Name change headaches

[Atonisk]

The name change system is really one of those things where you have to wonder if it's more trouble than it's worth. Sure, when we first heard about it, most people clamored after it; and, I mean, who wouldn't? There are a lot of people who either picked a name they've outgrown/tired of or wanted another name that was taken at the time. However, at the same time, it gets incredibly confusing.

 

The most immediate problem was when the feature was first implemented it only really seemed to work for "new" names. Until relatively recently, Jagex hadn't even implemented the proposed name-stripping of inactive players (many of whom had highly desired names yet quit after barely playing) so the system was really annoying me. One thing that Jagex has really done right about the process is not making removed names available to new players; at the moment only members who use the name change process can get them. This helps prevent "name-hoarding" by a few individuals.

 

The real problem I have with this, and I'm sure a lot of others do, too, is that there's really no history or tie-back with these names. If a player changes their name twice, the original moniker vanishes from the name change reminder icon so in a lot of instances I'll have players on my friends list who I have no clue as their identity (because if you know a guy for 5 years as one thing, it's tough getting used to a new name especially when you have dozens of friends online at any given moment). Then after I delete them, like a few days after somebody else will pm me and ask if I'm arguing with so & so (and I'll be like, "Who?") because I removed that other guy >_> Then there also a lot of people that you just see around or talk with while doing certain skills/etc but never added to your friends list for some reason or another; they'll randomly come up and say hi, expecting you to remember who they are or were (and I had a hard enough time remembering people BEFORE the name change =x Partly because I'm always meeting people and partly because I've played for a whopping nine years now). Plus every now and again you'll get people who change their names just so you won't know it's them

 

Believe it or not, I actually really like the fact that epic names that players either weren't able to get or didn't think of years ago are now available. I just wish that there was some way to really keep track of these things, like if Jagex would add an optional notes section for each player like you have on normal instant messengers.

 

Do you feel that the benefits outweigh all of the random negatives? And how could Jagex have implemented this system in a more meaningful way?

[Guthorm]

I would perfer something like you get three free name changes, after that you have to pay for it.

[Sevestia]

It would be nice if there was an easier way to keep track. Yesterday, someone PMd me and they couldn't understand why I couldn't remember them; and yes, they'd changed their name. (I still haven't figured out who the heck it is...)

 

I still think the benefits outweigh the negatives, though. Must be annoying to be stuck with a name you hate. D:

[sees_all1]

I'm having troubles on the RSOF - if you want to have a supporter's list, you have to update it once a month when all the members change their names.

 

Real pain in the neck.

[tripsis]

I honestly hate the name change system.. which is funny because I have changed my own name, though I will be changing it back :P I think it would have been better for Jagex to give everyone the ability to change their name ONCE after removing the inactive names. I know there are people who hated the numbers in their name or just wanted something else.. but people changing their names every month is just ridiculous. I can't recognize my own friends, I can't HYT people I kind of know or have seen around the forums and it's just plain impossible for me to keep track of people anymore.

 

The other solution would be to ALWAYS show someone's original name in addition to their display name somehow but that would probably make everything look cluttered D:

[Rock Hard]

implement examine player option - displays original name

[Gimingo]

Well if they're on your friend's list its not a problem, just hover a cursor over the name of the person. And besides those people, who else do you really need to know the names of? So I disagree, I think that the name changes system gave a lot of people the opportunity to change a name they dislike. Plus it helps clans when they try to confuse others (although thats kinda frustrating:S ).

[Atonisk]

Well if they're on your friend's list its not a problem, just hover a cursor over the name of the person.

 

That only works for the first time they change their name. Some of my friends have already undergone five or six name changes >_>

 

And besides those people, who else do you really need to know the names of?

 

Well, for one thing, the friends list maxes out at 200. Plus I run into a LOT of people and it's nice to actually know who they are.

[Skeptical]

I would perfer something like you get three free name changes, after that you have to pay for it.

 

Now that I think about it, that does seem like a good solution. I would say two changes, then pay - I've seen a lot of people make mistakes (myself included) and I think it would be best if everyone got a second shot, then had to pay through the nose.

[Evil9116]

I indeed hate that update. I almost deleted half of my FL name because I don't know who are they.

[Kaphias]

I think it would be nice to have a "nickname" option in the friends list, where you could add a name of your choosing next to each persons usual username.

[Rock Hard]

if you cant keep track of what name your 'friend' is going by, with over a month to memorize each change - you aren't their friend

[sees_all1]

if you cant keep track of what name your 'friend' is going by, with over a month to memorize each change - you aren't their friend

Ever have two friends change their names to exactly the same thing?

It's happened before - they named themselves "Voidofmysoul" and "voidofasoul". If they had done that two or three times in a row, I wouldn't be able to keep their names straight and I doubt anyone else would either. But I definitely know that we're friends.

[Pepsiguy]

for en u hover over there name it should just be there first they had but then still it could get confusing

[friedtomato7]

I changed my name to something new then after realizing that i didn't like the new name I changed it back to my old name :thumbsup:

[Earth_Poet]

I only wanted the opportunity to change my name ONCE. I'm happy now. The more you change your name, the more you lose your identity. That leads to the confusion we are discussing.

[Sir_Squab]

I would perfer something like you get three free name changes, after that you have to pay for it.

 

Now that I think about it, that does seem like a good solution. I would say two changes, then pay - I've seen a lot of people make mistakes (myself included) and I think it would be best if everyone got a second shot, then had to pay through the nose.

 

I don't think changing it only twice is a good idea. A limit is bad, because it will always be possible to get a name you don't like.

 

However, I think changing it once a month is too much. I have some people who change it each and every single month. I think they need to make it more of a yearly basis. Change it twice a year maybe, Or maybe once a year, but you can have an option of changing your username to whatever it was before the change.

 

Or maybe up to 3 itmes a year, I dunno. Frankly, I changed my name pretty much the day name changing came out, and so far I've stuck to it.

[MsKaro]

I agree that it does get confusing after a while. Although, I made sure to change my name twice so that my original sign in name cannot be observed by other players, which I feel protects me from someone attempting to hack me. I've been playing online games for 11 years now and I have never been hacked a single time to date. So in a way it makes me feel a lot better knowing that people can't see my sign in name.

[armourdilo]

I left Runescape for about a month or two and now I don't know about a third of my friends list. They got annoyed that I didn't know who they were. I found that I lost track after the second name change of most of my friends, I had become dependent of the mouseover that told me their original name. Kaphias, that nickname suggestion sounds great, that would help a lot.

[Speedsktr]

I dont particularly hate the update, but it is really really confusing. So many people change their names every month that its really hard to keep them straight. I admit, its partially my fault for keeping my chat off so much that I dont really talk to people with their new names more than once a week or so. But being able to change your name once a month is simply too much. Like rawr said, people should have the option to change their name a few times a year. Once every 3 or 6 months. But should be able to change their name back to what it was originally whenever they would like during that time frame. However once they change it back, its stuck like that until the time they originally changed their name is up. For example. I change my name from speedsktr to speedyRcer in january, but in march decide to change it back to speedsktr, I cant change it again until say June with the six month limit. This would eliminate some of the confusion that comes with the constant name switching. Either this, or make the hover over box in your friends list say ALL of the person's prior account names. Something for those of us with terrible memories please.

[kodaxor]

Maybe you should only be able to change your name twice a year?

[Ellac]

You could just play more often and look at your friends list..

[BigDrew]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I love the name changing system. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

For 5 years i was stuck with a name i chose only because it seemed every other name i wanted or could possibly think of was taken. I picked a make do name only to regret it half way through my RS life ! Now, i finally have a name i really like, which i will stick with probably until my final day on RS. I just wish it wouldn't come up as a name change as this would have been my preffered name if it wasn't taken when i originally created the account. Instead i have to be known as I big drew I - originally known as kinpin6. I still have to log in with kinpin6 as the username, yet if you search kinpin6 up on RS highscores it will come up 'no such member'. Maybe that could be changed ?

 

I wish my name change was made permenant ! :(

[Atonisk]

One of the other major nuisances I neglected to mention is that name changing is even more confusing thanks to forums, since people aren't always fast to adjust their RSN in their details. Whenever I look somebody up and see that they're unranked, it's hard to tell if they've changed their name or if they're just a new player.

 

For me, though, I'm basically immune to a lot of the problems people might have finding out who I am since I have a permanently ranked skill (unless somebody higher than me gets banned). No matter how many times I change my name, all somebody needs to do is look up that particular rank and see the name.

 

if you cant keep track of what name your 'friend' is going by, with over a month to memorize each change - you aren't their friend

 

1. I routinely have a full friends list. It's a lot of names to keep track of on its own, even when 30~50 people aren't changing their names each month.

2. If you were to ever take a break, you might miss quite a few double-name changes. And if somebody isn't necessarily all that active, you could easily miss their name changes.

3. If you use clan chats socially, you don't usually have every single person from every single chat on your list. Hell, it's really not even possible, considering the cap on your friends list. You couldn't add everybody if you tried.

 

I agree that it does get confusing after a while. Although, I made sure to change my name twice so that my original sign in name cannot be observed by other players, which I feel protects me from someone attempting to hack me. I've been playing online games for 11 years now and I have never been hacked a single time to date. So in a way it makes me feel a lot better knowing that people can't see my sign in name.

 

Yeah, that's definitely one practical aspect of the system. However, the benefits are somewhat mitigated by all the people who've known you for years and will still use your original name no matter how often you remind them to only call you by the new name. Plus if your name gets re-used by somebody else (a valid problem in my case, as a few friends want it so they can impersonate me XD), you run into the same concern with hackers, etc.

[i_m_darkness]

I'm happy I could finally change away from my old name, but it's given me so much nuisances in managing my clan's memberlist. Not everyone immediately posts about it, some just forget all together. Ended up writing a script to look up every name of the list on RS highscores to make sure they are still valid. Yeah.