Shorten Names Poll

[Fensfield]

Like-farming aside, I've no love for the idea of shortening names - and there'll be trouble if they remove surnames.

I could just about tolerate name shortening if it preserved the forename/surname system, but it'd still feel pretty bleh. But if they remove surnames, there goes being able to have whatever forename (or surname for that matter) you fancy, the fun of meeting someone with one name the same as yours.. it's one of Final Fantasy XIV's big strengths.

The only way removig surnames would work, for me, is if they took a page from Phantasy Star Online's book and linked characters to unique numeric identifiers, with names just being there for players' sake. That way, players can still have whatever name they want .. but it has disadvantages. Aside from not being able to have a surname, simple '/t <name> <message' communication commands stop working or become significantly more inconvenient, for instance, and tells can realistically only go through clicking through the friends list.

So.. yeah for goodness' sake do not do anything to damage the forename/surname setup, and I'm hardly keen on name shortening that wouldn't harm surnames, either.