SSG, did you guys not enable the Year+ name "overtaking" feature of World Transfers?

[Xaviere]

./signed, same issue here. Specifically hoping for direct blue-name advice. Send a ticket? Wait for a fix such as the one Braer suggested? Give up and cry in my beer?

[Thurallor]

But can you tell how long it's been inactive? Did it exist before you transferred? And are you a different level and class?

If there is a hidden char in the intro (we assume this is the case because it's the more likely beyond even more flaws in the mechanic and people have tested it out) then you can friend a char with your name and one will be displayed generated at the time of the transfer with your level class and location. If that hidden char progressed out of the intro then the "friend" would update to this char.

Was your char level 11 and the same class? Not sure if the anon status would also be retained making a location hidden. This behavior has been seen by many of us.

But there will be many who legitimately get a -1 so easy assumption that all the -1 names are as intended. Druidsfire detailed her prep for over a year to get her name and fell foul but had CS fix it by changing the blocking char's name. They seem to be unwilling to do that any more given the closed tickets above.

You can imagine that Cord has talked to the people with the code and been told it's working as intended. But did it involve a code review or a brush off?

You're right. The inactive character now has my character's class, level, location, and last login time.

Well, at least I didn't pay for the privilege of discovering this bug, unlike some others.

[Thurallor]

That all said: I know this was a thing with the 2015 server consolidation, but I cannot remember whether that would be permanent or not..... They had to re-code the transfer system when they changed database software, and I bet ya anything this feature was just not included. Maybe it turned out to be too consuming to re-program.....

Then how do you explain the phenomenon of the existing character appearing in the Friends list with my character's level, class, location, and last login date?

No, I think there is clearly a bug.

[ChromiteSwiftpaw]

I submitted a ticket while on the -1 named character and a GM responded to the ticket when I was raiding on another server. (Not directly to me..) Basically the GM just said they freed up the name for me and that I should be able to use the rename tokent that was given.

So BEWARE.. if you submit a ticket for this issue (please be nice and explain it out thoughtfully for them..) be ready to move into action to rename your character. If someone else is monitoring that same name they can snatch it.

[Stechmucke]

Bombadil was stated to use "standard restrictions and procedures apply when transferring from Bombadil" ...and those standards for transferring names is:

If there is a naming conflict, the transfer process will grant the name to to the incoming character only if the existing character on the world has not been active for more than one year. The less active character will have a -1 added to their name, and a rename token will be granted to the character. The character whose name has been changed can be renamed by the player by typing the following command into the game chat window: /changename <new name>.

It was clear to me (and others it seems), that if we transferred a toon from Bombadil with a name that was dormant over a year on our home server...we'd be granted that name.

Reeeeeally hoping this is a glitch.

It is a glitch...and they're not going to address it. We'll see if Cord addresses this in his stream if he has one, tomorrow. I'm trying one more thing. I'll let you know if it works.

[Hetweith]

It is a glitch...and they're not going to address it. We'll see if Cord addresses this in his stream if he has one, tomorrow. I'm trying one more thing. I'll let you know if it works.

this happened to one of my toons 2 years before the great server closing. had to wait for the changes to inactive toons(names) with the great server close, then had to purchase a name change from the store to re-aquire my original name....going to the dev's and calling into the help line resulted in wasting my effort and time. i suspect things havent changed.

[Nonde]

Also happened to me during server consolidation - and name I had put on friends list to ensure outside limit for name bounce STILL hasn't logged in lol. Sent ticket and got one of the fob ya off with closed tickets GMs and in end decided a name I hadn't wanted was preferable to dealing with him. It is for sure bugged. Hope you all have better luck than me!

[Wargoat]

lol, I am entirely not surprised that SSG failed at quality control once again for this feature.

[JimhadaUK]

Something is messed up.
I too 'bagged' a name on Bombadil to transfer over to Laurelin of an old kin member that hasnt played in over 10 years.
All this time he still showed in my friendslist as the level 50 Guardian.

I transferred over yesterday from Bombadil and have a -1 appendage.

Thanks SSG.

[Thodorin]

Then how do you explain the phenomenon of the existing character appearing in the Friends list with my character's level, class, location, and last login date?....

There is a bug in the friends list that occurs when a character was created but never logged in. On the picture below you can see that the characters in the character list have different levels and locations - in the friend list they have the same location and level. You can try this bug yourself.

The friendlist error can be reproduced:

1. create a character on Anor - but do not log in !! (the error occurs only if this character was never logged in)

2. create a character with the same name on Ithil and level up

3. transfer character from Ithil to Anor for free

4. log in the transferred character on Anor

5. restart the client (otherwise you cannot put both characters on your friend list)

6. put with a third character both characters on the friends list

7. result: in the character overview the different levels are listed correctly - in the friends list the character without -1 has the wrong datas like level and location

[MerryCav]

You're right. The inactive character now has my character's class, level, location, and last login time.

To further illustrate this bug, I experimented with one of my Bombadil transfers.

