New Items Coming to the Station Marketplace - 4/07/09

[Amnerys]

<p><span ><div><div><span >Take a look at the newest items coming to the <a href="http://www.station.sony.com/en/stationcash/" target="_blank">Station Marketplace</a>! These items available April 7th, 2009.</span></div><div></div><div><a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/images/en/features/articles/stationcash/09apr/amnesia_potion.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/images/en/features/articles/stationcash/09apr/amnesia_potion_th.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="249" /></a></div></div><div></div><div><strong><a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/news_archive_content.vm?id=3038&section=News&locale=en_US"><strong>Read more!</strong></a></strong></div></span></p>

[Lader]

<p>read more doesnt have any text when i click it.</p><p>and man this is going to make it really hard to avoid those certain people on the server that everyone cant stand.</p>

[Vaemas]

<p>All three potions are interesting. I know there's been player feedback on just this very thing. Maybe it's bad timing on April 1, but is this legit or a joke? <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[ThomasCH]

<p>Thats awesome. Love it!</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Lader wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>and man this is going to make it really hard to avoid those certain people on the server that everyone cant stand.</p></blockquote><p>Don't kill the messenger. Your peers asked for it. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Nice additions.. looking forward to creating my army of Ratonga Tradeskillers! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Wolphin]

<p>folks can't get into instances or guildhalls most of the day... tons or other /bugs and issues still remain in the game, the fighter revamp was/is a mess, but they keep pumping out those items to the marketplace....</p>

[kcirrot]

<p>Appearance does not mean race right?</p>

[shadowscale]

<p>dont beleave anything said on april 1st. always wait till the second before makeing sure its real.</p>

[Gaige]

<p>I hope its race.  I'd pay 100 bucks np to change my race.</p>

[betatester7]

<p>too good to be true, i don't think they can allow change race/gender , and maybe its a joke <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> T_T</p>

[Lacuna]

<p>Dolt's all of you. April fools.  Lame attempt. </p>

[Kirstie]

<p>It's not an April Fool's joke, I swear!</p><p>The appearance change will do the same as what the barber does currently, it will allow you to repick your face/hair/colors ect, but it is not a race change.</p><p>- Kirstie</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's not an April Fool's joke, I swear!</p><p>The appearance change will do the same as what the barber does currently, it will allow you to repick your face/hair/colors ect, but it is not a race change.</p><p>- Kirstie</p></blockquote><p>IMPLEMENT. RACE. CHANGE.</p>

[Kirstie]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's not an April Fool's joke, I swear!</p><p>The appearance change will do the same as what the barber does currently, it will allow you to repick your face/hair/colors ect, but it is not a race change.</p><p>- Kirstie</p></blockquote><p>IMPLEMENT. RACE. CHANGE.</p></blockquote><p>N.O. !</p>

[shadowscale]

<p>dont care what anyone says, red name or not. will have to say it tomarow for it to be belaveable.</p>

[Thundy]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's not an April Fool's joke, I swear!</p><p>The appearance change will do the same as what the barber does currently, it will allow you to repick your face/hair/colors ect, but it is not a race change.</p><p>- Kirstie</p></blockquote><p>IMPLEMENT. RACE. CHANGE.</p></blockquote><p>N.O. !</p></blockquote><p>Instead of silly answers, can we just get an end-all explanation as to why this won't be allowed?</p><p>Is it because you're afraid everyone will just become a dark elf?</p><p>Does the team have a sense that many people consider the racial abilities to be unbalanced?</p><p>Really this all revolves around the Dark Elf, why we always get a song and dance rather than some straight answers is beyond me. I thought we were in a "new era" of communication leaving all the old games behind, but I guess not.</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>N.O. !</p></blockquote><p>I'm not kidding, you guys could make bank off a race change item.  I know plenty of people who would pay 100 dollars or more to be able to change their race.</p><p>Its an untapped goldmine.</p>

[Dreyco]

<p>Just a shot in the dark.</p><p>I think of the way character data is handled like a tree with branches.  The Race is more part of the roots than anything else, and you can't really get at those unless you tear down the entire character and put it up.  Lots of things tie into race.  The name is easy enough.  As is the gender.  Those are just display items.</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>Dreyco wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Just a shot in the dark.</p><p>I think of the way character data is handled like a tree with branches.  The Race is more part of the roots than anything else, and you can't really get at those unless you tear down the entire character and put it up.  Lots of things tie into race.  The name is easy enough.  As is the gender.  Those are just display items.</p></blockquote><p>I doubt their database is that compliated tbh.</p><p>I firmly believe they just choose not to do it.  If they wanted to, they could implement it tomorrow.</p><p>We were told the same about gender before.</p>

[Pink_Poodle]

<p>I think a race change could be a good idea... or something. It's not like we're asking for Rick Astleys.</p><p>Now a gender change... that's LOLWUT incarnate.</p>

[UnForgiven]

<p>A race change is much needed! Being a fae illusionist taking extra time to land after a knockback (even with spacebar pressed) drives me insane!!! Just make it a once only affair & everyone will be happy. Surely it's only similar to a character respec that we carry out ATM? </p>

[KerowynnKaotic]

<p>... Need a potion for Guild name change, Please & Thank you!  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" /></p><p>----</p><p>Do we know how much the name change potion is going to run, btw??</p>

[Kirstie]

<p><cite>Thundy wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote></blockquote><p>Instead of silly answers, can we just get an end-all explanation as to why this won't be allowed?</p><p>Is it because you're afraid everyone will just become a dark elf?</p><p>Does the team have a sense that many people consider the racial abilities to be unbalanced?</p><p>Really this all revolves around the Dark Elf, why we always get a song and dance rather than some straight answers is beyond me. I thought we were in a "new era" of communication leaving all the old games behind, but I guess not.</p></blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p>

[Winter]

<p><cite>Poodle_Poodle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I think a race change could be a good idea... or something. It's not like we're asking for Rick Astleys.</p><p>Now a gender change... that's LOLWUT incarnate.</p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium; color: #cc99ff;">Hey now. Ain't nada wrong with a gender change. <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Who knows if the character even belongs to that person anymore... What if I took one of my husband's characters? I don't want to play a boy. And aside from that, the times they are a cha-cha-changin'!;D</span></p>

[Gaige]

<p>I want to be a real ratonga so bad <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Corbolu]

<p>Hello,</p><p>Does the "changed appearance" potion also allow to change a characters height? In other words is it possible, with this potion or another way, to create a character that actually grows in length as he levels up?</p><p>Greetz,</p><p>Corbolu SanguiniusDirge of 80 songsOfficer of Lowland ElitesRunnyeye</p>

[dubbs]

<p><cite>Corbolu wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> In other words is it possible, with this potion or another way, to create a character that actually grows in length...</p></blockquote><p>I think the thing you're looking for is called Elixer of Enzyte.</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p></blockquote><p>Would it be possible then to give us some sort of item/potion that enables us to set the our appearance for illusion forms on the character select screen?</p><p>I'm always in ratonga forms via bones but the ratonga illusion is very generic as far as looks go.  Would there be a huge coding issue in allowing people to customize their illusion forms?  </p><p>I'd think it'd be similiar to how we can currently customize our normal/SOGA models, correct?</p>

[Corbolu]

<p><cite>dubbs wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Corbolu wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> In other words is it possible, with this potion or another way, to create a character that actually grows in length...</p></blockquote><p>I think the thing you're looking for is called Elixer of Enzyte.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks for the quick response. I was not able to find the item 'Elixer of Enzyte' on any of the community sites (or EQ2players), so I could not find what it does. Does this item permanently adjust the height of my character or only temporarily. What I am looking for is an item that can permanently adjust my height in the same way as adjusting the height of your character at character creation and I was wondering if the items added to the SC (or others) could do that.</p><p>Greetz,</p><p><span >Corbolu SanguiniusDirge of 80 songsOfficer of Lowland ElitesRunnyeye</span></p>

[Ocello]

<p><cite>Corbolu wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>dubbs wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Corbolu wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> In other words is it possible, with this potion or another way, to create a character that actually grows in length...</p></blockquote><p>I think the thing you're looking for is called Elixer of Enzyte.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks for the quick response. I was not able to find the item 'Elixer of Enzyte' on any of the community sites (or EQ2players), so I could not find what it does. Does this item permanently adjust the height of my character or only temporarily. What I am looking for is an item that can permanently adjust my height in the same way as adjusting the height of your character at character creation and I was wondering if the items added to the SC (or others) could do that.</p><p>Greetz,</p><p><span>Corbolu SanguiniusDirge of 80 songsOfficer of Lowland ElitesRunnyeye</span></p></blockquote><p><snicker></p><p>aaannnnd</p><p><snicker></p><p>awesomenessness</p>

[TwistedFaith]

<p>I am still not sure if this post is legit or not, but if the rumor that buying one of these potions or even all three will cost $100 or 10k points is true then that really is truly shocking greed by sony.</p>

[Jack Orb]

<p>Speaking from the position of a guild leader who has had to deal with a few nightmare people I don't like the idea of someone being able to change name at will.  Keeping guild bank thieves, abusive people and troublemakers from re-entering a guild is difficult enough already since the tools available only work while someone is ignorant of how to circumvent/block them (or when they don't <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=445776" target="_blank">fail to update for 3 weeks</a> <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/2e207fad049d4d292f60607f80f05768.gif" border="0" />).  Being able to change a name without a petition for a T&C violation just adds to that.  I for one would be happy to see these potions (at least those that allow name changes) be prohibitively expensive or non-existent so that someone can't simply change every character name on their account and become a whole new person.</p>

[Powers]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p></blockquote><p>Kirstie, you, as a Dev, know that not everything players want is something they should get.  Did the team give any thought to how this will affect the behavior of those bad eggs out there who previously may have been deterred from bad behavior by reputation, but now can escape that reputation by changing their names?</p><p>What about friends lists, and -- more importantly -- ignore lists?  If I /ignore someone and he changes his name, do I then have to re-/ignore his new name?</p><p>What about people who were kicked out of a guild for bad behavior?  What is to stop them from changing their names and reapplying for admission with the guild none the wiser?</p><p>These are serious concerns that aren't addressed by just saying "well, people wanted it".</p><p>Powers  &8^]</p>

[Rijacki]

<p><cite>Powers wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p></blockquote><p>Kirstie, you, as a Dev, know that not everything players want is something they should get.  Did the team give any thought to how this will affect the behavior of those bad eggs out there who previously may have been deterred from bad behavior by reputation, but now can escape that reputation by changing their names?</p><p>What about friends lists, and -- more importantly -- ignore lists?  If I /ignore someone and he changes his name, do I then have to re-/ignore his new name?</p><p>What about people who were kicked out of a guild for bad behavior?  What is to stop them from changing their names and reapplying for admission with the guild none the wiser?</p><p>These are serious concerns that aren't addressed by just saying "well, people wanted it".</p></blockquote><p>In EQ1, to help minimise people changing their name for scamming, griefing, etc, when they first added the name change service (fee-based but I forget the cost and never used it), they had a website which listed original name and changed name. After several months (might have been more than a year), the site stopped being updated.</p><p>Sadly, I seriously doubt that will happen in EQ2.</p>

[Ashlian]

