world merge and character' name

[Rhomagus]

Well, if you make a mule on a diff server or the server your merging with...give it your same name. Then deactivate your character (main one) until after 27th, move your mule with your name to server of your choice then your deactivated char should move with it.then when you reactivate after you should be prompted with a name change. I hope I explained that right >_<

Character Names
After the merge, if two or more characters with the same first and last name exist in the same World, only one character can keep the name, based on the order of priority below.

1. Characters that are playable on both March 26 (Monday) and March 27 (Tuesday), 2012.
2. Characters that were created first.

This was with the old option 4 though. Now that it's a possible option two, the person coming to the host server would be the one to have to change their name more than likely. You may be right as long as you deactivate your main character prior to the merge, but there may be different parameters governing name changes if they go with option 2.

I'd imagine if they did choose option 2 and saved deactivated character names, you'd have to be willing to move your character to a new server. So the naming priority would look something like this with how I'm seeing it:

1.) Person existing on host server
2.) Characters that are playable as of March 26th and March 27th.
3.) Characters created first.

Now I think a better option would be:

1.) Person existing on host server with option of a free one time character name change. (implementation of character name change service to coincide with server change service come V 2.0.)
2.) Characters that are playable as of March 26th and March 27th.
3.) Characters created first.

With this in mind though, it is possible for them to implement a voluntary name change. They already have the ability. The only thing that needs to be done is to open up the parameters for the prompt.

Instead of having special conditions to trigger the prompt, "Would you like to change your name?" just have it trigger upon login on March 26th and March 27th.

The only downsides that I can see from a customer service standpoint is that SE may be tracking RMT all the way up until 2.0. They may have all of their names in a database and if they allow them to change their names now it will be that much harder to track them.

Another would be the added stress of tracking friends, but they were already willing to do that to us anyways and as a recourse implemented a workaround via the lodestone so I don't see why that would be a problem.