Bad Wolf wrote:

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If you pay for the membership then you shouldnt have to worry of loosing your name.  If after 3 months or so after your premium membership ends you dont log on then maybe they should get a courtesy e-mail sent to them regarding this.

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Bad Wolf's comment is the line we should be going down.  If you have a free account and stop after awhile (3, 6, 9 mo, whatever) then you get 1 or 2 courtesy emails saying your account is inactive and will be deleted.  Free accounts already don't have full use of the in-depth stats, extras, etc. but then again it doesn't seem like that's the account's purpose.  It seems to me free accounts are for just that: to test out the site, decide if you like it, and be guilt-free about leaving if it's not for you.  Players who don't want to pay but are still active are not at risk of having their account deleted. 

If you have a Premium membership then the time limit would be substantially longer (9, 12, 18 mo, whatever) before you'd get a courtesy email saying your account is inactive and will be deleted.

I'm sure there will be the exception here and there where somebody falls off the face of the earth for 2 years, doesn't check their email, and then expects to come back with everything intact and gets furious.  But creating a system to handle the exceptions rather than the rule is wrong.

Alpha wrote:

Lastly, how fraking difficult is it to come up with a player tag?  When you try coolguy and see that it is taken, try something else.  If you are married to your tagname and missed out on it because someone got it first, too bad.  Try coolguy2

Thought this needed saying again.  Is opening up names that big a deal where we need to open the site up to potential problems?

For an example of potential problems go to the forums and look at some of the original threads.  Many of them now have last post "by        " because those accounts have been wiped out.  

Just an idea here.  How 'bout if a premium membership guarantees your name for life (or some kind of cyber-equivalent), even if you are only premium for one pay period?

Bad Wolf wrote:

Then guys like you are going to have a hugher community score, reach a certain level and you're a lifer.

now that's a verb that needs to be used more around here! hehe

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since hugh called me out as being a VIP, i better chime in

i think you could boil it down to two categories for exemption:
- that pay for premium (not the freebie we were giving - or still give?)
- free account that has earned championship point(s)

a far as removing the names, i'm not much interested in how tom implements it - if it's an asterisk or total deletion - don't much care

who and when should they be removed? i think i'd seen some recommendations i've liked
- non-activated accounts go after a week (could be longer i guess)
- activated but less than...X (25?)...games played and inactive for 3 months (could be longer i guess)
- activated and not one of the exemtions above gone idle for...X (6,12?)...months

think that covers just about every possibility...just the numbers need hashing out.

I've added the Inactive account cleanup into the daily housekeeping script. Players that do not activate their account within 30 days will be deleted. This deleted 527 accounts.

Just curious, what will this mean for a player like Dr. Horrible (who is a prick)?  He has a released map but doesn't play often because he is terrible at it but he does often help me test my maps for initial issues before actual testing.  The guy is a total jerk but I don't want him deleted.

RiskyBack wrote:

Just curious, what will this mean for a player like Dr. Horrible (who is a prick)?  He has a released map but doesn't play often because he is terrible at it but he does often help me test my maps for initial issues before actual testing.  The guy is a total jerk but I don't want him deleted.

Well we cant always cater to the few exceptions. 

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.  You're the one hahaha.

Well is he or was he ever a premium player?  If so, like we mentioned earlier, he would get 9-18 months before he gets a notice regarding inactivity.  And like you said, he OFTEN helps you out in testing.  Meaning he logs in often.  So eitherway theres no problem.

I've been against this idea from the start and I wasn't asking for an exception, I was just curious because he does have a LIVE map and therefor who would be the author of that map if he is deleted.

RiskyBack wrote:

I've been against this idea from the start and I wasn't asking for an exception, I was just curious because he does have a LIVE map and therefor who would be the author of that map if he is deleted.

This is where the "append-the-name" idea comes in.  Essentially, no accounts are ever deleted.  They are simply renamed.

Dr Horrible becomes..

Dr Horrible inactive since 27.10.10

or Dr Horrible1

As long as no one takes his name, he can log on as Dr Horrible as he normally would, and the name reverts.  If, on the other hand someone takes his name, then he can play with his new name.

Hmm.. it occurs to me that Dr H might be your not-really-illegal game testing account (We all have one, don't we?) . 

Oh well, maybe it's just a bad idea..

Can't delete anyone who has created a live map. For nostalgia purposes, I'd love to have RealRasputin be Rasputin, but I feel like "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" actually falls on the "don't mess with the namespace unless it's something drastic like a never activated account" side of the argument. The player icon is unmistakable, so the name Rasputin1869 works just as well, right? ;) 

The idea of making usernames available when they're unused seems to get alot of support.  But there seems to be alot of misundersanting. 

The main purpose is to get rid of accounts that where A. never activated. B. Logged in just a few times to test it out and never came back. or C. Where active for awhile, never went premium, and have been inactive for months. (the number of months is not decided.)

So again, if you're one of the players who got championship points, and created some good maps, or have been getting the premium.  Then you're account is pretty much set in stone.  The purpose of the name clean-up is not ment to punish anyone for taking some time off.  If you played consitently for awhile, and have been a frequent contributer on forums or whatever, then go ahead and feel free to take a 5 month hiatus.  You'll get an e-mail in your inbox asking if you'll be back some day.  In which case you just have to confirm that you plan to come back someday.

