My main UD Warrior has been renamed!

[nobbie]

I can only repeat what I've said already:

I'm not p*ssed THAT the name has been changed, but HOW it has been handled by the European/German GM's. No notice by a GM why it has been changed and how I can choose a new name, and no answer to my ticket from this morning yet either. 24/7 in-game GM support, eh?

[Phoenix]

Unless it happened on May 1st, since GMs wasn't legally allowed ot work that day, it really does suck. They're supposed to send an e-mail at the very least.

[Brista]

My advice to you is not to give up

While I was playing EQ2 a similar thing happened where someone who was allegedly botting reported "gweneveere" for breaching the naming convention in a tit-for-tat reaction to being reported for botting.

Her husband raised the issue on the boards and many posters, including myself, explained that the name was close enough to Guinevere to be seen as breaching the naming convention and that the company was well within its rights

However after the thread had raged for a couple of weeks and about 6 pages the husband told us that the games company had contacted the customer to reinstate her name

Her husband was very tenacious and tried every possible avenue and refused to take no for an answer

So if you do want to try the same thing make sure you raise the issue on the official forums. Mentioning the thread to your guild and to this board may help. Keep using e-mail channels to keep a dialogue going with their Customer Support and don't let them close the ticket. After getting some response I'd suggest you then write a letter. The aim of course is to convince them that it's much harder work to not do as you want than to concede, and I can think of few things that dismay IT people more than having to write snail mail letters ;)

Imo, SOE are rather more spineless than Blizzard so Blizzard may stick to their guns where Sony didn't but since you obviously feel strongly that is what I suggest you do. I suspect you'd find the challenge appealing in its own right and I reckon there's a fair chance you'll win, especially if you keep on pushing the "this is griefing" line. You might also push the "did you know how silly this name sounds to an English-speaker?" line

If you win, make sure you check with them whether they will record that this particular name has been adjudged valid (I imagine they keep decisions in a database but you never know)

One outcome to consider is whether you want Parzifal again with the risk it might get reported or whether something more original would suit you better

Good luck!

[nobbie]

I have now another theory based on three facts:

1.) About 8-10 hours before my UD Warrior "Parzival" has been renamed to the random-generated name "Shyold", we had massive login and connection problems here in Europe/Germany. Also, the servers had been taken down for "emergency maintenance" and a server-side patch during that time.

2.) I still haven't heard anything from Blizzard or a GM, so they might actually have no clue why I'm complaining about the loss of my character name through renaming by a GM

3.) I could recreate a new character named "Parzival" on the same day, so that name hasn't been banned from the server


Now my theory:

The character data of my UD Warrior was stored on their servers under the name/reference/database entry "Parzival". When the servers became unstable (the aforementioned server problems and/or maintenance), that reference "Parzival" got somehow lost or destroyed during, for example, one of the disconnects. And in such a "worst case", the server software simply assigns a new, random name reference - "Shyold" in my case - so that your character data doesn't get lost and remains stored under your account.


This is really the only thing I can imagine which would explain the very customer-unfriendly behavior of Blizzard/the GM's so far. Three questions remain:

1.) Is Blizzard aware of such issues, and if they are:

2.) Why is there no official word about it to warn customers to play during such instable server times

3.) If my conclusion is true, then everyone can lose at any time the name of his/her beloved character(s) and get a random, maybe completely unsatisfying name(s) assigned


Your thoughts about this theory? Is anybody here who could confirm that?

[Raven Vale]

You cannot lose a player name through lag / bad connectioms / server downs .

You may not hear from a GM for some time , took me 9 days once , and no "Blizzard" will not know of one individual who had his name changed , just their reps , ie GM's .

Your name is'nt actually "Banned" from the server , you are stopped from using it usually because somebody complained , like I said in my first post , all it takes is somebody getting out of the wrong side of the bed .

I have complained a few times about names , Phuck , Phucked , Fukit , Asswipe , things like that , the newest one is an undead with the name Aides , personally I do not like that either , I complain and a GM contacted me within 2 days , the guy 3 weeks later is still running around , so sometimes even complaining does'nt work .

[nobbie]

I have now the impression that Blizzard is flat out lying as far as their "professional 24/7 in-game GM support service" goes. Very few people, cheap outsourcing to unprofessional service firms, etc seems to be closer to the truth. So, where does all our money go that we pay monthly? Into the pockets of the Vivendi and Blizzard uppers, and their shareholders? So far, I'm more than unsatisfied with the WOW customer service, and I'm still waiting for answers to my e-mails and in-game tickets I have now sent after the renaming of my character. If I don't get this issue solved to my satisfaction soon, changes are good that I'll leave WOW, and Blizzard games in general, once and for all. Too bad are my memories from Diablo II.

[Hedon]

@nobbie:

1.) Judging from what people playing on RP servers have posted on the German WoW Forums, there is a general atmosphere of denuciation around. People were making up lists with names and posting these on the forums, asking GMs to ban these names etc. On these list were names much more innocuous then the one you have lost.

