Remove dragons names from dead scrolls

[Pokemonfan13]

I think that's partially because of people who think an unnamed dragon ruins a lineage, even if it has a good code. They traded valuable things for a dragon with a named lineage, so they don't want to see that name go away. It's not that the name itself is valuable, but that the lack of a name is damaging.

 

Although, to properly address that point you'd almost have to make every CB dragon on a prize owner's scroll immune to name stealing. The lineage would probably be just as "ruined" if the mate lost its name as the prize dragon.

 

*shrug* I guess it is a mess.

[Tango]

One way to keep cb prizes, spriters alt special without protecting the name would be to let everyone who wins a special dragon choose it's code and go back and change all spriters alt so they also have a special code.

 

It was odd that TJ chose to test the name stealing with some users, of course there would be backlash. This would have to be an all or nobody thing.

[Felixr2]

Didn't Midas Dorkface's name get reserved by someone while ladiefare was inactive and it's (and Shallyna'ar - her name I consider just as important as Midas Dorkface's) got wiped, but they didn't remove the name when ladiefare came back so she named them "The Original Midas Dorkface" and "The Original Shallyna'ar". So no, Midas Dorkface has by no means the only valuable name. That would be The Original Midas Dorkface, in a tie with The Original Shallyna'ar.

 

I do think that protecting the names of prizes and spriter's alts would be a good thing. Codes for them can be fun, but really it limits the pool of good codes that are up for grabs (a little bit, but still) and it also isn't always nice to be restricted to a 5 character name.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Felixr2

[Obscure_Trash]

Didn't Midas Dorkface's name get reserved by someone while ladiefare was inactive and it's (and Shallyna'ar - her name I consider just as important as Midas Dorkface's) got wiped, but they didn't remove the name when ladiefare came back so she named them "The Original Midas Dorkface" and "The Original Shallyna'ar". So no, Midas Dorkface has by no means the only valuable name. That would be The Original Midas Dorkface, in a tie with The Original Shallyna'ar.

The person who held the name offered to give it back to ladiefarie when she came back, but she liked how "The Original" sounded and declined.

 

It was odd that TJ chose to test the name stealing with some users, of course there would be backlash. This would have to be an all or nobody thing.

 

As I explained, the testing was very short and all names taken were quickly reverted back to the original owners. Since then, we have heard nothing more about name claiming.

 

I personally don't think it would be hard in the case of prizes. A little bit of code that checks if it's a CB of one of the two breeds of prize dragons before allowing the name to be stolen seems like it would do the trick. I agree that alts might be more difficult. It mostly depends on if he has them designated something special that a piece of code could check or if the only way to handle it would be to manually add them to a list of protected names.

 

But I do agree that CB prizes and spriters' alts are special enough on their own merit. It's just that if protecting their names wouldn't be too much trouble, it would be a nice extra feature.

 

I don't really mean complicated in that it would be hard to code. I mean complicated in I just don't see the purpose in making all these exceptions. I say either support wiping in all cases or don't support it. But anybody could make an argument for why their name is special and they'd be right because that name is special to them. But prize/alt names aren't particularly special in general, although they may be very special to the owners. I just don't see a reason to add all these exceptions to the idea. Either wipe or don't. =x

Edited September 2, 2016 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Felixr2]

Ah, I didn't know that. Thanks for the clarification!

[Kovia]

Why are we worrying about CB prizes, HMs and spriter's alts? Those dragons are already very special simply for being CB/having special colors. I don't see the need to give them so much special treatment.

[Moonwick]

I don't really like this idea at all, personally. I prefer name-stealing, but even then I still don't like it. As usual, I don't have very much to say, so I will try and add in how I feel about the issues and move on. This'll probably be my only post in here.

 

- if implemented, should there be a grace period (a warning) or should names be removed straight away for inactive scrolls?

 

If this were implemented, that would be the appropriate thing to do. Just removing names from a user without at least notifying them would be very rude.

 

- how long should the inactivity last before your dragons have their names removed?

 

I'd say 1 to 2 years. Still, realize that 1 to 2 years is not very long, considering how easy it is to get swept up in real life problems, sometimes people cannot access their computer or use their phone for long periods of time for various reasons. It would be disheartening to come back and realize all of your dragons names were removed, it might even push the returning person away from the game once again upon discovering that. I know that I'd probably leave if I found out I had rename all of my dragons, or deal with the loss of some names I loved having. Especially people who have played this game long ago and took a break, I'd imagine they'd want to come back and see their dragons after a rush of nostalgia. This would ruin it for them.

 

Things like this do matter when you're dealing with site traffic. People leave permanently for reasons like this.

 

- Would this mess up too many lineages?

 

No doubt there are some lineages where their main charm is in the names. The first thing I thought of was all of the lyric/song based lineages. With name stealing, it would be a lot harder to ruin these, but if names were simply stripped away from someone after a while, the lineage that they once worked so hard on would be completely ruined. You can argue with this that it'd be easy to rename the dragons, as song lyrics aren't very hard to snag, but it would still definitely be a hassle.

