Removing unaccessed lvl1 characters

[LalafellDown]

Probably because they want to have a specific (popular) name, but its taken by that lv1 char

You cant have Shinobu Oshino, you hear me!!!

[basketofseals]

No it's not. I've had my LOTRO characters for nine years, and several times taken long breaks from them while I focused more on this game instead, but I'm no less attached to them for that. For Guild Wars, it's even longer and with more multi-year breaks (though admittedly I'm not as attached to that one). Most of the games I've been playing longer than that are single player, so a bit different, but there's still lots of games I spend well over a decade on. Just because you may not have been playing games for long doesn't mean other people don't. A mere three years is barely any time at all.

I mean what you're describing is a different situation than what I described. You played those characters. I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption to believe that people aren't attached to level 1 characters on a game they haven't picked up in a very long time.

Since it is as simple as can be to add an extra vowel, an extra consonant, an apostrophe, or whatever else to make a name the same but unique, there is absolutely no need to remove existing characters for the vain convenience of others.

You know as well as I do that that's not what people want to do with their names. It just looks dumb. You can't tell me that Caaitlyn or J'ohn wouldn't raise a few eyebrows.

[Niwashi]

I'm just calling into question how valuable that character could be to a player who plays it for an hour and then leaves the game for half a year.

Well, for one thing, that character may have been played for far, far more than an hour, but even taking your case of a character that's only been played for an hour, it's still an hour more than the character that hasn't been created yet. The one with no ties at all can get a different name more easily than the one that already started with the name it has. With effectively no limit to the available names, there's no conflict that needs a deletion to resolve it.

[Kosmos992k]

You know as well as I do that that's not what people want to do with their names. It just looks dumb. You can't tell me that Caaitlyn or J'ohn wouldn't raise a few eyebrows.

Why on earth would that happen? I play a Miqo'te, note the apostrophe. It looks dumb if you stick an apostrophe randomly in a name, but if you separate syllables it works quite well. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't some of the lore based names, for Miqo'te in particular, use an apostrophe to separate syllables?

Try Cait'lyn and Joh'n. Use your imagination.

[MomomiMomi]

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't some of the lore based names, for Miqo'te in particular, use an apostrophe to separate syllables?

Try Cait'lyn and Joh'n. Use your imagination.

I'll have to agree that those look terrible.

Miqo'te names use an apostrophe for their tribal letter. This only applies to sun seekers, and it's for the first letter in their name. Y'shtola is Shtola of the Y tribe. A'shtola, U'shtola, X'shtola, I'shtola are all examples of the same name.

[The_Last_Dragoon]

Well, for one thing, that character may have been played for far, far more than an hour, but even taking your case of a character that's only been played for an hour, it's still an hour more than the character that hasn't been created yet. The one with no ties at all can get a different name more easily than the one that already started with the name it has. With effectively no limit to the available names, there's no conflict that needs a deletion to resolve it.

There's no way it can be characters having been played for "far, far more than an hour" since the solution being questioned (which was suggested by Alexander_Dragonfang) was deleting characters lower than level 10. Since you can't change classes before level 10, it would stand to reason that the time spent on that character ranges from meager to nothing at all. You're also trying to tell me that if a new player got their first choice for the name of their character that they wouldn't feel giddy and extremely excited to play the game for what I imagine is longer than just getting to level 10.

My solution was that characters who aren't max level in at least one class and are left inactive for a year should be put in storage and prompted to rename their character when they return. It's not like they wouldn't be able to keep their names since if they had an original name then all they have to do is type it back in. This isn't "new" to MMOs either since I've known quite a few to ask me to rename my character if I return for a lark after being gone for years.

Why on earth would that happen? I play a Miqo'te, note the apostrophe. It looks dumb if you stick an apostrophe randomly in a name, but if you separate syllables it works quite well. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't some of the lore based names, for Miqo'te in particular, use an apostrophe to separate syllables?

Try Cait'lyn and Joh'n. Use your imagination.

Naming conventions are cool, but it doesn't look good when it doesn't look cannon, and normally the people who want "popular" names don't want to be Joh'n Cooner.

[Alexander_Dragonfang]

Personally i couldn`t care less about nicknamre reservations, im exactly the opposite of an alt-holic, if there is anything i consider the greatest design choice of this game, is being able to have it all in one character.

What i do care about tho, is server limitations and storage usage. Unplayed characters use probably more server space than a fully equipped house. Get rid of them, level 5 or lowers.

[Lokier]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but the art of 'name freeing' is common place in MMOS; GW2, Wildstar, WoW; they have all done this before. The character itself doesn't have to be deleted, all SE would need to do is remove the line of script dictating the name you chose.
When you log in all the game would do is request you create a new name for your character, that still exists on your account. I would agree, however, that any characters with their names being removed should have been in-active for at least 2 years (in my eyes.) Level shouldn't *really* matter.

[Toranja]

Delete them. They shan't be missed.

[Charlayy]

No. If they do some bullshit like that I'll just unsub for good.