There is obviously a "holier than thou" attitude on the German RP servers, where a lot of people put up remarkable time and energy, trying to prove that they are "real" roleplayers and almost everyone else has chosen the wrong server and shoould be transfered to a non-RP server etc.


2.)Support from Blizzard Europe? That was good one.

Let's see:

1.) Regular Login Server downs on weekends.
2.) Three months after release no realm forums for European Servers.
3.) One (!) German community representative (main reason stated, that there are no realm forums yet, because they lack personal for maderation, besides forum bugs).
4.) Billing problems. Credit cards couldn't be charged. Later charges appeared on CC-statements as from some hotel in the US etc.
5.) Shady practices on banning accounts, for being suspected to trade ingame currency for real world valuta and "speedhacks" (not specific to Europe, but a general problem inferrring from the Northamerican Forums).

In short: What do you expect? ;)

Don't get me wrong. WoW is a great game, but support und community relations are really abysmal, at least in Europe.

[nobbie]

There is obviously a "holier than thou" attitude on the German RP servers, where a lot of people put up remarkable time and energy, trying to prove that they are "real" roleplayers and almost everyone else has chosen the wrong server and shoould be transfered to a non-RP server etc.

If Blizzard would provide an option to transfer my RP characters to a low-pop PvE server, this would actually be a thing to consider for me before I loose yet another name to this stupid (RP) policy.

Can you give me links to threads with "ban lists" on the German WOW forums?

[Guest]

"Percival" is the name of an RP server in DAoC. Its a silly reason but that might be the pop culture link.

RP servers are ussually blighted by a small minority of name fascists. I ussually play on RP server and I really hate those few guys who gain a since of empowerment by ripping on names that really have nothing wrong with them.

[Hedon]

Can you give me links to threads with "ban lists" on the German WOW forums?
[right][snapback]76563[/snapback][/right]

Take a look here:

http://forums-de.wow-europe.com/thread.asp...&tmp=1#post1498

The OP has edited his black list out from his initial posting, but in this multipage thread you will find quotes from it in the follow up posts, as well getting "interesting" insights into what some people think are illegitimate RP-Names.

[Raven Vale]

The name banning is'nt a purely an "RP" issue , it's happening on every server . So dont think for one minute that changing servers will help . Also you say you have sent "tickets" in the plural , you do realise you can have only one ticket open at a time and if you make another it overwrites the first .

[nobbie]

The name banning is'nt  a purely an "RP" issue , it's happening on every server . So dont think for one minute that changing servers will help  . Also you say you have sent "tickets" in the plural , you do realise you can have only one ticket open at a time and if you make another it overwrites the first .
[right][snapback]76614[/snapback][/right]

I have sent 2 tickets so far, one each day. The "open ticket" symbol of the first one was gone when I sent the second one.

[nobbie]

Take a look here:

http://forums-de.wow-europe.com/thread.asp...&tmp=1#post1498

The OP has edited his black list out from his initial posting, but in this multipage thread you will find quotes from it in the follow up posts, as well getting "interesting" insights into what some people think are illegitimate RP-Names.
[right][snapback]76603[/snapback][/right]

Thanks for the link. I've just posted an appropriate answer here:

http://forums-de.wow-europe.com/thread.asp...g-de&T=1498&P=7

(the first post of Undead Warlock "Hel")

[nobbie]

Yesterday, I've threatened Blizzard with a multi-million dollar lawsuit regarding the renaming of my UD Warrior "Parzival" to "Shyold", and today, I've finally got a response from a GM! ;)

My UD Warrior "Parzival" a.k.a. "Shyold" (random temporary name) has now the name of my choice and he's called: "AGNAR".

So, see you later in the game as "Agnar" on the German RP server "Zirkel des Cenarius" ("Cenarion Circle")! :)

[Brista]

Yesterday, I've threatened Blizzard with a multi-million dollar lawsuit regarding the renaming of my UD Warrior "Parzival" to "Shyold", and today, I've finally got a response from a GM! ;)

My UD Warrior "Parzival" a.k.a. "Shyold" (random temporary name) has now the name of my choice and he's called: "AGNAR".

So, see you later in the game as "Agnar" on the German  RP server "Zirkel des Cenarius" ("Cenarion Circle")! :)
[right][snapback]76763[/snapback][/right]

Well done, I like the new name :)

[nobbie]

Well done, I like the new name  :)
[right][snapback]76770[/snapback][/right]

Thanks :) "Agnar" is a name from the Nordic Mythology with an association to "Ragnar" and "Ragnarok".

[Baajikiil]

"Gumbercules?!  I love that guy!"

5 points to whomever gets this reference.  Except Quark.  He should know this, and I know he should know this.

Sounds alot like Futurama. I can almost hear Zoidberg saying it.

I should hope that Gumbercules would be acceptable; no one who watches Futurama would do anything but chuckle upon seeing the name :)

[Pesmerga]

Sounds alot like Futurama.  I can almost hear Zoidberg saying it.

I should hope that Gumbercules would be acceptable; no one who watches Futurama would do anything but chuckle upon seeing the name :)
[right][snapback]76794[/snapback][/right]

::applauds:: Awesome. I need to create a warrior named Gumbercules now :P