<p><cite>Powers wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p></blockquote><p>Kirstie, you, as a Dev, know that not everything players want is something they should get.  Did the team give any thought to how this will affect the behavior of those bad eggs out there who previously may have been deterred from bad behavior by reputation, but now can escape that reputation by changing their names?</p><p>What about friends lists, and -- more importantly -- ignore lists?  If I /ignore someone and he changes his name, do I then have to re-/ignore his new name?</p><p>What about people who were kicked out of a guild for bad behavior?  What is to stop them from changing their names and reapplying for admission with the guild none the wiser?</p><p>These are serious concerns that aren't addressed by just saying "well, people wanted it".</p><p>Powers  &8^]</p></blockquote><p>EQ1 used to have a very nice list by server of old name and new name so that people could see who had changed their name. It's elementary to create such a webpage on EQ2Players to let you track bad eggs. I would hope no one would be unwilling to take 30 seconds to look up a name change page on EQ2Players....as it is, since you can't immediately determine if a "bad egg" has created a new character to join your guild (the one bad egg my guild has ever encountered did that three times trying to rejoin our guild after stealing rares from our guildbank due to permissions glitch), then you have to look the account up with someone who has EQ2Players premium access to see their alts. I haven't really seen anyone whining about that, and as easy as it is to level a toon these days, the concern should be the same.</p>

[Ciara52]

<p>I want it because I had intended my name to be Lyssa, but with an e at the end ppl say licey and I don't have lice!  /sob lol</p><p>Anyway for that reason I'm glad for it.  Hopefully there will be some kind of tracking as I can see how it could be abused.</p>

[Zaelicor]

<p>What's to stop that same person making a whole new character with a new name and look, leveling it to 80, applying to your guild, gaining your trust again and doing the exact same thing anyways? All the namechange potion does is shorten the time it takes for someone unscrupulous enough to do this, while costing them (hopefully) a lot of money just for the chance. Basicly does the guy want to spend lots of money to try to pull one over on you again, or spend a couple months building a new character to do the same thing.</p><p>Honestly if you're worried about this sort of thing happening, you may want to change your recruitment procedures so that you lessen the risk of somehow completely screwing your guild over, because this new feature doesn't just suddenly introduce the actions of D-baggery into the world.</p><p>Ignore is another thing. I'm no dev, but I'm guessing a name change will get around your ignore and you should just be able to /ignore them again if they show their ugly head, but until they introduce an "/ignore account" feature, my previous example of getting around your concerns still applies.</p><p>Basicly in the end, bad eggs will be bad eggs, and any efforts you have in place will have to do in weeding them out. All these new potions do is make it so that those bad eggs need to pay money (hopefully good money...namechange at $100USD seems quite fair, especially since those who need the name change for legitimate reasons due to harrasment or similar things should still have access to the free GM route) to keep being bad eggs.</p>

[Anastasie]

<p>I completely agree about needing the ability to ignore an account with this new feature being added.  It is already obnoxious when you run across a truly horrible person in game that you have to manually add them to the ignore list on all of your toons - not to mention any of their alts you may encounter.   Since they are implementing this name change feature, an ignore account feature is definately needed. </p>

[Sharakari]

<p><cite>Sioned@Befallen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I completely agree about needing the ability to ignore an account with this new feature being added.  It is already obnoxious when you run across a truly horrible person in game that you have to manually add them to the ignore list on all of your toons - not to mention any of their alts you may encounter.   Since they are implementing this name change feature, an ignore account feature is definately needed. </p></blockquote><p>I'm not a programmer or developer but I wonder if they could place the old character name in a hidden field, that wouldn't display, but still be readable by the Ignore list???</p><p>Or better yet, when you do a /who, it would display their previous name as an alias.</p><p>Just a thought.</p>

[GPA_Coyote]

<p>I love armchair-devs making comments about how "easy" it would be to impliment a change that they see as purely cosmetic like "race".</p><p>Easy?</p><p>When EQ2 first game out RACE was a huge factor. Now with racial abilities, lines, and a million other things tied into a character's race, the coding, the programming, and the potential to break other things for what? A change that really isn't much more than cosmetic and can be circumvented using illusions - which aren't a change, but just a skin.</p><p>Easy.</p><p>"Easy" comes from people who want something, but have no clue how it truly works. If races are that huge of a game breaking issue, then you should have created the character you wanted at the beginning, or better yet - rolled another one.</p><p>What's next? Demand for a potion that plays for you when you're at work? Yeeesh.</p>

[Elyssia]

<p>I hope this isn't an April Fool's joke myself.</p><p>Yes there are people who can abuse the name change system, but as mentioned above they can also use alts to do the same thing if they want to.</p><p>And looking them up on EQ2players isn't always an option either because the player can lock the access so you cannot see their alts.</p><p>I just hope the price isn't going to be too stupidly expensive. I believe the EQ1 name change facility is $50 so anything more than that would be bad.</p>

[Crymsyn]

<p>Have we heard if these were indeed April Fool's items or are legit?</p>

[taneb]

<p>For me, it's a genuine case whereby I created my tradeskillers for my own use years ago on 2 accounts. At that time, I just give some of them similar names as at most they would only be in the tradekill instance at any one time. Now with all the TS quests that requires moving around in the world, the efficient solution for me to do them would be to 2-box my tradeskillers. And since they have similar names, some people thought that I'm a farmer of some sort. They either sent me tells, jump around my toons, try to pass me something via trade to see if I'll react on it etc... *roll-eyes*. It's really irritating and I get pressurize everytime when I want to bring them out to quest, all because of the name. I really wanted to petition GM for name changed due to all these harrassment but I doubt they'll entertain me. So for me, I'm happy there's a name change service coming. However, if it's going to cost US$100, or even US$50, it'll be too expensive. These are just my own private tradeskillers and they have no reputation whatsoever.</p><p>When someone /ignore a character in-game, I guess what the person really want is to /ignore the person playing that character. So the solution to /ignore should not be tied to the character name but to the account as a whole like someone else already mentioned here. So in my opinion, name change should be affordable and a /ignore account feature implemented. Alternatively, you could put up 2 kinds of name change "potion"; the cheaper one can only be used once per charater (for people like me who just want to change it once) and the more expensive one can be used anytime.</p>

[Calthine]

<p><cite>Powers wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> Did the team give any thought to how this will affect the behavior of those bad eggs out there who previously may have been deterred from bad behavior by reputation, but now can escape that reputation by changing their names?</p></blockquote><p>/sarcasm</p><p>No, bet the devs just changed things willy-nilly, without any thought at all.</p><p>/sarcasm</p><p>/rolleyes</p>

[Daramm]

<p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love armchair-devs making comments about how "easy" it would be to impliment a change that they see as purely cosmetic like "race".</p><p>Easy?</p><p>When EQ2 first game out RACE was a huge factor. Now with racial abilities, lines, and a million other things tied into a character's race, the coding, the programming, and the potential to break other things for what? A change that really isn't much more than cosmetic and can be circumvented using illusions - which aren't a change, but just a skin.</p><p>Easy.</p><p>"Easy" comes from people who want something, but have no clue how it truly works. If races are that huge of a game breaking issue, then you should have created the character you wanted at the beginning, or better yet - rolled another one.</p><p>What's next? Demand for a potion that plays for you when you're at work? Yeeesh.</p></blockquote><p>Ahhhh... quiet children... we have a rare treat... we get to see the elusive Brown-nosed Coyote at play... he only comes out when SOE is threatened... let's watch this majestic animal at work...</p><p><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e234/Dareov/coyote1sm.jpg" /></p>

[GPA_Coyote]

<p>I hate you.</p>

[agnott]

<p>If it's true, It's so sad to see the Dev team make these " Look at what we are giving you" type of announcements as if they were giving it to us.  "No charge"</p><p>They exploit the fact that people have been asking for certain changes and spin it to look like that they are giving us what we have been asking for. </p><p>In it's simplest form, They are using our specific needs to create extra revenue.  SOE is not stupid, they know to sell you more and more but to do it slowly.</p><p>In that way, it's remind me of that frog in the movie "Inconvient Truth:.  If you put a frog in a pot of water and slowy bring it to a boil, the change is to gradual for the frog to know he is in trouble and going to die.</p><p>SOE is slowly going to sell you every thing and one day you will wake up and find the game you loved ....dead.</p>

[Savanja]

<p>Ah poo.  I hate paying for stuff but name change is something I'd drop some change on.</p><p>Race change...now that'd be something.  I always thought my monk would look so much better in those gis if she were a half elf.</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love armchair-devs making comments about how "easy" it would be to impliment a change that they see as purely cosmetic like "race".</p><p>Easy?</p><p>When EQ2 first game out RACE was a huge factor. Now with racial abilities, lines, and a million other things tied into a character's race, the coding, the programming, and the potential to break other things for what? A change that really isn't much more than cosmetic and can be circumvented using illusions - which aren't a change, but just a skin.</p><p>Easy.</p><p>"Easy" comes from people who want something, but have no clue how it truly works. If races are that huge of a game breaking issue, then you should have created the character you wanted at the beginning, or better yet - rolled another one.</p><p>What's next? Demand for a potion that plays for you when you're at work? Yeeesh.</p></blockquote><p>Devs I talked to on the original EQ2 team had told me numerous times before that the actual implementation of changing race wasn't a huge ordeal as it was simple database changes.  It just wasn't something they were comfortable with doing.</p><p>Thanks for the pot shot though, I appreciate it <3</p><p>I just fail to see how its much different than changing gender, the betrayal quest or the recently added item that makes you level 83 in certain zones.</p><p>Also, couldn't your whole snide commentary about "creating the character I wanted at the beginning - or better yet rolled another one" be applied to name, gender and class changing as well?</p>

[GPA_Coyote]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love armchair-devs making comments about how "easy" it would be to impliment a change that they see as purely cosmetic like "race".</p><p>Easy?</p><p>When EQ2 first game out RACE was a huge factor. Now with racial abilities, lines, and a million other things tied into a character's race, the coding, the programming, and the potential to break other things for what? A change that really isn't much more than cosmetic and can be circumvented using illusions - which aren't a change, but just a skin.</p><p>Easy.</p><p>"Easy" comes from people who want something, but have no clue how it truly works. If races are that huge of a game breaking issue, then you should have created the character you wanted at the beginning, or better yet - rolled another one.</p><p>What's next? Demand for a potion that plays for you when you're at work? Yeeesh.</p></blockquote><p>Devs I talked to on the original EQ2 team had told me numerous times before that the actual implementation of changing race wasn't a huge ordeal as it was simple database changes.  It just wasn't something they were comfortable with doing.</p><p>Thanks for the pot shot though, I appreciate it <3</p><p>I just fail to see how its much different than changing gender, the betrayal quest or the recently added item that makes you level 83 in certain zones.</p><p>Also, couldn't your whole snide commentary about "creating the character I wanted at the beginning - or better yet rolled another one" be applied to name, gender and class changing as well?</p></blockquote><p>If it was directed at you specifically, I would have quoted you.</p><p>It wasn't snide, it was fact. YOU made a choice, you leveled a character and now you are too lazy to do another of another class?</p><p>Even if it *is* technially easy to code (which I still doubt) what about little things that would be made obsolete that are a part of the story aspect of the game? Like betrayal quests.</p><p>I want an Ogre Ranger, but I don't want to betray, so I have my half-elf ranger turned into an Ogre Ranger and now he's good, and he doesn't have to betray and can play a class that isn't available to him upon creation!</p><p>You want instant gratification, changes implimented to satisify your whim, and since you can't have them it has to be because some evil corporation is denying you something that would be "easy" for them to do because they never listen to the public...</p><p>blah blah blah.</p><p>Yer gunna hafta grow up sometime Peter Pan. Like my inital post, and this game - it isn't about you.</p>

