First to create is an option, but then it leads to situations where someone created the name long ago but didn't use it. For example: * Sam: Creates a 'Soandso' back in '99 and only has 1 hour playtime on that character. * Pat: Creates a 'Soandso' in '00 and has thousands of hours played on characters named 'Soandso' since then If both Sam and Pat want to have a character named 'Soandso' in the latest TLP, who should get the name? Sam could claim it since he created it first, but then it seems unfair to Pat who is likely well known in EQ as 'Soandso'. And there are lots of servers out there. There can easily be a 'Soandso' character on each server being actively played by different people. They may all want to be 'Soandso' on the latest TLP. I suspect that complications like these will mean that they won't end up changing how it works. Doing anything would cause too much drama. The name race may not be the best way, but it's the current way and everyone just deals with it.
Cut the name in half. The rightful owner of the name would object and allow the other to have it rather than seeing the name destroyed.
The biblical reference will not work in a cut throat game like this. As mentioned earlier, many players would trash the reputation of the name before they gave it up so the next player would be stuck with the bad rep.
First to create is the simplest solution, as soon as you start adding all these convoluted conditions just to appease some player who thinks they are more deserving you already muddied the waters to such an extent that you end up in a complete mess & if someone beat you to the punch 24 years ago & never played after, tough cheddar. First is first & deal with it, nobody who works in Physics would even think to steal Einstein's crown just because he isn't around any more. If EQ players were Physicists there would be 20,000 Einstein's.
Only with a certificate/title that you created and autographed by yourself, you can be the owner of a name. You also have to make sure that you and the names do not belong to someone else, because then you would not have any rights on that names and you would be just the name holder/user.
Everquest has the longest tradition of recoverable characters. It's even a stickied post on main page. Leave names be. The current system works fine. One squeaky wheel over you thirsting for a name is not a crisis.
I had some idiot years ago try and accuse me of stealing "his" names. Turns out there were three that were similar and since I had been using them since I first played D&D in 75 I told him to bug off since he clearly hadn't been born till years after that. So I can say for a fact that someone can pick similar or same names independently unless the kid accusing me of name stealing was trolling me. Funny thing is he did it on my website forum I have up for my guild. It didn't go well for him. And frankly no one has a "right" to names in my opinion. Now if they are intentionally trying to impersonate you that is a totally different matter.
And if folks want their name on every server make a toon on every server with that name instead of crying about folks using that name. Most times its not malicious its just them picking that name (maybe with the exception of TLP servers). TLPs are different as I assume they have a roving band of players moving from new TLP to new TLP. I don't have a good feel for the numbers on that.
