Last we've heard about this (about a year ago), from Aradune:
"I think names are already incredibly important, and becoming moreso day by day. At TwitchCon we had so many people introducing themselves to other fantheons by their in-game name -- it is what it is -- your in-game persona, especially in a social community focused game like Pantheon is *everything*. This is why we continue to head down the road of assigning a first and last name to your character upon creation. Rushing to reserve names, finding out one you've used for years has already been taken, etc. just causes so much unnecessary angst and disappointment.
Just as RL civilization went to two names (and then 3+, I have a first, middle, and last of my birth certificate), so also must virtual civilization.
There is some downside... there could be 2+ other Aradunes running around, but at least you could be Aradune combined with a last name that together makes you unique. Not to mention how this could be tied into the Progeny system, etc.
The concerns I've heard range from 'I don't want to have to think of a second name', to how cool it was to get your last name at 20 in EQ, to UI/Chatting issues.
I don't have much to say in regards to the first. I do agree it was cool to get your last name at 20 in EQ and in fact the idea certainly wasn't mine -- MUDs had been doing that for years, since the late 80s at least. But I think we can offer titles and other ways to recognize and reward.
Lastly the UI issue(s) I think are fairly easily dealt with:
1. If you were logged in and there were, say, 3 Aradunes logged into the same realm as you, and you typed '/tell Aradune Hey man, let's meet up at the bridge', the UI would simply let you know with a pop up list the three people logged in and you would choose one.
2. Example 1 above, however, would happen infrequently, especially if it already happened at least once. We will have an Alias system for this and other reasons (e.g. it's not just to address the more characters logged in with the same first name issue). Essentially you can take anyone from from a Names List (note you'll be able to have multiple lists, say a friends list, an annoying persons list, etc). You can then assign an alias to any of those names. Like I said, this is to address more than just the 2+ names list -- say you have a person you chat with who insists his character's name is some crazy long authentic Sindarin name "Arkininathdunearinatha". I would immediately do /alias Arkininathdunearinatha Arky. Then when I do a '/tell Arky hurry up and meet at the bridge slacker!' it just works. He doesn't know you've renamed him/given him an alias, but your config does, and you no longer need to type or worry about his long name. Same with multiple people with the same first name. '/alias Aradune Mithara Stinky' and now you just use Stinky to refer to him (me?).
3. This greatly helps with realm/server transfers. No more issues there we hope. Will a name, first and last, need to be together unique not just across a realm but across all realms? Likely so, yes.
One thing to keep in mind too is that this is very much a CS issue, moreso than a dev or design issue. Frustrating people by not allowing them to have a name very important to them creates not only an emotional and negative scenario, mad rushes to try reserve names (were we to allow that), but it just gets worse and worse the bigger and more successful the game gets. So the player isn't happy, and then he or she communicates their unhappiness to a CS or GM, taking up valuable resources on our end as well.
I do realize the issue is controversial and trust me, we've given it a LOT of thought. It's something that has plagued CS since the early days of EQ, and it's only grown by orders of magnitude since then with so many more people playing online games where their online persona is very important to them, has a reputation, has sentimental value, etc. In fact, I personally reached out to my friend Rob Pardo (co-creator of WoW, etc.) and he let me know he wished they'd done it this way, that this was a huge issue with WoW, with not only a lot of frustrated people but a huge load on CS. They finally automated it to some degree, but had he a time machine, he'd also approach this issue similarly."
(Source: https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/3639/character-names-important/view/page/4 )
Porygon said:That's extremely disappointing, and I hope they change their mind regarding this.
For a long time I felt as you do now. I still wish we could avoid surnames but I have been slowly converted and now my thinking is it worth it.
I would also like the option to have one global name that references all my characters. I am not sure how this would work as I would not want to hand it out to just anyone. But for example if my wife and I could add one global name to a friends list and from then on all our new characters would be friends. This could also be cool for guilds that are ok with alts eliminating the need to keep getting guild invites each time you start a new alt.
starblight said:Porygon said:That's extremely disappointing, and I hope they change their mind regarding this.
For a long time I felt as you do now. I still wish we could avoid surnames but I have been slowly converted and now my thinking is it worth it.
- I can use the names I have used for years without having to race to get it or in pantheons case pay to get a better chance
- I use the same surname as my wife, a cool way of letting people know we are together
- It will not take me an hour or more each time I want to make a character
- Will not need to make 4 characters before I even get to play just so I can claim my names
I would also like the option to have one global name that references all my characters. I am not sure how this would work as I would not want to hand it out to just anyone. But for example if my wife and I could add one global name to a friends list and from then on all our new characters would be friends. This could also be cool for guilds that are ok with alts eliminating the need to keep getting guild invites each time you start a new alt.
Yea I mean I understand that this benefits alot of people. But i feel it impacts alot of people as well. I have no interest to have a surname, I dont roleplay, i dont play alts.
Everyone has their particular name they like. And I can tell you firsthand when my initial name was taken. And I came up with my new name... nothing changed. Your friends get to know you're new name etc. I feel like were going through all these hoops just to allow 39 players to be named Legolas (example).
Bazgrim said:Last we've heard about this (about a year ago), from Aradune:
"I think names are already incredibly important, and becoming moreso day by day. At TwitchCon we had so many people introducing themselves to other fantheons by their in-game name -- it is what it is -- your in-game persona, especially in a social community focused game like Pantheon is *everything*. This is why we continue to head down the road of assigning a first and last name to your character upon creation. Rushing to reserve names, finding out one you've used for years has already been taken, etc. just causes so much unnecessary angst and disappointment.