[hellfire]

<p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>What's next? Demand for a potion that plays for you when you're at work? Yeeesh.</p></blockquote><p>Yes they already have started this...........harvest bots.</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Even if it *is* technially easy to code (which I still doubt) what about little things that would be made obsolete that are a part of the story aspect of the game? Like betrayal quests.</p><p>I want an Ogre Ranger, but I don't want to betray, so I have my half-elf ranger turned into an Ogre Ranger and now he's good, and he doesn't have to betray and can play a class that isn't available to him upon creation!</p></blockquote><p>Yes because lore and immersion are obviously things that this dev team take into consideration when implementing station marketplace items.</p><p>I can see how being able to pay SOE money to change your gender and your name perfectly flows with the story aspect of this game.</p><p>I'm just saying since SOE is selling out they might as well go all the way and sell stuff that people actually want.</p><p>If it was just me who was interested in a race change, fine.  But it isn't.</p><p>As for betrayal I've already betrayed from Freeport to Qeynos so switching my race to ratonga wouldn't apply anyway.</p><p>Rerolling sure, I could make a ratonga ranger in about 2 days with RAF, but why should I?  SOE is allowing players to change everything except race via real life cash, I'm just asking for the same options.</p>

[DreadPirate]

<p>Aren't these essentially the same thing?  I'm thinking it's just a joke, too.</p><p><img src="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/images/en/features/articles/stationcash/09apr/witness_potion.jpg" width="370" height="460" /><img src="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/images/en/features/articles/stationcash/09apr/disgenderment_potion.jpg" width="370" height="460" /></p>

[GPA_Coyote]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Even if it *is* technially easy to code (which I still doubt) what about little things that would be made obsolete that are a part of the story aspect of the game? Like betrayal quests.</p><p>I want an Ogre Ranger, but I don't want to betray, so I have my half-elf ranger turned into an Ogre Ranger and now he's good, and he doesn't have to betray and can play a class that isn't available to him upon creation!</p></blockquote><p>Yes because lore and immersion are obviously things that this dev team take into consideration when implementing station marketplace items.</p><p>I can see how being able to pay SOE money to change your gender and your name perfectly flows with the story aspect of this game.</p><p>I'm just saying since SOE is selling out they might as well go all the way and sell stuff that people actually want.</p><p>If it was just me who was interested in a race change, fine.  But it isn't.</p><p>As for betrayal I've already betrayed from Freeport to Qeynos so switching my race to ratonga wouldn't apply anyway.</p><p>Rerolling sure, I could make a ratonga ranger in about 2 days with RAF, but why should I?  SOE is allowing players to change everything except race via real life cash, I'm just asking for the same options.</p></blockquote><p>Hmmm...</p><p>I actually see what yer saying.</p><p>If yer gunna sell out, put up billboards and instead of nickle and diming the game into the grave go out in a bang.</p><p>Hmm...</p>

[Kordran]

<p><cite>DreadPirate wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>Aren't these essentially the same thing?  I'm thinking it's just a joke, too.</blockquote><p>The "witness protection" potion seems to be a combination of the name change and gender change potions, probably sold at a somewhat lower price than the other two would be individually. As to whether it's a joke, who knows?</p><p>Presuming that the name change is real, the player actually changing their name shouldn't affect things like friends lists if SOE has managed things correctly (yes, I know what you're going to say...). I'd think that it's likely your real character identity (as far as the game is concerned) isn't your name, it's a number. Even if your name changes, that number remains the same; so as long as things like friends lists, ingore lists, housing permissions etc. actually reference the number internally and just use the name for display purposes, then they'd automagically update whenever that player changes their name.</p>

[Brook]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Thundy wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p></blockquote><p>I certainly hope this is a joke, this ranks right up there with the same forethought that went into the last fighter revamp.</p><p>I agree with Coyote, if your going to run this game into the ground just do it and be done with it so we can move on to better things.</p><p>Is coming up with stuff like this why you don't have time to upgrade old fabled/legendary items that you were going to do for the past over a year now? Why is the automated transfer service still down? Why am I still showing toons I deleted over 6 months ago on my character list? Are you going to fix this stuff, or are you to busy coming up with new ideas that have no real need to be implemented in the first place?</p>

[Rhaina]

I have a question about the name changes. I have a couple slots on another account that I've made toons just to save the name for the future. If I delete a toon right before I use the potion on another account for a name change, will it give my old character the name I just deleted? I just want to make sure I get it right.. I never thought we'd get this option in a million years and especially the gender change! Now I can make use of the toons my ex-boyfriend made on my extra account. <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Race change would have been awesome too, but I'll take what I can get!

[Aylix]

<p>This had better be a effing joke. Because allowing people to change everything that identifies themselves in a game also allows them to take ZERO responsibility for their actions.</p><p>Ruin your rep on your server? Simple - Change your name.</p><p>Ninja loot? Rip off your guild? Harrass people? Easy - Change your name.</p><p>I honestly can't believe that SoE would even consider this.</p><p>Seriously what's next? A level potion? 10 level potion? 5 AA potion?</p><p>Why not sell levels, sell shards, sell AA, sell fabled gear and masters and be done with it.</p>

[Xdatinelia]

I am guessing, coming from eq1, the cost will be prohibitive to changeing your name willy nilly. In eq1 it ws at least $50 to chage your name when the service was introduced. That was over 6 years ago, with the trend to raise price on everything from subscription to server moves, I am going to hazard a guess of at least $75 for a name change, and more likely an even $100. If it is less I am not going to quit, but I would be dissapointed. Name changes are frivilous things, not needed to play the game. Even to get away from harasment, you have other channels, such as petitoning for help. Gender change doesn't do it for me, I can already change my apperance, and when play eq2 I would rather be known as Hekubah than: That chick who lives in California who plays a gnome that changed her name and became a guy. Before every one who wanted this gets up in arms, it WILL cost you in real life dollars, it is not going to be free..ever.

[Savanja]

<p><cite>Mikayel@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This had better be a effing joke. Because allowing people to change everything that identifies themselves in a game also allows them to take ZERO responsibility for their actions.</p><p>Ruin your rep on your server? Simple - Change your name.</p><p>Ninja loot? Rip off your guild? Harrass people? Easy - Change your name.</p><p>I honestly can't believe that SoE would even consider this.</p><p>Seriously what's next? A level potion? 10 level potion? 5 AA potion?</p><p>Why not sell levels, sell shards, sell AA, sell fabled gear and masters and be done with it.</p></blockquote><p>You can accomplish the same thing with a server change.  Long ago when I played on AB my toon was named "Savanja".  I wanted to change her name when I hopped to my new home server so I created a char with her name on the new server and moved my char.  Viola...instant name change.  I also eventually changed her appearance (another thing we've already had available) although she still is a girl.</p>

[Valdaglerion]

<p><cite>Mikayel@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This had better be a effing joke. Because allowing people to change everything that identifies themselves in a game also allows them to take ZERO responsibility for their actions.</p><p>Ruin your rep on your server? Simple - Change your name.</p><p>Ninja loot? Rip off your guild? Harrass people? Easy - Change your name.</p><p>I honestly can't believe that SoE would even consider this.</p><p>Seriously what's next? A level potion? 10 level potion? 5 AA potion?</p><p>Why not sell levels, sell shards, sell AA, sell fabled gear and masters and be done with it.</p></blockquote><p>This is precisely why they really should now do what has been mentioned for at least the last 2 or so years that I can remember...IMPLEMENT ACCOUNT IGNORE</p><p>Ignore should be focused on the account not the toon on the account. It would solve so many griefing issues seriously.</p><p>I personally would love to see these options fof ignore:</p><ul><li>Ignore account: becomes a global ignore of the account and every toon on it currently and every toon to ever be created on it.</li><li>Ignore broker sales: If you really despise someone you can ensure all their broker listings for every toon on the account do not show up on your broker searches so you arent contributing to their gameplay indirectly</li><li>Ignore accounts: becomes a global of ignore across all account using the same credit card or account holder information</li></ul><p>The reason for ignore is usually pretty straight forward - the player behind the toon(s) is someone in contract to your personality, play style, personal beliefs, etc. With players having the ability to roll up a toon and grief others, delete the toon and continue on with anonymity it only adds to the issues in-game.</p>

[ArivenGemini]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's not an April Fool's joke, I swear!</p><p>The appearance change will do the same as what the barber does currently, it will allow you to repick your face/hair/colors ect, but it is not a race change.</p><p>- Kirstie</p></blockquote><p>IMPLEMENT. RACE. CHANGE.</p></blockquote><p>N.O. !</p></blockquote><p>Pretty please?  I will send cookies.</p>

[Jesdyr]

<p>How about a Change guild name ?</p>

[DreadPirate]

<p><cite>Kordran wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>DreadPirate wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>Aren't these essentially the same thing?  I'm thinking it's just a joke, too.</blockquote><p>The "witness protection" potion seems to be a combination of the name change and gender change potions, probably sold at a somewhat lower price than the other two would be individually. As to whether it's a joke, who knows?</p><p>Presuming that the name change is real, the player actually changing their name shouldn't affect things like friends lists if SOE has managed things correctly (yes, I know what you're going to say...). I'd think that it's likely your real character identity (as far as the game is concerned) isn't your name, it's a number. Even if your name changes, that number remains the same; so as long as things like friends lists, ingore lists, housing permissions etc. actually reference the number internally and just use the name for display purposes, then they'd automagically update whenever that player changes their name.</p></blockquote><p>Ah.. I missed the "name" in the description... I was just looking at the effects, which were identical.  I guess the name change wouldn't technically be an "effect" then.</p><p>Still think our chain is being yanked...  what's next?</p><p><img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t125/Hurikhan/witness1_potion.jpg" /></p>

[ArivenGemini]

<p><cite>Rhaina@Oasis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I have a question about the name changes. I have a couple slots on another account that I've made toons just to save the name for the future. If I delete a toon right before I use the potion on another account for a name change, will it give my old character the name I just deleted? I just want to make sure I get it right.. I never thought we'd get this option in a million years and especially the gender change! Now I can make use of the toons my ex-boyfriend made on my extra account. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /> Race change would have been awesome too, but I'll take what I can get! </blockquote><p>I have always been able to grab a name right after I delete an alt with that name.  There doesnt seem to be any reserve period.</p>

[Chaos5122]

<p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: #ffffff; font-size: 9pt;">Well as I read the description closer I notice a key word here. Grants he user a <span><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>one time opportunity</strong> </span></span>to change their gender, name, etc…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: #ffffff; font-size: 9pt;">I wonder if this is basically giving the user a second chance to clean up his/her image or just to give people another chance to change the main characters name and appearance. I wonder what gold spammers will do?</span></p>

[Kiara]

<p>Not an April Fool's joke.</p><p>Sorry folks!</p>

[Microbolt]

<p>I too would LOVE a race change card.  I would do anything for that!  I would buy two right away and an characture transfer!  Come on SOE. </p><p>Just from the people that have posted here you could pay for the labor to code this change.  I can understand on why it might be more difficuilt to change race.  Not just and simple flick of the "switch".  But I would be doable and from the amount of posts here it sounds like A LOT of people would buy it.  I'm sure an compentant programmer on your staff could make it in 10 hours or less.  @ 20 dollars an hour for an average programmers wages would only cost 200ish to program and maybe another 100 dollars in QA testing.  If you charge 50 dollars each for it thats an pretty good ROI <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Anastasie]