1. The name Smalls was inactive on my home world.

2. I transferred Smalls from Bombadil, and was assigned Smalls-1

3. My friend list then showed Smalls, and Smalls-1 with exact level/race/class/craft info. (Smalls showed last login to bombadil 7/15, Smalls-1 showed current login)

4. I deleted Smalls-1 on home server.

5. My friend list still shows Smalls (with Bombadil last played info)

Result: I don't have the name playable, and the inactive player I bumped doesn't have the name anymore either. (I'm not sure what happened to them. I tried to add Smalls-2 to see if they were assigned that behind my unplayable Smalls clone and Smalls-1 but, Smalls-2 did not exist)

No one wins. The name Smalls is now just held in limbo by an unplayable clone.

ps- I did try for the heck of it to roll a new toon and assign it the name but it said the name was taken (after I deleted my transferred toon)

pps- I have 5 others with -1 ...I'm not crazy enough to try anymore experimenting lol. I will leave them alone and hope this gets fixed!

[Thurallor]

There is a bug in the friends list that occurs when a character was created but never logged in. On the picture below you can see that the characters in the character list have different levels and locations - in the friend list they have the same location and level. You can try this bug yourself.

The friendlist error can be reproduced:

1. create a character on Anor - but do not log in !! (the error occurs only if this character was never logged in)

2. create a character with the same name on Ithil and level up

3. transfer character from Ithil to Anor for free

4. log in the transferred character on Anor

5. restart the client (otherwise you cannot put both characters on your friend list)

6. put with a third character both characters on the friends list

7. result: in the character overview the different levels are listed correctly - in the friends list the character without -1 has the wrong datas like level and location

That's a good way to reproduce the issue. Have you submitted a bug report?

[Thodorin]

That's a good way to reproduce the issue. Have you submitted a bug report?

Bugreport 138071

[ChromiteSwiftpaw]

Cordovan just addressed the rename issue on his stream this morning. They ARE aware of it and it is recommended that you hold off any transfers for now if you are trying to usurp a name on the regular servers. He did not give a time frame or anything on whether it will be fixed before transfers are closed for Bombadil. All he did was say that they are indeed aware of the name issue.

[Stechmucke]

Well, Cordovan said there is a bug in the transfer process and they are looking to fix it. He said if the name concerns you, don't do a transfer, yet.

But, my transfer is done. It's too late.

[Braer]

Pity they didn't take a look at the mechanics before last night or when people had these issues ever since the merge/move.

[Braer]

lol, I am entirely not surprised that SSG failed at quality control once again for this feature.

We may never be told but source code control will tell them if it's a Turbine era bug.

So we have a race on to fix transfer code and the curator's arrival in time for the Bombadil wipe.

[NeebPlayer]

I'd like to check a name but "the character cannot be added" to friend list. What does this mean? Does it mean that it exists but never logged in?

[ChromiteSwiftpaw]

I'd like to check a name but "the character cannot be added" to friend list. What does this mean? Does it mean that it exists but never logged in?

There are two possibilities:

1) That character was created but never logged in after character creation
2) That character is on the opposite side of the freep/creep fence.

[MerryCav]

Well, Cordovan said there is a bug in the transfer process and they are looking to fix it. He said if the name concerns you, don't do a transfer, yet.

But, my transfer is done. It's too late.

Mine too. I won't give up hope they'll fix it via ticket request. I've waited 11+ years to try to get my one, main, favorite name (held for years by an inactive level 4) Can't give up now!

[Cordovan]

It looks like the character rename system is not functioning as it was in regard to who gets the rename historically. We will work to get that function in place in the future. In the meantime, players who undergo World Transfers will be required to use the rename system as it currently stands. If this is a concern for you, you may need to wait until we get this adjusted prior to undergoing a World Transfer.

[ChromiteSwiftpaw]

It looks like the character rename system is not functioning as it was in regard to who gets the rename historically. We will work to get that function in place in the future. In the meantime, players who undergo World Transfers will be required to use the rename system as it currently stands. If this is a concern for you, you may need to wait until we get this adjusted prior to undergoing a World Transfer.

But the thing is.. Bombadil will be wiped. Will you delay that wiping until you fix the bug?

[Stechmucke]

Mine too. I won't give up hope they'll fix it via ticket request. I've waited 11+ years to try to get my one, main, favorite name (held for years by an inactive level 4) Can't give up now!

The response for my ticket yesterday was NO

[Cordovan]

But the thing is.. Bombadil will be wiped. Will you delay that wiping until you fix the bug?

Until I know more about the timing of any changes that is hard to say.

[sapienze]

I can see this becoming a recurring problem and theme connected to any new future Event Server. As each new server is created their will be players on old servers using this opportunity to usurp names on old original servers. The problem this creates for returning players is because the game is 13 years old and ongoing. A player takes a few years off from LotRO only to come back to find their name has been stolen. Every month these forums have many, many players posting about a long hiatus and wanting to be updated with the purpose of returning. Sometimes 100s per month are posted on these forums with many stating from what year they came from to this present day.


So basically what this does is allow any player on a new event server to steal any name on an old original server via free transfers from closing event servers.