Timed Name Release

[thunderbreak]

After an account has been suspended/banned.

Release the names under that account after a period of time so others who wish to use those names can do so.

Also

I'd be fine with them doing what some other websites I've used do with usernames: if someone doesn't log in for a year, they send that person an e-mail notifying them that because they haven't logged in for a year, their username is now classed as "inactive" and will be deleted in 30 days unless they log in.

That would give people who are still interested in playing the game the chance to keep their names and weed out the ones that really and truly are abandoned. Because, let's be real here, if you haven't logged in in a year or more and you don't respond to an e-mail, you're no longer actively playing. Why shouldn't an active player be able to use the name?

[Aerowaffle]

It will never happen. It would only discourage people who were thinking of returning after a long break, and that's the last thing that SE would do.

[Kyuuen]

I disagree with this. Someone beat you to a name, better luck with your next choice.

[thunderbreak]

Games already uses this system, for example in DC Universe Online when your account is inactive so long they'll just add a (_I) behind your character's name to release it, and I'm not even asking for a dick move like that to force you to pay for a name change.

[Aerowaffle]

Games already uses this system, for example in DC Universe Online when your account is inactive so long they'll just add a (_I) behind your character's name to release it, and I'm not even asking for a dick move like that to force you to pay for a name change.

This isn't DC Universe Online. DC Universe Online is not only FTP, but a different game. Releasing trial accounts names that have little chance of returning after a year, that's understandable. But this game usually only has one character per player. I would be pissed if I took a break for any amount of time and came back to find my only character's identity forcefully changed.

[thunderbreak]

This isn't DC Universe Online. DC Universe Online is not only FTP, but a different game. Releasing trial accounts names that have little chance of returning after a year, that's understandable. But this game usually only has one character per player. I would be pissed if I took a break for any amount of time and came back to find my only character's identity forcefully changed.

So you are telling me this game doesn't borrow system/game play elements wise from free to play and pay to play alike? Like I said, I only vote, I didn't say it needs to be 6 month. If people wants a year, then make it a year. Right now is indefinitely and I don't feel that's fair to paid customers.

[Aerowaffle]

So you are telling me this game doesn't borrow system/game play elements wise from free to play and pay to play alike? Like I said, I only vote, I didn't say it needs to be 6 month. If people wants a year, then make it a year. Right now is indefinitely and I don't feel that's fair to paid customers.

It's completely fair to paying customers, they also get a name that other players can't have on that server.

I'm okay with trial accounts losing their character names after some point and time.
I'm fine with any permanently banned account getting their names released.

I'm not fine with any player that has put money into the game losing their character's identity because some arbitrary amount of time has passed.

[kyuven]

Games already uses this system, for example in DC Universe Online

DCUO has so far only done this a handful of times, I think once MAYBE twice, in the 5+ years its been around. They do it in a large sweep, not after X amount of time has passed. And they announce it.
FFXIV has the following factors working against it in this regard:
1) DCUO rewards altoholism. Different powers, costumes, and even story options. FFXIV does not. There are different story options for the first 20 levels based on where you start, but other than that each playthrough of the game is exactly the same. Other than wanting to try out different races or needing extra storage space, there's no practical reason to have more than 3 characters on a given server. Meanwhile in DCUO, there's an incentive to have as many as you want to try different power combinations or mentors or the like.
2) DCUO has simply been around longer than FFXIV.

So combine those factors and I wouldn't count on seeing anything remotely like what you want for SEVERAL years.

[thunderbreak]

I disagree with this. Someone beat you to a name, better luck with your next choice.

What about the people who's suspended and will never get the account back? There are tons of name in limbo like that.

[Kyuuen]

What about the people who's suspended and will never get the account back? There are tons of name in limbo like that.

That I wouldn't mind, but only if disciplinary action has been taken against the account, and only if the account hasn't been fought for for an 'x' amount of time. But giving up names 'just' because the account has been inactive isn't enough to me.