[SullenCat]

I really dislike the idea of removing names after a period of inactivity. Stealing names is just a tiny bit more palatable but only if the period of inactivity is quite greater than one year. Life happens, people could be unable to use the Internet or a computer against their will.

[silver_tiger]

I...would hate to lose my names. I have found it barder and harder to name my dragons, so much so that most of my non-lineage dragons don't even have names. So it would be really annoying if I had to stop playing for a while and came back to my names being wiped. I doubt anyone would steal them since they're mostly dumb and done in such a way to let me easily tell my CBs apart from my bred dragobs, but whatever at least they're names.

 

However, what about burned scrolls? Those are definitely never coming back.

[Fuzzbucket]

However, what about burned scrolls? Those are definitely never coming back.

That's a VERY good point.

 

And I can't see why some dragons should be "special", with the POSSIBLE exception of Midas and Shally and TRUE Thuweds.

[Crystalluna]

I definitely wouldn't want this to be implemented. Just because someone's been inactive for a couple of years doesn't mean they're not going to come back. I've left DC a few of times for years at a time, and it would have been awful to come back and see all my names gone.

[Nerei]

I definitely wouldn't want this to be implemented. Just because someone's been inactive for a couple of years doesn't mean they're not going to come back. I've left DC a few of times for years at a time, and it would have been awful to come back and see all my names gone.

A couple of years is a long time to be inactive. If someone doesn't want to lose the names on their scrolls that badly, it wouldn't be difficult to check in at least once a year. And then there's the fact that some players choose to leave forever, rendering all the names they've taken unusable to anyone else who would actually appreciate them. I don't support totally wiping all names from inactive scrolls, but name-stealing from them should be possible.

[Fuzzbucket]

I think Sock's homeless friend was knocked off for longer than two years - not sure.

 

But heck - surely released burned names and allowing stealing is enough ? How Utterly Vital is this ?

[andromedae]

It seems like a very coherent thing to allow other users to acquire names from inactive/dead scrolls. It allows for newer or very consistent users to enjoy the game a bit better, since claiming good names isn't really the simplest task nowadays. Besides, users would be taking names from players that are no longer active, so it seems only fair that there is a preference given to those who are more dedicated to the game. It's understandable that people go on hiatus for some time and names would be getting wiped, but this is why a fixed period of time should be set for this process. Either way, even if someone is not very active, the act of simply logging in once in a while (which takes only seconds) should be enough for a player to protect the names on their scroll. Say, if the period of inactivity needed to remove names is a year, a player would only have to log in yearly to ensure the safety of their dragon names, which isn't all that hard to do.

[Tango]

I would like to add, the amount of people who truly wouldn't be able to log in once every year is a lot lot LOT less than the number of truly inactive scrolls, and the thousands of names that would become available. With name stealing, users who can't log in for an entire year might not even lose names.

[HeatherMarie]

What Tango said, yes.

 

And I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be insensitive, but I honestly don't understand how someone can go 2+ years without logging on if they are truly interested in the game. I live in a relatively small town but even we have internet cafes, and you can use the internet at the library for free. Don't even have to have a card. I understand real life can get in the way sometimes, but if you care about keeping your names that badly it takes like ten seconds to log on.

 

I think that the good *far* outweighs the bad here. How many people are *really* going to not log in for 1-2 years and then come back and care enough to be upset that a *few* names might be taken? Contrasting with how many *active* users this suggestion would *benefit*.

[Fuzzbucket]

Ask Sock about her friend - I forget the details. But she couldn't.

 

I am fine with stealing and burned scrolls, but otherwise - no.

Edited September 4, 2016 by fuzzbucket

[Herk]

I'm with fuzzy: stealing-yes, burned scrolls - yes, automatic-all-name-removal - NO!

 

I remember when names were auto-removed after 3 months of inactivity, I remember logging in even in my inactive phases to keep the names, I also remember losing "Nick Fury" on a CB Guardian nevertheless (just that one strangely enough). It was one dragon, I remembered his name, I could give him an appropriate new one. But the thought of someone coming back from a (forced) hiatus to find all names on a gold scroll wiped from "Schnippsel" (which some German member might want) to "Gif Slimescale 3c d" (which no one but me would want) is simply unbearable.

 

Names are used to keep track of

- generations

- lineages

- breeding status (like NEVER breed, NEED an offspring...)

- description status

 

And that's just me. I know there are other uses besides these that have become more common since re-naming is a thing. I don't think someone should lose their thousands of names on the off-chance that there's a dozen or so in there someone else might want.

[Gusearth]

I'm with fuzzy: stealing-yes, burned scrolls - yes, automatic-all-name-removal - NO!

 

Stealing would be nice, I had an idea a while back about some kind of name-trading thread, where you could either get a name you want from an active user, or trade names etc.

