Paid name change causing soft resets?

Benegesserit · 01/08/08, 11:24 PM

I'm in a Kara group and just did a paid name change right after we killed Moroes. When I logged in as the new name...everyone got kicked out of Kara and when we re-entered...we got a soft-reset (Moroes' linked mobs were gone).

If this is true then anyone can skip future trash tied to a downed boss for $10 and a cooldown.

xiaoxin21 · 01/08/08, 11:43 PM

Its like $10 for about 6 pulls. Not sure if it is worth it. I would think Moroes is one of the few bosses in which you have to still have to clear his trash AFTER he is down. Most trash linked to bosses would be before the boss.

Benegesserit · 01/08/08, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by xiaoxin21

Its like $10 for about 6 pulls. Not sure if it is worth it. I would think Moroes is one of the few bosses in which you have to still have to clear his trash AFTER he is down. Most trash linked to bosses would be before the boss.

If mob links are known in Sunwell before they become live...I'd bet a world first would.

• Daboran · 01/10/08, 7:46 AM

What's more interesting to me is how this confirms that raid IDs are linked to players - were you the raid leader or master looter when the instance was spawned (i.e. when the first person zoned in)?

• songster · 01/10/08, 9:38 AM

Hmmm. What happens if a server transfer goes through while you're saved to an instance?

pinchet · 01/10/08, 9:42 AM

Originally Posted by songster

Hmmm. What happens if a server transfer goes through while you're saved to an instance?

I don't know if raid members on the original server would still be saved if the original raid leader transfers, but if you were to transfer after being saved to an instance then it will be reset on the recieving server. I think a BT guild that recently transfered to Mal'ganis exploited this by doing BT/Hyjal immediately after a reset, transferring, then doing it again before the end of the week, though it may have just been a rumor.

kennyxedge · 01/10/08, 9:48 AM

Transfering servers clears your Raid ID. I had cleared through Teron Gorefiend with my original guild, transfered servers before reset and Raided with my new guild from the start of Black Temple. So basically I was able to Raid Najentus -> Gorefiend twice in one week.

◊ Vectivus · 01/10/08, 10:41 AM

We had a Druid in our guild transfer his Warrior alt to a second account, and it reset everything - friends list, being guilded, instance ID's, everything.

Benegesserit · 01/10/08, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Daboran

What's more interesting to me is how this confirms that raid IDs are linked to players - were you the raid leader or master looter when the instance was spawned (i.e. when the first person zoned in)?

Neither.

linearhaze · 01/10/08, 5:00 PM

Transferring doesn't reset profession cooldowns, but yes, raid ID's are wiped.

Benegesserit · 01/10/08, 5:47 PM

It's weird, though, that simply having a new name on the same server means needing a whole new folder in my WTF, and a new raid ID. I guess I should have been made raid leader before the $10 were paid so we could have farmed the first two again.

Caligula · 01/10/08, 6:13 PM

Originally Posted by Benegesserit

It's weird, though, that simply having a new name on the same server means needing a whole new folder in my WTF, and a new raid ID. I guess I should have been made raid leader before the $10 were paid so we could have farmed the first two again.

Does it wipe everyone's raid ID or just yours?

• the KRIS · 01/10/08, 6:21 PM

It would have to be just his, or they would have zoned in to see Attumen trash.

If you were to do such a thing - name change while you're the raid leader - your group would remain locked with that raid ID, and you'd have to make someone else leader or be alone in your own uncleared instance.

Pretty expensive (and TOS-breaking, I've no doubt) to have your whole guild rename for two BT/Hyjals in a week!

(Then again, maybe Blizz would look the other way if they're getting $250 so your guild gets a second shot at Warglaives.)

Benegesserit · 01/10/08, 7:28 PM

It didn't wipe any IDs. My ID was the same as when I was saved originally. It was a soft reset. I agree with the KRIS on the likely scenario had I been the RL.

Diesirae · 01/13/08, 10:27 PM

Lets say there is X on horde and Y on alliance. They are both saved to raid ID's for BT.

X changes his name to Z. Y then changes his name to X. Will Y get X's old raid ID? Also, is X changes his name to Y, will he get Y's raid ID?

Would this happen differently if the Were both on the same faction.

• koaschten · 01/13/08, 11:08 PM

To rule out one case, that scenario described can't happen for the same faction, as the name is blocked for i thnk 30 days when you change name.

Spink · 01/14/08, 4:58 AM

90 day name lock after paid rename.

To prevent further confusion here's the email you receive upon changing your name.

This is an automated notification. Your Paid Character Name Change on your World of Warcraft account * has been successfully completed. This character is now available again for play under his or her new name. Below is a summary of the transaction and the change, which you may want to keep on file for your records.

Account name: *
Registered email: *

Realm where character is located: Frostwolf
Character’s original name: *
New name you selected: *

Date and time completed: October 31, 2007 8:56 PM UTC

Some important notes about your new name:

- Your character name has been updated automatically on other players’ friends lists, and also on your guild roster if the character is in a guild.
- Other players will need to use your new name when sending mail to you.
- Your old name is locked from use on the realm for 90 days. After 90 days have passed, the name can be reclaimed by any player on that realm on a first-come, first-served basis.
- This character’s name cannot be changed again for 90 days.
- You can review this and other Paid Character Name Change transactions by logging into Account Management and going to your Transactions page.

World of Warcraft Account Management: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account

Thanks for playing World of Warcraft, and happy adventuring with your new name!

Regards,

The World of Warcraft Team
Blizzard Entertainment

◊ Kyth · 01/14/08, 8:15 AM

Blizzard doesn't store characters by name, it stores them by numeric ID. So even if there wasn't the cooldown on name changes, you wouldn't be able to swap raid ID's that way.

You can see this with how renames (GM-forced and otherwise) work on friends lists.

osmigos · 01/15/08, 7:25 AM

So what I gather from this thread is:

Name change:
- Does not re-set raid IDs
- Causes soft re-set of saved instances
- Updates character name on friend/ignore/guild lists
- Old name locked for 90 days

Server/account transfer:
- Re-sets raid IDs

Would that be a correct summary?

Tanoh · 01/15/08, 7:31 AM

To store something by name is always a bad idea. Much better, safer and efficient to use an, albeit big, number, hexstring or similar. Then you don't have to worry about making sure all parts of the code can handle utf-8 characters, for example. It also makes it a lot easier to rename characters, as seen above.