| Poll |
| Good idea? |
| Yes |
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44% |
[ 29 ] |
| It's a start, but I'd do it this way: (Please explain!) |
|
16% |
[ 11 ] |
| No |
|
18% |
[ 12 ] |
| I don't care. |
|
16% |
[ 11 ] |
| Could I change pie to cake? |
|
3% |
[ 2 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 65 |
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Rabe
Joined: Jun 06, 2009
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  Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:25 |
 
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From time to time* a wish comes up:
"If only we had the option to change player names!"
While it could be done over-complicated by adding extra title fields etc., why not just make player names editable?
I don't know if it's a big issue from a technical perspective. I imagine it working like team/player bio editing. It wouldn't need a new database entry or more disk space.
It would grant as great options for customizing and team / player stories. Fluff.
The downsides I see:
A. Players lose their recall value. But, to be honest: Isn't that almost always self-defeating? If Vindaloo suddenly was "Athaniel" or Debog was "Statmonster" - wouldn't we just say: "Who the hell is that?!"
And since players are not registered by their names, but their ID, we would still be able to link (and find) any player anywhere (player bios, team bios, bounty hunting page...). No way to escape naming, shaming, revenge or fame.
B. Player names could be changed into something inappropriate, breaking the site's naming policy.
But since teams can be reported and are immediately blocked until an admin took a look at it, this shouldn't be too much an issue, I'd say. Besides: Coaches can put all kind of rule-breaking stuff into player and team bios already (and being punished for it).
If it was really necessary, a reminder to keep in line with the naming policy could pop up (like when you fire an assistant coach) each time before a name change is applied.
Most coaches probably wouldn't bother anyway, but when a reason for a name change* comes up, it's doable.
So, what do you think? Would you like it? Did I overlook something?
Rabe
* Exemplary name change reasons and possible additions:
A player achieved something extraordinary: "Vindaloo Killer", "Larson", "Kack-Handed Genius"...
A player fluff-wise gets a promotion: "Captain", "Officer"...
A player's stats are dramatically changing: "Hulk", "The Fast", "Snail", "Fragile", "The Niggler"...
A player (seemingly) has a typical behavior: "Fumble", "Long Bomb", "Bench Warmer", "Zombie Killer", "Bonehead"...
A player started his career with a crappy name because the coach failed a bone head roll (example). |
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Last edited by Rabe on %b %02, %2013 - %13:%Nov; edited 1 time in total |
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Crook666
Joined: Oct 16, 2012
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:36 |
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i am okay with that, i really like to customize, but IMO this may create confusion. so, what i say is to have this kind of customization only for legends. |
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Rog
Joined: Jul 01, 2013
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:44 |
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I like it, adding titles to my players might encourage me to play teams for longer. |
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DonTomaso
Joined: Feb 20, 2005
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:49 |
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Titles or nicknames only. No editing the name. |
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Be careful, my common sense is tingling! |
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DukeTyrion
Joined: Feb 18, 2004
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:51 |
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B_SIDE
Joined: Apr 24, 2008
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:52 |
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Oh... nicknames for Legends! I like this. Maybe I'd actually play a team long enough to get a Legend... |
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koadah
Joined: Mar 30, 2005
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:55 |
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Mephistodragonbane
Joined: Nov 26, 2012
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 13:58 |
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I love the idea and fully endorse this plan of action 
Although, Crook666's idea has a lot of merit. It would ease the various issues as no one is going to risk losing their team with a Legend on it just to break the rules.
BUT I have an idea that allows for everyone to do it. With title fields like you suggested but you unlock more as your guy levels up. so even an 'experienced' has some wounds unlocked (the niggler). Unlocking more as you progress. At Legend you can edit it yourself. |
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Remember: It's Only a game. |
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Rabe
Joined: Jun 06, 2009
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 14:24 |
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All nice alternatives, but they are far more complicated. I was looking for an easy way to do it.
As for the title fields: In my book every player would need five fields (and therefor 4 more database entries), because I'd like the option to put the "nickname" or attribute at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a player name.