<p>I have no intention of using these, but if they really are going to charge $100 for these that seems pretty outrageous. The $50 for transferring servers is already quite expensive.</p>

[Cawti]

<p><cite>UnForgiven wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>A race change is much needed! Being a fae illusionist taking extra time to land after a knockback (even with spacebar pressed) drives me insane!!! Just make it a once only affair & everyone will be happy. Surely it's only similar to a character respec that we carry out ATM? </p></blockquote><p>YES!  The other day in Ravenscale I wanted to just rip the wings right off of my Arasai Mystic.   I'd get knocked back, spend FOREVER in the air (even with the space bar since before I could press it I had to make sure I wasn't going to miss the platform), and I'd land and maybe get one heal off before being back in the air. </p><p>Maybe, at least, they could introduce some tinkered bags of rocks or something?  Those knockback fights are extremely hard on a winged toon.</p>

[Anurra]

<p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p>

[Anastasie]

<p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>for each one ?? - that's going to get expensive fast</p>

[Jesdyr]

<p><cite>Kiara wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Not an April Fool's joke.</p><p>Sorry folks!</p></blockquote><p>Lies ...</p>

[TwistedFaith]

<p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p>

[Anurra]

<p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Xdatinelia]

<p>I looked it up, eq1 cgarges $49.95 for up to 8 chara's names to be changed once every 6 months.  Based on that it is $6.25 each for 8. Of course it is still $49.95 for one, two, three, ect. I am going to reevaluate based on that and say the cost to be prohibitive but not unaffordable for one is going to run in the 25-50 range.  I maybe wrong, but that seems high for one & not something one would enter into lightly with out being so expensive no one would do it.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://store.station.sony.com/eq_char_renames/">https://store.station.sony.com/eq_char_renames/</a></p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, <strong>no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin,</strong> just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p></blockquote><p>Or profit... people are using Station Cash. That's fact. The deluge of players quitting as a result.. I have yet to see.</p>

[TwistedFaith]

<p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Its your money and you can spend it how you see fit, nothing wrong with that.</p><p>For me what bothers me is like I stated above, we'll end up having with a game where your bank account means more than your ability to play. Thats not what I signed up for, if thats how you want to play EQ2 then you should be playing on the Bizzare server, not on a regular server.</p>

[Anurra]

<p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Its your money and you can spend it how you see fit, nothing wrong with that.</p><p>For me what bothers me is like I stated above, we'll end up having with a game where your bank account means more than your ability to play. Thats not what I signed up for, if thats how you want to play EQ2 then you should be playing on the Bizzare server, not on a regular server.</p></blockquote><p>I agree with ya, spending money to advance your character compared to others is not right. I do not see having the appearance and name changes in that catagory. What about you? The potions that increase AA and EXP gain are a little questionable, but they don't bother me TOO much. Something that would bother me would be "$5 = 25% of an AA" or something similiar. I think, overall, SoE has done an "alright" job with the type of items they place on the market place. Mostly appearance items. I haven't checked it out recently though, so this may of changed. I've been really busy with school and trying to get my thesis done sooo.....!</p>

[Tuppen]

When are we going to see more of the class helms being offered either singly or part of an armor set on station cash? I am still waiting on a black assassins hood to be offered!

[Calthine]

<p>You mean this one:</p><p><a href="http://eq2.allakhazam.com/wiki/eq2_item:sincie%27s_hood_of_death" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://eq2.allakhazam.com/wiki/eq2_...s_hood_of_death</a></p><p><img src="http://common.allakhazam.com/images/f/c/fc03290777f6f9a4a64177a341a3e446.png" width="267" height="193" /></p>

[Tuppen]

<p><cite>Calthine wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You mean this one:</p><p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.allakhazam.com/wiki/eq2_item:sincie%27s_hood_of_death" target="_blank">http://eq2.allakhazam.com/wiki/eq2_...s_hood_of_death</a></p><p><img src="http://common.allakhazam.com/images/f/c/fc03290777f6f9a4a64177a341a3e446.png" width="267" height="193" /></p></blockquote><p>No..not that one.  That thing is an executioners hood and looks ridiculous.  That is not the class hat for assassins that covers the head and the lower half of the face.</p>

[feldon30]

<p>If you want class hats, go to a website that sells LoN cards and get the bag of classless hats.</p>

[RafaelSmith]

<p>I could care less about people changing their race, hair or gender........but the name change is REALLY REALLY bad idea.</p><p>If such a thing is allowed they need to implement an /account ignore.</p><p>We already have problems with ex bad guild members trying to sneak back in with alts....now they can do it without having to worry about releveling or anything. </p><p>Not too mention its a cyber stalkers dream.....</p>

[Tinrae]

<p>I'm actually not bothered by this new offering of name/gender changes. I think it's kinda cool - some people might just decide they hate looking at their male character and decide they'd want a female one more. /shrug</p><p>As far as name change - well if there's not an account-wide ignore option then it's kind of a moot point worrying about scammers hiding their identities. If they get too much heat they'll just set themselves to anonymous in EQ2Players and roll a new toon without having to shell out any cash at all, so it doesn't really solve anything. It's easy to get 80. And frankly, I don't see the majority of players as scammers. Also I don't get too worked up over drama in a game to really care about tracking someone's identity.</p><p>The name change would be a great thing for people who were just goofing around when they created their character and gave it a stupid name, only to seriously regret it later. Or for people who named their character something based on their class (say for example Necrobob) who later betrayed.</p><p>I don't have a use for these items myself, but I can easily see how some players will enjoy this option.</p>

[agnott]

<p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think you may have it backwards.</p><p>Your own personal character is an important aspect of your name. I don't think twice about any name that I see. It's only when you see one belong to a guy or girl who is well respected,  a pleasure to deal with and is always looking to help out that the name seems to stand out.  But it really is not the name that stands out, its the guy or girl behind it.</p><p>I'm not to crazy about people who can now buy there way out of a name that is known for a lifetime of poor gaming ethics. For you I see that it makes sense, you have at least seen the errors of your ways and are looking for a fresh start.   (I hope this is what you ment when you said poor choices.....and not that you just hated your name ...if so forget everything I just said<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> )</p>

[Andok]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I’m not trying to be jerky, but I’m not buying that a race change is prohibitively difficult.</p><p>First, I can make myself look like any race already via an illusion, so just make that change permanent.  For the racial abilities, you already changed those once, so giving a human with a permanent ratonga illusion ratonga racial abilities to match seems perfectly doable.  I don’t care if the database still thinks I am a human or whatever – I want the look and the abilities.</p><p>You don’t even have to call it a race change – just call it a permanent, enhanced illusion. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Tuppen]

<p><cite>feldon30 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>If you want class hats, go to a website that sells LoN cards and get the bag of classless hats.</p></blockquote><p>Why?  When I have looked at those sites, they want a heck of a lot more money for that item than $5.  I would rather have the option to spend $5 for one on the marketplace...and there really isn't a reason to not add more since several are already available.</p>

[sENADIN]

<p>Beside bad apples who may use this to change their name, why are folks that bothered by it?</p><p>What does it matter if one guy use his own hard earned money to has fluff to his account? In what ways does this lessen your character?</p><p>I think at heart here is more an issue of jealousy more than anything.</p><p>Someone can do something you cant due to personal reasons and folks dont like it. it's not like they are selling levels, or aa's.</p><p>They say they arent doing race changes yet, but then again Smed also said they were never gona do the RMT thing. take what any devs says with a huge grain of salt because it might be true at the time of their writing here but eventually the big shots will say, go ahead with race change with fees.</p><p>If this was to be allowed....the server would be just a bunch of Ratonga and Dark Elves....</p><p>As a side note, anyone knows the actual cost for thsoe 3 potions? beside rumors that is....</p>

[Valdaglerion]

<p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Any other game I have seen that offers name change is typically a $50 charge. Think about it, transfer service is $50 to move a toon to a different account you have. This is basically the price of re-tooling your toon. I think $100 is a bit extreme but $50 is about right for the all 3 combined thing anyway. It will be interesting to see what price these come out at.</p>

[Tuppen]

<p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Any other game I have seen that offers name change is typically a $50 charge. Think about it, transfer service is $50 to move a toon to a different account you have. This is basically the price of re-tooling your toon. I think $100 is a bit extreme but $50 is about right for the all 3 combined thing anyway. It will be interesting to see what price these come out at.</p></blockquote><p>$50 would be a ridiculously exorbitant and greedy amount to charge for this.   The process has obviously been completely automated or they wouldn't be able to sell the items in the marketplace.</p><p>They already charge ridiculous amounts for character transfers (I assume that this is more to discourage people from doing it than for any real cost involved).  The process of character transfers is completely automated and instantaneous.  I have transferred characters three times over the past 5 years and it was immediate (log out on one account, transfer it, log in on the new account--BAM! There it is waiting).  Would that even be possible if it required someone to flip a switch?</p>

[GrunEQ]

<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Well, I have a character whose name I gave her seems too formal to me, and I would love to give her a more casual name and if the cost was $20 or less I'd be interested, but if more, forget it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Comic Sans MS;">I also agree that /ignore should be account wide.  I understand the reasoning and concerns people have about abusers.  But not everyone who wants a name change is because they are trying to hide something.</span></p>

[Nightho]

<p><cite>Kaisha@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>... Need a potion for Guild name change, Please & Thank you!  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I couldn't agree more! I took over leadership of my guild a few months ago, tryed to get the name changed and was told it was impossible. >.<</p>

[Cloudrat]

<p><cite>Poodle_Poodle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I think a race change could be a good idea... or something. It's not like we're asking for Rick Astleys.</p><p>Now a gender change... that's LOLWUT incarnate.</p></blockquote><p>I agree!  When I saw that station cash ad I was already contemplating how I was going to convince my husband to buy enough to  change the race of a dozen of my alts. Many races have been added since the game started and I would love the opportunity to change some. Racial traits have changed that might have affected my race choice as well. Not sure why anyone would care about racial changes, since betrayal allows any race to be any alignment.</p>

[Kiara]

<p>I'll post the prices for the items in a little bit.  I have to make a change to one of the items. </p><p>Give me a little bit please <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Elyssia]

<p><cite>Kaisha@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>... Need a potion for Guild name change, Please & Thank you!  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Oh no kidding, this would be amazing.</p>

[Schandli]

<p><cite>Nighthowl wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kaisha@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>... Need a potion for Guild name change, Please & Thank you!  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I couldn't agree more! I took over leadership of my guild a few months ago, tryed to get the name changed and was told it was impossible. >.<</p></blockquote><p>Yes! Please!</p><p>I was really, really tired when I made mine. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Kiara]

<p>Here are the prices for the items (I'll be updating the player's page shortly with the correction to the Witness Protection Pack).</p><p>The prices are listed in Station Cash, not US Dollars <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p> <table width="250"><tbody><tr><td width="184"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Magical Bugbear Plushie</span></td> <td width="50"><span style="color: #ffffff;">300</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Crusader's Helm of Rovellan</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">500</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Potion of Amnesia</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">1500</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Potion of Disgenderment</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">1500</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Norrathian Witness Protection Pack</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">2500</span></td></tr></tbody></table>

