Should banned names hold character names hostage forever?

Community General Discussion
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Hello forum goers, woe is me this day as my guild has decided that our current servers failing population isn’t enough to sustain a healthy raid team, thus they have decided to move to a more populated server.

Well as it turns out I can’t take my main character over to this new server because the name is unavailable there, it has been since WoD. Now for those not in the know, names of characters on inactive accounts get freed up every two expansion releases. But this name in particular is unavailable for another reason…

The person with my characters name on that server was banned. For how long support didn’t divulge.

Now I understand the logic behind this rule, if they freed the name up after two expansions and then I came along and took it it may look like the person has simply been unbanned (especially bad if they were permanently banned) but I still feel like I’m being punished for someone else’s actions.

I’m well aware that I could just use a different name (or accented letters blegh) but my characters name is very important to me and it just wouldn’t feel right changing it, I’d rather be Tsandra the guildless of dying server number fourteen than Tsàñdrâ as stupid as it may seem to some.

The final part of this post is directed at you forum goer, do you think this rule is just and should remain in place, or is it time to free up names from banned accounts? My opinion is clearly biased, I hope the devs change this rule, but I wan’t to see the communities outlook on this issue.

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Would have helped if I had posted under my main character lol

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I generally think toon names on inactive accounts should be unlocked more quickly.

In this case in particular though, if someone did something bad enough to get perma-banned under that toon in particular, I can understand the logic.

I get that your toon name is important to your game identity, but it seems with some work you could come up with a new name you could be happy with, especially if you moved with your guild and they all knew you were you, regardless of the name.

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You aren’t being punished for someone else’s actions.

You simply did not get the name you want on that server, first.

It is just as though it were in current use. And it is. It is in use not by an active player, but the ugly reputation they left behind.

You are not entitled to any name anyone has already chosen on a server. That they free names after a time is nice, but not guaranteed.

Want a name? Be the first to use it on a server. That’s all.

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Honestly don’t know why characters can’t have the same name. At least differentiate by race, faction, class, guild, realm, etc.

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Do like i do put x in front and back

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Paragon advice, this. :roll_eyes:

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I can be… XxthalliaxX!

:rofl:

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Allowing surnames would take care of this.

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This is why I always jot down a list of names I might want, and try each in order of how much I like them until one works.

I’ve been known to spend days settling on a name though.

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Ew no. Spaces, apostrophes and hyphens. Not all races have last names.

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Well excuse!! me. picks up toys and goes home.

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I’mma just add more Z’s. Ohgodmyeyezzzz!

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Now I’m just imagining this:

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I usually picture Nicholas Cage. And bees.

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LOL!!! That’s so much better! :rofl:

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one of the reasons i have to not transfer off my backwater realm cluster.

armory was a lot more convenient eight or so years ago, when you could search out and see if a name was used/taken on any realm

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Fully support you, OP, and consistent application of name release policy (i.e., 2 xpacs until release for all).

I’ve picked up names that were released that I had been watching/stalking for years. Anecdotal, but I’ve never had anyone think I was the old name-holder returned.

Same logic for releasing non-banned names should apply.

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i desperately wanted this character name and went down server by server until i found the one that had it available. it was one of the last ones and i had nearly given up.

i do like the idea of having the ability to put a last name. i like it only if its not required

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They should add a last name for characters, that would solve so many naming problems.