Get Rid of Name Exclusivity

[Sketch]

IMO name exclusivity also breeds frustration.
I also do lyrical lineages and that is annoying, especially when there is repetition or common phrases used in the song. Having to provide extra spaces in between words and everything makes it look ugly.
I've gotten several short names that should have been claimed long ago and I am very happy with them, but there is no reason that I should be the only person with them. There's no reason someone should get to guard and hoard a whole bunch of fun lyrics, song names, and character names when there are plenty of other people who would like dragons with those names too. Running into the issue of having to fight with names is one of the reasons why I and many others have so many unnamed dragons. It is incredibly time-consuming, especially when you get busy and get behind on naming.

I think name exclusivity should be removed entirely. It is frustrating and limiting to users. This is a game - why shouldn't we be allowed to have fun with what we name our dragons? Honestly if I click on a Scroll and see 800 dragons named Bob, I'm not going to complain - that's hilarious. If I see someone that has a dragon with the same name as one of mine, I'm not going to complain. I'd say "oh neat!" and move on because getting upset and in a fit over it just isn't right.


Edit: Name exclusivity wouldn't interfere with Thuweds, Dorkfaces, or even the Freaky lines. Thuweds are bound to the Verified Thuwed tag on their page, you can easily tell which Gold is Midas Dorkface based upon when he's from and his offspring, and Terrafreaky usually has their scroll unhidden if you want to verify that the egg you picked up is a genuine Freaky. Even then, there are already people that like what Terrafreaky has done and have taken up the Mr/Ms Freaky title for a few of their dragons - I know I've seen at least one or two. The same goes for false Thuweds and false Dorkfaces.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Sketch

[Chaos Rider]

2 hours ago, High Lord November said:

I like name exclusivity. It forces me to be creative. Knowing I'm the only one with that name out of all the dragons is also a cool feeling. I also love seeing the names other people give to their dragons, especially in lineages - very cool. 

 

Wouldn't getting rid of name exclusivity also seriously mess with certain lineage lines, like Thuweds or Dorkface or other breeding projects? I love finding Mr/Ms Freaky lines in the AP.

But a name would still be creative if two or more people came up with the idea independently.  Having to include tags/surnames (or even the dragon's code) in the name so it can be named what you want it too is not creativity - it's a workaround that I'd rather not have to do

[LevelsOfViolence]

Full support, even though I've never had any issues with naming - using actual words or made up names.

That said, I still keep a group of name holders simply because I have planned projects that involve specific names, and I cannot guarantee that they will be available by the time I'm able to start said projects.

 

Just today I was securing 5 different names and found out that one of them was already taken, so I had to seek a variation of that name and reserve versions of 4 others - just in case I decide to reuse them down the line or interchange them with the originals. The need to do that is nonsensical to me and I'm saying this as someone with a very niche focus and a narrow collection in general. People who work on lyrical projects face this far more often, being forced to come up with alternatives every time a lyric line repeats itself for no good reason.

 

The argument of creativity, as mentioned above, seems strange to me because availability of certain names doesn't stifle people who want to be creative. Those who want to name their dragon "One"/"Dragon"/"CB Gaia" likely aren't going to put an effort to come up with an intricate name when they see that the option is taken. Those who strive for unique names will still be able to do so.

The argument of one scroll being filled with the same name isn't a compelling argument whatsoever. Every single user is free to decide what they want to do with their scroll, and it should concern no one as long as they abide by the site rules.

I could see there being hassle in coding it, since its a relatively small feature for seemingly little gain, yet it should still be possible. I'm positive that DC database stores each entry/dragon by their code and not their name, so two entries of the same name but different codes shouldn't really break anything.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by LevelsOfViolence

[High Lord November]

The creative part comes from having to think of, and try for, names that aren't taken yet. It almost feels like finding a little treasure. If X, Y, and Z are taken, what other words or phrases can I try to convey my idea?

 

If I could name them whatever I want then the thinking exercise I enjoy would be gone. 

[Uther_Pendragon]

25 minutes ago, High Lord November said:

The creative part comes from having to think of, and try for, names that aren't taken yet. It almost feels like finding a little treasure. If X, Y, and Z are taken, what other words or phrases can I try to convey my idea?

