(Suggestion) Time for a Name Purge

It's been a while since we've had a purge of names that are held by players who no longer play. I think it's about time to add some Zs or Ws to unused toons, so that people who actually play can make use of those names.

Or people could... I dunno, get creative so we don't have a dozen variants of Legolas and Wolverine?

A great place to find names is the Medieval Names Archive. It has names from a wide range of cultures that work great in a fantasy RPG.

So you don't like my leapord instead of leopard. Lol

Dude, we've done this multiple times over the years, and the last time wasn't nearly long enough ago.

Sticking zzz at the end of peoples' names tends to really tick off returning players, and with every expansion launch (like BoL just last month) we get lots of returning players. Take a look in the Tips, Tricks, FAQs, and New Player Discussion area of these very forums right now, or at any time, really, and you'll see what I mean.

Try Rivervale or Kaladim if you want new names, not to mention that there will likely be a new PvP TL launching later this year that will have every name open as well.

If they haven't been on in the last 5 years, they likely aren't coming back. If they get pissed off, then I guess they should have been playing their toons to keep their names.

So your solution to over used names is to direct people to a list of over used names. Ok.

A list of uncommon names in the modern day that are appropriate for our environment. How many Mongol names or Old Norse names or Old English names do you see around?

Mongol names? Not many, but that's also because not many players identify with Mongols.

Old Norse? Tons of barbarians with Wulf, wolf, or anything related to Odin, Loki, or some variation.

Old English? Tons of people who think everyone in merry old England was a druid dancing around Stonehenge.

I have over 100 toons, and most of my names are unique. Naming new toons is something I really enjoy. I have an entire folder of bookmarks for name ideas.

Two of my favorite sites for name inspiration are

1. https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/
2. https://www.seventhsanctum.com/

I also google names with specific meanings - for instance, I have a ogre bruiser named Liag, which means rock or stone, and all of her entourage have different names with similar meanings. Another toon is all shades of green.

I struggle with character naming and always have. Once I find a name that I really like, I'll stick with it on as many servers and in as many games as I play on. They tend to be somewhat unique, but others have commented on how they like several of them, so I've started seeing people use them on other servers.

Send me a PM the next time you are stuck & describe your character-to-be, and I will send you some suggestions!

I managed to transfer to a server where someone(s) used the same exact Drow name generator I found, and beat me to Vierala (I made my Vierala on LDL in 2008!) and Charbryn (made on Crushbone in 2011). Neither are what I'd consider common names. So I opted to shift to Jhaelarra and Charryna. I still think of my toons as their original names though, and if I could change them back to their given names I'd do it in a heartbeat. And neither of those players that hold those names are active. (Vierala is 27 and last played in 2012, Charbryn is level 5 and created and then never played again in 2014).

When we picked up our last 2 cats I spent days on the computer looking at all sorts of names. We finally settled on a couple of Native American names. They has some unique names too.

When players state that other players have "never played again," the only thing you are looking at is info for that particular character. That account may still be active.

Also, like I previously mentioned, people come back all the time, especially around new expansion launches like we just got with Blood of Luclin. Do you really want the first thing they see to be their character effectively tossed aside against their will, with a bunch of zzz after their name? They want to connect with their old friends and guildies, and now before they can even log on, they have to become a stranger. I'll bet they immediately wonder, and rightly so, if anyone will even know who they are with different names.

Hey, I've been here since launch day, and subbed pretty much straight through, so none of this affects me. However, punching another player in the eye so that you can take what they've got, when you weren't there in the first place to get it (obviously, or you would have those names already) is never a healthy thing to do for any game.

Not to mention that Daybreak has freed up names several times over the years, and once in the not very distant past!

Be happy with what you've got, everyone, and do the most important thing of all: Play EQ2 and have fun with it.

I understand Dude's desire to have some names purged. I also see how it wouldn't be fair to some people. I don't know if they could pick some really far back date like 10 years or something maybe. So far with all the merges and stuff I've been able to keep all of my character names. But I lost my guild name this last merge and it did kind of upset me. I looked the guild up and there was only 1 person in the guild (which no biggie there) But that person hadn't been on line since 2006, so I was very disappointed that someone off line that long got to keep my Guild Name which I've had since 2005. There isn't really an answer to this I guess. But it seems like if you play every day and someone else has been offline for 10 years then the winner should be........ But I am biased.

I started playing 10 years ago. Unlocked lots of character slots on multiple accounts. Stopped playing once I got tired of the Kunark Ascending grind. And now I am back after 3 years. If I lost character names due to a purge, I might cancel my current subs and stop playing again.

When a name is used, it is used. You can't just take it away from the player who used it. This game can't afford to lose more players, even those who might come back after a long time...

Not always true I have a friend that came back after 8 years. Accts are FTP so always active now...what gives you the right to deem their names are free game??

I don't have that right, but DBG does and has done this several times over the years. I think it's time to happen again.

This issue comes up often on many games' forums.
If someone hasn't played for e.g. five years and hasn't paid a thing over that period their names should be fair game. The chance of them returning isn't zero but it isn't very large - the chance of them just hogging names without ever intending to return is far larger.

To go further - the issue of fairness is a lot more relevant for someone that *lost* the name because of a forced transfer or merger. If a character hasn't been played for a year or more *and* the account hasn't paid anything for a year or more anyone that was transferred to the server should be allowed to use the rename option and take the name even though new characters shouldn't be able to take it that quickly.

I have no horse in this race - I am quite content with the names I was able to create that hadn't already been taken.

I use random, then add extra vowels or syllables. Or try something else that likely isn't in the game, and hope the name checker doesn't trow up on it. Mostly I've been good picking names, but once or twice got told it was already in use.

Or ordinary names like Sharan. Which I gave to a character less than a month ago.