[Gaige]

<p>Only 15 bucks to change gender?  I can be a hot wood elf chick every other raid.</p>

[Savanja]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Only 15 bucks to change gender?  I can be a hot wood elf chick every other raid.</p></blockquote><p>Surely that would be a dream come true for your guildmates.</p><p>I'm gonna save all my nickels and dimes and change my name!  Yay!</p>

[Anurra]

<p><cite>agnott wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think you may have it backwards.</p><p>Your own personal character is an important aspect of your name. I don't think twice about any name that I see. It's only when you see one belong to a guy or girl who is well respected,  a pleasure to deal with and is always looking to help out that the name seems to stand out.  But it really is not the name that stands out, its the guy or girl behind it.</p><p>I'm not to crazy about people who can now buy there way out of a name that is known for a lifetime of poor gaming ethics. For you I see that it makes sense, you have at least seen the errors of your ways and are looking for a fresh start.   (I hope this is what you ment when you said poor choices.....and not that you just hated your name ...if so forget everything I just said<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /> )</p></blockquote><p>You and I have different opinions on a character name it seems. Let's agree to disagree with each other. The error of my ways that I spoke of is choosing a name that I have come later to regret. Basically, I inadvertently named my character after a design make up company, lol <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I tried to get SoE to change it but they refused. Plus, the name is hard to type. It is funny: I can't even SPELL my own name. When I do a lookup for my character on EQ2Players, I cannot remember it and it takes me a few times to get it right. So I want to shorten it to my current nickname that people know me in the guild. I rarely do PUGs because I perfer playing with my friends, so only the important people will notice.</p>

[Zizzu]

<p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Thundy wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote></blockquote><p>Instead of silly answers, can we just get an end-all explanation as to why this won't be allowed?</p><p>Is it because you're afraid everyone will just become a dark elf?</p><p>Does the team have a sense that many people consider the racial abilities to be unbalanced?</p><p>Really this all revolves around the Dark Elf, why we always get a song and dance rather than some straight answers is beyond me. I thought we were in a "new era" of communication leaving all the old games behind, but I guess not.</p></blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p></blockquote><p>This is a poor excuse personally. Looking it from a business standpoint, SoE should implement a race change. To say "coding" is an issue is simply garbage. The ceiling as far as income is huge if this was implemented.</p><p>I'm sure if I started a poll (which i can't since it is not allowed) there would be a huge response in favor. Seriously.</p>

[Deathshe]

<p><span >Speaking from the position of a guild leader who has had to deal with a few nightmare people I don't like the idea of someone being able to change name at will.  Keeping guild bank thieves, abusive people and troublemakers from re-entering a guild is difficult enough already since the tools available only work while someone is ignorant of how to circumvent/block them (or when they don't <a href="list.m?topic_id=445776" target="_blank">fail to update for 3 weeks</a> <img src="../images/smilies/2e207fad049d4d292f60607f80f05768.gif" border="0" />).  Being able to change a name without a petition for a T&C violation just adds to that.  I for one would be happy to see these potions (at least those that allow name changes) be prohibitively expensive or non-existent so that someone can't simply change every character name on their account and become a whole new person.</span></p><p>Would it be possible to get a command added which would show previous character names used by this person.</p><p>Ex.</p><p>Joe wants to join the guild, so the guild leader types /namechanges Joe</p><p>Joe's previous names were</p><p>Bob</p><p>Tom</p><p>Dick</p><p>Jane (gender pot)</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>$15 for a name change, $15 for a gender change, $25 for both? That's cheaper than it used to be in EQ1 for a name change!</p>

[Corellon]

<p><cite>Kiara wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Here are the prices for the items (I'll be updating the player's page shortly with the correction to the Witness Protection Pack).</p><p>The prices are listed in Station Cash, not US Dollars <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p> <table width="250"><tbody><tr><td width="184"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Magical Bugbear Plushie</span></td> <td width="50"><span style="color: #ffffff;">300</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Crusader's Helm of Rovellan</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">500</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Potion of Amnesia</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">1500</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Potion of Disgenderment</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">1500</span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Norrathian Witness Protection Pack</span></td> <td><span style="color: #ffffff;">2500</span></td></tr></tbody></table> </blockquote><p>I confess I missed the part of not US Dollars the first pass, and was like 2500?! @#&*@^#%!!! That better be for that 25th class!!!</p>

[TwistedFaith]

<p><cite>Nidanes@Oasis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Beside bad apples who may use this to change their name, why are folks that bothered by it?</p><p>What does it matter if one guy use his own hard earned money to has fluff to his account? In what ways does this lessen your character?</p><p><span style="color: #993300;">The thing is that a MMO like EQ2 is about character progression and making your own character unique. There are various way of doing this, the main way is through items. For me there is something special about being low level character and seeing a max level toon sporting something like a mythical item with a amazing look. That to me shows that wow this guy has killed dragon xxxx etc.</span><span style="color: #993300;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #993300;">It's smply not the same if the 'cool' or 'unique' looking items are simply bought using station cash. </span></p><p><span style="color: #993300;">Q. Where did that amazing looking shield drop man, which dragon dropped that?</span></p><p><span style="color: #993300;">A. Ohh I used my parents credit card for that and bought it. </span></p><p>I think at heart here is more an issue of jealousy more than anything.</p><p><span style="color: #993300;">It may well be jealousy but I also think there's a real issue where it seems items people really want seem to appear on station cash rather than through means of playing the game itself. Unique mounts etc, it started with LON, and I can gurantee station cash will continue this trend.</span></p></blockquote>

[Lethe5683]

<p><cite>Thundy wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's not an April Fool's joke, I swear!</p><p>The appearance change will do the same as what the barber does currently, it will allow you to repick your face/hair/colors ect, but it is not a race change.</p><p>- Kirstie</p></blockquote><p>IMPLEMENT. RACE. CHANGE.</p></blockquote><p>N.O. !</p></blockquote><p><strong>Instead of silly answers, can we just get an end-all explanation as to why this won't be allowed?</strong></p><p><strong>Is it because you're afraid everyone will just become a dark elf?</strong></p><p><strong>Does the team have a sense that many people consider the racial abilities to be unbalanced?</strong></p><p><strong>Really this all revolves around the Dark Elf, why we always get a song and dance rather than some straight answers is beyond me. I thought we were in a "new era" of communication leaving all the old games behind, but I guess not.</strong></p></blockquote><p>Yep that pretty much sums it up...</p>

[Lethe5683]

<p><cite>GPA_Coyote wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love armchair-devs making comments about how "easy" it would be to impliment a change that they see as purely cosmetic like "race".</p><p>Easy?</p><p>When EQ2 first game out RACE was a huge factor. Now with racial abilities, lines, and a million other things tied into a character's race, the coding, the programming, and the potential to break other things for what? A change that really isn't much more than cosmetic and can be circumvented using illusions - which aren't a change, but just a skin.</p><p>Easy.</p><p>"Easy" comes from people who want something, but have no clue how it truly works. If races are that huge of a game breaking issue, then you should have created the character you wanted at the beginning, or better yet - rolled another one.</p><p>What's next? Demand for a potion that plays for you when you're at work? Yeeesh.</p></blockquote><p>Arm-chair-know-it-alls are even worse TBH.</p>

[Powers]

<p><cite>Calthine wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Powers wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> Did the team give any thought to how this will affect the behavior of those bad eggs out there who previously may have been deterred from bad behavior by reputation, but now can escape that reputation by changing their names?</p></blockquote><p>/sarcasm</p><p>No, bet the devs just changed things willy-nilly, without any thought at all.</p><p>/sarcasm</p><p>/rolleyes</p></blockquote><p>I shouldn't even respond to this, but you're normally much more even-handed, Calthine.  Perhaps I should have been more specific in my question; in reality I was asking both *how much* thought they gave to this aspect of this feature, and why they decided implementing the feature was more important than the concerns I mentioned in my post.</p><p>But then, I think you knew that.</p><p>Powers  &8^]</p>

[einar4]

<p> Well I see the big problem with name changes, like everyone else.  While I keep my rl info out of any online facing presence, I do believe in the concept of reputation.  I choose to live with errors and mistakes I've made in the past along with the good reputation of integrity I have.  I do this with any online presence I have in the same way that I do with my rl presence, and the idea that someone can "reset" his reputation with 15 bucks does leave a slightly bad taste. </p><p>But [Removed for Content], it's not like anyone can't already do that.  How easy is it to just level up again?  It's just not that big a deal.   Use caution with every stranger you invite to your guild and you can have decent damage control.  </p><p>I think it's positive merits (name/gender/appearance change) outweigh the negative.   I know that a couple of times I've been trying to make a character and have just drawn a blank on the name, then after about a week of playing thought of a great name for him ;P</p><p>I think the race change is going to be more problematic.  With name it's a single field in the db, with sex ditto, a single flag used to determine appearance of equipment, etc.</p><p>With race/profession however, it would mean changing a vast number of fields in the db player record.  Starting stats then extrapolated with racial benefits.   Racial abilities.  Language settings, etc etc.   The chance of corrupting a player record due to defects is probably too risky for the developers to want to go there.</p>

[Yimway]

<p><cite>Ikarri@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> Well I see the big problem with name changes, like everyone else.  While I keep my rl info out of any online facing presence, I do believe in the concept of reputation.  I choose to live with errors and mistakes I've made in the past along with the good reputation of integrity I have.  I do this with any online presence I have in the same way that I do with my rl presence, and the idea that someone can "reset" his reputation with 15 bucks does leave a slightly bad taste.</p></blockquote><p>Its all irrevelant really.  Cause you've been able to change your name as long as server transfes have been allowed.</p>

[Calthine]

<p><cite>Powers wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Calthine wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Powers wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> Did the team give any thought to how this will affect the behavior of those bad eggs out there who previously may have been deterred from bad behavior by reputation, but now can escape that reputation by changing their names?</p></blockquote><p>/sarcasm</p><p>No, bet the devs just changed things willy-nilly, without any thought at all.</p><p>/sarcasm</p><p>/rolleyes</p></blockquote><p>I shouldn't even respond to this, but you're normally much more even-handed, Calthine.  Perhaps I should have been more specific in my question; in reality I was asking both *how much* thought they gave to this aspect of this feature, and why they decided implementing the feature was more important than the concerns I mentioned in my post.</p><p>But then, I think you knew that.</p><p>Powers  &8^]</p></blockquote><p>Snarky of me, perhaps.  Sorry.  Statements like that get to me 'cause what many vocal people seem to forget is that the devs have a really huge "big picture" to consider. </p><p>My appologies.</p>

[Boyar]

I believe that it is a good thing to have an avenue to change one's name. It should have enough of a cost to reduce its exploitation potential but still be within the grasp of the majority of players for a rarely used fix. When my friends dragged me over here from UO (thanks friends!) some years ago, I quickly made a character similar to one I had played in UO. I had no idea of the feel for the game. As I levelled I found that I was turning out differently than my initial imagining, and my name didn't make as much sense, either in context with my character or with the world I was playing with. A child, at least in theory, is typically named by adults familiar with the world into which the child is brought. When we are first start in this world, we are infants, and not necessarily well suited to choosing our own lifelong name. Rerolling is certainly an option, but it's not always that simple. I remember how proud I was when I hit level 20 on my first character. Though my name wasn't quite what I wanted, I certainly wasn't about to abandon all that I was. Eventually, when my friends were on hiatus from the game I started dabbling with alts, one of which has become my main. The problem is that once you're old enough that making and raising an alt seems quite viable, the old character has gained nostalgic value. I like the old character and its playstyle, but the name jars me from immersion. This gives me the option to fix that.