 

If I could name them whatever I want then the thinking exercise I enjoy would be gone. 

I appreciate very much that you enjoy this! I am one who does not, hence my mostly unnamed scroll (besides Holidays, or anything I breed to the AP or for trade because I know recipients like named dragons)

 

The thing is, you'd still be able to do what you like to do if exclusivity is removed. It would basically be the reverse of what we have now. Everyone who wishes for a name that no one else has could still do that. Those of us who don't enjoy trying to come up with something unique, or add surnames (or spaces/qualifiers/etc) would no longer need to, if we didn't want that.

[High Lord November]

That's fine. I know there are people who don't like it. If it's changed I won't be heartbroken. But I personally do like it and would like it to remain as is.  Just my personal preference. 

[AsymDoll13]

I've ended up with some of the dumbest names ever simply because I can't have the name I'd like. Does it keep me from playing? No. Because I'm good at naming things the dumbest things, but at the same time, I'd love to have like one pretty name that doesn't need me to add a million a's or i's or something like that. 

 

As for having it per scroll, that's fine for me. I don't mind. ^^

[Chaos Rider]

3 hours ago, High Lord November said:

The creative part comes from having to think of, and try for, names that aren't taken yet. It almost feels like finding a little treasure. If X, Y, and Z are taken, what other words or phrases can I try to convey my idea?

 

If I could name them whatever I want then the thinking exercise I enjoy would be gone. 

I get what you're saying now even though that's something I wouldn't personally care for. It's been suggested elsewhere on this thread that you get some sort of indication when you name your dragons on whether or not the name is unique. Would be suitable for allowing you to try to come up with unique names while allowing those of us who have particular names in mind for their dragons to do just that even if it means duplicate names occur?

[Stormphoenix42]

I’ve checked in on this thread a few times over the past while, and one confusing thing that I’ve seen happen a few times is this:

Quote

Person A: “I don’t want to get rid of name exclusivity because it will make it harder to tell if dragons are inbred or not.”
Person B: “Inbreeding or not inbreeding is a personal choice and doesn’t mechanically affect gameplay, so it shouldn’t be considered at all here.”

With respect - 80% of the arguments for or against name exclusivity in this thread are based on items of personal preference with no mechanical impact on gameplay. Wanting to make lyrical lineages without having to use odd spacing is a personal preference. Being disappointed that you can’t name a dragon after a fandom character is a personal preference. Whether or not your dragons are named at all is a personal preference that doesn’t affect gameplay. It doesn’t make sense to single out wanting to avoid inbreeding as the only personal preference that “doesn’t matter.”
 

while I’m here, my two cents on other topics: I enjoy name exclusivity. As other people have said, I think it’s a fun challenge and I would be disappointed if it were taken away. Even if there were an indicator that said the name was currently unique, the sense of accomplishment would be gone knowing that there was no guarantee it would stay that way. I know not everyone feels this way, but that’s one of the special things I enjoy about this site.
If you are a new player and are having trouble thinking of new names, can I suggest adding a last name or a clan name? Plenty of players do this to easily identify their dragons in lineages. I’ve seen people bring up that new players are likely to get disappointed by the lack of available names, but - as a former new player myself - this is what I did when I was starting out and it worked just fine for me. If you've tried every spelling of Mckayyleigh (or the dragon equivalent) with no luck, adding a new last name opens up a whole new world of naming potential.

That's my opinion, and it's worth what you paid for it happy to discuss if you disagree, but it's quite late here so if you do reply to this I likely won't see it until the morning.
 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Stormphoenix42
added emphasis

[Fuzzbucket]

4 hours ago, High Lord November said:

That's fine. I know there are people who don't like it. If it's changed I won't be heartbroken. But I personally do like it and would like it to remain as is.  Just my personal preference. 