 

Automatic name removal from burned scrolls I also support, but unlike what herk said, I think that automatic name removal should not just be for burned scrolls, but also scrolls that have been inactive for more than a year (I think that's a fair amount of time)

[Tango]

Something I'd like to add is that if TJ did decide to add this, it would be nice if he announced when it would come into place say - a day before it did. I don't mind releases not having a schedule because they drop for enough time for everyone to get some (usually) in every timezone, but if name stealing was announced the users online would have an unfair advantage. Unlike cb dragons, once a name is got it's usually got forever.

[Fuzzbucket]

I'm with fuzzy: stealing-yes, burned scrolls - yes, automatic-all-name-removal - NO!

 

Stealing would be nice, I had an idea a while back about some kind of name-trading thread, where you could either get a name you want from an active user, or trade names etc.

 

Automatic name removal from burned scrolls I also support, but unlike what herk said, I think that automatic name removal should not just be for burned scrolls, but also scrolls that have been inactive for more than a year (I think that's a fair amount of time)

Many of us have known people who had no option but to be offline for over a year.

[demonicvampiregirl]

I'm completely against this in any way. The names should stay. Look at pet sites with dead inactive accounts, the names always remain in case the user ever comes back.

 

Would suck having your favorite pet/dragons name vanishing because either you needed a break, became bored and left for a bit or had no choice but to take a hiatus.

[VixenDra]

I'm wondering if the names really have to be unique if they're used on different scrolls... that would solve this problem; many games like that don't require unique names and I wouldn't be surprised if those aren't the case of not removing names from inactive users...

But I know you don't want that anyway.

 

I think 1-2 years is enough. Longer breaks are way too rare to actually take them into account, I bet there are very few people in the world who'd come back to some browser game after a 10 year hiatus but they do exist. But then we'd be unable to get sollutions for ANY issues at all...

2 years would be more than enough.

and ofc the burned scrolls, they're gone forever anyway.

 

And no name-wiping from an inactive scroll but just the stealing instead. It's been already said why so.

 

Also there could be one more compromise - if the 'robbed' user logs in between let's say 1year and 2years of the inactivity, they can still reclaim the stolen names but not later. This way you give them some more time frame when they can 'save' the names others stole from them, but the 'thieves' can take the names a bit sooner than after 2 years of inactivity.

If not, then:

let's just have the 1,5year inactivity to make the names stealable. Sounds a fair amount of time, much longer than average hiatus time but ofc not considering of the very rare special cases like e.g. 3 years of homelessness which is unlikely enough to happen again to a DC user, let's not lie to ourselves, the player base of DC isn't THAT large for such situation to repeat much if at all... Also such cases would be somehow addressed by not name-wiping but having the stealing ability only, so only a few names are likely to be taken, not all. Games are never this understanding... they just can't afford to be.

 

 

(And I'm not even intenting to steal any names, I have a unique naming pattern and never have the 'name is already in use' issue(unless I forget how I named another dragon set and I'm trying to use the name >I< already have )^^ )

[olympe]

I'm with fuzzy: stealing-yes, burned scrolls - yes, automatic-all-name-removal - NO!

 

I remember when names were auto-removed after 3 months of inactivity, I remember logging in even in my inactive phases to keep the names, I also remember losing "Nick Fury" on a CB Guardian nevertheless (just that one strangely enough). It was one dragon, I remembered his name, I could give him an appropriate new one. But the thought of someone coming back from a (forced) hiatus to find all names on a gold scroll wiped from "Schnippsel" (which some German member might want) to "Gif Slimescale 3c d" (which no one but me would want) is simply unbearable.

 

Names are used to keep track of

- generations

- lineages

- breeding status (like NEVER breed, NEED an offspring...)

- description status

 

And that's just me. I know there are other uses besides these that have become more common since re-naming is a thing. I don't think someone should lose their thousands of names on the off-chance that there's a dozen or so in there someone else might want.

I'm not so sure about this. Since I honestly believe that the number of people who cannot log into their account for over a year to lose names, I tend to disregard them. Which still leaves to points to consider: Lineages that might be ruined by some ancestor or other losing their name, and the desire to steal a name from an inactive or burned scroll.

 

In any case, I feel like burned scrolls should be treated just like inactive scrolls, if only for the lineage builders among us. However, I'm not 100% decided on either keeping things as they are or supporting a name-stealing feature. What I'm definitely against is the loss of all names for both inactive and burnt scrolls.

[Fuzzbucket]

I'm not so sure about this. Since I honestly believe that the number of people who cannot log into their account for over a year to lose names, I tend to disregard them. Which still leaves to points to consider: Lineages that might be ruined by some ancestor or other losing their name, and the desire to steal a name from an inactive or burned scroll.

 

In any case, I feel like burned scrolls should be treated just like inactive scrolls, if only for the lineage builders among us. However, I'm not 100% decided on either keeping things as they are or supporting a name-stealing feature. What I'm definitely against is the loss of all names for both inactive and burnt scrolls.

Why for BURNT scrolls ? (I'm just curious here, as I can't see any arguments against that.)