Suggestions on what to do with Last Names - Prompted by Telethon

Myself, I think that promise has been fulfilled for me. I got to pick a name early during the alpha part of the game. It just says I get my last name early and that I can display both first and last name from the get-go, and I have done that. My only regret is that I put my main name on my alt account once and it's there forever now, hehe. I can live with it though.

 

It's a rather shallow reward in it's current state. Choosing early is a decent carrot when the name is unique, but pointless when it's not. We could all pick the same last name (given we use a different first name); so what was the value in picking early?

Names are a huge part of our persona, our character, and impact first impressions. Our first, and potentially only, unique possession. Personally, it seems like the intent or the reward was lost along the way. It's obviously not something that's high on the list of priorities, and it's impact likely doesn't merit much thought at this late stage. We can have multiple characters, all with different last names, and be as nefarious as we like on one character while virtuous and upstanding on the other. That seems to go against the thought that we're all our own Avatars. Through anonymity, you can be as cruel and heartless as you like.

The intent of the reward still hadn't been stated, and knowing how names were going to work is a huge factor in choosing a name for some people. We're finding this all out after names are persistent... For me, none of this matters unless there is a wipe anyways. Locking names down, has already screwed people. (Which is somewhat ironic since the intent was to do the opposite). I had the same singular first name through all of the early releases, only to have things locked down while I was trying to test last names and how the naming worked. Now that it's clear I'm not going to be forced to have a last name, I can't go back to my original name and will have to settle for something else. In short, the last name reward not only was meaningless but had it not existed in the first place I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now.

 

I wonder if a request to support@portalarium.com to blank the names tied to our own accounts should be considered, for those that are using a place holder because they didn't know they'd be stuck with it.

 

I don't think anyone is stuck with their current name, since there's the final wipe? Unless I'm misunderstanding. We can choose to select a new name, or create a character with the previous character name we used after the wipe. Or even delete our character, and choose a new name which would then be reserved for us. However, if while testing a placeholder, someone chose your original name... They may not have even logged in or created a character since then and it's still reserved and gone. I'm assuming they're only holding a single name for us (the current one in use, or the last one which was associated with our account). Since we don't have multiple character functionality, I wouldn't think they would be holding more than one name.

 

You could use your second account to create a new character with a new name, and that would release your main name. Then log in your main account and claim it. I had planned to do the same however, I needed to have a last name in order to test which names were unique, and when I went back it had been claimed. So, had I been known as John this whole time, I tested John Doe. Then on alternate account tried Jane Doe and was fine. Tried John Snow, was fine. Just couldn't have two John Doe. At any rate, going back to just John wasn't possible. Didn't think it mattered because there were still many wipes planned. Every wipe since I've tried to get my name back, unsuccessfully. It's a dead horse now, I know.

I wonder how many people will try to send tells to John Doe, only to mistell John instead. I think there are missed opportunities for mechanics, such as unique family names, family trees, linked coat of arms, adoption, children, and the like. Bit that wasn't really part of the original vision, nor promised as a stretch goal or anything. Lots of possibilities, but ultimately probably not the best bang for the buck at this late stage in terms of resource usage.

 

~Chaos in the Order of Things?~

Personally I'm still baffled by it all and to what name anyone may or may not have in any reserved or preserved names... Is it the in game name that has some reservation or the account name? Some clarifications and official Portalarium statement does need to be stated by the company to resolve this so we all can make any of our own plans or needed customer service to resolve any issues. Maybe our newest community manager knows something that can shed some official light on this one...



Which one of these cans of spam has any actual food in it, or is it all just worms?

Let's try this one? @Berek
Hey, I warned him, but he asked for it
~Time Lord~

 

I don't like SPAM!

 

~Spam & Worms it is Then?'~
We haven't heard a peep so far out of our @Berek , so my guess is that he's got back from the team either, just allot of spam, or worms to be so quiet about it all...
Until then I guess, it's all the same thing, words, rude words, kind words, worms and spam...



But here in Thailand, "they love their spam!" Spam with Crickets, Spam with Scorpions, Spam with Dung Bugs and of course, Spam and Worms as well...
There's no escaping it you know This question of our names is just full of the stuff!
~Time Lord~

 

Don't forget spam and pineapple. The king of all spams...

Honestly, it would be nice to see it settled. The devs asked us to discuss it in the forums, which we have done, and now it would be nice to hear the outcome.

 

Yes. Spam at a higher pledge tier.

I'd be happy just to know what the original intent was, and where they planned on going with it. If there wasn't a design in mind, then they could have foregone two separate names, and just allowed one field with spaces and set the field to unique.

 

We have a plan that continues to support our backers expectations, no worries there. Expect an update here from Starr or myself sometime next week to clarify how we're going about securing your last names.

 

I have a concern for families and married couples who play the game, who share the same last name.

First + Last should be unique, as has been the working model for the time being.

 

~OK, Let me go get the body and revive it~

Thanks @Berek !

~Time Lord~

 

Yeah, I kind of agree with this the whole forcing all your characters to have the same last name and not letting other characters have that last name I think it's kind of annoying. Having both combined unique is probably better. If Shigeru Miyamoto (My characters name is Shugo Miyamoto a mash-up of two characters/peoples names that I like/admire) wants to play and use his name I'd be saddened that I stole it.

 

Conan Cimmerian...

 

There are many players who prefer not to have a last name. I hope this preference is respected.

 

~We May Could~
If they are only preserving last names, then maybe it could be possible to just fill in the last name while leaving the first name blank...
Just a thought...
~Time Lord~

 

Agreed. Not all of us want ethnocentric, slave-formatted names. The mere thought of "last names" is so ignorant to how human cultures have named people throughout time that it makes me shudder. I may be "He Who Brings Light" or "That Which Steals Serpent's Breath" or "Thunder Leopard" or simply "Wind," and can not be defined by your social security system.

The whole idea of "family names" is inherently patriarchal (and therefore sexist), culturally insensitive, and very close minded. Please join us in the 21st century and understand that the time of scarcity is long gone, and human culture has long evolved past a need for claiming ownership of others, especially women. Please do not just implement a cargo cult repeat of western imperialism simply because "thats what our most vocal players are familiar with."

 

~"It's Feudal to Resist"~
Yet our world of SOTA is the feudal system, and the NPC's culture is also the feudal system...

After all, we can't just call him "Man British" now can we?

~Time's~ Wasted...
~Time Lord~

 

Anytime someone asks me for my political leanings I usually tell them to youtube-search "Dennis the Constitutional Peasant" :-D

Well I diddnt vote for 'em.