 

Agree 100%, because:

 

1 hour ago, Stormphoenix42 said:

I’ve checked in on this thread a few times over the past while, and one confusing thing that I’ve seen happen a few times is this:

With respect - 80% of the arguments for or against name exclusivity in this thread are based on items of personal preference with no mechanical impact on gameplay. Wanting to make lyrical lineages without having to use odd spacing is a personal preference. Being disappointed that you can’t name a dragon after a fandom character is a personal preference. Whether or not your dragons are named at all is a personal preference that doesn’t affect gameplay. It doesn’t make sense to single out wanting to avoid inbreeding as the only personal preference that “doesn’t matter.”
 

while I’m here, my two cents on other topics: I enjoy name exclusivity. As other people have said, I think it’s a fun challenge and I would be disappointed if it were taken away. Even if there were an indicator that said the name was currently unique, the sense of accomplishment would be gone knowing that there was no guarantee it would stay that way. I know not everyone feels this way, but that’s one of the special things I enjoy about this site.
If you are a new player and are having trouble thinking of new names, can I suggest adding a last name or a clan name? Plenty of players do this to easily identify their dragons in lineages. I’ve seen people bring up that new players are likely to get disappointed by the lack of available names, but - as a former new player myself - this is what I did when I was starting out and it worked just fine for me. If you've tried every spelling of Mckayyleigh (or the dragon equivalent) with no luck, adding a new last name opens up a whole new world of naming potential.

That's my opinion, and it's worth what you paid for it happy to discuss if you disagree, but it's quite late here so if you do reply to this I likely won't see it until the morning.
 

 

Beautifully put.

[Chaos Rider]

2 hours ago, Stormphoenix42 said:

Wanting to make lyrical lineages without having to use odd spacing is a personal preference.

H aving to wri   te out n ames lik e this because a name is already taken is a matter of legibility not personal preference.

[DragonLady86]

It's not personal preference to have my dragons unnamed. I just do not have the time to jump through countless hoops just to get one name to go through. Then repeat ad nauseum.

[Stormphoenix42]

2 hours ago, DragonLady86 said:

It's not personal preference to have my dragons unnamed. I just do not have the time to jump through countless hoops just to get one name to go through. Then repeat ad nauseum.

There are ways to get names to go through quite easily, though. Adding a last name/clan name is the method I prefer when I have a name I'd really like to use, and I've even started building some lore around various clans. Other people add the dragon's code to the name to guarantee it'll be available, or a descriptor like "the Red". I'm not saying you should or have to do either of those things, but the option is there. If you don't like those options, and would rather leave dragons unnamed than use them, that is a personal preference. (And that's valid! My point is just that most of us are for/against this change based on our own personal likes or dislikes.)

4 hours ago, Chaos Rider said:

H aving to wri   te out n ames lik e this because a name is already taken is a matter of legibility not personal preference.

 
I may have phrased that poorly. The lineages themselves are the personal preference - no mechanical element of gameplay depends on whether your dragons have names that match a song or a poem. People enjoy making them for their own reasons, just like people enjoy making or avoiding inbred lineages for their own reasons.

[Sextonator]

Using creativity as an argument is moot as you can’t say what is or is not creative. It is not a unit that can be measured.

 

And name exclusivity is not a “fun challenge” for everyone and trying to treat is that way is like assuming a fish can climb a tree. Not everyone is built the same.

 

And name exclusivity should be removed because no one should have to jump through stupid hoops just to name a collection of pixels in a collecting game where you’re supposed to amass as many pixels as possible. There are scrolls with 10k+ Dragons on there, the idea that all of them have to be “””””uniquely””””””” named is tiresome and ridiculous.

[Fuzzbucket]

2 hours ago, Sextonator said:

Using creativity as an argument is moot as you can’t say what is or is not creative. It is not a unit that can be measured.

 

And name exclusivity is not a “fun challenge” for everyone and trying to treat is that way is like assuming a fish can climb a tree. Not everyone is built the same.

 

And name exclusivity should be removed because no one should have to jump through stupid hoops just to name a collection of pixels in a collecting game where you’re supposed to amass as many pixels as possible. There are scrolls with 10k+ Dragons on there, the idea that all of them have to be “””””uniquely””””””” named is tiresome and ridiculous.