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Chaos5122 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #ffffff;">Well as I read the description closer I notice a key word here. Grants he user a <span><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>one time opportunity</strong> </span></span>to change their gender, name, etc…</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #ffffff;">I wonder if this is basically giving the user a second chance to clean up his/her image or just to give people another chance to change the main characters name and appearance. I wonder what gold spammers will do?</span></p></blockquote><p>I noticed that too... All the other items like this say things like unlimited use (but are charged).</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Sioned@Befallen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I have no intention of using these, but if they really are going to charge $100 for these that seems pretty outrageous. The $50 for transferring servers is already quite expensive.</p></blockquote><p>The reasons for high prices for things like this are not to Soak the players. The reason for the high prices with things like these is to keep people from using them.</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Xalmat wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>$15 for a name change, $15 for a gender change, $25 for both? That's cheaper than it used to be in EQ1 for a name change!</p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Is that cheaper then the</span> Per toon <span style="color: #ff0000;">price in EQ1</span>? I think someone else posted that <span style="color: #ff0000;">the price in EQ1</span> was $50 for all 8... thats less then $7 per toon.</p><p>::EDIT::added the Red text to clearify my post and avoid confusing Dark Elfs. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Kiara]

<p>Ke'la... I've already posted the prices for these items, <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=90&topic_id=447182#4988147" target="_blank">right here</a>.</p><p>Please don't keep referring to bad information as it only confuses people.</p><p>Thank you.</p>

[Abn]

<p>To all those who think that offering a name change is bad as it allows people to "hide" and so are saying this SC Potion thingy is bad:</p><p>You all do realize that people CURRENTLY can pay real cash for a name change right?</p><ol><li>Pay for transfer to server X from server Y (Y=your current server)</li><li>Make level 1 toon on server Y with old name</li><li>Pay for transfer back to server Y from server X (you will be forced to rename your toon as your name now exists on X)</li><li>???</li><li>Profit!</li></ol><p>Sooooooooooo...   ...what was it you were complaining about again?  I seemed to have lost the purpose of your argument from the fact that it made no sense.</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Abney wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Sooooooooooo...   ...what was it you were complaining about again?  I seemed to have lost the purpose of your argument from the fact that it made no sense.</p></blockquote><p>Knock it off.. I've been smacked on the nose for confronting people with Common Sense. What gives you the right to do it?! <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Kiara wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Ke'la... I've already posted the prices for these items, <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=90&topic_id=447182#4988147" target="_blank">right here</a>.</p><p>Please don't keep referring to bad information as it only confuses people.</p><p>Thank you.</p></blockquote><p>I'll edit it to make it more clear... I was accually responding to the second half of the person I quoted. The red part below.</p><p><cite>Xalmat wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #000000;">$15 for a name change, $15 for a gender change, $25 for both?</span> <span style="color: #ff0000;">That's cheaper than it used to be in EQ1 for a name change!</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #000000;">Per toon? I think someone else posted that it was $50 for all 8... thats less then $7 per toon.</span></p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Abney wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Sooooooooooo...   ...what was it you were complaining about again?  I seemed to have lost the purpose of your argument from the fact that it made no sense.</p></blockquote><p>Knock it off.. I've been smacked on the nose for confronting people with Common Sense. What gives you the right to do it?! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Your a ratman... its more fun to smack that size nose. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p>

[ashen1973]

<p>When I first heard of staion cash, i was worried about the items that would be available.</p><p>i still am worried, I hope that this is not the start of a slippery slope where we will eventually see 'useful' items available (I class usefull as actual, useable equipment, spells, plat, direct xp etc... the xp/aa potions are walking the line at the moment, but I dont think they are to big a problem)</p><p>Initially I was bothered that the unique appearance stuff was available, i felt this should be avaialble, ingame, by working for it to. My attitude has changed somewhat over time. I now feel that these items are ok in the market place, SOE is a business after all and is in it for the profit and nothing else.</p><p>The name change, race change etc.. items are the kind of thing have never had any objection to being in the market place.</p><p>This kind of thing, along with server transfers, extra character slots etc.. are the kind of thing that should be purchasable and easy to do.</p><p>I hear people worried about the bad-apples changing name etc..</p><p>yes, this probably will happen, but how often??</p><p>There are already ways to get names changed ( I know of two people that have got another account to report their player-name, giving a completely ficticious reason, that it was stolen from a story they had published in some magazine years ago. The reported character's then got a free name change from the CSR)</p><p>And many people have used the server-transfer service to obtain name changes.</p><p>If someone is determined to grief you etc.. they will find a way.</p><p>Even if they where to get the account banned, there is nothing stopping them from getting a new account and cretaing a new character, or just creating a new character on their current account and switching off access to players.</p><p>All that being said, a way to track a characters previous names would be a nice addition that solves all these problems.</p>

[Powers]

<p><cite>Calthine wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Snarky of me, perhaps.  Sorry.  Statements like that get to me 'cause what many vocal people seem to forget is that the devs have a really huge "big picture" to consider. </p><p>My appologies.</p></blockquote><p>Accepted.  I realize the devs have a big picture to consider, but I can't see how this fits in to it.  Some more insight into their thought process would be helpful, and I was hoping for something more than "well the players have asked for this, so we'll give it to them."  That seems indicative of <em>lack</em> of consideration for the big picture, and I'm curious to see how it could be otherwise.</p><p>Powers  &8^]</p>

[agnott]

<p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>agnott wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TwistedFaith wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anurra@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd be willing to pay <em><strong>at least</strong></em> $100 to have my names changed on my characters.</p></blockquote><p>WOW scary. You woud pay $100 per character to change your name? Thats 6 month subscription revenue for SOE in a blink of eye, no wonder this game is going down the slippery slope to ruin, just as everyone feared when all this station cash/LON rubbish was introduced.</p><p>Fact is why should SOE care about someone like me who has been playing the game since release, when they can do stuff like this and get 10x 100x the revenue for making a plushy available in game or offering a service like this and people are willing to pay 5/6 months subscription for it.</p><p>I feel kinda sad about this whole thing honestly, and I think it will end up ruining the game. There's something very sinister about all of this.</p></blockquote><p>Yep, I would. To me, a name is an important aspect of my character. I've made some poor choices that I now regret. People spend thousands of dollars modding cars for a hobby, I spent it on EQ2 and name changes (I guess, lol) <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think you may have it backwards.</p><p>Your own personal character is an important aspect of your name. I don't think twice about any name that I see. It's only when you see one belong to a guy or girl who is well respected,  a pleasure to deal with and is always looking to help out that the name seems to stand out.  But it really is not the name that stands out, its the guy or girl behind it.</p><p>I'm not to crazy about people who can now buy there way out of a name that is known for a lifetime of poor gaming ethics. For you I see that it makes sense, you have at least seen the errors of your ways and are looking for a fresh start.   (I hope this is what you ment when you said poor choices.....and not that you just hated your name ...if so forget everything I just said<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /> )</p></blockquote><p>You and I have different opinions on a character name it seems. Let's agree to disagree with each other. The error of my ways that I spoke of is choosing a name that I have come later to regret. Basically, I inadvertently named my character after a design make up company, lol <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /> I tried to get SoE to change it but they refused. Plus, the name is hard to type. It is funny: I can't even SPELL my own name. When I do a lookup for my character on EQ2Players, I cannot remember it and it takes me a few times to get it right. So I want to shorten it to my current nickname that people know me in the guild. I rarely do PUGs because I perfer playing with my friends, so only the important people will notice.</p></blockquote><p>I know where your coming from all to well. Look at my name. My guild called me (put F in front of agnott) for an entire year.<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Rocc]

<p>I love this idea! The only bad thing is the million people who flocked to EQ2 at launch and took all the good names and never returned to delete their toons with the cool names. Please find a way to remove the old names from toons that have sat for years.</p>

[Elyssia]

<p><cite>Rocc@Unrest wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love this idea! The only bad thing is the million people who flocked to EQ2 at launch and took all the good names and never returned to delete their toons with the cool names. Please find a way to remove the old names from toons that have sat for years.</p></blockquote><p>Yeah a purge on all unplayed chars like they do for EQ1 would be good.</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Elyssia wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Rocc@Unrest wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love this idea! The only bad thing is the million people who flocked to EQ2 at launch and took all the good names and never returned to delete their toons with the cool names. Please find a way to remove the old names from toons that have sat for years.</p></blockquote><p>Yeah a purge on all unplayed chars like they do for EQ1 would be good.</p></blockquote><p>They did a purge when they merged servers right befor KoS, however I think it was Under Level 10 and not logged in for 6 months.... though that was a Charactor Purge, I think all Rocc is asking for is to have the unplayed toon names switched to <Name>xxxx so that someone else can take that name... CoH/V has a process like that, if you don't log in for like 6 months your charactor name becomes available, and if someone takes it you have to rename your old toon, when/if you log back in.</p>

[Illusionist_Fairy]

I think a race change for appearance would be nice, and you can edit it. I vote they also make a race change for people who started playing the game, when racial abilities didn't exists. Also I made a fae and later betrayed to coercer before the arasai race came out. I just want to change into a arasai, I'm really unsatisfied how the fae's look compared to the arasai.

[Sar]

<p><cite>Rocc@Unrest wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I love this idea! The only bad thing is the million people who flocked to EQ2 at launch and took all the good names and never returned to delete their toons with the cool names. Please find a way to remove the old names from toons that have sat for years.</p></blockquote><p>I couldn't agree more, this annoys me to know end.</p>

[liveja]

<p><cite>Atan@Unrest wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Cause you've been able to change your name as long as server transfes have been allowed.</p></blockquote><p>$50, each way.</p><p>This is $15, one time. Somewhat different.</p>

[Valdaglerion]

<p><cite>Zizzu@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><blockquote>This is a poor excuse personally. Looking it from a business standpoint, SoE should implement a race change. To say "coding" is an issue is simply garbage. The ceiling as far as income is huge if this was implemented.</blockquote></blockquote><p>Personally I think RACE change should be an option as should CLASS change ANY and EVERY time the game designers and development make a major change to either.</p><p>It would be in poor form and practice for a company to charge you to change either when they have the control over making one or the option more or less desirable at a whim.</p><p>I do however, like your way of thinking and would welcome you as a customer. Someone willing to pay to continually succumb to my fancy. Woot!</p>

[channel]

<p>so - it's the 7th of april, and the server is online again with (it appears) updates complete... and no items in the MarketPlace for name change...</p><p>was this an april fool's joke after all?</p>

[Sar]

<p>I hope not I just put 15.00 dollars in there and if those potions aren't coming I want my money back.</p>

[Sar]

<p>So where are they?</p>

[prusso1970]

<p>yeah that's dissapointing ..I've had a misnamed character for ages  ..</p>

[channel]

<p><cite>Sarah wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>So where are they?</p></blockquote><p>i don't know, but i'm a little bummed cause i've had an "on the shelf" toon for ages who's name i don't like...</p>

[Sar]

<p>This by far if it is a joke will upset me the most.... I am use to disappointment in this game but this is completely unacceptable... and I DO want my money back...</p>