That was my initial idea at least. However, with all the (more important and profitable) stuff Christer hopefully wants to implement eventually, a (IMO) complicated change would be far too much down the list compared to a simple one that achieves the same and maybe more (depending on the goals that are set for it in the end). 
I totally get the "keep the initial name and just add something to it" though.
Oh, and by the way: The rat ogre that killed Vindaloo was a rookie (or at least of very little experience). Would be sad if he had reach legend state before his name can be changed (if desired).
Nicknames (good and bad) can be earned at any career level. Allowing it only for legens seems a waste of a fun aspect to me. Many coaches would simply never get there and it would reward those who (can) spend a lot of time on FUMBBL. |
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Last edited by Rabe on %b %02, %2013 - %15:%Nov; edited 1 time in total |
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Rabe
Joined: Jun 06, 2009
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 14:28 |
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Haha, great players! I agree that it would make us lose those moments where a player lives up to his (or her!) name. Or at least we couldn't share it with others without being questioned. |
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CW
Joined: Jun 25, 2005
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 15:04 |
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An example of why I have wanted to change names in the past is when I have an undead team that has a specific theme. They invariably kill some guys and end up with some players who don't fit the theme. |
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krytie
Joined: Aug 16, 2007
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 15:36 |
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+1
I've always liked the idea to change names as a player progresses based on skills/behaviour/reputation etc. It can really add to the fluff aspect of the game. I generally find it more enjoyable to play against teams with some kind of fluff, which makes the whole site experience more enjoyable.
The main reason I see it not being done is for policing purposes -- specifically, coaches could change the player names frequently to upset or annoy and then change them back or to something altogether different. If, as suggested above, the general reporting system is used to police these, there will be no way for an admin to verify if the name really was as stated, or if the reporter themselves is abusing the reportee.
Thus in order to police names effectively, you'd have to maintain the life history of all players' historic names, vastly increasing the size of the DB occupied per player. This history would be in a separate table so would not impact access times for current player names but would still require diskspace which would increase running costs.
e.g.
Dave is created. (1 row in player_names table)
Dave changes to Dave the Speedy (1 row in player_names, 1 row in old_names)
Dave the Speedy changes to Dave the Speedy Assassin. (1 row in player_names, 2 rows in old_names)
Dave the Speedy Assassin changes to Dave the not-so-Speedy Assassin (1 row in player_names, 3 rows in old_names)
Dave the not-so-Speedy Assassin changes to Dave the cripple. (1 row in player_names, 4 rows in old_names)
and if you're really up on keeping fluff his final name change could be
Dave the cripple changes to R.I.P. Dave (1 row in player_names, 5 rows in old_names)
So, Dave now occupies 5 (or 6) times as much storage space as a normal player. Obviously this will not be the case with most players but it would only take 20% of players using 5 names over their lifetime to double the site's storage requirements (of player names storage that is).
God only knows how much diskspace pythrr would occupy. He changes his sig every 5 seconds so i can imagine his players will not remember their own names after a day of this. :p
An alternative idea I had was in relation to a "fixed" selection of titles (prefix and/or suffix) which could be selected via drop-down on the player page, which may be an acceptable compromise. |
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There are three types of people in this world -- those who can count and those who cannot! |
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Shraaaag
Joined: Feb 15, 2004
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 15:39 |
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I could go with fully edible names  |
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JackassRampant
Joined: Feb 26, 2011
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 15:49 |
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I like the idea of just all editable names plus an honor-system policy that says "don't just randomly go changing player names, please: correct misspellings or apply titles for heroic deeds or awesomeness or whatever." Maybe that's partly because I fail to see any abuse, or worse consequences than a little confusion and annoyance. |
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Lude enixe, obliviscatur timor. |
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licker
Joined: Jul 10, 2009
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| Posted:
Nov 02, 2013 - 16:22 |
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While there is precedent of a player actually changing his name (Hi Chad), most changed names are not from the player but from his peers.
As such nick names make sense.
Full on name changes?
Nope. |
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