 

You can't have it both ways. It "should be removed" for your style of play; it should not be for mine. The two positions genuinely aren't compatible. It's tough - but either you or I will end up unhappy, the end. Such is life.

[Sextonator]

There are PLENTY of alternatives than name exclusivity to keep track of dragon codes and inbred dragons.

There are no alternatives to lyrical lineages, themed names, or taken surnames.

[Stormphoenix42]

11 minutes ago, Sextonator said:

There are PLENTY of alternatives than name exclusivity to keep track of dragon codes and inbred dragons.

There are no alternatives to lyrical lineages, themed names, or taken surnames.

There are some alternatives to name exclusivity, and they're less convenient than what we have now (or already being used - most people I know don't check super long lineages for inbreeding manually, but it's more convenient to quickly scan the short ones). Just like having to use wonky spacing or an alternative naming scheme is less convenient. Like Fuzzbucket said, someone's going to end up inconvenienced.

Edited November 2, 2021 by Stormphoenix42

[Sextonator]

Being unable to use Harry Potter as a name and having to check your bookmarks or a spreadsheet, or scan a page are not the same kind of inconvenience.

 

And it really sounds like forcing hundreds or thousands of people to either find a new way to write Harry Potter or just not name the dragon just so you’re not “”””””””inconvenienced””””” by multiple Harry Potters is a better solution than letting those people have fun naming THEIR dragons what they want.

[Stormphoenix42]

I could argue that having to go through hundreds or thousands of dragons and decide which ones are important enough to bookmark, or add to a spreadsheet, is more inconvenient than not using a specific form of a particular name. But you're right, they're different kinds of inconvenience (though I'm not sure that that matters, both are annoying. People have different opinions on which one is more annoying, and that's fine.)

I'm not forcing anyone to do anything - this is how the game has been from the start. Plenty of people are having fun with the options available to them. I'm sorry that you and others aren't, but I also don't want the game to change. I don't think it's fair to say that it "should" change when it's mostly a matter of different preferences.

I see arguments like this come up in other threads - holiday breed limits, for example. People that want CB pairs of Adults and frozen hatchlings of each stage/gender complain that they're being "forced" to freeze a limited breed, and therefore can't take full advantage of the breeding season. But no one's forcing them to do that, they've just chosen a playstyle that is incompatible with the game as it exists, and rather than change that playstyle, they think the game should adjust to them.

 

[Fuzzbucket]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:59 AM, Sextonator said:

There are PLENTY of alternatives than name exclusivity to keep track of dragon codes and inbred dragons.

There are no alternatives to lyrical lineages, themed names, or taken surnames.

 

It's not only about inbreeding. I'm one who is concerned about that, but many other are unhappy with the idea for other reasons.

On 11/2/2021 at 11:11 AM, Stormphoenix42 said:

There are some alternatives to name exclusivity, and they're less convenient than what we have now (or already being used - most people I know don't check super long lineages for inbreeding manually, but it's more convenient to quickly scan the short ones). Just like having to use wonky spacing or an alternative naming scheme is less convenient. Like Fuzzbucket said, someone's going to end up inconvenienced.

 

Exactly. This is one of those ideas where there is nothing as a middle way option that can ever make both sides happy.

On 11/2/2021 at 12:29 PM, Sextonator said:

Being unable to use Harry Potter as a name and having to check your bookmarks or a spreadsheet, or scan a page are not the same kind of inconvenience.

 

And it really sounds like forcing hundreds or thousands of people to either find a new way to write Harry Potter or just not name the dragon just so you’re not “”””””””inconvenienced””””” by multiple Harry Potters is a better solution than letting those people have fun naming THEIR dragons what they want.

 

Couldn't agree less, sorry.

 

Edited November 4, 2021 by purpledragonclaw

[LevelsOfViolence]

6 minutes ago, Stormphoenix42 said:

People that want CB pairs of Adults and frozen hatchlings of each stage/gender complain that they're being "forced" to freeze a limited breed, and therefore can't take full advantage of the breeding season. But no one's forcing them to do that, they've just chosen a playstyle that is incompatible with the game as it exists, and rather than change that playstyle, they think the game should adjust to them.

