can only guess that you're referring to completely unoriginal people that lack any sort of creativity and name their character after some popular character from a video game or a book or an anime or a tv show despite it specifically stated as being against the ToS. I'd rather names like that be locked out entirely (looking at all you Kirito/Asuna/Sephiroth/Cloud/Squall wannabes) and I certainly report them when I see them because it's against the ToS.

First off, confirmed by WoW's GM's, characters made after wrath are free to go, and it's not if a name has been inactive, but a subscription. I had a troll druid take Millhouse, which I wanted, and they were offline for so long they didn't even have an armory. They were pretty low level too, really would only take a couple days to get there now. However, the GM couldn't let me have the name because the character was made after wrath, and the player was still subbed, meaning I would have to wait for them to stop for years and cover names from Cataclysm, at least I am assuming the character was made then.

As for the second paragraph, there are plenty of people with names like those. So if they're against ToS, should I be going on a ticket spree for the sake of Balmung? Some people don't realize that they could have put in a popular name into it. For example, I had a character with "Jojo" in the name, but never knew about Jojo's Bizzare Adventure. Should I have gotten in trouble? I'm not saying everyone accidentally did, but some honestly are accidents.

[ChandraNoctis]

Some people don't realize that they could have put in a popular name into it. For example, I had a character with "Jojo" in the name, but never knew about Jojo's Bizzare Adventure. Should I have gotten in trouble? I'm not saying everyone accidentally did, but some honestly are accidents.

Lol that's my problem. This character name is one I used quite a while ago and it's Noctis as in the genitive from of Nox (Latin for night - so she's sort of Chandra of the night - was originally a moonkitty so it made sense sort of ) and no relation to FFXV but now everyone thinks my character is unoriginally named after that Noctis.

[Felis]

I think its a good idea to have a system that automatically renames your INACTIVE character/s after say, 365 days of no subscription*.

Why not, if you don't play much, it wont bother you, will it.

Or a system, that change automatic the last letter of the surname of the new character.
Why not, if you don't have started playing yet, it wont bother you, will it.

As for the second paragraph, there are plenty of people with names like those. So if they're against ToS, should I be going on a ticket spree for the sake of Balmung? Some people don't realize that they could have put in a popular name into it. For example, I had a character with "Jojo" in the name, but never knew about Jojo's Bizzare Adventure. Should I have gotten in trouble? I'm not saying everyone accidentally did, but some honestly are accidents.

Would be only a problem if the name is 100% identical.
Another surname = another person

Jojo can also just mean this: