Commander name changes

[iiMStevo]

I'm not sure why this isn't allowed, but I've read the support notes that name changes are only permitted under special circumstances.
As this isn't a feature (and is a really simple one at that), I'd like to know why it isn't possible to rename your CMDR?

Really it should be something in-game, heck even as a real money payment like other game devs do.

(Also, I used the forum search function for name changing, commander name changing etc... and all turned up no results, so sorry if this is a duplicate request).

 

[Factabulous]

It's available from the main menu - Options / Clear Save

Or contact Support - they were happy to change mine when I asked. Not sure why you'd want to be able to change in more often...

 

[Para Handy]

Yes as Factabulous says, just raise a support ticket explaining why you want to change the Commander Name and they will do it if possible. They happily complied with my request to rename my second account when too many people were (i.e. everyone was) having trouble working out how to pronounce it.

It is listed as not generally available to stop them dealing with loads of requests I suppose and it allows them to ensure that there are no "underhand" reasons why a commander doesn't want to be seen with that name any more.

As also stated, the option to enter a different Commander Name when doing a clear save exists although of course you can't pick a name which has already been used by another commander. (Not even swapping commander names between two of my own accounts was possible, once a name has been used by an account it is exclusive to that account ad infinitum.)

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

FDev allows one name change per year since the last one. One must fill out a ticket along with the old and new name change and a short description as to why.

 

[moorison]

I guess the contacts list will stay the same but I am unsure if every earlier discovery will receive the name change as well. There are also the lists of most infamous Cmdrs in the station news, I am not sure how often these are updated.

 

[iiMStevo]

See... now all of what you’ve just said is the problem. Why is it an exclusive support ticket only request?
It should be in-game, as a feature and shouldn’t be an “at our discretion” option.

Clearing a save and wiping all your grind out shouldn’t be the only alternative.
It’s baffling the amount of corner cutting that’s taken place in the foundation of this game ��

 

[Zieman]

Why would you "need" to change your CMDR name? Sounds a bit fishy...

 

[iiMStevo]

Why would you "need" to change your CMDR name? Sounds a bit fishy...

I haven't said "need" anywhere.
However, some people may feel the "need" to change it... I don't know. I'd like the option at some point. For example, for Squadrons, it may be better to reflect an actual person's name rather than a random unique only screen name.

 

[Para Handy]

See... now all of what you’ve just said is the problem. Why is it an exclusive support ticket only request?

Because (hypothetically):

1 ... if you wanted to change your Commander Name to impersonate someone

2 ... someone taking your name would appear to have made all your "First Discovered by" (and soon "First Mapped By") tags

3 ... you want to change your name because everyone now knows that you have been seal-clubbing

4 ... etc, etc


Stop whinging and get on with the game, adapt to suit the game instead of moaning that you want it to be adapted to suit you. (Or buy a PS4 - they seem to be able to do what they want. )

 

[iiMStevo]

Because (hypothetically):

1 ... if you wanted to change your Commander Name to impersonate someone

2 ... someone taking your name would appear to have made all your "First Discovered by" (and soon "First Mapped By") tags

3 ... you want to change your name because everyone now knows that you have been seal-clubbing

4 ... etc, etc


Stop whinging and get on with the game, adapt to suit the game instead of moaning that you want it to be adapted to suit you. (Or buy a PS4 - they seem to be able to do what they want. )

None of which actually applies because at no point have I stated that name fields shouldn't be unique...
Stop defending systems that can be clearly improved with ease, and I might stop "whinging" about them needing improving since it would be a majority opinion

 

[Misty_Dark]

None of which actually applies because at no point have I stated that name fields shouldn't be unique...
Stop defending systems that can be clearly improved with ease, and I might stop "whinging" about them needing improving since it would be a majority opinion

But those listed things are basically why name change usually is not implemented, as those are many times the reasons why player controlled name change can/will be abused.


And in those case none of those applies, you can create a ticket and the support can complete the name change.



So lets switch the question around, you say this is easily implemented, how do you easily implement such feature so that it cannot be abused? You might not abuse it, but we know players will abuse it. This is one key issue that many suggestions suffers, their abuse potential. And if you have not taken that into consideration before you make your suggestion, then others will point these out to you...


I know plenty of things that would be really nice to have in the game, but they are not here because of their abuse potential and there is no good way to implement such features and stop their abuse potential, it can be done, but then it is neither easy or cheap...

 

[iiMStevo]

But those listed things are basically why name change usually is not implemented, as those are many times the reasons why player controlled name change can/will be abused.


And in those case none of those applies, you can create a ticket and the support can complete the name change.



So lets switch the question around, you say this is easily implemented, how do you easily implement such feature so that it cannot be abused? You might not abuse it, but we know players will abuse it. This is one key issue that many suggestions suffers, their abuse potential. And if you have not taken that into consideration before you make your suggestion, then others will point these out to you...


I know plenty of things that would be really nice to have in the game, but they are not here because of their abuse potential and there is no good way to implement such features and stop their abuse potential, it can be done, but then it is neither easy or cheap...

1. CMDR name still needs to remain unique
2. All assets in-game, records, statistics, leaderboards, factions and affiliations and crimes are all registered to a unique player ID (hidden, cannot be changed and linked directly to frontier account)
3. Players can change their name in-game once per week (cycle) or month.

So, uniqueness in the name means players can't pose as others by using the same name.
Players records, stats, crimes... everything doesn't change because they're registered to player unique identifiers, and not the player name (because that's actually something pretty basic in game development) so this means there's no backend work required when updating a name field which I'm assuming there is currently.
Limited time amendments mean players can't abuse it that often, and I'm not actually sure how changing a name is classified as abuse considering powerplay is in the game lol

EDIT:
Just to add to the point; ship names can be renamed in game, whenever, for free, for an unlimited number of times. This would suggest that your ships are assigned to your CMDR using unique identifiers so updating the ship's name, configuration, tags etc etc can all be done in-game without issue. I'm merely suggesting the same system be used for a CMDR but in which the name field is given a unique requirement still.

 

[Lestat]

I think Frontier has the right idea. I see other games let take lotro. Where a Gold seller would rank up a group of accounts at one time. Then sell those accounts and all the player has to do is Change the email and username.

 

[Misty_Dark]

1. CMDR name still needs to remain unique
2. All assets in-game, records, statistics, leaderboards, factions and affiliations and crimes are all registered to a unique player ID (hidden, cannot be changed and linked directly to frontier account)
3. Players can change their name in-game once per week (cycle) or month.

So, uniqueness in the name means players can't pose as others by using the same name.
Players records, stats, crimes... everything doesn't change because they're registered to player unique identifiers, and not the player name (because that's actually something pretty basic in game development) so this means there's no backend work required when updating a name field which I'm assuming there is currently.
Limited time amendments mean players can't abuse it that often, and I'm not actually sure how changing a name is classified as abuse considering powerplay is in the game lol

EDIT:
Just to add to the point; ship names can be renamed in game, whenever, for free, for an unlimited number of times. This would suggest that your ships are assigned to your CMDR using unique identifiers so updating the ship's name, configuration, tags etc etc can all be done in-game without issue. I'm merely suggesting the same system be used for a CMDR but in which the name field is given a unique requirement still.

Still not stopping abuse...
You can still create look alike names....
You can still change your name every-time once your current name gets known as a well known seal-clubber...


And as Lestat pointed out, selling accounts would be made ALOT easier...



So no, you have not provided any viable solutions to the problems this kind of function will create...

 

[iiMStevo]

Still not stopping abuse...
You can still create look alike names....
You can still change your name every-time once your current name gets known as a well known seal-clubber...


And as Lestat pointed out, selling accounts would be made ALOT easier...



So no, you have not provided any viable solutions to the problems this kind of function will create...

Seal-clubbing is what in this game?
You can create and request look-alike names now... there's literally nothing stopping that.
Saying it doesn't stop abuse, doesn't mean it is abusable.
It makes selling accounts absolutely no different since you're not changing the email address, and password, you're changing your name... which currently can still be done through a support ticket.

I'm not sure how you guys aren't grasping this: It's taking an out-of-game option and putting it into the game, so you don't have to raise a support ticket when you want that option to change your name. I'm assuming it's currently out-of-game because player accounts are recognised by name, not by unique identifier (which in this case, is your name) as opposed to having two separate fields for the player data. So, when a player requests to change their name, the person who handles the ticket likely has to look your name up in the player data tables, and update the player name field with your new chosen name (and that potentially updates the discovered locations etc).

 

[Para Handy]

S...

I'm not sure how you guys aren't grasping this: It's taking an out-of-game option and putting it into the game, so you don't have to raise a support ticket when you want that option to change your name. ...

I'm not sure how you are not grasping that people think you are being intransigent in ignoring the fact that the way it now is perfectly acceptable. Personally, I think you must have an ulterior motive - else you would have sent in a ticket or done a clear save.


... also:

...... I might stop "whinging" about them needing improving since it would be a majority opinion

With 0 - nil - nada - zilch posts agreeing with you so far I think you must be on some very strong medication.

 

[Marra Morgan]

I'm not sure how you guys aren't grasping this: It's taking an out-of-game option and putting it into the game, so you don't have to raise a support ticket when you want that option to change your name.

I don't think it's a case of something not being grasped - it's more of a case of no-one objects to the current method via Support.

Except for you, of course.

 

[Misty_Dark]

Seal-clubbing is what in this game?
You can create and request look-alike names now... there's literally nothing stopping that.
Saying it doesn't stop abuse, doesn't mean it is abusable.
It makes selling accounts absolutely no different since you're not changing the email address, and password, you're changing your name... which currently can still be done through a support ticket.

I'm not sure how you guys aren't grasping this: It's taking an out-of-game option and putting it into the game, so you don't have to raise a support ticket when you want that option to change your name. I'm assuming it's currently out-of-game because player accounts are recognised by name, not by unique identifier (which in this case, is your name) as opposed to having two separate fields for the player data. So, when a player requests to change their name, the person who handles the ticket likely has to look your name up in the player data tables, and update the player name field with your new chosen name (and that potentially updates the discovered locations etc).

Seal clubbing, players hanging around in starter systems looking for new players to simply kill on sight, often these players use big ships that is engineered and prey an new players, that for obvious reasons are in small un-engineered ships, hardly any challenge at all, hence the name seal clubbing... These also falls in the category of Gankers, but this is now broader and but the principle is the same, only picks fights where they have the advantage and if the target turns out to be to much, they run to avoid destruction.


So what is it that is so hard to grasp here...


Once everyt week or what arbitrally limit you will suggest, you can change your name.... an action done by you... This will make it WAY easier to troll other players by using look-a-like names.
Now compare this with creating a support ticket, where you now have to motive WHY you want a name change! And support can now do a simple check for look-a-like names, as your suggested name might look a bit strange. Also, support will keep a record of your reasons, and might in the end flat out refuse to change your name, due to many such requests...



I very much doubt that the CMDR name is used as a key, as that is a bad practice for database design, as we have names can contain spaces and other characters, and is variable length. Not a good value to use as a reference. And I seriously doubt that First Discovered by is a table that contains all the player names,as that increases the size of that table, compared to using a fixed sized numerical ID and then use a lookup table for the CMDR name. But this is beside the point and has really nothing todo with a name change., it is just diversion tactic from the issues your suggestion have.



And lastly, your logic is flawed, you make a suggestion, that has some huge holes in it, those are pointed out to you, and your solutions to these issues can be summed up in tour "Saying it doesn't stop abuse, doesn't mean it is abusable.". So who is the burden of proof on here? the one who suggests new options or the ones telling about the problems this suggestions open up?

 

[Zoltah-Talion]

You can't change your name on PS4.

 

[iiMStevo]

Seal clubbing, players hanging around in starter systems looking for new players to simply kill on sight, often these players use big ships that is engineered and prey an new players, that for obvious reasons are in small un-engineered ships, hardly any challenge at all, hence the name seal clubbing... These also falls in the category of Gankers, but this is now broader and but the principle is the same, only picks fights where they have the advantage and if the target turns out to be to much, they run to avoid destruction.


So what is it that is so hard to grasp here...


Once everyt week or what arbitrally limit you will suggest, you can change your name.... an action done by you... This will make it WAY easier to troll other players by using look-a-like names.
Now compare this with creating a support ticket, where you now have to motive WHY you want a name change! And support can now do a simple check for look-a-like names, as your suggested name might look a bit strange. Also, support will keep a record of your reasons, and might in the end flat out refuse to change your name, due to many such requests...



I very much doubt that the CMDR name is used as a key, as that is a bad practice for database design, as we have names can contain spaces and other characters, and is variable length. Not a good value to use as a reference. And I seriously doubt that First Discovered by is a table that contains all the player names,as that increases the size of that table, compared to using a fixed sized numerical ID and then use a lookup table for the CMDR name. But this is beside the point and has really nothing todo with a name change., it is just diversion tactic from the issues your suggestion have.



And lastly, your logic is flawed, you make a suggestion, that has some huge holes in it, those are pointed out to you, and your solutions to these issues can be summed up in tour "Saying it doesn't stop abuse, doesn't mean it is abusable.". So who is the burden of proof on here? the one who suggests new options or the ones telling about the problems this suggestions open up?

Actually the logic is sound from my perspective until you highlight, with an actual example, a potential flaw. Previously others were simply saying it was abusable but in such a manner, I actually thought "seal-clubbing" was just a throw in the wind example since it was immediately followed up with etc etc when the first two points were already invalid (since at no point did I ever state the names were allowed to be duplicates or look-alikes) and the only alternative was a metaphorical term I'd not seen or heard of in the game... While I agree with the concept, that is just an honour rule though.
However, my inexperiences aside, it would appear the only thing that really warrants the rejection of this as a feature from the majority of you is that you can no longer identify players that partake in seal-clubbing (or it makes it easier for them to "hide" so to speak)? So if there were a way to still identify players that changed their name as players that were seal-clubbers, would you still object? (And the name still has to be unique, as it currently does).

I currently have no plans to change my name as I've not got enough money to play the game in different ways yet. I can't buy ships and kit them out, or keep them insured while flying them for the most part. I'm still making my way there...
However, I did make the suggestion because generally in RPG games I would have a different character name for each role I would perform... so in the case of ED; I'd have a persona as a pirate, one as a trader, one as a fighter, one as an explorer and so on. This would typically mean I'd need a saved list of previously configured characters with access to the same resources or the ability to change my character name at will ready to occupy the ship for that particular captain. As I don't really fancy paying for six different copies of ED and grinding out for all the credits and resources able to compete at the top level across all six accounts, the simplest option would be to have the ability to change a CMDR's name without logging a support request.

Instead for the time being, I've just resorted to naming my ship for the role instead. While I'm still the same person showing up each time, I'm hoping people will pay attention to the ship name just as much.