 

Performing a limited action that cannot be reversed shouldn't be compared to something that can be altered or removed at any time, not to mention that holidays have a limited breeding period, while one can name their dragons whenever they want, not when they are at S1 or younger than a week. The comparison doesn't hold.

 

Besides, while everyone can agree that you cannot appease every single user, this is why people who support this suggestion are providing the other side with possible alternatives - i.e. the first person to take a certain name is displayed at the very top of a /n/ page, so you still keep your sense of accomplishment without limiting other people.

 

On the argument of naming your dragons being a preference - I do not agree. It might be a preference to name each and every single one of your dragons, while naming your chosen one "H477Y 70TT3R" or not naming it at all when you see that the name is unavailable isn't a preference, it's simple resignation.

[HeatherMarie]

*peeks in* Wow, it really is just the exact same things being said over and over, the reason I stopped checking this thread for awhile. 

 

Creativity: Subjective. Not a factor that should be considered, since you *cannot* say across the board that name exclusivity pushes 'creativity' and that not having it would lead to less 'creativity'. That's simply Not True in any sense and continuing to use that as an argument over and over when *many* of us have already explained why it's *not* universally true just feels like no one is actually listening to each other. 

 

Being *forced* to 'be creative' and have this 'challenge' of trying to find a name that's not taken, and not being able to use the *perfect* name just because someone years ago who may not even be active anymore 'got to it first'..... That's not fun or creative or exciting, for many of us. 

 

"Names will become boring because everyone will name their dragons bob'-- So what? If you think 'Bob" is boring, don't use that on your own dragons. Don't dictate what *others* can name their dragons just because you think it's boring. I also really, really don't see that actually happening, either. Sure, *some* people might use some super-common already-taken names, but users who already like longer/creative/unique names aren't suddenly going to switch to 'boring' names just because of this. 

 

There are some genuine,  understandable concerns with a suggestion like this (what happens to the /name link, etc), but most of the things being posted are things people have already soundly debunked/countered earlier. I'm not hugely invested in this anymore since it does seem like it probably won't happen, but it is frustrating to look in here after awhile and see the exact same non-arguments being pushed over and over.

[Diame]

I'd like to get rid of it because it's weird when my gibberish code hatchling cannot have it's code as a name because someone already took it? Like, what...?

[Stormphoenix42]

19 minutes ago, LevelsOfViolence said:

Performing a limited action that cannot be reversed shouldn't be compared to something that can be altered or removed at any time, not to mention that holidays have a limited breeding period, while one can name their dragons whenever they want, not when they are at S1 or younger than a week. The comparison doesn't hold.

I think it's a reasonable comparison. The actual mechanics are irrelevant to the point I'm trying to make - that some people have set arbitrary goals for themselves that are not going to work well with the game mechanics, and they would rather try to change the game mechanics than play a different way. Saying that someone is "forcing" them to play that way is overdramatic when they've chosen those standards themselves.
 

 

2 minutes ago, HeatherMarie said:

Being *forced* to 'be creative' and have this 'challenge' of trying to find a name that's not taken, and not being able to use the *perfect* name just because someone years ago who may not even be active anymore 'got to it first'..... That's not fun or creative or exciting, for many of us.

And for many of us, it is. Both sides will probably always disagree on this, unfortunately.
 

[Fuzzbucket]

19 minutes ago, HeatherMarie said:

 

There are some genuine,  understandable concerns with a suggestion like this (what happens to the /name link, etc), but most of the things being posted are things people have already soundly debunked/countered earlier. I'm not hugely invested in this anymore since it does seem like it probably won't happen, but it is frustrating to look in here after awhile and see the exact same non-arguments being pushed over and over.

 

Thing is - there are ultimately only two sides to this - name exclusivity - which many of us value for all sorts of reasons and others hate - and removing that - which would mean that the other group will be unhappy. It's a lose-lose situation with no way around it - whatever "alternative" to exclusivity might be suggested, it will never be the exclusivity many of us value, and those of us who want it to go will never be happy till it does. We can and will go round and round in circles until TJ makes a decision one way or the other - and then a goodly number of us will be upset whichever way it goes.