[Rhaina]

<p><em>I really <span style="text-decoration: underline;">REALLY</span> hope this wasn't a joke...  I put in $50 worth of station cash on my account for gender/name changes over the weekend for this update.. I would not have put all that money in the marketplace otherwise.. /pout</em></p>

[Inferius]

<p>Fair enough if it's April fool they should have anounced the potions were coming on the day of the post.</p><p>You cant string out an april fool for 6 days!! for one thing it's bad luck for the April fooler.</p><p>Gah i'm sorry to rant but you incurred my wrath on this one SOE <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/2e207fad049d4d292f60607f80f05768.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Spyderbite]

<p>I think its probably a good idea to wait until they get in to the office and offer an official explanation before making all kinds of assumptions. By my calculations its only 8:30am PST and they currently in their car pool en route to the campus.</p>

[Sar]

<p>They just did a hotfix, someone is there... and if its not a joke,  waiting til today was long enough... I don't wanna hear "we forgot" and have to wait another week ... I suppose I'll be less upset than if it is a joke, either way I am upset and want someone to address this issue asap. Gr.</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Sarah wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>They just did a hotfix, someone is there...</p></blockquote><p>The IT team takes care of implementing the hotfixes, and other maintenence. They have nothing to do with what's in the hotfix nor do they post on the forums. They maintain the servers.</p>

[Sar]

<p>Ghouls I say! Still it seems most marketplace updates came after the servers came up on a hotfix day like today ... right? So, lets hear the next excuse...</p>

[channel]

<p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Sarah wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>They just did a hotfix, someone is there...</p></blockquote><p>The IT team takes care of implementing the hotfixes, and other maintenence. They have nothing to do with what's in the hotfix nor do they post on the forums. They maintain the servers.</p></blockquote><p>wow - really? cause that's not how it works at my job - everything that is pushed to production is checked before it's turned over to our customers, if something we announced as available on a certain date was "postponed" - someone would sure as heck let our customers know immediately - we wouldn't wait for them to find out on their own...</p><p>guess that's just some businesses idea of "customer service" and "quality control"...</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>channel wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>guess that's just some businesses idea of "customer service" and "quality control"...</p></blockquote><p>Heh.. I'm not making excuses for anybody. I'm just saying put down the torches and pitch forks for 30 mins and lets wait and see what the CM has to say about it when she gets in to the office. That's all.</p>

[Sar]

<p>Yea, I should be dancing around with my new name right now, not trolling these boards upset...</p>

[Gaige]

<p>Well in matters of station cash its not as cut and dry as a free content patch.  This has to do with people putting real life money into station cash to purchase something that was promised today.</p><p>Once you start dealing with taking people's money for stuff, that evolves into a whole new thing.</p><p>I realize you try to be as pro-SOE as possible, but these people all have a point.  It was advertised on EQ2Players, it was heavily marketed here and today is the day those items should be live and they're not.</p><p>They have every reason to be upset.</p>

[Sar]

<p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>channel wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>guess that's just some businesses idea of "customer service" and "quality control"...</p></blockquote><p>Heh.. I'm not making excuses for anybody. I'm just saying put down the torches and pitch forks for 30 mins and lets wait and see what the CM has to say about it when she gets in to the office. That's all.</p></blockquote><p>I understand and have been waiting for more than 30 mins already... I know they are in a different time zone but its almost noon here... and people have been long at work since now.</p>

[Sar]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Well in matters of station cash its not as cut and dry as a free content patch.  This has to do with people putting real life money into station cash to purchase something that was promised today.</p><p>Once you start dealing with taking people's money for stuff, that evolves into a whole new thing.</p><p>I realize you try to be as pro-SOE as possible, but these people all have a point.  It was advertised on EQ2Players, it was heavily marketed here and today is the day those items should be live and they're not.</p><p>They have every reason to be upset.</p></blockquote><p>Yes, exactly and I should've trusted my instincts and waited to be sure but for once I put faith in SOE and trusted this to actually happen and when promised... prehaps I am just a fool for that much.... it certainly won't be happening again...</p>

[channel]

<p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>channel wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>guess that's just some businesses idea of "customer service" and "quality control"...</p></blockquote><p>Heh.. I'm not making excuses for anybody. I'm just saying put down the torches and pitch forks for 30 mins and lets wait and see what the CM has to say about it when she gets in to the office. That's all.</p></blockquote><p>i was just responding to your assumption that no one was around at soe to answer the post, it wasn't a personal attack... just - if SOE is patching something - then a CS or dev who can post on forums and communicate with their customers should be on site during "said" patch ...</p><p>you assume no one is on site, as a person who tests production issues for a financial company, my assumption was that someone was there already... at my company - someone who can speak to customers is always on site or at least on call during any production update...</p><p>i mean - this wasn't a freebie so to speak, myself and others GAVE soe money for a product that wasn't delivered, i wouldn't have given money if i thought this product would be delayed, or god forbid - a joke...</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I realize you try to be as pro-SOE as possible, but these people all have a point.  It was advertised on EQ2Players, it was heavily marketed here and today is the day those items should be live and they're not.</p><p>They have every reason to be upset.</p></blockquote><p>I understand people are upset. But, after many years of being disappointed with these kinds of situations (different game company) I've learned not to let emotion take over. Thus that may make me seem like a "fanbois". But, in truth, I'm really just not jumping to conclusions anymore. Big difference. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I understand people are upset. But, after many years of being disappointed with these kinds of situations (different game company) I've learned not to let emotion take over.</p></blockquote><p>So because you've become accustomed to the level of customer service given by game companies as "disappointing" others should to?</p><p>I see.</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>channel wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>i mean - this wasn't a freebie so to speak, myself and others GAVE soe money for a product that wasn't delivered, i wouldn't have given money if i thought this product would be delayed, or god forbid - a joke...</p></blockquote><p>I know what you mean. I worked in the same industry when I was at Schwab. My point was that there probably wasn't anyone in the office yet with the ability to post an official announcement.. be that Kiara or one of the other CM's.</p><p>I realize people were actually excited about this.. to the point of funding their account before the release date. Imagine if Darkfall had been taking $60 for their game 9 years ago after release? <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> The transfers are immediate.. so although I have two characters in bad need of a name change, I chose to wait till I see the items in the Market Place before funding my account... just in case.</p><p>I am more than sure that SOE will make good on it one way or another. If its a joke.. why would their be a problem refunding some people's money due to a misunderstanding? If it was a hotfix blooper.. why wouldn't they correct it with another patch?</p><p>Nobody is taking off to Monte Carlo with all your money. Everybody's "bait and switch" claims have never come to fruition in the past. Why would they now? <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Calthine]

<p>Something else folks should remember before getting out the tar and feathers is the Marketplace doesn't seem to require a patch.  It's independant of game content.</p><p>9am pacific now, I'm sure someone is pushing the button <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>So because you've become accustomed to the level of customer service given by game companies as "disappointing" others should to?</p></blockquote><p>Nope. I've just learned that the "kicking and screaming" approach doesn't work. And, that patience truly is a virtue when one chooses a gaming life style.</p><p>I fully expect a reasonable explanation posted today and then a whole lot of "Thank you, <insert CM name> for the update!" posts there after. I have two toons I'd like to rename myself. I waited two years to do so. I'm keeping the attitude that a couple of hours isn't going to hurt anything.</p>

[Sar]

<p>They are available now, I just disco the potion of amnesia</p><p>Thank you, SoE..</p>

[Calthine]

<p><cite>Sarah wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>They are available now, I just disco the potion of amnesia</p></blockquote><p>9:15 pacific <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  see?</p>

[Gaige]

<p>YES!  Now I came become Gageypoo, the female ratonga ranger!</p>

[Sar]

<p>My toon no longer has an idenity crisis, yay! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/2786c5c8e1a8be796fb2f726cca5a0fe.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Sar]

<p>You will have to pick up and replace your sales crates and whatnot to get the name to officially change over on the broker search... at least I had too... just fyi</p>

[Kiara]

<p>People need to realize that the Station Cash items don't just automatically go live with the hotfix.</p><p>They have to be activated and this is done at a specific time when the people in charge of flipping the switch get into the office.</p><p>They went live at 9am PDT.</p><p>No, it wasn't an April Fool's joke, as I've already stated.</p><p>Thank you for your feedback, please be civil as this is not a situation that requires rudeness.</p>

[kiyokobabygirl]

<p>*Glomps Kiara and squeezes with hugs*</p><p>Sorry, just had an urge.. Back to your regular scheduled program now!</p>

[Inferius]

<p>Oh i'm sorry i didnt realise that the 7th of April didnt begin until 9am my mistake I do apologise.</p><p>Why not say "going live 9am 7thApril"then this forum thread wouldnt exist would it .</p>

[HeiligHangranate]

<p><cite>Amnerys wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span><div><div><span>Take a look at the newest items coming to the <a href="http://www.station.sony.com/en/stationcash/" target="_blank">Station Marketplace</a>! These items available April 7th, 2009.</span></div></div></span></p></blockquote><p>They said they'd be available April 7th, 2009.  They went live at 9am on April 7, 2009.  They were correct in their original prediction.  I don't see what the issue is here.</p><p>The problem with saying that it will go live at 9am on April 7, 2009, is that if it gets delayed until 9:01 am on April 7, there will be people screaming that they're one minute late.</p>

[Juravael]

<p>People never cease to amaze me... ..</p>

[Valdaglerion]

<p>Can we get a reason why Race change wasnt included in this otherwise seemingly all inclusive "witness protection"?</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>channel wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>channel wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>guess that's just some businesses idea of "customer service" and "quality control"...</p></blockquote><p>Heh.. I'm not making excuses for anybody. I'm just saying put down the torches and pitch forks for 30 mins and lets wait and see what the CM has to say about it when she gets in to the office. That's all.</p></blockquote><p>i was just responding to your assumption that no one was around at soe to answer the post, it wasn't a personal attack... just - if SOE is patching something - then a CS or dev who can post on forums and communicate with their customers should be on site during "said" patch ...</p><p>you assume no one is on site, as a person who tests production issues for a financial company, my assumption was that someone was there already... at my company - someone who can speak to customers is always on site or at least on call during any production update...</p><p>i mean - this wasn't a freebie so to speak, myself and others GAVE soe money for a product that wasn't delivered, i wouldn't have given money if i thought this product would be delayed, or god forbid - a joke...</p></blockquote><p>Well you know what you get when you Assume right?</p><p>The Data Center is in Texas, the EQ2 Devs are in San Diego... Kinda hard to be in Texas and San Diego at the same time.</p>

[Gaige]

<p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Can we get a reason why Race change wasnt included in this otherwise seemingly all inclusive "witness protection"?</p></blockquote><p>SOE continues to say its impossible due to database issues.  </p><p>Even if that is true, which I still do not believe, they'd be dumb to not fix their issues because a race change potion would basically print money for them.</p>

[Sharakari]