Just as RL civilization went to two names (and then 3+, I have a first, middle, and last of my birth certificate), so also must virtual civilization.
There is some downside... there could be 2+ other Aradunes running around, but at least you could be Aradune combined with a last name that together makes you unique. Not to mention how this could be tied into the Progeny system, etc.
The concerns I've heard range from 'I don't want to have to think of a second name', to how cool it was to get your last name at 20 in EQ, to UI/Chatting issues.
I don't have much to say in regards to the first. I do agree it was cool to get your last name at 20 in EQ and in fact the idea certainly wasn't mine -- MUDs had been doing that for years, since the late 80s at least. But I think we can offer titles and other ways to recognize and reward.
Lastly the UI issue(s) I think are fairly easily dealt with:
1. If you were logged in and there were, say, 3 Aradunes logged into the same realm as you, and you typed '/tell Aradune Hey man, let's meet up at the bridge', the UI would simply let you know with a pop up list the three people logged in and you would choose one.
2. Example 1 above, however, would happen infrequently, especially if it already happened at least once. We will have an Alias system for this and other reasons (e.g. it's not just to address the more characters logged in with the same first name issue). Essentially you can take anyone from from a Names List (note you'll be able to have multiple lists, say a friends list, an annoying persons list, etc). You can then assign an alias to any of those names. Like I said, this is to address more than just the 2+ names list -- say you have a person you chat with who insists his character's name is some crazy long authentic Sindarin name "Arkininathdunearinatha". I would immediately do /alias Arkininathdunearinatha Arky. Then when I do a '/tell Arky hurry up and meet at the bridge slacker!' it just works. He doesn't know you've renamed him/given him an alias, but your config does, and you no longer need to type or worry about his long name. Same with multiple people with the same first name. '/alias Aradune Mithara Stinky' and now you just use Stinky to refer to him (me?).
3. This greatly helps with realm/server transfers. No more issues there we hope. Will a name, first and last, need to be together unique not just across a realm but across all realms? Likely so, yes.
One thing to keep in mind too is that this is very much a CS issue, moreso than a dev or design issue. Frustrating people by not allowing them to have a name very important to them creates not only an emotional and negative scenario, mad rushes to try reserve names (were we to allow that), but it just gets worse and worse the bigger and more successful the game gets. So the player isn't happy, and then he or she communicates their unhappiness to a CS or GM, taking up valuable resources on our end as well.
I do realize the issue is controversial and trust me, we've given it a LOT of thought. It's something that has plagued CS since the early days of EQ, and it's only grown by orders of magnitude since then with so many more people playing online games where their online persona is very important to them, has a reputation, has sentimental value, etc. In fact, I personally reached out to my friend Rob Pardo (co-creator of WoW, etc.) and he let me know he wished they'd done it this way, that this was a huge issue with WoW, with not only a lot of frustrated people but a huge load on CS. They finally automated it to some degree, but had he a time machine, he'd also approach this issue similarly."
(Source: https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/3639/character-names-important/view/page/4 )
if this is all still accurate, then I wonder why have "early name reservation" as a perk associated with the pledges??
WarKnight said:if this is all still accurate, then I wonder why have "early name reservation" as a perk associated with the pledges??
While less likely, it would still be possible for someone to take the first/last name combo you want. So reserving it earlier ensures you can get the name you want.
@Porygon While I see your point and I am sure your example will be true for some names. I have been using Starblight since EQ and in most games I am able to get it and yet there have been many that I joind years after release and was not able too. I do not feel Like Starblight is a common name.
1. The early name reservation was created before they decided to have first and last names. For that matter they still haven't definitively decided - at least Aradune said they were headed in this direction but it wasn't definite yet. As Bazgrim said early name reservation still adds some value especially if you want a known name out of movies or books.
Other perks for pledging may also prove to be less valuable than originally planned. Suppose they go the route of selling the game up-front but not charging a subscription. I don't expect this but they *could*. Any pledge reward that gives a subscription period becomes valueless.
They may - or may not - be nice and substitute for any reward whose value is taken away by decisions they make before release.
2. I tend to agree with Porygon but that may be more because I have done it that way for decades and am like a nun in a way - I am a creature of habit. I can live with two names and see the advantage to being guaranteed any first name I want on any server if I am flexible on the last name. I don't really mind other people having the same first name and I would never use a ((sneers visibly)) really *common* name such as Legolas or Drizzt.
I would definitely prefer surnames chosen character by character rather than being forced to use one surname for all characters as an account identifier. Not because I don't want people knowing any "alt" by seeing the last name although that is a vaild concern. More from a roleplaying perspective - a surname going wonderfully with one race or backstory might be atrocious for others.
Mordecai said: Would surnames bother you Pory if you had the option to toggle it off?
I dont care about seeing other peoples surnames. It's more about mine. If my name is Porygon, I dont wsnt to have to come up with a surname. And I dont wanna have to do something like Pory Gon.
That's all. I think it was ff14? That requires first and last. And that's what I had to do.
I hate surnames too. I never used it and I don't wanna think about a surnames now. Plus I dont have to be uniqe on each server. I am satisfied to be uniqe on my server and in combination with the server name it is also possible to be distinguisable from the other players. Especially I doubt we have that much different server due to the cloud system. Thats another point why I am thinking it is unnecessary.
Go back in time where surnames doesn't exists. Surnames came up later for bureaucratic controls. And I feel its the same now here.
The most important questions.
1. Will we be able to hide just surnames?
2. Will we be able to hide all player names except friends?
3. Will we be able to hide all player name except for my group or party names?
These are things I've always wanted and have yet to see an option for in any MMO.
@Bronsun I would use those options if avaliable.
