Petition to allow different last names.

It has been stated that the game will assign your last name once you pick it for your first character.

Reason has been to force some continuity and assign t for recognition.

But I would like to have different names. My chars will not be of the same class (family) Warrior, crafter, mischievous. and I want to give them totally different last names, or none

The game already see all names of the account, if you delete and create a new char it is added to your friend list with the new name from the account, that is if a char is already friended (blocked).

So why do we need to have different last names, the account is already seen and used.

 

The premise of last names is to provide a real sense of consequence to your actions on any particular character. It fact it was said that LB did not want more than one character for anyone, so I suspect that using the family name is a compromise between only alloying one character and having a sense of consequence. I personally like the idea of encouraging better behavior by affecting a RL consequence. Even still, anyone can buy a separate account.

From a truly personal perspective, there are but a few books that I consider fundamental to my way of thinking in RL There is one book called The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod which discusses how to create an environment in which antagonist are most likely to cooperate. One the fundamental ingredients of that environment is the sense of future encounters. Hence, by forcing a player to use the same family name, it harder for them to escape the consequences of the poor chooses and benefits of their good choices.

 

By forcing a player to use a same last name has nothing to do with forcing their inability to escape consequences. If I block them and every name they use on that account are also blocked, like the different chars created by player over the releases have kept track of the players assigned to that account then I will be able to see them ALL, either in friends list or blocked lists?

Since that mechanic is already in place that is all that is needed.

So forcing a simple naming convention to make consequences and action more tied to accounts isn't really needed.

 

You are assuming that you would know which you will NOT. Further, the theory of cooperation has nothing to do with what you think, but has everything to do with the antagonist thinks.

 

I preferred the idea of 1 character, multiple characters with the same surname is a compromise.

If someone really wants multiple characters with different surnames then they can just run multiple accounts. I see no reason to change the direction of shared surnames.

 

Well, there'll also be reputation sharing. The only way this makes sense (role-playing wise) is if you're part of the same family and share some family honor. Role-playing wise, sharing a surname makes sense.

Like I've said before, if I play a second character, I'm only going to do it for role-playing purposes, too. So I'd also in theory like a different surname. But maybe it might just make more sense to be able to hide your surname on your nameplate, and show a middle name or second family name, or something like that.

I would like to be able to hide the surname, at any rate -- or have a title instead of a surname -- even if you don't have a second family name.

 

Hiding would also be OK?

 

I would have preferred single characters, but the shared last names seem like a fair compromise.

 

No freedom to choose a last name. OK, I see. What's next ..... have to ask permission to go to the bathroom? To eat? To BREATHE!?!?! NAY, TO LIVE!!?!?!?

Tyranny I say. Sic Semper Tyrannis.

I don't want my characters to have to endure my real last name that has haunted me since birth. Go ahead, make fun of Budner Fartblossom. I was born that way.

But just you remember ...... the answer lies, in the Fartblossom skies.

 

Well it won't make a bit of different to say it but.. as an RPer I strongly dislike the idea of a game mechanic forcing additional characters into a family relationship. Especially when they can't be played together.

I've finally got 3 character slots but none of the characters I would want to play are related. I find that extremely annoying. I wonder then, how many people will actually pay the extra money to have a completely separate character?

Yeah I understand the reasons behind it. I'm even supportive of the idea of players playing 'honestly' and not gaming the system by constantly going back and making different choices and playing like they have split personality etc.. but I can't say I like how they're going about it. Game mechanics are an ineffective means to control this kind of player behavior.

 

I want to start a petition to go back to one character per account as was the original plan!

 

I heard fartblossoms will be a form of currency New Britannia. Very low encumbrance.

 

True, but it creates an awkwardness when trying to pay the blacksmith for a newly forged sword if his smelter is active.

 

×10

 

I think it is a bit limiting to have alts bonded by name and reputation. I wanted to have a good avatar and an evil one, but I am guessing that Lord British has a reason for this approach, maybe something to do with the story line, so I am behind him all the way.

 

My problem with the whole sharing Surnames/Reputation thing is it drastically limits roleplaying. If I have three character slots, I want to play three different characters, I don't want to just play one guy and then two clones of that guy (which they would essentially be, forced to have the same name/family, and you can't act any differently because it'll screw up your main guy which makes NO sense when it comes to questing and storyline). Also prevents people from playing members of the same family with their friends (as a few of us had originally planned), since dedicating one character to a family group is fine, but having every single character you ever make subsequently forced into that group is not something most people would want to do.

People always flippantly say "Well just go make another account", which actually proves my point more than it reinforces theirs.. The ease with which you can set up multiple accounts makes the basis for this limitation somewhat idiotic, since anyone that wants to troll or be a jerk will just go do that. Whereas people who don't want to be jerks, and just want to rp what they think would be fun and experience the game in different ways, can't do any of that now. Personally I've already sunk multiple thousands of dollars into SotA, and don't feel like tossing out even more cash for a FOURTH character slot that would have none of the pledge benefits the previously spent money has already paid for.

People can bemoan the fact that multiple characters even exist at all, but they do (none of this would be an issue if they'd stuck to that original plan, i agree, but it's too late now). And short of offering refunds or something I don't see Portalarium suddenly removing them. There are plenty of other MMOs that handle accounts in a manner that lets you know who is playing the character standing in front of you, without railroading their players into playing the same kind of character over and over again. I have yet to hear a logical reason to explain why we don't just use one of those options and subsequently free people up to play what they want to play.. in a sandbox game.. which is supposed to be based on the idea of being able to do what you want to do in the first place.

Just to note, saying "Well, Lord British wanted it this way" is not a logical reason that explains anything.

 

Well to be honest every account and character slot should have a unique id stored somewhere so there is no reason why players can't/shouldn't have similar names. Also if a player really wanted a different name they could have another account.

I see no reason why the same surname should be enforced. I would say its RP gone a little OTT.

 

-10

 

Couldn't have said it any better than this:

 

I agree with Envy, your Good or Bad -O-Meter is Tied to your account. I don't think I even want a last name ....