<p>So I'm at work.  What did these magic identity chaning items wind up costing?</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Can we get a reason why Race change wasnt included in this otherwise seemingly all inclusive "witness protection"?</p></blockquote><p>From the 22nd post in this thread.</p><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p></blockquote>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Sharakari@Unrest wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>So I'm at work.  What did these magic identity chaning items wind up costing?</p></blockquote><p>Per Kiara from earlier in this thread:</p><p><cite>Kiara wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Here are the prices for the items (I'll be updating the player's page shortly with the correction to the Witness Protection Pack).</p><p>The prices are listed in Station Cash, not US Dollars <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><table width="250"><tbody><tr><td width="184"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Magical Bugbear Plushie</span></td><td width="50"><span style="color: #ffffff;">300</span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Crusader's Helm of Rovellan</span></td><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">500</span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Potion of Amnesia</span></td><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">1500</span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Potion of Disgenderment</span></td><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">1500</span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">Norrathian Witness Protection Pack</span></td><td><span style="color: #ffffff;">2500</span></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Gazruney@Nektulos wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Oh i'm sorry i didnt realise that the 7th of April didnt begin until 9am my mistake I do apologise.</p><p>Why not say "going live 9am 7thApril"then this forum thread wouldnt exist would it .</p></blockquote><p>You are aware that every... single... time... something has to be turned on or off by the devs, be it an addtion like this or a live event, and many other things, they ALWAYS get turned on/off at or around 9am when the San Diego Devs get to their office to "Flip the Switch". In fact the only times it does not happen that way is on Expainsion Pack Launch Day where they go in at like 2am to start the proccess... and even then it usually does not get turned on until after 10am Pacific on launch day.</p><p>::EDIT::BTW, releasing something on a specific day NEVER has ment by ANY company 12:00am on that day... unless it is some major SPECIAL event. It has ALWAYS ment, When we open/get in the office on that day. Also April 7th does not end until 23:59:59 wich means that they could have waited until that time to "Flip the Switch" and it STILL would have been added in on April 7th.</p>

[Valdaglerion]

<p><cite>kela wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><span ><span style="color: #ffffff; font-size: x-small;"> </span><p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Can we get a reason why Race change wasnt included in this otherwise seemingly all inclusive "witness protection"?</p></blockquote><p>From the 22nd post in this thread.</p><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p></blockquote></span></blockquote><p>That sounds like a copout to me though. I architect databasesso a technical issue with a data selection of this simplicity should not be a huge issue and should be able to be placed into a batch process to end up with a character requiring:</p><ul><li>Modification of apperance (magic makeover things already exist for this)</li><li>Reselection of racial abilities (respec of racial abilities already exist)</li><li>Selection of new racial abilities</li></ul><p>Seems like all of that really already exist which makes me wonder if the real answer is more in the content and an understanding by the devs of how significantly they are skewed at this point.</p>

[Dulissa]

<p>i'm just curious if there is a way to tie the old name of a person to the new one? otherwise there goes my ignore list if some people get these things...</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>kela wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><span><span style="color: #ffffff; font-size: x-small;"> </span><p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Can we get a reason why Race change wasnt included in this otherwise seemingly all inclusive "witness protection"?</p></blockquote><p>From the 22nd post in this thread.</p><p><cite>Kirstie wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I believe a full answer to this question lies somewhere in between the code department and content decisions so you'll probably get a slightly different perspective from each dev about why we aren't adding race changes depending on how it pertains to what they work on in the game.</p><p>Although just about anything is possible there are some things that are prohibitive in how long they were take vs the rewards they would bring to the game as a whole.  In this case, race changes is one of those things that would be a significant enough undertaking and high enough risk it's not on our radar to implement (kinda like that 25th class which is apparently a bad word here <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>In contrast, name changes have been something we've wanted to add for quite a long time and gender changes were something we thought would be fun to add and turned out to be very doable!</p><p>This set of items is something I'm personally really excited to see go live because it is something I've heard direct requests for more than a few times and it's a great feeling to be able to make something you know that people have been waiting for.</p><p>- K</p></blockquote></span></blockquote><p>That sounds like a copout to me though. I architect databasesso a technical issue with a data selection of this simplicity should not be a huge issue and should be able to be placed into a batch process to end up with a character requiring:</p><ul><li>Modification of apperance (magic makeover things already exist for this)</li><li>Reselection of racial abilities (respec of racial abilities already exist)</li><li>Selection of new racial abilities</li></ul><p>Seems like all of that really already exist which makes me wonder if the real answer is more in the content and an understanding by the devs of how significantly they are skewed at this point.</p></blockquote><p>Comparing the type of database EQ2 uses with most other types of databases, Is like comparing a Dingy to a Super Carrior, somethings become VERY difficult to change when you scale up like that, wich would be fairly simple in smaller scale. And consitering the large number of people that want to have a Race change, and are willing to pay for it... I am sure $oE would be allowing it in a second for a fee, if it was doable in a resonable amount of time.</p>

[Gaige]

<p>I take it you have firsthand experience with SOE's EQ2 database Ke'la?</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I take it you have firsthand experience with SOE's EQ2 database Ke'la?</p></blockquote><p>Do you? To argue either way requires experience with SOE's EQ2 database.</p><p>Experience with gaming databases in general would help.. but, every one is different. So, one really can't state that they know why something should or shouldn't work.</p><p>I work with databases all day long. I doubt the 3G broadband signal patterns mapped out in an array will give me any leverage if SOE were to let me in to solve their Racial conversion problems.</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Gage wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I take it you have firsthand experience with SOE's EQ2 database Ke'la?</p></blockquote><p>As first hand as any player on this board... more then some because I have seen images of the Spreadsheets that hold the data for items back when Domino was revamping them all... she accually posted images of them... they are huge, and that is just for items.</p>

[Thunderthyze]

<p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Lader wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>and man this is going to make it really hard to avoid those certain people on the server that everyone cant stand.</p></blockquote><p>Don't kill the messenger. Your peers asked for it. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Nice additions.. looking forward to creating my army of Ratonga Tradeskillers! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I agree with Lader. Spyder, if only it were usually this easy to get SOE to do what we ask for. Ask yourself WHY anyone would want to rename their character:</p><p>Scenario 1: You quickly realise it is not a good idea and so you delete the character and start again.</p><p>Scenario 2: You "feel the need" to rename when your character is too far progressed to consider deleting. Why would this occur? I can only think of one situation and that is where you have built up such a bad reputation you want to turn your back on it. Well, reputations tend to be earned and as such one's true colours will soon show through once again and bad reps stick.</p>

[Spyderbite]

<p><cite>Holymoly@Runnyeye wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Scenario 2: You "feel the need" to rename when your character is too far progressed to consider deleting. Why would this occur? I can only think of one situation and that is where you have built up such a bad reputation you want to turn your back on it. Well, reputations tend to be earned and as such one's true colours will soon show through once again and bad reps stick.</p></blockquote><p>I agree with that completely. That's why its been such an issue in most other MMO's. So, I understand that there will be a few situations here and there where people use the system for such reasons as avoiding their past behaivor. I think those who genuinely just regret a progressed named character though will far outweigh those situations though.</p><p>While sure, w/o name changes it made it difficult for people to pull off seedy acts in game. It was much more of an inconvenience for those folks who just want a name change for no more reason than RP, misspelling, etc. I'm sure we'll hear horror stories from a few people. But I think many more will be happy for it.</p>

[ArivenGemini]

<p><cite>Holymoly@Runnyeye wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Lader wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>and man this is going to make it really hard to avoid those certain people on the server that everyone cant stand.</p></blockquote><p>Don't kill the messenger. Your peers asked for it. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Nice additions.. looking forward to creating my army of Ratonga Tradeskillers! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I agree with Lader. Spyder, if only it were usually this easy to get SOE to do what we ask for. Ask yourself WHY anyone would want to rename their character:</p><p>Scenario 1: You quickly realise it is not a good idea and so you delete the character and start again.</p><p>Scenario 2: You "feel the need" to rename when your character is too far progressed to consider deleting. Why would this occur? I can only think of one situation and that is where you have built up such a bad reputation you want to turn your back on it. Well, reputations tend to be earned and as such one's true colours will soon show through once again and bad reps stick.</p></blockquote><p>3: You have two characters, one that USED to be the one you play the most and one that is the one you now play the most.  You prefer the name of the FIRST character, both are level maxed and geared out pretty well so you dont want to reroll, so you want to swap the names. (This is me, so some day when I get around to it, I am swapping the names of two of my characters)</p><p>4: You couldnt get the name variant you wanted and it subsequently becomes available. (admittedly rare this might happen)</p><p>5: You, starting the game so long ago, didnt know that last names were going to be a choosable option for you, and you ended up with a first/last name combo for first name.  You decide to change this.  (one of the people I raid with is in this situation).</p><p>6: You decide the name you chose isnt fun any more and you want to change it.</p><p>7: Most of your toons are following a naming scheme and you want one of your toons (probably older) to match.  (Guildy did this last night)</p>

[Jaffa Tamarin]

<p><cite>Artemiz@The Bazaar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Can we get a reason why Race change wasnt included in this otherwise seemingly all inclusive "witness protection"?</p></blockquote><p>Name affects .. absolutely nothing in the content of the game.</p><p>Gender affects .. absolutely nothing in the content of the game.  Maybe some dialog options?</p><p>Race affects .. choice of starting city (if you add unrestricted race change you no longer need to betray to play some race/class combinations); initial known language; some quests.  I know it's currently just like five noob quests that are specific to each race, but personally I would like to see more race-specific content.  Adding an easy race-change option means it's less likely in future we'll get any race-based factions, or have racial illusions actually mean anything.</p>

[Savanja]

<p><cite>Holymoly@Runnyeye wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Lader wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>and man this is going to make it really hard to avoid those certain people on the server that everyone cant stand.</p></blockquote><p>Don't kill the messenger. Your peers asked for it. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Nice additions.. looking forward to creating my army of Ratonga Tradeskillers! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I agree with Lader. Spyder, if only it were usually this easy to get SOE to do what we ask for. Ask yourself WHY anyone would want to rename their character:</p><p>Scenario 1: You quickly realise it is not a good idea and so you delete the character and start again.</p><p>Scenario 2: You "feel the need" to rename when your character is too far progressed to consider deleting. Why would this occur? I can only think of one situation and that is where you have built up such a bad reputation you want to turn your back on it. Well, reputations tend to be earned and as such one's true colours will soon show through once again and bad reps stick.</p></blockquote><p>lol.  That simple eh?  Maybe this scenario is possible...</p><p>A person, me for example, names a alt toon on a alt account on the fly.  Not much thought was put into the name because it was alt #6434688668999875436.  I only actually had one toon I played and a whole lot of baby toons that I messed with occasionally and used for work.  Endless quests, betrayal, and 55 levels later I've decided I like this alt enough to play her full-time and now I do.  Sure, I could live with the crappy name I pulled from my rear on the fly...or I could just plop down a bit o' cash and give her a name I want, which is exactly what I did.</p><p>Now maybe I was hiding from my bad rep to trick people and cause destruction across an entire server under the cover of my new name, but given I named my new toon "Savanja" I somehow don't think that'll work out for me.</p>

[Anubi]

<p>I have spent about a half hour reading all the responses to these items...</p><p>I, for one, like the name and gender changes - I will assume they will relink ignored names with new names. However, since launch I have yet to ignore anyone, and don't do anything to earn bad rep.</p><p>Just a solution to this race changing argument. I honestly really want a race change, my second to highest (AA wise) 80 is a ratonga necromancer. I frequently use illusions because I can't stand how everything is so small and unnoticable on myself. The problem with illusions is that they go away after a time AND they don't allow you to use them while mounted. My solution to SOE would be to sell a type of appearance armor that changed what race you were (sort of like a permanent-illusion), that would work while on horseback. </p>