Those who fall in the A,B,or C category, dont get so much time or what not.  Their account just gets whiped.  Any stats with their name just get an asterics.  As for maps, if they created a map that is used consitently and gets decent feed back, their account stays.  If they created a stinker that not one player liked other than them, boom, you're gone.

I don't understand the issue of getting a good name. Well, I understand it but I think you have to be imaginative. I believe it's more important to keep the history. Names are a part of it. I don't like players changing names as their reputation, good or bad, would be lost.

Toto wrote:

I don't understand the issue of getting a good name. Well, I understand it but I think you have to be imaginative. I believe it's more important to keep the history. Names are a part of it. I don't like players changing names as their reputation, good or bad, would be lost.

T, Interestingly enough, your comment argues for the reason this is an issue in the first place.

Specifically, there are a number of players from Warfish (more commonly referred to here as ToS "That other Site"), who have built reputations/friends etc. there, which they would like to "transfer" here.

M57 wrote:

Toto wrote:

I don't understand the issue of getting a good name. Well, I understand it but I think you have to be imaginative. I believe it's more important to keep the history. Names are a part of it. I don't like players changing names as their reputation, good or bad, would be lost.

T, Interestingly enough, your comment argues for the reason this is an issue in the first place.

Specifically, there are a number of players from Warfish (more commonly referred to here as ToS "That other Site"), who have built reputations/friends etc. there, which they would like to "transfer" here.

Sure but how many are doing that AND have this name problem ? Rasputine found a good idea with RealRasputine.

part of my thought process was that it is hard to feel a community when your name is Blah1468383. How am I supposed to remember that player from Blah14683831? When there are just some random letters and numbers, it isn't easy to remember that player. Sometimes I get told that I've played a bunch of games with player X, and I have no memory of them at all. Then I look at their name and it is no wonder! Especially when they don't have a unique profile pic.

As for worrying about alienating people who have had an account for 2 years and didn't take a single turn... I'd be more worried about your sanity. Sorry Risky, but there is a lot of other things to do in life, and if someone doesn't care about wargear for 6 months enough to spend the 6 seconds it takes to activate an account, it's a bit extreme to think in another year they will magically remember wargear and all the fun they didn't have and come "back" all gung ho about having the same name they never used.

And the arguments about not having to care about a name goes both ways. If it is "just a name" then if you lost something you never used, it should be pretty easy to just get over it and get another. But I think people do care about names, they could be miffed. But if they aren't here and didn't care to be, lets cater to the people who do want to join and do want to be active. That makes more sense priority wise.

What happens if you lose all your championship points? how would that be tracked?

If I was gone for 5 years, what are the odds I'd come back? Slim. But I would not expect anything. Be happy for sure to find it all still there, but people move on, drop things or get other things going on.

I'd also protect board makers. If they do come back and want to modify or add things, they'd need access to their profile right?

"Still the potential problem of people coming back and how would they get their name back?" If they were never really here, it is impossibe for them to come back... you can only come back to things you have been to.

Sure but how many are doing that AND have this name problem ? Rasputine found a good idea with RealRasputine.

The fact that used "real"rasputin suggested to me that he felt the other was an imposter. I have no idea about the actual Rasputin account, but that observation is what triggered the thought in my mind.

Another reason the names are sorta important... if the social aspect wasn't part of the fun, we could just play against bots with good random strategies built in. I liked coolguy on ToS. But I had no idea until this forum that it is the same person as Attila. If I had known I would have interacted more and earlier. Of course given time I found this Attila person to be quite likeable, fun and social. But if he had the same name, it woulda made a difference. Unless I see a profile that says "I am the player formerly known as RiskyBack" then I am not gonna be intereacting the same. I might decline more test games not knowing it is RB! Course Reich pulled it off fine with Cramshackle, just takes some extra work. But names do matter, and if they are unavailable for inactive players, it's a deterrent/obstacle to maximizing fun, connection and community- i don't think it would deter from joining. But if it's not a hard fix, people can get a warning and certain people/situations are protected, then it can only be good.

So sorry for all the posts, I don't always check forums regularly. Just sorta respond as I go. Hopefully there is more food for thought here on the benefits of considering this further.

wow just found out this article started about me, I dont mind being Realrasputin at all so I hope none of you think that I am absolutely pushing for this name changing to happen or else haha.  I love playing with everybody here and I really don't care if the names is taken, I thought of a semi new one.  If it ever comes to the point where Rasputin is open I surely will take it.  But as to other opinions on here I agree with Riskyback and his alienation comment.  We don't want to make anyone seem like less of a player because they haven't played in a while or do not play as many games.  Anyway, like I said, great to be on this site now and soon I'll have my very own Bomb Trophy, that is if Atilla loses a couple games first. 

Be Well, wash your hands after you use the restroom.

The Real Rasputin

Dr. Evan

good that you chimed in. you just inspired it, hope no one thought you were complaining. I don't think i gave that impression

Gimli wrote:

... lets cater to the people who do want to join and do want to be active. That makes more sense priority wise.

RealRas in my mind you're one of these people.  This thread was inspired by your involvement in the site and sparked a good overall discussion.  No worries.